MPLS. Nonprofits say federal cuts could undermine HIV prevention work

Adrianne Jackson, 39, is regularly tested for HIV after witnessing a family member contract signing the virus.

“That's why it allowed us to understand how it was contracted and where to take the test,” Jackson said.

Jackson was able to get tested for free thanks to the HIV prevention clinic, which was implemented by the American Indian Center's Alivension Project and the Indigenous Task Force on Thursday.

But such free clinics are at risk after the Trump administration threatens to cut $700 million in funds HIV prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The move will affect hundreds of clinics and organizations across the country.

“If they did that, it would be a horrifying decision,” Jackson said. “Events like this allow people who don't know where to get tests to get help.”

The federal cuts come as two other Minnesota nonprofits, Rainbow Health and the African-American AIDS Task Force. It was closed last year, Part of it is due to state fund cuts. The Alivension project took over the case management of many of these clients.

The Southern Minneapolis nonprofit has worked for 40 years to help people living with HIV through case management, food and housing support, free testing and low-cost medicines.

The Alivense project receives around $700,000 a year from the CDC, primarily for HIV prevention work, including free clinics, said development manager Sonya Bieza.

The job is a cost-effective way to help slow the spread of HIV, she said.

“That's exactly what slaps it is,” she said. “For people living in HIV, medical costs for life expectancy can exceed $500,000. Who has $500,000?”

Minnesota has nearly 10,000 people living with an HIV diagnosis, according to the state Department of Health. The state estimates that another 1,100 Minnesotans have HIV, but they are unaware of the situation.

a Report released by the agency last year In 2023, it showed 324 new infections statewide. This is the biggest increase in over 10 years, up 24% since 2022.

New HIV cases disproportionately affect communities of color, with 66% of new cases being non-white patients. Men who have same-sex sexual relationships and men who use intravenous drugs are at a much higher risk of contracting the virus.

The HIV Prevention and Care Team, which has an Indigenous Task Force, is the fourth year of a five-year contract with the CDC, paying the organization $441,000 a year. Calvin Hylton, the team's HIV program manager, said the funding will allow them to target HIV prevention efforts and resources in Native American adults using intravenously produced drugs.

The loss of funds last year has been catastrophic and derails the progress they have made over the past four years, Halton said.

“Our program tests an average of over 700 people with HIV each year, and links people living with HIV to important resources to reduce the amount of virus,” he said. “Part of that effort is completely confused, putting our community at risk and putting another HIV outbreak.”

At the clinic Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said cuts in federal funding were not only hit by public health programs. He quoted a letter from the Trump administration a few weeks ago.

“We're talking about $70 million,” Frey said. “This is like emergency management, and this is money to support our bomb squad… this is money for affordable housing, shelters and health care in our community.”

Another letter came the following day, not many, but not all, of the proposed cuts.

“We're all in our heads about what's going on in the world,” he said. “The decisions that are falling are neither wise nor clever. They certainly aren't made in the best interests of the community, where we are all accused of staying safe and healthy.”

Vieza said she's heard from people coming into the clinic that she's scared to lose access to the services available in the Alivension project. But she said the clinic will remain open despite the uncertainty.

“I want people to know we're still here. We're still open and we're going to understand this,” she said. “We're more leaning towards the community than ever before.”