[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 210 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 210
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2025
Ms. Waters (for herself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Ms.
Velazquez, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms.
Crockett, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson
of Georgia, Ms. McClellan, Mrs. McIver, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Sewell, Mr.
Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Titus, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day.
Whereas the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS);
Whereas the first cases of what later came to be known as AIDS were reported in
the United States in 1981, marking the beginning of the global HIV/AIDS
epidemic;
Whereas HIV continues to spread in the United States and around the world, and
AIDS-related illnesses continue to kill thousands of people in the
United States and globally;
Whereas, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), there are more than 1,200,000 people living with HIV in the
United States, and approximately 22 percent of them are women;
Whereas, every year in the United States, there are approximately 31,800 new HIV
infections, and 8,000 people die with HIV-related illnesses;
Whereas women accounted for 19 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the United States
in 2022;
Whereas, according to an estimate from the CDC, 13 percent of those who are
infected with HIV in the United States do not know they are infected;
Whereas women of color, especially African-American women, are
disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States, accounting for
the majority of new HIV diagnoses, the majority of women living with
HIV, and the majority of deaths among women with HIV;
Whereas, in the United States, African-American women account for 50 percent of
new HIV diagnoses among women, Latina women account for 20 percent of
new HIV diagnoses among women, and Asian-American women, Native American
women, and women of multiple races account for an additional 5 percent
of new HIV diagnoses among women;
Whereas the CDC recommends that all patients between the ages of 13 and 64 get
tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, and that
patients who may have risk factors for HIV be screened at least
annually;
Whereas the CDC recommends that all pregnant women be screened for HIV;
Whereas, when a woman living with HIV receives comprehensive care before,
during, and after a pregnancy, it significantly reduces the risk of
passing HIV to her child;
Whereas the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) leads global
efforts to stop the spread of HIV and respond to the worldwide HIV/AIDS
epidemic;
Whereas, according to UNAIDS, globally, more than 42,000,000 people have died
from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the epidemic, and
630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2023;
Whereas there are almost 40,000,000 people living with HIV globally, and 53
percent of them are women and girls;
Whereas 44 percent of all new HIV infections globally were among women and girls
in 2023;
Whereas, every week, 4,000 adolescent girls and young women between the ages of
15 and 24 years became infected with HIV globally in 2023, and 3,100 of
these infections occurred in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas inequitable gender norms, transactional sex, sexual violence, sexually
transmitted infections, and early pregnancy continue to drive new HIV
infections among women and girls in many countries;
Whereas women and adolescent girls face serious challenges with respect to the
prevention of HIV infection due to inadequate access to evidence-based
and rights-based, age-appropriate, and comprehensive sexuality and HIV-
prevention education and tools, including--
(1) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and testing;
(2) sexual- and gender-based violence prevention and care services; and
(3) sexual and reproductive health information and services, including
screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and access to
a full range of contraceptive methods, including male and female condoms;
Whereas National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed on March 10,
2025; and
Whereas, each year on March 10, individuals, organizations, and policymakers
across the United States participate in National Women and Girls HIV/
AIDS Awareness Day to increase awareness of, spark conversations on, and
highlight the work being done to reduce the incidence of HIV among women
and girls while showing support for those with HIV: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the progress made in responding to the HIV/
AIDS epidemic since its inception 44 years ago, and recommits
to bipartisan efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United
States and globally;
(2) calls for greater focus on the HIV-related
vulnerabilities of women and girls, including those at risk of,
or who have survived or faced, violence or discrimination as a
result of the disease;
(3) supports strong, sustained investment in prevention,
care, treatment services, and research programs, including
efforts to reduce disparities and improve access to lifesaving
medications, for women and girls affected by HIV and
individuals diagnosed with HIV in the United States and
globally;
(4) supports efforts in the United States to reduce new HIV
infections, increase access to care and improve health outcomes
for women and girls living with HIV, reduce HIV-related
disparities and health inequities, and achieve a more
coordinated national response to the HIV epidemic;
(5) supports the investment of the United States in global
efforts to significantly reduce new HIV infections among women
and girls through evidence-based, multisectoral approaches;
(6) encourages youth-friendly, culturally responsive,
inclusive, and accessible health care services, especially
access to medications such as pre- and post-exposure
prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy, to better provide for
the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine
testing and to connect those in need to clinically and
culturally appropriate care and treatment as early as possible;
(7) encourages continued investment and engagement across
foreign assistance programs and diplomatic efforts to--
(A) address violence against women and girls;
(B) combat discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity; and
(C) recognize the inability of adolescent girls to
access a full range of sexual and reproductive health
services and rights as a key driver of the HIV
epidemic; and
(8) promotes access to up-to-date, inclusive, culturally
responsive, and medically accurate information about HIV, such
as information on pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, in sexual
education curricula to ensure that all individuals, including
women and girls, are educated about HIV.
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