AIDS Healthcare Foundation (78 Articles with 268,700 total views)
Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF),a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is a global organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 350,000 patients in 36 countries. We are the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the U.S. A truly independent voice in our mission to rid the world of AIDS, AHF’s operating capital comes from our own self-created social enterprises. AHF Pharmacies, thrift stores, healthcare contracts and other strategic partnerships generate funding that helps AHF provide medical and advocacy services across the globe. Generating and defining new, innovative ways of treatment, prevention and advocacy is the hallmark of our success. We are currently leading a mass testing initiative to identify and treat the 25 million people who don’t know they are infected. By advocating big goals – aiming to see an unprecedented 1 billion people tested each year – AHF hopes to eliminate older, more time-consuming methods. Since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. As we create and implement unparalleled programs in new communities in the U.S. and abroad, we expand delivery of healthcare and influence over policy with the sole aim of saving more lives.
October, 2024
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Takes Golden Opportunity to Warn STDs are Timeless
LOS ANGELES AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world's largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, which also provides free, comprehensive sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing and treatment, is rolling out a new national outdoor advertising campaign reminding older adults that "STDs are Timeless." The ads feature a variety of older couples kissing on the beach with an idyllic golden sunset behind them. The "Timeless" headline is accompanied by the URL for AHF's freeSTDcheck.org website, which makes it easy to find one of AHF's free, nonjudgmental STD testing and treatment locations.
June, 2024
Bloodshot Billboards: Eye Syphilis is Serious
LOS ANGELES AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is using the image of two giant bloodshot, infected eyes and the blurry words "Eye Syphilis is Serious" along with the URL freeSTDcheck.org to draw attention to the importance of getting tested for ocular syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) which can cause blurred vision, floaters, light sensitivity, and even blindness if left untreated.
May, 2024
AHF Billboards Shatter HIV Stigma
LOS ANGELES - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has launched a new out-of-home advertising campaign to celebrate people thriving with HIV as a way to shatter the stigma around testing and show living with HIV does not mean stopping the things you love to do. The artwork includes the URL HIVcare.org which directs people to AHF's directory of service locations nationwide.
December, 2023
AHF Honors First Lady Rosalynn Carter's Lifelong Humanitarian Efforts
LOS ANGELES - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) mourns the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter who, together with her husband United States President Jimmy Carter, was a lifelong champion in the human rights movement.
November, 2023
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Thanks Gov. Newsom for Signing PBM Reform Bill (SB 786, Portantino)
LOS ANGELES (October 9, 2023) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) thanked California Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 786, a bill that will make it illegal for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to discriminate against 340B Drug Pricing Program participants. AHF also thanked Senator Anthony Portantino ( D-Burbank), who authored and successfully carried the bill. The legislation, which will now protect thousands of organizations serving low-income Californians across the state, cleared the California State Senate with unanimous support in early September.
California Condom Bill Veto Has Costly Consequences, AHF Warns
LOS ANGELES (October 10, 2023) - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) sharply criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for vetoing SB 541 (Menjivar, D-Burbank), a bill that would require public schools to provide free condoms to students and prohibit retailers from refusing to sell condoms to youth. Newsom claimed the bill was too costly given the state's $30 billion deficit.
December, 2020
AHF Reminds HIV Patients Care is 'Just a Call Away' during Pandemic
LOS ANGELES (November 20, 2020) As rates of COVID-19 escalate in the US-with a reported 60,000 hospitalized as of earlier this week and more than 100,000 new infections logged daily over the past week, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is rolling out a new nationwide public service billboard and transit advertising campaign to remind HIV and AIDS patients that medical care is "Just a Call Away" and can be arranged through telemedicine appointments by AHF via its www.HIVcare.org website.
As COVID-19 Soars, AHF Urges 'Don't Share Air' in New National Billboard Campaign
LOS ANGELES (November 12, 2020) As rates of COVID-19 continue to skyrocket in the US-with a reported 60,000 hospitalized as of earlier this week and more than 100,000 new infections being logged daily, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is rolling out an urgent new nationwide public service billboard and transit advertising campaign headlined and hash-tagged "#DontShareAir." The goal is to encourage mask use and social distancing as a means to reduce new infections of the deadly novel coronavirus that has wreaked humanitarian and economic devastation across the country and around the globe.
August, 2020
AHF Proudly Backs Sen. Sanders' 'Masks for All Act'
WASHINGTON (July 28, 2020) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today wholeheartedly endorsed the "Masks for All Act of 2020," which U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) introduced this week in the U.S. Senate.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Mourns Passing of 'Good Friend' Congressman John Lewis, Civil Rights Icon
WASHINGTON (July 19, 2020) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today sadly mourns the death of United States Representative John Lewis (D-GA), an icon in the civil rights movement. His family announced his passing in a statement Friday evening, noting Congressman Lewis was "…honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, … a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed."
April, 2019
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF): Ending AIDS Starts with Accurate Data
WASHINGTON (April 4, 2019) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is calling for leading global organizations in the fight against HIV/AIDS to focus on data quality to ensure we know the true challenges that lie ahead and to safeguard precious resources dedicated to ending the epidemic from being squandered due to inaccurate figures.
August, 2018
One Choice is No Choice: Florida Governor Rick Scott Denies Critical Healthcare Coverage to Those Living with HIV
FT LAUDERDALE (July 7, 2018) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider and largest global AIDS organization, is blasting Florida Governor Rick Scott for denying critical healthcare coverage to those living with HIV/AIDS. The organization is calling out Scott in response to he and the states Medicaid officials failure to renew an HIV care contract with AHF's Positive Healthcare- a respected non-profit which has been providing critical health insurance coverage for people living with HIV in Florida since 1999. AHF says the state's move will recklessly disrupt care for a vulnerable population of nearly 2,000 Florida HIV patients.
June, 2018
As California STD Rates Skyrocket, AHF Highlights New 'Gonorrhea Alert' Billboards
LOS ANGELES (May 15, 2018) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) launched its latest national outdoor advertising and awareness campaign with new billboards raising an alarm and offering a 'Gonorrhea Alert' about drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted disease-including a case of what has been referred to as 'super gonorrhea' reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by physicians in the United Kingdom earlier this year.
Gilead Lawsuits: California HIV Patients File Class Action and Personal Injury Cases Over Key HIV Drug
May 9, 2018 - Legal actions filed by patients with HIV from Los Angeles, San Diego & Marin Counties target Gilead over its promotion of HIV/AIDS medication that causes permanent damage to the kidneys and bones AND over Gilead's suppression of a safer version of the drug with far less toxicity in order to maximize profits and extend the sales of the initial drug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate ("TDF").
April, 2018
AHF Criticizes Grindr for Sharing HIV Status of Members, Calls It, 'An Egregious Breach of Confidentiality Laws'
LOS ANGELES (April 2, 2018) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) harshly criticized the popular gay hookup app Grindr after Buzzfeed News reported earlier today that Grindr has been sharing its users' information-including users' HIV status and 'last tested date'-with Apptimize and Localytics, two companies which help optimize apps. The Buzzfeed News story noted, that, "Because the HIV information is sent together with users' GPS data, phone ID, and email, it could identify specific users and their HIV status."
AHF Demands U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) Name 'Bad Actors' Allegedly Abusing 340B Drug Program
WASHINGTON (April 3, 2018) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) continues to sound the alarm that a nationwide drug discount pricing program vital to the country's health care safety net – and its HIV/AIDS response – is once again under attack by the drug industry under the guise of 'reform.'
On 50th Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., AHF 'Looks Back in Honor and Forward in Hope'
LOS ANGELES (April 4, 2018) On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, honors and celebrates the life and legacy of the iconic, inspirational slain civil rights leader by standing in solidarity with those carrying on his legacy with the ongoing fight for civil rights and social justice both across the country and around the world.
March, 2018
New AHF Billboards Warn, 'Syphilis is Serious'
LOS ANGELES (February 9, 2018) - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is launching its latest outdoor advertising campaign with new billboards warning that "Syphilis is Serious" going up around Los Angeles starting the week of February 12th.
December, 2017
AHF & Heather Heyer Foundation Launch Youth Essay Contest to Honor Ms. Heyer and Empower Young Advocates
LOS ANGELES (October 30, 2017) For the seventh year in a row, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), this year in partnership with The Heather Heyer Foundation, will take part in the Rose Parade with a float titled 'Keeping the Promise.' The float will highlight community heroes by honoring the courage and sacrifice of civil rights and social justice activists throughout history-from iconic Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Heather Heyer, who was tragically killed in the violent white supremacy demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA earlier this year. Surviving family members of Ms. Heyer and other high-profile advocates for justice will ride on the AHF float, along with three young essay contest winners.
New AHF Billboard Campaign Highlights Troubling Global HIV/AIDS Statistics As World AIDS Day Approaches on Dec 1
LOS ANGELES (November 2) In anticipation of World AIDS Day on December 1st, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has launched a new billboard outdoor advertising to call attention to the millions of people still affected by HIV/AIDS around the globe today. Inspired by vintage fuel pump counters, the billboards draw attention to staggering statistics from UNAIDS on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, including "1,000,000 AIDS Deaths in 2016"; "1,800,000 New HIV Cases in 2016" and "20,000,000 Untreated HIV Cases in 2016." The final number on each billboard appears to be rolling, a visual allusion to the fact that the numbers of individuals directly affected by HIV/AIDS continue to increase.
October, 2017
AHF Praises Senator Bernie Sanders, Senate Colleagues on Introduction of 'Medicare For All' Legislation
WASHINGTON (September 13, 2017) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today praised the introduction of legislation that would make all Americans and U.S. residents eligible for Medicare.
September, 2017
AHF: Condoms in Porn Victory! AHF Congratulates L.A. Board of Supervisors for Vote to Enforce Measure B
LOS ANGELES (August 22, 2017) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today congratulated the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for approving a resolution establishing new public health permit fees for adult film producers working in Los Angeles County. The unanimous vote (four votes 'Yes' with Supervisor Kuehl absent) took place earlier today and now puts in place public health permit fees that have been required since the passage of Measure B, also known as the 'Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act,' back in 2012, which L.A. County voters passed with overwhelming voter support-57% to 43% (1,617,866 votes in favor to 1,222,681 opposed).
AHF: Congenital Syphilis a Growing Crisis; CDC Must Act Aggressively on Prevention, Treatment
WASHINGTON (August 25, 2017)- In response to data revealing a growing crisis of congenital syphilis across the U.S., advocates from AHF today call on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to act far more aggressively on prevention, education and treatment on the potentially deadly disease. AHF also today reiterates a separate call on the FDA to investigate an ongoing shortage of Pfizer's Bicillin L-A, the key syphilis drug used in the treatment of pregnant women.
July, 2017
AHF: Medicaid Changes in U.S. Senate's Health Bill Are 'Gasoline on the Fire of U.S. AIDS Epidemic'
WASHINGTON (June 22, 2017) In response to the release of the U.S. Senate version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) earlier today, AIDS Healthcare Foundation(AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, released the following statement: "From what we can see today, the changes to Medicaid put forth in the Senate version of the American Health Care Act will be gasoline on the fire of the U.S. AIDS epidemic," said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Medicaid is the main safety net program for low-income people, with or without HIV, and cutting this program will have devastating impacts on individuals, communities and the entire healthcare system. It was not that many years ago that we had long wait lists for ADAP, which will undoubtedly return if Medicaid is drastically cut. AHF urges the U.S. Senate to go back to the drawing board and work on a measure that provides health care coverage for all Americans. This current draft would create a public health disaster especially for people living with HIV and those most at risk for acquiring HIV."
New AHF Billboards Warn of 'Syphilis Tsunami'
LOS ANGELES (June 19, 2017) - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has launched its latest outdoor advertising campaign with new billboards warning of a "Syphilis Tsunami" going up around Los Angeles and other U.S. cities this week.
June, 2017
Ohio Sues Purdue Pharma, 4 others over OxyContin's Deadly Impact
Columbus - May 31, 2017 – Supporters of the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act today applauded a lawsuit filed by Atty. Gen. Mike DeWine seeking to hold drug companies accountable for helping create the state's devastating opioid epidemic that has claimed the lives of thousands of Ohio residents.
December, 2016
AHF Questions UNAIDS Estimate of 18.2 Million People on Treatment
LOS ANGELES (November 22, 2016) AHF called into question the validity of the latest UNAIDS estimate released on Nov. 21, which puts the number of people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally at 18.2 million as of June 2016.[1] The new revelation comes only six months following the release of the previous estimate of 17 million people on ART as of the end of 2015.[2]
October, 2016
AHF: New UCLA Study Shows Gay Men on PrEP Are 45 Times More Likely to Contract Syphilis
LOS ANGELES (September 8, 2016) — Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) issued a damning new report this week showing a dangerous link between the usage of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by men who have sex with men (MSMs) and an astronomical increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
September, 2016
Attorney Defends California's Prop. 60 Condom Measure Against False Attacks in Daily Journal Op-ed
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 30, 2016) In an op-ed published today in a top legal newspaper, Los Angeles attorney Bradley W. Hertz demolished a half-dozen 'deceitful myths' that opponents have been circulating about Proposition 60, the California Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, the measure on the Nov. 8 ballot to strengthen the law requiring adult film performers to wear condoms during explicit sex scenes.
July, 2016
AHF Launches 'Gilead Scandal: Gay Men, We Don't Care About Your Kidneys and Bones' - New National Ad Campaign
LOS ANGELES (June 7, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, has launched a new advertising campaign to draw attention to Gilead Sciences, Inc. following a recent and blistering LA Times article that exposed the pharmaceutical giant's patent manipulation of its best-selling HIV drug. The ad headline reads "Gilead Scandal: Gay Men, we don't care about your kidneys and bones, only the money." The ad started running in LGBT publications last week and will run throughout June: in Metro Weekly – 6/2, Washington Blade – 6/3, Gay City News – 6/9, Bay Area Reporter – 6/9 & 6/23, Outword – 6/9 & 6/23, Dallas Voice – 6/10, Georgia Voice – 6/10, Florida Agenda – 6/23.
AHF Mourns with Orlando Community; Will Set Up Fund to Assist Victims
FT. LAUDERDALE (June 12, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today mourn the senseless, brutal, murderous attack on the LGBTQ community in Orlando, a city where AHF provides HIV/AIDS care and services including free HIV testing. The AHF-supported Impulse Group has one of its largest chapters in Orlando, and the Pulse nightclub is one of its major community partners.
AHF: New Meningitis Outbreak Hits Gay Men in Los Angeles & OC
LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2016) Three years after a deadly strain of bacterial meningitis killed two Los Angeles gay men and a San Diego student, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials today issued a Department of Public Health (DPH) 'Health Alert' warning that a new outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease is once again hitting gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) particularly hard. According to the Associated Press, "… nine meningococcal disease cases have been identified in men living in Los Angeles and Orange counties. One patient died as a result of the infection. Six of the cases are known to have been caused by a particular strain of meningococcal bacteria." Four of these nine meningitis cases were found in MSM, and according to the L.A. County Health alert, three of the four MSM cases occurred within the past 6 weeks.
May, 2016
AHF Calls on CDC for National STD Prevention Campaign to Address Rising STD Rates
LOS ANGELES (April 26, 2016) As STD Awareness Month winds down, recent announcements from domestic and international health agencies reveal that rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have continued to rise annually, particularly among gay men, where syphilis is now hitting rates not seen since before the start of the HIV epidemic. In addition, the spread of drug-resistant strains of infections including gonorrhea and syphilis threatens the efficacy of medicines commonly used for treatment. With young people aged 15–24 and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) continuing to be at greatest risk for infection, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and roll out a new national STD prevention campaign. While AHF acknowledges the efforts of the CDC's "Get Yourself Tested Campaign," its funding and scope has failed to match the severity of the growing STD epidemic.
Porn/Condom Study: 'Porn is Not Just A Fantasy. Performers are having actual sex; contracting STDs-and the audience know
LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2016) A groundbreaking new research study undertaken by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health (Schrimshaw et al. 2016), has documented a notable increase in condom use among viewers of adult films in which the performers wore condoms.
April, 2016
AHF Honors Patty Duke as 'Heroic Advocate' Who Spoke Out Against Prop. 64, Lyndon LaRouche & CA AIDS Quarantine Ballot M
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the largest global AIDS organization, today mourns the passing of Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke, remembering her as an early and forceful advocate against discrimination toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Duke was among the first public figures to speak out-and show up-to protests against California's Prop 64, a divisive 1986 ballot measure instigated by political activist and gadfly Lyndon LaRouche that could have required California to quarantine people with AIDS. California voters soundly defeated the ballot measure by a margin of 71% to 29% in November 1986.
AHF Lauds Cal/OSHA for Citing & Fining Porn's James Deen $78K for Condom & Safety Violations
LOS ANGELES (March 9, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today praised Cal/OSHA for citing and fining adult film's James Deen Productions' Third Rock Enterprises Inc. nearly $78,000 for, "…for multiple violations of state condom and other safety laws which exposed performers to sexually transmitted infections and illnesses." Cal/OSHA opened an investigation of Deen and his production company on December 8, 2015 after several rape accusations were lodged against the performer—including several by other performers he had worked with—and after workplace safety complaints were filed with OSHA by AHF over Deen's lack of condom use in his productions. The OSHA citations and fines came about as a direct result of AHF's safety complaint.
AHF Questions Wisdom, Ethics of App to Deliver Prescriptions for PrEP without any Direct Contact with a Medical Provider
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) expressed concern today over news of a Bay Area start up company that has developed an app that allows individuals to order medical prescriptions online for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection without any direct contact with a medical provider or physician.
AHF: Cal/OSHA to Consider New Petition to Amend Adult Film Worker Safety Regulations in California
OAKLAND (March 17, 2016) California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board has pledged to revisit the issue of safety for workers in the adult film industry within the next six months. In February, the Standards Board narrowly rejected a proposed amendment to its Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (Title 8, Section 5193.1) to "clarify required protections for workers in the adult film industry." The updated regulations were intended to protect adult film workers against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases by clarifying and strengthening Cal/OSHA's requirement that adult performers use condoms on set and producers pay for vaccines and medical visits. The Standards Board voted 3-2 in favor of the proposed amendment, but needed four "yes" votes from the seven-member board for the updated regulations to pass.
AHF: Gilead Says it 'Had No Duty to Develop …' Less Harmful AIDS Drug in Legal Motion on Patent Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (March 25, 2016) In a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit filed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) against Gilead Sciences Inc. seeking to invalidate patents on key AIDS drugs held by the Bay Area drug maker, lawyers for Gilead wrote that the company, "… had no duty to develop …" a less harmful HIV/AIDS drug.
AHF: Measure B Condom Requirement is now '…Settled Law,' after L.A. County, Porn Industry Reach Legal Settlement
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the proponent and principal funder of Measure B, the "County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act," that requires actors in pornographic films to wear condoms, issued the following statement from AHF President Michael Weinstein regarding settlement of a lawsuit earlier today against L.A. County by several porn industry producers who sought to block implementation of the law.
Austin, Indiana One Year Later: AHF Collaboration, Quick Response to HIV Outbreak Continues to Save Live
AUSTIN, INDIANA (March 31, 2016) When news of an unprecedented HIV outbreak in Austin made national headlines last spring, former Mayor Douglas Campbell reached out to AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) for help in identifying and treating newly infected patients in the rural town of 4,200 residents, most of whom contracted the virus after sharing contaminated needles during intravenous drug use. AHF responded by immediately sending a mobile testing unit (MTU) to Austin to provide free HIV testing, opening the doors of an HIV/AIDS clinic at Foundations Family Medicine on March 31st and subsequently announced on May 7th a partnership with Mayor Campbell, Dr. William Cooke, State Representative Terry Goodin and other state and local officials to address the health crisis. Since April 2015, AHF has tested 600 people in the city of Austin for HIV through its MTU and connected over 100 residents who tested positive for HIV and/or Hepatitis C to medical care and treatment services, of which 64 are virally suppressed, well above the national average of 30%.
February, 2016
AHF Applauds Congress For Restoring Federal Money For Syringe Exchange Programs
LOS ANGELES (January 12, 2016) — AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today applauded Congress for partially lifting its longstanding ban on federal dollars being used to support needle exchange programs that have been proven to reduce the transmission of HIV and disease by allowing intravenous drug users to trade in used syringes for new, clean ones. Inserted as a provision in the omnibus spending bill signed by President Obama last month, the legislation, while still prohibiting federal dollars from directly purchasing syringes for needle exchanges, allows for federal funding to be used to support other costs related to these programs, including staff and educational outreach.
AHF Applauds Tinder's Decision to Add Health Safety Section Including Healthvana's STD Testing Locator
LOS ANGELES (January 21, 2016) Tinder has added a Health Safety section to its website that will include a link to Healthvana's free HIV and STD testing site locator, following recommendations by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
AHF Files FDA Complaint Against Gilead for Truvada PrEP Ads Promoting Off-label Use
LOS ANGELES (January 19, 2016) Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) stepped up efforts to ensure that Gilead Sciences, Inc. be held accountable for promoting off-label use of Truvada for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection. AHF also wants Gilead to be compelled to promote and market use of its AIDS treatment in accordance with FDA statute and regulations as well as other applicable law.
AHF Files Federal Lawsuit Against Gilead to Invalidate Patents on Key AIDS Drug
LOS ANGELES (January 26, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) filed a federal lawsuit today against Gilead Sciences Inc. seeking to invalidate patents on key AIDS drugs held by the Bay Area drug maker. The legal action was filed today in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, [Case # 3:16-cv-00443] and concerns Tenofovir, a key HIV/AIDS drug which was first synthesized over thirty years ago in the Czech Republic. Tenofovir is a component in Genvoya, Gilead's four-in-one Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) to treat HIV/AIDS patients as well as Gilead's similar predecessor FDC, Stribild.
AHF Lauds WHO for Swift Declaration on Zika, Demands More Urgent Global Response than on Ebola
WASHINGTON (February 2, 2016), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization that provides HIV care, treatment and testing services to over 588,000 individuals in 35 countries, today commended the World Health Organization (WHO), for swiftly declaring a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' on Zika virus. WHO officially announced the Declaration on Monday over concerns on an explosion of Zika virus infections mainly found in the Americas, and in particular, Zika's possible association with clusters of microcephaly and neurologic disorders, in accordance with International Health Regulations, (IHR 2005).
AHF: Gilead Billionaire CEO John Martin Steps Down
LOS ANGELES (January 29, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization and a vocal critic of drug profiteering and runaway drug pricing, today is shining a light on one of the most egregious practitioners of such greed: Gilead Sciences, the leading HIV/AIDS drug maker, and its billionaire CEO John Martin, who is stepping down after 20 years at the helm with vast riches just as the Bay Area drug company faces increasing heat and scrutiny over its AIDS and Hepatitis C drug pricing, patents & policies.
AHF: National Coalition of STD Directors Backs Condoms In Adult Films
LOS ANGELES (January 8, 2016) — Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauded the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) for its updated policy statement in support of protecting workers in the adult film industry from STDs and HIV. In a letter publicly distributed on December 18th, NCSD Executive Director William A. Smith promotes condom usage in adult film production and writes, "After passing a Policy Statement on Worker Health and Safety in the Adult Film Industry in 2010, NCSD continues to be concerned about insufficient STD and HIV prevention efforts within the adult film industry. This industry creates between 4,000-11,000 films each year with gross revenue of $9-13 billion annually. Yet evidence suggests that the industry fails to take the necessary steps to ensure its thousands of workers are protected from acquiring STDs, including HIV."
AHF: Ohio Drug Pricing Initiative Moves to General Assembly; Secretary Husted Had No Legal Standing for One Month Delay
COLUMBUS, OH (February 4, 2016) Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and members of Ohioans for Fair Drug Prices today welcomed news that Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted finally forwarded ballot initiative language for The Ohio Drug Price Relief Act to Ohio's General Assembly for its consideration. Husted was legally required under the Ohio Constitution to transmit the proposed law to the legislature on January 4th, but he instead defied his statutory obligation regarding certification of voter signatures and the transmission of the initiative language and instead returned the signatures to local election boards for recertification. The ballot intitiative will amend Ohio law to require state programs to pay the same or less for prescription medications as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs[1] . Backers plan to have the initiative appear on Ohio's November 2016 presidential election ballot.
AHF: Ohio Secretary of State Sued over Delay on Certifying and Advancing Drug Pricing Ballot Initiative for Nov. 2016 Ba
COLUMBUS, OH (January 6, 2016) A lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of Ohio (Case # 2016-20) late Wednesday afternoon against Ohio Secretary of State John Husted over, Husted's, "... failure to fulfill his clear statutory obligation to certify and transmit a proposed initiative ("proposed law") to the General Assembly pursuant to Art. II,§ 1b, Ohio Constitution."
AHF: Rise of Drug Resistant Gonorrhea in UK Underscores Need For Adherence To Proven STD Treatment Regimens
LOS ANGELES (January 7, 2016) — A drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea first discovered in the United Kingdom last spring could potentially threaten public health in the U.S. and other countries according to recent warnings by Britain's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, and Dr. Sachin Jain, medical director of HIV prevention programs at Montefiore AIDS Center in Bronx, New York. As reported by CBS News on December 28th, Dame Davies and Britain's chief pharmaceutical officer Dr. Keith Ridge sent a letter to the country's physicians and pharmacists alerting of a "super-gonorrhea" and the need for health professionals to consistently prescribe both antibiotics—injectable ceftriaxone and azithromycin—used to properly threat the sexually transmitted infection. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called gonorrhea an "urgent threat" and reported in 2013 that about one-third of all gonorrhea cases were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The CDC estimates that more than 800,000 cases of gonorrhea occur annually in the United States.
Ohio Drug Pricing Ballot Signatures Recertified, but 'Outlaw' Secretary of State Husted Continues to Willfully Obstruct
COLUMBUS, OH (February 2, 2016) Members of Ohioans for Fair Drug Prices today blasted Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted for continuing to willfully obstruct the law by defying his statutory obligations regarding certification of voter signatures and the transmission of ballot initiative language to Ohio's General Assembly for a citizen-driven ballot initiative that will change Ohio law to lower drug prices for all state programs. The proposed law, The Ohio Drug Price Relief Act, will amend Ohio law to require state programs pay the same or less for prescription medications as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Backers plan to have the initiative appear on Ohio's November 2016 presidential election ballot.
January, 2016
'No More Tears for J and J Greed!'
LOS ANGELES (December 11, 2015) — Advocates for reducing skyrocketing specialty drug prices unveiled a new marketing and public awareness campaign this week in New Brunswick, NJ, the global headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, Inc., admonishing the pharmaceutical giant for contributing $5.8 million dollars to oppose a California ballot initiative that would lower drug prices across the state. Drawing upon the company's signature branding for its best-selling baby shampoo, a mobile billboard with the message "No More Tears for Greed" will circulate in the vicinity of the Johnson & Johnson campus. In a shocking decision that underscores Johnson & Johnson's heavyweight influence in the local region and beyond, the move to launch a mobile billboard campaign was made in response to an outdoor advertising company rejecting the drug pricing advocates' efforts to run paid billboards near the company's headquarters. The ads will also appear in nearby transit stations.
'PrEP: The Revolution That Didn't Happen' Declares New AHF Advocacy Ad
LOS ANGELES (December 17, 2015) A new advocacy ad by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) takes aim at the failure of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the use of Gilead Sciences' AIDS treatment Truvada to prevent HIV transmission in uninfected individuals, to catch on despite the fact that the powerful AIDS treatment medication has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as PrEP since July 2012 and that Gilead has spent millions to promote the drug directly to community groups and physicians.
AHF 2016 Rose Parade Float Celebrates ... 'A Girl's World of Adventure'
LOS ANGELES (December 18, 2015) For the fifth year in a row, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, will take part in the Tournament of Roses' iconic 2016 Rose Parade®on Friday, January 1st. This year, AHF's float, 'A Girl's World of Adventure,' celebrates and seeks to empower young girls the world over as it poignantly captures the Tournament of Roses' official 2016 parade theme: 'Find Your Adventur
December, 2015
AHF: Increase in Congenital Syphilis Underscores Need For STD Funding
LOS ANGELES (November 16, 2015) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released statistics in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showing congenital syphilis (CS) cases increased 38% nationwide from 2012 to 2014, a sharp reversal in national rates that steadily declined during the previous four-year period. The report states that the rate of reported CS decreased from 10.5 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 live births during 2008–2012, and then increased to 11.6 cases per 100,000 live births in 2014, the highest CS rate reported since 2001.
GLSEN and AIDS United Release HIV Prevention Resource for Educators
NEW YORK (December 1, 2015) - GLSEN, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students, and AIDS United, dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., today released Get the Facts: Improve School Climate to Increase LGBT Students' Well-Being and Reduce HIV/AIDS Risk, an educator resource on mitigating HIV risk among students.
November, 2015
AHF Commends SCRUFF Mobile Dating App For Free STD Testing Ads
LOS ANGELES (October 22, 2015) — Following the explosion of international media attention on a provocative Los Angeles billboard campaign launched in September by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to draw attention to the risk of mobile dating app users contracting STDs like gonorrhea and chlamydia, the organization applauded SCRUFF, one of the largest location-based dating apps for gay men, for its statements in support of incorporating STD prevention and treatment messaging into its popular platform. During an October 2nd Huffington Post Live webchat featuring Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director, Public Health Division for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, SCRUFF Founding Partner and Chief Product Officer Jason Marchant said, "We at SCRUFF feel that we definitely have a social responsibility to do what we can to make our users informed not only of potential risks but also of the resources that are available to them, be it for testing, prevention, treatment or support—be it for HIV or any other STIs. "
AHF Criticizes Governor Brown for Veto of Hospital HIV Testing Bill (AB 521)
LOS ANGELES (October 11, 2015) Today Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director for AIDS Healthcare Foundation's (AHF) Public Health Division, issued the following statement on California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. veto of AB 521 (Adrin Nazarian, D, 46th District, Van Nuys), legislation sponsored by AHF that would have required every hospital, if it otherwise draws blood from a patient and the patient is admitted to the hospital from the emergency department, to offer to test that blood for HIV with the patient's consent.
AHF to Submit 550,000 Signatures for 2016 Drug Pricing Ballot Measure in California
LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2015) Drug pricing advocates affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announce they will file close to 550,000 signatures of registered California voters with state election officials by Monday, November 2nd in order to qualify The California Drug Price Relief Act, a statewide ballot initiative that will revise California law to require state programs to pay no more for prescription medications than the prices negotiated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The V.A. generally pays 20% to 24% less than any government program. The advocates intend to qualify the measure for the November 2016 presidential election ballot in California.
California 'Condoms in Porn' Ballot Initiative Cleared for November 2016 Election
LOS ANGELES (November 4, 2015) Safer sex advocates affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), and the group, FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility), are pleased to announce that the office of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has completed and cleared a random sample of voter signatures on The California Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, a statewide ballot initiative that would expand the power of Cal/OSHA and local California public health departments to enforce condom use on adult film sets throughout the state. The Secretary of State's office is projecting 414,423 valid voter signatures on the measure—enough for the Secretary to declare the initiative 'eligible' to appear on the November 2016 election ballot
October, 2015
AHF Lauds Gov. Brown for Signing California Sex Ed Bill (AB 329)
SACRAMENTO (October 2, 2015) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today applauded Governor Jerry Brown for signing Assembly Bill 329 (Shirley Weber, D, Sacramento-District 79), which would require sexual education in all California public schools. Under current law, sex ed is permissible, but not required. AHF was an active supporter of AB 329, and lobbied the Legislature and Governor hard for enactment of this important public health measure.
September, 2015
AHF on Latest PrEP Ad: 'What Is Different Than What We've Said Before?'
LOS ANGELES (August 19, 2015) In response to ongoing and inaccurate media coverage and reporting on AHF's position on the use of Gilead Science's AIDS treatment Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is releasing this statement to reiterate and clarify where AHF stands—and has stood—on PrEP.
AHF's 'StraightOuttaCondoms' Ad Campaign Riffs Film, But Packs Serious Health Messages
LOS ANGELES (August 14, 2015) Timed to coincide with today's release of the widely anticipated new film, 'Straight Outta Compton,' AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is launching 'StraightOuttaCondoms,' a new safer sex media campaign that includes billboard and bus bench ads in Los Angeles as well as a related public service announcement promoting condom use that will play with the film in over 80 theaters in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.
AHF: Porn 'Privacy' Fig Leaf Hides STD Data
LOS ANGELES (September 2, 2015) Nearly three years after Southern California's porn industry filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County seeking to block implementation of Ballot Measure B, the County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, the so-called "condoms in porn" measure spearheaded by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) which Los Angeles County voters passed with an overwhelming margin of voter support—57% to 43%—in the November 2012 election, the adult industry now appears unwilling or unable to defend its own voluntary STD & HIV testing program, which the industry has long asserted negates the need for condom use.
Downtown Funk Parody of Uptown Funk Hit Music Video Promotes Safer-Sex Message
LOS ANGELES (August 26, 2015) — This week AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world's largest HIV/AIDS organization serving over 460,000 patients annually across the globe, released its latest music video parody, "Downtown Funk," a high-energy, professionally-produced music video that promotes STD awareness and safer-sex inspired by "Uptown Funk," the internationally chart-topping song recorded by British producer Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars. Filmed in Los Angeles and at multiple gay pride celebrations where AHF's customized "Check Your Wiener" bus rolled down parade routes, the video features lyrics and a vocal performance by Danny Fernandez—star of AHF's hugely popular "(One Stop) Thrift Shop" music video parody of Macklemore's "Thrift Shop" video that logged 250K views—and included cameos by Mr. and Mrs. Gay Ohio and drag performers Allusia Alusia, Misty Violet, and Cake Moss.
August, 2015
AHF Battles Dallas Over AIDS Funding Process as 7,565 HIV+ People in County Lack Care
DALLAS (July 13, 2015) Dallas County officials are being challenged in court and in public over what AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) asserts are significant failures by County officials in the County's handling of the grant application and request for proposal (RFP) process in Dallas for federal AIDS funding channeled through local Dallas County authorities. After a months-long process during which County officials kept changing the reasons for their rejection of AHF's grant applications, AHF filed a formal grievance with Dallas County on March 10, 2015 and filed—but did not serve—a lawsuit seeking similar relief from the state court. AHF currently operates three outpatient health care centers for people with HIV/AIDS in Texas—two in the Dallas/Forth Worth area, the third in Houston.
AHF Cheers World's 'Astounding' Feat: 15 Million on AIDS Treatment
WASHINGTON (July 14, 2015) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which provides HIV/AIDS medical care and treatment to more than 438,000 people in 36 countries, cheered a statement released earlier today by UNAIDS reporting that the world has reached the goal of 15 million people on lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment worldwide by 2015—nine months ahead of schedule. The number now exceeds the AIDS treatment targets set forth in UN's Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6.
AHF: Colorado's Success With Long-Term Birth Control Suggests Similar Path for More Effective HIV Prevention
LOS ANGELES (July 10, 2015) — On the heels of news that scientists have created the first subdermal implant to deliver antiretroviral drugs to prevent or treat HIV, Colorado health officials recently reported that making free intrauterine devices and implants available to women has drastically reduced teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in the state. According to a July 5th New York Times article, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found that after launching its Colorado Family Planning Initiative in 2009 to offer free, long-acting contraception to residents, the abortion rate fell by 42% and the teenage birth rate fell by 40% from 2009 to 2013.
AHF: FPPC to Investigate Porn Industry Over Foreign Money in Failed 2012 L.A. Campaign Against Condoms
LOS ANGELES (July 24, 2015) Safer sex advocates and individuals affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the primary backer of Measure B, the so-called condoms in porn 2012 ballot measure in Los Angeles County, today cheered the news that California's Fair Political Practices Commission's (FPPC) Enforcement Division will be opening an investigation to look into allegations of foreign donations to the adult film industry's failed 2012 'No on Government Waste, No on Measure B' campaign seeking to block passage of Measure B.
AHF: Lancet's 'Protecting Porn' Opinion Piece Supports 2016 California Condom Ballot Measure
LOS ANGELES (August 6, 2015) Safer sex advocates and individuals affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) who are spearheading a 2016 statewide California ballot initiative that would expand the power of Cal/OSHA and local public health departments throughout the state to enforce condom use on adult film sets throughout California were heartened by an opinion blog piece recently published by the respected medical journal, The Lancet, that lends credence to, and support for the advocates' push for industry compliance with existing—as well as updated—regulations requiring condom use by performers working in the adult film industry.
Ebola Vaccine Success: AHF Says, 'World Must Proceed in All Due Haste and With All Financial Resources Necessary'
WASHINGTON (July 31, 2015) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today cheered the news that an Ebola vaccine trial in the West African country of Guinea was shown to be 100% effective in trials involving 4,000 people. The Guardian reported news of the success of the trials, noting, "The results of the trials … are remarkable because of the unprecedented speed with which the development of the vaccine and the testing were carried out."
April, 2015
AHF: FL Insurance Commissioner McCarty Announces Improved Nationwide Access to HIV Medications
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - March 27, 2015 – Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty announced this week that Aetna, Inc. and Coventry Health Care of Florida, Inc. are revising their HIV/AIDS drug formularies for individual health plan members. The new change means a majority of HIV drugs currently labeled as specialty drugs in the highest cost tier of the drug formulary are being reclassified as either generic or non-preferred brand drugs and moved into the lower cost tiers.
More Ocular Syphilis Cases in West Coast Gay Men Prompt Health Warnings
LOS ANGELES (March 6, 2015) Since December 2014, as many as 15 cases of ocular syphilis—a sexually transmitted disease which has led to blindness in several of the individuals—have been reported in men who have sex with men on the West Coast. Confirmed cases in Washington State, San Francisco as well as two suspected cases found in Los Angeles that are currently under investigation are raising alarm among public health officials, community care providers and prevention specialists.
February, 2015
AHF to support California legislation limiting 'personal belief' vaccine exemptions
SACRAMENTO (February 5, 2015) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization and a leader in HIV and STD prevention and treatment, today announced that it will support planned statewide legislation that will limit parents' 'personal belief' vaccine exemptions in California.
AHF: Advocates Submit Official Language for Condoms in Porn California Ballot Measure
LOS ANGELES (January 12, 2015) As part of its ongoing campaign to improve and strengthen state law on the use of condoms in adult films produced in California in an effort to reduce the spread of STDs, including HIV, safer sex advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) as well as from FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility), the formal campaign committee that will shepherd signature gathering for the ballot initiative process, today submitted the official text of a 2016 California statewide ballot initiative for (proposed) title and summary as a prelude to signature gathering. Plans for the proposed initiative—a statewide California law that will require condom use in all adult films shot anywhere in the state—were previously announced by the group in November. The measure will be formally known as "The California Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act."
January, 2015
AHF's Latest Advocacy Ad asks, 'What Consensus on PrEP?'
LOS ANGELES (December 11, 2014) Starting Thursday, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will expand its national ad campaign urging caution about the use of Gilead's HIV/AIDS medication Truvada by uninfected individuals as a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent possible HIV transmission.
AHF: Kaiser Permanente PrEP Study Reports 45% Increase in Condom-less Sex
LOS ANGELES (December 8, 2014) A Kaiser Permanente study on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by gay men and men who have sex with multiple men to prevent possible HIV transmission has reported an "eye-popping statistic"—a 45% increase in condom-less sex among certain study participants.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF),a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is a global organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 350,000 patients in 36 countries. We are the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the U.S. A truly independent voice in our mission to rid the world of AIDS, AHF’s operating capital comes from our own self-created social enterprises. AHF Pharmacies, thrift stores, healthcare contracts and other strategic partnerships generate funding that helps AHF provide medical and advocacy services across the globe. Generating and defining new, innovative ways of treatment, prevention and advocacy is the hallmark of our success. We are currently leading a mass testing initiative to identify and treat the 25 million people who don’t know they are infected. By advocating big goals – aiming to see an unprecedented 1 billion people tested each year – AHF hopes to eliminate older, more time-consuming methods. Since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. As we create and implement unparalleled programs in new communities in the U.S. and abroad, we expand delivery of healthcare and influence over policy with the sole aim of saving more lives.
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