DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
July 25, 2013
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Escape Summer Dog Days
in Cool and Shady Parts
of Indian and Palm Canyons!
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Editorial Staff
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David Brinkman
Chief Executive Officer
Barry Dayton
Director of Marketing & Communications
Alexis Ortega
Integrated Communications Associate
Rick Vila
Volunteer Co-editor
John Lewis
Volunteer Co-editor
Steve Bolerjack
Volunteer Co-editor
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Positive Life Series will resume on September 3
The popular and informative Positive Life Series is on hiatus for the remainder of summer. But mark your calendar for the September 3 program: HIV & the Law--What You Need to Know, with local attorney Andrew Alder. Watch future issues of DAPCAN for schedule information. Meanwhile, stay cool and enjoy your summer! And Positive Life is now on Facebook! Sign on, visit and like us here. 
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Final tallies: Dining Out for Life exceeds goal!
 Dining Out for Life, the popular annual restaurant event that benefits Desert AIDS Project, happily exceeded its goal of raising $122,500. Now in its eighth year, the one-day event invites people to dine at their favorite participating restaurants, which donate part of that day's profits to client services at D.A.P. This year on April 25, more than 30 restaurants contributed. "We are so honored to enjoy this incredible  support, year after year, from business owners from Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert," said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. The two top-producing restaurants were Trio, raising more than $18,000, and Spencer's, raising nearly $16,000. Other participating eateries were Acqua Pazza, Alicante, Azul, Cello's, Citron, DiGS Bar, Eddie's Frozen Yogurt, El Mirasol South, El Mirasol at Los Arboles, Escena Lounge & Grill, Espresso Cielo, Frickleburgers, Guacamoles, Hamburger Mary's, Hunters Nightclub, Il  Sogno, Jake's, Johnny Costa's, King's Highway at Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Leon's at Desert Princess, Lulu California Bistro, Miro's, Native Foods, Palm Greens Caf�, Peabody's, Pinocchio's, Riccio's, Rio Azul Bar & Grill, Roscoe Grill, Sunshine Caf�, Mirage Bistro, Muse Caf�, Tropicale, Wang's in the Desert and Zin American Bistro. DAPCAN heartily thanks all the diners, restaurant owners and employees and all participants for their ongoing support! (sb)
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DAPCAN's summer schedule; new features and volunteers coming in fall
 Remember that DAPCAN is publishing bi-weekly during July and August while your editors take a little time off. We will resume our regular weekly editions every Thursday after Labor Day with several additions, new features, some fresh writers and a very welcome new volunteer editor--longtime friend and D.A.P. client, Eric Janke. (rv) (sb)
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Major sale at all Revivals stores this Saturday
 All four Revivals stores will hold a rare half-off everything sale this Saturday, July 27. So make sure to schedule some major shopping time for that day. And remember that all proceeds from all stores go to benefit client services here at Desert AIDS Project. 
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Desert AIDS Project's Community Center, houses many activities and programs including arts and crafts workshops, bingo, movies, lending library and drop-in hours. The Center also hosts educational programs and classes designed to increase health literacy and empower clients to participate more in their own care. Follow this link for details about next week's featured events listed below. If you would like to attend any of them, please RSVP to Ray Robertson at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or email [email protected].
Upcoming Community Center featured events:
Every Wednesday, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM (no RSVP needed)
MOVIE & PIZZA!
First &Third Friday of Every Month, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
HAIRCUTS BY ROBERT!
Ongoing Community Center activities:
- Support groups
- Hepatitis C therapy education
- Diabetes education
- Stitch in Time (needlecraft) - third Wednesday each month
- Community Center Computer Lab
- Lending Library
- Free films, Thursdays, 1:00 PM
- Afternoon tea, every Wednesday, 3:00 PM
Check out the complete Community Center Schedule for all programs, activities and drop-in hours.
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David Brinkman congratulates Palm Springs Pride 2013 honorees
 Desert AIDS Project is delighted with the choice of honorees this year for Palm Springs Pride. All the Community Grand Marshalls have volunteered in various capacities for D.A.P. "Mark Jones and Brian Vatcher of Brighthaus Marketing have been great supporters of D.A.P. in so many ways over the years," said David Brinkman, our CEO. "Along with Melanie Jones, a D.A.P. employee who coordinates our Revivals volunteers, and her partner Ellen Zimmerman. From our AIDS Walk, to Dining Out for Life and lots more, as an organization that depends so greatly on the generosity of its donors and volunteers, they are all four great choices for Community Grand Marshals because they are models for how individuals can have a positive and lasting impact on their community. Similarly, Steve Boyd and his partner Michael Green have given lots time to D.A.P. in many worthwhile causes and we congratulate them as Volunteers of the Year." Other Pride honorees are Shann Carr, Christopher Kennedy, Tom Bianchi, Ginny Foat and Lambda Legal. "All these people are truly models of service, not only to the LGBT community but to the greater good of our world," concluded Brinkman. (sb)
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Palm Springs still rocks during summer heat
 A Palm Springs summer may be a bit quieter and a lot hotter than other seasons, but our town is increasingly becoming a year-round destination. Every year as the economy recovers,  there are more new businesses, restaurants, exhibits, free films, festivals, sporting events and other things you may not have heard about. Click here for a great list of activities going on all summer around town. (sb)
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HIV/AIDS & Other Health News
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Update and clarification on anal cancer research
We recently reported that ongoing research in Australia regarding pre-cancerous anal lesions seemed encouraging, suggesting most lesions were more likely to regress than progress. The data were published online in the medical journal, AIDS. However, our medical consultants advise a clarification on this complex research. It's important to note that the original study included both HIV-negative and positive men, and that the rate of progression to high-grade lesions was three times higher in the HIV-positive subjects than those HIV-negative (13.1 % vs. 4.5 %). In fact, having a CD4 count below 200 cells/cubic mm made one 4.66 times more likely to progress to a higher grade of carcinoma in situ (contained, not metastasized). So HIV-positive men who are sexually active with men, have low CD4 counts and have been diagnosed with any anal lesions should not presume  they will regress; they should be treated to prevent developing cancerous lesions. Desert AIDS Project offers anal pap smears and high-resolution anoscopy (HRA), the best preventative measures to monitor and treat HIV-positive patients with potential for anal lesions, and vastly preferable to developing cancer. And while most of us don't have backsides like Michelangelo's David (pictured), men with HIV must monitor our nether regions as conscientiously as the rest of our bodies. (sb)
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IAS Conference concludes with some cautiously encouraging news
 The International AIDS Society's (IAS) seventh annual conference on HIV pathogenesis, treatment and prevention concluded earlier this month in Kuala Lampur. According to our own globe-trotting activist Jeff Taylor, who attended, the Conference tended to focus on worldwide issues and not much on cutting-edge science. However, one bright spot was news that two men with HIV may (our emphasis) have been cured after receiving stem-cell transplants to treat their blood cancer lymphoma. One patient received stem-cells to replace his bone marrow three years ago, and the other five years ago. Their regimens were similar to one applied to Timothy Brown, the "Berlin patient," who has been living HIV-free for six years and remains the only adult to have been declared cured of HIV. The two men in question, known as the "Boston patients," appear to have no detectable levels of HIV in their blood, and have now stopped antiviral treatment with no ill effects. The men are closely monitored and neither shows any trace of HIV DNA or RNA in their blood. If they remain healthy, they will be the third and fourth patients ever to be cured of HIV, after Brown and a baby in Mississippi who received antiviral therapy soon after birth. Still, researchers are very cautious. "We're being very careful not to say that these patients are cured," said researcher Daniel Kiritzkes. "But the findings to date are very encouraging." Indeed, but it's important to realize that these stem-cell treatments are complex, experimental, expensive and impractical for widespread application. They show promise but a general cure for HIV remains distant for now. Click here and here for more. (sb)
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Progress on treatments for HCV-HIV coinfection
 Many in the HIV/AIDS community have mixed feelings about the pharmaceutical industry and its profit motive placed on chronic disease. Still, that motive has led, more or less, to competition and progress. This seems especially true in developing treatments for hepatitis C (HCV), which according to MarketResearch.com, has potential to be a $12 billion market annually. That's not surprising since the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 25 % of people living with HIV in the U.S. are coinfected with HCV. That being said, the good news is that more drugs and combinations to treat HCV, especially for coinfection, are becoming available with more in experimental and trial stages. The names are bewildering, but for a good overview on latest treatments click here and here for current CDC stats. If you are coinfected, it may a good time to review treatment options with your doctor. (sb)
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Latest on living with lipodystrophy
It's one of the oldest side-effects many of us have experienced in living long-term with HIV: sunken cheeks, thin veiny skin, loss of butt-padding that makes one groan at the mere sight of a hard chair. Despite advancements in antiviral therapies, lipodystrophy remains stubbornly with us, either as a side-effect of some current meds, or a lingering look as we get older. But it may not be the complete fault of medications, says Dr. David Wohl, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina. "I think we're going to see less and less dysmorphic-type changes now that we're starting therapy earlier, now that we're starting therapy at higher CD4 counts," he says. "I think a lot of what we saw was a remnant of letting people's immune system's go to pot and then rebuilding it, [along with] their metabolism, in a way that was not completely put back together the right way." He also he believes that degree of lipodystrophy may be related to a low CD4 count when antiviral therapy began. The truth is that researchers still don't completely understand how  the relationships between presence of the virus, introduction of drugs, CD4 count and other factors may result in severity of lipodystrophy experienced by any HIV patient. Studies continue and there are treatments, some increasingly covered by insurance. Meanwhile, for the latest on what we do know, especially about treatment possibilities, click here. Remember, chiseled features and some leanness aren't so bad! (sb)
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HIV testing billboards create fuss in LA
 African-Americans account for 14 % of the population and half of nearly one million cases of HIV in the U.S. And among all MSM (men who have sex with men), African-Americans account for the highest number of new HIV infections. One advocacy group in Los Angeles is trying to address this. In The Meantime Men recently put up billboards encouraging HIV testing among this population. The billboards depicted two shirtless black men embracing, along with the slogan, "Our Love is Worth Protecting...We Get Tested," and were placed in areas with higher demographic concentrations of African-American residents. However, due to recent controversy--partially originating among black gay men themselves--the ads have been replaced with a more generic alternative: the word "HOMOPHOBIA" in bold letters with an "X" through it. Click here for the full story and here for the advocacy group InTheMeantimeMen website. (sb)
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Cletus "Skip" Warren: 1955 - 2013
We are sad to report that longtime activist and Desert AIDS Project client advocate Cletus "Skip" Warren died on July 14 in Massachusetts after a long battle with lymphoma. According to his friend and colleague, Stefen Burchard, Skip was a fierce and dedicated advocate. "He placed the needs of the client community far above his own," Stefen recalled. "He was committed to seeing the client advocacy committee create a positive influence on D.A.P. administration and clinic services. He served as secretary and co-chairman of the committee and worked hard to resurrect it after it disbanded in 2010. Skip helped create a concrete vision, and worked heavily on the focus groups that were the catalyst to many positive changes we've seen at D.A.P. this past year." Skip's dedication and passion will be missed by everyone at D.A.P., but his legacy lives on as the current committee was built with his tireless help. Click here to read more about Skip and how he courageously confronted his illness. We here at DAPCAN would like to express our great appreciation for Skip's work at D.A.P. and convey our thoughts and sympathies to his friends and family. (sb)
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 We thank our friends at Lulu's California Bistro for taking a subtle but definite stand on what's happening to gay people in Russia. Click here to catch up on Vladimir Putin's and the Kremlin's latest arrests and crackdowns on LGBT citizens, gay tourists and "gay propaganda" in Russia. Then put down that Stoli and  click here and here to read about whether the U.S. ought to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics planned in Sochi, Russia.
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Obama Administration establishes HIV Continuum Care Initiative
 President Obama recently issued an executive order establishing the HIV Continuum Care Initiative, described as the next step in the Administration's National HIV/AIDS Strategy. According to Dr. Grant Colfax (pictured), Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, the new initiative will better address drop-offs along the continuum of care and increase the number of individuals who have the virus effectively controlled. Click here to read Colfax's statement, here for a round-up story and here for a video featuring Colfax discussing the National Strategy in general. (sb) |
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ACT UP demonstrates for better access to post-exposure HIV drugs
 Since you are a subscriber to DAPCAN, it's likely that you've been living with HIV and possibly AIDS for some time. But you are also likely to have friends or family who are HIV-negative and look to you for advice and information on how they can stay that way. Here's something to share: ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), the controversial advocacy group largely responsible for gaining attention to HIV and forcing availability of the first drugs to treat it, is still active and currently demanding better access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This treatment option remains highly debated among medical professionals but is worth knowing about. It simply means that a person who suspects exposure to the virus ought to have quick access to antiviral drugs, thereby greatly (some say arguably) reducing risk of infection. ACT UP was notorious f or daring tactics during its heyday in the 1980s-90s. Its members may have grown older and calmer, but they are still dedicated to saving lives from HIV/AIDS by direct and public action. Click here for more on ACT UP and here for more about PEP. With our area's high population of people living with HIV/AIDS, knowing about preventative, post-exposure treatment is all the more important for friends and partners around us. (sb) |
Is focus on marriage equality diminishing AIDS advocacy, fundraising?
 "People don't want to talk about disease, death, racial or socio-economic inequalities," says Scott Schoettes, Director of the Lambda Legal HIV Project. "HIV is an inconvenient reminder of all those things." Schoettes puts the problem succinctly. There is much disagreement these days among various LGBT activists who have been largely focused on marriage equality and those still working on HIV/AIDS issues, especially ensuring continued funding for treatment and research. The divide is largely on generational lines, with younger people less interested in health problems of older people, while marriage has been a much lower priority of over-50 LGBT people who have struggled for health and survival for years. An uninformed viewpoint sees AIDS as a tiresome disease of the past, mostly because of the shaky belief in its "manageability." We concur with Peter Staley of ACT UP: "No one is asking to give up the fight for marriage equality," he says. "We are a strong community. We are capable of doing more than one thing at a time." Keep track of who is on what side and click here for the full story. (sb)
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Voting Rights Act decision ominous for African-Americans, Hispanics living with HIV/AIDS
 The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a welcome and hard-fought victory for marriage equality. But this volatile and polarized Court giveth and taketh harshly. Its decision to strike down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act is sure to affect--directly or indirectly--HIV-affected people of color across the country. Two-thirds of those people are in the black and Hispanic communities, many in areas such as Texas and southern states, which have horrendous records of poll-taxing and voter registration restrictions aimed at minorities. Just registering and getting to the polls may already be difficult for such voters and leaving the rules up to states with anti-minority attitudes could make it moreso. The National Center for HIV Law and Policy is speaking out against this decision. Click here to read more about why we must be concerned. (sb)
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House Republicans on fighting marriage equality: "We give up"  In a statement released last week, the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), a group controlled by House Republicans, made this announcement: "The Windsor decision necessarily resolves the issue of DOMA Section 3's constitutionality...." The group therefore concluded that it will no longer will defend that statute, i.e., fight against marriage equality. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) chairman Chad Griffin responded appropriately: "After millions of taxpayer dollars wasted defending discrimination, it's a historic sign of the times that the House leadership is dropping its pointless quest to maintain second-class  status for lesbian and gay couples." It may be late and grudging, but the G.O.P.'s capitulation is significant and quite surprising coming from one of the most anti-LGBT congressional majorities in history. Still, a bill calling for a Constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage remains floating around the House with 28 Republican co-sponsors. Its success is highly unlikely, but bears watching. Most Republicans remain moderately to virulently anti-gay. Click here to read more. (sb)
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Ongoing Benefits, Resources & Information
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Positively Aware's online HIV drug guide
  Check here anytime for the latest information about your antivirals: dosages, side-effects, interactions, classification, etc., courtesy of Positively Aware. (sb)
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Dedicated phone line for RCHC HIV patient medications
 The Warm Line, also known as the Compliance Program Line, is a separate phone line for Riverside County HealthCare's (RCHC) HIV patients to order refills and receive medications from Riverside County Regional Medical Center (RCRMC) pharmacy. The number below enables patients to reach a special pharmacist to ensure they receive the medications needed. Call: 951.486.4442, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, excluding holidays. And allow two business days before picking up meds at RCRMC Pharmacy in Moreno Valley, and seven business days if mailed to a patient's home. Voice mails are generally returned within one business day. (rv) (sb)
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Centers for Disease Control's HIV website
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a website dedicated to HIV/AIDS issues. It covers the latest HIV science and public health information, as well as educational materials, policies and guidelines. The site is somewhat front-heavy on HIV prevention but has portals to many other types of information. Click through sub-sections for more on living with HIV, treatments, etc. Click www.cdc.gov/hiv for the website. (jl) (sb)
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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 counselor is located at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs and can be reached at 760.323.5689. Follow this link for more information.
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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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Help paying for private health insurance premiums
If you or someone you are close to is HIV-positive and paying for private health insurance, there may be help in paying premiums. The California Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS (OA) administers the Health Insurance Premium Payment (OA-HIPP) Program. OA has expanded OA-HIPP to make this program available to more individuals with health insurance who are at risk of losing it, and to individuals currently without health insurance who would like to purchase it. You do NOT need to be a D.A.P. client to access OA-HIPP. Follow this link to see if you qualify, and also check out the above links in the healthcare reforms article. (jl) (sb)
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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.* Find out if you qualify: schedule an appointment by calling the numbers below. You can schedule your MISP and ADAP appointments together for Moreno Valley office ONLY. Call no sooner than four weeks before your ADAP qualifying expiration date (usually around your birthday). If you qualify for ADAP only, the local ADAP office is right across the driveway, south of D.A.P., at the Palm Springs Family Care Center. Specify the Palm Springs office when you call. Here are the numbers:
877.501.5085 - toll free 951.486.5375 - English
951.486.5400 - Spanish 951.486.4635 - fax
*NOTICE: Faxed MISP/ADAP applications can get lost in the process. 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 uninterrupted services with your D.A.P. medical doctor visits. You should also follow up by phone after your application to ensure all paperwork was received and is complete and do so each year after your annual eligibility meeting with ADAP. The agency still relies on paper faxes which have been known to go astray often.
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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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D.A.P. contact information
 The local phone number of Desert AIDS Project is 760.323.2118,  the toll-free number is 866.331.3344 and the website is www.desertaidsproject.org.
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D.A.P. holiday closings for remainder of year
Monday, September 2 - Labor Day
Monday, October 14 - Columbus Day
Monday, November 11 - Veterans' Day
Thursday-Friday, November 28-29 - Thanksgiving
Wednesday, December 25 - Christmas Day
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Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County 
2-1-1 is a toll-free service for residents needing 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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Contact information for state and federal officials--click on name:
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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