TheBody.Com: Blog Central http://www.thebody.com/content/art46169.html TheBody.Com's collection of blogs, featuring HIV advocates and people living with HIV. http://img.thebody.com/thebody/blogfeeds/redhands_140x140.gif TheBody.Com: Blog Central http://www.thebody.com/content/art46169.html 140 140 Living With HIV and Taking Care of Your Health in Prison http://www.thebody.com/content/81489/living-with-hiv-and-taking-care-of-your-health-in-.html Tim HinkhouseHere it is, another November, but this one has meant something very special to me. Why is that, you ask? Besides the mid-term elections in which Washington, D.C. got swept by a blue wave, the State of Oregon had its gubernatorial race again, and Governor Kate Brown won a second term. And since Oregon limits governors to two consecutive terms, she can do whatever she wants without fear of repercussions from her constituents. Right now, my focus is the hope that she will grant me the clemency that I asked her for. I have sent her documents talking about the decriminalization of the HIV virus, including how California changed their laws surrounding HIV.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81489/living-with-hiv-and-taking-care-of-your-health-in-.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Wed, 28 Nov 2018 18:05:00 GMT A Short Film for World AIDS Day Has Arrived. Watch It Right Now. http://www.thebody.com/content/81470/a-short-film-for-world-aids-day-has-arrived-watch-.html Mark S. KingStop what you're doing. An exhilarating new short film produced especially for people living with HIV (PLHIV) is about to grab your heart and make you stand up and cheer.

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]]> Fri, 16 Nov 2018 18:24:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81470/a-short-film-for-world-aids-day-has-arrived-watch-.html The History of HIV/AIDS in One Astonishing Poem http://www.thebody.com/content/81461/the-history-of-hivaids-in-one-astonishing-poem.html Mark S. KingThe team behind the 20th Anniversary Community Summit, being held in Atlanta this weekend and sponsored by ViiV Healthcare, knew how to open the event today on exactly the right foot. The first words attendees heard were the poetry of Mary Bowman, delivered by the award-winning spoken word artist herself.

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]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2018 18:10:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81461/the-history-of-hivaids-in-one-astonishing-poem.html Thirty Years Later, AIDS Activists Who "Seized Control" Discuss Their Legacy http://www.thebody.com/content/81417/thirty-years-later-aids-activists-who-seized-contr.html Mark S. KingThe AIDS activists who regularly stormed the homes, offices and even churches of the powerful beginning in the late 1980s weren't the only ones who were scared for their lives.

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]]> Mon, 22 Oct 2018 18:27:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81417/thirty-years-later-aids-activists-who-seized-contr.html Why My Ex and Best Friend Li and I Broke Up After 10 Years Together and Married Legally http://www.thebodypro.com/content/81405/why-my-ex-and-best-friend-li-and-i-broke-up-after-.html Maria T. MejiaThis is a blog about our immigration nightmare and what we have been suffering in silence since 2008.

Where do I start this very hard blog to write? I guess from the beginning.

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]]> http://www.thebodypro.com/content/81405/why-my-ex-and-best-friend-li-and-i-broke-up-after-.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Tue, 16 Oct 2018 20:08:00 GMT How HIV Activists Helped Create the Jeff Flake Elevator Moment http://www.thebody.com/content/81397/how-hiv-activists-helped-create-the-jeff-flake-ele.html Mark S. KingVery little happens by accident. The most iconic moments in HIV/AIDS activism -- the appearance of the early SILENCE=DEATH meme, the footage of AIDS activist Peter Staley being peeled from a building during a protest, the photos of Sen. Jesse Helms' home wrapped in an enormous condom -- were the product of weeks of careful planning and design.

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]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:29:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81397/how-hiv-activists-helped-create-the-jeff-flake-ele.html Reflecting on Life and HIV Outside Prison Pending My Hoped-for Release http://www.thebody.com/content/81366/reflecting-on-life-and-hiv-outside-prison-pending-.html Tim HinkhouseAs I am writing this, we are less than 60 days out till the Oregon elections and Governor Kate Brown gets re-elected or not. As we get closer to November, the reality is starting to get to me about the real possibility of being a free man once again after multiple decades of being in prison. I have been making contact with folks that could steer me in the right direction upon release for various resources.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81366/reflecting-on-life-and-hiv-outside-prison-pending-.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 1 Oct 2018 18:18:00 GMT Going to USCA Was My Form of Self-Care http://www.thebodypro.com/content/81332/going-to-usca-was-my-form-of-self-care.html Maria T. MejiaPeople were surprised to see me there!

More than a conference, it is a family reunion and place to network and learn, but most importantly uplift each other.

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]]> http://www.thebodypro.com/content/81332/going-to-usca-was-my-form-of-self-care.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Tue, 18 Sep 2018 19:49:00 GMT Five Takeaways From the 2018 United States Conference on AIDS http://www.thebody.com/content/81313/five-takeaways-from-the-2018-united-states-confere.html Mark S. KingThe 2018 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), the HIV advocacy, education and networking behemoth produced by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), is the benevolent and wealthy grandfather of the HIV conference scene. We adore him sincerely, we marvel at his station in the world and the fortitude that got him there, and we tread carefully. And sometimes, to our delight or to our chagrin, Grandpa does the damnedest things.

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]]> Wed, 12 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81313/five-takeaways-from-the-2018-united-states-confere.html Amazed by How Far Science Has Advanced in the Treatment and Prevention of HIV http://www.thebody.com/content/81228/amazed-by-how-far-science-has-advanced-in-the-trea.html Tim HinkhouseHello there readers: Recently I was watching my 13-inch flat screen television, and I was absolutely floored by what I saw. I now know that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has come along way because I saw a commercial for Truvada (FTC/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate). That literally made me tear up because of how far science has made advances in HIV research to now be making commercials about HIV prevention.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81228/amazed-by-how-far-science-has-advanced-in-the-trea.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Tue, 14 Aug 2018 17:32:00 GMT Support for My Clemency Application, Update of Oregon HIV Criminalization Laws http://www.thebody.com/content/81222/support-for-my-clemency-application-update-of-oreg.html Tim HinkhouseHello there readers: If you have been following my blog regularly, then you know that I have been in prison for more than two decades for non-disclosure of my HIV status, which got me a long sentence. I have been in awe of how much things have changed over the years. States like California have made non-disclosure, unprotected sexual intercourse, and even HIV transmission no longer a felony that can land someone in prison for decades. The charge is now a misdemeanor and punishable by county jail time.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81222/support-for-my-clemency-application-update-of-oreg.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Fri, 10 Aug 2018 17:03:00 GMT Important HIV Cure Survey -- Calling All Women Living With HIV in the U.S. to Participate! http://www.thebody.com/content/81133/important-hiv-cure-survey--calling-all-women-livin.html Maria T. MejiaI made this video to discuss the importance of women living with HIV to participate in research that affects our lives. In order for women to receive care and treatment that works for us -- our bodies and our lives -- we need to make our voices and needs heard. Women are often under-represented in HIV research and always working to get a "seat at the table." One way we can improve this is by taking surveys such as this one -- which is to find out what we would be willing (or not willing) to do in order to participate in HIV cure research. Many HIV cure studies so far have only had men participating, and it is important that women let researchers know our thoughts and needs as well! It would be a disaster if millions of dollars were poured into an HIV cure study only to find out no or very few women would be willing to take part in it! This survey was designed by allies of The Well Project and reviewed by women living with and affected by HIV to ensure it's accessible to our community.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81133/important-hiv-cure-survey--calling-all-women-livin.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Fri, 29 Jun 2018 17:55:00 GMT Surviving My Choices http://www.thebody.com/content/81125/surviving-my-choices.html PWN-USAHello, it's been a minute since I wrote a blog. I am reminded of Long-Term Survivor Day as it approaches. I was diagnosed in 1997. I suspected until yesterday I was given this condition through a sex partner as a teenager. My first boyfriend died of AIDS-related complications in 1994. He received several blood transfusions as a kid.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81125/surviving-my-choices.html Wed, 27 Jun 2018 19:58:00 GMT Candidate Kevin Mack Includes Life With HIV in Maryland Campaign http://www.thebody.com/content/81103/candidate-kevin-mack-includes-life-with-hiv-in-mar.html Mark S. KingThe garden party fundraising event last month in Montgomery County, Maryland, had all the usual markers of a political candidate on the rise. Well-dressed children frolicked on the lawn of the stately home while guests helped themselves to finger foods and glasses of wine. Several elected officials made appearances. There was even an iconic Olympic athlete in attendance, good-naturedly taking selfies with fans.

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]]> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:53:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81103/candidate-kevin-mack-includes-life-with-hiv-in-mar.html Mental Health and HIV in Prison http://www.thebody.com/content/81077/mental-health-and-hiv-in-prison.html Tim HinkhouseRecently, I was reading the title of my blog, which is "HIV on the Inside."

Originally, I meant HIV inside these prison walls. After giving it some thought, I want it to mean the HIV inside my body and how it affects me mentally, emotionally, and socially, as well as in whatever other aspects it could affect me today.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81077/mental-health-and-hiv-in-prison.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 7 Jun 2018 16:06:00 GMT What Is an HIV Long-Term Survivor? Five People With HIV Grapple With the Question http://www.thebody.com/content/81068/what-is-an-hiv-long-term-survivor-five-people-with.html Justin B. Terry-SmithHIV Long-Term Survivor's Day is here! I have often wondered whether I am considered a long-term survivor. I've been positive for only 13 years. I personally don't know whether I am considered a long-term survivor, but it has somewhat felt that way. I've buried friends that have denied their own HIV status; because of stigma they felt from family and the outside world, they let illness consume them instead of facing it head on. But I was born in 1979 and will never remember the early epidemic and how there were people dying every day of AIDS. I decided to interview five people who have been HIV positive between 10 and 30-plus years to better understand what being a long-term survivor means and to learn about some of the challenges they face or may face.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81068/what-is-an-hiv-long-term-survivor-five-people-with.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Tue, 5 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT Long-Term Survivors of HIV/AIDS Speak Up About Their Legacy http://www.thebody.com/content/81064/long-term-survivors-of-hivaids-speak-up-about-thei.html Mark S. KingJust in time for the annual HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day on June 5, The Reunion Project has released a new video in which people who have lived with HIV for decades discuss their legacy. It's quite a remarkable thing, to watch a parade of faces filled with history as they consider what they have accomplished since the pandemic began.

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]]> Fri, 1 Jun 2018 18:22:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81064/long-term-survivors-of-hivaids-speak-up-about-thei.html Through Blogging, HIV-Positive People Can Have a Platform to Be Heard and Understood http://www.thebody.com/content/81050/through-blogging-hiv-positive-people-can-have-a-pl.html Tim HinkhouseI know that it has been awhile since my last blog entry. Let me start by saying to those of you who are interested in linking my blog, I need you to contact editor@thebody.com and ask what you need to do. Several people have written asking to do this. Let me remind my readers that I am in prison, and I have no way to access the internet directly, so I can't answer your internet questions or link anything for you. I am sorry.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/81050/through-blogging-hiv-positive-people-can-have-a-pl.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 24 May 2018 15:59:00 GMT Honoring My Older Gay Brother on "LGBT Elders Day" http://www.thebody.com/content/81038/honoring-my-older-gay-brother-on-lgbt-elders-day.html Mark S. KingIt's no surprise to me that the two causes I am most passionate about, HIV and addiction -- the two issues that drive my activism -- are both things that my older brother, Richard "Dick" King, cared about first. He showed me the way.

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]]> Fri, 18 May 2018 20:37:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81038/honoring-my-older-gay-brother-on-lgbt-elders-day.html Revered AIDS Doctor Gabriel Torres: Redemption after Meth Addiction http://www.thebody.com/content/81014/revered-aids-doctor-gabriel-torres-redemption-afte.html Mark S. KingThe article appeared in New York Magazine in 2008. I remember it quite distinctly. Titled "Another AIDS Casualty" and written by David France, the profile of once-famous New York AIDS physician Dr. Ramon "Gabriel" Torres was a heart-wrenching read.

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]]> Tue, 8 May 2018 16:41:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/81014/revered-aids-doctor-gabriel-torres-redemption-afte.html I Wrote "The Truth About the 7,000." Now What? http://www.thebody.com/content/80973/i-wrote-the-truth-about-the-7000-now-what.html Mark S. KingIt began with a death and a lingering question. After a friend -- an advocate who knew what to do to stay alive -- died of an AIDS-related cause a few months ago, I was left wondering why. Together with other deaths in the news of people "unexpectedly" dying the same way, it felt like a tragic trend.

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]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2018 18:19:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80973/i-wrote-the-truth-about-the-7000-now-what.html Name HIV Activists Fiercer Than the Positive Women's Network. I'll Wait. http://www.thebody.com/content/80970/name-hiv-activists-fiercer-than-the-positive-women.html Mark S. KingYou may have heard me sing the praises of The Positive Women's Network - USA (PWN) before, but until now I haven't had the opportunity to show you, up close and personal, why I believe they are the mightiest force of HIV advocacy in the country today. Now you can get a look for yourself.

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]]> Fri, 20 Apr 2018 17:46:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80970/name-hiv-activists-fiercer-than-the-positive-women.html And Then, I Was a Single HIV-Positive Mother http://www.thebody.com/content/80808/and-then-i-was-a-single-hiv-positive-mother.html Brooke DavidoffIt was back in February when my period stopped: I was late. My husband and I began to get excited; we had been trying for almost a year. Pee test after test came back negative, but as the days went on, I remained period-less.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80808/and-then-i-was-a-single-hiv-positive-mother.html brookedavidoff@gmail.com (Brooke Davidoff) Wed, 7 Feb 2018 17:37:00 GMT amfAR Chair Kenneth Cole Must Be Replaced. Here's Five Suggestions. http://www.thebody.com/content/80712/amfar-chair-kenneth-cole-must-be-replaced-heres-fi.html Mark S. KingThe American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) has been rocked by a scandal this year that involves shoe fashion maven Kenneth Cole, who serves as amfAR Board Chair, and amfAR major donor Harvey Weinstein. (Yeah, that Harvey Weinstein. He's the gift that keeps on groping.)

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]]> Thu, 28 Dec 2017 20:37:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80712/amfar-chair-kenneth-cole-must-be-replaced-heres-fi.html Making Private Testimony Public and the Impact on Social Media With HIV Activism http://www.thebody.com/content/80681/making-private-testimony-public-and-the-impact-on-.html Justin B. Terry-SmithWhen Justin's HIV Journal was on display at the Brooklyn Museum there was a discussion panel afterward on activism. It allowed me to see activists from early in the HIV epidemic and present-day activists. The one commonality that we all had was the camera. We documented our lives and other people's lives who were affected or infected with HIV. It amazed me how far activism has come, but it also amazes me at what is coming next from the next generation. Sometimes, I wonder, will the generation after me understand what we've done to help in the fight against HIV? I know that the generation before me probably thought the same thing. Well, I say to them, I was there, I listened, and I'm here now continuing your work -- the work that laid the groundwork for others like me to be able to do what we do. I thank you all on this World AIDS Day.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80681/making-private-testimony-public-and-the-impact-on-.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Tue, 12 Dec 2017 19:13:00 GMT 24 Years Ago, I Was Arrested for Having HIV and Unprotected Sex and Failing to Disclose http://www.thebody.com/content/80674/24-years-ago-i-was-arrested-for-having-hiv-and-unp.html Tim HinkhouseOn Sept. 26, 2017, it was exactly 24 years to the day that I was arrested for having HIV and unprotected sex, and not disclosing my status. This is 288 months of my life. In some cases, that's more than someone who took a life on purpose. That is roughly 8,760 days of incarceration -- plus the extra days since 1993 that fell on a leap year. I have about 389 months left till Feb. 12, 2050, which is my release date.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80674/24-years-ago-i-was-arrested-for-having-hiv-and-unp.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT Counting My Blessings, Remaining Undetectable, and Continuing to Move Forward http://www.thebody.com/content/80658/counting-my-blessings-remaining-undetectable-and-c.html Lynda ArnoldIt's that time of year again. Holiday bustle. End-of-year reflections. World AIDS Day remembrances and calls to action. In my home, my days are busy, busy, and busy. I'm about to be a grandmother and couldn't be more thrilled. New life. New beginnings. Days I truly once thought I'd never live to see.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80658/counting-my-blessings-remaining-undetectable-and-c.html lyndaarn@gmail.com (Lynda Arnold) Tue, 5 Dec 2017 17:25:00 GMT Questions About HIV Criminalization Law Updates, Retroactivity, and Recidivism http://www.thebody.com/content/80653/questions-about-hiv-criminalization-law-updates-re.html Tim HinkhouseRecently, my friend in Pennsylvania, who is also a reader of my blog, sent me a printout from TheBody.com titled "HIV Criminalization Update: Some U.S. Nondisclosure Laws Advance, While Others Recede." The subhead that caught me was "California Law Modernizing HIV Criminalization Awaits Governor's Signature" and the line that said: "[T]he bill reduces HIV transmission from a felony to a misdemeanor. This means that people who are convicted will face no more than six months in jail rather than years in prison."

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80653/questions-about-hiv-criminalization-law-updates-re.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 4 Dec 2017 18:49:00 GMT Staying on Top of Your Oral Health http://www.thebody.com/content/80650/staying-on-top-of-your-oral-health.html Justin B. Terry-SmithPersons living with HIV must take extra care of their bodies and minds. I have this saying I repeat to myself when things don't go as well as I think they should go after a depressing doctor's appointment: "My body wasn't given the ability to fight off a virus constantly." This includes one's oral health; yes, I'm talking about your teeth and gums, people. People may not know this but there are certain things of which people living with HIV need to stay conscious and cautious.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80650/staying-on-top-of-your-oral-health.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Fri, 1 Dec 2017 21:18:00 GMT The World AIDS Day Anthem We Really Need Has Just Arrived http://www.thebody.com/content/80630/the-world-aids-day-anthem-we-really-need-has-just-.html Mark S. KingMerce, the web series about a gay New Yorker living with HIV, is a little bonkers. The candy-colored musical comedy, written by and starring the singular Charles Sanchez, has "the low budget appeal of an early John Waters romp," as I wrote when season one hit your computer screens two years ago.

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]]> Tue, 28 Nov 2017 19:42:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80630/the-world-aids-day-anthem-we-really-need-has-just-.html World AIDS Day Could Mean More Than Telling Prisoners to Get an HIV Test http://www.thebody.com/content/80625/world-aids-day-could-mean-more-than-telling-prison.html Tim HinkhouseAs many of you have read before, this is my 27th year living with HIV, and there are no signs of me slowing down soon. Here at the Two Rivers Correctional Institution (TRCI), the medical department has HIV testing. When I was at the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), working for the HIV/AIDS Awareness Program (HAAP) years ago, there were educational classes, an HIV support group, and a World AIDS Day celebration. People from the outside would come in and speak to the inmate population in attendance. We had full-time inmate staff that took care of in-house business: newsletters, office duties, research, and phone calls to the outside. This used to be a really important part of getting HIV education to the general prison population.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80625/world-aids-day-could-mean-more-than-telling-prison.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 27 Nov 2017 12:00:00 GMT Antron Reshaud Olukayode Died of AIDS. We Must Say It. http://www.thebody.com/content/80624/antron-reshaud-olukayode-died-of-aids-must-say-it.html Mark S. KingThis world lost a remarkable young man on November 12th, when Antron-Reshaud Olukayode, a 33-year-old HIV educator, writer, and performance artist from Atlanta died of AIDS.

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]]> Tue, 21 Nov 2017 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80624/antron-reshaud-olukayode-died-of-aids-must-say-it.html I Could Do So Many Things With My Life Outside These Prison Walls http://www.thebody.com/content/80619/i-could-do-so-many-things-with-my-life-outside-the.html Tim HinkhouseGreetings from the Two Rivers Correctional Institution here in Umatilla, Oregon. I have recently been in contact with the Cascade AIDS Project in Portland, Oregon, asking them to support my clemency application by sending a letter on my behalf to the Oregon governor, Kate Brown.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80619/i-could-do-so-many-things-with-my-life-outside-the.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Fri, 17 Nov 2017 17:01:00 GMT "BPM (Beats Per Minute)" is the Sexiest Damn Film of 2017. Period. http://www.thebody.com/content/80590/bpm-beats-per-minute-is-the-sexiest-damn-film-of-2.html Mark S. KingIn the new film BPM (Beats per Minute), set in Paris in the early 1990s, ACT UP activists invade a high school to do what public health officials will not: dispense condoms and AIDS education to the students. Watching these renegade sex educators shout out guidelines for safe anal and vaginal intercourse to classrooms of wide-eyed teenagers is hilarious and subversively triumphant.

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]]> Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:55:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80590/bpm-beats-per-minute-is-the-sexiest-damn-film-of-2.html After Finding My Blog, the Son I Abandoned at Birth Gets in Touch http://www.thebody.com/content/80589/after-finding-my-blog-the-son-i-abandoned-at-birth.html Tim HinkhouseI want to share with you something amazing in my life right now, which I can absolutely attribute to my blog. Before I became HIV positive in 1989, I had a girlfriend who had a baby boy born in August of that year. I was there in the delivery room to see him born, and I signed his birth certificate. This was the same year I went to California to party and engage in reckless behaviors instead of staying and doing the responsible thing: raising the child I helped bring into this world.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80589/after-finding-my-blog-the-son-i-abandoned-at-birth.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 13 Nov 2017 14:43:00 GMT Learning to Live With HIV and Be OK http://www.thebody.com/content/80578/learning-to-live-with-hiv-and-be-ok.html Tim HinkhouseAs you can see, I am still in prison. Two years ago on Aug. 31, I sent my clemency application to Oregon Governor Kate Brown, asking her for mercy. I had my friend put a petition on change.org asking people to sign it if they agreed that I had spent enough time in prison and urging the governor to let me out. I want to thank those of you who signed the petition and left your comments saying why you signed it. Hopefully this will make a difference?

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80578/learning-to-live-with-hiv-and-be-ok.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Wed, 8 Nov 2017 19:51:00 GMT This HIV Survivor Quit Smoking to Vape. Don't Judge. http://www.thebody.com/content/80571/this-hiv-survivor-quit-smoking-to-vape-dont-judge.html Mark S. KingMy years of smoking are much more likely to kill me than HIV. I suppose that's progress, and testament to how far we have come in my 32 years living with the virus. So why am I so defensive about my switch to vaping?

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]]> Mon, 6 Nov 2017 21:07:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80571/this-hiv-survivor-quit-smoking-to-vape-dont-judge.html Rosacea: My Story http://www.thebody.com/content/80537/rosacea-my-story.html Justin B. Terry-SmithFive years ago, I made a blog video on my struggles with rosacea. If you missed the post, let me first tell you about what rosacea is. Rosacea is a chronic disease and skin condition that causes inflammation and visible strained blood vessels in a person's face. In my face, it caused redness and small, red, pus-filled bumps.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80537/rosacea-my-story.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Tue, 24 Oct 2017 17:02:00 GMT "After Louie" Film Review: An AIDS Survivor, Barely Surviving http://www.thebody.com/content/80536/emafter-louieem-film-review-an-aids-survivor-barel.html Mark S. KingSam Cooper, a shell-shocked gay veteran of the 1980s, has invited Braeden, a much younger man, out for a hamburger after their sexual tryst. Braeden has been mindlessly chattering about his life and friends and how he negotiates casual sex outside his relationship. Hookups carry no more weight for Braeden than the phone he uses to find them.

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]]> Mon, 23 Oct 2017 20:41:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80536/emafter-louieem-film-review-an-aids-survivor-barel.html Review: "The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson" Is Trans Film Noir http://www.thebody.com/content/80499/review-the-death-and-life-of-marsha-p-johnson-is-t.html Mark S. KingVictoria Cruz, a dogged crime-victim advocate in New York City, has taken on one last case before retirement. She wants to solve the mysterious 1992 death of Marsha P. Johnson -- a trans woman like Cruz herself -- who's body was pulled from the Hudson river after disappearing the evening before.

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]]> Mon, 9 Oct 2017 15:49:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80499/review-the-death-and-life-of-marsha-p-johnson-is-t.html Bisexuality http://www.thebody.com/content/80409/bisexuality.html Josh MiddletonWe live in a world that seeks to label us and box individuals into various categories in order to better understand the complexity of the human race. However, these labels can often be problematic and confusing: life is much more complex than the black-and-white thinking we tend to use. I have struggled with the concept of labels myself, including their advantages, disadvantages, and purpose in my life; in particular, my sexual orientation. For the past five years, I've been known as the "HIV positive heterosexual male go-to guy," a seemingly non-existent, rare voice within the HIV community. That all changed a couple of weeks ago when I finally came to terms and acceptance with a very personal topic I've grappled with for quite some time, the realization of my bisexual identity.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80409/bisexuality.html pozitivehope1@gmail.com (Josh Middleton) Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:11:00 GMT My Miscarriage http://www.thebody.com/content/80403/my-miscarriage.html Brooke DavidoffIt was back in February when my period stopped: I was late. My husband and I began to get excited; we had been trying for almost a year. Pee test after test came back negative, but as the days went on, I remained period-less.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80403/my-miscarriage.html brookedavidoff@gmail.com (Brooke Davidoff) Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:35:00 GMT USCA Plenary Halted by Trans Activists http://www.thebodypro.com/content/80400/usca-plenary-halted-by-trans-activists.html Mark S. KingThe United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), celebrating thirty years of teaching practical skills to HIV service providers, found itself the target of old-school activism on Friday when transgender activists stopped the plenary program to voice their frustrations about being underrepresented by the organizations in attendance and by the conference itself.

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]]> Sat, 9 Sep 2017 21:49:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebodypro.com/content/80400/usca-plenary-halted-by-trans-activists.html "As Much as I Can" Lifts Up Black Gay Men ... and Blows Your Mind http://www.thebody.com/content/80377/emas-much-as-i-canem-lifts-up-black-gay-men--and-b.html Mark S. KingAs Much as I Can, the theatrical event playing in Baltimore September 7-14, isn't content with merely showing you the lives of gay black men in a city plagued with high rates of HIV infection. Instead, this emotionally searing production takes us by the hand -- quite literally -- and leads us to the middle of the nightclub, the church, and even the bedroom of its characters and then dares us to look away.

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]]> Tue, 5 Sep 2017 20:49:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80377/emas-much-as-i-canem-lifts-up-black-gay-men--and-b.html DaddyBear App Hooks Up Gay Men "Not Living With HIV" http://www.thebody.com/content/80372/daddybear-app-hooks-up-gay-men-not-living-with-hiv.html Mark S. KingThe entire concept of the DaddyBear dating app -- rich daddies are waiting by their iPhones to shower lonely bears with gifts and romance -- is pathetic and hilarious. Their stated position on the HIV status of those daddies and bears, however, is frightening.

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]]> Tue, 5 Sep 2017 14:22:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80372/daddybear-app-hooks-up-gay-men-not-living-with-hiv.html Y'all Look! It's the First Redneck HIV Prevention PSA! http://www.thebody.com/content/80358/yall-look-its-the-first-redneck-hiv-prevention-psa.html Mark S. KingThe good people at Thrive Alabama has been working their butts off for years, covering twelve counties in northern Alabama with five free clinics and vans that travel country roads you would never find on your GPS just to fetch clients for appointments and get them home again.

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]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2017 18:08:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80358/yall-look-its-the-first-redneck-hiv-prevention-psa.html My Response to Someone Who Denies Undetectable = Untransmittable http://www.thebody.com/content/80348/my-response-to-someone-who-denies-undetectable--un.html Maria T. MejiaThis was a response to a person I will not name because this is about all of us living with #hiv and our allies! I believe in respect above all and each individual has the human right to express himself! But, sometimes they hurt us and in many cases without that intention. I hope you understand the human side ... love and light.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80348/my-response-to-someone-who-denies-undetectable--un.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Fri, 25 Aug 2017 17:04:00 GMT Do Not Lose Yourself to Your Circumstances http://www.thebody.com/content/80346/do-not-lose-yourself-to-your-circumstances.html Teniecka DrakeHow long has it been my friends? I cannot tell you the last time I wrote a blog. It feels like decades have past. Although it has not been that long, it has been a while. Many changes have happened in my life. Some you may hear about, and some you may never know. Yet, I wanted to make a blog about some of the challenges we face. While being HIV positive is not the only challenge in life we face, it does help put things into perspective sometimes.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80346/do-not-lose-yourself-to-your-circumstances.html msdrake98@ymail.com (Teniecka Drake) Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:08:00 GMT Please Help Lark Lands, an Old Friend of the HIV Community, Now Battling Cancer http://www.thebody.com/content/80338/please-help-lark-lands-an-old-friend-of-the-hiv-co.html Nelson VergelI remember clearly when I met Lark Lands, Ph.D., for the first time in 1994. I saw her coming into a room full of activists in Los Angeles to speak about options to live healthy and survive HIV. This was a time of despair for many of us, as our health was declining and our friends were dying. With her long black hair and great smile, she spoke with urgency, wit and authority about several nutritional and lifestyle choices that could help us improve HIV-related health issues that were robbing us of our lives. Her message was full of hope as she infused her survival skills and resilience into the room. I became a great fan, and we started collaborating while I was lecturing along with Michael Mooney on the use of hormones to reverse wasting syndrome.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80338/please-help-lark-lands-an-old-friend-of-the-hiv-co.html nelsonvergel@yahoo.com (Nelson Vergel) Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:21:00 GMT The Terrifying Crystal Meth Story I Have Never Told http://www.thebody.com/content/80336/the-terrifying-crystal-meth-story-i-have-never-tol.html Mark S. KingWhen my guard is down, it comes to me. It flashes across my mind, an uninvited assault, sometimes when I am beginning to drift off to sleep or, more cruelly, when my mind is enjoying a pleasant reverie. It is then that the dark memory rushes in like a raid.

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]]> Tue, 22 Aug 2017 17:15:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80336/the-terrifying-crystal-meth-story-i-have-never-tol.html The Curse That Has Many Blessings http://www.thebody.com/content/80332/the-curse-that-has-many-blessings.html PWN-USAI'm Shelia A. Crockett, born January 8, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, in an upper middle class environment with big dreams of being a special education teacher and working in different youth organizations.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80332/the-curse-that-has-many-blessings.html Mon, 21 Aug 2017 17:22:00 GMT Getting Ready for Year 25 With HIV! http://www.thebody.com/content/80309/getting-ready-for-year-25-with-hiv.html Lynda ArnoldGoodbye summer, hello early fall 2017! I'm not sure where the time goes these days. I've been meaning to blog. I want to check in, and then life hits! I'd have to go back and see where I left off before these long days began. That just feels unnecessary.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80309/getting-ready-for-year-25-with-hiv.html lyndaarn@gmail.com (Lynda Arnold) Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:45:00 GMT After Uproar, UnitedHealthcare Reverses Truvada Prescription Policy http://www.thebody.com/content/80290/after-uproar-unitedhealthcare-reverses-truvada-pre.html Mark S. KingWhen it was revealed a few days ago that insurer UnitedHealthcare, Inc. (UHC) had rejected a patient's pre-authorization claim for the drug Truvada as PrEP due to "high risk homosexual behavior," all hell broke loose. Advocates and organizations sprang into action with petitions and requests for meetings. And now, the insurer has reversed themselves -- and then some.

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]]> Sat, 5 Aug 2017 19:22:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80290/after-uproar-unitedhealthcare-reverses-truvada-pre.html Insurer Denies Truvada Due to "High-Risk Homosexual Behavior" http://www.thebody.com/content/80280/insurer-denies-truvada-due-to-high-risk-homosexual.html Mark S. KingDiscrimination against LGBT people is often once-removed, shielded under double-speak and fraudulent intentions. So, it's refreshing, really, when a company comes right out and says in black and white that gay men aren't worthy of the same protections as everyone else.

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]]> Thu, 3 Aug 2017 19:01:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80280/insurer-denies-truvada-due-to-high-risk-homosexual.html Revisiting the Most Influential Gay Porn Film Ever Made http://www.thebody.com/content/80185/revisiting-the-most-influential-gay-porn-film-ever.html Mark S. KingThe annual Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco is noted for its unbridled embrace of every kinky star in our sexual constellation. Even the fearless leather community that founded the event can sometimes appear tame amidst the outlandish costumes and clothing -- and lack thereof -- on display along the city's tilted streets.

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]]> Mon, 31 Jul 2017 15:25:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80185/revisiting-the-most-influential-gay-porn-film-ever.html We Demanded U Equals U! We Demanded the Truth and We Got It in IAS 2017 http://www.thebody.com/content/80218/we-demanded-u-equals-u-we-demanded-the-truth-and-w.html Maria T. MejiaToday is a historic day! What was hidden from us came to the light today! It was hidden for almost 10 years. We pretty much joined together and put pressure. This was demanded by us and the whole world has to know. I have been undetectable for 18 years and living with this condition for 29 years. Why wasn't I considered responsible enough (18 years of adherence and undetectable) to be told the truth? I knew about the Swiss statement for 5 years and no one would confirm it here in the USA or other areas of the world! I had the right as a very adherent person to know the truth!!! To know and understand that I wasn't a risk to any of my partners for 18 years!!!! To suffer just with the thought that I could hurt the ones that I love was horrific and depressing. I feel happy today, but I also feel upset and just like the doctor that gave the Swiss statement, had all of these questions to the panel at the International AIDS Society in Paris.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80218/we-demanded-u-equals-u-we-demanded-the-truth-and-w.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Thu, 27 Jul 2017 16:49:00 GMT My HIV Diagnosis Became My Opportunity to Say "Yes" to HIV Activism http://www.thebody.com/content/80206/my-hiv-diagnosis-became-my-opportunity-to-say-yes-.html Sherri Beachfront LewisI left New York in 1987, three weeks after my diagnosis. I had just gotten married, and my husband and his son lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so it was part of the plan. That was about the only thing that went as planned. As a newlywed and now stepmother who was newly diagnosed, I just wanted to relish the time I had left to experience being a wife and a mother. My career as an entertainer seemed impossible now. But, in front of me was a gangly, pimply-faced, six-foot-four teenage boy with a scar causing his eyelid to droop, which made him look even sadder than he was. Since his mother had left him as an infant to be raised by his father, he was waiting for a mother and there I was. Though the terror and trauma of suddenly being handed a death sentence, I often wanted to jump out of my husband's moving car as we drove across the Longfellow Bridge. He would reach across my chest, like my mother used to when I was a child before seat belts, to keep me inside and safe. I kept going to my recovery meetings, hoping to stay alive long enough to see my stepson graduate high school.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80206/my-hiv-diagnosis-became-my-opportunity-to-say-yes-.html Beach412@aol.com (Sherri Beachfront Lewis) Tue, 25 Jul 2017 17:47:00 GMT "Kill the Bill, Don't Kill Us!": On Capitol Hill and at Home, PWN Members and Allies Take Action to Stop Trumpcare http://www.thebody.com/content/80160/kill-the-bill-dont-kill-us-on-capitol-hill-and-at-.html PWN-USAThis Monday, July 10, four PWN-USA members as well as a number of allies joined over 100 other constituents from 21 states in descending on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with a very clear, explicit message for their members of Congress: "Kill the bill, don't kill us!"

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80160/kill-the-bill-dont-kill-us-on-capitol-hill-and-at-.html Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:26:00 GMT Health Is a Human Right and I Am Not a Carrier! http://www.thebody.com/content/80146/health-is-a-human-right-and-i-am-not-a-carrier.html Maria T. MejiaHow can you preach that you are a Christian and at the same time say that health is a privilege? How can you really not see health as a human right? So, the poor who cannot pay for health care should just DIE???? Think about it!

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80146/health-is-a-human-right-and-i-am-not-a-carrier.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Mon, 10 Jul 2017 16:01:00 GMT Taboo Sex, Racism and Gay Men: A Chat in Black and White http://www.thebody.com/content/80132/taboo-sex-racism-and-gay-men-a-chat-in-black-and-w.html Mark S. KingIn thirty years of HIV work alongside black advocates, I have rarely written on the topic of race. It makes me uncomfortable, or perhaps I feel unequipped, unqualified. But it's that very hesitancy, according to black gay academic Charles Stephens, that only makes racism worse.

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]]> Wed, 5 Jul 2017 14:47:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80132/taboo-sex-racism-and-gay-men-a-chat-in-black-and-w.html Panel Discussion on HIV in the News and Meeting Jeanne White-Ginder (Ryan White's Mother) http://www.thebody.com/content/80131/panel-discussion-on-hiv-in-the-news-and-meeting-je.html Justin B. Terry-SmithI was invited to speak on a panel called, "HIV in the News" by Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers for their End AIDS: The HIV Prevention and Outreach Summit during AIDS Education Month. I found that it was very informative because there were different prospectives on the panel. Cherri Gregg who is a reporter for KYW Newsradio and Christopher "Flood The Drummer" Norris CEO of Techbook Online were also on the panel, and from Philadelphia FIGHT the moderator was good friend and colleague, Chip Lewis.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80131/panel-discussion-on-hiv-in-the-news-and-meeting-je.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Fri, 30 Jun 2017 15:49:00 GMT How Do I Mobilize Relatives and Friends Who May Not Be Politically Aligned to #KillTheBill? http://www.thebody.com/content/80128/how-do-i-mobilize-relatives-and-friends-who-may-no.html PWN-USAIn recent days, we have been working to mobilize our family, friends and everyone we know to make calls to their Senators to reject the cruel "health care" bill known in the House as the "American Health Care Act" and in the Senate as the "Better Care Reconciliation Act" -- especially folks in states with Republican Senators who have expressed reservations or concerns about the bill.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80128/how-do-i-mobilize-relatives-and-friends-who-may-no.html Thu, 29 Jun 2017 18:24:00 GMT America: A Poem http://www.thebody.com/content/80107/america-a-poem.html PWN-USAAmerica,

Land of Opportunity for the Rich
Risk of Opportunistic Infections
for the poor, living with HIV

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80107/america-a-poem.html Mon, 26 Jun 2017 17:52:00 GMT Finally! The Sexy Gay PrEP Video We've Been Waiting For. http://www.thebody.com/content/80080/finally-the-sexy-gay-prep-video-weve-been-waiting-.html Mark S. King"PrEP is a prevention strategy that deals with sex, namely bareback sex," says gay film student Chris Tipton-King, "and I got tired of people tip-toeing around that fact." The young Bay Area resident had never seen a PrEP video that didn't somehow sanitize sex or the desires of gay men. "Everything I had seen about PrEP just felt ... awkward."

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]]> Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:10:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80080/finally-the-sexy-gay-prep-video-weve-been-waiting-.html Those Offended by #NoJusticeNoPride Should Learn LGBT History http://www.thebody.com/content/80041/those-offended-by-nojusticenopride-should-learn-lg.html Mark S. KingWhen #NoJusticeNoPride blocked the D.C. Pride parade route on June 10, causing an hour delay to an already epic three-hour parade, you could hear the ice cubes impatiently rattling in Bloody Mary glasses for blocks. Revelers at three locations on the route were forced to contend with (mostly black and latinx) protesters, women and trans folks among them, shouting chants about how D.C. Pride was beholden to corporations and institutions and a police state that do not have their welfare in mind.

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]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2017 16:16:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/80041/those-offended-by-nojusticenopride-should-learn-lg.html What One Day Can Do! http://www.thebody.com/content/80013/what-one-day-can-do.html Maria T. MejiaUndetectable! All organs and blood panel are perfect! So yeah! It was temporary insanity and stress that I brought on myself and external situations that are eating them! The medicine works but it is up to me to control my stress and rage for so many problems we have in the U.S. government, in the world and real-life everyday problems!

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/80013/what-one-day-can-do.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Thu, 8 Jun 2017 18:44:00 GMT 12 Years infected With HIV; HIV Medications Complera vs. Odefsey http://www.thebody.com/content/79998/12-years-infected-with-hiv-hiv-medications-compler.html Justin B. Terry-SmithWe are now empty nesters. Good luck to both of my sons Lundyn and Tavis. They are in separate cities adulting. They are both good boys and now I can say, young men. A part of becoming a parent is learning how to let go. I've had to learn that, even though it was a hard thing to do, I had to. Being a Dad means everything in the world to me not only because I've helped raise two awesome individuals but because I'm letting them go out into the world to be awesome individuals. After they moved out my hubby and I moved into a bigger house.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79998/12-years-infected-with-hiv-hiv-medications-compler.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Mon, 5 Jun 2017 20:37:00 GMT The True Love Story Behind Larry Kramer's Novel "Faggots" http://www.thebody.com/content/79987/the-true-love-story-behind-larry-kramers-novel-fag.html Mark S. KingThe new POZ Magazine feature article, "Finding Larry Kramer," tells the behind-the-scenes story of how the iconic activist found his way back to GMHC nearly thirty years after the organization kicked him out for being such a pain in the ass. It is an intimate look at an American hero and lion in winter.

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]]> Fri, 2 Jun 2017 15:30:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79987/the-true-love-story-behind-larry-kramers-novel-fag.html Justin at the END AIDS: The HIV Prevention and Outreach Summit in Philadelphia http://www.thebody.com/content/79986/justin-at-the-end-aids-the-hiv-prevention-and-outr.html Justin B. Terry-SmithJune is AIDS Education Month and I have some great news. Philadelphia FIGHT, an AIDS service organization, has asked me to join a panel for Philadelphia's AIDS Education Month Summit on Jun. 7 in the morning at the PA Convention Center. The panel discussion will be around the subject matter of HIV in the media/news. Right now, this is a hot topic and I will explain using parts of the email that was sent to me by Philadelphia FIGHT.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79986/justin-at-the-end-aids-the-hiv-prevention-and-outr.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Thu, 1 Jun 2017 21:03:00 GMT Justin Goes Zip Lining, Parasailing, Encounters Dolphins and Snubaing in Labadee Haiti, Cozumel and Costa Maya Mexico http://www.thebody.com/content/79958/justin-goes-zip-lining-parasailing-encounters-dolp.html Justin B. Terry-SmithSometimes it is just good to let your hair down. Being HIV positive doesn't mean you have to stay at home but it might mean you need to get out of bed and enjoy life. There were many times, I felt depressed when I was first diagnosed. Life is a celebration and I say live it to its fullest.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79958/justin-goes-zip-lining-parasailing-encounters-dolp.html justinterrysmith@gmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Tue, 30 May 2017 15:52:00 GMT When I Refused My HIV Medication as Protest, Uncomfortable Truths Emerged http://www.thebody.com/content/79954/when-i-refused-my-hiv-medication-as-protest-uncomf.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadI learned so much about how people view autonomy when I went on a #medstrike. I stopped taking my anti-HIV medication to amplify the community demands that the CEO of a Philadelphia nonprofit step down, and although the combined and escalating efforts demanding the departure of the head of the Mazzoni Center were successful, and I was able to resume my treatment, I learned that people felt they were entitled to my body and health status. And that made me angry.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79954/when-i-refused-my-hiv-medication-as-protest-uncomf.html Thu, 25 May 2017 12:00:00 GMT AIDS, Love and Desperation at the Louise Hay Ride http://www.thebody.com/content/79944/aids-love-and-desperation-at-the-louise-hay-ride.html Mark S. KingThe hall, an auditorium in a West Hollywood park, was filled to overflowing. Hundreds of people, nearly all of them gay men, were crushed together in folding chairs, seated on the floor, or crowded in overflow areas by the doors. I sat fidgeting in my seat, a first-timer to this event, and beside me was my brother, Richard. His lover, Emil, diagnosed with AIDS for a couple of years now, was busy shaking hands and networking with the throng.

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]]> Tue, 23 May 2017 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79944/aids-love-and-desperation-at-the-louise-hay-ride.html From Reckless to Living Life With Purpose http://www.thebody.com/content/79912/from-reckless-to-living-life-with-purpose.html Tim HinkhouseNineteen years ago, I voluntarily gave up drugs and alcohol, which has been a rough ride mentally and emotionally. I think back to the year 1989 when I was sharing needles and doing meth. If I hadn't gone to California, would I have gotten high using white dope, done all the stupid things I have done and eventually tested positive for HIV? Probably not.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79912/from-reckless-to-living-life-with-purpose.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Wed, 10 May 2017 18:35:00 GMT Facing Liver Problems http://www.thebody.com/content/79894/facing-liver-problems.html Tim HinkhouseI believe that I have mentioned that, back in February, I had an ultrasound to find out whether I had gallstones? Turns out they are living inside me. It was also discovered that I have an enlarged and sometimes painful liver. According to the report by the ultrasound tech, I have the symptoms of someone with cirrhosis of the liver. How can this be? I haven't drunk alcohol in over twenty years, and I don't have hepatitis C.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79894/facing-liver-problems.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Sat, 6 May 2017 19:39:00 GMT How Jimmy Kimmel's Story About His Son Relates to HIV Health Care http://www.thebody.com/content/79861/how-jimmy-kimmels-story-about-his-son-relates-to-h.html Aaron LaxtonThis week Jimmy Kimmel announced on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live regarding the birth of his newborn son and a rare heart condition that would ultimately require his son, Billy Kimmel, to have open-heart surgery. If you were like me, you found yourself being drawn into his story and wanting the best for Jimmy, his son and the entire family. Huge shout out to Jimmy for sharing this painful and scary moment; thank you for sharing this piece of your life with us. As of right now, more than 4.5 million people have viewed this heartfelt message on YouTube. Jimmy uses his story to highlight the brokenness of our healthcare system. This, however, is not a new fact. In the video, Jimmy jokes, "First they check your wallet and then they check your pulse."

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79861/how-jimmy-kimmels-story-about-his-son-relates-to-h.html aaronlaxton@gmail.com (Aaron Laxton) Wed, 3 May 2017 16:42:00 GMT A Second Chance at Death http://www.thebody.com/content/79846/a-second-chance-at-death.html Mark S. KingWe all know how this ends.

Despite the avalanche of articles on aging with HIV or advice about how to avoid long-term side effects or even news of progress toward a cure, nothing will change the inevitable. None of us will get out of this alive.

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]]> Tue, 2 May 2017 16:18:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79846/a-second-chance-at-death.html Character Lessons I Learned While Imprisoned for HIV Criminalization http://www.thebody.com/content/79836/character-lessons-i-learned-while-imprisoned-for-h.html Tim HinkhouseI want to share with you that I have officially been HIV positive for 27 years. I am pretty proud of that. On March 7, it was 23 years since I went to trial to fight my HIV criminalization charges in court. I'll never forget that day and the humiliation that I felt after being crucified in the media because I was an HIV-positive man having unprotected sexual intercourse with consenting adult women.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79836/character-lessons-i-learned-while-imprisoned-for-h.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 1 May 2017 16:37:00 GMT Making Progress in Losing Weight, Knowing the Reward Will Be Feeling Better Overall http://www.thebody.com/content/79833/making-progress-in-losing-weight-knowing-the-rewar.html Tim HinkhouseThis morning I had a doctor's appointment at 8:00 a.m. to find out the results of my ultrasound. About 7:50 a.m., I leave my unit to get to medical on time for my appointment. I get down there, and the place is full of people waiting to see health professionals. I'm thinking that I'll be there all morning waiting around to be seen.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79833/making-progress-in-losing-weight-knowing-the-rewar.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Fri, 28 Apr 2017 19:36:00 GMT Colorado HIV Advocacy Day: Success! http://www.thebody.com/content/79832/colorado-hiv-advocacy-day-success.html PWN-USAColorado Advocacy Day was a huge success on April 21.

We had 25 people participate in our two day training early in April, some who traveled more than 400 miles to join us.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79832/colorado-hiv-advocacy-day-success.html Tue, 25 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT No Matter What Gender You Choose to Be, We Can All Stand up and Fight for Human Rights http://www.thebody.com/content/79797/no-matter-what-gender-you-choose-to-be-we-can-all-.html Tim HinkhouseHello there readers: I was listening to the local rock station this past week, enjoying classic rock music. There was a break in the music, and this was said: "President Trump wants to hire an elite group of people to fight violent criminals. I don't think anyone has told the president that the Avengers are not real!" As you might be able to tell by reading my blog, I am a liberal all the way.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79797/no-matter-what-gender-you-choose-to-be-we-can-all-.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 24 Apr 2017 16:52:00 GMT Sean McKenna: Life With AIDS Isn't So Damn "Fabulous" http://www.thebody.com/content/79794/sean-mckenna-life-with-aids-isnt-so-damn-fabulous.html Mark S. KingLast December I attended the most moving, transcendent World AIDS Day program I have witnessed in years. That's not saying much, of course. These evenings are usually well-meaning but maudlin, featuring tearful eulogies while we hold up candles that drip on our fingers and we revisit personal losses that I put to rest a long time ago. Okay, clearly I have issues with grief.

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]]> Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79794/sean-mckenna-life-with-aids-isnt-so-damn-fabulous.html Med Side Effects: Thinking About How HIV Affects Us Physically http://www.thebody.com/content/79784/med-side-effects-thinking-about-how-hiv-affects-us.html Tim HinkhouseI don't know for sure what all the side effects are of my new once-a-day HIV pill Genvoya [elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide] are, but since I've been taking it I have been having all kinds of issues. On Feb. 15, I had an ultrasound on my abdomen because I've been experiencing symptoms of what I think are gallstones. I have been having pain in my lower right abdomen, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. I've been told that I'm pale in color when the pain is the most extreme. Fortunately, I am taken seriously by nursing staff compared with the other inmates that "cry wolf" to get attention.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79784/med-side-effects-thinking-about-how-hiv-affects-us.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 20 Apr 2017 20:14:00 GMT Support Nushawn Williams, Detained and Denied HIV Meds in Civil Confinement http://www.thebody.com/content/79705/support-nushawn-williams-detained-and-denied-hiv-m.html Davina ConnerFirst degree assault, predator, class B felon, sex offender, a threat to society, poisoning someone with a disruptive substance, assault and battery with intent to kill, unlawful use of a harmful device: all these terms come into play when a person diagnosed with HIV is talked about in the judicial system.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79705/support-nushawn-williams-detained-and-denied-hiv-m.html pozitivelydee@gmail.com (Davina Conner) Wed, 12 Apr 2017 15:50:00 GMT Shame and Stigma: Standing Strong in the Face of AIDS http://www.thebody.com/content/79690/shame-and-stigma-standing-strong-in-the-face-of-ai.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottI have been living with HIV/AIDS for nearly 27 years. I tested positive at a time, and in a rural area of Tennessee, where no one dared to let others know that they were infected.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79690/shame-and-stigma-standing-strong-in-the-face-of-ai.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:33:00 GMT In the Loaded Act of HIV Disclosure, Violence Is Often Unspoken http://www.thebody.com/content/79689/in-the-loaded-act-of-hiv-disclosure-violence-is-of.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadWithin the oppressive constraints of a white supremacist system that perpetuates so many forms of violence, we need to have a conversation about taking care of ourselves and each other.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79689/in-the-loaded-act-of-hiv-disclosure-violence-is-of.html Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:31:00 GMT Not an HIV Poster Child: Why I, as a Black Queer Person, Left Non-Profit Work http://www.thebody.com/content/79678/not-an-hiv-poster-child-why-i-as-a-black-queer-per.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadI am not an HIV poster child. I will never be that. I am not a black queer man who has broken some proverbial glass ceiling, and I'm am not an aspiring professional. I say that to say: how I speak and write centers my blackness and queerness. How I dress is a conscious decision to disrupt narratives of respectability, and how I move my body is intended to take up, reclaim and move into my space. I could unfold for you all of the trauma that my body and mind hold, but that isn't productive right now. Black trauma is a crop; these oppressive structures live and thrive off our despair and bodies. If I screamed a thousand times about how my body had to hold anti-black violence, it would only be the beginning.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79678/not-an-hiv-poster-child-why-i-as-a-black-queer-per.html Thu, 6 Apr 2017 20:20:00 GMT As Long-Term Survivors, We Look Back but Must Continue to Look Forward http://www.thebody.com/content/79673/as-long-term-survivors-we-look-back-but-must-conti.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottA long-term survivor of HIV for 27 years and now a man in his mid-fifties, I went through the self-grieving process for myself many years ago when I expected -- and was told by a health care provider -- that I had five, maybe seven years to live. Now, having long outlived that prognosis, I, like so many other long-term survivors, have had to "refocus" and try to adjust my everyday life while not forget the journey with its ups and downs.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79673/as-long-term-survivors-we-look-back-but-must-conti.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:31:00 GMT All Women, All Rights at AIDSWatch 2017! http://www.thebody.com/content/79682/all-women-all-rights-at-aidswatch-2017.html PWN-USAThe most memorable moment I had at AIDSWatch was standing on stage with all of my PWN sisters and chanting, "All women, all rights!" This powerful moment was one that will resonate in my activism for years to come. I am inspired by PWN's commitment to inclusion and it's great show of love one toward another. I love you all so much!

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79682/all-women-all-rights-at-aidswatch-2017.html Mon, 3 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT Who Would Have Thought? http://www.thebody.com/content/79654/who-would-have-thought.html PWN-USAI am sitting here as the coordinator preparing for a meeting tomorrow for the Stigma Index Project interviewers and core members to discuss our next steps in developing strategies for eliminating stigma in our communities. It dawns on me that I am actually working to coordinate a meeting, me! -- a torn up from the floor up, ex-con, drug addicted, homeless black woman living with HIV ... who would have thought?

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79654/who-would-have-thought.html Mon, 3 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT Who We Are: Opportunities, Survival and the Ability to Dream http://www.thebody.com/content/79649/who-we-are-opportunities-survival-and-the-ability-.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottI am a grown adult who lives with a compromised immune system brought on by HIV infection, and one who, like many others, has had to come to terms with not only HIV itself but also myself as a person. This involves forgiveness, both of myself and others.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79649/who-we-are-opportunities-survival-and-the-ability-.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Mon, 3 Apr 2017 12:00:00 GMT A First-Time Peek From the Hill at AIDSWatch 2017 http://www.thebody.com/content/79628/a-first-time-peek-from-the-hill-at-aidswatch-2017.html PWN-USAThe energy of the tribe of my fellow HIV advocates at AIDSWatch 2017 echoed the heartbeat of those we have lost from the beginning of the epidemic. I was honored to walk to halls of the Capitol building and speak for those lives, my life with every congressperson and staffer I met. Our collective voices together are the rhythm of that heartbeat that will spark change and become a deafening war cry to our legislators if they don't listen to us.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79628/a-first-time-peek-from-the-hill-at-aidswatch-2017.html Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:22:00 GMT Georgia's Fight to Modernize HIV Criminalization Laws http://www.thebody.com/content/79619/georgias-fight-to-modernize-hiv-criminalization-la.html PWN-USAOn March 23 2017, Georgia Equality helped those who are passionate about reforming Georgia's outdated, discriminatory and unscientific HIV criminalization laws by hosting an HIV Criminalization Advocacy Training. As part of a comprehensive, community-centered approach to HIV prevention and care, this training was led by Emily Brown, Nina Martinez and Torrian Baskerville of Georgia Equality and covered: the content and history of Georgia's HIV criminalization laws; the main reasons HIV advocates want to reform these laws; key arguments against reform, how to listen to the opposition and effectively respond; and basic facts about HIV science that all decriminalization advocates need to know.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79619/georgias-fight-to-modernize-hiv-criminalization-la.html Wed, 29 Mar 2017 18:41:00 GMT It Gets Better http://www.thebody.com/content/79594/it-gets-better.html Art JacksonAs I contemplate turning 52 a few weeks ago, I thought of what I would say to my younger self that could sustain me for my life to come. What I found is really simple yet very valuable.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79594/it-gets-better.html safespaceajblog@gmail.com (Art Jackson) Fri, 24 Mar 2017 18:30:00 GMT My HIV Anniversary Date, With a Changed Perspective http://www.thebody.com/content/79577/my-hiv-anniversary-date-with-a-changed-perspective.html Lynda ArnoldApril 7, 2017, marks 24 years living with HIV. This year feels different. I acknowledge the virus that has literally been with me now for half my life, and there are so many times I wonder what my life would be without it. Yet, I feel almost numb to its presence. I'm taking my meds daily, and that's a feat for me because I take a shitload of meds. I almost got into a new gene study, but my drug regimen actually made me ineligible in the end. That bummed me out, but I am in the anchor study for treatment and prevention of anal cancer so that's new for me on the medical front! I have multi-drug resistant HIV and lots of inflammation cardiac, gastrointestinal, nervous system, etc., but hey, bottom line, news flash LOL: I'm still here! I'm so grateful for the life I have, and for the love that surrounds me, and my faith that centers me.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79577/my-hiv-anniversary-date-with-a-changed-perspective.html lyndaarn@gmail.com (Lynda Arnold) Thu, 23 Mar 2017 15:50:00 GMT Hello, From a Voice That Won't Be Silenced http://www.thebody.com/content/79573/hello-from-a-voice-that-wont-be-silenced.html Art JacksonHello World, and my new family at TheBody.com. As I embark upon this new and exciting journey, I would love to share a little about myself, why I am sharing my views with TheBody.com and its viewers and my hope to add a new voice for those not heard in this fight.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79573/hello-from-a-voice-that-wont-be-silenced.html safespaceajblog@gmail.com (Art Jackson) Wed, 22 Mar 2017 19:50:00 GMT The Irony of Aging: The HIV/AIDS Seniors Conference http://www.thebody.com/content/79567/the-irony-of-aging-the-hivaids-seniors-conference.html Mark S. KingThirty-two years ago this month, I received a phone call from a nurse at my doctor's office telling me that I had tested HIV positive. We didn't schedule a follow-up visit or begin a treatment plan, because there wasn't a single medication approved for the virus, which had only been identified the previous year.

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]]> Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:06:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79567/the-irony-of-aging-the-hivaids-seniors-conference.html If I Am Undetectable I Can't Transmit the HIV Virus http://www.thebody.com/content/79564/if-i-am-undetectable-i-cant-transmit-the-hiv-virus.html Maria T. MejiaI want you all to see the lack of education that is out there! This is why it is important to show our faces and come out of the dark! This is a human condition that is 100 percent preventable and, as I explained in the video below, if a person living with HIV takes their medications and becomes undetectable and stays undetectable for more than 6 months, WE CAN'T TRANSMIT THE HIV VIRUS. Just because our activist circles and allies know about HIV does not mean that people know about this condition that has so much stigma! We need to be visible and we need to reach main stream media.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79564/if-i-am-undetectable-i-cant-transmit-the-hiv-virus.html mariapositive11@yahoo.com (Maria T. Mejia) Tue, 21 Mar 2017 20:06:00 GMT 32 Years Ago Today, Everything Changed http://www.thebody.com/content/79530/32-years-ago-today-everything-changed.html Mark S. KingThirty-two years ago today, a friend called me. He worked as a nurse in a doctor's office and had administered the brand-new HIV antibody test to me after hours, all very hush-hush. There were no treatments for the new virus, only fear and mortality. And my friend told me I was HIV positive.

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]]> Wed, 15 Mar 2017 18:33:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79530/32-years-ago-today-everything-changed.html That Time 37 Years Ago I Won a Car on The Price Is Right http://www.thebody.com/content/79424/that-time-37-years-ago-i-won-a-car-on-the-price-is.html Mark S. KingWhen I was nineteen years old, I vacationed to Los Angeles and won a car on The Price is Right.

In the following years, if I really liked you and wanted to impress you -- or give you a small, wacky glimpse of my life -- then at some juncture I'd say "So hey, have you ever been to Los Angeles?" Or, "Did I ever tell you about the car?"

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]]> Fri, 24 Feb 2017 18:21:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79424/that-time-37-years-ago-i-won-a-car-on-the-price-is.html What If I Told You the Project Inform Staff Was Hilarious? http://www.thebody.com/content/79408/what-if-i-told-you-the-project-inform-staff-was-hi.html Mark S. KingThroughout the earliest years of the HIV/AIDS crisis, I deeply admired the fierce intellect of the late Martin Delaney, the researcher and advocate who, among many other historic accomplishments, founded Project Inform, the HIV treatment advocacy group with intimate ties to the community.

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]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2017 18:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79408/what-if-i-told-you-the-project-inform-staff-was-hi.html Advocating at AIDSWatch Georgia 2017 http://www.thebody.com/content/79403/advocating-at-aidswatch-georgia-2017.html PWN-USAWhat motivated me to attend AIDSWatch in Georgia was my preparedness and passion to educate representatives about the important issues at stake for people living with HIV/AIDS in Georgia and in the United States, related to policy and funding priorities. I have accumulated a huge fortune of data from PWN-USA, Georgia Equality, The Georgia HIV Advocacy Network, NHeLP and a host of other organizations that raised my ability to advocate in an effective and successful way.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79403/advocating-at-aidswatch-georgia-2017.html Tue, 21 Feb 2017 19:51:00 GMT Hard to Say Who's to Blame for "Patient Zero"? http://www.thebody.com/content/79400/hard-to-say-whos-to-blame-for-patient-zero.html Aless PiperIn the diagram, he is represented by a black circle -- black, for Kaposi sarcoma. Unlike the others, there is no city or state accompanying this information; in fact, the "0" is actually an "O" meant to represent "outside California" or "outside of the U.S.," and his placement at the center of the diagram is arbitrary. Two years later, the "0" and its placement in the diagram would take on all-new, sinister significance as "Patient Zero" in Randy Shilts' book, And the Band Played On: People, Politics and the AIDS Epidemic. "0," or Shilts' preferred term, "Patient Zero" was Gaëtan Dugas.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79400/hard-to-say-whos-to-blame-for-patient-zero.html alesspiper+fr@gmail.com (Aless Piper) Tue, 21 Feb 2017 17:37:00 GMT Sex After Diagnosis: My Journey to Believing That Undetectable HIV Viral Load Means Uninfectious http://www.thebody.com/content/79377/sex-after-diagnosis-my-journey-to-believing-that-u.html Josh MiddletonAn image of the moment I was diagnosed HIV positive remains vivid in my mind. The feelings and emotions that ran through my body like a lightening bolt that day are not easily forgotten. They will be with me forever, as will my feeling of infectiousness upon hearing the words that have played in my mind like a broken record all these years: "Josh, I am sorry, but you are HIV positive."

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79377/sex-after-diagnosis-my-journey-to-believing-that-u.html pozitivehope1@gmail.com (Josh Middleton) Thu, 16 Feb 2017 21:46:00 GMT Bruce Richman Is Totally Hot and Other HIV Activism Truths http://www.thebody.com/content/79310/bruce-richman-is-totally-hot-and-other-hiv-activis.html Mark S. KingMy friend Charles Sanchez is the creator of the musical web series Merce, about an HIV positive New Yorker. But enough about him. Charles and I constantly argue about which one of us has spoken to Bruce Richman most recently, and for how long. Bruce also lives in New York so Charles appears to have the upper hand, but I'm convinced my calls with Bruce are more intimate and consequential.

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]]> Tue, 7 Feb 2017 18:08:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79310/bruce-richman-is-totally-hot-and-other-hiv-activis.html Prison Doctor Just Switched Me to Genvoya, and I Don't Know What to Expect http://www.thebody.com/content/79309/prison-doctor-just-switched-me-to-genvoya-and-i-do.html Tim HinkhouseHello there readers: I wanted to write and let you know that I finally got to see Dr. Dan Dewsnup yesterday. This is the infectious disease specialist for all 14,000-plus prisoners in the state of Oregon with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. He apparently was at this prison in October 2016 but was unable to see me due to scheduling or something. I have actually been a little concerned about how everything would turn out with my labs because of a cold I had recently. Lots of green tea and cough drops saved me!

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79309/prison-doctor-just-switched-me-to-genvoya-and-i-do.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Tue, 7 Feb 2017 16:55:00 GMT While We Wait for an HIV Cure, Don't Forget to Live http://www.thebody.com/content/79288/while-we-wait-for-an-hiv-cure-dont-forget-to-live.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottIt was once said that there have always been survivors of cancer, HIV and other potentially life-threatening conditions. So, as HIV/AIDS is what I personally live with, should I and others look beyond our situation and consider the possibility of a life without it?

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79288/while-we-wait-for-an-hiv-cure-dont-forget-to-live.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Fri, 3 Feb 2017 19:50:00 GMT Please Sign My Petition for Clemency and Help End HIV Criminalization http://www.thebody.com/content/79275/please-sign-my-petition-for-clemency-and-help-end-.html Tim HinkhouseHello there readers: I wanted to reach out and ask for your help. My friend who manages my Gmail account has posted a petition online at www.change.org asking that some much needed attention be brought to my clemency application. I am asking Oregon Governor Kate Brown to let me out of prison after more than two decades inside.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79275/please-sign-my-petition-for-clemency-and-help-end-.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 2 Feb 2017 16:50:00 GMT After Week One of a Trump Presidency, Facing Fears That My Son Will Have a Sick, Dying Mother http://www.thebody.com/content/79268/after-week-one-of-a-trump-presidency-facing-fears-.html Brooke DavidoffI don't want to get crazy and emotional if it's all speculation; it might not be as bad as it sounds. Trump might not get rid of the part of Obamacare that guarantees medical insurance to people with pre-existing conditions. You never know, Trumpland might not be as bad as I think it will become.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79268/after-week-one-of-a-trump-presidency-facing-fears-.html brookedavidoff@gmail.com (Brooke Davidoff) Wed, 1 Feb 2017 18:35:00 GMT The Double Stigma of Having HIV and Being Imprisoned http://www.thebody.com/content/79248/the-double-stigma-of-having-hiv-and-being-imprison.html Tim HinkhouseThis past year, I decided to reach out on a dating website to try to meet someone special and build a relationship that I hoped would work out. Anyone reading this can understand what I want in life because you probably want it, too? I started talking with someone locally, and she seemed interested in me, and I pursued her.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79248/the-double-stigma-of-having-hiv-and-being-imprison.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Mon, 30 Jan 2017 17:22:00 GMT Examining Death, Including the One I Caused http://www.thebody.com/content/79232/examining-death-including-the-one-i-caused.html Mark S. KingMy memorial service will be fabulous, I can assure you of that. I first outlined it during the initial, deadly wave of AIDS in the 1980s, and have edited it here and there over the years, updating the songs I would like played or the video footage shown.

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]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79232/examining-death-including-the-one-i-caused.html Advocates' Door http://www.thebody.com/content/79219/advocates-door.html Davina ConnerIn a deep thought, we think of the smiles, joy, love and care that our friends bring to so many of us. They love unconditionally without limits, without restraint and with every fiber of who they are. Without passing judgment on any other human being, they push to help others feel happy inside and out. We sometimes forget that advocates are people too and have emotions, and when we see their smiles that light up, it gives others hope that they too will smile in that way, but sometimes we have to realize that they need the same unconditional love without judgment.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79219/advocates-door.html pozitivelydee@gmail.com (Davina Conner) Tue, 24 Jan 2017 19:05:00 GMT She Doesn't Know Your Mutual Ex Is Positive. What Would You Do? http://www.thebody.com/content/79212/she-doesnt-know-your-mutual-ex-is-positive-what-wo.html Brooke DavidoffMonths ago, Facebook suggested I might know a previous girlfriend of the ex who gave me HIV.

Years ago, I was the other woman without even knowing it. I learned he left her for me.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79212/she-doesnt-know-your-mutual-ex-is-positive-what-wo.html brookedavidoff@gmail.com (Brooke Davidoff) Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:00 GMT A Day in the Life of an Anxious and Depressed HIV Advocate http://www.thebody.com/content/79210/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-anxious-and-depressed-hiv-.html Josh MiddletonThe days pass by and the voices inside my head seem to grow louder and louder. Is my advocacy really making a difference? Am I doing enough? Does anybody really care?

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79210/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-anxious-and-depressed-hiv-.html pozitivehope1@gmail.com (Josh Middleton) Mon, 23 Jan 2017 21:10:00 GMT Anti-Racism and White Women Living With HIV http://www.thebody.com/content/79260/anti-racism-and-white-women-living-with-hiv.html PWN-USAAbout 12 years ago I spent three weekends over the course of six months at a grown-up sleep away camp that I called "anti-racism camp." The real name was even better. It was called "Doing Our Own Work" and it was an intensive reading, journaling, discussion and action program for white women who wanted to be actively anti-racist.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79260/anti-racism-and-white-women-living-with-hiv.html Wed, 18 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT With HIV, It's Easy to Impose Beliefs on Others Instead of Offering Compassion, Care and Inclusion http://www.thebody.com/content/79180/with-hiv-its-easy-to-impose-beliefs-on-others-inst.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottIn today's world of HIV/AIDS, there is much talk about stigma and how or if it has changed for those of us who live with the condition. It still exists.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79180/with-hiv-its-easy-to-impose-beliefs-on-others-inst.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Mon, 16 Jan 2017 18:13:00 GMT Desiring Intimacy After an HIV Diagnosis, in a Time More Naked Than Sexy http://www.thebody.com/content/79176/desiring-intimacy-after-an-hiv-diagnosis-in-a-time.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadIt was so liberating when I rediscovered how to be intimate after my HIV diagnosis. I remember looking at someone I found attractive and daring to flirt again. I hadn't touched anyone in months and thought that just looking was now forbidden, for that was an invitation into the abyss of viral contact. I just remember being numb.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79176/desiring-intimacy-after-an-hiv-diagnosis-in-a-time.html Sat, 14 Jan 2017 18:58:00 GMT Challenging the Thought Process of HIV Stigma http://www.thebody.com/content/79167/challenging-the-thought-process-of-hiv-stigma.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottIn today's world of HIV/AIDS, there is much talk about stigma and how or if it has changed for those of us who live with the condition. It still exists.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79167/challenging-the-thought-process-of-hiv-stigma.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Thu, 12 Jan 2017 22:27:00 GMT A New Year, With Ongoing Challenges of Social Death in Prison and New Cuts to HIV Care on the Outside http://www.thebody.com/content/79161/a-new-year-with-ongoing-challenges-of-social-death.html Tim HinkhouseWhen anyone goes to jail or prison for an extended period, it seems that their lives stop moving forward. I wasn't privileged to be a part of social media before I was locked up because there was no Facebook, Twitter and other forms of communication like there is today. I think the last computer I used in society might have been an IBM 8088 desktop computer. Remember those big ol' things, those of you that aren't millennials?

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79161/a-new-year-with-ongoing-challenges-of-social-death.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 12 Jan 2017 17:01:00 GMT Missing My Mother, I Recall How Stigma Stopped Me From Telling Her My HIV Status http://www.thebody.com/content/79149/missing-my-mother-i-recall-how-stigma-stopped-me-f.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadMy mother was such a beautiful spirit. We were so connected to each other, and I relied heavily on her as an advisor. She was bold and had the most informed optimism I have ever encountered. Her spiritual centeredness was probably the reason for this. She saw the world as distressed and hurting, but this was not her guiding light. Melody Ellen Beverly envisioned a world where we were all taller and more powerful than we knew. She saw humanity in everyone and made space for everyone in her heart.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79149/missing-my-mother-i-recall-how-stigma-stopped-me-f.html Tue, 10 Jan 2017 21:10:00 GMT Giving Thanks and Sharing Thoughts About Life, Death, Justice and HIV http://www.thebody.com/content/79146/giving-thanks-and-sharing-thoughts-about-life-deat.html Tim HinkhouseHere it is, another holiday season in prison and the New Year is upon us. Come on 2017! You have to be better than this year, I hope? 2016 wasn't horrible for me, personally. I have been monitoring the progress of the Center for HIV Law and Policy and the SERO Project in their fight to end HIV criminalization, which will affect me personally. Of course, that is only if new law gets applied retroactively.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79146/giving-thanks-and-sharing-thoughts-about-life-deat.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Tue, 10 Jan 2017 19:36:00 GMT Fighting Trump: HIV Advocates to Watch in 2017 http://www.thebody.com/content/79144/fighting-trump-hiv-advocates-to-watch-in-2017.html Mark S. KingDonald J. Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are a threat to everything HIV advocates have been fighting for during the last thirty years, and that includes access to healthcare, HIV prevention programs like PrEP, and the dignity with which we treat those who are most vulnerable to HIV infection.

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]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2017 18:37:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79144/fighting-trump-hiv-advocates-to-watch-in-2017.html Who Loves Us When We Are Messy? http://www.thebody.com/content/79135/who-loves-us-when-we-are-messy.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadToday has been hard. My body aches and my heart is broken. I lost a friend, and I'm complicit in his death because I didn't reach for him when he fell. He worked tirelessly to be seen as valuable only to fall and be forgotten.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79135/who-loves-us-when-we-are-messy.html Fri, 6 Jan 2017 17:42:00 GMT Justin Does iFLY (Indoor Skydiving) http://www.thebody.com/content/79311/justin-does-ifly-indoor-skydiving.html Justin B. Terry-SmithFor my birthday, my hubby took me to iFLY. It was awesome!!! I did two sessions it was the best ever. I've been skydiving before, this was amazing. The hubby decided once a month we will go for some couple time. 2016 was a crazy year for us. Let us hope 2017 is better. With iFLY and 2017 I plan on soaring to new heights in 2017. Let us be proactive and not reactive. Special thank you to the hubby. Love you and to the staff at iFLY. With HIV I've learned that I will always aim high and always try to fly over adversity.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79311/justin-does-ifly-indoor-skydiving.html jsmithco98@hotmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Thu, 5 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT Moving the Humanity of People With HIV Out of the Equation: How HIV Surveillance Traumatized Me http://www.thebody.com/content/79110/moving-the-humanity-of-people-with-hiv-out-of-the-.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadBodily and environmental autonomy has been elusive for black and brown communities for hundreds of years. The targeting of our bodies is the history of our nation and the world, really. I can't remember not thinking about my movement through any space, what I should say and how I should dress as prerequisites for feeling safe(r), because I realize that attaining safety is a privilege I don't have. This is something that was not a major adjustment for me when I found out my serostatus was positive. I was used to being ogled at by the non-black community or targeted for who I am. The policing of my sexuality was also not something I had not known to be a norm. I remember having to find creative ways to either deflect or answer questions about my sexuality.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79110/moving-the-humanity-of-people-with-hiv-out-of-the-.html Tue, 3 Jan 2017 16:56:00 GMT Activists Maintain Pressure After Chase Brexton CEO Resigns http://www.thebody.com/content/79104/activists-maintain-pressure-after-chase-brexton-ce.html Mark S. KingHere's some news that might make our transition into the new year a little more satisfying.

Richard Larison, the embattled chief executive officer of Chase Brexton, Baltimore's largest provider of health care to the city's most vulnerable communities, has resigned after months of upheaval and staff discontent. It is a clear victory for community activists who have demanded his resignation, even while more work must be done to reform the agency.

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]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2016 18:13:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79104/activists-maintain-pressure-after-chase-brexton-ce.html President-Elect Donald J. Trump: An HIV-Positive Born-Again Christian's Perspective http://www.thebody.com/content/79055/president-elect-donald-j-trump-an-hiv-positive-bor.html Josh MiddletonIt's now well known across the world that the United States recently elected Donald J. Trump to be its 45th president. Emotions are running high, not only within the HIV community, but also within communities across the globe, as we grapple what the future holds for our country. His presidency came as a surprise to many, especially in light of polls that overwhelmingly favored his opponent, democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, as the projected winner.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/79055/president-elect-donald-j-trump-an-hiv-positive-bor.html pozitivehope1@gmail.com (Josh Middleton) Fri, 16 Dec 2016 19:24:00 GMT Five Reasons "HIV Undetectable" Must Equal "Untransmittable" http://www.thebody.com/content/79049/five-reasons-hiv-undetectable-must-equal-untransmi.html Mark S. KingHow wonderful that something many of us have assumed for years has been proven to be true. So now we can spread the news and encourage people with HIV to seek treatment and stick with it. And hey, there's nothing like a little intercourse a la natural with your partner to reward yourself for being undetectable, am I right?

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]]> Thu, 15 Dec 2016 18:50:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/79049/five-reasons-hiv-undetectable-must-equal-untransmi.html New Short Film Unmasks Fear Behind HIV Criminalization http://www.thebody.com/content/78975/new-short-film-unmasks-fear-behind-hiv-criminaliza.html Mark S. KingThe making of the new short documentary, HIV Criminalization: Masking Fear and Discrimination, began in exactly the right place: with people living with HIV themselves, and their personal stories of being prosecuted because of their HIV status.

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]]> Thu, 8 Dec 2016 20:18:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78975/new-short-film-unmasks-fear-behind-hiv-criminaliza.html Train of Thought, Then and Now http://www.thebody.com/content/78962/train-of-thought-then-and-now.html Harold R. 'Scottie' ScottMany of us, of a certain age, may recall the scene in some cartoons or movies of a woman tied to a train track with a train coming from a distance. The scene depicts the "damsel in distress" being saved, just in the nick of time, by her hero.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78962/train-of-thought-then-and-now.html hrayscott@yahoo.com (Harold R. "Scottie" Scott) Wed, 7 Dec 2016 21:48:00 GMT I Am a Woman of Color; I Am Who I Am! http://www.thebody.com/content/78892/i-am-a-woman-of-color-i-am-who-i-am.html Davina ConnerI am a woman of color, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's mother and someone's friend. I am a human being who was handed a card in life that made me stronger than I thought I was. Not giving up on dreams or who I can become because of this card.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78892/i-am-a-woman-of-color-i-am-who-i-am.html pozitivelydee@gmail.com (Davina Conner) Tue, 29 Nov 2016 22:12:00 GMT When It Comes to HIV Stigma, You Are the Sage You've Been Waiting For http://www.thebody.com/content/78891/when-it-comes-to-hiv-stigma-you-are-the-sage-youve.html Matt EbertI was asked to speak on World AIDS Day about the history of the AIDS activist movement, but my thoughts kept turning to something more contemporary -- that is, the current state of affairs regarding HIV stigma.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78891/when-it-comes-to-hiv-stigma-you-are-the-sage-youve.html Matt Ebert Tue, 29 Nov 2016 21:58:00 GMT Justin's HIV Journal Videos Showcased at the Brooklyn Museum Exhibit http://www.thebody.com/content/78890/justins-hiv-journal-videos-showcased-at-the-brookl.html Justin B. Terry-SmithGREAT NEWS: Some of the videos from Justin's HIV Journal will be SHOWCASED in the Brooklyn Museum with other HIV activists, including Mark S. King, Carol Leigh, Juanita Mohammed, Luna Luis Ortiz Photography, Southern AIDS Living Quilt, James Wentzy and the late Nelson Sullivan (1948-1989) and Ray Navarro (1964-1990). The exhibit will officially open Dec. 1 (World AIDS Day) but there will be a free showing Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in which I will attend and be a part of a discussion panel at the end. Wow I'm going to be showcased in the Brooklyn Museum!! WOW I did it!! NY here I come Dec. 3 see you there!!

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78890/justins-hiv-journal-videos-showcased-at-the-brookl.html jsmithco98@hotmail.com (Justin B. Terry-Smith) Tue, 29 Nov 2016 21:31:00 GMT The Compassionate Truce of Tim Murphy's Novel "Christodora" http://www.thebody.com/content/78871/the-compassionate-truce-of-tim-murphys-novel-chris.html Mark S. KingIn the towering new novel Christodora, author Tim Murphy harnesses decades of personal and professional experience as an HIV journalist into a story that sweeps back and forth between the last several decades and beyond. It has the scope of great literature, but Christodora is also a deeply personal chronicle from a man who knows his terrain.

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]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2016 17:06:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78871/the-compassionate-truce-of-tim-murphys-novel-chris.html Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil! http://www.thebody.com/content/78867/tell-the-truth-and-shame-the-devil.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadI was recently in a space where someone said that silence colludes with white supremacy and other constructs of oppression. It was a heavy blow for me, not that I'm silent most times, but there have been moments when I haven't spoken up, haven't said what I felt and didn't speak clearly or with audacity. There have been times when I've kept my thoughts, feelings, visions of work to myself and hoped that a moment would present itself to speak. The work that I'm talking about is work towards black liberation, the work to dismantle any system forged by oppression. To make a gestalt about what oppression is wholly, I think: any system that pretends to own narratives of a people; any system that feels that self-ownership isn't a thing; any system that, based on identities, can predict outcomes of health, incarceration, etc. If outcomes are so predictable, then something at the systems' baseline intends for those outcomes.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78867/tell-the-truth-and-shame-the-devil.html Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:29:00 GMT A Drawing for World AIDS Day 2016 http://www.thebody.com/content/78866/a-drawing-for-world-aids-day-2016.html Tim HinkhouseTim Hinkhouse sent this work of art to our offices for World AIDS Day. He created the concept for the image, which was then drawn by his friend AJ.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78866/a-drawing-for-world-aids-day-2016.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:28:00 GMT Celebrate Your Lives, and Think of Me as I Fight for Mine http://www.thebody.com/content/78847/celebrate-your-lives-and-think-of-me-as-i-fight-fo.html Tim HinkhouseMy editor JD at TheBody.com asked me to write a contribution for World AIDS Day reflecting on this past year or this upcoming 2017. As usual, I am hoping for a cure in 2017. Thanks to modern-day science, we have medicines that will suppress the HIV virus and allow a longer life for us.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78847/celebrate-your-lives-and-think-of-me-as-i-fight-fo.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Tue, 22 Nov 2016 18:00:00 GMT We Are Here, and We Are Tired: A Challenging, Amazing, Undetectable Year http://www.thebody.com/content/78846/we-are-here-and-we-are-tired-a-challenging-amazing.html Rev. Andrena IngramAs World AIDS Day approaches, I am daily recognizing the blessing of life, and family and friends. I am recognizing always those in this struggle who have gone on before me, those who will come after me and those in the trenches with me right now. I am especially thankful and prayerful for those of us who are long-term survivors.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78846/we-are-here-and-we-are-tired-a-challenging-amazing.html aftertheribbon@gmail.com (Rev. Andrena Ingram) Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:59:00 GMT For Black Boys Who've Considered Suicide When Undetectable Isn't Enuff http://www.thebody.com/content/78836/for-black-boys-whove-considered-suicide-when-undet.html Abdul-Aliy A MuhammadOver a year ago, I was asked to step into a role as facilitator of a group for poz black men.

The new director of the organization had surreptitiously changed the name of the group to "undetectable voices"! He had been challenged on this and kept pressing, thinking this name was his golden ticket to transforming programming at the agency. I had deep feelings about this, and disagreed with and talked with him about how problematic it was to organize a group around undetectable HIV.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78836/for-black-boys-whove-considered-suicide-when-undet.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 18:11:00 GMT Ending HIV Stigma http://www.thebody.com/content/78848/ending-hiv-stigma.html PWN-USAWe are not just another case number. We are important to our communities.

You never know who you will run into sometimes, even at the doctor's office. I myself, as so many, live with my status. I don't want to say illness or disease, because both remind me of being sick.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78848/ending-hiv-stigma.html Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT What I Would Tell Another Woman About PWN Speak Up Summit 2016 http://www.thebody.com/content/78823/what-i-would-tell-another-woman-about-pwn-speak-up.html Davina ConnerSeptember 27-30, 2016, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, I attended a women's conference with 250 women both diagnosed with HIV and not diagnosed with HIV. People were diagnosed from over 30 years ago all the way down to a year ago. It was a great experience, something that every woman that has been diagnosed with HIV should attend. The women embraced everyone with love and made the newly diagnosed women feel a sense of comfort, hope and relief. It was a place to learn about different HIV issues that all women seem to face.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78823/what-i-would-tell-another-woman-about-pwn-speak-up.html pozitivelydee@gmail.com (Davina Conner) Sun, 20 Nov 2016 18:42:00 GMT We All Need to Stand Up to Defend HIV Medical Care in the Trump Era http://www.thebody.com/content/78815/we-all-need-to-stand-up-to-defend-hiv-medical-care.html Tim HinkhouseHere it is post-election, and when I heard that the new guy was elected into the White House and not Hillary Clinton, I felt as if a relative had died that I'll miss tremendously. Like a lot of the country today, I have been walking around in a haze of confusion, sadness and anger and am mourning the loss of my dignity.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78815/we-all-need-to-stand-up-to-defend-hiv-medical-care.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Fri, 18 Nov 2016 16:43:00 GMT The Blessing of Desperation: My Journey to Reduce Stress After My HIV Diagnosis http://www.thebody.com/content/78779/the-blessing-of-desperation-my-journey-to-reduce-s.html Reggie SmithThe journey of my life was dramatically altered when I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1988. There was so much that we did not know about HIV then. What we knew for sure was that people were dying in grotesque fashion, at an alarming and epidemic rate. It was not abnormal to expect that my fate would be the same -- that it would not take long for me to suffer and die. I was so afraid that my life was ending that it caused me a great deal of stress. As it turns out, stress is a killer too, and it works well with HIV to accomplish the goal of sickness and death. I could not turn back time and keep from contracting HIV, but managing my own stress was and is something I can control.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78779/the-blessing-of-desperation-my-journey-to-reduce-s.html participate@RISE4war.com (Reggie Smith) Tue, 15 Nov 2016 19:12:00 GMT Sleeping With President Donald Trump http://www.thebody.com/content/78782/sleeping-with-president-donald-trump.html Mark S. KingI am on my feet at the Thanksgiving table, and my fists are slamming into the linen napkins. Silverware is quaking, pottery is rattling. The force of a particularly hard blow to the tabletop sends a dinner roll catapulting from the bread basket.

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]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:53:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78782/sleeping-with-president-donald-trump.html Aboard the 2016 HIV Cruise Retreat http://www.thebody.com/content/78761/aboard-the-2016-hiv-cruise-retreat.html Mark S. KingThe spirit of the annual HIV Cruise Retreat (also known as "the Poz Cruise" but not associated with POZ Magazine) can be summed up in one enlightening story.

Matthew had some bad luck as he boarded the ship for our 8-day tour of the Caribbean. His luggage didn't make it. He literally had his carry-on bag (which included his meds, thank goodness) and the clothes on his back.

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]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2016 17:47:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78761/aboard-the-2016-hiv-cruise-retreat.html Efavirenz Side Effects Include Suicide; It Could Have Been Me http://www.thebody.com/content/78679/efavirenz-side-effects-include-suicide-it-could-ha.html Matt EbertEvery year come the reports about efavirenz (Sustiva, Stocrin), downwind from a time I will never forget. They are reminders of something I have known for over a decade: Side effects from this drug can include suicide, with clearly elevated rates in those who have concurrent mental illness or who use street drugs.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78679/efavirenz-side-effects-include-suicide-it-could-ha.html Matt Ebert Fri, 28 Oct 2016 17:48:00 GMT From Presidential Politics to AIDS "Patient Zero," America Loves a Scapegoat http://www.thebody.com/content/78674/from-presidential-politics-to-aids-patient-zero-am.html Christian KileyAfter being asked by a number of editors to write something about the presidential election, today it struck me that I had finally found my angle on the whole thing. Like many Americans, I feel the current political conversation has strayed too far from the issues that have actual, practical effects on voters' circumstances.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78674/from-presidential-politics-to-aids-patient-zero-am.html unsurepositive@gmail.com (Christian Kiley) Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:10:00 GMT I Have Love in My Life, and for That I Am Grateful http://www.thebody.com/content/78661/i-have-love-in-my-life-and-for-that-i-am-grateful.html Tim HinkhouseMy theater group closed out the play Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman on Oct. 8. The public was invited to attend this performance and it was quite a turnout. If you want to read what Amanda Waldroupe, a reporter at Street Roots (a local Portland, Oregon, paper) wrote about it, go check it out.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78661/i-have-love-in-my-life-and-for-that-i-am-grateful.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:04:00 GMT My Gay Love for Monster Movies http://www.thebody.com/content/78652/my-gay-love-for-monster-movies.html Mark S. KingMy first boyhood crush was on a dead man. He was a zombie named Quentin Collins, with eyes that pierced my pubescent gay soul and sideburns the size of the Florida peninsula. He stalked across my TV screen on weekday afternoons at precisely 3:30, when the series "Dark Shadows" introduced me to all manner of vampires, werewolves and ghouls in the early 1970's.

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]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78652/my-gay-love-for-monster-movies.html Women Around the Nation Speak Up for the Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living With HIV http://www.thebody.com/content/78637/women-around-the-nation-speak-up-for-the-day-of-ac.html PWN-USAWith community events around the country happening from last week through the first week of November; a vibrant radio show on the theme hosted by PWN-USA Colorado member Pozitively Dee on Saturday; a Twitter chat scheduled for 2 PM ET today with special guest co-hosts from Christie's Place, Futures Without Violence, National Network to End Domestic Violence, The Well Project and the Women's HIV Program at UCSF (follow using the hashtags #EndVAWHIV and #pwnspeaks!); and at least two cities (Philadelphia and Houston) issuing proclamations for the Day of Action, our third annual Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living with HIV is shaping up to be another success.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78637/women-around-the-nation-speak-up-for-the-day-of-ac.html Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Women Living With HIV Are Leading the Way http://www.thebody.com/content/78638/women-living-with-hiv-are-leading-the-way.html PWN-USASince the beginning of the epidemic, people with HIV and allies have had to save our own lives. We have educated, fought and held accountable our medical providers, federal health departments, big pharma, the justice department and the many people and institutions that threatened our survival. The struggles continue today, and in virtually every space, I've come to recognize it's the women of Positive Women's Network - USA who are leading the way.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78638/women-living-with-hiv-are-leading-the-way.html Sun, 23 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT My Take on the Violence http://www.thebody.com/content/78639/my-take-on-the-violence.html PWN-USAI was thinking the same thing when I read about a Day of Action to End Violence Against Women. I was thinking: where is the solution? Being a woman who has experienced so much violence, you describe it beautifully well; however sad ... it's true. We wish to teach our children to stand up, to fight, to advocate for themselves. Then the reality of what you're up against becomes very real. A friend, a lover, someone you just met. That individual at some time decides for you it's time to pay for this friendship. I want you to love me. Love = Sex; (this is why I have so much trouble being in love with anything) you feel the rage roll off them; and to you it's delivered. Smothering you beneath the stench of lust, lunacy and fear. All the while being the slave to their desires and needs. To fight back may be easier and sometimes to live you let it play out. Pain, disgust, the fear, my stomach hurts so bad; my head is spinning. I can't die like this. Endurance and perseverance are what get me through in order to arrive back where I started with yet another deep wound from battle. Smiling and acting as if it were just a nightmare. As you help others forgetting your pain you grow a little more insane each day. I use insanity because if you look up the word insanity it is doing the same thing over and over trying to reach a different outcome.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78639/my-take-on-the-violence.html Sun, 23 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Activism Includes Having Compassion for People With Disabilities Such as HIV http://www.thebody.com/content/78624/activism-includes-having-compassion-for-people-wit.html Tim HinkhouseI wanted to share with you that Saturday, September 24, was opening night of the play that I am in called Metamorphoses. This is a detour from past practice with the original director, who lives and breathes William Shakespeare. Our modern directors made this choice available, and we are doing this play.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78624/activism-includes-having-compassion-for-people-wit.html hi.timothy7019@gmail.com (Tim Hinkhouse) Thu, 20 Oct 2016 17:20:00 GMT On Being Sick http://www.thebody.com/content/78585/on-being-sick.html River HustonEach day starts the same. I wake up in pain; I take some medication. Without it, the pain progresses to agony levels. I have no appetite; there is nothing that entices me, but I know if I don't eat something I will feel worse, so I eat. I go back to bed and meditate, often for hours, and then fall back asleep. I wake up, and sometimes I have to go to the bathroom, and I am my own cheerleader: You can do it! Come on big girl, time for pee pee! I go to the bathroom. I go back to bed. I can do the computer for short periods before it is too painful. If I do too much, I have terrible episodes of spinning and puking.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78585/on-being-sick.html river@riverhuston.com (River Huston) Fri, 14 Oct 2016 15:59:00 GMT Si Se Puede: Speaking Up as Allies to Latinx Communities http://www.thebody.com/content/78582/si-se-puede-speaking-up-as-allies-to-latinx-commun.html Josh Middleton"Si se puede" or "yes, one can," a term coined by Dolores Huerta, could be heard in speeches by Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers in the early 1970s. It's a slogan that not only served to unify Latinx people, namely Mexican Americans, but also raised awareness around the plight of farm workers. It is still used almost 40 years later for various causes. Little did we know that a decade after the saying became popular, the world would face a health epidemic -- HIV/AIDS -- it had never seen before, and Hispanics would become a disproportionately affected group.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78582/si-se-puede-speaking-up-as-allies-to-latinx-commun.html pozitivehope1@gmail.com (Josh Middleton) Thu, 13 Oct 2016 23:41:00 GMT SPEAK UP! 2016 Unites, Energizes and Mobilizes New and Seasoned Advocates http://www.thebody.com/content/78594/speak-up-2016-unites-energizes-and-mobilizes-new-a.html PWN-USAMonths of planning and preparation from PWN-USA's Summit Planning Committee, Board, staff and presenters paid off last month, as 250 women living with HIV from 29 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada came together in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, for SPEAK UP! 2016 National Leadership Summit for Women Living with HIV.

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]]> http://www.thebody.com/content/78594/speak-up-2016-unites-energizes-and-mobilizes-new-a.html Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT Revisiting My Sad and Trivial Night With Rock Hudson http://www.thebody.com/content/78508/revisiting-my-sad-and-trivial-night-with-rock-huds.html Mark S. KingThe 31st anniversary of the passing of Rock Hudson brings this memory back again, as it does each year. Maybe I want you to know this sordid tale because I'm still as star-struck and vain as when this happened. Or maybe the memory still brings back fear and melancholy, so repeating it here feels like sharing my favorite ghost story. I'll let you make your own conclusions.

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]]> Sun, 2 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMT mark@marksking.com (Mark S. King) http://www.thebody.com/content/78508/revisiting-my-sad-and-trivial-night-with-rock-huds.html