Jun 26
Landmark Study and Funding Cuts Shape the Future of HIV/AIDS Care in LGBTQ+ Communities
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
A landmark peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet HIV in March 2025 has found that transgender and nonbinary individuals who receive gender-affirming hormone therapy are 37% less likely to be infected with HIV compared to those not receiving hormones. Furthermore, among those living with HIV, access to such care was linked to a 44% reduction in having transmissible levels of the virus in their blood. This research, conducted at two major LGBTQ+ community health centers in the United States and involving over 8,000 participants, provides strong empirical support for the gender affirmation framework, which posits that social and medical affirmation of gender identity leads to healthier behaviors and reduced HIV risk among transgender people. Experts, including Stanford University epidemiologist Diana Tordoff, praised the rigor of the study and highlighted its significance for public health policy and practice.
Recent years have seen significant advancements in HIV prevention and treatment technology. Long-acting injectable medications are now available for both pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV treatment, offering alternatives to daily pills and facilitating adherence for individuals facing barriers to consistent care. Telemedicine has also expanded access, with mail-order PrEP programs and virtual consultations becoming more widely available, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. These innovations hold special promise for LGBTQ+ communities, who have historically faced stigmatization and discrimination in traditional healthcare settings.
However, access to these advancements remains uneven. The digital divide continues to impact rural and low-income areas, and international disparities persist as countries work to develop licensing agreements and manufacturing capacities for new medications. Advocates urge global institutions such as the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization to invest in technical cooperation programs to bridge these gaps.
Despite scientific progress, the U.S. LGBTQ+ community is facing a new wave of policy-driven threats to HIV/AIDS programs. The Trump administration’s FY 2026 budget proposal, released in April/May 2025, calls for eliminating all federal funding for Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which specifically supports services for LGBTQ+ people, including capacity-building for organizations serving transgender individuals. Additional proposed cuts target HIV prevention funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Community-based organizations (CBOs) and AIDS service organizations (ASOs) have expressed alarm, warning that these cuts threaten to shutter clinics, limit outreach, and reduce access to both prevention and treatment, particularly for the most marginalized. In some states, further restrictions on LGBTQ+ health education and the criminalization of gender-affirming care have compounded these challenges, disrupting PrEP pipelines and limiting the availability of comprehensive sexual health information.
Despite these setbacks, LGBTQ+ communities and their allies are mobilizing to defend essential health services and continue the fight for health equity. National coalitions, including AIDS United and thirteen leading LGBTQ+, HIV, and health organizations, have condemned the proposed cuts and are actively lobbying lawmakers to restore funding and protect access to care.
The LGBTQ+ community’s response draws on a long tradition of grassroots activism, scientific leadership, and mutual aid. From the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, community-driven initiatives have been at the forefront of advancing prevention, treatment, and destigmatization. The recent study on gender-affirming care and HIV risk is being hailed by advocates as both a call to action and a validation of community knowledge and experience.
As legislative and funding battles continue, LGBTQ+ health leaders emphasize that any attack on evidence-based care—whether through funding cuts, criminalization, or educational restrictions—represents not just a health issue but a human rights crisis. The resilience, advocacy, and solidarity of LGBTQ+ communities remain crucial forces for progress in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS.
