Presidential Memorandum -- Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities | The White House

Presidential Memorandum -- Establishing a Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities | The White House

The Presidential Blog informs us that there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, including more than 290,000 women. Black and Hispanic women account for nearly three-quarters of new HIV infections among women.

In July 2010, President Obama launched the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy to provide a coordinated national response to fight the epidemic.

Last week, (December, 2012) as part of these ongoing efforts, President Obama issued a presidential memorandum establishing an inter-agency working group on the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities.


On Wednesday, the co-chairs of the working group, Lynn Rosenthal, the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women and Dr. Grant Colfax, the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, will join us for a special session of office hours on Twitter to take your questions on the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women, and gender-related health disparities and the importance of supporting continued research, mobilizing both the public- and private-sector, and engaging families and communities.

NCADV Press Release Murder-Suicide in KC

The murder of Kasandra Perkins, a new mother and daughter took place at the hands of her boyfriend, Jovan Belcher, a son and new father who happened to be an NFL ball player...specifically, a Kansas City Chief. Shortly after Jovan killed Kasandra, he then killed himself.

Domestic violence is a "mean thing" that is highly complex. It has devastating, rippling effects for all. It is not a private matter. It impacts the lives of many including the community as a whole. Domestic violence is our business!

 Domestic violence does not care about "who" you are, what you do, how much you make, where you live; nor does it care about your race, age, religion, economic status or educational level.

Take a moment to read the Press Release recently issued by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“The important thing to remember is that most men are not abusive,” says Rita Smith, Executive Director of NCADV. “If most of those good and caring men began to speak out about the use of violence against someone they say they love, we could really begin to see a reduction in that happening.” Rita Smith, Executive Director, NCADV

The direct link to the NCADV Press Release and to learn more on what you can do and what you need to know about domestic violence can be found at their website: www.ncadv.org