This week (Sept. 24-30), we urge you to join a national call-in campaign to support effective global HIV prevention policy. The Global AIDS Alliance is participating in this call-in week along with other HIV/AIDS, women's rights, religious, community-based, and health organizations across the country.

Your Senator is a critical player on this issue. Please take a moment to call his/her Capitol Hill office to ask him/her to co-sponsor the HIV Prevention Act (S. 1553). See the bottom of this action alert for a sample call-in script.

Background: In 2006, there were 4.3 million new HIV infections globally. Eighty percent of all new infections are sexually transmitted, and 80% of women who are newly infected with HIV contract it from a husband or primary partner. The world needs effective, evidence-based, comprehensive HIV prevention strategies and programs. Unfortunately, US law currently requires that one-third of all US funds spent on global HIV prevention be restricted to abstinence-until-marriage programs. These programs fail to address the realities of people's lives and leave many people, especially women, more vulnerable to HIV transmission. Click here to read what two government reports had to say about this abstinence-until-marriage funding requirement.

Why the HIV Prevention Act? The HIV Prevention Act (S. 1553) was introduced in the Senate in June 2007 by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Snowe (R-ME) and 10 other original co-sponsors. It would remove the requirement that one-third of all international HIV prevention money be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs, freeing up this money to be spent on the most effective programs based on local needs. Click here to view the full list of current HIV Prevention Act co-sponsors.

The HIV Prevention Act is of particular importance this fall because over the next few months Congress will be working on reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which funds all of the US government's global HIV/AIDS work. This means our elected officials will soon be determining which restrictions to keep in the PEPFAR legislation and which to remove. Strong bipartisan support for the HIV Prevention Act this fall will help ensure that the re-authorized version of PEPFAR prioritizes effective, comprehensive HIV prevention without harmful spending restrictions.

Call Today!

To contact your Senator, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator's office. You can either speak to the person who answers the phone, or you can ask to speak to the staff person who handles global AIDS issues. Here's a sample of what to say:

"Hi, my name is [your name] and I live in [city and state]. I'm calling today to urge Senator _____ to co-sponsor the HIV Prevention Act. The HIV Prevention Act, which is Senate bill #1553, would remove the requirement that one-third of all global HIV prevention money be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs. With more than four million people newly infected with HIV each year, I believe it is critical that the Senate pass the HIV Prevention Act so we can fund the most effective programs possible."

Feel free to edit this script to make it your own. Speak from your heart to really make an impact. And remember, effective HIV prevention is on the line, so make your call today!

Always,

Mary

Mary Peterson
Grassroots Coordinator
Global AIDS Alliance
1413 K St. NW 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

(202) 789-0432 ext. 212

mpeterson@globalaidsalliance.org

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