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

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

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

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

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

Join Youth Organizations in Support of Comprehensive Sex Education

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

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

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

April ACTION Newsletter Now Online

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

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

click here to download the flyer for this event.

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

Gay Men's Health & Wellness in the District

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Update on the Mayor's Summit

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

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

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

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

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

Thank You Whitman-Walker Clinic

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

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

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

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

Correction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Four Month Goals

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

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

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

Washington Blade Profiles David Von Storch

Local business owner David Von Storch is profiled in the most recent Washington Blade. Von Storch, owner of Capitol City Brewing Company and the new Vida Fitness health clubs, talks about his experience living with HIV for the past 19 years:

AS WITH MOST healthy HIV-positive people today, there’s nothing remotely “sickly” about von Storch’s appearance. One glance reveals a body accustomed to time spent at the gym. Since 1997, von Storch’s viral load has been undetectable. The viral load test, taken every three months, measures the amount of the virus present in the blood. This current healthy state wasn’t something handed to him, though.

In the early years after his diagnosis, von Storch, like so many others, participated in innumerable drug trials as a way to get any kind of treatment available, and he also went to see a nutritionist for more information about the interface between the disease and his diet.

“I learned that the reserves of your immune system are stored in your lean muscle mass,” he says. “If I stayed away from all fried foods, all dairy products and trans fats, that was the simplest way for me, upon a daily basis, to monitor my food.”

Read the entire article here

C2EA DC Meeting Monday March 26

The next C2EA Metro DC Meeting will take place on Monday, March 26th at 6:30 PM. We'll be meeting in the conference room on the 2nd floor of the WWC administrative building, 1407 S Street, NW.

We will be talking about the upcoming summit on HIV/AIDS in DC, the speakout we're planning for May, and much more.

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

DC Area HIV/AIDS Consumer Advocacy Project

What do you do if you don't know where to go to access services for people living with HIV/AIDS such as medical, legal, financial, and other supportive services? Where do you go if you having difficulty accessing services at a local HIV/AIDS organization? Well, now you have the Consumer Advocacy Project.

The Consumer Advocacy Project is a project of the National Association of People with AIDS and is funded throught the DC HIV/AIDS Administration. If you have a question, or you have an unresolved grievance with a local HIV/AIDS service provider, you can call the toll free number (1-866-846-9366) or e-mail advocate@napwa.org.

I'm really glad to see this program launch, but to be honest, I'm a little concerned that nobody seems to even know it exists. NAPWA has been funded to do this work for the past four months, and there isn't even a word about the program mentioned either on the NAPWA website or the HAA website. That's disappointing. When you hear me talking about how we can do better, this is the type of thing I'm talking about.

Please help me in spreading the word about this program, by distributing this flyer. Click here to download the flyer. Make copies and be sure to share them with your friends, and to post them up your agency, organization, church, school, bar, or wherever you can.

DC HIV/AIDS Research Community Advisory Boards Post Open Letter

Three Washington DC Community Advisory Boards for HIV/AIDS Research have written a joint letter addressing sex and gender data collection in HIV/AIDS research. The letter is being posted online for one month so that interested CABS and community members can sign-on. All sign-ons must be received by May 11th. The letter will then be submitted to the Cross-CAB Working Group for NIH NIAID Division of AIDS (DAIDS) funded HIV/AIDS Research.

The three CABs are: The Capital Area Vaccine Effort which serves as the community CAB for the NIH Vaccine Research Center, The Georgetown University Medical Center CAB which is part of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and the Washington VA Medical Center CAB, which is part of the International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials.

Most researchers have come to realize that the term 'sex' refers to birth sex or biological sex; and that the term 'gender' refers to someone's gender identity. This was discussed in detail at the Forum for Collaborative HIV/AIDS Research meeting on Sex and Gender, which I attended back in 2003. I guess I thought that since the meeting was co-sponsored by the CDC and the NIH that we would all be on the same page going forward. Sadly, their continues to be significant discrepancies across networks in how data on sex and gender is collected.

All we are really asking is for DAIDS to get their act together and collect data on sex and gender in a consistent and appropriate manner. This is the right thing to do for everyone, but it is particularly important for the transgender community.

You can find out more by clicking here. I hope that you will join us by signing on to the letter either as an individual or as an organization.

Capital Area Vaccine Effort Meeting April 10th

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort(CAVE)on April 10th at 6:30 PM. We'll be meeting at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500.

CAVE is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center, and at this meeting we're going to be looking at a new VRC research protocol (yeah, we were going to do this last month, but weren't able to). We'll also be discussing plans for AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day. It's not necessary to RSVP for this meeting, but if you'd like you can RSVP here.

Adrian Fenty's State of the District Speech

Mayor Adrian Fenty will be giving a State of the District address in Ward 8. Mayor Fenty will lay out his vision for the District and explain what he's done since taking office in January. We all know that we'd like to see Mayor Fenty do more to fight HIV/AIDS in DC. In fact, we're still waiting for a substantive response to the Letter from Campaign to End AIDS DC to Adrian Fenty.

The speech takes place today, Wednesday, March 21st, starting at 12:00 pm at the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, 3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE.

I probably won't be able to make it - but if you can please do, and let us know what Adrian Fenty says about HIV/AIDS in this speech.

DC Emancipation Day: Voting Rights March April 16th

Please join me on April 16th, DC Emancipation Day, for the Voting Rights March. This march will be hands down, the largest demonstration ever for DC Voting Rights.

This march is about voting rights for the District of Columbia, which has the potential to transform politics in our city. I've posted before on how the extraordinary control prevents us from making our own decisions about how to best fight HIV/AIDS in the district including the issues of needle exchange, and medical marijuana. Getting voting rights won't change this overnight, but I do believe that once Eleanor Holmes Norton has a VOTE (and not just a presence) in Congress, she will be able to much more effectively advocate for us on the hill.

Folks will be gathering at Freedom Plaza starting at 2:30 PM. The Rally will then take place starting at 4:00 PM at the Capitol Hill Reflecting Pool. For more information visit: www.votingrightsmarch.org

Pills Profits Protest: Film and Discussion on the Global AIDS Movement

The Youth AIDS Team presents "Pills Profits Protest," a documentary on the global AIDS access to treatment campaign. Film (60 minutes) will be followed by a panel discussion with speakers from the World Bank, PAHO and the University Coalitions for Global Health. Thursday, March 22nd, 12:30pm to 2:00pm, at 1850 I St. NW, in Room I1-200. Please RSVP to Mary Beth Levin at mlevin@worldbank.org.

Open House at Joseph's House

Joseph’s House invites our friends in DC, Virginia and Maryland to drop by and meet the community of Joseph’s House and see and feel this welcoming home you have supported with your prayers and financial gifts for so long. There will be food and music and most of all, the chance to meet one another.

For those who don't know, the mission of Joseph's House is to provide a home, nursing services, and community for formerly homeless men and women in metropolitan Washington DC who are terminally ill and in the last weeks or months of their illness. Their primary mission is to those living with HIV/AIDS. To find out more, check out their website at: www.josephshouse.org.

The open house takes place Tuesday, March 27, 2007 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Joseph's House is located at 1730 Lanier Place, NW. To RSVP for this event e-mail tommy[at]josephshouse[dot]org or call Tommy at (202) 328-9161.

Community Discussion: HIV & Drug Use

The MWPHA Disparities Committee and DC Fights Back are organizing a community discussion on drugs and HIV this Saturday at Washington Highlands Library (115 Atlantic St. SW) from noon til 2:30 PM.

click here to download the flyer for this event

HIV Testing & Vaccine Research: Letter to Dr. Gregg Pane

Earlier this week I posted on the issues around HIV vaccine study volunteers and HIV testing in the district. To update everyone, members of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort (CAVE) have submitted this letter to Dr. Gregg Pane at the Department of Health.

I'm pretty confident that the necessary information can be easily integrated into current training for folks who so HIV testing in the district. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, read more about this issue and other information about HIV Vaccine Research at the CAVE website: www.aidsvaccine.org.