By ChatJunkie

There is a lot of stigma attached to poz people in chatrooms.

When you join these chat sites, there are many people who believe that everyone should post their HIV status. Some feel we have no right being in there looking for relationships, encounters or friendship. In every chatroom there is a group of people who think that what they believe is what everyone should believe because we are all in there for the same reason. I don’t mean to offend anyone by that statement, it’s just a fact. They don’t understand or support the fact that it is none of their business and the only time it becomes their business is if they plan on having sex with someone who is poz. On the other side of the issue, there are people who are poz who choose not to post their status, never tell partners their status and others who outright lie about their status. There are others who have never been tested, ……ever, because they are afraid to know the truth, afraid of having to tell family and afraid of the stigma.

If at sometime you do disclose to someone you have chatted with, there is no way to be sure that it will stay between you and that person, alot of chat goes on in private. Gossip can run rampant in that way. There are times when someone has broken up with a partner and they go in making claims that their ex is HIV positive and doesn’t tell anyone. Incidents like this can start the stigma machine and a heated debate will begin. The internet chatroom is a lot like the old school yard when you were growing up and its hard to believe they are all adults in there carrying on like that.

When my status was broadcasted in the chatroom, I was so devastated, embarrassed and felt like people were now seeing someone totally different. I heard comments like “I deserved it”, “I hope it takes him, the quicker the better”. How could I have been coming in there all that time and not have it in my profile. There was even a comment that I was suffering from dementia, I was delusional and one very sick person to not have said anything. I learned through my real friends and some complete strangers that it didn’t matter to them, some had spoke up in my defense.

Not long ago I created another profile on the site and posted my HIV status. Even my friends don’t know its me. The experience is so different. I can be present in the room for several hours and not one person will talk to me. From time to time someone will message me in private and want to meet. I make sure they have read my profile and if they still want to meet, I tell them I would rather chat a bit longer. Some don’t really know what it all means, they aren’t aware of the risks. I will then tell them to go to the Aids Committee in their area. Anyone that I have chatted with under this profile, none have led to a meeting.

What I am learning from all of this experience is that by posting my status, it might minimize my exposure to stigmatism but it will not help when it comes to some people and their beliefs. We need to change the beliefs of the others, not by force but by open discussion and education. Some people need to be brought into the 21st Century. There are tougher laws for disclosing and people on both sides of this issue need to know their responsibility. Posting your status in a profile online is not enough anymore.

By ChatJunkie

Every warning you have heard about protecting your personal information on the internet is completely true. Everything put up on the internet can be copied or shared and you have no control over it after you post it. Just like this blog entry, it can be deleted tomorrow but it could have been copied by someone and kept in their computer and changed or used in ways that I didn’t mean it too. Hopefully this never happens. Using some basic computer lingo, all you have to do, is COPY, EDIT and PASTE and this could all read very different.

When you use chatrooms, this can happen more frequently. When you put up a profile on the site it isn’t protected. All chatrooms require that you post certain information to open the account, they claim it is protected but if someone really knows how computers work, they can still search for what is known as an IP number. All computers require one to be connected to the internet.

Most sites don’t require you to post a picture, it’s just an option. The more you tell people about yourself, the more attention you will attract. Some sites only require and email address and a/s/l which is age, sex and location. Some people choose to post their picture on another site and show the link in their profile. These pictures can still be copied if you know what you are doing. I have had my picture copied, used in a phoney profile and made to look like someone who practices reckless behaviour. I have trusted people with my personal information during conversations and when a disagreement happened with those persons, they told the whole chatroom my HIV status and claimed that I don’t tell people my status. They even claimed to have it in writing from me. All I can figure is they used the COPY, EDIT and PASTE method to create the statement.

I just learned about something new on “facebook”. They have something called “People Here Now” or “Places I Check Into”. It’s where you post where you are by way of your phone, and on your facebook page it will show a map and verifies you are at that location. There was a story on the news where a woman had been using this feature, she was on vacation in another country. Friends of her friends saw that she was gone for two weeks; they went to her place and robbed it.

For every safety feature that comes out, there are people out there who find ways to get around them.

Below are some tips on things to watch for:

• - Never do cam to cam chats. What you do on camera can be copied by the other person and put up on porn sites.
• - Find the privacy settings on all sites and use them. Limit strangers from finding you. It is always better to be safe than popular; you don’t know who is watching.
• - Don’t post a picture right away. If you chat with someone and things progress and you feel comfortable, you can exchange one through emails.
• - Be aware that most people lie about certain things in their profiles.
• - Never give your phone number or home address to anyone too soon.
• - Only agree to meet in a public location. Never agree to meet in the middle of the night. Some people can be what’s known as a “No Show”.
• - Let a friend know where you are going and let them know if things are going alright.
• - During your conversations with people, listen for red flags - they are there.

Remember, you don’t have to use your real name. Take care and be safe.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Last Friday, Gary Roche (our Community Support Worker) and I held a workshop on Creative Solutions for Budgeting. The workshop was facilitated by Ken Harvey from Ontario Works.  I thought I would share some of the information from the workshop that will help you get started on a budget if you missed the workshop.

How to budget

The first step in budgeting is to track your income and expenses. Begin by calculating all of your income from various sources for one month - include income from your wages, government assistance, cash gifts and any other income.  The total amount will be your total income.

Next, track all of your expenses for the month. This will be trickier because you need to record everything you've spent. Write down every purchase - even if it's just for a pack of gum or a newspaper.  It might be helpful for you to carry around a small notepad to track the expenditures.

At the end of the month, total your expenses and subtract it from your total income. If you're in the negative, it will be time to start making a few cut-backs! Luckily, once you have a list of all your expenses, you can see pretty easily where your money is going and how you can start to save money.

Making a new budget for you might take some experimenting. Eventually, you'll get one that works for you.

Tips to save money and stay on budget

1. Get some friends involved. Sticking to a budget is not easy, especially if you love to shop! Getting some friends together will really help you along. You can do this in a few ways:

2. Set small, manageable goals, and then find small ways to reward yourself when you reach them. Having lofty, long-term goals is great, but try to set some smaller, more manageable goals in the meantime. Then find ways to treat yourself to celebrate every small success. Treats might include an ice cream cone, a food you really like from the grocery store that is a bit more costly (like a steak), or a walk or jog through a nature trail.

3. To avoid making impulse purchases, make a list of everything you want and wait until the end of the month. Sometimes writing it down will make you realize that the thing you want isn't quite as meaningful as you once thought.  At the end of the month, take a look at everything you've wanted and decide what is really important to you. Having a clear list will help you make more thoughtful decisions about where and how you spend your money. It will also help you set goals to buy what is really special to you, and not just everything that crosses your path.

4. Find alternatives to buying new. If you have your eye set on an expensive new item, check out thrift stores to see if you can find a similar alternative to the item at a fraction of the cost.

5. Utilize community resources. Take advantage of the public library to borrow books, movies, and CDs, use the internet, or join in on book clubs, movie screenings and craft workshops.  The Arboretum features 408 acres of beautiful nature trails and gardens to enjoy at zero cost. The West End Rec Centre offers gym facilities, pools, and an arena, all which can be enjoyed for small fees. The YMCA also offers discounted memberships depending on your financial situation. Take advantage of these great community resources for opportunities for entertainment and fitness! Another great community resource is the Garden Fresh Box. You can order a great big box of fresh veggies and fruits from the Guelph Community Health Centre for $15-$20. Consider getting a friend or roommate to share the box with you to make this even more economical. For more information, visit the GCHC's website.

What is your best tip for staying on budget and saving money?

 By Tom Hammond Executive Director

Toronto has become the first city in the world – and the first government in North America – to formally endorse a declaration that advocates harm reduction over the war on drugs.

This endorsement could be the gentle push that the City of Guelph needs in order to follow suit. The last few years the City of Guelph has supported the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Just a little reminder that this Friday, from 12:00 to 3:00pm, we will be having a workshop on budgeting. The title of this workshop is Creative Solutions for Budgeting and it will be run by Ken Harvey from Ontario Works.  This workshop will be held at  the Guelph Community Health Centre (Downtown Guelph). This is a joint partnership between Positive Prevention and Housing.

This will be a very practical, hands-on, fun workshop and everyone will leave with some incredibly valuable skills that you can put to use right away.

If you find yourself struggling to make ends meet, missing bill payments or relying on overdraft or credit cards, or if you've had a recent change in income, this workshop will help you get control over your financial situation. 

And everyone can use help with budgeting, no matter what kind of income you have.  Taking care of your money enables you to take care of your health.

Please join us to learn this important life skill.

The following was written by a recent graduate of the Positive Prevention train-the-trainer program at ACG.

I recently completed the Positive Prevention Train-the-Trainer course. Taking this course has been a blessing, because I have learnt so much and I feel I have information that I didn’t know before. Confidence, high self-esteem and knowledge are what the course has given me. I feel I can inform people who stigmatize others or have a desire to learn about HIV. HIV is not a death sentence anymore; you can live, love and be free while positive.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS but there are medications to prolong one’s life, just like any other disease – for example, diabetes or high blood pressure. Treatment has come a long way from the time it started, when people were told they would have five years to live; now it’s changed and you can live a long time, have a family and see your family getting older and be happy.

Although there are medications for HIV & AIDS, there’s still a lot of stigma around the disease, in all communities and in different countries. When one doesn’t have it, they tend to think or say it’s not their problem. The truth is, it’s everyone’s problem and I’m sure if they are not infected, they must have a family member who is.

To break this stigma, we need to talk about it, be pro-active about it, and if you are living with HIV, talk about your experiences. I believe that educating people about HIV will lessen the stigma and when people know about the disease, the less scared, ashamed, and embarrassed they will be and the more willing to get tested they will be.

I recently had an experience this weekend with HIV stigma. I went to the African festival in Kitchener and there was a good diversity of different nationalities there. There was also a stand for ACCKWA, and what I noticed was that people didn’t want to go near that stand; it was as if they didn’t want to be seen standing near that booth, in case someone thought they might have HIV. So I became pro-active and took a whole bunch of condoms with information in them about HIV and started handing them out to the young men who were in the crowd. I would also tell them about being safe and reassured them that it was okay to be safe. Doing that made me feel good about the knowledge I had received from the Positive Prevention course. I believe I can use it in the near future to educate others about HIV and stigma.

The Bracelet of Hope is another way to break the stigma, because if you wear a bracelet, it shows that you have some information about HIV and you are helping those infected and affected by HIV living in Lesotho. I’m sure if more people get the bracelet, the more informed people will be.

There is help out there, and if more people talk about it, the less the stigma becomes. In closing, to prevent HIV and stigma, my mottos is, “STAY PRO-ACTIVE ABOUT HIV”.

Hearing about the recent successful microbicide clinical trial (CAPRISA 004) which, after years of not-so-great-results with other microbicides, is exciting enough, but now there is more good news on the HIV prevention front in low- and middle-income countries.

A World Bank - sponsored program in Malawi that gives small monthly payments to girls and young women (13-22) and their families with the goal of reducing girls' risky sexual encounters. There is a description of the study on the World Bank website that details the program, the forces that seem to be at work,  and its unexpected findings.

Here's a synopsis:

The money (as much as $15/month) is given to young girls and their families if the girls stayed in school. A control group received no cash reward for schooling. Another group of girls received the cash without any schooling strings attached  A year later, they found that those girls who received cash rewards for attending school were more likely to still be enrolled in school than the control group who received no cash.

Here's where it gets good!

They also found that those girls who received the cash (after 18 months in the study) were 60% less likely to be infected with HIV (and genital herpes). This finding also held for the girls in the group that received the money (without school strings attached).

Why?

From the World Bank website:

How did it happen? The key seems to be an "income effect" on the sexual behaviors of young women receiving cash payments. A year after the program started, girls who received payments not only had less sex, but when they did, they tended to choose safer partners, says Berk Özler, a senior economist at the Development Research Group who conducted the study with Sarah Baird of George Washington University and Craig McIntosh at the University of California, San Diego. In fact, the infection rate among those partners is estimated to be half of that of partners of the control group.
The cash transfers may have led to a drop in the so-called "transactional sex." At the beginning of the study, a quarter of sexually-active participants said they started relationships because they "needed his assistance" or "wanted gifts/money." Meanwhile, among the sexually-active schoolgirls in the control group, 90% said they received an average of US$6.50 a month in gifts or cash from their partners. Such "gifts" are significant, given the country's GDP per capita was $287.5 in 2008.
After a year, schoolgirls receiving payments from the cash-transfer program seemed to avoid older men, who tend to be wealthier and are much more likely to be HIV positive than schoolboys. The sexual partners were two years older on average than the girls, compared with three years for the control group.

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs that provide regular payments to poor families if their children stay in school (or get vaccinations, or engage in other desirable behaviors) have become a favoured anti-poverty intervention in low- and middle-income countries, and a new Economist report on CCTs gives a concise explanation for the reason:

The programmes have spread because they work. They cut poverty. They improve income distribution. And they do so cheaply.

The Malawi study suggests that, at least in the case of behaviors related to HIV, payments may not even need to be conditional if the money reduces pressures that lead to unhealthy behaviors. (Girls' choice of sexual partners may or may not be based on HIV considerations, but they apparently prefer sexual partners closer to their own ages, who are less likely to be HIV positive.)

Both the microbicidal gel (CAPRISA004) and cash-payment interventions have an important aspect in common: they put decisions about safer sex in women's hands. It's important that the gel, unlike condoms, can be used by women without men's consent or knowledge - study participants were instructed to use pre-filled gel applicators within 12 hours before sex and as soon as possible within 12 hours following it.
Halting the spread of HIV will require a combination of interventions, both existing and new.

These studies suggest that many women in low- and middle-income countries want to have sex that is safer. We need to make options for safer sex more readily available to them.

Below please find our very first blog post by one of our Positive Prevention participants!

For the purposes of this blog I will go by the name of ChatJunkie. I was diagnosed poz back in April 2003. Seven and a half year later I am now on medications for the first time. Things aren't as bad as I thought they would be but I am experiencing some side effects.

I would like to thank Megan DePutter for putting on a great 9 week program called Positive Prevention that I am about to complete. I have learned so much from the course and from others in the course. One of the goals of the course is to take what we have learned and
get involved in some way to prevent the spread of this virus, take care of ourselves and end the stigma attached to this disease. I have volunteered to assist Megan through the next installment of the course scheduled for October 2010. Another suggestion I was given is to
contribute to this blog and share some of my experiences. During this course I discovered I have much to share and it is important.

I am not a writer in any professional way. I'm not much of a talker either, I'm shy and sometimes I feel what I have to say isn't all that important. Thanks to the internet, I have been able to open up more and find ways to talk to people and communicate better in real life. Because I spend a lot of time in chat rooms, I read a lot of bad information being given by people who have no training in giving truthful facts to other people. I will private message the person asking the questions and try to get them to call the AIDS Committee in their area and find out the real truth.

So, I hope you will follow along as I post some of my experiences on this blog and that helps you in some way. I will write what I see, the way I see it. I hope it brings up some discussion so we can learn from each other. We are not alone, we all have something important
to say and share, we can support each other. Our stories are all different but they can help someone else find answers to theirs.

If anyone chooses to comment, you don't have to use your real name, just make up a nickname.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

I am happy to report that the spring/summer session of the Positive Prevention Train-the-Trainer nine-week course is now complete, and all of the participants did a wonderful job. I was really moved when I saw that, starting from the very first class, the participants were committed to supporting one another. Even though the group was incredibly diverse, the participants immediately found commonalities and accepted each others' differences, creating an open and non-judgmental environment in which to learn. As one participant liked to say, "we need to recognize that we're more alike than we are different."

The fall session of Train-the-Trainer runs through October and November. It begins on Wednesday, October 6 and will run every Wednesday for three hours, for nine weeks. The program is designed to increase participants’ self-efficacy in promoting safer sex practices and provides participants with the ability to implement tools for promoting and improving the overall wellbeing of people living with HIV. Participants increase their self confidence and develop the ability to run educational workshops, use social media and conduct one-on-one education sessions.

If you are interested in participating, please let me know, and please spread the word to others who might be interested too! It is quite a commitment, but the skills that are developed and the friendships that are made make this commitment well worth the effort. One participant said at the last class that she could see the changes in her classmates - their smiles and eyes were brighter. This is also a paid opportunity, since participants are building skills that they can then apply to potential volunteer opportunities in the community and at ACG. This opportunity is open to anyone living with HIV and AIDS.

Also Coming Soon: Exciting Positive Prevention Workshops:

• Creative Solutions for Budgeting
• Community Engagement & Volunteering
• Good Cooking on a Low Income
• Planning for the Future

For more information about any of these workshops or to register for the Positive Prevention Train-the-Trainer course, please contact Megan  at positiveprevention@idsguelph.org or call 519-763-2255, ext.161.

 By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

I'm so excited to announce a new component of the blog - a PHA Speaker's Corner. I am inviting Positive Prevention participants to write guest blog posts. Like I wrote in a recent post, I think there are tremendous opportunities to use social media in Positive Prevention, so I'd like to encourage PHAs to contribute to ACG's blog.

What to write about? To use social media for Positive Prevention work, consider any topic that promotes the overall health and wellbeing of PHAs. Topics could include information or discussions on treatment, legal rights or related issues, nutrition or health-related information, prevention strategies, issues around racism and discrimination, coping strategies for anxiety, depression or stress, the rights of LGBTQ, and your own personal experiences living with HIV and AIDS.

Looking forward to sharing blog posts of Positive Prevention participants soon!

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Last week was our workshop on sero-discordant relationships, or in simpler terms, relationships where one person is HIV positive and the other is negative (also known as magnetic couples). Our speaker, Ian, was there with his partner. He spoke openly and honestly about the journey that they went through together as a couple. It was wonderful to see a couple that was so happy together, but clearly, it was their commitment to communication that has made their relationship so strong.

When Ian and his partner first got together, there were a lot of questions and fears. But Ian pointed out that to every argument for why they shouldn’t be together, there was always a counter argument. There are always solutions to any problem, and at the heart of the solution usually lies communication.

Many HIV negative people have a lot of misconceptions about the virus, so education is really important. This is true not only for the negative partner, but also for friends, family and loved ones of the negative partner. Some friends and family members of Ian’s partner were initially weary of the relationship, but they came to terms with it as they became better educated. Ian couldn’t take full responsibility for teaching his partner everything about HIV and AIDS, so his partner took initiative to learn everything he could. He did his own research, he attended the speakers’ bureau talks through PWA, he spoke to his family doctor, and he became connected with other related agencies.

Relationships are never easy, regardless of your sero-status, but when HIV is thrown into the mix, there are a lot of tough questions that need to be addressed. For Ian and his partner, this was actually a blessing of sorts, because they were able to develop a strong bond and healthy communication patterns early on in the relationship. They spent several months working with a counsellor and solicited support from their minister. This has undoubtedly strengthened their relationship.

What I was most struck by in this workshop was a simple, but profound message, which Ian delivered with eloquence and conviction: No matter who you are, you are worthy of love. People who are positive may have to do quite of a bit of "deprogramming" from all the stigma and hate that they have received.  But Ian told the group, “HIV is but a small part of who you are” and he encouraged all participants to view themselves as being capable and loveable – “people should be blessed to be with you,” he said.

Tips for strong communication:
- Be honest.
- Trust the other person.
- Check in frequently.
- Recognize that things change in a relationship – they require ongoing communication and negotiation.
- Listen – really listen to what the other person is saying.
- Find a counsellor who can help you learn how to listen and communicate better.
- Speak from the heart.

Thank you to Ian for his inspiring message!

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

A recent headline from the Globe & Mail grabbed my attention – “New HIV infections in Canada back to 1982 levels.” The article contained some important information, but I fear that this will be missed due to the strong, visceral reaction that most Globe readers will have with a quick glance at the accompanying photograph.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the photograph, but it will likely evoke strong feelings and snap judgements for many readers, who won’t bother to read or consider the information contained within the full text of the article. They may not read or remember, for example, that "inequity is the real driver of the epidemic."

Furthermore, there was a great deal missing from this article – important information that could help contextualize these findings.For example, while 17% of new infections are among IDU, this number is not new or shocking. In 2002, this numbers was 19%. In 2005, the number fell between 14-16%. In 2008, the number climbed one percentage point to 17%. So there is no reason to put a picture of an injection drug user at the top of this article, as though this is breaking news. One might go so far as to say that they are unnecessarily stigmatizing drug users.

The other important piece that was missing was the importance of harm reduction. The caption of the photo said, “An intravenous drug user gets ready to inject heroin into his arm in Vancouver's downtown Eastside last year.” Nowhere does the article mention the importance of harm reduction. It doesn’t mention, for example, that Insite, the safe injection site in Vancouver, has made a tremendous positive impact in the community, playing an integral role in preventing HIV infections, among countless other benefits. One might ask, where would we be without harm reduction, and what kind of an effect will anti-harm reduction policies will have an HIV infection rates?

But most Canadians will probably not look at the photo and consider the importance of harm reduction, nor will they consider HIV transmission in a holistic way. They will likely disassociate themselves from this man in the picture, quickly concluding, “HIV is not my problem.” And that is simply not the case.

To understand the meaning of statistics, careful attention must be paid. Sociological and epidemiological data always exists within a context – a context of many complex factors. It’s easy to take a quick gander at stats and get the wrong idea. It’s even easier to take a look at a photograph and make a snap judgement.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

I had a great time at Wednesday night's Positive Prevention training class. I facilitated two presentations, one of which addressed how social media can be used effectively for Positive Prevention work. Social media, or interactive online tools that promote two way communication on the web, such as blogs, facebook, twitter and you-tube, create opportunities for dialogue on subjects that are difficult to discuss. Myths, stigma and misinformation about HIV proliferate on the web, and social media creates a space in which to challenge stigma, clarify misleading information, and guide the otherwise passive interpretation of material.

The evaluation of the HIV stigma campaign concluded that social media can:

Respond directly to misleading information and to explain connections to the HIV stigma-related attitudes and HIV transmission risks. Personal stories both in the blogs and the facilitator videos allowed campaign messages to come alive in a direct way with the facilitators and blog participants essentially serving as role models for sharing and addressing HIV stigma-related challenges.

However, not every social media tool is created equal when it comes to social marketing. The evaluators found that where material was passively absorbed, on spaces such as you-tube, where staff were not actively participating in the dialogue around the messages that were being shared, there was often confusion or misinterpretation around the true meaning of the message. Spaces promoting active conversation and two-way dialogue – on blogs, for example – might provide the very best forum for discussing HIV & AIDS.

Social media can also create opportunities for support – between PHAs, community members, community associations and those affected by HIV, within an environment that provides some anonymity. Particularly in an arena where there is so much stigma, silence, and exclusion, social media provides opportunities to celebrate the voices and the lived experiences of PHAs, recognizing the diversity within these lives but also reducing isolation by recognizing similarities, building agency and promoting community development.

Looking for ways to get involved in Positive Prevention on the web? Here are some great sites to check out:

OutNPoz (Facebook group)

TheBody.com (Blogs)

Poz.com (Blogs)

Positivelite.com (Blogs)

ACG uses social media too! In addition to this blog, you can also follow me on twitter, where I tweet about sexual health and Positive Prevention activities. You can also befriend us on Facebook!

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator

In the June 2010 edition of Science Transitional Medicine there is a study looking at transplanting genetically altered (in a way that can provide protection from HIV) bone marrow cells that will eventually go on to become other cells in the body.

I blogged in Feb of 2009 about the American ex-pat living in Germany whose HIV infection was functionally cured in a similar fashion (the only person known to be functionally cured). That was essentially a `proof of concept` for a gene based therapy to treat HIV. What exactly did these researchers do?

They took 4 PHAs who also had an HIV-related lymphoma (cancer) and were undergoing a bone marrow transplant to cure the cancer. Instead of only putting the usual mix of cells into the transplant they added genetically altered CD34+ cells which have 3 separate anti-HIV "qualities". They found evidence of persistent presence up until 24 months -- meaning the treatment showed evidence of working for up to 2 years. This is a good sign showing that gene therapy is possible in treating HIV (theoretically...it's complicated) and these transplants of progenitor cells with HIV protection which then protects its future offspring.

There were some ethical limitations which limited some really interesting avenues of research, but hopefully as more evidence mounts the ethical restrictions can be removed. From the moment we understood HIV and infection there has been talk of somehow genetically modifying our immune cells to be resistant in some way to HIV --- the best way of doing that is by doing a transplant of "progenitor cells" (sort of like stem cells) which will then pass on the protection. And, in this small and very early stage of research, they seem to have done just that. But this is likely many years away from your local doctor's office --- and may not even work in the end. But it shows great promise and provides more evidence for gene therapy to treat and possibly prevent HIV infection.

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator

Humans have been interacting with retroviruses (HIV is a relatively new example) since before we were human. When retroviruses replicate inside of human immune cells they permanently infect the cells with viral DNA --- they insert the blueprints for viral production into our own DNA.As long as the cell is living the viral DNA is there. As a consequence, humans (and many other species) have records of past infections with retroviruses. If these viruses infect "germ cells" (sperm/eggs) than they are passed on to future generations (us). It has been shown that 8% of our current DNA are retroviral remnants/fossils ---  they are all defective and don't create viral particles because a series of mutations has occurred to silence them. One such family of viruses are the Human Endogenous Retrovirus (HERV).

Researchers have "fixed" some of these silencing mutations (in a test tube) and 'turned on' viral production of HERV-K (or something very close to it). And now, they are able to examine this ancient retrovirus (it circulated approximately 1 million years ago in humans).

Here it is (from PLoS):

Very cool. Now, before you start asking questions about safety and Pandora's box, there is very little to fear from this. If this retrovirus (or one similar to it) circulated in our ancestors it has already made peace with our collective immune system. This is the first time this has been done in humans, but researchers did bring back to life an ancient fish transposon.

The more we learn about retroviruses and human adaptation the better, I say. But let's keep these "new/old" viruses in the test tubes, shall we? Just in case.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

On Thursday, July 22, I'm hosting a workshop on sero-discordant relationships.

"Sero... what?" A sero-discordant relationship is when one partner is HIV positive and the other is negative.  Healthy, satisfying, fulfilling relationships between people of differing sero-statuses are absolutely possible, and this workshop will help promote this reality.  We've got an experienced, funny speaker coming in who is part of the Speaker's Bureau at the People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) to talk about his personal experience in communicating in his sero-discordant relationship of six years. 

Please note - this workshop is not just for people in relationships! It's also for PHAs who are single and are wondering what it's like being in a sero-discordant relationship, or have worries or concerns about getting involved with someone who is negative.  I'm hoping that this workshop will provide strategies to strengthen relationships, but will also help to answer any questions people who are single might have. 

So, if you're single, or if you're in a relationship, if you have questions, or even if you have your own strategies/advice to share, come on out!

The partners of PHAs are absolutely welcome!

And, as always, there will be food!

This workshop will be held in the ACG board room from 6:00 - 7:30pm.  Please contact me for details at 519-763-2255 ext.161.

Tonight will mark the half-way point for the Positive Prevention peer Train-the-Trainer course. The first half of the course is very intense, as we cover a great deal of material in a short period of time. In weeks three and four, we have lectures on Positive Prevention, HIV & AIDS, STIs and Hep C. This information is very important to cover in a peer training course, even for those who have been living with HIV for years.  Why? Well, partly because the research is always delivering new findings, and it's important to keep abreast of the very latest research.  It's impossible to know everything in the medical field and inevitably there is always something new to learn.  So perhaps not surprisingly, tons of questions were raised during the last couple of workshops. So far, though, there hasn't been a question to arise that our educator couldn't answer!

I'd like to thank all the Positive Prevention participants for working so hard in the first half of the course. The second half is more interactive and deals with some very interesting issues, such as communication, workshop facilitation, social media, stigma & discrimination, disclosure, and lots more!

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

First week of the Positive Prevention peer training has begun! I've decided to blog about my experiences with the course, so that anyone who is interested can get a little bit more info about what it's really all about. I'm already really excited because we had a great first session.  We had time to introduce ourselves and we got to know each other better, before going over the objectives of the course, establishing some personal goals and defining some house rules.  In the second half of the course we did a collage exercise. In the collage we cut pictures out of magazines that helped us answer a few questions:

What makes me happy?

What makes me unique?

What is a defining moment in my past?

What are my goals?

What scares me?

What makes me feel grounded?

The collage exercise is a great opportunity when working in a group; it not only provides an avenue for self reflection but also allows the group to get to know each other better beyond your typical small talk. It's also a nice activity to do on your own, to get in touch with what is really important to you. If you're feeling a little lost, this is a nice grounding activity.

I'm really appreciative of all of the participants who were very supportive of one another and were very open and honest. I think this is going to be a great group!

 Below: my collage

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Supportive commercial by McDonalds in France. Love it! I hope more companies follow suit.

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Yesterday was the International Day against Homophobia. Homophobia is a significant obstacle when it comes to HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment. The criminalization of homophobia can prevent LGBTTQQ2S* from accessing services, discussing sexual risk factors with health care providers, getting tested, and receiving support.

Homosexuality is illegal in nearly 80 countries around the world - a shocking statistic. But homophobia is alive and well in Canada, too, even in metropolitan cities like Toronto. In the video below, Ryerson students report being spit on and having a glass bottle thrown at them for drawing awareness to homophobia in a silent protest.

Dr. George Ayala, Executive Officer for The Global Forum on MSM & HIV, explains here why homophobia around the world affects HIV transmission:

Even in countries where homosexuality is not specifically criminalized, experiences of homophobia can drive MSM underground, making them hard to reach with salient prevention programs and information. Homophobic comments by healthcare providers are common and particularly harmful, pushing MSM away from clinics that are often the only source of HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. These factors combined work to disconnect and disenfranchise MSM from the information, services, and support they need to protect themselves from HIV. Tragically, these same homophobic actions that hinder health-seeking behavior also exacerbate risk of HIV transmission – more and more studies indicate that MSM who experience higher levels of social discrimination are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.

Thank you to everyone who supported and/or participated in yesterday's events.

*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited

 By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

Yesterday, CBC posted an article on their website entitled, "Condom use by young gay men may be waning."  In the first sentence, the author states: "HIV-AIDS workers in Winnipeg are concerned that infection rates are rising because young gay men are having unprotected sex, and don't believe they're at risk of contracting the deadly virus."

My response? CBC should be weary about promoting stereotypes that point the finger at young gay men for rising HIV infection rates among the larger population. Although the article presented some valid concerns, blaming “young gay men” for “having unprotected sex” limits the scope in which HIV infections must be understood. Over 30% of Canadians who have HIV are unaware that they have the virus. To fight this problem, we need to encourage people to realize that everyone is at risk for HIV – regardless of gender, sexual orientation or age. While the anecdotal evidence supplied in this article may point to some legitimate problems, CBC should proceed with caution before publishing articles that promote myths, entrench stigma, and lead other people at risk – including women and straight men – to remain untested. Blaming gay men for rising infection rates perpetuates the myth that HIV is a “gay disease” and, furthermore, ignores the active participation of gay men in fighting HIV stigma and promoting safer sex. Publicizing statistics in the field of HIV is risky business. Statistics that are read in isolation can do more harm than good, reinforcing existing myths and stigma, problems that are at the root of HIV infections.

 By Gary Roche, Community Support Worker 

Just two short years ago who would of thought that a unique type of fundraising known as “A Taste For Life" would be embraced by the people and business community of Guelph! As you might be aware, the community of Guelph was awarded the honour as the most caring community in Canada and their actions in supporting this event tell me why. As the event organizer from the beginning, I have to be honest and say I had no idea what I was doing! With the encouragement of the folks in Ottawa where the event debuted, and the great support from my friend Michelle, who organizes an amazing event in London, I jumped in head first!

My first year was overwhelming as now I had websites, media, and advertising to think of, besides getting the restaurants on board. Lucky for me, my co-worker Kim, a graphics whiz and computer master helped with the print materials and my “gift of the gab” helped as I approached restaurants for their support. The first year of “Taste” was ready to go, and with a very limited budget, and support from our local media, we were off an running! Three great restaurants tookpart. We had a great result and a lot of support of friends, family, and community partners. All of the restaurants involved came on board for another year!

For 2010, we set higher goals: double the restaurants, recruit volunteers, and obtain corporate sponsorships, to name a few. With the success of year one behind me and my energy level in high gear, I needed to convince the Guelph community that “Helping out was never so EASY or Tasted So Good”. Well, here we are, nearly one week after the event! The results? Eight restaurants participated! Donations alone surpassed the total amount raised last year! The revenue generated by the restaurants have yet to be tallied, but it's clear that the event was a huge success. The people of Guelph came through once again! So what’s next? Just one word:

THANKS!

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator and Tom Hammond, Executive Director

The Candian HIV/AIDS Legal Network has released a press release welcoming the recent announcement that the Crown Prosecution in Hamilton has decided not to charge Justus Zela with aggravated sexual assault. Zela was charged in February 2009 after an ex-partner alleged they had oral sex without disclosing that he had HIV. The ex-partner has not tested HIV positive.

According to the claim, oral sex had taken place a few times --- and mostly with Mr. Zela performing the act. Oral sex is a low risk activity for HIV transmission --- and that risk is for the performer of the act, not the receiver. There has never been a documented case of a person living with HIV transmitting their infection by performing oral sex on someone. The low risk for HIV acquisition is for the performer. To be clear, HIV infections have transmitted via oral sex, but compared to unprotected vaginal or anal sex, or sharing needles, the risk in the case of oral sex is quite low.

The Supreme Court decided in 1998 (R.v.Currier) that a person living with HIV must disclose their status to sexual and drug using partners IF they put their partners at "significant risk of serious bodily harm". Unfortunately, they declined to define their terms clearly. While 'serious bodily harm' obviously refers to HIV infection, 'significant risk' was never defined. We know that it most likely refers to high risk activities only (unprotected anal/vaginal sex, sharing needles) and not low risk activities (oral sex), but since they weren't clear in their ruling, it is up to Crown Prosecutors to decide whether to charge someone (and this leaves it open for abuse). And, HIV doesn't actually have to transmit to another person for the criminal code to be usedtwork --- attempted aggravated sexual assault carries significant jail time.

The press release also argues the need for guidelines for Crown Prosecutors in these situations so that the law is applied equally.

From the press release:

"We’re pleased with the Crown’s announcement this morning, but it must go further.  This case should never have proceeded in the first place, and the charges should be withdrawn entirely,” said Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.  “There was never any solid basis for significant risk of transmission.  It’s a misguided overreaction to lay and pursue some of the most serious charges in the Criminal Code when no harm has occurred and the risk of HIV transmission was miniscule at most.”

...

“This case is yet another example of why the Attorney General of the province should work with community groups to develop some clear guidelines for prosecutors and police about when criminal charges are, and are not, warranted,” said Elliott.  “Guidelines should be informed by the evidence about actual risks of transmission.  They should also consider the damage that misusing the criminal law does to individual lives, and how it undermines public health, including HIV prevention efforts, through contributing to misinformation, fear and stigma.”

...

Over the past decade, there has been an alarming increase in both the frequency and severity of charges against individuals with HIV for not disclosing their status to a sexual partner.  Prosecutors have pursued serious assault charges even in circumstances where the risk of HIV transmission, already statistically small in any single sexual encounter, has been lowered further by the responsible practise of safer sex.  In light of this “criminalization creep,” it is all the more urgent to address legitimate questions about where, as a matter of public policy, we should draw the lines.

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

 It's Day Three of National Volunteer Week!

I'd like to say a big "thank you" to all of our volunteers, and give special thanks to all of the volunteers who participated in my Positive Prevention training. Your commitment and dedication is truly inspiring.

One of the things that jumped out at me while running the training was how, no matter what kind of backgrounds or life-experiences we have, we all have something special to share. We can support each other in unique ways because of the different things that we have been through.  We all have a unique voice, and that voice can help to contribute to a beautiful tapestry of peer support.

Thank you, volunteers!

Enjoy this great video by Volunteer Canada!

By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

The sun is shining, the trees are budding, and spring is finally here. Along with this beautiful weather comes the spring/summer session of Positive Prevention Peer Training!  Mark your calendars, because this exciting opportunity begins in just six weeks!

The winter session of the Positive Prevention Train-the-Trainer course was a huge success. This course is open to anyone who is living with HIV and AIDS.  Participants were able to enjoy 8 weeks of good friends, good food, and great opportunities to learn and build new skills.  We had 10 participants complete the winter session, who were rewarded with a financial honorarium along with other fun prizes, like movie tickets.

The goal of Positive Prevention? To empower individuals, promote healthy relationships with sexual partners and improve conditions, to strengthen the sexual health and well-being of HIV positive individuals and reduce the possibility of new HV infections and other sexually transmitted infections. This course allows you to gain the skills necessary to make a difference in your community and to improve the quality of your own health and relationships as well.

The new spring/summer session boasts some new features, including a workshop on how to exercise personal boundaries with peers as well as how to use social media (such as blogs and twitter) for Positive Prevention efforts.  This "new and improved" series has incorporated valuable feedback from past participants, so it's a perfect time to get involved.

Have questions about what the Positive Prevention Training is all about? Come to our information night on May 5, from 5:30 - 6:30pm in the ACG office.  Or call me at 519-763-2255 ext 161 or send me an email at positiveprevention@aidsguelph.org. You can also learn more about Positive Prevention on our website.

Stay tuned for more information about Positive Prevention and the fun activities I'm lining up!

by B.J. Caldwell, Educator

The Toronto Star had a report in the paper (Mar. 16, 2010) about Pediatric AIDS Canada (PAC) and the federal government's aim to revoke their charitable status. There have been numerous complaints by other HIV- and AIDS- related charities concerning PAC and their aggressive and misleading telemarketing strategies (including two from the Ontario AIDS Network--- one in 1995 and one in 2005).

The Ontario AIDS Network and the Canadian AIDS Society have been, and continue to, keep an eye on the story. They have warned ASOs and the public to call Phone Busters if they get very aggressive telemarketing calls from HIV- and AIDS- related charities. We also encourage you to find out ---before donating to anyone--- the amount of your donation that goes to overhead, as opposed to the amount that goes directly to programs.

Just to let you all know, we here at the AIDS Committee of Guelph, do not rely on aggressive fundraising tactics to secure community support, and we are a member in good standing with the Ontario AIDS Network and the Canadian AIDS Society. And, we are in no way affiliated with Pediatric AIDS Canada. If you would like to explore ways to donate to the AIDS Committee of Guelph....check out the "How to Help" link on the menu (to your left!).

And, how about a HUGE thumbs down for fake or unethical "charities" taking advantage of people who want to help.

A  pamphlet released to coincide with this past World AIDS Dayhighlights why criminalization is bad for women and girls, despite policymakers believing they are enacting new HIV-specific laws in order to protect them.

It then details the ten reasons (for more detail about each of the reasons, download the pdf below):

1.Women will be deterred from accessing HIV prevention, treatment, and care services, including HIV testing

2. Women are more likely to be blamed for HIV transmission

3. Women will be at greater risk of HIV-related violence and abuse

4. Criminalization of HIV exposure or transmission does not protect women from coercion or violence

5. Women’s rights to make informed sexual and reproductive choices will be further compromised

6. Women are more likely to be prosecuted

7. Some women might be prosecuted for mother-to-child transmission

8. Women will be more vulnerable to HIV transmission

9. The most ‘vulnerable and marginalized’ women will be most affected

10. Human rights responses to HIV are most effective.

10 Reasons Why Criminalization of HIV Exposure or Transmission Harms Women (pdf download) was drafted by Dr. Johanna Kehler of the AIDS Legal Network, Michaela Clayton of the AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, and Tyler Crone of the ATHENA Network.

An excellent posting about the relationship between the blogger and his HIV doctor. He discusses his realization that his doctor is more like his 'wingman' (in the Air Force sense, not in the helping-a-friend-get-lucky meaning!). Definitely worth a read!

According to AFP:

An AIDS activist in Uzbekistan has been sentenced to seven years in prison for writing a brochure that authorities said would promote antisocial behaviour, activists said Thursday.

Maxim Popov was convicted last September, his colleagues told AFP, but his case only came to light this week after US-based watchdog Human Rights Watch asked local activists to investigate his situation.

"Maxim Popov was convicted for writing a brochure which was funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and UNICEF as an effort by international donor organisations to raise awareness about the disease in the country," said an AIDS activist who worked with Popov.

Prosecutors argued that the brochure, which called for the use of condoms during sex and sterile needles when injecting drugs, was promoting immoral behaviour, the activist said.

Crossposted to Qlinks.ca Blog:

Edge Magazine in Boston was the first to break the story of 60 Canadians living with HIV who were planning to attend the North American Housing and HIV/AIDS Research Summit in Washington D.C. who were denied entry into the U.S. The U.S. Congress has repealed the law that bans HIV positive travelers to the U.S. however, the repeal has not been translated into policy implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The article can be found here.

For more information about the travel ban to the U.S. check out this past week's Xtra for an article (that went to print before the 60 people were barred from entry) 

The U.S. remains one of a few countries that still bar any HIV+ people from entering the country. Other countries in line with the U.S. policy include: Armenia, Brunei, China (which has since been removed), Iraq, Quatar, South Korea, Libya, Moldava, Oman, The Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia & Sudan.

Former US President GW Bush passed legislation to change this ban, but the government agency responsible has not yet changed its policies.

Dr. Luc Montagnier (L) (formerly of the Pasteur Institute, France) and Dr. Robert C. Gallo (R) (formerly of the National Cancer Institute, U.S) just published a joint article on huffingtonpost.com as a call to action. Dr. Gallo and his team created and pioneered the field of retrovirology (HIV is a retrovirus) and along with the Dr. Montagnier and his team at the Pasteur Institute share the honour of having discovered the viral cause of AIDS : HIV.

An excerpt of the call to action (full article can be found here):

Today we call on international organizations and governments to immediately implement six objectives to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We made this announcement today and were joined by Jeff Crowley, Director, White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

Globally, many are acting as though HIV and AIDS are no longer the threat they were 25 years ago when the HIV virus was first discovered. However, in fact they remain an unparalleled global health threat, and despite progress in treatment, could worsen unless determined action is taken. We believe these recommendations are key to reducing and ultimately minimizing the devastation of HIV and AIDS.

Our Global Call to Action is as follows:

1. Invest in medical infrastructure and educational outreach programs in U.S. communities most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic

2. Promote global development of HIV/AIDS treatment and control programs along with regional research institutions in developing countries

3. Cultivate and inspire young scientists in the field of human virology

4. Enhance HIV/AIDS education and prevention, especially in countries with high infection rates

5. Support cutting-edge vaccine research and the development of new effective therapies

6. Continue the focus on preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission

Here we are, 25 years after discovering the cause of AIDS and we still have a major, public health HIV/AIDS crisis. Never in the history of mankind have we so quickly identified the cause of an epidemic, developed a test for it and begun to develop drug therapy, changing a once-deadly virus to a lifelong condition with proper medical intervention. It is important for governments and organizations from around the world to come together and combat this collective HIV/AIDS emergency.

A pilot program that was cut by Stephen Harper's conservative government was found to reduce the rate of HIV, increase awareness of blood-borne infections (HIV, HepC, HepB), increased employment for prisoners, and resulted in the safer disposal of used sharps. Of course, in the light of this new report from Corrections Service Canada (not known for their embrace of harm reduction programs) the Conservative government has seen the error in its ways, right? Nope.  The Sudbury Star online has an article on the issue which includes this repsonse from the Conservatives:

 A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan said the federal government has no plan to reverse its decision and resurrect the program.

 It is often not on radar of many Canadians, but the rights (including human rights) of those incarcerated in Canadian prisons are not always respected. While some rights of those encacerated are restricted as part of their punishment, a prison sentence does not restrict or remove all of their rights, nor should it. Their right to the same level of healthcare is one that is not restricted. Yet, this is still a major issue voiced by those living with HIV or Hep C while incarcerated, as well as prisoners with drug addiciton seeking treatment while incacerated. There are many other examples.

Prisoners currently do not have access to clean syringes to prevent the spread of HIV and Hep C Despite Needle Exchange Program (NEPs) being available in many other countries. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, a world-renowned organization that consults with governments and groups around the world, has the following on their website:

In many countries, including Canada, rates of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) infection among prisoners are significantly higher than those found in the general population.

Despite the evidence and informed opinion supporting harm reduction measures in prisons to reduce the spread of HIV and HCV in prisons, authorities in most jurisdictions have failed to take decisive action. The failure to provide access to essential prevention, care and treatment is a violation of prisoners' right to health as established by international law.

Some countries have implemented programs — peer education, condom distribution, opioid substitution therapy and needle exchange, for example — to reduce behaviours with a high risk of transmitting HIV or HCV. Similar programs are used in the community at large to prevent the spread of these viruses.

But in other countries, the lack of prison needle exchange programs, unprotected sexual intercourse and sexual violence are all factors driving the worsening HIV epidemic in prisons. Higher infection rates ultimately result in greater health-care costs. And, since most prisoners are eventually released back into the community, the public health implications of imprisoning non-violent people who use drugs cannot and should not be ignored.

Both in Canada and internationally, we promote the human rights of prisoners to have access to HIV prevention, treatment and support services equivalent to those available to in the community.

Another group working locally to provide advocacy, education, and support for those living with HIV and Hep C in prison is PASAN. Their website should be checked out to learn more about the issue, as should Prisoner Justice in Canada.

It is important to remember that human rights abuses occur around the world, and at home here in Canada. When we view people has 'other', as 'less than', it is easy to not think about the rights of others, or to rationalize the abuse as just part of the punishment. This is not acceptable. If we truly are concerned about public health and basic human rights, we absolutely must be concerned with how people are treated while incacerated, and who exactly we are incacerating.

Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban Presiden Raúl Castro, launched a wide-reaching antihomophobia campaign targetting "agents of change". From Huffington Post:

The 2009 campaign for respect for freedom of sexual orientation, under the slogan "Diversity is Natural", will try to contribute to "the education of society in general, with an emphasis on university students, about respect for people's free and responsible sexual orientation and gender identity, as an exercise in equity and social justice." In an interview with IPS, the head of CENESEX  [The National Centre for Sex Education] and daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro said the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) will be celebrated in Havana this year on May 16 and will be devoted to young people, and also to families, so that "parents may better understand" their homosexual or transsexual children.

Another intereseting section of the article:

She added that a date has still not been set for the Cuban parliament to debate a draft law to reform the Family Code, in force since 1975. The reform bill includes proposals on gender identity and the rights of sexual minorities.

"The work that we are doing will help to ease the prejudices behind these processes," she said.

Castro also said that the Catholic Church had communicated its negative views on the proposed reforms to the authorities. "There have been conversations. They were concerned about homosexual marriage, and were told that this is not being proposed," nor the adoption of children by homosexual couples, she said.

The reform bill would allow legal recognition of same-sex unions, and grant them the same rights as civil unions between heterosexual couples.

As for sex change operations for transsexual persons, approved in June 2008 by a Health Ministry resolution, which is another matter of concern to the Catholic Church and other religious denominations, Castro indicated that the decision remains in force.

Resolution 126 signed by Health Minister José Ramón Balaguer established a facility for comprehensive health care for transsexual persons as the only institution in the country authorised to carry out total or partial sex change operations.

Researchers have for the first time captured on video the transfer of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from infected to uninfected T cells through structures called virological synapses. The breakthrough study could lead to new methods to block the transmission of HIV, and shows that cell-to-cell may be the predominant mode of HIV transmission in the body. Prior studies have mostly focused on free roaming viruses in the body.

The provincial budget was announced yesterday. Here are some key measures as they relate to AIDS Service Organizations and to some of the people they serve.

Here is the Ontario AIDS Networks official response to the budget.

For more complete budget coverage, check out the Globe and Mail's Budget 2009 page.

A new study by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the US has shown that circumcision may reduce the chance of certain infections later in life.

In a study of more than 5,000 uncircumcised adult Ugandan males, researchers found that after circumcision, the rates of infection with the virus that causes herpes went down by 28 percent, and the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) -- the virus that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts -- was reduced by 35 percent.

In a previous study, the same researchers found that circumcision reduced infection with the HIV virus by 60 percent. Two other research groups -- one working in Kenya and the other in South Africa -- have also had similar findings. [The 60% reduction figure is valid in countries with a predominantly heterosexual epidemic that is generalized/endemic. In countries with much smaller numbers of people living with HIV, it is impossible to assess the effectiveness--Ed]

It looks like the issue of circumcision is going to continue to surface for the foreseable future.

Nominations for the most prominent prizes in LGBT books were announced last night and are comprised of 105 finalists from 72 publishers. The awards ceremony is in New York on May 28th.

And the nominees are:

GAY FICTION

    * Stray Dog Winter, David Francis, Macadam/Cage Publishing
    * The Torturer's Wife, Thomas Glave, City Light Publishers
    * We Disappear, Scott Heim, HarperCollins
    * The Conversion, Joseph Olshan, St. Martin’s Press
    * The Boomerang Kid, Jay Quinn, Alyson

LESBIAN FICTION

    * The Slow Fix, Ivan E. Coyole, Arsenal Pulp Press
    * The Sealed Letter, Emma Donoghue, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
    * Map of Ireland, Stephanie Grant, Scribner
    * All the Pretty Girls, Chandra Mayor, Conundrum Press
    * Breaking Spirit Bridge, Ruth Perkinson, Spinsters Ink

LGBT NONFICTION

    * Me as Her Again, Nancy Agabian, Aunt Lute Books
    * If I Could Write This in Fire, Michelle Cliff, Univ of Minnesota Press
    * Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws in America 1861-2003, William N. Eskridge Jr, Penguin Group
    * Beyond (Straight & Gay) Marriage, Nancy Polikoff, Beacon Press
    * Loving The Difficult, Jane Rule, Hedgerow Press
    * Drifting Toward Love, Kai Wright, Beacon Press

GAY DEBUT FICTION

    * Shuck, Daniel Allen Cox, Arsenal Pulp Press
    * Light Fell, Evan Fallenberg, Soho Press
    * The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie The Second, Drew Ferguson, Kensington
    * The Steve Machine, Mike Hoolboom, Coach House Books
    * Finlater, Shawn Ruff, Quote Editions

GAY POETRY

    * Want, Rick Barot, Sarabande Press
    * Please, Jericho Brown, New Issues
    * Fire to Fire, Mark Doty, HarperCollins
    * Now You're the Enemy, James Allen Hall, Univ. of Arkansas Press
    * My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer, Jack Spicer, edited by Peter Gizzi & Kevin Killian, Wesleyan University Press

BISEXUAL

    * Open, Jenny Block, Seal Press
    * Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love & Desire,
      Lisa M. Diamond, Harvard University Press
    * The Bishop's Daughter, Honor Moore, W.W. Norton
    * Kinsey Zero Through Sixty: Bisexual Perspectives on Kinsey, Ron Jackson Suresha, Taylor & Francis Journals
    * Rimbaud, Edmund White, Atlas & Company

TRANSGENDER

    * 10,000 Dresses, Marcus Ewert & Rex Ray, Seven Stories Press
    * Intersex (For Lack of a Better Word), Thea Hillman, Manic D Press
    * Two Truths and a Lie, Scott Schofield, Homofactus Press
    * Boy with Flowers, Ely Shipley, Barrow Street Press
    * Transgender History, Susan Stryker, Seal Press

LGBT ANTHOLOGIES

    * A Casulty of War: Gay Short Fiction, Peter Burton, Arcadia Books
    * Live Through This, edited by Sabrina Chapadjiev, Seven Stories Press
    * Love, West Hollywood, edited by Chris Freeman and James J. Berg, Alyson
    * Our Caribbean, edited by Thomas Glave, Duke University Press
    * Big Trips: More Good Gay Travel Writing, edited by Raphael Kadushin, University of Wisconsin Press

LGBT CHILDRENS/YOUNG ADULT

    * Hit the Road, Manny: A Manny Files Novel, Christian Burch, Simon and Schuster
    * Out of the Pocket, Bill Konigsberg, Dutton
    * How They Met & Other Stories, David Levithan, Knopf Children's Books
    * Mousetraps, Pat Schmetz, Carolrhoda Books
    * What They Always Tell Us, Martin Wilson, Random House Children's Books
    * Love & Lies: Marisol's Story, Ellen Wittlinger, Simon and Schuster

LGBT DRAMA

    * Phi Alpha Gamma, Dan Bernitt, Sawyer House
    * Radical Acts: Collected Political Plays, Martin Duberman, The New Press
    * The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Carolyn Gage, Outskirts Press
    * Two Truths and a Lie, Scott Schofield, Homofactus Press
    * Vile Affections, Vanda, Original Works Publishing

LGBT SCI-FI/FANTASY/HORROR

    * The Archer's Heart, Astrid Amara, Blind Eye Books
    * The Magician and the Fool, Barth Anderson, Bantam Del Rey
    * Wilde Stories 2008, Steve Berman, Lethe Press
    * Sea, Swallow Me and Other Stories, Craig Gidney, Lethe Press
    * Turnskin, Nicole Kimberling, Blind Eye Books

LGBT STUDIES

    * Tomboys: A Literary & Cultural History, Michelle Ann Abate, Temple University Press
    * The Dividends of Dissent: How Conflict and Culture Work in Lesbian and Gay Marches on Washington, Amin Ghaziani, The University of Chicago Press
    * Criminal Intimacy: Prison and the Uneven History of Modern American Sexuality, Regina Kunzel, The University of Chicago Press
    * Political Manhood: Red Bloods, Mollycoddles, & & the Politics of Progressive Reform, Kevin P. Murphy, Columbia University Press
    * Screening Sex, Linda Williams, Duke University Press

LESBIAN DEBUT FICTION

    * Red Audrey & the Roping, Jill Malone, Bywater Books
    * Passing for Black, Linda Villarosa, Kensington
    * Closer to Fine, Meri Weiss, Kensington
    * Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind, Chavisa Woods, Fly by Night Press
    * The Bruise, Magdalena Zurawski, Fiction Collective Two/University of Alabama Press

LESBIAN EROTICA

    * Lipstick on Her Collar, Sacchi Green and Rakelle Valencia, Pretty Things Press
    * Periphery: Erotic Lesbian Futures, Lynne Jamneck, Lethe Press
    * In Deep Waters 2: Cruising the Strip, Radclyffe and Karen Kallmaker, Bold Strokes Books

LESBIAN MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY

    * Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy, Susan Griffin,
      Shambhala Publications
    * Intersex (For Lack of a Better Word), Thea Hillman, Manic D Press
    * Sex Variant Woman, Joanne Passet, Da Capo
    * Sex Talks to Girls: A Memoir, Maureen Seaton, University of Arkansas Press
    * Case of a Lifetime, Abbe Smith, Palgrave Macmillan

LESBIAN MYSTERY

    * Blind Faith, Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Bold Strokes Books
    * Whacked, Josie Gordon, Bella Books
    * Sweet Poison, Ellen Hart, St. Martin's Press
    * Losers Weepers, Jessica Thomas, Bella Books
    * Calling the Dead, Ali Vali, Bold Strokes Books

LESBIAN POETRY

    * Interpretive Work, Elizabeth Bradfield, Arktoi / Red Hen Press
    * Kissing Dead Girls, Daphne Gottlieb, Soft Skull Press
    * love belongs to those who do the feeling, Judy Grahn, Red Hen Press
    * Same Life, Maureen N. McLane, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
    * Two Minutes of Light, Nancy K. Pearson, Perugia Press

LESBIAN ROMANCE

    * Finding Home, Georgia Beers, Bold Stroked Books
    * A Pirate's Heart, Catherine Friend, Bold Strokes Books
    * The Kiss That Counted, Karin Kallmaker, Bella Books
    * Hotel Liaison, JLee Meyer, Bold Strokes Books
    * The Lonely Hearts Club, Radclyffe, Bold Strokes Books

GAY EROTICA

    * Best Gay Erotica 2009, Richard Labonte & James Lear, Cleis Press
    * The Secret Tunnel, James Lear, Cleis Press
    * Hard Working Men, William Maltese, Victor J. Banis, Jardonn Smith, & J.P. Bowie, MLR Press

GAY MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY

    * Bringing Him Home, Aaron Cooper, Late August Press
    * Swish, Joel Derfner, Broadway Books
    * Assisted Loving, Bob Morris, HarperCollins
    * Edward Carpenter:  A Life of Liberty and Love, Sheila Rowbotham, Verso Books
    * King of Shadows, Aaron Shurin, City Lights Publishers

GAY MYSTERY

    * The Fisher Boy, Stephen Anable, Poisoned Pen Press
    * Sundowner Ubuntu, Anthony Bidulka, Insomniac Press
    * Mahu Fire, Neil Plakcy, Alyson Books
    * First You Fall, Scott Sherman, Alyson Books
    * Spider Season, John Morgan Wilson, St. Martin's Press

GAY ROMANCE

    * Mexican Heat, Laura Baumbach & Josh Lanyon, MLR Press
    * Got 'til it's Gone, Larry Duplechan, Arsenal Pulp Press
    * The Protector, N.L. Gassert, Seventh Window Publications