 | Sept. 27 is National Gay Men's HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day. The day was established in 2008 to remember the 300,000 gay men who have been lost to HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and to celebrate advances in fighting the epidemic.
Whether you're an HIV-positive or HIV-negative man who has sex with men, you'll find our HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Gay Men offers up a vast amount of knowledge, first-person perspectives, articles and blog entries that will provide you with must-have information and support.
What's New in our HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Gay Men:
 The Stupid Question: "Are You Clean?"
"Anyone who questions whether or not HIV stigma is on the rise need look no further than online profiles and hookup sites, in which 'Are you clean?' is asked with infuriating regularity," our blogger Mark S. King writes. "Or perhaps you have suffered the indignity of someone asking you 'The Stupid Question' while negotiating a tryst. The sheer ignorance boggles the mind."
 Stigma and Discrimination: Fuel for the HIV Fire
At the XIX International AIDS Conference held in Washington, D.C., in July, the British medical journal The Lancet hosted a discussion of structural barriers to HIV care for men who have sex with men (MSM). Structural barriers -- aspects of the world that negatively impact the epidemic -- include such problems as homophobia, discrimination and criminalization of gay sex.
 HIV Rates Are High for Gay and Bisexual Black Men in U.S.
Young, black gay and bisexual men under age 30 are acquiring HIV at much higher rates than white MSM in the U.S., according to a recent study. "What emerges is a picture of people who are alienated from the health care system," says Kenneth Mayer, M.D., a study leader with the Fenway Institute.
Expert Info and Advice:
 Telling Others You're HIV Positive: How Did You Do It?
For many gay men who have gone through the process of coming out as gay to themselves, their families and their loved ones, telling others they're HIV positive is like coming out all over again. Read stories and tips from HIV-positive gay men who've grappled with the question: "How do you decide when to share with others that you're HIV positive?"
 Barebacking Unbridled: Thoughts on HIV and Unprotected Sex
No matter what your position on barebacking is, chances are excellent that one of TheBody.com's interviewees, bloggers or content partners has touched upon it. Check out this sampling of perspectives on gay men and sexual risk that have been shared on our site, and add your own opinion to the debate.
 The Sobering Truth of HIV Among MSM
The idea of "turning the tide" against the AIDS epidemic will prove to be no more than a slogan if more is not done to address the growing number of gay/bisexual men infected with HIV worldwide, experts say. "Unfortunately, what we've identified is the global epidemic of HIV among MSM is a consistent pattern of expanding prevalence, whereas other populations have leveled off," Chris Beyrer, M.D., M.P.H., says.
Personal Stories
 Timothy Brown (Video)
Timothy, the first person in the world to be cured of HIV, is soft-spoken and kind -- but unswerving in his dedication to finding a way to cure everyone. Watch him open up about the joys and frustrations of being the famed "Berlin Patient."
 Richard Cordova (Video)
Richard, a 33-year-old gay man from Chicago, was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2002 -- which did not surprise him, since he had been living a life of hard partying, heavy drug use and unprotected sex at the time. He came across an opportunity for a clean break and ran away with it -- literally.
 David Adkins (Video)
David, an openly-gay executive director of an HIV/AIDS service organization, talks about how a sexual assault infected him with HIV; his struggles with drugs and alcohol after his diagnosis; and the obstacles he faces while doing prevention work in his rural Pennsylvania town.
| | |
