11/17/2009

Town Hall Meeting ONAP- November 16, 2009

Greetings,

My name is Sinatra Perryman and today I stand before you for those that have no voice, or are afraid of what is to come behind using their voice.

Many of us in this room know what the major and underlining problem is and many fellow Americans don’t. We can look at the rising numbers and see that, what is in place today is just not working.

In order for any strategy or town hall meeting to truly be effective, we must first know “WHY ARE THE NUMBERS GROWING”.

Today we have Non-Profit organizations that are utilizing Government funds and implementing Effective Based Interventions and most of which are lost as-to how to reach the people.

Funds that are being used to support Effective Interventions and Structured Interventions in Mississippi are currently just being funded, after careful review of some of their progress reports.

No work geared toward STD/HIV prevention is a waste, but when you can’t reach the target population, that tells me that it’s ineffective.

On a National Level, it is my opinion that we go back and take a look at what works and what doesn’t and train competent people, compassionate people, and people willing to help their fellow man and woman understand that HIV/AIDS is real, it’s here and no matter who or what you are: you can be infected.

In Mississippi alone we not only face the rise in HIV/AIDS cases, but Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and the big one Syphilis.

Personally all I can recommend is that we stop funding organizations that are giving great presentations with statistical data, and create a system designed to put people first and salaries later.

Policies and procedures that are put in place for non-profits, for profits and many other companies willing to fight this growing problem need to be addressed. In this battle that we face, we need as many people that are willing to FIGHT.

Today I am in clear understanding that it doesn’t take a degree to know what we need it only TAKES “HIV”.

If we don’t focus more on understanding Youth and their behavior and the behavior of the target populations mainly at risk, each year more and more people will become sick or die.

It is my goal to make sure that"Miesha Rashaun Williams" the reasoning behind my standing before you today, is protected at all cost and as a voter of Barack Obama I will hold you and your staff personally responsible to see that we bring sex education to every school across America and that no man or woman fears the test of a lifetime.

As we all should know every 9 ½ minutes someone becomes infected with HIV/AIDs.

In closing, it would take two to three years to clearly outline how to address a problem that has plagued the African American community for what seems like a decade, but today we all must make a stand.

Mr. President I ask that you remain a man walking with the Quran upon you, and that you "Assist any person oppressed, whether Muslim or non-Muslim."

(END)


10/30/2009

Sinatra Perryman thoughts on STD/HIV Prevention in Mississippi


I am 34 years old today and you know....this is the first time in my life I have never felt the need to want to help people as much as I feel today. This would have not been the case if it wasn't for a small 2 page report on "HIV Disease in Young African American Men Who Have Sex with Men, Mississippi 2008". If your not familiar with the report 'Don't Waste Your Time', it's a bunch a lies... I think. Growing up in Mississippi has been one of the toughest things I have done as a Gay Black African American Male. All my life I have had to deal with the fact that I was different and people could see it as well as me!

My parents shut it out of their minds and never stopped loving me as their different son. I have had the best of everything and really never wanted for nothing. Today at this crossroads in my life, I have found myself looking down the barrel of a gun... not a real gun, but the STD/HIV Prevention gun. How do you address something that is so far away from you and the general public.

Do you know that the Health Departments in Mississippi are really not promoting getting a HIV/AIDS test until you come in with you dick in your hand or your pussy scrubbing the ground from maybe.... let's see. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, P&S Syphilis and last but not least " HIV Disease". This is a fact... I visited the Health Department with one of my friends and she wasn't sure if say maybe the " New Guy" had giving her one of the famous cocktail STD's so she ask me to ride with to the clinic. Well, this is what they told her once they made a basic observation on her. Ms. @@@@ it looks as thought you might have Chlamydia... but we really aren't sure until lab work confirms it. I sit there posed and waiting on the HIV test question.

It never came! I was stark raving mad, I had in part turn around and look at my girlfriend and ask her right in front of the Nurse Practitioner "Aren't You Gone Get A HIV Test " her dumb ass say it ain't that serious.....I died right there. The Nurse Practitioner then looks at me and then ask her if she wants the test. This dumb ass, I thought...after begging this dizzy frog to take the test of a lifetime! How do you address barriers such as this.

According to the CDC, Aids is the leading cause of death for African American Women between the ages of 25 and 34 yrs old. For African American women 35 to 44 years old, it is the third leading cause of death...and it's the forth leading cause of women between the ages of 45 to 54, and Hispanic women, ages 35 to 44. The CDC also states that between 80 percent of the women that diagnosed with HIV, contracted it through high-risk heterosexual contact. These are the women that are afraid to engage their partner about having protected sex or getting tested first before having unprotected sex.

The department also suggests that these women know their partners sexual practices as well. " I think when they say Sexual Practices their really saying... find out if they bisexual or possibly gay", this is just my opinion so don't quote me on that.

Getting a HIV/AIDS test in Mississippi may seem like it's as easy as going to the store with no money and just picking up whatever the hell you want... It's not. Just because you got a FREE Health Department doesn't mean that you have access to the test. In the clinic in Hazelhurst, Ms you have to pay $10 for the test and that could mean no meal for the day for many or no wine or dope and OH well, no HIV/AIDS test.

Rural area's are suffering the most, because all the attention are put on the cities that have the highest number of cases, often those positive cases from the cities travel to the rural area's to seek out new potential clients. Venues where men sleeping with men openly are scarce, so using the Internet to find a sex partner confidentially is a great way for men that are bisexual and openly gay to find a quick sex partner. Rural (MSM) are not able to identify with prevention measures because of clouded issues dealing with stigma and social relevance.

Many men such as I, a Gay man living in a Rural area that has been named the KKK town, have felt the end of the ax hammer when it comes to stigma behind a Gay man. Constantly defending who you are as well as what you are. Between the ages of 12 to 28, I was tormented by what people thought of me and how they felt about me. I have heard a many of them give thanks to their son not being Gay. These were the same young boy's.... the same age as me, that couldn't wait to get off the bus to slick me. I am sure if some of their fathers could read or stumble on this passage, I am sure it would bring back memories.

Slick me is a term that was used by the young men between the ages of 14 to 17 that would put their penis between your legs and think that they were have sex. Picture that... two young boys in the wood's having sex, or what they thought was sex! This was our only pass time back then and to be honest it remains the same today.

The young men today are mostly nothing more than early crackheads, because you can only smoke so much marijuana and continue to get a high. I am really thinking that is the reason behind the pill usage and crystal meth experiments. Black men are mostly introduced to meth through white men that are hooked. It's rare that your going to see a black man that got hooked on crystal meth hanging out with a total black social network "RARE".

In conclusion of all that I know now about STD's, it gives me great pleasure to reach out to such lost souls and share what I learned thus far. The road ahead will be very hard for me still as a Gay Black Man Living in the south, but the faith that I never lost even threw it all has never let me down. I am a firm believer that when you take God out of things that are good, he will walk tall and show the evil doers who is King. There is no denying that I am a Gay Man, but HIV/AIDS has no preference. HIV/AIDS has a strict non discrimination policy and it's always hiring, but to all my fellow American's that is one job you should never want to get hired on.....

P.S. I look at my certificate from the MSDH and I can't help but to laugh. It arrived to me in a envelope that was mangled and crumpled and it reads " Mississippi State Department of Health" This is to certify that Sinatra Perryman has participated in a two-day training course "STD/HIV Instructor Course" In recognition thereof, this certificate is awarded this the 20th day of October 2009. I would have been proud if it would have said CERTIFIED!


10/29/2009

HIV/AIDS And African American's In Mississippi

Today I received my two day training course in STD/HIV Prevention certificate! During these two day's I have learn much about what the Mississippi State Department Of Health is doing to combat the problem on HIV/AIDS and other STD's that are affecting Black African American men and Women in Mississippi. The instructor Mr. Jerry Vardaman, was very knowledgeable and has been of great service to me since I have been on this new path. Ms. Juanita Davis the MSDH Co-chair also helped with the training and is also very knowledgeable on the subject. She is like the mother every child would love to have she's fun, energetic, witty and also smart.

The people that attended the training was very nice and really showed a genuine interest in what was been taught. Although, many were not from the target populations such as MSM, Hispanic, and PLWHA it was very interesting. Previously I had the pleasure of attending the Mississippi Community Planning Groups for HIV Prevention meeting on October 9, 2009. It really wasn't a true meeting because not even half of it's nominated members were there. This I was told by a source is nothing new.

I had a opportunity to sit face to face with the CBO's that were in attendance because the Request for Proposal that they were looking for wasn't posted accordingly. I care not to go in to details about the reasoning behind it not being posted, but the dingo was on the rabbits trail. It isn't my goal to cause any stress to anyone or ill-will for my abrupt questions and demeaning attitude, but I must do this for my people.

Today I live in a world of full awareness as to what is going on and what is going wrong. Funding for some of these programs should have never been if their methods only included what I have witnessed. I will not call names, but after viewing there progress reports and being asked to sit on the Community Planning Group by Ms. Juanita Davis Co-Chair I welcome the challenge.

Rural area's are not being served and people the numbers are climbing. We not only face the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, but in 2007 Mississippi was ranked Number 1 among 50 states in Chlamydia infections and Gonorrheal infections view stats here http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/3404.pdf .

Viewing all this new information has made me change the overall focus of the situation that is at hand. Everyday I manage to trust my instincts and venture out into the world to find what is it that is making us Black African Americans toy with our lives so recklessly. My problem was not having parents that understood this killer and it's mass destruction capabilities, and thought to talk about sex was to tell me to go and have sex at a early age. Some may say that is a common problem and I would have to agree. Abstinence is what Mississippi policy is and it's killing us. Everyday I continue to see many 14-17 year old young ladies pregnant.

When this happens the parents want to scream" What Happen" and it's their fault. To understand something and a major problem one must take a look at themselves an acknowledge what is needed and what's not.

FACTS:

  • Abstinence works only if you refrain from unprotected sex.
  • Yes HIV/AIDS is a major problem among African American Men and Women
  • No you can't contract HIV/AIDS from direct contact with someone that is HIV positve
  • TB is not a STD "Thanks Juanita For Clarifying This"
Summing it all up. I have suffered a great deal over the course of two years, but after enduring it all; it has been totally worth it. I feel today that it is my calling to help so many people that are failing to understand that to combat a problem, the problem must first be acknowledge and that is my goal. I intend on serving the residents of Mississippi with the utmost respect and pave the way for a new Mississippi a less infested Mississippi one day at a time. I am no writer or speaker, but it's my goal to make sure that Mississippi continues to be the Great State that we call home.

I would also like to thank Mr Craig Thompson the director STD/HIV Bureau in Jackson, MS for taking the time out his busy schedule to speak with me on October 9, 2009. He was my first contact source for sparking this great interest. This guy is really down to earth and really understanding what is wrong, but can only do so much with such limited laws to help the residents of Mississippi. My source has told me that he's not what you think, but I am not quick to judge and it's not what anyone else thinks, it's what I think!

He has been very attentive to my many needs and I can't say thank you enough to the help he has giving and the respect he has shown. However, the day that his nonconforming side introduces itself to me I will most certainly relay it to you.

Thanks,

7/02/2009

HIV/AIDS, MEN SLEEPING with MEN protect yourself Today.

So many men sleeping with men are so easily lead by what they think they want. Never let someone steal your joy, protect yourself from HIV/AIDS it's killing millions every 9 1/2 seconds. Get The Facts... Every day in the rural south many of my friends are being to die from HIV/AIDS. Many of these men are coming from large area's preying on the young and dumb.

This is a simple problem that can be avoided if African American men and women will start to take the time to think about their lives. Sex will last for a few minutes, but HIV/AIDS is a quick way to die all because of SEX!
 If you haven't had a HIV/AIDS test please I beg of you to go and get tested. Ladies you are not excluded, many of you are sleeping with men that are living double life styles.

Abstinence In Mississippi

What is Mississippi doing with your Tax Dollars, it's not saving your Kids? This state is way behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Hosting religious forums to scream abstinence...when it can't even control the new cases of HIV/AIDS that is on the rise. The question we all should be asking ourselves is who is to blame for this foul attempt to destroy your children?

I would like to also point out that, this was clearly a way for Tax payer dollars to be used in a wasteful manner. Mississippi needs to own up to the growing problem (HIV/AIDS) and get this message out to the public and to the many kids that this HIV/AIDS is killing us African Americans in Mississippi.

6/26/2009

Cleaning Up The Earths Enviroment

Today, was the day I realized that we are living in a world of idiots. The world is focused on the environment and not what is truly at stake here...our lives. Have we forgotten that their are children in the U.S.A between the ages of 13-25 that are becoming infected with a disease that will rob you of everything that you have. Many ask, what does it matter: well if your one of the people that have to live with HIV/AIDS everyday you would understand the purpose of this letter to you. Our new Government has screamed (CHANGE) all Thur his campaign to the United States of America's People.

Where is the so called change. In the state of Mississippi their are people living like dogs on the Sahara, because the state is so focused on providing Social Services to Crackheads and not people that are Sick and need help. This state has 13 clinics to help with a growing number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS. One of those clinics is Specially Trained To Handle the load of cases statewide. I am sure that many of you wonder why should I care about Mississippi. Mississippi has nothing to offer, but why will you not support a cause worth fighting for.

This state has rules that many states are throwing in the fire and burning because the shit just doesn't work. Abstinence in a state where all their is to do for the younger generation.... is to have unprotected sex and get high off newly brought in drugs.

In every little town their is a square that you can go in and get your recreational drugs, but not to mention that a Crackhead receiving (Social Security Benefits) to support his habit is walking the streets 24/7. What is wrong with this picture? Mississippi has prevention measures in place to combat HIV/AIDS in CLUBS, Bathhouses, Nudity Shops, and 10% of the Health Department Clinics.

You can travel all over this state and I am willing to bet you will not see a HIV/AIDS prevention message no where. The Mississippi Department Of Health, has instructed me to get a model together and build a organization built on helping fight this growing battle in rural Mississippi. Models are something that you can copy and paste. We need to overlook the red tape and get to the bottom line, PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS ARE THE MODEL!

Today the Department of Health hosted a free HIV screening (Free HIV Testing and Education in Jackson ). I was invited to attend the center stage event, but I am here writing to the world advocating for the many of people that are in fear of getting that test and what happens if i have it. Those are the people they need to be focused on reaching,

Without us their are no MODELS and SOON NO NOTHING. Every 9 1/2 minutes someone becomes infected with the HIV virus. Put money where it is needed and that's too help those in need and give someone with little hope a chance for hope and CHANGE! Stop hosting parties and get down to business.

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6/11/2009

Fighting HIV And AIDS Discrimination In The Workplace

Sadly, the complications that arise from a positive diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) extend beyond reduced T-cell count and susceptibility to infection. Today, HIV-positive people continue to face discrimination in their everyday lives, in housing matters, medical care, insurance, and employment. The good news is that many charities and organizations all over the country are taking action.
Where we stand
In a report produced by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), testimonies from community based service providers (CBOs) consistently cite issues involving non-hiring, terminations, demotions, and illegally demanding personal information. While this is pronounced in rural areas, cases are similarly reported in major metropolitan centers as well.
Corroborating the findings of the ACLU's report, nationally known Lambda Legal, specialists in discrimination representation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive people, receives thousands of calls annually at its help desk - a substantial portion coming from HIV positive callers- regarding workplace discrimination.
Know your Rights
Discrimination is never acceptable and there are many federal laws protecting individuals, including those with HIV AIDS. Federal laws that define and protect against HIV AIDS discrimination include American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Health Insurance Profitability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Together they form an extensive network of safeguards against unjust treatment.
ADA and "Reasonable Accomodation"
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that employers (in companies with more than 15 employees) must make "reasonable accommodation" for qualified employees with a disability -under which a person who is HIV positive is grouped. As a result, adjustments to a job, the application process, or work environment must to a degree that allows a qualified person to perform the job.
Now, there are legal limits to restrict accommodations to be "reasonable". The understanding is that an adjustment does not cause undue strain to the company, which is determined based on operating budget, facility size, number of employees, and more. Acceptable and expected accommodations include an alteration in job structure, more flexible hours to allow for medical appointments, or special office arrangements including a sitting stool if the job is usually performed standing up.
Knowledge and education are needed to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Here are some resources that provide HIV AIDS information and services: http://www.cdcnpin-broadcast.org/

Texas May Be Handing Out More Death Sentences - The US Is Infecting Mexico With HIV

The United States may be infecting Mexico with H.I.V., not the other way around. According to 2006 United Nations' statistics, Mexico's AIDS rate is about half of the U.S.'s, and a high percentage of new HIV infections in Mexico are traced back to migrant workers returning home from America. Twenty-two percent of patients with HIV at Puebla General Hospital (Puebla, Mexico) can trace their infections back to the U.S.
The news may come as a shock to many in the border regions of Texas, where illegal immigrants are often blamed for the state's growing healthcare crisis. Texas' healthcare system is overloaded with uninsured patients commuting from rural areas to the larger cities of Dallas, Houston, and Austin to seek care. As a result of these, and other, unreimbursed costs for the uninsured, most private, family health insurance premiums in Texas are higher than the rest of the nation's.
In the thirty-two counties comprising Texas' border region, 85% of the population was Hispanic in 2003, but only 9.8 in 100,000 were infected with HIV. In contrast, more than twice -- 22 in 100,000 -- on average, in the same year were infected statewide. In fact, Harris County accounts for the highest rate of HIV infections in the state.
Between 41% and 79% of Mexicans infected with HIV lived in the U.S., according to statistics collected from 1983 to the early '90s. Mexico has not reported comprehensive studies since then, however, and it seems up to joint initiatives, such as studies conducted by the California-Mexico AIDS Initiative, to gather information that reflects the current state of affairs.
Mexico's AIDS epidemic is still mostly confined to prostitutes and their clients, gay men, and IV drug users. Infected individuals between the ages of 15 and 49 account for only 0.3% of the population, as opposed to 0.6% in the U.S. Rural migrant workers, however, are slowly becoming a high-risk category on their own. Rural areas, where there is the least access to healthcare and testing, also boast the highest migration rates due to the poor economy. Combined, such factors create a near-perfect atmosphere in which the virus can explode. In fact, for most Mexican women, their greatest risk of contracting the disease is from having unprotected sex with their migrant-worker husbands.
"Migration leads to conditions and experiences that increase risks," said George Lemp, an epidemiologist and director of the University of California's AIDS research program. He and colleagues are studying the spread of HIV/AIDS among migrants, and says that isolation, different sexual practices, language barriers (including to health services), depression, loneliness, and abuse all contribute to the growing rate of infection. Migrants tend to have more sexual partners than those who stay at home, and there is a considerable lack of condom usage among this population, due, in part, to cultural factors. Migrant women may also be particularly vulnerable, as their risks of sexual abuse and rape are much greater.
Jennifer S. Hirsch, professor of public health at Columbia University, published an article earlier this month in the American Journal of Public Health citing evidence supporting the notion that part of the problem may actually be the emotional fidelity of many Mexican migrant-worker husbands. Rather than forming long-lasting relationships with women in the U.S., they instead seek sexual outlet with high-risk individuals providing short-term interaction, such as prostitutes.
But the subject is often taboo among couples, and routine HIV screenings are still not common. Many women, in fact, only discover they are infected after giving birth to an HIV-positive child. Mexico does provide antiretroviral drugs to even the poorest of migrant workers once diagnosed, but sacrificing the time and finances to travel to cities where they are distributed is a major obstacle. Lack of testing and treatment, in turn, increase the risk of transmitting the disease, especially in a culture in which condom usage is limited, infidelity not discussed, and screenings not routine.
Being aware of your HIV status is an important part of monitoring your health. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, www.precedent.com, for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance experience.

6/01/2009

HIV/AIDS preventive risk-appraisal of rural African-American women in Mississippi Delta: An approach for cultural-specific communitybased intervention

Ademola M. Omishakin, MPH, PhD, MBA, Department of Natural Science & Environmental Health, Mississippi Valley State University, 14000 Highway 82 West #7298, Itta Bena, MS 38941, 662-254-3391, aomishak@mvsu.edu, P. Bassey Williams, PhD, CHES, Global Health Education and Health Promotion Partnership Inc., 8907 Mayflower Road, Suite 5B, Baltimore, MD 21237, and Debra Patton Lloyd, MS, PhDc, Department of Agriculture & Information Science, Mississippi State University, 130 lloyd Ricks, Box 9731, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

The increasing number of African-American women with HIV/AIDS in Southern United States demands a renewed commitment to prevention efforts targeted toward African-American population. Addressing this problem requires innovative approaches for the planning and implementation of a competent culturally sensitive AIDS prevention, health promotion and education programs for African American women in rural Mississippi.

This study utilized an ethnogender-specific AIDS survey instrument to assess the knowledge, feeling/attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of African-American women in rural Mississippi toward HIV infections. We carried out a cross-sectional, convenience sample survey of 300 adolescent and adult African American women, aged 18-55 years, utilizing the person-to-person interview and postal mail methods. Multivariate analysis of ANOVA procedure found significant differences between age groups, level of education, income and employment dimensions, and the dependent variables of knowledge, attitude/feelings and behavior of the rural Mississippi women about HIV/AIDS and related high-risk sexual practices.

Results further revealed considerable lack of knowledge, misinformation, poor attitude and high-risk sexual behavior among the subjects in relation to: alcohol and psychoactive drug use, HIV-testing and condom use, exchange of sex for drugs, and money for sex, and high level of stigmatization of HIV-positives/AIDS patients and homosexuals in the community.

Although there were some similarities in correlations between subjects' level of education, income/employment dimension and knowledge level, these were only valid for the young and middle age groups. The study recommends a comprehensive cultural-intensive AIDS and family life education intervention program for Black women in rural Mississippi

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

* Identify sexual and other high-risk behaviors influencing the HIV/AIDS among Black women in rural Mississippi;
* Recognize disparities and magnitude of HIV-related problems among black women;
* Discuss appropriate HIV/AIDS intervention programs for African-American women Mississipians.

Keywords: Minority Health, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

5/30/2009

Rural HIV/AIDS CARE

THE ISSUE

Delivering HIV/AIDS care in rural areas is challenging in large part because
of factors that complicate care delivery. Among them: scarcity of trained and
available clinicians; stigma and confidentiality concerns of clients; patient
reluctance to access care due to stigma and other concerns such as attitudes
about health care; geographic distance and lack of transportation; and lack
of health insurance by the low income groups hit hardest by HIV disease.

What can rural providers do? Below are resources to help providers deliver care
to clients with HIV disease or connect them to needed services.

Examples include

where to get training (with an emphasis on distance-based learning); where to
find services; HIV care guidelines; and some best practice ideas about how HIV
care is delivered.

Materials are not always targeted to rural areas — such as
treatment guidelines, which apply to patients regardless of location — but are
equally essential in less-populated areas of the nation.

HIV cases in rural areas have comprised a consistent 5-8% of the national total
for many years. With 20% of the nation classified as rural, cases in rural areas
are not at epidemic levels on that basis.

But there are troubling trends.

One is the preponderance of rural HIV cases in the South and among minority
populations. Most infected individuals are gay/bisexual men, but caseloads
among heterosexuals and women are growing.

HIV and AIDS: We Are All Part of the Solution

We can all be leaders. We can take more responsibility to do more as individuals, as communities, and as a nation to fight HIV and AIDS.

As individuals:

  • We should know whether or not we are infected with HIV;
  • If we are infected, we should seek medical care and protect others from becoming infected;
  • We should protect ourselves and others from HIV;
  • We should educate ourselves and others about HIV.

As communities:

  • We should mobilize to overcome the challenges and barriers to HIV prevention;
  • We should fight ignorance and complacency related to HIV;
  • We should increase the awareness about the severity of epidemic and the continued impact that HIV is having on our communities;
  • We should make sure that HIV prevention services, HIV testing, medical care and treatment are available to all who need them;
  • We should work to prevent stigma and discrimination—and to increase support for people living with HIV.

As a nation:

  • We must recognize the epidemic here, in this country, for the crisis that it still is;
  • We must implement the programs that scientific evidence tells us are most effective;
  • We must ensure that those who need effective prevention interventions have access to them;
  • We must come together to intensify efforts and the stop this epidemic.

Together, we have the power to change the course of the HIV epidemic in the United States.

How you can help stop the spread of HIV

Visit the Resources section and use the Web tools to help spread the word about HIV/AIDS in the United States. Let everyone know that, in the United States, every 9½ minutes (on average), someone is infected with HIV.

5/27/2009

HIV/AIDS Education in Mississippi

Current education policy for the state of Mississippi.

State Sex and STD/HIV Education Policy, as of April 1, 2009


Mandates Sex Education? MS- No US-20 + DC Yes

Notes on Sex Education Mandates If taught voluntarily, must stress abstinence


Mandates STD/HIV Education? MS-No US-35+DC Yes

Notes on STD/HIV Education Mandates If taught voluntarily, must stress abstinence


Sources: Sex and STD/HIV Education, State Policies in Brief, Guttmacher Institute, April 1, 2009. Available at: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_SE.pdf.

Definitions: STD: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If the State Of Mississippi doesn't change it's policy on sex education, our children will be lost.

5/26/2009

HIV/AIDS (POZ): The HIV/AIDS Network 1998-2004 HIV

HIV/AIDS (POZ): The HIV/AIDS Network 1998-2004 HIV

Hiv - Infected Adolescents and Young Adults

(HIV)- infected young persons were identified in rural Mississippi. Contact investigations was done by the local health department. Hiv/Aids in small towns like Crystal Springs, MS provide a setting for the transmission of HIV among adolescents in the rural south. HIV infection can spread rapidly through sex networks in low-prevalence rural areas.

Among adolescents, disadvantaged black women in the South have some of the highest HIV infection rates in the United States and must be a high priority for the prevention activities. Referral services are in great need for identifying people in need of prevention service and for identifying the extent of the HIV- infection network.

There are many challenges to prevention in rural areas, one being awareness of treatment options and identification and training of appropriate local HIV care providers. The CDC has asked that Secondary prevention measures, such as links to ongoing HIV care and antiretroviral therapy, can improve health and survival and potentially decrease, although not eliminate, infectivity.

FACT: HIV weakens the immune system, putting you at greater risk for opportunistic infections. A person with HIV will develop AIDS within 10 years if that person is not aware of their status.

FACT: Mississippi's HIV disease rate was higher than the national average in 2006

5/25/2009

HIV AIDS Information



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It is three decades since the discovery of the HIV virus but we are still lacking information about HIV / AIDS. According to UN AIDS estimates, there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. Although there is no foolproof cure or vaccine for HIV virus, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) will ensure that medicines are available at an affordable cost even in third world countries. The search for the vaccine for AIDS remains the challenge for the world today.

Let us delve into some more information about HIV /AIDS. What is causing the spread of the infection? Ignorance. One in three youngsters in the world are still ignorant about how the infection spreads. We have to wake up to the harsh reality of the epidemic and the world's leaders must demonstrate real commitment to keep their promise. We cannot wait another quarter of a century for a vaccine. The need of the hour is the four Ms-motivation, money, medicines and manpower.

Let me burst the bubble on some common myths about HIV /AIDS.

Blood donation can cause HIV infection. People today are afraid of donating blood. HIV does not spread through donation of blood, as hospitals and blood banks use disposable syringes. Another myth is that HIV / AIDS spreads through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch. It is a very important piece of information about HIV / AIDS that it is not spread through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch.

Promiscuous men and women have largely been held responsible for fuelling the HIV /AIDS epidemic in the world. Stigma towards HIV-positive people needs to be countered if the threat of HIV /AIDS is to be overcome. Stigma is hard to track and its impact even harder to measure. Those vulnerable to and experiencing social stigma and discrimination will be puzzled if they were told that awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS is higher than before.Awareness is not translating into tolerance or a shedding of stigma. The good information about HIV / AIDS is that the number of people contracting HIV infection is dropping worldwide.

Protection against HIV/AIDS and preventing its spread is certainly a key message, but protection using stigma and alienation will go nowhere. It is always challenging to fight for legislation and better policy outcomes. Certain states have law against discrimination of HIV-positive children in schools. But laws and policies cannot be substitutes for a humane approach.

The Author, Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to health and fitness. For more information log on to http://www.casanads.com/bm/hf.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Rose

Possible Cure For Hiv/Aids

Is there really a cure, doctors say so. That still doesn't say have UNPROTECTED SEX!
In Houston, TX alone 3 people a day are diagnosed with HIV.

5/24/2009

Family Is Key

Hiv/Aids is something no one can deal with alone, you need family if you have nothing else to survive such devastation. Hiv/Aids will never be your friend, it's there to kill you. So Protect yourself and this will never be you.



Most that find out that their Hiv+ they lose their support system totally. Family, Friends and many others just don't understand what your going thru. That is why we need to educate ourselves and other to this growing epidemic.

5/11/2009

How to survive HIV/AIDS in Mississippi

As a black man growing up in the south and being Gay is a life of hell in itself. What would you think it would be like to be a Black Gay man living with HIV. I wasn't like the rest of them how did this happen to me! That is what I thought when I first heard those words. Little did I know that just because they say your the only one just isn't true. See now that I have read the inclusive information that the Mississippi Department of Health and Center For Disease control has giving the world about MSM in the Jackson, MS area is just how I got this dam dreadful disease. Misinformation, the wrong information, and oh! No information. Where is the prevention measures in the state of Mississippi, in the health department's no, in the school system no, where you ask? I guess it's in those secret clinics that there using as a place to get their own curious minds filled with bullshit and pass lies on to the world.

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When Frank Milton shut those retched breading grounds down in Jackson, I was so relieved. With the exception of a few their are still breading grounds, but just not as many. Friends we must wake up and protect ourselves because right now the Mississippi Department Of Health isn't. Their are systems to block people from care, yes I said block you from care! They give you the run around when seeking help. They send you to the clinics so that they can track you and find out if your taking your meds and what your place of residence is. When it comes to help they really lack in that department. It's almost like they think if they give you any care other than that this really needed they aren't going to have enough for them to put in their pockets. Hopwa is nothing more than a free for all in the state of Mississippi, because these state agencies that are surposed to be giving you help thru that program is not giving people that need it information about the programs and when they do apply they make them get this, get that, this, that , and then some more shit.

Who ever heard of someone renting having the actual owners warranty deed. Who ever heard of them making you write a letter asto why your not fucking working. GIVE ME A FUCKING JOB, Simple as that, let me save some lives because they sure as hell ain't. I have been on medication for HIV/AIDS for about two years and my body is still not adjusted to Atripla. I have severe Diarrhea everyday, my weight roller coasters up, down, up, down constantly have to go to the bathroom when after taken the medication. They tell you about support groups and places that you can stay at, when your already living in a house. HOPWA is that not what it's for to help HIV/AIDS patients when their faced with being homeless or is already homeless.

Let's talk about the prevention measures that they have in place to stop new cases after I was informed from one of the Co-Chairs for the "Mississippi Community Planning Group(MSCPG) for (HIV) prevention, that their are some 8000 people that are HIV positive and not in care in Mississippi and she later wanted to renigg on that statement because of her voice was scratchy. The material that they have in this state for prevention is something that I being HIV+ wouldn't want to read. That broshure is nothing more than a recap of what they printed 20 years ago. To prevent something you can't see you must reinvent your approach. This is sad that so many people are walking around having unprotected sex, when a little town such as this one is filled with HIV patients that are not telling their status and the Mississippi Department of Health is not doing anything about it. Oh yes they are, their trying to keep people like me that is sick and need help away from they Cake...........Read the report that is o not true. They only gave the participants a $25.00 gift certificate for their participation.

HIV Disease in Young African American Men Who Have Sex with Men ...
This investigation found that HIV-infected young black MSM were more likely to engage in certain risk behavior that would lead to new infections among uninfected men.

http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/resources/3087.pdf

We all know that's a lot for someone that is Hungry and need food or need to get them some crack or a dime bag of weed. Shit, I am willing to bet you that half if not all were one or all of the above.

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