World AIDS Day and VCT. What are you doing where you are to fight this pandemic?

Tomorrow I will be going with Ben, Douglas and an outside counselor to do VCT (volunteer, counseling and testing) with a government department in Pretoria as the start of a week long VCT campaign kickoff on the 25^th World AIDS Day. I will not be counseling but rather helping the other three with logistics and ensuring that the process runs smoothly. We will be using a test that doesn’t require drawing blood (unless one tests positive for HIV) but instead requires putting a testing device with a swab on the end in your mouth to get saliva which can be tested for HIV. If one is unfortunate to test positive then we use a disposable needle to prick the finger and a confirmatory test to see if they are really positive. If it comes up negative we do a third test and if this is inconclusive we let them know where they can find a clinic to be tested. The tests are supposed to be basically full proof so the results should be correct.

We will only have each person use the swab to test their saliva after someone who is positive gives a talk about “living positively” and Douglas follows this with the beginnings of a counseling session. This will be to a group of upwards of 200 people if possible. The larger the group the better (as more people can choose to know their status) but we will only be able to see about 30 people total tomorrow as counseling can take up to 45 minutes per person if not more if they are positive or require more attention. Then this coming week Doug, Linzi and Ben will be going back to Pretoria to continue counseling the people who will do VCT tomorrow and others who will come to do it. They don’t get their results until they have been counseled and often the counseling that comes after finding out of they are positive or negative is the most important. Positive people need to know how to continue to live a long and healthy life, not infect others and disclose (if they chose to) to their families, friends, partners, etc. Negative people need to know how to stay negative and not get the idea that they are invincible but must practice safe sex or better yet abstain as it is the best way to remain negative.

It will be an interesting way to pass the celebration of a quarter century of HIV/AIDS. I guess that sounds a bit strange but what people need to come to realize is that World AIDS Day is everyday as everyday thousands of people around the world die from AIDS related diseases and thousands more get infected or infect others. Here in South Africa between 900 and 1,000 mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, etc. die from AIDS related diseases. We must not just try to plug up the dykes keeping HIV from infecting or affecting all persons but really react quickly, comprehensively and smartly to this pandemic. Please join me today, tomorrow and until we defeat AIDS to do what you can where you are to combat this ferocious enemy. If we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem.

Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition and World AIDS Day.

Hello Readers. I have chosen to send you an email I received last night from friend/colleauge Ann Pickar who is one of the co-chairs of the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition. I know Ann and her co-chair Cara Pattison, Vice President of Bolo Moyo. I know many of you don't live in Portland but for those interested in knowing about Portland efforts to raise awareness, share information and work towards change around World AIDS Day this Friday, December 1st here is an email from the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition (PAGAC).

"Hello, Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition members and friends!
As I am sure you know, Friday, December 1st is the 25th Anniversary of World AIDS Day.
Here in Portland we are marking the day on Thursday, November 30.
I hope many of you will attend the Rhythms for Life event put on by Africa AIDS Response. It will take place November 30th at 7:00 PM at the Tiffany Center, SW 14th and Morrison. Tickets are $15.00. Before the AAR event there will be the traditional memorial service for those in Portland who have died of AIDS this year.

ALSO: IFARA TV will be taping a series of programs earlier in the day, for airing throughout December. The section on global AIDS, "Portland Goes Global" will feature the work of PAGAC, so I hope many of you will be able to see it. Thanks to Fred Schaich for making all this happen!

Here are the dates and times for the series.

Week !: World AIDS Day Memorial Service.
Sunday, December 3, Channel 23 at 10:00 a.m.
Monday, December 4, Channel 11 at 10:00 p.m.
Friday, December 8, Channel 22 at 9.00 p.m.

Week 2: The global AIDS epidemic: Portland Goes Global.
Same times and channels, that is
Sunday, December 10, Channel 23 at 10:00 a.m.
Monday, December 11, Channel 11 at 10.00 p.m
Friday, December 15, Channel 22 at 9:00 p.m.

Week 3, HIV/AIDS in the Portland community.
Same times and channels on Sunday, December 17, Monday, December 18 and Friday, December 22.

Week 4. Medical advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Same times and channels on Sunday, December 24, Monday, December 25 and Friday, December 29. (but programs this week are subject to "preemption" by Christmas programming.)

And something practical you can help with: in December I hope to deliver to the offices of our local congressional delegation letters asking them to cosponsor the PATHWAY Act, which will rewrite current US AIDS legislation to remove the earmark for abstinence only prevention programs and focus aid more closely on the need to address the impact of AIDS by empowering women. If you are available during the day and would like to help, please let me know.