PEPFAR

December 1st marks World AIDS Day and this year’s theme is “Getting to Zero.” Much of this day will be focused on a celebration of new technology and science that can help prevent HIV through daily treatment and male circumcision. And we should celebrate those advances – but we should also not lose sight of women who need both family planning and HIV services.

President Obama has repeatedly stressed his administration’s commitment to science as one way to distinguish his leadership from that of his predecessor.  Right now that commitment is being put to the test on HIV and AIDS: if the President could do more to  end the crisis, would he?

A federal court today ruled that the government cannot force U.S. organizations to "denounce" prositution and sex trafficking as a condition for recieving international HIV and AIDS funding. The ruling applies only to U.S.-based non-governmental organizations and does not relieve non-U.S. organizations recieving U.S. funds from being subject to restrictions.

Follow Jodi Jacobson on Twitter, @jljacobson

Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta, GA) of "rape victims aren't victims" and, now, miscarriage is "prenatal murder" infamy, is not simply a "Lone Ranger," as some call him. He's exactly what happens when we allow a GOP full-scale war on women, girls and families to get this far.

Washington DC proposes birth control from pharmacists without a prescription; newly-created UN Women director speaks at the opening session of Commission on the Status of Women; GOP budget slashes foreign aid for HIV/AIDS programs and AIDS advocates say it will mean the loss of babies' lives; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a physician who provided abortions turned passionate-anti-legal-abortion-advocate dies.

Eight people, including several religious figures active in Uganda's "anti-gay" movement, have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to injure the reputation of a rival religious leader, according to in-depth reports by Box Turtle Bulletin.

Follow Jodi Jacobson on Twitter, @jljacobson

For many years, faith-based health providers have received enormous sums of money from both state-based and private entities to provide healthcare services. More recently, that healthcare has included treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. Unfortunately, many of these providers do not provide a full range of preventative care, especially advice on the use of and access to condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. Too few people have questioned whether the faith-based groups’ use of those funds is as effective as it might be. This report raises some of those questions and provides some proposals for how we might move forward towards more transparency.