vittoria
Jan 22, 2009, 1:19 PM
Actually I never saw the alleged post... perhaps the "person" rumored to be named Reuben James I mean "LincolnJames" mustve thought it more prudent to personally email Volty his dribble than to post the insanity.
At any rate ( and rates are interesting these days), AIDS/HIV is STILL an everybody issue, not merely an LGBT one. If someone wanted to get their panties in a bunch, like the alleged person(s) above, imagine how certain cultural backgrounds must feel having their culture forever linked to such a pandemic, let alone how persons who have their own sexual preferences may feel ( as seen by previous comments above.).
Unfortunately, my personal belief is the reason why so many minorities are hit with high rates is the lack of proper hospitalization, no insurance, etc--let alone the willingness to find out. Some people would rather think whatever symptoms they have are flu, colds, etc, instead of actually seeking out what the hell is really going on. I think, IMHO, if EVERYONE had proper health care, a lot of preventative measures could take place.
And I say this only because I actually took the time to check the links that Volt provided, used context clues, and common sense.
vittoria
Jan 22, 2009, 7:41 PM
The part that bothers me is that in the page "The Agenda > Women" they mention AIDS information that is specific to women. Then they lump all AIDS information, including what is in the "Women" section, under "Support for the LGBT Community" without any of it being specific to LGBT issues. There's only one other place on the site that has AIDS info and that's in an AIDS specific portion of the site. Lumping all AIDS info under LGBT is not just mentioning them in the same sentence, that's flat out saying it's an LGBT problem, or at least that's the way it appears to me.
I'm going to copy the whole page because a lot of people dont take the opportunity to either read the whole thing, or even go to the links.. I read the page at the link, and I read the entire page... doesnt seem out of sorts to me, but I'm not actually digging for something to be wrong here.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/
CIVIL RIGHTS
"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen -- they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs.... We have more work to do."
-- Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
President Barack Obama has spent much of his career fighting to strengthen civil rights as a civil rights attorney, community organizer, Illinois State Senator, U.S. Senator, and now as President. Whether promoting economic opportunity, working to improve our nation's education and health system, or protecting the right to vote, President Obama has been a powerful advocate for our civil rights.
Combat Employment Discrimination: President Obama and Vice President Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
End Deceptive Voting Practices: President Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
End Racial Profiling: President Obama and Vice President Biden will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: President Obama and Vice President Biden will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama and Biden will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates.
Eliminate Sentencing Disparities: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.
Expand Use of Drug Courts: President Obama and Vice President Biden will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.
Support for the LGBT Community
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.
I see a lot more information than just HIV/AIDS being discussed on this page for LGBT issues. Not only is HIV/AIDS at the bottom of the page, it is acknowledged that there are homophobic people that try to link HIV/AIDS to the LGBT community.
Who knows, maybe he wanted to make sure his bases ( aka ASS) was covered in showing concern for our community since Senor Jakinoff (aka W) apparently ( and quite obviously) didnt give two shits or shinola. Looks like (without just taking one section out of context) by means of the whole page that he's making an attempt to show he gives a damn. Bet one wouldnt find any info like this on Sir Doofi's site...
Like I mentioned before, and I'll repeat again...If someone wanted to get their panties in a bunch, like the alleged person(s) aka trolls above, imagine how certain cultural backgrounds must feel having their culture forever linked to such a pandemic, let alone how persons who have their own sexual preferences may feel ( as seen by previous comments above.).
12voltman59
Jan 23, 2009, 9:25 AM
Sorry Drew for taking up server space--but in the interests of public health--and for those who can't seem to click on a link--in its entirety--the article by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
HIV/AIDS among Women
View PDF | En Español Revised August 2008
Early in the epidemic, HIV infection and AIDS were diagnosed for relatively few women and female adolescents (although we know now that many women were infected with HIV through injection drug use but that their infections were not diagnosed) [1]. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Women of color are especially affected by HIV infection and AIDS. In 2004 (the most recent year for which data are available), HIV infection was
the leading cause of death for black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.
the 3rd leading cause of death for black women aged 35–44 years.
the 4th leading cause of death for black women aged 45–54 years.
the 4th leading cause of death for Hispanic women aged 35–44 years.
In the same year, HIV infection was the 5th leading cause of death among all women aged 35–44 years and the 6th leading cause of death among all women aged 25–34 years. The only diseases causing more deaths of women were cancer and heart disease [2].
STATISTICS
HIV/AIDS in 2005
(The following bullets, except for the last one, are based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.*)
HIV/AIDS was diagnosed for an estimated 9,708 women [3].
High-risk heterosexual contact was the source of 80% of these newly diagnosed infections [3].
Women accounted for 26% of the estimated 37,163 diagnoses for adults and adolescents [3].
Of the 126,964 women living with HIV/AIDS, 64% were black, 19% were white, 15% were Hispanic, 1% were Asian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native [3].
The estimated number of HIV/AIDS in female adults or adolescents decreased from 11,941 in 2001 to 9,708 in 2005 [3].
According to a recent CDC study of more than 19,500 patients with HIV in 10 US cities, women were slightly less likely than men to receive prescriptions for the most effective treatments for HIV infection [4].
Sex of adults and adolescents with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2005
Note. Based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
Transmission categories and race/ethnicity of women living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2005
Note. Based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
AIDS in 2005
Of 40,608 AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 10,774 (26%) were for women [3].
The rate of AIDS diagnosis for black women (45.5/100,000 women) was approximately 23 times the rate for white women (2.0/100,000) and 4 times the rate for Hispanic women (11.2/100,000) [3].
An estimated 95,959 women were living with AIDS, representing 23% of the estimated 421,873 people living with AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
An estimated 4,128 women with AIDS died, representing 25% of the 16,316 persons with AIDS who died in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
From the beginning of the epidemic (1981) through 2005, women accounted for 181,802 diagnoses, a number that represents 19% of the 952,629 AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia during this period [3].
From the beginning of the epidemic through 2005, an estimated 85,844 women with AIDS died, accounting for 16% of the 530,756 persons with AIDS who died in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
Women with AIDS made up an increasing part of the epidemic. In 1992, women accounted for an estimated 14% of adults and adolescents living with AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [5]. By the end of 2005, this proportion had grown to 23% [3].
Data from the 2005 census show that together, black and Hispanic women represent 24% of all US women [6]. However, women in these 2 groups accounted for 82% (8,807/10,774) of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005 [3].
Race/ethnicity of women with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2005
Note. Based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
RISK FACTORS AND BARRIERS TO PREVENTION
Younger Age
For women of all races and ethnicities, the largest number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses during recent years was for women aged 15–39. From 2001 through 2004, the number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for women aged 15–39 decreased for white, black, and Hispanic women. There was an increase in the number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses during this period for Asian and Pacific Islander women and for American Indian and Alaska Native women aged 15–39 [7].
Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in females aged 15-39 years
2001 2004
No. (%)* No. (%)*
White 1,218 (63) 996 (56)
Black 5,229 (62) 4,091 (58)
Hispanic 1,192 (60) 819 (57)
Asian/Pacific Islander 31 (55) 62 (66)
American Indian/Alaska Native 23 (52) 39 (68)
* Percent (%) of women age 15-39 in corresponding sub-group.
Lack of Recognition of Partner’s Risk Factors
Some women may be unaware of their male partner’s risk factors for HIV infection (such as unprotected sex with multiple partners, sex with men, or injection drug use) [8]. Men who engage in sex both with men and women can acquire HIV from a male partner and then transmit the virus to female partners. In a 2003 report of a study of HIV-infected people (5,156 men and 3,139 women), 34% of black men who have sex with men (MSM), 26% of Hispanic MSM, and 13% of white MSM reported having had sex with women [9]. However, their female partners may not have known of their male partner’s bisexual activity: only 14% of white women, 6% of black women, and 6% of Hispanic women in this study acknowledged having a bisexual partner. In another CDC survey, 65% of the young men who had ever had sex with men also reported sex with women [10]. Women who have sex only with women and who have no other risk factors, such as injection drug use, are at very low risk for HIV infection (CDC, unpublished data, 2006).
High-Risk Heterosexual Risk Factors
Most women are infected with HIV through high-risk heterosexual contact [3]. Black and Hispanic women account for 81% of the women living with HIV/AIDS in 2005 who acquired HIV through high-risk heterosexual contact [3]. Lack of HIV knowledge, lower perception of risk, drug or alcohol use, and different interpretations of safer sex may contribute to this disproportion [11]. Relationship dynamics also play a role. For example, some women may not insist on condom use because they fear that their partner will physically abuse them or leave them [12]. Such sexual inequality is a major issue in relationships between young women and older men. In a CDC study of urban high schools, more than one third of black and Hispanic women had their first sexual encounter with a male who was older (3 or more years) [13]. These young women, compared with peers whose partners had been approximately their own age, had been younger at first sexual intercourse, less likely to have used a condom during first and most recently reported intercourse, or less likely to have used condoms consistently.
Biologic Vulnerability and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
A woman is significantly more likely than a man to contract HIV infection during vaginal intercourse [14, 15]. Additionally, the presence of some sexually transmitted diseases greatly increases the likelihood of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection [16]. The rates of gonorrhea and syphilis are higher among women of color than among white women. These higher rates are especially marked at younger ages (15–24 years) [17].
Substance Use
An estimated 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses for women are related to injection drug use [3]. Sharing injection equipment contaminated with HIV is not the only risk associated with substance use. Women who use crack cocaine or other noninjection drugs may also be at high risk for the sexual transmission of HIV if they sell or trade sex for drugs [18]. Also, both casual and chronic substance users are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol [19].
Socioeconomic Issues
Nearly 1 in 4 blacks and 1 in 5 Hispanics live in poverty [20]. Socioeconomic problems associated with poverty, including limited access to high-quality health care; the exchange of sex for drugs, money, or to meet other needs; and higher levels of substance use can directly or indirectly increase HIV risk factors [21]. A study of HIV transmission among black women in North Carolina found that women with a diagnosis of HIV infection were significantly more likely than women who were not infected to be unemployed; to have had more sex partners; to use crack/cocaine; to exchange sex for money, shelter, or drugs; or to receive public assistance [22].
Racial/Ethnic Differences
The rates of HIV diagnosis and the risk factors for HIV infection differ for women of various races or ethnicities—a situation that must be considered when creating prevention programs. For example, even though the annual estimated rate of HIV diagnosis for black women decreased significantly—from 82.7 per 100,000 population in 2001 to 60.2 per 100,000 population in 2005—it remained 20 times the rate for white women [3, 23]. Overall, the rates of HIV diagnosis are much higher for black and Hispanic women than for white, Asian and Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaska Native women. The rates for black women are higher than the rates for all men except for black men [3, 24, 25].
Multiple Risk Factors
Some women infected with HIV report more than 1 risk factor, highlighting the overlap in risk factors such as inequality in relationships, socioeconomic stresses, substance abuse, and psychological issues. For example, in the North Carolina study of HIV infection in black women, the participants most commonly reported that that their reasons for risky behavior were financial dependence on male partners, feeling invincible, low self-esteem coupled with the need to feel loved by a male figure, and alcohol and drug use [22].
PREVENTION
CDC estimates that 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006 [26]. Populations of minority races/ethnicities are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. To further reduce the incidence of HIV infection, CDC announced a new initiative, Advancing HIV Prevention, in 2003. This initiative comprises 4 strategies: making HIV testing a routine part of medical care, implementing new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside medical settings, preventing new infections by working with HIV-infected persons and their partners, and further decreasing perinatal HIV transmission.
In the United States, women, particularly women of color, are at risk for HIV infection. CDC, through the Department of Health and Human Services Minority AIDS Initiative, explores ways to reduce disparities in communities made up of persons of minority races/ethnicities who are at high risk for HIV infection. CDC is also conducting demonstration projects in which women’s social networks are used to reach high-risk persons in communities of color; CDC is also conducting outreach and testing for partners of HIV-infected men. Additionally, CDC recognizes the importance of further incorporating culture- and gender-relevant material into current interventions [27].
CDC funds prevention programs in state and local health departments and community-based organizations. The following are examples.
Illinois, Access Community Health Network, which is the largest network of community health centers in the nation, receives funding to implement counseling, testing, and referral (CTR) in Chicago communities with the highest rates of HIV diagnosis and funding to implement SISTA (Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS), a social-skills training program aimed at reducing HIV sexual risk behavior among African American women at high risk for HIV infection.
In Massachusetts, CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc., receives funding for HIV risk-reduction counseling and prevention case management and for Women RISE (Risk Identification, Strategies, and Empowerment), an HIV prevention services program that engages women and their partners who are at very high risk for HIV infection, who are homeless and living in family shelters, or who are identified through street outreach.
In California, the Orange County Bar Foundation adapts SISTA for Latinas aged 18–24 years.
In Florida, the Center for Multicultural Wellness & Prevention, Inc., addresses, through SISTA and CTR, the health issues that affect African American and Haitian women.
In New York, the Community Healthcare Network provides prevention services through counseling, comprehensive risk counseling and referral, and RAPP (Real AIDS Prevention Project) interventions to African American and Hispanic women.
CDC also funds research on interventions to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors or their outcomes. For example, the Women and Infants Demonstration Projects were focused on low-income, inner-city sexually active women to measure injection drug use, sexual behaviors, and rates of HIV testing, as well as sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. The demonstration projects increased condom use and resulted in the RAPP intervention package, which is available, along with training and technical assistance, from CDC
CDC is actively involved in the promising area of microbicides—creams or gels that can be applied vaginally before sexual contact to prevent HIV transmission. The development of a safe, easy-to-use microbicide would be a milestone in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS. CDC is supporting the search for an effective microbicide agent through several lines of research, including
conducting laboratory and animal studies that can help evaluate the safety and the efficacy of microbicides before they are studied in humans.
supporting clinical trials to assess the safety of microbicides in humans in the United States, Asia, and Africa. Current human clinical studies include a phase I safety trial of UC-781, which is being conducted among women in the United States and Thailand.
To reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in the United States, CDC has distributed approximately $10 million annually since 1999 to several national organizations and a number of states with high HIV/AIDS rates. These funds support perinatal HIV prevention programs, enhanced surveillance for HIV-infected mothers and babies, education, and capacity building among health care providers and public health practitioners.
Understanding HIV and AIDS Data
AIDS surveillance: Through a uniform system, CDC receives reports of AIDS cases from all US states and territories. Since the beginning of the epidemic, these data have been used to monitor trends because they are representative of all areas. The data are statistically adjusted for reporting delays and for the redistribution of cases initially reported without risk factors. As treatment has become more available, trends in new AIDS diagnoses no longer accurately represent trends in new HIV infections; these data now represent persons who are tested late in the course of HIV infection, who have limited access to care, or in whom treatment has failed.
HIV surveillance: Monitoring trends in the HIV epidemic today requires collecting information on HIV cases that have not progressed to AIDS. Areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting requirements use the same uniform system for data collection on HIV cases as for AIDS cases. A total of 33 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) have collected these data for at least 5 years, providing sufficient data to monitor HIV trends and to estimate risk behaviors for HIV infection.
HIV/AIDS: This term is used to refer to 3 categories of diagnoses collectively: (1) a diagnosis of HIV infection (not AIDS), (2) a diagnosis of HIV infection and a later diagnosis of AIDS, and (3) concurrent diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS.
PS--I see that Drew has now--as I was posting this--had deleted the postings by "BlackFever"--it must have been "our friend" yet again--I have to say--that was a much more coherent and well done personality profile and posts done by our favorite troll on this occasion--and as usual---you can be sure---he is saying: "I'll BE BAHHHHACK!!"