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10 Ways To Fight HIV/AIDS

Posted Feb. 6, 2008 – Want to know what you can do to get involved in the HIV/AIDS fight? Here 10 ways. to help you get tested, get informed, get involved.

1) Get Informed: Call an HIV & STD Hotline for information or help:

RAP-IT-UP Hotline
1-866-RAP-IT-UP

CDC National HIV/AIDS Hotline
1-800-342-AIDS (2437)

CDC National STD Hotline
1-800-277-8922

Planned Parenthood Hotline
1-800-230-PLAN

The Down Low Talk Line
1-888-547-3235

National Herpes Hotline
1-919-361-8488

2) Get Involved: Contact an HIV/AIDS organization near you 

HIV/AIDS Organizations

The Adolescent AIDS Program Web site was created by the Adolescent AIDS Program at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, and offers an online 'zine, links to teen-friendly clinics and testing facilities and other information on HIV/AIDS.

Advocates for Youth is dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.  Advocates provides information training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policymakers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and the developing world.

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families focuses solely on the needs of children, youth, and families living with, affected by, or at risk for HIV/AIDS infection. 

AIDS Education Global Information System (AEGIS) is a large nonprofit site featuring the HIV Daily Briefing news service, extensive archives of HIV/AIDS-related articles from major media and wire services, treatment and legal information from U.S. government sources, access to community-based publications, and links. 

The Balm In Gilead is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with an international mission to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to provide AIDS education and support networks for all people living and affected by HIV/AIDS. 

Black AIDS Institute (formerly known as the African American AIDS Policy and Training Institute) is a think tank devoted to HIV/AIDS in Black communities. The mission is to empower Black institutions and individuals in a communal effort to counter the epidemic's disproportionate impact on people of African descent. BlackAIDS.org, a project of the Black AIDS Institute, works in partnership with leading Black media organizations to raise awareness of and disseminate life-saving information about HIV/AIDS.

3) Help Inform Others: Get the facts and share them with friends and family to help break the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS:

The Body: An AIDS and HIV Information Resource uses the web to lower barriers between patients and clinicians, demystify HIV/AIDS and its treatment, improve patients' quality of life, and foster community through human connection. The site contains the daily news updates, information on prevention and treatment, policy and activism and more.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention: Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention works to prevent HIV infection and reduce the incidence of HIV-related illness and death, in collaboration with community, state, national, and international partners. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Prevention and Information Network (NPIN) offers information on HIV/AIDS, including the basic science of the virus, data on the epidemic in the U.S., prevention, vaccine research, and state and local activities. 

Gay Men Of of African Descent (GMAD) has a mission to empower gay men of African descent through education, social support, political advocacy and health and wellness promotion.  The organization leads town meetings, develops position papers and works with a variety of other community-based organizations to further the interests of black gay men.

The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration - HRSA was formed in August 1997 to consolidate all programs funded under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The CARE Act was signed into law on August 15, 1990 to improve the quality and availability of care for people with HIV/AIDS and their families. 

4) Get Tested: Here is one resource, but you can find others throughout the site that will direct you to testing information and a testing site near you.

HIV Testing Resources provides answers about testhing and help finding a site near you.

5) Protect Yourself: Always were a condom if you're sexually active. Limit the number of sexual partners. If you're not ready to take responsiblity for your own health, abstain from sex.  Find out more about the role that other STDs play in heightening your risk of HIV infection: 

Iwannaknow.org is sponsored by the American Social Health Association, this website provides answers to your questions about sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases, symptoms, tests and treatment.

6) Support Others: Find out how to be supportive to friends, family and others who test HIV postive by arming yourself with the facts.

Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public. 

Mysistah.org is a website sponsored by Advocates for Youth that is targeted to the needs of young women of color.

The National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS in order to end the pandemic and the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. NAPWA's programs include: community development and training, which trains people living with HIV to provide leadership in their communities; education, which helps individuals to live with HIV; and public policy, which advocates for national leadership on AIDS. NAPWA also operates National HIV Testing Day in June. 

7) Work for Policy Change. Find out how to make sure that HIV people get the resources they need, and that money is provided for HIV/AIDS research.

8) Be An Advocate: Get involved in the fight to end the disease:

National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS informs, coordinates and organizes the volunteer efforts of indigenous Black leadership including clergy, elected officials, medical practitioners, businessmen and women, social policy experts, and the media to meet the challenge of fighting AIDS in their local communities. 

National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) is dedicated to developing leadership within communities of color to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS. NMAC organizes regional training on treatment issues, conducts needs assessments on treatment issues in communities of color, and provides technical assistance to community-based organizations on treatment education for clients and service providers. 

The National Youth Advocacy Coalition operates a clearinghouse of information on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth. It also offers training and technical assistance on HIV/AIDS/STD prevention for community based organizations working with youth. NYAC's mission is to advocate for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in an effort to end discrimination and to ensure their physical and emotional well being. 

9) Talk About It: Don't let the disease continue to fester under a cloak of silence. Continue to talk about HIV AIDS with your crew.

10) Take Responsibility: Don't abdicate your responsibility for your own sexual health. Take charge! Do all you can to protect yourself from HIV/AIDS. Here's more.

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