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Four new voices for change added to AFC board

May 9, 2017

by Ashley Slupski and Raven Feagins Please join us in welcoming four new members to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) Board of Directors, congratulating our new Board chair, Anna Laubach, and honoring our past Board chair, Ben Stringfellow. The 30-member Board helps AFC achieve health equity and justice for people living with HIV by setting strategic direction and raising funds for the...
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"We don't always have the choice of being sexperts."

April 25, 2017

by Cristal As a child of immigrants, I was taught to migrate in order to survive. In the past three years, I have bounced in between California, Chicago, and Mexico searching for both community and financial stability. One thing that I have learned as a migrating queer chicanx is that outside of protests (and sometimes even then) and queer+trans circles – we are constantly FORCED...
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Anton X: Finding community through advocacy

April 12, 2017

Unexpected life challenges can propel us to become more involved with our communities. For Anton X, re-connecting with his father and getting tested for HIV were the pivotal moments that led him to become the HIV advocate he is today. Now at 23 years old, he is changing the face of leadership in the health equity movement. Originally from Maywood, a village just outside of Chicago, X currently...
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Quiz: How screwed are we with the new health care plan?

March 24, 2017

Confused about the what the American Health Care Act (AHCA) will mean for you? Want to know how it differs from the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? Take our quiz to learn more. Then call your legistor to ask them to vote NO on AHCA.  
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Choosing Life: How and Why to Disclose Your Status

March 10, 2017

By Cotrell Loftin Jessica Glaspie and I met in a small Starbucks in Mundelein, IL, on a Sunday morning shortly after I returned to Chicago on a 6-hour overnight bus trip. The precious caffeine helped fuel both my energy and an incredible conversation. In recognition of National Women's and Girls' HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, Glaspie, a powerful advocate featured in a prior Inside...
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Five things to know about women and HIV

March 10, 2017

By Sara Semelka and Pamela Tassin   1. Women’s experiences with HIV are unique, powerful and important   About 1 in 4 people living with HIV in the United States are women and 19% of the new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2014 were among women . Despite this, women are still often left out of conversations about HIV. HIV has impacted women since the...
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Pregnant, Homeless and HIV-positive

March 10, 2017

By LeSherri James LeSherri is an HIV advocate living in Chicago and a Mobile Engagement Team Member for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. In 2003, I was pregnant, homeless, and HIV-positive. But worst of all, I felt completely helpless and had nowhere to turn for help. I received my diagnosis after my senior year of high school. In college, I thought I might be pregnant. I...
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AFC's case management trainings equip case managers for a unique, one-on-one client experience

March 8, 2017

Despite the uncertainty of the ACA's future and fear about the new administration’s discriminatory policies, AFC’s case managers stay committed to providing the quality care clients need. By Cotrell Loftin Mara Williamson is standing outside the conference room, warmly greeting people as they enter. “Good morning and welcome to the training. Don’t...
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Amplified: Bold voices for change speak out

March 6, 2017

This article highlights the successes the AIDS Foundation of Chicago achieved in 2016. Read more about our work in our  Annual Report . Hear from AFC's boldest voices for change as they describe their fight in 2016:   We are AIDS advocates. We FIGHT BACK. We fight for women to be treated with respect. We fight for Black lives, trans lives,...
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Amplified: Reinforcing vital organizations in the HIV community

March 5, 2017

This article highlights the successes the AIDS Foundation of Chicago achieved in 2016. Read more about our work in our Annual Report . On a brisk January evening, the leaders of several Chicago-area HIV organizations arrive, after a long day of work, at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s conference room to tackle some of the questions that will determine the fate of their organizations...
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