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April 2013 Archives

Last Chance! Take a short survey and enter to win a gift card.

Posted by Project NEON on April 30, 2013 5:49 PM

The Puget Sound HIV Testing Campaign Survey ends 5/1 - Don't miss your chance to win $150 & tell us what you think! http://bit.ly/FYFsurvey


This survey is for men who have sex with men, who reside in Snohomish, Pierce, and King Counties.

PEERspective #1: Welcome Back!

Posted by Project NEON on April 29, 2013 1:17 PM

Welcome Back! By Frank B.

Welcome Back!! As the world recovers slowly, but surely, this is a good time to take a look in the mirror and see how much you've grown and what a beautiful and changing person you really are.

I don't see someone broken,  unskilled, or lacking in knowledge but someone else could say they do.

"Get up, get a job, get a life," yeah right! Well the country is still recovering from the crash, unemployment is high. Not enough positions available (or even simple jobs to go around) but  there's plenty of work- a great job, in fact!

It pays great and  has long term benefits. You can set your own schedule, and be your own boss. Even if your day is spent at home taking care of life and its demands, or for whatever reason you don't have a "real job" you can still be an asset:

Just try to be a better person today than you were the day before. Be responsible; choose good things- take little, give more. Be honest with yourself, with others.  Speak kindly to the people you know, be polite to those you don't. Be frugal and look for simple ways to be content. Keep in mind the world can see you. I know I can always work to improve on how I look, and when my house is clean it reflects my happiness to others.  Keep your commitments, and respect the rules of society. It's ok to be different, and sometimes to even rub against the grain- but behave yourself.  Catch more flies with honey, the old saying goes....

Yesterday was rough, but it's over- today is tough, but I know tomorrow will be better.... And so will I.  A little better today than I was yesterday and I can see in myself what I see in others- a beautiful person capable of growth, able to change.

 

 

Frank is a Seattle native who grew up on the hill. As an individual who experienced time on the streets including homelessness, he believes in the value and importance of community.

PEERspective: NEON's new blog

Posted by Project NEON on April 29, 2013 1:09 PM

NEON is excited to reveal PEERspective, a blog that gives a voice to guys affected by crystal methamphetamine.

 

PEERspective seeks to change community norms about the use of crystal methamphetamine among gay, bi, and trans men who use crystal. We hope that each entry will help to bridge the gap of understanding between the using and non-using world.

 

Thank you to the guys who submit their stories, and thank you to the guys who read them!

Chains & Whips Excite Me

Posted by Project NEON on April 26, 2013 12:04 PM

Coming soon: Dr. Dick's 3-part article on BDSM 101.

 

Not Your Average Dear Abby

Posted by Project NEON on April 25, 2013 10:07 AM

Project NEON got some press awhile back!  Check out our story in Seattle Gay News:

 

Not Your Average Dear Abby

Meningitis Update---Seattle Area

Posted by Project NEON on April 24, 2013 9:59 AM

Been hearing some buzz about meningitis? Here's an update for folks living in the Seattle area.  

Meningitis Fact Sheet.pdf

Talking About Boys and Toys

Posted by Project NEON on April 23, 2013 11:12 AM

  Today at our NEON peer educator meeting, we have Shannon Solie talking about boys and toys. Shannon is a masters-level intern at SCS, and a sexuality educator at Babeland.

 

See what you're missing?

EAT WELL

Posted by Project NEON on April 23, 2013 10:10 AM

Check out these super helpful nutrition tip-sheets by GMHC.

 

Eat Well

 

Source: GMHC http://www.gmhc.org/

Op-ed: I Am HIV-Positive and So Can You!

Posted by Project NEON on April 22, 2013 7:34 PM

Op-ed: I am HIV-Positive and So Can You!

Finding your way back to confidence, no matter what cards you are dealt

By Tyler Curry, Advocate.com, April 19, 2013

 

Now before we begin, you can go ahead and unravel that tight wad your panties have wound themselves into. This is not an article intended to promote the transmission of HIV and in no way is it meant to glamorize HIV/AIDS. Is it even possible to glamorize such an abysmal disease? I think not. But I have noticed that when an HIV-positive man takes a public stance without the "woe is me" pretense, that is the general dissent. To glamorize HIV would be like trying to Photoshop a picture of the Holocaust. No matter how you manipulate it, the ugliness remains. However, I am not HIV itself, and its time that people who are HIV-positive stop wearing the face of the virus as if it was their own.

Sometimes life can deal you a hand that can make you feel like you will never win. Being diagnosed with HIV is just one example. But unlike some other unfavorable traits that we carry in our deck, being HIV-positive can seem like the only card you have to play.

When I was diagnosed with HIV, all the characteristics that assemble the person who I am, both good and bad, suddenly seemed to fall to the floor. For months, it felt as if I was clutching this new card with an ugly plus sign close to my chest. The game of life continued, yet I found myself willingly sitting on the sidelines and forgoing any chance at making a play for happiness.

The worst part of HIV stigma is that it always starts from within. No matter what your background or level of HIV education, a positive diagnosis can send even the most self-assured into a tailspin of self-doubt. After I learned I was HIV-positive, I immediately began to see my reflection differently. My interaction with friends and strangers alike had a new sense of reticence. I vexed over the opinions of people that weren't even real, yet they seeped into every pore. I assumed everyone would see me differently, because that was how I viewed myself.

 

Read full post here: I am HIV positive and so can you

Source: The Advocate, advocate.com

 

 

What's your truth?

Posted by Project NEON on April 19, 2013 9:53 AM

Have a couple minutes? Browse through this collection of stories written by guys affected by crystal.  

 

 

MY METH LIFE, Real Stories

"Don't Ask Don't Tell"  

 Source: mymethlife.org

Educate Yourself About Meningitis

Posted by Project NEON on April 18, 2013 10:12 AM

8 Things You Must Know About the Meningitis Outbreak

The 411 on when you should call 911 for meningitis.

4.16.2013

By Out.com Editors

Recent cases of meningitis among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles and New York have people pretty worried. Here, in brief, is what you need to know about the meningitis flair up that's reportedly infected 22 men who have sex with men and claimed 7 lives since 2010.

***UPDATE: JOHN DURAN just contacted us to say there has been another alleged death caused by meningitis and there will be a press conference at 3 p.m. PST today at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

1. WHAT IS MENINGITIS: Meningitis comes in many forms: viral, fungal, parasitic and bacterial. The type one everyone's talking about right now is a bacterial infection that swells membranes around the brain and spinal cord, leading to coma, memory loss, brain damage and sometimes death. Note the use of "type" and not strain here: medical investigators are unsure whether the strains found in New York and Los Angeles are one and the same.

2. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS: Stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion or disorientation, sensitivity to light or noise and a rash. Symptoms can begin anywhere from 1-22 days from exposure, but they usually arise around day 5. If you have any of these symptoms, stop, drop what you're doing and head to the hospital. Otherwise, remain calm.

3. HOW MENINGITIS IS SPREAD: Though it is an airborne respiratory infection, meningitis is most commonly transmitted by passing saliva or other membranous material between mouths and/or noses. And we're talking serious fluid exchange here, like tongue kissing or face sneezing. But, yes, also just speaking to someone closely, particularly someone who spits when they talk, can lead transmit meningitis.

"It's spread by respiratory droplets, which means you can be sitting and having a prolonged conversation with somebody and spread the disease without having sex. It can also be transmitted through saliva and intimate activities," explained Dr. Parveen Kaur from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. That said, let's be clear: meningitis is not an STD.

 

Read full story here: 8 Things You Must Know About the Meningitis Outbreak

 

Source: OUT Magazine www.out.com

Visual AIDS

Posted by Project NEON on April 17, 2013 10:52 AM

Looking for a visual treat? Check out Visual AIDS on TheBody.com website. It is fabulous!

 

"Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.

Visual AIDS is the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness through producing and presenting visual art projects, while assisting artists living with HIV/AIDS. We are committed to preserving and honoring the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement. We embrace diversity and difference in our staff, leadership, artists, and audiences."

Source: TheBody.com

Your METHod

Posted by Project NEON on April 15, 2013 12:15 PM

NEON is proud to unveil our new brochure Your METHod: A recovery-based journal for gay, bi, and trans men affected by crystal meth.

 

Thank you to those who told us their stories, and to those who submitted their beautiful art work. You made this journal possible.  

 

Check it out! Your METHod



Inspiring Stories: Transgender People With HIV/AIDS

Posted by Project NEON on April 12, 2013 9:09 AM

Inspiring Stories: Transgender People

 

With HIV/AIDS

 

TheBody.com

2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate!?

Posted by Project NEON on April 11, 2013 9:25 AM

All The Cool Kids are Doing It

Posted by Project NEON on April 10, 2013 10:35 AM

April is STD Awareness Month. Love your health by getting tested! Click for info on Where to get tested in Seattle/King County, or in other parts of the US: CDC_Testing Resources

 

Join us today! You won't be disappointed.

Posted by Project NEON on April 5, 2013 10:33 AM

SAFE SEX 3.0

Posted by Project NEON on April 4, 2013 5:08 PM
Check-out this article on a groundbreaking safe-sex guide from 1983.

Safe Sex 3.0

by Trenton Straube,  

In May 1983, a groundbreaking booklet introduced a controversial idea to gay men: condoms.

Thirty years ago, no one knew for certain what caused AIDS, let alone how to prevent it. Yet three forward-thinking men--Joseph A. Sonnabend, MD, and activists Michael Callen (who died in 1993) and Richard Berkowitz--typed up a 40-page manifesto titled How to Have Sex in an Epidemic that introduced the concept of safe sex. We spoke with Berkowitz about their historic booklet, which you can read in its entirety on RichardBerkowitz.com.

What was so revolutionary about your concept of safe sex?

One of the pleasures of gay sex was that we didn't have to worry about preventing pregnancy, so what was revolutionary was the idea of gay men using condoms. We also [felt it was important that] safe sex advice must go hand in hand with celebrating...gay sex, and anal sex in particular, which we did.

 

Full article: Safe Sex 3.0

 

Source: POZ Magazine, POZ.com

Join our focus group tomorrow!

Posted by Project NEON on April 2, 2013 10:40 AM

Take part in our focus group tomorrow, Wednesday, April 3rd @ 4 p.m.

 

We'll give you dinner + a QFC gift card!

 

Call Morgan to sign-up: 206.323.1768

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