The Stigma Project: Neutralize Stigma Associated with HIV Through Education Via Social Media and Networking

Posted by insidefirst on May 10, 2012

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

Alcohol & HIV: What You Need to Know by San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Posted by insidefirst on March 18, 2012

“We are not here to wag fingers at bars or people who drink. We are here to provide information and resources so that everyone has the knowledge to make the best possible decisions about their health.”

—Neil Giuliano
CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation

On February 16, 2012, San Francisco AIDS Foundation held a public HIVision forum titled, “Alcohol & HIV: Current Thinking about Drinking.” In his introduction, foundation CEO Neil Giuliano observed that alcohol use in our community is pervasive—so much so, that “the line between drinking and drinking too much often gets blurred. And when we cross that line, many of us don’t have the tools to recognize it and know where to get help.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Giuliano said, one in six U.S. adults binge drinks, defined as consuming five or more drinks within two hours for men, and four or more drinks within two hours for women. Excessive alcohol use contributes to car crashes, violence, and sexually transmitted infections like HIV and is implicated in nearly 80,000 deaths per year.

“So,” asked Giuliano, “is drinking bad for us?” Not necessarily, given research showing cardiovascular benefits of moderate drinking. In addition, he said, “we want to recognize the important role that our bars and clubs—and the LGBT merchants and allies who run them—play in creating a very strong sense of community” here in San Francisco. Giuliano’s opening remarks highlighted some of the complex health and social issues surrounding alcohol use and laid the groundwork for a lively panel discussion. For More got to www.sfaf.org

THT’s myHIV Site to Let Users Find and Recommend Best HIV Services

Posted by insidefirst on March 12, 2012

The UK’s first service for people living with HIV that allows them to recommend healthcare providers to others and find recommended services themselves has been launched.

The initiative by HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust and healthcare recommendation siteiWantGreatCare will enable people living with HIV to find and recommend healthcare services that are sensitive to their needs.

A 2008 study found that one in five people with HIV had experienced discrimination in the last year from GPs or other healthcare professionals. Continue reading →

Starved by Protein, HIV Can’t Replicate

Posted by insidefirst on February 15, 2012

The researchers—from the University of Rochester, New York University, and several institutions in France—hope the work will one day lead to a way to make anti-HIV drugs more effective by increasing their potency against the virus.

They are also excited about its implications for our knowledge of other pathogens, such as herpes viruses, which use the same machinery within our cells that HIV does to replicate. Continue reading →

Magnetic Couples – Gay Couples Study: Prevention Opportunities for Serodiscordant Couples (Videos)

Posted by insidefirst on January 17, 2012

Smart, honest and forward thinking! This is not your typical HIV conversation.

On November 14, 2011, Magnet hosted “Magnetic Couples: When Opposites Attract”. The forum aimed to provide information about new research and findings about prevention opportunities for serodiscordant couples. Audience members also heard about “ground level” experiences from researchers and clinicians.

Serodiscordant (sero-discordant) is a term used to describe a couple in which one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative. Serodiscordant relationships are also referred to as “magnetic”. The term seroconcordant is its antonym, used to describe a couple in which both partners are of the same HIV status (i.e. both are HIV positive or both are HIV negative).

In this clip are representatives from the Gay Couples Study, an HIV prevention study that is part of the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality at San Francisco State University (Lynae Darbes, PhD – Co-Investigator Sean Beougher, MA – Project Director):