HIV/AIDS Epidemic Analysis

The conservative indifference to the HIV/AIDS epidemic did not end with Reagan’s administration. As LGBT groups organized and mobilized to combat the blatant negligence of the federal government, President George H. W. Bush continued the legacy of generally neglecting the crisis. Bush embraced oppressive policies such as mandatory testing at certain agencies, as well as implying that local and state governments were primarily responsible for combatting the health crisis. Perhaps worse, there were times when the Bush administration gave the impression of positive progress for the AIDS movement, while actually stymieing any genuine development. For instance, President G.H.W. Bush signed the fundamental law, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency (CARE) Act, which was supposed to provide urban …show more content…
Bush’s political career prior to becoming the President implied a general disregard for the HIV/AIDS crisis. Upon becoming president he supported abstinence only education programs, cutting the funding of education programs which focused on safe sex. As the rates of HIV/AIDS increased domestically, Bush deterred negative opinion by increasing the federal budget for global AIDS. This increase in funding allowed Bush to largely ignore the impact AIDS was having on America, while also benefitting American companies which profited from the new plan for foreign aid.
The Obama administration has been able to achieve solid political progress in regards to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. President Obama repealed the 1987 HIV entry ban as well as the ban on using federal funding for needle exchange programs. In regards to sex education, Obama cut funding for abstinence only programs while increasing the emphasis on delaying sex and participating in safe sex practices. The Affordable Care Act provided a reprieve for those with HIV/AIDS by disallowing individual’s pre-existing conditions to prevent them from receiving healthcare and increasing their access to