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Black Women, Allies and Elected Officials Navigate HIV Prevention Landscape

March 13, 2026

The District of Columbia has seen HIV cases fall to their lowest levels since the 1990s, with fewer than 200 new annual cases, but organizations like The Women's Collective continue focusing on Black women, who remain the fastest-growing demographic for new HIV infections. The D.C. Council unanimously passed the PrEP DC Amendment Act, which prohibits insurance companies from imposing cost-sharing requirements, prior authorization, and premium increases related to HIV prevention medications like PrEP and PEP. Local health organizations including The Women's Collective, Whitman-Walker Health, and Damien Ministries provide testing, treatment navigation, and support services, though they face challenges from Trump administration cuts to CDC HIV programming and federal funding losses.

Who is affected

  • Black women (identified as the fastest-growing group for new HIV infections)
  • LGBTQ community members
  • HIV-positive D.C. residents
  • Women ages 18-80 who use The Women's Collective services (up to 40 weekly)
  • Unhoused and frequently homeless populations
  • People in zip codes with high HIV prevalence and substance use disorder
  • Trans community members
  • Black and brown gay men
  • Medicaid and Medicare patients
  • Patients seeking PrEP and PEP services facing insurance barriers
  • Organizations: The Women's Collective, Whitman-Walker Health, Damien Ministries
  • Health insurance companies operating in D.C.

What action is being taken

  • The Women's Collective is hosting weekly support groups for women ages 18-80
  • Case workers are maintaining presence in high-prevalence zip codes
  • Organizations are conducting education about PrEP availability and importance
  • The Women's Collective is enrolling clients in its case management system
  • Whitman-Walker staff (nearly 30 members) are providing PrEP and PEP services
  • Clinical and non-clinical teams are collaborating via PrEP navigator programs to help clients maintain prophylaxis regimens
  • Whitman-Walker is seeking grants amid federal spending cuts
  • Staff are calling insurance companies in response to prior authorization and cost-sharing prompts
  • Damien Ministries is providing rapid HIV/Hepatitis C testing, nutrition coaching, counseling, emergency food bank services, and boutique clothing assistance
  • Damien Ministries is partnering with organizations to conduct testing and training in rapid testing and health screening
  • Damien Ministries is exploring foundation funding and partnerships to replace lost government funding
  • D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) is working to finalize requirements for health care plans

Why it matters

  • This legislation and ongoing work are critical because they address systemic barriers preventing at-risk populations from accessing life-saving HIV prevention medications that are 99% effective when taken properly. Insurance obstacles like prior authorization, cost-sharing, and premium increases have created delays in treatment initiation and forced some people to go three to four months without medication due to unaffordable co-pays, reducing treatment effectiveness. The D.C. law safeguards these protections locally even as federal efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act continue, and it comes at a crucial time when Trump administration cuts to CDC HIV programming and federal funding threaten to reverse decades of progress in reducing HIV infections. Without continued prevention efforts and medication access, advocates warn that HIV infection rates could begin climbing again, particularly among Black women and other marginalized communities who face the greatest risks and barriers to care.

What's next

  • D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) will finalize requirements for all District health care plans in May 2026 for plan year 2027
  • The PrEP DC Amendment Act provisions will take effect in 2027
  • DISB plans to incorporate the new requirements into 2027 insurance plans
  • Damien Ministries is planning a potential launch of a wellness hub near Restoration Station where service providers lacking brick-and-mortar space can help Medicaid and Medicare patients
  • Damien Ministries plans to introduce the six-month injectable to unhoused and frequently homeless populations once it becomes fully covered under Medicaid

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer

Black Women, Allies and Elected Officials Navigate HIV Prevention Landscape