A Great Place for DC Families to Talk About HIV

A new group called FAITH (Families Affected / Infected through HIV/AIDS) will be holding an event August 4th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at 1440 Meridian Place, NW Basement Level. They write: "People can bring questions and they can get answers."

Kids are welcome and food will be provided. The event is sponsored by community activist Russell Binion and Chloe Daviage and Geno Dunington will be the featured speakers. For more information call Rose Robertson at 202 234-0940 or Jocelyn Horton at 202 526-6052.

click here to download a flier for this event.

Washington Blade Article on New Health Education Guidelines

The Washington Blade has an article on the proposed health education guidelines for DC Public Schools. The draft guidelines, which were approved by the board last month, were put online this month (click here to read the guidelines on the DCPS website).

Jeremy Ogusky (pictured left), Deputy Director of Metro TeenAIDS, is quoted in the article. Metro Teen AIDS is one of several organizations that make up the DC Healthy Youth Coalition, which submitted comments on the guidelines this week:

"'The posted draft health learning standards have addressed almost all the recommendations that our coalition made back in March,' said Jeremy Ogusky, deputy director of Metro Teen AIDS, a D.C. group that provides HIV prevention services to gay youth.

'In my view, and that of a number of national health and sex education experts, these new standards are well written, complete and strongly based in comprehensive sex education,' Ogusky said in an e-mail message."

We are one step closer to comprehensive health education in DC public schools. The real test, however, will be in the implementation of these guidelines.

Read the entire article on the Washington Blade website.

National Black AIDS Awareness Day: Febuary 7th, 2008

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day (NBHAAD). This annual observance day was created to raise awareness among African Americans about HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on African American communities. The day is part of a national mobilization effort to get African Americans to learn more about the threat posed by the disease, get tested, get treated and make a commitment to fight HIV/AIDS.

Here in Washington, DC there is no question that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. According to our recent surveillance report, African Americans make up about 55% of the DC population, but constitute 80% of District residents living with HIV. Further, of the 842 cases of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men from 2001 to 2006, 63% were among black men.

National Black AIDS Awareness Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness of how HIV/AIDS impacts Black gay and bisexual men. If you're interested in helping organize a National Black AIDS Awareness Day event in Washington DC, please let me know.

To learn more about the National Black AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.blackaidsday.org.

A Single HIV/AIDS Event Calendar for DC?

Just imagine what it would be like if all the HIV/AIDS organizations in DC collaborated on a city-wide HIV/AIDS calendar with all the HIV/AIDS related events happening in DC? It's unlikely, I admit. Communication between agencies is not where it should be. But that's not going to stop me.

We're slowly moving toward having a single HIV/AIDS event calendar in DC that multiple organizations can use together. Our Fight HIV in DC Calendar is starting to be used by others.

DC Fights Back is now adding events to the calendar. You can see what the calendar looks like on their website right here.

Capital Area Vaccine Effort has also shut down the online calendar that was on the site and replaced it with our shared calendar. You can see what the calendar looks like on their website right here.

And the calendar pops up other places on the internet as well. You can use This Feedburner Feed of the Calendar to add the calendar anywhere you would use a regular RSS or Atom Feed. You can see an example of this on our myspace page.

If you want to add the calendar to your website, or you just want access to be able to directly add events to the calendar, please e-mail me and let me know. I'm more than happy to work with you to get things up and running.

Spotlight: SMYAL

Recent SMYAL Blog Posts

Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL)
410 7th Street SE
Washington DC 20003-2707
phone: 202.546.5940
www.smyal.org

The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) is the only Washington, DC metro area service organization solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Founded in 1984, SMYAL is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

Their mission is to promote and support self-confident, healthy, productive lives for LGBTQ youth as they journey from adolescence into adulthood.

Spotlight: Our Place, DC

Recent Our Place, DC Posts

Recent Our Place DC Pictures

Our Place, DC
Drop-in Center and Administrative Office
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Suite 460
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 548-2400
www.ourplacedc.org

Our Place, DC's HIV Services program provides a variety of HIV education and care services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. Listed below are some specific functions of the HIV Services program:

Individual HIV 101: Offered at the Our Place, DC office. Presents basic information about how HIV is transmitted and prevented, as well as information on HIV/AIDS treatment. The session is custom-tailored to each woman's knowledge, preferences and behaviors, and is completely confidential.

Group HIV 101: Offered at various halfway houses and transitional programs throughout Washington, DC. Presents basic information about how HIV is transmitted and prevented, as well as information on HIV/AIDS treatment. Attendees have many opportunities to ask questions throughout the session, as well as speak confidentially with the instructor(s) after the session.

Educate Your Sisters Peer Educator Training: Offered at various Federal prisons around the East Coast as well as transitional programs in Washington, DC, the DC Jail and DC Correctional Treatment Facility. The intensive, two-day training explains the biology of HIV and the immune system, HIV transmission and prevention, the social context of HIV and HIV/AIDS treatment, among other things. Participants who attend both days and pass a final exam are certified as Peer Educators and receive a certificate of completion.

Case Management: Offered to any incarcerated or formerly incarcerated woman who is HIV positive. Provides linkages to appropriate medical and social services as well as intensive follow-up.

Information & Referral: Offered to incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women who want to learn more about HIV transmission and prevention, HIV testing and counseling, or other HIV services in the Washington, DC area. Women are also free to look at our library of HIV-related books and videos.

If you want to learn more about Our Place, DC or the HIV services program please call (202) 548-2400 and speak with Cherie Lindsay or visit www.ourplacedc.org.

Bikers Hit the Road for Food & Friends

Over 60 folks got on their bicycles for a weekend of cycling throughout Maryland's Eastern Shore to benefit Food and Friends July 12th through 15th.

Some great pictures from the weekend, including the one shown here, are posted on Moose's Flickr Page.

I don't know the grand total, but the the teams raised over $150,000 online for Food and Friends, an organization which delivers delivers meals and groceries to more than 1,350 people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses in our community.

Congrats to the top fundraiser Christopher Wolf, who raised $12,925 online. And congrats to all the riders and volunteer crew members that made this event possible.

Ummah Endowment Fund White Attire Affair

Last Saturday was the 9th Annual White Attire Affair, sponsored by the Ummah Endowment Fund.

The event began as a fundraiser for Us Helping Us, but this year the focus was more on promoting HIV related behavior change among African American men in the District. A beneficiary for this year's event has not been announced.

Ron Simmons had some strong words about the event in last week's Washington Blade:

“I don’t believe that it really helps us,” Simmons says about the Affair’s work for black men with HIV. “You put on an event that costs close to a quarter million dollars and when the smoke clears, the agency gets $10,000, and the people who are promoting it get the same. It sounds like a business partnership.”

If you attended the event and would like to share your experience on the blog, or if you have some pictures of the event you'd like us to add to our Flickr Photo Stream, please write me.

La Clinica Del Pueblo Job Openings

La Clinica Del Pueblo has three job openings. They are looking for a Full Time Transgender Program Coordinator, a Full Time Youth Mpowerment Program Coordinator, and a Patients Accounts Clerks.

Check out the links above to find out more about these jobs. La Clinica Del Pueblo provides free, culturally appropriate health services in the Latino community.

We're Half Way There

We are now halfway towards the goal of building a network of 1,000 people on MySpace this month. As I write this we are at 548 friends, which is great but we still have a long way to go to get to 1,000.

If you have a myspace profile, please be sure to add Fight HIV in DC to your myspace friend list. And if you have friends on myspace, be sure to let them know.

And yes, you can still add the Washington Monument to your website or myspace page...

Washington Monument Code

<A href="http://www.myspace.com/fighthivindc">
<img src="http://fighthivindc.org/myspacejuly.gif" width=200 height=175 hspace=5 align=left border=0></a>

Calling All Women

DC Fights Back will be organizing a Women's Speakout.

We will be having a meeting on Monday, July 30, 2007 at 5:00pm at Our Place DC at 801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003 Suite 460 to discuss and come up with ideas for this event. If you are interested in helping plan this event please come out and share your ideas. Our Place DC is very close to the Eastern Market Metro.

For more information, contact Cherie Lindsay

DC Fights Back's New Officers; Next Meeting July 31st

At our last meeting DC Fights Back elected new officers. Are new co-chairs are George Kerr and Larry Bryant. I (David Mariner) am the new public relations coordinator, and Cherie Lindsay is the new internal affairs coordinator. It's a great team, and I'm excited to be part of the new steering committee that is going to take this organization to the next level.

Our next meeting will be July 31st at Our Place DC starting at 6:00 PM. Our Place is at 801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003 Suite 460, very close to the Eastern Market metro.

Some of the things in the works include a women's only speakout modeled after the Speakout we organized in May, an outreach event working in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association, and continuing the discussion about who we are and how we will operate going forward.

Also, I'll be heading up a communications working group. We will look at a lot of things including: submitting op-eds to local papers that reflecting the issues raised at the Speakout and other events, using youtube to help people with HIV tell their own stories about what is really going on in DC. Alex has also been working on some cool improvements to the DCFB website.

Please join us at the next meeting!

Howard University Hospital Community Advisory Board Meeting

The HIV/AIDS Community Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic will meet on Friday, July 27, 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.

Around the DC Blogosphere

Here are some recent posts of interest from the blogosphere.

First, OC Girl writes about her first time coming to an ACTION lunch event last week, when we screened the film Talk to Kids About AIDS. read her thoughts about the movie here.

Next, Cherryl Floyd-Miller is excited about the new tribute for HIV/AIDS caregivers at the Dupont Metro Station: read her post here.

And Blue Indiana Takes on Rep. Souder during the DC Needle Exchange debate on the hill. check it out here.

Last but not least, Poz.com blogger Shawn has been handing out condoms at the DC Fetish Ball. visit his poz.com blog.

Vincent Gray Calls for Recommitment to HIV/AIDS in DC

At the dedication of a new tribute to local HIV caregivers, City Council Chairman Vincent Gray called on the DC community to recommit itself in the fight against HIV in DC. Vincent Gray told WTOP: "We know on the eastern end of this city we are seeing a spread of the virus in ways we haven't seen before. I.V. drug use is now one of the most prevalent forms of transmission."

While Vincent Gray's comments are welcome, active leadership in fighthing the HIV/AIDS epidemic is what is needed most. Specifically:

1. Mayor Fenty is the only Mayor since the beginning of the epidemic who has never had a full time director of the HIV/AIDS Administration. We've been waiting six months for a new director. A new Director is desperately needed.

2. While we are still waiting for a final report from the Health Department on their 'Come Together DC Testing Initiative', we know that the HIV/AIDS Administration failed to meet their goals around HIV Testing in the District.

3. Similarly, the HIV/AIDS Administration has failed to meet their goals around condom distribution.

4. The HIV/AIDS Adminstration is not even keeping an accurate count of services provided to people living with HIV due to ongoing problems with their database.

I hope that Chairman Vincent Gray will be a leader in addressing these issues.

July Myspace Challenge

Myspace is a powerful tool for reaching folk in DC, particularly young people. This month we're going to try and use this tool to it's full advantage, establishing 1,000 new 'friends' on our myspace page.

And yes, I know it's cheesy, but the Washington Monument pictured will turn more and more red as we move toward this goal. The monument will be updated at least once a day. Or if you prefer, just cut-and-paste the code below to put the monument on your myspace page or website to help spread the word:

Washington Monument Code

<A href="http://www.myspace.com/fighthivindc">
<img src="http://fighthivindc.org/myspacejuly.gif" width=200 height=175 hspace=5 align=left border=0></a>

DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group Notes 7/12/07 Meeting

HAA reports that the application to the CDC for additional funding to support prevention programs is near completion. The CPG has provided the letter of support that will need to be filed with the application.

The issues with the logistical support contract have been temporarily resolved. The contract has been extended one month (the original contract expired 6/30/2007) in order to sort out remaining issues. At the end of the month, if the new contract is not completed, the contract will be extended once again through August. Once the new contract is complete, it will be implemented in such a way that the contractor will support each planning body (the CPG and the Ryan White Planning Council) as separate entities; the support needs/challenges of one body will not impede on the support needs of the other.


The IPR is due September 15, 2007. The process of declaring concurrence, non-concurrence or concurrence with reservations, is based around the IPR. HAA plans to provide a timeframe for when each step of the process will occur and provide supporting documentation for the process to the CPG.

Currently there are four vacant positions on the CPG. The Memberships and Bylaws committee will begin an open recruitment process in the coming weeks. More to come about this in a future update.

To date, there has been no response from the office of Eleanor Holmes Norton in response to the letter the CPG sent requesting that she advocate for increased CDC prevention dollars for the District of Columbia.

At the last meeting a decision made at an executive committee meeting to keep the CPG meeting time at 6PM was ultimately vetoed by HAA. As a result, despite short notice, this month’s meeting was scheduled to begin at 5PM. As a compromise to the meeting times, future meetings will be held at 5:30PM. A. Toni Young, Community Co-Chair, has requested a meeting with Dr. Gregg Pane to discuss underlying issues in the relationship between the CPG and HAA, which may have lead to the disagreement regarding the meeting time. The CPG is also considering submitting a letter of concern to the Mayor and Dr. Pane regarding the status of appointment of a Director of the HIV/AIDS Administration. This suggestion has been tabled for the next meeting, when more members are represented.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, one DC Resident mentioned that upon trying to obtain condoms from HAA for distribution, he was met with opposition. Leo Rennie assured him that there are plenty of condoms available for distribution. If you are interested in obtaining condoms for distribution please contact 202-671-4900 or complete the online condom request form at http://doh.dc.gov/doh/cwp/view,A,1371,Q,602297.asp .

The next meeting of the DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group will be held at 5:30PM at 64 New York Avenue NE, 5th floor conference room. All are welcome.

Metro Teen AIDS Issues Brief on DC Youth

Metro TeenAIDS has released a new issue brief entitled "Surveying HIV Risk Factors Among Young People in Washington, DC".

They surveyed 466 young people as part of National HIV Testing Day last year. The report states "Our findings underscore the need for a strengthened focus on HIV programming for youth in DC." To read the entire report, click here.

Among the key findings:

• Sexually active gay and bisexual males report lower rates of condom use and lower rates of HIV testing than their heterosexual peers;
• Lesbian and bisexual females report higher rates of sexual activity than their heterosexual peers;
• Heterosexual males are most likely to be sexually active
• Many young people do not know their HIV status;
• Sexually active youth report inconsistent rates of condom use.

Permanent DC Tribute to HIV/AIDS Caregivers

From MetroWeekly: Those volunteers and caregivers who have responded to the calls of the HIV/AIDS crisis will soon be getting a permanent tribute. On July 14, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and City Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) will dedicate the tribute, which consists of two engravings. continue reading this article at MetroWeekly

LGBTQ Training July 20th

The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Break the Cycle invite you to a full day LGBTQ Training.

This free training is appropriate for social workers, advocates,government employees, police, attorneys, counselors, teachers, etc. The goal is to better understand the myths and realities surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning people and their experience of violence.

For more information, download this flyer.

DCPS Revamps HIV/AIDS Website

DC Public Schools have revamped their website which includes an overhaul of the HIV/AIDS Education Program Site. The new version includes an overview of past Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Trending Data. 2007 YRBS Data should be available soon and will be featured in an upcoming ACTION Lunch Presentation with Dr. Marc Clark. I'm glad to see the new site up and running but I find myself more than a little skeptical about some of the claims made on the new site. For example:

1. The curriculum section leaves one with the impression that there are city-wide standards for public schools when it comes to HIV/AIDS. In reality, standards vary widely from school to school. That's exactly why we've spent so much time talking about comprehensive sex education.

2. The website describes the HIV/AIDS YRBS Committee saying: "HIV/AIDS YRBS Advisory Board acts as a steering committee and has broad-based representation from the DC Department of Health, private and voluntary health agencies, professional health organizations, parents, community groups and students." Well this may be what it is supposed to be but it is a far cry from what it actually is.

• The Committee doesn't meet frequently enough to impact any decisions. It's been five months since our last meeting and there are no current plans to meet again.
• Community folks do NOT feel like their voice is being heard. Community advocates like myself were really upset that questions we wanted to add on transgender youth did not make it into the 2007 YRBS survey simply because DCPS cancelled their December 2006 meeting and refused to meet and discuss the matter.
• The steering committee does not include any students. I don't believe it includes any parents of DCPS students. And when it comes to involving community members, the track record is pretty bleak. Community advocates who have attended meetings like Judith Levine from Chartered Health and Tina Fernandes from City Year have not been invited back to subsequent meetings, so I find myself skeptical about their interest in engaging community members.

So in short, the new website does make the DCPS HIV/AIDS program look impressive, but it's not entirely accurate. I hope one day soon it will be.

Meet the Fight HIV in DC Steering Committee

Fight HIV in DC has been around for less than a year, but in that short time, we've become a central source of information about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in DC. While I'm pleased with the progress we've made to date, I know we still have a long way to go. I'm looking forward to expanding this site in the future, and finding new and innovative ways to reach out to the entire city.

Today, I'm pleased to introduce to you the new Fight HIV in DC Steering Committee. The steering committee will be giving me guidance and support as we move in this direction. If you're interested in being part of the steering committee, or you have other thoughts or suggestiosn for the website, please e-mail me and let me know.

Meet our New Steering Committee Members

Kester Killkenny
I am married to Shareem Kilkenny, and have two boys, ages six and three. My birthplace is Georgetown, Guyana, which is where I spent the first part of my childhood. I moved to the D.C. area at age twelve, which is where I decided to make my permanent home. Shortly after completing my undergraduate studies at Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN in 2001, I joined the U.S. Army. I was subsequently stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. After two years of uneventful service I was called to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2004 to January 2005. In 2006 when my enlistment was complete, I returned to the D.C. area, this time settling down in Manassas, VA. I’m the founder and President of My Positive Connection Inc. (www.mypositiveconnection.com), an online social networking site geared for those residing in the D.C. Area with HIV/AIDS.

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Heather Dewey
Where am I? I moved to DC last fall for school, but I don’t think I really asked this question until early March of this year when I joined a team of students organizing a “trip” to DC to learn about the local HIV/AIDS epidemic. During the trip we met with several incredible individuals dedicated to serving the needs of people with HIV/AIDS organizations like DCFightsBack! and The Women’s Collective. My eyes were opened to see this city in a real light. I came back to campus and couldn’t stop talking about DC’s need for dynamic volunteers and commitment to tackle this epidemic. I was able to bring an in-depth local perspective to students who have passionately worked to stop HIV/AIDS globally and now have the opportunity to offer this perspective as volunteer coordinator for my school’s HIV/AIDS Task Force and as a supporter of the fighthivindc steering committee. I look forward to offering all that I can to the people of this city with the hope of easing the problem of HIV/AIDS in the District.

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Cedric Burgess
I am a 55 years young Washingtonian, born and raised here. I’m a proud black survivor of HIV+ since the early 80’s. I have been active in the GLBT community most of my life. I am here by God’s grace. So, I serve. I am still active as a volunteer in the education, and fear fighting of HIV and AIDS. Some of these agencies are still here today. In 1987, I volunteered with the 2nd annual AIDS Walk, Food and Friends in 1987-89, Us Helping Us in 1990 to today and in 1990. I in 1990, I had WONDERFUL EXPIERENCE with I.C.A.N. ( Inner City AIDS Network ). It was truly a learning experience! I also volunteered also with the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the March on Washington in 1993. I still attend support groups and do what I can because, . . I CAN STILL DO SOMETHING !

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Chris Rothermel
Hi my name is Chris Rothermel. I live in Columbia Heights, and I'm and active member of DC Fights Back. I'm glad to be involved in Fight HIV in DC because it's an innovative way to spread health promotion messages throughout the community.

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George Kerr
Mr. Kerr has extensive counseling and advocacy experience in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. He became a certified HIV/AIDS Instructor for the American Red Cross in 1994, when he also began his long-standing relationship with the Washington Free Clinic (WFC) as a pre/post test counselor. Mr. Kerr's ongoing dedication to promoting community health has motivated his six years of service at the WFC, where he was Secretary of the Board of Directors from 1995 to 1998. Mr. Kerr was on the planning committee for the C2EA Caravan across the US March in Washington DC November 2005. Mr. Kerr currently working with DC Fights Back as the Operational Director. He also Works with Prevention Works as a Community Partner since 2006.

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Alex Lawson
Alex Lawson started his work in the field of HIV/AIDS four years ago at Heartland Health Outreach in Chicago. He founded DC Fights Back and steered it to become the local affiliate of the Campaign to End AIDS. He currently works at Whitman-Walker Clinic and with numerous community groups focused on HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia, this includes the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association’s Health Disparities Committee.

News from around DC

Here are a few random pieces of news to share:

The HIV/AIDS Administration is expected to apply for a new grant from the CDC to provide "Expanded and Integrated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing for Populations Disproportionately Affected by HIV, Primarily African Americans". The deadline for the grant is next week. To read the entire grant announcement, cick here. More money for HIV testing is great, but we know that in DC, what matters is not what HAA plans to do, but what they actually do. We are still waiting on a report from the last testing campaign.

Tonight is the last in a series of Education Town Hall Meetings with the Deputy Mayor for Education, Victor Reinoso. I'm glad to hear that the topic of comprehensive sex education in DC Public Schools has come up at the forums, and I hope someone will mention it again tonight. The Ward 1 town hall tonight takes place at 7:00 PM at the Tubman Elementary, Assembly Hall 3101 13th Street, NW.

DC Action for Children recently updated its “Guide to Accessing Elected and Appointed Officials” and it is available on-line (go to www.dckids.org and check in THE LATEST) and by mail. If you would like a hard copy, call 234-9404 or e-mail dcaction@dckids.org with your name and address. It's a great tool for anyone who wants to contact elected and appointed officials in the District of Columbia.

And finally, speaking of young people, The Children’s Advocacy Roundtable, a coalition of 40 organizations in DC that includes DC Action for Children, issued a report showing that thirty-two percent of the District of Columbia’s children live in poverty, nearly twice the national average.

Job Opening at SMYAL

CDC Project Coordinator: SMYAL seeks an experienced youth service professional to work with a federally funded project for African American young men who sleep with men (YMSM’s) to help coordinate all activities and events relevant to Project Our Voices Against AIDS (OVAH) using the Centers for Disease Contol and Prevention (CDC) proven effective intervention Many Men, Many Voices (3MV). For more information, including a complete job posting and instructions for applying, please visit: www.smyal.org/jobopenings/cdcproject.pdf.

Share your AIDS Walk Washington Photos on Flickr

I've set up a new Flickr Photo stream where you can share photos from the Washington AIDS Walk To see the pictures visit: www.flickr.com/groups/aidswalkwashington. Special thanks to flickr user Matt Sapiano who was the first person to add his AIDS Walk photos to the group.

If you're a flickr member adding your photos to this group is easy. If not, you can also e-mail me your pics and I'll add them in for you.

I hope that by the time the AIDS Walk happens this year, we will have a great online collection of hundreds of photos from all the past walks.

Between Promise and Performance: Leadership

Promise & Performance:
Leadership | Condom Distribution | HIV Testing | X-Pres

Leadership

The District of Columbia still does not have a Director for the HIV/AIDS Administration. For six months now, the HIV/AIDS Administration has been a ship without a captain. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced at the beginning of his term, that he would not reappoint Marsha Martin to the position. At that time, Gregg Pane, head of the Department of Health, appointed himself as interim leader.

Gregg Pane continues to split his time between his responsibilities as the head of the Department of Health and as the interim leader of the HIV/AIDS Administration. Both Pane and Fenty have referred to HIV/AIDS as the top health priority in the District, yet for six months now, we have settled for part-time leadership.

The Promise: On February 9th, the Washington Blade reported that: "he (Gregg Pane) said he and Fenty would name a new director of the administration in 30 to 60 days after Pane 'gets to the bottom' of what AIDS activists and health advocacy groups have said has been a problem-plagued agency for years."

The Performance: Gregg Pane failed to make good on this statement. Now, five months later, we are still waiting for a new Director. Adrian Fenty now bears the awkward distinction of being the only Mayor of DC without a full time Director of the HIV/AIDS Administration since the beginning of the epidemic.

Eleanor Holmes Norton Plans Forum on Women & HIV

Eleanor Holmes Norton is planning a forum on women and HIV in the District. The forum entitled "Sex in the City: HIV/AIDS, STDs, Relationships, and Today's Woman", takes place Monday, July 16th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Reagan International Trade Center Pavilion, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW. The Pavilion is located one block west of the Federal Triangle Metro Station.

Radio and TV personality Jeannie Jones will lead the discussion.

Help spread the word! To download a flyer for this event, click here

Fight HIV in DC YouTube Page

Check out the new Fight HIV in DC page on YouTube by clicking here, and be sure to bookmark www.youtube.com/fighthivindc.

There are currently local DC HIV videos up from: The Max Robinson Center, Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington, Vaccine Research Center, and more.

And if you have a local video you'd like to see on the page, please let me know.

Use Google Maps to Find HIV Testing Sites in DC

Now you can find HIV testing sites in DC using an interactive google map. Click here to check it out and be sure to add www.fighthivindc.org/maps to your bookmarks.

This is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to what we could do with google maps with the right expertise and resources. For example, imagine a young person in DC using their google-maps on their cell phone to find nearby condom distribution sites one Friday night. Imagine the HIV/AIDS Administration using an interactive online map to bring HIV Surveilance data to life.

Private sector folks like The Washington Post are using google maps for all sorts of things. Check out the Washington Post Local Explorer. Public Health folks are just now starting to understand the potential of this tool. Here are some cool examples:

• Citywide Hospital Status in NYC
• HIV/AIDS Human Rights Abuses Worldwide
• Global Disease Alert Map.

If you are familiar with Google Map API, and you would like to help develop new mapping applications to Fight HIV in DC, please drop me an e-mail and let's talk.

Vaccine Research Center Begins Phase I Trial in DC

The latest edition of the IAVI Report includes an article about the Vaccine Research Center, which is located on the Bethesda Campus of the National Institutes of Health:

The Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in partnership with the US company GenVec recently began a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a novel adenovirus serotype 35 (Ad35)-based AIDS vaccine candidate in 15 volunteers. Adenovirus can cause some forms of the common cold and there are several serotypes circulating worldwide. Another adenovirus serotype, known as Ad5, is already being used as a vector in other AIDS vaccine candidates to deliver pieces of HIV to the immune system (see September 2004 Primer on Understanding Viral Vectors). Ad5-based vaccine candidates are now being tested in a series of Phase II trials by the VRC and in two large Phase IIb trials by the US company Merck. However one possible drawback to candidates that use Ad5 as a vector is the high prevalence of the virus in certain parts of the world. People who have been previously exposed to Ad5 may have pre-existing immunity towards the viral vector, and that could hinder their immune responses to the AIDS vaccine candidate. The potential advantage of using Ad35 is that it has a much lower prevalence globally.

This two-part trial is the first to test another serotype of adenovirus in clinical trials. The first part will evaluate the safety of an intramuscular injection of the vaccine candidate at three different doses. Once the safety data is reviewed researchers will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the candidate when administered in combination with the VRC's Ad5 candidate. The Ad35 vaccine candidate was developed by the VRC and GenVec.

Best Month Ever

The Fight HIV in DC Website got the most web traffic ever this month. Some of the areas of posts that gathered the most attention were: Needle Exchange Info, Transgender Community, Overcoming HIV Stigma, and of course HIV Testing.

While we continue to steadily grow and are pretty well known among folks who are involved in the HIV/AIDS in the DC, we still have a long way to go to have the kind of impact in DC I would like to see. This week I will be announcing the members of a new Fight HIV in DC Steering Committee which I hope will help take the site to the next level. I'm also working on Fight HIV in DC outposts on sites including: MySpace, YouTube, and Friendster. I hope that these sites will help bring new visitors to the site.

I've also add del.icio.us and digg tags for every blog post (see below). If there are other bookmarking sites you'd like me to add, be sure to let me know.

And as always if you have other suggestions for improving the site, I'm listening.

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day October 15th, 2007

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) represents a historic coming together for the Latino community. Created in 2003 to increase awareness about the growing Latino HIV/AIDS epidemic, NLAAD is observed annually on October 15th in hundreds of cities nationwide. The goal of NLAAD is to promote and sponsor activities and actions that will prevent the spread of HIV in the Latino community and improve the quality of life of those living with the virus. For more information, visit www.nlaad.org.

TENTATIVE DC OCTOBER 15th EVENTS


Investigación de Vacunas del VIH
Una observación en la investigación de vacunas del VIH en Perú y el área metropolitana de Washington, DC

Octubre 15, 2:30PM
DC CARE Consortium
1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC

Voceros Ofrecidos:
Pedro Goicochea, Impacta Perú (www.impactaperu.org)
Dr. Barney Graham, Centro De Investigación de Vacunas, NIAID, NIH (www.vrc.nih.gov)
Jeff Stanton, Academia Para el Desarrollo Educativo (www.aed.org)

Acompañenos para una Observación a fondo acerca de la investigación de la vacuna del VIH. Jeff Stanton de la Academia para el Desarrollo Educativo proporcionará una descripción de la implicación en la comunidad en la investigación del VIH. Pedro Goicochea compartirá su experiencia con la investigación de la vacuna del VIH en Lima, Perú. El Dr. Barney Graham compartirá su experiencia trabajando con nuestra comunidad local. Refrigerios ligeros serán proveidos.

La información será presentada en español directamente por los presentadores, o con la ayuda de traductores.

Este acontecimiento honra el Día Nacional del Conocimiento del HIV/AIDS Latino, que ocurre el 15 de Octubre. Para aprender más sobre El Día Nacional del Conocimiento del HIV/AIDS Latino, por favor visite la pagina electronica del web: www.nlaad.org.

DC CARE está situado lo más cerca posible a la parada del metro de McPherson Square.

Patrocinadores: DC CARE Consortium, Capital Area Vaccine Effort, Vaccine Research Center, Vineeta Foundation.

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HIV Vaccine Research
A look at HIV Vaccine Research in Peru and the DC Metropolitan Area

October 15th, 2:30 PM
DC CARE Consortium
1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC

Featured Speakers:
Pedro Goicochea, Impacta Peru (www.impactaperu.org)
Dr. Barney Graham, Vaccine Research Center, NIH, NIAID (www.vrc.nih.gov)
Jeff Stanton, Academy for Educational Development (www.aed.org)

Join us for an in-depth look at HIV Vaccine Research. Jeff Stanton from the Academy for Educational Development will provide an overview of community involvement in HIV Vaccine Research. Pedro Goicochea will share his experience with HIV Vaccine Research in Lima, Peru. Dr. Barney Graham will share his experience working in our local community. Light refreshments will be provided.

Information will be presented in spanish either directly from the presenters, or with the assistance of translators.
This event honors National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness
Day, which takes place October 15th. To learn more about National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, please visit: www.nlaad.org.

DC CARE is located closest to the McPerson Metro Stop.

Sponsors: DC CARE Consortium, Capital Area Vaccine Effort, Vaccine Research Center, Vineeta Foundation.





Community Forum: There will be a Community Forum on HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community at the All Souls Unitarian Church organized by La Clinica Del Pueblo and a coalition of local groups. The event is tentatively scheduled to begin around 10:00 AM. I will give you more details as they come in.

Tom is my only friend.

Ok, well the situation is not quite that desperate. However, I just set up a Fight HIV in DC Page on Myspace, though, and my friends list is looking pretty sparse.

If you have a Myspace.com account be sure to visit www.myspace.com/fighthivindc and add Fight HIV in DC as one of your friends.