Since the fall of 2010, GAC has been involved in several testing events.  GAC was there at Pride Week-end in early October at Piedmont Park where almost 500 persons were tested and in December at a theatrical performance at the 14th Street Playhouse where patrons attending a play about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the African-American community were offered free HIV tests.

Since the beginning of 2011, GAC has sponsored three testing events; two at Perimeter College campuses (Clarkston and Decatur) and at the health department headquarters.  As future events are finalized, they will be added to this website.

“This study’s message is clear:  HIV exacts a devastating toll on men who have sex with men in America’s major cities, and yet far too many of those who are infected don’t know it,”  said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.  “We need to increase access to HIV testing so that more MSM know their status, and we all must bring new energy, new approaches, and new champions to the fight against HIV among men who have sex with men.”

The study’s results bolster key themes in the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States.  The recently released strategy states that “the United States cannot reduce the number of HIV infections nationally without better addressing HIV among gay and bisexual men,” and MSM are listed among a few priority populations to focus HIV prevention efforts.  The President’s strategy also sets targets for reducing the number of individuals living with HIV who are unaware of their HIV status.

The CDC study tested 8,153 MSM in 21 cities participating in the 2008 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS), and examined HIV prevalence and awareness of HIV status among this group.  NHBS monitors HIV testing, risk behaviors, and access to prevention services among at-risk populations in cities with high numbers of persons living with AIDS.

While MSM of all races and ethnicities were severely affected, black MSM were particularly impacted:  28 percent of black MSM were HIV-infected, compared to 18 percent of Hispanic and 16 percent of white MSM.

The study also found a strong link between socioeconomic status and HIV among MSM: prevalence increased as education and income decreased, and awareness of HIV status was higher among MSM with greater education and income.  These findings echo similar disparities found in recent NHBS research among heterosexuals.

Low awareness of HIV infection a major concern, particularly for younger men

The study provided additional insight into the populations of MSM most in need of HIV testing and prevention:

• Among racial/ethnic groups, black MSM with HIV were least likely to be aware of their infection (59 percent unaware, vs. 46 percent for Hispanic MSM and 26 percent for white MSM).
• While young MSM (under age 30) had lower HIV prevalence than older men, they were far more likely to be unaware of their HIV infection.  Among MSM aged 18-29 who had HIV, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) were unaware, versus 37 percent for men age 30 and older.
• Among young MSM, young MSM of color were less likely than whites to know they were HIV-infected.  Among HIV-infected black MSM under age 30, 71 percent were unaware of their infection; among HIV-infected Hispanic MSM under age 30, 63 percent were unaware.  This compares to 40 percent of HIV-infected white MSM under age 30.

CDC officials note that low awareness of HIV status among young MSM likely reflects several factors:  they may have been infected more recently, may underestimate their personal risk, may have had fewer opportunities to get tested, or may believe that advances in HIV treatment minimize the threat of HIV.  For young MSM of color, discrimination and socioeconomic factors – such as poverty, homophobia, stigma, and limited health-care access – may be especially acute and pose particular challenges.

“For young men who have sex with men – including young men of color who are least likely to know they may be infected – the future is truly on the line,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.  “It is critical that we reach these young men early in their lives with HIV prevention and testing services and continue to make these vital services available as they become older.” 

CDC estimates that the majority of new sexually transmitted infections are transmitted by individuals who are unaware of their infection, and studies show that once people learn they are HIV-infected, most take steps to protect their partners.  Therefore, because undiagnosed infection likely plays a major role in HIV transmission, reaching younger MSM with regular HIV testing is critical.

CDC recommends that MSM of all ages get tested for HIV at least annually, or more often (every three to six months) if they are at increased risk (e.g., those with multiple or anonymous sex partners, or who use drugs during sex).  Notably, only 45 percent of HIV-infected MSM who were unaware of their infection had been tested in the past year, underscoring the importance of more frequent testing among those at highest risk. 

While HIV prevention for MSM remains a top CDC priority, agency officials note that a renewed national commitment to HIV prevention is needed to reduce the toll of HIV on MSM and increase access to prevention. 

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/hiv or www.actagainstaids.org

Effective July 1, 2010, all persons applying for enrollment into the GA ADAP will be placed on a waiting list.  You will not be affected if you are currently enrolled, pick up your medications at scheduled times and have no changes in your eligibility status.   

If you fail to pick up your medications within 60 days or do not recertify on time, your status will automatically be changed to inactive and your case manager will be notified.  When you apply to be re-enrolled in the ADAP you will be placed on the waiting list until we are able to enroll new clients.  If you are placed on the waiting list, your case manager will provide you with information on other programs which provide drug assistance. 

It is our aim to continue to provide you with life saving medications, quality services and committed staff to enable you to sustain your current quality of life.   

If you have questions, please contact your case manager. 

[Source: Georgia Department of Community Health]

According to HHS’s press release, the new Web site is designed to be “a one-stop-shop for information about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act as well as other health care resources,” and will help consumers to “take control of their health care and make the choices that are right for them, by putting the power of information at their fingertips.”

Among the site’s Web pages are “Find Insurance Options,” “Learn About Prevention,” and “Information for You,” which has sub-categories for families with children, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and young adults.  The Home Page also includes a “Top 5 Things to Know” section.  Several of the pages have a feedback mechanism to gauge whether the page was helpful.

HHS promises that the HealthCare.gov will evolve and grow as health care reform is implemented and as the health care market changes.  Price estimates for health insurance plans are scheduled to be added in October, 2010.

The above information is posted by permission of AIDS Action.  While this information comes from a reliable source, GAC does not warrant its accuracy or application to individual cases.

1) How Planning Councils can best support consumer members to ensure that these members are not marginalized in the planning council process and that their voices are not just present, but meaningful.

2) How Consumers can be more effective members on Planning Councils and do not marginalize themselves and engage in the council’s work in a productive and meaningful way.

We invite PLWHA who would like to help develop these best practices to join our conference calls.  Our May conference call is scheduled for Wednesday May 12, 2010 at Noon Eastern, 11 AM  CT, 10 AM MT, 9 AM ET.  Please email me at rallgaier@shanti.org if you wish to participate so I can send you the call in information.

Randy Allgaier
Co-Chair, CAEAR PLWHA Caucus

Director, San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council
730 Polk Street 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109
Direct Phone- 415-674-4761
Fax: 415.674.0373

“The steps that President Obama outlined tonight are a great leap forward in addressing discrimination affecting LGBT patients and their families,” said Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal Executive Director. “These measures are intended to ensure that no family will have to experience what the Langbehn-Pond family did that night at Jackson Memorial Hospital. We are so proud of Janice and her family ­ she stood up and told her story and it made a difference.”

Last September, a federal district court rejected Lambda Legal’s lawsuit filed against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice Langbehn, ruling that no law required the hospital to allow her and their three children to see her partner. Langbehn and the children were kept apart from Pond by hospital staff for eight hours as Pond slipped into a coma and later died. After that Lambda Legal worked with other LGBT organizations and officials at Jackson Memorial Hospital to change hospital policies on visitation and respecting the wishes of same-sex couples and their families.

The President’s memorandum to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services includes the following: HHS should promulgate rules for hospitals that receive Medicaid or Medicare funds that require them to respect the rights of patients to designate visitors.  HHS should also take steps to ensure that such hospitals have adequate policies to respect the legal documents that some patients have designating who can make decisions for them if they are incapacitated.  Finally, the President directs HHS to report back to him in 180 days with additional recommendations about actions it can take to address hospital visitation, medical decision-making and other health care issues that affect LGBT patients and their families.

“It was very rewarding to hear ‘I’m sorry’ from the President because that’s what I have wanted to hear from Jackson Memorial since the night Lisa died, ” said Janice Langbehn. “I hope that taking these steps makes sure that no family ever has to experience the nightmare that my family has gone through.”

[Source: Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.]

Chronic hepatitis B and C cause thousands of cases of liver cancer, liver disease, and death each year — taking the heaviest toll among Asians, Pacific Islanders, and blacks in the U.S. — and these infections account for nearly half of the liver transplantations that must be performed annually.  Resources and efforts to contain the viruses that cause hepatitis B and C lag behind those directed at other infectious diseases of similar impact to public health, noted the committee that wrote the report.

“Although hepatitis B and C are preventable, the rates of infection have not declined over the past several years, underscoring the conclusion that we have allowed gaps in screening, prevention, and treatment to go unchecked,” said committee chair R. Palmer Beasley, professor of epidemiology and disease control, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.  “This report outlines the additional resources and actions needed to reduce the unacceptably high burden of liver disease and cancer associated with these viruses.”

An estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million Americans have chronic hepatitis B and between 2.7 million and 3.9 million have chronic hepatitis C.  The majority of infected individuals are not aware of their condition until they develop symptoms of liver cancer or liver disease.  Few among the populations most at risk — immigrants from countries where the diseases are endemic, non-Hispanic black men, injection-drug users, and people who had blood transfusions before 1992 — seek testing or information on how to protect themselves from infection.  Moreover, health care and social service providers’ knowledge about hepatitis B and C is generally poor, and many fail to follow guidelines for screening patients and providing prevention, treatment, and follow-up services. 

The report calls for a public awareness initiative along the lines of the effort that succeeded in increasing recognition, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, which affects three to five times fewer Americans than viral hepatitis.  Educational programs and materials that outline risk factors for viral hepatitis and provide information on immunization, prevention, and proper monitoring of infected individuals should be developed and made available to all health professionals and social service providers.

Steps need to be taken to eliminate the stigma associated with viral hepatitis.  Negative attitudes about hepatitis B in some cultures may contribute to immigrants’ reluctance to seek testing.  In China, for example, people with chronic hepatitis B face job and social discrimination.  In addition, negative perceptions about illicit-drug users, who make up the greatest percentage of those with hepatitis C, can affect the care they receive or their willingness to seek care. 

Although the availability of an effective vaccine against hepatitis B has significantly reduced its spread, some 1,000 infants born to infected mothers develop chronic infections each year, a number that has not declined over the past decade.  Moreover, three states — Alabama, Montana, and South Dakota — still do not require that children be vaccinated against hepatitis B before entering daycare or school.  All full-term newborns whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B should receive the vaccine once they are stable and before leaving the delivery room rather than up to 12 hours after birth as is currently recommended.  All states should make hepatitis B vaccination a requirement for school attendance, and health plans need to fully cover the costs associated with the immunization.  Particular attention should be given to screening and vaccinating children who were born in countries where hepatitis B circulates widely.  Each year, roughly 40,000 to 45,000 people legally emigrate to the United States from countries where hepatitis B is endemic.

Health care and social services related to viral hepatitis are sparse and fragmented among providers and organizations, leading to missed opportunities to prevent the spread of infection and to lessen the impact of chronic infections, the report concludes.  The committee recommended several steps to create a more-coordinated approach, including ways to improve identification of infected individuals, social and peer support to reduce the stigma of infection, and medical management of those with chronic hepatitis B or C.  These strategies are aimed at not just health professionals in hospitals and doctors’ offices, but also individuals and groups that provide services to at-risk populations, including prisons and jails, HIV and STD clinics, shelter-based programs, and mobile health units.

People at greatest risk for hepatitis B include individuals born in East and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and other areas where the virus circulates widely; infants born to women with the disease; and those who have sexual contact or share injection-drug equipment with an infected person. Asians and Pacific Islanders make up 4.5 percent of the U.S. population but account for more than 50 percent of chronic hepatitis B cases.  Those at greatest risk for hepatitis C are individuals who received a blood transfusion before 1992 and past or current injection-drug users.  The chances of contracting hepatitis C increase with years of drug use and may be as high as 90 percent among long-term users.  Deaths related to hepatitis C have increased, with the highest number occurring among middle-aged men, non-Hispanic blacks, and American Indians.  

The report was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable.  Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public.  The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies.

Copies of HEPATITIS AND LIVER CANCER: A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF HEPATITIS B AND C are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at HTTP://WWW.NAP.EDU.  Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above.  Additional information on the study can be found at HTTP://WWW.IOM.EDU/VIRALHEPATITIS.

[ This news release and report are available at HTTP://NATIONAL-ACADEMIES.ORG ]

Despite the diversity in setting and respondents, a core set of common themes emerged across all of the recommendations.  Today, we are releasing a report of the major themes that we heard from the public .

Throughout this process we heard that people want to bring the issue of HIV/AIDS back into the forefront of the American psyche through efforts such as social marketing campaigns and comprehensive HIV prevention and education for youth, injection drug users, communities of color, and gay and bisexual men.  Access to care was also commonly discussed.  Specifically, expanding support services for people living with HIV and the need to diagnose and treat co-occurring conditions such as Hepatitis, substance use, mental health, and markers of economic instability (e.g. housing, joblessness).    

Even when access to treatment is available, the stigma surrounding an HIV diagnosis may be too great for people to get tested or enroll in care. We heard from many people living with HIV who spoke about the stigma associated with being HIV-positive and its effect on their daily lives.    Many people discussed the ways in which stigma and discrimination contributed to HIV-related racial, geographic, and gender disparities. People also described personal accounts of discrimination and stigma from providers and difficulties in accessing a range of services, including dental care and prenatal care. 

Last, many expressed the importance of coordinating HIV prevention and treatment activities across the Federal government.  Many also expressed the importance of evaluating current HIV prevention and care efforts and making sure that these evaluation activities help guide Federal, state and local activities and funding. 

These recommendations are only a subset of the input that we had received and many more recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are detailed in the community discussions report. Not all of the recommendations, however, will appear in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.  To be effective, the strategy must include a small number of high payoff items that will address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.  Nevertheless, we intend for this community report to provide a baseline for the status of the domestic epidemic and serve as a planning tool and resource for Federal, State and local agencies. We are grateful for the many Americans who helped make this report possible and for the many insightful recommendations that will go a long way in ensuring that the National HIV/AIDS Strategy is a success.

Posted by GMillett on April 09, 2010 at 01:00 PM EDT