Table of Contents

Note: Most of the information below applies to the United States.

Women living with HIV in the US tend to be disproportionately low-income. Poverty not only renders people more vulnerable to HIV but can also be one consequence of an HIV diagnosis for a variety of reasons.

Every person living with HIV has the right to tools and support to make well-informed decisions about education, employment, benefits, and other economic opportunities. Women living with HIV can demand that service providers, service systems, and federal programs prioritize capacity building to help connect women with information, services, and resources to develop and pursue career, training, and education goals.

Below you will find a list of resources that we hope will grow as members of our community share more organizations and programs, research and advocacy projects that uphold economic justice for people living with HIV in the US. If you have such a resource, please click this link to get in touch by email.

Relevant Resources from The Well Project

Economic Justice - Policy and Advocacy

Resources for Job Seekers

  • Ticket to Work Program (US Social Security Administration): Search for your local state vocational rehabilitation agency (can provide funding for schooling/training), as well as your local grantee in the WIPA (Work Incentive Planning & Assistance) program (benefits counselors who provide SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries with accurate, individualized information about the interplay of their benefits and work income)
  • Find an American Job Center (US Department of Labor): A source of training programs and funding - more than 3,000 located nationwide
  • Disability Benefits 101: Information about benefits, especially in terms of working; only developed for some states
  • POZ Job Board: Frequent postings of jobs in the HIV community across the US
  • Grace Institute: Workforce development program focused solely on women in New York City, especially training for administrative jobs
  • Career Power Source: Coordinates employment fairs and trainings in partnership with HIV and LGBTQ organizations in the New York City area

Employment - General Information

Employment - Organizations and Projects

  • National Working Positive Coalition: Premier coalition committed to improving the financial and personal wellbeing of people living with HIV in the US
  • HIV, Housing and Employment Project (Boston University School of Social Work): Improving health outcomes through the coordination of supportive employment and housing services
  • Economic Justice Resources (Positive Women’s Network - USA): Platform and tools provided by the largest US advocacy network of women living with HIV
  • Alliance for Positive Change: Helps people in New York City living with HIV and other chronic health conditions get the medical care, peer support, and housing assistance they need to achieve health, happiness, and stability

Employment - Relevant Research

For Employers, Counselors, or Other Service Providers

Resources Outside the US

The Well Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the course of the HIV/AIDS pandemic through a unique and comprehensive focus on women and girls across the gender spectrum. Visit their website, https://www.thewellproject.org/, to access fact sheets (English and Spanish), blogs, and advocacy tools, and to join a global community of women living with HIV.