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DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
May 17, 2012
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Editorial Staff
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David Brinkman
Chief Executive Officer
Barry Dayton
Director of Marketing and Communications
Alexis Ortega
Interactive Marketing
Specialist
Rick Vila
Volunteer Co-editor
John Lewis
Volunteer Co-editor
Steve Bolerjack
Volunteer Co-editor
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Monday, May 21, 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Honoring Harvey Milk and helping LGBT youth
 Harvey Milk (1930 - 1978) was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, one of the first openly gay men to attain political office. On election night, Milk reminded his supporters: "This is not my victory, it's yours. If a gay man can win, it proves there is hope for all minorities who are willing to fight." Tragically, Milk was assassinated (along with Mayor George Moscone) on November 27, 1978, only eleven months after taking office. Although he did not live to see his dreams fulfilled, the example of his life and leadership has made him an important national symbol in the ongoing struggle for gay, civil and human rights. Today, this annual event seeks to bring together all who support equality and justice to celebrate Milk's life, memory and dedication. All event proceeds will benefit anti-bullying efforts in Coachella Valley high school Gay Straight Alliances. Click here to learn more about the event and here about the life and legacy of Harvey Milk. (sb)(rv)
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Tuesday, June 5, 6:00 PM
A Positive Life - The Series: Aging well with HIV & what you can do
 The next seminar in the Positive Life Series will feature Dr. Richard Loftus discussing HIV and aging. A light supper will be served at 6:00 PM and the program will begin at 6:30 PM. The location is the Sinatra Auditorium at Desert Regional Medical Center (corner of Tachevah and Via Miraleste in Palm Springs), and the event, sponsored by Jewish Family Services of the Desert, is always free. ASL translation will be provided. Questions? Email positivelifeseries@gmail.com, or call 760.566.6POZ (6769). However, YOU DO NOT NEED TO RSVP! Also, remember to mark your calendars: in July and August The Positive Life Series will take its usual two- month summer hiatus. (jl)
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Wednesday, June 27, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Pathways to Health and Well-Being HIV Conference
 The Pathways to Health and Well-Being HIV Conference is a collaboration between the County of Riverside County, County of San Bernadino, Desert AIDS Project and Bienestar. It will provide the latest information on Treatment as Prevention, Hepatitis and HIV Coinfections, HIV & Holistic Health, HIV & Aging and much more. Dr. Neva Chauppette will be the keynote speaker. The conference will provide breakout sessions on these various topics and raffle prizes and a FREE LUNCH will be provided by the organizers. The goal of the conference is encourage all individuals to know their HIV status, and to empower those living with HIV to become better advocates for their own health, stay connected with care,and optimize their health and well-being. Attendance is free and registration opens at 8:00 AM but it's helpful to have head counts, so please register here. At Palm Springs Convention Center, June 27 at 9:00 AM. There is plenty of free, nearby street parking. For more information, visit pathwayshiv.org or email info@pathwayshiv.org. (rv) (sb)
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Friday, July 13, 8:00 PM - Midnight
Fifth Annual Mid-Summer Dance Party
Do Ask, Do Tell everyone you know that D.A.P.'s Mid-Summer Dance Party V will be better than ever! The party will feature DJ Michael Antonio, dancers from SHARE Nightclub in Las Vegas and a performance by dance music icon Kristine W whose long list of #1 hits include "Feel What You Want," "One More Try," "Land of the Living," "Save My Soul" and many more. More information and tickets here. (jl)
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| D.A.P. Community Center Events |
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The D.A.P. Client Community Center hosts regular activities and events every week (listed below). Community Center special events and other activities can be found on the main D.A.P. website. Click here for the complete list of upcoming special events.
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THE LAST CLASS WAS SUCH A SUCCESS, WE ARE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN!!
Starting Tuesday, May 22nd
Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Fridays 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Every Tuesday and Friday for four weeks!
Community Center Presents - SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES!
If you are truly ready to give up your nicotine addiction, this may be the help, direction, and support you have been looking for! There are no scare tactics, patches, or drugs involved. Just safe and healthy techniques and positive support as you finally leave behind this expensive and unhealthy habit! Commit to make 2012 the year you stop! Show up for the first session and give it a try! Facilitated by: Ray Robertson Certified Chemical Dependency Specialist. FINALLY KICK THE HABIT! (rv)
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Every Friday, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Community Center Presents: EMOTIONAL WELLNESS GROUP
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Tuesday, June 5, Noon - 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: IT HAPPENS TO BOYS, TOO! ABUSE RECOVERY WORKSHOP BY THE COURAGEOUS HEALING FOUNDATION  The Courageous Healing Foundation helps people deal with abuse issues. Its founder, Randy Boyd, and MFT Carol Teitelbaum will discuss working and talking with men who have suffered abuse at the hands of someone they were taught to trust. Lunch starts at 11:45 AM. RSVP to Ray at 760.323.2118, ext. 295. More quality of life through education! |
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: MOVIE & PIZZA
Thursday, May 24 - The Hurt Locker (2008)
Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb. Directed by Kathyrn Bigelow. (rv) We all need a good flick!
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Ongoing Client Community Center activities include:
- Support groups
- Spiritual Living 101
- Hepatitis C Therapy Education
- Diabetes Education
- Stitch in Time (needlecraft)
- Community Center Computer Lab
- Lending Library
- Free films, Thursdays, 1:00 PM
Follow this link to see the recurring activities on the Community Center Calendar.
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US PEPFAR prevents 741,000 deaths in Africa
The United States foreign aid program that sends billions of dollars to African countries for HIV treatment and prevention has cut the number of people dying in those nations, a new study suggests. Researchers have demonstrated that the initiative -- the  U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) -- has prevented as many as 741,000 deaths from AIDS in the time period from 2004 through 2008, in the 12 African countries with PEPFAR programs, such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. PEPFAR was created by President George W. Bush in 2003, and promotes HIV prevention, screening and modern treatment by building local health care facilities, training workers and making sure countries have reliable ways to get AIDS drugs. Non-governmental organizations and universities do the work with U.S. grants and incentives. Read the full article here. (rv) |
Finding information on clinical trials for HIV/AIDS and other conditions
 After years on AZT, Crixivan and Zerit, your editor is grateful to have been in the clinical trials for Egrifta a few years ago. Egrifta reduces belly fat induced by use of protease inhibitors. Losing four inches from your waistline, meds induced or not, is great for a guy's ego. Click here for a good portal about clinical trials, FAQs, locations, drugs, etc. We're affected by many conditions besides HIV. Researchers often look for HIV patients for trials related to how living with the virus affects the progress of other illnesses and conditions. (sb) |
FDA panel says over-the-counter HIV text should be approved for home use
An expert panel recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve the first over-the-counter HIV test, a kit that could quickly return results for consumers in the privacy of their homes. The unanimous vote by a 17-member advisory panel, if accepted by the FDA, would broaden testing options for the virus that causes AIDS, providing an important additional tool for many Americans who are reluctant to get tested. The test uses a mouth swab to detect the presence of antibodies to the virus within about 20  minutes. Early HIV testing and treatment are key to reducing the spread of the disease, officials say. An estimated 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five of those people is unaware of his or her infection. About 50,000 Americans become infected each year, a number that has remained steady for the past decade. A national poll conducted last spring by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 44 percent of Americans between ages 18 and 65 said they had never been tested for HIV. Asked to list reasons why they had not been tested, 64% said they did not believe they were at risk of contracting HIV, 29% said their doctor had never recommended testing and 12% said they did not know where to go for testing. Read the full article. (rv) |
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"Forever Marilyn" now in Palm Springs
"Forever Marilyn," the 26-foot statue that was controversial on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, has been busy getting touch-ups in its new Palm Springs home on the site of the old Bank of America building on Palm Canyon Drive, where it will remain for one year. The 34,000- pound statue, which cost $40,000 to transport, is the new buzz in town. The sculpture by Seward Johnson, the 80-year-old artist and Johnson & Johnson heir who's known for casting famous images into giant sculptures, re-creates the scene from the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch" in which a drafty New York subway grate blows the sex symbol's skirt well above her knees. The statue will be covered up after touch up, with an official ribbon-cutting and unveiling to be held at 6:00 PM on May 24. (rv)
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HHS revises treatment guidelines for HIV patients over 50
 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now recommends that anyone over 50 who is HIV-positive but not yet on antiviral therapy should begin a regimen at once. HHS cites a number of reasons, including the higher level of over-the-counter medications that older people take (which may suppress or adversely affect symptoms and the immune system); the increasingly clear fact that HIV advances the aging process; and the general decline of the immune system strength with age. The new guidelines also suggest that older patients and their doctors frequently monitor their medication therapy for effectiveness and especially for drug interactions. Click here for some good information and links to other resources related to aging. (sb) |
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City of Palm Springs prescription card
The City of Palm Springs has a new program to offer savings on prescription drugs to residents who are without health insurance, a traditional benefits plan,  or have prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. The Prescription Discount Card is made available to residents by the City of Palm Springs in collaboration with the National League of Cities (NLC), and is made possible through the City of Palm Springs' membership in NLC. The card is free to all Palm Springs residents. By using this card you may save an average of 23% off the regular retail price of prescription drugs. To discover the savings and learn more about the program visit the City of Palm Springs' website. (rv)
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ADAP update - good news for now
 While future funding for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) across the country remains uncertain due to partisan wrangling over the federal budget, we're fortunate that California is still one of the states without an ADAP wait list. In mid-April, 3,079 individuals remained on wait lists in ten states. Seventeen ADAPs, including seven with current waiting lists (blue and purple states on map) have instituted cost-containment measures and five are considering new cost-cutting by the end of the current fiscal year. The federal government has reacted with little urgency, however, allotting just $25 million in additional dollars to ADAP programs in the current fiscal year. But for now, anyone in California who needs assistance through ADAP (see ADAP section below) is likely to be accepted after the usual lengthy, paper-heavy application process. Over the long term of course, federal funding of ADAP will remain one the most urgent issues for the HIV community. And here's our quarterly reminder: Your annual appointments to continue qualifying for ADAP are usually scheduled on or before your birthdate. Avoid risking loss of coverage and long call hold times. Don't let the date creep up on you without making an appointment! The earlier you call, the better. (sb)
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Donna Summer died today. An American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s, Ms. Summer had a mezzo-soprano vocal range, and was a five-time Grammy Award winner. Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart, and she also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period. Once adored by gay men during the heydey of the disco era, Ms. Summer became embroiled in controversy by making hurtful statements about HIV/AIDS, which she later disavowed. Donna Summer died of cancer at her home in Key West, Florida. (rv)
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Fear Maps, You Snakes Are
By Rick Vila
Father, I fear you for your ways are unknown to me and you crawl in the
Earth, your majesty and might is known in the
Ancient history of the Hindus, and in the
Reverent ways you live in the land. You snakes are,
Mother, mystical, present, and knowing, of good and of evil, in the
Art of living, watching life's movements in jungle and desert, a symbol of
Phallic creation, bountiful harvest, and you snakes
Slide,slithery,slimy,offering peace and disturbance to the order in my heart
You snakes are my fear maps, my lines of desperation,
Of seeing and knowing that my path to salvation is there in
Unknowing my weary destination, and in Acceptance of You
Snakes, your Power, your glorious colors, your hypocrisy and intentions
Not clear to my limited intellect you
Asp of the garden, long, and dreadfully camouflaged, you strike
Knotting my stomach, with loathe and revulsion, I dearly respect you
Entering my psyche and showing me the path to
Surrender, to the balance of nature, within me
And grateful, I conquer my fright and
Rush of encounter, for you Snakes are
Endearing, and emblems of Love.
Copyright Rick Vila (1999)
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"Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law."
~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524
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Benefits & Resources - Ongoing
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Discounts at Revivals!
 Revivals stores continue to offer 10% discounts for "seniors"--anyone over 55--every Tuesday. In addition, Revivals offers 50% off men's clothing the first Thursday of each month and 50% off women's clothing on the first Friday of each month. Discounts are available on all donated items but does not include consignment or "new" items. Visit Revivals' website for store locations, hours and other information. (jl)
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Your local libraries
 Don't have a Kindle? Bookstores too expensive? Don't know where to get videos now that Blockbuster is history? Feel digitally overwhelmed? Miss the feel of an old-fashioned book in your hands? It's amazing how some of us overlook the nearly unlimited source of books and other materials at our area libraries that are practically next door. Palm Springs Library, at Sunrise and Baristo, has a huge collection of books, periodicals, CDs, DVDs and children's literature--all for free. Just get a card and then load up. The library is a quiet haven, with plenty of desks and carrels for private reading, writing and studying. It's also a cool retreat from the heat in summer. And there are libraries all over Riverside County. Click here for a directory of locations, hours and library websites. Many of them allow you to search and reserve books, music and videos online. It's a welcome step away from card catalogue days. (Look them up if you don't know what a card catalogue and the Dewey Decimal System are!) And remember the lending library here at D.A.P. and the inexpensive used books at Revivals. (sb)
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D.A.P. website and toll-free number
 The Desert AIDS Project toll-free phone number is always available at 866.331.3344, as is the website at www.desertaidsproject.org. (jl)  |
DAPCAN archives always available online
 Do you need to take another look at something you read in DAPCAN somewhere only to find that it's long gone from your inbox? You can find past DAPCAN issues online by clicking this link. As always, you can also read the most current edition of DAPCAN on the D.A.P. website by visiting www.desertaidsproject.org/newsletter. (jl)
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Medically Indigent Services Program (MISP)
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
For those who qualify, medical care and help paying for your medications are available through the MISP and ADAP programs. You can find out if you qualify by scheduling an appointment by calling the numbers below. You can schedule your MISP and ADAP appointments together for Moreno Valley office ONLY. If you qualify for ADAP only, there is a local ADAP office right here at Desert AIDS Project. Specify the Palm Springs office when you call to make your appointment. Here are the numbers:
877.501.5085 - toll free
951.486.5375 - English
951.486.5400 - Spanish
951.486.4635 - fax
NOTICE: Faxed MISP applications can get lost in the process. Most persons who have faxed their application have had to re-apply later. It's best to apply in person in Moreno Valley, and get a "receipt of application", and use that as proof that you applied to avoid any uninterrupted services with your DAP medical doctor visits. (rv) (jl)
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ADAP may pay Medicare Part D premium
ADAP-eligible clients who have to purchase Part D prescription drug coverage may qualify to have their Part D premium paid by the State of California. Follow this link to the Part D Premium Payment Program Application. You can also call the State of California at 916.449.5900 for more information. (jl)
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Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County
2-1-1 is a toll-free service for residents looking for information about essential human services such as affordable housing, food pantries, help for an aging parent, free or low cost health services, addiction prevention programs, employment, support groups, volunteer opportunities, and 1,700 additional services! (jl)
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To contact state and federal officials click on name:
President Barack Obama
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Jerry Brown
State Senator Bill Emmerson
State Senator Juan Vargas
Assembly member Brian Nestande
Assembly member Manual Perez
Desert AIDS Project - Community Action Newsletter (DAPCAN) presents published material, reprinted with permission, and neither endorses or opposes any material. All information contained in this newsletter, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. Always discuss treatment options with a physician who specializes in treating HIV. Publication of the name or likeness of any individual in articles in this newsletter is not to be construed as any indication of the HIV status of such individual. If you do not wish to receive this e-newsletter, please notify us by using the email address below:
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Additional Contacts/Social Networking
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