Feb. 3, 2020 - NMAC announced today that the name of the United States Conference on AIDS will be changed to the United States Conference on HIV ( USCH ). The conference will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 10-13, 2020. The theme for this year's conference is "Luchando Por Nuestras Vidas - Fighting For Our Lives."
Registration is now open at the conference website uschiv.org . Scholarship applications and abstract submissions will open on March 3.
"Over the last few years, the word 'AIDS' has become a stigmatizing term in many communities," said Paul Kawata, Executive Director of NMAC. "We wanted to remove that term and replace it with a far more inclusive one. It's a long overdue change and one we're proud to make."
"This year's conference will be held in San Juan to bring much-needed economic help to the island but to put many attendees in a different cultural setting and dominant language," said Kawata. "We hope that this experience will give attendees a greater personal understanding of how language and cultural barriers can impact the fight against HIV in their communities."
"'US Conference on HIV' is a more accurate and updated name for NMAC's flagship conference," said José RamÃ"n GarcÃa-Madrid, NMAC Constituent Advisory Panel member. "In Latinx communities that continue to struggle with stigma, HIV is often misunderstood as AIDS. This name change signals NMAC's continued commitment to education in our communities and to fighting stigma in all places. Educated communities are communities who are empowered to make the right choices through accurate information.This change leans into the principle that providers, advocates, and communities living with or most affected by HIV can do more impactful work by constantly reassessing and going back to the drawing board with our strategies, tools, and language."
"What's in a name?," said Tori Cooper, NMAC Constituent Advisory Panel member. "THANK YOU for recognizing many years of not just dying from AIDS but living well with HIV. This new conference title infuses hope, lived experience, community and science to more accurately reflect the journey for people living with HIV."
NMAC leads with race to urgently fight for health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic in America. Since 1987, NMAC has advanced our mission through a variety of programs and services, including: a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program, numerous electronic and print materials, and a website: www.nmac.org . NMAC also serves as an association of AIDS service organizations, providing valuable information to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics, and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the HIV epidemic.
From a press release
