WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: A red ribbon is hung between columns on the north side of the White House to commemorate World AIDS day November 30, 2010 in Washington, DC. Aid groups are warning that, due in part to the ongoing global economic slowdown, donor money for AIDS research and treatment around the globe is slipping precisely when those funds are needed the most. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – Dozens of HIV and STD prevention programs across Los Angeles County are at risk of shutting down by the end of May, following the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate more than $19 million in federal funding that has sustained life-saving services for decades.
In late April, L.A. County’s Department of Public Health notified 39 providers—including APLA Health, the L.A. LGBT Center, and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation—that their contracts would be terminated on May 31 due to uncertainty surrounding critical funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The news has sparked a public outcry and urgent calls for state intervention, as public health officials warn that the loss of funding could lead to a 40% spike in new HIV infections, reversing decades of progress.
“Without resources, these services cannot be sustained,” said Louise McCarthy, president of the Community Clinic Association of L.A. County. “We are calling for urgent action to prevent the collapse of California’s HIV prevention infrastructure before lives are lost.”
The impacted programs offer HIV testing, PrEP access, meth harm reduction, and linkage to care—services that are particularly critical for LGBTQ+ people, communities of color, undocumented residents, and people who inject drugs. Each new HIV infection carries a lifetime medical cost of approximately $500,000, and health officials estimate up to 650 additional new cases annually if the cuts go through.
Last month, the Trump administration released a budget plan that proposes a $3.59 billion cut to the CDC, including the near-total elimination of domestic HIV prevention programs. The CDC’s HIV Prevention and Surveillance Cooperative Agreement, which provides $19.45 million annually to L.A. County, was not included in the budget proposal—leaving the county no choice but to cancel contracts.
“This is a nightmare,” said Oscar De La O, Vice President of Bienestar Human Services, which stands to lose $3.7 million. “There will be barriers to care and treatment, and HIV will increase.”
A coalition of providers is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to allocate $60 million in California’s 2026 budget to fill the gap and to authorize an emergency $5 million disbursement from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) rebate fund to sustain services through June 30.
With the clock ticking, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath blamed the federal government for the uncertainty. “The new administration has completely abandoned its promises to fund this life-saving work,” she wrote.
Advocates say the funding crisis demands immediate action—before lives are lost.
