Positive Women’s Newsletter – January 2026

The Fight Against Devastating Florida ADAP Changes

What’s going on in Florida?

The Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides people with low income who have limited or no prescription drug coverage access to HIV medication, proposed radical updates to its ADAP eligibility, support for insurance premiums, medication coverage, restricting access to effective medications, and funding policies.
Proposed changes include cutting eligibility from 400% to 130% of the federal poverty level, ending insurance support, and removing a widely used HIV medication— changes that could leave thousands without life-saving care.

As of now, the proposed March 1st changes have been paused. The State will now go through formal rulemaking to make changes to the program. This comes after AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) brought suit alleging the Department violated the law by not going through this process. 

What has PWN been doing about it?

PWN has mobilized in partnership with our advocates, partner organizations, and the expansive community of people living with HIV. Some of our efforts include:

• Developing an accessible one page resource for advocates describing the concerns and recommending solutions
• Supporting 5 advocates to travel to Tallahassee on January 20 and 21 to rally at the Capital and Florida Department of Health (pictures below)
• Facilitating a Florida ADAP community conversation for advocates and accomplices

Photos from AHF South

How can you join the fight?

• Demand Florida lawmakers ensure the Florida Department of Health releases $120 million shortfall documentation
  • Find your Florida House representative here and Florida Senate representative here
• Share your story on social media and in the news about the impact these proposed life-threatening changes will have on you and your community 
  • Reach out to communications@pwn-usa.org if you need support
• Join the FL ADAP Crisis Google group to stay up-to-date on mobilization efforts

If you are taking action in Florida or other states to support ADAP programming, let us know how you are engaging with the form below. 

Goodbye Grace!

PWN-USA says farewell to our National Training and Leadership Development Manager, Grace R.! For more than a decade, Grace has been a cornerstone of PWN’s leadership development work, bringing wisdom, courage, and deep community accountability to everything she touches. A longtime member of PWN-PA before joining national staff, Grace has shaped how we train, mentor, and support our members – cis and trans women, gender diverse, and transgender people living with HIV to lead with their lived experience.

Grace’s leadership is grounded in racial justice, gender equity, immigrant and refugee rights, and the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV. She has mentored local and national advocates, ensuring that those most impacted—especially Black immigrant and refugee communities—are not only included, but centered. Whether in policy spaces, faith-based convenings, or grassroots trainings, Grace has consistently demanded equity, dignity, and visibility for our communities.

Barb Cardell, PWN’s Leadership Development Director shared, “Grace leads with both fire and heart. She challenges power while holding people with intentional and deep care. Her leadership has changed how so many of us understand advocacy, and she has opened doors for countless women to step into their power.”

We are profoundly grateful for Grace’s years of service, leadership, and love for this movement. Her impact on our members, our staff, and our collective vision is immeasurable. We will miss you deeply, Grace, and we know your leadership will continue to ripple far beyond PWN.

Join Our PWN CARES Ambassadors

The PWN CARES Ambassador Program is a peer-led initiative that trains women (cis and trans), gender diverse, and transgender people living with HIV to facilitate #PWNCares video discussions in their communities.

Ambassadors receive training and support to host virtual or in-person sessions, partner with local organizations, and gather participant feedback. The program expands access to trauma-informed, lived-experience-based education, reduces isolation—especially in rural and under-resourced areas—and strengthens leadership among people living with HIV.

We are graduating some of our most incredible leaders as Ambassadors—ready to amplify PWN’s connection in communities where they have already built deep trust.

Reach out to Barb at barb@pwn-usa.org if you are interested in learning more or join us for our next session Wed, Feb 18th at 6:30pm ET.

AIDSWatch 2026

PWN is coming to D.C. for AIDSWatch March 15-18th and we are ready to hold our elected officials accountable.

At AIDSWatch 2026, PWN-USA is bringing lived experience directly to Capitol Hill. PWN members and staff are supporting advocates to lead policy conversations with lawmakers, share their stories, and advocate for federal priorities that protect HIV funding, healthcare access, bodily autonomy, and community safety.

We have a series of trainings including our “Road to AIDSWatch,” workshops at AIDSWatch led by PWN members, and state coordinators who will lead their state delegations with congressional meetings. PWN is building leadership, strengthening relationships with movement partners, and advancing justice-centered policies in a critical political moment.

Tell Your Members of Congress:
No More Tax Dollars for ICE & CBP

Urgent: Congress is deciding right now whether or not to give Department of Homeland Security (DHS) more money. We cannot let them approve any additional funding until the violence, abuses, and deaths in American communities and immigration detention centers stop.

Congress must: 

• Refuse to provide one dollar to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through the appropriations process
• Immediately take action to revoke the tens of billions already given through last summer’s reconciliation bill (Big Ugly Murder Bill)
• Enact policies that permanently end the chaos and violence in our communities and detention centers

Anything less, and they are complicit in DHS’s deadly violence against our communities. Send a message to your members of Congress now!

Please take a minute to fill out our Technology Survey! PWN is committed to ensuring that every member has the tools, access, and support needed to fully participate in our community, leadership development, and advocacy work. As technology becomes increasingly important for connection, organizing, and power-building, we want to better understand what members need to engage safely, confidently, and without barriers. Your feedback in this evaluation will help us strengthen digital access, provide meaningful tech support, and make sure all PWN spaces are accessible and empowering for everyone

Local to PA? Interested in getting paid to work on a grassroots voter engagement campaign in PA? The chapter’s campaigns have focused on voter turnout, harm reduction, abortion access, and so much more! Apply to join our canvassing or phone banking team this spring! 

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Feb 7th

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is observed annually to acknowledge the disproportionate impact HIV has on Black and African American folks and their communities. It is a reminder that HIV is a racial justice issue. 

To read more about the connection between NBHAAD and surveillance technology such as molecular HIV surveillance (MHS), check out this article written by our policy specialist Elena Ferguson.

Policy & Advocacy Training – Feb 19th

Join us on Thurs, 02/19/26 at 6PM ET/5PM CT/4PM MT/3PM PT for our next policy & advocacy training! This session will focus on Conducting Effective Meetings with Decision Makers. Everyone is welcome to join, no matter your experience level. Come learn with us! Register here!

Sister Circle Virtual Support Group – Feb 19th

Are you a PWN member living with HIV? Join our virtual support group, Sister Circle, for a space to release, connect, and find peace! Join us Thurs, 02/19/26 at 8PM ET/7PM CT/6PM MT/5PM PT/2PM HT. Registration required to attend: bit.ly/PWNCARES (all caps). Hope to see you there!

PWN-USA National Membership Call – Feb 20th

Our next PWN members call is Friday, 02/20/26 at 4PM ET/3PM CT/2PM MT/1PM PT/10AM HT. Note: you must register as a PWN member before getting the Zoom link. PWN members include women (cis and trans), gender diverse, and transgender people living with HIV. Register here!

• #HIVResists: January 2026 Monthly Policy Update (02/02/26)
• “Why Democrats’ upset in a Texas state Senate race is a big deal” by CNN (02/02/26)
• “Trump admin is trying to deport LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers to countries where they’d be killed, lawyers say” by Advocate (01/29/26)
• PWN Statement on the Escalation of State Violence and Murder by Immigration Enforcement (01/28/26)
• “Medicare will negotiate the price of Botox and 14 other drugs this year” by NBC News (01/27/26)
• “AHF Sues Florida DOH Over Rules Cutting HIV/AIDS Treatment for Thousands” by AHF (01/27/26)
• Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV (MIPA) & Coalition 101 Webinar Recording (01/22/26)
• “ICE says its officers can forcibly enter homes during immigration operations without judicial warrants: 2025 memo” by NBC News (01/21/26)

If you’ve been to a PWN celebration in the past few years, then you’ve grooved to the song stylings of our very own DJ Big Sal, a.k.a. Sallie Thomas – the decriminalization specialist on our policy team. Now she’s bringing you a song selection to get your joy on!

You can check out our previous celebration playlists on Spotify HERE!