May 19 is National Hepatitis Testing Day. Roughly 25% of people living with HIV are also living with Hep C (and 80% of these people are injection drug users). Did you know we offer Hep C testing through our Syringe Access program?
San Francisco AIDS Foundation has provided street-based syringe access services to injecting drug users (IDUs) since 1993.
The syringe access program currently has 11 sites a week and is one of the nation’s largest programs, providing more than 2.3 million clean syringes a year. The program is driven by more than 80 volunteers.
Not only does the syringe access program provide safer injection supplies, it also offers community-based services such as HIV testing, drug treatment referrals and medical care.
Looking for syringe access sites?
Interested in volunteering?
Read more, or just go to our online registration form and tell us about yourself!
Want or need other information?
Check the Frequently Asked Questions page, call (415) 241-5100 or email us at hpp@sfaf.org.
Category Archives: Sexual Health
The Stigma Project: Neutralize Stigma Associated with HIV Through Education Via Social Media and Networking
If you’re still refusing to kiss someone merely because of their status you don’t know HIV. Saliva alone does not contain a sufficient amount of the virus. So unless both individuals have bloody gums or open sores in their mouth there is no transmission risk from playing a little tonsil hockey. Now pucker up and LIKE The Stigma Project on Facebook!
A grassroots organization that aims to lower the HIV infection rate and neutralize stigma through education via social media and networking.
Mission
The Stigma Project seeks to create an HIV neutral world, free of judgement and fear by working with both positive and negative individuals from all walks of life, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, race, or background. We aim to lower the HIV infection rate by defeating the stigma that strengthens it.
Description
It’s (Y)OURS ± We strongly encourage you to not only LIKE our page but SHARE our posts and creative materials!
In order to succeed in our mission (above) we need visibility from both sides of the spectrum. So whether your HIV-positive or HIV-negative, you should to be informed of the constantly evolving state of HIV/AIDS. We’re here to help! We ask that you join us in our attempt to defeat stigma and educate the world. Join the neutral revolution!
Check out more info www.thestigmaproject.org
FDA Review Favors First Drug for HIV Prevention
WASHINGTON — A pill that has long been used to treat HIV has moved one step closer to becoming the first drug approved to prevent healthy people from becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences’ Truvada appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention. It concluded that taking the pill daily could spare patients “infection with a serious and life-threatening illness that requires lifelong treatment.” Continue reading
“Playa Case” – The Condom Holder For Your iPhone (Video)
The Playa Case, protection for your dong and your iPhone. The latest product from the guys that brought you the Opena Case! http://openacase.com. And a friendly reminder guys, condoms have expiration dates on them, be sure to check. We love your willy as much as you do.
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Public Health Campaign Promotes Safe Sex Among Young, Gay Men in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new public health campaign in Columbus, Ohio, is attracting attention for its ads promoting sexual health among young gay men.
The “Take Care Down There” campaign billboards and print ads feature shirtless men with arrows pointing below their waistlines.
Makeda Porter, the prevention-services manager at Columbus Public Health told LGBTQ Nationthat Columbus health officials anticipate that their message — “essentially, take good care of yourself — will be perceived as straightforward without being preachy.”
According to Porter, over a period of a few months, she and her colleagues met with several focus groups, concentrating on young men in general and young black men in particular.
In a report published last August by the Centers for Disease Control, the annual number of new HIV infections in the United States was at approximately 50,000 new infections each year between 2006 and 2009.
The CDC’s first multi-year estimates from its national HIV incidence surveillance find that overall, the annual number of new HIV infections in the United States was relatively stable at approximately 50,000 new infections each year between 2006 and 2009.
However, HIV infections increased among young men who have sex with men (MSM) between 2006 and 2009, driven by alarming increases among young, black MSM – the only sub-population to experience a sustained increase during the time period. MORE
Gay Men’s Support Group to Discuss Erectile Dysfunction :: STUDIO CITY, CA
STUDIO CITY, Calif. — Gay men with erectile dysfunction (ED) will meet Saturday, March 10, in Southern California to talk about their common experiences and find ways to connect around impotence.
Gay men have long faced homophobia when seeking care for problems common to both gay and straight men. Many gay-focused national nonprofits have long histories of helping gay men with diseases such as prostate cancer and HIV/AIDS. Now, for the first time, gay men will be meeting to discuss ED among men who enjoy sex with men.
“Gay men experience health issues from their unique perspective, but, health care professionals continue to ignore this, causing needless harm to thousands upon thousands of gay men who experience erectile dysfunction,” said Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW, executive director of the national men’s cancer survivor nonprofit organization, Malecare Cancer Support, which is involved in the meeting.
“Malecare wants all gay men to find the help they need, from men who care about them and we are proud that one of our support group leaders, Dennis Bogorad, has developed a supportive meeting focused on erectile dysfunction,” Mitteldorf said.
This social gathering will offer single gay men with erectile dysfunction a chance to meet other gay men with erectile dysfunction. It will be a chance for men to mix and mingle in a no stress environment, share experiences, make new friends or maybe meet the love of their life.
“This is one silent sexual issue both gay and straight men share in common,” said Bogorad, a film producer who volunteers as leader of the gay men with prostate cancer support group that is co-sponsored by Malecare Cancer Support and the Cancer Support Community at the Benjamin Center in Los Angeles.
Gay men are best supported by each other, in a gay friendly atmosphere, organizers said.
Erectile dysfunction may be caused by many different diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, HIV, antidepressants, prostate issues, physical injury, aging and more.
Although the cause may vary, the life changes resulting from ED can challenge the quality of life for many gay men. Unfortunately, caregivers, medical professionals and advertisements present treatment options and social remedies almost always from a heterosexual point of view. Success with this first gay men and erectile dysfunction event will likely lead to similar events throughout the United States.
If you’d like to attend, please send an email to dennis@malecare.org.
About Malecare Cancer Support
Founded in 1998, Malecare Cancer Support is the national men’s cancer survivor support and advocacy national nonprofit organization. Malecare facilitates in-person and online cancer survivor support groups and develops men’s health awareness and advocacy campaigns. It currently manages the largest global prostate cancer support network online. VIA
Sex With an Uncircumcised Man? Don’t Be Scared, Go Ahead Touch it
This articles focus is on heterosexual sex, so every time you read woman, lady or girl, just substitute it with man, hunk, stud, or however you see yourself. There is so much to do with all that extra penis clean!
Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice column reported that in the past fifty years, roughly 56 percent of American male infants have been circumcised. That leaves a lot of men who aren’t, and a lot of women who may be confused about sex with uncircumcised men.
A Men’s Health Magazine columnist, Debby Herbenick, M.P.H., Ph.D. said, “Even if a woman isn’t used to uncircumcised men, just as you become familiar with anything in the world, you see it a few times, touch it, and talk to your partner about how [he] wants to be touched.”
The difference between a circumcised and uncircumcised penis is simple. Go Ask Alice wrote that the foreskin, which is highly sensitive, surrounds the head (also known as the glans) of the uncircumcised penis like a sleeve.
According to the website, The Frisky, getting to the head means gently pulling down on the foreskin with a thumb and index finger, exposing the glans. When erect it looks like a circumcised penis. However for some uncircumcised men, the foreskin doesn’t completely retract when erect.
Go Ask Alice cautioned, as the foreskin is very delicate, it should be handled carefully. If your partner experiences any pain when trying to retract the foreskin, stop!
In Men’s Health, Ian Kerner, Ph.D., a sex therapist and author said, “the foreskin contains nerves, and if you roll it back and forth, it stimulates the frenulum,” which is the one of the most sensitive parts of the penis.
An Ezine article asked several women why they believe an uncircumcised penis is better for sex. Many responded it’s easier to masturbate their partner due to foreskin sliding back and forth without restriction. Others said there is greater sensitivity for both male and female and a greater sensation when performing oral sex.
During intercourse, oral sex and masturbation, Go Ask Alice said the retracted foreskin acts like a lubricant or a sleeve. As the penis thrusts, it glides on its own bedding of movable skin, which minimizes friction. The column advised try experimenting.
Since the foreskin is so sensitive, it can be pleasured just like any other sensitive body part.
Exercise May Protect Against Erectile Dysfunction
Does really mean, if you don’t use it your lose it?
The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, assessed the association between physical activity and erectile function in young, healthy men ages 18 to 40. Previous studies have suggested that erectile dysfunction in men under 40 is correlated with increased cardiovascular risks.
“The men in our study who exercised more seemed to experience a protective benefit against erectile dysfunction,” says Wayland Hsiao, MD, co-author of the study and assistant professor of urology at the Emory University School of Medicine.
“We hope that early screening for ED may be a gateway issue to help motivate young men to live healthily on a consistent basis so that they can possibly avoid health issues associated with a sedentary lifestyle, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We see this as just the beginning.”
Study participants self-administered two surveys: the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF).
The Paffenburger Physical Activity Questionnaire translates patient-reported physical activity into weekly energy expenditure to determine whether a participant is sedentary or active. The IIEF is a 15-question survey for the measurement of erectile function.
The study reported improved erectile function in men under 40 with increased exercise, as well as higher rates of sexual dysfunction in sedentary men under 40.
“Several studies have evaluated the relationship between exercise and erectile function in older or obese men,” says study co-author Chad W.M. Ritenour, MD, director of the Emory’s Men’s Health Center and associate professor of urology.
“Our goal with this particular study was to determine if there is a connection between increased exercise and better erectile function in younger men.” (www.futurity.org)
Hepatitis C Warning for HIV-Positive Men
A new report is calling for raised awareness of the risks posed by hepatitis C to gay men living with HIV.
The National AIDS Trust said the implications of hepatitis C and HIV co-infection on health can be severe, with liver disease one of the major causes of serious illness and fatality in HIV-positive people.
According to the Trust’s report, 7% of HIV positive gay men are co-infected with hepatitis C. In most cases, no symptoms are experienced after infection. Continue reading
The Impact Of Prostate Cancer On Men’s Mental And Emotional Health
Prostate cancer doesn’t know race, religion, class or sexuality. It is possible to strike all men. Fill yourself with knowledge. 
George Cooper, a petroleum truck driver was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age of 53 years old. His initial reaction was anger. He couldn’t accept the fact he had cancer considering he still has 3 sons and a daughter who depend on him. He was also afraid his wife would think little of him once he sought treatment and suffer from the side effects. He knew what was in exchange for cure… his inability to perform in bed. It was too much for his ego to take that George not only had to deal with prostate cancer. He also had to struggle with depression. Continue reading
