October 28, 2008 Michael Hinson Founder/Interim Executive Director ‘The COLOURS Organization, Ine. Dear Community Members, A little over a month ago I had an opportunity to be interviewed by Janet Zapalla of CN8 on the Art Fennell Reports. 1 was interviewed in my role as the Founder/Interim Executive Director of the COLOURS Organization, Inc., about the new estimates of HIV infections in our communities reported by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). At that time T expressed strong concerns about our response to new HIV infections in Philadelphia, Today, albeit a month plus later, The Philadelphia Inquirer highlights some of my original concerns ina front page article entitled, “High rate of HIV cases is ‘wake-up’ call for Phila” While T applaud the release of this new data by the City of Philadelphia's AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, I have to admit that Tam troubled by the manner in which the article seems to glide over the continued affects of this disease on gay men in general and more specifically, gay men of color. After reading the article, I found myself asking, “does the picture painted in the article reflect the numbers of people T have known or come to know in the last three years who have died from this disease?” “Is this an accurate picture of the families of people I know who have shared their stories of pain and sometimes despair on the news of learning that a 19 year old gay son is newly diagnosed as HIV positive?” T also asked myself, “is there really something different about Philadelphia, that while the national average of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) is 53%, itis 32% here in Philadelphia?” “Is this a reflection of our effectiveness in HIV prevention or ineffectiveness in HIV counting?” While T certainly don’t believe the latter, T am interested in having a clearer understanding as to whether the lower rates among MSM are in fact associated with our effectiveness in combating the spread of HIV. If we are in fact showing such success compared to other cities, it might mean that more lives could be saved if our city's efforts are duplicated among MSM nationwide, and among other critically affected communities such as women, transgender communities and heterosexuals within Philadelphia Let’s be clear: The new estimated rates of HIV infection are a result of a new method of calculating HIV incidence. This method was designed by the CDC. The new data really means science is getting closer to accurately counting HIV incidence numbers and not necessarily that there is an increase in the annual number of new infections. Even so, after seven plus years of cuts and flat level spending aimed at combating this disease domestically, when the numbers of people who need these services is higher than we thought, leads us to know it’s high time we refocus our efforts locally on strategies that actually work and that help communities to become the gatekeepers and agents of preventing this disease, In general, there were 114 new infections for every 100,000 in Philadelphia, a rate 2 times higher than those in New York City (according to data from the City of Philadelphia’s AIDS Activities Coordinating Office.) When we look at Philadelphia’s rates directly, Blacks disproportionately acquired HIV, accounting for 67% of all new infections. Heterosexuals make up 55% of the new infections followed by men who have sex with men (MSM) with 32%. HIV infection among MSMs is of even greater concer because of the rise in newly reported syphilis cases in Philadelphia - an all-time high and these syphilis cases are largely among young gay men of color. Intravenous drug users accounted for13% of new infections. Alarmingly, young people between the ages of 13 and 24 years old made up 15% of the newly infected while those adults 25 to 44 year olds comprised 51% of the new cases. There are a couple things we can and must do to recommit ourselves to fighting this disease in our communities 1, Community members, groups and public officials MUST renew their commitment to fight HIV disease locally, by supporting creative new strategies with appropriate evaluation components aimed at educating those most at ri in the community, preventing the disease and providing comprehensive services, not limited to all the spe boundaries of traditional HIV related services (prevention and care). These strategies MUST reach people were they are, in ways that respond to the priorities as both we and they know them today, ie. drug treatment, housing, domestic violence initiatives, employment and health care, 2. Public officials MUST evaluate what’s working and what's not, by having open, honest conversations with the public about the strategies we engage in to combat this disease and their effectiveness in doing so. It's plain and simple, and I'll be one of the first to say it, while Philadelphia has historically been one of the nation’s key leaders on fighting HIV, we now must re-evaluate our current prevention efforts and catch up to today’s epidemic with programs that work on the terms set by a changing social culture 3. Public officials and community groups MUST convene public hearings and forums to collect information directly from communities, particularly those living with HIV, youth and young adults, gay and bisexual and other men who have sex with men, transgender individuals and women, about what they think we (public health officials, health providers, social service providers and community members) should be doing to combat this disease and to discuss ways to get communities to own this disease, so that they are on the front line of information, education and prevention, 4. School officials, parents, students and community service organizations MUST strike a balance between abstinence only programs and comprehensive health education programs in our public school system, and offer condom availability/distribution for middle and high school students who request them, This is especially critical given the findings of the CDC’s 2007 Philadelphia Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted in Philadelphia among high school students which said, “61% of those surveyed had sexual intercourse and 44% were currently sexual active”. The YRBS data also revealed that 75% were taught that abstinence was the most effective method to avoid pregnancy, HIV, and STD’s while only 38% were taught how to properly use a condom. 5. We MUST build stronger working relationships between HIV/AIDS service providers and academic institutions locally, similar to the plan being developed by the Black Gay Men's Leadership Council and COLOURS, as a way to make sure communities have access to up-to-date science and interventions to make sure they are better equipped to fight this disease on today’s terms, with today’s science. We all know now that contrary to what we have heard or didn’t hear in the media over the past seven plus years, HIV/AIDS was and is still a highly critical issue affecting our communities. Armed with this new data, it is our responsibility to make sure our communities continue to get up-o-date, accurate information, receive the support of our government and community leaders, while sharing in the responsibility to fight this disease. Save Lives, Fight HIV! Michael Hinson Founder/Interim Executive Director ‘The COLOURS Organization, Inc. COLOURS was established in 1991, by and for LGBT People of Color with a major focus of building community among LGB people of color and fighting HIV disease in communities of color. COLOURS” work has been recognized as innovative by many around the country including the Harvard AIDS Research Institute, COLOURS is a Project of The Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition