Welcome Trina!

Using media to connect the global and local is the expertise and creative vision that our newest Board Member, Trina DasGupta, brings to the table. We are so grateful she has joined the TruthAIDS family.

Trina DasGupta is a new media & youth marketing consultant, currently working with South Africa’s largest youth NGO, loveLife, to develop media-based engagement models to address the social determinants of HIV. On this project, she has also created the world’s first cell phone-based social network dedicated to youth empowerment & HIV prevention. Trina’s other clients include the Kaiser Family Foundation, Voxiva Inc., Going.com, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Democracy Institute, and the Democratic National Committee’s “Trailblazers” Young Trustee Program.

Prior to consulting, Trina worked for MTV Networks as the Manager of Integrated Marketing & New Business Development, developing creative concepts that brought in over $31 million in new revenue in less than two years. In this role, her clients included Coca Cola, Cingular/AT&T,
Dunkin’ Donuts, Intel, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Sharpie, and Starburst, among many other top consumer brands. She has also worked on Viacom and MTV International’s sexual health campaigns, Know HIV/AIDS and Staying Alive.

Stop AIDS in Prison Act Passes

House Passes Congresswoman Waters' Legislation to Prevent Spread of HIV/AIDS

PRESS RELEASE

March 17, 2009 Contact: Michael Levin

For Immediate Release (202) 225-2201

HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS’ LEGISLATION

TO PREVENT SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

Washington, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 1429), legislation introduced by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a longtime leader of Congressional efforts to confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Stop AIDS in Prison Act requires the Bureau of Prisons to test all Federal prison inmates for HIV upon entering prison and again prior to release from prison, unless an inmate opts out of taking the test. The bill also requires HIV/AIDS prevention education for all inmates and comprehensive treatment for those inmates who test positive.

“The Stop AIDS in Prison Act will help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among prison inmates and will protect people in the general community from transmission,” said Congresswoman Waters.

Original cosponsors of the Stop AIDS in Prison Act include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee; and Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, which has jurisdiction over federal prisons.

The legislation also has the support of many health advocates. “AIDS Action, and our diverse nationwide membership of community-based HIV/AIDS service providers and public health departments applaud Congresswoman Waters’ efforts to combat the HIV epidemic within federal prisons and address the public health threat it poses to our nation,” said Ronald Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of AIDS Action, a leading national organization dedicated to shaping public policy related to HIV/AIDS.

The Department of Justice reported in 2005 that the rate of confirmed AIDS cases in prisons was three times higher than in the general population. This legislation is designed to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS within prison as well as lessen the spread of the disease in the general community following the release of infected prisoners.

Congresswoman Waters first introduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act during the 109th Congress. She reintroduced it in the 110th Congress, and it was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, the full Senate did not complete action on the bill prior to adjournment.

Stop AIDS in Prison Act Passes

House Passes Congresswoman Waters' Legislation to Prevent Spread of HIV/AIDS

PRESS RELEASE

March 17, 2009 Contact: Michael Levin

For Immediate Release (202) 225-2201

HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS’ LEGISLATION

TO PREVENT SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

Washington, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 1429), legislation introduced by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a longtime leader of Congressional efforts to confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Stop AIDS in Prison Act requires the Bureau of Prisons to test all Federal prison inmates for HIV upon entering prison and again prior to release from prison, unless an inmate opts out of taking the test. The bill also requires HIV/AIDS prevention education for all inmates and comprehensive treatment for those inmates who test positive.

“The Stop AIDS in Prison Act will help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among prison inmates and will protect people in the general community from transmission,” said Congresswoman Waters.

Original cosponsors of the Stop AIDS in Prison Act include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee; and Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, which has jurisdiction over federal prisons.

The legislation also has the support of many health advocates. “AIDS Action, and our diverse nationwide membership of community-based HIV/AIDS service providers and public health departments applaud Congresswoman Waters’ efforts to combat the HIV epidemic within federal prisons and address the public health threat it poses to our nation,” said Ronald Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of AIDS Action, a leading national organization dedicated to shaping public policy related to HIV/AIDS.

The Department of Justice reported in 2005 that the rate of confirmed AIDS cases in prisons was three times higher than in the general population. This legislation is designed to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS within prison as well as lessen the spread of the disease in the general community following the release of infected prisoners.

Congresswoman Waters first introduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act during the 109th Congress. She reintroduced it in the 110th Congress, and it was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, the full Senate did not complete action on the bill prior to adjournment.

Center for Women & HIV Advocacy

TruthAIDS has been filming a video narrative series with advocates from the HIV Law Project's Center for Women & HIV Advocacy. These women advocates have been incredibly impressive and have taken on the issue of comprehensive sexuality education. They recently released a press release calling on President Obama to specifically fund accurate and appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for all students. Check it out below:

New York, NY (March 10, 2009) – Schools across the country routinely fail to provide girls and young women with comprehensive sexuality education – the cornerstone to HIV awareness and prevention. Meanwhile, young people between the ages of 13 and 29 accounted for 34% of new HIV infections in 2006. As the Appropriations Act awaits Senate approval, and as President Obama crafts the details of his budget, the United States must change course and ensure that HIV awareness and prevention begins with comprehensive sexuality education for our young people.

“We are at a critical moment where the President and Congress have the opportunity to end ineffective and inaccurate abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,” says Tracy Welsh, Executive Director at HIV Law Project. President Obama has stated support for comprehensive sexuality education. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that she would redirect abstinence-only funds toward sexuality education. Yet, it appears that neither the President nor Congress is taking affirmative steps to educate our youth about HIV prevention.

The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, passed by the House of Representatives on February 25, 2009 maintains over $94.6 million in federal funding for abstinence-only programs for the remainder of the fiscal year. As well, President Obama’s recently released budget does not directly mention comprehensive sexuality education. Privileging the abstinence-only agenda, while denying young people information that directly impacts their health and welfare, is irresponsible and short-sighted.

HIV Law Project calls on President Obama to specifically fund accurate and appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for all students. “Prevention programming must include comprehensive sex education that teaches young people how to prevent HIV transmission. If we miss this opportunity, we will fail our young people now and for generations to come,” says Ms. Welsh.

HIV Law Project believes that all people deserve the same rights, including the right to live with dignity and respect, the right to be treated as equal members of society, and the right to have their basic human needs fulfilled. These fundamental rights are elusive for many people living with HIV/AIDS. Through innovative legal services and advocacy programs, HIV Law Project fights for the rights of the most underserved people living with HIV/AIDS.

HIV Law Project’s Center for Women & HIV Advocacy is fighting for comprehensive sexuality education for students in New York and throughout the country.

girl Child

The TruthAIDS family of artisans is growing. These artisans use their craft and talents to teach about lessons that heal. The newest addition to the family is Lily.

lily(like the flower), grew up in Compton, California and began writing poetry, songs and short stories at the age of ten. lily spends much of her time writing, promoting her first book girl Child (The Transition in Poetic Form) and hosting poetry/ self-expression workshops for at-risk youth. lily is currently working on her first spoken word album and a second collection of poetry.

As an author, poet and lyricist, lily's strong voice holds true behind the powerful message of acceptance and self-love that she promotes in her poetry and music. We will be using her book in the TruthCircle efforts as well as our National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness event scheduled in Philadelphia, NYC, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

About the book girl Child (The Transition - In Poetic Form)
girl Child puts into poetic verse a young woman's journey from adolescence to adulthood. girl Child's message is as honest and witty as it is empowering. For more information visit www.lilyliketheflower.com or www.amazon.com.

Congresswoman Barabara Lee at the 2008 International AIDS Conference

Check out Congresswoman Barbara Lee's address on the U.S. HIV epidemic at the 2008 International AIDS Conference. This was the first time the United States epidemic featured so prominently at the International AIDS Conference. Global and local are finally colliding.

Girl Effect

This video is produced by a great website called girleffect.org

It is connected to the last entry about empowerment and lists the various ways you can empower young women. Check it out!