Local Condom Nation Steps Off
Amazing it as it seems, especially 30 years into the HIV and AIDS health dilemma the distribution of condoms in local venues had reached level of indifference and follow through since there were no agencies aggressively monitoring distribution. Furthermore, outgoing Governor Mike Bebee was explicit in his direction that tax payer dollars not be used to distribute condoms in bars and such as outlined by his spokesperson Matt Decample. But since that onset of that mindset, local bar manager Luke Henley inquired with local community based organization, The Living and Affected Corporation and COP 24/7 about assisting with providing condoms to be utilized in each the local bars. Henley states," it seems that their has been a lack of emphasis on this and we should do our part to be apart of that prevention effort." He continued, " we have customers that have a good time and may not have time to find a condom when and if the need arises." Through efforts with this forum a relationship was forged with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles whom also included Arkansas on its 2011 Condom Nation Tour. The group provided an initial 12,000 for circulation and will consider a ongoing future delivery schedule. Also Trigg Laboratories creators of "Platinum Wet" lubricant will be a Platinum Sponsor for HELP Fair 2, slated for World AIDS Day, December 1, 2012, at 401 North Maple Street, in North Little Rock.
Unfortunately, this forum finds it quixotic that an administrator whom created his own Minority HIV/AIDS Task Force in 2007 didn't seem to converse with that entity on the issues nor has it appeared that MHATF has been overtly vocal on the issue of HIV and AIDS during his two terms as Governor. There was a final report filed and from all indications properly ignored and shelved with no implementation plan. All of this despite the fact that the Obama Administration rolled out the National HIV AIDS Strategy ( NHAS), the mantra that "treatment is prevention" has been front and center and Arkansas former first lady now Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has mandated that "zero infections and transmissions" are paramount. Just how can this be achieved you ask? Wow, could that really stop infections and rising transmission rates? You betcha.
According to New York Department of Health in 2009 condom distribution topped 40 million for that year meanwhile in Washington D.C.'s Department of Health launched "Rubber Revolution Campaign" complete with interactive web portal including "condom quizzes" and a "Condom University" where participant can win a free I-Pad if you "star" in your own condom video. To date they have distributed 5 million and counting either using your smart phone or by text message.. And in March, the Washington Post cited a study that showed that DC's Department of Health’s distribution of female condoms in one year saved more than $8 million in future medical costs. Then there's more innovative and out of the box condom distribution including female condoms in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and points beyond. Big props to LA Corp and Henley for connecting the dots to keep HIV and AIDS prevention a priority with in the community. For volunteer, sponsorship opportunities or contributions contact info@lacorponline.org or call 379.8203. Looks like Arkansas better do some rethinking about the issue of condom distribution and its possible impact on new infections.
Amazing it as it seems, especially 30 years into the HIV and AIDS health dilemma the distribution of condoms in local venues had reached level of indifference and follow through since there were no agencies aggressively monitoring distribution. Furthermore, outgoing Governor Mike Bebee was explicit in his direction that tax payer dollars not be used to distribute condoms in bars and such as outlined by his spokesperson Matt Decample. But since that onset of that mindset, local bar manager Luke Henley inquired with local community based organization, The Living and Affected Corporation and COP 24/7 about assisting with providing condoms to be utilized in each the local bars. Henley states," it seems that their has been a lack of emphasis on this and we should do our part to be apart of that prevention effort." He continued, " we have customers that have a good time and may not have time to find a condom when and if the need arises." Through efforts with this forum a relationship was forged with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles whom also included Arkansas on its 2011 Condom Nation Tour. The group provided an initial 12,000 for circulation and will consider a ongoing future delivery schedule. Also Trigg Laboratories creators of "Platinum Wet" lubricant will be a Platinum Sponsor for HELP Fair 2, slated for World AIDS Day, December 1, 2012, at 401 North Maple Street, in North Little Rock.Unfortunately, this forum finds it quixotic that an administrator whom created his own Minority HIV/AIDS Task Force in 2007 didn't seem to converse with that entity on the issues nor has it appeared that MHATF has been overtly vocal on the issue of HIV and AIDS during his two terms as Governor. There was a final report filed and from all indications properly ignored and shelved with no implementation plan. All of this despite the fact that the Obama Administration rolled out the National HIV AIDS Strategy ( NHAS), the mantra that "treatment is prevention" has been front and center and Arkansas former first lady now Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has mandated that "zero infections and transmissions" are paramount. Just how can this be achieved you ask? Wow, could that really stop infections and rising transmission rates? You betcha.
According to New York Department of Health in 2009 condom distribution topped 40 million for that year meanwhile in Washington D.C.'s Department of Health launched "Rubber Revolution Campaign" complete with interactive web portal including "condom quizzes" and a "Condom University" where participant can win a free I-Pad if you "star" in your own condom video. To date they have distributed 5 million and counting either using your smart phone or by text message.. And in March, the Washington Post cited a study that showed that DC's Department of Health’s distribution of female condoms in one year saved more than $8 million in future medical costs. Then there's more innovative and out of the box condom distribution including female condoms in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and points beyond. Big props to LA Corp and Henley for connecting the dots to keep HIV and AIDS prevention a priority with in the community. For volunteer, sponsorship opportunities or contributions contact info@lacorponline.org or call 379.8203. Looks like Arkansas better do some rethinking about the issue of condom distribution and its possible impact on new infections.
COP 24/7 Special from the New York Time
Charles M. Blow
For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.
Let me be upfront: The data here seem to raise more questions than provide explanations.
How would you explain the findings in the Gallup results?
Gallup and the Williams Institute at the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles, on Thursday published the results of “the largest single study of the distribution of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population in the U.S. on record.”
From June through September, Gallup asked 121,290 Americans if they personally identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The results, at least when viewed through a racial and ethnic lens, did not conform to some social stereotypes. The numbers were small, but the implications large.
The poll found that nonwhites are more likely than whites to answer “yes.”
And, although, in general, younger people were more likely to answer affirmatively than older ones, young black men (those between 18 and 29 years old) were 56 percent more likely than young white men to answer yes. Young Hispanic men were 49 percent more likely than young white men to answer with a yes and young Asian men were 23 percent more likely than young white men to answer yes.
This wide discrepancy did not exist among young women. Young black women were only 12 percent more likely than young white women to say yes, and young Asian and Hispanic women were less likely to say yes than young white women.
(The only group in which older people were more likely to answer yes than younger people was among Asian men.) It’s a head-scratcher.
Was there a fluke in the methodology? It seems solid to me, and because the sample size is huge, the margin of error is tiny.
So I did what columnists do when they’re stumped: I reached out to social scientists, cultural critics and activists in the subject area hoping that they could clarify. They had theories, but they were also scratching their heads.
They did, however, offer some intriguing ideas and posed some interesting questions.
Could it be that outreach programs on H.I.V. and AIDS are better at reaching young people of color? Could it be a new level of openness among celebrities and acceptance by politicians? Could it be that some men of color have less at stake financially that could be jeopardized by identifying as gay than their white counterparts?
The theories kept spinning, but there were few clear answers. Dan Savage, a syndicated sex columnist and the originator of the “It Gets Better” antibullying campaign, summed up the consensus concisely: “Boy, this is fascinating stuff.”
On the one hand, it’s a positive statistic. It shows that the gay and lesbian community is more diverse than many believe, and it shows that many young men of color feel empowered to identify as they feel most comfortable.
On the other, the causes behind it remain a mystery.
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