Democrat President Joe Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently unveiled its plans to allocate significant amounts of taxpayer funds to a groundbreaking new initiative.
While U.S. military veterans find themselves without shelter on the streets and American families struggle to make ends meet under the economic policies of the Biden administration, HHS, under Biden’s leadership, is directing $2 million of taxpayer money towards a questionable California-based public health nonprofit. This organization, now known as Heluna Health (formerly Public Health Foundation Enterprises), claims that it will utilize these funds to promote the use of HIV prevention medication among racially diverse transgender women.
According to a federal grant listing, Heluna Health intends to employ the funds to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness about HIV-prevention medications among transgender women (biologically male individuals) in New Orleans.
The objective of this program is to adapt effective HIV interventions specifically tailored to the needs of transgender women in the city, as stated in the grant listing. The program will undergo a year-long trial period, serving 200 transgender women. The pharmaceutical drugs being promoted through this campaign are called PrEP, which are utilized for HIV prevention.
The grant listing identifies the program as “Increasing PrEP Awareness, Uptake, And Adherence Through Health Care Empowerment And Addressing Social Determinants Of Health Among Racially Diverse Trans Women In The Deep South,” as designated by HHS.
This taxpayer-funded program commenced in September 2021 and is scheduled to continue until July 2026. According to the grant listing, the most recent payment associated with the program was made by HHS in September 2023. The Biden administration reports that 46% of transgender women in New Orleans tested positive for HIV during examinations conducted by HHS.
In 2019, the Louisiana Department of Health discovered that gay black men and transgender women (biologically male individuals) had the highest rates of HIV infection in the state.
According to a survey conducted in 2015 by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 19% of the participants revealed their involvement in sex work.
The survey further highlighted that the rate was significantly higher for black “transgender women,” reaching 42%.
Due to the nature of their work, sex workers are more susceptible to contracting and transmitting HIV, as stated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
HHS @SecBecerra emphasizes the need for the strong support of trans and gender non-conforming youth, to ensure they don’t feel alone, and that they receive the care and mental health support they deserve. https://t.co/yetbSCL25P pic.twitter.com/xK4a4trgZr
— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) June 10, 2022