| June 24, 2009 | |
In Today's In-Brief:
Honoring 20 Years of Service to People Living with HIV/AIDS As a leader within the community of HIV/AIDS advocates for the past 20 years, HIV Law Project has developed extremely effective programs for protecting the rights, dignity, and quality-of-life of low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. In turn, our direct legal services are unsurpassed in their comprehensiveness and client-first focus. Our Center for Women & HIV Advocacy is setting the standard for training and empowering underserved HIV-positive women to empower themselves, their families, and their communities. Our policy staff fills a critical niche for analysis and insight into cross-sectional issues often overlooked by other HIV advocates. The respect and trust we enjoy among those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS comes with great responsibility. Clients seek protection and justice. Allies seek partnerships. Government leaders ask for our information and advice. There is no shortage of need. At a time when funding for critical legal and advocacy services continues to be slashed and entire programs servicing people living with HIV/AIDS are being cut, HIV Law Project has stood its ground and kept its doors open. Time is running out....Got 5?Fight discrimination and help secure justice, dignity and an improved quality of life for those who desperately need our help by donating today! Our $20,000 dollar matching campaign ends on June 30th. A $25 donation or more from YOU – right now – will help us reach our goal. It will! It will take you 5 minutes or less to make a donation online You can also have a decisive impact on the lives of low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. CWHA Speaks Up On Proposed Changes to NY State HIV Testing, Counseling and Informed Consent Laws Hadiyah Charles, Community Organizer for HIV Law Project recently testified in Albany about the importance of maintaining written informed consent for HIV testing. HIV Law Project strongly supports the proposition that the earlier more people know their HIV status, the better. We support the expansion of access to routine voluntary HIV testing throughout the general population. The solution, however, should be tailored to the problem while seeking to preserve the rights of individuals to give written, informed consent under Article 27-F of the Public Health Law. HIV Law Project supports the expansion of access to Routine Voluntary HIV Testing. We do not believe it necessary, however, to amend Article 27-F to eliminate certain rights in order to achieve that goal. Sound health policy is consistent with and accounts for individual rights – this is especially true when the health threat is one most often spread by intimate human contact not easily regulated by the State. To read the full testimony, click here>>. June 27, 2009 is National HIV Testing Day National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is on Saturday June 27, 2009. Today, the CDC estimates that approximately 250,000 Americans are living with HIV, but are unaware of their HIV status. NHTD wants everybody to learn their status; the more people who know their status, the better we are able to prevent the spread of HIV. Testing allows a person to obtain early medical care if needed and to educate and protect themselves and others from HIV. NHTD allows a day for people across the nation to get tested and become informed; however, this should not be the only time that people have access to testing or are asked about the subject. There is still a stigma that goes along with HIV and by talking about it and making testing more commonplace, this stigma will lessen. It is important for everybody to know their status. On June 27th counseling and testing sites will be available across the United States. Please look out for special testing-related events and extended hours in some areas. To find a testing place near you, visit www.HIVTest.org. HIV Law Project Supports the Uniting American Families Act HIV Law Project recently submitted testimony in support of the Uniting American Families Act, which would allow permanent partners of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to obtain permanent resident status ("green cards"). This proposed change in the law would lift a bar that prevents many of our clients from regularizing their immigration status. Read the full testimony here>>. *HIV Law Project is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. To find out more about HIV Law Project work, please visit www.hivlawproject.org. HIV Law Project is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors. BE SURE TO RECEIVE OUR IN-BRIEF EMAILS. MAKE HIV LAW PROJECT YOUR BUDDY! Some Internet Service Providers like AOL, Yahoo! and Hotmail use email filtering software that allows you to add email addresses to a "buddy," "trusted," "safe," or approved list. Please add news@hivlawproject.org to your list so that our messages don't end up in "junk mail" or the "trash." HIV Law Project |
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