National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
March 10, 2010 by Gay Agenda News Team · Leave a Comment
Join the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) in raising awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women of color this National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD). Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Women’s Health (OWH) and held annually on March 10, NWGHAAD has never been more important. The World Health Organization announced in November 2009 that HIV/AIDS is now the number one killer of women and girls aged 15-44 worldwide, and in the United States, a woman is infected with HIV every 35 minutes.
Dr. Kim Johnson, NMAC’s Director of Technical Assistance, Training and Treatment Division says: “Often lost in the discussion about the disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS in minority communities and the increase in HIV infections among women overall is the potential impact on future generations. Women and girls – and particularly women and girls of color – tend to be the primary caretakers at home, putting the health and welfare of their partners, children and elders ahead of their own. Compounding this barrier to HIV prevention and care are cultural stigmas around HIV and condom use, as well as socioeconomic disparities – such as high rates of poverty and homelessness – and an overall lack of access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and information.”
Women now account for 25% of all HIV and AIDS cases in the U.S., a sharp increase from 11% in 1990. And though women of color represent only a quarter of the total female population in the U.S., they account for nearly 80% of all AIDS cases among women nationwide. Black women in particular have been impacted. AIDS is a leading cause of death among African American women in all age groups, and it is the number one killer of Black women aged 25-34.
Evelyn Ullah, Director of HIV/AIDS at the Miami-Dade County Health Department and a member of NMAC’s Board, says: “We call on everyone to take a stand and engage in open discussions about sexuality and sexual risk – and the importance of HIV prevention and testing. Otherwise, we will continue to see women and girls of color being infected with HIV and, worse, testing late. All too often, women of color are simultaneously diagnosed with HIV and AIDS – or progress to AIDS within a year of testing positive for HIV.”
NMAC hopes you will join us in supporting the recommendations for action outlined in the National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network’s report: “Recommendations for HIV/AIDS Policy for Black Women and Girls and Their Families Living with and Affected by HIV/AIDS.” Though these refer to African American women, they are relevant to all women of color:
- Support HIV-positive and non-positive Black women and girls and their organizations and networks;
- Ensure equal access to care, treatment and health insurance coverage;
- Ensure that Black women and girls and their families have the knowledge and means to prevent HIV infection; and
- Ensure that Black women and girls have access to research.
Concerned that the vast majority of HIV infections among women and girls of color stem from heterosexual contact and lack of access to health education, NMAC established the Women of Color Leadership Institute (WOCLI) to build the advocacy skills of current and future minority women leaders working on their own, at faith- and community-based organizations and/or attending historically-black colleges and universities.
A former WOCLI participant living with HIV/AIDS, Rev. Vanessa D. Sharp, says: “WOCLI helps women of color develop their skills – their political voices – so they can successfully weigh in on decisions related to HIV/AIDS taking place in every arena, whether in their homes or in Washington, D.C. More than just another training, NMAC’s WOCLI program empowers women to overcome their fears of stigma – from their family, churches and community – and speak truth to power about this epidemic.”
In addition to several WOCLI trainings, NMAC will holding a number of town hall forums in 2010 focusing on women’s rights and HIV, as well as building its video library of interviews with community leaders discussing AIDS in communities of color. The agency also has an ongoing public service announcement (PSA) campaign called “African American Women GET REAL about HIV/AIDS,” which may be seen here. A similar campaign, SOY, launched by the Kaiser Foundation and Univision, includes several videos featuring women discussing their lives with HIV/AIDS.
Other helpful resources include:
- The official NWGHAAD site, which offers a listing of all events taking place nationwide, as well as e-cards and other resources;
- Womenhealth.gov’s women and HIV/AIDS section;
- NMAC’s African American Women GET REAL about HIV/AIDS PSA collateral material, which is available in limited quantities, free-of-charge, by sending an e-mail to communications@nmac.org; and
- NMAC’s training manual, “Using Social Marketing to Take Action Against HIV/AIDS for African American Women,” also available for free by sending an e-mail to communications@nmac.org.
About NMAC
The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) builds leadership within communities of color to address challenges of HIV/AIDS. Since 1987, NMAC has advanced this mission through a variety of programs and services, including: a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program, numerous publications and a website: http://www.nmac.org/. Today, NMAC is an association of AIDS service organizations providing valuable information to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the AIDS epidemic. NMAC’s advocacy efforts are funded through private funders and donors only.
For more information, call NMAC directly at (202) 483-NMAC (6622) ext. 309 or communications@nmac.org. Visit the agency online at http://www.nmac.org/, as well as on http://www.facebook.com/ and on http://www.wikipedia.com/. Pictures and video clips from past NMAC events are available from MyPhotoAlbum.com (nmacpics.myphotoalbum.com/), and http://www.youtube.com/, respectively.
Let’s Talk About Oral
March 10, 2010 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
Hygiene that is.
Body piercing has become a popular form of self-expression, especially for but not limited to young adults. Oral piercing is becoming trendier but is not without risks and complications. The tongue is the most common site with the lips, uvula (soft tissue hanging from the back of the palate), cheeks and a combination of these sites also being utilized. Be sure the procedure is performed by qualified professionals who use disposable gloves, disposable or sterile instruments and sterilized jewelry. For several days after the piercing, you can expect swelling, pain, increased salivary flow and sometimes infection. There may be prolonged bleeding from punctured blood vessels.
The healing period is usually 3-6 weeks before the permanent device (hoops, studs, barbells) can be placed. During the healing stage, avoid spicy foods, alcohol and smoking. Use antiseptic or warm salt water mouth rinses; keep talking to a minimum for the first few days; and refrain from French kissing and oral sex for at least 2 weeks to minimize infection risk. Complications arising from oral piercing include chipped teeth, allergic reactions, change in the way your food tastes from interfering with taste buds and problems with speech, chewing and/or swallowing. After healing and to minimize complications, people should remove their jewelry once a day for cleaning and irrigate the hole with water. For those with tongue piercing, the tongue should be brushed every day. Proper care or removal should be taken during strenuous, contact sports.
Vegas Taxi Authority Lists Gay Men as “High Risk”
March 4, 2010 by Gay Agenda News Team · Leave a Comment
The Las Vegas Taxi Authority (TA)—which monitors thousands of cabs in the city—is distributing a policy manual to officers listing homosexuals alongside intravenous drug users and sex workers as “persons of high-risk groups” for communicable diseases, such as HIV and other blood-borne illnesses, lasvegasnow.com reports. The policy, which can be read here, says that TA officers should wear protective gear and gloves when bringing a high-risk suspect into custody.
According to the article, several area law enforcement agencies—including the Nevada Highway Patrol, the University of Nevada, the Las Vegas Police, the Henderson Police and the North Las Vegas Police—have removed this language from their policies. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is in the process of doing so.
More at: POZ.com!
Could Screening Eradicate AIDS?
February 23, 2010 by Gay Agenda News Team · Leave a Comment
A leading researcher has claimed that testing billions of people could eradicate HIV/AIDS within 40 years.
Dr Brian Williams of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis said that focus needed to shift to stopping transmission.
He told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: “The problem is we’re now using HIV drugs to save people’s lives; we’re not using them to stop transmission.
“Can we use anti-retroviral drugs not only to keep people alive but also to stop transmission? I believe we can. I believe we can effectively stop transmission within five years.”
Dr Williams estimated that transmission of the disease could be halted by 2015 and that the epidemic could effectively be over by 2050 as most of those currently carrying the HIV virus will have died.
Anti-retroviral drugs work by lowering the viral load of the disease in a person’s blood, making them less infectious. Dr Williams said that usually, when people begin treatment, they have already infected everyone they would have infected during the window between transmission and accessing medical help.
Trust Offers LGBT Grant
February 15, 2010 by Gay Agenda News Team · Leave a Comment
The Lipsky-Whittaker Fund of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts is seeking proposals for grants to support projects focused on either gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth or HIV/AIDS prevention, education and treatment.
Applications, which are available at the CFSEMA Web site, are due in the foundation office at 63 Union St. by March 31.
The Lipsky-Whittaker Fund, created by the John J. Lipsky Charitable Trust, supports strategic investments for the well-being of the Greater New Bedford Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered community and in combating HIV/AIDS through prevention and education. The fund encourages collaboration among individuals, groups and organizations interested in ending bigotry, violence and discrimination towards GLBT individuals and families, as well as promoting respect and inclusion.
Projects must be focused within the following geographic area: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Wareham and Westport.
