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Op-ed: When Is the Right Time to Tell Your HIV Status on a Date?
by  Tyler Curry (March 16, 2013)
www.advocate.com

As I prepare to say goodbye to my 20s, I’ve noticed that getting older has its perks. Department store salesmen no longer roll their eyes when I ask to be fitted for a new suit, I no longer feel the need to sleep until just before the sun starts to set, and my car insurance company no longer hates me. It would seem that this so-called “midlife” isn’t so bad after all. That is, unless you are single. Single, and you are about to go on the dreaded first date. Single, dreaded first date, and you have to find a way to casually disclose that you are HIV-positive. Now, I still don’t believe getting older is all that bad, but it is definitely a hell of a lot more complicated.

Read more

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Infographic: CONDOMS Facts & Myths
(March 25, 2013)
www.healthytimesblog.com

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Our Voices – Young People and HIV
by YouthLEADful (March 26, 2013)
www.youth-lead.org

Every day 2500 young people are infected with HIV. To change that Youth LEAD is working towards empowering infected and Youth at Risk of HIV exposure.

Visit their website

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The Shorty Awards are a worldwide effort to engage hundreds of thousands of Twitter users to identify the best people and organizations on social media, culminating in a blockbuster ceremony in New York City.

It’s a matter of prevention versus cure. I’m talking about the constant woes in HIV advocacy caused by people using the Internet as an avenue of baseless accusations and unwarranted disclosure of people’s HIV status.

Early this year, an individual chose an online social network as the platform to indict a student of being HIV-positive and of deliberately infecting other people through a poster of the student’s picture and other identifying features. As expected, with the phenomena brought by these online mediums, the post spread like wildfire through countless re-posts. It drew different comments; a few, of dismay that someone would do this to shame a person, but mostly of confusion and fear that probably, this person might actually be purposely infecting others.

To save a maligned name and disprove the unknown perpetrator, the student took the HIV screening test at a social hygiene clinics and got a non-reactive result.

This has happened before. A blog targeted multiple subscribers of a gay social networking site and branded them HIV-positive as well. This even reached mainstream media and caused quite a blow towards our efforts of dissipating the fear of HIV, which would eventually hamper the public’s opportunities of understanding HIV and AIDS.

In light of a current law penalizing people who malign others, with some using HIV infection at the core of accusations, I think it’s good that there is something to use against persons who put others in a bad light. Given the lack of teeth of RA 8504, or the Philippine AIDS Law, it could help put a stop to the destructive online attacks. But I think we can do more than just chastise.

But then again, why not just aid the campaign on HIV prevention by educating people, strengthening school campaigns and helping the media handle this very sensitive topic? HIV is no longer just a health issue. It is a social issue given the country’s taboo perception on sex and sexual contact, which is currently the most widespread mode of transmission of the virus.

I believe that educating people and removing the stigma is the best preventive measure against hateful remarks online from ever happening again. Not only will it help the country in its goal of lessening HIV prevalence; it will also help persons living with HIV to seek out help without fear of discrimination. Again, as they say, prevention is better than cure.

Disclaimer: The views represented in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of AIDS Society of the Philippines, Inc.

Happening on October 19, 2012 at The Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila.

Learn more about how the HIV epidemic is currently assessed and addressed in the country.

For registration instructions, please contact us through our office details.

(+632) 376-2541
info@aidsphil.org

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AIDS Society of the Philippines (ASP) takes part by expanding outreach to the discreet population of males having sex with males (MSM) in the country emphasizing on health information and HIV education, motivating health-seeking behaviour towards accessing voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT).

In response to the use of the internet as a venue to hook up and have sex, ASP, with support from the Department of Health and the Global Fund, contracted online peer educators that succeeded in their approach to assimilate in chat sites and online groups gaining an average of at least 30 VCT clients in a month referred to social hygiene clinics and the ASP off-site VCT clinic conducted every first Friday and third Saturday of the month. This online peer education approach is still in its infancy but it accords huge potentials for social awareness, reaching more and more people in the viral media and confronting hidden population in Facebook and other sprouting online groups.

This year’s theme: “Chatters, Bloggers, Texters at risk of HIV”
Guest speakers: Dr. Isabel E. Melgar & Dr. Mary Annjoy Aguadera

The global village is getting smaller and is constantly evolving, but what impact can advances in online mobile and social technology have on issues regarding HIV and AIDS?

The birth of social media platforms are changing the state of play when it comes to health information and services enabling organizations to reach out to young people about issues surrounding HIV without drowning and overwhelming us in statistics and scholarly articles! Truly, health technology provides solutions that improves the efficiency, effectiveness and access of health service delivery for HIV prevention, treatment and care.

We believe that mobile, online and social technologies plays a critical role in empowering individuals to take control of their HIV status by simply being connected!

Anybody, anyone could be at risk including you!

Preceeding ASP’s membership meeting will be a scientific forum which will provide important information on the progress of HIV outreach. There will be a discussion on the changing trends and patterns of HIV infection as well as the country’s responses.

In behalf our President, Dr Jojo Sescon, our Founder Dr Ofelia T Monzon, and ASP’s Board of Trustees, we look forward to an informative event that is of special interest to all of us!

Pre-registration Fee will be P250.00 (until 10/18/11) while the on-site Registration Fee for non-members will be Php300.00. This includes 2 snacks and a buffet lunch.

To confirm attendance, simply download and complete the confirmation slip and fax it back to: (02) 376-2546 or e-mail it to: info@aidsphil.org or me.laya@aidsphil.org on or before October 18, 2011.

Confirmation Slip and Location Map: Download Now

For any inquiries, please feel free to contact us. Look for Ma. Eloisa Laya or Bong Yap.