Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville CARES wants to set the record straight. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he thinks the same scientific expertise that produced a vaccine for AIDS can deliver one soon for COVID-19, too. However, there is no vaccine for AIDS.
“These are the people, the best, the smartest … And they’ve come up with the AIDS vaccine. They’ve come up with— or, the AIDS, and, as you know, there’s various things and now various companies are involved, but the therapeutic for AIDS,” said President Trump during the press conference on police reform. “AIDS was a death sentence, and now people live a life with a pill. It’s an incredible thing.”
It’s unclear whether the “pill” that President Trump referred to was in reference to the daily antiretroviral medications, which are very effective in controlling HIV, a disease that was considered a death sentence nearly 40 years ago or if he was referring to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (or PrEP). Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken daily. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken daily. Either way, we want to be clear – there is no HIV or AIDS vaccine.
“The president inaccurately saying that there is an AIDS vaccine implies that the battle to end HIV/AIDS is over when organizations have been working diligently to End the HIV Epidemic,” said Amna Osman, CEO of Nashville CARES, Tennessee’s leading HIV/AIDS prevention, education and advocacy organization. “With more than 40,000 new HIV cases annually in the United States, and a disproportionate amount of those being in the south, we are still very much in the fight to end this epidemic and we at Nashville CARES need your support now more than ever.”
To help end the HIV epidemic in Middle Tennessee you can provide much-needed funds at GiveToCARES.org
For questions about getting an HIV test or accessing PrEP please call our HEARTLine at 1-800-845-4266.
SOURCES: CNBC; The Hill; Time ; HuffPost; CDC
About Nashville CARES:
Nashville CARES is Tennessee’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization.
Our Mission: Nashville CARES mission is to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee. We work to achieve this through education, advocacy and support for those at risk for or living with HIV.
Our vision is a community where HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, everyone with HIV/AIDS has access to the care, treatment and support to achieve optimal health and self-sufficiency without stigma or discrimination.
Last year Nashville CARES served more than 50,000 Middle Tennesseans infected and affected by HIV/AIDS including HIV prevention education to more than 29,000 youth and adults, more than 10,000 FREE confidential HIV tests, and essential support services to 3,400 men, women and children living with the disease. To learn more, visit us at NashvilleCARES.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
