Texas HIV Prevention Groups Lose $29 Million as CDC Lets Grant Expire
The federal government has cut $29.2 million from Texas organizations that test thousands of people for HIV in their own neighborhoods. The Centers for Disease
The federal government has cut $29.2 million from Texas organizations that test thousands of people for HIV in their own neighborhoods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) let the five-year grant, known as PS21-2102, expire on September 30.
Eleven community-based organizations across the state shared the money, most of them in cities. Texas was the largest recipient of this funding in the country over the past five years.
These groups sit at the center of the state's prevention network. They tend to be more trusted than clinics and are generally better at finding people who are HIV positive. The grant paid for tests, helped connect people to care and covered prophylaxis, medication that almost completely protects against infection.
Groups scramble for money
Since the grant lapsed, the organizations have been hunting for new funding or trimming services. The CDC did not respond to a request for comment.
The CDC did award the Texas Department of State Health Services more than $5.2 million in replacement money, running through May 2027. The department expects only about $1.2 million of that to reach community groups. The organizations had been receiving more than $3 million a year under the old program.
BEAT AIDS in San Antonio is among those affected. The cut threatens outreach, testing and care in major Texas cities.
One Austin group's exposure
Vivent Health in Austin said the grant made up 30% of its HIV prevention budget. It used the award to pay for outreach testing and awareness work.
Last year the grant covered 20% of the roughly 5,000 HIV tests the organization administered. Without it, Vivent must find another way to pay for that share of testing.
The loss is the latest in a series of public health funding reductions in Texas.
