HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day June 5

How is Covid-19 Impacting People Living with HIV/AIDS, Survey Asks By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association Several advocacy organizations have teamed up to ask an important question of people living with HIV/AIDS: How is Covid-19 impacting you?... It is unknown how many people living with HIV/AIDS have tested positive for Covid-19 in the United States. The ADAP Advocacy Association, Community Access National Network, Community Education Group, HealthHIV, and the Legacy Health Endowment are working in collaboration to gain a greater perspective on this issue. The survey is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KCWRSBT It is designed only for people living with HIV/AIDS residing in the United States. It does include two qualifier questions for these two things. PLWHAs, regardless if they have tested positive for Covid-19, are asked to complete the survey. It is a simple, brief survey (typical time spent on the survey is one minute and 32 seconds) but nonetheless an important first step. "It will give us a glimpse into how Covid-19 is impacting our community," summarized Bill Arnold, President & CEO of the Community Access National Network. Are PLWHAs more susceptible to the virus? Are PLWHAs at-risk for greater complications if they test positive for the virus (early research suggests, yes). Not surprisingly, there are more questions than there are answers. As such, future advocacy, education, and research will use the survey results as a baseline.

I will be on with "At Home with Charles Sanchez" The Body's Instagram Live on Thursday at 11am PST / 2pm EST Everyone tune in :) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKyuMAZD0PW/

United Voices Community Choir We are looking for adults living with HIV 50 years or older who have experience singing in choirs and/or who want to sing in choir...s again, once it is safe to do so. We are convening a Focus Group via phone or Zoom! You will receive $60.00 for participation in a 1.5- 2 hour meeting! Call us @ 510.629.9676

Not Our First Pandemic: The View From a Long-Term HIV Survivor by Bruce Ward https://www.talkspace.com//coronavirus-anxiety-fear-pande/

Check out this incredible webinar from the folks at GMHC and ACRIAsays. It's one day before HIV and Aging Awareness Day. I've already got my ticket. **Aging with HIV: Surviving Another Epidemic**... September 17, 2020, from NOON to 5:00 PM (EST) / 9:00 AM 2:00 PM PDT Register here >> bit.ly/aginghiv This webinar will provide older adults with HIV and HIV Long-Term Survivors with the info they need about aging with HIV in the time of COVID-19, what to ask their physicians, and what action steps to take to live a long and healthy life. Speakers: A. Fauci, MD, Director, NIAID, NIH R. Johnson, Senior Policy Fellow, AIDS United J. Appelbaum MD, Florida State University, College of Medicine M. Brennan-Ing PhD, Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter M. Danilovich PhD, Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences M. Greene MD, Division of Geriatrics University of California San Francisco S. Karpiak PhD, GMHC, New York University College of Nursing M. Milano, ACRIA @ GMHC I. Park MD, University of California San Francisco E. Siegler MD, New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center Topics: COVID-19 and HIV: Intersecting Pandemics Needed Policy Changes Giving Mental Health Priority Exercises for You Older Adults with HIV: The Numbers Sexual Health HIV Treatment Update The Geriatricians Are In! Sponsored by the National Center on HIV and Aging and www.AgingHIV.org #NotOurFirstPandemic #HIV #LongTermSurvivors #AgingHIV

@Let's Kick ASS AIDS Survivor Syndrome is a proud partner of the SYNChronicity 2020 Virtual Conference (SYNC 2020), to be held September 8th-11th. SYNC 2020, the national HIV, HCV, STI and LGBTQ health conference, is led by HealthHIV, HealthHCV, and the National Coalition for LGBT Health. Thousands of participants, including medical providers, healthcare workers, state, local and federal government officials, faith and community-based organizations, and others addressing HIV,... HCV, STI, and LGBTQ health, will engage across dynamic sessions to "SYNC" systems, data, programs, models, interventions, and policies, addressing and creating targeted solutions in this dynamic healthcare environment. SYNC 2020's program will feature 60+ sessions, including three Plenary Sessions, seven Institutes, and 44 Track Sessions (across 11 Tracks). More than 200 speakers will sync topics on HIV, HCV, STI and LGBTQ health, including: COVID-19 Innovative Practices Clinical Health Health Systems / Fiscal Health Hepatitis C HRSA LGBTQ+ MSM of Color Social Determinants of Health Substance Use / Opioids Workforce Development Women's Health SYNC 2020 attendees can earn FREE CE, CME, CNE, CHES, ASWB and ACPE credits (an estimated 13 to 30+ continuing education credits)! Jointly provided by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and HealthHIV, all CE, CME, CNE, CHES, ASWB and ACPE credits are supported, in part, by an independent educational grant from Merck. Registration provides access to the entire conference program, including the pre-conference sessions and post-conference on-demand access and follow-up materials, the virtual exhibit and poster halls, and the networking lounge. Register today at https://sync2020.org.

GLBT Historical Society's exhibition on AIDS Treatment Activism was not included in the #AIDS2020 conference this year, but the exhibition did go live today. Please check it out and share it widely! https://www.glbthistory.org/aids-treatment-activism

FOR #AIDS2020 Atlas2018 will be Atlas Virtual ATLAS VIRTUAL is an 8-hour streaming program (6-10 July) with short clips, full-length TV and photo documentaries... of people living with HIV (PLWHIV), including stories of PLWHIV in times of Covid-19 and a daily live talk show from De Balie in Amsterdam. ATLAS VIRTUAL was initiated and produced by Erwin Kokkelkoren and Bert Oele for Les Enfants Terribles. Start of ATLAS VIRTUAL livestream: 6 July at 12:00 (noon) CEST, 03:00 PDT www.atlas2018.org/virtual/ As part of the World Aids Conference AIDS 2020 Virtual (6-10 July), the ATLAS VIRTUAL program will stream short clips, documentaries and photographs of PLHIV created in 15 countries on 5 continents 3 times a day, including stories about PLHIV in times of Covid-19. The live stream will feature a live daily talk show with a wide range of international guests from the Cultural Center De Balie in Amsterdam. Once again this time online - we have portrayed the men and women living with HIV who have shared their impressive stories with us over the past 4 years. We spoke to our old friends in South Africa, Zambia, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Suriname, Russia and the U.S.A to find out how are they doing in times of Covid-19. In the daily talk show our guests will be sharing their knowledge and experiences. There will be expert discussions, personal stories and cultural contributions. There will be a daily report from San Francisco and we will also have live music. Download the full program of the livestream and the daily talk shows here: https://bit.ly/3eKj7cL Atlas is a community-based project which has portrayed a huge diverse group of community members. Atlas shows the strength of HIV communities. Our work has been widely praised and recognized and has reached millions all over the globe. http://atlas2018.org/about-us/history/ More information: [email protected]

Check out this wonderful piece by Hank Trout and the picture below is Patti Radigan who teaches yoga for Older Adults for Let's Kick ASS - AIDS Survivor Syndrome or did before COVID-19. I hope we will be able to resume soon. Damn, I miss SO many people. Gene Rigler: Artist by Hank Trout

@SAGEUSA just launched the *HIV & Aging Policy Action Coalition* #HAPAC, a dynamic, diverse, and long-term survivor-driven group is focused on publicly acknowledging, drawing attention to, and meeting the needs of long-term survivors and LGBT older people living with HIV. Learn more at https://www.sageusa.org/what-we-do/hapac/ #AgingWithHIV #HAPAC... And look who is part of the HIV & Aging Policy Action Coalition! https://www.sageusa.org/meet-the-faces-behind-sages-hiv-a/

June 5. 2020 Today, across the country, we celebrate the Long Term HIV Survivors. It's known as HIV Long Term Survivors Awareness Day. THRIVE SS and the Silver Lining Project, in gratitude, refer to today as Long THRIVING Survivors Day.... The mission of the THRIVE SS is to improve health equity for Black gay men living with HIV through direct support, advocacy, and building collective power.

"From my hero and friend outspoken HIV Long-Term Survivor Sean McKenna: Today is #LongTermSurvivor day. It’s a tough one with all the turmoil the world is in but, I still feel compelled to post.... Like Tez Anderson says it’s not our first pandemic and there are positive and negative aspects to that. On the upswing we’re better prepared than most in understanding diseases, but nobody should have to live through this twice. Truthfully Larry Kramer’s passing took the wind out of my sails and if I were to say that to him, he’d understand and then he would tell me to fucking fight harder. He would be right, but like Larry many of us are getting weaker. Sadly those who have always been disenfranchised, particularly #POC and #trans people of color, are still systematically the last to get care. That has to change. Today I congratulate all those who, like me, lived through the war on AIDS and are still here to talk about it. Still I never want to forget those tough times because they were character building despite the extreme grief of thinking you were going die. Steve Schalchlin, a #LongTermSurvivor and talented man is a hero of mine, for some reason this year the following song from his musical The Bonus Round really resonated with me. Please give it a real listen because #whatisrememberedlives."

Bay Area! Local Scholarships Now Open! This open until June 12 so don't wait to submit your application. IT IS VERY EASY to apply it allows you access to the entire #AIDS2020 Virtual Conference.... (I'm on a panel on HIV and Aging too!) We are the local planning committe have been working hard to make the conference amazing. DO NOT WAIT // COMMUNITY ACCESS & ENGAGEMENT, EQUITY & LEGACY, STEERING COMMITTEE Thursday, May 21, 2020 AIDS 2020 Scholarships Available for Bay Area Residents! The AIDS 2020 Local Planning Group is pleased to announce that we have a number of scholarships available for people from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area working in the HIV/AIDS field who would like to attend the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020) July 6-10, and who have not yet registered. These scholarships are available for regular attendees, youths (aged 18-25 years), students and postdoctoral candidates through a competitive process. The scholarships have been made possible due to the generosity of our Local Impact PartnersGilead Sciences, Chevron, Walgreens, Magellan Cares Foundation, and Dignity Healthwho are working with us to ensure Bay Area community members are represented and have access to the latest science, policy, and networking opportunities that will be shared at AIDS 2020. We gratefully acknowledge the support of these partners. *The scholarship application process ends on June 12, so, if you are interested, please complete the application as soon as possible.* https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T2ZQG5S https://aids2020local.org/scholarships-for-aids2020-intern/