HIV And AIDS News

Sir Elton John Raises Millions At Oscar Bash

2010-03-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

SIR ELTON JOHN's 2010 post-Oscars AIDS Foundation party was a hit - the singer raised a massive $3.7 million (£2.5 million) in just a few hours at the lavish star-studded bash.

The Rocket Man hitmaker and his partner David Furnish invited a host of celebrities, including Betty White, Nicole Richie and Victoria Beckham, to attend the 18th annual celebration, which raises money for the fight against AIDS. Full Story here.

US Lifts HIV/Aids Immigration Ban

2010-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

The US has lifted a 22-year immigration ban which has stopped anyone with HIV/Aids from entering the country.

President Obama said the ban was not compatible with US plans to be a leader in the fight against the disease.

The new rules come into force on Monday and the US plans to host a bi-annual global HIV/Aids summit for the first time in 2012. Full story here.

Sharing knowledge on HIV/AIDS, The Law and Human Rights

2009-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

AIDSLEX is a tool for activists, community organizations, researchers, policy-makers, journalists, health workers and anyone who seeks quick and easy access to a wide range of resources about HIV, human rights and the law. The central component of the website is a database of over 2700 documents (and growing) on a range of human rights and legal issues related to HIV/AIDS. Items are available in one or more of the following languages: English, French, Spanish and Russian. Please feel free to visit their website here.

Join Us for World AIDS Day in Second Life!

2009-11-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

"RYAN WHITE VIRTUAL STORY TREE" TO OPEN THE
WORLD AIDS DAY '09 MULTI-MEDIA EVENTS IN SECOND LIFE®

Jeanne White-Ginder among Presenters at International Virtual Event Honoring Ryan White and the Healing Power of Stories

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Los Angeles, CA (November 25, 2009)--An international group of HIV/AIDS organizations will collaborate on World AIDS Day '09 - across borders of time, space and geography - to celebrate the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and to honor the memory of Ryan White with the launch of the "Ryan White Virtual Story Tree," in Second Life® (SL).

Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White's mother, will be among the participants for the dedication of the virtual story tree at the multi-media, mixed reality celebration of life coordinated by The Virtual Worlds Story Project (www.tvwsp.com) on Karuna, the National Library of Medicine funded HIV/AIDS sim in Second Life® (www.karunahiv.com).

"Ryan loved media and would have enjoyed being part of a virtual world that teaches tolerance and understanding of people with HIV/AIDS," said Jeanne White-Ginder. "'I am not afraid of dying, he said on one of Phil Donahue's programs...it's how you live your life that counts,'" she continued. "Ryan's words are still teaching me and people around the world tolerance and to celebrate life."

The healing power of stories in real and Second Life® is the theme of this year's event bringing together the largest coalition of partners for a virtual WORLD AIDS Day celebration to date in SL.

"One of the mandates of the grant that funds Karuna is that we collect, preserve, and share stories," says Jena Ball, the Coordinator of Karuna and co-founder of TVWSP. "It is among the reasons we chose to celebrate the courageous life and story of Ryan White and created a virtual story tree, to honor his memory," she concluded.

For information on Ryan White, please visit the Indianapolis Children's Museum,
"The Power of Children: Making a Difference," www.childrensmuseum.org.

Medical Test Manufacturer Donates 4,500 HIV Test Kits

2009-11-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Chembio Diagnostics, Inc., a NY-based company that develops, manufactures, licenses and markets proprietary rapid diagnostic tests, is donating more than 4,500 rapid HIV test kits to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s 2009 Testing Millions Global Campaign, based in Los Angeles, to commemorate World AIDS Day 2009 on December 1st. Full story here.

HIV care providers applaud Congress' extension of Ryan White program

2009-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Medical providers on the front lines of HIV care applaud the U.S. Congress for extending the Ryan White Care Act, helping to ensure that more than half a million low-income, uninsured, or underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS have access to lifesaving care. The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition (RWMPC) are pleased with Congress' four-year extension of this critical safety net and urge President Obama to quickly sign this important legislation. Full story here.

Today Is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

2009-10-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Now in its seventh year, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, held each October 15, encourages public officials and religious leaders to promote HIV testing and education among Latinos in the United States, a group that represents about 15 percent of the population but accounts for 18 percent of new infections.

H1N1 Flu, And HIV....What You Need To Know

2009-09-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a webinar with officials from the CDC, National Institute of Health, and the Department of Health And Human Sevices that discussed H1N1 and HIV. I will outline the basics things you need to know about the H1N1 flu virus, if you have HIV. You can download the full audio recording of the webinar in mp3 format HERE. This full audio version has information for health care providers as well. I will just be making this post for patients though.

Research has shown that people living with HIV are not at a greater risk to contract influenza than adults without HIV. But, people with HIV can experience more severe complications of the flu if they do get the virus. Here are some ways to reduce the risks of contracting the H1N1 flu virus. Make sure you wash your hands often. Adoid close contact with anyone who is sick. Close contact would be 6 feet or closer to anyone who is sick. Advoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, and advoid stress. Do not miss any medications prescribed to you by your doctor. This would be your antiretrovirals, and any antibiotics that you may be taking. All these actions can help you advoid getting the H1N1 flu virus, and the regular flu.

There is treatment available for people who may have contracted the influenza virus. These treatments are to take antivirals. This is different then your antiretrovirals you may take. The CDC recommends treatment using either oseltamivir or zanamivir. A health care professional will determine the best treatment for you.

Symptoms of the flu can be but not limited to, cough, fever, running nose, aches, pains, nausea, and vomiting. If you are diagnosed with H1N1 you should stay home 24 hours after your fever has broken. Also if you have family, let them know you have the flu, so they can help you with maybe getting out and getting food for you, making sure your bills get paid, while you stay home and recover. Also make sure you have a 2week supply of any medications you maybe taking. Also being stocked up with chicken noodle soup and other comforting items is recommended.

For more information please visit:
http://www.flu.gov/
http://www.cdc.gov/flu
http://www.AIDS.gov/

No Disparities by Race/Ethnicity in Risk of AIDS and Death Among HIV-Infected Patients

2009-07-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Kaiser Permanente researchers found no disparities by race or ethnicity in risk of AIDS and death among HIV-infected patients in a setting of similar access to care. This is despite lower Anti-Retroviral Therapy adherence among Hispanics and African-Americans compared to whites. Researchers also saw a trend toward better outcomes for Hispanics.

The study, which appears online in The Journal of General Internal Medicine, is one of the largest to date to evaluate racial and ethnic differences in clinical outcomes among HIV-infected patients. Full story here.

Are You The Difference?

2009-06-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sacramento’s largest HIV/AIDS nonprofit is rallying the region to take on a challenge that no city in America has ever attempted. CARES, the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services, has partnered with community leaders, churches, politicians and hospitals to develop a five year campaign that will strive to eradicate all new cases of HIV in the region. The organization debuted the prevention and outreach strategies during their 20th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, June 4.

The campaign is called “Are you the difference?” and uses ambitious HIV/AIDS prevention and outreach strategies focusing on five key areas: getting people to know their HIV status; reducing new infections; ensuring sustainability of services; building a compassionate community; and improving health outcomes for people with HIV/AIDS.
Please visit HERE for more details.

Massachusetts Senate Passes Amendment To Restore AIDS Funding

2009-05-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

The state Senate on May 19 passed a budget amendment to restore some funding to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) AIDS budget that had been cut in the Senate Ways and Means Committee’s original proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) filed the amendment, which brings the state’s AIDS budget up to $35.3 million. Ways and Means had originally funded DPH’s AIDS budget at $34.4 million. Read full Story here.

U of M discovery offers potential breakthrough in preventing HIV transmission

2009-03-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

Public health officials have not had much success in preventing the spread of HIV around the world, but research at the U of M could change that. There are between two and three million new cases of HIV reported each year. Most of the infections are in sub-Saharan Africa where women represent close to 60 percent of the cases. Full Story Here!

The Life Ball HIV / AIDS Charity Event

2009-02-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

The Life Ball is organized by AIDS LIFE, an independent non-profit organization, created with the objective to raise money to support people in areas of the world most affected by HIV and AIDS. In 2008, a record result of 1.4 million US-Dollars was raised. In 2007 an additional 1 million US-Dollars was generated at the Dinner Gala with Bill Clinton the night before Life Ball 2007. Half of the raised funds go to national relief projects and half go to international organizations in support of HIV/AIDS treatment, research and prevention.

For further info on attending the life ball please contact www.SteeleTravel.com

New Increase In HIV Infections In Uganda

2008-12-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

Nearly two decades after Uganda managed, with meagre resources, to drastically reduce its HIV prevalence, the rate of new infections is rising again, despite significant amounts being spent on prevention.

An update on the global epidemic, published by UNAIDS in July 2008, pointed to signs in Uganda of "a possible resurgence in sexual risk-taking that could cause the epidemic to grow again." Full Story Here...

Today Is The 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day

2008-11-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st.The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. World AIDS Day provides governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic.

Here's a few facts about HIV/AIDS.

In 2007 the estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide was 33.2 million and there were 2.7 million people newly infected.

The first antibody HIV test becomes available in 1985.

In 1987 the "Global Programme On AIDS" is launched by The World Health Organization.

So today lets remember those friends and family members we have lost to this global killer. And, take time to thank all those who give their time and money to help beat this deadly virus. If theres a little extra money in the christmas fund this year, maybe you can see it in your heart to give a donation to a local HIV/AIDS charity this year.

25,000 Americans Don't Know They're HIV Positive

2008-11-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Nearly 60,000 people in the United States were infected with HIV and some 25,000 are unaware of their infection, a forum on HIV research said Thursday.

Major barriers still stand in the way of making testing for the human immunodeficiency virus the norm, despite the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation of routine HIV testing of people age 13 to 64.

The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research is holding a two-day National Summit on HIV Diagnosis, Prevention and Access to Care in Washington. Full Story Here...

HIV Vaccine Fails

2008-11-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

A clinical trial testing the effectiveness of what was believed to be a promising new HIV vaccine has resulted in failure.

The vaccine, made by the pharmaceutical company Merck, offered no protection against infection by the Aids virus.

The Step Study showed that the vaccine did not prevent infection in those not previously infected with HIV, nor did the vaccine reduce the amount of virus in those study participants who became infected with HIV through exposure from an
infected person while in the trial. Full story Here

Advocates Want Funding Restored For Community AIDS Programs

2008-10-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

A coalition of AIDS advocacy groups are calling on Canada's next federal government to restore funding they say the Conservatives diverted from support programs for people living with AIDS and HIV.

In 2004-2005, an all-party agreement promised to increase federal AIDS funding from $42.2 million to $84.4 million a year by 2009. The funding was to go toward research, community support for those living with HIV and AIDS and programs for people most at risk for HIV infection. Full Story Here

U.N. Head Fears Financial Crisis Will Affect AIDS Fight

2008-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern Tuesday that the U.S. financial crisis will have a serious global impact, especially on rich donor nations that play key roles in fighting poverty.

He urged a resumption of stalled world trade talks, which the U.N. sees as crucial to opening world markets to poorer developing countries. Full Story here...

Dr. Jeong-Nam Kim And Purdue University Health Communications Study

2008-08-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jeong-Nam Kim is doing a health communications study at Purdue University. Specifically, their research explores how information sharing behavior, through
online communities (such as blogs) influences coping strategies among people
with chronic conditions including cancer, diabetes, AIDS, etc. It's a very short survey. I personally took it, it's a very short survey and only take a few minutes of your time. Please click HERE to take it.

We Need A Domestic War On AIDS

2008-08-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, is the only member of Congress attending the 17th Annual International AIDS Conference, now in progress in Mexico City.

Lee coauthored the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) back in 2003, as well as the recent reauthorization which puts $48 billion toward helping millions of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. She told me this afternoon she wishes progress in fighting the disease here in the United States would be so successful. Full Stroy HERE.

Roche To Stop Antiretroviral Research, Company Says

2008-07-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Pharmaceutical company Roche in a memo circulated last week announced that it will stop research on antiretroviral drugs because of "disappointing results in clinical trials," the Financial Times reports. According to the memo, which was sent to HIV/AIDS specialists and advocates, Roche has canceled its program to research compounds that were targeting two different ways to attack HIV. The company stressed that it will continue to manufacture its current antiretrovirals -- Fuzeon, Viracept and Invirase -- as well as its HIV diagnostic test and other treatments related to the disease.

The First Annual 30 Days To 500 Fund Raiser

2008-06-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

I decided to try and give a fundraiser for two HIV organizations that have helped me in my life. The two organizations that will benefit from the fundraiser are, The Greater Community AIDS Project (GCAP), and The Center For AIDS Research, Education, And Services (C.A.R.E.S.) of Sacramento.

So anyways I am hoping with the kindness of my readers we can hit $500.00 to go to these 2 organizations. 100% of all donations will go directly to them. $250 each organization.

We need the support of our readers - you are our community. However, please put your health and family first - pay the rent, buy your medications and groceries, get your kids their clothes for school. But, if there is a little left over, these 2 great organizations can really use your help. Below is a donation button, as well as on the side of the page. Full finacial disclosures are available upon request. Please contact the webmaster for them. Thank you again. The Race is on 30 days lets go!!!

National HIV Testing Day 2008 Webinar for Bloggers

2008-06-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

National HIV Testing Day --June 27th--is approaching, and the Webinar's goals are to heighten awareness and understanding of HIV testing, and encourage bloggers to share this information with their readers. The Webinar is designed for bloggers who blog about health related topics and/or those who reach communities infected, affected, or at highest-risk for HIV.

I have been invited to participate in the webinar. It will focus on these follwing questions:

1. Why should we care about HIV testing?
2. Who should get tested for HIV?
3. What happens when someone goes to get an HIV test?
4. What are some of the reasons people dont get tested for HIV?
5. What are messages about HIV testing we can share with our blog readers?

If any readers want to leave comments or questions to be addressed at the webinar please leave a comment. The presenters will be Dr. Bernie Branson, CDC national HIV testing expert, Dr. Celia Maxwell from Howard University.

After the live event, a podcast and transcript of the Webinar will be available on AIDS.gov

The Seventh Annual AIDS Lifecycle

2008-06-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

As part of the seventh annual AIDS Lifecycle, a seven-day bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise funds for and awareness of HIV and AIDS, 2,500 bicyclists and 500 volunteer roadies will spend Friday night at a Ventura beach.

All funds generated by the cyclists will go to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.