Center Submits Proposal to Organize Capital Pride

On December 11, The Center submitted to the Whitman-Walker clinic one of three proposals to organize Capital Pride, DC's annual GLBT Pride Celebration. The other proposals were submitted by Westminster Presbyterian Church's Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation, a non-profit business set up to foster economic developement in low-income neighborhoods, and by a new entity called Capital Pride Alliance. Whitman-Walker's decision to withdraw as the event's producer was announced October 11. For more information, see this article in the Washington Blade.

12/13/2007 Community Planning Group Meeting Re-Cap

At Thursday's CPG meeting, members of the committee were provided the results of the DC Appleseed report. For more details, check out the blog by David. The next Report card will be issued this summer and will most likely measure the same content areas.

While at the HIV Prevention conference in Atlanta, GA, Tiffany West had the opportunity to exchange ideas with other jurisdictions regarding the development of the Community Services Assessment for DC. Bidding on the contract for the completion of the CSA will begin next year. The prevention plan will still be completed by the September/October timeline.

A. Toni Young also reports that at the UCHAPS meeting held during the prevention conference, there was discussion around the move to combining HIV, STD, TB and Hep bureaus within various levels of government within different jurisdictions. At the meeting, there was discussion around beginning to think of ways to prepare CBOs to increase their capacity to focus on more than one of the aforementioned health issues. The concern is that if local governments merge resources, that CBOs will be expected to increase their capacities, and that those who can not keep pace, may lose funding. Ms. Young also informed us that the CDC is releasing both the Latino and African-American Heightened Responses to HIV in cities across the US.

The CPG will be testing out a new meeting format that will increase CPG member activity in committee's as well as minimize volunteer hours, thus maximizing the productivity of the CPG. The CPG meeting will be still begin at 5:30, but the entire meeting time will be extended by 30 minutes. During the first 1.5 hours, the CPG members will meet with their committees, after which the full CPG will convene and go over committee reports. The new meeting format will begin in January, at which point it will be tweaked as needed (less time in committees and more time as full CPG or vice versa). Many of the CPG members present at the meeting expressed positive thoughts about the new plan as it will enable members who were not able to make committee meetings previously, to be able to more fully participate.

The next meeting of the CPG will be January 10, 2008 at 5:30 PM with various committee meetings to be held in various rooms (posted in the building lobby) of 64 New York Ave NE. The full CPG will convene at approximately 7:00 PM. All are welcome to sit on on both or either part of the meeting. Thank you.

Mayor Promises Continued Momentum as City Improves HIV/AIDS Report Card Grade

On Thursday, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DC Appleseed Executive Director Walter Jones released a third “report card” that assesses the government’s performance in 11 areas around HIV/AIDS in the District. As a follow-up to DC Appleseed’s August 2005 report, HIV/AIDS in the Nation’s Capital: Improving the District of Columbia’s Response to a Public Health Crisis, DC Appleseed has periodically issued report cards to monitor the District’s progress.

The District’s release of the 2007 HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Annual Report included the first-ever data on HIV in the District and updated AIDS statistics, earned the District an “A”. The report is also being praised as providing the city a critical tool that will be used for targeting a response.

“This is not a time to rest on our laurels and congratulate ourselves for our success,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “All progress is good progress, but we have much farther to go.”

The District’s Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) is developing and implementing strategies to meet the large scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Some of the District’s promising approaches include:

• Working to ensure that all medical providers are offering routine HIV testing and all hospitals have rapid testing available in their emergency rooms by 2009.
• Making local dollars immediately available for new comprehensive interventions as soon as Congress lifts the ban on syringe exchange services in the District.
• Increasing availability and education about condoms and planning to distribute three million by 2009.
• Reassuring District taxpayers that HAA has full accountability among its community providers with their services.
• Collecting accurate data on services and bringing in the technical expertise available from federal and other partners to work with providers.
• Working on interagency coordination with stronger agreements with sister District government agencies to mainstream HIV prevention, testing and linkages to care and treatment.
  Other areas that were highlighted include the commitment by top city leaders to reforms and the administrations continued HIV testing program and other HIV prevention services at the DC Jail.

Summary: DC Appleseed’s Third HIV/AIDS Report Card

	Grades From First Report Card	Grades From Second Report Card	Grades From Third Report Card
Leadership	B-	B-	B+
Interagency Coordination	N/A	C-	B-
HIV Surveillance & Data	Incomplete	B	A
Grants Management	B	B-	B
Quality Assurance	N/A	B-	B-
Rapid Testing	B	B	B+
Routine HIV Testing	C
Condom Distribution	D	D+	B
D.C. Public Schools	B-	C-	D
Syringe Exchange Services	B-	B-	B+
Substance Abuse Treatment	D+	D+	C+
HIV/AIDS among the Incarcerated	C+	B+	A
Website	B+	N/A	N/A

View the entire report card here.

New Health Education Guidelines Approved!

Thanks to everyone who showed up to testify in support of the DC Health Learning Standards. The DC State Board of Education approved the new standards last night. The Examiner Reports:

Thursday's vote follows a report by the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice that said the lack of a comprehensive HIV-AIDS education program was putting District of Columbia students at risk.

The new standards cover such things as mental health, nutrition, fitness and sex ed. Officials say they are a crucial first step in addressing problems like D.C.'s high rate of HIV infection, as well as things like obesity and teen pregnancy.

D.C. health officials have said Washington has the highest AIDS rate among major cities across the country.

Of course this is the beginning, not the end of this process. We need a lot more from Michelle Rhee and the Department of Education:

We must go from having standards to enforcing them. According to the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a survey of DC Public School students conducted by the CDC and DC Public Schools, 17.5% of middle school students and 9.5% of high school students say they were never taught about HIV/AIDS in school. We must make sure that every student in DC public schools is taught about HIV/AIDS.

We need a timely release of the 2007 DC YRBS data from DCPS. While we got a preview of the data in September and were promised the data in October, we are STILL waiting for the release. This data would have greatly informed the DC Board of Education hearing, and it's very disappointing that we don't yet have it.

We need specific and measurable goals for DC Public Schools to monitor their progress on HIV/AIDS. We can do this by analyzing the 2007 YRBS data and setting goals for improvement when the YRBS is conducted again in 2009.

We need a commitment from DCPS to analyze the brand new data on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) that is included for the first time in the 2007 YRBS. DCPS has said they plan to do this, but again, it's been four months and we're still waiting. We need to know who is going to do this work, what specific health indicators they are going to analyze for potential LGBQ health disparities, and when it will be done by. Set goals. Assign responsibilities. Make it happen!

We need the DCPS Youth Risk Behavior Survey Advisory Committee to meet on a regular basis to be part of this process. The advisory board which is supposed to meet regularly hasn't actually met since October 2006. This is unacceptable.

We need Mayor Adrian Fenty to reject federal abstinence only funding, which requires us to spend matching DC tax dollars on abstinence-only-until-heterosexual-marriage programs which have been proven to be uneffective. A coalition of DC youth serving organizations has asked Fenty to join the eleven states that reject these funds.

January 24th: Home Ownership Workshop for People Living with HIV

Are you HIV positive and residing in the District of Columbia? Do you know that you may be eligible for up to $77,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance if you are a a first-time homebuyer in DC? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership? Do you want to learn more about the homebuying process?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible to participate in the home prep program and learn how you can become a homeowner.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Home Puchase Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday January 24th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Housing Counseling Services Training Center located at 2410 17th Street NW Suite 100.

Please call Jill Carmichael or Minerva Lazo from Housing Counseling Services, Inc at (202) 667-2681 for more information and to register. All classes are free but seating is limited.

HIV/AIDS Education in Washington, D.C., Schools Lacking, Other City Efforts Improving, Group Finds

Kaiser Daily: Delays in implementing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS education program in Washington, D.C., public schools are putting students at risk and undermining the city's efforts to fight the disease, according to a report released Wednesday by the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the Washington Post reports. The center has given the district's public school system a "D" grade for its lack of progress in providing HIV/AIDS education to students, according to the Post.

"In the midst of this crisis, students should be getting information in school that will help prevent infection for the rest of their lives," the report said, adding that despite several school board resolutions for immediate action, "fewer and fewer" young people have received HIV/AIDS education in recent years. The group called on school board leaders and Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration to set strong standards and curricula on HIV/AIDS before classes start next fall. "The district's young people are entitled to nothing less," the report said.

Appleseed Executive Director Walter Smith said the report would have given the school system a failing grade if officials had not committed to making changes. HIV/AIDS education "simply wasn't made a high priority," Smith said. District School Chancellor Michelle Rhee in a statement released Tuesday acknowledged the issues. "Going forward," the school system is "committed to implementing comprehensive health curriculum that includes instruction on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases," Rhee said. The school board is scheduled to vote on Thursday on the overall standards that will be the initial steps toward the health curriculum goal, the Post reports.

Other Evaluations

According to the Post, the school system's grade is a "glaring negative" in a report card that also reflects signs of improvement in the district's HIV/AIDS efforts. The group issued an "A" to two of the 12 areas evaluated in the report, and six other categories received their highest score to date. This is the third assessment that Appleseed has issued since March 2006. Appleseed said that the scores reflect the district government's success this year "in creating the beginnings of an infrastructure of a properly functioning public health system to address the epidemic, something lacking in the district for quite some time."

The most recent HIV/AIDS figures for the district found that almost 12,500 people were known to be living with the disease in 2006 and that more than 80% of several thousand new HIV cases since 2001 occurred among black residents, the Post reports. Although the figures "renewed criticism" of the HIV/AIDS Administration's prior handling of the epidemic, they represented an important statistical "breakthrough" for which Appleseed awarded an "A," according to the Post. The report also includes a number of accomplishments on disease surveillance by the HIV/AIDS Administration, such as fixing a HIV/AIDS case backlog and working with community groups, laboratories and doctors for better data collection. The report said that the improvement in HIV/AIDS surveillance "does not by itself advance the city's response to the epidemic" but provides "a much needed new tool for targeting that response."

The report also noted that the HIV/AIDS Administration now has more than four dozen hospitals, clinics, private doctors and not-for-profit groups doing routine HIV testing during medical care. In addition, the agency increased its distribution of no-cost condoms from 115,000 last year to a projected one million this year, and it responded quickly when groups complained about some of the condom packaging, Appleseed said. HIV/AIDS Administration Director Shannon Hader, who took office in mid-October, has pledged to triple the number of condoms distributed by 2009. Hader expressed satisfaction with the evaluation, adding, "It helps us to have another eye on what we're doing, to give us feedback."

The district's Department of Corrections received the highest score from the group. About 75% of inmates at the district jail are screened for HIV/AIDS on arrival, the Post reports. Beginning in January, HIV-positive inmates will receive a 28-day supply of antiretroviral drugs on discharge so their treatment is not interrupted. The two initiatives are "at the forefront of the nation," Appleseed's report said. "Enormous progress has been made," Susan Galbraith -- director of the not-for-profit Our Place DC, which assists women who have been incarcerated -- said (Levine, Washington Post, 12/12).

The report is available online (.pdf).

Dr. Hader to Speak at Stein Democrats Meeting

The Stein Democrats will be having a special meeting on Monday, December 17, 2007 at 7:00 pm at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 120.

The guest speaker for the meeting is Dr. Shannon Hader, Director of the HIV/AIDS Administration. Please join us!

The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club is the voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democrats in the District of Columbia. Stein Democrats recently testified at the State Board of Education on the proposed Health Learning Standards.

Happy Hour Benefits Us Helping Us: January 15th

The Cherry Fund will be hosting a happy hour on Tuesday, January 15th at Cobalt beginning at 6:30 PM. Cobalt is located at 1639 R Street, NW.

There is a $10 donation at the door, and all proceeds will benefit Us Helping Us.

Founded in 1985, Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., is a community-based AIDS service organization committed to reducing HIV infection in the African-American community. Us Helping Us provides HIV counseling, testing, and referrals for everyone. Us Helping Us specializes in providing HIV prevention and support services to gay and bisexual men.

Since beginning in 1999, the Cherry Fund has donated over $750,000 to LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations.

Prevention Justice Mobilization: Stopping AIDS Through Unity and Action

“What do we want? EFFECTIVE PREVENTION! When do we want it? NOW!” shouted HIV/AIDS, women rights, and faith-based advocates as they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to join a World AIDS Day rally at the White House. as they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to join a World AIDS Day rally at the White House.

On Friday, November 30, nearly 200 activists—including community members, students, and people living with HIV and AIDS—brought together local, domestic, and global demands for critical changes to U.S. HIV and AIDS policies. Those rallying called upon the government to cut the red tape on HIV and AIDS programs, with particular emphasis afforded to prevention programs at home and abroad.

The rally-goers, armed with posters and giant scissors with messages like “Sex Education Saves” and “Cut the Red Tape on U.S. Global HIV Prevention,” weren’t the only people making demands of the Administration. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington D.C.’s non-voting delegate in Congress, issued powerful words to President Bush as part of her address to the crowd.

Read the rest of Kimberly Whipkey's post on the Prevention Justice Mobilaztion's website

Voice of America Report: HIV in DC

Just days before the international observance of World AIDS Day December 1, a new report by the government of Washington, D.C., offered some grim statistics. One in 50 people in the nation's capital has AIDS. One in 20 is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The city has the highest HIV infection rate in the nation. City officials are calling it a "modern epidemic."

When Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty came into office last January, he made HIV/AIDS his number one public health priority. He reaffirmed that commitment this week with the release of the city's first annual Epidemiology Report. "It's the first time the District of Columbia government has its own statistics on the infection rate and, most importantly, it will allow us to do something about it."

continue reading at Voice of America.

DC Must Watch Needle-Exchange Closely

From Kaiser Daily: Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty and other district leaders should "remain vigilant" as the Senate this month likely will vote on a $21 billion appropriations bill that would lift a ban on city funding for needle-exchange programs, Grant Smith -- legislative assistant for the Office of National Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance -- writes in a Washington Post letter to the editor in response to a Nov. 30 Post editorial (Smith, Washington Post, 12/4).

The House in June passed the appropriations bill after lawmakers voted to remove language that prevents the district from financing the programs. The ban was first imposed under a federal law signed by former President Clinton in 1998 that prohibits the district government from using local tax money to fund any organization that operates a needle-exchange program. The House has added the ban each year to the district's appropriations bill (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/2).

According to Smith, the bill has "languished in the Senate since July." District leaders should be aware this month, "when the Senate will be in a rush" to pass the bill, Smith writes, adding that the Senate "should reject any last-minute attempts to restore the ban." Only after President Bush "signs the bill can the district focus on delivering on its promise to infuse critically needed money" into needle-exchange programs, Smith writes, concluding, "We cannot afford to assume Congress and the president will do the right thing" (Washington Post, 12/4).

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Here is a great Al Jazeera English piece on the World AIDS Day protest at the White House.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton tells the President to "get serious." She goes on to say that the Republican led Congress had "knowingly killed men, women, and children," by denying the District the ability to fund syringe exchange.

DC Fights Back Co-chair George Kerr tells the President to "look in his own backyard."

Marriage Equality for the District of Columbia

It is extremely rare that I do a blog post that is not specifically about HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia. I hope you'll allow me a little freedom as I do so now to tell you about an important event happening this Thursday in the Wilson Building.

DC for Marriage, and The Center DC are working together to organize a town hall on Marriage Equality in the District of Columbia. The event takes place Thursday, December 6th at 7:00 PM in Room 412 of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Co-Sponsors of the event include The Gertrude Stein Democrats, the Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance, the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, AQUA DC, and DC Black Pride.

The clear majority of our City Council supports civil marriage rights for same-sex couples. In fact, only three city council members, all of whom are up for re-election in 2008, are not on record supporting marriage equality. Mayor Fenty has sent mixed signals on the issue, while he has stated his support for marriage equality, many members of the community are upset and disappointed that Mayor Fenty has not fulfilled his campaign pledge to release an important legal opinion on the matter.

Of course moving this issue forward is complicated. It's not just about our city government; it's about the ever-interferring presence on Capitol Hill. We will have a chance to discuss all of these issues on Thursday. And former DC Shadow Representative Sabrina Sojourner will be facilitating what is sure to be an interesting discussion about when and how to move forward. Sabrina Sojourner, like many of us, have a personal stake in this matter. Sabrina and her partner Letitia Gomez were recently featured in a Washington Post Article which discussed their retirement plans and touched on the extra challenges they face as a same-sex couple.

Please make plans to join us Thursday night and support civil marriage rights for all in the District of Columbia.

Eleanor Holmes Norton Reaffirms Commitment to Needle Exchange

From Kaiser DailyDel. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) recently said that needle-exchange programs in Washington, D.C., should receive public funding in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV, the AP/NBC4.com reports (AP/NBC4.com, 11/28). Norton's comments follow the release of a report earlier in the week that called HIV/AIDS a "modern epidemic" in the district with "complexities and challenges that continue to threaten the lives and well-being of far too many residents." According to the report, almost 12,500 district residents were known to be living with HIV/AIDS in 2006. Thirty-seven percent of HIV cases were transmitted through heterosexual contact, compared with 25% that were transmitted among men who have sex with men (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/27).

According to Norton, the report did not mention a congressional ban that prohibits the city from allocating public funds for needle-exchange programs. The ban likely will be overturned soon, the AP/NBC4.com reports. Although the report did say that injection drug use was the second-most common mode of HIV transmission in the city, it was "misleading" by focusing too much on sexual transmission of the virus, according to Norton (AP/NBC4.com, 11/28).

Related Editorial

"Among the tragic data" in the report, the "statistic on" injection drug use is the "most infuriating" because needle-exchange programs -- the "tool needed to slow transmission of HIV by this route" -- are banned from receiving public funding, a Washington Post editorial says. Norton and Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) "succeeded in getting the ban eliminated" in a House appropriations bill earlier this year, the editorial says, adding that the district is "waiting for the Senate to approve on an omnibus spending bill, which could happen next month." The "longer the district is denied the freedom to use its own money to help its own residents, the more lives will be needlessly put at risk," the editorial concludes (Washington Post, 11/30).

Metro Weekly Profiles Khadijah Tribble

Metro Weekly has a great article online profiling Khadijah Tribble. I had the chance to meet Khadijah over coffee a few months back, when she was starting as Interim Director of Pediatric AID HIV Care. It's great to learn more about the important work she's doing.

December 1, World AIDS Day, will again mark that sad anniversary that, while a time to tout advances such as an entirely new class of HIV/AIDS medications, primarily reminds Washingtonians that HIV/AIDS is the millstone around our collective neck as we drown in an epidemic. Data released by the Mayor Adrian Fenty's Department of Health on Monday, Nov. 26, doesn't offer much succor.

According to the new HIV/AIDS report, HIV-positive children continue to be born in the District -- nearly a tenth of the country's pediatric AIDS cases in 2005 -- while some states have successfully used medication to eradicate mother-to-child transmission. Nearly 40 percent of new HIV infections are transmitted through heterosexual sex, though sex between men still accounts for 27 percent of new infections. Pointedly, black women, who are 58 percent of the District's female population, account for 90 percent of new female HIV infections in D.C. Possibly the most important point -- and the one everyone was likely expecting -- is that the nation's capital leads the country with its rate of AIDS cases: 128.4 per 100,000 people, versus the national average of 14 cases per 100,000 people.

continue reading this article at Metro Weekly

American University Students Dance to Fight HIV/AIDS

Dancing for six hours straight in a college-campus building might sound like a bizarre way for college students to spend a Friday night. But this World AIDS Day at American University in Washington, D.C., students danced to support children living with HIV/AIDS at American University's first Dance Marathon, a fundraiser to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The Foundation is a global organization that seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection and to eradicate pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.

continue reading this article on the Huffington Post

Short Video of DC World AIDS Day White House Protest

On the eve of World AIDS Day, community members draped Lafayette Park with red tape to symbolize the political obstacles that prevent an effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis locally, nationally, and internationally. The HIV advocates pictured below engaged in civil disobedience to call attention to their demands.

Here's a short video clip. If you can' see the video where you are reading this, click here.

Nightline: The HIV Epidemic in DC

Please note, if you can't see the youtube video where you are reading this, click here.

40 AIDS activists draped in red tape risk arrest at White House

Following a successful protest last year, over 40 AIDS activists draped in red tape risk arrest at White House

George Kerr, Co-chair of DC Fights Back will join the protesters.

Action on the eve of World AIDS Day, November 30


When: Friday 11/30 at 2:30pm

Where: White House sidewalk - Lafayette Square

Who: Over 40 HIV positive activists, health advocates, students and others

What: Civil disobedience on the White House sidewalk

RAIN OR SHINE

EVENT DETAILS:

Over 40 HIV-positive activists, health advocates, students and others will risk arrest on Friday at approximately 2:30 by performing a symbolic sit-down protest in front of the White House, at the sidewalk near Lafayette Square. The demonstrators will be draped in hundreds of yards of red tape to demand that various government entities remove the political "red tape" that is interfering with an effective response to HIV, locally, nationally, and globally. Demonstrators will be dressed as educators and doctors; others will wear shirts identifying them as people living with or at risk for HIV.

The demonstration expands upon a civil disobedience during last year's World AIDS Day, in which 20 protesters were arrested outside the White House.

The protesters, including members of local HIV/AIDS advocacy organization DC Fights Back, will be demanding that local DC public school students receive medically accurate, unbiased, comprehensive sexuality education that includes lessons on HIV and AIDS. The protest occurs following recent reports that confirm that 1 in 20 DC residents are infected with HIV and identifying DC's HIV/AIDS crisis as a modern epidemic.

Demonstrators will be echoing the call, by almost all HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations nationwide, for the US to implement a strategic US national strategy.

The assembled also say that the reauthorization of the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2008 is the time to reform the plan. This includes the removal of the 1/3 earmark for abstinence-until-marriage funding and the implementation of evidence-based HIV prevention policies, plus increased U.S. support for HIV treatment worldwide.

Thanks for Supporting HIV/AIDS Education in DC Public Schools

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the DC Public School Health Learning Standards. While there were a couple folks who came out to oppose the standars, the vast majority of people in attendance came out to support the standards, and to support HIV/AIDS education for DC Public School students. Supporters included a great mix of parents, students, teachers, ministers, medical professionals, HIV/AIDS organizations, and LGBT Groups.

You can click here to see pictures from the event on our flickr page, or click here to see an amateur video montage on youtube (also below)

Stand with DC Youth TONIGHT at DC State Board of Education Meeting

We need you to stand with and for young people in the District of Columbia tonight (Wednesday Nov 28th) at the DC State Board of Education Meeting and support comprehensive sex education. The meeting takes place at the State Board of Education Old Council Chambers, Old Council Chambers, 441 4th Street, NW at 5:30 PM. Supporters will be handing out red t-shirts!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We've all seen the numbers from the HIV/AIDS Administration. You know that we're in a city overwhelmed by HIV/AIDS. But let me give you two numbers that weren't in that report. According to a survey of DC Public School students conducted by the CDC and DC Public Schools, 17.5% of middle school students and 9.5% of high school students say they were never taught about HIV/AIDS in school. These numbers are from 2005. But sadly, when we saw a glimpse of the preliminary 2007 data we learned that 2007 numbers are expected to be worse.

We have failed DC youth by not getting our HIV/AIDS epidemic under control, but we will fail them yet again if we neglect to give them the tools to protect themselves in a city where 1 in 20 people is HIV positive. We must empower every student in every classroom, in every school, with comprehensive sex education and all the information they need to stay safe and healthy.

Encouraging the DC State Board of Education Meeting to approve the Health Learning Standards is a crucial first step. These standards have been created with the input of local DC youth organizations and child and adolescent health specialists.

Please join me TONIGHT to show your support.

We need you to stand with and for young people in the District of Columbia tonight (Wednesday Nov 28th) at the DC State Board of Education Meeting and support comprehensive sex education. The meeting takes place at the State Board of Education Old Council Chambers, Old Council Chambers, 441 4th Street, NW at 5:30 PM. Supporters will be handing out red t-shirts!

November 30th at the White House 1:00pm

Picture is of World AIDS Day 2006

UPDATE! The new DC HIV/AIDS data confirms that 1 in 20 DC residents is infected with HIV. The school kids of DC need to hear the truth; comprehensive sexuality education in the DC Public Schools now! This link will take you to the actual report


HUNDREDS SET TO RALLY OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE FOR AIDS DAY

On the eve of World AIDS Day, hundreds of people will drape Lafayette Park
with red tape to symbolize the political obstacles that prevent an
effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis locally, nationally, and
internationally

Media contact: George Kerr (703) 447-9694

WHAT: Rally and graphic visual display in front of the White House to
demand change to HIV/AIDS policies

WHEN: Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 1:00pm

WHERE: Lafayette Park in front of the White House

WHO: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rev. William G. Sinkford
(President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations),
people living with AIDS, faith communities, health professionals, students

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On November 30, 2007, the eve of World AIDS Day,
hundreds of people are set to rally outside the White House to demand
change to the government's approach to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At 1:00pm,
a rally will begin in Lafayette Square in front of the White House.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will speak with Rev. William G.
Sinkford, other speakers will include people living with HIV and those most
impacted by the disease.

People living with AIDS, students, people of faith, doctors, and nurses
will all converge on the site from around the region and participate in
the stunning visual display.

Activists are calling for comprehensive sex education in DC schools, a
national HIV/AIDS strategy, and a scaling up of global treatment programs
and effective, comprehensive prevention interventions.

Each year, over 2.5 million people are infected with HIV—in DC and
globally—because governments around the world have failed to prioritize
and implement comprehensive HIV prevention programs.

Additional speakers include Ronald Johnson, Deputy Executive Director
of AIDS Action, Geno Dunnington of DC Fights Back, and Nickie Babayeva of
the International Youth Leadership Council.

Sponsors: ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), Advocates for
Youth, Africa Action, American Medical Students Association, Center for
Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), DC Fights Back, Global AIDS Alliance,
Jubilee USA, Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association, MetroTeen
AIDS, RAP Inc., RESULTS, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Unitarian
Universalist Association, University Coalitions for Global Health, and The
Women's Collective

Picture is of World AIDS Day 2006

Get Tested with Go-Go

Metro TeenAIDS invites youth to come out and "Get Tested with Go-Go".

Metro TeenAIDS will mark World AIDS Day in the District by hosting a free Go-Go concert at the newly renovated Market Lounge - 1309 5th Street, NE. The concert features 3rd Dimension Band, New Vision Band and All Stars. MTA Spokesperson and WKYS/93.9 radio host, EZ Street, will be broadcasting live from the Go-Go! Get in free by getting tested at Freestyle Youth Center or onsite at the event, otherwise admission is $10 at the door. Get tested, get your Go-Go partying in and enter to win some great raffle prizes like a new Ipod! This is a secure, all ages event. Check out the flyer and for more information contact MTA at (202) 543.9355.

For a complete list of World AIDS Day Events, click here

AU Dance Marathon Raises Money for Pediatric HIV/AIDS Care

The Dance Marathon at American University in Washington, DC is a student-run, philanthropic event that seeks to unite the campus around a common cause: the worldwide fight against pediatric AIDS.

Once at the Marathon, a six-hour event which lasts through the night, participants enjoy a range of activities to thank them for their fundraising efforts.

This year's inaugural event will end in the early hours of World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day, observed December 1, is dedicated to raising awareness of the global AIDS epidemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Students, faculty and staff will unite with the hope to collectively raise $15,000 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

For more info, click here.

Study Calls HIV in DC a Modern Epidemic

From the Washington Post: The first statistics ever amassed on HIV in the District, released today in a sweeping report, reveal "a modern epidemic" remarkable for its size, complexity and reach into all parts of the city.

The numbers most starkly illustrate HIV's impact on the African American community. More than 80 percent of the 3,269 HIV cases identified between 2001 and 2006 were among black men, women and adolescents. Among women who tested positive, a rising percentage of local cases, nine of 10 were African American.

The 120-page report, which includes the city's first AIDS update since 2000, shows how a condition once considered a gay disease has moved into the general population. HIV was spread through heterosexual contact in more than 37 percent of the District's cases detected in that time period, in contrast to the 25 percent of cases attributable to men having sex with men.

"It blows the stereotype out of the water," said Shannon Hader, who became head of the District's HIV/AIDS Administration in October. Increases by sex, age and ward over the past six years underscore her blunt conclusion that "HIV is everybody's disease here."

The new numbers are a statistical snapshot, not an estimate of the prevalence of infection in the District, which is nearly 60 percent black. Hader, an epidemiologist and public health physician who has worked on the disease in this country and internationally, said previous projections remain valid: One in 20 city residents is thought to have HIV and 1 in 50 residents to have AIDS, the advanced manifestation of the virus.

Almost 12,500 people in the District were known to have HIV or AIDS in 2006, according to the report. Figures suggest that the number of new HIV cases began declining in 2003, but the administration said the drop more likely reflects underreporting or delayed reporting. A quarter-century into the epidemic, the city's cumulative number of AIDS cases exceeds 17,400.

"HIV/AIDS in the District has become a modern epidemic with complexities and challenges that continue to threaten the lives and well-being of far too many residents," the report states.

District health officials have long been faulted for the lack of HIV information and lagging AIDS data. Not until forced by federal funding requirements did the health department start tracking HIV.

Until that began in 2000, critics said, neither the government nor organizations responding to the disease knew whether their dollars and efforts were effectively addressing the problem.

The report notes that its comprehensive picture "offers the District a new tool to help improve the scope, quality and distribution of care and treatment and prevention services."

HIV information is particularly valuable because it represents the most recent infections and can indicate changes in transmission patterns. It is mainly collected through the investigation of cases forwarded by laboratories and health-care providers.

The compilation signifies a major step forward for the HIV/AIDS agency, which has gone through repeated program and leadership upheavals in recent years. "For us, this is a milestone," said Hader, its third administrator since 2004.

A letter from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) accompanies the release: "We must take advantage of this information with the sense of urgency that this epidemic deserves."

The District's AIDS rate is the worst of any city in the country, nearly twice the rate in New York and more than four times the incidence in Detroit, and it has been climbing faster than that of many jurisdictions.

One explanation might be the high percentage of infected residents labeled "late testers," people who learn they have AIDS within a year of the HIV diagnosis. Although the proportion of adults and adolescents screened for HIV is greater in the city than nationally, the finding raises questions about the strategy of the District's "know your status" campaign.

People who learn of their infection late face serious consequences. By the time symptoms arise or infections occur, their immune systems have suffered considerable damage. They face increased medical costs and death rates.

More than two-thirds of local AIDS cases fell into this category during the past decade, according to the report, compared with 39 percent of cases in the United States. "I think that's dramatic information for our care and treatment providers," Hader said.

No longer is HIV a crisis primarily among younger adults. Starting in 2004, the number of new HIV cases among men and women ages 40 to 49 outpaced every other age group in the city.

But the data made public today expose an alarming dimension of pediatric HIV. Each of the three dozen District children to test positive in the past five years was infected during birth.

"This is a line that should be zero," said Hader, who is pushing for routine HIV testing during pregnancy, quick-results oral swabs during labor and "fast tracking" of the antiretroviral drugs that can prevent transmission during delivery.
The administration said it wants to use the report to begin asking and answering, "What next?" Given the scope of HIV and AIDS in the District, health leaders say they can't focus on just one aspect of the disease or one at-risk group.
"We don't have the luxury of only picking one," Hader said. "We have the imperative to do it all."

Sasha Bruce and Planned Parenthood World AIDS Day Youth Event

Sasha Bruce Youthwork’s AIDS Prevention Program & Planned Parenthood Ophelia Egypt Center invite young people aged 13-24 to a World AIDS Day Event November 30,2007 from 5:00-8:00pm at the Ophelia Egypt Planned Parenthood Center, 3933 Minnesota Ave NE Washington DC. The event includes guest speakers, a special educational performance, games, food, and other treats.

For a complete list of World AID Day Events in DC, click here.

DOH Releases State Health Plan

The Department of Health (DOH) has compiled and released the District’s first State Health Plan in nearly two decades. The plan, “Addressing the District of Columbia’s Health Priorities,” is a blueprint for ensuring accountability and integrity, coordinating public-private partnerships, and developing ongoing results-oriented activities to improve the health of residents.

The plan gives a six-point roadmap to improving the health of the residents of the nation’s capital with an emphasis on critical areas, such as health disparities, health coverage for the uninsured, establishing citywide standards for health data collection and instituting a process for effectively managing activities and measuring the District’s progress.

”The District of Columbia’s highest priority is to serve all of our customers, and that includes protecting the health of our residents,” said Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor. “This State Health Plan is a major first step in providing the necessary guidance to ensure that we tackle health issues, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease and others.”

Highlights of the plan call for improving partnership efforts with schools to provide health education and promotion activities to improve prevention of leading health concerns. The plan also calls for efforts to expand health coverage and establish citywide standards for the collection and reporting of health data.

“This health plan reflects our growing commitment to accountability,” said Carlos Cano, MD, DOH Interim Director. “We must ensure that every dollar spent on health services is used in the most effective way possible to help us improve the actual health and well being of every District resident.”

The report cites 2004 data listing the District’s ten leading causes of death per 100,000 as: heart disease (228); cancer (198); hypertension (57); HIV/AIDS (39); accidents (38); cardiovascular disease (34); diabetes (33); homicide (31); chronic lower respiratory disease (25) and influenza -pneumonia (24). The plan outlines measurable targets to evaluate the city’s progress in improving the health status of DC residents.

“It’s important to remember that, like the health needs of our population, this plan is not static but will rather continue to evolve,” added Dr. Cano. “The Department of Health looks forward to collaborating with other sectors of government as well as our community partners to regularly evaluate and update its ambitious goals and to achieve a healthier District of Columbia.”

To view the District of Columbia’s State Health Plan, click here.

Tuesday November 20th: Transgender Day of Remembrance

A local event marking the Transgender Day of Remembrance will take place Tuesday November 20th, at the Whitman Walker Clinic's 1407 S Street NW site from 6 to 7:30 PM. The event is co-sponsored by Whitman-Walker Clinic, and Transgender Health Empowerment.

Metro Weekly has an excellent article up about the Transgender Day of Remembrance. To read it, click here.

Prevention Works 9th Anniversary Event

On November 27th PreventionWorks! will celebrate their 9th Anniversary by honoring the founding executive director of PreventionWorks!, Paola Barahona.

As most of you know, PreventionWorks! is a harm reduction program that operates primarily via a mobile service vehicle. Our clients are served weekly at 12 needle exchange sites located near active drug strips. PreventionWorks! also accepts and services walk-in clients at their main office.

Please come out and support PreventionWorks and Paola. The suggestion donation for this event is $50. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group Meeting Re-cap

At last night’s meeting the CPG was officially introduced to Dr. Shannon Hader. Dr. Hader described the HIV/AIDS epidemic as “modern” citing that eradicating the epidemic will require modern and innovative solutions. Dr. Hader is looking forward to continued work with the DC community once the surveillance data is officially released and available to the public. She believes that together we can come up with innovative prevention strategies and use the results to determine how to further promote routine HIV testing.

HAA received word that the CDC Prevention Grant was officially extended an additional year to provide funding through December 2009. While this is exciting, it brings up many questions pertaining to the determinants for which agencies currently receiving funding through this grant will continue to do so as well questions around whether or not the DC HIV Prevention Plan will be extended or if this will be an opportunity to re-work the plan, using the surveillance data to determine where funding should be allocated. Potentially, a committee of CPG members will be formed to work with HAA to determine what the performance indicators will be for measuring the CBOs use of previously awarded funds. This seems like a great opportunity to re-vamp the Prevention Plan and align it with the epidemic in DC according to the data.

The surveillance report is completed, at the printer and expected to be released the week of 11/27 at several launch events. This report provides a thorough analysis (130 pages) of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the District and includes survival, mortality and perinatal data. A cautionary note to end users from Tiffany West: the report provides information on what is happening with the epidemic in DC, but not the why. The “why” will be included in the Epidemiologic Profile to be released in the summer of 2008 and will include information on a few special populations. The Scope of Work (SOW) for the CSA should be completed next week. Development of the Resource Inventory is underway and will be sent to the CPG for comment shortly. It will include questions around prevention efforts in use by CBOs as well as questions pertaining to care and treatment. The survey mechanism for CBOs will be finalized by the end of December. Although the initial deadline for completing the SOW has passed, Tiffany West assured us that there should be no problem completing the entire CSA on schedule (August 2008).

The next meeting of the CPG will be held on 12/13/2007 at 5:30 PM at 64 New York Ave NE.

DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center 15th Annual World AIDS Day Observance

The Washington DC Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center Infectious Disease Section will hold their 15th Annual World AIDS Day Observance for staff, patients, and visitors on Friday November 30th 2007. The event takes place in the 4th Floor Auditorium of the VA Medical Center, 110 Irving St NW at 12:00 PM.

The World AIDS Day Observance will feature a keynote presentation entitled "Much Accomplished, Much to Do" by Dr. Jeff Nadler, Assistant Director, Therapeutics Research Program Division of AIDS, NIAID, NIH, DHHS. Fernando O. Rivera, Medical Center Director of the Washington DC VA Medical Center, will also be discussing the VA response to AIDS. Finally, the 15th Annual L. Allen Grooms, Jr. Memorial Service Award will be presented to a local veteran who has shown leadership and commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

What We Need in November

When it comes to the fight against HIV/AIDS in DC, the rest of this month is going to be hectic all the way up to World AIDS Day Events taking place November 28 to December 2nd.

To move forward, however, there are several things that need to happen this month. Here's a list of what they are and what you can do to help make them happen.

State Board of Education: We need the State Board of Education in DC to approve the proposed health education standards. The DC State Board of Education is currently reviewing draft guidelines to improve the health and well-being of young people in the District of Columbia. These draft standards are supported by the DC Healthy Youth Coalition and include complete, unbiased, comprehensive information regarding nutrition, sexual health and HIV prevention. What you can do click here to take action now and tell the DC State Board of Education that health and HIV education in DC schools is crucial.

Michelle Rhee and the Department of Education: Simply put we need a status report and we need a plan when it comes to the health and well being of DC Public School Students. The status report is the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted every two years in partnership with the CDC. We got a preview of the 2007 YRBS data in September, but while we were expecting the final data in October, we are still waiting for the release. What you can do: Please take action now. send an e-mail to Michelle Rhee asking for three things. 1. Timely release of the 2007 YRBS Data. 2. Specific goals for how to improve upon the 2007 YRBS Data when the survey is conducted again in 2009. 3. An action plan for evaluating the new data on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students.

Shannon Hader and the HIV/AIDS Administration: The most important thing we need from the HIV/AIDS Administration this month (HAA) is the release of the 2001-2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data. For to long, we've been fighthing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in DC blindfolded, and this data is going to go along way to giving us the details we need about where new HIV infections are happening. Of all the items on this list, this is the one I'm most optimistic about. I'm looking forward to a presentation on the new data this Thursday. What you can do: Join us on Thursday, or check back here for the information. Make a commitment to learn about the epidemic in DC so you can be part of getting the word out.

Mayor Fenty and the City Council: Overcoming the stigma around HIV/AIDS in DC continues to be a major factor in our local epidemic. It's a topic we heard a lot about at the November 2007 Speakout as well as the May 2007 Speakout. On way we can help overcome stigma is for our community leaders to be out and visible and talking about HIV/AIDS. We need Mayor Fenty and our elected officials to be out and visible on World AIDS Day. Mayor Fenty has been invited to participate on a World AIDS Day Town Hall at Howard University and I hope he'll be able to join us. What you can do: encourage the elected officials you know in DC to be out and visible on World AIDS Day, and make a personal commitment to participate in a World AIDS Day event this year.

Children's National Medical Center World AIDS Day Health Fair

The The HIV Services Department at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) will commemorate World AIDS Day in the hospital on November 29th.

Children's National Medical Center will hold a service provider fair in the atrium of the hospital to share information on ways to keep young people healthy. The fair will run from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Organizations are invited to send a representative to present information, with an emphasis on how your work supports the health of young people. Please expect to share a table with another vendor. Bring signage that represents your organization and be available at 9:30 to set-up. For more information contact Ebony Johnson by email or at (202) 491-3970.

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise: December 2nd.

Our Lady Queen of Peace AIDS Ministry & DC Catholic AIDS Network invite you to "STOP AIDS: Keep the Promise – Leadership”, a World AIDS Day Program.

The event takes place Sunday, December 2, 2007 at At 4:00 PM at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 3800 Ely Place, SE. Speakers include Msgr. Raymond G. East, Mrs. Patricia Nalls, Ms. Gerri Frye and Her accompaniast, and Breath of Life Ministries Liturgical Dancers.

A Reception will follow in the Casa Cremona Room. Free will offering. For more information call 202-584-9764.

To download a flyer for this event, click here.

Reminder: ACTION Lunch This Thursday

Please join us for the NOVEMBER ACTION Lunch. Tiffany West-Ojo, MPH, MSPH, will be presenting the DC 2001-2006 HIV Surveillance Report. Tiffany serves as the Interim Bureau Chief, Bureau of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the HIV/AIDS Administration.

Tiffany will provide us with detailed look at this important new information about HIV and AIDS cases in the District of Columbia, and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions.

This lunch takes place Thursday November 15th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th St, NW Suite 500. To RSVP for this presenation click here.

To download the flyer for this event, click here.

MCC NOVA World AIDS Day Event

The Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia (MCC-NOVA) is working with Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM), area MCC congregations, Little River UCC, and many others to host a community health fair on the theme of Body, Mind, and Spirit on Saturday December 1st. The event will in clude a keynote address from Joshua Love, MCC's international HIV/AIDS and Drug Literacy Program Specialist, a variety of panel presentations, booths sponsored by area agencies promoting a variety of health and wellness resources in our community, health testing/screening, and much more. Joshua will also preach at MCC NOVA on Sunday, December 2. For details, click here.

DC AIDS Vote 2008: What Would You Ask City Council Candidates?

We are officially one year out from the November 4th election where DC will vote on city council members. A year sounds like plenty of time to prepare, right? Not really. As most of you know, DC is dominated by the Democratic Party, so some of the most important decisions take place during the Congressional and Council Primary Election, which takes place on September 9th. Factor in Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we're down to about 7 months to figure out where city council members stand.

To get that process started, let's talk about the players:

Two At-Large City Council members are up for re-election. Carol Schwartz, and Kwame Brown both plan to seek re-election. They are being challenged by Adam Clampitt and Dee Hunter.

Four Ward-Specific City Council Members are up for re-election. They are: Jack Evans (Ward 2), Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), and Marion Barry (Ward 8).

Where do these candidates stand on HIV/AIDS issues in DC? That's what we need to find out. But first, I want to ask you: What would you ask City Council Candidates about HIV/AIDS?

I've put together a list of questions I would like to ask City Council candidates about HIV/AIDS (a rough first draft, mind you!). Many of these questions are based on things we heard at the two Speakout events. Please check it out and let me know what questions you would like to see added or change. You can add your input by sending me an e-mail, or by posting a comment on this blog post. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

DRAFT QUESTIONS FOR DC CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

General Health Care:

• Do you support equal access to health care without regard to one’s ability to pay?
• Does your vision for health care include mental health and substance abuse treatment?
• How can DC assure that individuals who need substance abuse treatment receive treatment in a timely manner?

Science Based Medically Accurate Approaches to Prevent HIV

• Do you support medically accurate, age-appropriate comprehensive sex education that includes information on both abstinence and prevention?
• Will you advocate for DC to refuse federal 'abstinence-only-until-marriage' funds which require DC to spend it's own matching funds on programs that don't work?
• Do you support DC funding for needle-exchange programs (should that option become available), which have shown to be an effective tool to prevent HIV?
• Will you encourage the Department of Health to investigate and engage the community in a discussion of new approaches to HIV prevention including circumcision? Note: not asking for a plan – just asking for a discussion – knowing that some folks in DC do not get circumcised simply because they cannot afford it and it is not covered by insurance
• Do you support the availability of free post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as an HIV prevention strategy in all DC emergency rooms? (Adrian Fenty said he would look into this in his campaign pledge, that’s why I worded the question that way)
• Are you committed to continuing and strengthening the District’s condom distribution program?

Support for People Living with HIV

• Will you ensure that the drive to make HIV testing routine among District residents includes funding for counseling and referrals to treatment facilities for those who test positive?
• How can DC assure that low income individuals living with HIV in need of housing receive financial help for housing in a timely manner?
• People living with HIV in DC are impacted by housing trends in the District. For people living with HIV/AIDS who already have financial assistance for rent, finding available low-income rental housing is difficult. What will you do as a city council member to address the housing situation in DC?
• One issue that came out of our May 2007 Speakout, was the need for jobs, and specifically, the need for life-skill and job training for people living with HIV coming out of substance abuse treatment programs, or prison. What can you do as a city council member to address the housing situation in DC? What will you do as a city council member to address the need for life-skill and job training for people living with HIV?
• Do you support the use of medical marijuana for people living with HIV, cancer, and muscular dystrophy?

Local HIV/AIDS Funding

When considering local HIV/AIDS funding proposals, including the Ward 7 HIV/AIDS initiative, will you strive to assure that resources are allocated to the communities that need them the most, taking into account health disparities that may exist based on race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity?
• Will you encourage better oversight of local agencies that are funded through the HIV/AIDS Administration? How would you, as a city council member, encourage accountability for money spent to fight HIV/AIDS?

Accountability – And Measurable Progress

• Will you encourage the Department of Education to set measurable goals to improve on the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior health indicators when the survey is conducted again in 2009?
• How would you, as a city council member, hold the Department of Education accountable for progress?
• Will you encourage the Department of Health HIV/AIDS administration to use the 2007 HIV Surveillance report to set measurable goals to reduce the number of new HIV infections in DC, and reduce existing HIV/AIDS health disparities that may exist based on race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity?
• How would you, as a city council member, hold the Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration accountable for progress?
• Will you only support local HIV/AIDS funding that is competitive in nature and based on services provided, and oppose funding that is allocated to a specific organization without a competitive bidding process?

What questions did I miss? Be sure to let me know by sending me an e-mail or posting a comment below.

Event at Howard University TONIGHT

Campus Progress is sponsoring Flashing Lights: AIDS and HIV in the Black Community tonight at Howard University. It takes place November 7 from
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Howard University Blackburn Ballroom, 2400 Sixth Street NW
Washington, DC 20059. This event will feature clips from the HBO film, Life Support, along with a few short films about the direct impact of HIV and AIDS in the black community. Following the film, students will engage in a discussion on prevention and education with William Brawner, an HIV/AIDS activist; Donna Crewa from AIDS Action; a representative from Metro Teen AIDS; and Austin Thompson, a student activist at Howard University.

Refreshments will be served. Sponsored by Campus Progress, Howard University Campus Pals, and the School of Communications Student Council.

To RSVP click here.

December 11th: Home Ownership Workshop for People Living with HIV

Are you HIV positive and residing in the District of Columbia? Do you know that you may be eligible for up to $77,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance if you are a a first-time homebuyer in DC? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership? Do you want to learn more about the homebuying process?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible to participate in the home prep program and learn how you can become a homeowner.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Home Puchase Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday December 11th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Housing Counseling Services Training Center located at 2410 17th Street NW Suite 100.

Please call Jill Carmichael or Minerva Lazo from Housing Counseling Services, Inc at (202) 667-2681 for more information and to register. All classes are free but seating is limited.

Next HPCPG Meeting-11/15/2007

Please join us for the next HIV Prevention Community Planning Group (CPG) Full Committee Meeting on Thursday, November 15th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The meeting will be held at at 64 New York Avenue, NE - 5th Floor Conference Room.

Parking is available at this location after 5:30pm. To gain access through the security gate push 3# on the call box and mentioned that you are attending the CPG Meeting. It is also acessable by metro (red line NY Ave. Station) and by bus (90, 92, and 80 route). All are welcome to attend this meeting.

Community Marches and Speaks Out against HIV/AIDS in SE DC

On Saturday Nov 3rd around 150 people took to the streets in SE Washington, DC to demand changes to the way the HIV/AIDS epidemic is being addressed. The Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association and DC Fights Back were joined by numerous organizations and community members.You can read the Examiner's coverage of the event here



In this photo members of RAP Inc serving as marshals for the March.

Community members were joined by folks from MetroTeen AIDS, Save Lives Free the Condoms, GW Student Global AIDS Campaign, the American Federal Government Employees Union Local 12, and many others.

Recently there have been some positive changes made by the government of the District of Columbia in the way it is responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. DC Fights Back applauds the community oriented approach taken by Dr. Shannon Hader. But clearly there are serious problems remaining, many of which are outside of the scope of Dr. Hader's authority.




In this photo hundreds of participants lined the streets in SE.

This March in South East was undertaken to highlight the institutional and social determinants of HIV and AIDS. Many of the principles put forward by both DCFB and MWPHA members are captured by the Prevention Justice Mobilization Campaign. The most succinct of these is AIDS DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE… BUT SOCIETY DOES.




In this photo Larry Bryant and George Kerr help to facilitate the Speak Out portion of the day.

The Speak Out was meant to continue the dialogue about why HIV/AIDS is so catastrophic in DC, to understand why certain communities bear such a disproportionate burden of HIV while others, even though they have the same levels of “individual risk activity,” do not. We wanted to further an understanding of how two individuals from different communities can engage in the same activities but be at much different levels of risk for HIV.

At the last Speak Out community members identified four critical areas where disparities exist which fuel the local epidemic. At this Speak Out we concentrated on determining concrete and obtainable solutions in these areas,



In this photo participants eat and get ready for the break out groups.

1)JOBS
2)HOUSING
3)YOUTH
4)SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Each group discussed the problems and came up with concrete solutions which will be posted on www.dcfightsback.org when we have arranged them.

A highlight of the Speak Out portion was when we were joined by Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry who sat in on each of the groups, listened, promised his support to our efforts, and encouraged participants to work with local government on finding and implementing solutions.



In this photo Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry participates in the Jobs break out group

This day of solidarity and action is not the end, but rather the beginning of a campaign to affect serious policy changes to End AIDS in the District!

Upcoming events:
Saturday, November 17 12:00pm: OUTREACH and Housing Committee meeting at Highlands Public Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. More info www.mwpha.org

Wednesday, November 28 5:30pm: ALL OUT for the school health education hearing at the State Board
of Education; 441 4th St. NW. More info www.metroteenaids.org
(Judiciary Square)

Friday, November 30 1:00pm: World AIDS Day, Action at the White House. One of policy asks identified at the Speak Out will be included as the local ask for this action. More info www.dcfightsback.org