More than 150 AIDS advocates gathered in the Illinois State Capitol rotunda April 2 to demand a $2-million budget appropriation to expand voluntary HIV testing services across Illinois, as well as advocate for bills to prevent drug overdose deaths and to grant health care coverage to poor Illinoisans ineligible for public assistance.

The rally was part of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Eighth Annual Illinois HIV/AIDS Lobby Days. Joining advocates at the rally were Illinois state Reps. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Karen Yarbrough (D-Broadview), as well as Illinois state Sen. David Koehler (D-Peoria).

“An estimated 10,000 Illinoisans are unaware that they are HIV-positive. This represents nearly a quarter of all HIV/AIDS infections in Illinois,” said Mark Ishaug, executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “Voluntary testing with informed, written consent is critical to increasing the number of people who know their status.”

The AIDS advocates also spoke to their legislators about two Illinois Senate bills related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

The first, SB 2155, aims to prevent overdose deaths among injection drug users. One dose of the prescription drug naloxone reverses an opiate overdose and costs less than $2. SB 2155 grants limited Good Samaritan protections to healthcare professionals and lay community members trained to use naloxone.

The second bill would extend critical medical coverage to adults living below 100 percent of the federal poverty line who are ineligible for any current public health care coverage. SB 1925 would provide comprehensive medical benefits to the 338,000 impoverished Illinoisans ineligible for Medicaid, thousands of whom are living with HIV or AIDS.

During the rally, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) praised the crowd for making its demands known to lawmakers.

“If you don’t ask down here, you don’t get,” said Harris.

—Matt Simonette