In this episode of Going Anti-Viral, Rebecca Denison joins host Dr Michael Saag as a follow-up discussion to her Martin Delaney presentation at CROI 2025: 40+ Years of HIV: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, What Shouldn’t, What Must. Ms Denison is an HIV-positive writer, educator, mother, and founder of WORLD, Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases. Dr Saag and Ms Denison reflect on her history of living with HIV and her 40 + years as an HIV activist. They discuss the impact that recent cuts at USAID and PEPFAR are having international efforts to reduce HIV transmission and the loss in trust in healthcare practitioners since programs have been terminated. They also discuss concerns about cuts to federal funding for HIV care programs in the US and the impact of recent loss of staff expertise at federal agencies. Finally, Dr Saag and Ms Denison ask all care clinicians to share their stories to their communities as a way of becoming advocates for the importance of HIV care.

0:00 – Introduction

2:41 – History of Ms Denison’s activism in HIV and AIDS

4:58 – Discussion of the gap in HIV care since the termination of USAID and PEPFAR contracts

8:29 – The loss of trust in global HIV health care practitioners and stories of growing HIV transmission since funding for care has been terminated

14:24 – Risks of funding cuts to domestic HIV care programs and Medicaid

18:02 – How a younger generation of advocates can learn from the history of HIV activism

19:51 – The message sent by the reorganization of HHS and the dismissal of leading HIV experts

22:06 – How clinicians can be an advocates for HIV care

Watch/Listen to related episodes:

Special Episode YouTube | Apple Podcasts 40+ Years of HIV: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, What Shouldn’t, What Must. The Martin Delaney presentation at CROI by Rebecca Denison

Episode 43 YouTube | Apple Podcasts Innovations in HIV Service Delivery with Dr Izukanji Sikazwe

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Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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