Over the last two years, and thanks to a $3.2 million dollar grant from Gilead, HRC reached and educated 14 million people through in-person and digital efforts on HIV, health equity, and health positivity. HRC’s public health fellowships, training, and peer facilitator programs empowered Black and Latine young adults, collegiate leaders, and activists to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion and health equity in their communities nationwide. This year, Gilead is continuing this partnership by providing HRC a 3-year, $5M grant — the largest grant in HRC history.

The first Gilead grant enabled TJI and HRC’s HIV and Health Equity (HHE) team to partner with community organizations to provide at-home HIV testing kits and timely and up to date HIV and STI information. The new grant will allow them to expand on this critical work.

"In addition to disseminating 5,000 testing kits, HRC provided referrals to PrEP providers in high-risk areas and linked individuals living with HIV to care via navigation services. The kits included an OraQuick oral swab, condoms, lubricants, and a test information card to help those living with HIV secure the care they deserve,” said Torrian Baskerville, HRC’s HIV Health & Equity Director. “Through this generous grant, we were able to establish the Community-based organization (CBO) Leadership Council, which targets regions across the country that are the most impacted by HIV including: Greenville, MS, (Community Health PIER); Miami, FL, and Puerto Rico (Arianna’s Center); Washington DC (Us Helping Us); Indianapolis, IN (BU Wellness Network); and New Orleans, LA (Brotherhood Incorporated)."

Adding to the impact of the first grant, HRC will utilize the new 3-year grant to further build out its approach to HIV awareness and safety by focusing on the following initiatives:

Expanding HIV Self-Testing Program

• Expanding our HIV self-testing program by increasing the number of partners we are working with– growing from one local partner to six partners located nationally in four regions.
• Providing follow-ups with those who received a test kit to (1) ensure they took the test, (2) to document the result of that test, and (3) to assist with getting them connected to additional services, i.e., PrEP, treatment, or supportive services.
• Partnering with CVS Health to provide additional resources to recipients of HIV self-testing kits to attain PrEP or treatment services.

Benchmarking Tool

• Developing a benchmarking tool for public and private HIV service providers to improve quality of service provision and increase equitable and culturally responsive care to those living with HIV and engaging in preventive HIV services.
• This tool will assist in developing an HIV service provider resource book for those seeking an equitable and culturally responsive provider and connect providers with low benchmarking with capacity building/technical assistance opportunities to improve areas of growth.

Leadership Development

• Centering a Black cisgender and trans-identified female cohort to help expand the work of Black women in HIV services.
• Provide the cohort an opportunity to attend the State of Black Health conference organized by the Center for Black Health & Equity (The Center).

Community Events

• Expand our community engagement and impact directly into Black and Latin communities through conferences, events, and other sponsorships with innovative approaches to address HIV in highly impacted communities.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.