Mid Fairfield Aids Project

MFAP's Remember When: Images of the Past

2011-10-13T04:32:00.000-07:00

Photos of Stuart Lane in Red Ribbon Gala Nov. 2009

Safer Sex Initiative

2011-10-13T04:10:00.001-07:00

MFAP Safer Sex Initiative

Free HIV testing - Know your status, Get Tested

Locations

Norwalk Health Department (203) 854-7979 Monday - Thursday 9-4pm

Norwalk Community Health Center (203) 899-1770

Bridgeport Same Day HIV/STD Testing (203) 873-2035 7am- 4pm Monday - Friday and 8am-12pm on Saturday

Fairfield Same Day HIV/STD Testing (203) 418-4326 7:30am- 4pm closed from 12-12:30 for lunch

Types of testing available

Conventional Blood Tests, Oral Fluid Tests, Rapid Tests, Home Tests, and Urine Tests Importance of Getting Tested Able to take steps to reduce risk of transmission to partners or infants if pregnant or breast feeding Able to seek help and access resources if needed

Free condoms - No Glove No Love

FREE CONDOMS provided at MFAP

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Use a Condom

Check the expiration date. Open the wrapper by tearing along one side of the condom wrapper carefully, making sure that the condom is not near the edge because rips and tears can easily occur (DO NOT open with your teeth). Once the penis is erect the condom can be put on the penis. Pinch the tip of the condom and make sure it is rolling in the correct direction. While you are still pinching the tip, roll the condom down the base of the penis. Make sure the condom is sucure during sex. If the condom rolls up, roll it back down or if it comes off, get a new condom and repeat the previous steps. Once ejaculation occurs, remove the penis while it is still errect and hold the base of the condom to ensure that it doesn't slide off. Take off the condom once the penis is completely removed. Make sure all of the ejaculate stays inside the condom and then dispose it in a proper receptacle(DO NOT flush down the toilet)

Why Use a Condom Protect yourself from HIV and STDs Help prevent unwanted pregnancy Help keep you and your partner safe Can make sex more enjoyable because you will have peace of mind knowing that you are being safe

Information hotline - You Have Questions...We Have Answers

MFAP (203) 855-9535

Norwalk Health Department (203) 854-7979

Speakers Bureau - Speaking Out Against AIDS

Contact MFAP if interested in having us come and speak to your organization Call MFAP at 203-855-9535 and ask for Stuart to schedule a date and time

HIV/AIDS brochure - Get the Facts

FREE informational brochures available at MFAP Other resources such as books, magazines and tapes are also available for review

HIV/AIDS FAQ website - Knowledge is Power

What are the main routes of HIV transmission?

-Unprotected sex with someone who is infected

-Sharing unsterilized needles that have previously been used by someone who is HIV infected

-From an HIV positive mother to her child through birth or breastfeeding

What are the 4 fluids that HIV is transmitted through?

-Blood

-Semen

-Vaginal fluid

-Breast milk

What are fluids that HIV is not transmitted through?

-Saliva

-Urine

-Sweat

-Feces

-Vomit

How safe is oral sex?

Oral sex holds the least risk of the other types of sex (anal and vaginal) but is not classified as "safe sex". Oral sex still poses the risk of HIV and STD transmission. Oral sex can expose a person to Herpes, Genital Warts, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia,Syphilis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C and HIV if blood is present.

Does unprotected anal sex pose more of a risk of becoming infected with HIV than unprotected vaginal sex? Yes. Penetration of the anus can cause tearing and bleeding of the soft tissue, therefore increasing your risk of HIV transmission. Condom use is always recommended during any type of sex, but especially during anal sex to reduce the risk of infections.

Can someone get HIV through contact with an animal such as dogs or cats? No. Hiv is a human virus so it can only be transmitted through humans.

Does circumcision protect against HIV? Circumcision will help reduce your risk of becoming infected with HIV, but will not protect you against the virus. A male's foreskin can trap the HIV virus in a moist environment near the tip of the penis allowing the virus to live longer. The foreskin is also suseptible to tears and rips during intercourse creating a portal for the virus to enter.

What is the HIV testing "window period"? The "window period" is a phrase describing the time between when you become infected with HIV and when your body starts producing antibodies. To elimate and false negatives because of the window period, you are suggested to get tested 3 months after the pontential exposure.

Is it ok for two HIV postive people to have unprotected sex with each other? No. It is possible to get "re-infected" with a different strain of HIV than the one you already have. The new strain might not be controlled by the medication you are taking or may be reistant to other antiretroviral drugs.

Safe sex awareness - Lets Talk About Sex

What is safe sex?

How to lower your by practicing safe sex:

UK study shows how better HIV drugs extend lives

2011-10-13T04:03:00.003-07:00

UK study shows how better HIV drugs extend lives

By Kate Kelland – Wed Oct 12, 11:17 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) – Life expectancy for people in Britain who have HIV rose by 15 years between 1996 and 2008, thanks largely earlier diagnosis and treatment with better, less toxic drugs, scientists said on Wednesday.

While life expectancy for HIV patients is still lower than in the general population, dramatic progress in reducing side effects from drugs, offering them as combination therapies and starting treatment earlier have helped turn HIV into a chronic disease with a good prognosis, the researchers said.

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers added that the average lifespan of HIV positive patients should increase further with guidelines recommending they start treatment even earlier with modern, improved drugs.

"These results are very reassuring news for current patients and will be used to counsel those recently found to be HIV-positive," said Mark Gompels of Britain's North Bristol NHS Trust, who co-led the study.

Around 34 million people globally have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, and the vast majority of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Access to screening, diagnosis and early treatment with HIV drugs is limited in many poorer nations, but in wealthy countries like Britain their availability has made a big difference to many patients' lives.

Gompels worked with Margaret May of Bristol University and used data from the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort study, which in 2001 began collating routine data on HIV positive people who had been attending some of Britain's largest clinics since January 1996.

They looked at patients aged 20 and over who started treatment with at least three HIV drugs between 1996 and 2008.

Their analysis showed that life expectancy for an average 20-year-old infected with HIV increased from 30 years to almost 46 between the periods 1996 to 1999 and 2006 to 2008.

"We should expect further improvements for patients starting antiretroviral therapy now with improved modern drugs and new guidelines recommending earlier treatment," May said in a statement about the work.

The findings also showed that life expectancy for women treated for HIV in Britain is 10 years higher than for men.

During the period 1996 to 2008, life expectancy was 40 years for male patients and 50 years for female patients, compared with 58 years for men and nearly 62 years for women in the general UK population.

In a comment on the findings, Elena Losina, a senior scientist at the Boston Brigham and Women's Hospital in the United States said that although the progress in Britain was encouraging, it should also serve as "an urgent call" to increase awareness among patients and health workers about how effective HIV treatment can be -- especially if started early.

"In turn this should increase rates of routine HIV screening, with timely linkage to care and uninterrupted treatment," she said. "As these factors improve, the full benefits of treatment for all HIV infected people can be realized."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/oMibQH BMJ, October 11, 2011.

GAY BINGO, Oct. 28, 2011

2011-10-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION!!

GAY BINGO
Next Bingo Date:

Oct. 28, 2011
Dec. 09, 2011

Feb. 10, 2012
Apr. 20, 2012

We will hold reservations until 6:45pm on the day of the event
Tickets are sold by seats - No seats can be saved without buying a ticket
No outside food or beverages are permitted during the event
Reservations are available until 12noon on the day of the event

Register Now!

* Required

*First Name
*Last Name
Phone
*Email

*Party of # IF 6 OR MORE YOU MUST CALL 855-9525

Oct. 28th

Dec. 9th

Feb. 10th

Apr. 20th

Welcome to MFAP Blog

2011-10-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to MFAP Blog

The Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project (MFAP) was founded in 1987 by individuals from a variety of local organizations in cooperation with the Norwalk Health Department and Norwalk Hospital as an initial response to HIV/AIDS.

Support Groups

Open HIV+ Group*

Every Other Wednesday @ 7pm

Oct. 12, 2011
Dec. 26, 2011

Nov. 09, 2012
Nov. 23, 2012

*dinner provided

MFAP Events

Gay Bingo

To Be Announced
Register Now!

Red Ribbon Gala

Case Manager's Corner

When was the last time you met with your Medical Case Manager?

If you have not done so, please set up and appointment today!

You may be eligle to receive:
Emergency Financial Assistance, Rental Assistance, and/or Food Gift Cards.

Rosie Rodriquez
Housing Coordinator
Medical Case Manager

Mike Little
Program Supervisor
Medical Case Manage

Mid-Fairfield Aids Project's 7th Annual Red Ribbon Gala

2011-10-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Back to home » HIV 101 » POZ Focus » How is HIV Transmitted?

2011-10-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

Back to home » HIV 101 » POZ Focus » How is HIV Transmitted?

How is HIV Transmitted?

HIV enters the body through open cuts, sores or breaks in the skin; through mucous membranes, such as those inside the anus or vagina; or through direct injection. There are several ways by which this can happen:

Sexual contact with an infected person. Anal or vaginal intercourse without a condom with a partner who is either positive or does not know his or her HIV status account for the vast majority of sexually-transmitted HIV cases in the U.S. and elsewhere. Oral sex is not an efficient route of HIV transmission. To learn more about the "theoretical risk" of oral sex and HIV transmission, click here. Kissing, massage, masturbation and "hand jobs" do not spread HIV. More information about safer sex to help prevent HIV transmission can be found here.
Sharing needles, syringes or other injection equipment with someone who is infected. Information on safer injecting to help prevent the spread of HIV can be found here.
Mother-to-child transmission. Babies born to HIV-positive women can be infected with the virus before or during birth, or through breastfeeding after birth. More information about HIV and pregnancy can be found here.
Transmission in health care settings. Healthcare professionals have been infected with HIV in the workplace, usually after being stuck with needles or sharp objects containing HIV-infected blood. As for HIV-positive healthcare providers infecting their patients, there have only been six documented cases, all involving the same HIV-positive dentist in the 1980s.
Transmission via donated blood or blood clotting factors.However, this is now very rare in countries where blood is screened for HIV antibodies, including in the United States.

HIV has been detected in saliva, tears and urine. However, HIV in these fluids is only found in extremely low concentrations. What's more, there hasn't been a single case of HIV transmission through these fluids reported. HIV cannot be transmitted through day-to-day activities such as shaking hands, hugging or casual kissing. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, drinking fountain, or sharing food or eating utensils with someone who is positive. You also cannot get HIV from mosquitoes.

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, new or potentially unknown routes of transmission have been thoroughly investigated by state and local health departments, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To date, no additional routes of transmission have been recorded, despite a national system designed to detect unusual cases.

AIDSmeds.com - What is AIDS & HIV?

2011-10-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

AIDSmeds.com - What is AIDS & HIV?

What is AIDS & HIV?

OK—now to the scientific stuff.

First the basics: what is AIDS? AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a condition caused by a virus called HIV. This virus attacks the immune system, the body's "security force" that fights off infections. When the immune system breaks down, you lose this protection and can develop many serious, often deadly infections and cancers. These are called "opportunistic infections (OIs)" because they take advantage of the body's weakened defenses. You have heard it said that someone "died of AIDS." This is not entirely accurate, since it is the opportunistic infections that cause death. AIDS is the condition that lets the OIs take hold.

And what is HIV? HIV is a virus, like the flu or cold. A virus is really nothing but a set of instructions for making new viruses, wrapped up in some fat, protein and sugar. Without living cells, a virus can't do anything—it's like a brain with no body. In order to make more viruses (and to do all of the other nasty things that viruses do), a virus has to infect a cell. HIV mostly infects CD4 cells, also known as T cells, orT-helper cells. These are white blood cells that coordinate the immune system to fight disease, much like the quarterback of a football team. Once inside the cell, HIV starts producing millions of little viruses, which eventually kill the cell and then go out to infect other cells. All of the drugs marketed to treat HIV work by interfering with this process. There, that wasn't so hard, was it?

To learn more on how HIV infects a CD4 cell and begins to create more viruses, click on the following lesson link:

The HIV Life Cycle (and the targets of each class of anti-HIV drugs)

How is HIV transmitted? Are you infected? If you have visited this site looking for information about HIV because you think you might be infected—but you haven't tested for it yet, or have doubts about the tests—then you should read the following lessons:

How is HIV Transmitted?
Am I Infected? (A Complete Guide to Testing for HIV)

Last Revised: June 24, 2011

This content is written by the editorial team at AIDSmeds.com.
Please find profiles of this team on our "About Us" page.