Mass. AIDS Prevention Programs Facing Deep Cuts

Public health officials say cuts in federal funding will force Massachusetts to reduce or eliminate many HIV and AIDS prevention services, programs that helped drive down the state's infection rates by more than 50 percent.

The state Public Health Department began notifying community health agencies Friday about the $4.3 million reduction - roughly one-quarter of the state's annual AIDS prevention budget.

Kevin Cranston, director of the state Bureau of Infectious Diseases, tells The Boston Globe that services facing cuts include distribution of free condoms and programs that give intravenous drug users clean needles.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also changing the way it funds AIDS prevention programs by taking money from states like Massachusetts with lower rates of HIV infection to focus resources in states with higher rates.