Stars from the "Real Housewives" franchise set aside their long-standing drama and came together in Washington, D.C., to ask lawmakers to support Americans living with HIV.

The Hollywood Reporter published an article about "Housewives on the Hill," a March 18 event that drew stars including Erika Jayne, NeNe Leakes, Phaedra Parks, Melissa Gorga, Candiace Dillard Bassett, and Luann de Lesseps, alongside lawmakers including Senators Cory Booker and Mazie Hirono. 

The event was hosted by MISTR, a telemedicine platform that provides online access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and long-term HIV care. MISTR is a Champion Sponsor of U.S. Business Action to End HIV.

The stars shone a spotlight on shrinking HIV assistance programs. Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., have already cut funding for programs that help people living with HIV and AIDS access the medications they rely on. An additional 12 states are considering further reductions. Federal HIV funding has remained flat since 2014, and rising health care costs are pushing expenses even higher, leaving thousands of patients at risk of losing access to life-saving treatment.

"When programs like ADAP are weakened, working-class people can't access this treatment," said Marysol Patton of "The Real Housewives of Miami."

Together, Hollywood and HIV advocates can shift narratives about HIV, helping to reduce stigma and increase representation. The Coalition's new HIV + Hollywood collective is dedicated to helping entertainment industry leaders tell empowering, accurate stories about HIV. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear more.

Read more about "Housewives on the Hill" in The Hollywood Reporter.

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About U.S. Business Action to End HIV

U.S. Business Action to End HIV was founded in 2022 by the Health Action Alliance, with support from ViiV Healthcare, to mobilize the private sector to help end HIV in the U.S. We offer free tools, resources, and events to help employers educate workers, fight stigma, improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services, and build connections to the communities that need it most.‍

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