Still time to register! Click pic for more info….
In keeping with the relevance of Montana Pride- and as a precursor to HIV Testing Awareness Day June 27th, free, anonymous HIV testing will be offered Friday and Saturday during Montana Pride in the MSU Strand Union Building, just look for these signs:
HIV infection has increased unexpectedly in Missoula County- 12 new cases in five months- almost half the number of all reported cases in Montana last year.
“We tend to see small numbers of new cases every year, but to have this many new cases – at this count 12 – documented in a five-month period is an unusually high number,” Missoula City-County Health Department Director Ellen Leahy said on Wednesday. “Twelve cases in one county in five months is an outbreak.”
HIV causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS, a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. It is spread by unprotected sexual contact or infected blood transfer, such as sharing infected hypodermic needles. Leahy said all the Missoula cases appeared to stem from sexual activity.
The announcement was made after consulting with many community groups, including Partnership Health Center, the Montana Gay Men’s Task Force and the Open Aid Alliance. Open Aid director Christa Weathers said the decision to publicize the outbreak was a hard one, because health officials depend on people self-reporting their condition to track the disease’s spread.
“It’s hard to issue a public health risk without creating alarm, or without pointing fingers at any group of people,” Weathers said. “It’s a great opportunity to remind people this is a risk and why testing is so important. But we don’t want to discourage anyone who may know they may need to get tested, but they’re afraid to come in and then this hits the media and they’re gone.”
So far, all the confirmed cases are adult males. But Leahy warned that women who don’t consider themselves members of a high-risk group for HIV infection have also been exposed.
“It’s sexually spread, but it’s time to remind ourselves – you really cannot know if you’re infected unless you’ve been tested,” Leahy said. “We recommend health clinics regularly offer HIV testing to sexually active patients. Rather than presume someone is in a risk group, it’s risk behavior, not membership in any group, that they need to think about.”
Several of my sources say the newly-infected persons are young men who simply didn’t practice safe sex, thinking “It’s Montana- I’m not at risk”. These men, mostly in their twenties, I’m told, will now have a lifetime of medication, stigma and health issues to deal with. It saddens me.
Today is a good day to be tested. For a list of Montana free Rapid HIV Testing sites, click here.
If you’re in Bozeman, call AIDS Outreach 406-451-5718 (the number in the link above is incorrect) or go to AIDSOutreachMT.org
I had the privilege to spend the weekend with 14 young gay/bi men from across the state of Montana for a weekend of fun, education, fun, community building, fun, discussion and did I say, fun?
Whenever I go away for the weekend I have a lot to catch up on- thus the reason for no posts for the last two days. But I wanted to say that being around these guys, watching their enthusiasm for life, their interest in making life better for young gay men in the state and the strength and energy they brought to (and hopefully took home from) this weekend, energized me and gave me renewed energy to do what I do.
It might sound sappy, but I don’t care. This retreat was the best I’ve ever been involved in- and the (I want to call them kids, but I don’t want to sound condescending) participants made me realize that the future is in pretty good hands.
That’s excellent, because I’m not getting any younger.
Special thanks to FDH and Associates (David Herrera, Chantz Thilmony) and the Montana Gay Men’s Task Force for their dedication to the wellness, safety and education of gay/bi men in Montana. And to Bernie Kneefe for being the Den Mother.
If you’re a young gay/bi man who wants to be involved in this next year- go here. They’ll hook you up.
An awesome opportunity for young gay/bi men in Montana to feel less isolated, learn about themselves, talk frankly about life and make some friends!
Click pic for registration link.
Yesterday, I headed over to Missoula to participate in the Men’s Group at the WMGLCC which is sponsored by the Montana Gay Men’s Task Force. I also had some estate sale stuff to drop off with Tim Gordon.
Everything was going great. I got the art dropped off, shared a Starbuck’s moment with Tim and Amy and went to get in my car to head to the meeting. The key went into the ignition- but wouldn’t turn. Not after 20 minutes of trying and being on the phone with my brother, the Ford expert. I finally called AAA and got a tow from a very nice Driver named Ben from Red’s Towing. At Bitterroot Motors, they were great. Couldn’t fix the car until the morning, but David Herrera swooped in, picked me up and took me to the group. We had a great evening- I presented on gay men and mental health issues, and the guys really participated.
Today, I got the call that the car was fixed while having coffee with my lovely friend Bernie, so off I go. I pay hundreds of dollars for the privilege to drive my car home and whew- another adventure behind me! And I stayed calm and stress-free the whole time….
Oh, and I didn’t have internet, so that’s why there wasn’t a post yesterday. BUT, I’m working on something I think you’ll really like.
Stay tuned.
Today I begin the Fall Men’s Health Retreat in Greenough for gay/bi men- it’s one of the highlights of my year. This is my fourth in a row, and the first without Ken (we actually met (or re-met) at the first one I attended). I can’t say enough about the positive effect that I’ve seen happen in these guy’s lives….
I really love these weekends away- it’s a rare chance for me to have a bit of time for self-reflection and teaching. It’s also a rare chance for the men of Montana to make some connections, to share some intimacy that goes beyond the ordinary and maybe discover a bit about themselves. I know I never fail to find some deeper meaning in my own life as a result of experiencing life through the eyes and lives of the guys during this weekend.
So, I’ll be out of touch for a bit, but doing some good things.
And if you’re a guy who wants a deeper connection to himself and others, you could do worse than attend one of these retreats.
Peace,
~G
From Eternity To Here 