MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'indigenous'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:32:37 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766265&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F08%2F31%2Fseptember-18-marks-2nd-annual-national-hivaids-and-aging-awareness-day-nhaaad-1168%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day: September 18, 2009 Washington, DC – September 18, 2009 marks the 2nd annual national awareness initiative of The AIDS Institute titled National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD). This national campaign highlights the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care and treatment for aging populations in the United States. It is the goal of the campaign to highlight challenges such as the need for prevention, research, data and medical understanding of the aging process and the impact of HIV/AIDS. There are important groups that will be highlighted in this work: (1) the growing number of people living with HIV and AIDS who are aging with the disease or are already over 50 at the time of diagnosis; (2) the increasing percentage of our popu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766265 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:14:33 +0100 2766265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386866&cid=t_192267_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsandnsurf.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F05%2Firukandji-in-the-northern-territory%2F As regular readers of ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ well know, we really like envenomings… especially marine envenomings… and especially jellyfish… (Check out our toxicology page). If you’re also interested in jellyfish you might want to know that this has just been epublished in the Annals of Emergency Medicine (excuse the flagrant self-advertising): Irukandji Syndrome Case Series From [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386866 Mon, 04 May 2009 05:40:36 +0100 2386866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107797&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1467 Obama-Spidey #583 Update Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #583 will has President-Elect Obama joining forces with the Wallcrawler in the issue’s Spidey Meets the President bonus story. To meet expected demand for this momentous issue, Marvel has now announced it’s heading back to press to offer the Amazing Spider-Man #583 Obama Second Printing Variant, featuring a re-colored version of the original Obama variant cover drawn by Phil Jimenez. The 2nd Printing will be on sale NEXT WEEK, January 21 for $3.99 The previously mentioned Spidey Meets the President story is written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Todd Nauck & Frank D’Armata and takes place in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day, as one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes attempts to thwart the swearing in ceremony of the 44th Pr... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107797 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:56:05 +0100 2107797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067695&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1410 Eartha Kitt with Friends Santa Baby A video of Eartha Kitt doing Santa baby with three friends helping her out :o)) Eartha Kitt, Sultry ‘Santa Baby’ Singer, Dies Staff and Wire Reports December 26, 2008 Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died, a family spokesman said. She was 81. Andrew Freedman said Kitt, who was recently treated at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died in Connecticut of colon cancer. She lived in Weston in recent years but it was uncertain if that was where she died. Kitt, a self-proclaimed “sex kitten” famous for her catlike purr, was one of America’s most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and n... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067695 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:36:05 +0100 2067695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980924&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1205 Red Ribbon Warriors From: nativelou Added: December 01, 2006 Get the facts about HIV/AIDS, fight stigma, and get tested. from comments: I want to applaude the wonderful people gay and straight that have come together to make this video. And to all my native gay brothers and sisters out there: HOLD ON AND FIGHT! If you’re going through AIDS yourself or someone you know just keep the faith and hold on! LOVE YA (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980924 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:00:52 +0100 1980924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895074&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D984 HEALTH POLITICS: Truthful—and Helpful—Moments in Presidential Debate Len Nichols - October 8, 2008 - 11:20am The debate last night touched on health care reform a fair bit, and there were two really great moments, in my view. One was when John McCain said loud and clear that our economic hard times do not mean that people who are hurting should have to wait for help to buy health insurance. That should help silence opponents of reform who are so quick to say we can’t afford health reform any more so let’s stop talking about it so much. This economic malaise argument is the ultimate attempt to change the subject and divert attention from a real problem. Both presidential campaigns recognize health reform must be addressed early in the next administration. We will not stop ta... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895074 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:37:20 +0100 1895074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895075&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D982 Health Care: Right or Responsibility? merrill goozner October 08, 2008 It’s unlikely last night’s debate will change many minds. Both John McCain and Barack Obama spent most of the evening reciting well rehearsed campaign themes. But there was one exchange that elucidated a fundamental difference between the two men over core values, triggered by Tom Brokaw’s intriguing question: “Is health care a right or a privilege?” The Republican nominee hesitated briefly before changing the terms of the question. McCain called health care an individual responsibility. This fits well with his plan to tax benefits and offer tax credits that would send tens of millions of people into the individual insurance market. It also embraces the philosophy behind what Jared Bernstei... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895075 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:19:30 +0100 1895075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892061&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D975 Obama Campaign Unveils Plan to Fix Underfunded HIV/AIDS Programs By Kerry Eleveld [Eleveld is the political editor for The Advocate.] An Advocate.com exclusive posted October 17, 2008 Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign held a conference call Thursday intended to highlight his policy prescriptions for combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic — including increased funding for research, care, and prevention as well as developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy within the first year of his administration. Surrogates for the campaign tried to pound home distinctions between an Obama-Biden administration’s approach to the disease and a McCain-Palin administration’s. “One of the most important differences is going to be leadership on public health issues that are facing America, in partic... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892061 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:53:34 +0100 1892061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876145&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D973 Three men have gone on trial in the Netherlands accused of deliberately infecting at least 14 other men with HIV. Please click on this sentence to view bbc video clip. Juliet Gilkes reports. Dutchmen on trial for spreading HIV Agence France-Presse First Posted 20:19:00 10/13/2008 THE HAGUE—Three men went on trial in the Netherlands Monday charged with drugging gay men at sex orgies, raping them, and injecting them with blood contaminated with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The three HIV-positive suspects, including a nurse, appeared at a court in the northern city of Groningen accused of intentionally spreading the deadly virus at sex parties they promoted on the Internet. They face charges of aggravated assault, rape, and the illegal possession of drugs. The suspects, aged 35, 48 and... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876145 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:38:33 +0100 1876145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876146&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D967 ESPN: Radio station ‘regrets’ Magic Johnson AIDS remarks, promises PSA “The fact that they would make jokes about my status is unbelievable,” Magic Johnson said in a statement about a Minneapolis talk radio show’s comments. MINNEAPOLIS — Magic Johnson criticized a pair of talk show hosts Friday for accusing him of faking AIDS but said he didn’t want them to be fired. Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of KTLK in Minneapolis made the remarks during Baker’s conservative radio show on Wednesday. After Johnson condemned the statements, the station said it regretted “some offhand remarks” by the pair. “We can’t have people out here making false statements and putting out bad information, because this battle is too big when it c... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876146 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:33:16 +0100 1876146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876147&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D965 Gene Copello, 1959-2008 AIDS community mourns passing of pioneering Washington, D.C. advocate Copello, AIDS advocate who worked to unify AIDS community AIDS advocates mourned the death this week of Dr. Gene Copello, founder and executive director of the Washington, D.C. advocacy organization the AIDS Institute. Copello died Monday after a long battle with kidney problems. He was 49. Those who knew Copello remember an intelligent, genial workaholic who was passionate about unifying often-divided AIDS advocates to reach consensus. “What was most remarkable about Gene is how he brought the community together,” said Carl Schmid, AIDS Institute’s director of federal affairs. “We hope what he did, we can continue to do.” Copello founded the AIDS Institute in 2003 as a Washington, D.C.... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876147 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:19:01 +0100 1876147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873127&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D957 Nobel Prize Announcements 2008 medicine/physiology Three European scientists share the first of this year’s Nobel awards - the medicine prize - for discovering viruses responsible for two serious human diseases. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier of France discovered the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes Aids, while Harald zur Hausen of Germany went against current thinking to postulate correctly that human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women. Three European scientists share the first of this year’s Nobel awards - the medicine prize - for discovering viruses responsible for two serious human diseases. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier of France discovered the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that ca... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873127 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:38:21 +0100 1873127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873134&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D937 Elders care for families torn by HIV Seventy-three-year-old Nguyen Thi Mai (not her real name) smiles to hide her deep sadness. “What can I do?” the 73-year-old woman replies to a question about whether her meagre income is enough to feed her HIV-positive son. The Women’s Union in Cao Thang Ward, Ha Long City in the northern Quang Ninh Province set up club to give financial support to 67 members. Hoang Thi Dac (left), whose two sons are addicted to drugs and infected HIV/AIDS, have received VND5 million in aid. “I earn VND25,000 (US$1.5) a day selling lottery tickets which isn’t enough to buy food” Mai says, “It is already hard enough to make ends meet, not mention affording medicines for my son.” Mai’s husband died early, leaving his wife and two... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873134 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:57:21 +0100 1873134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844823&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D932 The Medicaid Challenge (Part I) niko karvounis, October 01, 2008 , , , all the benefits don’t mean a thing if patients can’t find doctors to provide them. In a post last November, I noted that reimbursement rates for Medicaid are abysmally low across the nation as compared to both private insurance and Medicare: in New York, doctors receive $20 for an hour-long consultation with Medicaid patients, whereas a physician could earn almost $200—about 10 times as much—for such a consultation under Medicare. In 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported that Michigan’s Medicaid program pays $20 for a chest x-ray, where as Medicare pays $30 and private insurer Blue Cross, $33. For performing an appendectomy, a Michigan doctor can expect $784 from Blue Cross and just $336—about 42 percent ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844823 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:35:06 +0100 1844823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844824&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D931 Required Reading: The Value of ID Specialists Posted by Paul Sax on September 29th, 2008 In the most recent issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, there’s a comprehensive review of the value of an ID specialist from the perspective of non-patient care activities. Covered in particular are: • Antibiotic stewardship • Infection control • Monitoring rates of nosocomial infections • Managing health care worker “well-being and exposures” Also included are tables listing dozens of studies quantifying the value of these activities. It’s an impressive paper, running 12 pages long and including over a hundred references. What might be most useful, however, is a section entitled, “Putting the Data to Use Effectively in a Negotiation.” Here, in best Business School 101-e... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844824 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:40:44 +0100 1844824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844826&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D929 reason tv: raiding california — medical marijuana and minors UPDATE: On August 5, 2008 Charlie Lynch was found guilty on all five counts. Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2008. For reason.tv’s coverage of the trial (including an on-camera interview with the jury foreperson), go here, here, and here. Protest Rally for 10/6 will start will begin at 11am. The courthouse is located at 312 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Protesters are encouraged to bring acoustic instruments to the rally check to see further details here. For public transit information, click here For more information, visit Friends of Charles C. Lynch. For information on how to contact your elected officials, please go here or here. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844826 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:23:36 +0100 1844826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837313&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D926 Understanding the Issues: The Candidates on HIV/AIDS Todd Heywood on September 29, 2008 - 8:00am Todd Heywood’s blog While both candidates for president have made statements that they want to combat HIV/AIDS, a comparison of the voting records, public statements and other actions shows John McCain has very few specifics to address the crisis and has a history of supporting legislation that damages and impedes the process of addressing the HIV epidemic in America. First, here are what Barack Obama and John McCain, respectively, have said about the HIV/AIDS crisis in general statements: “We are all sick because of AIDS - and we are all tested by this crisis. It is a test not only of our willingness to respond, but of our ability to look past the artificial divisions and deb... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837313 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:47:12 +0100 1837313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837314&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D925 youtube: “Bosnia Homo Festival Attacked by Poofter Bashers” chers— completely astonishing. namasté —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837314 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:20:38 +0100 1837314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837315&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D924 C. diff: The cure for antibiotic abuse Posted by Paul Sax on September 18th, 2008 . . . Human beings love antibiotics — all of us are guilty of this love affair, health care providers and patients alike. (This is a great cartoon!) My first introduction to this phenomenon was during a medicine rotation in medical school, when my esteemed attending obviously had a bad cold. After a particularly noisy round of sneezing (and what was he doing in the hospital, one might wonder), I asked him how he was holding up. He told me the cold was fine, but the nausea from the erythromycin he’d started himself on “just in case” was driving him crazy. But this new “hypervirulent” C. diff has changed the equation, in a way that warnings about antibiotic side effects and risk of resistance nev... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837315 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:10:07 +0100 1837315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837316&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D923 Transgendered Woman Wins Sex Discrimination Case In Potentially Groundbreaking Case, Court Finds Sex Discrimination Law Applies to Transgendered Woman By JEFFREY DIAMOND Sept. 19, 2008 diana schroer A transgendered woman, who lost a job offer because of her sexual status, has won a potentially groundbreaking federal sex discrimination lawsuit. A federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., ruled today that the Library of Congress discriminated against Diane Schroer when it offered her a job and then rescinded it after learning she was transgendered. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Schroer, said Judge James Robertson’s ruling is the first to hold that the federal sex discrimination statute, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, applies to transgen... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837316 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:45:30 +0100 1837316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837317&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D922 from www.stickam.com text of graphic: yo hemphead! look what you washed by not checking your pockets! let’s hope the seal was tight enough not to let much water in! may i suggest you lay it out somewhere safe to dry! love, mom p.s. where’s my clear tape? (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837317 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:25:54 +0100 1837317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833299&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D919 chers— this may or may not be a technological leap for aids-write: i am attempting to imbed a powerful and remarkable 17:20 video documentary titled “a game for life,” interviewing grassroot soccer activist “titie” plaatjie. if it doesn’t work, take the link to the global oneness project and grab a box of facial tissues (not that we’d ever call them kleenex®). have transcribed several sections below. the whole account is a remarkable metaphor. i feel like the seaview heading for the bottom again, all my computer lights twinkling and sparking. where was david heddison when you really needed him? hope it works. namasté A Game for Life Grassroot Soccer project coordinator, Nolusindiso “Titie” Plaatjie, uses soccer to educate South African youth about HIV... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833299 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:38:22 +0100 1833299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833300&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D918 NAPWA LAUNCHES THE FIRST ANNUAL NATIONAL GAY MEN’S HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY On September 27, 2008 NAPWA will launch the first National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD). NGMHAAD is a new idea designed to refocus attention on a community that has long been affected by the HIV epidemic here in the United States and abroad. It is a call to action that comes at time of heightened complacency about HIV among gay men. Yet the nation faces a resurgence of new HIV infections among gay men. Throughout the year, community based organizations (CBOs), health departments, faith based organizations, corporations, labor organizations, elected officials and other individual and collective stakeholders participate in national HIV/AIDS Awareness Days. These days raise awareness about H... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833300 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:56:04 +0100 1833300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833301&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D917 Renewing the Denver Principles by Sean Strub September 22, 2008 Sean Strub, POZ’s founder and advisory editor, advocates for a renewed commitment to the empowerment of people with HIV/AIDS during remarks at the 2008 United States Conference on AIDS. In 1983, 25 years ago this past summer, a small group of people with AIDS met at a gay-health conference in Denver, Colorado, and wrote a document now known as the Denver Principles. Written at a time of great social fear and political hysteria, the Denver Principles spells out the rights and responsibilities of people with AIDS. Back then, the average survival between diagnosis and death was mere months; many died within weeks or days. Despite that terrible prognosis, this handful of people with AIDS asserted an identity for those wh... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833301 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:44:12 +0100 1833301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833302&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D916 Publish Your Presidential Election Coverage Through HuffPost’s OffTheBus Marc Cooper Posted September 23, 2008 | 11:52 AM (EST) As Campaign ‘08 comes to a dramatic close are you as bored, frustrated and often outraged as we are about the blizzard of totally predictable media bloviating that seems to blanket us 24/7? Then help fight back by enlisting in the growing army of HuffPost’s OffTheBus citizen reporters. After you sign up for our Special Ops reporting team, we’ll be issuing weekly assignments targeted at your local communities. Our ranks are open to everyone, everywhere, but we’re especially interested in those living in battleground states who can regularly report. And those who are adventurous, curious, and passionate about communicating their obser... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833302 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:29:16 +0100 1833302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833303&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D915 SA joy at demise of ‘Dr Beetroot’ South African Aids campaigners have serenaded the new health minister and rejoiced at the departure of her controversial predecessor. Friday, 26 September 2008 A group of activists sang outside the Cape Town flat of Barbara Hogan and drank champagne with her. They have long called for the dismissal of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, known as “Dr Beetroot” for her advocacy of healthy eating rather than drugs. Some 5.5 million South Africans are HIV-positive. This is more than in any other country in the world. ‘Ecstatic’ The government of former President Thabo Mbeki has long been criticised for not doing enough to distribute the anti-retroviral drugs that scientists say are the most effective way of combating Aids. ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833303 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:12:31 +0100 1833303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815400&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D912 Californians Against Hate (cah) was established to draw attention to the major donors to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign. These contributors are spending tens of millions of dollars to amend the California Constitution to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry. If our opponents want to end equality for gays and lesbians, then we will fight back. We will let the world know who these donors are, and then our millions of friends and allies can decide if they want to support their businesses or not. Together, we must stand for equality—and against hate. OUR CAMPAIGNS DontBuyBolthouse.com BoycottManchesterHotels.com CallTerryCaster.com MARRIAGE EQUALITY LINKS Vote No on Prop 8, Equality for All Equality California Love, Honor, Cherish Center Advocacy Project Human Rights Cam... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815400 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:43:18 +0100 1815400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815401&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D911 A version of this article appeared in print on September 19, 2008, on page A19 of the New York Times. Blocking Care for Women By HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON and CECILE RICHARDS Published: September 18, 2008 LAST month, the Bush administration launched the latest salvo in its eight-year campaign to undermine women’s rights and women’s health by placing ideology ahead of science: a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would govern family planning. It would require that any health care entity that receives federal financing — whether it’s a physician in private practice, a hospital or a state government — certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable. Laws that have been on... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815401 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:17:16 +0100 1815401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806368&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D909 Where’s Our National Campaign Against Homophobia? from CHAMP’s HHS watch By Walt Senterfitt The long-delayed release of the CDC’s new HIV incidence estimates for the United States coincided with the opening of the International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Mexico City. These two events had one striking common theme: gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are the core of the epidemic in the US and in many other parts of the world and must be at the core of the response in order to end AIDS. The majority of new HIV infections (more than 57%) are among gay, bisexual and other MSM. [See below about terminology] Gay men are 10 to 30 times more likely to get HIV than are heterosexual men and the population at large, in the US and worldwide. The resources d... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806368 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:15:52 +0100 1806368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806369&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D908 Physician’s Statement Regarding Medical Cannabis as per California Health & Safety Code 11362.5 To Whom It May Concern: this statement certifies that ___________________________________________ (patient) is a patient under my care and supervision for the treatment of ___________________________________________ (diagnosis) ____ (optional; please check if applicable) I decline to state my patient’s diagnosis to protect his or her confidentiality I have discussed the benefits and risks of cannabis use with my patient as a treatment for his or her condition. I recommend or approve cannabis use for my patient. If my patient chooses to use cannabis therapeutically, I will continue to monitor his or her condition and provide feedback on his or her progress. I understand that I wil... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806369 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:51:17 +0100 1806369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806370&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D907 How U.S. Health Care Mirrors the Contradictions Ingrained in the Minds and Souls of America’s Citizens Posted by Maggie Mahar on September 17, 2008 Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt is well known as one of the bluntest—and wittiest—critics of U.S. Healthcare. Last week, we both spoke at a conference organized by Princeton’s Policy Research Institute on “Access to Universal Health Care: New Jersey, the Nation and the Globe. As usual, I learned something from Professor Reinhardt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Earlier this year, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine received a somewhat startling letter from Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt. The missive was appended to a report from the “New Jersey Commission on Rationalizing Health Care Resources,” a Commission that Corzi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806370 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:42:28 +0100 1806370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794466&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D904 [john james’] Comment [at aids treatment news daily alerts]: Pardon the late notice for the sign-on; we just learned about this negotiation. The main reason for this post is to let readers know about the issue. Drug counterfeiting worldwide is a HUGE problem (less so in the U.S., which still has some effective controls). Apparently this treaty deals with only one part of that problem: counterfeiting a brand name. (In order to ban, say, selling a sugar pill as an antibiotic or malaria medicine, the treaty would have to get into drug testing and regulation, which seems unlikely.) It is unimaginable that pharmaceutical companies, Internet monopoly seekers, and other interested corporations don’t have input into this treaty — and therefore secret access to at least the sections... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794466 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:27:35 +0100 1794466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794467&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D903 Iran’s arrest of doctors jeopardizes US program By Farah Stockman boston Globe Staff / September 9, 2008 WASHINGTON - Two celebrated Iranian doctors who participated in a US-funded exchange program have been arrested in Iran and accused of using their global AIDS work to destabilize the Iranian government, according to State Department officials and former students at Harvard’s School of Public Health who are seeking their release. The late June arrests of Harvard alumnus Kamiar Alaei and his brother, Arash - apparently because of their close ties to organizations in the United States - are a setback for State Department officials who are quietly attempting to expand people-to-people exchanges with Iran in a bid to improve relations between the countries. Goli Ameri, assist... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794467 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:06:01 +0100 1794467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773267&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D901 Marijuana Ingredient May Fight Bacteria By HENRY FOUNTAIN Published: September 5, 2008 Marijuana may be something of a wonder drug — though perhaps not in the way you might think. Researchers in Italy and Britain have found that the main active ingredient in marijuana — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — and related compounds show promise as antibacterial agents, particularly against microbial strains that are already resistant to several classes of drugs. It has been known for decades that Cannabis sativa has antibacterial properties. Experiments in the 1950s tested various marijuana preparations against skin and other infections, but researchers at the time had little understanding of marijuana’s chemical makeup. The current research, by Giovanni Appendino of the University of ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773267 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:57:25 +0100 1773267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773268&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D900 chers— two posts here: an excerpt from s.j. komarnitsky’s article in the boston herald, and the text of ann kilkenny’s 2400-word letter after that. i first ran across it at gooznews namasté —rk Wasilla woman’s e-mail offering firsthand critique of Palin becomes Internet sensation By S.J. Komarnitsky / McClatchy Newspapers / [boston herald] Sunday, September 7, 2008 WASILLA, Alaska - At 3 a.m. Thursday, Anne Kilkenny unglued herself from her computer and went to bed after spending hours answering an endless string of e-mails from strangers. By 9:15 the next morning, she had 382 fresh ones in her inbox and her phone was steadily ringing with calls from news media from all around the world. That’s how it’s been the past week for the Wasilla stay-at-home mom tur... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773268 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:57:20 +0100 1773268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770634&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D897 California doctors may be required to explain end-of-life rights to patients The state Senate passes a measure that calls on physicians to provide terminal patients with all options at the time of diagnosis. By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 21, 2008 SACRAMENTO — Doctors who diagnose people with terminal illnesses would be required to immediately tell them about the right to refuse or withdraw from life-sustaining treatment under a measure approved Wednesday by state lawmakers. The proposal, which divided the medical community, was narrowly approved on the same day the Legislature passed a bid to ban employers from taking action against workers who legally use marijuana for medical purposes. The right-to-die legislation would require a doctor at the time... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770634 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:23:18 +0100 1770634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770635&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D896 Kaisernetwork | Opinion | Marginalized Populations Should Be Focus of HIV Prevention Efforts, Opinion Piece Says [Aug 28, 2008] Although the U.S. has “relatively abundant resources available to those living with HIV,” socioeconomic gaps continue to lead to higher rates of the virus among marginalized groups in the country, Christine Jolly, president of AIDS Care Service, writes in a Winston-Salem Journal opinion piece. Jolly for the past eight years has worked for an HIV/AIDS service organization and writes that she has seen her clients “struggling daily to live simultaneously with HIV and poverty.” Following a trip earlier this month to the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, Jolly writes that the devastating toll of HIV worldwide has forced &#... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770635 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:12:36 +0100 1770635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770636&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D895 3rd Annual LA County Medical Marijuana Exposition & Patient Festival September 20, 2008 All Day… 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM West Hollywood Park Auditorium 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood (Between Sunset Blvd. and Melrose Ave.) Tickets are just $5 at the door, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds Please join us for the 3rd Annual Los Angeles County Medical Marijuana Exposition and Patients’ Rally a full day of music, special guest speakers, medical cannabis exhibitors, entertainment, celebration, and fun for everyone! Don’t miss California’s largest medical cannabis exposition Mark your calendar today and check back here for updates! West Hollywood Mayor J r Jeffery Prang Former CA Assemblyman Paul Koretz Americans for Safe Access (ASA) CA Di... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770636 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:58:07 +0100 1770636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750272&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D893 This report also demonstrates the need for more timely data about HIV transmission so that we can effectively evaluate prevention efforts. Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health. We must also overcome the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS - a stigma that is too often tied to homophobia. We need to encourage folks to get tested and accelerate HIV/AIDS research toward an effective cure because we have a moral obligation to join together to meet this challenge, and to do so with the urgency this epidemic demands.” - Statement on the CDC’s HIV/AIDS Report, August 3, 2008 • “I’ll work to dispel the stigma surrounding this disease, which is what Michelle and I tried to do by tak... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750272 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:45:46 +0100 1750272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742818&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D891 The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn Our love for telling tales reveals the workings of the mind September, 2008 By Jeremy Hsu Key Concepts • Storytelling is a human universal, and common themes appear in tales throughout history and all over the the world. • These characteristics of stories, and our natural affinity toward them, reveal clues about our evolutionary history and the roots of emotion and empathy in the mind. • By studying narrative’s power to influence beliefs, researchers are discovering how we analyze information and accept new ideas. When Brad Pitt tells Eric Bana in the 2004 film Troy that “there are no pacts between lions and men,” he is not reciting a clever line from the pen of a Hollywood screenwriter. He is speaking Achilles’ word... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742818 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:01:44 +0100 1742818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742819&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D890 Hi All… TLGLA has been accepted into the Ralph’s Community Program! We will now get points which equal $$$$ each time one of our supporters swipes their Ralph’s card or enters their phone number!!!! It’s easy to register… and costs nothing!!! Our NPO number is 90829. • Simply register online at www.ralphs.com , click on community contributions then click on participants. • Be sure to have your Ralph’s Club Card(s) available and register their card with your organization by following the easy online directions. • If you do not have a Ralph’s Club Card, please know that they are available at the customer service desk at any Ralph’s. • Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-660-9003 to get your Club Card number. • Members must swipe their... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742819 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:37:28 +0100 1742819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742820&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D889 AIDS Crisis In Communities Of Color Prompts Demand For National Plan To Fight HIV/AIDS 29 Aug 2008 In a historically unprecedented move, over 30 national HIV/AIDS organizations and leaders representing African-American, Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, and Asian & Pacific Islander communities have joined forces in an urgent call for the development and implementation of a comprehensive national AIDS strategy. The demands to the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees come in response to long-standing concerns about unmet needs for targeted HIV research, treatment access, medical care and prevention in communities of color. A recently-released report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on estimates of new HIV infections in the United States am... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742820 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:12:48 +0100 1742820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742821&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D888 Bill Clinton and Other Leaders Call For ‘Renewal of Battle Against AIDS’ in the United States at Democratic Convention Advocates disappointed that Obama failed to address the issue wall street journal marketwatch Last update: 1:41 p.m. EDT Aug. 29, 2008 DENVER, Aug 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Speaking at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, Former President Bill Clinton called for a reinvigorated response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. In praising Presidential nominee Barack Obama, Clinton said, “He will continue and enhance our nation’s commendable global leadership in an area in which I am deeply involved: the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, including — and this is very important... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742821 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:58:29 +0100 1742821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742822&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D887 On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not by Dr. Ginger Campbell Aug 18th, 2008 Where does our “Feeling of Knowing” come from? Have you ever felt certain that you knew an answer even though you couldn’t think of it right off? Where does that “feeling of knowing” come from? The answer to this question is the focus of neurologist Robert Burton’s new book On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not . I recently reviewed Dr. Burton’s book on the Brain Science Podcast and last week I had the opportunity to interview him for the show. He explained that one of the origins for his book was his experience with patients with conditions like Cotard’s syndrome (where the patient thinks he is dead or does not exist). What Dr. Burton... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742822 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:33:51 +0100 1742822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742823&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D886 As of today… meth and the boy next door gone wrong by Topher Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Sitting here at the PC, I wonder what words of wisdom I have to impart to the world that might have any value in anyone’s life that isn’t just meaningless chatter of emotional drivel. . . . As a person in recovery from crystal myself, I have struggled with the sexual component of meth. Separating the drug from my sex drive was not an easy task, but two and a half years later, I maintain a substance-free life, and have incorporated a sex life far better than I ever had on crystal. It took determination, speaking with my therapist openly, and several failed sexual attempts to RE-learn how to have crystal-free sex. Now, the challenge is finding others who like the type of sex I do and are crys... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742823 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:05:15 +0100 1742823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742824&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D885 Palin Pick: Bold Move or Bad Move? wall street journal blog — washington wire: Political Insight and Analysis From The Wall Street Journal’s Capital Bureau August 29, 2008, 5:05 pm Sen. John McCain shook up the presidential campaign with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. After digesting the news, politicians and activists from all points along the political spectrum are weighing in: . . . Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, noted that Palin had acknowledged trying marijuana, and said: “Gov. Palin is one of many millions of Americans who have used marijuana and gone on to live productive, wildly successful lives. That she used marijuana is no big deal, but what is a big deal is that she thinks that the 100 mill... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742824 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:53:48 +0100 1742824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739292&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D882 California attorney general issues medical marijuana guidelines Jerry Brown outlines steps to help patients and dispensaries stay within the law, help police know when to step in and, it’s hoped, keep the federal government at bay. By Eric Bailey, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 26, 2008 SACRAMENTO — For the first time in the dozen years of turmoil since state voters legalized medical marijuana, California’s top law enforcement official stepped into the fray Monday with new guidelines designed in part to quell the ongoing friction between the state and federal authorities. Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown issued an 11-page directive intended to help legitimate patients avoid arrest while giving police the tools to distinguish legal medical marijuana operations from illegal... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739292 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:22:07 +0100 1739292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739293&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D881 Engagement and Deliverance at the CDC, Part 2 Nedra Weinreich spare change Continuing the sum-up of my experience at the CDC’s 2nd National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media (Part 1 here), here are the key points from the sessions I attended on the second day… Scott Shamp, University of Georgia (and others) - For National HIV Testing Day, UGA’s New Media Institute, along with partners Verizon, CDC, Danya International and Nokia, recruited 23 students from universities in the Southeast to come together to create what they called “Personal Public Service Announcements” (PPSAs). These were short videos created on cell phones all in the course of one day. Guided by experts, the students learned about HIV/AIDS, about filmmaking and how to ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739293 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:55:01 +0100 1739293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734094&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D879 from ACT-UP ny: 1983 denver AIDS principles Ever since people with AIDS stormed the stage at a Denver conference in 1983 and demanded self-determination, grassroots AIDS activism has taken its lead from the people most affected. There is no better way to cite the history of the PWA self-empowerment movement that to quote the principles articulated in Denver in 1983. They are as relevant and powerful today as they were then. THE DENVER PRINCIPLES (Statement from the advisory committee of the People with AIDS) We condemn attempts to label us as “victims,” a term which implies defeat, and we are only occasionally “patients,” a term which implies passivity, helplessness, and dependence upon the care of others. We are “People With AIDS.” RECOMMENDATIONS... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734094 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:56:44 +0100 1734094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734096&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D877 Uninsured pay $30 billion for health care: study (Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Vicki Allen) Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:39pm IST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans who go without health insurance for any part of 2008 will spend $30 billion out of pocket for health care and they will get $56 billion worth of free care, according to a report released on Monday. Government programs pay for about three-quarters, or roughly $43 billion, of the bills for these uninsured people, Jack Hadley of George Mason University in Virginia and a team at the Urban Institute reported. “Physicians’ donated time and forgone profits amount to $7.8 billion. After government payments to hospitals are subtracted, private philanthropy and profit margins are responsible for at least an additional $6.3 bill... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734096 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:19:58 +0100 1734096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734097&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D876 Insurance gap leads some elderly to forgo medicine By KEVIN FREKING washington post / The Associated Press Thursday, August 21, 2008; 10:00 A WASHINGTON — Many people in Medicare with diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions stop taking their medicine when faced with picking up the entire cost of their prescriptions, researchers say. About 3.4 million older and disabled people hit a gap, known as the doughnut hole, in their Medicare drug coverage in 2007. When that happened, they had to pay the entire costs of their medicine until they spent $3,850 out of pocket. Then, insurance coverage would kick in again. About 15 percent of those hitting the coverage gap stopped their treatment regimen. That rate varied depending upon illness. For example, about 10 percent of... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734097 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:10:28 +0100 1734097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734098&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D875 Justice Edwin Cameron calls for a campaign against ‘misguided criminal laws and prosecutions’ AIDSmap report Edwin J. Bernard, Tuesday, August 26, 2008 “HIV is a virus, not a crime,” argued South African Supreme Court Justice Edwin Cameron during his impassioned call for “a campaign against criminalisation” on the final day of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Justice Cameron’s plenary presentation was the vocalisation – and culmination – of a growing movement against criminalisation of HIV exposure and transmission that has been supported – and nourished – by organisations as powerful and diverse as UNAIDS and UNDP; the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+); the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734098 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:00:24 +0100 1734098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730736&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D873 chers— medical cannabis patients who are interested in offering or observing public testimony possibly for the first time at this monday’s culver city council meeting, particularly residents as well as stakeholders (people who work, own property, rent, shop, operate a business, go to church or conduct other life-activities in culver city), are invited to a practice session / strategy meeting 4:20 pm monday at organica before attending the 7:00pm city council meeting namasté —rk organica meeting when: 4:20 pm, monday, august 25, 2008 where: organica 13456 washington blvd. marina del rey, ca 90232 (310) 578-2945 near washington & lincoln (bring your doctor’s letter & ca photo id) culver city council meeting when: 7:00 pm monday, 8/25/2008 where: council... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730736 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:24:57 +0100 1730736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723522&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D870 “Turpentine’s a hard line! huh!” And so, with music and magic, the world premiere of “Turpentine Jake,” staged at Loyola Marymount’s Del Rey Theatre, takes off on a smart flight of legendary scope and impact, a skillfully-crafted historical drama of character and social justice that doesn’t depend on a car-chase mentality for suspense. To the contrary, the soaring use of lanuage in gem-like self-narratives, poetry and songs, accentuates the action. Set in the”debt peonage” system of the Florida Turpentine camps in 1937, the story is dramatized by the grandson of one of those workers, James E. Hurd Jr. (who also co-directs with Jim Holmes and stars as Jake) and writing partner and producer Linda Bannister, who together conducted extensive reasearch and interviews... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723522 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:00:37 +0100 1723522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723523&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D869 DEA claims agent is not Blackwater employee August 4th, 2008 Posted by Kris Hermes americans for safe access The photo of a law enforcement agent conducting a raid on a state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary in Culver City, posted last week by ASA’s Rebecca Saltzman, has attracted significant online attention. The photo depicts the agent carrying a box marked “DEA,” and wearing a t-shirt with the word “Blackwater” and its logo on it. Blackwater is a private security company that has deployed personnel in Iraq and is increasingly being used for international drug interdiction efforts. Blackwater has recently come under fire with Congress on its dealings with the federal government. Given that no private company has taken part in federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723523 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:53:18 +0100 1723523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723524&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D868 Knights of Columbus tip the balance with big anti-gay marriage donation 3:49 PM, August 20, 2008 It’s official — opponents of gay marriage have raised more cash in support of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage initiative, than gay marriage supporters, who have vowed to defeat the Nov. 4 ballot measure. A contribution by the Connecticut-based Knights of Columbus of $1.25 million on Aug. 14 put Proposition 8 supporters within striking distance of opponents. Yesterday, another infusion of cash from groups and individuals who oppose same-sex marriage put them ahead in the money race. Our own Maloy Moore is following the money in a pair of data bases she helped create, which she updates daily. On Aug. 14, when the Knights of Columbus made their contribution, the totals were $7... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723524 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:39:55 +0100 1723524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717259&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D865 August Election Poll: One in Four Americans Continues to Struggle Paying for Health Care Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 — August 2008 The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 poll finds that one in four (24%) Americans continues to struggle with paying for health care. Health care ranks as a “serious problem” above paying for food (18%), problems with debt (16%), and paying the rent or mortgage (15%) and below paying for gas (37%) or getting a good paying job or raise in pay (26%). Among the 24 percent that find paying for health care or health insurance a serious problem, those in the poorest health and those with the most need disproportionately report difficulties. • Half (50%) of the uninsured say paying for health care is a serious probl... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717259 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:51:44 +0100 1717259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717260&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D864 California doctors can’t refuse treatment to gays on religious grounds, court rules The state Supreme Court decides that an antidiscrimination law takes precedence over doctors’ right to religious freedom. By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 19, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO — Doctors may not discriminate against gays and lesbians in medical treatment, even if the procedures being sought conflict with physicians’ religious beliefs, the California Supreme Court decided unanimously Monday. In its second major decision advancing gay rights this year, the state high court ruled that religious physicians must obey a state law that bars businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. “The 1st Amendment’s right to the free exercise... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717260 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:20:02 +0100 1717260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717261&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D863 chers— there are two historical models of plague whose records we can study to try and understand effects and course of the AIDS plague — first, the 14th century bubonic plague, and second, the 1918 influenza epidemic. so these findings offer clues about ending AIDS. this seems to be a pretty good resource article. namasté —rk Bacteria played a role in 1918 pandemic flu deaths, scientists say The virus triggered a violent immune response that injured the lungs, making them a target for bacterial infection, two studies say. The findings may guide preparations for future outbreaks. By Mary Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 18, 2008 Most deaths in the 1918 influenza pandemic were due not to the virus alone but to common bacterial infections that took adv... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717261 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:16:18 +0100 1717261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709317&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D862 Court asked to order state to pay $8 billion for inmate health care By Andy Furillo - afurillo@sacbee.com Published 10:14 am PDT Wednesday, August 13, 2008 California prison medical care receiver J. Clark Kelso filed a legal motion today to force the state to come up with $8 billion over the next five years to fund his plan to build seven long-term care facilities and provide other improvements for inmate patients. The action filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco also seeks contempt of court citations against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Controller John Chiang. Kelso said he is still talking with the governor’s and controller’s offices and other officials to resolve the dispute over funding of his medical plan but that he will ask that both Schwarzenegger and... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709317 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:37:00 +0100 1709317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709318&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D861 A DANGEROUS SHIFT The wrong way to fight AIDS By Laurie Garrett Published: July 30, 2008 international herald tribune In a few days [published just prior to the opening of the mexico city conference —rk] some 20,000 people who work in various capacities on the AIDS pandemic will gather in Mexico City for the International AIDS Conference. I will not be there: This will mark the first AIDS Conference I have deliberately missed since 1985, when a cluster of scientists convened the first such gathering in Atlanta. Many of the leading lights in the battle against AIDS from all over the world are similarly disinclined to attend, saying they are not able to join in celebrating the creation of a vast, multibillion dollar AIDS treatment industry, employing hundreds of thousands of indivi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709318 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:20:20 +0100 1709318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668515&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D858 chers— was there. the appetizers were great. kebobs. little teeny rasberry cheesecakes and chocolate mousses in cups. goat-cheese-stuffed mushrooms. salsa’d shrimp coctails. my midwest staple, crackers & cheese. lamb that nobody wanted. “dress office casual,” the invitation said. i wore seersucker & jeans that even drew a compliment. also saw weho mayor jeff prang, overlooked in jasmyne cannuck’s report below. looked for aids-write contributor sonya renee taylor of the black AIDS institute, but missed her. there is something very exciting about karen bass. i think it’s because she believes in unity, and that seems to be her game plan too. a call to be good companions to one another. i also have a sense of the shortness of her term — two years.. karen a... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668515 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:52:46 +0100 1668515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668516&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D857 Nobel-prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz talks to me about the true cost of the war in Iraq, high oil prices, and the mortgage crisis John Aravosis (DC) Wednesday, July 23, 2008 While attending the Symi Symposium in Greece last week, I was able to spend some time with Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel-prize-winning economist from Columbia University. Stiglitz not only won the Nobel prize in Economics a few years back, but he also served as the chair of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. Stiglitz is an amazing man. He kind of reminds you of your favorite college professor. The one who took the time to explain things to you, and who actually seemed to enjoy doing it. I can’t say enough about the guy (and his wife, who was a real gem as well) - it was just a pleasure... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668516 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:38:43 +0100 1668516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649109&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D855 AHF Treatment Proposal Accepted by US Senate: Global AIDS Bill Will Save 5 Million Lives Senators Reference AHF’s African AIDS Treatment Clients’ Visits to Capitol Hill in Remarks on Bill; Delegations of Doctors and AIDS Patients From Africa Met With Over 70 Senate Offices During Past Three Months to Push Legislators to Keep Focus on Lifesaving Treatment WASHINGTON (July 16, 2008)—AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which provides AIDS care and treatment services to more than 79,000 individuals in 20 countries worldwide, applauded the U.S. Senate for passing legislation re-authorizing PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the successful US global AIDS program. AHF lauded the Senate for prioritizing lifesaving treatment through its restoration of a provisi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649109 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:36:45 +0100 1649109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649110&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D854 HIV digs deeper into Deep South Sunday, July 20, 2008 DAVE PARKS [birmingham] News staff writer HIV has burrowed into the Deep South, feeding off some of the most impoverished people in the nation and creating a health catastrophe, according to a report being released Monday in Birmingham. The report from the Southern AIDS Coalition says federal funding to fight the disease has not followed the epidemic’s path, with an unfair share of money for treatment, education and support services remaining in other, wealthier parts of the nation that have fewer new HIV cases and declining death rates. “Rising infection rates coupled with inadequate funding, resources and infrastructure have resulted in a catastrophic situation in our public health care systems in the South,” t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649110 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:17:17 +0100 1649110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649111&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D853 Report: HIV/AIDS on the rise in SC By Adam Fogle | Sun, Jul 20, 2008 - 10:11 pm | Posted in Around the state SAC [southern AIDS coalition] Report Findings • Throughout the rest of the country from 2001 to 2005, the number of deaths from AIDS decreased, but continued to increase in the South; • Of the 15 states with the highest rates of new HIV infections, nine (60%) are in the South. Additionally, of the 20 metropolitan areas with the highest AIDS case rates in 2006, 16 (80%) are in the South. The South leads the nation in AIDS cases and rates in cities of all sizes; • Over half (52%) of blacks living with AIDS and 58% of new AIDS cases reported in 2006 among blacks occurred in the South; yet blacks represent approximately 19% of the South’s population; • The South has the hig... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649111 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:10:30 +0100 1649111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1640320&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D850 Medical Marijuana Patients and Supporters March at DNC Protesters Call on Obama to Stand Up for Medical Marijuana On Thursday, August 28, 2008, medical marijuana patients and supporters will march in front of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, calling on Barak Obama to change federal laws that prohibit medical cannabis in the twelve states where voters approved its use. “This will be the first national medical cannabis protest since patients and activists gathered in Washington, DC, in April 2000,” said parade organizer Richard Eastman, who has been using medical cannabis to treat the symptoms of AIDS since 1994. “Patients are angry that the federal government continues to harass and prosecute medical cannabis patients and providers, while blocking research into the... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1640320 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:32:10 +0100 1640320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563989&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D849 Conclusions Mortality rates for HIV-infected persons have become much closer to general mortality rates since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. In industrialized countries, persons infected sexually with HIV now appear to experience mortality rates similar to those of the general population in the first 5 years following infection, though a mortality excess remains as duration of HIV infection lengthens. [my bolding —rk] thanks for the heads-up to john james at aids treatment news daily alerts (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563989 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:00:28 +0100 1563989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563990&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D848 Drug war on moms Toddler, newborn wrongly torn from family in stepped-up screening of pregnant women> By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 06/28/2008 10:31:39 PM PDT Awakened by late-night pounding and his doorbell ringing, Palmdale resident Jesus Bejarano found a social worker and two sheriff’s deputies demanding he turn over his 20-month-old daughter, Kelly. The social worker said Bejarano’s 29-year-old wife, Cheila Herrera, had tested positive for amphetamines and PCP at Antelope Valley Hospital after giving birth to the couple’s son a week earlier. Their son, Jesse, who was born prematurely and was still at the hospital, had already been placed in protective custody. “It was terrible,” Herrera said of the Feb. 14 ordeal. “It wa... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563990 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:47:04 +0100 1563990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563991&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D846 Serious patient errors at California hospitals disclosed in state filings About 100 Californians a month are being harmed in adverse events considered preventable. A lawmaker proposes banning reimbursements to hospitals for some types of injuries. By Jordan Rau, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 30, 2008 jordan.rau@latimes.com SACRAMENTO — Last October, a technician at the children’s hospital at Stanford University improperly connected a ventilator hose, accidentally pumping too little oxygen into a 9-day-old infant’s lungs. A month later, technicians at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz unintentionally placed a CT scan of one patient into the electronic file of another, leading physicians to remove the wrong person’s appendix. California’s 518 hospitals re... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563991 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:14:21 +0100 1563991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563993&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D844 Online Coverage of the XVII International AIDS Conference In partnership with the International AIDS Society, kaisernetwork.org is pleased to be the official webcaster of the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008), providing you with access to the daily developments that take place at the conference in Mexico City, August 3-8. Kaisernetwork.org will publish a free Daily Update email, sent during the week-long conference, which will include a summary of and access to each day’s online coverage. You can sign up to receive the email at www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2008, and aids-write.org will post noteworthy reports, excerpts and news from Mexico City as well. Kaisernetwork.org’s Extensive Coverage of AIDS 2008 will include: • Live and tape-delayed webcasts and transcripts o... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563993 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:03:25 +0100 1563993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500019&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D840 The Body HIV in the U.S. Epidemic’s Darkest Hour: An Interview With Mark S. King By Bonnie Goldman, May 14, 2008 excerpt [q] I know a lot of people didn’t get tested back in the 1980s since at that point HIV was considered a death sentence, and because there were no treatments there was no point to get tested. What made you get tested and how did you deal with the results? [a] I just had this morbid curiosity. You’re right; it was politically incorrect to get tested. Absolutely not would you want to do that, and we didn’t need any evidence of the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV; we saw it all around us. I had friends who couldn’t go get a manicure because they were gay and the people in the manicure shops wouldn’t give them manicures b... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500019 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:14:17 +0100 1500019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500020&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D839 KENYA: Boy’s suicide reveals gaps in HIV education irin plus news, may 28, 1008 GARISSA, 28 May 2008 (PlusNews) - The recent suicide of a secondary school student in Kenya’s North Eastern Province after he was diagnosed as HIV positive has highlighted the shortage of qualified counsellors in the region, and the urgent need to address the misinformation and stigma attached to the virus. “Serious awareness-raising and counselling of students on HIV is non-existent in schools here; the little information they have is either gathered from public meetings, dramas or media,” said one of the boy’s teachers, who preferred not to be named. In April the student had reportedly visited a voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centre, manned solely by a junior labor... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500020 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:03:31 +0100 1500020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500021&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D838 This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500021 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:51:57 +0100 1500021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500022&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D837 nigerian woman photo jpeg Plight of a 28-year-old HIV-positive lady - Says stigmatisation is biggest challenge facing PLWHAS nigerian tribune, may 26, 2008 Adewale Oshodi writes on the lonely life of a 28-year-old HIV-positive lady, who, because of her status, is now being treated like an unwelcome stranger, even by her immediate family. FOR Kemi Aiyedun (not real names), when she hears people, especially the youth, say HIV/AIDS is an idea by the whites to recolonise Africans, she just laughs it off. This is because, at age 28, she is already HIV-positive. Before discovering she was positive, Kemi, who lives with her parents at Alakia area of Ibadan, Oyo State, was full of hope about life. With a transporter father and a food seller mother, Kemi knew she had to work real hard to assist... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500022 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:32:11 +0100 1500022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500023&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D836 chers— click below to see the video on lifelube. in my next life i’ll learn how to post video clips. maybe sooner. namasté —rk Rugby Boys Learn New Ball-Handling Skills Friday, May 30, 2008 In this fun, sexy, and informative video, a rugby team disrobes with the help of a health professional to learn how to examine their testicles for lumps that may signal testicular cancer. [many thanks to bloggernista for putting this on our radar! — Rugby Players Go Balls Out Against Cancer (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500023 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:07:38 +0100 1500023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480765&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D835 i cannot keep from weeping when i hear the wedding bell news ringing freedom i met a friend on the street bill i said the beard is gone he said yeah & rubbed his bare chin glad to see me t-cells? looking good. yours? two thirty two. we can get married now. i went to the rally last night no, no, it’s too late for me, too late no, no, it’s never too late never too late then strikes another peal of tears —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480765 Fri, 30 May 2008 19:03:15 +0100 1480765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469768&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D834 Same-Sex Licenses on Time; WeHo To Wed Monday, May 26, 2008 By Ryan Gierach, West Hollywood West Hollywood, California (Monday, May 26, 2008) - The County Clerk will be prepared for the first same-sex marriage licenses on time, with an added bonus; the Clerk’s office will put a licensing branch in West Hollywood. At an update given to the LA County Board of Supervisors on May 20, the acting County Clerk, Dean Logan, said all would be ready on June 16, the day the Supreme Court’s decision acknowledging marriage equality for gays and lesbians in California goes into effect. Mr. Logan told the Board, “Our staff is preparing to implement the court’s decision… and we believe that we will do that in a timely and efficient manner.” The Board, at the suggestion of Zev Ya... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469768 Tue, 27 May 2008 03:17:03 +0100 1469768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469769&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D833 chers— this is a curous post & comment set. i like the semi-unintended humor and response also. namasté —rk Should Christians get HIV Tested ? Last edited by rizen1; 05-24-08, 10:56 PM POLL: No, christians don’t get infected we’re holy. 0% Yes, we’re also human. 100.00% What is HIV, is that a bible translation? 0% Come on lets be honest, some Christians are not virgins, some are sexually active and trying to stop. We preach to the youths that are virgins “no sex till marriage” To those that are born again virgins “Resist temptation say no to sex” Quote: How many people are affected by HIV/AIDS? The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that there are now 40 million people living with HIV or A... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469769 Mon, 26 May 2008 21:21:20 +0100 1469769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469770&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D832 Where’s Antonio? Tues. May 27 Make plans to attend our rally at the LA Mayor’s office on Tuesday, May 27. We are calling on the Mayor to end his silence on the issue of medical cannabis and delivering hundreds of signatures on a petition asking that he meet with us. Come on our and be a part of it! What – Where’s Antonio? A rally at the Mayor’s office When – 11:00 AM Tuesday, May 27 Where – the lawn at City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., downtown LA metro net trip planner http://www.metro.net/default.asp (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469770 Mon, 26 May 2008 19:35:56 +0100 1469770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1467029&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D829 chers— this is an interesting article published two years ago linking AIDS activism with same-sex marriage advocacy. it is currently housed at the AIDS foundation of chicago’s website. ran across it on the body’s History of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, which also has links to a ton of other interesting articles. enjoy. namasté —rk How AIDS Gave Gays Marriage By Christopher Caldwell (May 21, 2004) In the 1980s, as the Aids epidemic spread among American homosexuals, Pat Buchanan, the political commentator and sometime presidential candidate, called the disease “nature’s revenge”. Last week, as pairs of men and pairs of women walked down the marriage aisle with the blessing of the state of Massachusetts, it appeared that nature has a funny way of showing h... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1467029 Sun, 25 May 2008 04:20:31 +0100 1467029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1467030&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D828 chers— these figures and recommendations are from an amFAR study that was discussed on the CHAMP strategy lab telephone conference call may 21. also included were discussions of cdc standards for HIV testing in prisons, and discussion of the PAVE100 vaccine trials, which is pretty much a shambles as a result of the fallout of the merck vaccine failure. namasté —rk [excerpts from powerpoint notes] Women, HIV, and Stigma Results from a National Survey From Insight to Action Susan J. Blumenthal, MD, MPA Senior Policy and Medical Advisor amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health March 31, 2008 Attitudes Towards HIV+ Women Overall, Americans are uncomfortable with HIV+ women – not just in intima... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1467030 Sat, 24 May 2008 20:25:25 +0100 1467030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454522&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D826 Silence on hepatitis: Where’s the leadership? (project inform website) by Ryan Clary, director, project inform Silence on hepatitis: Where’s the leadership? guest opinion in bay area reporter by Ryan Clary 05/15/2008 On Monday, May 19, Project Inform will join hepatitis advocates around the globe in recognizing “World Hepatitis Awareness Day.” This day will highlight the severity of the hepatitis pandemic, through media campaigns, rallies, and educational events. We will also call on elected officials to take action and leadership in creating hepatitis education, prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment programs. In the United States, the statistics are staggering. There are an estimated 6 million people with the hepatitis B or C virus. Most Americans living wi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454522 Tue, 20 May 2008 03:20:56 +0100 1454522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454523&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D825 On May 14 Willie Campbell, a person living with HIV, was convicted and sentenced to a 35 year prison term for “harrassment of a public servant” - and spitting on a police officer - in Dallas, Texas. Since the jury determined his saliva to be a “deadly weapon,” Campbell must serve half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. As news of his conviction has spread, so has outcry from HIV/AIDS activists and advocates. Hundreds of national and international media organizations have already picked up the story (see links below). Meanwhile, similar cases are pending elsewhere, including one in Philadelphia involving a man living with HIV who is being held in custody and awaiting trial for biting a person after disclosing he was HIV-positive. Past cases have r... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454523 Mon, 19 May 2008 23:01:10 +0100 1454523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454524&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D824 Texas jury concludes saliva of HIV-positive man a ‘deadly weapon’, sentenced to 35 yrs jail Edwin J. Bernard, Friday, May 16, 2008 A 42 year-old HIV-positive man from Texas who spat at a police officer during his 2006 arrest for being drunk and disorderly has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Dallas court and must serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole because the jury found that his saliva was a deadly weapon. The case, which was reported by more than 175 news outlets yesterday, has outraged UK HIV organisations, particularly since only three reports – from The New York Times, USA Today and the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger [in an interesting related account of a man allegedly infected by a woman, his wife — rk] – actually mention that H... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454524 Mon, 19 May 2008 22:52:32 +0100 1454524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449402&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D823 Court approves evil gay agenda Satan’s plan to make uptight straight people “really uncomfortable” working out “fabulously,” say Bay Area gays By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist Friday, May 16, 2008 We are all going to die. Very, very soon. Did you know? Apparently, the signs are all in place and the plague is clearly nigh and Armageddon is fast upon us because, oh my angry heterosexual god, the announcement has now been handed down: Couples who deeply love one another may now get married in California. It’s true. Wait, there’s more. The couple in question might both have penises. Or they both might not. This is the crazy, terrifying new thing: It is totally up to them. Can you imagine? Put another way: If you are a loving couple in this fin... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449402 Fri, 16 May 2008 23:51:18 +0100 1449402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449403&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D822 Gay marriage upheld: reactions to the ruling By Times Staff Writers 2:28 PM PDT, May 15, 2008 From the Los Angeles Times Voices from across California, and around the nation, in reaction to the California Supreme Court decision ruling that a ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional: Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) California Assembly speaker “We are delighted with today’s state Supreme Court ruling allowing marriage equality in California. It is a true testament to advancing equality and to recognizing the right of all Californians to build a future with the person they love. We recently lost Mildred Loving, the woman whose marriage to a man of another race ushered in the Supreme Court ruling that made marriage colorblind. Today’s ruling is another important reminder that l... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449403 Fri, 16 May 2008 23:27:38 +0100 1449403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449404&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D821 In their words: Gay marriage Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, May 16, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A10 “Even though the ruling only applies to California, we all know the effect the state will have on the rest of the country. This is a harbinger state. People look to the state for leadership. The sunshine here today will extend to everywhere in this country where it has been hard to be a gay person.” – Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights “Only one other American state recognizes the right the majority announces today. So far, Congress, and virtually every court to consider the issue, has rejected it. Nothing in our constitution, express or implicit, compels the majority’s startling conclusion that the ag... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449404 Fri, 16 May 2008 23:04:31 +0100 1449404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449405&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D820 please click on this sentence to view the 172-page pdf text of ca supreme court ruling Excerpt from the Court’s Decision: A number of factors lead us to this conclusion. First, the exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage clearly is not necessary in order to afford full protection to all of the rights and benefits that currently are enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples; permitting same-sex couples access to the designation of marriage will not deprive opposite-sex couples of any rights and will not alter the legal framework of the institution of marriage, because same-sex couples who choose to marry will be subject to the same obligations and duties that currently are imposed on married opposite-sex couples. Second, retaining the traditional definition of mar... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449405 Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47:20 +0100 1449405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446181&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D819 California Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage RALLY & CELEBRATION TONIGHT IN WEST HOLLYWOOD March 15, 2008, 7:00 PM Corner of Santa Monica Blvd. & San Vicente The California Supreme Court has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage This is an historic day, not only for California, for but the nation. With this decision, LGBT can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel in our civil rights movement, at which equal opportunity and full civil rights will be extended. We still have many challenges ahead, including a November ballot measure by the foes of equality. However, Californians and the American people continue to demons rate, more and more, their fundamental belief in fairness to all people, no matter their status. Governor Schwarzengger has stated in ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446181 Thu, 15 May 2008 23:01:03 +0100 1446181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446182&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D818 Hi folks, The May edition of the International Carnival of Pozitivities has been available since May 6th at dropdeadhappy.com. I was in the middle of posting announcements when I received word that my Mom’s health was failing. She passed away the next day and I am just now getting back to posting announcements. Please visit the May, 2008 edition of the ICP and bookmark it so you can take in all of the articles at your leisure. I hope you will leave feedback for the host and the contributors. Our next edition will be posted in June at Black Looks . Until then, peace to you all. Ron Hudson 2sides2ron Poundcake Love The International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP) (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446182 Thu, 15 May 2008 22:49:23 +0100 1446182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446186&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D814 New Schwarzenegger budget for California would divert gas taxes By Evan Halper and Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers May 15, 2008 SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attempted to forge a path out of the state’s financial mess Wednesday by offering concessions to both Democrats, who are demanding that schools and other services not be cut, and Republicans disdainful of new taxes. Both sides immediately declared that they wanted little to do with the governor’s budget proposal, suggesting that Sacramento is in for another long, unproductive summer. The $144.4-billion spending plan would restore $1.8 billion for schools while making deep cuts in welfare and healthcare for the infirm, legal immigrants and impoverished parents. It would steer an $828-m... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446186 Thu, 15 May 2008 16:04:07 +0100 1446186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446187&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D813 Q&A: How the lottery proposal would work By Dan Smith - dsmith@sacbee.com Published 1:00 am PDT Thursday, May 15, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1 Q: How would the borrowing work? A: The state would seek investors to lend $15 billion secured by future earnings from lottery games the state hopes would be improved and more lucrative. Investors would be repaid from lottery funds over 32 years. Schwarzenegger to propose lottery borrowing to ease deficit By Judy Lin - jlin@sacbee.com Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose borrowing against state lottery income to help close a projected $15.2 billion deficit when he updates the state’s budget today, according to administr... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446187 Thu, 15 May 2008 15:53:53 +0100 1446187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446188&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D812 Governor proposes deeper health and welfare cuts By Judy Lin - jlin@sacbee.com Last Updated 3:23 pm PDT Wednesday, May 14, 2008 In releasing his revised budget Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed deeper cuts to health care and welfare programs for the poor even as his administration calculated that the projected demand for government assistance is growing. The Republican governor also proposed $627 million more in cuts to health and human services, making it harder for poor families to qualify for welfare and health coverage. “I know this is going to be very difficult … this is why I had a hard time to make those cuts,” Schwarzenegger said. “But the absolute bottom line is we cannot spend money that we do not have.” Senate President Pro Tem Don... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446188 Thu, 15 May 2008 15:32:23 +0100 1446188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446189&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D811 Let’s talk taxes The new Assembly speaker wants an independent look at the state’s revenue. By Karen Bass May 13, 2008 For all its wealth and resources, California is a giant in crisis. In preparation for my new job as speaker of the Assembly, I have talked to dozens of Californians who are feeling that crisis. I have conferred with business leaders in the Silicon Valley who are relocating overseas. I’ve met with farmers in the Central Valley who cannot afford to plant crops, which results in the abandonment of the workforce in nearby small towns. I have talked with teachers and school board members in San Diego and Norwalk, where teachers received layoff notices. I have met with students who will be saddled with oppressive debt as soon as they finish college. All t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446189 Thu, 15 May 2008 15:17:45 +0100 1446189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423306&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D805 Lawsuit Filed To Stop 10% Medicaid Provider Payment Rate Reduction in California [May 06, 2008] A number of groups that represent hospitals, physicians, dentists and other health care providers in California on Monday filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court to prevent a scheduled 10% reduction in reimbursements under Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program, the Wall Street Journal reports. The state Legislature in February approved the $1.3 billion Medi-Cal reimbursement reduction, which would take effect on July 1, as part of a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to reduce funds for all state services by 10% in an effort to address an estimated $20 billion budget deficit for fiscal year 2009 (Rundle, Wall Street Journal, 5/6). Medi-Cal has about 6.7 million beneficiaries (Ta... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423306 Tue, 06 May 2008 18:37:57 +0100 1423306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423308&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D803 chers— the text below comes from a presentation packet distributed by AHF (AIDS healthcare foundation) to CA senate and assembly budgeting subcommittees in sacramento at the beginning of april. it calls for redirection of $9.2million originally earmarked for CHRP (california HIV research program, formerly UARP, the universitywide AIDS research program) to shore up the life-saving ADAP (AIDS drug assistance program) and TCM (therapeutic monitoring program) funds in the proposed CA FY2008-09 budget. CHRP funding was untouched by governor schwarzenegger’s 10 percent “across the board” budget cuts (just what does “across the board mean,” then?). i was initially attracted to the idea because it shakes things up in terms of funding priorities — one of the advantages of ba... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423308 Tue, 06 May 2008 15:42:51 +0100 1423308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423309&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D802 Wintering in Waterloo josh g Harm Reduction and Politics Intravenous drug use has long been recognized as contributing to the spread of blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis - this results, of course, from the sharing of needles by drug users. The public health response to this specific problem - that is, infectious disease transmission via drug use - has been to set up needle exchanges where users can obtain clean needles. These have been in operation for some time, but the next logical step was to provide an environment where people can inject drugs safely and also access health and addiction services [InSite —rk]. The first such “safe injection site” in North America began operating in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in Sept. 2003. According to Neil Boyd, ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423309 Tue, 06 May 2008 15:30:13 +0100 1423309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423310&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D801 California may run out of cash by August By Judy Lin - jlin@sacbee.com Published 12:46 am PDT Tuesday, May 6, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1 sacramento bee CASH CRISIS The Legislature has a June 15 constitutional deadline for approving a budget, but it misses that deadline nearly every year. With reserves running low and revenue drying up, a late budget this year could mean the state pays a premium for loans it will need to pay its bills. • State accounts continue to deteriorate as a result of housing and stock market losses. • California’s credit rating is already among the lowest of state governments. California is facing a cash crisis this summer, putting pressure on elected officials to submit an on-time state budget or risk asking taxpayers to pay a... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423310 Tue, 06 May 2008 14:58:21 +0100 1423310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423312&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D799 Physician’s Statement Regarding Medical Cannabis as per California Health & Safety Code 11362.5 To Whom It May Concern: this statement certifies that ___________________________________________ (patient) is a patient uncer my care and supervision for the treatment of ___________________________________________ (diagnosis) ____ (optional; please check if applicable) I decline to state my patient’s diagnosis to protect his or her confidentiality I have discussed the benefits and risks of cannabis use with my patient as a treatment for his or her condition. I recommend or approve cannabis use for my patient. If my patient chooses to use cannabis therapeutically, I will continue to monitor his or her condition and provide feedback on his or her progress. I understand that I wil... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423312 Tue, 06 May 2008 05:09:59 +0100 1423312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420499&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D798 AIDS: Can the Internet Help Combat the Global Epidemic? Apr 21, 2008 at 1:19 PM AIDS…with its prominence in American media and culture—from Tom Hank’s Oscar-winning performance in Philadelphia to Bono’s advocacy efforts, from the Broadway smash Rent to Angels in America—I was astounded at the lack of personal and institutional/organizational blogs dedicated to the disease on the global scale. Finding a post here or there on a newspaper or publication’s blog doesn’t prove that difficult a task, but finding sites that look at AIDS’ ripple effect…its devastation — medically, emotionally, financially — is no cakewalk. There are a couple of ways to think about this. I guess originally I thought that because AIDS reaches epidemic numbers in South Africa and India, the I... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420499 Mon, 05 May 2008 19:26:41 +0100 1420499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420501&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D796 USC SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK FILM FESTIVAL 2008 MEDIA IN SOCIAL WORK (SOWK 687) STUDENT DOCUMENTARIES “THE OTHER AMERICA: “Humanizing the Vulnerable Through Documentary Filmmaking” Thursday, May 8, 2008 @ 6:30pm SEELEY G. MUDD BUILDING (SGM-123) BOUND BY HONOR: REDEMPTION OF GANG YOUTH AT GRIZZLY ACADEMY CARLA AVALOS AND EDDIE RAMOS FILM THE STORY OF TWO GANG YOUTH CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT GRIZZLY YOUTH ACADEMY WHO ARE CHALLENGED TO TRANSFORM THEIR LIFE. THROWN AWAY KELLY O’CONNOR, VANESSA AVILA, AND ZAHEERAH SAAFIR FILM AMERICA’S DETERIORATING VALUE OF CHILDREN – ONCE PROTECTED BY SOCIETY AND FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND NOW DEVALUED, LOCKED UP AND THROWN AWAY TO LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. THE LOST ART ERIN HEGARTY, MEGAN GILHOOLEY, AND MICHELLE GUBBAY-SNY... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420501 Mon, 05 May 2008 18:46:55 +0100 1420501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420502&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D795 National Prevention Justice Alliance Kickoff Teleconference HIV is not just a disease. It’s proof positive of injustice! Mobilize for HIV Prevention Justice! Unity and Leadership in the Struggle against HIV! Tuesday, May 6, 2008 3:30p Eastern, 2:30p Central, 1:30p Mountain, 12:30p Pacific 90 minutes Dial-in: 1-866-740-1260 Passcode: 4272302# Please register by clicking here. If you require assistance with registration, contact JoshThomas@champnetwork.org (401-427-7030). We invite you to join a national teleconference to build on the momentum from the HIV Prevention Justice Mobilization in Atlanta in December and affiliated prevention justice events & activities around the country. Now we’re excited to launch the Prevention Justice Alliance, a coalition to suppo... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420502 Mon, 05 May 2008 18:31:00 +0100 1420502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408279&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D790 Study Warns Job Losses Will Strain Government Health Programs By KEVIN SACK Published: April 29, 2008 Leading health researchers projected Monday that each percentage-point rise in unemployment during the economic downturn would swell the uninsured by 1.1 million, stoking demand for government health coverage just as states face pressure to cut benefits. While governments at all levels have faced a similar situation in past recessions, the researchers warned that the impact of this downturn might be worsened by its proximity to the last recession, in 2001, and by the cumulative effect of rising health costs. “You could have more people at the tipping point, so we could be underestimating things a little bit,” said John F. Holahan, director of health policy for the Urban Institute, w... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408279 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:30:53 +0100 1408279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408280&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D789 Number of Uninsured U.S. Residents Projected To Rise by 1.1M for Each Percentage Point Increase in Unemployment Rate, Could Strain Public Programs, Analysis Shows [Apr 29, 2008] For every one point rise in the U.S. unemployment rate, the number of uninsured is projected to increase by 1.1 million people, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured analysis released Tuesday, the New York Times reports (Sack, New York Times, 4/29). The report, conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center, also examined the effect that a one-percentage-point rise in the national unemployment rate would have on state Medicaid and SCHIP programs (Francis, “Health Blog,” Wall Street Journal, 4/28). In addition to the increase i... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408280 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:20:41 +0100 1408280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408281&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D788 Angola: HIV/Aids Hinders Implementation of Education Programme Angola Press Agency (Luanda) 22 April 2008 (Luanda, Angola) Angolan deputy minister of Education for Educative Reform, Pinda Simão, said Tuesday in Luanda that Hiv/Aids constitutes an obstacle to the implementation of the “Education for All” programme designed to eradicate illiteracy until 2015. The government official said so while speaking during a talk on “Challenges to Education for All in Angola”, as part of the International Week on Education for All (EFT). According to Pinda Simão, many teachers who were attending training programmes or already trained in educational reform, died as a result of Hiv/Aids, which led to the recruitment and training of new ones, thus delaying the education proces... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408281 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:08:56 +0100 1408281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408282&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D787 epigraph: According to the study, 70 percent of HIV-positive New Yorkers surveyed are living alone—more than double the percentage of elderly HIV-negative New Yorkers. The study also uncovered fairly high rates of social isolation, fear of HIV disclosure and loneliness among the participants. Such problems are likely to have a profound impact on people’s lives, particularly if they are simultaneously dealing with other age-related health issues. . . . david evans at poz: special report on growing older with HIV (772) Getting married for health insurance Seven percent of Americans say they or someone in their household decided to tie the knot in the last year so they could receive healthcare benefits, a poll finds. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer April 29, 20... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408282 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:58:21 +0100 1408282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408284&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D784 Patient Taken Off Transplant List Due To Medical Marijuana Use Posted on: 29-04-2008 Washington (eCanadaNow) - A 56-year old man has been taken off of a transplant list because he used medical marijuana. He is dying of a failing liver. The University of Washington Medical Center has stated that since the man used medical marijuana, he cannot be considered for a transplant. He used the medical marijuana for the relief of hepatitis C symptoms. Doctors stated that they use medical marijuan as a way to gauge whether or not a patient can handle the treatment needed for a full transplant. Needless to say though, the man, Timothy Garon, could now die because he has been denied his transplant. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408284 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:32:53 +0100 1408284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408288&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D780 Commission may reduce state officials’ salaries By Herbert A. Sample - Special to The Bee Published 11:59 am PDT Tuesday, April 22, 2008 VAN NUYS — A state commission decided Tuesday to freeze the pay of legislators and statewide elected officials, and sought a legal opinion on whether it can reduce the salaries. Given the precarious condition of state finances and the drastic cuts to government services that are under consideration, members of the California Citizens Compensation Commission said this was no time to raise the pay of legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, and a several other constitutional officers. But commission Chairman Charles Murray and member Kathy Sands also asked for a legal opinion on whether the commission can reduce salaries, and if so, h... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408288 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:27:19 +0100 1408288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386873&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D776 In conclusion, patients’ perceived SD represents a relevant problem for HIV-infected persons treated with antiretrovirals and is strongly associated with suboptimal HAART adherence. thanks for the heads-up to john james at aids treatment news daily reports (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386873 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:13:17 +0100 1386873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386874&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D775 Cigarette smoking is an independent predictor of nonadherence in HIV-infected individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy Current treatment guidelines for the management of HIV-infected individuals emphasize the importance of excellent adherence to antiretroviral medications. We conducted a prospective 24-week study of adherence to lopinavir/ritonavir in a group of 64 subjects using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). A range of demographic and clinical information, including cigarette smoking status, was collected from each participant. . . . We found no difference in adherence rates between ex-smokers and subjects who had never smoked. . . . Depression and history of illicit substance use were not associated with nonadherence. In our study cohort, current cigar... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386874 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:42:15 +0100 1386874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386081&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D772 The Relationship of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression to Antiretroviral Medication Adherence in Persons with HIV Depression and post-traumatic stress are distressing problems that often occur together in individuals with HIV/AIDS (1-4). Prevalence rates of depression (5% - 40%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) (22% - 64%) are higher than in healthy community samples. In HIV/AIDS, symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress may interfere with important self-care behaviors such as the ability to adhere to one’s medical treatment regimen. However, these problems may frequently go undetected in HIV care settings. The present study used brief self-report screening measures of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the HIV/AIDS care settings to e... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386081 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:34:54 +0100 1386081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1367958&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D770 Breaking news: Governor vows to fight gay marriage ban by Matthew S. Bajko bay area reporter published april 10, 2008 m.bajko@ebar.com Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today (Friday, April 11) vowed to fight a same-sex marriage ban that appears headed for the November ballot. The Republican governor told Log Cabin Republicans gathered at their national convention in San Diego that he was confident a ban would never pass in California and called the effort “a waste of time,” according to the Associated Press. The announcement was somewhat expected, as the gay GOP group’s California chapter has been pressing the governor to publicly oppose the measure. Schwarzenegger has previously stated he personally supports gays and lesbians being afforded marriage rights but has tw... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1367958 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:00:45 +0100 1367958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1367959&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D769 The state of ADAP by Bob Roehr april 10, 2008 bay area reporter Despite the rosy report, the road ahead for ADAP is likely to have potholes. Two demographic factors are at work. Estimates are that at least a quarter of those infected with HIV do not know it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rolling out programs to increase testing so that more people learn their status, and that will increase the demand for services, including ADAP. Most Americans get their health insurance through the workplace. Rising unemployment means that more will [be] losing that coverage and will be seeking help through government programs. And, the deteriorating economy means less tax revenue for state and the federal governments, crimping expenditures even further.” Read more in Bay A... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1367959 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:58:34 +0100 1367959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1367960&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D768 ADAP Waiting Lists Nearly Eliminated, Kaiser Family Foundation, NASTAD Survey Says; Challenges Remain [Apr 09, 2008] The number of people on waiting lists to receive HIV/AIDS-related medications through AIDS Drug Assistance Programs dropped from 571 in March 2007 to three in March 2008, a survey of state and territorial ADAPs released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors says, CQ HealthBeat reports. The day before the report’s release, Montana — the only state with a waiting list — added two more people for a total of five. In March 2007, there were four states with waiting lists (Grimaldi, CQ HealthBeat, 4/8). ADAPs are federal- and state-funded programs that provide HIV/AIDS-related medications ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1367960 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:49:47 +0100 1367960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352750&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D766 Physicians for ‘National Insurance’ – Survey The most interesting aspect of the new physician survey published in today’s Annals of Internal Medicine is the trend. It shows broad support (59 percent) for a national health insurance plan where five years ago, only slightly less than half of physicians surveyed backed national health insurance. Fully 28 percent strongly support a single plan, while 31 percent generally support it. Outright opposition shrank from 40 percent to 32 percent. Who were those opponents? Specialty surgeons, anesthesiologists and radiologists — the highest paid physicians in the nation — were the only sub-groups where a majority of respondents opposed national health insurance. Psychiatrists, pediatricians and emergency room docs wer... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352750 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:49:21 +0100 1352750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352751&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D765 Robert F. Kennedy Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered 4 April 1968, Indianapolis, IN kennedy king jpeg Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some — some very sad news for all of you — Could you lower those signs, please? — I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it’s perhaps we... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352751 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:35:44 +0100 1352751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340687&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D762 Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight chers— take 20 minutes and listen to this. —rk from towleroad: Here’s a fascinating lecture from the TED talks series which was posted to their site this month. TED is an annual conference which brings together great minds in the worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design. In this talk, neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor discusses the day she realized that she was having a massive stroke and describes, as only a brain scientist can, how she experienced it and what she learned from it. please click this sentence to go to the towleroad video. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340687 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:13:08 +0100 1340687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1322396&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D749 Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation By ROBERT PEAR Published: March 23, 2008 “New government research has found “large and growing” disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades. Life expectancy for the nation as a whole has increased, the researchers said, but affluent people have experienced greater gains, and this, in turn, has caused a widening gap. … In 1980-82, Dr. Singh said, people in the most affluent group could expect to live 2.8 years longer than people in the most deprived group (75.8 versus 73 years). By 1998-2000, the difference in life expectancy had increased to 4.5 years (79.2 versus 74.7 years), and it continues to grow, he said. “If you look at the extre... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1322396 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:07:19 +0100 1322396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321132&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D740 chers— new blog on the block. check it and join in activism efforts. cheers to ruel. namasté —rk The HIV Action Journal Providing the latest information on HIV/AIDS policy and legislation in California. Join A District Visit: Assemblymember Ed Hernandez Karen Bass Hosts Service Provider Roundtable - March 28 Join A District Visit: Assemblymember Hector de la Torre Join A District Visit: Senator Gloria Romero Senate Budget Health Hearing - April 14 Assembly Budget Health Hearing- April 7 (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321132 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:50:36 +0100 1321132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1320561&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D738 High rates among Natives mark National Native HIV/AIDS awareness day Thu, March 20, 2008 Posted in Alaska News Today [thursday] has been designated National Native HIV/AIDS awareness day. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) recently won passage of a resolution supporting the designation to help encourage the coordination of services. CDC research finds that Native people have the 3rd highest infection rates behind Blacks and Hispanics. Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1320561 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:03:24 +0100 1320561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1317815&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D737 National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day The four seasons are highly respected in many cultures because they so closely represent the cycle of life. Spring represents a time of equality and balance. It is a time of profound change, new beginnings and birth. For these reasons, spring was chosen as the time to hold the first National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in 2007. Every ethnic and racial group in America has been affected by HIV/AIDS, but individual experiences, impacts, responses, and the legacy of the disease are distinctively different. This day is a day that brings national attention to the plight of Native communities and their struggles against the epidemic. We hope this date will raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among Native people—Native Americans, Native Alaskans, and Native H... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1317815 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:41:12 +0100 1317815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764202&cid=t_192267_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F28%2Faustralian-aborigines-make-headway-in-diabetes-struggle%2F Filed under: Type 2, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise, SupportIt's often said that grass-roots level initiatives are what will turn the tide on the spread of type 2 diabetes. Here's an example of a grass-roots success story: Catholic News reports that Australian Aborigines from the Mowanjum community of Western Australia are benefiting from the introduction of a type 2 prevention and management program. Titled "Indigenous communities beat diabetes," (that could be a bit of an overstatement), the article describes the impact of the program in Mowanjum community in Western Australia. Successes include the introduction of a comprehensive diabetes education program aimed at young people with diabetes. The program, which is organized by Aboriginal development group Unity of First Peoples Australia, al... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764202 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 764202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676442&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D578 Across The Nation | Navajo Nation Addresses HIV/AIDS Awareness Among Tribe Members [Jun 12, 2007] The AP/Santa Fe New Mexican on Saturday examined efforts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among members of the Navajo Nation tribe. The Navajo Area Indian Health Service has identified 240 HIV/AIDS cases among group members from 1985 to 2006. There were 7.6 HIV/AIDS cases per 100,000 Navajo Nation American Indians in 2005 and 7.8 cases per 100,000 Navajo Nation American Indians in 2006, the AP/New Mexican reports. According to CDC data, there were 10.6 HIV/AIDS cases per 100,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives in 2005, compared with 72.8 cases for blacks, 28.5 for Hispanics, 9 for whites and 7.6 for Asians and Pacific Islanders. According to the AP/New Mexican, the Navajo Nation faces m... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676442 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:15:46 +0100 676442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=542101&cid=t_192267_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D522 aids-write chers— i am delighted to inform you i have joined the staff of regular contributors at brad biggers’ aids combat zone (acz). my first post was april 9. here’s brad’s intro: New ACZ Contributor - Richard Kearns The AIDS Combat Zone family continues to grow. Fellow blogger, activist, poet, and ACZ friend Richard Kearns of AIDS-Write.org has offered to help keep the posts flowing during my time in Africa. Richard is a long-term AIDS survivor with an inside view of West-Coast AIDS issues, with special attention to medical marijuana, PLWHA’s over 50, and the Los Angeles activist scene. Richard worked with me on TimeToDeliver.org last year during the 2006 International AIDS Conference and has been an active participant in the ICP Blog Carnival. Please j... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=542101 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:32:09 +0100 542101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486419&cid=t_192267_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F103166435%2F For several years, indigenous groups have taken issue with scientists studying their DNA. When National Geographic began collecting DNA samples for The Genographic Project, the Maori of New Zealand along with Alaska natives feared that DNA evidence would invalidate their history and break family ties. Aroha Mead and Dr. Steven Ratuva have put together a volume of essays, entitled Pacific Genes & Life Patents, that examine how Pacific Indigenous communities have been affected by genetic research and products, and patents on life forms. The book is available for free online. The editors and authors of Pacific Genes & Life Patents present articles, case studies, and other information which show that “outsiders” are predominantly interested in harvesting genetic information... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486419 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:59:59 +0100 486419