Critical Encounters: HIV AIDS Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/images/fd.gif http://feed.informer.com/ http://app.feed.informer.com/digest3/IJHRVP1ZJL.html Respective post owners and feed distributors http://feed.informer.com/ Responding to a lawsuit, the Milton Hershey School (MHS) said in a court filing Friday that it acted properly in denying admission to a 13-year-old Delaware County boy identified in documents as “Abraham Smith.” The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania (ALPP) filed an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) suit in federal court in Philadelphia in December, seeking reversal of the Hershey, Pa.-based boarding school’s decision and payment of unspecified damages. In its response, MHS said the case “requires a realistic examination of teen sexuality” and the “inability to control consensual sexual activity ... in the unique residential setting.” MHS said Smith in 2011 met “initial minimal qualifications” for admission to MHS, which serves low-income families. Before it discontinued processing Smith’s application upon learning he had HIV, MHS said it “weighed a number of complicated factors.” While it has policies to control sexual behavior, MHS said evidence shows “that a significant percentage of its students will ... become sexually active prior to graduation.” Smith’s “needs cannot be accommodated without imposing an undue burden,” MHS said, adding that it “must balance his rights against its obligations to the health and safety of other students.” In asking the court to rule that it did not violate the ADA, the school said Smith “would pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others.” ALPP faulted MHS for failing “to make any individualized assessment as to whether Abraham’s HIV status posed a direct threat.” ALPP also said it will contest MHS’s motion to move the trial from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, 15 minutes from the school, as being an immense inconvenience to the youth and his mother. [Article source: http://inq.philly.com ] http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59089 CDCNPIN News http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59089? Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00 GMT Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and state officials are urging Nevadans to get tested for the virus. The Southern Nevada Health District is offering HIV testing at its offices, and leaders there are reminding the public that early diagnosis is critical to receiving proper care. [Article source: http://www.ap.org/ ] http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59085 CDCNPIN News http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59085? Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00 GMT CDC marked Tuesday, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, by stressing its commitment to ending an epidemic that disproportionately affects African Americans. “At CDC, HIV prevention in black communities remains one of our top priorities,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “Last year, we invested more than half of our HIV prevention budget to fight HIV among African Americans. “We’ve expanded initiatives to reach more African Americans with HIV testing, increased the number and reach of HIV prevention programs in black communities, and are working with our partners, like those in the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, to launch campaigns aimed at increasing HIV testing and awareness among black women and black gay and bisexual men, among other groups,” Fenton said. The director said testing and awareness are the best ways to prevent future HIV infections. “We must also tackle factors such as homophobia and stigma - far too prevalent in many communities - that prevent too many in the black community from getting tested, and if HIV-positive, from getting treated,” added Fenton. “The harsh reality is that today, even in the face of great hope and promise, African-American communities continue to be devastated by HIV,” said Fenton. “Although only 14 percent of the US population, African Americans account for almost half of those living and dying with HIV and AIDS in this country.” For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/BlackHIVAIDSAwareness/. [Article source: http://www.thegavoice.com] http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59088 CDCNPIN News http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59088? Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00 GMT Community organizers in San Diego are hosting an event on Tuesday they hope will galvanize African-American efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS locally and nationally. “I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS” will be held at 6 p.m. in the Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center in Lincoln Park; the event includes a panel discussion and free HIV testing, entertainment, and refreshments. It is being held on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day as a way to build the response to disproportionately high rates of the disease among African Americans. Terry Cunningham, chief of San Diego County’s HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch of Public Health Services, said progress on the issue is ongoing: “We’ve gone a long way from people not wanting to talk about AIDS to having very frank discussions. I’m hoping that’s made a difference.” The nonprofit Faith-Based Working Group of San Diego, organizer of Tuesday’s event, hosts awareness-raising forums year-round, said representative Kimberly Moore, who also is outreach coordinator at a nonprofit that supports women and families affected by HIV/AIDS, Christie’s Place. Moore said the panelists represent a cross-section of the black community. “We wanted individuals who can give us insights into what we need to do or what’s working in getting the word out,” she noted. “A lot of us have taken to social media and marketing that targets the African-American community.” For more information on the event, telephone Moore at 619-729-2066. [Article source: http://www.uniontrib.com/] http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59083 CDCNPIN News http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59083? Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00 GMT My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), a nonprofit addressing the health disparities facing minorities, is among those offering free HIV testing this week in recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Feb. 7. Cedric Sturdevant is a Ridgeland-based project coordinator and HIV prevention specialist with MBK. His goal is to empower people to take control of their lives, whether they have HIV or not. His drive comes from personal experience: Sturdevant was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 but kept it quiet for fear of hurting his mom. After nearly dying, he began taking care of himself, taking medicines, exercising, and eating right. Openly gay, Sturdevant expects some to be critical of his lifestyle, though he does not allow it to deter him. “God has placed me here and kept me here for a reason,” he said. “Maybe it will inspire others to take care of themselves.” Sturdevant believes that solutions for reducing HIV/AIDS’ impact on the black community need to come from within. “My theory is the fact we keep stuff so silent around here. HIV/AIDS is the last thing we’re talking about,” he said. “We actually need to have conversations ongoing about this. We don’t because we don’t have conversations about homosexuality.” “As long as HIV/AIDS has been around there are still people not educated about it,” noted Sturdevant. “It’s going to take all of us - churches, Greek organizations, barbershops - to get a hold on this disease and stop the mindset that it only affects gay men.” For information on MBK testing sites, telephone 601-957-3625 or visit www.mbkinc.org. [Article source: http://search.clarionledger.com] http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59091 CDCNPIN News http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/display/NewsDisplay.asp?NewsNbr=59091? Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00 GMT