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Gaining a holistic understanding of HIV to help protect vulnerable communities

August 29, 2014

The best way so solve a problem is to know it from all angles. That’s why Alan Johnson, Linkage to Care Coordinator at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, enrolled in the African American HIV University Science and Treatment College , a year-long research and training program that examines HIV/AIDS from every angle. Sponsored by the Black AIDS Institute and the University of California,...
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"You're not a second-class citizen because you're HIV-positive. You're a human being."

August 21, 2014

HIV — it’s not just a problem in large metropolitan areas. In fact, about one-third of the HIV/AIDS cases in Illinois are among people living outside of Chicago. That’s why places like Open Door Clinic are needed — to serve people living with and at increased vulnerability for HIV in places like Aurora and Elgin. Sacha Urban, a passionate HIV/AIDS advocate and longtime...
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Advocacy groups report to UN on US failures to address the HIV epidemic in communities of color

August 6, 2014

CHICAGO —HIV/AIDS activists have found a unique way to pressure the U.S. to prioritize and address rising rates of HIV among communities of color. In a report submitted to the United Nations, a national coalition of HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations details the disparate impact of HIV/AIDS on communities of color, and identifies the lack of U.S. action on social drivers of the epidemic in those...
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Illinois advocates hail great first step to end discrimination against transgender individuals in health insurance coverage

July 29, 2014

CHICAGO — Several Illinois-based advocacy groups joined together today to praise the Illinois Department of Insurance for taking a crucial first step in addressing discrimination against transgender Illinoisans in insurance coverage. The groups  — the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Lambda Legal and the TransLife Center of Chicago...
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Insights, AFC's monthly newsletter

July 28, 2014

  SEPTEMBER 2014 AUGUST 2014 JULY 2014 JUNE 2014
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Kicking stigma to the curb through AIDS Run & Walk Chicago

July 11, 2014

How do you overcome stigma — the dark shadow over an idea or thing that makes people jump to drastic conclusions? For Brad Setter, it’s all about awareness — bringing the thing that’s so stigmatized into the public light to get rid of the shadow. Setter, a 24-year-old student at College of DuPage, knows a thing or two about stigma. He served in the US Marine Corps from...
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What can internet search engines reveal about STD trends and risk?

July 1, 2014

In an invited talk at the 2014 STD Prevention Conference , the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Director of Research, Evaluation and Data Services, Amy Johnson, along with UIC Associate Professor Supriya Mehta, discussed the application of search engine data to sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveillance. Highlighting their current study published in the Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases...
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31 CommunityDirect Partners to raise funds through 2014 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago

July 1, 2014

Registration now open for fitness event on Sunday, Sept. 14 in Grant Park CHICAGO — The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is proud to announce the names of 31 community organizations that will raise funds through this year’s AIDS Run & Walk Chicago event on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Arvey Field in Grant Park. This annual event, produced by AFC and Special Events Management, will...
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Better red (or green or yellow or grape-flavored) than dead

June 25, 2014

Kristina Rasmussen, Executive Vice President of the Illinois Policy Institute, took Illinois to task by calling out its $1 million budget for condoms and lubricant. Every new HIV case costs an estimated $390,000 in lifetime medical costs, much of which is paid for by the state. HIV cases are rising fastest among young gay and bisexual men (and particularly young African Americans and...
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Community-based testing programs link newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals with care

June 17, 2014

Through its HIV-VIP Linkage to Care Program the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) uses social media and outreach to promote community-based testing to hard-to-reach populations. This program also offers immediate linkage to one of 12 medical homes, which typically initiate care within 72 hours of diagnosis and use culturally competent HIV testers and care coordinators to support patients in choosing...
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