Windy City Media Group launches LGBT, HIV/AIDS charity drive
Obama budget a disappointment for needle exchange supporters
Kaiser Family Foundation findings on U.S. perception of HIV/AIDS
BMS and Gilead introduce Atripla co-pay assistance program
Windy City Media Group launches LGBT, HIV/AIDS charity drive
“25 for 25” is the name of the charity drive that Chicago’s Windy City Media Group is hosting in honor of the 25th anniversary of publisher Tracy Baim’s career in LGBT media.
The drive encourages people to donate in multiples of 25 to LGBT or HIV/AIDS charities of their choice, including TPAN. The agency that receives the most donations by June 5, 2009 will receive an additional $250.
“I wanted to mark this 25th anniversary by showing my appreciation for the wide range of non-profits serving our community, many of them for decades, “Baim said. “Right now, our community non-profits and businesses are hurting. It’s time for us to create an economic stimulus package for our own community.”
Individuals and businesses are encouraged to send checks made out to any registered non-profit serving the LGBT or HIV/AIDS communities in the Chicago area. Checks should be sent to: Windy City Times, c/o Tracy Baim, 1900 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616.
For more information, e-mail editor@windycitymediagroup.com, or click here to download a PDF with more details.
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Obama budget a disappointment for needle exchange supporters
According to a May 8, 2009 article by Ryan Grim in the Huffington Post, the budget released by the White House on Thursday takes a step backward from Obama’s campaign pledge of suppport for needle exchange programs to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In January when he took office, the Obama administration website affirmed: "The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users." Yet Obama's budget includes language that bans spending federal money on needle-exchange programs.
White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said the administration isn't yet ready to lift the ban - but Obama still supports needle exchange.
"We have not removed the ban in our budget proposal because we want to work with Congress and the American public to build support for this change," he said. "We are committed to doing this as part of a National HIV/AIDS strategy and are confident that we can build support for these scientifically-based programs."
The Community for HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project [CHAMP], a New York-based advocacy organization, recently sent out an alert asking people to voice their support federal funding of needle exchange programs. Click here for a PDF of the CHAMP alert.
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Kaiser Family Foundation findings on U.S. perception of HIV/AIDS
Less than a year after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that there were 40% more new HIV infections each year than previously believed, a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Americans’ sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS as a national health problem has fallen dramatically and their concern about it as a personal risk has also declined, even among some groups at higher risk.
Key findings of the survey include:
- The share of Americans naming HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation dropped precipitously from 44% in 1995 to 6% now.
- While African Americans and Latinos have infection rates three to seven times higher than whites, fewer say it is a “more urgent” problem for their community now than in 2006 (declining from 49% to 40% of African Americans, and 46% to 35% of Latinos).
- The share of those ages 18-29 who say they are personally very concerned about becoming infected with HIV declined from 30% in 1997 to 17% today.
At a time when there have been calls for increased attention to the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis, the survey also finds public support for more spending. Despite a polarizing debate in recent years about such issues as abstinence and condoms, six in ten Americans believe that spending more money on HIV prevention will lead to meaningful progress, and about half believe the same about spending on treatment.
A significant share of the public harbors misconceptions about prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, however. Nearly 18% do not know there is no cure for AIDS and about 27% believe or are unsure whether former professional basketball player Magic Johnson has been cured of AIDS. Additionally, 24% believe or are unsure whether there is a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. Many of these misconceptions are more common in the African American community, including that Magic Johnson has been cured (37% of African Americans think he has been cured or are unsure), that there is a vaccine available to prevent infection (36%), and that there are drugs available that can cure HIV and AIDS (30%).discuss this news in our discussion forum
BMS and Gilead introduce Atripla co-pay assistance program
Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences recently announced the launch of the Atripla Co-Pay Assistance Program to assist people who are HIV-positive with prescription co-pays.
People who are currently taking Atripla, as well as those for whom this anti-HIV drug may be prescribed in the future, with commercial insurance plans may be eligible for the program. The program covers up to $200 per month for a full year for participants who have an Atripla co-pay greater than $50 per month.
The program is not available to patients in Massachusetts or to people whose prescriptions are eligible to be reimbursed, completely or in part, by Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federal- or state-funded health care benefit program, or by private plans or other health or pharmacy benefit programs which reimburse patients for the entire cost of their prescription drugs.
Eligible individuals can enroll in the program by obtaining an Atripla co-pay assistance card from their physician or healthcare provider. If a healthcare provider does not have the card, call toll-free at 1-866-784-3431 and one will be mailed to you. The card must be activated prior to first use by again calling the toll-free number and answering a few questions to verify eligibility. It must be used for the first time by December 31, 2009 and the final co-pay assistance amount must be paid within 12 months of card activation.
People who do not have insurance, are underinsured, or who otherwise need assistance may still be eligible to receive some assistance through the Atripla Patient Assistance Program by calling toll-free at 1-866-290-4767.
Gilead’s co-pay assistance program for Truvada (including components Viread and Emtriva), as well as the Bristol-Myers Squibb program for Sustiva and Reyataz, will remain unchanged. For more information on other HIV drug co-pay programs, click here.discuss this news brief in our discussion forum
On April 28, the National Minority AIDS Council announced the passing of AIDS activist Carlos Arboleda.
Paul A. Kawata, Executive Director of the National Minority AIDS Council, says, "Carlos was passionate about protecting the rights of those living with HIV/AIDS. He will be greatly missed by NMAC and the AIDS community as a whole."
Arboleda served as NMAC’s Director of Treatment, Education and Advocacy, from 2000-2002. During his tenure, he facilitated the North American AIDS Treatment Action Forum (NATAF), as well as NMAC's Treatment Advisory Board and Prison Initiative.
Former colleague, Terrence Calhoun, Director of Conferences and Meeting Services, remembers "Carlos worked hard at fulfilling NMAC's mission. And his kindness, warmth and edgy humor always brought a smile to everyone's faces."
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