CDC Awards Atlanta AIDS Organizations Large Grants on Gay Men's HIV Awareness Day

Thirty-four community-based organizations (CBOs) in 19 states and Puerto Rico will share $55 million to help prevent HIV in gay and bisexual men of color, transgender youth of color, and their partners, CDC announced Tuesday.

“On this National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we are reminded of the urgency of the HIV epidemic in the United States and the dramatic impact among gay and bisexual men, who account for more than 60 percent of new infections,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “We must also recognize that the epidemic cannot be overcome without effectively addressing the severe and rising toll of HIV infections among gay and bisexual men of color, who continue to be hardest hit by this disease.”

“The new CDC awards are designed to enable CBOs with strong links to these populations to meet their specific HIV prevention needs,” CDC’s statement said. “As part of these awards, each organization will be required to provide specific prevention services. These include providing HIV testing to a total of more than 90,000 young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color, with a goal of identifying more than 3,500 previously unrecognized HIV infections (over the five-year funding period), and linking those who are HIV-infected to care and prevention services.”

“CBOs will also carry out proven behavioral change HIV prevention programs and distribute condoms to young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color who are at high risk for HIV or are HIV-infected,” CDC said.

The grants average approximately $300,000 per CBO per year. AID Atlanta will receive $381,888 each year for five years, and Atlanta-based Positive Impact will receive $250,000 annually for the same time period.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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