Tag Archives: Health

Planning a vacation? Learn about Fenway’s Vacation PrEP study

Posted on June 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

gay health, Truvada, sexual health, HIV, AIDSLast month I first wrote about this important new study at Fenway Health. I wanted to share this once again because I think it is important for the LGBT community to participate in studies specific to our health and I hope by sharing this you may consider participating or will share this with friends who might.

You may be eligible if: HIV-uninfected, gay/bi male, 18+, planning to take a vacation in the next few months, and have had unprotected anal sex in the last year. Interested? Participants are compensated $100 over the course of the study and receive PrEP for the duration of their vacation. For more information and to see if you are eligible please call 617.927.6384 or email vacation@fenwayhealth.org.

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Fenway Health: The Vacation PrEP Study

Posted on May 26, 2016 | 1 comment

Fenway Health, gay health, PrEP, Truvada, sexual health studyAre you planning a vacation for later this summer?  If so, you may be a candidate for an important new study at Fenway Health.

As we all know, many gay/bi men engage in risky sexual behavior when away and on vacation. By joining The Fenway’s Vacation Study, you may receive PrEP for the duration of your upcoming vacation plus an additional two weeks. Your participation will help test the feasibility and acceptability of shorter-term PrEP.

I think it is important for the LGBT community to participate in studies specific to our health, and I hope by sharing this you may consider participating or will share this with friends who might. For more information and to see if you are eligible please call 617.927.6384 or email vacation@fenwayhealth.org.

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Study finds meditation changes the brain and body

Posted on March 19, 2016 | 1 comment

personal healthLast month The NYT had an interesting article, How Meditation Changes the Brain and Body, I thought I’d share. It references a study published in February in Biological Psychiatry that brings some reputable science suggesting meditation can change our brains and potentially improve our health.

Brain scans of those who participated in the study which you can read about in the links provided above showed that those who meditated had more brain activity or communication among the portions of their brain that process stress-related reactions and other areas related to focus and calm.

I don’t meditate but the article made me think that maybe I should try to set aside 10-15 minutes and make time for meditation.  Do you meditate regularly? If so, I’d love to hear from you and to get your thoughts on the study’s findings.

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Walking with sandwiches: Ben’s New Year’s resolution

Posted on February 13, 2016 | 1 comment

Many people make New Year’s resolutions each year and it is usually right about now that a lot of us give up on them. I stumbled upon this really inspiring YouTube video of someone who has an interesting story that I wanted to share.

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Why you need to come out to your doctor

Posted on January 28, 2016 | 2 comments

Temptation Tuesday, handsome, hunk, shirtless, absBack in 2011 I wrote a post Many LGBT patients feel alienated by their health providers.  It was based on a Boston Globe article that reported many LGBT patients did not feel like they could have honest conversations with their doctors. For many who are Out and live in cities like Boston this may seem strange. We benefit from living in a progressive city and have access to places like Fenway Health, but for many who are not Out or do not have access to a LGBT clinic, this is a real problem.

US News & World Report wrote an interesting article, How to Come Out to Your Doctor as an LGBT Patient, explaining why it is important: the type of preventative care you should receive – esp if you are sexually active; questions you may want to ask your doctor; and most importantly for those who are not out to their health care providers – how to start the conversation.

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Grindr survey on PrEP

Posted on January 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

TruvadaLast fall Grindr released the video below to share their survey findings after partnering with the CDC, SFAF and Gilead.  The nationwide survey looked at current attitudes, usage and questions regarding PrEP.

What is PrEP?  PrEP (also sometimes referred to as Truvada) is a daily pill that has been approved by the FDA and been shown to be safe and effective in preventing HIV’s ability to copy itself in your body after you’ve been exposed.

According to the survey findings many gay men who are sexually active are afraid to ask their doctors about PrEP and 1 in 10 had trouble getting their doctors to prescribe them the medication (that statistic was double for black respondents).

If you would like to learn more about PrEP but don’t know where to turn you can email Fenway Health at information@fenwayhealth.org or call them during business hours at (857) 313-6590.

Click here to find the nearest testing center in your area (US Only)

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Do you know your HIV status

Posted on December 1, 2015 | Leave a comment

Safe SexEven 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.

AIDS ACTION COMMITTEE of MA  / The Male Center
www.aac.org
Fenway Health
www.fenwayhealth.org
Planned Parenthood 
www.plannedparenthood.org
The Borum (Sidney Borum Health Center)
www.sidneyborum.org

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