Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HIV-Positive Citizens May Join Military, Judge Rules, Citing 'Irrational' Policy
Americans with well-treated HIV can no longer be barred from enlisting in the U.S. military, a federal judge ruled Thursday, striking down the Pentagon鈥檚 last remaining policy limiting the service of those with the virus.聽鈥淒efendants鈥 policies prohibiting the accession of asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads into the military are irrational, arbitrary, and capricious.鈥 ... wrote Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Sopelsa and Ryan, 8/21)
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $1.4 billion in additional federal funding to combat the national HIV/AIDS epidemic, which the Biden White House has set out to end by 2030. The Biden-Harris administration set lofty strategic goals in its 2022-2025 National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States to achieve a 75% reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 and a 90% reduction by 2030. (Beavins, 8/20)
An infant in Maine has tested positive for HIV, which is something that hasn't happened in the state in about five years. The Maine CDC put out an alert in June that an infant got HIV either through pregnancy, childbirth, or breast feeding. (8/19)