Fundación Huésped is a

nonprofit foundation A foundation (also referred to as a charitable foundation) is a type of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that usually provides funding and support to other charitable organizations through grants, while also potentially participating d ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. It was created in 1989 for the purpose of fighting

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

, with a specific focus on creating a

social environment The social environment, social context, sociocultural context or milieu refers to the immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture that the individual was educated ...

that would allow the disease to be overcome. Since October 2015, the foundation has maintained a free testing center which allows rapid

diagnosis of HIV/AIDS HIV tests are used to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes HIV/AIDS, in serum, saliva, or urine. Such tests may detect antibodies, antigens, or RNA. AIDS diagnosis AIDS is diagnosed separate ...

History

The first General Coordinator of Fundación Huésped was

Roberto Jáuregui Roberto Jáuregui was an Argentine journalist, actor, and human rights activist. Jáuregui was among the first people to contract HIV in Argentina, and the first to publicly disclose his condition. He was also the first General Coordinator of the ...

, who was one of the first people in Argentina to contract HIV and the first to make the diagnosis public. Jáuregui died in 1994.

Activity

In December 2016, Fundación Huésped recorded a

television program A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...

titled ''Sutiles Diferencias'' ("Subtle Differences"). The program, which was broadcast on the network

El Trece Canal 13 (known by its current brand name El Trece, stylized as eltrece) is an Argentine free-to-air television network and the flagship station of the network of the same name, located in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. It is owned by ...

, explored the stigma around HIV/AIDS in Argentina. It was the ninth year in a row that El Trece showed a special program produced by the foundation. In September 2020, the foundation began recruiting

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

to test a

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

developed by the Sinopharm Group. On December 30, 2020, the foundation's headquarters was vandalized with the word ''asesinos'', meaning ''murderers''. The vandalism took place during a vote to legalize abortion in the

National Congress of Argentina The National Congress of Argentina () is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameralism, bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Argentine Senate, Senate and a 257-seat Argentine Chamber of Deputie ...

. The foundation's Scientific Director Pedro Cahn had previously advocated for legalization of

abortion in Argentina Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnanci ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
1989 establishments in Argentina HIV/AIDS in Argentina HIV/AIDS activism