Overview
- On March 18, seven franchise stars — NeNe Leakes, Erika Jayne, Phaedra Parks, Luann de Lesseps, Melissa Gorga, Candiace Dillard Bassett and Marysol Patton — joined a MISTR-led “Housewives on the Hill” push in Washington to expand access to PrEP and HIV treatment.
- Sen. Tammy Baldwin delivered opening remarks, and lawmakers including Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. April McClain Delaney engaged at events held in the Russell Senate Office Building.
- KFF reports that 18 states plus Washington, D.C., have already cut AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, with additional states weighing reductions as Ryan White funding has remained largely flat since 2014.
- Florida’s eligibility shift from 400% to 130% of the federal poverty level is projected to leave over 10,000 people without ADAP-covered HIV medications, with a short transition period and an end to Biktarvy coverage.
- Advocates underscored PrEP’s effectiveness of up to 99% when taken correctly and the role of telehealth in access, noting the latest federal budget holds HIV funding at 2025 levels even as state rollbacks continue.