Women and Housing in the District of Columbia

The DC Women’s Agenda and The District Alliance for Safe Housing are sponsoring a question and answer forum: “Voices and Choices for Housing for Females.” The forum will take place on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM at The True Reformer Building located at 1200 U Street NW Washington, DC. Sczerina Perot, Staff Attorney of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, will moderate the panel of individuals who advocate with and for women facing diverse housing challenges. Ms. Perot will present questions to Peg Hacskaylo, Executive Director, District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc.; Susan Galbraith, Executive Director, Our Place DC; Kathy Broadway, Addictions Counselor, Ramona’s Way; Francine Triplett, Homeless Advocate, Street Sense; Linda Couch, Deputy Director, National Low Income Housing Coalition; and a representative from Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League. Participants will learn the housing challenges and solutions facing a diverse group of women including: senior citizens, women struggling with homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, GLBTQ women and girls, former inmates, and women who suffer from substance abuse. The topics discussed will range from pending legislation and efforts for passage, successes and failures in working with the DC City Council and Government, and the best practices employed by the various advocacy organizations. “We need to all work together to solve the housing issues women face through their lives. This forum will be the first step toward that goal,” according to Sczerina Perot, the moderator of the forum. “Problems of homelessness and affordable housing are rarely seen through a gender lens; this will be an opportunity for us to analyze the problem from this perspective."

Prosper! Women Living with HIV

The Women's Collective is bringing back their popular Prosper! Group for women living with HIV. HIV positive women are invited for food, pampering, peer support, and "plenty of love and fun as we let down our hair and open our minds." The next group starts on October 11th, 2007, but individual sessions are ongoing. An incentive is provided for every other individual session and at the end of the 10 group session. To see if you are eligible, or for more information call (202) 483-7003 and ask for Abby or Roshah.

Phenomenal Women Living Longer with the Challenge of HIV

Save the date! October 31st is the second annual conference entitled: "Legends and Young'uns: Phenomenal Women Living Longer with the Challenge of HIV." The conference takes places in Baltimore Maryland at the Pikesville Hilton (1726 Reisterstown Road) from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For more information contact Dorcas Barker at 443 287-4779. click here to download the flyer for this event.

Squidoo: Women and HIV in DC

Check out the latest Squidoo page I've created on Women and HIV in DC. click here to view the Squidoo page. I've included information on National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day as well as the The Women's Independent Health Study. If there are other things you'd like to see on the page, just let me know.

District Sample Sale Benefits Miriams House

This year, the annual District Sample Sale will raise money to benefit Miriam's House. Miriam's House is a caring residential community for homeless women living with HIV disease that empowers recovery from homelessness, disease, and addictions in an environment of compassion, integrity, and accountability. The District Sample Sale features Washington's best fashion boutiques selling their end-of-season wares at deep discounts, plus offering exclusive pricing and previews on their lines and looks of the current season. It all takes place Wednesday, September 12th from 7:00-9:00pm (VIP hour from 6:00-7:00pm) at 3307 M Street, NW. For more information, visit www.districtsamplesale.com.

High Number of HIV Cases Found Among Female Inmates in Washington, D.C.

A high number of HIV cases has been detected among female inmates in the Washington, D.C., jail, according to data released recently by the district Department of Health as part of a summary of its six-month campaign encouraging district residents to be tested for HIV, the Washington Post reports (Levine, Washington Post, 8/2). District health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates in June 2006 launched the campaign -- titled "Come Together D.C., Get Screened for HIV" -- which emphasized the importance of HIV testing. The campaign aimed to reach 400,000 men, women and children ages 14 to 84 in the district. According to statistics presented at the Mayor's Task Force on HIV/AIDS, which convened for the first time in June 2006, up to 25,000 people, or more than 4% of all residents, in the district might be HIV-positive. District health officials ordered 80,000 rapid HIV tests for the campaign, which organizers planned to distribute at no cost to hospital emergency departments, private physician offices, community health programs, detoxification and substance use centers, and sexually transmitted infection treatment clinics (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/5). According to the Post, the jail was "ahead of city health officials' push to make HIV testing a routine part of most medical screenings." According to the data, 3,216 inmates were tested over a six-month period, 607 of whom were women. The report found that 7.3% of the women tested positive for HIV, compared with 2.7% of the men. Devon Brown, director of the district's Department of Corrections, said he believes the figures are representative of the nearly 2,000 women who are processed annually at the jail. Brown added that commercial sex work and injection drug use -- which often place people at an increased risk of HIV -- are the most common charges among female inmates. The report also found that inmates ages 45 and older had the highest rate of HIV by age, with 4.8% of all inmates in that age range testing positive for HIV. According to officials, fighting the spread of HIV in the district's jail is essential to citywide efforts because nine out of 10 inmates are released within 30 days. The district's jail is one of a few facilities nationwide that automatically tests for HIV upon entry and release unless an inmate refuses to receive a test. According to district officials, fewer than 10% of inmates refuse a test. The not-for-profit group Unity Health Care provides treatment for inmates who test positive for the virus, the Post reports. A December 2006 report by the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice praised the Department of Corrections' approach to testing inmates but said the department should provide counseling and HIV/AIDS education for all inmates, regardless of their HIV status, the Post reports. According to Brown, such efforts have been implemented, beginning with HIV-themed programs played on the jail's television system. "You literally have a captive audience," he said, adding that women pay closer attention to the programs than men (Washington Post, 8/2). reprinted from Kaiser Daily

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10th, 2008

March 10, 2008 marks the 3rd annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day which seeks to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of women and girls. Women and girls can take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS in a variety of ways such as getting tested for HIV, practicing safe methods to prevent HIV, deciding not to engage in high risk behaviors, talking about HIV prevention with family, friends and colleagues, empowering oneself, and providing support to those living with HIV/AIDS. Washington DC Events Check back here for information about National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Events in Washington, DC.

Calling All Women

DC Fights Back will be organizing a Women's Speakout. We will be having a meeting on Monday, July 30, 2007 at 5:00pm at Our Place DC at 801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003 Suite 460 to discuss and come up with ideas for this event. If you are interested in helping plan this event please come out and share your ideas. Our Place DC is very close to the Eastern Market Metro. For more information, contact Cherie Lindsay

Eleanor Holmes Norton Plans Forum on Women & HIV

Eleanor Holmes Norton is planning a forum on women and HIV in the District. The forum entitled "Sex in the City: HIV/AIDS, STDs, Relationships, and Today's Woman", takes place Monday, July 16th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Reagan International Trade Center Pavilion, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW. The Pavilion is located one block west of the Federal Triangle Metro Station. Radio and TV personality Jeannie Jones will lead the discussion. Help spread the word! To download a flyer for this event, click here

Speakout Reports: Women's Breakout Session

Several organizations co-sponsored a DC HIV/AIDS Speakout on May 17th, 2007. I will be posting the reports from each of the breakout groups throughout the next week. The final outcome document from the Speakout will be published on the DC Fights Back Website. If you'd like to get involved, please be sure to join this yahoo group. Our Women's breakout group was moderated by the amazing Cherie Lindsay from Our Place DC. Other individuals on the panel included Marie Sansone from the DC Department of Health, and DC Fights Back member Dorithia Akins. One of the topics the group tackled was HIV/AIDS research. The group would like to see more trial study opportunities for women, and would like to see studies that take their needs into account (i.e. childcare, etc ...). The group also discussed the importance of women-focused research like Microbicide Research, and specifically, the need to have more money for Microbicide Research (Barack Obama has introduced the Microbicide Development Act of 2007 in the Senate which if it succeeds, will address this). The group also talked about the need for a clinic specifically for women, a 'one stop center' for women in the district. Other issues that were brought up included: job placement, skills building, life skills/time management, respite, and support groups. I hope that the folks in this working group continue working on these issues. If I missed something or you have additional things to add, please do so by posting a comment below. Click here to download the flip chart notes from the Women's Breakout Group.

Community Connections Launches the Isis Project

Community Connections has announced the launch of The Isis Project, a five-year services project to improve the mental and physical health of African women in the District of Columbia who are HIV positive. The Isis Project will both increase the accessibility of needed services and provide an array of culturally competent, gender-specific, HIV-informed mental health services. The Isis Project will serve three groups: * HIV-positive women who have severe mental disorders * HIV-positive women whose mental health status has not been evaluated or who do not have a mental health diagnosis * The natural networks of these women, such as partners, family members, and children Community Outreach The Isis Project will provide Community Outreach and Education to providers and African American HIV positive women to: * increase identification of mental health concerns * increase family's understanding of mental health and HIV-related concerns. * increase HIV rapid testing of local mental health consumers Mental Health Services The Isis project will provide Integrated Mental Health Services which includes: * close coordination of mental health and other medical care * a full range of community supports through a wellness Intensive Case Management team * Interpersonal Psychotherapy * Trauma Recovery and Empowerment (TREM) groups * Motivational Interviewing-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy * Structured Ecosystems Therapy * Family Psycho-education To Become an Isis Project Participant Call the intake department to schedule an initial assesment. Please speak with Roshni Chatterjee, MSW, Intake Director, at (202) 608-4743 or Victoria Sherk, SPC, Isis Intake Specialist, at (202) 281-2954. Contact Information Community Connections 801 Pennsylvania Ave, SE #201 Washington, DC 20003 www.ccdc1.org next to Eastern Market Metro Station Rebecca Wolfson Berley, MSW Isis Project Director Phone: 202 608-4735 Fax: 202 608-4286

Global Women's Leadership in HIV/AIDS Workshop

The National Minority AIDS Council—in partnership with the Centre for Development and Population Activities, Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, and the International Center for Research on Women—invites you and other women colleagues to apply to participate in the Global Women's Leadership in HIV/AIDS Workshop, held July 16-August 10, 2007 in Washington, D.C. The workshop intends to build the leadership, advocacy and technical expertise of women working on the frontlines against AIDS and to improve the capacity of the organizations they work in to meet the real needs of women impacted by HIV/AIDS. The National Minority AIDS Council is extremely interested in encouraging minority women in the United States to become more involved in advocating for the needs of women of color impacted by HIV/AIDS in the global arena. Please additional information and an application please contact Deborah B. McKinney at 202 234-5120 ext 315, or dmckinney[at]nmac[dot]org. Please note that the application must be completed and received by March 30, 2007.

Update: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10th

New local events added - see below March 10, 2007 marks the second annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day which seeks to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of women and girls. This year's theme is "Taking Action to Save Our Lives". Women and girls can take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS in a variety of ways such as getting tested for HIV, practicing safe methods to prevent HIV, deciding not to engage in high risk behaviors, talking about HIV prevention with family, friends and colleagues, empowering oneself, and providing support to those living with HIV/AIDS. For more information click here. Local Events Friday, March 9th - 3:00- 5:00 pm @ Planned Parenthood of Washington (Ophelia Egypt Program Center) 3933 Minnesota Avenue, NE The Ward 7 HIV/AIDS Collaborative will engage young women through a "For Sisters Only Chat & Chew" rap session which will provide an open forum for women to share their experiences, successes and challenges along their journey with HIV. Whether infected or affected, the stories of our women are powerful and motivational. Friday, March 9th - 6:00- 9:00 pm @ Planned Parenthood of Washington (Ophelia Egypt Program Center) 3933 Minnesota Avenue, NE The Ward 7 HIV/AIDS Collaborative will engage, motivate and educate the Ward 7 community-at-large at our Community Gathering/Awards Reception. This reception will honor David Catania, Vince Grey, Justine Love, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for their involvement in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Onsite rapid oral HIV testing will be provided by Children's National Medical Center Family and Youth Connections, and Unity Health Care's Project Orion

Sister Circle: Now Twice Each Month

Sister Circle, a support group for HIV positive women, is now meeting on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month at the Planned Parenthood Freestyle Center starting at Noon. For more information, please download this flyer and be sure to share it with other people in your neighborhood who may be interested.

The WIHS Study in DC

One of the longest-running HIV/AIDS Research studies in history, August marked the 13th year of the WIHS Study. The study began in 1993 in an effort to better understand how HIV affects women in the United States. 2,635 Women were enrolled in the beginning of the study. Another 1,143 women enrolled in 2001 and 2002. These women are from the greater Washington DC Area and other WIHS Research sites around the country. Every six months participants in the WIHS study participate in a follow-up visit, where they have a medical examination and provide information about their medical history, substance use, sexual behaviors, and a variety of other information. Some participants are involved in sub-studies which require additional information or tests. WIHS sub studies have looked at areas including cardiovascular health and metabolic functioning. To date, over 290 papers have been published as a result of data collected in the WIHS study. This study has greatly expanded our knowledge of HIV in women. Community Involvement in the WIHS STUDY The WIHS Study incorporates community input through the WIHS National Community Advisory Board (NCAB). Our Washington, DC representatives to the NCAB are Kim Kelsey and Kathy Moore. The purpose of the National Community Advisory Board is to: Provide ongoing community, scientific, psycho-social and political input to the national WIHS agenda Assure that WIHS participants are representatives of the community at large Inform, educate and support these participants over time Help design mechanisms to assure access of HIV infected/infected women to WISH research sites and retention of these participants over time Advocate for adequate research funding, to allow the full WIHS research agenda to be fulfilled Provide support for local community advisory boards and encourage involvement at the local level Facilitate translation of WIHS-related information to the community Represent and be accessible to community members for WIHS related concerns . In Their Own Words Being part of the WIHS study and the WIHS National Community Advisory Board has been an exciting experience for Washington DC residents Kim Kelsey and Kathy Moore. Kathy Moore writes: I have gained a lot of experience since joining this study. I have received a much needed lift in my self-confidence by having to speak in front of an audience. The conference calls have encouraged me to study further about HIV/AIDS, women, and our health issues. The Project Directors and the Principal Investigators on our conference call break things down so that the NCAB can understand those things that are above our heads. We are encouraged to ask any questions that we have and to voice our opinions. Kim Kelsey writes: I’ve learned advocacy. I’ve learned public speaking. I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel. I’ve gotten a lot of education and information about HIV. When I first found out I was positive it made me very suicidal. I wanted to jump off a bridge. I was pregnant at the time. I was worried about my child – is my child going to be infected? But my child wasn’t infected. So I got educated and learned you can live longer and that’s when my life began to change. WIHS Washington DC Metropolitan Consortium Georgetown University Medical Center: Mary Young, MD Principal Investigator George Washington University Medical Center: Sylvia Silver, DA Whitman-Walker Clinic: Kunthavi Sathasivam, MD Montgomery County Health Department: Carol Jordan, RN, MPH Inova Health System of Northern Virginia: Peggy Beckman, RN, C.A.N.P Community Advisors: Kimberly Kelsey, Kathy Moore