Advocacy

World AIDS Day

By: Anishaa Sivakumar, 2019-2020 AIDS Advocacy Network Chair 770,000 lives lost. 1.7 million lives irrevocably altered. All in a year. HIV, the deadliest pandemic, remains a devastating illness in the US and abroad. And yet, as we reflect on the past and see the tremendous strides we have taken, we can look forward with hope...

Virginia legislators turn their backs on gun violence victims

AMSA was disheartened to learn that the leadership of the Virginia General Assembly concluded their special session on gun violence without considering a single bill this week. As a community of medical trainees passionate about protecting and improving the health of all Americans, AMSA was appalled at the complete lack of interest in dialogue around...

Title X Changes Hurt Low-Income and Vulnerable Women Most

By: Megan Hunt, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Keanan McGonigle, AMSA Education and Advocacy Fellow, 2019—2020   In our high-risk pregnancy clinic, I was introduced to a young woman in the eighth month of her second pregnancy. The woman had a number of mental health disorders which complicated care due to her cocktail of...

How can medical trainees make medicines more affordable?

Health professionals encounter patients everyday who are unable to afford their medications. It can lead to a feeling of helplessness, for both the health provider and patient involved. But, you can take steps to put patients over profits through advocacy! Justin Mendoza, State Partnerships Manager at Families USA, shares that he was looking up a...