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The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

 

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Xavier Becerra Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services Washington, D.C. 20201

 

The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

 

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Governor Phil Murphy Chair, National Governors Association Washington, D.C. 20001

 

December 1, 2022

 

Dear Sirs and Madame,

 

We the undersigned are nurses and other members of healthcare teams from across the United States. We share a common concern for equity in health and health outcomes for all Americans. While different factors contribute to health outcomes, the intersections with social determinants of health that are shaped by policy and politics are critical to health equity.

 

We are members of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), the leading nursing organization responding to HIV/AIDS and related co-morbidities and co-occurring conditions. Founded in 1987, our mission is to promote the education and development of nurses and others involved in the delivery of HIV-related health care and to promote the health and welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS around the world.

 

We know that harmful rhetoric, policies and laws contribute to fear and stigma, limit access and drive people away from healthcare overall. Limited access, combined with historic inequities and a distrust in the healthcare system have created a two-tiered health care system in the United States. This connection is clear in the HIV epidemic in the United States and must be front and center in our collaborative efforts to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

 

While the "asks" are broad-based, we ask that you consider them your North Star as you move through the legislative and administrative processes and decisions.

 

Decisions at the local, state and federal levels impact our patients and the communities we serve. These decisions influence not only their ability to have equitable healthcare access and outcomes, but also shape their trust in the healthcare systems, critical to engagement in healthcare and better outcomes.

 

As we face another World AIDS Day on December 1, the promise and the challenge of ending HIV in the United States is intertwined with political issues that are intersectional with and hinder the remarkable biomedical progress we have made. These issues are larger than HIV/AIDS care, yet are central to full health equity and outcomes for people living with HIV. Therefore, we call for:

 

* Full LGBTQ rights & access to quality healthcare for all LGBTQ individuals of all ages.

 

* Full reproductive rights and reproductive health care for all women and girls.

 

* Equitable access to preventative & healthcare services that address the racial and geographic inequities in health outcomes.

 

* Modernization of outdated HIV criminalization laws and policies.

 

* Full funding for HIV prevention, care & treatment and research in federal and state budgets.

 

 

As nurses and nurse allies, we stand for the above principles and ask you to prioritize them in your considerations and let them guide you in your decisions.

 

Sincerely,

 

In the mailed communication, the names & locations of more than 130 ANAC members who signed the letter were included.