KNOW YOUR STATUS. Get tested every 6 months and in between each new partner. Free HIV Testing recommended to ensure getting tested regularly.

National HIV & STD Testing Resources; just type in your zip code and find the closest testing site near you!

HIV KNOWS NO GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR RACE.

Positive? Negative? Not sure?

What You Need to Know About HIV:

Frequently Asked Questions About HIV and STD Testing

Did You Know?

Every woman who is pregnant should be checked for STDs during her first prenatal visit.

theoceanandthesky: [if there were a million springer spaniels in africa dying of aids and starvation, we would probably have it taken care of in about four days.] ethiopienne: I hate her, but sometimes she drops truth bombs. Also look at the difference between the way Whoopi nods her head and Barbara looks dumbfounded. Ugh. seconded. not a fan, but true facts. It’s so true.
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theoceanandthesky:

[if there were a million springer spaniels in africa dying of aids and starvation, we would probably have it taken care of in about four days.]

ethiopienne:

I hate her, but sometimes she drops truth bombs. Also look at the difference between the way Whoopi nods her head and Barbara looks dumbfounded. Ugh.

seconded. not a fan, but true facts.

It’s so true.

(via 40h4error)

Source: marsonfire

myhivpromise: I registered for the ride… and so it begins! In recognition of World AIDS day 2011, I registered to participate in the AIDS/Lifecycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June 2012. To do this, I have to raise $3,000 within the next six months- a lot of work but I know this 545 mile ride will be absolutely epic.  To help raise money, I am starting a social media awareness campaign a friend and I thought of a while back- MYHIVPROMISE.com. I want to create a site where participants are able to publicly voice their promise to themselves, families and communities concerning HIV/AIDS. One of the largest struggles with creating the social and behavioral change behind HIV/AIDS activism, prevention, and treatment is the reality that change has to happen inside each and every one of us before anything out in the world will change. We need to make promises to ourselves about HIV/AIDS because every single one of us counts in the fight to end HIV/AIDS and the stigma behind it. We need to make promises to our families and communities because HIV/AIDS affects all of us regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, social class, physical/mental ability, religion, or education. I want to hear your promise so that we can come together to become more than individuals and become a family, a safe space, an army of people united to end HIV/AIDS. SO MAKE A PROMISE NOW. My promise is below, as well as some sample ones: “My HIV promise is to never ever shut up.”           - Jay from Baltimore, Maryland, USA “My HIV promise is to educate myself!” “My HIV promise is to get my girlfriend and I tested for HIV.” “My HIV promise is to tell my daughter about being positive.” “My HIV promise is to create a safe space for positive individuals in my home, church, and workplace.” “My HIV promise is to listen to my doctor and take my medications daily.” “My HIV promise is to tell my children about safe sex.” What should you include in your promise? A statement of commitment to yourself, family/friends, community, etc concerning HIV/AIDS. Your name and location. How can you submit it? Submit now! It only takes about 1 minute to think of and an ounce of creativity. Submissions of Photos, Drawings, Video, Audio, or anything else are welcome! Just email myhivpromise@gmail.com with any attachments and I can figure it out. -jay
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myhivpromise:

I registered for the ride… and so it begins!

In recognition of World AIDS day 2011, I registered to participate in the AIDS/Lifecycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June 2012. To do this, I have to raise $3,000 within the next six months- a lot of work but I know this 545 mile ride will be absolutely epic. 

To help raise money, I am starting a social media awareness campaign a friend and I thought of a while back- MYHIVPROMISE.com. I want to create a site where participants are able to publicly voice their promise to themselves, families and communities concerning HIV/AIDS.

One of the largest struggles with creating the social and behavioral change behind HIV/AIDS activism, prevention, and treatment is the reality that change has to happen inside each and every one of us before anything out in the world will change. We need to make promises to ourselves about HIV/AIDS because every single one of us counts in the fight to end HIV/AIDS and the stigma behind it. We need to make promises to our families and communities because HIV/AIDS affects all of us regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, social class, physical/mental ability, religion, or education. I want to hear your promise so that we can come together to become more than individuals and become a family, a safe space, an army of people united to end HIV/AIDS.

SO MAKE A PROMISE NOW.

My promise is below, as well as some sample ones:

“My HIV promise is to never ever shut up.” 
         - Jay from Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  • “My HIV promise is to educate myself!”
  • “My HIV promise is to get my girlfriend and I tested for HIV.”
  • “My HIV promise is to tell my daughter about being positive.”
  • “My HIV promise is to create a safe space for positive individuals in my home, church, and workplace.”
  • “My HIV promise is to listen to my doctor and take my medications daily.”
  • “My HIV promise is to tell my children about safe sex.”


What should you include in your promise?

  1. A statement of commitment to yourself, family/friends, community, etc concerning HIV/AIDS.
  2. Your name and location.


How can you submit it?

  1. Submit now! It only takes about 1 minute to think of and an ounce of creativity.
  2. Submissions of Photos, Drawings, Video, Audio, or anything else are welcome! Just email myhivpromise@gmail.com with any attachments and I can figure it out.

-jay

Some dentists refuse to serve HIV+ people

gaywrites:

Five percent of dental offices in L.A. refuse service to people with HIV, according to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA.

Testers made calls in English and Spanish to 612 dental offices in the city over a two-year period. The most common excuse for not serving people with HIV is that the offices were “ill-equipped” to deal with the virus. 

An earlier study showed that significantly higher numbers of other types of medical providers refused to serve people with HIV — 55% of obstetricians, 46% of skilled nursing facilities, and 25% of plastic surgeons had blanket policies that discriminated against HIV-positive potential patients. 

The discrimination rates were also higher in areas of high HIV infection rates, neighborhoods with more low-income people, and areas that would serve more people of color. Still, the study’s authors hypothesize that the rates of medical bias is higher in other areas across the U.S., despite federal policies barring such discrimination. 

My initial reaction upon reading this was one of disgust, as I can’t imagine any business discriminating against someone for this and it actually pains me to think of someone being turned away in this way.

But then I read that this is actually a pretty low number? Unbelievable. It’s World AIDS Day - let’s remember how far we have to go. 

imwithkanye: On September 21, 2011 people across the US living with HIV took a moment out of their day to take a photo of their everyday lives for the project A Day With HIV in America. The images from that day, which was World AIDS Day, are now in a recently released photo essay by the magazine Positively Aware. [Out.com] 5:30 pm - Eugene, OR: Cree Gordon, 26, has been HIV-positive for more than six years; his friend Mathias is negative: “I call my picture, ‘Opposites Attract.”
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imwithkanye:

On September 21, 2011 people across the US living with HIV took a moment out of their day to take a photo of their everyday lives for the project A Day With HIV in America. The images from that day, which was World AIDS Day, are now in a recently released photo essay by the magazine Positively Aware. [Out.com]

5:30 pm - Eugene, OR: Cree Gordon, 26, has been HIV-positive for more than six years; his friend Mathias is negative: “I call my picture, ‘Opposites Attract.”

portcitywriter: I got my test today, on World AIDS Day 2011, six months after my last test.  Like every other time, it went something like this: - (initial feeling about getting tested) I’m totally sure I was safe over the last six months and if anything was going to come up in terms of my health, I’m sure I would have felt it by now. -(As Dec 1 approaches)  Well, there was that one time when I may have not been as safe as I should have been, but I know we didn’t do anything too risky. -(Driving to the test site)  Sure, I might have contracted HIV.  That’s okay.  I will survive this.  I am okay with being Poz, if that’s in fact how it turns out. -(Sitting and waiting in the test center)  How will I tell [insert family, friend, pet, etc] that I’m HIV positive?  What will that be like (cue wild imagination of scenario after scenario, and wondering how those will play out) -(moments after getting the negative results I was anticipating, but still unsure about) Deep, Deep breath, a silent thank you to the Fates, and a purposeful promise to myself to be more secure in my sexual health going forward. —- The fact is, this virus has been in and around my life ever since I came out of the closet. It’s something that I’ve had to dance with time and time and time again.  I am not afraid of it, but I do respect it, and I do understand what the ramifications of becoming a Poz man are.  I accept, in fact, that being HIV positive could be a part of my life, and if that were to ever be the case, I would have to accept it as part of me, but do my damnedest to ensure it wasn’t all that I was, or let the virus take over my life.  I’m fortunate enough to live in a place and time where treatment is an option, and living a full and productive live with HIV as part of the picture is possible.   And, for that matter, I do everything I can to dissipate any stigma or worry that those I know who are living with HIV face on a daily basis.  Time and time again, I’ve met men who sheepishly admit to being poz, and are bracing for something like full-on, total rejection from me.  I simply accept what they’ve said, and do my best to assure them that I’m not judging them based on their sero-status.  It’s a part of who they are, but not all of who they are.  I know this, and they know this, but it’s clear that some of these fellas have faced down some pretty awful things and people when they admit to their HIV status.  That fills me with rage, and sorrow, and reinforces my commitment to keep awareness and knowledge about HIV in the US and around the world as part of what I do, and talk about I guess, as I sit here, sipping wine, and remembering those who have been lost to HIV and AIDS, including those very close to me, I want to express my thanks.  To them, to those who have taught me to treat my body in a way that is respectful, and to those who are living every day with HIV, being as strong and as solid as they can be, and even to those who are just finding out about their status, at this moment, and maybe are having a bit of a life-changing realization.  To those people especially I say, be strong, be you, and make a commitment to be better to yourself going forward, regardless of your sero-status.  Find love, make love a part of your life, love yourself completely.  And, above all, teach those around you how to do the same.
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portcitywriter:

I got my test today, on World AIDS Day 2011, six months after my last test.  Like every other time, it went something like this:

- (initial feeling about getting tested) I’m totally sure I was safe over the last six months and if anything was going to come up in terms of my health, I’m sure I would have felt it by now.

-(As Dec 1 approaches)  Well, there was that one time when I may have not been as safe as I should have been, but I know we didn’t do anything too risky.

-(Driving to the test site)  Sure, I might have contracted HIV.  That’s okay.  I will survive this.  I am okay with being Poz, if that’s in fact how it turns out.

-(Sitting and waiting in the test center)  How will I tell [insert family, friend, pet, etc] that I’m HIV positive?  What will that be like (cue wild imagination of scenario after scenario, and wondering how those will play out)

-(moments after getting the negative results I was anticipating, but still unsure about) Deep, Deep breath, a silent thank you to the Fates, and a purposeful promise to myself to be more secure in my sexual health going forward.

—-

The fact is, this virus has been in and around my life ever since I came out of the closet. It’s something that I’ve had to dance with time and time and time again.  I am not afraid of it, but I do respect it, and I do understand what the ramifications of becoming a Poz man are.  I accept, in fact, that being HIV positive could be a part of my life, and if that were to ever be the case, I would have to accept it as part of me, but do my damnedest to ensure it wasn’t all that I was, or let the virus take over my life.  I’m fortunate enough to live in a place and time where treatment is an option, and living a full and productive live with HIV as part of the picture is possible.  

And, for that matter, I do everything I can to dissipate any stigma or worry that those I know who are living with HIV face on a daily basis.  Time and time again, I’ve met men who sheepishly admit to being poz, and are bracing for something like full-on, total rejection from me.  I simply accept what they’ve said, and do my best to assure them that I’m not judging them based on their sero-status.  It’s a part of who they are, but not all of who they are.  I know this, and they know this, but it’s clear that some of these fellas have faced down some pretty awful things and people when they admit to their HIV status.  That fills me with rage, and sorrow, and reinforces my commitment to keep awareness and knowledge about HIV in the US and around the world as part of what I do, and talk about

I guess, as I sit here, sipping wine, and remembering those who have been lost to HIV and AIDS, including those very close to me, I want to express my thanks.  To them, to those who have taught me to treat my body in a way that is respectful, and to those who are living every day with HIV, being as strong and as solid as they can be, and even to those who are just finding out about their status, at this moment, and maybe are having a bit of a life-changing realization.  To those people especially I say, be strong, be you, and make a commitment to be better to yourself going forward, regardless of your sero-status.  Find love, make love a part of your life, love yourself completely.  And, above all, teach those around you how to do the same.

garbagepizza: HIV is not a simple virus. It’s an epidemic fueled on sexism, homophobia, racism, transphobia and classism. Today on world aids day i challenge you to not linger in despair. I challenge you to demand changes to the broken system.
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garbagepizza:

HIV is not a simple virus. It’s an epidemic fueled on sexism, homophobia, racism, transphobia and classism. Today on world aids day i challenge you to not linger in despair. I challenge you to demand changes to the broken system.

(via ethanthegeek-deactivated2013042)