During his first term, President Donald Trump set a goal to end the U.S. HIV epidemic by 2030. Now, his administration is reportedly considering cuts to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s domestic HIV programs. Advocates fear this could undermine years of progress.
Local performer Justin Renaissance knows the impact of HIV firsthand.
“I still actively have friends who pass away from this. And that is the reality,” he said. “It doesn't just affect people in the LGBT community. It affects everybody.”
In San Diego County, as of 2023, more than 15,000 people are living with HIV.
The CDC currently provides about 91% of federal funding for HIV prevention in the U.S. state and local health departments, along with community-based organizations, depend on this funding for HIV testing, education and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medication that helps prevent HIV. Now, the Trump administration is considering cutting these funds or moving the programs to another federal agency.
“If the Trump administration's goal is government efficiency, prevention services are so much less expensive throughout the health care context,” said Cara Dessert, CEO of the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
Dessert said the center could lose about $100,000 in funding. The potential CDC cuts aren’t the only concern — more than $3.6 billion in federal housing grants are also on hold.
Congressman Scott Peters, who visited the center last week, pushed back against the proposed cuts.
“Because of this concern about DEI … they may cut funding for any of those programs just because this program is administered by a LGBTQ organization like the center,” he said. “The Trump Administration wants to withdraw funding for HIV prevention at a point where we're so close to closing this disease out. It makes no sense.”
Health experts warn that shutting down the CDC's Division of HIV Prevention could trigger a public health crisis reminiscent of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s.
Teens and young adults make up about 19% of new infections annually in the U.S.
Renaissance said prevention is key.
“The younger generation definitely needs proper education on this. And preventative care is 100% the way to go. We can’t get rid of that,” he said.
The administration has not announced a final decision, but advocates say losing this funding could severely impact HIV prevention efforts.
