Free Training: HIV Meds & Street drugs and Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users

Free Training: HIV Meds & Street drugs and Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users
Thursday, September 24th, 10am-4pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

This is part of our series of 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 half-day 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.

Spaces are limited! To reserve a space, please email Mary Beth Levin (mlevin@preventionworksdc.org).

Safer Sex Campaign Recognized in Advocate Magazine

The FUK!T/TOOLK!T safer sex campaign is featured in the current issue of The Advocate.

Dr. Frank Spinelli writes "I was to shocked to read the report out of Washington, D.C., suggesting that the number of AIDS cases there among African-American men is 12 times the national average and the rate of HIV infection is higher than in some parts of Western Africa. So you can imagine my pleasure when I first logged on to DCfukit.org, a community-based prevention program and website developed to stop the spread of HIV among D.C. men who have sex with men."

click here to continue reading this article on the Advocate.com website.

Become A Sponsor of Fight HIV in DC

click here to download sponsor packages.

For over three years, the website www.fighthivindc.org has been the leading online source of information about local efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia.

This year the website came under the umbrella of The DC Center as we launched our new HIV Working Group. The website includes information about the efforts of the HIV Working Group, and continues to provide a broad array of information about HIV prevention, treatment, and research in the District.

Of course, this work is made possible through sponsors like you. I invite you to become a 2010 sponsor of the www.fighthivindc.org website. Sponsors will be announced when we hold our World AIDS Day event this year, and will be featured prominently on the website from December 1st, 2009 to November 30th, 2010.

This is an opportunity for you to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in the District, but also this is a tremendous opportunity to reach a specific and important audience: the HIV/AIDS community in Washington, DC.

Please review the included sponsorship information and consider sponsoring www.fighthivindc.org in 2010. Your support is greatly appreciated.

To download the sponsorship information, click here.

October CODE Party Benefits The DC Center

The October CODE Party will benefit The DC Center. CODE is a NEW monthly party on the first Saturday of every month at EFN Lounge, for guys who wear leather, uniforms, or other gear.

The October CODE Party features DJ Andre Xcellence, Destiny B. Childs, and live acts/demos including Jake the Barber. They'll also be plenty of Safer Sex Kits on hand. For more information, visit www.codedc.com.

October 3rd, 2009
EFN Lounge
1318 9th St NW
10:00 PM to 3:00 AM

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2009

October 15th is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, a day to talk about HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community.

Latinos in the United States continue to be affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, accounting for a greater proportion of AIDS cases than their representation in the U.S. population overall, and the second highest AIDS case rate in the nation by race/ethnicity. Studies have shown that Latinos with HIV/AIDS may face additional barriers to accessing care than their white counterparts (read the fact sheet here).

To learn more, visit the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day website at www.nlaad.org.

HIV Working Group Meeting September 23rd

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday September 23rd 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350. The group normally meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

The HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia.

Drag Queen Jello Wrestling Event Benefits the HIV Working Group

Come Join Mr & Ms Capital Pride Leather 2009 Matt Bamford & Jackie Thompson for a fundraiser with Special Guest Co Host Regina Jozet Adams for a night of Drag Queen Jello Wrestling, $1 Jello Shots, $3 Cover 18+ to party. Sponsored by Gun Oil Lube and The Leather Rack.

This is going to a special and fun night at EFN Lounge. Along with the normal Jello Wrestling that we will be doing we have a special treat for you!!!

Come watch your favorite Queens Ophelia Bottoms, Tatiyanna Voche, Ann Michaels, Veronica Blake, Shelby Stephyns, and a special guest Queen for one night only Sharon Husbands with a few more surprises to come wrestle IN DRAG in our pool of Jello! These girls will be wrestling for the title of Ms EFN Jello 2009 and a Beautiful Crown!!!

Tuesday, September 8th
9:00pm
EFN Lounge
1318 9th St NW
Washington, DC

Come out and join us for this once in a lifetime event to help raise funds for DCFUKIT/Toolkit Safer Sex Campaign and BHT and support these girls as they wrestle for a good cause!!!

Prizes for Regular Wrestling:
$100 Cash Prize (winner)
1 yr supply of Condoms
32oz Pump Action Bottle of Gun Oil Lube
$50 Gift Cert to the Leather Rack
$50 Gift Cert to Flowers on 14th

* This event is open to everyone and anyone! If you want to wrestle make sure you wear something you are comfortable in and ladies if you want to wrestle please do but make sure you have a sports bra or t-shirt to wear!!

click here to RSVP on facebook

Packing Party at Motley September 3rd

Help us Keep DC Safer over Labor Day Weekend. Join members of the HIV Working Group on Thursday, September 3rd at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying great drink specials at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

RSVP on Facebook

Metropolitan Washington Regional HIV (Ryan White) Health Services Planning Council is Accepting Membership Applications

Metropolitan Washington Regional HIV (Ryan White) Health Services Planning Council, which serves people living with HIV/AIDS in the DC metro area, is looking for members to serve for three-year terms that will begin in March 2010. The Planning Council assesses the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and allocates funds to meet those needs.

Planning Council Members are unpaid and appointed. They must devote 8-12 hours a month to the Planning Council.

If you are interested in becoming a Planning Council Member, please contact Mark Hill at the DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Administration at mark.hill@dc.gov or

If interested, please apply by 5PM on September 18, 2009.

Packing Party August 25th

Join members of the HIV Working Group on Tuesday, August 25th at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying $8 pitchers & 2 FOR 1 drinks at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

Grant Writing Training

You can now apply online for our free grant writing training. Space is limited. Remember the due date is Thursday, Aug 20th. Apply @http://tinyurl.com/qftk36

Fighting Tobacco Use Amongst People Living with HIV/AIDS

On September 16 and 17, there will be a training, Treating Tobacco Dependence in the HIV/AIDS Community, for medical/health professionals who treat or provide care for people in DC.

Goals for participants of the training are: to be able to assess and treat smokers living with HIV/AIDS, be able to prescribe appropriate medications that will not interact with smoking, be able to discuss motivational techniques with HIV positive smokers, to understand the broader implications of tobacco use in the HIV/AIDS Community.

To register, please email Phoebe Robinson at probinson@aladc.org or call 202-546-5864 x226. Registration ends on August 31, 2009

CAVE Meeting September 9th

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort(CAVE)on Wednesday September 9th at 7:00 PM. We'll be meeting at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW, Suite 350.

CAVE is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center. Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise AIDS vaccine trials in the metropolitan DC area by:

• Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for AIDS vaccine participants and the general public.
• Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between AID vaccine researchers and those interested in AIDS vaccine research.
• Reflecting affected populations in its own composition.
As appropriate, encouraging participation in AIDS Vaccine Trials, and acting as community educators on AIDS vaccine research
Assessing ethical and social implications & impact of the AIDS Vaccine Trials

For more information, visit www.aidsvaccine.org or visit the new CAVE Facebook Group.

The DC Center Announces First HIV/AIDS Grant

The Board of Directors of the Metro DC Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Community Center (The DC Center) are pleased to announce their first HIV/AIDS grant.

The National HIV Vaccine Research and Education Initiative Grant is designed to create a supportive local environment for HIV vaccine research by educating key communities about this research in areas where HIV vaccine clinical trials are ongoing or planned. The DC Center is one of several organizations that will be funded under this grant.

David Mariner, Executive Director of the DC Center stated: “This grant provides a unique opportunity to educate the GLBT community about the importance of HIV Vaccine research. We’ll be coordinating activities of this grant closely with our HIV Working Group.”

The DC Center will continue to work with the local community advisory board for HIV Vaccine Research, the Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH. This partnership first began when The DC Center organized an educational event on vaccine research on October 1st, 2007 at Dakota Cowgirl/Titan Bar. More recently, the groups collaborated on a community update on HIV prevention research, under the direction of The DC Center’s Crystal Meth Working Group, which was held at the HRC Equality Center on May 14th of this year.

About The DC Center HIV Working Group

Following a December 4th Town Hall on HIV/AIDS, The DC Center launched their HIV Working Group in January of 2009. The HIV Working Group meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at the DC Center, and meetings are open to the public. The group, chaired by Daniel O’Neill, currently distributes over 2,000 safer sex kits each week. More information about the safer-sex kit campaign is available at the website www.dctoolkit.org.

About The DC Center

The DC Center’s mission is to celebrate, strengthen, and support community among the GLBT residents and organizations of Metropolitan Washington, DC. Programs of The DC Center include: Career Development, The David Bohnett CyberCenter, CenterArts, DC Crystal Meth Working Group, DC for Marriage, Elder Think Tank, GLOV – Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (a Task Force of The DC Center), HIV Working Group, OutWrite Author Series, and the Tobacco Working Group. The DC Center issues a weekly newsletter of GLBT community events and information. For more information and to sign up for our newsletter, please visit www.TheDCCenter.org.

Safer Sex Kit Campaign Expands to New Locations

The DC Center's HIV Working Group TOOLK!T/FUK!T Campaign is expanding into two new locations. The TOOLK!T safer sex kits will now be available at Pulp (www.pulpdc.com) located at 1803 14th Street, NW and Commisary (www.commissarydc.com) located at 1443 P Street, NW. The TOOLK!T/FUK!T Campaign is now distributing over 2,000 safer sex kits each week. If you'd like more information, please click here to join the HIV Working Group Yahoo Group or send an e-mail.

Current Campaign Locations:

• Town Dance Boutique: 2009 8th Street, NW
• Ziegfeld’s/Secrets: 1824 Half Street, SW
• The DC Center: 1111 14th Street, NW
• Pulp: 1803 14th Street, NW
• Commissary: 1443 P Street, NW

Your financial support makes this campaign possible. click here to make a donation now.

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2009

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day takes place on September 27th, 2009. This event was started by the National Association of People with AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than half a million gay men have died of HIV/AIDS in the United States. Fifty-three percent of new HIV infections occurred among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2006. From 2001 to 2006, men who have sex with men (MSM) across all racial and ethnic groups were the only transmission category with significant increases in HIV diagnoses.

Here in Washington DC in 2006, there were 190 newly reported AIDS cases attributed to men who have sex with men accounting for 40% of males and 27% of all adults and adolescents who received a diagnosis of AIDS in the year. The District has seen recent increases in HIV infections amoung younger men who have sex with men. Among young people 13 to 24, newly reported HIV cases among men who have sex with men increaased by 32% between 2001 and 2006 (from 15 cases to 22 cases).

To learn more visit this squidoo page: HIV/AIDS and Gay Men in DC.

Help us raise awareness of this event: click here to RSVP on facebook

Free Training: Women and HIV Prevention: Strategies for Developing Innovative Programs

Prevention Works will be holding a one-day training program primarily for service providers with a background in HIV/AIDS. It will be held on August 20th from 10 am to 4 pm at 2501 Benning Rd. NE.

This is part of their series of trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York, specifically their African American Capacity Building Initiative.

By the end of the training, participants should be able to identify the areas of influence that place women at increased risk for contracting HIV, identify the steps of conducting a community assesment, and develop a sample HIV prevention program plan.

Spaces are limited. To reserve a slot, please send an email to Mary Beth Levin: mlevin@preventionworksdc.org

Call With Dr Mary Wakefield

Stakeholder call w/ Dr. Mary Wakefield, Admin of HRSA on Wed, Aug 5, @ 1:00 p.m. EST Call In: 1-605-475-6333 and code: 481162 Email your questions to info@nmac.org

Next HIV Working Group Meeting August 26th

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday August 26th 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.

Free OraQuick Rapid Test Workshop

OraQuick Advance Rapid Test Workshop
Saturday, August 8th
10am-12pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE
This workshop prepares participants to administer the OraQuick Advance rapid test. This training will not cover counseling skills, outreach or HIV/AIDS information and education. It is preferred (but not required) that you complete training in HIV education and counseling prior to taking this workshop. Space is limited! Participants must be pre-registered to ensure admission to the workshop. To register, send an email to Mary Beth Levin (mlevin@preventionworksdc.org).