World AIDS Day

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Working toward an HIV Free generation!

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Hello from the Deep South! You get a big ole Southern “bless yore heart” for even opening a blog with HIV or AIDS in the title, so way to go my friend!

I’m a little giddy seeing that over 4,000 of you have taken a moment to read a few words from my blog about those of us in the fight down here in the deep-fried fields of Sweet Home Alabama!

Sorta been a busy few weeks for me, how bout you? For those of us in the HIV/AIDS field, this time of year is a little crazy, (like the rest of the year isn’t, HAH!). Organizations funded by grant funding, especially federal funds, have massive reporting and documentation requirements that make me feel like I might explode if another report due date pings on my Iphone reminders! Now don’t get me wrong, I love my IPhone, it just seems to nag me much more often here lately!

I find myself longing for the days of my first job as a 1969 teenage bride (good grief, what were we thinking!!??) where I worked at a Pasquale’s Pizza and slogged though day after day churning out pizzas and roast beef sandwiches (dang, those things were good), and chopped cabbage for cole slaw by the buckets! My boss once told me “to stand on one leg every chance I got”  and I guess I looked at him with a goofy question mark on my face because he then said “stand on one leg, cause you sure as heck aren’t gonna be able to sit down tonight”! Mindless work, but I didn’t feel the weight or the pressure that comes with trying to provide life-saving services in a rural community in a backwards thinking state (dare I say nation?) that often doesn’t give a shizz about whether people with HIV live or die. Yup, I’ll take some cheese with that whine.

Okay, let me clarify; I love my work, and my life for that matter…as a Prevention program director I know there are many loving, caring and compassionate people in our community who do work to make life better for our neighborhood, those living with HIV or not. The not for profit community in our town and around the state carry a heavy burden attempting to fill the gaps that widen daily in Grand Canyon proportions with regard to healthcare, housing, drug/alcohol treatment, domestic violence, mental health, child abuse, etc. - not to mention just plain ole daily “food, clothing  & shelter” type needs. Some faith based groups join in this endeavor and often provide a safe place for those in need. However, it’s just not enough. Poverty, and the desperation that comes as part of that package, drives some to risky behaviors that lead to disease, addiction, homelessness and heartache. It’s nothing new, it has been part of the fabric of life for generations; it just seems that we are doing less and less as a society to address it.  Should we do more? Would we do more? Could we do more?

Sorry folks, you can’t ignore the poor, the elderly, the vulnerable and young, the sick and diseased. Oh  you can try, you can walk hurriedly past the bell ringer and the kettles at Christmas time, you can always say “No”, when the cashier at the Big Box store asks you to donate your change to a worthy cause, you can drive past the children holding buckets at an intersection in any small country town as they seek funds to attend a youth camp or buy a computer for their club, and you can also feel all holy, high and mighty when you hear that a co-worker, distant cousin, or neighbor has contracted HIV, or Hepatitis C because of their drug use or sexual behavior. You can ignore that your elected officials are too concerned with fighting among themselves or grabbing all the perks they can get while in office to seriously debate and budget for social services so badly needed in our state and around the nation. Pardon me, but where in the hell does it all end? The needy folks among us aren’t going anywhere, their needs grow larger each day, how do we justify the lack of attention to our fellow man? Hey, I’m not asking anyone to personally solve the problems, just wishing more of us would be part of the work toward seeking the solutions.

The reason for all this angst on my part is that on December 1 st our agency and all those in the HIV/AIDS community will mark World AIDS Day. I’m actually excited about the community event Health Services Center has planned for the Calhoun County Alabama area on Tuesday, Nov. 29 th at the Anniston City Meeting Center, free and open to the public. At 5:30 we will gather there for our Karen Morris Memorial AIDS Walk down Noble Street, and then we’ll return to the Meeting Center at 6:00 for our annual community reception, candle lighting, and remembrance. We have a great event planned this year, with refreshments, entertainment by Birmingham’s “Mother May I”, door prizes and fellowship.

It’s a time to remember, celebrate life, and to truly ponder where we stand in the fight against HIV and AIDS in our community. So many lives lost, so much sadness, and yet there is optimism and hope that we will continue to slow the number of new infections, reduce the number of AIDS related deaths, and dare we say; find a cure for this disease that has ripped a path of destruction around the world for well over 30 years now. The evening is family friendly, please join us. It may be cold on Tuesday evening, but dress warm and walk with us in solidarity, as a community united, to address this issue in our hometown, or at least stop by for a cup of coffee and a moment of reflection. Your presence would mean so much to us.

Karen Morris, the namesake for our annual Memorial AIDS Walk was a peer educator at our clinic here in Hobson City, Alabama. She was a white, middle aged female, who contracted HIV through unprotected sex with an old boyfriend she trusted. She was not from the South, but ended up here, ironically to care for her elderly parents. Once diagnosed as HIV positive she never looked back. Unapologetic, blunt, plain-spoken and passionate, she accompanied me and others as we provided HIV prevention education to the newly diagnosed, the community, schools, churches etc. She was a hoot! She would make the 200 mile round-trip ride with me to Montgomery Alabama each quarter to sit on the State’s HIV Prevention Council in partnership with the Alabama Dept. of Public Health. All the way down we would thoughtfully discuss what might be on the agenda and she would plan her remarks and what she “wanted to happen”. Often I would have a sore throat by the time we got there from talking so much!  On the way home, she would rant and rave about the slow process, inaction, wasted time and energy, and how we could possibly light a fire under the ass of the “system”. Makes me smile just to remember her. She passed away several years ago from other health conditions unrelated to her HIV, and I miss her every day, no other advocate has stepped up to fill her shoes with such fire and passion. She would want us to keep doing this work no matter what; before her death she asked me to buy her a shirt she’d seen at a past conference. I’m so glad I brought it back for her…it read “Annoy them – Survive!”

If you are reading this and there is a World AIDS Day event in your town, please support it. The actual day set aside to observe World AIDS Day around the world is Dec.  1 st . Our local event is on Nov. 29 th   this year because those of us who provide HIV testing and prevention services in this area have so many requests to provide testing, public speakers, health fairs etc. on Dec. 1 st ,  this caused us to reserve that day to help others with their events and plan our own  community event for Nov. 29 th .

Since we are the only HIV specific medical clinic and AIDS Service Organization in a 9,000 square mile area of rural Alabama we get requests from schools, churches, businesses etc. to provide HIV related programs, including HIV testing and counseling etc. so we are sometimes stretched pretty thin, but we are always excited to get an invitation! There is still so much fear and stigma around HIV in the rural South (and around the world, for that matter), we are honored to respond when any group, club, school, etc. decides to educate and provide factual and practical information on HIV. If you are in N.E. Alabama and would like to speak with us about prevention education or testing, please call 866-832-0100 or check out our website www.hscal.org for more information, or contact the AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in your city.

Just a funny story about being invited to do AIDS education in the community. Years ago, early in the epidemic, a local church daycare asked me to educate their staff because a child had tested positive for “AIDS”, in their words. Glad to help out, I planned an evening of training and education for the volunteer daycare staff. After about an hour, one of the ladies approached me to say thank you for the information, she said we were so upset when we received the word from one of our “moms” that her child had been diagnosed with ADD…yup, you are reading that right. ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder; not A-I-D-S, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome!! They had all been so upset over a child’s ADD, thinking they had an HIV positive child in their daycare! You can’t help but giggle; at least the staff got a top notch HIV education training session!

As another year in the HIV prevention world winds down, I hope that you are safe and warm, well-fed and secure; but I beg you to remember that there are many in our community who are not. There are persons on your street who may be hungry, there are children in school with your child who are sexually active, or experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and don’t have the information they need to be safe from disease and unwanted pregnancy, there are senior citizens who are dating again after being widowed or divorced and they are not prepared for the risks of sexually transmitted diseases that are out there today because these diseases didn’t even exist when they were teenagers, and there are persons living with HIV in our community, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, young adults to seniors…just like you and me. When you make your annual charitable contributions at the end of the year, please remember that the small not-for profit organizations in your town are struggling with cuts in funding, many are cutting services, laying off valuable staff and ending life-saving programs due to loss of grant funds. Hey, I’ve told you before, I’m a trailer park kid, my hubby came from rural poverty, and we, like so many of you, live paycheck to paycheck; but I will not end my year saying “shoulda, woulda, coulda”. I will give of my time, my money, and my heart!

Don’t forget to join us for local World AIDS Day on Nov. 29 th !

Here are some World AIDS Day resources and links for you.

Pictorial Timeline of the epidemic

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/ss/slideshow-aids-retrospective

A Legacy of Care, Ryan White Care Act

http://hab.hrsa.gov/livinghistory/index.htm

The President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy

http://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/policies/national-hiv-aids-strategy/

HIV 101

http://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/overview/what-is-hiv-aids/

U.S Statistics

http://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/overview/statistics/index.html

Global Statistics

http://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/overview/global-statistics/index.html

An AIDS Timeline

http://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/overview/aids-timeline/index.html

Alabama HIV Statistics

http://www.adph.org/aids/Default.asp?id=984

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Revolution Drop In Center

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Hello again, sorry it’s been awhile; bronchitis has no respect for the blogger’s schedule! Spending a week on antibiotics and steroids and getting “shotgunned” in the booty with anti-inflammatory meds will squash the creative mind just a tad. Unable to go to work; I’ve browsed the web, updated my Facebook, played some Bookworm, slept medication fueled naps, and now days later can finally see the light at the end of the coughing, sniffling, headachy, congested, feel like I’m gonna croak, tunnel. Anyway, let’s talk Prevention again…cause substance abuse and HIV/AIDS don’t take a sick day.

I wanted to use today’s blog to tell you about prevention programs currently in our area. The Health Service Center (HSC-my employer) is a not-for –profit medical center, with a primary mission of providing medical and supportive services for persons living with HIV in 14 counties of N.E. Alabama. As part of our mission we also seek to provide community education around HIV, substance abuse, and other risk factors that contribute to new infections and poor health outcomes for our community. www.hscal.org

Since the founding of HSC in the late 1980s, the agency has made it a priority to seek grants and funding for prevention education. HIV infection can be prevented, recovery from addiction is possible, education is the key. Beginning in the year 2000, HSC was granted funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) www.samhsa.gov  for community programs that provided street outreach, prevention education, HIV testing, safer sex supplies distribution, and referral and support for any who were found to be HIV positive. Several grants have been funded over the last few years and currently three SAMSHA grant funded prevention projects are operating in our area. Let me tell you about them.

Project REAL (Reentry, Education and Linkages) 2008-2013. The REAL project is a program focused on the at-risk person who is reentering their community after incarceration. Research has shown that many persons reenter their community without the information and skills they need to protect themselves and others from risky sexual and drug using behaviors. We are familiar with the significant challenges facing someone coming back home after prison or jail, such as; housing, health concerns, job training, parenting and family issues, addiction, domestic violence, financial difficulties, stigma, discrimination, etc. (the list goes on and on). For the reentering individual it may seem overwhelming when told to walk out the prison gates and “get your act together”. The rates of recidivism or those who return to prison, in Alabama reaches over 60% in some areas. That’s not working, folks! The Alabama Dept. of Corrections and other local, state and federal agencies are working to provide discharge planning and linkage to community services for the reentering person so that there is help for that mountain of obstacles. That’s where Project REAL comes in.

If you have a recent history of incarceration, are over 19 years old, have a history of drug and alcohol use and/or risky sexual behaviors, you may qualify for the REAL program. REAL hopes to reach minorities and those who often don’t have prevention support upon release from prison or jail. Our Reentry Services Specialist makes an effort to network with all local law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, and other organizations or agencies who work with the reentry population. A simple call to a Project REAL staffer at 256-832-0100 can get information to anyone who might benefit from the program. The program offers: 90 days of program support  -  with individual prevention counseling over 5-7 sessions with a Prevention Case Manager, goals setting, education and skills building, free HIV testing and counseling, and referral and information for other needs not provided by HSC. REAL participants are able to learn the basic facts about substance abuse and HIV, how to negotiate condom use and proper use of condoms, how to access needed services such as GED training and family and parenting skills, and referral info for intensive substance abuse treatment, if needed. Project REAL can be a building block for the reentry person’s plan for successfully ‘starting over’. Call HSC for more info on Project REAL, and follow the project on Facebook at Project REAL, Reentry Education and Linkages.

The Vortex Project 2010-2015. Vortex will provide comprehensive substance abuse and HIV prevention services targeting minority females ages 19-24, particularly on area college campuses. Current partners are Jacksonville State University, Talladega College, and Gadsden State Community College. Due to a variety of factors, Alabama and other areas are seeing a rising trend of HIV infections among young adult females, especially African Americans. www.adph.org  Vortex prevention staff will be providing on-campus interventions that include free HIV testing and counseling, 2 private sessions of individual prevention counseling, and campus outreach. The program hopes to achieve community and environmental change by offering training sessions, awareness events, public speakers, testing events and health fairs. The connection between drug and alcohol abuse and HIV infection is a powerful factor that requires education and easy access to prevention services to combat -  especially critical is testing and counseling. Knowing your HIV status, whether negative or positive is crucial; it’s cool to know your status and we have to spread that message to our young women and their partners. Look for the Vortex RV or exhibit table at campus events, stop by for free prevention supplies, pick up some educational materials, and ask how you can be a part of our Peer Advisory Groups, (forming now). Call HSC and ask for a Vortex staff member for more info, 256-832-0100.

The Revolution Project 2010-2015. Similar to the Vortex Project, Revolution is funded to provide prevention services to young adult females, especially African Americans, ages 19-24 in our N.E. Alabama community. Revolution hopes to reduce substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors through the provision of HIV testing and counseling, and with the operation of a community “drop-in-center”. Located at 320 East 15^th Street in Anniston, AL. the center is open now, (see picture) offering free HIV testing and counseling, prevention education activities, and linkage and referral to other prevention related services in our area. Young adult females who qualify can enroll in a two-session program called RESPECT, get a free HIV test, pick-up safer sex supplies, and earn gifts and prizes, etc. The Revolution staff will be in the Calhoun and Etowah County community, providing public speaking, health fairs, and testing events, and hope to see you at the drop-in-center soon! Call Revolution for more info. 256-405-4104. Revolution will be forming their Peer Advisory Group over the next few months, you could play a role in reducing substance abuse and HIV among young women in your community, call us now!

So, as you can see there is amazing prevention activity going on in our community right now! We hope to make a difference, get you involved, and create a prevention prepared community that is healthier and safer!

Some of you may ask - why are we focused on specific groups (reentry, young women, minorities, etc.) rather than just general prevention programs and messages? There are many reasons that we might give, but one of the most important is that the community issues around substance abuse and HIV are PUBLIC HEALTH issues. They affect us all, and in today’s difficult economic times and budget cuts to health care and social service programs; it is imperative that we get the “most bang for our buck” from our grant funds. When statistics and research indicate that specific groups need special attention, with age, gender and culturally sensitive programs; that is what we make every effort to do! HSC is a small, rural agency. We cannot do it alone! With our small and well trained staff we work with our community partners, other area non-profits, churches, schools, clubs, businesses, etc. to achieve program successes. We need your voice and your participation. Your “word of mouth” is the best marketing and public relations we could have. We are counting on you.

I’ll sign off today with a few links for you to check out if you’d like more information about prevention. Enjoy. Please leave a comment if you have questions or would like to know more about a specific prevention related topic.

http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/ Substance Abuse Treatment Program Locator

http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=36 The Minority AIDS Initiative

http://www.doc.state.al.us/reentryresources.asp Alabama Dept. Of Corrections Reentry Resources

http://adph.org/aids/assets/manifestoupdate08.pdf  The Southern AIDS Coalition’s AIDS Manifesto for the South

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/index.htm CDC Report on HIV and Women

http://aids.gov/ HIV/AIDS Resources

http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileglance.jsp?rgn=2# Alabama Women’s Health Facts