HIV/AIDS in Georgia – How we have failed and will continue to fail

This is a not something new. We have know for years that HIV/AIDS was becoming a real threat for rural, female, African-American and poor people.

This is not all the fault of the state (but plenty of blame does reside there). The CDC has never really EVER had a HIV prevention plan in place. When the [...]

National Minority AIDS Council Call to Action- New HIV rates

There website is here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Circe J. Gray Le Compte, Director of Communications
National Minority AIDS Council, 1931 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone: (202) 234-5120 ext. 309; (202) 352-7240
E-mail: communications@nmac.org
“And all the centuries passed and they survived and became a kind of people that the world had never known. [...]

The International AIDS Conference 2008 – Resources

Today the XVII International AIDS Conference starts in Mexico City. Lots of information is going to be coming out including the new incidence of HIV infections in the US. If you want to keep up with the conference, see live webcast, or view recorded sessions for later viewing please visit the Kaisernetwork.org site.  Here is [...]

Black America and HIV – US failure to combat problem

Here is the link to the report and whole article.
What If Black America Were Its Own Country?
“Left Behind! Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS Epidemic” incorporates a new analysis by the Black AIDS Institute showing how Black America would rank on the global health and HIV scale if it were a separate [...]

The South has 52% of all HIV cases

Here is the link to the Southern States Manifesto
Report warns of Southern AIDS ‘crisis’
Half of deaths occur in 17-state region as federal, private money dries up

By Alex Johnson
MSNBC
July. 24, 2008

AIDS specialists are calling for a fundamental rethinking of HIV policy after a new report showed that infection with the virus was rising dramatically in the [...]

HIV estimates in US are 40% higher that thought

Here is the NPR story on the issue: HIV rates higher than thought
And print story from NYT
H.I.V. Study Finds Rate 40% Higher Than Estimated
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
MEXICO CITY — The United States has significantly underreported the number of new H.I.V. infections occurring nationally each year, with a study released here on Saturday showing that the [...]

It took countless deaths, but Georgia finally gets a Mental Health Ombudsman

While on the face of it it is a good sign that Georgia is finally doing something to address this horrible issue, it is outrageous that it takes people dying, a federal investigation and a investigative piece from the AJC to make this happen.
Having an ombudsmen and advocates for the most helpless of our residents [...]

Lack of HIV coverage in the news

Found this to be a good example of how HIV/AIDS is not being covered in the news and how this lack of information leads to people coming to false perceptions about the disease.
Why So Little AIDs Coverage?
When I decided to take two j-students to study AIDS in South Africa we discovered that there is [...]

PEPFAR – the linglering problems have not gotten better

From Feministe. Go read the whole post.
Despite evidence—and the efforts of Rep. Betty McCollum, experts and advocates around the world—the full House voted yesterday to reauthorize a $50 billion global HIV/AIDS relief initiative that threatens to further restrict, rather than support, expansion of HIV prevention through family planning services.
Several advocates and the mainstream media have [...]

Dr. Tom (Sen. Coburn) strikes again to block PEPFAR in his continuing “War on people with HIV”

This is the guy who rammed through all the changes in the Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization bill a couple of years ago when the Republicans were in control. Those changes included taking HIV treatment dollars and spending them on HIV testing and micromanaging the HIV strategies of states and cities. He now is [...]

In Florida Mountain Dew will keep you from getting pregnant…

And this is the result of years of abstinence only education. Here is some video.

FLORIDA:   ”Students Would Get More than Abstinence-Only Under Sex Education Bill”
Associated Press     (04.01.08):: Bill Kaczor
On Tuesday, a bill seeking a more comprehensive approach to sex education in Florida’s schools passed a Senate committee by a 4-3 vote.
Florida currently relies [...]

CDC struggles with trying to view HIV issues through the lenses of conservative politics

This is yet another example of how the leadership at CDC has been replaced and hamstrung by conservative political appointees who either deny the issues, ignore them or subvert information to keep from having to address the issue of gay men of color and HIV. It is almost like the view from the Reagan years [...]

Unnatural Causes – it not just your genes or lack of access

Started March 27 but they are repeating the first episode this coming Wednesday and GPB will air it every Thursday for 6 more weeks.  Website for the film is here.
Healthy behaviors, molecular research, and of course, universal health care are all important. But evidence suggests they [...]

Jeff Graham to lead Georgia Equality

I have no doubt that Jeff Graham will make a huge impact on this issue. I have seen him in action and he is a true advocate.

Georgia Equality taps Graham as new executive director
Veteran HIV/AIDS activist to lead statewide gay rights group
By RYAN LEE
Mar. 28, 2008

Georgia Equality, the state’s largest gay [...]

Minister to apologize for condemnation by church

Well, its a start. If more ministers were brave enough to stand up and do the right thing they could put a dent in the homophobic culture of the church.

Gwinnett minister to apologize to those condemned by Christians
Gays, women seeking abortions, couples not married will be included
By REBECCA McCARTHY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/28/08

Just as the [...]