As I speak to people about the HIV Positive South Beach Promoter who knowingly had unprotected sex. I am amazed at everyones shock level. Yes some people with HIV do knowingly have unprotected sex. Yes some people look completely healthy and are positive. YES South Florida has consistently been near the top of the list in the Nation for new Aids cases. Wake up people Party Like A Rock Star BUT WRAP IT UP you dont want to die like one
Everything that Glitters is not always Gold WOW SOMEON SET HIS MYSAPCE PAGE TO PRIVATE THERE WERE ALOT OF WOMEN ON THEIR KISSING HIM PROFESSING THEIR LOVE ETC http://www.myspace.com/elyevents Florida: Backward Attitudes, Actions Hamper Response to AIDS Crisis On National HIV Testing Day, Advocates Note the State, Which Has the Third Highest Number of HIV/AIDS Cases Nationwide, Continues to Slash Budget and Services for AIDS Care, Prevention and Outreach; Women, Minorities Hardest Hit by State FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, June 27, 2007 - As the U.S. observes National HIV Testing Day today with increased testing, outreach and awareness at events throughout the country, the response to the AIDS epidemic in Florida continues to sputter as state officials, including Governor Charlie Crist, remain steadfast in their decision to slash the budget and cut services for Floridians living with HIV/AIDS. Florida has the third highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S., behind only New York and California. More than 4,000 HIV/AIDS cases are diagnosed in Florida every year, accounting for 10% of all new infections in the U.S. Minorities and women are among those hardest hit by the epidemic in Florida. "During many trips to Florida over the last two months and in talking to AIDS patients and staff throughout the state, I have frankly been shocked how backward the attitudes about HIV still are in Florida, and by extension in the U.S., to this day," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest AIDS organization which has operated Positive Healthcare-Florida (PHC), the HIV/AIDS disease management program serving over 8,000 Florida Medicaid recipients for the past eight years. "I have commented for years that I never see billboards for AIDS awareness in Florida like I do in so many other places. Stigma is alive and well in the state, and it certainly doesn't help that state officials are cutting programs and funding far and wide. Florida may well be the poster child for this country's shameful neglect of the domestic AIDS epidemic. Poor people in Florida and other states will suffer needlessly as bureaucrats and government officials pinch pennies in pound-foolish maneuvering which will unfortunately only result in the increased spread of HIV and AIDS in Florida. We need to find a way to address the AIDS epidemic both globally and domestically." *The HIV/AIDS Crisis in Florida* *Florida's HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to affect ethnic minorities and women disproportionately. Women accounted for 30% of the HIV cases reported in Florida in 2006. Blacks comprise over 50% of the reported HIV cases in the state. Despite these staggering statistics, six months into his tenure, Governor Crist remains noticeably silent on the issue.* *According to "Silence is Death: The Crisis of HIV/AIDS in Florida's Black Communities" (a report published by Florida's Department of Health in September 2006) in 2005 1 in 58 black males and 1 in 83 black females in Florida were living with a diagnosed case of HIV/AIDS. In 2005, for the 15th year in a row, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death among black males and black females aged 25-44 years. Concerned by the crisis, the Department of Health implemented a local and statewide "Silence is Death" initiative aimed at reducing the number of infections in Florida's communities of color, particularly black communities.* *Changes to Florida's HIV/AIDS Care Programs* Effective September 1, 2006, Florida instituted a 'reform' plan for its Medicaid program in an attempt to control the rising costs of the program. (Florida Medicaid, known as MediPass, has operated its Medicaid program on a "fee for service" basis). So far, this new 'reform' has been instituted in just two of the state's 67 counties, Broward and Duval. Now, all eligible participants in those counties must be enrolled in one of many different 'health plans.' Participants may enroll in any one of the plans operating in each county, but if they choose not to enroll, Florida will automatically enroll them in a plan. AHF, Positive Healthcare, AHF Pharmacies and other providers know of numerous instances where patients suddenly lost access to some of their medications, putting them in life-threatening situations and sometimes causing severe injury. Some HIV/AIDS patients have lost access to medical specialists - a dangerous result because HIV/AIDS is a complex disease that requires treatment by medical providers with sophisticated, current knowledge of the disease Florida has also slashed the budget for Positive Healthcare, the successful and cost-effective HIV/AIDS disease management program serving over 8,000 Florida Medicaid recipients for the past eight years, from $11 million down to $4.5 million annually. As a result of the Governor's budget cuts and state changes to the program, Florida now faces a startling 77% cut in AIDS nursing staff for the lifesaving - and cost saving - statewide care program. When Florida announced that it intended to award its HIV/AIDS disease management program to a new, financially-unstable vendor who would have to recreate a replacement DM program from scratch, HIV/AIDS patients, nurses, and HIV and community activists immediately engaged in a grass roots effort to stop this looming disaster, including hosting passionate protests in Tallahassee (June 13) where some activists had the opportunity to meet and discuss the issue with Governor Crist, Miami, (June 7), Tampa (May 31), Ft Lauderdale (May 11). Advocates also spearheaded a letter-writing campaign to the governor to urge him to reconsider the changes to the program. At an appearance in St. Petersburg this past weekend, Governor Crist was again met with protesting nurses and AIDS patients and spoke publicly for the first time about the drastic cuts to Florida's AIDS programs. Many of the same nurses and AIDS patients gathered in St. Petersburg had also protested the Governor at two previous community appearances earlier in the day in Ocala and Inverness. In Ocala, as he was leaving, the Governor spoke with some of the group and told them, "I love your cause. I love what you are doing. Keep coming back." However, by the third encounter of the day with the group in St. Petersburg, the Governor reversed himself and seemed to trivialize the nurses and AIDS patients' message and goals. Referring to the protesters outside, Crist told those gathering for his official appearance, "Jeb Bush told me I wouldn't know what its like to be governor until I had protesters. These protesters are upset that they did not get a contract…, but that's the way it goes. It was to save you (pointing to audience) money! I'm here to tell you that AIDS patients do have care in Florida." Regarding its own disease management program in Florida, AHF, which operates Positive Healthcare, has met or exceeded all medical performance measures for its patients, and simultaneously saved the state more than $20 million in healthcare costs over the past eight years. Positive Healthcare is the first of only two disease management organizations to receive full accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a national non-profit organization that measures and advocates for health care quality. "The patient population served by Positive Healthcare's Medicaid disease management program closely mirrors the state's demographics. The largest percentage of the over 8,000 Medicaid HIV/AIDS patients we serve are black, and about one-third of the patients are women," said Gene Bundrock, Statewide Director, AHF/Positive Healthcare. "We urge Governor Crist to closely examine the disparity in both HIV infection rates and access to treatment in the state and to end his silence on a disease that continues to affect minorities and women disproportionately." In addition, over 5,000 letters appealing to the Governor to reverse the changes have already been written by AIDS patients from across the state. One AIDS patient, F.J. Davis, who is upset over the potential changes and the prospect of losing Tricia Rodney, R.N. his Miami-based disease management nurse, recently told the Miami Herald, "This is like snatching your heart out." -- Ingrid B B Side Ent Events & Promotions For The B Side Of Life PH: 305.519.1369 www.ingridbonline.com www.thebohemiaroom.com www.myspace.com/bingridb http://thebsidescoop.blogspot.com aim: msingridb ym: emerald5173 msn: bingridb ------------------------------------------------------ Never view someone as a priority that views you as an option. .................................................... The Bohemia Room 501 Licoln Road Wednesdays @ 8pm WWW.THEBOHEMIAROOM.COM ........................................... MEET ME IN MIAMI www.southbeachgroup.com .......................................... NATURAL TREND SETTERS miami - ft lauderdale - delray www.naturaltrensetters.com
