That's the main reason HIV drugs are out of reach for many HIV-positive people, especially the urban poor and homeless. Despite funding increases for state ADAP programs, the growing demand for HIV treatment has created long waiting lists and strict limits on drug coverage for many programs. The statistics show a clear, troubling picture.
Surveys show they are more likely to be white, have higher incomes, and have insurance.
A report presented at the recent World AIDS Conference in Geneva found that only 8 percent of San Francisco's HIV positive poor and homeless population were taking antiretroviral drugs, while 75 percent of them received no AIDS care at all. In another informal survey of 1,000 Philadelphia people with HIV, almost 40 percent were not on protease regimens. Other surveys show that African-Americans and Latinos are getting less access to HIV drugs, while women are slower to seek care than men. Those left furthest behind are IV drug users, prisoners, and the homeless, who are often denied drugs by physicians who fear poor adherence to HIV drug regimens. Listed below are programs to help pay for HIV drugs and care.