Administration’s Intention to Ban Transgender Individuals from Military Service

Statement from HIVMA Chair Wendy Armstrong, MD, FIDSA:

The HIV Medicine Association decries the President’s announcement that his Administration intends to ban all transgender individuals from military service, which is a reversal of current policy. As HIV medical providers, we stand firmly opposed to any laws and policies that discriminate against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals. As clinicians, we see firsthand the far-reaching negative consequences of any type of stigma and discrimination on individual health and on public health. Stigma and discrimination too frequently drive transgender persons away from engaging in healthcare and too often contribute to late diagnoses, poor outcomes and often higher healthcare costs for a number of health conditions, including HIV infection. We strongly urge the Administration to reconsider this regressive stance and any future policy changes that abandon protections based on gender identify that will only serve to divide and weaken us as a country and will seriously undermine our nation’s public health.

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The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) is the professional home for more than 5,000 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals dedicated to the field of HIV/AIDS. Nested within the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), HIVMA promotes quality in HIV care and advocates policies that ensure a comprehensive and humane response to the AIDS pandemic informed by science and social justice. For more information, visit www.hivma.org.