Understanding the landscape of women's HIV advocacy in the United States

As the HIV epidemic in the United States increasingly wears a woman's face, the growth of appropriate responses to the unique prevention and care needs of women who are vulnerable to HIV and living with HIV is imperative. The epidemiologic profile of the U.S. HIV epidemic continues to mirror the feminization of poverty in the U.S., with a disproportionate burden of HIV-associated morbidity and mortality occurring among racial and ethnic minority women who are often the primary caretakers of their families and frequently lack access to quality health care that adequately meets their needs. Feminists, social justice advocates, and the public health community have progressively joined in solidarity over the past three decades to protect the human rights of women living with and affected by HIV. Women's HIV advocates have increasingly worked to: reduce pervasive HIV-related stigma and discrimination; promote the meaningful involvement of women living with HIV and those disproportionately at higher risk for HIV into all levels of HIV policy decision-making and program design; reform health care so that it is available, accessible, acceptable, and comprehensive; promote the integration of sexual and reproductive health and HIV/STI services; and advance the relevance of HIV prevention and treatment policies, research, and interventions to women's lives. Following a brief history of women's HIV advocacy in the U.S., this presentation will discuss some of the key players involved in the domestic women's HIV advocacy movement, their key activities, as well as an overview of advocacy resources that are available.