The View from Under the Bus: HIV and STD Funding Becomes Lightening Rod for Stimulus Foes

By Julie Davids

In his inaugural address, President Obama vowed to "restore science to its rightful place," refreshing words after eight long years of an administration that placed ideology over data, time and again.

The detrimental impact of STDs, including HIV, on the American public—most particularly among people of color and gay men—is clear. And the persistent under-funding of science-based prevention and sound public health infrastructure to combat these and other infectious diseases is now worsening due to the economic crisis.

Yet, in debates about the economic stimulus bill, science and public health seems to have once again been put asunder when it comes to the inclusion of funds to combat STDs – even though the short-term spending would create jobs and protect the nation's health.

The House passed a version of the bill with $335 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention to screen for, and prevent, some of the most common, costly and controllable infectious diseases in the United States (despite their nixing of funds for contraception, a harbinger of things to come).

But then the controversy began, as conservatives looking for a way to thwart momentum for the massive bill found a way in by attacking STD funding.

The "stimulation" jokes would seem better suited for the locker room than the halls of Congress, unless one had already lived through years of attacks on science-based prevention for gay men, sex workers and drug users like persistent political footballs tossed throughout the history of the epidemic.

It didn't seem to matter that economic recovery money for HIV and STD prevention would hit the streets quickly and strategically, working to fill widening gaps in the public health workforce—it sounded like dirty talk, and the likes of the Drudge Report latched on this like a bridge going to nowhere but smutsville.

And now, the counterpart language in the Senate bill that would have given $400 million towards CDC's HIV and STD work has been axed.

It is undeniable that the high stakes of our economic crisis require much scrutiny in how stimulus funds are spent. We need to ensure that the public and decision-makers discern the differences between million-dollar bonuses to bank bigwigs and slow-burn strategies versus public health programs that would immediately put people to work saving lives.

Fighting for our Work, Fighting for our Lives:

We recommend the following actions, not only to push back against the stigmatization of HIV and STDs in the current debate, but to ensure that we pave the way for a return to science-based public policies for this legislative session and beyond:

Alerts:

We know the alerts have been coming fast and furious the past few days. And there's more to come. But we need to keep the calls coming. We need to express our disappointment at the removal of the HIV and STD language from the Senate bill as we lend support for the $5.8 billion that remains for prevention and wellness, as well as the significant investments in health care, while remaining poised to speak up for other, specific funding opportunities.

The talking points below will help you understand and be able to explain that these funds would be used for job creation and keeping the workforce healthy—exactly what this stimulus bill is supposed to be about.

Letters to the Editor:

Use the template letter below to craft your own response about HIV and STD prevention as part of a responsible economic recovery plan. Remember to keep it short and specific (if you have the type of job or work with people who would be served by this funding, let them know!) and stay on message—investments in public health will stimulate the economy, help keep our nation healthy, and tackle dangerous infectious diseases. Now is the time to put public health to work.

District Visits:

The week of February 16, members of Congress will be back home. Call now to arrange a meeting, or see if they can come to see the lifesaving work you are doing in the community.

Remember, this is not just about the stimulus bill—this is about putting names and faces to the folks who are standing up to infectious diseases in our communities, and whose lives and jobs are worthwhile, so go in prepared to talk about a range of issues that affect us. For example, the Harm Reduction Coalition and allies are making progress on lifting the Federal funding ban on syringe exchange. Contact Hilary McQuie at mcquie@harmreduction.org to learn more about efforts in your state and strategies for your federal elected officials.

And a final note, speaking of stigma, for those who don't believe that stigma remains alive and well as a barrier to our HIV/AIDS efforts: Consider our present situation, in which job creation for science-based public health efforts to prevent STDs cannot be broached in the halls of Congress without paving the way for late-night TV jokes, vicious attacks from conservatives, and timidity from those we assume are our allies, and then think about what happens every single day in the rural towns, inner cities, schools and workplaces in our nation. Change is what we need, but we've got quite a bit of work to do.