Yearly Archives: 2019

This post was originally published on fowler.ucla.edu. You can view and download the press released document here: Through Positive Eyes Exhibition at the Fowler Museum (2019-20) - Summary

THROUGH POSITIVE EYES 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019–FEBRUARY 16, 2020

To help end the stigma around HIV/AIDS and empower people from around the world who are living with the virus, a new exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA will highlight the stories
and images of HIV-positive individuals and their perspectives on the epidemic. The exhibition is co-curated by David Gere, UCLA Professor of World Arts and Cultures, who, with photographer Gideon Mendel, co-founded Through Positive Eyes, which is an art project and an exhibition created in collaboration with people living with HIV/AIDS.

Launched in 2007 by UCLA’s Art & Global Health Center, Through Positive Eyes puts cameras in the hands of the people most deeply affected by HIV to create personal photo essays. Entering
its 12th year of intensive photography workshops, regional public exhibitions, and now, a touring global exhibition, the endeavor coalesces around one core tenet: a belief that challenging stigma
against people living with HIV/AIDS is the most effective method for combating the epidemic.

There will be a range of artivist in-gallery performances happening through October 6, 2019–February 16, 2020. Please see a summary of the exhibit’s schedule below and check out the exhibit’s website here for further details. We strongly encourage you to attend and show support.

SCHEDULE
Wednesdays 5–8:00pm
Beginning at 5pm, and on the hour thereafter. Last performance begins at 7:00pm.
Oct. 16, 23, 30
Nov. 6, 13, 20
Dec. 4, 11, 18
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29
Feb. 5, 12

Sundays 1-4:00pm
Beginning at 1pm, and on the hour thereafter. Last performance begins at 3:00pm.
Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27
Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24
Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26
Feb. 2, 9, 16

This report originally appeared on cdc.gov. To view the full report, click here. Additionally, you can find the original report for download here: MMWR: Racial/Ethnic and Age Group Differences in Opioid and Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths Among Adults Aged 18 Years in Metropolitan Areas

On November 1st, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) article highlighting differences in U.S. opioid death rates by demographic and geographic characteristics.

Following is a brief summary of the article, “Racial/Ethnic and Age Group Differences in Opioid and Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years in Metropolitan Areas — United States, 2015–2017.”

Summary
What is already known about this topic?

Opioid-involved overdose death rates in the United States differ by demographic and geographic characteristics. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs have fueled recent increases in opioid-involved overdose deaths. In 2017, synthetic opioids were involved in nearly 60% of opioid-involved overdose deaths; however, the level of involvement by racial/ethnic age groups in metropolitan areas has not been explored.

What is added by this report?

From 2015 to 2017, nearly all racial/ethnic groups and age groups experienced significant increases in opioid-involved and synthetic opioid–involved overdose death rates, particularly blacks aged 45–54 years (from 19.3 to 41.9 per 100,000) and 55–64 years (from 21.8 to 42.7) in large central metro areas. The increased involvement of synthetic opioids in overdose deaths is changing the demographics of the opioid overdose epidemic.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Culturally competent interventions are needed to target populations at risk; these interventions include increasing awareness about synthetic opioids in the drug supply and expanding evidence-based interventions, such as naloxone distribution and medication-assisted treatment.

Read the full report. 

 

“America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is finally time to tell our story truthfully.” – The 1619 Project, New York Times

On August 20th, 2019, The New York Times launched The 1619 Project, an acknowledgement of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in America, hence the beginning of American slavery. By presenting the year 1619 as our nation’s rightful birth year, this major initiative aims to re-frame our history, urging us to recognize the role(s) of slavery and the contributions of black Americans within the narratives we share as a country. Containing a series of essays reflecting the dynamics of everyday American life and a unique collection of original literary works from contemporary black writers, the project dissects the many systems rooted in slavery and its aftermath, including mass incarceration, police brutality, and health inequity.

This anniversary has significance for public health, as racial inequalities persist amidst significant health disparities. At the same time, the urgency for public health systems to address these complexities remains. At a moment in US history when the role of government in healthcare is controversial, envisioning 1619 to 2019 as 400 years of inequality will be a crucial step for health care providers, researchers, and community partners. This reflection within public health forums can bring substantial benefits in establishing anti-racist and health equitable methods responsive to structural racism’s consequential influence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, CHIPTS acknowledges and affirms The 1619 Project, and works to integrate similar anti-racist paradigms within  our mission to promote collaborative research, foster networking, and support capacity building among communities and agency partners in efforts to eliminate new HIV infections and health disparities among key populations with HIV-associated comorbidities. In our current work, CHIPTS is directly addressing this intention with the upcoming conference, “Addressing Medical Mistrust in Black Communities: Implications for HIV and other Conditions”. This forum aims to improve understanding of the historical foundations of medical mistrust in black communities, dissect its effects on health care behaviors, and discuss necessary system level changes in a manner that encourages healthcare engagement and improves health outcomes. It will occur Tuesday, November 19th from 8AM-1PM. All are welcome to attend.

Lastly, we encourage you to read the original 1619 Project article published by The New York Times Magazine. To learn more about 1619’s dynamic relationship to public health, please also see, “400 Years of Inequality Since Jamestown of 1619” from AJPH History.

The PDF Versions of both articles are available for download below.

[Download not found]

 

[Download not found]

This article originally appeared on newroom.ucla.edu. The PDF is also available for download below. 

UCLA’s Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services has received $395,000 from the National Institutes of Health for AIDS prevention, treatment and response to outbreaks.

Three, one-year grants, awarded by the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health, will support research to prevent new HIV transmissions, treat people living with HIV, and respond to potential outbreaks of the disease.

“These funds will gather findings to guide future projects that when implemented, will measurably reduce HIV transmission and improve health for those living with HIV/AIDS , especially for those also living with mental health and substance use disorders,” said Steve Shoptaw, director of the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services. “These grants will not only provide us with the opportunity to collect pilot data, but to engage community and agency partners, leading to more innovative and collaborative science that are needed to end the HIV epidemic.”

The funding stems from President Donald J. Trump’s stated aim to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. in the next 10 years. The president’s program, “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” aims to reduce new HIV infections by 75% in five years and by at least 90% in 10 years.

The three funded projects are as follows:

• A regional response to HIV eradication efforts in Southern California counties, led by Shoptaw, a professor of family medicine and of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Under this project, UCLA will collaborate with health departments and residents living with or at risk for HIV in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
• Another project, led by Ronald Brooks, an assistant professor of family medicine at the medical school, will assess the feasibility of using apps, tele-health, text messaging and other digital technologies to encourage the use of PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, among men who have sex with men and transgender women of color.
• The third project will lay the groundwork for the rollout of long-lasting, injectable anti-retroviral treatment, a therapy under consideration for marketing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and expected to become commercially available soon. Dr. Raphael Landovitz, professor of medicine in division of infectious diseases, is leading this project.

[Download not found]