Austinites impacted by HIV/AIDS have an opportunity to make their needs known at a town hall held by the Austin Area HIV Planning Council (HIVPC) on Wednesday, July 16. People can join in-person at at the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center or online to give their opinions, ask questions, and make sure the city understands their needs.
HIVPC is a volunteer response group that works to improve HIV prevention and care in the counties surrounding Austin — including Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, and Williamson — and allocates grant money accordingly.
The group has a five-year roadmap that ends in 2026 and includes educating providers and others about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), treatment as prevention (lowering the viral load in people with HIV to prevent spreading it), increasing testing access, understanding social determinants of health, and more.
HIVPC also conducts a needs assessment every three years to stay up-to-date. People who live in Austin, are 18 years old or older, and are living with HIV can take the anonymous and confidential assessment at austinpublichealth.formstack.com.
For the town hall itself, organizers list the following goals in an Austin Public Health newsletter:
- "Raise awareness about the unique challenges that communities face regarding HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, treatment and care."
- "Create a platform for people living with HIV to share their experiences and advocate for their needs."
- "Develop strategies to improve access to healthcare, support services and resources for communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS."
“We want to call on our community to meet our staff and share their experiences so we can better meet their needs,” said Austin Public Health Health equity and community engagement assistant director Laura G. La Fuente in the newsletter. “This opportunity enables us to focus our efforts and help those affected by HIV/AIDS.”
Joining in person comes with the added perks of enjoying some onsite snacks and validated parking.
The meeting will take place at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, in room 1406, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Attendees can join virtually via Microsoft Teams. The newsletter encourages anyone with questions or concerns, or who would like to give feedback at the event, to email HIVPlanningCouncil@austintexas.gov.
