Tester Stands Up

Senator Jon Tester’s office released the following today:

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Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after voting against a controversial amendment by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., that would have allowed employers to deny health insurance coverage, including contraception, for any employee based on “moral convictions”:

“This is a reckless attempt to undermine individual freedom and restrict access to health care for women. This measure is unprecedented and out-of-touch with Montana, and it would have prevented women from making their own healthcare decisions.”

The amendment did not define “moral convictions,” meaning an employer could have denied insurance coverage for anything from blood transfusions and diabetes screenings to HPV vaccinations and treatment of HIV.

The measure failed by a vote of 51-48, failing to reach the 60 votes needed for approval.

It sounds like it would have given employers the right to discriminate for insurance coverage.

I’m especially glad the release specifically mentioned HIV- we have hundreds of Montanans living with HIV who are enrolled in health insurance through their employers….

Rehberg Defends Controversial Bill (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Romney reverses on Roy Blunt’s health care amendment A few… (shortformblog.tumblr.com)
GOP Sen. Roy Blunt to introduce bill allowing employers to deny coverage for any health service (dailykos.com)

ADAP Waiting List 1/26/12

Jan30 by D Gregory Smith

Study: HIV+ Women Cope Better With Pets

Jan25 by D Gregory Smith

Phyllis and Bandit

I’m a dog lover. I’ve had many important dogs in my life- from the dog I got for my sixth birthday, Ruff- to Bandit and Phyllis, our dogs today. Animals can provide a lot of joy, comfort and support- and for a lot of persons with HIV, they often provide an excellent reason to take better care of themselves.

Science Daily reports today on a study showing that HIV+ women with pets cope much better than their petless counterparts. Excerpt:

(Allison) Webel set out to better understand how women manage their HIV/AIDS and stay on track to take their medications, follow doctors’ orders and live healthy lifestyles. She conducted 12 focus groups with 48 women to find out what they did to stay healthy. The women had an average age of 42, about 90 percent had children, and more than half were single.

During the focus groups, six predominant social roles emerged that helped and hindered these women in managing their illness: pet owner, mother/grandmother, faith believer, advocate, stigmatized patient, and employee. All roles had a positive impact except stigmatized patient, which prevented women from revealing their illness and seeking out appropriate supports.

“Much information is available about the impact of work and family roles, but little is known about other social roles that women assume,” Webel said.

Being a pet owner was an important surprise, added Webel, who collaborated with co-author Patricia Higgins, a professor of nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

“Pets — primarily dogs — gave these women a sense of support and pleasure,” Webel said.

When discussing the effect their pets have on their lives, the women weighed in. “She’s going to be right there when I’m hurting,” a cat owner said. Another said: “Dogs know when you’re in a bad mood…she knows that I’m sick, and everywhere I go, she goes. She wants to protect me.”

The human and animal bond in healing and therapy is being recognized, Webel said, as more animals are visiting nursing homes to connect to people with dementia or hospitals to visit children with long hospital stays.

I’m sure that this translates across genders, as well. I’ve known plenty of chronically ill men who have strong bonds with their pets.

Psychologically, it’s much more difficult to be depressed when there’s a pet in your life- taking care of someone/something other than yourself can be very beneficial and provide relief from feelings of isolation, sadness and fear. Organizations like PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) have known this for years- that for animal lovers, nothing helps speed healing like the love of a pet- now science may make this an even more integral component of treating chronic illness….

Stigma among HIV-positive women complex and overlapping (eurekalert.org)
AIDS: “The Unnecessary Epidemic” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
http://www.aidsbeacon.com/news/2009/06/15/pet-ownership-for-people-with-hivaids/
Study: Rural Persons Less Likely To Be Tested For HIV (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Greg Louganis: Dancing With The Stars?

Jan20 by D Gregory Smith

Anyone who’s watched Olympic Champion Greg Louganis do his thing from a diving board knows that he possesses grace, power, determination and skill. But can he move on the dance floor?

His followers on Facebook say “Give him a chance!” To that end, they’ve created a page called “We Want Greg Louganis On Dancing With The Stars“.

“I really want to do this for GLBT youth,” Louganis told me this morning. “Being on Dancing With The Stars is more than me being on the show, it sends a positive message- an ‘It Gets Better’ message. And that message is still important- kids are still losing hope. I want to do what I can for them.”

There have been gay men on DWTS before- Lance Bass, Carson Cressley and Louis Amstel- and Chaz Bono broke the transgender barrier last season, but if this bid is successful, Greg would be the first openly HIV+ contestant. And it’s about time, say HIV activists.

“In a generation that is trying to end AIDS, it’s great to have openly HIV positive sports figures like Greg Louganis in the spot light,” said Tom Donohue, founder and executive director of Who’s Positive, an HIV/AIDS advocacy and awareness organization. “Not only can his presence be a reminder for folks to be tested, his appearance on Dancing With The Stars can reemphasize how those living with HIV/AIDS can live normal and active lives.” Donohue is also on the board of directors for The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA).

Time will tell if this Facebook movement will work- but if the producers are recruiting Tim Tebow– it seems only fair.

Louganis’ Facebook campaign page here.

AIDS: “The Unnecessary Epidemic” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Michael Fassbender’s ‘Prometheus’ Character Inspired By… Greg Louganis? (moviesblog.mtv.com)
Tim Tebow Set to Appear on Dancing With the Stars (weeklyworldnews.com)

“The Race To End AIDS”

Dec28 by D Gregory Smith

On Today’s Morning Edition from NPR, a story about HIV Treatment As Prevention:

2011 has been a momentous year in the 30-year-old AIDS pandemic.

The big breakthrough was the discovery that antiviral drugs can prevent someone who’s infected with HIV from passing the virus to others. It’s nearly 100 percent effective. That led President Obama to declare earlier this month that the U.S. will expand HIV treatment in hard-hit countries by 50 percent.

As recently as last year, many of those experts were saying that just giving more people with HIV more drugs would never work. “For every one person that was put on antiretroviral therapy or treatment, we would have two to three new infections identified,” Dr. Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS coordinator, says.

It looked like a losing game, but not anymore.

The new research shows that antiviral drugs not only save the lives of infected people, they also stop people from spreading the virus and causing new infections, if the drugs can be given early enough after someone gets infected. The new strategy is called “treatment as prevention.”

“So we suddenly are looking at a moment where we can treat our way out of the epidemic,” Goosby says. “That’s the turning point that we’re looking at.” Still, it’ll take decades to end AIDS, according to experts. But many say the world has to be much more aggressive about treating HIV.

But just the fact that this is being reported on and is being taken seriously is a big deal.

You can read and/or listen to the whole story here

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.: World AIDS Day 2011: Working to End the Pandemic (huffingtonpost.com)
UNC HIV Prevention Research Named Scientific Breakthrough Of The Year (medicalnewstoday.com)
Drugs that Prevent HIV Transmission Named ‘Breakthrough of 2011’ (livescience.com)

Wanted: Members For Montana’s HIV Community Planning Group

Dec20 by D Gregory Smith

Are you interested in community service? Do you want to help shape Montana’s HIV policies, treatment strategies and prevention interventions?

I have a challenge for you.

Montana’s Community Planning Group for the Prevention of HIV (CPG) needs active community voices from around the state to provide valuable input and experience regarding HIV/AIDS in Montana. I have been active in this group for the last four years, and I would encourage anyone interested to apply- especially if you are involved with HIV education, prevention, treatment and/or are a person living with HIV. From the DPHHS Website:

The Community Planning Group (CPG) is an advisory group instrumental in the planning and implementation of HIV prevention interventions in Montana. CPG helps ensure that target populations are represented in the planning of state prevention efforts. The CPG consists of 36 members and is coordinated by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services HIV/STD Section.

Membership in the CPG requires a firm commitment. The following is a basic outline of what this commitment entails:

Attend and actively participate in all CPG meetings to the fullest extent of your ability. This usually includes 4 meetings each year. Meetings typically include a full day on a Friday and a half day on a Saturday. Travel expenses are paid.
Speak for your Community Representation to the benefit of the community group. Each member is assigned to represent a specific community group and needs to be able and willing to do so.
Actively participate in a workgroup. Workgroups conduct business and meet during and possibly outside of the full CPG meetings as needed. This work is usually conducted through e-mail or phone conferences, but may occasionally include a meeting that requires travel.

Our challenge has always been getting broad community representation from all communities affected by HIV in Montana. I’m asking you to consider this opportunity- and/or passing it on to someone you think would make a good representative.

Please click on the application link below for more information. We’d love to have you!

CPG Application 2011 Application Deadline is January 16

World AIDS Day: American Indians Join the Fight ‘Getting to Zero’ New HIV Infections (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
World AIDS Day in Montana (dgsma.wordpress.com)

New York Times: Expanding HIV Treatment Necessary And Overdue

Dec10 by D Gregory Smith

This hasn’t taken that long.

I’m blaming Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The news that HIV treatment is prevention has taken a remarkably short time to hit the mainstream media, and it’s due to Secretary Clinton’s address to the NIH last month, and the President of The United States.

The NYT:

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Important new findings show that very early treatment of people infected with H.I.V. enhances their health and greatly lessens the likelihood that they will spread the virus that causes AIDS. We welcome the Obama administration’s announcement of a farsighted effort to treat millions more infected people abroad, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

The administration expects that the expanded treatments can be paid for with existing resources, by pushing for greater efficiencies and more financing from recipient nations. But if that effort stalls, the administration should re-evaluate quickly whether to ask Congress for money.

… Mr. Obama also announced that he would commit an additional $50 million in this country in fiscal year 2012 to help pay for treatments at AIDS clinics and in-state programs that provide AIDS drugs to people who can’t afford them. The money may be drawn from $1 billion available through the health care reform law.

Working to get these changes made legislatively have proven impossible in a Republican-owned House and a Republican-bullied Senate- especially when it involves the health of gay and bisexual men- so policy and administrative action were required. And by beginning to make testing and immediate treatment for HIV routine, medical practices are established that will be hard to take back.

An estimated 1.2 million Americans were infected with the virus at latest count, of whom 240,000 people are unaware. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started a campaign last week to increase testing with special emphasis on warning black gay and bisexual men, whose infection rates have been soaring, to get tested and treated.

Meanwhile, the New York City Health Department became the second (after San Francisco’s) to recommend doctors offer drug therapy immediately to every person diagnosed as infected, instead of waiting for the virus to damage their immune systems. The city has made enormous strides in testing, treating and cutting the number of new infections. Some 110,000 infected residents are under treatment; aggressive testing might find another 2,500 immediately and perhaps 500 a year thereafter.

The investments here and abroad should pay off in the long run by reducing the number of people infected and easing the severity of illnesses.

Thanks to you both.

Few Americans with HIV have virus under control – msnbc.com (today.msnbc.msn.com)
Obama to Up Funding for AIDS Treatment, Expand Access to Drugs (foxnews.com)
Obama on AIDS: ‘We can beat this disease’ (mercurynews.com)
Secretary Clinton Calls To “Embrace Treatment As Prevention” (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Study: Rural Persons Less Likely To Be Tested For HIV

Dec5 by D Gregory Smith

A new study reports that rural areas score lower on self-reported testing of high-risk populations than urban areas:

In this nationally-representative, population-based study of HIV testing frequencies in the United States, we found that the frequency of self-reported HIV testing decreased substantially as the residential environment became progressively more rural. After adjusting for differences in demographics and self-reported HIV risk factors, the odds of HIV testing in the past year were 35% lower among persons living in the most remote rural areas compared to persons in the most urban areas. Rural persons with a prior HIV test were more likely than urban to report testing in a hospital, but less likely in the outpatient setting.

A prior study in the early years of the HIV epidemic in the US also found that rural persons were less likely than urban to report HIV testing.^[6] Our results demonstrate that this gap in testing persists in the modern era of effective HIV therapy, when early diagnosis and linkage to care are even more essential. Moreover, recent efforts to increase testing have not impacted the rural-urban gap in testing. Although rural persons with HIV experience barriers to care, prior studies have described effective models for delivering high-quality HIV care in rural settings.^[12–18] This accentuates the importance of early testing and diagnosis among rural persons with HIV.

Still work to do…

World AIDS Day in Montana

Dec1 by D Gregory Smith

On World AIDS Day we should not only remember the lives we’ve lost and think of those who are continuing to battle this disease, but we should also remember the challenges we’ve overcome and move forward towards the challenges ahead.

Here in Montana, we have a lot of challenges in regard to HIV/AIDS, but it’s important to me to highlight something some people may not pay particular attention to; something that drives me crazy every time I think about it; the particular challenge of Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

Congressman Rehberg has a long history of furthering stigma and reducing access to treatment for people with HIV.

When he was our Lt.Governor, Congressman Rehberg argued against providing treatment for people with HIV, saying, “The problem with AIDS is, you get, you die, so why are we spending any money on people that get it...”

And no apology.

I’ve documented more recently that Congressman Rehberg hasn’t changed his thoughts on fighting this disease. In fact, he wants to eviscerate the budget. His recently released budget bill (in which he solicited no input from Montanans) would cut nearly $33 million from the CDC to fight the spread of HIV, Hep-C and other STDs. Obviously, Congressman Rehberg doesn’t realize that stopping the spread of these diseases now will save us millions of dollars in health care costs down the road- and potentially save the lives of millions of Americans and hundreds of Montanans.

He’s too busy pandering to the Tea Party.

I attended the Governor’s World AIDS Day awards today and I heard the award recipients and the many inspirational people talk about the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day, “Getting to Zero: Zero Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths.” It struck me as I was listening to the speeches, that, over his decades as a politician, Denny Rehberg has done an incredible disservice to his hundreds of constituents living with HIV/AIDS- and their families. His ignorance and inability to separate HIV from stigma and shame is repugnant- and the exact opposite of the hope, selflessness, dedication and service those people in the Capitol Rotunda represented today.

Let’s make sure that by next year’s World AIDS Day Congressman Rehberg won’t be able to work against our efforts to stop the spread of this disease and the stigma associated with it.