On My Mind

South Africa Leadership Wakes Up to HIV/AIDS

Wed, 6 Nov 2009 16:06:37 GMT

In other recent good news, South African President Jacob Zuma finally broke definitively with South Africa's former government when he said in a speech, "Knowledge will help us to confront denialism and the stigma attached to the disease." He also discussed the vast numbers of people in South Africa who are dying of HIV/AIDS-related causes.

The lead activist organization in South Africa, the Treatment Action Campaign, called the speech "one of the most important speeches in the history of AIDS in South Africa." Plus, Zuma resolved to actually do something about it:

Signs of Change: Ryan White Reauthorization, Travel Ban Removal

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:06:37 GMT

People in the HIV/AIDS community could be forgiven for thinking that, despite the election of Barack Obama, they still did not have a close friend in the White House.

After all, despite all the recent cacophony about health care reform, HIV/AIDS has not been mentioned. In fact, apart from Obama's widely praised selection in February 2009 of Jeffrey Crowley, M.P.H., to lead the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), and the subsequent commencement of a series of ONAP community meetings throughout the U.S., there's been very little direct comment about HIV/AIDS by President Obama since he came into office.

New Era for Syringe Exchange Programs! No More Abstinence-Only Education!

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:35:39 GMT

A new era has dawned in HIV/AIDS. For years, public health experts, health care providers and researchers have been pleading with the U.S. government to remove the federal ban on funding for needle exchange programs and to accelerate the growth of these programs across the U.S. They wanted this done for one simple reason: Syringe exchange programs can save lives. They can be an important component in reducing the spread of blood-borne infectious diseases -- including HIV and hepatitis -- among injection drug users.

Thoughts on NY State Senator Thomas Duane's Impassioned Speech on Behalf of People Living With HIV

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:35:39 GMT

I was somewhat active in the HIV activist organization ACT UP in the early 1990s. I witnessed ACT UP's continually inventive, passionate activism in packed weekly meetings at Cooper Union in the East Village in New York City. At these meetings, deeply committed people came up with ways to rectify injustices. Every week, a new series of actions were planned. It was inspiring to be involved, particularly because many of our actions had the intended effect.