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A mIRAculous athlete will make a victory lap at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago

August 24, 2015

Do you believe in miracles? One AIDS Run & Walk Chicago team does. Team I Believe in mIRAcles is rallying around their friend Ira Katzman, who will run his first 5k on Sept. 26 after experiencing brain cancer and a series of subsequent surgeries that kept him in the hospital for a year. Two years ago, Ira was a “happy camper.” He went to the gym regularly; he...
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Are you a #PrEP know-it-all?

August 20, 2015

Do you have your Ph.D. in PrEPology, or are you a PrEP-school dropout? Test your PrEP knowledge with our quiz below.
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Playoff hopefuls AFC Sirens hit home runs and plug PrEP

August 20, 2015

In the summer, it’s good to be LT and Vinny. While LT, 50, continues to work as an executive assistant (as well as a writer and cabaret performer) during Chicago’s hot weekdays, Vinny, 47, is able to relax after his exhausting school years as a private high school teacher. And on Sundays, they have softball — not just America’s pastime, but theirs, too....
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Stigma in the situation

August 13, 2015

Stigma: In and Out  is a monthly series profiling the clients, providers and leaders of AFC's Corrections Case Management program, which helps HIV-positive people emerging from prison or jail get the support they need upon reentry. Cook County Jail is home to 8-11,000 people each day; they share a space of 4,197,925 square feet on Chicago’s West Side. It’s the...
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Photos from the Movement for Black Lives Convening

July 31, 2015

AFC's Community Organizer Maxx Boykin attended the first Movement for Black Lives Convening on July 24-26 in Columbus, OH, a weekend-long gathering of people uniting to bring racial justice for Black Americans to fruition. He captured photos throughout the weekend, including a moment when he and several other Convening attendees were pepper-sprayed by local police . HIV's disproportionate...
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Queer, Ill, & Okay artists share their truths about navigating taboo topics

July 23, 2015

By Elijah McKinnon, Digital Communications Coordinator This time last year, I sat across the table from Joseph Varisco as he introduced me to Queer, Ill & Okay   — a performance series that examines chronic illness in a new light. Located in a crowded café in Logan Square, the Chicago-based performance artist, producer, documentarian and teacher unpacked the intricate...
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Season of Concern raises money for HIV - and has an awesome time doing it

July 20, 2015

In last year’s AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, a team of only 11 fun-loving people raised more than $15,000 for Season of Concern, an organization that supports people in Chicago who are experiencing a chronic illness like HIV and AIDS. That success comes largely because of the work of Mike Checuga, a Season of Concern board member and their AIDS Run & Walk Chicago team co-captain...
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PrEP is here to stay: an exploration of thoughts surrounding sex and prevention

July 16, 2015

by Elijah McKinnon Digital Communications Coordinator, AIDS Foundation of Chicago Since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 16, 2012, Truvada for PrEP has sparked many controversial narratives about the future of HIV prevention — and sex in general.   What’s clear is that PrEP works — and that it’s not a one-size-fits-all...
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Helping clients learn new ways to navigate through obstacles

July 15, 2015

Stigma: In and Out is a monthly series profiling the clients, providers and leaders of AFC's Corrections Case Management program, which helps HIV-positive people emerging from prison or jail get the support they need upon reentry. On a regular workday, Bridgette Funches is awake before the sun comes up, preparing for her day. She arrives to her office at 7 a.m. to prepare for...
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Breaking the barrier: Three ways to overcome access issues for PrEP

July 14, 2015

by Jessica Terlikowski Director of Prevention Technology Education, AIDS Foundation of Chicago This year’s International Conference on HIV Treatment and Prevention Adherence brought researchers, advocates and others in the HIV field to Miami from June 28-30 to discuss the role of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in preventing new infections and supporting the health of people...
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