Expanding the Definition of Care for HIV Long-Term Survivors

Honoring Resilience of the Community, Raising Awareness of Challenges Ahead

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2024

Jeff Berry didn’t choose a career in HIV advocacy, the career chose him. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1989, Berry stumbled upon Positively Aware, a magazine providing critical information on care and treatment options, during a support group meeting. Leafing through its pages, he realized how important it was to have a place to get information specifically tailored for survivors. Before long, he’d launch a career at the magazine for nearly 30 years, a position he held until a few years ago when he left to lead The Reunion Project, a national alliance of HIV long-term survivors that he co-founded in 2015 and is focused on addressing the unique care and treatment needs facing the growing community.

“We launched The Reunion Project when a lot of people were starting to gather and talk about the distinct challenges long-term survivors face,” Berry explained. “It hadn’t really been discussed previously. Many were still dealing with the trauma and loss of the epidemic, but enough time had passed where we could revisit and focus on the specific needs of those of us aging with HIV.”

As we mark Long Term Survivors Day on June 5, honoring the resilience of this community and raising awareness about the challenges they face becomes even more crucial. More than half of the adults living with HIV in the U.S. are over 50 years old, and by 2030, that number is projected to reach nearly 70% – a statistic unimaginable 30 years ago.

Despite this incredible progress, the increase has brought in its own set of challenges when it comes to supporting an aging population with distinct care and treatment needs. A study of individuals with HIV in South Africa showed that individuals living with HIV are more likely to develop age-related conditions like cancer or heart disease. Additionally, they often face social isolation, insufficient support and a service delivery system ill-equipped to meet their needs, making them less likely to access vital social services.

Recognizing these gaps, Gilead Sciences launched HIV Age Positively® in 2018, a grant program aimed at supporting community-based organizations focused on improving the quality of life and health for older Americans aging with HIV. Over the past five years, the initiative has awarded more than $35.8 million in grants to support 42 organizations that are working to address stigma, loneliness and better coordination of care for impacted individuals.

One such grantee is The Reunion Project, which organizes nationwide events to help long-term survivors navigate their unique challenges. The Reunion Project’s events often feature a day devoted to managing the unique social issues facing those aging with HIV. The first day of programming focuses on navigating employment opportunities, as many long-term survivors are returning to a workforce they’d never expected to live long enough to enter. The second day becomes more interactive, with community members providing feedback, participating in breakout groups and collaborating on priority-setting for their region.

Most importantly, The Reunion Project partners with local organizations to ensure programming is tailored to each city’s unique needs. “We don’t just want to do an event and then leave,” says Berry. “We make an effort to partner with the city. We really want to spark an ongoing network of long-term survivors beyond just the two days.”

With Gilead’s support, The Reunion Project has been able to expand their programming from one or two events per year to three, provide local organizations with funding to create their own long-term survivor events, and expand their services to include language interpretation for those not fluent in English, ensuring no one is left behind.

One particularly poignant moment for Berry occurred at an event last year, where a man who only spoke Spanish was able to share his story through interpreters, detailing his journey overcoming seemingly insurmountable stigma and barriers from care providers and his church.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house – it was an incredibly powerful moment,” said Berry. “None of that would have been possible if we hadn’t had the support of Gilead to provide interpretation services.”

Despite the challenges facing this population, Berry remains optimistic about the future. “When you’re talking about HIV and aging, it seems like there is a huge laundry list of things that can go wrong,” he admits. “What gives me hope is my memory of the era of the epidemic when there was seemingly no hope, and we as a community came together and changed things. We demanded to be heard, and as a result, we revolutionized how drugs were developed and how clinical trials were held. I think we can do the same thing now with our model of aging.”

(HIV AGE POSITIVELY, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. © 2024 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. This story is part of a paid collaboration between Gilead Sciences and the Washington Blade and Los Angeles Blade.)

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Safer Ways to Pay for Online Performances and Queer Events

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5 months ago

January 4, 2026

Paying Safely on Ticketing and Event Platforms

If we look at how heavily regulated payment systems maintain security, we can better understand what safe processing should involve. A clear example can be seen in environments where payment risks are closely monitored and tightly controlled, such as online casinos that rely on card-based transactions. Credit card casinos in the US accept familiar payment options like Visa and Mastercard, and allow instant deposits. Their systems rely on strict verification steps that confirm identity, block unauthorized access, and protect cardholders from fraud. Learning about how credit card casinos verify payments can offer useful insight into the safety measures that many reliable ticketing platforms use as well.

Queer events often partner with smaller ticketing services. These services vary in sophistication, so users benefit from paying attention to the connection type, the checkout format, and any information the site provides about privacy. A ticketing page should load with a secure connection, show recognizable payment processing partners, and avoid asking for unnecessary personal details. When a site offers a choice between credit cards and debit cards, a credit card often provides more protection. Credit card disputes also tend to be faster and involve less risk to a person’s own funds. Adding text-based verification codes to an account adds an additional layer of safety for anyone concerned about unauthorized access.

Digital Payment Options That Offer Privacy and Simplicity

More and more performers and event‑goers rely on digital payment systems because they work well. Services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal mask card numbers by using secure tokens. Using this plan means fewer eyes will ever see your private records. When someone pays through these tools, the artist or organizer receives confirmation of payment without gaining access to the person’s card information. If you prefer anonymity, this tool gives you extra space between your actual name and your internet footprint. It helps keep card numbers safe even if the site or app you’re using gets compromised.

Using a prepaid card adds another shield for your money. They operate independently from a person’s main bank accounts, which limits the damage if a card number is stolen. A prepaid card lets donors give quietly, because the payment isn’t linked to their main bank account. A lot of folks in the queer community value that sort of boundary, particularly when they live in places where keeping things private matters for their health. When choosing a prepaid card, it helps to pick a widely recognized brand with consumer safeguards. You’ll have protection when the card is misplaced, stolen, or a charge slips through mistakenly.

Supporting Queer Creators While Safeguarding Identity

Many queer performers rely on tips or direct contributions to cover everyday expenses and production costs. Online payment apps can reveal the payer’s full legal name, which complicates things for people who prefer to participate more quietly. To address this, supporters often turn to platforms that allow display names instead of full identity details. Ko-fi, Patreon, and Gumroad offer this type of flexibility. These services process transactions through secure systems designed to keep card information hidden at every step.

Livestream performers sometimes use encrypted direct-payment links as well. These links are simple to use and limit exposure by taking supporters straight to a protected payment page. Cryptocurrency appeals to a smaller group of supporters because it separates transactions from bank accounts, though it also carries financial risks that users should understand before relying on it regularly. Community-based support pools have also gained attention. In these systems, a group of contributors sends money into a shared fund, and the organizer distributes it to performers. This setup reduces the number of times each individual needs to enter their payment details, which can be an advantage for supporters who value privacy.

Safer Payment Choices at In-Person Queer Events

At live queer events, organizers rely on compact card readers that connect to a tablet or a smartphone. If you wander through a craft market or a late-night concert, you’ll spot these devices everywhere. Many readers accept tap-to-pay, which provides extra protection. When you tap a card or a phone, the terminal gets a token instead of the real card number. It cuts the odds of a breach and lets the transaction finish fast.

You’ll often see QR codes handy for sending a tip or a donation. Since a printed code can be swapped out by a malicious person, it’s wise to verify that the code appears purposeful and that the artist or supplier confirms it’s correct. Rather than exposing a primary credit line, certain fans prefer a prepaid card or an alias set up in their digital wallet for face-to-face payments. This reduces the chance of linking their legal name to the event while still supporting the performers they care about.

Final Thoughts

Queer events and online performances thrive when supporters feel safe and respected. Choosing appropriate payment methods plays a large part in preserving that sense of comfort. Digital wallets, prepaid cards, secure ticketing platforms, and responsible in-person practices all help protect personal information. With these tools, people can participate in queer culture while keeping control over how their financial details are used and shared. The result is a more supportive environment for both creators and the community members who sustain them.