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June 27 marks National HIV Testing Day, a day meant to encourage HIV testing in the U.S. Today, nationwide access to HIV prevention services is essential to public health, especially in response to new barriers to information and care.  

In January 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scrubbed its HIV content and shut its main page on the topic down earlier this year in response to the Trump administration’s anti-DEI policies. 

The federal health agency has since partially restored its main HIV webpage and content. There were significant cuts to information, especially on gender identity and trans individuals, which coincides with a rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ bills across state legislatures as reported by the American Civil Liberties Union. There have since been major reports from media outlets about the Trump administration’s cuts to the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Program.  

Without access to accurate information and resources, the public is left in the dark on how to access HIV treatment and testing. 

“People are scared whether they’re going to get their medication,” said John Meade, a Senior Program Manager in Policy at AVAC. “HIV negative or HIV positive, because the government is trying to cut all these programs that they’ve used to gain access to these medications. For people who live with HIV, these medicines are lifesaving; you need it to live.” 

Ensuring that people living with HIV are able to access care is a central component of fighting new HIV cases, as modern HIV medications often result in a person having undetectable HIV levels. Individuals living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through consistent antiretroviral therapy (ART) cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners. 

Under the current administration, over 300 NIH grants related to HIV research and assistance have been terminated, accounting for a nearly $3 billion loss in total obligation. The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) tracks research studies in HIV prevention technologies and initiatives in key populations, and these changes have made their work difficult, said Meade. 

“A lot of these things have crippled the [CDC’s] ability to do basic surveillance, basic epidemiology, basic provider education, and that’s just the cherry on top as to the effects we might see of what the Trump administration has done,” he explained. 

One of the first executive orders of the administration, titled ‘Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,’ was meant to lower foreign aid, which includes PEPFAR. 

PEPFAR, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has invested over $110 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, saving 26 million lives and preventing millions of new cases of HIV. But as of March, the program has not been reauthorized by Congress, raising questions about its future funding despite past approval by bipartisan Republicans and Democrats. 

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) has seen these legislative changes bring up concerns over their ability to carry out their mission. 

“We have seen people [abroad] who have died because they don’t have access to their medications, because they don’t have access to the services,” said Mike Weir, the Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at NASTAD. “That might be foreshadowing what we’re going to see here, domestically in the United States.” 

“If there are funding cuts there, the states don’t have the ability to backfill,” added Weir. “It’s not just going to be HIV; these attacks are public health across the board. Marginalized communities are most impacted by HIV, and so if there are going to be funding cuts, those are going to be the communities that are impacted most.” 

Some of the other closures surrounded public health campaigns about HIV testing. The national campaign of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative, called ‘Let’s Stop HIV Together,’ has been cut. 

As of February 10th, AVAC has filed a lawsuit against President Trump, the United States Department of State, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and others, based on the inhumane freezing of funds for foreign assistance. They are currently still in litigation. 

On this National HIV Testing Day, we must continue to advocate for universal access to life-saving HIV testing services for all people. Want to get involved? Join SAGE’s Action Squad, which provides members with breaking policy news and tangible ways to help their local community and our country move towards greater justice.  

Check out the following HIV testing resources: 

Together TakeMeHome provides free at-home HIV testing kits through the mail, with the goal of making taking HIV tests more accessible, fast, and in a private way. This National HIV Testing Day, take the initiative to order a free test that can be used by you or others. 

The National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging provides assistance and information on topics relating to caregiving, HIV/AIDS, housing, financial security, health care, elder abuse and neglect, social security, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

The JAMA Network provides consistent global updates on progress in health issues, including HIV relating to recent guidelines and advances in prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. It is a great tool for having relevant and knowledgeable information. 

The Federal Aids Policy Partnership is a nation-wide coalition of local, regional, and national organizations advocating on a policy level to end the HIV epidemic. They work with medical providers, housing, food, employment, and prevention to ensure equity. 

The Body features news and resources focusing on people living with HIV, HIV prevention, HIV and treatment, as well as expert testimony.