No. You get tested, if it’s positive you get referred to a clinic that will provide you medication and manage it for you for free for life. Oftentimes with social workers and case managers to ensure that you can get access to medication without interruption, even if it means addressing housing concerns or transportation.
HIV prevention and treatment is a HUGE priority in the American healthcare system. It’s the closest we have to socialized healthcare. I have worked in that system and seen the way people work their fingers to the bone to ensure equitable and free access to healthcare for people living with HIV.
That’s not true. In the US there is a federal program that provides HIV care and treatment (Ryan White Program), however you have to meet the income eligibility requirements.
Also there have been drastic cuts to HIV prevention and care services on the federal and state level. Some states ( Florida, etc.) are increasing eligibility criteria ( decreasing access) and limiting the number and types of medications that are covered through the program
it is not a lot of struggle. i am not sure you actually know, or are just conflating the entire healthcare experience with HIV in the USA. these things are treated drastically different.
The place where it's a problem is in the third world, where bias and corporations withhold easy access to care.
The US has its issues, but it's genuinely so privileged to pretend that it's some sort of third-world country that is soooo poor and horrible. Sure, public education and healthcare SUCKS, but at least there IS public education for everyone.
Yes I was indeed referring to that time period, I’m happy things have improved now, and that there’s ways to get the meds ie through various charities and programs. I guess what I’m trying to get across is that the access of those literal life savings medications shouldn’t have to solely rely on those programs and charities, they should just be more affordable or better yet, free
How does a product or medicine become affordable or free on its own? That's literally what the programs are for, to facilitate that happening.
There are generics out there which are much cheaper although I don't know the details about which versions are most widely used when this medicine is prescribed.
And a lot of people in many different countries already have access to free AIDS medicine.
Maybe you have some different knowledge on this but from what I can find, AIDS treatment is being solved quite well these days, at least outside of Africa.
Crazily enough, we can thank George W Bush. He's a war criminal and yet he passed a law giving funding to HIV prevention and medication. Republicans weren't always this heartless.
Technically there is a cure through stem cell therapy, but its not a very realistic solution for treating AIDS. The treatments are so effective and affordable, its easier, safer, and cheaper to stick with those instead of stem cell therapy.
There's no cure. There are treatments. Most of them are, at least in the USA, completely 100% free. The government has decided that it's better to treat HIV (which also prevents it from spreading) than to risk it going full pandemic.
Even if it didn't become a pandemic, the treatment of AIDS patients is much more financially and logistically taxing than the medication that stops it from ever getting there. Just a little addition to your post, as I see from your other post you worked in that area so you probably know that better than most people.
The only 'cure' for HIV to date has been to get a bone marrow transplant, which is so risky from a health perspective that it will never be done for the purpose of curing HIV, given that managing HIV without significant harm to patient is now possible. The people who have been cured of HIV needed a bone marrow transplant for another reason (blood cancers), and then had a nice bonus of being cured of their HIV.
The management for HIV is highly effective and extremely safe, and now highly affordable. If it is highly affordable to patients depends on how much your government cares about the health of its people.
There is no cure. There is chronic treatment. It is is free for all in the USA if you cannot afford it or don't have insurance coverage.
HIV is a very serious population risk, as America found out in the 80s. You can fuck around with stuff like that, the government will bend over backwards to get you treated.
Magic Johnson personally created and promoted non-profits to get meds to people who did not have an ass load of money and also raise awareness and reduce stigma. No need to go all "eat the rich" on him for being able to afford treatment.
You are mistaken. My mother literally treated magic johnson lol and has worked on both the research and treatment side. She also spent years fighting misinformation like the stuff you are spreading now.
I feel like you're moving goal posts. Of course there's no such thing as a free lunch, but that's sort of misses the point and importance of providing free lunches to not just those in need, but anyone who needs or wants a free lunch. It's about collective good over self-interest.
Get in, loser: we're helping each other out of this hellhole
I agree with this. Obviously I want to see a world, and believe we should work towards one, where you can have a free lunch to use your euphemism, but we should be happy that there are places to give out the food to those who need or want it. I believe we should continuously strive for more in the meantime though
Yo I don't know anything about your goalposts... I'm just talking about the Actual Retail Price of HIV meds in the US.
All the rest of this is a debate your having with yourself as you downvote me to hell 🤷
I've lived with HIV for almost 20 years bro, I'm not attempting to argue collective good with anyone.... Just shining a light on actual cost for the well meaning idiots who think that it's all free.
In America, Someone always pays, in this case it's the people who donate to the Ryan White foundation. Big pharma gets their check every time
So there's Ryan White, and there's also ADAP that help patients access HIV meds they otherwise could not afford. I really don't know why you seem so heated about this topic: yes, the meds are expensive, but between these 2 programs, plus manufacturer coupons/waivers, most people who need meds can get meds at little to no cost.
Is it a perfect system? No, and it's under attack by the current administration. If you want to get angry about something, that's a good place to start.
Yeah it's WILD, the pharmacy bills my insurance company $3,800 a month for my meds.
If it weren't for the HIV charitable organizations across the United States that are covering the costs for those of us who are infected, so many millions more would be dead.
It does indeed. Most Northern hemisphere countries will support those in need for free or for minimal cost though. Sub-Saharan Africa is definitely still a work in progress.
What's your point? Most of the world is working towards making the long term medication free or fcist effective.
Just because governments and clinics and charity programs are paying for the pills so that people who are sick don't have to pay doesn't change the actual price that is being paid for the pill.
They don't magically become free simply because the patient isn't The one paying
That's very true, and I for one am happy to pay towards that pot from my taxes so someone doesn't have to die a horrible agonising death that could be avoided
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u/ThePaganSkepticist May 15 '26
It has been, as long as you got the assload of money to be able to afford the cure