Category Archives: Health

Even though half of the people living with HIV are over the age of 50 infections continue to happen and there remains no cure for AIDS.

According to statistics from AIDS.gov, there are approximately 50,000 new HIV infections each year in the US. In 2010 50% of youth under the age of 24 with HIV didn’t know that they were positive. Aside from concerns that these people are not receiving the necessary medical care and attention they need it is likely they are unintentionally infecting others who do not engage in safe sex — so make it a point to know your status.

Local resources – including testing and counseling are available in the following locations listed below.  Feel free to share other sites you know about in the comments section. Maybe in honor of World AIDS Day you’d like to make a donation to help these organizations continue their important work.

About 15 years ago when I worked at the AIDS Action Committee of MA (AAC) I was responsible for soliciting corporate donations.  During my tenure at AAC I never recall any of the local taxi companies donating a single penny.  Uber’s support for causes that mean something to me increases my loyalty to them. Their support may be just savvy marketing but they are helping raise awareness and money for charities that are near and dear to me; and that matters to me.

Earlier this year Uber joined the EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVES LIVES campaign to fit AIDS with (RED). On World AIDS Day, Tuesday, December 1, 2015 Uber is partnering with (RED) and enabling riders to help drive towards an AIDS Free generation. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, Uber riders in more than 150 cities nationwide (including Boston) can join the fight by choosing to ride (RED) and donate $5 on top of their normal fare.* Around the world, cars in the app will turn red to drive awareness around the cause. Moreover, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has generously pledged to match all donations made to (RED) in-app on December 1. With this match, every $5 donation helps provide a month’s worth of lifesaving medicine, which costs as little as 30 cents a day, to a mother living with HIV/AIDS.

Want to donate? It’s easy.

• On 12/1, choose the (RED) option in the app
• Your uberX ride will be the same as usual
• Uber will contact you by SMS at the end of your trip — reply YES to donate $5 to the Global Fund*

If you’re not riding on December 1, join the conversation and support the drive to an AIDS-free generation.

$0.25 OF EACH $5 DONATION WILL BE USED TO COVER PROCESSING FEES.

*ALL DONATIONS MADE THROUGH THE (RED) OPTION IN THE APP GO DIRECTLY TO THE GLOBAL FUND, A 21ST-CENTURY ORGANIZATION DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE THE END OF AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA AS EPIDEMICS.

The third Thursday of November is the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout. The intent is to encourage smokers to finally give up smoking.

This morning Hub medical dispensary applicant Patriot Care went before the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal for a hearing about their planned Milk Street operation; despite opposition from the mayor.  Later this week on Thursday, August 6 medical marijuana activists will gather in support of H.2065, “An Act to protect patients approved by physicians and certified by the Department of Public Health to access medical marijuana.”  Advocates and family members of patients will march from Boston Common to Beacon Hill. Organizers with the MA Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA) encourage attendees to dress in black.

Read more about this here.

Why do I believe the Republican Party is becoming a party of misogynists? There are a lot of reasons, but the current efforts to defund Planned Parenthood – seemingly supported by every Republican Presidential candidate – is a good place to start.

97% of Planned Parenthood services go to providing STD testing and treatment, access to contraception, cancer screening and prevention and general women’s health services.  Presumably these services to more than 3 million women through out our country would be perceived to have merit and help to keep our communities healthy.

Only 3% of Planned Parenthood services go to abortion services

If you agree that Planned Parenthood is doing important work to help women who would not otherwise have access to these health services 97% of the time does it seem reasonable for Republican candidates to be actively campaigning to defund Planned Parenthood?    The message I take away from this war on Planned Parenthood is if you do not align with the Republican Party’s or candidate’s pro life values 100% of the time there is no room for compromise. That does not sound like a “moderate” party or moderate candidate.  Below are recent quotes from the three front runners and their staff who (if you believe the polls).

“We have got to defund Planned Parenthood, by the way, and Gov. Bush supports those efforts.”
– Jordan Sekulow (Jeb Bush Presidential Campaign Senior Advisor)

“We defunded Planned Parenthood, which is particularly important these days”
– Gov. Scott Walker

“In in my opinion, they [Planned Parenthood] should absolutely be defunded”
– Donald Trump

Fenway Health has an interesting infographic about HIV prevention efforts with PrEP that I thought I would share with you.  If you would like to learn more about PrEP visit Fenway Health’s What is PrEP? website.

This is not for everyone  but before you make a decision one way or another, educate yourself and talk with your medical provider to find out if PrEP is right for you.