Back of the Line: The State of AIDS Among Black Gay Men in America

I am reading an excellent publication from the Black AIDS Institute, "Back of the Line:  The State of AIDs Among Black Gay Men in America 2012:"
"No population in the developed world has been as heavily affected by HIV as Black men in the US who have sex with other men (MSM).  Indeed, one could study the entire world and have difficulty finding another group in which the HIV burden is greater than among Black MSM."

The report goes on to say that the number of new HIV infections among Black MSM rose by 20% from 2006 to 2009, with an especially disturbing 48% increase among young Black MSM.
Statistics like this are unacceptable anywhere, and particularly in the United States.  Blacks and Black gay men deserve better.

This is one of the reason that we are mobilizing our community with a series of events to turn the tide on HIV in Blacks.  The first events will be Friday, November 30, 2012 at the Capri Theatre in Minneapolis.

The first event, The Brother Circle Dinner, will be held from 4-6, and will include discussions with our special guests, Jamar Rogers, finalist on NBC's "The Voice" last season, and LaMont Wheat, singer, song-writer, and activist.

The second event, The Sarah Simmons Showcase, is a talent show that will feature performers from the Twin Cities.  In addition, Jamar Rogers and LaMont Wheat will perform.

Both events are free.  Dinner will be served.  HIV testing and education will also be free.

I hope you will join us!
Peace and love,
Bill

"Getting to Zero" Do We Have the Will to Make It Happen?

It was a great Monday!  We are lining up interviews with LaMont Wheat and Jamar Rogers on KMOJ radio for November 30th.  They will tell about their involvement with the Brother Circle Dinner, 4-6 pm and Sarah Simmons Showcase 6-8 pm at the Capri Theatre in Minneapolis, MN on November 30th.

The Brother Circle Dinner and Sarah Simmons Showcase are part of World AIDS Weekend Minneapolis 2012.  Additional events will take place on December 1st and 2nd.  ThiI will tell you more about these other events in future blogs this week.

This year our theme is "Getting to Zero."   We now have the know how and the tools to prevent HIV infections, which have hit our Black community the hardest.  The question is:  Do we have the will to make it happen?  It will take all of us working as hard as we can every day to stop this epidemic.

LaMont and Jamar are both incredible performers and inspiring speakers.  They will also talk about how HIV impacts their lives and communities.  You will not want to miss this incredible evening.
We are also ready to distribute flyers and postcards for the event.  Here they are:



Wishing you peace and love,

Bill

LaMont Wheat and Jamar Rogers to Appear November 30th, Minneapolis for World AIDS Day Events

I am part of the Black HIV Coalition in Minneapolis, and together with our partner, MAAAH (Minnesota African/African-American Women Initiative) we are planning an incredible event on November 30th, 2012 at the Capri Theatre, 2027 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis, MN.

Jamar Rogers

The evening will include "The Brother Circle Dinner" and the "Sarah Simmons Showcase."

LaMont Wheat

We have two dynamite celebrity guests coming to both events.  Jamar Rogers of NBC "The Voice" and LaMont Wheat, Recording Artist and Activist will be participating in our Brother Circle Dinner discussion and performing at the Showcase.

I'm be blogging daily about these events right up until they happen.  Please check back for daily updates.

Yesterday our coalition met, and new people came to the table to help us with our event.  Our biggest discussion was the T-Shirt design.  Attendees of either event will receive a free t-shirt custom designed for this event.    They are awesome!

I'm proud to say LaMont is a friend and a source of inspiration in my life.  He's also an incredible singer.  I had the pleasure of watching him perform in Washington, D.C. at the International AIDS Conference in July, 2012.

Jamar has a wonderful energy and a show-stopping voice.  He has also become an effective activist for eliminating HIV stigma in our community. 

Can you tell how excited I am?  If you are in the area, or even if you need to fly there, you should come to this event.

Best,

Bill

Mobilizing Black America to end HIV/AIDS

William Larson, Pharm.D.   spent a week in Los Angeles  with a group of HIV/AIDS coalition leaders training and getting up to speed on effective ways to build coalitions in his local Minneapolis community.  Black American men are among the most devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and leaders are putting in action ways to mobilize around this in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Larson joined a group of 24 others from around the nation and especially from southern metropolitan states, the most affected regions, to get this training being delivered by the Black AIDS Institute.  Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute's Mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The Institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy mobilization from a uniquely and un-apologetically Black point of view.  

 On the final day of training, William along with other participants laid out a proposal for mobilizing his local community.  "I learned how to write an action plan for a mobilization event which we will hold in Minneapolis in December.  The action plan was based on my problem statement which came from a needs assessment based on surveys of community members, providers, and leaders of Traditional Black Institutions," Larson stated.

Larson is calling on all local support to assist him executing his action plan which intends to educate 50 participants and test at least 10 participants.  "Encouragement and support from the community will make the difference.   I have a lot of work to do between now and December, but with the help of my coalition, which I am building and strengthening, it will all come together.  My target population is Black gay men in Minneapolis,"  Larson said.

William Larson, Pharm.D. is a pharmacist in the Minneapolis metro and a contributing medicine editor for BBINT Magazine. 

What Medicines are Recommended for Starting HIV Treatment?

This week flew by quickly.  I'm starting a new fellowship to reduce HIV in African Americans, and I'm very excited about it.  I will be telling you about it in weeks to come.  It's with The Black AIDS Institute.  What a great organization!

I wrote about when to start HIV medications earlier in the week.  Today I want to tell you which medications to start.  Actually, these are the recommendations from HIV experts working with the Department of Health and Human Services, and they were just updated.

Here are the suggested regimens for treatment-naive people with HIV, which means no previous HIV medications.

• Atripla, a one pill a day combination of efavirenz/tenofovir/emtricitabine
• Reyataz (atazanavir), boosted with Norvir (ritonavir) and Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine)
• Prezista (darunavir), boosted with Norvir (ritonavir) and Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine)
• Isentress (raltegravir) and Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine)

Only four regimens are preferred.  Does not mean that other combinations cannot be used?  No, and some other regimens are considered alternative or acceptable regimens.  In some instances, a different regimen might be the best one for you.

How does your doctor find the best regimen for you?  First of all, he or she should talk it over with you and find out what's most important to you.  For instance, some people prefer to take a single pill, and this would narrow down your choices immediately.  For others, the ability to take all of their medications once a day is important.  Your provider will also consider your other medications and the possibility for interactions, other health conditions, and your resistance test results.

Have a great weekend, y'all!
Yours,
Bill