gaywrites:

Today, activists, advocates, and ordinary people all over the globe are recognizing World AIDS Day, when we show our support for people living with HIV/AIDS and commemorate those who have passed away.

At the link above, you’ll find more information about what you can do today. You can take a quiz about your awareness of HIV and let your friends know about the significance of today on Facebook. As soon as you can, you should get tested; knowing your status is half the battle! And of course, if you’re able, you can donate to organizations like GMHC, which are leading the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Today has special significance for our communities for a number of reasons. As you probably know, HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts the LGBT community—HRC’s got more information on that here. But as a result of these statistics, and because of the AIDS epidemic of 30-odd years ago, both LGBT people and HIV-positive people continue to be stigmatized for their association with this condition.

To help fight the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, I highly recommend The Stigma Project, a fantastic organization working to make the world more “HIV neutral.” You can get involved with the international fight against HIV/AIDS however you want—the important thing is to get involved. 

What will you do?

I gave to Broadway Cares for World AIDS Day. Mainly because I’ve given to them through tickets and merchandise before, but also because I found it difficult to find the main US site to give to for AIDS in general. The link in this reblog is a UK site. 

gaywrites:

Regular HIV testing will now be covered under the Affordable Care Act, after a decision by the government-backed U.S. Preventative Task Force.

The Task Force recently recommended that every American between ages 15 and 65 should be tested for HIV. Because the ACA, or Obamacare, requires insurers to cover preventative services recommended by the Task Force, it will therefore cover routine HIV testing. 

The task force first indicated they were considering updating their recommendations on HIV testing in August. Their previous guidelines on HIV screening — which hadn’t been changed since 2005 — left the decision to test for HIV up to each individual doctor, and only strongly recommended testing for the adults who were considered to be at “high risk” for contracting the virus after having multiple sexual partners. But according to researchers, since 20 percent of HIV-positive Americans are currently unaware they have the virus, regular screening could help identify more people who could benefit from early treatment.

HUGE news on the health front. Seriously, so thrilled to hear this. 

HOLY SHIT. This calls for a very specific dance gif!!

Nearly 38 percent of lesbians polled in a national survey were not routinely screened for cervical cancer, putting them at risk of developing a highly preventable cancer, according to a University of Maryland School of Medicine study being presented at the 11th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted virus, the human papillomavirus (HPV), and can be detected through regular Pap smears.

The percentage of lesbians not being screened as recommended is higher than for women overall. According to information compiled by the Centers for Disease Control’s Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 13 percent of women have not had a Pap test in the last three years.

“This study highlights an often-overlooked cancer disparity,” says the study’s author, J. Kathleen Tracy, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a researcher at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. “We know that HPV can be transmitted during same-sex sexual activity, so lesbians are at risk of developing cervical cancer. If these women aren’t screened, they are at increased risk of getting this type of cancer by missing opportunities to identify precursor cervical abnormalities that can be treated.”

I’m one of the 4…sigh. I have, however, been vaccinated against HPV, so that side of it isn’t a weighing factor for me. I should go though.

gaywrites:

California governor Jerry Brown this week signed a bill that will ensure single people and same-sex couples have the same access to fertility services as opposite-sex couples.

These two groups of people frequently face discrimination and additional hardship when it comes to having kids, and so this new law will close the inequality gap for when they are seeking fertility assistance. Scientific details from The Advocate:

The law removes a barrier that required women seeking artificial insemination from someone who is not an “intimate partner” to have the sperm tested with each new insemination effort, even if the mother had already been exposed to the donor semen from previous insemination attempts. The policy was particularly hard-hitting for single women and same-sex couples, who can now define a “designated donor” who can provide a fresh donation for each insemination attempt, without having the sample frozen for repeated tests that can reduce the likelihood of successful conception.

The law will take effect January 1, and it’s kind of a huge deal. You go, California. 

gaywrites:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter HIV test in the nation. 

OraQuick is an oral swab that gives results in about 20 minutes. It was recommended for approval by an independent panel in May and will be available at major retailers within a few months. From HIV Plus Magazine:

“This approval marks a major milestone in HIV testing,” executives at OraSure, the developers of the test, said in a statement Tuesday. “The OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test will fill an unmet need by providing a testing option for individuals at risk for HIV who may otherwise not test in a professional setting. For the first time ever, individuals will have access to an in-home oral test that will empower them to learn their HIV status and receive the care and support that they need.”

This is huge.