Fw: News & Views: The Financial Impact of Aging With HIV; Why the Search for a Cure Is Heating Up; and More

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From: "News at The Body" <update@...>Date: 17 Feb 2011 12:40:13 -0500<nelsonvergel@...>Reply "News at The Body" <update@...>Subject: News Views: The Financial Impact of Aging With HIV; Why the Search for a Cure Is Heating Up; and MoreIf you have trouble reading this e-mail, you can see the online version at: www.thebody.com/updates.htmlFebruary 17, 2011Top Stories at TheBody.comNews Views LibraryChange/Update SubscriptionOn the Personal SideHIV News ViewsHIV Treatment Health IssuesHIV Transmission EducationON THE PERSONAL SIDE Vergel: The Long-Term $urvivor Dilemma"As we speak more [at conferences] about the science related to aging with HIV ... the communal anxiety of surviving and aging with HIV is not addressed," HIV activist and fitness guru Vergel warns. In the first entry of his new blog on TheBody.com, talks about an aspect of aging and HIV that's often overlooked by researchers: the effect it has on our wallets and our emotional well-being. T. Mejia: Here We Go Again -- Lab Results and My Fears"I know what I should do and how I should act, but I guess my personality or my fears get the best of me," T. Mejia writes. Every four to six months, she goes for another round of blood work and an update of her CD4 count, HIV viral load and other vital numbers. And each time, her anxiety goes through the roof: "As my partner, , and my Mom tell me, 'Everything will be OK!' But how do they really know?" Sharon: Aging With HIV and Going Strong (Video)When she was diagnosed in 1988, Sharon felt as if she was the only woman in the world with HIV. Now 57, she's a long-term survivor who speaks passionately about aging with HIV and the "happy hour" culture among some older people. In this video interview from our friends at The Positive Project, Sharon talks about her diagnosis 19 years ago, her initial loneliness and despair, and the reasons why she's so public about her status despite persistent stigma.Rhonda (From Oklahoma City, Okla.) on "Why I Want to Show My Face After 20 Years""I am a 46-year-old heterosexual woman, and I am so tired of the stigma. I'm tired of trying to be 'hush, hush' about it. It does make me feel like a criminal, or dirty. ... So many people have no idea how close they are to getting it. Like you said, all it takes is one time. I just also happen to be one of the honest ones that tell. How many are there out there that don't even tell, and go ahead and sleep with someone. ... I am no different from anyone else, it is just that one of the times I chose to have unprotected sex impacted my life forever."Read the rest of Rhonda's comment and join the discussion on this article!HIV NEWS VIEWS Obama's Proposed Budget Calls for Increases to HIV/AIDS Programs; Republicans Call for CutsThis week, the White House unveiled its budget plan for the rest of this year -- and it held a press conference specifically to discuss how the budget will impact HIV prevention and care. "While we've heard in the press that the new budget includes cuts in most social spending domestically, there is actually increased funding in most HIV-related programs," reports HIV/AIDS advocate Kenyon Farrow. The Republican budget proposal, however, tells a very different story. Some Question Focus of "AIDSWatch" as Activists Descend on Washington, D.C.This week, HIV/AIDS advocates (and aspiring advocates) from across the U.S. have gathered in Washington, D.C., for AIDSWatch, a huge annual lobbying and activist-training event. But does the mission of AIDSWatch accurately reflect the needs of the HIV/AIDS community? Candace Y.A. Montague explores an apparent rift among HIV/AIDS activist groups.More HIV News Views Headlines:"Winning the Future" of HIV/AIDS: An Analysis of Obama's Budget Proposal (From Black AIDS Institute)After 12 Years, D.C. Harm Reduction Nonprofit Set to Close; How You Can Help (From TheBody.com's "D.C. HIV/AIDS Examiner" Blog)Growing Pressure on Ukraine to Solve Country's Antiretroviral Shortages (From the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)South Carolina Moves Forward With Measure to Remove Requirement That Schools Be Notified When Student Tests HIV Positive (From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)On the Air, Feb. 18: What Would You Do If You Witnessed AIDS Discrimination? Customers React as HIV-Positive Actor Faces Prejudice at Diner (From ABC News)Starting Meds Soon. Need Advice!(A recent post from the " Living With HIV " board)"To anyone who is interested, I have great news! My doc just got my genotyping and resistance tests back and it is very good! My virus is HIV-1, with no mutations! It has tested 100% susceptible to all drugs in all categories! I feel really encouraged by this! I meet with my doc on Wednesday to decide on my medication regimen. I feel strongly that I want to start on Atripla (efavirenz/tenofovir/FTC). I probably cannot get all three into one neat pill cost effectively over here, but can get all three drugs individually. My doc did a lot of reading and feels comfortable with this. Any ideas anyone has about this would be helpful." -- Pos_in_ThailandClick here to join this discussion, or to start your own!To do this, you'll need to register with TheBody.com's bulletin boards if you're a new user. Registration is quick and anonymous (all you need is an e-mail address) -- click here to get started!HIV TREATMENT HEALTH ISSUES Dr. Bob: The Search for the Cure Heats Up! Part Two: Why Now?What's behind the renewed urgency we've seen of late toward developing a cure for HIV? In part two of his three-part perspective on the search for a cure, Bob Frascino, M.D., points to seven key reasons why the hunt has been reinvigorated. Is the "Non-Suppressive HIV Drug" KP-1461 Worth Getting Excited About?Researchers are constantly searching for new, innovative ways to fight HIV. One particularly intriguing candidate is KP-1461, which appears to work by trying to mutate HIV to death. Sax, M.D., tells us a bit about this drug in development, and takes a moment to keep it real when it comes to getting overly excited about new HIV drug possibilities.More Headlines on HIV Treatment and Health Issues:ViiV/GSK NNRTI "761" Development Placed on Hold by FDA (From Positively Aware)Truvada + TMC278, Take Two: Gilead Refiles for FDA Approval of Three-in-One Combo Pill (From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Non-Invasive Tests May Predict Increased Liver Disease Risk in HIV-Positive Women (From aidsmap.com)HIV TRANSMISSION EDUCATION The Rising HIV Rates Among Young Women and Girls of Color: What's Going On? Part TwoCheck out the conclusion of this critical look into HIV risk among young women in the U.S. A panel of prominent advocates explores the harsh social, cultural and economic realities that lead women and girls of color to put themselves in situations where they may be especially likely to get HIV -- and what must happen to break this destructive cycle. Rae -Thornton on Unsafe Sex: "I Just Don't Get It"Blogger Rae -Thornton is more than a little upset that, despite all we know about HIV and many other sexually transmitted diseases, so many people still have unprotected sex. "I'm not concerned with who you f***, that's your business. I'm more concerned with how you f***. ... There's a lot of f***ing out there and ... an equal amount of sexually transmitted diseases to match," she writes. "So why, why, why would you put yourself at risk? I just don't get it." Helping People Understand the Needs of the Transgender HIV CommunityFor Dee Borrego, an HIV-positive transgender woman herself, witnessing the persecution her communities face has often led to frustration and heartbreak. But Dee still strongly believes that, "by being open and honest with those who have questions, we can educate and enlighten more people about what it means to be living with HIV and/or to be transgender nowadays." In this op-ed, Dee lets off a little steam and talks about how the transgender community can help build bridges between "us" and "them."More HIV Transmission Education Headlines:People Over 50 Now Account for Majority of People With AIDS in San Francisco, Calif. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)New Study Says HIV Vaccines Might Not Need to Produce Protective Blood Antibodies (From AIDSmeds)Stigma Hampers Afghan Fight Against AIDS (From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Rwanda: Bloodless Male Circumcision Could Boost HIV Prevention (From PlusNews)Worried Your Spam Filter Might Trash Our Mailings?TheBody.com's e-mail updates are especially prone to being caught up in spam filters, since our newsletters tend to refer frequently to sex, drugs, the human anatomy and so forth.To make sure you never miss one of our mailings because anti-spam software labeled it as junk mail, add update@... to your address book, talk to the person who manages your e-mail security or check your anti-spam program's instructions for more information.About This E-mailThis e-mail update has been sent to nelsonvergel@....Want to change your subscription? Click here or send us a message at updates@....Missed an update? Our archive of past updates will keep you in the loop.Have any other questions or comments, and don't want to send an e-mail? Feel free to snail-mail us at:TheBody.com's E-Mail UpdatesThe HealthCentral Network, Inc.250 West 57th StreetNew York, NY 10107 Apply for the 2011 African-American HIV University Community Mobilization College Feb. 16: Is PrEP Prevention Justice? Join HIV PJA for Webinar on New Prevention Technology Register for AIDSWatch 2011 in Washington, D.C., February 16-18