🏳️‍🌈✝️ World AIDS DAY December 1, 2017

Celebrating Life

Rainbow Pastor David

11/30/2017

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Rainbow Pastor David - HIV Positive since May 2009

Hard to believe another year is coming to close as we Celebrate LIFE and Honor in Remembrance  all those we  have lost to HIV/AIDS complications. Yes, even I have lost people who were dear too me. I remember my Great Uncle Charles Ray Hicks who was the first person I ever knew that passed from complications from HIV/AIDS. I remember my ex John who lost his life to complications to HIV/AIDS in 2010. I remember all the friends, too many to name that have lost their lives to complications from HIV/AIDS. I also Celebrate LIFE with all those who have been SURVIVING LIVING with HIV/AIDS.

This time of year can be so depressing when you take time to REMEMBER all those you have lost through the years from HIV/AIDS. It can also be so EXCITING to CELEBRATE with ALL those who are STILL LIVING with HIV/AIDS fighting to continue LIVING.

Once again this year I want to share with you some poems I have written about Living with HIV. With so much negative press still being aired against those of us Living with HIV, I want to share some POSITIVE HOPE with each of you. As you read my poems I want you to Remember those who LIVED and LOST their battle living with HIV/AIDS as well as CELEBRATE with those of us who are still LIVING our LIFE JOURNEY with HIV.

The Virus in your blood

Tears flow down a face once smiling

As the word comes forth

You are Positive.

Life as you know it has changed forever

Why?

A virus now inhabits your blood.

Does life now end in a sour note?

Or begin with a new hope

A new vision now, for life will never be the same

You prayed you would not hear the words

But alas now you must move on

A virus now inhabits your blood.

Life is now clearly about survival

Learning how to live anew

Hard as it may seem at the time

Life has not ended – Just the old journey

A new journey of peace and understanding

A virus now inhabits your blood.

Now past the fear with a new understanding

Life is more joyful, everyday a new blessing

Helping others to understand

You have not come to your life’s end.

Just in time a new journey has begun

A virus now inhabits your blood.

You see life now as a new beginning

To live to the fullest enjoying each day

Now you take the time to smell the roses

Colors are more vivid and dreams more real

Now you live positive – HIV+

A virus now inhabits your blood.

Loving now more than ever

Living now with a new understanding

Life is what you make of it daily

Now let the world know

You may have HIV but HIV does not have you

It’s only a virus that inhabits your blood.

Living your life Positive – HIV+

Circle of life is now beginning

As new friends come – Love grows

Peace to live – Fighting from within

Praying that one day soon there will be a cure

To kill this virus that inhabits your blood.

Written by Rainbow Pastor David A. Moorman May 14, 2010

Fear – no more

One day living with no worries or care

Now living each day with a new fear

Fear of sharing

Fear of caring

Fear of loving.

Why must we suffer from the disease within?

Not knowing how our lives will ultimately end

Fear of sharing

Fear of caring

Fear of loving.

Hope in a pill to suppress the disease

Getting closer to the day of cure: they say to appease

Fear of sharing

Fear of caring

Fear of loving.

I look to my Savior for answers to this fear

I raise my head and feel the tears

Fear of sharing

Fear of caring

Fear of loving.

Let me love unconditional and fearless

Knowing that God is ever near us

No more fear of sharing

No more fear of caring

No more fear of loving.

Hope eternal in God’s grace

He alone will dry the tears from my face

No more fear of sharing

No more fear of caring

No more fear of loving.

Love eternal from God above

Now descends on my soul on the wings of a dove.

No more I fear - sharing

No more I fear – caring

No more I fear – loving.

God’s peace now reigns in my soul

This disease will no longer take a toll

I no longer fear – sharing

I no longer fear – caring

I no longer fear – loving.

Written by Rainbow Pastor David A. Moorman May 20, 2011

HIV Positive

A cold chill sweeps through your soul.

You have just been told -

Three words that will last forever -

You are HIV Positive.

Frozen in time it seems -

Is this reality or just a dream?

How – Why – When – Who

Surely this cannot be true.

Slowly realizing you waken to the fact –

This moment you will never get back.

The reality of those words so true –

You never thought this would happen to you.

The stabbing pain in your heart

Now overtakes the cold –

Your future seems to have disappeared

Your mind cannot believe what you hear.

What will I do now?

Will I make it somehow?

Fear grips the words falling down

You are HIV Positive.

Fantasy now becomes Reality -

Was it really worth the sacrifice?

Not protecting yourself

Now cost you your life.

Now you must face a new journey.

One of healing and mercy -

Forgiving yourself for this new pain -

Your life will never be the same.

For now you sit and wonder why –

Go ahead it is okay to cry.

Once the fear has past this point -

You will see clearly my friend.

New life – New Journey now you must take –

Learning to live with that one mistake –

The road ahead will not be easy.

You are HIV Positive.

Better care must now be taken –

Protecting others – new steps to be taken

Stop now – take time to see

Life must not be taken for granted.

Prayers for peace and understanding

As you ask yourself why –

Knowing that you knew better

Oh but how you enjoyed the pleasure.

New pleasures now you must seek

Care for your body – mind – spirit too

Strength to move on will come from above –

You will find a new way to love.

New insights to better living

Enjoy each moment – cherish too

All the ones who comfort you –

You are now HIV Positive.

Your life has not come to an end –

Step onward into a new journey my friend

Make peace with the fact that things have changed

No your life will never be the same.

You must however push ahead

Help others as you help yourself

Understanding life can actually be better now

You really will get through it somehow.

With loving care and better living –

Life takes on a whole new meaning

Living for each new day

Knowing now you have found the way.

Life has not come to an end –

Enjoying life – making new friends

All things new – a journey to take

So what – you are HIV Positive.

Written by Rainbow Pastor David A. Moorman

12-01-2015

Celebrating LIVING with HIV,
Rainbow Pastor David 

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Former President Barack Obama Teams Up With Bono for World AIDS Day

Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube

Ryan Shea 

 November 29, 2017

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This is one of the many reasons why we miss former President Barack Obama in so many ways.

He is joining forces with Jimmy Kimmel, Bono, Coca-Cola and Project Red for World AIDS Day, which takes place this coming Friday, December 1st.

He shared his support in a video shown during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he talks about the fight against HIV and where we are with it today.

"Jimmy Kimmel is not just a talk show host, he's an activist.  Bono is not just a musician, he's ringmaster of a home shopping extravaganza.  And me?  I'm a husband who hasn't done his Christmas shopping yet."

"When it comes to the fight against HIV and AIDS, there is some genuinely good news to share.  For the first time in history, more than half of all people living with the virus are on life-saving medication.  Since the peak of the virus, AIDS related viruses half been cut in half."
He goes on in one of his great speeches to discuss how society has helped in great ways to ensure people living with HIV/AIDS have a long and healthy life.  He also cracks an Air Force One joke in there as well.

"If you do, you can pilot Air Force One for a day."

Guy off screen: "No, we can't do that anymore."

Barack: "We can't do that anymore? OK, if you do, I'll share our files of the aliens!"

Guy off screen: "We can't do that."

Barack: "No?  We can't do that either, but I have them, they are in my desk."

Thanks again Barack, for your help and support. 

Read more from Instinct Magazine, here

🏳️‍🌈✝️ People Are Testing Positive for HIV Sooner After Infection

Nevertheless, a new CDC report stresses that delayed diagnosis of the virus is still troublingly high among certain groups.

November 29, 2017


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The median time between infection and diagnosis of HIV is narrowing, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Nevertheless, the CDC stresses that delayed diagnosis of the virus is still troublingly high among certain groups.

The CDC published findings about HIV testing behaviors in a Vital Signs report that appeared in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report was based on data from the CDC’s National HIV Surveillance System as well as the agency’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS) surveys of men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and heterosexuals at high risk for the virus.

The CDC estimates that in 2014, 1.1 million people were living with HIV, 85 percent of whom were aware of their serostatus. For those testing positive in 2015, the estimated median time between infection and diagnosis was three years, compared with an estimated three years and seven months among those testing positive in 2011.

Additionally, the CDC found that the rate of HIV testing within one year has risen in recent years among MSM, PWID and high-risk heterosexuals alike. Nevertheless, in 2016, an estimated 29 percent, 42 percent and 59 percent of individuals in these three risk groups were not tested for the virus within 12 months according to the most recent NHBS surveys.

One in four people diagnosed with HIV in 2015 were infected more than seven years prior.

Of the 39,720 people diagnosed with HIV in 2015, the CDC estimates that one in four contracted the virus more than seven years prior. Broken down by demographic category, the respective proportion of total diagnoses falling into a particular group and the median estimated time since infection among that group were as follows: males, 81.3 percent and 3.1 years; females, 18.7 percent and 2.4 years; 13- to 24-year-olds, 22.5 percent and 2.4 years; 25- to 34-year-olds, 32.9 percent and 2.6 years; 35- to 44-year-olds, 19.3 percent and 3.5 years; 45- to 54-year-olds 15.9 percent and 4 years; those age 55 and older, 9.4 percent and 4.5 years; Asians, 2.4 percent and 4.2 years; Blacks, 43.6 percent and 3.3 years; Latinos, 24.4 percent and 3.3 years; whites, 26.3 percent and 2.2 years; MSM, 81.9 percent (of males) and 3 years; male PWID, 4.2 percent (of males) and 2.9 years; MSM who inject drugs, 3.9 percent (of males) and 2.1 years; male heterosexuals, 9.9 percent (of males) and 4.9 years; female PWID 13.5 percent (of females), 2 years; female heterosexuals 86.2 percent (of females) and 2.5 years.

To read the report, click here.

To read a press release about the report, click here.

To access a fact sheet about the report, click here.

Read more from POZ, here

 

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Post–HIV Diagnosis Partner Notification Among Youths Needs Improvement

A new study identifies areas where the system can do better.

November 28, 2017


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The practice of notifying an individual’s sexual partners after an HIV diagnosis could stand for improvement where youth are concerned.

Publishing their findings in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, researchers recruited 924 people 13 to 24 years old who were living with HIV and did not contract the virus from their mothers. The participants took a computer-assisted self-interview that posed questions about their demographics and their experiences with partner notification.

A total of 82.5 percent of the participants were male, 70.1 percent were Black and 18.2 percent were Latino. A total of 93.4 percent of the males reported having sex with other males.

A total of 77.6 percent of the participants reported that some or all of their partners were alerted to their HIV diagnosis through partner notification services, and 22.4 percent said that none of their partners received such a notice.

In 52.4 percent of cases, just one person discussed partner notification with the participants. Most commonly, this individual was the person conducting the HIV testing (36.5 percent) or the health care provider of the newly HIV-positive young person (27.6 percent). A total of 18.3 percent of the young people said they themselves had been notified of a partner’s HIV status.

After adjusting the data for various factors, the researchers found that factors associated with successful partner notification included: more than one person discussed partner notification with the newly HIV-positive individual (raised the likelihood by 1.87-fold); the indvidual testing positive was him or herself notified of a previous partner’s positive HIV status (1.83-fold increased likelihood); and compared with a lack of a high school diploma, the individual testing positive had some college education or technical training (1.72-fold increased likelihood).

“Partner notification might benefit from enhanced guidelines that call for both HIV testers and HIV care providers to discuss this important strategy with HIV-positive youth,” the researchers concluded.

To read the study abstract, click here.

Read more articles from POZ, here.

  

🏳️‍🌈✝️ High Risk of Heart and Kidney Disease Are Linked Among Those With HIV

Researchers found that those with a greater than 5 percent five-year risk of either condition also had a high risk of the other.

November 27, 2017


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HIV-positive people who have a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) also have a high risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vice versa.

Publishing their findings in PLOS Medicine, researchers conducted an analysis of data from the international D:A:D study to assess CVD and CKD risk among people with HIV. An individual was considered at high risk for either condition if risk calculators predicted they had a greater than 5 percent five-year risk of either.

CKD was defined as having an eGFR below 60.

A total of 27,215 individuals living with HIV were followed for a cumulative 202,034 years. Seventy-four percent of them were male, they had a median age of 42 and the median baseline year of entry into the study was 2005.

The risk calculators estimated that 3,560 (13.1 percent) of the participants were at high risk for CVD, 4,996 (18.4 percent) were at high risk for CKD and 1,585 (5.8 percent) were at high risk for both.

Those at high risk for CVD had a 5.63-fold increased risk of a CKD-related health event compared with those at low risk for CVD. Those at high risk for CKD had a 1.31-fold increased risk in CVD-related health risks compared with those at low risk.

Researchers concluded that CVD and CKD be assessed together in those with HIV and that clinicians address modifiable risks for both in people living with the virus.

To read the study, click here.

To read a press release about the study, click here.

  

Read more articles from POZ, here