Addressing the HIV Epidemic among Gay and Bisexual Men

 I had the chance to personally meet Dr. Kevin Fenton, the director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) last month at the 2011 National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, GA. Dr Fenton discussed in various sessions over the four day conference the US Government's stance on the on going crisis among  gay and bisexual men, particularly those of color. I left the conference with a clearer view of how I can make a difference in my nation, can the various communities in which I consider myself to be a part of. I returned home to Dallas with both a different perspective on just how this epidemic is spreading, and what I can do to join the fight.

Being someone that's been into the fine art of communications all of my life, I decided I would take the things I love to do, polish them for the good, and make my talents more useful in my communities. I give credit where it is due, and I will say the Obama administration has done a fabulous job in enhancing National Communications across the board. I make daily visits to both the White House's website, and the CDC's sites for work reference purposes, and for educational resources as well. Below you will find a link to a article from Dr. Fenton released on yesterday the Fourth National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

http://twitter.com/CDC_DrFenton
Addressing the HIV Epidemic among Gay and Bisexual Men

CDC awards $55 million for HIV prevention among gay, bisexual and transgender youth of color

Three Texas Agencies Receive Federal Funding For HIV\AIDS Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention announced today — National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — that is is awarding $55 million over five years to 34 community-based organizations, including Abounding Prosperity in  Dallas, TX, and Legacy Community Health Services, Houston Area Community Services, Inc. both in Houston, TX.

The grants amount to approximately $300,000 per organization each year and will be used to expand HIV prevention services for young gay and bisexual men of color, transgender youth of color, and their partners.

“On this National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we are reminded of the urgency of the HIV epidemic in the United States and the dramatic impact among gay and bisexual men, who account for more than 60 percent of new infections,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, in a statement.

“We must also recognize that the epidemic cannot be overcome without effectively addressing the severe and rising toll of HIV infections among gay and bisexual men of color, who continue to be hardest hit by this disease.”

According to CDC estimates released in August, between 2006 and 2009, the annual number of new HIV infections increased 48 percent among young black men who have sex with men.

Among Latinos, gay and bisexual men account for nearly two-thirds of all new infections with nearly half of these infections among Latino men who have sex with men occurring in the 13-29 age group. It's also estimated that 28 percent of transgender people are HIV-infected, according to the CDC.

"The new CDC awards are designed to enable CBOs with strong links to these populations to meet their specific HIV prevention needs. As part of these awards, each organization will be required to provide specific prevention services. These include providing HIV testing to a total of more than 90,000 young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color, with a goal of identifying more than 3,500 previously unrecognized HIV infections (over the five-year funding period) — and linking those who are HIV-infected to care and prevention services," states a press release from the CDC.

"CBOs will also carry out proven behavioral change HIV prevention programs and distribute condoms to young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color who are at high risk for HIV or are HIV-infected."

The CDC funding is spread out over 19 states and Puerto Rico. The CDC states that 30 organizations are receiving funding for efforts to reach young gay and bisexual men of color, six organizations are receiving funding to reach transgender youth of color and two organizations are being funded to reach both groups of people.

"Geographic distribution of the awards is aligned with the AIDS burden among men who have sex men of color in the United States. For example, 44 percent of the funds will go to CBOs in the South, where 42 percent of AIDS diagnoses among MSM of color occurred in 2008," the CDC press release states.

"The new awards are one part of CDC’s efforts to reduce HIV infections among young MSM and transgender youth of color and supports President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy which calls for prioritizing prevention efforts for the most-affected populations," the CDC states.

Copyright 2011 Terrance O. Gilbert All Rights Reserved ©

Official Press Release

CDC awards $55 million for HIV prevention among gay, bisexual and transgender youth of color

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today awarded $55 million over five years to 34 community-based organizations (CBOs) to expand HIV prevention services for young gay and bisexual men of color, transgender youth of color, and their partners. The awards expand upon a previous program to reach these populations with an increase of $10 million to fund a larger number of community organizations. The average award for each organization is approximately $300,000 per year.

“On this National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we are reminded of the urgency of the HIV epidemic in the United States and the dramatic impact among gay and bisexual men, who account for more than 60 percent of new infections,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “We must also recognize that the epidemic cannot be overcome without effectively addressing the severe and rising toll of HIV infections among gay and bisexual men of color, who continue to be hardest hit by this disease.”

Recent data show that young men who have sex with men (MSM) of color are at particularly high and increasing risk of HIV infection. According to CDC estimates released in August, between 2006 and 2009, the annual number of new HIV infections increased 48 percent among young black MSM. Among Latinos, men who have sex with men are by far the most severely impacted, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all new infections. Nearly half of these infections among Latino MSM occurred in the youngest age group (aged 13-29). Transgender people are also severely affected by HIV. It is estimated that 28 percent of transgender people are HIV-infected.

The new CDC awards are designed to enable CBOs with strong links to these populations to meet their specific HIV prevention needs. As part of these awards, each organization will be required to provide specific prevention services. These include providing HIV testing to a total of more than 90,000 young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color, with a goal of identifying more than 3,500 previously unrecognized HIV infections (over the five-year funding period) – and linking those who are HIV-infected to care and prevention services. CBOs will also carry out proven behavioral change HIV prevention programs and distribute condoms to young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color who are at high risk for HIV or are HIV-infected.

The 34 funded CBOs represent 19 states and Puerto Rico. Thirty organizations will receive funding for efforts reaching young gay and bisexual men of color, and six will receive funding for efforts reaching transgender youth of color (two organizations are funded to reach both populations). A complete list of organizations receiving funding is provided below.

Geographic distribution of the awards is aligned with the AIDS burden among MSM of color in the United States. For example, 44 percent of the funds will go to CBOs in the South, where 42 percent of AIDS diagnoses among MSM of color occurred in 2008.

The new awards are one part of CDC’s efforts to reduce HIV infections among young MSM and transgender youth of color and supports President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy which calls for prioritizing prevention efforts for the most-affected populations.

CDC also works to develop tailored prevention programs designed to change HIV risk behaviors, empower individuals to protect themselves from infection, increase diagnoses of HIV, and support HIV prevention and treatment services. CDC supports the implementation of these programs with technical assistance and funding for health departments and CBOs. In addition, later this year, CDC will roll-out a new phase of its HIV testing campaign for black gay and bisexual men with intensive local campaigns in select cities, accompanied by national internet advertising and social media outreach. The campaign, called Testing Makes Us Stronger, is a part of CDC’s five-year, multi-faceted national communication campaign, Act Against AIDS.

For more information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv.

***

Organizations Funded Under CDC's New Awards:

• Abounding Prosperity, Dallas
• AID Atlanta Inc.
• AIDS Alabama, Birmingham
• AIDS Project of the East Bay, Oakland, Calif.
• AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan, New York City
• AltaMed Health Services Corporation, Los Angeles
• Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, New York City
• Bronx AIDS Services, New York City
• Brooklyn AIDS Task Force, New York City
• CANDII, Inc., Norfolk, Va.
• Care Resource, Miami
• Center of Halsted (Horizon Community Services), Chicago
• Columbus AIDS Task Force, Columbus, Ohio
• Community Health Awareness Group, Detroit
• Community Health Project, New York City
• Diverse and Resilient, Inc., Milwaukee
• Family Health Centers of San Diego, Inc.
• Foundation for Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, New York City
• Houston Area Community Services, Inc.
• Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, New Brunswick, N.J.
• Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Kansas City, Mo.
• La Clinica De La Raza, Inc., Oakland, Calif.
• La Clinica Del Pueblo, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Los Angeles
• Legacy Community Health Services, Houston
• Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center, Chicago
• My Brother’s Keeper Inc., Ridgeland, Miss.
• New Orleans AIDS Taskforce
• Philadelphia Fight
• Positive Impact, Inc., Atlanta
• Puerto Rico CoNCRA, San Juan
• South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council, Columbia
• Us Helping US, People Into Living, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Women Accepting Responsibility, Baltimore

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC to Launch New Campaign Targeting Young Black Gay/Bi Men This Week

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a conference Aug. 15-16 in Atlanta. The conference included new research on HIV’s impact on men who have sex with men in the black community. I was privileged to be among a small group of individuals who got a chance to preview a new campaign aimed at increasing HIV testing and awareness since the CDC estimates that a very high percentage of MSM are unaware of their HIV status.

The “Testing Makes Us Stronger” campaign is part of a $45 million, five-year initiative launched by the White House in 2009. On Aug. 3, the CDC released its new estimates of the annual number of new HIV infections in the U.S. from 2006 through 2009. While the CDC says there is “relative stability” at around 50,000, they also show the continued disproportionate impact on black gays and bisexuals.

“The most concerning aspect of the new estimates is the finding that new HIV infections among young black MSM increased by an alarming 48 percent during the four-year period 2006 to 2009. And this group, young black men who have sex with men, age 13 to 29 years, was the only group in the United States to experience significant increases during that time,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, the CDC director for HIV/AIDS and STD prevention, on an Aug. 15 conference call with reporters and public health professionals. “These new analyses underscore the urgency of reaching young black men who have sex with men with HIV prevention. We cannot allow the health of a new generation of young, black gay and bisexual men to be lost to essentially preventable diseases.”

CDC Medical Epidemiologist Dr. John Su followed up, explaining results from the first national assessment of HIV co-infection with syphilis, of whom black men and MSM are disproportionately impacted.

“We observe significant disparities by sex partner, race, ethnicity and age,” Su said. “Fifty-three percent of MSM were co-infected with HIV, compared to 9 percent of men having sex with women only, and five percent of women. The percentage of black MSM who are co-infected was higher than MSM of other races or ethnicities, 59 percent of black MSM compared to 50 percent of white MSM and 49 percent of Hispanic MSM. Among 15 to 19-year-old MSM, the significantly greater percentage of black MSM were co-infected with HIV than MSM of other races or ethnicities, 35 percent compared to 22 percent of white MSM or 11 percent of Hispanic MSM in the same age group.”

Additionally, “we observed a 167 percent increase in cases of primary and secondary syphilis among 20 to 24-year-old black MSM.”

Below here are a few photos I snapped at the reception the was held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis last month. A lot of  hard work and research was put into developing a diverse yet culturally affirming, and sensitive campaign. About a dozen public health, community activist, and government employees worked countless hours to ensure this campaign had a lasting, clear and consistant message to young black MSM's. 

Special thanks to a few people including the Communications team at the CDC in Atlanta, my buddy Venton Jones from the National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC) in Washington DC, my new mentor, and buddy Mr. Duane Cramer  of Duane Cramer Photography, the team from Better World Advertising . This is a wonderful campaign our community can embrace and be very proud of for years to come! 

Members of the expert panel, creative team, photographer 

Myself and Mr. Duane Cramer

Mr. Duane Cramer, Mr. Les Pappas (Better World Advertising), Dr. Kevin Fenton

Myself,  Dr. Kevin Fenton (CDC), and Mr. Venton Jones (NBMAC)

The Social Affair III

Join myself, and many others next weekend for the third installment of the Social Affair, the official Tweet & Greet of Dallas! This year the guest list stretches from coast to coast with some of the most followed names locally and nationally! I'd like to send a special shout out to @Ubellument United Black Ellument, who is sponsoring this event for the community free of charge! It gets my sTamp of approval for a musT aTTend evenT during Dallas's annual PVAMU vs Grambling and Black Pride Weekend!

It's that time again DALLAS!

I am so glad to be on the marketing committee this year for DFW Pride Movement! The committee has been hard at work planning a great weekend of events! Enjoy!