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08.31.2015
Resources

YMSM Project Newsletter – April 2015

Advocates for Youth Newsletter

Feature: National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day is April 10!

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is a day to educate the public about the impact of HIV and AIDS in young people as well as highlight the amazing work young people are doing across the country to fight the HIV & AIDS epidemic in the United States. With young people accounting for 1/4 of new HIV cases in the United States, and young men who have sex with men experiencing sharp increases in rates of new HIV cases, it’s more important than ever to speak up about ending the HIV epidemic. The day will be observed all across the country with events hosted by various organizations and individuals in high schools, colleges, churches, community centers, and more.

Learn more about National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day

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Capacity Building and Professional Development

National HIV Prevention Conference: The 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference (NHPC) is the preeminent conference for scientists, public health officials, community workers, clinicians, and persons living with HIV from a wide variety of organizations to share their expertise and ultimately prevent infections, strengthen care and reduce disparities. The National HIV Prevention Conference allows for in-person collaboration between researchers and program personnel planning and implementing HIV prevention and care programs. The conference will bring together more than 3,000 individuals who are working to stop the spread of HIV in the United States. It will provide an opportunity to continue refining, improving, and strengthening our nation’s response to HIV.

This four-day conference will include oral, panel and poster presentations, as well as plenary sessions, roundtables, and debates and is a platform for conference participants to engage in rigorous scientific, programmatic, and technology information exchange.

Abstract submissions guidelines for this conference:

  • The lead/presenting author may only submit 2 abstracts.
  • All abstracts must be submitted in English.
  • All abstracts should be no more than 500 words (excluding abstract title – title max is 25 words).
  • Authors who submit an abstract must confirm that they have not previously published their findings and that they are not planning to publish them prior to the dates of the 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference.
  • All abstracts must be received by April 17, 2015. Any abstracts received after this date will not be considered. Each author submitting an abstract will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within five days. Authors who have submitted abstracts and have not received an acknowledgement within this period of time should contact the conference organizers immediately via e-mail at questions@nhpc2015.com.

For more information click here.

Stonewall Symposium. Last year’s Stonewall National Education Symposium, held in Los Angeles, California in March 2014, was a smashing success. Whereas in year one, we focused on the problems facing non-inclusive schools; in year two we began to focus on possible solutions. Our guest speakers ranged from authors, advocates, and academics (Lori Duron, Kim Pearson, Dr. Lori Watson) to social science researchers and medical experts (Dr. Dorothy Espelage, Dr. Johanna Olson). Feedback from symposium attendees declared the event to be “energizing,” “powerful,” and “unforgettable!” To register for click here.

2015 School Health Conference. The 89th Annual School Health Conference hosted by the American School Health Association will take place October 15-17, 2015 at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, FL. To submit an abstract for this year’s conference, click here.

SOGI Story #1: The Growth of the Novi GSA. The SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Issues in Education Conference is hosted each year by Oakland University, with the aim of giving educators and social workers tools they need to understand how best to work with LGBTQ youth. The day-long conference was full of stories and information, which we’ll be sharing over the next couple of weeks. To learn more about SOGI, including the large Midwest Conference coming Oct 17-18, visit here.

QuILL: Queer Inclusive Learning and Leading. The QuILL web course is self-paced and available to anyone with internet access through Desire2Learn. The web course takes approximately 45 – 90 minutes to complete. The web course may be used as a stand-alone information tool to compliment coursework, support professional developing, or for personal learning.

Those who complete the web course satisfactorily will:

  • Define and differentiate between concepts and terminology regarding sex, sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression;
  • Acknowledge that sex, gender, and sexuality are much more diverse and fluid than most people are aware.
  • Identify that inclusion is one of our core institutional values at Michigan State University;
  • Acknowledge that sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity are included in our institutional non-discrimination policy;
  • Acknowledge that an ability to work with diverse others enhances learning and employability;

To gain access to the QuILL web course, each participant may complete the form on our website. If you are NOT MSU affiliated, you may still access this webcourse. You will be given a guest ID. If you are MSU affiliated and are interested in batch enrolling a group of students, staff, or faculty, and/or and would like verification of satisfactory completion the web course, email lbgtrc@msu.edu for instructions, or call (517) 353-9520 and ask for Alex. To learn more click here.

RESOURCES

Introducing Healthy People 2020: Healthy People 2020 continues in its tradition with the launch on December 2, 2010 of its ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda for improving the Nation’s health. Healthy People 2020 are the result of a multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group of individuals and organizations. To view the site, click here.

Mortality Among Blacks or African Americans with HIV Infection — United States, 2008–2012. Blacks or African Americans experienced a 3-year survival rate among persons with HIV infection diagnosed during 2003–2008. CDC analyzed data from the National HIV Surveillance System to measure trends in disparities in HIV-related mortality among blacks. To view the site, click here.

The 2013 National School Climate Survey- The 2013 National School Climate Survey is GLSEN’s 8th biennial report on the school experiences of LGBT youth in schools, including in-school resources that support LGBT students’ well-being, the extent of the challenges that they face at school, and insights into many other aspects of LGBT students’ experiences. The survey has consistently indicated that a safer school climate directly relates to the availability of LGBT school-based resources and support, including Gay-Straight Alliances; inclusive curriculum; supportive school staff; and comprehensive anti-bullying policies. To access the full 2013 National School Climate Survey, click here.

PUBLICATIONS

Reconnecting Science and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy Making. Researchers from varying disciplines provide recommendations to improve U.S. sexual health education and to strengthen the translation of science into programs and policy. To view the full research brief, click here.

School Health Policies and Practices Study 2012. The School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices. In 2012, SHPPS was conducted at the state and district levels. To view the results, click here.

Ryan White. Real Lives is a national campaign presenting narratives on the importance of the Ryan White Care Act among communities impacted by HIV, particularly states in the Deep South that have not expanded Medicaid. The stories provide personal perspective on the need for the continuance of the Ryan White Care Act as a key policy critical to the domestic HIV response. To read more about this, click here.

Announcements and News

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: The countdown to National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, April 10, has officially begun! And you can join young people around the nation as they lead efforts to end the AIDS epidemic. Sign the petition to President Obama asking him to prioritize young people in the National HIV/ AIDS Strategy. To sign on to the is effort and learn more, click here.

New Approach to Blocking H.I.V. Raises Hopes for an AIDS Vaccine. A new compound has blocked H.I.V. infection so well in monkeys that it may be able to function as a vaccine against AIDS, the scientists who designed it reported February 18th 2015. To read more about this, click here.

Bloomberg: Gilead’s Pill Can Stop HIV. So Why Does Almost No One Take It? Gilead Sciences Inc. may be one of the first drugmakers in history to have people asking why it’s not doing more to pitch its medicine. Truvada, Gilead’s HIV drug, has been approved since 2004 for people with the virus. In 2012, use was expanded to people without HIV as a way of preventing transmission — a practice called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis. Taken daily, it can prevent infections 92 percent of the time, meaning it could drastically reduce new infections in sexually active gay men, among the U.S.’s highest-risk communities. (Chen, 2/18) To read more about this, click here.

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