New Short Film Addresses the Financial Costs of Living With HIV/AIDS

The HIV community is well acquainted with the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) crisis here in the U.S. Currently, 7,299 people living with HIV are on ADAP waiting lists. That number, 7,299, is more than just a statistic; it represents real people who live in fear of what will happen if they cannot receive the life-saving medications that they so desperately need.

To put a face to the crisis, three recent graduates from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism made adapting, a new short documentary film that gives us a peek at what it's like to be HIV positive and dependant on ADAP for HIV medications in the state of Illinois. The film follows two positive people: Will Wilson, a tour bus guide in Chicago, and Evany Turk, a mother of seven. The two share their experiences struggling to afford their medications and make ends meet. They highlight the medical and financial sacrifices they have made in order to be able to afford these meds.