The attached file describes what the Affordable Care Act means for people living with HIV. 

aca-hiv-aids-fact-sheet[1]

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/18/7802623-gamers-solve-molecular-puzzle-that-baffled-scientists

What I found interesting is when these investigators looked at over 5,000 gay men what they found was most of that wasn’t the problem.  It would seem that not knowing the status of partners and the fact that black gay men were less likely to be on medication to treat their HIV were, at least in part, the problem.

So the investigators are encouraging gay men, and especially black gay men to communicate about HIV with potential partners and then, we as an agency need to look at how we can reduce the barriers of treatment to black males living with HIV.

Personally,  my thought is that STIGMA is the single strongest barrier to treatment, testing and reducing the transmission of HIV and until we can remove the power of stigma we will continue to experience these kinds of disheartening gaps in who the virus in infecting.

So take this challenge, talk to someone today about HIV.  Talk about the the people it is infecting, talk about what CARES is doing, talk about how sad you feel that people are not comfortable discussing HIV. TALK, TALK, TALK.  Talk away the fear and ignorance stigma produces and encourage others to do so.

Pat

Be The Change

UNITED STATES:   ”Understanding Disparities in HIV Infection Between Black and White MSM in the United States”
AIDS Vol. 25; No. 8: P. 1103-1112    (06.15.11):: Alexandra Oster and others

The investigators sought to evaluate several hypotheses for HIV infection disparities between white and black men who have sex with men, including incarceration, partner HIV status, circumcision, sexual networks, and duration of infectiousness. The study design incorporated the 2008 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, a cross-sectional survey performed in 21 US cities.

MSM were interviewed and tested for HIV. For previously undiagnosed MSM, logistic regression was used to test associations between newly diagnosed HIV and incarceration history, partner HIV status, circumcision status, and sexual networks (oldest partners, concurrency and partner risk behaviors). For HIV-positive MSM, factors related to duration of infectiousness were assessed.

Among 5,183 previously undiagnosed MSM, incarceration history, circumcision status, and sexual networks were not independently associated with HIV infection. Infection was associated with having HIV-positive partners (adjusted odds ratio=1.9, 95 percent confidence interval=1.2-3.0) or partners of unknown status (AOR=1.4, CI=1.1-1.7). “Of these two factors, only one was more common among black MSM – having partners of unknown HIV status. Among previously diagnosed HIV-positive MSM, black MSM were less likely to be on antiretroviral therapy (ART),” the authors wrote.

HIV infection differences between black and white MSM may partly be explained by less knowledge of partner HIV status and lower ART use among black MSM, the investigators concluded. “Efforts to encourage discussions about HIV status between MSM and their partners and decrease barriers to ART provision among black MSM may decrease transmission,” they noted.

Saturday, July 9 · 1:30pm – 3:30pm

We hope you’ll be able to join us in celebrating Jim’s lasting contributions to CARES and other agencies and people in the community. Come share your memories with others who loved and appreciated him.

In Kalamazoo and Battle Creek:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. at CARES, 629 Pioneer St., Kalamazoo
• 1st Wednesday of every month from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Edison Neighborhood Association, 816 Washington Ave., Kalamazoo
• 2nd Wednesday of every month from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Vine Neighborhood Association, 511 W. Vine, Kalamazoo
• 3rd Wednesday of every month from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at S.H.A.R.E. Center, 120 Grove St., Battle  Creek
• 4th Wednesday of every month from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Ministry with Community, 440 N. Church St., Kalamazoo

Participating partners in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek include the Edison Neighborhood Association, the Vine Neighborhood Association, the S.H.A.R.E. Center and Ministry with Community.

In Benton Harbor:

• Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. for walk-ins, or by appointment from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at CARES, 185 E. Main St., Suite 604, Benton Harbor
• National Testing Day – Monday, June 27 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Benton Harbor Street Ministry, 200 E. Empire Avenue in Benton Harbor

Participating partners in Benton Harbor’s National HIV Testing Day event include the Berrien County Health Department, Lakeland Health Specialties, United Way of Southwest Michigan, Bethel Christian Restoration Center, Benton Harbor Street Ministry, The OutCenter, Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency and community volunteers.  This event will also offer colon cancer screening kits, as well as cholesterol and blood pressure screenings.

For more information, please call CARES at 269-381-2437 (Kalamazoo) or 269-927-2437 (Benton Harbor.)

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), a worldwide advocacy network for men who have sex with men (MSM), is encouraged by new HIV prevention guidelines from The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for use in countries receiving assistance from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), according to an MSMGF statement. However, MSMGF asserts the guidelines lack specific recommendations.

The guidelines define six core elements for any effective HIV prevention program aimed at MSM. These include: community-based outreach; distribution of condoms and condom-compatible lubricants; HIV counseling and testing; active linkage to health care and antiretroviral treatment; targeted information, education and communication; and prevention, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

Matthew Bradley, Prevention Specialist from CARES’ Benton Harbor office, shares his opinion:  “I think that PEPfar is a great program that will help save many lives in countries that have the need for assistance the most.  I think the first step in these programs should be education.  Educating the populations on HIV transmissions and working to reduce homophobic behavior, which causes more stigma, and causes HIV rates to sky rocket because people are scared to seek HIV education.  More training should be given to healthcare providers in order for them to know how to get around the trust barriers and to also build a trust bond in their respective communities.”

To read the entire MSMGF statement, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-forum-on-msm–hiv-encouraged-by-new-pepfar-guidance-on-hiv-prevention-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men-122262008.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110530/hl_afp/healthaidsanniversaryelderly

Shared by a staff at CARES.

OK, I have been living with HIV for 20 years now and always figured it was going to kill me.  Sometime in the late 90′s, after protease inhibitors came on the scene, I started to realize I wasn’t dying quite yet so filed bankruptcy (yes, I was one of those “going to die so let’s go out with a bang”) and continued my disability.

Then I came to volunteer at CARES and transitioned into part-time and finally overcame the fear of giving up that measly $600/month in disability and went back to work full time.  That was 5 years ago and I am happy to report it is going well.

I also found out that following years of switching HIV meds and stopping due to side effects or a mutating virus due to missed doses (especially after a hard night’s drinking), I had developed resistance to all of the HIV medications except for the 2 very newest classes; HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitors and CCR5 co-receptor antagonists.  So I started this new regimen with the knowledge, come hell or high water, there could be no  mutating of the virus now as I had run out of choices. Guess what?  They work fabulously and I have the highest CD4 in 10 years (600-800) with a nearly undetectable viral load.  So life should be great, right?

So why is it my infectious disease doc tells me the greatest threat to my health is my weight?  Or more specifically, the EXTRA weight.  I distinctly remember that early on in this virus I was told it was good I had some extra pounds as it would serve me well if I got ill.  Back then they would see people lose so much weight following any illness they never quite bounced back to better health. Now you want me to lose it???  So I did what every red-blooded American does in the face of serious health issues and looked for the easy way out with bariatric surgery. I lost the weight but now know it was not the easy way out but it was the smartest and most realistic for me.  It also managed to cut my cholesterol and lower my blood pressure and in essence, cure my diabetes.  So I am good to go for another 20 years, right?

Yeah, except for the little matter of inflammation that effects us PLWH/A (people living with HIV/AIDS) and all of the health issues that go with long term HIV.  So it isn’t just about where is your CD4 or viral load but how about your CD4 percentage, which is a better indicator of how the virus is affecting your body (mine is on the low side).  Or let’s not even go down the whole “cognitive impairment” road.  Or as it’s more commonly known as dementia and 52% of PLWH/A are afflicted with it as compared to only 10% of the general population.  So while I make jokes about that is why I miss meetings or forget to file paperwork, it is really no joking matter.  I find I struggle with the angry emotions that also accompany dementia.  It is something that is best seen by your friends, co-workers and loved ones.  They notice the difference and chalk it up to aging. Or the severe neuropathy in my feet that causes me to have balance issues and may eventually rob me of my mobility. While I say a thank you that I can be aging, I recognize that the normal aging process is accelerated in PLWH/A.

This virus can be a long term manageable disease but please know it is not an easy thing to manage or live with.  So while I celebrate the fact that we CAN live for 20 years (or more) with HIV, I also realize it is a complicated, unfair world we live in and managing just one part of my health isn’t good enough.  Cancer still kills us, despite our undetectable virus and heart attacks take even the young. Learning to live long and well with HIV is a challenging prospect and requires resources beyond your HIV doctor. So hold fast the course and hope that one day this will all be gone as we find the cure but in the mean time know I’ll be waiting for the next crisis and hopefully handling it as well as I can.

Now in its third year, the fundraiser put on by CARES has grown from 8 restaurants raising $16,000 in 2009 to 22 restaurants raising $40,000 in 2010, to 34 participating restaurants this year.  Kalamazoo is among 56 cities participating in this effort in the U.S. and Canada.  All proceeds from the local Dining Out For Life event will stay in the Kalamazoo community except the cost for the event’s licensing fee.

CARES volunteers will be present at each venue to provide information and to spread awareness. Please join us and enjoy great food for a great cause!   See the list of participating merchants at diningoutforlife.com/kalamazoo/participating

According to www.womenshealth.gov,  the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health and the lead organizer of this awareness day, a woman tests positive for HIV every 35 minutes in our country and over 280,000 American women are affected by this HIV/AIDS. 

Another statistic, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), “Women and girls of color – especially black women and girls – bear a disproportionately heavy burden of HIV infection.  In 2009, for adult and adolescent females, the rate of diagnoses of HIV infection for black females was nearly 20 times as high as the rate for white females and approximately 4 times as high as the rate for Hispanic/Latino females.”

What can you do? “Know Your Status – GET TESTED.”  Free, confidential HIV testing is available at CARES locations in Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo.