rhrealitycheck: How Do You End an Epidemic of STDs? It Takes a Country While there is no easy answer or single reason “why” people contract an STD, research indicates that solutions must go beyond individual characteristics or behaviors. Educators, parents, youth advocates, HIV/AIDS organizations, physicians, legislators, health departments, and researchers, all have a role to play in reducing the impact of STDs. High-res

rhrealitycheck:

How Do You End an Epidemic of STDs? It Takes a Country

While there is no easy answer or single reason “why” people contract an STD, research indicates that solutions must go beyond individual characteristics or behaviors. Educators, parents, youth advocates, HIV/AIDS organizations, physicians, legislators, health departments, and researchers, all have a role to play in reducing the impact of STDs.

(via sexualhealthrankings)

Sexual Studies: Grindr and the Sex Practices of Its Users

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Every Saturday, The CSPH highlights news or recent research in the field of human sexuality.  This week we’re venturing into the world of technology, using Grindr–a popular phone app that allows its users, primarily men who have sex with men, to see other users who are geographically close to their current location–to learn about young men who have sex with men (YMSM).  In the US, this population has the highest number of new HIV diagnoses compared to any other group, and it is the only group that has seen an increase in diagnoses in recent years.  The number of newly diagnosed HIV is especially high for young African American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM).  Therefore learning as much as possible about this group’s sexual behaviors and HIV prevention practices can provide important information to guide interventions and future research. Read it here!


[Photo Credit: EndRacismAndHomophobia]

Sexual Studies: Bone Marrow Transplants Linked to Possible HIV Elimination

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Every Saturday, The CSPH highlights news or recent research in the field of human sexuality. This week we’re looking at a study presented at this past year’s International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. on the possible virus-eliminating effect of bone marrow transplants as seen in two HIV-positive male patients. Read about it here!

[Read more sexual studies here]

Job Listing: Physician, Fenway Community Health Center

[We post job listings for relevant opportunities we think our audience might be interested in under the tag “Job Listings” - all of which can be accessed in the order they are posted by clicking JOB LISTINGS on our sidebar. Check back frequently for the latest updates, and please help disseminate! Also check out The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health on LinkedIn.]

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Note: This is an excerpted job description. Click this link to read the whole thing.

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Organization Information: Fenway Community Health is a comprehensive non-profit community health center, providing a wide continuum of health care services. We are New England’s leading primary care health center for the lesbian and gay community, and in addition we provide health care to residents of Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

Job Description: 

We are looking for an outstanding primary care physician with a specific interest in HIV/AIDS care and gay men’s health.

The Physician is responsible for providing outpatient care five days a week. Overnight call occurs about one week out of every thirteen and also entails coverage of the practice’s hospitalized patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center during the specified call weekend.

The Physician will provide direct medical services to the full range of Fenway Health patients, including conducting exams, ordering tests, prescribing medication, formulating treatment plans and providing preventive health care advice and psychosocial screening and assessment. There may be the opportunity to supervise mid-level practitioners, medical residents and/or medical students and to contribute to community-based research initiatives.

The physician will be expected to maintain full medical licensure in MA, controlled substance licensure in MA, a federal DEA license, and AAHIVM certification.


Required Qualifications: 

  • • M.D. or D.O. degree
  • • Current Massachusetts license
  • • Board certification in internal medicine, infectious disease or family practice
  • • Minimum 3 years experience in treating people living with HIV/AIDS
  • • Previous experience in a primary care setting is highly desirable
  • • Interest in GLBT healthcare is highly desirable
  • • Experience working in an ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse environment
  • • Ability to work harmoniously with diverse groups of individuals required

How To Apply: Please remember to reference the job title and job ID #101 when applying for any job opening.

Applicants are encouraged to download and complete our application form from our website www.fenwayhealth.org/jobs, and send it to Shoshanna Holzer via Fax or US Mail:

Fax: 617-927-6251

US Mail: Fenway Health 1340 Boylston Street 9th Floor, Ansin Building Boston, MA 02215 Attention: Human Resources

E-Mail: Send a cover letter and resume by electronic mail to Human Resources at employment@fenwayhealth.org. If you are applying for more than one position, please send a separate email for each job. If you are sending files as attachments to your e-mail, please be sure the attached files are written in Microsoft Word (.doc) or are in PDF format (.pdf). We do not accept compressed files of any type (e.g., Zip, Stuff It).

Job Listing: Client Advocate - Essex County, The AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

[We post job listings for relevant opportunities we think our audience might be interested in under the tag “Job Listings” - all of which can be accessed in the order they are posted by clicking JOB LISTINGS on our sidebar. Check back frequently for the latest updates, and please help disseminate! Also check out The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health on LinkedIn.]

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Note: This is an excerpted job description. Click this link to read the whole thing.

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Organization Information: Founded in 1983, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Inc. (AAC), is New England’s first and largest AIDS service organization. AAC provides services for men, women and children living with AIDS and HIV; educates the public and health professionals about how to prevent HIV transmission in accordance with harm reduction principles; and advocates for fair and effective AIDS policy at the city, state and federal levels. AAC also provides targeted outreach to those most vulnerable to HIV infection including men who have sex with men, injection drug users, black women, transgender women, and homeless youth. Free and confidential rapid HIV testing and counseling and clean needle exchange are also available.

Job Description: 

The Client Advocate would provide services and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Provide intensive office- and home-based case management and housing search services for up to 50 clients in Essex County. Conduct assessments and reassessments and develop client centered service plans based on assessed needs and transfer clients to stabilization services, as applicable.
  • Provide clients with easily accessible and low-threshold services that operate within the harm reduction framework and assist clients in overcoming other barriers to service delivery and health care access. This includes assisting clients with accessing support services on a walk-in, triage, and as-needed basis.
  • Work as part of an integrated team to assist clients in accessing services offered by all AAC programs. Facilitate access to resources that will assist clients in optimizing health outcome and moving towards self- sufficiency, including medical, housing, financial, mental health, substance use, sexual health, legal, vocational and educational services.
  • Develop a wide-ranging resource network for the people living with HIV in Essex County. Provide coordination, linkage and follow-up with existing service programs to maximize access to services, especially for those that are experiencing homelessness substance users, recent immigrants and/or people of color.
  • Facilitate case coordination including communicating with other providers to improve access to care and reduce duplication of services and maintain communication with relevant providers and family members, as needed and with client consent.
  • Provide assistance to clients during all phases of subsidized housing application process, including completing housing applications, accompanying clients to housing related appointments and appeals and following up on the status of submitted client applications.
  • Assist clients with all aspects of eviction prevention and accompany clients to court and appeal hearings, as needed.


Required Qualifications: 

  • BA or equivalent two years human services and/or case management experience.
  • Experience with the provision of HIV services.
  • Experience advocating for clients with government assistance agencies, housing authorities, private landlords or realtors preferred.
  • Experience in case management and with issues related to substance use, harm reduction, homelessness, mental health, and/or bilingual/bicultural and GLBT communities.
  • Must have reliable transportation to visit clients in their homes and/or in other community settings.

How To Apply: To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter with position specified to:

Professional Recruitment Bos WS
75 Amory St.
Boston, MA 02119

or email to resumes@aac.org

NEW: First over-the-counter home HIV test approved

The FDA has just released their approval for the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, the first over-the-counter, self-administered HIV test kit to detect the presence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).


The home kit has individuals collect an oral fluid sample by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside of their mouths, place that sample into a developer vial, and obtain test results within 20 to 40 minutes.



A positive result with this test does not mean that an individual is definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the test result. Similarly, a negative test result does not mean that an individual is definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous three months. 


HOWEVER, the test has the potential to identify large numbers of previously undiagnosed HIV infections, especially if used by those unlikely to use standard screening methods.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection. About one in five are not aware they are infected. There are about 50,000 new HIV infections every year. Many of these new infections are transmitted from people who are unaware of their HIV status.


 
“Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate.”


 
Clinical studies for self-testing have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 92 percent for test sensitivity, the percentage of results that will be positive when HIV is present. This means that one false negative result would be expected out of every 12 test results in HIV-infected individuals.


 
Clinical studies also have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 99.98 percent for test specificity, the percentage of results that will be negative when HIV is not present. This means that one false positive would be expected out of every 5,000 test results in uninfected individuals.


 
OraSure Technologies, the manufacturer of the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test will have a consumer support center that is available via phone and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center will be operational and available to educate users with information about HIV/AIDS, the proper method for administering the test and guidance on what to do once results have been obtained once the manufacturer makes the product available for sale to the public. Information about the consumer support center and contact information is included in the test kit.


 
OraSure Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pa. A version of this test for use by trained technicians in clinical settings was approved in 2004.

 
For more information:

HIV Vaccine Study paying $600-$800 for participants!

The Fenway Institute is conducting an HIV Vaccine Study, and are looking for 19 participants who fit the following criteria:

  • MSM (men who sleep with men)
  • Between the ages of 18-50
  • HIV negative
  • Circumcised 

Participants will be compensated $600-$800 for their time. The study takes place in the Boston area, but there is also a study location in Philadelphia.

If you fit this description and would like to participate, please contact the institute here: http://www.hopetakesaction.org/contact/

To learn more information about the study, ask questions, or see how you can help, you can contact Ashley Childs directly at 617-927-6427 or the main recruitment line at 617-927-6450.

THE SEX UNEDUCATED: My experience with dating so far since my HIV diagnosis...

pozliving:

I thought that no one would date me because of my HIV+ status. Turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong. I went on dates with three guys since my diagnosis and all of them did not have an issue with my HIV+ status. Maybe I am just lucky so far.

Every individual living with HIV makes…

A beautiful reminder that:
a) Being HIV+ does not make you undateable.
b) If you’re HIV+, dating someone who is visibly uncomfortable with your HIV+ status won’t make either of you happy - why waste your time on someone who doesn’t love you exactly as you are?
c) If you don’t want to be with someone due to their HIV+ status? You are allowed to make your own decisions regarding your dating life, but don’t be rude about it.

Every Wednesday we highlight a Hump Day Hero over at the CSPH: today, it’s Karla Diaz, a sexual health educator (focusing on HIV prevention and women’s health) for the Latino Community in Philadelphia: My goal is to empower Latina women to become experts of their anatomies and physiologies so that it becomes a chain where our future generations are able to discuss and embrace their sexuality. Much has to be done, one of my passions is to start basic, I like teaching anatomy 101 because I believe once a little of knowledge is shared a sense a pride is established. Knowing about our bodies gives us the tool of knowing which is usually denied to us by the silence that surrounds sexuality in our Latino communities. Click over to our full interview with this incredible lady!

Every Wednesday we highlight a Hump Day Hero over at the CSPH: today, it’s Karla Diaz, a sexual health educator (focusing on HIV prevention and women’s health) for the Latino Community in Philadelphia:

My goal is to empower Latina women to become experts of their anatomies and physiologies so that it becomes a chain where our future generations are able to discuss and embrace their sexuality. Much has to be done, one of my passions is to start basic, I like teaching anatomy 101 because I believe once a little of knowledge is shared a sense a pride is established. Knowing about our bodies gives us the tool of knowing which is usually denied to us by the silence that surrounds sexuality in our Latino communities.

Click over to our full interview with this incredible lady!

Our Journey From Novice to Expert: Celebrating 25 Years of HIV Nursing

Each week the CSPH highlights an upcoming workshop, conference, and other continuing education opportunity pertaining to sexuality, gender, or reproductive justice issues. This week we are featuring Our Journey From Novice to Expert: Celebrating 25 Years of HIV Nursing!

Who: Association of Nurses in AIDS Care 25th Anniversary Annual Conference

What: Our Journey From Novice to Expert: Celebrating 25 Years of HIV Nursing

Where: Tuscon, Arizona

When: November 15-17th, 2012

Why: “The conference will address international and domestic issues related to HIV and AIDS for nurses new to the specialty as well as experienced clinicians and researchers. Various learning activities, expert speakers, symposia, roundtable discussions, and presentations (practice, education/administration, and research) will address HIV nursing issues related to the conference objectives.”

Abstract Submission Deadline is April 23rd.

Sexual Studies: Partner’s ‘Viral Load’ a Major Factor in HIV Transmission

Every Saturday the CSPH highlights news or recent research in the field of human sexuality. This week we’re discussing recent research published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, a publication from The Infectious Diseases Society of America,which states the level of the HIV-1 virus in the blood of an HIV-infected person is the single most important risk factor for sexual transmission of HIV to an uninfected partner.

The finding is based on a study of 3,300 heterosexual, HIV-discordant couples (one partner has HIV and the other is HIV-free) in sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers were able to calculate the risk of HIV-1 transmission per act of sexual intercourse and found the average rate of infection to be about one per 900 acts of sexual intercourse and the level of HIV-1 RNA in the blood of the infected partner was the most important factor in HIV transmission. The higher the viral load in the infected partner, they found, the higher the risk of transmission. The study also confirmed that condoms are highly protective, reducing the risk of HIV transmission by 78 percent when subjects reported using a condom. Older age was also associated with reduced transmission per sex act supporting the possibility of a significant decline in the infectivity of HIV with age. Male circumcision reduced female-to-male transmission by approximately 47 percent supporting data released by the Centers for Disease Control that the foreskin is more susceptible to HIV infection than other penile tissue because of its higher density of target cells for infection and greater susceptibility to tearing during intercourse. Genital herpes infections and the presence of genital ulcers were associated with increased rates of transmission for the same reason because of the increased points of entry for pathogens in open sores and areas of infection.

“Our results underscore the importance of antiretroviral therapy, and, possibly, treatment of co-infections, to reduce plasma HIV-1 viral load in HIV-1 infected partners, and condom promotion, male circumcision, and treatment of symptomatic sexually-transmitted infections for HIV-1 uninfected partners as potential interventions to reduce HIV-1 transmission,” the researchers stated. The researchers also plan to use the genetic data collected from this study along with new data from another recently completed clinical trial to explain the variation in transmission risk among couples.

The strengths of this study include the large number of couples, molecular confirmation of HIV transmission between partners, repeated RNA measurements over follow-up, and relatively short intervals of 3 months between tests. The Infectious Diseases Society of America claims that previous studies examining risk factors for sexual transmission of HIV have been significantly smaller and not as comprehensive. Ronald H. Gray, MD, and Maria J. Wawer, MD of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (not involved in the study), claimed after reviewing this research that it is “possibly the most precise estimates of HIV-1 transmission per sexual act during latent HIV disease, providing a valuable addition to knowledge in this area, where much remains to be learned.”

This study makes an important statement about how certain HIV positive individuals are more contagious than others depending on their viral load at the time of sexual intercourse. One huge limitation to this study is that only heterosexual vaginal intercourse was used to measure transmission.  While this study does gives hope that more effective treatments for preventing the transition from HIV to AIDS can be created and it is important for the public to learn more about the disease, it is extremely important for HIV positive individuals to be educated about the risks of transmission at any stage and for their sexual partners to be informed of the risks for infection. More studies about levels of transmission risk should be done to include non-heterosexual activity and more than just vaginal intercourse.

Read The Journal of Infectious Diseases’ press release here.

Read the entire research article here.