Howard University: Preventing HIV/AIDS among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Howard University Hospital will be on of several sites nationwide hosting a CDC Satellite Broadcast on May 17th entitled: "Preventing HIV/AIDS among Men Who Have Sex with Men."

The goal of this forum is to (1) raise awareness about the on-going crisis of HIV/AIDS among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), (2) promote greater understanding of the current issues that affect HIV/AIDS risk among MSM, and (3) encourage providers of HIV prevention services to implement effective interventions and strategies to reduce HIV transmission among MSM. Research and programs across the country will be highlighted, and a panel of experts will address
questions from viewers.

This broadcast is designed for organizations that plan and implement HIV prevention activities including health departments, community-based programs, the faith community, colleges and universities, and HIV prevention researchers as well as policy makers and news media

The broadcast will take place from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. If you are interested in attending this event at Howard University, contact Kevin McMullan: click here for details.

If you would rather watch the web-cast of this event, find out more at www.cdcnpin-broadcast.org.

DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group Meeting This Thursday

Please join us for the next HIV Prevention Community Planning Group (CPG) Full Committee Meeting is Thursday, May 10th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 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 assessable by rail (red line NY Ave. Station) and by bus (90, 92, and 80 route).

Even if you are not a member of the DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group, you are welcome to come to this meeting. The CPG is comprised of people living with HIV/AIDS, those at high risk for HIV, and representatives of affected populations from the community, as well as epidemiologists, behavioral and social scientists, HIV/AIDS service providers, health department staff, and other representatives of organizations that serve persons with, or at risk for, HIV infection. All members work as a team to analyze the course of the HIV epidemic in the District of Columbia, assess and prioritize HIV prevention needs, identify HIV prevention interventions to meet those needs, and develop a comprehensive HIV prevention plan the District of Columbia. All members are provided opportunities for orientation and skills building, and have meaningful involvement in the process and an equal voice in voting and other decision-making activities.

Synthetic Division Fundraiser for Whitman-Walker

The synthpop duo Synthetic Division will be performing on May, 24 2007 at The Rock and Roll Hotel in a benefit performance for the Whitman-Walker Clinic.

That red-haired member of Synthetic Division pictured on the left is none other than Shawn Decker, who many of you may also know as a contributing writer to Poz Magazine, and frequent Poz Blogger.

Doors open at 8:00 PM. The Rock and Roll Hotel is located at 1353 H Street, NE. For more information, click here.

Howard University Hospital CAB Meeting May 25th

The HIV/AIDS Community Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic will meet on Friday, May 25th starting at 10:30 AM.

The Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic is part of the IMPAACT, the International Maternal, Pediatric, and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and has participated in numerous studies conducted through that network.

If you're curious about Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, I encourage you to come and check out this one. CAB Members play an important role in the planning and development of research trials, representing the unique perspective of our community.

To find out more about serving on a CAB, read this article about DC resident Willis Courtney and his experience getting involved in a CAB.

To find out more about this meeting, contact Patty Yu at phouston@howard.edu.

Six Questions for Mayor Adrian Fenty

Mayor Adrian Fenty will be making an appearance at the Gertrude Stein Democrats meeting Monday May 14th. Mayor Fenty will be discussing several issues of relevance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, which is likely to include HIV/AIDS. I will be looking specifically for an update on progress made on the HIV/AIDS front since the Mayor’s HIV/AIDS Summit last month.

While many of the issues raised at the summit are long-standing problems that will require long-term solutions, there are also several short-term issues that require immediate action. The most pressing questions are:

1. When can we expect the appointment of a full-time director of the HIV/AIDS Administration?

2. What will the Mayor’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS look like under the Fenty administration and when can we expect this task force to be operational?

3. What is the status of the outcome document from the Mayor’s Summit on HIV/AIDS, and when will this document be made available? What are the next steps to ensure that the recommendations from the summit are implemented.

4. During the summit, Mayor Fenty made a pledge to Raymond Blanks to come up with a plan for better communication between the Mayor’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS, the HIV Community Planning Group, the Ryan White Planning Council, the HIV/AIDS Admministration, and the Mayor’s office. Mayor Fenty said we could expect to see a plan in the next 60-90 days. What progress has been made in this area?

5. Given the overwhelming evidence that federally funded abstinence-only-until-heterosexual-marriage programs have no benefit and are damaging to LGBT youth , is the Mayor committed to join with the states who have rejected this federal funding? Given the Mayor’s new authority in DC Public Schools, how can we work together to assure that every student in DC receives comprehensive sex education?

6. How is the Department of Health responding to the new data on circumcision as an HIV prevention measure? How can we guarantee that men who want this procedure receive it regardless of whether or not it is covered by their health insurance or they can afford it.

I hope to be at the meeting on May 14th, but it depends on how much work remains planning for the Speakout on the 17th, and HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on the 18th.

I encourage you to attend this meeting and to print out these questions and take them with you. Let's make sure they all get asked and answered.

HIPS Volunter Training on Saturday, May 12th

HIPS is seeking energetic, committed individuals interested in public health, HIV prevention, LBGT and sex work issues to fill Outreach, Hotline, and other program volunteer and internship positions.

HIPS' mission is to assist female, male, and transgendered individuals engaging in sex work in Washington, DC in leading healthy lives. Utilizing a harm reduction model, HIPS' programs strive to address the impact that HIV/AIDS, STIs, discrimination, poverty, violence and drug use have on the lives of individuals engaging in sex work.

HIPS volunteer orientation is a fun, interactive day that helps incoming HIPS volunteers understand and be able to effectively articulate HIPS philosophy, organizational structure, and programs, and ultimately prepare them to provide assistance to HIPS clients. Following the orientation, volunteers are prepared to enter day time programmatic volunteering or internships, or more extensive Outreach or Hotline training. Attendance at the volunteer orientation is mandatory for all volunteers. HIPS holds three volunteer orientations per year, generally in September, January and May.

For more information, visit the HIPS website

Washington Blade Article on Circumcision as an HIV Prevention Strategy

Dr. Stephen Fallon has an article in today's Washington Blade discussing circumcision as HIV prevention strategy. Fallon writes "No, this isn’t a plot synopsis for “Nip & Tuck.” Circumcising adult men reduces their susceptibility to HIV infection by a large enough margin that New York City’s Department of Health is considering promoting, and possibly even paying for the procedure. The United Nations has even developed a kit to teach doctors in developing nations how to perform a circumcision safely on adults."

Fallon goes on to discuss how circumcision applies to HIV prevention in detail. It's a good article, but I was disappointed to see that he didn't reference the one study that has looked at circumcision specifically in gay men. This study was not designed to look specifically at circumcision (not randomized, controlled, like the Kenya and Uganda Studies). Still, it is the best data we have.

This longitudinal study which enrolled 3257 gay men in six US cities from 1995 to 1997, also found a difference between circumcised and uncircumcised men. This study followed men at high risk for HIV over a period of 18 months. The study showed "lack of circumcision was independently associated with a two fold risk of prevalent infection." [Buchbinder SP et al. Sexual risk, nitrite inhalant use, and lack of circumcision associated with HIV seroconversion in men who have sex with men in the United States. JAIDS 39(1):82-9. 2005.]

Read the entire article here

New City Council Member Yvette Alexander Includes HIV/AIDS as Top Priority

Yvette Alexander has been elected to fill the remainder of Vincent Gray's term on the city council representing Ward 7. Vincent Gray is now Chairman of the Council. Yvette told told 9 News Now that health care and education are her top priorities:

"The most urgent problem facing Ward 7 is twofold," says Alexander. "Education and health care. Our schools need overall improvements in pre-K through 12th grade. In particular, I will champion the increases of vocational, career and technical training in our schools, as well as support building and curriculum expansion at UDC. With heath care, I will champion increased primary care options, medical emergency room care, and HIV-AIDS education, screening and testing. Improvements in both of these areas are a catalyst to an enhanced quality of life for all Ward 7 residents."

Clearly Yvette will be an important advocate on the city council when it comes to HIV/AIDS. I haven't met her yet, but I look forward to doing so.

Muriel Bowser was also elected to the city council to fill the remainder of Adrian Fenty's term as the councilperson from Ward 4.

May ACTION Lunch: When is it Smart to Start HIV Treatment?

Join us May 10th at 1:00 PM for the monthly ACTION lunch presentation at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street, Suite 500, Washington DC. DC CARE is located at the corner of 15th and M Streets, and is closest to the McPherson Metro Stop.

When is it smart to start HIV Treatment? Dr. Fred Gordin will explore this issue looking at what we know, and what we don’t yet know, about when the best time is for newly diagnosed individuals to start HIV treatment.

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Condom Art Day at George Washington University

Join the Save Lives: Free the Condoms Coalition for Condom Art Day!

How creative can you get with condoms?
Come find out on May 11, 2007 from 3pm-6pm
at the Foggy Bottom Metro

We look forward to seeing you there!!!

Please email sshunmugavelu@gmail.com with any questions

CondomArtDayFlier.doc

May 17th City Wide Speak-Out on HIV/AIDS

Several organizations will be sponsoring a city wide speak out on HIV/AIDS on May 17th. This is your opportunity to share your ideas about what's working - and what's not working - in the city's fight against HIV/AIDS. The event starts at 7:00 PM at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 401 I Street, SW.

All interested organizations are invited to co-sponsor this event, and to be part of planning it. For more information please contact George Kerr at 202 263-1102 or e-mail gkerr85@yahoo.com.

And please help spread the word: click here to download the flyer for this event.

I REALLY wish I had heard about this earlier...

I really think that we should have been contacted about this. We are in contact with Congresswoman Norton's office, we are the HIV/AIDS advocacy group in DC. We do have 170 members, I think we should of heard about this from the congresswoman's office not passed on by chance the day before it happens.

Alex

DISTRICT BRIEFING

The Washington Post

May 2, 2007

Norton Holds Community Discussion for Men

As part of her series of community meetings on the city's HIV and AIDS crisis, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) will host a forum tomorrow for a critical group.

Billed as "a frank discussion for men -- about men -- between men -- on sex, STDs, responsibility and community," the meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Suite 412 at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Radio talk-show host Russ Parr will be the moderator.

DC Fights Back / C2EA Meeting Notes Online

As many of you know, at our last meeting Campaign to End AIDS DC and DC Fights Back decided to operate as one organization going forward. Minutes from the last meeting are available on the DC Fights Back website. click here to download the minutes.

We are working hard to put together the May 17th Speak Out on HIV/AIDS, so now is a great time to get involved. If you haven't already, please Join the Yahoo Group.

Meet Dr. Fred Gordin

DC is home to many talented and committed Doctors working on HIV/AIDS in DC. I will be introducing you to several of them here on the blog in the next couple months. I decided to start with Dr. Gordin since he is the featured speaker at the May ACTION lunch. If you have a local HIV/AIDS doctor you'd like to see featured on the blog, let me know.

Dr Fred Gordin is chief of the Infectious Diseases section at the Washington VA Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at George Washington University.

Since 1994, he has been the elected group leader of the CPCRA and overseen its expansion into an international consortium. In this capacity, he has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CPCRA’s multi-site, multi-study network, i.e., its financial management, regulatory compliance, site performance, protocol implementation, and scientific productivity. Dr Gordin has been the overall director of the SMART Study since its inception. Since the CPCRA’s beginning in 1986, Dr Gordin has also been the Principal Investigator for its clinical unit in Washington DC. Over the years, Dr. Gordin has been instrumental in leading the CPCRA in a diverse portfolio of HIV-related research.

Dr Gordin has served on the FDA Antiviral Drug Advisory Committee for a 4-year term, as well as on the NIAID National Advisory Council for 9 years and the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council for 2 years. He currently serves on the U.S. Public Health Service treatment guidelines panel, which sets standards for antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infected persons in the United States.

Best. Month. Ever.

Our website is continuing to grow. Thanks to everyone's work, more people visited this website in April than ever before.

A big thank you goes to all the folks that link to this site. In April we got a lot of traffic from the ballroom website Walk For Me Wednesdays as they discussed male circumcision as an HIV prevention tool.

We also continue to get traffic sent our way from DCist, DC Blogs, Stop, Blog, and Roll (Ward 5), OC Girl, Sour & Sweet, and of course Wonkette. Thank you for your help!

Content from this site appears directly on: Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and DC Fights Back. If you have a website, consider adding our RSS Feed to your site for daily news about HIV/AIDS in DC.

You can also add our RSS Feed to your My Yahoo Page, your Google Homepage, or your My AOL Page. It's a great way to stay up to date.

So thanks to everyone who is getting the word out about this site! And thanks to all of the folks who are blogging on this site including Alex, Kenya, Samantha, and Zenovia.

Protecting Gender Identity and Expression

I just received word about this and I thought I would pass it on. An email update from the Mayor's office read "(Washington, DC) The DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) is working with the Mayor’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Affairs, as well as a number of advocacy groups from the District’s GLBT community, to disseminate a newly created fact sheet that summarizes the requirements of the Gender Identity and Expression protection. This information was developed based on the fact that very few businesses and government programs in the District of Columbia are yet aware of the new protected category under the DC Civil Rights Act, as amended. To download the fact sheet, select the link below:"

Here is the link to the fact sheet

DC HIV/AIDS Resource Guide Flawed but Available

The Consumer Advocacy Project (a project of the National Association of People with AIDS) has developed a resource booklet for people living with HIV and AIDS in the DC metropolitan area.

The new guide definitely has some flaws.

First, several of the addresses and phone numbers are hopelessly out of date. The address and phone number for the DC CARE Consortium, for example, are from an old location. So if you call the number listed for DC CARE, you get "This number has been disconnected.....". This could have easily avoided if somebody simply took the time to call all the phone numbers and checked all the addresses.

Second, the guide tells what services organizations offer, but it doesn't mention which populations they serve. There's simply no way of knowing which agencies are best suited to working with youth for example; or which agencies are culturally competent in handling transgender clients. This makes it virtually impossible to know who to refer folks to. For example, I probably would not refer an LGBT person to the Union Temple Baptist Church HIV/AIDS Program simply because I know their minister Rev. Willie Wilson is hostile to LGBT people. But the guide doesn't let me know which agencies are welcoming to LGBT clients, so unless you're in the know you're out of luck.

Third, there is absolutely no reference to the Ryan White Planning Council, or how people living with HIV/AIDS in the district can have input into how services are provided locally.

Fourth, the guide doesn't include website addresses for any of the agencies. It should go without saying that agency websites should also be listed.

So those are my comments. Still ... at least we have something available now as a resource - so if you'd like a copy - contact the Consumer Advocacy Project today.

To request your copy call the Consumer Advocacy Project at 1 866-846-9366 or e-mail advocate@napwa.org

The Blood of Yingzhou District: Film and Panel Discussion, Thursday May 3, 12:30pm

Please join the Youth AIDS Team for a screening of the award-winning documentary on HIV in China "The Blood of Yingzhou District," Thursday May 3rd, 12:30 to 2:oopm. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with World Bank experts on HIV and China. Address is 701 18th St., Room J1-050. Please RSVP to Samantha Huffman at shuffman1@ifc.org.

Retreats and Workshops for People Living with HIV in DC

Young Poz Socials Memorial Day Campout, May 25-27: DC Young Poz Socials is an informal social group geared for Washington, D.C. area HIV-positive guys in their 20s and 30s. They are heading to Berkeley Springs West Virginia for some semi-rustic fun. Enjoy sleeping in tents, cooking on the open fire, and sitting around the campfire at night. For more information visit www.yngpozsocials.com.

Camp Safe Haven (ages 7-17), August: This free week-long summer residential camp serves is for young people who are who are infected or directly affected by HIV/AIDS. The camp takes place at the Mar-Lu Ridge Camp and Conference Center in Frederick County, MD. For more information visit www.lssnca.org/prod05.htm or call 202-723-3000 ext. 200.

Damien Ministries Retreat, August 27th to 30th: Discover the meaning of God and spirituality for yourself and within the HIV/AIDS Experience. For more information visit www.damienministries.org or call 202 526-3020.

Quality of Life Retreat, August 31st to September 3rd: Quality of Life Retreats are a connecting and coping experience for persons living with HIV/AIDS. It is a chance to get away, to get together, to interact and to learn the techniques and attitudes that are effective in dealing with the issues of long-term survival. The retreat will take place August 31st to September 3rd at the Mar-Lu Conference Center, on Catoctin Ridge in Frederick County, MD. For more information visit: www.qualityofliferetreatshiv.org.

Deepening Relationships Workshop with Frank Ostaseski, September 15-16: The intent of this unique program is to “develop self-awareness among participants, building our capacity and skills in deepening relationships with those we serve and with the Mystery of death. Specifically we will explore how the three innate qualities of Love. Joy and Compassion arise as an appropriate and supportive response to conditions surrounding the end of life.” For more information visit www.compassionatedc.org. This event is sponsored by Joseph's House.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

The DC Fights Back/C2EA Consensus Document on male circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy has been submitted to the Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration. Click here to read the consensus statement. There is also an article on male circumcision in this month's ACTION Newsletter. I also brought this up in my group at the Mayor's Summit on HIV/AIDS, so I expect to see it in the outcome document from that meeting.

I was at Howard University Hospital for the IMPAACT Community Advisory Board meeting, and I had a chance to discuss this issue with medical professionals there. It's pretty clear to me that there are folks who don't get circumcised not because they don't want it, but because it's not covered by their insurance and they don't have the money. This is a case where a small investment in this procedure could have a tremendous impact on the health and well being of District Residents, not to mention the bottom line. A circumcision procedure is a heck of a lot cheaper than a lifetime of HIV meds.

For a group of DC residents who would opt to be circumcised and are at risk for HIV by heterosexual transmission, we know that we can cut that risk in half. To ignore this fact is simply unconscionable.

May ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION May Newsletter is now online. See the May Newsletter as a PDF file right here.

As far as I know this is the only local DC HIV/AIDS newsletter that is put out consistently each month. I'm not saying that to knock other groups. I simply believe it's really important to know what's happening in the city when it comes to HIV, and for folks who aren't online, this is the only game in town. So if you work for an HIV/AIDS service organization in DC, please be sure to print out copies to share with your clients. There are lot of great events in May that they may want to be part of.

And please be sure to join us for the May ACTION Lunch. Dr. Fred Gordin from the Veterans Medical Center will give a presentation entitled "When is it SMART to Start HIV Treatment". The lunch takes place on May 10th and begins at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500.

click here to download the flyer for this event.

Lunch Provided. RSVP Required. To RSVP, click here.

Johnson Memorial Baptist Church: Another Ward 7 Resource

The Johnson Memorial Baptist Church now has an HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse Program that launched this month. Joyce Frazier is the coordinator of the program, which operates at the church 800 Ridge Road S.E. Washington, D.C. 20019.

You can stop by Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; and Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. For more information, contact Joyce Frazier at (202) 581-3670.

Help spread the word about this new program: click here to download a poster and share it with others.

CAVE Meeting May 8th

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort (CAVE) on May 8th at 6:30 PM. We'll be meeting at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500.

CAVE is the community advisory board for both the Vaccine Research Center and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. At this meeting we'll be finalizing plans for AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day, and planning upcoming events like our involvement in the DC AIDS Walk. It's not necessary to RSVP for this meeting, but if you'd like you can RSVP here.

Training Opportunity: Evaluation of the Impact of Health Promotion-Disease Prevention (HD-DP) Programs: A Basic Primer

How do we evaluate the effectiveness of HIV Prevention Programs in DC? You're invited to a free workshop entitled "Evaluation of the Impact of Health Promotio - Disease Prevention (HP-DP) Programs: A Basic Primer" presented by Richard Winsor, MS, PhD, MPH.

While this presentation is not specific to HIV, it will help you understand how HIV prevention programs are evaluated. By the end of this three hour workshop, participants will be able to:

* Name and define 10 major, basic evaluation terms.
* Name and define the three major categories of bias to the internal validty of all HP-DP Evaluations.
* Identify the major strengths and weaknesses of a novel HP-DP Program evaluation case Study.

This event takes place Friday April 27th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, located at 777 North Capitol Street, NE. The meeting takes place in the Training Center, Rooms A & B.

RSVP to maphtc@hotmail.com

Washington Grantmakers

This announcement comes from the Washington Grantmakers Blog:

The Washington AIDS Partnership, a project of Washington Grantmakers, recently announced a significant investment of national funding in the Washington, D.C. region. The National AIDS Fund and Johnson & Johnson are supporting a second set of grants to address the needs of women and girls susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS. Of the nine grants announced, two grants totaling $318,000 will go to the Washington AIDS Partnership on behalf of Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive and La Clinica del Pueblo, two of the Partnership’s long-time grantees. The “GENERATIONS II: Strengthening Women and Families Affected by HIV/AIDS” grants go to support community-based organizations that are developing innovative interventions or adapting proven prevention models for specific populations of women and girls at high-risk for infection.

Camp Safe Haven: Be a Camper, or Be a Counselor

Spring may have just arrived, but it's not too early to begin making plans for summer. For young people in the DC and Baltimore area who are living with HIV, or directly affected by HIV, Camp Safe Haven offers a unique escape. In its 8th year of service in the Washington area, this week-long summer residential camp serves 40-45 young people between the ages of 7 and 17. The camp is a project of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area.

Campers are referred by local hospitals and clinics. There is no fee charged to the campers. Transportation from local hospitals is provided, as well as all needs that low-income children might have such as sleeping bags, towels, footwear, toiletries, etc.

This program depends on the generous support of donors, especially for in-kind items such as craft, medical and cabin supplies. Counselors, nurses and activity leaders are all volunteers.

To find out more about being a camper or a volunteer camp counselor at Camp Safe Haven this summer, click here, or contact Deacon Katherine Miller-Holland 202-723-3000 ext. 200.

Symposium on HIV and Hepatitis Vaccines To Be Held on May 10

Health and medical experts will participate in a symposium addressing critical issues on the challenges of developing an HIV vaccine and ensuring the eradication of Hepatitis B, on May 10 at the Library of Congress.

The symposium, titled "Combating HIV and Hepatitis B," will coincide with World AIDS Vaccine Day on May 18 and Hepatitis Awareness Week, May 7-11.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 10, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The experts will focus on HIV in the morning and on Hepatitis B at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; tickets are not required. The symposium will be cybercast live at www.loc.gov.

The Kluge Center is holding the symposium in partnership with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF), with support from the Dana Foundation.

The development of an HIV vaccine is one of the most important global public health priorities, according to experts. Nearly three million deaths from AIDS occurred in 2006 alone. Each day, nearly 12,000 individuals become infected with HIV, with 95 percent of the cases in the developing world. The development of a safe and effective AIDS vaccine is the world’s best hope to end the pandemic.

Although the number of people chronically infected with Hepatitis B worldwide (300 million) is not challenged, HBF has suggested that the number of people in the United States who are chronically infected has been significantly underestimated. There is a safe and effective vaccine to immunize people against Hepatitis B, but HBF suggests that vaccine-induced "escape mutants" are emerging to threaten current worldwide control strategy.

The symposium was organized by Raymond Dwek, Oxford University professor and head of the glycobiology department. Dwek is the holder of the Chair of Technology and Society at the Kluge Center.

In addition to Dwek, participants include: Seth Berkley and Wayne Koff, IAVI; Timothy M. Block, HBF and Drexel College of Medicine; Baruch S. Blumberg, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Dennis Burton, Scripps Research Institute; Paul F. Coleman, Abbott Laboratories; Molly Conti, HBF; Alison Evans, HBF and Drexel University School of Public Health; Mary C. Kuhns, Abbott Laboratories; Gary J. Nabel, National Institutes of Health; David Thomas, Johns Hopkins University; Bruce Walker, Harvard Medical School; and John Ward, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information, click here

Abbott Action in DC on April 27th

Next week all across the country folks will be organizing protests to call attention to what the Abbottt Pharmaceutical Company is doing to folks in Thailand.

For those who don't know, the Government of Thailand, unable to carry the burden of the high price of the Abbott drug Kaletra, has issued a compulsory license to produce a generic versions of Abbott's life-saving drug. They are following the process set out by the World Trade Organization that is recognized internationally.

Abbott, however, has decided to retaliate by pulling its registration for Kaletra and six other drugs and threatening not to register drugs in Thailand in the future, a move that puts the health (and in some cases survival) of many people living with HIV in Thailand in jeopardy, a move that Even Abbott's own stock-owners are speaking out against.

Join us by protesting at the Abbott DC Office on April 27th at 11:00 AM. The Abbott office is located at the corner of 14th St. and New York Ave, NW. A number of groups are involved in this effort. The event is being coordinated by Student Global AIDS Campaign member Landon Manjikian. You can reach Landon at landonwm@gmail.com.

DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group 4/12/2007 Meeting Update

HAA provided the CPG with a comprehensive budget, which provides information for how CDC and District-appropriated funds totaling approximately $3.1 million will be used during 2007. This funding, which reflects .08% of the DOH $1.7 billion budget, will be distributed according to the categories of prevention community planning; counseling, testing & referral (CTR); health education & risk reduction; capacity building and evaluation. Also included in the information provided to the CPG was a comparison of the amount of funding available during 2006 and 2007 and the list of the RFA funded groups and the amounts awarded to each organization.

The Executive Committee and HAA selected two CPG members, Darby Hickey and myself, to attend the HIV Prevention Leadership Summit in New Orleans (May 20-23), sponsored by National Minority AIDS Council (http://www.nmac.org/conferences___trainings/hpls/4690.cfm). At the conference the CPG members will receive additional training and will provide a report on the experience at a later CPG meeting. The Executive committee also proposed to new committees to the full CPG- Budget and Policy. The Budget committee will review the annual HAA budget in the interim progress report to the CDC to determine how well it reflects that priorities set out in the HIV Prevention Plan. Responsibilites of the Policy committee will include identifying policies and trends that affect HIV Prevention in the District and reporting those relative to the work and function of the CPG to the Executive committee.

At the last two meetings, the CPG engaged discussed contacting Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to urge her to meet with CDC officials regarding the release of "A Heightened Response to HIV/AIDs in the African-American Community." Many CPG members were disturbed by the lack of interventions in support of African-American women included in the report. The letter to be sent will ask her and Mayor Fenty to do their parts to ensure that DC gets its fair share of the $35 million that will be distributed amongst high incidence jurisdictions.

The next full committee meeting of the HIV Prevention Community Planning Group will be held on Thursday May 10, 2007 from 6:00PM-8:00PM at 64 New York Avenue, NE in the 5th floor conference room.

AIDS Walk Washington: Registration Now Open!

The DC AIDS Walk may still be several months away, but planning is well underway. Online registration one the website opened today so be sure to visit the site, and sign up.

I'll be walking this year with the HIV Vaccine Research Team, which will include volunteers and staff from the Vaccine Research Center, the Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and the US Military HIV Research Program.

Whitman-Walker Clinic has made significant changes to the 21st annual AIDS Walk Washington, including adding a poster contest for seventh and eighth graders, an essay contest for high school students, and a 5K timed run.

The recruitment goal for 2007 will be 25,000 walkers - one for each person living with HIV in D.C.

Find out more and sign up at: www.aidswalkwashington.org.

Volunters Needed for CVS Action on Saturday

What: CVS Follow-up Survey
When: Saturday, April 21, 2007, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Where: Meet in front of Ross Hall (GW/Foggy Bottom Metro)

The Save Lives: Free the Condoms Coalition is looking for volunteers for a one-time event. We need your help with conducting on-site surveys of CVS stores in Washington, DC. Coffee, juice and donuts will be served before the event. Return to Ross Hall with your completed survey and join us for pizza and soda.

The Coalition is conducting follow-up site visits of CVS stores to determine if CVS officials have kept their agreement to display an assortment of three- and six-pack condoms on "power wing" devices (small displays) and to keep the power wings regularly stocked.

If you are interested in donating a couple of hours of your time for a worthy cause, please contact Suja Shunmagevelu at sshunmugavelu@gmail.com or Carolyn Watson at cwats802@gwu.edu for more information and to receive your CVS store assignment. We greatly appreciate your assistance!

For more information about the Save Lives: Free the Condoms Coalition, go to http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/phsa/savelives/

ACTION Lunch: The State of HIV Vaccine Research

Last Thursday was the monthly ACTION (AIDS Clinical Trials Information and Orientation Network Lunch). Dr. Barney Graham, from the Vaccine Research Center, gave a great over of the state of HIV Vaccine Development. I've included a few pictures above.

It was a great way to lead up to HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, coming up on May 18th. I hope you'll join us for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day this year. To find out more, click here.

And please join us for ACTION lunch next month. Dr. Fred Gordin will be giving a presentation entitled: "When is it SMART to Start HIV Treatment?". To find out more about this event, click here.

DC Young Poz Socials Memorial Day Campout

Join the DCYPS boys for another exciting trip out of town! This time we're headed to Berkeley Springs West Virginia for some semi-rustic fun. Enjoy sleeping in tents, cooking on the open fire, sitting around the campfire at night, clean shower facilities, and much more all within minutes of historical Berkley Springs, and the added option of renting a cabin or chalet for those members not into tents and sleeping bags.

When: Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, 2007
Where: West Virginia
Cost: Various pricing plans.
Contact: info@dcyngpozsocials.com.

We are looking for volunteers to help with planning, cooking, and camping equipment.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 15, 2007 Any members deciding to attend after this date will be subject to space availability and increased cost.

Camping for Beginners: If you do not have camping equipment (let's face it most guys in the city don't do a lot of camping), we will try to pair people up with those who do have large tents, extra sleeping bags, etc. You can generally find cheap equipment (small tents and sleeping bags) at places like Target, Wal-Mart, and (god forbid you're seen) K-Mart. Hopefully, we will have enough guys who have tents so those without will only need a sleeping bag and flashlight.

Come Together: A Comedy Smorgasbord Benefiting Life Guard

Seaton Smith (www.seatonsmith.com) will be your host for Come Together: A Comedy Smorgasbord to Benefit Life Guard DC, featuring the Late Night Players (www.latenightplayers).

The event takes place Saturday April 28th, from 7:30-9:30 PM at the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Westminster is located at 400 I Street SW,
mere feet from the Waterfront Metro and with plenty of parking.

This is a great opportunity to support Life Guard, a non-traditional and comprehensive condom distribution program that is driven by the involvement of peer-to-peer social networks, local businesses, and community-based organization outreach services. The program distributes free condoms at local establishments in historically overlooked communities, 24 hours a day.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 2007: Global Health. Local Action.

About HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
Scientists have been searching for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection since the virus was first identified in 1983. Each clinical trial brings us one step closer to finding an effective vaccine. More than 25,000 HIV-negative individuals have participated in both government- and privately sponsored HIV vaccine trials.

May 18, 2007 marks the tenth annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It is a day to educate our communities about the efforts to find a preventive HIV vaccine and to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, health professionals and scientists who are conducting and participating in HIV vaccine research.

Events

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Lunch: Global Health and the Search for an HIV Vaccine: Join us as we discuss local HIV vaccine research efforts and the role this work plays in the larger global health movement. Friday May 18th, 1:00 PM, Vista Room, Academy for Educational Development. 1825 Connecticut Ave., NW. (Dupont Circle Metro Stop on the Red Line) To RSVP for this event: click here.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Reception: The annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day reception honors all of our local HIV vaccine trial participants and those working locally to find an HIV Vaccine. Friday May 18th, 6:30 PM, Greeley Hall, Academy for Educational Development. 1825 Connecticut Ave, NW. (Dupont Circle Metro Stop on the Red Line) To RSVP for this event click here.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Flyer
To download the 2007 HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Flyer as a PDF file, click here.

How You Can Get Involved
For additional information on how you can help be a part of planning or supporting HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, download this document.
If your organization would like to become a sponsor of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, or you would like to support HIV Vaccine Awareness Day by donating a silent auction item, please contact: david@aidsvaccine.org.

Blade Article on Mayor's HIV Summit

The Washington Blade has a good article covering the Mayor's Summit on HIV/AIDS. The article quotes Adrian Fenty stating: “You have my full support, as mayor of the District of Columbia, that we will show the kind of leadership, follow-through and engagement to make sure that we’re making fast and steady progress on this crisis."

There's also some great quotes from Alex Lawson (pictured left). click here to read the whole article

Not in My Family Karibu booksigning

Store Events - April 13, 6:30 PM

Time: Friday, April 13, 2007 6:30 PM
Location: The Mall at Prince George’s
Title of Event: Gil Robertson
Author and journalist Gil Robertson will discuss and sign his new book Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community

At long last, the time has come: the time for African American people to face the scourge that has affected it disproportionately for years, and to break through the cultural inhibitions that have prevented them from dealing with it head on. This landmark collection of personal essays, stories, brief memoirs, and polemics from a broad swath of black Americans-whether prominent figures from the worlds of politics, entertainment, or sports, or just ordinary folks with extraordinary -stories whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS-will galvanize public attention around this issue.

Author and journalist Gil Robertson first conceived this "gripping and heartfelt patchwork," as he calls it, when his older brother was diagnosed with HIV. Nominated for an NAACP Image Award, "Not in My Family" is a title pick from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The book has earned kudos from the General Motors, the CDC and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Robertson has enlisted a remarkable group of contributors to give voice to their impassioned thoughts and feelings. A partial list includes: from politics, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., former US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders and Al Sharpton; from music, Patti LaBelle; from film and TV, Mo'Nique, Jasmine Guy, Hill Harper, and Sheryl Lee Ralph; and from letters, Randall Robinson and Omar Tyree-among many, many others.

How to Contact Elected & Appointed Officials in the District of Columbia

DC Action for Children has created the Guide to Accessing Elected and Appointed Officials in the District of Columbia. The Accessing Guide contains a comprehensive directory of contacts including the mayor, city council, executive officials in various government agencies, ANC commissioners and the school board. This is a great resource tool. I encourage you to print out a copy and keep one handy. To download the guide, click here. To find out more about DC Action for Children, visit www.dckids.org

Mayor Adrian Fenty to Deliver 10 Millionth Food & Friends Meal

Join special guest, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, and Food & Friends' clients, volunteers, board, staff and supporters as they commemorate the 10 millionth Food & Friends meal. Mayor Adrian Fenty will package Food & Friends' 10 millionth meal and deliver it to a Food & Friends client.

The event takes place Tuesday, April 17 from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. at Food & Friends, 219 Riggs Road, NE. Shuttle Service Available from Fort Totten Metro Station. To RSVP, click here

Update on Comprehensive Sex Education Letter

There have been to updates to the letter on comprehensive sex education since I last blogged about it. (read the previous blog post here). First, a few changes have been made to the letter to make it a little more focused read the revised letter here. Second, the deadline for organizations to sign-on to the letter has been extended to Tuesday, April 17th. So if your organization would like to endorse the letter, please send me an e-mail and let me know.

LGBT Leaders Endorse John Edwards

If you'll allow me to go slightly off-topic for a moment ... Yesterday John Edwards released a list of 25 National LGBT Leaders who support John Edwards for President and I am proud to have my name on that list.

Nobody should be put on a waiting list to receive the medication they need to stay alive. Yet over 500 Americans are in that situation at this very moment due to insufficient federal funding for State AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. John Edwards has put together a bold, and achievable plan to fix the broken health care system in our country. The Edwards Health Plan is good for people living with HIV/AIDS, and good for all Americans.

That is one of the many reasons I am supporting his campaign. I encourage you to visit www.johnedwards.com to find out more.

C2EA DC Meeting Monday April 23rd

The next C2EA Metro DC Meeting will take place on Monday, April 23rd from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Austin Center at WWC (1407 S Street, NW).

We will be talking about the upcoming Speakout we're planning for May, follow-up from the Mayor's summit, and much more.

And of course, if you're not already signed up, please be sure to Join the C2EA Metro DC Yahoo Group

You can read the draft minutes from our last meeting right here.

ACTION June Lunch: Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Clinical Research

Please join us for the June ACTION (AIDS Clinical Trials Information & Orientation Lunch) on June 14th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium. DC CARE is located at 1156 15th Street NW Sweet 500, closest to the McPherson Metro.

We will have a panel discussion on Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Clinical Research. What are the unique issues transgender trial participants face? How do researchers collect information about sex and gender in clinical studies? Join us for a panel presentation and discussion on transgender community involvement in HIV/AIDS Research.

To RSVP for this event, click here. If that link doesn't work (idealist has been acting up lately) you can e-mail me or call 202 223 9550 ext 15.

Us Helping Us Black Mother's Day Gala May 5th

This year's Black Mother's Day Gala has a double bill. Renowned gospel singers Karen Clark Sheard and LaShun Pace will be the featured artist and guest artist respectively at UHU's 4th annual Black Mother's Day Gala (BMD) on Saturday, May 5, 2007, at the Historic Lincoln Theater. BMD is an annual fundraising event for UHU that honors women who have been recognized by their churches for their work in the church and community. To purchase tickets, please contact Sterling Washington via phone at (202) 446-1100 x1123 or e-mail at swashington@uphil.org. The ticket price is $45 a piece.

Best Practices Coalition Meeting on Condom Distribution

On April 26, 2007, DC Campaign will host a Best Practices Coalition Meeting on condom distribution in Washington DC. The meeting will be a fantastic opportunity for members of the youth-serving community in DC to connect and particpate with the DC HIV/AIDS Administation's (HAA) goal of distributing one million condoms in the District.

Nestor Rocha, Interim Deputy Bureau Cheif for Prevention at HAA, will give an overview of the city's plan to distribute one million condoms this year.

Joining him will be a panel of experts including a health educator, street outreach worker, and physician to discuss sexually transmitted infections among DC adolescents, effectiveness of condoms, best practices in heath education and making condoms more widely available throughout the city.

Space is limited to the first 50 registrants. To RSVP click here

I hope the discussion includes a look at the success New York City has experienced. DC and New York City launched their campaigns at approximately the same time. Since then, New York City has distributed 5 million condoms in just one month, while DC is struggling to distribute the first 250,000 condoms. Yes, DC has given 250,000 condoms to local organizations, but most of them are still being stored in boxes.

The bulk of those condoms (120,000) has gone to Life Guard DC, an all-volunteer effort. Life Guard DC is a tremendous volunteer group, and I've personally helped prepare the Lifeguard packets. But Lifeguard only has TWO distribution ports in the city. All in all, there are about 20 distribution points in DC for this push, as compared to New York City, which literally has hundreds of distribution points all across the city.

At the current rate of distribution, DC is quite unlikely to reach it's goal of distributing a million condoms. And we need to think outside the box. Brazil plans to install free condom vending machines in their schools. Shanghai has installed 200 'smart' free condom distribution machines.

Personally, I'd like to see free condom vending machines at every high school and every metro stop in the city. That would definitely be a best practice.

Mayor's Summit on HIV/AIDS

I will post my thoughts on the summit tomorrow hopefully. In the meantime, here is a review of the Post Article from Kaiser

Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty on Wednesday pledged to "put an end to [the] crisis" of HIV/AIDS in the district, although he did not commit to declaring a state of emergency based on the number of cases in the city, the Washington Post reports. Fenty held Wednesday's summit -- which was attended by more than 150 health experts, service providers and advocates -- as part of his action plan for his first 100 days in office.

Fenty said that within one week, district agencies involved with HIV/AIDS will be called on to work together and that he likely soon will select a new director for the city's Administration for HIV Policy and Programs. "This is the No. 1 (public health) priority of this government," Fenty said. Also at the summit, Department of Health Director Gregg Pane said that about 48,000 people in 2006 received HIV tests as part of the district's citywide testing campaign (Levine, Washington Post, 4/5). District health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates in June 2006 launched the campaign, titled "Come Together D.C., Get Screened for HIV," which emphasizes the importance of HIV testing. The campaign aimed to reach 400,000 men, women and children ages 14 to 84 in the district. According to statistics presented at the Mayor's Task Force on HIV/AIDS, which convened for the first time in June 2006, up to 25,000 people, or more than 4% of all residents, in the district might be HIV-positive. District health officials ordered 80,000 rapid HIV tests for the campaign, which organizers planned to distribute at no cost to hospital emergency departments, private physician offices, community health programs, detoxification and substance use centers, and sexually transmitted infection treatment clinics (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/18/06).

According to Pane, the number of people screened in 2006 is the most recorded in a single year and a 75% increase compared with 2005. Half of people screened were tested at private medical facilities and more than one-third were tested in clinics or hospitals. Men and women in their mid-30s to mid-40s were the most likely to receive tests, while older teenagers and young adults were the least likely to receive tests, according to the Post. The campaign did not attain its goal of reaching the several hundred thousand residents in its targeted population, and Pane added that data collected at testing sites were not complete enough to provide the demographic information needed to develop the most effective prevention and treatment plans. According to the Post, officials are examining data to determine how many new HIV cases were identified among district residents who did not receive tests in more skewed settings, such as the city's prison facility. The district estimates that 17,000 to 23,000 people in the city are living with HIV, but "years of surveillance shortfalls mean that data-driven calculations are unavailable," the Post reports. According to Pane, 5,179 new AIDS cases were reported locally between 2001 and 2006 (Washington Post, 4/5).

Circumcision: DC Needs to Act Now

Last month I wrote a detailed fact sheet and resource page about Male Circumcision as an HIV Prevention Strategy and encouraged DC to take immediate action. I was hoping DC would be the first city to respond to the new and compelling data on circumcision. That ship has sailed.

Today I learned that the New York City Department of Health is moving forward with circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy according to an article in today's New York Times. The New York Health Commissioner has already done an analysis and believes that "even 1,000 circumcisions in the right subgroups might slow the spread of AIDS".

The DC Department of Health, however, appears to be missing this opportunity completely. This is an important issue, and one that dispraportionately impacts people of color and immigrant populations, both of which are less likely to be circumcised.

We need to take action now. Campaign to End AIDS has already endorsed this consensus statement on circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy in DC.

If your organization or you as an individual would like to sign on to this letter please send an e-mail to: circumcision@fighthivindc.org by Friday April 13th.

And remember, tomorrow is the deadline to sign on to the letter on comprehensive sex education.

Six Month Plan

The draft six month plan for Fight HIV in DC is now online. click here to download the six month plan as a pdf file. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let me know.

Has Bob Barr Seen the Light on Medical Marijuana?

Former member of Congress Bob Barr once worked to block medical marijuana for people living with HIV and other chronic diseases in DC. He put language in an appropriations bill prohibiting medical marijuana in DC.

These days, however, he's working for the Marijuana Policy Project trying to overturn the language he himself wrote 9 years ago.

I'm not sure if Bob Barr has seen the light when it comes to Medical Marijuana, or if he is just the kind of guy who will do anything for money. Either way, he could play a key role in overturning this legislation.

Read this story in the Examiner.

Transgender Health Empowerment Job Opportunity

Transgender Health Empowerment is currently seeking a Peer Health Educator/Outreach Worker. The position seeks a qualified candidate to implement Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention services within the T.H.E. Prevention office to the transgender population. To find out more, click here.

Did We Meet the Four Month Goals?

Fight HIV in DC has reached it's 8-month mark, and thankfully we had the best month ever both in terms of site visits and visitors (click here for details).

We also have hit most of our Goals for the past four months. Here are the goals we set and the progress we've made.

1. Add new Bloggers: We've had great blog posts from new bloggers including Kenya Hutton, Samantha Huffman, and others. Zenovia Wright will be posting updates on all HIV Community Planning Group meetings going forward. Her first update is right here. I'm also looking forward to future blog posts from American University Student Heather Dewey.

2. Move the site from blogger to a hosted server. We accomplished this goal, and now the site is entirely at www.fighthivindc.org. This let's us do a lot of cool things, like set up our own Google-based Fight HIV in DC e-mail system. It also means now that we can track Fight HIV in DC's Alexa Rating independently from blogger.

3. Add a download center. This is set up now. The Fight HIV in DC Toolbox is online and I will be using it increasingly in the coming months to post information that doesn't lend itself well to a blog/time-sensitive format.

4. Translate Awareness into Action. We've done a lot toward this goal. During the past four months, the C2EA-MetroDC Yahoo Group went from 15 to 66 members, which is great. We fell short of reaching 100 members, but I still feel really good about the advocacy work that is happening now.

5. Incorporate Google Ads This is done, I hope you don't find the google ads to annoying, but somebody's gotta pay to keep the website up.

So overall, I feel good about the past four months, although I always welcome your comments and constructive criticism. I'll be posting the plan for the next six-months on the blog shortly, so if you have input, be sure to get it to me.

DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Informational Forum

The D.C. Public Schools, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Advisory Committee will hold an informal informational forum on the YRBS data set and future planning for risk behavior surveillance in the District of Columbia.

The meeting will take place April 10 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at 825 North Capitol St., NE - 9th Floor Conference Room 9126. The nearest metro stop is Union Station.

Click here to download a flyer for this event

YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include

• Tobacco use.
• Unhealthy dietary behaviors.
• Inadequate physical activity
• Alcohol and other drug use
• Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
• Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence.

The YRBSS was designed to:

• Determine the prevalence of health risk behaviors.
• Assess whether health risk behaviors increase, decrease, or stay the same over time.
  
• Examine the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors.
  
• Provide comparable national, state, and local data.
  
• Provide comparable data among subpopulations of youth.
  
• Monitor progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2010 objectives and other program indicators.

For more details on the local YRBS visit the DCPS Homepage
http://www.k12.dc.us/dcps/dcpsHIV/HIVSURVEY.html

GW Offers New Certificate in HIV/AIDS Studies

Starting this fall, GW will be offering a graduate certificate in HIV/AIDS studies, a program that will combine existing core courses in the Public Health and Epidemiology Department with newer, disease-specific elective courses. Developers of the certificate hope to offer a broadening of knowledge about the various fields of HIV/AIDS, in addition to increasing occupational marketability of students in the medical sector. continue reading this article in the Daily Colonial

DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group 3/8/2007 Update

The discussion around HAA's budget and its availability to CPG members continues. There seems to be no disagreement that the CPG should have access to this information to develop a comprehensive HIV prevention plan, yet requests for the info have not been answered to the CPG's satisfaction. Leo Rennie of DOH informed meeting attendees that the process of breaking down the budget information by specific categories is arduous, but basic budget info has been available to the CPG since September 2006.

To move forward on this issue, community co-chair A. Toni Young will provide HAA with a detailed chart that outlays how info should be broken down to the CPG for use towards developing the prevention plan. Also, DOH is making CDC awards now. Once this is complete, the CPG can expect to receive information on how the funds were designated by next full CPG meeting.

In other CPG news, A. Toni Young will be contacting the CDC project officer for DOH to schedule a time for her to meet with the CPG. This need for this meeting comes from the fact that the CPG submitted letters of non-concurrence to the CDCfor the last two years. In response, the CDC issued the CPG and HAA a corrective action plan. HAA reports completing all required actions; now the project officer requires an update from the CPG. Young will coordinate this meeting with the executive committee and more seasoned CPG members.

Also coming next month- a full update of the events from the UCHAPS conference and an update on the committee structure for the CPG. The executive committee met on this issue and will report to the full CPG with new committees and what the responsibilities these committees will have. Once new committees have been placed, the CPG looks to complete a work plan (to determine how the HIV Prevention Plan will be developed) within four months.

Join Youth Organizations in Support of Comprehensive Sex Education

In response to Mayor Fenty's recent proclamation declaring March 10-16 Abstinence Awareness Week, a coalition of organizations focused on the health of young people has written the enclosed sign-on letter regarding our concerns with abstinence-only education in DC Public Schools and our support for medically accurate, age-appropriate comprehensive sex education. The letter asks Mayor Fenty to catalog and then remove all abstinence-only groups and education taking place in DC Public Schools and to reject the $170,000 the District currently receive in federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs under Title V, Section 510 (b) of the Social Security Act.

Please review the document and let David Mariner know whether your organization would like to add their name to it by Friday, April 6.

* click here to download the letter
* If your organization would like to endorse the letter, send an e-mail to david[at]fighthivindc[dot]org.

April ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION April Newsletter is now online. See the April Newsletter as a PDF file right here. If you work for an HIV/AIDS service organization in DC, please print out copies to share with your clients.

And please be sure to join us for the April ACTION Lunch. Dr. Barney Graham from the NIH Vaccine Research Center will give a presentation on the state of HIV vaccine development. The lunch takes place on April 12th and begins at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500.

click here to download the flyer for this event.

Lunch Provided. RSVP Required. To RSVP, click here.

Gay Men's Health & Wellness in the District

Did you know that in London and other cities, gay men are already asking doctors for the HPV Vaccine? The HPV Vaccine has been tested in women, and current studies are testing the vaccine for gay men. But some gay men, who believe it will benefit them, are already asking for it, and their doctors are giving it to them.

Now I'm not saying to go out and demand the HPV vaccine from your doctor. After all, there area reasons why we do clinical trials, and as far as I'm concerned, I can wait until this study is finished.

I do mention this, however, because it blows me away that these gay men are so well informed, and so proactive in asking for what they need to stay healthy.

Chris Rothermel, Jared Shenk, and I have been talking lately about gay men's health and wellness in the District of Columbia. We've talked about the HPV Vaccine Study, but we also talked about the fact that many gay men haven't received HEP vaccinations, which are currently available.

And of course we've talked about HIV. Including prevention strategies like post-exposure prophylaxis, circumcision, and research on potential new strategies like pre-exposure prophylaxis, vaccines, and microbicides.

And we've talked about why gay men sometimes make bad decisions about risky behavior or substance use. Things like self-esteem, depression, and isolation.

Gay men's health and wellness covers a broad, broad spectrum, and there are so many things we have yet to really fully explore in Washington DC.

We'd like to begin that discussion. We're planning to pull together a small group of folks to put together a survey for gay men in the District so we can better understand what issues are most important to you. We've also talked about doing a resource inventory so we better understand what services are currently available in the district.

We're definitely NOT looking to start a new group or a new organization.

But we are looking for a few kindred spirits who may be interested in being part of this effort.

If you're interested - please shoot me an e-mail (or post a comment below) and let's get started.

Update on the Mayor's Summit

Here's a quick update on the Mayor's Summit. First off, I was told today that all the Community Planning Group Members and all the Ryan White Planning Council Members should have received an invitation. So if you're part of those groups, and you haven't gotten your invite, definitely follow up on it.

The organizers also emphasized that this is in fact invitation-only and they won't be able to accomodate folks who show up without an invitation. This is unfortunate because an exclusive-event is not really the summit we asked for, and we still don't know all the details on who is and who isn't invited. In the spirit of cooperation, though, we're going to work with what we have, and try and make it as productive a meeting as possible.

If you are aren't invited, rather than showing up, please submit your comments and suggestions to either Alex (dcfightsback[at]gmail[dot]com), Larry (bryant2[at]housingworks[dot]org, or Me (david[at]fighthivindc[dot]org). We will take your concerns with you and debrief with folks at the first C2EA-DC meeting after the summit.

And if you're frustrated that you can't be part of this event, please mark May 17th on your calendars. Several area organizations are co-sponsoring a community Speak Out on HIV/AIDS in DC. The Speakout will take place Thursday May 17th at 7:00 PM at the Westminster Presbyterian Church (401 I Street SW). This is close to the Waterfront-SEU Metro Stop. We're actively looking for organizations to co-sponsor this event and individuals to help us organize it, so please contact me if you're interested.

And even if you can't be part of this event, I know that Alex and George at DC Fights Back and Danielle and Larry at C2EA-DC, and all of us really are 100% committed to hearing what you have to say.

Thank You Whitman-Walker Clinic

Earlier this week I went to the Whitman-Walker Clinic Gay Men's Health and Wellness Clinic to support a friend who was getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV. (He said I could blog about him, but I won't use his name. In addition to HIV tests, the clinic offers rapid syphilis screening along with screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

As it turns out my friend did have an STD. He was able to get a shot right there on the spot, and was given some medication which fit discreetly in the pocket of his jeans. He was also able to talk things through with someone who was really listening.

I think just about all of us know someone who puts themselves at risk for HIV. It completely sucks. To be honest, I can't help but feel a little bit like a a failure as a friend.

But at a moment like this I'm so grateful that the clinic exists, and that the staff and volunteers are so very helpful, non-judgemental, and supportive.

Correction

Earlier I posted that the new HAA condoms had identitical packaging for the regular condoms and the large condoms. HAA tells me, however, that the big condoms have a white background, while the regular size condoms have a yellow background. No doubt it would have been better to have the large condoms labeled as large so as to avoid any unpleasant last minute suprises in the bedroom. Still, I apparently got this wrong and I apologize. I'll be volunteering next week putting together safer-sex packets - so I'll be seeing plenty of these condoms shortly, both large and otherwise. : )

The Mayor's Summit on HIV/AIDS Will Take Place

Campaign to End AIDS Metro-DC and DC Fights Back. met Monday March 26th. To download the minutes from our meeting, click here.

The bulk of the meeting was focused on the Mayors Summit on HIV/AIDS. Yep. That's right. After a little prodding from this blog and of course from dcist.com, the Mayor's office has decided to make good on a campaign pledge to hold a summit on HIV. It may not be exactly in the first 90 days of his administration, but that's hardly worth mentioning.

The general consensus at C2EA-DC was that it would be great if everyone was invited to participate in this meeting, but unfortunately it looks like it will be invitation only. If you haven't received an invitation and you would like to be there, I would encourage you to contact the Mayor's office directly, or if your more inclined to direct action, you could just show up the day of the event and request your place at the table.

Members of C2EA and DC Fights Back have worked together to articulate our goals for the meeting, which are spelled out in detail in the meeting but basically we are looking for:

1. A full update on the hiring of a new HAA Director including a timeline (or deadline), criteria being used to evaluate candidates, and vehicle for community input.

2. A commitment to full community participation at this meeting (everyone who shows up should be invited to participate).

3. A clear commitment from HAA to provide all requested information to the HIV Community Planning Group and Ryan White Planning Council in a timely manner without excuses or delays, so that these community planning bodies can do their jobs. This includes budgetary information the CPG currently needs.

4. A commitment from Mayor Adrian Fenty to speak out publically about our HIV/AIDS epidemic. This includes declaring a State of Emergency in the District, joining other elected officials like Eleanor Holmes Norton and publically take an HIV test on National HIV Testing Day, Being visible at important events like National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (which the Mayor did nothing for),

5. A plan for ongoing communication between the Ryan White Planning Council, the HIV Community Planning Group, HAA, and the Mayor's office. Better communication through the HAA website, specifically including Planning Council Information (there is nothing), Grievance Procedure information (there is nothing), and CPG information.

I think these are realistic and achievable goals, and I look forward to the meeting.

The next meeting of the DC Metro C2EA will be Monday, April 2, 2007 at 6pm in the living room of the Austin Center at the Whitman-Walker Clinic (1407 S street, NW). Please join us, as we continue to plan for the summit. As always, if you're not on the C2EA Metro DC Yahoo Group, please click here to join now

The Four Month Goals

On April 5th, this site will hit the eight-month mark. I'll be reporting on the goals I set for the site four months ago.

I'll also be posting goals for the future, and I would very much like to hear from you. What goals should we include? What could I be doing better? What would you like to see more of? Please drop me a line (or post a comment below) and let me know.

We've hit most of our four month goals, but there is one I'm a little worried about. One of the goals was to increase the number of folks on the C2EA-MetroDC Yahoo Group from 15 to over 100. We've had 10 new members join today (yea!) bringing the total up to 61, but there is still a way to go. There's a few days yet, please join the yahoo group, and encourage your friends to do the same.