Dear John

You can hear more impeccable tips from John Maxwell (and his colleagues) at Positive Lite- a lighter, fluffier side to being HIV Positive...

valentines romance from terrence higgins trust

this is a message we found on facebook from the terrence higgins trust. it reframes a message that seems to have gotten lost in many circles of gay men's culture. there may need to be some dating before a marriage takes place... happy valentine's day

Valentine's romance...



We’ve all been there. You’ve had the perfect romantic evening, things are drawing to their natural conclusion, and suddenly up crops the issue of safer sex. Whether you’ve only met that night or have been together for years, we know it can feel difficult to blend in to your tried and tested seduction routine the important task of finding and putting on a condom.
But, with just a little preparation, protecting yourself and your partner doesn’t have to be a passion killer. There are plenty of tricks you can use to keep the rhythm going without relying on the rhythm method. And remember, it doesn’t get much less romantic than an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection.

Here, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Terrence Higgins Trust is offering our top ten tips on how to practice safer sex and keep it sexy.

1.“Hang on! Hang on! I know it’s in here somewhere.” There’s nothing worse than having to scrabble around at the bottom of the pants drawer in the dark while your partner lies there, frustrated. To avoid unnecessary hold-ups, you should store your condoms in a special ‘Love Box’ beside the bed, and only open it when it looks like sex might be on the cards. Not only will this keep your condoms in a cool, dry place (as per the manufacturer’s instructions), when you see your other half reaching for the box, you’ll know you’re in for a treat.

2.If you’re heading out on a romantic dinner date, there’s an easy way to use condoms as a sign of good things to come. Surreptitiously slip one inside your partner’s purse or wallet, so that when they pull it out to pay their share (or the whole bill, depending on how lucky you are) they’ll immediately know what sort of after-dinner entertainment you have planned.


3.No matter what the fashionistas say, beige is boring whichever way you wear it. To add visual impact to proceedings, you can now buy condoms in a whole rainbow of colours. There’s a shade to complement every skin tone, from preppy pastels to nu rave neons - you can even get glow in the dark ones and save money on candles. Why not choose a selection and have your own private catwalk show for two.


4.When using condoms for oral sex, it can make a real difference if it actually tastes good. Let’s face it, you’re doing your other half a favour so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy it too, is there? Condoms come in all sorts of flavours these days: chocolate, peppermint, cherry, even Tutti Frutti. Even better, with all that flavour and no calories, they’re the healthy option in more ways than one. You can enjoy a gastronomic tour with zero calorific content.


5.If you think it automatically breaks the rhythm to put a condom on, think again. It can be very sexy, if handled in the right way. Why not try putting the condom on your partner for him, either with your hand, or – for the more adventurous – with your mouth. Carefully place the condom with the opening between your lips, slightly unrolled, then sexily slide it all the way onto your partner’s penis. Be very careful to use your lips and tongue, not your teeth. If you do snag it with your teeth, start again; he won’t complain.


6.If it’s a loss of sensation that worries you, you might like to experiment with condoms that are thinner. Specially made thinner condoms are now just as durable as the regular sort but give a much more natural sensation. Why not also try out ribbed, shaped, or contoured varieties to give an extra pleasurable sensation.


7.Men, remember, when it comes to penises, it’s not one size fits all (and you definitely don’t want it to be one size splits all). Condoms are like bras: if it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably wearing the wrong size. There’s a whole industry making condoms to fit every possible length and girth, so don’t be afraid to try on something new for size.


8.Lubrication isn’t just for mechanics. You can use a water-based lubricant (KY Jelly, Wet Stuff, Astroglide) with a condom for much smoother, and therefore more enjoyable, sex. Dry condoms cause friction, which is uncomfortable and can cause the condom to break. You can even get special lubes to give you tantalising sensations, including warming and tingling varieties.


Make sure you steer clear of oil-based lubricants like baby oil or Vaseline though. They may be good for your skin, but they will weaken the condom and can cause it to break.


9.Practice makes perfect. Some people don’t like to use condoms because they find them tricky to put on, but - like sex itself - the more you do it the better you will get. You can get condoms for free from your GP surgery, GUM clinics, young person’s and family planning clinics, as well as many young people’s services. So why not stock up, find a private place and give yourself a refresher course without breaking the bank.


10.And finally, if you still don’t think condom use can be romantic, think about this: what can be more romantic than making love and protecting each other’s health at the same time? Happy Valentine’s Day from Terrence Higgins Trust!

Love Unleashed Workshop

Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 9 am to 5 pm in Bear Creek EPC Church at 3101 S. Kipling Street. courtesy of HIV CARELINK

About:
The Love Unleashed HIV Workshop gives caring Christians real-world tools to make a difference in the fight to stop AIDS and care for those who suffer.
The workshop information and training is for all Christians who want to learn more and/or want to become involved in the fight agianst HIV/AIDS. It is a required component for volunteers interested in becoming a Care Provider through our Care Program.
The workshop is typically held on Saturdays from 9:00 until 5:00 at various churches. HIV Care Link offers four to six workshops a year. The cost per person is a $55 registration fee to cover materials and food ($60 at the door).

Workshop topics include:

•Debunking stigma and hysteria, understanding HIV/AIDS.

•It's okay to be uncomfortable; valuable tools for care-giving and grief work.

•Keeping your foot out of your mouth and competently sharing the love and hope of Christ with those who are different from you.

•There seems to be a lot mroe than just HIV going on here; let's have a frank discussion about sexuality and addiction issues.

•Make a difference; how you can take action.

Read what attendees have said about the workshop:

"Overwhelming, heart wrenching and very diverse. I learned a lot - was convicted and challenged to be all that God wants me to be! Thanks for that."

"Thank you very much. When I said I was interested, I was not planning on such a professional presentation!"

"As an HIV positive person, I have been through countless HIV trainings, workshops and seminars; and you explained the emotional and spiritual aspects of living with HIV better than anything I've ever heard."



"I think that this was a very eye-opening course. . . I am very excited about this program!"
"Broke my heart. I realized just how calloused I've become."
"Excellent information. I learned many things about HIV/AIDS that I was totally unaware of. This was extremely enlightening and helpful."

Mr. Leather Maryland Puts Service Before Self

photo courtesy of dc's most fabulous

This week's video will also appear on my YouTube channel, "Mister J's Living In Leather," where I post videos meant to educate people about the leather community. Its purpose is also to show that the leather community is not all about sex, but putting service before self.

This has been an exciting year for me. First I was awarded my Associate's Degree in Communications, then I got married, and I was given my first award for the activism work and community service that I have done with Justin's HIV Journal. But nothing could have prepared me for what was next to come.

On November 6th, 2009 I was Contestant #3 in the Mr. Maryland Leather 2010 contest.



That night we had the meet and greet for the contest, which is a relaxed atmosphere where all the contestants can be introduced to all who plan on attending the contest. The next day of the contest was a full day of categories: Interview (in which you are interviewed by a panel of judges); Bar Wear (what you would where at your home leather bar), 90-Second Speech in Formal Wear (about your platform) and Pecs & Personality (need I say more?). There were two other contestants, Yoshi and Charles. We became very close in just a few hours and made a bond.

We were the only three competing. There was tension between us, but not because of the reasons most people would think. The tension came from doing the best we could. It's really you against the scoreboard/sheet, not you against other people. The goal is to have fun; if there is no fun then there's no point to doing what we do as leathermen and community leaders. It's common for people to get along during leather contest. The camaraderie and friendship can last a lifetime.
In the beginning of the contest I was so nervous I didn't know what to do, so I just decided to be myself. After looking into the history of the contest and past title holders I felt like I was ready. I didn't know if I would be awarded the title; all I knew was to be myself and have fun doing it, and I did just that.

you can read the rest of this post at thebody.com

Compound Found That Targets Wide Range of Viruses

Cell-culture and animal tests show antiviral could provide protection against HIV, Ebola, hepatitis C, herpes and more. Source: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

GALVESTON, Texas — The development of antibiotics gave physicians seemingly miraculous weapons against infectious disease. Effective cures for terrible afflictions like pneumonia, syphilis and tuberculosis were suddenly at hand. Moreover, many of the drugs that made them possible were versatile enough to knock out a wide range of deadly bacterial threats.
Unfortunately, antibiotics have a fundamental limitation: They're useless against viruses, which cause most infectious diseases. Antiviral drugs have proven far more difficult to create, and almost all are specifically directed at a few particular pathogens — namely HIV, herpes viruses and influenza viruses. The two "broad-spectrum" antivirals in use, ribavirin and interferon-alpha, both cause debilitating side effects.

Now, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, UCLA, Harvard University, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Cornell University have teamed up to develop and test a broad-spectrum antiviral compound capable of stopping a wide range of highly dangerous viruses, including Ebola, HIV, hepatitis C virus, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus and yellow fever virus, among others.

UCLA researchers led by Dr. Benhur Lee — corresponding author on a paper on the work appearing this week on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Web site — identified the compound (which they call LJ001), after screening a "library" of about 30,000 molecules to find a one that blocked the host cell entry of deadly Nipah virus. Subsequent experiments revealed that LJ001 blocked other viruses that, like Nipah, were surrounded by fatty capsules known as lipid envelopes. It had no effect on nonenveloped viruses.
"Once we started testing more and more, we realized that it was only targeting enveloped viruses," said Alexander Freiberg, director of UTMB's Robert E. Shope, M.D. Laboratory, the Biosafety Level 4 lab where much of the cell-culture work was done, as well as mouse studies with Ebola and Rift Valley fever viruses. "We followed up and determined that it was somehow changing the lipid envelope to prevent the fusion of the virus particle with the host cell."

Additional experiments indicated that while LJ001 also interacted with cell membranes, whose composition is nearly identical with that of virus envelopes, it caused them no ill effects. The reason, according to the researchers: Cells can rapidly repair their membranes, but viruses can't fix their envelopes.
"At antiviral concentrations, any damage it does to the cell's membrane can be repaired, while damage done to static viral envelopes, which have no inherent regenerative capacity, is permanent and irreversible," said Lee

healthy with hiv

it's the way of today...

NAPWA on The Budget

February 1, 2010

Washington, DC - The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) expresses disappointment with the Obama Administration's proposed budget for federal fiscal year 2010-2011. With over 56,000 new HIV infections annually and the rising cost of medical care and other services, NAPWA believes the Administration needs to show stronger dedication to addressing the unmet care and treatment needs of persons living with HIV in the United States. We must have a budget which provides sufficient resources to save the lives of 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS.
Far too many persons living with HIV in the United States lack access to appropriate HIV health care. There are over 350 people on waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. In the past, persons have died while on ADAP waiting lists. In many regions of the country, funding through Ryan White is often the only means to pay for health care and supportive services for many PLWHAs. Unfortunately, funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program increased only $40 million, with many Parts of the Ryan White program flat funded. The HIV community has called upon the Administration to provide at least $810 million in new resources to meet growing demand. The nation needs continued aggressive action on the part of the Obama Administration if we are to close the gap in access to treatment and care that exists for many persons living with HIV. It is estimated that 29% of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are uninsured.

In addition, the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program received only a $5 million increase. In the light of flat funding across many federal programs, while NAPWA appreciates this small increase, it is also far too small to make any meaningful impact on the rising numbers of persons who are without access to stable housing. If the Administration is to address the dire need for housing that exists among many persons living with HIV, more federal resources are required in this program.

At the same time, NAPWA is very pleased that the budget includes a six-month extension of the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the federal matching rate for Medicaid. The FMAP increase was set to expire on December 31, 2010; this proposal would extend much needed relief until June 2011. During this time of diminishing state coffers, states urgently need additional federal support to sustain their Medicaid programs. This proposal will inject an additional $25.5 billion dollars into state Medicaid programs.
NAPWA looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to find more resources to meet the already significant unmet need for HIV primary medical care and supportive services that exists across the United States. Much of the HIV community was extremely pleased by the steps taken by the Obama Administration in the first year. The President has expressed and demonstrated leadership on behalf of the HIV community with such actions as the four year extension of the Ryan White Care Act and ending the HIV travel ban. However, this budget will need significant modification to fulfill the President's leadership in ending the AIDS epidemic in America.

Founded in 1983, NAPWA is the first coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world as well as the oldest AIDS organization in the United States. NAPWA is the trusted, independent voice of the more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in America. For more information, visit http://www.napwa.org/