AIDS Action Committee’s Blog

We have created a new series called “Voices From the Front Line” for our blog and Update our newsletter. With these profiles we’re letting you hear from AIDS Action’s people who do the work every day that prevents new infections and who connect people living with HIV to care, support and services In this installment we check in with Emerson Miller AAC’s Peer Support Coordinator.

Emerson joined the staff of AIDS Action about 18 months ago. In his role of Peer Service Coordinator, he works alongside a dedicated team to support the long term health and well being of our clients. We spoke briefly about his work:

When someone is newly diagnosed and comes to AAC for support, do you find that they have a good deal of information about HIV/AIDS already or are they starting from square one?

You know it really varies; each person has a unique set of circumstances that brings them to seek our services – so it’s difficult to answer without acknowledging that. I will say though, I am seeing a higher number of people who are presenting sick. In other words, people seeking support for their new knowledge of their HIV status but at the same time, dealing with an immediate health issue as well. Facing a difficult health situation often makes the job of counseling more challenging, as the client usually has a more immediate need to get healthy. At the same time we also work with them to get them involved with the Peer Support programs.

(Read on …)

A Change Is Gonna Come!
By Lee F. Carson

World AIDS Day always inspires me to reflect on how I started doing HIV prevention work for Black gay men, which began officially, exactly 7 years ago today on December 1, 2000. I, at that time was thoroughly excited about landing a job with an organization in my hometown of Rochester, NY that provided services for Black men who have sex with men (MSM). I remember thinking, “Wow, how can an organization like this exist in a small city like Rochester?” But it did, and it still does, and it, like all of the organizations across the country serving Black MSM have more work to do than ever, because in spite of our best efforts with the limited resources the government has given us, we have fallen short of saving the lives of Black gay men from HIV/AIDS. A disease with a small name, but powerful punch, that has robbed our families and our communities of so many beautiful and talented Black gay men. However, I believe a change is gonna come!

(Read on …)

Talk about perspective.  Right now, you can get a thoughtful view HIV counseling from someone who’s been in both the HIV counselor’s chair and in the client’s, being told of an HIV positive diagnosis.  Stewart Landers, JD, MCP, a long-time expert on issues of HIV/AIDS, LGBTI health and substance treatment, selflessly peels away the surface and takes time to share his experienced lens.  Read the full piece on LifeLube.org’s Blog.

—Diego

I think it’s not a coincidence that the move to reduce or eliminate counseling as part of HIV testing comes at the same time many are pushing for “routine” or other forms of expanded HIV testing.

The main barrier to widespread HIV testing has been providers’ discomfort or lack of willingness to “go there.” That is many do not want to talk to their patients about a stigmatized disease that may suggest behaviors they (the provider) are uncomfortable discussing or providing counseling or other information about.

Getting a positive test result for HIV is still a shocking piece of news for most people. It changes the course of their lives - how they think about partnering, parenting, sexuality, survival, work and much more. While I’m all for the mainstreaming of AIDS care and the de-stigmatization of the illness, I often find myself in a quandary about how we do that and still acknowledge all the life changing aspects of the illness.

—Stewart  (read full post)