D.C. HIV/AIDS Examiner

Latino health issues took center stage last week at a conference downtown. La Clinica Del Pueblo hosted their first community health conference, "Tu Salud en Tus Manos -- Your Health in Your Hands." In conjunction with the D.C. Department of Health, a sea of 80 participants convened at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center in the Kaiser Family Foundation in Northwest to review results from a study. Together they brainstormed ways to effectively address Latino health concerns. Alicia Wilson, Executive Director of La Clinica Del Pueblo, squeezed out a few moments to discuss Latino health, the obstacles to wellness and the unique issues that come when addressing Latino health needs.

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If you could have your way, would you prefer to take an HIV test at home or at a physician's office?  Well one advocacy group says take it at home.  According to whospositive.org, a national HIV awareness group, support for over-the-counter HIV testing is growing.  They released the results of their year-long survey that measured potential support for an over-the-counter HIV test.  It seems that increasingly the tide is turning and testing is coming out of the doctor's offices and clinics. But is it wise to leave testing up to untrained consumers at home without consultation from a medical professional?

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The Food and Drug Administration's Blood Panel Advisory Committee has approved both Truvada PrEP and the OraSure Rapid HIV test for home use. The panel voted yesterday after deliberation and testimonies in support and against both products. Truvada, a pill with a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine, has been recommended for use as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative partners in serodiscordant relationships. The OraSure Rapid HIV test is an oral-swab based test that can give results in about 20 minutes. The FDA does not have to accept the recommendations from the committee but it usually does.

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Hello there! This Examiner has been on a bit of a hiatus thanks to a writer's block. I am happy to report that it is over. What's new? A study from the researchers at the University of California in San Francisco about HIV and homelessness. AIDS advocates have been screaming for years that housing is treatment. Who can forget the stunning piece about a homeless HIV positive woman named Crystal that was published last year for CNN? Now yet another study has been published that further proves their point. The study was published in the April 25th issue of PLoS One.

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Here's a story that you're probably not hearing much about. But I cannot remain silent on it. Allow me to make some noise for a moment. Last month during PACHA's meeting on women and girls, the White House established a crucial working group for women and girls and HIV, a timely move for a movement that has been focused on gay men for many years.

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Nearly 30 activists were arrested while protesting the ban on federally funded syringe exchange programs yesterday. A total of 75 activists gathered at the US Capitol to participate in a chained 'sit-in' at the offices of Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Eric Cantor (R-VA). Yesterday was the National Day of Action when many non-profit organizations asked their supporters to voice their opposition to the ban. The arrested protestors represented Housing Works, Health Gap, and Harm Reduction Coalition. They were detained for 14 hours and released just after midnight.

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The White House announced yesterday that Dr. Grant Colfax, a San Francisco based research scientist, will be the new director of the Office Of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Dr. Colfax has 20 years of experience in HIV/AIDS care and research including developing interventions that reduce new infections among substance abuse populations. He will replace Jeff Crowley who resigned in last November.

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National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was Saturday, March 10th. Instead of providing lots of statistics and dropping names of educational programs, which is always helpful, I've decided to provide a profile of HIV/AIDS from the perspective of a woman who is actually living with the virus. It doesn't get anymore "aware" than that.

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Hazel Smith is an HIV positive woman who is the quintessential survivor. She went through hell, hurt people who loved her along the way yet somehow made it back. In the past, she may have been viewed as a villain or maybe even a victim of society. She is the victor now. This is not a story about shame and blame. It's an honest conversation about how ending the AIDS epidemic takes more than condoms, billboards and awareness days. It's going to take conquering social ills, economic woes, and policy struggles as well.

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This week is the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. The church has always been a staple in the Black community. It is the source of inspiration, comfort, and support. But the Black church has also been criticized for ignoring the AIDS crisis and fostering stigma. AIDS activists believe that the church could be one of the main sources for turning the tide on the epidemic. Now a new documentary hopes to shed a positive light on churches that are working to end the epidemic.

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