September 2013 Archives
Project NEON Safe Sex Workshop
Posted by Project NEON on September 30, 2013 2:41 PMProjectNEON.org UPDATES
Posted by Project NEON on September 26, 2013 12:30 PMLucky #7 Focus Group
Posted by Project NEON on September 25, 2013 6:49 PMGreat (s)Expectations
Posted by Project NEON on September 24, 2013 9:24 AM***Dr. Dick's newest article is here!***
Dr. Dick's "That Little Pill"
Posted by Project NEON on September 20, 2013 8:40 AMWhat are your thoughts on taking PrEP to help prevent getting HIV? Read Dr. Dick's
latest article That Little
Pill.
We posed this question to guys
in Seattle: "What are your thoughts on a guy's first sexual experience being at
a bathhouse?"
"Your first experience can be
bigger, better, beautiful. Go out and be social, rather than finding sex at a
bathhouse. The gratification will be better."
"One good thing is that at a
bathhouse, everyone is walking around in towels, so everyone is on the same
level with one another."
"It depends on the person. Your
first time should be memorable, no matter what."
"It's not where you're at, it's who
you're with."
"When you're at a bathhouse, accept
everything & expect nothing."
"Don't do anything you don't want to
do."
"It doesn't matter where it takes
place. It's unrealistic that someone's first time will be amazing."
TGIF
Posted by Project NEON on September 19, 2013 11:37 AMTGIF Friday, September 20
3-5 p.m. Rainbow Room at Seattle Counseling Service
FREE
film "Hairspray" + FREE pizza + Free testing provided by Gay City Health
Project. Call 206.323.1768 to sign-up for testing, or just walk-in.
How Much Do We Value Black Gay Men?
Posted by Project NEON on September 18, 2013 8:11 AMBy Paul Kawata
From National Minority AIDS
Council, Posted on TheBody.com Aug. 28, 2013
For decades,
Bayard Rustin has been one of the least known, yet prolific, contributors to
the civil rights movement. Rustin served as the brains behind the 1963 March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, managing to coordinate and promote the event
in just two months. But, as a gay man, Rustin was kept in the shadows by the
homophobia of both his enemies and his allies at the time.
Today marks the
50th anniversary of Rustin's effort to collectivize a racial and economic rally
that became a watershed moment for contemporary civil rights. Rustin emblemizes
both a contemporary and historic fight for racial equality, which is now
accompanied by a quest for economic justice, as well as gay rights. If alive
today, Rustin would presumably recoil at the fact that Black gay men represent
one the demographics most heavily impacted by HIV and suffer the greatest
disproportionate burden of the disease.
The level of
investment in HIV services targeting Black gay and bisexual men has never
adequately reflected the burden of the epidemic borne by this community. What's
more, there has been precious little quantitative research done on either the
efficacy of programs that target Black gay men, or the true scope of service
needs for them. As part of our RISE Proud initiative to highlight the HIV
prevention and care needs of Black gay and bisexual men in the United States,
the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
partnered with Dr. David Holtgrave from
John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to quantify both the scale of unmet
needs within the community, and the level of investment necessary to adequately
match the scope of the crisis. The research was supported by theFord Foundation and provided some
startling but critical insights. An article, outlining the findings, has been published
in the most recent issue of AIDS and Behavior.
Read the full article here: How
Much Do We Value Black Gay Men?
Source: TheBody.com
Safe or Not?
Posted by Project NEON on September 17, 2013 4:09 PMA topic of
hot debate. What does 'undetectable' mean to you, and how does it impact your
views on sexual safety and HIV-related stigma?
"Undetectable": Safe or Not?
By Dave R.
From TheBody.com August 28, 2013
Positive people, on effective treatment, with an
undetectable viral load and
healthy immune system, still don't know if they can or can't pass on the virus
to their partners. New UK developments suggest that official conclusions may
already have been reached.
Recently, the idea that people on HIV medication who are also
undetectable (where your viral load is measured at less than 40-50 copies of
HIV in every milliliter of blood) might also be non-infectious to others with
similar tested levels and a healthy immune system, has naturally got everybody
in that situation very excited. There is however, still no definitive proof and
although we're assured that proof either way is being worked on, it's going to
be some time before that news emerges from behind the locked doors of the
research labs.
In the meantime, people with an undetectable status see proven
non-infectiousness as a possible, instant solution to many sorts of stigma. If,
after indisputable proof, it is widely reported that people on successful
treatment are not in danger of passing on the virus, then there is no reason
for every sexually active person on the planet not to get tested and if
necessary treated because treatment will make you a safe person to have sex
with. This is discounting other STDs of course but then you're just as much at
risk as any sexual partner of contracting those. If successfully proved, people
living with HIV will be seen as living with a chronic illness that is no danger
to their partners, pretty much like diabetes patients, cancer patients and
others. The world will change overnight, not only for positive people but for
LGBT society as a whole. They won't be able to point accusing fingers at us
anymore, claiming we're "unclean," "disease spreaders" and
a "danger to society."
Read the full article here: Safe or Not?
Source: TheBody.com
HIV-Positive and As Sexy As I Want to Be
Posted by Project NEON on September 16, 2013 3:43 PMHIV-Positive and As Sexy As I Want to Be
By Tyler Curry, HuffPost
Gay Voices
Now, before we
begin, you can go ahead and unravel that tight wad your panties have wound
themselves into. This blog post is not 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. Glamorizing 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 it's time that people who
are HIV-positive stop wearing the face of the virus as if it were 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 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 foregoing any chance at making a play
for happiness. Read full article here: As
Sexy as I Want to Be
Source: HuffPost Gay Voices http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gay-voices/
A conversation we can have more often
Posted by Project NEON on September 5, 2013 12:11 PMHow Do We Make Sure Gay Men Get Vaccinated for HPV?
, September 4, 2013
For young gay men in the U.S., overall prevalence of HPV (human papillomavirus) infection was 70%, while the prevalence of HPV 16 and/or HPV 18 -- the two HPV strains most commonly associated with anal cancer -- was 37%, according to a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. While HPV vaccination is commonly discussed for women, especially as prevention for cervical cancer, the truth about gay men, HPV and anal cancer is becoming clearer with more research.
The study followed 94 gay men in Seattle, between the ages of 16 and 30 years old, for one year. To check for HPV infection, the study participants were given three anal swabs: one at baseline, six months and 12 months. For men who had no infection at baseline, the incidence rate of any new HPV infection was 38.5 per 1000 person-month. Additionally, HPV prevalence increased for men who reported higher numbers of sexual partners.
Read the full article here: HPV Vaccinations in Men
SOURCE: THEBODY.COM
Looking for info?
Posted by Project NEON on September 4, 2013 2:11 PM
Have you seen Public Health Seattle/King County's library of
Harm Reduction Brochures? Check it out!
Sell Me a Lemon
Posted by Project NEON on September 3, 2013 11:18 AMThank you to those who joined us for Sex Trivia on Friday!
By far, the most popular question was this:
It is believed that in ancient times, some women may have used this citrus fruit for birth control. It was placed in the vagina to block sperm from entering the cervix, and also believed to kill sperm, due to its acidity.
Answer: Lemon.
Image
courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net