How to Engage Black Men in the HIV/AIDS Fight (posted 7/7)

This essay by CEO and Founder of the Black AIDS Institute is the third in a series of editorials about the critical role that Black men play in ending the AIDS epidemic in Black America. Part 1 described three reasons that Black men matter in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Next we explored why Black men - particularly heterosexuals, but in recent years HIV-negative gay men as well - have largely been absent from the effort to end the epidemic. Here Phil Wilson examines what needs to change to engage Black men, whether straight, gay, bisexual or questioning. To read the essay click here.

SAMHSA Hosts First Ever Pride Month Event (posted 7/5)

SAMHSA recently held its first ever LGBT Pride Month event, which was attended by over 100 individuals from various federal agencies including SAMHSA, community members, and national organizations.  SAMHSA leadership and invited guests discussed key behavioral health issues for LGBT populations: the impact of the Network for LGBT Tobacco Control; substance abuse and LGBT populations; provider perspectives on addressing the need of LGBTQ youth; and assets-based approaches to LGBT populations and behavioral health. This was followed by reflections from audience members and discussants from the National Coalition for LGBT Health; the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors; the American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (Div. 44}; and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.  

• To download the agenda from the event click here.
• To download Dr. Gamache's presentation: Part 1 (10MB), Part 2 (10MB).
  
• To download Dr. Libby's presentation click here (3MB).
  
• To download Dr. Scout's presenation click here (1.3MB).
  
  

Presenters:

• Peter Gamache, Ph.D. Candidate conducts research, monitoring, and evaluation. He produces national and regional needs assessments, evaluates outreach, testing, and treatment programs, develops educational curricula, and is a collaborative partner with federal, state, and community? and faith-based organizations. His professional experience includes serving as the national evaluator of initiatives administered by SAMHSA, HRSA, and the CDC. As a former at?risk youth, he received the Turnaround Achievement Award from his middle school at the age of 13. He is currently completing a Ph.D. at the University of South Florida, College of Education, Department of Psychological & Social Foundations that focuses on cross?cultural health education for youth. Having worked as a research faculty member at the University of South Florida (USF) on multiple research and evaluation projects and a consultant for non?profits in Washington, DC, Peter's experience includes cross?system program design and implementation for marginalized youth across the United States. Peter serves on the SAMHSA National Evaluation Team for the National Evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program and the SAMHSA National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Two-Spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and their Families.

• Therissa A. Libby, Ph.D.  is a neurobiologist who has studied cellular mechanisms of addictive drugs and addiction. She studied opioid receptors (receptors for heroin and similar drugs) at the University of Minnesota and mechanisms of psychostimulants (cocaine and amphetamines) in the Integrative Neuroscience Section at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Dr. Libby is now primarily an educator.  She has her own company as an author and continuing education facilitator, and is a part-time faculty member in Psychology at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to her career in research, Dr. Libby worked in addiction treatment for twelve years, specializing in continuing care, women's treatment, and HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention.  She has presented at numerous regional, national and international conferences as well as local workshops for addiction professionals.  Her published works include Heroin: The Basics and co-authorship (with Humberto Fernandez) of Heroin.

• Scout, Ph.D. is the Director of the Network for LGBT Tobacco Control, the Director of Science Policy for the National Coalition for LGBT Health, and an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He specializes in transgender health, tobacco, social determinants, health disparities, surveillance, and HIV. As Director of The Network he leads a team of four who provide a variety of support, training, and technical assistance services for tobacco control professionals and policymakers in all health arenas. Dr. Scout has been advocating for greater inclusion of LGBTs in federal health policies for over ten years. He is a co-author of the Gay And Lesbian Medical Association Provider Guidelines for LGBT Care and of an online LGBT cultural competency training, also offered by GLMA. In 2007, Scout was one of the first recipients of the community service award from the National Coalition for LGBT Health, in 2008 he received the President’s Award from the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Addiction Professionals. Scout is an openly transgender father of three living in a small town in Rhode Island. The Network for LGBT Tobacco Control is a project of The Fenway Institute at Fenway Community Health in Boston, MA.
  
  
• Durryle Brooks, M.A. is the Program Manager for GLBTQ Initiatives. Over the last seven years, Durryle has studied the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and religion—closely examining the impact of those interconnections on the development of GLBTQ people. At Advocates, Durryle oversees the Anti-Homophobia and Transphobia Project, which provides capacity building assistance to community based organizations seeking to better serve the needs of GLBTQ youth of color.  In addition, Durryle oversees YouthResource, a site designed by and for gay, lesbian bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people. The site provides accurate and science-based sexual and reproductive health information for GLBTQ youth in addition to exploring other issues relevant to GLBTQ youth. Durryle received his bachelors of arts degree in religious studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and his masters of arts degree in sexuality studies from San Francisco State University.
  
  
  

Photograph Credit: Lombard for News

CDC Launches Routine Primary Care HIV Screening Program (posted 6/28)

On Thursday, June 17, 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention launched a new phase of its Act Against AIDS campaign, "HIV Screening. Standard Care." (HSSC) to assist physicians in making HIV testing a standard part of medical care.  HSSC is designed to increase implementation of CDC’s 2006 HIV screening recommendations. These recommendations advise that all patients between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV as a routine part of medical care at least once – regardless of perceived risk for the disease – and that individuals at high risk (e.g., those with multiple or HIV-infected partners) be tested at least annually. The HSSC website provides both physicians and consumers with information and resources about HIV screening.
 
CDC estimates that more than 200,000 individuals (one in five Americans living with HIV) are unaware of their infection, and primary care providers can play a critical role in ensuring that Americans know their HIV status.  Early diagnosis and treatment are key to helping HIV-infected individuals live longer, healthier lives and preventing HIV transmission to others.

Statistics on Risky Youth Behavior (posted 6/28)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report summarizing results from the 2008-2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and trends in risk behaviors during 1991-2009. In the 30 days before taking the survey, 17.5% of high school students had carried a weapon, 41.8% had drunk alcohol, and 20.8% had used marijuana. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults: 1) behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; 2) tobacco use; 3) alcohol and other drug use; 4) sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; 5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and 6) physical inactivity. The report found that since 1991, the prevalence of many health-risk behaviors among high school students nationwide has decreased. However, many high school students continue to engage in behaviors that place them at risk for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of most risk behaviors does not vary substantially among cities and states. To read the full report click here.

New Report on LGBT Health Data and Disparities (posted 6/28)

This report entitled "New Mexico's Progress in Collecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Health Data and it's Implications for Addressing Health Disparities" came out of the New Mexico Department of Health in April 2010. Using 2005 and 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, the authors examine numerous health indicators by sexual orientation. Compared to straight adults, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults have significantly increased rates of tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, suicidal attempts and ideation, depression, intimate partner violence, obesity, asthma, and life dissatisfaction. In contrast to these health risks, however, LGB adults were more likely than straight adults to report engaging in sufficient physical activity and having had an HIV test. These data provide new insight into health inequities between LGB and straight adults and are essential in prioritizing and allocating resources to address the health of LGB communities, reports the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network. Although numerous studies and reports from other states (i.e., Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island) have documented health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) and questioning youth compared to straight youth, New Mexico - along with many other states - still does not collect any youth sexual orientation data. The report therefore makes recommendations for the state of New Mexico that have relevance for all states who do not yet collect LGB health data. In addition, the report addresses the implications of the lack of youth sexual orientation data for the LGB population in New Mexico and provides a discussion of the role of social determinants of health on the impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) people in New Mexico. To download the report click here (3.2MB).

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