World AIDS Day 2011

'Getting to Zero', the world commemorates World AIDS Day. An event that was inaugurated 23 years ago today by the World Health Organisation, World AIDS Day focuses on raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice, and improving education on the issue of the AIDS pandemic caused by the HIV infection.

Observed on December 1st each year, the World AIDS Campaign is the leading international organisation which plans and implements the observance of the day and provides governments, national AIDS programmes, faith organisations, community organisations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the AIDS pandemic worldwide.

The red ribbon used is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.

This year's theme marks the commitment of the global community to focus on the achievement of the following three targets: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done. It also provides all of us with the opportunity — on an individual, community and political level — to take on the challenge of getting to zero.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people living with HIV, including approximately 2.5 million children. During 2010, some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus, including an estimated 390,000 children.

Despite a significant decline in the estimated number of AIDS-related deaths over the last five years due to improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic still claimed an estimated 1.8 million lives in 2010.

The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children around the world. In low- and middle-income countries, less than half of those in need of antiretroviral therapy are receiving it, and too many do not have access to adequate care services.

The Caribbean, one of the regions of the world that is most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, reduced the number of new HIV infections by a third from 2001 levels and by more than 25 per cent in Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

However, we are still ranked amongst the highest in the world with an estimated 240,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean at the end of 2009 and an estimated 17,000 newly affected and 12,000 new deaths.

In two countries in this region — The Bahamas and Haiti — more than two per cent of the adult population is living with HIV. These statistics are only rivalled by those of sub-Saharan Africa, making the Caribbean the second most affected region in the world.

Overall, the main route of HIV transmission in the Caribbean is through sexual intercourse. Much of this transmission is associated with commercial sex, but the virus is also spreading in the general population. Cultural and behavioural patterns (such as early initiation of sexual acts and taboos related to sex and sexuality), gender inequalities, lack of confidentiality, stigmatisation, and economic need are some of the factors influencing vulnerability to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. As a result, AIDS is now one of the leading causes of death in some of these countries, with Haiti being the worst affected. An estimated 7,500 lives are lost each year to AIDS in Haiti, and thousands of children have been orphaned by the epidemic.

This year, we are asking you to Be Aware. Being aware means finding out the facts about HIV and using this knowledge to protect yourself and others. Promote awareness amongst friends, family members and loved ones; take part in AIDS awareness initiatives and ensure that the message is passed on to all, so that we may be one step closer to reaching zero.

A recent survey in the men who have sex with men population by the Ministry of Health already however suggests we have cause for some serious concerns as preliminary estimates suggest the infection rate will pass the 2007 31% figure despite the presence of a national program that was expected to impact behaviour change overall but what seems to be very little targeted work on the ground by the advocacy structure that being Jamaica AIDS Support and its offspring Jamaica Forum for Lesbians Allsexuals and Gays with very little presence in the community in terms of front line and beat foot patrols then it is no wonder we may see these high figures and to think both organizations are headed by gay men, what does that say about interest and reasons for existence? Is it possible to get to zero or let alone just reduced rates with this kind of aloofness? I think not, we need to get real.

 World AIDS Day 2011 Concerns by glbtqja4 

Meanwhile a full paged ad appeared in the Gleaner (partially scanned seen below) today from an organization I presume named The Isaachar Foundation of whom we know very little about so far except it is chaired by Dr Wayne West who is aligned to the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship and The Coalition for the Defence of Life, Isaachar with their motto "Confronting The Culture ... one mind at a time" of course here seems to be sizing up the high infection rates in the men who have sex with men populations as their fault, they also made reference to France having no sodomy laws since 1791 while having staggering rates of infection.

If one is to be honest and so righteous as these religious pundits claim to be then why not contextualize the points, there must be some cultural as well as other specific factors that contribute to such rises, not just a broad brush of msms simply because they want to impose a theocratic way of doing business and dictating how others should live. This surprise ad had no contact information provided or any logo or reference as to who they really are. Clearly as we have been seeing with the posturings of the leading voices of the religious right they now have new allies coming to their aid or are they consolidating? then what about freedom of choice? Nuff tings lie ahead people.


also see: 

More effective HIV/AIDS prevention message needed

Peace and tolerance

H 

(pamphlet photos from the MOH National Program)

Ten Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Emotional Well-Being for the HIV+ individual

1. Build a strong, supportive, trusting relationship with an HIV/AIDS doctor. You should be able to freely discuss everything and anything and, if needed, to challenge your doctor's advice.
2. Develop consistent contact with a health care case manager who can help to make the rocky road to benefits and services easier for you. One mold does not fit all, so try to find a case manager that you trust, even if you have to switch to a new one.

3. Join an HIV/AIDS support group. Find out if they use an ongoing, drop-in format or if they are time-limited and require pre-enrollment. Also find out about the training and qualifications of the group leaders.

4. Get a therapist, preferably a good licensed psychologist or certified social worker. Remember anyone can state they are a "therapist"; request more information about their background and experience. Keep looking until your instincts tell you that you have found a good match.

5. Attend workshops or other HIV/AIDS events so that you can find out as much as you can about HIV/AIDS. You must be the expert on this disease and be on top of any new developments and programs.

6. Stay informed about your HIV/AIDS medications by seeking out information from any and all sources, including people, Web sites, and periodicals. The more you know about the medication you are taking and its potential side effects, the more you know what to expect about your emotions and mental well-being.

7. Address any substance use issues you may have by looking into substance use programs and groups. Consider working towards being clean and sober.

8. Exercise regularly and maintain good nutrition because the mind and the body are closely linked, and physical health enhances mental health.

9. Work if you can for income but also work for the structure and well being that employment can provide. Everyone can benefit from structure, and we all need to feel we are productive members of this world.

10. Seek a sense of belonging outside of HIV/AIDS such as by starting a hobby, traveling and exploring, getting a pet, starting or finishing school, or volunteering. The bottom line is to keep your stress low; keeping your stress low will help you to keep your immune system high.

J. Buzz von Ornsteiner, Ph.D., is a New York State-licensed psychologist and author of the "Psychologically Speaking" column in Body Positive Magazine.

I am always amazed how the fan fare dies down after World AIDS Day passes and we don't see much in the media continuing on the heightened public awareness especially for persons who are HIV positive or who have just been found via the testing methods to be so. Public awareness and social marketing shouldn't just die off like that because the day has passed.

Please highlight and share in some way information and writings about HIV all year round folks not just for WAD.

Peace and tolerance.

H

Tearing Down The Walls Of Stigma

Nadisha Hunter

Several years ago, infected persons would not willingly admit to having HIV infection, as the stigma surrounding the disease was high.

But today, while there is still some degree of reservation about publicly declaring the illness, some people feel comfortable discussing the issue.

One such person is Jason Richards, who has been living with HIV/AIDS for the past seven years. He has seen the need to use his illness to educate the public about the disease.

However, it was only four years ago that he felt comfortable to do so because of the stigma that had existed in society.

The 24-year-old said after years of facing discrimination in society, he opted to contribute to breaking the walls of stigma through various educational strategies.

"I started out, first of all, by giving a speech on the disease for a friend who is also infected, but was scared to make the public talk," he said.

"I wasn't scared because by then I went through all the criticisms in society and persons were beginning to love and care for me," he added.

Richards is now participating in the Ministry of Health campaigns in breaking the stigma.

Pledge to continue

He said he was positive that he had made a difference in the lives of several persons living with the illness, and pledged to continue.

"My work don't stop here. I will continue to educate the people of Jamaica so that they know that AIDS is not a death sentence and we are people who live normal lives just the same," he said.

Richards encouraged other infected persons to speak up about the disease, which could change the way persons view them in society.

According to Roshane Reid, behaviour change communication officer in the National HIV/STI programme at the Ministry of Health, while the stigma still exists, the ministry has made significant strides through various educational strategies with the partnership of several key partners.

Among these are the Ministry of Education, non-governmental and faith-based organisations, as well as United Nations partners and funders.

The 2008 Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour and Practice survey done by the ministry indicated that Jamaicans are displaying increasing acceptance of persons living with HIV, with 82 per cent being willing to care for an infected family member.

It showed, however, that persons remain reluctant to purchase fresh vegetables from HIV-positive vendors, with less than a quarter endorsing this measure.

Reid said the programme reaped much reward in breaking down the stigma in society as a result of several campaign strategies, such as mass media campaign featuring persons living with HIV, prevention interventions at health centres, public education in workplaces and education in schools, primarily through the implementation of the Health and Family Life Education curriculum.

The Jamaica Red Cross also played a major role in breaking down the barriers in society.

Programmes director for HIV and Youths, Stacy-Ann Tomlinson, said the institution was heavily involved in educating the public about the disease at various forums and events.

MSM Global Forum - GLOBAL SURVEY INDICATES MOST GAY MEN WORLDWIDE CANNOT ACCESS MOST BASIC HIV PREVENTION & SERVICES

Media Contact:

Jack Beck

510.271.1956 (o)

jbeck@msmgf.org

Groundbreaking Global Survey Indicates Most Gay Men Worldwide Cannot Access Most Basic HIV Prevention and Services

As the world looks toward new prevention technologies, majority of men who have sex with men report no easy access to condoms and lubricants.

November 29, 2010 (Oakland, Calif.) – A new survey of more than 5,000 participants worldwide indicates that the majority of men who have sex with men (MSM) globally find it difficult or impossible to access HIV testing, HIV counseling, free condoms and free lubricant. Released to coincide with World AIDS Day, the preliminary findings underscored the importance of universal access to HIV prevention and treatment, a central theme of this year’s World AIDS Day observance.

Initial analysis of the survey’s results indicates that fewer than half of MSM worldwide have access to even the most basic HIV prevention and services. Of all respondents, only 39 percent reported easy access to free condoms and barely one in four reported easy access to free lubricant. A full 25 percent said free lubricant was completely unavailable. Large percentages of men reported that it was difficult or impossible to access other essential services as well, including HIV testing (57 percent), HIV education materials (66 percent) and HIV treatment (70 percent).

Conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) in collaboration with Dr. Patrick Wilson, Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the survey was carried out online in Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Circulated through the MSMGF’s global networks and those of its partner Fridae.com, the survey closed with a total of 3,875 MSM and 1,009 MSM service providers participating – another 375 participants did not identify themselves as MSM or provider. Nearly three quarters of all study participants were from low or middle income countries.

“Since the beginning of the epidemic, it has been widely recognized that condoms, lubricant, testing and treatment, when combined with community-led behavior change and support programs, are the most reliable tools available in the fight against HIV among MSM,” said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Officer of the MSMGF. “More than 25 years in, it is inexcusable that MSM around the world continue to have such restricted access to these basic lifesaving resources.”

“With the excitement surrounding the promise of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), it can be easy to forget that we already have a rich selection of prevention measures that we know work right now,” said Patrick Hebert, Senior Education Associate at the MSMGF. “Today’s findings reinforce the fact that we can’t even get condoms and lube to more than half of MSM around the world. We must look seriously at barriers that prevent MSM in different country contexts from accessing these proven prevention tools.”

While reporting on levels of access to currently available HIV prevention tools and services, the survey also explored knowledge about emerging technologies like PrEP, which involves taking antiretroviral drugs before exposure to HIV in order to prevent infection. While men in North America, Western Europe and Australia reported more knowledge about emerging prevention strategies than men in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, large numbers of men in all regions of the world expressed confusion about these technologies. When asked whether MSM should use PrEP to prevent HIV infection, 40% of respondents said “I don’t know.” This suggests a need for stronger communication and education efforts targeting MSM worldwide regarding these new potential options.

Regional differences also emerged regarding experiences of stigma and discrimination. On every measure of stigma related to homophobia, men in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Latin America reported higher levels and harsher forms of stigma and discrimination than men in North America, Western Europe and Australia.

“Stigma and discrimination fuel the HIV epidemic among MSM and other high-risk populations,” said Othman Mellouk, Co-Chair of the MSMGF and Advocacy Coordinator of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) for North Africa. “Stigma and discrimination undermine access to prevention and treatment programs by forcing MSM underground and away from services they may need. Without addressing the bigger issue of homophobia, we will have no hope of ending AIDS.”

The MSMGF is currently working with Dr. Wilson to complete analysis of the full data set and is expecting to release a comprehensive report in early 2011. This project is supported by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) is an expanding network of AIDS organizations, MSM networks, and advocates committed to ensuring robust coverage of and equitable access to effective HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support services tailored to the needs of gay men and other MSM. Guided by a Steering Committee of 20 members from 17 countries situated mainly in the Global South, and with administrative and fiscal support from AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), the MSMGF works to promote MSM health and human rights worldwide through advocacy, information exchange, knowledge production, networking, and capacity building.

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