PHR Action Center

Physicians for Human Rights has joined dozens of other organizations throughout the nation in endorsing the recently introduced PATHWAY Act (Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2007). If passed, this bill will eliminate the current requirement in US law that one third of all global HIV/AIDS prevention funding from the US go toward programs that promote abstinence until marriage. This requirement has been based on ideology and political formulas, not on the scientific evidence that shows that more comprehensive programs are more effective than abstinence-only ones in preventing HIV transmission and saving lives.

Women in the developing world, who often do not have the power to determine whether to choose abstinence, will particularly benefit from this bill and programs that are better tailored to their specific needs.

Please contact your US Representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor this important bill.

If your Representative is already a co-sponsor*, please replace the first sentence of your letter with the following: "I thank you for co-sponsoring the PATHWAY Act. I urge you to support the Act's swift passage into law."

* You can check the list of PATHWAY co-sponsors on the Library of Congress website. To find out who your representative is, visit PHR's elected officials look-up page. To learn more about this bill and other organizations that have supported it, visit PEPFAR Watch.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I encourage you to co-sponsor the PATHWAY Act.

The Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act (PATHWAY Act, H.R. 1713), reintroduced by Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Shays, would eliminate the current requirement that one third of all global HIV/AIDS prevention funding from the US go towards programs that promote abstinence-until marriage. It would also require the Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the particular HIV prevention needs of women and girls.

There are 40 million people around the world living with HIV. Every year there are more than 4 million additional HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty per cent of those are among women. While the U.S. has significantly increased its funding for international HIV programs over the last few years, US prevention policies do not meet the needs of those most at risk of infection, especially women and girls.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 01, 2007