The International AIDS Housing Roundtable releases "More than just a Roof over my Head: Housing for People Living with HIV/AIDS around the World"

The International AIDS Housing Roundtable releases

"More than just a Roof over my Head: Housing for People Living with HIV/AIDS around the World"

WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 2010 -- Today, the International AIDS Housing Roundtable (IAHR) is releasing "More than just a Roof over my Head: Housing for People Living with HIV/AIDS around the World," a report examining the relationship between HIV/AIDS and housing instability in 17 communities across the globe, at a press conference at the International AIDS Conference.


Just over half of the world's population lives in urban areas; one third of these residents are poor, almost a quarter live in slums. Slum conditions such as poor sanitation and hygiene, unsafe water supply, insecure land tenure and lack of access to basic services increase the risk of HIV infection and poor health outcomes.

HIV-related stigma and discrimination can impact family and community support, income and employment, and housing security. Gender inequality and homophobia impact both housing security and HIV/AIDS risk, creating a double vulnerability for HIV-positive women and sexual minorities.


The report is funded by the Ford Foundation and based on testimony from IAHR members working across the globe. Its release is just one of the many housing-related events at the International AIDS Conference.

The International AIDS Housing Roundtable is a project of the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC). To read the entire report and learn more about the link between housing and HIV/AIDS, please visit the NAHC website.


# # #
About National AIDS Housing Coalition: The National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in February 1994. NAHC believes that persons living with HIV/AIDS have a fundamental right to decent, safe, affordable housing and supportive services that are responsive and appropriate to their self-determined needs. NAHC works to ensure that the diverse voices of those infected and affected by HIV are heard and their needs are met.

Contact:
Lola Adele-Oso
email: lola@nationalaidshousing.org
phone: 202-347-0333

Notes:

this report's release is timely given the problems of homelessness in MSMs and by extension persons living with HIV/AIDS, PLWHAs populations across the island. Many persons are basically "cotching" or crashing with family or friends while othere literally live by hand to mouth despite the major improvements in retroviral treatments and therapies but other social interventions are slow in catching up to match.

Peace and tolerance.

H

Lesbians and Safer sex ........

Contributed by "Concerned Lesbian"

While the International AIDS Conference is happening in Vienna it is instructive that nearly all the conversations I have seen so far are just on men, especially MSMs and rightly so in some respects and the African almost guinea pig typed studies on women trying out gels and other supposed safer sex methods. Bisexual women and lesbians hardly get captured in these agitiations towards behaviour change messages.

The few studies on lesbians and HIV are a drop in the bucket when compared to those readily available on my MSM counterparts.

Here are some tips for the YOU! the ordinary citizen out there as a woman to consider in designing how you negotiate and navigate sexual acitivities. Please review and do your own browsing as well on the subjects shown below.

Why should lesbians think about safe sex?

Generally lesbians are at low risk of HIV infection and unplanned pregnancy. However sex between women is not always safe, and lesbians are just as vulnerable to certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as women who have sex with men. Therefore women need to know the risks and how to protect themselves.

What is ‘safe sex’ for lesbians?

‘Safe sex’ is any activity through which you are at no risk of becoming infected with HIV or an STD. 'Safer sex' refers to sex in which the risk of becoming infected with HIV or an STD is minimised. Lesbians can protect themselves from HIV and many STDs by ensuring that infected fluids, such as blood or vaginal fluids, do not enter their body during sex. Precautions that can be taken include not sharing sex toys, or if doing so, using a new condom for each partner. Certain sexual activities are also considered to be lower risk, for example hugging, touching, massage and masturbation.

However, STDs such as herpes and crabs can be passed on through skin contact alone. The only way for two women to be sure that they are not at risk during sex is if both have been fully tested, and have not had sexual contact with any other women or men since.

Lesbians, sex and HIV

Lesbian or bisexual women are not at high risk of becoming infected with HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - through woman to woman sex.

However, like many women:

Some lesbians have unsafe sex with men - one British study found that 85 percent of women who have sex with women reported also having sex with men.

Some lesbians inject drugs and share needles - research into injecting drug users has shown higher HIV prevalence among women who have sex with women, compared to heterosexual injecting drug users.

Some lesbians wanting to get pregnant face decisions about sperm donors - legitimate sperm banks screen donor's semen for HIV and other STDs. However, many lesbians chose to use the sperm of someone they know, rather than using a sperm bank.

Some lesbian sexual practices are risky.

It is argued that the widespread assumption that lesbians are a low-risk population increases some lesbians risk of HIV infection as they believe HIV is not something that they need to be concerned about

What are the HIV risks for lesbians?

HIV is in the blood, breast milk, vaginal fluid or semen of someone with HIV, so you are at risk if you get any of these fluids inside your body. The risks of sexually transmitting HIV between women are low. Very few women are known to have passed HIV on to other women sexually. However, some lesbian sexual practices do carry a risk of HIV transmission and precautions need to be taken to protect against infection.

Oral sex - the risk of HIV being passed on through oral sex is low, but it is increased if a woman has cuts or sores in her mouth, or if the partner receiving oral sex has sores on her genitals or is having her period. Oral sex is safer if you use a 'dental dam' (a square of latex or cling film) to stop any vaginal fluid or menstrual blood getting into your mouth. A condom cut open and spread flat can also be used for this.

Sharing sex toys - sharing sex toys (for example vibrators) can be risky if they have vaginal fluids (juice), blood or faeces on them. Always clean them well and have one each. This is one area of sex where sharing is a bad idea!

Rough sex - any sexual activity that can lead to bleeding or cuts/breaks in the lining of vagina or anus is risky, including 'fisting' or certain S&M (sadomasochism) activities.

What other STD risks are there for lesbians and bisexual women?

Although we have seen that lesbian and bisexual women are at low risk of getting HIV from sex with another woman, many other STDs - such as herpes or thrush - are just as common for lesbians as for women who have sex with men.

•Thrush is an overgrowth of yeast causing vaginal itching and soreness, often with a white discharge. It can be passed via sex between women, though oral sex is low risk.

•Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an overgrowth of vaginal bacteria causing a smelly discharge, which lesbians often experience. There is a possible link with perfumed soaps and bath oils.

•Genital warts are painless bumps on the vulva, in the vagina, on the cervix or round the anus. They can be passed through contact with the wart, for example by touching, rubbing or sharing sex toys. It is unlikely non-genital warts, such as on hands, can be transferred to the genitals.

•Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) gives a frothy, itchy vaginal discharge and is passed on by contact with the vagina only, for example by touching or sharing sex toys.

•Herpes can cause painful sores on the inside of the vulva/vagina or anus (these are genital herpes) or on the mouth (cold sores). Herpes can be passed on through contact with a sore, for example by touching, fondling or sharing sex toys.
Oral sex when a cold sore is present can also transmit the virus. It can be possible to have the herpes virus, be infectious and yet never have had any symptoms. An American study found that the majority of women who have sex with women, who are infected with herpes, are unaware of their infection.

•Crabs/pubic lice cling to pubic and other body hair causing itching and sometimes blood spots from bites. They are spread through naked body/skin contact.

•Chlamydia and gonorrhea are rare in lesbians but if they are present may be passed on through sharing sex toys or rubbing vulvas together. Often there are no symptoms, though there may be a discharge. The first sign of both infections may be pain in the pelvic region (pelvic inflammatory disease or PID).
There is a risk of infertility for women who have had untreated chlamydia.

•Syphilis is very infectious and close skin contact during sex can pass it on. Syphilis causes painless ulcers (or chancres) to appear where the bacteria entered the body. A chancre on the vagina can be almost unnoticeable.

•Hepatitis refers to viral infections that cause inflammation of the liver. Certain forms of hepatitis can easily be passed on in sex - for example by touching or sharing sex toys. There are often no symptoms, though it can cause jaundice (yellow skin) or nausea.

Treatment is available for all the STDs mentioned above, often with antibiotics, and most can be cleared up quite rapidly. It is vital you seek help as soon as you notice any symptoms and that you do not have sexual contact that could pass on any infection until it has been dealt with.

Additional Source

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV Stands with Global HIV Advocates in Congratulating CAPRISA on Prevention Breakthrough

Study gives hope for new and effective prevention tools for women, men who have sex with men and other vulnerable populations

Vienna, Austria (July, 20, 2010) - The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) stands with HIV advocates around the world in congratulating scientists at the Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) on their new groundbreaking CAPRISA 004 trial results. CAPRISA 004 is an efficacy and safety trial that tested a1% tenofovir gel to prevent HIV transmission. Major findings included a 39 percent lower infection rate in those who used the gel compared to those who did not. Conducted in HIV-negative South African women, this was the first-ever trial to evaluate the efficacy of an antiretroviral-based microbicide; it is great cause for optimism regarding biomedical prevention approaches.

ARV-based HIV prevention entails, among other approaches, the use of microbicides as vaginal or rectal gels to reduce the chances of HIV transmission during sexual intercourse. We celebrate CAPRISA 004’s positive results as an important development for women’s advocates, who have highlighted the urgency of developing products that give women increased control over their own sexual health. The study is significant for the health of men who have sex with men (MSM) as well, with a growing global movement advocating microbicides research for rectal use.

It is important to note that CAPRISA 004 is a proof-of-concept study and that no microbicide, ARV-based or not, has yet been proven to effectively halt HIV transmission. The results and implications of the CAPRISA 004 trial must be confirmed through further research. In addition to efficacy trials, studies must be conducted to assess feasibility for potential roll-out and scale-up among different regional contexts and populations, including MSM.

Microbicides have the potential to become a formidable weapon in the fight against HIV among vulnerable populations. The CAPRISA 004 study focused solely on vaginal microbicides. More rectal microbicide research is needed in order to better understand their potential health benefits for MSM. Additionally, the complex and diverse challenges that MSM face around the world in regard to access, stigma, and criminalization have shown us that no one prevention technology can be a silver bullet.

Microbicides must therefore be understood as but one evolving part of an integrated prevention spectrum that employs a comprehensive range of already available, evidence-based approaches, from condoms and lubricants through structural interventions.

In order to ensure that such emerging HIV prevention technologies meet their full potential for reducing new infections, new science must be paired with strong advocacy. Each global region is different and requires a culturally competent and nuanced approach, but the need for action remains universal. We applaud these scientists for their efforts to enhance the tools at our disposal; it is now everyone’s responsibility to ensure that these tools are developed and released into a world that can use them.

While more exciting progress on ARV-based interventions is anticipated in the future, we must continue to stress the importance of a comprehensive and balanced approach in the fight against HIV – one that emphasizes targeted rights-based primary prevention strategies for communities that are especially vulnerable to HIV infection combined with treatment and support services for all people living with HIV.

Displacement in the Lesbian community is all too real ....

So you may have noticed I have been zooming in on homelessness in the MSM community in particular on this and on Gay Jamaica Watch after the unfortunate and surprise closure of a homeless shelter that housed some of that particular grouping in 2010 however the problem also occurs in the lesbian and bisexual women's community as well but fortunately in a sense not with the fervor and consequences as their male counterparts. It was only last evening on July 19th I was introduced to two ladies who have been in that category for some four months now but they have been able to sustain themselves in some way by staying with friends and maintaining some form of supplemental income when they can. However the lack of having their own independence can be frustrating as I have come to understand from other persons who fall in this category of those struggling on the fringes.

The women became victims of this circumstance after one was told to leave the inner city area in which she was living as they were supposedly watched by neighbours. The other sister who lived close by in another community would occasionally visit her friend from time to time and this aroused the suspicion of curious or as we say in Jamaican terminology "fass"(very intrusive or inquisitive) persons who wanted to know why this girl kept visiting and if they were sodomites? They nosy ones also questioned if her other friends were gay too as she said she was told by them that a male friend who comes by as well looked "fishy" and they don't want that type in their midst.
When I questioned the ladies whether they thought they were profiled because of how they looked they said yes, the inner city sister was clearly very feminine and reserved while her friend aesthetically speaking was the dominant of the two if we are to go by society's stringent stereotypical measurements of gay couples. Her "butch" dynamic was strong to the point of intimidating in a sense. The matter of profiling is not a new phenomenon and is a feature of how Jamaicans stereotype gays and lesbians especially in the lower socio-economic sections of our society, if one presents aesthetically as the opposite sex then one could be in deep trouble literally speaking.

What was even more unfortunate was that they felt they never needed to go to any advocacy groups or individuals as they among other reasons:
(1) didn't know of the services available by such and
(2) wasn't sure if lesbians would be covered as the impression they have is only gay men's issues are looked at in a public sense. What a perception eh?

Clearly now we are seeing a section of the younger LGBTQI community (the ladies are in their very early twenties) who are not exposed to interventions or knowledge at all or know of the limited avenues available to engage such services or simply to get advice. I suggested they go to JFLAG none the less they said they would think about it but the persons who introduced the ladies to me strongly discouraged that move and were surprised that I even placed it as an option as they are aware of my and others openly expressed criticisms and mistrust coupled with the fallout from the controversial closure of the MSM shelter.

Then again I might just get blamed for adding fuel to the fire lol. I think many persons though under estimate the impact that questionable MSM shelter closure has had on the LGBTQI community, so much for trust in the systems, this is something I have long talked and written about for some years now, many abused and displaced persons feel that they are better off surviving alone or with networking to deal with whatever ills such as homelessness or homophobic abuse on their own instead of seeking professional assistance from the advocates. Given the insulation these days by certain groups it's not surprising.

The women however seemed in good spirits and actually have some plans in place to put themselves on a new footing. Wonderful news in as far as self efficacious activity is concerned. As for family members they have been isolated by them as the news spread of the fallout of the first sister the other soon suffered a similar fate given her close proximity to her friend's house she was cautioned as well, to put it mildly. The ladies and their male friends who introduced them to me were out for a stroll on the town I guess in a bid to just relax and temporarily ease the worry of what to do next given their present issue.

I think seriously we need to look at developing something more formal to capture persons who fall in this category but with money such an ever growing scarce commodity these days and funding proposal submissions taking forever to be reviewed what does one do in the meantime?, to stand and watch scenarios like this go on is heartbreaking at times but we ought to press on none the less. Talk therapy does help in a way if it is even just a light hearted exchange about the issue with possible solutions included. The community networking concept has worked as friends help friends out when they can as several other cases before this have proven so we are not so bad a community after all but it would be good to know that when one gets in a rut there are a proper set of systems and professionals in place one can trust to guide and assist with getting ones life back in order. Looks like we have a long way to go yet.

Help your brother or sister out where possible in case you hear anything of this nature friends and look out for yourself too, things aren't easy.

Peace and tolerance.

H

United Nations Grants Official Status to U.S.-based International LGBT Rights Group

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

Sara Perle, New York: +1 212-430-6015, sperle@iglhrc.org (English/Italian)
Jessica Stern, New York: +1 212-430-6014, jstern@iglhrc.org (English)
Cary Alan Johnson, Vienna: + 1 347-515-0330, cjohnson@iglhrc.org (English/French)
Marcelo Ferreyra, Buenos Aires: +54 11-4665-7527, mferreyra@iglhrc.org (Spanish/English)

July 19, 2010, the full United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voted in favor of a US-led resolution to grant the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) consultative status. IGLHRC is only the tenth organization working primarily for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) human rights to gain such status at the United Nations.

"Today's decision is an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have a place at the United Nations as part of a vital civil society community," said Cary Alan Johnson, IGLHRC Executive Director. "The clear message here is that these voices should not be silenced and that human rights cannot be denied on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The resolution passed with 23 in favor, 13 against, 13 abstentions and 5 absences.
This victory is particularly significant, coming as it does after a prolonged 3-year application process in the sub-committee that makes initial recommendations on status. Despite full compliance with all procedures IGLHRC faced deferrals, homophobic questioning, and procedural roadblocks in the ECOSOC NGO Committee.

Today's decision overturned a "no-action" vote in the NGO-committee that threatened to establish a dangerous precedent and the possibility of organizations deemed controversial being continuously denied the opportunity to have their application put to a vote even after undergoing the required review.

The vote also signals a recognition of the important role of a diverse and active civil society at the UN. In support of progress on IGLHRC's application, a group of over 200 NGOs from 59 countries endorsed a letter to all UN Member States, demanding fair and non-discriminatory treatment and supporting IGLHRC's goal of amplifying LGBT voices in the international arena.

"As human rights defenders and LGBT people living in countries where homophobic discrimination is a daily reality, we celebrate the accreditation of IGLHRC at the UN," said Frank Mugisha, Chairperson of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), one of 13 NGOs from Uganda to publicly call for IGLHRC to be accredited. "IGLHRC's access to the UN means that we too will have greater access to international human-rights mechanisms that can prove invaluable to LGBT people's lives."

The government of the United States stood strongly behind IGLHRC's application, calling for a vote in both the NGO Committee and ECOSOC. Ambassador Susan Rice, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, publicly supported IGLHRC's application. Additionally, 14 members of the US House of Representatives and 4 Senators sent letters of support for IGLHRC's application to all UN Member States. Among them were Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Congressman Howard Berman, Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The victory continues the upward trajectory for LGBT rights at the UN. It allows IGLHRC to participate in a more formal way through attending meetings, submitting statements and collaborating with the UN and governments in the international human-rights arena.
"We celebrate this decision," stated Toni Reis, president of the Brazilian LGBT group, Associação Brasileira de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais (ABGLT) - that in 2009 was the last LGBT organization to receive status. "It is crucial that LGBT NGOs have the opportunity to participate in the UN human rights debate - though in future, organizations should receive full and fair reviews before the NGO Committee itself."

Despite the limited opportunities offered to non-accredited NGOs, IGLHRC has a long history of advocating at the UN for the rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The organization advocated for sexual rights to be included in the official discussions at the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; spoke at the first UN General Assembly meeting on HIV and AIDS in 2001; and in recent years has been part of a collaboration between NGOs and supportive States that resulted in the groundbreaking 2008 UNGA Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, signed by 67 UN Member States.

The votes on this resolution granting IGLHRC special consultative status were as follows:
Vote For - 23
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Guatemala
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Malta
Norway
Peru
Poland
Rep. of Korea
Slovenia
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay

Votes Against - 13
Bangladesh
China
Comoros
Egypt
Malaysia
Morocco
Namibia
Niger
Pakistan
Russian Fed.
Saudi Arabia
Venezuela
Zambia

Abstaining - 13
Bahamas
Cote D'Ivoire
Ghana
India
Mauritius
Mongolia
Mozambique
Philippines
Rep. of Moldova
Rwanda
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Turkey
Ukraine

Absent - 5
Cameroon
Congo
Guinea-Bissau
Iraq
Saint Lucia