Seen, But Not Heard: AIDS, Sexual Politics
and the Untold War Against Black Women
a documentary by Cyrille Phipps

December 1st is a major observance of World AIDS Day (WAD) when we remember those who have died from AIDS. It is an opportunity for individuals and group from across the world to come together to remember, and demonstrate worldwide support to, people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. It is the one-day in the year where issues surrounding HIV and AIDS can take center stage.

The global theme for 2009 and 2010 World AIDS Day is “Universal Access and Human Rights” chosen by the World AIDS Campaign, a network of civil society groups active in the response to HIV and AIDS.

The theme encourages us to deepen understanding, develop partnerships and challenge discriminatory laws, and practices that stand in the way of access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. When human rights are not respected, people living with HIV and AIDS are vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, illness, economic insecurity, and reduced access to treatment.

Over the past years there have been some encouraging advances in the global response to HIV and AIDS We have seen increased commitment around the world to respond to HIV and AIDS in national and local initiatives, in churches and religious organizations and in civil society.

Below is a listing of World AIDS Day Observances throughout NYC. There are also websites that provide more information about WAD and list events happening around the world. Feel free to post an event that is happening in your city, town or neighborhood. I encourage you to join with the community in leadership and solidarity and help promote universal access, human dignity and respect and protect the human rights of people living with or affected by HIV

Let’s remember our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are affected by HIV and AIDS.

World AIDS Day Websites

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm

http://nyunews.com/news/2009/dec/01/aids/

http://www.aids.gov/world-aids-day/

NEW YORK CITY

BRONX

Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 11AM to 3PM
Remembrance, Honor and Hope Ceremony
Monsignor Del Valle Square at So. Blvd. & 163rd St.
(alternate rain space: 953 Southern Blvd., Suite 201)

BROOKLYN

Tuesday, December 1st 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon.
How Does Your Knowledge of HIV Vaccine Research Stack Up”, World AIDS Day Breakfast,
GMAD, 44 Court Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor,
Sponsored by Gay Men of African Descent
For more information and to RSVP please call 718-222-6300, Ext 117.

Tuesday, December 1st, 12 Noon
“World AIDS Day 2009 -Universal Access and Human Rights”
Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street,
Sponsored by Watchful Eye
For more information please call 347-533-4300

Tuesday, December 1st, 5:00 p.m. – 8 p.m
World AIDS Day Commemoration and Candle Light Vigil. at Kaniza Palace, 10 Snyder Ave,
Sponsored by Caribbean Women’s Health Association.
For more information call 718-826-2942.

Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m
Coney Island Cathedral, 2816 Mermaid Ave,
Sponsored by Amethyst Women’s Project and
National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS of NYC.
For more information contact Nicole or Eric at 718-333-2067

Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 7pm
World AIDS Day Interfaith service
St Augustine Church,
116 6th Avenue, Park Slope,
Join others who are taking a spiritual and physical journey through AIDS.
There will be music by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Manhattan
and on display will be a collection of paintings titled, “Preparation Series”

Friday, Dec. 5th, 6p.m. – 9p.m.
“A Night of Healing – HIV, Doing More than Talking”,
SUNY Downstate Medical Center,
395 Lenox Road Between E. 34th Street and New York Avenue,
Presented by The Adolescent Education Program (THEO)
For more information contact THEO at 7189-270-3992/3898

Saturday, December 5th, 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
“HIV Awareness Community Outreach”,
PS 287, 50 Navy Street, Brooklyn, NY.
Hosted by The AIDS Ministry of the Church of the Open Door.
For more information contact Joyce McDonald at 718-907-0763

Saturday, December 5th, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
“When The Light Shines” with Testimonial Artist Joyce McDonald, at PS 287,
50 Navy Street,
Hosted by The AIDS Ministry of The Church of the Open Door.
For more information contact Joyce McDonald at 718-907-0763

Saturday December 5th 2009, 10:00 AM – 1:00pm
HIV/AIDS WORKSHOP FOR YOUTHS”
In Commemoration of World AIDS Awareness Day
St. George’s Episcopal Church,
800 March Avenue,
Sponsored by ABQ HIV/AIDS Ministry.
For Further Information Contact: Sophia Baboolal at 718-789-6036

Sunday, December 6th, 8 a.m. and 11 a.m
“AIDS Ministry Sunday – at The Church of the Open Door”,
201 Gold Street,
Hosted by The AIDS Ministry of The Church of the Open Door.
For more information call 718-512-5450

Thursday, December 10th
“Thursday After Special, at The Church of the Open Door,
201 Gold Street, , Free HIV testing (bilingual), light snack.
Hosted by The AIDS Ministry of The Church of the Open Door.
For more information call 718-512-5450

Saturday, Dec 12th, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
“It’s All About Men Again!” A Men’s Health Fair for World’s AIDS Day”,
Antioch Baptist Church,
828 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn,
Presented by The United Men of Antioch and NBLCA of NYC.
For more information contact Sharon Miller at 347-332-9027 or call 917-972-9510

MANHATTAN

December 1, 2009
125th Street in front of the State Office Building on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
116th Street and 3rd Avenue 42nd Street 7th Avenue at Times Square
14th Street at Union Square Park
City Hall Park Tuesday December 1, 2009 12:00pm to 4:00pmItʼs
Time To Remember….. For More Information Call(212) 828-6141

OUT OF THE DARKNESS
Candlelight Vigil Begins at 6:00 pm
Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan
164 West 100th Street – (at Amsterdam Avenue)
Candlelight Procession to Broadway UCC Church2504 Broadway (at 93rd Street)
Time of Reflection and Reading of Names of Those We Have Lost to AIDS Begins at 6:30 pm
World AIDS Day Gathering Begins at 7:00 pm
Wheelchair accessible and ASL interpreted.Refreshments served following the gathering.
For more information, call (212) 367-1016 or write to krishnas@gmhc.org

Co-Sponsors:  American Run for the End of AIDS,
Broadway United Church of Christ, Gay Men’s Health Crisis,
International AIDS Prevention Initiative, Keith Haring Foundation,
LIFEbeat:  Music Industry Fights AIDS,
Trinity Lutheran Church

City Hall Park — 24 Hour Reading of Names of those we have lost in the Struggle
For a 24-hour period beginning on December 1, 2009, activists, volunteers
and those living with HIV and AIDS will read names continually at City Hall
in lower Manhattan to memorialize loved ones, to raise awareness about the twin crises
of HIV/AIDS and homelessness, and remind the world that AIDS is not over.

Come by City Hall Park on December 1, any time day or night, to join in reading the names
of those you have lost to HIV/AIDS.
Go to www.Housingworks.org/worldaidsday for more information
and to submit a name of a loved one to memorialize.

TAKE THE LEAD…. STOP AIDS – KEEP THE PROMISE
4:00 pm – 7:30 pm

National WORLD AIDS DAY event at the New York Public Library – Harlem Branch.
New York Public Library – Harlem Branch
9 West 24th Street
New York, New York 10027
www.haevents.org

“Interfaith service in commemoration of World AIDS Day (in Spanish)”
United Methodist Church of the Village, 7th Ave, corner of 13th Street in Manhattan,
5:30 pm. Sponsored by the Latino Commission on AIDS.Para información llame al 212-675-3288

1 de Diciembre Dia Mundial del SIDA
La Iglesia del Village,Una Iglesia Metodista Unida Progresistal
201 W de la Calle 13 (Esquina con la 7a Ave.), New York, NY
5:30 PM Vigilia, 6:00 PM Servicio Interreligioso

STATEN ISLAND

Interfaith Community Dinner, Procession and Vigil

Monday, November 30, 2009, 5:30 pm
Free Community Dinner
St. Phillips Baptist Church
77 Benette Street

Monday, November 30, 2009, 6:30 pm
Interfaith Candlelight Vigil
Meet Veterans’ Park – (Heberton & Park Ave in Port Richmond)

Procession to
Temple Emanu-El
984 Post Ave.

Between Heberton Ave & Decker Ave.
Service begins at 7:00 pm

QUEENS

“STOP AIDS, KEEP THE PROMISE:  UNIVERSAL ACCESS & HUMAN RIGHTS”
9:30 am – 5:00 pm

94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11451
Free and Confidential HIV/AIDS Testing & STD/STI will be provided by ACQC’s Education
& Co-Factors Departments in Health Services Center in RM 1F01, 1st Floor ***
For directions and all information contact Robert Steptoe or Melissa Robertson
@ Queens HIV CARE Network, 718.739.2525
Or, contact Sharon Hawkins, Manager of Health Services Center,
Room 1F01, at York College – 718-262-2050

As a follow up to the posting, “Is there such a thing of being too little, too late when it comes to AIDS.”  The Washington Post printed a story that raises some concerns about the study the National Institutes of Health plans to launch in the Bronx and Washington D.C. It is believed that the study, to test and treat every adult in two high risk communities, is a flawed model first created by the World’s Health Organization.  There are several questions and concerns regarding the plan, such as to whether testing every adult is possible and if you are able to test every adult, will they opt for treatment. Other concerns revolve around the consequences of encouraging bad sexual practices with the success of treatment and the chance of inducing drug resistance.

There is no doubt that there is need for a plan, much less a national strategy, to reduce the number of new HIV infections and decrease the death rates in these high risk communities. Beyond the success or failure of this inital plan, some aggressive moves needs to be made to slow the spread of this disease. The government and many national organizations have been slow to respond. There needs to be a cohesive plan and it need to happen now!

In a study of women’s health, the World Health Organization stated that AIDS is the leading cause of death among women between the ages of 15 and 44, worldwide. In addition, 1 out of 4 women in the United States is living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS is also leading cause of death among Black women between 25yrs and 34years. The majority of the death from AIDS happens in countries with low to middle incomes where unsafe sex is the biggest risk factor. Even in higher income countries like the United States, AIDS is still a major health concern for women. What adds to the high infection rates and ultimate death of these women is the devastation it causes to the entire family structure. In many of these families affected by HIV/AIDS, the woman is the only surviving parent or the head of a single parent household. More than likely, the woman is the primarily caregiver in the family and the death of that mother turns those children into orphans  or they are passed from one family member to another. In a report by Avert.org, “Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Around 11.6 million of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. In countries badly affected by the epidemic such as Zambia and Botswana, it is estimated that 20 percent of children under 17 are orphans – most of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS.”

The lack of information and resources, the social status of most women in many parts of the world and the social norms and values of certain cultures undermine the ability for these women to protect themselves. We will not see a change in these numbers until women are able to protect themselves and their children. Health services around the world need to be empowered to provide culturally specific information and educational materials to high risk communities. In addition, testing has to be the first step in prevention methods. A massive effort has to be directed at educating families, but women in particular, about safe sex practices and using treatment to prevent the spread of the virus.

These statistics can turn around, but first the status of women worldwide must improve,  changes must be made in the unequal healthcare of women and advancements to the treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS must continue.

As the AIDS virus spreads, infection rates increase and more die from AIDS related complication, federal officials create a strategy to tackle HIV. “Test and Treat” is a 3yr study of routine testing in two areas that have some of the highest infection rates in the country, the Bronx and Washington D.C. The plan is to test every adult in these two communities and treat those who test positive for the virus. In New York City, the infection rates have declined for most high risk groups except for youth, whose rates have increased. Despite the increase or decrease of rates among high risk groups, many still do not know they are carrying the virus. In a recent New York Times article, “Nationwide, 20% to 25% of people who are HIV positive do not know of their infection, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The CDC encourages routine voluntary HIV testing as a regular part of one’s medical care. But many hospitals, clinics and private practices don’t follow the CDC’s recommendation. And, even when doctors do offer the test, some patients refuse to take it. Those refusing to get tested don’t realize the severe consequences of a potential infection. Not knowing one’s status increases the chance of the virus spreading and it also increases the chance of someone developing AIDS by the time they receive their diagnosis.

The second obstacle to testing is getting those who test positive into treatment. This effort plans to address that problem by training community outreach workers along with other improvements.  Those who go straight into treatment can prevent extensive damage to their immune system and encourage a normal life expectancy.

So, with this extensive three year study and bold new strategy to stop the spread of AIDS, will this result in an effort that’s too little, too late! Or should we appreciate any effort to reduce the infection rate in the United States, especially in “hot spot’ areas like the Bronx and Washington D.C. Time will only tell.

Some down play the difficulty of living with HIV/AIDS because of the success of miracle drugs developed during the 90’s to now. The instant death sentence of an HIV diagnosis is largely a thing of the past. HIV patients are living longer and have productive lives.  And though, HIV/AIDS is a chronic but manageable disease, it was never a walk in the park. There are side effects to many, if not all the medication that one has to take. And now that those who have HIV/AIDS are living longer, a whole host of issues are developing.  It is estimated that by the year 2015, 50% of people with HIV/ AIDS will be 50+.

In a meeting with people with HIV/AIDS in early October, many talked about some of the difficult problems they struggle through while growing older. Most experience depression, lack adequate housing and support services. Some are widowers (losing their partner to AIDS complications) and have issues living alone.  Some become shut-ins when they are sick and no longer able to get around.

In a New York Magazine article, “Another Kind of Crisis”, similar issues were addressed facing PWAs (People with AIDS) and PLWHIVs (People living with HIV). The article described how those who are HIV+ are living longer and getting older faster. Many showing early signs of illness and disease usually seen in the elderly. Aging is becoming the no.1 problem with people living with HIV. The article noted, “There are perhaps 145,00 people in New York living with HIV. That’s the second highest rate in the country according to the CDC, and one of the densest AIDS sub-populations in the developed world.” And despite these findings and the increase in age among those with HIV, the funding and research is lacking.  The concern is that funding is going overseas while the domestic AIDS front is suffering. The effort in preventive measures with education and awareness has dwindled and so has the efforts around care, treatment and research.

Unlike any other field, the study of HIV/AIDS needs to stay in tune with the changes and progression this disease makes. Otherwise, more people with fall victim to a disease that has shown that it can outpace

In a series of studies recently conducted, it has been determined that bisexual men or men who secretly have sex with men (also know as “down low” men) are not the largest contributor to the increase of infection rates among Black women. On NPR, Dr. Kevin Fenton, the director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) talks with Michele Martin, host of the show, Tell Me More. During the interview, Dr. Fenton talks about the myths and misinformation regarding how HIV is infected among Black women.

Since the infections rates for Black women began to increase in the late 90’s,  it was believed that heterosexual sex with “down low” men, along with drug use were the main causes for the high rates. Now with this new study, it is believed that the majority of infections are caused by heterosexual sex with straight men who have multiple partners (primarily believed to be women).  Although, this might be the case, if men are secretly having sex with other men, is there anyway to really know they are not skewing the results of the study by not admitting who they are having sex with. There is also the other issue of men of color who are entering prison HIV+ and returning home without any treatment. Or the men who enter prison HIV – and return home HIV+ to the same community and set of women they were intimate with before. Men, at least in the New York State prison system, are not allowed to receive condoms.

How is information being tracked and recorded and what preventive methods and/or treatment are we providing women and men who are not practicing safe sex, becoming infected and then spreading the virus. This is where the focus should be, the who and why of being infected becomes secondary once the disease starts to spread and becomes an epidemic.

Say you???

As part of our on-going campaign to get folks tested, especially women of color, Dr. Monica Sweeney explains why it’s important for all women to get tested but specifically married Black women.

There is only so much time in the day and there is no way you will always know where your partner/boyfriend/husband is. And you shouldn’t need to know and more than likely they are faithful and trust worthy.  But if you suspect differently, then you have to decide where your relationship goes from there. More women except sex outside their relationships, even if it’s not a mutually acted on situation, then you would believe. And they may or may not consider it an “Open Relationship,” but if you are in committed relationship and one or both are having sex outside the relationship, then it’s open.  Now, there are women who have no idea that their significant other is having sex outside the relationship.  Maybe, they suspect it or maybe they don’t. In either of these scenarios, you have to act. Having open and frank discussions about sex outside the relationship, is extremely difficult, but necessary. These discussions bring up a lot of anger, hurt and distrust but it’s the first step to changing your sexual behavior in this and future relationships. Both partners need to protect themselves; both partners need to get tested. If you can’t be guaranteed these two basic things then you need to reconsider the person you are sleeping with.

As Dr. Sweeney notes in her article, we need to start talking about how women are getting infected. You need to know your status and protect yourself!

In every major urban city, rural community and suburban town AIDS has a home. It doesn’t matter whether you are straight or gay, white, black, red, yellow or brown, AIDS is right around the corner. For folks who have the highest infection and death rates, primarily Black, Latino and/or gay, your care plays a significant role in your day-to-day life. The services you receive are vital to your survival. In DC as well as New York, a number of agencies and nonprofits have been caught squandering the resources used for housing, food, healthcare and other services needed in at-risk communities.

The organizations who have received hundreds of thousands dollars, even millions have victimized the very people they are suppose to serve. Misappropriation of funds, services promised but not provided, supervisors and specific staff helping themselves out to cash bonuses, gifts and trips while clients and patients lose out of access to services and/or necessary AIDS awareness and prevention information. And when the accused is caught, fingers point to everyone but themselves. Where are the checks and balances in government funding???? Hundreds of organizations have already suffered through funding loss during 8 years of the Bush administration and then more cuts due to the recession. Abusing an ill equipped system only further justifies the lack of trust and confirms the lack of accountability.

This is not to say that all AIDS organizations much less all non-profits misuse their funding. Many organizations are providing incredible services to individuals, groups and families around the country.  What hurts their good work is the selfish acts of a few who threaten the funding opportunities of other groups and the credibility of service based organizations. If any good can come out of this is the creation of a National AIDS Action Plan that has the input of several organizations, agencies, advocates, PWA’s (people living with AIDS), PWLHIV (people living with HIV), healthcare professionals and policy makers to develop a plan that recommends but not necessarily oversees funding, programming  and policy. A plan that can look at the overall system of AIDS services throughout the country, reduce redunancy in key areas, duplicate successful programs, track progress and eliminate or at least reduce waste. A plan that can look a the success and failures of prevention, awareness and care systems around the world and partner with other countries that have similar trends but with better outcomes. We have the resources, technology and research to do a better job. So, hopefully in 5 to 10 years, a HIV+ woman won’t die alone in a park only a few blocks from the HIV/AIDS administration or from resources that could have provided the help she not only needed but deserved.

HIV Awareness and the Congo:

Breaking the Silence

If previous trials of AIDS vaccines hadn’t been so disappointing, the results from the latest trial wouldn’t seem so promising.

Is this the end of HIV/AIDS as we know it. This new discovery is not a cure but it can make significant difference in slowing down the disease. Will this change the direction of AIDS activism and advocacy???

Will this vaccine change AIDS education and awareness. Will there be a push to put money towards a cure instead of prevention efforts. And will it give folks another excuse not to practice safe sex.  How will this change your sexual practices and behavior??? Do we now have a “get out of jail” card if infected!