Results tagged “hiv”

White House leaders are coming to Los Angeles on Sunday to continue his tour for his National HIV/AIDS Community Discussion. "These Discussions, hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), offer the public a chance to provide input as the White House works to fulfill the President’s pledge to develop a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS)," explains a White House press release.

Since taking office, President Obama has visited Los Angeles a couple of times, but today is his first San Francisco visit. Tonight will be a National HIV/AIDS Community Discussion at UCSF, which offers a chance for the public to provide input on combatting the disease. The White House says that more than 56,000 new HIV infections occurs each year in the U.S. Obama has three goals in his effort to...

A state legislator is suing the Governor over budget cuts and so is everyone else, it seems. Today, you can add AIDS Project Los Angeles to the list. They contend that Schwarzenegger went beyond his authority by cutting $85 million from HIV/AIDS programs. Citing the state's Legislative Counsel Bureau, the APLA says Schwarzenegger was only allowed to make budget cuts to original budget appropriations, not to a bill passed last February. “In exceeding his power, the governor has singlehandedly dismantled a critical array of programs that protect the health of all Californians -- programs that ultimately save the state from far more catastrophic spending,” APLA Director Craig E. Thompson said. “The effects will be nothing short of devastating.” Los Angeles County has the second largest AIDS epidemic in the country and 7,000 people statewide are estimated to become HIV positive. A rally will be held at Pershing Square in downtown tonight at 7 p.m. followed by a short march to the Reagan State Office Building on Spring Street. 2,000 demonstrators are expected.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's line item cuts to the state budget on Tuesday drastically reduced many programs, including state parks and domestic violence funding. AIDS/HIV programs were also hit particularly bad to the tune of around $85 million, leaving the California’s Office of AIDS with only 20 percent of its funding for programs like HIV education and prevention, HIV counseling and testing, home health and early intervention.

Sex in jail is illegal, but if it's going to happen, it had better be safe. At least that's the wisdom behind the eight-year-old program that "makes condoms available once a week to 300 inmates within the segregated unit" at the Men's Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles, explains the Daily News.

The porn industry's self regulation, albeit a good step, but never to the satisfaction of health officials, has been for the most part under the radar until cases like the one happening this week. Yesterday morning it was reported that one case of HIV was within the industry. Then in the afternoon, reports surfaced that there has been at least 16 since 2004, when the last reported group of performers tested positive for HIV.

Adult Industry Medical Healthcare in Sherman Oaks. "The actress was involved in a small amount of films in a short period of time," said AIM administrator Brooke Hunter. "She still is in counseling." Her working partners have tested negative so far, but are under two 14-day quarantines getting tested again. "All required reporting has been complied with, as have the AIM and industry protocols," AIM said in a statement. "The investigation is ongoing. This is not a major event."

LA City Beat has a great article today about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can be 81 percent effective against the HIV virus after exposure. Problem is, while it's widely available for healthcare workers who accidently are exposed to blood and gay rape victims, it's pretty hard to find otherwise. PEP is actually a 30-day mix of pills that doctors fear would do much more harm to the spread of the virus than stopping it because those with PEP prescriptions might be encouraged to have less safe sex. “There’s a stigma when it comes to gay men,” Anthony Gutierrez of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center said. The Los Angeles Free Clinic didn't want to comment on the drug and another clinic only spoke to the weekly if they could remain anonymous.

It's hard to believe, but December 1, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Today we come together as friends and family, as a city, as a state, as a country, and (most importantly) as a global community to educate and inform on the world AIDS epidemic. While others will (and should) debate the politics of this crisis, we here at the ScientIST feel it’s our duty to share some basic Health 101 behind the virus, transmission, and prevention. We turn to the experts at the Center for Disease Control for the latest in on-going research.

2,000 residents of L.A. County are expected to take advantage of free HIV testing services as part of HIV Counseling and Testing Week. "Of the more than 53,000 AIDS cases were reported in Los Angeles County as of December 2007, nearly 31,000 of the patients have died, according to the county Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS Programs and Policy," says cbs2.com. The report states that AIDS cases in the county remain clustered around the Hollywood/West Hollywood and Long Beach areas and the rate of increase in reported AIDS cases is rising most quickly among minorities. For more information on Testing Week, check out HIVLA.org's PDF sheet.

How apropos; today on LAist it's Sex Saturday, but today also happens to be World AIDS Day. Several events took place yesterday and will happen today in order to remind the world community that HIV/AIDS remains a global threat. The LA Times reports today on President Bush's public appearance yesterday at a church in northern Maryland, and that his speeches did not propose new plans or funding, but rather focused on humanitarianism. According to the...

Dr. Sharon Mitchell of Adult Industry Medical (AIM) Healthcare Foundation talks to audience members at Zócalo's Cocktail Hour With all the talk of the economy and morality (see Part 1) at last night's panel, Dirty Business: Should the Porn Industry Be Saved?, one subject prevailed during cocktail hour among the audience that as comprised of the curious, the perverts, health officials, and industry folks: sexually transmitted diseases. And that tone of that was set...

It is estimated that 200 firms, 6000 workers and 1200 actors produce 4000-7000 adult films a year in Los Angeles. Yes, there are more porn-related, adult industry jobs than software jobs in this town. With $4.3 billion in sales and rentals (which is still nothing compared to the $12 Billion made from toys and books), the Adult Entertainment Industry puts $4 billion in revenue back into the local economy. “It’s in an industry producing...

Doomed to repeat - if not exceed - the failures of their previous generations, the youth of today are spreading sexually transmitted diseases at an alarming rate, the LA Times reported yesterday. In fact the next time a college girl giggles when, in the heat of the moment, you pull her hair and call her a dirty dirty girl - the joke might be on you, holmes. About 1 million Californians between the ages...

Up for a little do gooding and want to meet some good people along the way? Check out Philanthro Productions event at the Cabana Club tonight. Called "STRUT: A PARTY AND FASHION SHOW BENEFIT FOR CAMP HEARTLAND," it's $15 donation at the door.

- Stubborn week old fire in Northern Santa Barbara County still not contained. - Fire in Banning took 19 acres before it was under control after 45-minutes. - Orange County bus strike could be now over. - "The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of L.A. will reportedly fork over the largest payout to date in the church's sexual abuse scandal." - "At least 33 infants were infected in the 1980s by HIV-tainted transfusions at Cedars-Sinai." -...

LOGO, the nation's first (and only) openly gay television network, is set to host the next Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles on August 9. The moderators will include Joe Solmonese, the president of Human Rights Campaign, and Melissa Etheridge, the Academy Award (for her rendition of An Inconvenient Truth's "I Need to Wake Up") and two-time Grammy Award-winning rock musician and prominent gay rights activist. So what specific topics will be on the...

Photo by sassylittlepunkin via Flickr. Looking for an excuse to try the lobster roll and pug burger at Hungry Cat? Now you have a certifiably altruisitc motive for your gluttony. Tomorrow is the 13th Annual Dine Out Los Angeles, a one-day event where participating Los Angeles area restaurants will donate 20% or more of their day's proceeds to Aid For AIDS, a charity that works to improve the quality of life for people who...

In the wake of yesterday's LA raids by the DEA, about 100 protesters marched in front of the West Hollywood City Hall this morning. Clearly the state of medical marijuana in America has become the line in the sand between state's rights and the power of federal law. Yesterday the feds flexed their muscle: They confiscated several thousand pounds of processed marijuana, along with weapons and money. A spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration...

Five Santa Monica Blvd. medical marijuana dispensaries were raided by the feds today, pretty much harshing the mellow of the WeHo city council. "The state of California voted to allow marijuana for medical purposes," says West Hollywood City Councilmember Abbe Land. "The City of West Hollywood along with other cities across the state have established regulations to govern the dispensing of medical marijuana, so that people whose lives depend on this drug can be...

For most of us, 15 minutes, several putty knives, and a giant canvas would not be the ideal way to go about turning the art scene upside down. But then again, Nigerian born Austino Okafor is not most people. Like if it were me, i might need a few days, or a few weeks, and at least a paint brush for chrissakesAside from creating the Di-Fusion art movement, Okafor plans on contributing more to humanity...

Did you know that you don't need health insurance to get tested for AIDS and STDs in LA County? The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Sexually Transmitted Disease Program is complimentary to its residents. So don't wait. Go and use it. We are not AIDS experts here, but we believe in a simple idea. If everyone would get tested at least once a year, the spread of AIDS and STDs would...

Students from North Campus (Arts & Humanities) walked across campus today singing songs of hope for AIDS awareness. They warmly greeted students walking to and from class by handing out t-shirts and asking them to join in and walk. “The ‘Kiss and Tell’ theme is about re-affirming safe sexual practices and is also about everyone knowing how this is affecting others all around the world.” – Dana Helwick, coordinator for Students for International Change....

Regardless of their reasons, I became the woman with 25 condoms hanging around loosely in my purse. I looked like Sally Slam Pig. The second any man caught a glimpse into my hooker handbag he’d know for sure that I was a douche bag or that I already had the AIDS. PRECAUATION. PRECAUTION. PRECAUTION.

While many in the medical and gay community have argued against this message for decades, it is now the centerpiece of a new HIV awareness campaign by the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. This series of magazine and bus shelter ads is sure to stir up critics; gay and straight alike. In 1981, AIDS was first reported to the public as a "Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals" by the New York Times. For...

Clowns are scary. Especially in the parking lot of a shopping center in the suburbs as your mom waits in an SUV.

After all the hubbub about a little porn in the backyard on Easter Sunday, will there be any outrage over "reality porn" in the sex shop? We won't link to Midnight Prowl (it's awfully NSFW) but Fleshbot (pretty NSFW in it's own right) points us towards it and notes that by the looks of things in the trailers and photos, this pornographic romp through some of LA's many adult video and toy shops seems to be exactly what it claims - porn starlets copulating with average joes. Lots and lots of average joes.

Today is World AIDS Day, and while LAist firmly believes the world should be focused on AIDS as much as humanly possible every day, we're glad December 1st is set aside to remind us all that AIDS continues to affect us globally and locally. Here in LA there are many events taking place in honor of the day. This morning the LA County Public Health Department's Office of AIDS Programs & Policy held a gathering at Dorothy Chandler Pavillion which led into a special balloon launch ceremony at 10:00 a.m. held in memory of those we have lost to HIV/AIDS.

- And, finally, while we're promoting L.A. hearts LA at the Standard tomorrow night, you should know that there's a Reality Relief benefit at the Century Club tonight.