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DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
December 6, 2012
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 Hanukkah Begins at Sunset
on Saturday, December 8
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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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Tuesday, January 8, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Positive Life Series
 The next Positive Life program on January 8 will be on HIV and Your Heart Health, focusing on preventing cardiovascular disease for PLWHA. The speaker will be Dr. David Shamblaw of San Diego. As always, a light supper is served at 6:00 PM, generously provided by Walgreens, and the program begins 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 Service of the Desert, is always free. ASL translation is provided. Questions? Email positivelifeseries@gmail.com. Plan to attend--and bring a friend!
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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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Second and third Wednesday each month, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Community Center Presents - ACUPUNCTURE FOR CLIENTS!
 Suffering from headaches, insomnia, anxiety, stress or depression? Having neck pain? Pain in lower back or shoulders? Askat Ruzyev, L.Ac., MSTCM, Dipl.O.M.Licensed Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture & Herbology, Nationally Certified by the Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) will be  providing free acupuncture treatments twice monthly at D.A.P. Contact Ray at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or rrobertson@desertaidsproject.org to schedule your appointment. Registered D.A.P. clients only. (jl)
Improve your quality of life through new ideas!
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Third Friday of Every Month, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Community Center Presents: HAIRCUTS BY MITCH!
 The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce free HAIRCUTS FOR CLIENTS, the third Friday of each month from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Sign up outside the Walgreens room in the Community Center. Six slots are available--first come, first served. NO appointments or reservations taken by phone ahead of time. Please show up with clean hair. (jl)
Look your best with a clip 'n snip!
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Thursday, December 13, 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: MOVIE & PIZZA
 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) An advertising executive and ladies' man bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. That woman writes for a magazine and has just been assigned an article entitled "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days." They meet in a bar shortly after the bet is made. Starring Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Bebe Neuwirth and Robert Klein. Directed by Donald Petrie.
Come out for a great film!
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Ongoing Client Community Center activities include:
- Support groups
- Hepatitis C therapy education
- Diabetes education
- Stitch in Time (needlecraft) - Third Wednesday of each month
- Community Center Computer Lab
- Lending Library
- Free films, Thursdays, 1:00 PM
- Afternoon tea, every Wednesday, 3:00 PM
Follow this link to see recurring activities on the Community Center Calendar.
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Cozy up with our Fall Progress Report
 Every quarter Desert AIDS Project writes, designs, and publishes a new Progress Report to keep our clients and supporters in the know with current Desert AIDS Project news. This fall's new issue includes:
- a letter from CEO David Brinkman,
- The Heart of D.A.P.
- Employee Spotlight on our new Medical Director and Chief Program Officer
- One employee's trip to the recent United States Conference on AIDS
- AIDS Walk recap in photos
- Recent Revivals Stores news and updates
- Upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
Follow this link to read the report. (jl)
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Revivals monthly sales continue  Don't forget Revivals when you're holiday shopping this year. The store recently announced ongoing sales of men's clothing--half off every first Thursday of the month; and half off women's clothing every first Friday of the month. So go shopping this weekend! Remember that proceeds from Revivals always go for the benefit of D.A.P. (sb)
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Medicare Open Enrollment ends tomorrow, December 7!
 If you are on Medicare you should know that it's that time of year again! Medicare Open Enrollment started on October 15 and continues only through tomorrow, December 7. So if you haven't done so yet, take time to review your health and prescription drug coverage to make sure it still fits your needs. Read the Ask Medicare fact sheet or visit Medicare.gov to compare coverage options and learn about recent changes to your plan's premiums, deductibles or benefits. You only need to make revisions to your plan if you are unhappy with your current coverage. If you like your current coverage, in most cases, it will automatically renew for the new year. (jl) (sb)
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Silver in condoms may help prevent infection
 We're tempted to say "ouch" to this unexpected development: When added to condoms, microscopic nanoparticles of silver (it's ok, you can't feel them) may create a safety net against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, as recently reported by Canadian researchers in the Journal of Nanotechnology. Silver has centuries of history as a disinfectant, but with irregular results. However, as a nanoparticle, a minuscule cluster of atoms synthesized by scientists, the element appears to be more reliably potent against pathogens and does not cause inflammation. Exactly how these nanoparticles prevent HIV and STI transmission is unclear, however. The Canadian researchers speculate that the silver ions may attach themselves to HIV and prevent it from binding to receptors on human cells; or that the nanoparticles may cause changes in the surface of the virus that keep it from binding. Click here to read more. (sb)
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Meds + happy hour = mixed messages
 Your editor is the first to admit that he has enjoyed his share of festive beverages over the years (although his happy hour has become more like tea time these days). The popularity of alcohol at gay and other venues will probably always be with us. However, a new study at the University of Connecticut uncovered a surprising trend: many people with HIV skip their meds on purpose when they are drinking because they believe that antivirals and alcohol are a toxic mix. This of course, is untrue, yet a stunning 51 % of participants reported that when they drank they skipped their meds for a variety of reasons. Some would only skip one dose, while others would stop medications in advance of drinking and wait until the alcohol was cleared from their bodies to start up again. It is true that some HIV medications do indeed have side-effects when combined with alcohol which would make drinking inadvisable, not skipping the meds. The study's author, Seth Kalichman, PhD, said, "It appears people have generalized the message to their antivirals, although there really is no indication that they shouldn't be mixed [with alcohol]. With a really big exception: people who have liver disease, including hepatitis C, [for whom] the combination of antivirals and alcohol can actually be very dangerous. They really should not be drinking, period. But, those folks aside, the harm of missing antivirals clearly outweighs the harm of taking antivirals with alcohol." Instead of drawing these conclusions on their own, people with HIV should always discuss drug interactions with their doctors, nurses or pharmacists. Click here to read more. (sb)
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Barebacking: freeing or foolish, men take risks for many reasons
 Human sexuality is extremely complex psychological territory. Despite years of pro-condom campaigns, many people--especially gay men--make the choice to indulge in unprotected sex. The reasons are myriad: condom "fatigue," desire for greater intimacy, feelings of "getting it over with," the "I'll just take the pills" school of thought, the "under the influence" situation, "serosorting" and especially, an increasing lack of concern and experience among younger generations of gay men who have never known anyone with full-blown AIDS. Whether one is HIV-positive or negative, it's likely we have all considered this issue. Whatever your serostatus and position on unprotected sex, this article (click here), while several years old, remains a comprehensive, important compilation of various points of view from people within the HIV/AIDS community. It was recently republished at TheBody.com and is worth a review, especially since barebacking seems more prevalent than ever. We make no judgments here; the article may simply raise issues you haven't considered and enable you to draw your own more informed conclusions. (sb)
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Ignorance is never bliss--especially with HIV
 More than half (59.5%) of youths with HIV are unaware that they are infected according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Although the number of new HIV infections is highest among males, fewer males have been tested for HIV than females. Routine HIV testing as part of regular medical care is now recommended by CDC for all persons aged 13-64 years and by the American Academy of Pediatrics for all youths by age 16-18 years and all sexually active youths regardless of age. Given that young people are becoming more sexually active at earlier ages, the report is disconcerting, which is why we should encourage any younger people we have in our lives to get tested. Click here for the CDC report (skip down to the conclusions section) and here for a summary article. (sb)
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Podcast/video of "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown at SoCal cure forums
With special thanks to Jeff Taylor, for those who couldn't make it to the presentation, here is a podcast of the Palm Springs Positive Life cure forum with "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown. It includes Timothy's speech, some interviews with him, and a talk by transplant researcher John Zaia from City of Hope. The podcast is courtesy of Nicholas Snow, who has his own snowbiznow.com website. The San Diego forum was video-taped, and the video is available on the ACTG youtube channel here. The program is still being edited and more of it will become available in upcoming weeks. (jl)
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Life expectancy in older people with HIV could exceed the average
 We like this story so much, it bears repeating from last week! There's more good news on life expectancy. The latest forecasts of life expectancy in people with HIV in the U.K., based on mortality data from the U.K. Collaborative HIV Cohort (U.K. CHIC) study, show that average life expectancy of people on antiviral therapy (ART) with a CD4 count over 350 cells/mm3 is now very close to the national average, the Eleventh International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection in Glasgow. The U.K. CHIC study also found that life expectancy, which lags behind the average in younger people, approaches normal as people age. There is emerging evidence--though based on very small numbers of patient records--that if people with HIV in the U.K. reach the age of 60, their life expectancy may actually start to exceed the average, possibly because of superior medical monitoring and treatment for people with HIV compared to other older people. Read more here and here. (jl)
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AIDS activist recounts his own experience growing older with HIV
 Longtime gay rights/AIDS activist Ron Swanda (pictured) is 66 and was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1989. He takes six different drugs to keep to the virus in check and to treat a litany of physical complaints from cardiovascular disease to depression--a familiar scenario for most of us. From outward appearances, Swanda--trim and fit--is the picture of health. But he notes that the long-term effects of living with HIV and with the drugs that keep it in check are still being uncovered. Pioneering AIDS researcher Dr. Anthony Fauci confirms this. "Doctors have noticed that many common diseases of old age "tend to occur with a greater frequency in people who have been HIV infected for a long period of time," he said. "The virus appears to send the immune system into overdrive, and when the immune system is chronically activated, essentially all the time, that leads to that deleterious effect of promoting the aging process." Increasingly, we're hearing more data on this topic and while it's not fun reading, it's always wise to compare notes and stories with others. Click here for the full article. (sb)
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HIV/AIDS "stigma" is still with us  Since the very earliest days of HIV, many people who were diagnosed and especially those who became ill with full-blown AIDS immediately experienced a sense of distance and isolation from others. Fear of infection and the unknown, judgmental attitudes from some self-righteous types and even family rejection helped to create a stigma against those with HIV/AIDS, much of which still exists in some quarters. Indeed, addressing stigma was a major topic at last summer's AIDS 2012 Conference in Washington and remains a huge problem for therapists who counsel PLWHAs. "Despite campaigns to address it, there continues to be no safe refuge from stigma and in fact, in some ways the situation is deteriorating," writes psychotherapist David Fawcett, who has years of experience in working with AIDS patients. "Societal attitudes actually appear to be backsliding, a growing divide is separating negative and positive gay men, and the critical chatter of self-talk and self-judgment keeps the pain of stigma alive among those living with the virus." Click here to read the article and compare it with your own experience, and click here to read about gay and HIV stigma issues worldwide. (sb)
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Palm Springs Annual Walking Tour of the Inns and Holiday Toy Drive
 Holiday festivities continue this month, including the Annual Walking Tour of the Inns and Toy Drive (aka The Inn Walk) which will take place on Thursday, December 13, from 4:00 - 8:00 PM! The goal of the walk is to spread holiday cheer, showcase small hotels in Palm Springs' Historic Tennis Club District and provide toys to the Well in the  Desert's Toy Drive. Your editor attended last year for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed this event. The tour starts at the Palm Springs Art Museum any time between 4:00 - 8:00 where you will be given a tour map and flashlight. The hotels are decorated for the holidays and there are holiday-themed snacks and hot chocolate! Although the event itself is FREE, it is a toy drive, so bring an unwrapped toy/gift if you can and dress warmly! (jl)
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Will we ever see an "AIDS-free generation?"
 World AIDS Day prompted the Obama Adminstration to reiterate its commitment to an "AIDS-free generation" within the near future. Last week at a ceremony at the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled a "blueprint" for confronting the global AIDS epidemic that includes as one of its goals targeting populations that are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS--including men who have sex with men. Clinton first spoke of an "AIDS-free generation" a year ago, and this announcement purports to be the next step. The announcement met with mixed reviews, however. Kenneth Mayer, of the IDSA Center for Global Health Policy's Scientific Advisory Committee, praised it for "concrete data" and added that "we are especially encouraged that the blueprint provides concrete numbers in affected countries to illustrate the work that must be done to reach a tipping point, when the numbers of people becoming infected with HIV are surpassed by the numbers receiving life-saving medicine." Meanwhile, Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, took exactly the opposite view, calling the blueprint "mostly more talk and spin by the Obama Administration. There are some generic pledges to scale-up testing and treatment, but the blueprint does not offer concrete plans of how we will actually get there." Click here for the story and other links and decide for yourself. (sb)
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"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together."
--Garrison Keillor
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Ongoing Benefits, Resources & Information
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Desert AIDS Project holiday closings for remainder of 2012 and 2013
2012
December 24-25 - Christmas
2013
January 1 - New Year's Day
January 21 - MLK Jr. Day
February 18 - Presidents' Day
April 1 - Cesar Chavez Day
May 27 - Memorial Day
July 4 - Independence Day
September 2 - Labor Day
October 14 - Columbus Day
November 11 - Veteran's Day
November 28-29 - Thanksgiving
December 25 - Christmas Day
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Contact information for D.A.P. 
 The Desert AIDS Project local phone number is 760.323.2118. The toll-free phone number is 866.331.3344 and the website can be found at desertaidsproject.org. (jl)
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Help with Medicare
The State Health Insurance  Assistance Program (SHIP) offers one-on-one counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. This includes information about original Medicare, Medicare Health Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Supplemental policies and Long Term Care Insurance. The California Department of Aging (CDA) is responsible for statewide administration of SHIP, which is delivered through the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). HICAP services can be accessed via a toll-free line at 800.434.0222. The local HICAP office is located in Riverside and the phone number is 951.241.8723. Follow this link for more information. (jl) (sb)
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More help paying for prescription medications
 Among the resources available to HIV-positive people to help pay for prescription medications is NeedyMeds. The mission of NeedyMeds is to make information about assistance programs available to low-income patients and their advocates at no cost. Go to www.needymeds.org, look up the medications you need and you'll be directed to the patient assistance program website for that manufacturer. The site also offers a free drug discount card that is accepted at more than 62,000 pharmacies. If you are having trouble paying for your medications this site is worth a look! (jl) (sb)
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DAPCAN archives always available online
 Need another look at something you read in DAPCAN? You can find past issues online by clicking this link. As always, you can also read the most current edition of DAPCAN on the D.A.P. website at www.desertaidsproject.org/newsletter. And we've recently updated these links to ensure that the very latest issues of DAPCAN are always available. (jl) |
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Medically Indigent Services Program (MISP)
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
*Note: MISP has changed its scheduling policy and now recommends that applicants call for their appointments no sooner than four weeks before their ADAP expiration date. (Our previous recommendation of six to eight weeks is no longer valid.)
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 across the driveway, south of Desert AIDS Project, at the Palm Springs Family Care Center. 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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Riverside County Healthcare System (RCHC)
 If you are a member of RCHC, you know that D.A.P. recently negotiated a contract with it to become an in-network provider for medical care. Since then, D.A.P. Medical Case Managers have worked to reduce barriers transitioning to this health plan, in switching your provider assignment to D.A.P.'s HIV Health Center and linking you to RCHC benefits.
If you have questions or difficulties in linking to care at D.A.P. through RCHC, contact your Medical Case Manager, who may advise you on navigating the system. Be aware, however, that D.A.P. has no jurisdiction over RCHC operations and that you may need to deal with RCHC directly. If you continue to face barriers or have concerns about RCHC's service provisions, call the following numbers to file a grievance: 888-860-1303 or 1-888-860-1304 (TTY/TDD). You can also mail the grievance to:
Riverside County HealthCare
PO Box 8957
Moreno Valley CA 92555-8957
RCHC Website: http://riversidecountyhealthcare.org
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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 (we'll provide contact information for Rep.-elect Raul Ruiz in January)
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Jerry Brown
State Senator Bill Emmerson
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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Joseph Leahy will present information about the new one-a-day Prezista regimen, and will also answer questions about HIV issues. Lunch starts at 11:45 AM. Registered DAP clients only. ASL interpretation available upon request. Contact Ray at least 48 hours in advance. Sponsored by Janssen Therapeutics. 
Speaker Mike Roy will discuss prevention and treatment. Luncheon starts at 11:45 AM. Registered D.A.P. clients only. ASL Interpretation upon request. Sponsored by Gilead Sciences Inc. 