The Conversation Starts Here

The folks over at Reproductive Health Reality Check ran a fascinating column by Ellen Roelofs, Vanessa Johnson, Brook Kelly, and Naina Khanna all of the Positive Women’s Network. The piece explored the case of 44-year-old Daniel Allen of Clinton Township Michigan and the charged levied by Eric Smith, the prosecutor down there because Allen is HIV-positive.

From the column:

The misuse of the bio-terrorism law in the Allen case begs the question: Does the state support the idea that having HIV automatically imbues you with criminal or terrorist intent when engaging in the same behavior as people who do not have HIV, or do not know their status? If so, this would be a flagrant violation of HIV-positive people’s right to non-discrimination.

(snip)

The use of prosecutorial tactics that lead to fear of knowing one’s HIV status only serve to create a greater public health hazard. As HIV-positive women and those working directly with the HIV community, we can say with certainty that people will be reluctant to get tested if a HIV positive diagnosis can expose them to government condoned discrimination.

Knowing we can be stigmatized and discriminated against as a result of our HIV status is enough to keep us silent; but terrorism charges?  That’s enough to keep a person from ever getting tested in the first place.

In a review of stories from 2009, Michigan Messenger has highlighted the top five HIV-related stories of the year.

They include the HIV-as-terrorism charges in Macomb county, nPEP, the Michigan Department of Corrections changing its HIV-positive prisoner policy, the city of Lansing releasing the HIV-positive status of a man arrested in a sex sting operation and a review of the felony disclosure law in Michigan.

Michigan Messenger will continue to cover the HIV-positive community in Michigan, and as the reporter on that beat, I can assure you 2010 looks to be shaping up already with more high profile HIV related stories.

For World AIDS Day, Michigan Messenger published the results of an intensive investigation into the application of the  2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols for the administration of nonoccupational post  exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). The result seems to indicate a lack of “written-in-stone” policies from the Michigan  Department of Community Health could be leading to a mishmash of policies and applications, leading some who may  need access to nPEP

To read the story, check here.

As a sidenote, the City Pulse did a follow up on the incident regarding accessing nPEP at Sparrow Hospital. According to that story, Sparrow is now revisiting its nPEP protocols:

But [Sparrow spokesman John] Berg, speaking in general, said the hospital has realized that there is a “gap in treatment that’s not in the best interest of the patient” in relation to providing NPEP. The “gap,” Berg said, was there because the hospital had traditionally deferred HIV treatment and testing to a patient’s primary care physician or the Ingham County Health Department.

“Currently, what we’re doing now is taking care of protocol around NPEP,” Berg said.

But don’t expect any changes immediately:

When asked if a victim of sexual assault came to Sparrow today looking for a NPEP treatment whether they would receive it, Berg said that there is still an issue of educating hospital staff on NPEP.
“I would say that we’re starting the (protocol) process, but we have not completed it,” Berg said. “Every staff member is not educated today. We’re targeting to have it in place within the next month.”

DISCLAIMER: TODD A. HEYWOOD is a participant in the Center for Independent Media New Journalist Program. However, all of the statements, opinions, policies, and views expressed on this site are solely TODD A. HEYWOOD’s. This web site is not a production of the Center, and the Center does not endorse or support any of the contents of this site. (for more information)

The Lansing State Journal, a Gannett owned newspaper in Lansing, has reversed the publication of a story referring to the AIDS Memorial Quilt as designed to “honor the lives of AIDS victims,” and has updated the lede in its online version to refer to “honor the lives of those of who have died of AIDS.”

The reference to “victims” has long been a sticking point for advocates, and the National Gay and Lesbian Journalist’s Association Associate Press Stylebook Supplement specifically encourages journalists to avoid the reference.

AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a medical condition that compromises the human immune system, leaving the body defenseless against opportunistic infections. Some medical treatments can slow the rate at which the immune system is weakened. Do not use the term “full-blown AIDS.” Individuals may be HIV-positive but not have AIDS. Avoid terms such as “AIDS sufferer” and “AIDS victim” because they imply powerlessness. Use “people with AIDS” or, if the context is medical, “AIDS patients.” See HIV.

The Associated Press Stylebook is considered the journalist’s Bible as it outlines specific style content for reporters and editors.

But the change occurred after TheConversationStartsHere.net sent an e-mail to the reporter, and called the Journal’s newsroom. During the conversation with TheConversation, Deanna Stamply, a Journal newsroom employee, said the newspaper’s copy desk had determined the use of AIDS victims was stylistically appropriate and would not be changing it.

During the conversation, Stamply said the newspaper would refer to those who were murdered as murder victims, and people who had died from cancer as cancer victims.

Ten minutes after that conversation, the Journal’s website story was updated to reflect the NGLJA’s Stylebook Supplement.

Screenshots after the jump.

(more…)

In advance of today’s World AIDS Day events in the state, the Michigan Department of Community Health put out a press release about HIV in Michigan. They make a pretty stunning admission:

The rate of new diagnoses among 13 to 19 year olds in Michigan more than doubled between 2003 and 2007 (from 3.2 to 7.3 cases per 100,000). The rate among those aged 20 to 24 years old at diagnosis was level following three previous years of increases. Of the 13 to 19 year olds diagnosed with HIV/AIDS between 2003 and 2007, 85 percent are African American and almost two thirds (62 percent) are African-American males having sex with males.

For more, check out my story on Michigan Messenger.

Note at the end I have a link to the 2010-2013 Comprehensive Prevention Strategy for the state. It’s a nice pretty document, and I like the idea of local communities developing their own prevention focuses and programming needs– but I worry that in places like Lansing, where Poz folks are not being engaged, those voices of poz folks are going to be lost in the strategy, and the strategy as a result will fail.