As Houston battles a surge in HIV and STI rates, the federal funding that supports free testing and prevention services is now on the chopping block, leaving local advocates warning of devastating consequences for the most vulnerable.
In June, some clinics in Houston paused or scaled back free HIV and STI testing, citing uncertainty over renewed funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Local health officials say they have yet to receive confirmation that key federal grants — including more than $25 million in HIV prevention support — will be renewed by the end of the month.
According to public health data, HIV cases in Harris County have risen by 17% since 2016, while syphilis infections are up 125%.
The highest rates of new HIV diagnoses are among Black and multiracial Houstonians, particularly men who have sex with men. Women — especially Latinas — are also seeing an increase in diagnoses, according to recent surveillance data.
Montrose, Downtown, OST/South Union, and Kashmere Gardens remain among the ZIP codes most affected by these trends.
“We’re seeing more women diagnosed with HIV — and when that happens, we eventually see more babies born with HIV,” said Evelio Escamilla, a senior research associate at the Institute for Latinx Health Equity.
“If you stop testing early, people are diagnosed late, and that makes treatment harder and costlier. It’s a domino effect.”
In 2024, roughly 4,000 Houston-area patients relied on services funded by the Ryan White Minority AIDS Initiative, which provides free or discounted access to testing, medication, and rental assistance for people living with HIV. Several of those services — including mobile testing vans — are now stalled.
“These clinics don’t just test. They help people get access to PrEP, condoms, and treatment. They meet people where they are,” Escamilla said.
“Without this support, many will fall through the cracks.”
Among the loudest voices calling for local action is Steven Vargas, a long-term survivor and secretary of Houston’s Latino HIV Task Force.
“Four members of my family have lived with HIV. I’m the only one still standing,” Vargas told city councilmembers during a public meeting on June 10.
“My mother passed away at 47 — before life-saving treatments were widely available. I’ve lived with HIV for 30 years because of public investment. That investment needs to continue.”
Both Vargas and Escamilla agree: Houston can’t wait on Washington. They’re calling on city officials to create a dedicated line item in the local budget to protect and expand HIV services.
“We can’t stop this epidemic without testing and early diagnosis,” Vargas said.
“And we can’t let funding cuts erase the progress we’ve made.”
Advocates say the situation is urgent — but preventable.
With access to testing, medication like PrEP, and early treatment, HIV transmission can be drastically reduced. But without funding, they warn Houston risks undoing decades of public health progress.
“We have the tools to stop this,” Vargas said. “What we don’t have — right now — is the commitment to keep them in people’s hands.”
