7.04.2009

Jello Wrestling Event Benefits the HIV Working Group

Mr. and Ms. Capital Pride Leather and Guest Cohost Regina Jozet Adams invite you to join them for Jello Wrestling at the EFN Lounge Tuesday, July 14th.

Proceeds from the night will support Brother Help Thyself and our HIV Working Group Toolkit! & Fukit! safer sex campaign.

Sign up to wrestle by 9:30 PM. The contest starts at 10:00 PM. $2 cover, $1 jello-shots, and $2 kick the keg drafts. Join us! EFN Lounge is located at 1318 9th St NW.

7.03.2009

Are You HIV Positive? Tell Us What You Think!

Are you HIV positive? Have opinions about how services for people living with HIV can be improved in the District of Columbia. Then tell us what you think!

Stop by The DC Center (1111 14th St NW Suite 350) between Monday July 6th between 4:30 and 7:00 PM and fill out the Ryan White Planning Council Needs Assesment Survey. This survey is one of the tools that will be used by the District to plan HIV/AIDS services in the next fiscal year.

The mission of the Ryan White Planning Council is to plan for the comprehensive delivery of HIV/AIDS services and allocation of resources for the Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA), as mandated by the Ryan White Title I legislation. For more information, click here to visit the Ryan White Planning Council Website.

7.01.2009

National Minority AIDS Council Hosts Women of Color Leadership Institute


The National Minority AIDS Council will be hosting a Women of Color leadership institute July 29-31.

The Women of Color Leadership Institute (WOCLI) Training, designed by the Division of Government Relations and Public Policy (GRPP) at the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) in Washington, D.C., is aimed at achieving greater and more meaningful participation of women of color in decision-making at all levels to ensure programs, policies and funding respond to the unique impact of chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and others on women.

The training consists of five modules implemented by the division of Government Relations and Public Policy at the National Minority AIDS Council. Training modules will equip and empower a cadre of confident, knowledgeable and skilled women leaders to 1) advocate at all levels for effective women’s health policies and increased funding to address the unique impact of chronic disease such as HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and others on women and girls, and 2) prevent the spread and mitigate the effects of chronic diseases through high quality, gender sensitive, community-based women’s health programs and services. Major activities carried out under each training component include a needs assessment on women’s leadership, management, advocacy and women’s health knowledge and skills.

NMAC seeks to recruit 25 - 30 women of color for each training site, on a “first come first serve” basis. NMAC will be happy to work with the local health departments, other public health entities, community- and faith-based organizations as well as local academic institutions to recruit the participants for training. Although criteria are not static, we intend to recruit a group of women of color from various health care and other backgrounds, committed to leadership in women’s health. As such, NMAC screens applicants and selects participants in a way that creates a balance of experience during the training.

The training is free of charge, however, NMAC does not provide transportation and lodging to and from the training. During the training provided under NMAC funding, NMAC will provide both breakfast and lunch for the three days of training.

Visit www.nmac.org/index/wocli for more information.

6.30.2009

HIV Working Group Meeting July 22nd

The next meeting of The DC Center HIV Prevention Working Group will take place Wednesday July 22nd at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St. NW Suite 350.

We will continue the discussion on HIV Prevention and HIV Positive Guys.

The HIV Working group safer-sex kit campaign is operating with three distribution points: The DC Center, Town Dance Boutique, and Ziegfelds/Secrets.

The group also finished up working on a coordinated National HIV Testing Day Event.

6.22.2009

Free HIV Testing on June 26th and 27th Across City

On Friday, June 26, five-to-ten local HIV prevention organizations that provide mobile and remote HIV counseling, testing and referral services (CTRS) will come together to offer free testing at locations throughout the city on Friday and Saturday.

Free tests will be given from12-5 in the Old Convention Center Site (City Center Parking Lot), and at least six vans will be present on Friday to offer HIV testing and counseling services.

The Friday event will be located downtown at the old Convention Center site – along the Art Walk, near the intersection of H and 10th streets, NW. Then on Saturday, June 27, there will be at least one mobile unit offering CTRS located in each of the District’s eight wards. Additionally, each of the participating organizations will provide CTRS at their home locations to maximize the geographic coverage that day.

Organizations participating on Friday, June 26 include: Carl Vogel Center, The DC Center, Community Education Group, PreventionWorks!, Unity HealthCare, Us Helping Us, Women’s Collective, and Whitman-Walker Clinic. Many additional organizations will be participating on Saturday, June 27 (see chart below).

Carl Vogel Center
1012 14th Street NW, 20005
DC Caribbean Festival (Georgia & Kansas Aves. @ TEP Entertainment)
10AM-5PM

La Clinica del Pueblo, Inc.
2815 15th Street NW, 2009
Diversity Park (Columbia Rd & Euclid St.)
10AM - 4PM
(near Columbia Heights Metro)

PreventionWorks!
2501 Benning Road NE, 20002
Onsite @ 2501 Benning Road NE
10AM-4PM

Project Orion, Andromeda Transcultural Health
1400 Decatur Street NW, 20011
DC Caribbean Festival (Georgia Ave & Otis St.)
10AM-3PM

SMYAL-Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League
410 7th Street SE, 20003
Metro Teen AIDS @ Greenleaf Rec. Center 11AM-5PM (SW at the Waterfront Metro).

Transgender Health Empowerment (T.H.E.)
1414 North Capitol Street NW, 20002
Onsite @1414 North Capitol Street NW
12-4PM

Us Helping Us, People Into Living
3636 Georgia Avenue NW, 20010
3636 Georgia Avenue NW

Whitman-Walker Clinic
1701 14th Street NW, 20009
Artomatic (55 M Street, SE) 
12PM-6PM (Navy Yard Metro)
P Street Beach (23rd & P) 12-3PM
DuPont Circle (20th & Mass)
3-6PM

Family & Medical Counsel. Service, Inc.
2041 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 20020
Onsite @ 2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, All Day

Unity HealthCare
3720 MLK Jr. Avenue SE, 20032
Onsite @ 3720 MLK Jr. Avenue SE, All Day

Community Education Group
3233 Penn. Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20020
With PreventionWorks! 2501 Benning Road NE

Mary's Center
2333 Ontario Road NW, 20009
Diversity Park ( Columbia Rd & Euclid St .)
10AM - 4PM
(near Columbia Hgts Metro)

The Women's Collective
1277 Brentwood Rd, NE, 20017
Neighborhood testing (1277 Brentwood Rd, NE )
10AM-6PM


Prevention Works Neighborhood Block Party and Health Fair for National HIV Testing Day

Saturday, June 27th
12pm-5pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

Free food, raffle, HIV testing, blood pressure checks, medicine management, and more!

Joining us will be: American Lung Association, Center for Minority Studies, Falcon Edge, CEG, Black Nurse Association, DC Healthy Families, Center for Sickle Cell, and The Condom Project.

This event is co-sponsored with the DC Department of Health with contributions from Safeway and Giant Foods.

For more information, please contact Courtenay Vaughns: cvaughns@preventionworksdc.org

6.21.2009

Update On Washington DC HIV/AIDS Epidemic


Recently I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Shannon Hader, Washington DC HIV/AIDS Administration Director, discuss the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington DC. I read the stories in the Washington Post and Time Magazine, but they contained only a small synopsis of the real problem. To hear the entire presentation and to see all the statistics is a real call to action. All are welcome to join us, space it limited to the first 100 people.

The National Minority AIDS Council, along with the AIDS Institute, National Association of People with AIDS, and National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors invites you to a presentation by Dr. Hader on the state of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Washington DC. All are welcome to join us, please bring your friends and family. It is a very eye opening report that will both shock you and demand your action.

Join us on Tuesday, June 30th at 10:00 AM at the Reeves Center at 14th & U St NW. Please RSVP in advance so we have enough space (RSVP @ info@nmac.org). You will need to bring a government ID to get into the building. We will meet in the Community Room on the 2nd floor.

As folks who live and/or work in the District, it is critical that we understand what is happening in our own backyard. It will be up to all of us to fight back and save the District.

National HIV Testing Day Posters

Free National HIV Testing Day Posters are now available at The DC Center.

The posters feature a variety of diverse pictures with simple messages about the importance of HIV Testing. Pick up your posters at the DC Center. You can also visit the CDC National HIV and STD Testing Resources website to download the pictures.

And remember, while you're at The DC Center you can also pick up free condoms, lube, and dental dams. The DC Center is located at 1111 14th St NW Suite 350 and is open Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 PM and other times by appointment.

6.18.2009

Free Testing and HIV Awareness

DC City Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Council Member David Catania will host an HIV testing and awareness event for the community and District government employees on Monday, June 29th from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The event will feature free HIV testing and counseling, as well as information about prevention and care.

For more information, call 202-724-8170 or email tterry@dccouncil.us.








Prevention Works Enrollment Session for Safety Counts

Enrollment Session for Safety Counts
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2:00pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Road, NE
Contact person: Yvonne Green 202-588-5580 x104

Funded by the Department of Health, Safety Counts is a Risk Reduction Group Intervention. Please join us for this enrollment session to determine eligibility and willingness to enroll in Safety Counts. *Refreshments & Incentives provided*

Safety Counts is an HIV prevention intervention for out-of-treatment active injection and non-injection drug users aimed at reducing both high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors. It is a behaviorally focused, seven-session intervention, which includes both structured and unstructured psycho-educational activities in group and individual settings.

6.15.2009

4H Club Benefits the HIV Working Group

The June Hotel Homo Happy Hour will take place at the Morrison-Clark Inn at 10th and L streets. The Inn was originally built in 1864 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hotel Homo Happy Hour, or 4H Club, is a GLBT social gathering that takes places the third thursday of every month at various hotel bars across the city.

This month's GLBT partner (and beneficiary) is the DC Center's HIV Working Group. Money raised will help support the working group's new safer-sex kit distribution campaign. Come out for a wonderful evening and show your support for our HIV/AIDS work.

Thursday, June 18 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm at the Morrison-Clark Inn, 1015 L St NW.

Safer Sex Toolkit Assembly Event

The next Safer Sex Toolkit Assembly Event is this Thursday, June 18 at 7pm.

@ Artists Inn Residence
1824 R street NW
Washington, DC 20009.

Please join us to assemble kits, mingle, and make friends!

REMINDER: HIV Working Group Meeting June 24th

REMINDER: The next meeting of The DC Center HIV Prevention Working Group will take place Wednesday June 24th at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St. NW Suite 350.

The topic for this month's discussion is HIV Prevention and HIV Positive Guys. The HIV Working group is also working on a coordinated National HIV Testing Day Event.

6.08.2009

Understanding The HIV/AIDS Epidemic In Washington DC

The National Minority AIDS Council, along with the AIDS Institute, National Association of People with AIDS, and National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors invites you to a presentation by Dr. Hader on the state of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Washington DC. We ask that you bring all your agency’s staff and their families. It is a very eye opening report that will both shock you and demand your action.

Join us on Tuesday, June 30th at 10:00 AM at the Reeves Center at 14th & U St NW. Please RSVP in advance so we have enough space (RSVP @ info@nmac.org). You will need to bring a government ID to get into the building. We will meet in the Community Room on the 2nd floor. As folks who live and/or work in the District, it is critical that we understand what is happening in our own backyard. It will be up to all of us to fight back and save the District.

Frank Oldham
NAPWA

Julie Scofield
NASTAD

Carl Schmid
AIDS Institute

Paul Kawata
NMAC

Amid Criticism, D.C. Plans Big Effort to Spread Word on AIDS


By Darryl Fears, Washington Post, Tuesday, June 2, 2009


On her drives from one end of the District to the other, Anita Hawkins is struck by the rarity with which she sees billboards or bus stop advertisements telling residents that AIDS is a major health threat in the city.
"I live in D.C., and now I don't see it as visibly as nine years ago," when the virus was killing mostly gay men and the city government mobilized to combat the disease, said Hawkins, an assistant professor at Morgan State University. "We had this big push, and then what happened?"
Hawkins is on to something. Despite evidence showing that advertising increases AIDS awareness, there's almost no marketing to inform District residents of the problem's magnitude.
A report by the city's HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) says 3 percent of the District's population has HIV and AIDS, the worst prevalence rate in the nation, easily surpassing the 1 percent rate of infection that makes up a severe epidemic.
The problem is probably worse than the report says. Researchers did not count people who are infected but untested. Shannon L. Hader, the HAA's director, estimated that the actual rate is 5 percent.
In the fall, the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice sharply criticized the city's AIDS awareness effort, saying in a report that it lacked the urgency needed to address such a large epidemic. "You should definitely expect more," said Phill Wilson, head of the Black AIDS Institute, which works to reduce infection in black communities.
City officials say a sustained social marketing blitz is coming.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration -- alarmed by research showing that heterosexuals in highly infected areas engage in unprotected sex under the mistaken belief that straight people are not at risk -- committed $500,000 annually for five years for a marketing campaign, Hader said.
But there's doubt over whether HAA can mount a meaningful campaign in the expensive advertising market with that small amount. To be effective, advertising experts say, Hader needs millions more from Fenty (D) or more free public service announcements from television and radio stations, billboard companies and Metro.
"This should not be simply a public-health effort," Hader said. "This should be a community effort helped by the folks who have the space."
It's unclear how aggressively the city has sought public service ads. A spokesman for one local television station, WRC (Channel 4), said no one in the NBC affiliate's advertising division recalls being approached by HAA.
"We feel this is an area where a great deal more needs to be done," said Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, a nonprofit group that addresses civic issues. "We believe it's a leadership issue. I mean Fenty, in part, but there's more than one leader in the city."
Another activist, A. Toni Young, defended the city, saying an ad campaign by HAA last year played a strong role in calling attention to an underutilized program that provides free medication to people with HIV and AIDS. Enrollment in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program increased by 50 percent after ads aired on television and radio and were posted on billboards and public transportation, said Young, executive director of the Community Education Group, which engages in AIDS-related social marketing.
"It was very effective," Young said.
Without the support groups and social networks backed by the HAA, advertising would have a short reach, Young said. "To batter HAA has been a fashionable thing to do, but if you took a bus across the river on Pennsylvania Avenue, you would see ads for the Act Against AIDS campaign," Young said.
The Act Against AIDS campaign was started last month -- by the Obama administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not the city. But a couple of weeks ago, the HAA started experimenting with its marketing approaches.
The agency launched Realtalk, a promotion aimed at youths. A poster tells them to "drop in for some fun at the Freestyle Youth Center," at 651 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, where they can get free tests for HIV and venereal diseases that can facilitate HIV transmission. They also can get information about other test sites and where to pick up free condoms.
The HAA's office on New York Avenue abounds with AIDS-related posters that have faded from view: "Know Your Facts," "Come Together DC -- Get Screened for HIV," "Sex With One Means Sex With All" and "A Million Ways to Stop HIV: One Million Free Condoms for DC," a giveaway campaign two years ago.
Next month, the HAA plans to announce a marketing campaign aimed at heterosexual couples, said the agency's spokesman, Michael Kharfen, who is also in charge of marketing. The promotion will implore sexually active straight couples to get tested and to know their partner's health status. Heterosexual sex is the fastest-rising mode of HIV transmission in the city, particularly among black residents in wards 6, 7 and 8.
Spreading the word about HIV and AIDS is difficult because of its stigma. Infected people say they feel isolated because of the illness, and straight people say they don't want to be caught with a prevention brochure or researching the disease on the Internet because it might suggest homosexuality, a taboo in the black community.
The HAA will buy space on billboards and public transportation, but broader marketing will depend on public service ads. "We could wipe out our entire budget by buying a few ads on television and newspapers," Kharfen said. "We can't afford it."
Tina Hoff, vice president and director of Media Entertainment Partnerships for the Kaiser Family Foundation, said the foundation has gotten around the expense of advertising by working closely with MTV, Black Entertainment Television and Spanish-speaking Univision to urge minorities and young people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
The marketing challenge faced by the District reflects a nationwide trend, according to a survey released last month by Kaiser. Americans who said they had "heard, seen or read a lot" about HIV and AIDS in the United States fell from 70 percent in 2004 to 45 percent this year. Those who specifically said they've viewed "a lot" of AIDS-related messaging fell from 34 percent to 14 percent.
As she stood at U and 16th streets, District resident Geneen Taylor said she would welcome more information than the few advertisements she has read on buses and heard on radio.
"I'm an African American woman, and we're the fastest-growing group of new HIV infections," Taylor said. "It's always in the back of my mind. It's frightening."

HIV Working Group Meeting June 24th

The next meeting of The DC Center HIV Prevention Working Group will take place Wednesday June 24th at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St. NW Suite 350.

The topic for this month's discussion is HIV Prevention and HIV Positive Guys.

The HIV Working group recently kicked of their new safer-sex kit campaign at Town. (see the pictures here). They are also working on a coordinated National HIV Testing Day Event.

6.03.2009

Prevention Works! Training: HIV Meds and Street Drugs & Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Thursday, June 25th

Training: HIV Meds and Street Drugs & Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users
Thursday, June 25th, 10am-4pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

Spaces are limited! To reserve a slot, please an email to Mary Beth Levin, Director of Programs and Services (mlevin@preventionworksdc.org).

This is the fourth in our series of monthly trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York. The description is as follows:

HIV Meds and Street Drugs
In this current “abstinence only” culture, there has been minimal research conducted on how street drugs and HIV medications interact. This course will take an honest look at how ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines can potentially have a negative interaction with HIV/AIDS medications. This course is a must for HIV/AIDS case managers!

Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users
This workshop will demonstrate and discuss the techniques for working with crack and meth users, a community of people traditionally neglected by service agencies. This workshop will focus on specific outreach tools, materials, and harm reduction tactics that have been successful with this “hard to reach” population. Attendees will leave this training with practical ideas and skills that they can apply to their own setting and the people they work with.

5.27.2009

Safer Sex Campaign Launch Party

The HIV Working Group is launching its safer sex campaign this weekend at Town Friday and Saturday evenings.


The party will feature video from the new website, condom demonstrations, and FUKITs galore!


Join the HIV Working Group as it launches its new campaign!

5.17.2009

Alpha Drugs Survival Forum VI

Alpha Drugs invites you to the latest presentation in their Survival Forum Lecture Series: HIV Update: New Treatment Options with an Emphasis on HIV Prevention presented by Dr. Michael Pistole, HCV/HIV Specialist.

This event takes place Wednesday May 27,at the Hotel Palomar (The Phillips Balroom), 2121 P St NW Washington, DC. Free Admission. Dinner Served. Registration takes place from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The Lecture and Dinner takes place from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

Sponsored by alphadrugs and PROTOMEDS INTERNATIONAL LLC

RSVP and Information Contact: leigh@alphadrugs.com or 202.265-5757

5.16.2009

Follow Fight HIV in DC on Twitter

You can now follow Fight HIV in DC on Twitter. To see our tweets, visit: www.twitter.com/fighthivindc.

Want to be part of the conversation? Just add #hivindc to your tweets to share information on HIV/AIDS in DC or add @fighthivindc to your tweets to have them appear on our twitter feed.

Montgomery County Residents Needed

The Montgomery County School Board is looking for folks with an HIV background to serve on their Family Life and Human Development Committee for the next two years.
If interested, folks should contact:

Diane S. Watts
Office of the Deputy Superintendent of Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive, Room 129
Rockville, MD 20850
301-279-3126

5.08.2009

2009 Concert for Life May 15th

2009 Concert for Life
Friday, May 15th

Pre-concert VIP reception at 6:30 P.M. and Concert at 8:00 P.M.
Foundry United Methodist Church 16th and P St

Proceeds from this event benefit local HIV service organizations. For more information, please visit: http://concertforlife.org/

Free Training in Motivational Interviewing at Prevention Works!

Training in Motivational Interviewing
Wednesday, May 20th, 10am-4pm
Prevention
Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

This training is free!! Spaces are limited!!! Please sign-up now!!!!!

If you would like to attend this event, please respond asap via email to Mary Beth Levin mlevin@preventionworksdc.org

This is the third in our series of monthly trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York.

The description is as follows: “Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative approach to working with people experiencing negative consequences from substance use and other challenging behaviors. It is a style of counseling that helps the person develop a schema about the positive and negative effects of their behavior, which facilitates readiness for change. Participants will learn MI techniques such as reflective listening, delivering feedback, summarizing, decisional balancing, and developing change plans. Strategies for translating MI principals in action will be discussed (e.g. expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, avoiding argument, and dealing with resistance). This session will also focus on the use of ambivalence in the counseling process and strategies for increasing motivation, self-efficacy, and optimism. This workshop will utilize case examples, role-plays, and peer feedback as methods to incorporate new skills learned.”

People to Know: David Catania

David Catania is an at-large member of the DC City Council. Councilmember David Catania chairs the Committee on Health and serves on the Committee on Finance and Revenue and the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation. As Chairman of the Committee on Health, Councilmember Catania oversees the Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and a number of health-related boards and commissions.

Find out more. Visit the: David Catania Squidoo Page.

5.03.2009

HOPE DC / DCYPS Social May 16th

HOPE DC and DC Young POZ socials will hold their May social event on Saturday May 16th starting at 8:00 PM. For address and details contact hope@hopedc.org or call 202 466-5783. The monthly socials are friendly social gathering for those living with HIV (the HIV-positive and those who care for or about them) in the greater Washington/Baltimore area.

The Socials are held in individual homes in DC, MD, or VA, typically once or twice a month, usually on a Saturday evening, bringing together 30 to 45 primarily single gay males.

Although the socials are intended primarily for HIV+ gay men, all are welcome.

5.01.2009

People to Know: Shannon Hader

Dr. Shannon Hader is the current Director of the HIV/AIDS Administration within the DC Department of Health. Until her appointment by Mayor Fenty, she was on detail from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Department of State in the District of Columbia as the Senior Scientific Advisor for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She focused on starting up the Public Health Evaluation Initiative for the $15 billion worldwide program which will inform evidence-based, cost-effective HIV/AIDS programming around the globe.

To find out more, visit the Dr. Shannon Hader Squidoo Page

4.29.2009

Spotight: HOPE DC


Recent HOPE DC Blog Posts

HOPE DC
www.hopedc.org

HOPE DC finds friendly people who want to throw a Social, and then spreads the word about them to the poz community. The Socials are held in individual homes in DC, MD, or VA, typically once or twice a month, usually on a Saturday evening, bringing together 30 to 45 primarily single gay males. Although the socials are intended primarily for HIV+ gay men, all are welcome. This is an uncomplicated, friendly, upbeat bunch. Discretion is respected.

4.27.2009

HIV Working Group Meeting May 27th

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday May 27th at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350. The HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia.

Currently the HIV Working Group has two committees. The Safer Sex Packet committee,and The New Media and Technology committee. The next meeting will include updates from these committees and a discussion about coordinating van-outreach in the District.

To find out more about these meetings or the HIV Working Group in general, contact Dan O'Neil.

4.23.2009

HIV and Tobacco Use Focus Group: Earn $25

The DC Tobacco Free Families Campaign, in partnership with the American Lung Association of DC, American Cancer Society, and DC Department of Health will be conducting a series of focus groups to gather the opinions of DC smokers who are also HIV positive.

DC Tobacco Free Families is currently seeking volunteers to participate in one of four focus group. To be eligible, focus group participants must:
  • Be a current or past smoker
  • Be a resident of the District of Columbia
  • Be HIV positive
Focus group participants will receive $25 to complete one 2-hour session. Snacks will be provided.

Focus Groups will take place at the American Lung Association of DC, 530 7th Street, SE (Located 1 1/2 blocks away from Eastern Market Metro)
  • May 6th for Women
  • May 7th for men
  • May 12th & 13th for men and women
  • 6:15-8:30 PM.
If you would like to be a part of one of the four focus groups contact Colleen Dermody at 202 887-0500 ext 18 or e-mail hivtobaccouse@witeckcombs.com.

For more information about Smoking and HIV, visit www.outtoquit.org.

4.22.2009

National HIV Testing Day 2009

National HIV Testing Day, June 27th, is an annual campaign produced by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing.

HIV counseling and testing enables people with HIV to take steps to protect their own health and that of their partners, and helps people who test negative get the information they need to stay uninfected. For more information about National HIV Testing Day, visit www.napwa.org.

Spread awareness of National HIV Testing Day on Facebook! click here for the National HIV Testing Day Facebook Page

4.19.2009

Free Condoms & Lube at The DC Center

Free Condoms and Lube are available at The DC Center, courtesy of The DC Department of Health.

The DC Centeris located at 1111 14th St NW Sutie 350. Pick some up between 2:30 and 6:30 PM, or the next time you stop by the Center for a meeting.

4.15.2009

Join C2EA at AIDSWatch 2009!

Registration is open for the 17th annual AIDSWatch 2009! If you haven't registered, go to www.napwa.org and click the AIDSWatch logo.

You are invited to come to Washington DC April 27-29 along with hundreds of advocactes from across the country to tell Congress that this is our year! We must demand that our leaders develop and outcome-driven strategy to end the HIV & AIDS epidemic in the United States.

C2EA, in collaboration with NAPWA and DC Fights Back, will have a rally April 27 at 1:30pm on Freedom Plaza - 2 blocks from the White House and across the street from DC's Mayor's office. The theme of the rally is We are Watching and Tired of Waiting!

In the 17 years of AIDSWatch, tens of thousands of American citizens have died of HIV & AIDS while waiting for our leaders to answer the call. We will demand that our nation's leaders complete a plan that provides an outcome-driven strategy to end the HIV & AIDS epidemic in the United States. We will also demand that the communities that make up the core of the epidemic across the country be given opportunity for meaningful input and leadership in its development - for example, AIDSWatch host city Washington DC has the highest HIV infection rates in the nation with no comprehensive plan on the horizon. If we end the epidemic in the Nation's Capitol, we can end it anywhere.

We will also celebrate the creation of the Denver Principles. Created in 1983, the DP demanded that individuals living - and dying - of HIV & AIDS would be treated with respect and dignity regardless of sex, sexuality, gender, race, and religion. In 2009, as people are living - and still dying - it is more important than ever to take our place in leading the fight in ending this epidemic. With Ryan White Care Act reauthorization, the creation and implementation of a national HIV & AIDS strategy, and a historic revamping of national healthcare, people living with HIV & AIDS must show our faces, voices, and actions to ensure urgent action.

For more information, contact:

Larry Bryant, Director of National Organizing Housingworks - Advocacy & Organizing
727 15th Street 2nd Floor, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202)408-0305 office
(202)408-1142 fax
(202)419-9810 cell

4.04.2009

A Community Update on HIV Prevention Research

Could a pill a day protect you from HIV? Could a gel, liquid, or foam prevent vaginal or rectal HIV transmission? Will we one day have a safe, effective HIV Vaccine?

Join us for a discussion on HIV prevention research taking place around the world and right here in Washington DC. We’ll discuss vaccine research, microbicide research, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) research. We’ll also talk about crystal meth and other substance use among trial participants, the connection between substance use and high risk sexual behavior, and how researchers incorporate harm reduction counseling into clinical trials for at-risk individuals.

Thursday May 14th at 7:00 PM at the Human Rights Campaign Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave NW.

To see the facebook event page, click here.

Sponsors: The DC Center - DC Crystal Meth Working Group - NIAID NIH Vaccine Research Center - Capital Area Vaccine Effort - Department of Health - District of Columbia - This program is funded in part by the Government of the District of Columbia


3.29.2009

HIV Working Group to Meet April 22nd

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday April 22nd at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350. The HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia.

Currently the HIV Working Group has two committees. The Safer Sex Packet committee, which meets on March 30th, is working on marketing and packaging for a new safer sex packet distribution program. The New Media and Technology committee, which meets next on April 1st, is exploring new media approaches to HIV prevention and outreach.

To find out more about these meetings or the HIV Working Group in general, contact Dan O'Neil.

3.26.2009

Advocates for Youth launching a Young Men’s Project

Advocates for Youth is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a community-based, minority, youth-serving organization in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Advocates for Youth is a national organization dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and in developing countries.

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur in young people under age 25. Moreover, rates of HIV infection are disproportionately high among youth of color. To prevent HIV infection among young heterosexual men of color, Advocates for Youth is launching a Young Men’s Project. Advocates seeks to build the capacity of a local organization interested in and committed to improving the sexual health of young heterosexual men of color.

Through the Young Men’s Project, your organization may receive culturally relevant publications and materials on adolescent sexual health programming, strategic technical assistance and training, and a seed grant in the amount of $8,000 to implement an HIV prevention project for young heterosexual men of color, 13 to 24 years old.

Please see the attached materials for more information about this opportunity, including criteria for selection. The application form and/or proposal are due by March 23, 2009. Please mail or fax applications to Trina Scott, Program Manager, Advocates for Youth, 2000 M Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 419-1448.

Working together, we believe that we can strengthen efforts to prevent HIV infection among young heterosexual men of color. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with your organization to broaden and increase the positive impact we ALL can achieve in the lives of young men. If you need further information or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 419-3420.

Trina Scott
Program Manager, Young Women of Color Initiative
Advocates For Youth
(202) 419-3420 ex 17
www.advocatesforyouth.org
www.mysistahs.org

Stigma Reduction Work Shop Saturday, March 28

The Ethiopian Community Center, Inc. along with the DC Department of Health is organizing a Stigma Reduction Workshop on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Ethiopian Community Center, 7603 Georgia Avenue, NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20012.

The theme of the workshop is "Creating Better Understanding within the African Immigrant Community in regards to HIV/AIDS". It will focus on identifying the different roots, causes and forms of stigma and clarify misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS.

Due to limited space, please RSVP your participation by
March 23, 2009.
Contact Person: Woubedle Alemayehu Tel:
202.726.0800| Email: eth@prodigy. net
(Please include full name, telephone, email).

Refreshments will be served.

Thank you

Woubedle Alemayehu
HIV Program Coordinator
Ethiopian Community Center, Inc.
7603 Georgia Ave., NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC, 20012
Tel:
(202).726. 0800

Advocates for Youth launching a Young Men’s Project

Advocates for Youth is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a community-based, minority, youth-serving organization in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Advocates for Youth is a national organization dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and in developing countries.

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur in young people under age 25. Moreover, rates of HIV infection are disproportionately high among youth of color. To prevent HIV infection among young heterosexual men of color, Advocates for Youth is launching a Young Men’s Project. Advocates seeks to build the capacity of a local organization interested in and committed to improving the sexual health of young heterosexual men of color.

Through the Young Men’s Project, your organization may receive culturally relevant publications and materials on adolescent sexual health programming, strategic technical assistance and training, and a seed grant in the amount of $8,000 to implement an HIV prevention project for young heterosexual men of color, 13 to 24 years old.

Please see the attached materials for more information about this opportunity, including criteria for selection. The application form and/or proposal are due by March 23, 2009. Please mail or fax applications to Trina Scott, Program Manager, Advocates for Youth, 2000 M Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 419-1448.

Working together, we believe that we can strengthen efforts to prevent HIV infection among young heterosexual men of color. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with your organization to broaden and increase the positive impact we ALL can achieve in the lives of young men. If you need further information or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 419-3420.

Trina Scott
Program Manager, Young Women of Color Initiative
Advocates For Youth
(202) 419-3420 ex 17
www.advocatesforyouth.org
www.mysistahs.org

3.20.2009

Free Training: Working with At-Risk Youth

Free Training: Working with At-Risk Youth
Thursday, April 23, 10am-4pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

This is the second in our series of monthly trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York.

The description is as follows: “Interacting with youth to educate, empower, and enlighten is the most beneficial thing one can do to ensure that the youth of today can build self-efficacy to be leaders who act in the spirit of self-determination for tomorrow. This workshop is open to providers of youth who are interested in learning how societal factors (racism, sexism, heterosexism, militarism, etc.) play a role in youth’s at-risk behavior, and how to mitigate the dangers involved that place them at-risk. Participants will look at not only how to incorporate social factors into their prevention intervention programs, but also consider activities, such as advocacy, and peer education that can be used as effective harm reduction strategies for at-risk youth at their own programs and agencies.”

Spaces are limited so please reserve a space now by sending an email to Mary Beth Levin, Director of Programs and Services: mlevin@preventionworksdc.org.

3.17.2009

HIV/AIDS Prevention Video Targets Maryland African Americans


To combat the HIV/AIDS crisis in the African American community, Montgomery County recently commissioned local filmmaker Cintia Cabib to produce a half-hour HIV/AIDS prevention video targeting young African Americans in Maryland.

“Let’s Talk About HIV/AIDS” presents the candid and personal stories of young African American adults living and working in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. They explain how protecting yourself, knowing your HIV status, talking to your partner and loving yourself all contribute to HIV/AIDS prevention.

Karlene Mighty, who is HIV-positive, describes the serious health issues she faces and her efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS by sharing her story at schools and community agencies. Youth Center Coordinator Lamar Anderson of the non-profit organization Metro TeenAIDS explains how he reaches out to young people in the streets and provides them with information packets and counseling. Artist and writer Monte Wolfe talks about how HIV/AIDS affects black gay men and how he has personally dealt with his HIV diagnosis. The program presents HIV/AIDS facts and statistics showing how African Americans are disproportionately affected by the disease. The video also demonstrates an HIV test.

The video was recently honored with a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award.

The video will be airing throughout March on Access Montgomery's Cable Channel 21, including tonight at 10:30 PM and Thursday at 11 AM.

For more information and to see clips visit http://www.cintiacabib.com/.

3.11.2009

HIV Working Group Meeting March 25th

The next GBT HIV Prevention Working Group meets on Wednesday, March 25th, at 7pm at the DC Center (1111 Fourteenth Street, NW, Suite 350).

Work has been done to scout out locations for several pilot packet dispensers that will be used to launch the safer sex packet distribution campaign in the coming months . Also solid progress has been made on the safer sex packets' preliminary packaging strategies.

The next safer sex packet ad hoc committee will happen the last week in March/first week in April to finalize the packaging artwork and messaging for the first versions of the packets in time for National STD Awareness Month.

Remaining hurdles include financing the packaging piece and developing a broader network of businesses willing to have dispensers. More to follow in these issues as they progress.

3.09.2009

CAVE Meeting April 2nd

On Thursday, April 2nd the Capital Area Vaccine Effort will host a community meeting reviewing local HIV Vaccine Research. The event will include a round table discussion between clinical researchers from the NIH Vaccine Research Center, clinical trials volunteers, local health care providers and other community members of D.C.

Topics to be discussed include current vaccine clinical trial protocols, upcoming studies and events for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.

The event will be held at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street Suite 350. from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Dinner and stipends will be provided.

Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by HIV/AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise HIV/AIDS vaccine trial units in the metropolitan DC area by:
  • Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for HIV/AIDS vaccine clinical trial participants and the general public,
  • Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between HIV/AIDS vaccine researchers and those interested in HIV/AIDS vaccine research,
  • Reflecting affected populations,
  • As appropriate, encouraging participation in HIV/AIDS vaccine trials, and acting as community educators on HIV/AIDS vaccine research, and
  • Assessing ethical and social implications and impact of HIV/AIDS vaccine clinical trials.

3.07.2009

Spotlight: Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care


Recent Blog Posts





Pediatric AIDS HIV Care
P.O. Box 77543
Washington, D.C. 20013-7543
Phone: 202-347-5366

www.pediatricaidshivcare.org

Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. provides children living with HIV/AIDS with education, therapy, and youth programming to empower them to live healthy and successful lives. Pediatric Care has been serving youth for over 20 years and will continue to do so until the stigma of HIV/AIDS is eradicated.

3.01.2009

HIV/AIDS Administration Oversight Hearing

On Friday February 27th, The DC City Council Health Committee, chaired by David Catania, held on oversight hearing of the Department of Health which included an update on the HIV/AIDS Administration.

Dr. Pierre Vigilance provided opening remarks. He was followed by the head of the HIV/AIDS Administration, Dr. Shannon Hader who provided testimony. Dr. Hader also answered questions about the HIV/AIDS housing waiting list and Changes to the Ryan White Planning Council and HIV/AIDS Community Planning Group.

What was perhaps the most remarkable thing about this hearing was the lack of any major problems or controversies when it comes to HIV/AIDS. A great sign. Overall the presentations were encouraging. Dr. Hader, who has already distinguished herself from her predecessors simply by staying in the job for well over one year now, laid out clear, and focused agenda. It may be a while before we see the results of changes made at the HIV/AIDS Administration, but it seems we are definitely moving in the right direction.

Highlights from the hearing are shown below and available on the Fight HIV in DC YouTube Page.

Opening Remarks: Dr. Vigilance



Opening Remarks: Dr. Hader



Dr. Hader on Changes to the Planning Council and CPG



Dr. Hader on the HIV/AIDS Housing Waiting List



Adam Tenner, Metro Teen AIDS

2.06.2009

Meeting to Discuss HIV Housing in DC

On Saturday, February 7th, Housingworks will host an HIV & AIDS housing meeting. The event will include a round table discussion between health care providers, policy experts, HIV positive residents and other community members of D.C.

Topics to be discussed include supportive, transitional, and permanent housing, and the future of Ryan White funded programs in the city.

The event will be held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street SW, from 3 p.m. to 5p.m.

2.01.2009

Reminder: Be Bar this Sunday!

Join us for our first ever Fight HIV in DC benefit event.

Stop by Be Bar on Sunday on February 8th from 5:00 to 9:00 PM for drinks and fun. Ten percent of the proceeds for the night will benefit Fight HIV in DC outreach, education, and advocacy efforts.

We'll also be taking $5 donations at the door and raffle off some great prizes (if you have a raffle prize you would like to donate, please send an e-mail here)

Be Bar is located at 1318 9th Street NW DC 20001.

To RSVP for this event on facebook, click here.




1.30.2009

Event to honor National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

On February 7, the Center for Minority Studies of Washington, DC will be hosting a charity basketball game and information fair in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Attendees will have the opportunity to win an assortment of prizes, including an ipod and giftcards.

The event will be hosted at the Trinidad Recreation Center at 1310 Childress Street, NE from 11 a.m.until 3 p.m.

For more information, visit www.cms-dc.org or call (202) 396 5404.

HIV Working Group to Meet February 25th

The DC Center HIV Working Group had it's first meeting on January 28th. There was a great energy in the room and a renewed commitment to addressing HIV/AIDS among gay, bisexual, and transgender men.

A e-mail list has been set up for folks to communicate between meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday February 25th at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW Suite 350. Please join us.

And please join us for the first HIV Working group fundraiser taking place on February 8th at Be Bar. For details click here.




1.23.2009

HOPE DC

This Saturday, January 24th, HOPE DC will be hosting a social for the H.I.V. positive men. The event, which is held every two to four weeks, is intended to bring together the H.I.V. positive community of DC, Maryland and Virginia in a friendly environment.

For directions to the Social or more information, please visit www.hopedc.org/events.

1.16.2009

Charity Bike Ride to Raise HIV Awareness

On August 16, 2009, Brother to Brother Sister to Sister United, Inc. (BBSU) will host its second annual 'One Day. One Ride. One Cause.' a 1-day, 40-mile charity ride through the neiborhoods of the District of Columbia.

The event is intended to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis in the DC community and establish resources through which to fight it. The event’s planners hope to foster education regarding H.I.V. in the local community and raise funds to benefit DC’s HIV positive community.

Last year’s inaugural ride raised $13,000.

For more information please access the website for “One Day, One Ride, One Cause” at http://www.1day1ride1cause.org/.