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TEXAS HIV/STD E-UPDATE
Information from the HIV/STD Comprehensive Services Branch,
Texas Department of State Health Services
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IN THIS ISSUE:
-National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness & Information Day Events in Texas
-What is Your Agency Doing for National Condom Week?
-CDC Expands Postexposure Prophylaxis Guidelines
-Triangle AIDS Network Plans Prenatal HIV Meeting
-Upcoming Events


NATIONAL BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS & INFORMATION DAY EVENTS IN TEXAS

The fifth annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness &
Information Day (NBHAAID) will take place on Monday, February 7, 2005. This
awareness initiative is designed to mobilize African Americans around the
country to get tested, get educated, and get involved with HIV/AIDS in their
communities.

The following is a list of NBHAAID-related events taking place around Texas
in the coming days. The HIV/STD Comprehensive Services Branch wishes to
thank all of the organizations that sent event information to the E-Update.
Please note that this list is presented for informational purposes only; the
Texas Department of State Health Services does not necessarily sponsor or
endorse any of the events and/or activities listed.


BEAUMONT
Project AIDS-Land Manor staff member Robert Gillord will be on the Channel 4
Early Morning Show on February 4 to promote National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness and Information Day. Camille Eaton from Chanmel 6 will be at the
facility on the morning of February 7 to interview staff and get a run down
on the services offered. This will air at noon that day. All staff will be
out in the community that afternoon to educate the African American
community on getting tested, risk reduction plans and getting involved with
HIV/AIDS in the community. For more information, please contact Carla Baker
at cbaker@....


FORT WORTH
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness & Information Day will be observed in Fort
Worth with a proclamation presentation and panel discussion at Dunbar High
School on Monday, February 7 from 7-9pm. HIV testing will be available at
the event and there will also be a poetry reading, a performance by the
Dunbar High School band, refreshments, and door prizes. A second panel
discussion and HIV testing event will take place at Texas Weslayan
University's Ella C. McFadden Science Lecture Hall on Tuesday, February 8
from 7-9pm. Lead agencies for these events are the Tarrant County Public
Health Department and the AIDS Outreach Center. Participating Agencies
include: City of Fort Worth Public Health, Catholic Charities, Help
Education
Learning Project, Women's Haven of Tarrant County, MHMR of Tarrant County,
Planned Parenthood of North Texas, AIDS Interfaith, United Community
Centers, New Vision Beauty Salon, STD/HIV Coalition and Bridge Emergency
Youth Services. For more information, please contact Elaine Allen, Tarrant
County Public Health Department, at 817-321-4862.


HOUSTON
The City of Houston's African American State of Emergency Task Force will
conduct a testing and awareness event on Friday, February 4 at the NAACP
Technology Center, 4203 Fannin, from 11:30am-5:30pm. The OraQuick rapid HIV
test will be available along with blood tests for syphilis and hepatitis by
request. T-shirt gift bags will be given as incentives and clients will be
recruited via on-site radio support and area outreach teams promoting the
event. For more information, please contact Hyron Hall at 713-794-9169.

The Donald R. Watkins Memorial Foundation's Young Men Saving Men Program
will host a Town Hall Meeting, "A Time for Action", focusing on the issues
and concerns of African American young men who have sex with men on Monday,
February 7th at 7:00pm at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center located at
3611 Ennis St. in Houston. For more information, please call 713-526-1979.

Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas is hosting a free HIV
testing day at the Greenspoint Clinic, 11834 Airline Dr. in Houston from
1pm-6pm. Majic 102, a local radio station with a large black audience will
be on-site at the clinic from 3-5pm. Please contact Yvonne Rojas for more
information at 281-445-4553.

In observance of the fifth annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness &
Information Day, to be held February 7, the Minorities Action Program (MAP)
will conduct block walks in the Acres Homes and Fifth Ward African American
communities. The team plans to disseminate, educate, motivate, and
encourage African American men and women, young and old, to get tested. The
team will provide free HIV OraSure and OraQuick testing to community
members, demonstrate prevention skills, and distribute condoms and bleach
kits. The team will focus the information on the disproportionate and
continuous rapidly increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infection among African
Americans. The MAP team will continue these efforts in these and other
communities of people of color throughout the year. For more information,
please call Kevin Berry at 713-926-9491.


JASPER
Health Horizons will participate in a Health Fair in Jasper at the Mt. Olive
Baptist Church, 1942 Main St., on February 19 from 8am-12pm. For additional
information, please contact Beverly McCloud at 1-936-569-8240, ext.21.


LONGVIEW
Special Health Resources for Texas, Inc., will offer free HIV testing and
information in Longview on February 7 from 10am to 5:30 pm at the Harvey
Johnson Community Center, 1406 S. Birdsong St. In addition, Operation
Beatitude will offer free screenings for glucose and cholesterol, Longview
Women's Center will have an information booth, and a clown will be on hand
for entertainment. For more information, please contact Gloria Hawkins at
903-234-0936, 1-877-234-0936, or ghawkins@....


TEXARKANA
Special Health Resources for Texas, Inc., will offer free HIV testing and
information in Texarkana on February 7 from 10am to 5:30 pm at the Southwest
Center, 3222 W. 7th St. For more information, please contact Gloria Hawkins
at 903-234-0936, 1-877-234-0936, or ghawkins@....


TYLER
Special Health Resources for Texas, Inc., will offer free HIV testing and
information in Tyler on February 7 from 10am to 5:30 pm at the Grand Manor
Apartments, 2700 North Grand Av., across from Texas College. Testing will be
done in conjunction with Smith County Public Health District. For more
information, please contact Gloria Hawkins at 903-234-0936, 1-877-234-0936,
or ghawkins@....


WHAT IS YOUR AGENCY DOING FOR NATIONAL CONDOM WEEK?

The annual observance of National Condom Week will take place Febuary 14-21,
2005. National Condom Week is an annual campaign to encourage sexually
active people to use condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV and other
STDs. The Texas Department of State Health Services' HIV/STD Comprehensive
Services Branch is compiling a list of National Condom Week-related
activities taking place around the state. This list will be published in
the Texas HIV/STD E-Update and shared with Texas HIV/STD InfoLine callers
and other interested parties inquiring about local activities.

Please e-mail a brief description of your plans along with agency contact
information, dates, times and addresses NO LATER THAN 5pm on Friday,
February 4. Send your information to Greg Beets at
greg.beets@.... Thank you for your cooperation.


CDC EXPANDS HIV POSTEXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS GUIDELINES

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded its
guidelines for emergency antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis to include
people exposed to HIV through rape, drug use, unsafe sex and other
non-occupational accidents.

The expanded guidelines, issued last month, recommend a 28-day regimen of
antiretroviral treatment that begins no more than 72 hours after a person
has been exposed to HIV. People accidentally exposed to HIV are usually
given a three-drug combination that includes AZT and 3TC.

"The severity of the HIV epidemic dictates we use all available tools to
reduce infection," said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, deputy director of the CDC's
National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention.

Valdiserri emphasized that the emergency drug treatment is not a substitute
for abstinence, monogamy and the use of condoms and sterile needles. CDC
said the expanded guidelines are not intended for habitual drug users who
share needles or for people who frequently engage in risky sex. Those people
would have to take medication almost constantly, which is not recommended.

The new recommendations were published in the January 21, 2005 Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which can be accessed online at
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5402a1.htm.


TRIANGLE AIDS NETWORK PLANS PRENATAL HIV MEETING

Triangle AIDS Network (TAN) will offer a luncheon presentation on Tuesday,
March 29 from 11:30am-1:30 pm on the topic of prenatal care and HIV
prevention for physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and other health
care professionals in Jefferson, Hardin and Orange counties. TAN does not
anticipate a charge to the participants from these counties. If anyone
would like to become part of the mailing list for further information about
this presentation, please send an e-mail to bonnie@... or
tam@....


UPCOMING EVENTS

February 7, 2005
National Black HIV/AIDS Information & Awareness Day (see above).

February 14-21, 2005
National Condom Week (see above).

May 31-June 4, 2005
American College Health Association 2005 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Sponsored by the American College Health Association (ACHA) in collaboration
with the Pacific Coast College Health Association. For registration and fee
information, access the ACHA Web site at:
www.acha.org/prof_dev/2005annlmtg_registration.cfm.

June 12-15, 2005
2005 National HIV Prevention Conference, Atlanta, GA. Sponsored by CDC. For
more information, visit www.2005HIVPrevConf.org, or call 866-277-6313.

September 29-October 2, 2005
United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), Houston. Sponsored by the National
Minority AIDS Council. Abstracts due April 8. For more information, contact
the conference registrar at 202-483-6622 or conferences@....

December 5-9, 2005
National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference, Washington DC. Sponsored by
CDC. For more information, contact Wendy Watkins at 404-371-5966 or
dmw7@....


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The Texas HIV/STD E-Update mailing list is maintained by the HIV/STD
Comprehensive Services Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services. To
subscribe to or remove your name from the mailing list, send a message to
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DSHS Electronic Publication Number E13-11720
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Texas HIV/STD E-Update
Greg Beets, Editor
Texas Department of State Health Sevices
HIV/STD Comprehensive Services Branch
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, Texas 78756-3199
Phone: 512-490-2500, ext. 2671
Fax: 512-490-2538
E-mail: greg.beets@...


NOTE: The Texas Department of Health (TDH) has merged with other agencies
and is now part of the new Department of State Health Services (DSHS),
resulting in the following e-mail address format change for all employees:
firstname.lastname@....