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Contact: Waheedah Shabazz –EL, (267) 231-2647 iamshabazz@yahoo.com
Teresa Sullivan, (215) 512-5104 teresa.sullivan21@yahoo.com
Website: www.pwn-usa.org
Press Kit: www.pwn-usa.org/media/press-kit
Hear Us Now! Make Us A Priority, Women Count!
U.S. Positive Women’s Network-PWN, Advocates to Count HIV+ Women In on World AIDS Day 2011
U.S. Positive Women’s Network-PWN, Advocates to Count HIV+ Women In on World AIDS Day 2011
December 1, 2011, Philadelphia, PA – New biomedical research that may herald an end to the HIV pandemic is the hallmark of 2011, yet HIV remains a leading cause of death for Black American Women. For women, the promise of science’s advances may ring hollow. Women have less access to HIV prevention tools and HIV-positive women are less likely to reap the benefits of these new advances. In fact, research shows that women are more likely to get sick and die faster due to poverty, stigma, and logistical barriers to accessing health care.
The HIV pandemic is a human rights crisis. Disproportionately impacting women of color, low-income women and women in the Southern and Northeastern U.S., many women living with HIV suffer from gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination, reproductive rights violations, and lack of employment opportunities. Nationally, over half of women living with HIV are not in medical care. Studies show that 76% of women living with HIV that are receiving care, have children under the age of 18, which may complicate their ability to manage their own illness. According to local statistics from the Philadelphia Department of Health, the number of African-American women in Philadelphia infected with HIV has also grown dramatically.
Many of the women living with HIV in Philadelphia will suffer even worst health outcomes because they are a part of the city’s two-year waiting list for stable, affordable housing.
“Housing is HIV prevention. It is HIV treatment and care as well, said Waheedah Shabazz-El, coordinator of the Philadelphia Chapter of the U.S .PWN. “Stable housing is a gateway to adherence of life saving HIV medications. It provides a base in which individuals can keep up with doctor appointments and even augments ones ability to negotiate safer sex. All of which lead to better health outcomes for the individual and safer communities overall.
Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS-HOPWA is a federal program that provides state by state, subsidies to ward of homelessness of people with HIV, however these federal programs require municipal level support in order to keep up with the number of annual new HIV infections. Philadelphia, dedicate almost no municipal funding to this program. Philadelphia, instead maintains a two-year waiting list for stable housing for people living with HIV and scores of women with minor children are on that list. In 2009 alone six (6) Philadelphians with HIV died while on the streets or in the shelter system, as they remained on the two year-long waiting list for stable, affordable housing. Teresa Sullivan, US PWN, national steering committee member said,” We should all be outraged why is this happening in our own city. Housing is fundamental and the right to housing is supported by the Universal Declarations on Human Rights.”
The economic crisis has had grave consequences for women living with HIV. Nationally and locally, several organizations providing essential services to HIV-positive women have closed their doors in the past year or cut back on programs. As the U.S. navigates a volatile election year, women-focused services have become a political football. The result? Though women comprise over 27% of HIV cases in the U.S., women are rapidly becoming invisible in HIV funding, programs, services, leadership and data.
Women account for nearly a third of the HIV epidemic in the U.S and account for more than half globally. Hence, women living with HIV stand in solidarity echoing an essential demand based in Human Rights, “Count Women In.” Count all women, including transgender women living with HIV. Count women into the data, services and the resources and present women with leadership opportunities to provide input into policies and programs that affect our lives.
On World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2011, U.S. Positive Women’s Network is launching Count Us In!, a national campaign focused on ensuring that women living with and vulnerable to HIV receive affordable, culturally-competent, non-heterosexist, and age-appropriate women-centered care that upholds our human rights! PWN will be holding local Count Us In! events across the country. Can We count on you to support us? Stay tuned!
Positive Women’s Network-Philadelphia supporting Trans Day of Remembrance, Sunday Nov 20, 2011
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U.S. Positive Women’s Network (PWN) is a project of WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease) in Oakland, CA. We are a national membership body of women living with HIV and our allies that exists to strengthen the strategic power of all women living with HIV in the United States. We believe in self-determination, solidarity and sisterhood. Everyday we inspire, inform and mobilize women living with HIV to advocate for changes that improve our lives and uphold our rights. Get on our e-mail/mailing list by contacting Sonia Rastogi, sbrastogi@womenhiv.org, (510) 986-0340 ext. 317.
