Scaling-up HIV testing is critical to end the AIDS epidemic in Asia-Pacific

 

There are over 10 different organizations that include sexually transmitted infection programs and HIV/AIDS programs as well as civil society and development groups that have come together to make sure that people with HIV are aware of their status and receive proper medical treatment. There was a very recent meeting which was headed by the World Health organization and the Joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS in Manila.

Antiretrovirals reduce the number of HIV related deaths as well as their transmission and there has been research done to prove this. The trick is catching the infection early or else the success rate is much lower. The WHO Regional Director for The Western Pacific said that it is absolutely essential to get treatment early and that it is equally important that there are an increasing number of different ways to catch the infection.

Gay men, transgenders, sex workers, and people who do drugs all have a high chance of getting HIV, these are also the people who usually lack the proper knowledge of the disease and proper treatment. The UN has called this an epidemic as in 2013 only 1/3 of at risk groups actually knew about their HIV positive status so they set a goal to get this all changed by 2013. The goal is to have 90 percent of people aware of their status, have them get treatment, and have viral overloads. This goal needs to be met.

Steve Krauss, the UNAIDS Director said that the very most important thing to stopping the AIDS epidemic is to test people and catch it early because it is spreading due to people not knowing their status. And when this happens it multiplies very quickly because of the diseases infectious nature.

They say that the approaches for testing need to be more diversified in terms of how often and where they are done.. The tests need to be done both at local clinics and at the bigger hospitals, it needs to be available everywhere. Another issue is that there needs to be more voluntary testing as opposed to mandatory because that scares people away. The populations that are most at risk would benefit from the local community based clinic testing because they often feel stigmatized by the larger facilities.

These more local based tests can actually be done by someone who is close to the worker or whomever is at risk and only takes one quick screening. If there is a positive result then a follow up test is done to confirm. Places like Cambodia have started to do this and it seems to be quite successful. The director of the program director for the STD facility says that it’s very important to bring the testing close to home. Everyone involved is working to make sure that these tests are made more readily available.

#Test4HIV is the name that the WHO is coming up with for their upcoming launch of the AIDS awareness campaign to increase testing. The campaign should be promoted on all possible social media to increase awareness.

HIV Advocates which is a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is the answer. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation,  HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma no longer have any place in society and that society should accept the LGBT community members as they are.

Share your thoughts on the official HIV Advocates platform. Your voice counts!

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

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HIV Advocates supports the Stories of Being Me from Be-App

 

The world is a very diverse place with people being different everywhere. People are like snowflakes, no two are the same, so much has been proven. People come in different shapes; fat, thin, round, stalky, you name it, and they come in different colors too!

In the past there has also been a very clear definition of male and female, as well as the fact that men are supposed to be with women and that’s that. However that is an old school way of thinking for people who are closed of mind and not open to diversity, those are people that just don’t understand.

History has been full of bigots and people who hate anyone that doesn’t qualify as a typical man or woman and doesn’t have  a straight sexual orientation. Anyone who hasn’t fit this classic description has been persecuted by governments, religion, and other people alike; they just haven’t had it easy. People did not want to believe that anything else could exist so they tried to hide it.

Now we for the most part recognize that genders are not that simple anymore and that sexual orientation isn’t so straightforward as we once tried to force people to believe it was. Humans can be born man, woman, a mix of the two, people can change sex, and people can have relations with their own sex or another and all of that is completely acceptable.

There are lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, hermaphrodites, asexual, queers, and pansexuals among other things still; unfortunately all of these differences are still not widely accepted by society. Our society as a whole has fought for black rights, native rights, and black rights and for the most part we have overcome those obstacles of exclusion, however that is not the case for the LGBT community.

This is why Be Being Me has created an online support app for any members of the LGBT community that comes in the form of a web series called Stories Of Being Me and the purpose of it is to share the stories of the LGBT community from people across Asia. This gives people the opportunity to hear the different stories of diverse people and give them a chance to relate and find help for the abuse and persecution they have suffered as well as find a way to overcome adversity

Stories Of Being Me will come out with a new episode every Thursday for at least 4 weeks. Besides this the website offers lots of educational material to help anybody in need. As well it offers a directory for any LGBT member to find a center or organization near them where they can go to for support. You can even directly connect with other to ask for advice and find support from people in your similar situation

If you’re a proud member of the LGBT community but are still finding it hard to overcome adversity and persecution due to simply being who you are then it’s time to go to Be Being Me and check out Stories Of Being Me and let us help you.

 

BE is a peer support web-app  for young people in Asia of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. BE is a service provided to the community by B-Change Foundation.

 

HIV Advocates which is a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is the answer. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation,  HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma no longer have any place in society and that society should accept the LGBT community members as they are.

 

Share your thoughts on the official HIV Advocates platform. Your voice counts!

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

 

 

HIV Advocates supports AIDS Concern

 

HIV Advocates would like to urge all male expats to help with a brand new study by AIDS Concern. Your assistance and input can help improve local Hong Kong support services and ultimately prevent the rise and spread of HIV infections.

AIDS Concern will be holding confidential interviews over the next few weeks- they want to hear your opinions!  This study is to determine if male expats are at a higher risk than Chinese males for HIV infection in Hong Kong. It will also assist in assessing the needs of Non-Chinese speakers and visitors to Hong Kong. AIDS Concern would love to get your insight- confidentially of course- over a cup of coffee.

HIV Advocates is a global initiative to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that will energize the human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS. We advocate daily against HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Activists are encouraged to explore the power of social media to help end HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.

AIDS stands for “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”. It is caused by a virus called “Human Immunodeficiency Virus”, or HIV. Currently there is no definitive, effective cure that can completely eradicate HIV virus, yet several adopted treatments have greatly expand AIDS patients life expectancy and quality of life. Early diagnosis and drug treatment are key- we recommend being tested at least yearly.

If you are a non-Chinese man interested in having a confidential discussion on HIV risk in your community, we would appreciate your help. Please contact Grace Wayser at AIDS Concern until August 7, 2015, by email grace.wayser@aidsconcern.org.hk to schedule your interview. She would love to meet you at their office in Chai Wan or at your favorite local coffee shop—wherever you’d like.

Share your thoughts on the official AIDS Concern platform. Your voice counts!

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AIDSConcern

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

 

Sustainable Lifestyle from Bamboa Home and Le Luxury. Sara Gabriel Wedding Veils and Accessories. HIV Advocates supports AIDS Concern Hong Kong

 

Be Smart About Your Watch, Get a Polar M400 at Le Luxury

Currently, smartwatches are all the rage in the technology industry. The release of the Apple Watch earlier this year marked the official beginning of the next frontier in mobile communication. But wait, the bugs and difficulties associated with the Apple Watch are well documented. Although understandable, the hefty price tag in excess of $500 simply is not worth it, so Le Lexury says “Forget about it!” Be smart about your smartwatch and invest in Polar M400.

The Polar M400 model smartwatch is a sleek and versatile device that is perfect for active people. Everyday that you wear it the GPS-enabled Polar M400 tracks your steps, distance traveled and calories burned. Also, an onboard heart-rate monitor means that this watch will even keep track of the hours of quality sleep you get at night. And because Le Lexury sells it, you know that the Polar M400 is just as fashionable as it is useful.

 

 

Bamboa Home – Sustaining our lifestyle!

Founded by Julia Washbourne; Bamboa Home exclusively carries beautiful products made from locally harvested bamboo, by local communities throughout Asia. A visit to our boutique in the PMQ building, located in Soho on Hong Kong Island will yield attractive contemporary bamboo products made by local artists. Our goal is to provide high-quality bamboo products, help rural communities and to encourage the use of a sustainable resource.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth- some species grow up to one meter a day! It also provides a stable source of income for about 1.5 billion people- helping them to overcome poverty and deprivation. Combined with a future of scarce resources and limited energy- Bamboa Home believes rediscovering the beauty of bamboo is integral to our Earth’s future!

For stylish, high-quality protection from the sun- you’ll love our Booshades! We use 100% sustainable bamboo in every pair for the ultimate eco-friendly fashionista. Lightweight with UVA/UVB polarized, polycarbonate lenses- they even float in water! Our Booshades are named after the 6 highest mountain peaks in Hong Kong- we find them inspiring.

Each Sara Gabriel  Wedding Headpiece from Hitched! Bridal Hong Kong is Truly a Crowning Achievement

The wedding dress is the point of much attention for a soon-to-be bride. There are many factors to consider such as style, color, and price to name a few, but the adorning accessories should not be forgotten. A wedding veil is a symbolic fashion statement that can enhance the appearance of any bride and HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong is proud to offer a line of fine veils and headpieces by American designer Sara Gabriel.

Sara Gabriel is an expertly trained bridal milliner, that is, a craftsperson of women’s hats meant specifically for wedding ceremonies. From her Denver, Colorado design studio Sara produces veils and headpieces that range from traditional to cutting edge, incorporating the finest fabrics and gemstones on earth. HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong carries a full range of Sara Gabriel designs, from floor sweeping veils to pearl studded headbands so any bride is sure to find the perfect accessory for her gown.

HIV Advocates supports AIDS Concern

HIV Advocates would like to urge all male expats to help with a brand new study by AIDS Concern. Your assistance and input can help improve local Hong Kong support services and ultimately prevent the rise and spread of HIV infections.

AIDS Concern will be holding confidential interviews over the next few weeks- they want to hear your opinions!  This study is to determine if male expats are at a higher risk than Chinese males for HIV infection in Hong Kong. It will also assist in assessing the needs of Non-Chinese speakers and visitors to Hong Kong. AIDS Concern would love to get your insight- confidentially of course- over a cup of coffee.

If you are a non-Chinese man interested in having a confidential discussion on HIV risk in your community, we would appreciate your help. Please contact Grace Wayser at AIDS Concern until August 7, 2015, by email grace.wayser@aidsconcern.org.hk to schedule your interview. She would love to meet you at their office in Chai Wan or at your favorite local coffee shop—wherever you’d like.

 

 

 

HIV Advocates on Feeling Alone And Breaking The Silence

For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, coming out is one of the most important life experiences they can have. Coming out is a lifelong process of understanding and accepting one’s sexual orientation or identity.

 

Even though being gay doesn’t fully define who a person is as a human being, coming to terms with the fact that you are “different” can bring up many confusing and isolating feelings. Many LGBT people go through a phase where they feel alone and struggle with the desire of wanting to come out and break the silence. Coming out to yourself can be the most challenging aspect of the process, especially if you feel any anger, resentment or guilt about your sexuality. A huge part of overcoming those negative feelings is realizing that your own fear and homophobia is coming from learned societal prejudices and the hurtful, anti-gay rhetoric that you’ve been exposed to for most of your life.  LGBT people are, often from a very young age, forced to come to terms with what it means to be different in a world that assumes everyone is straight and often judges people’s differences in a negative way.

Everyone’s coming out story is unique, and that’s because the process happens in different ways, at different ages, for different people. Coming out to yourself and feeling good about who you are will result in the release of your true self-expression, a much more positive sense of self and more healthy and honest relationships with your loved ones

 

BE is a peer support web-app  for young people in Asia of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. BE is a service provided to the community by B-Change Foundation.

 

HIV Advocates which is a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is the answer. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation,  HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma no longer have any place in society and that society should accept the LGBT community members as they are.

 

Share your thoughts on the official HIV Advocates platform. Your voice counts!

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

 

HIV Advocates on Feeling Alone And Breaking The Silence

For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, coming out is one of the most important life experiences they can have. Coming out is a lifelong process of understanding and accepting one’s sexual orientation or identity.

 

Even though being gay doesn’t fully define who a person is as a human being, coming to terms with the fact that you are “different” can bring up many confusing and isolating feelings. Many LGBT people go through a phase where they feel alone and struggle with the desire of wanting to come out and break the silence. Coming out to yourself can be the most challenging aspect of the process, especially if you feel any anger, resentment or guilt about your sexuality. A huge part of overcoming those negative feelings is realizing that your own fear and homophobia is coming from learned societal prejudices and the hurtful, anti-gay rhetoric that you’ve been exposed to for most of your life.  LGBT people are, often from a very young age, forced to come to terms with what it means to be different in a world that assumes everyone is straight and often judges people’s differences in a negative way.

Everyone’s coming out story is unique, and that’s because the process happens in different ways, at different ages, for different people. Coming out to yourself and feeling good about who you are will result in the release of your true self-expression, a much more positive sense of self and more healthy and honest relationships with your loved ones

 

BE is a peer support web-app  for young people in Asia of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. BE is a service provided to the community by B-Change Foundation.

 

HIV Advocates which is a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is the answer. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation,  HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma no longer have any place in society and that society should accept the LGBT community members as they are.

 

Share your thoughts on the official HIV Advocates platform. Your voice counts!

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

 

 

HIV Advocates Reiterates: Straight People Should Understand The LGBT Struggle

 

One of the long-standing challenges being experienced not only by the LGBT community but by society as a whole is acceptance. Gay acceptance. While it’s true that society now has become more accepting in a way, the struggle for equality and non-discrimination remains. In fact, there’s one more aspect of this very struggle that society has to pay attention to – the chance for straight people to not view gay people and their activities as “exclusionary.”

 

Take the case of gay country singer Kevin Thornton of Indiana Queen. Straight people, he says, still sees his music as a way for him to “isolate” himself from the rest of the world. He adds that straight people have the tendency to think that his type of music (and the fact that he openly calls himself a gay country singer) may already be setting aside a possible hetero audience. Thornton says that this was and should never be part of the plan. In any case, he just wants to be accepted as he is and allow him to sing his songs without being viewed as exclusionary, he explains.

 

 

Thornton’s struggle is real. As so the rest of the LGBT community’s. This is exactly why it is important to provide the members of the LGBT community the platform to share their views and sentiments so as to further educate others.

 

HIV Advocates which is a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is the answer. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation,  HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma no longer have any place in society and that society should accept the LGBT community members as they are.

 

Share your thoughts on the official HIV Advocates platform. Your voice counts!

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

HIV Advocates Invites You To Observe Zero Discrimination Day On March 1

 

Join the fight against discrimination. Stop the stigma! March 1 is Zero Discrimination Day and HIV Advocates invites you to join this movement. Open up and reach out!

 

HIV Advocates, a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, is encouraging everyone to share their thoughts about the fight against discrimination. What does discrimination mean to you? How important is zero discrimination in your life? How does discrimination impact your life as well as the lives of the people who matter to you? What do you think society should do in order to stop this?

By joining the Zero Discrimination Day celebration on March 1, people will be more aware of the ongoing battle that denies people of their human rights or social participation. One way to take part on March 1 is to thank somebody who has inspired you through tolerance and diversity. HIV Advocates also urges people to show how they want to fight the stigma.

 

“Be inspired by the butterfly, the transformative symbol for zero discrimination and take part in an activity to express your support for zero discrimination. You might swim like a butterfly, bake a butterfly cake, sing a butterfly song. Be as creative as you like,” according to HIV Advocates.

 

Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation, HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma against people with HIV/AIDS no longer have any place in society!

 

Join the advocacy. Follow HIV Advocates via their social networking accounts:

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

 

Join the Annual HIV Advocates Survey And Win Limited Edition Levi’s iPad Cases

 

In an effort to improve user experience with the official HIV Advocates website as well as its social media platform, a survey has been launched. People living with HIV, those who support them as well as advocates are encouraged to accomplish the survey. This will only take 10 minutes of your time and participants even get the chance to win one of two limited edition iPad cases from Levi Strauss & Co.

 

Interested? Just log on here and click the button to start the survey.

This research is being conducted by Benjamin Hanckel from the University of Technology, Sydney and B-Change Foundation.

HIV Advocates upholds the rights and interests of people with HIV. A global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that will energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, HIV Advocates also encourages stakeholders to interact online through the website. Through this online interaction, the public, patients, communities, non government agencies and other stakeholders are provided the platform to start conversations, discuss concerns and even come up with action plans. HIV Advocates  also regularly runs social media campaigns to fight the stigma and discrimination that remain to be challenges towards fighting HIV/AIDS. Some of these social media/hashtag campaigns include #IntoleranceVaccine, #AntiViolenceCondom as well as #AntiHatePill. Supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation, HIV Advocates encourages existing and would-be activists to explore the power of social media and other Internet avenues to help spread the message across – that discrimination and stigma against people with HIV/AIDS no longer have any place in society!

 

Join the advocacy. Follow HIV Advocates via their social networking accounts:

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

 

Share 10 Minutes Of Your Time To Take This Important Survey By HIV Advocates

What if we say we only need ten – yes, 10 – minutes of your time to complete a survey (an important and sensitive one, if we may add) that could help a global initiative in its fight to end HIV-related stigma? You can even stand the chance of winning one of two limited edition iPad cases from HIV Advocates – Levi Strauss Foundation. Interested? Please read on.

People all know that HIV is currently one of the world’s deadliest diseases and one of the biggest concerns that the world needs to address. HIV also easily attracts discrimination, abuse against the rights of others and yes, stigma. This is what HIV Advocates, a global initiative that aims to share news, experiences, strategies and new tools that will energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS, wants to address.

HIV Advocates is conducting a survey to further understand how to use its resources to end HIV-related stigma. The survey would only need quick feedback in terms of one’s experience in using the group’s official website as well as social media channels. The survey, which will be available until February 2015, will also provide platform for advocates to share their own advocacy work and stories. The results of the 10-minute survey will be used to understand what can be done further to raise value for HIV advocacy work.

Visit HIV Advocates for more information. Survey participants will have the chance to win one of the two limited edition iPad cases from HIV Advocates – Levi Strauss Foundation.

Here are other ways you can be a part of HIV Advocate:

Like HIVAdvocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates
Follow HIVAdvocates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates
Follow HIVAdvocates on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/
Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates