Justin B. Terry-Smith has been involved in LGBTQ and HIV Activism since 1999. He is an Air Force 9/11 Disabled Vet. Raised in Silver Spring, MD, he now lives in Albuequerque, New Meixco with his husband Phil. He writes an HIV/STI Advice Column for A&U Magazine, is a Contributing writer for thebody.com, a Life Coach and an Adjunct Professor. He has earned his Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease and his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Last week I thought long and hard about the reason why someone would get a bio-hazard tattoo on their body, and then I asked myself why I would get one. I decided I would get a Biohazard tattoo not because I wanted to feel better about myself being HIV positive, but it was because I felt for the people that couldn't be open about their status. There are many reasons why a person cannot be open about their status; it could be because of their family, friends, partner/s, fear of persecution, death etc. But a lot of these reasons come from Stigma. Stigma of how one is treated when being open about their HIV status is very much alive and well. I got this tattoo for those mentioned above to help fight against HIV stigma.
I'm not proud to be HIV positive but I'm proud that I can be open about my status and stand up to the faces of adversity. This is my part that I can do and I'm not ashamed that I did it. There are many activists that do not like the idea of this tattoo and that is okay but know that I did this not for myself but for others who cannot be open about their HIV status.
Also I feel that doing this does open up the room for discussion. From what I hear from others that have this very tattoo representing their HIV positive status, it actually opens up people to dialog about HIV and about their own status. I also feel that people asking questions about HIV will better help with education.
I wear the tattoo but the tattoo does not wear me.
I work in downtown Washington DC and I love it. But recently did you know that DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and Prop 8 is having a hearing at the Supreme Court to determine whether or not they are constitutional. Lets first start with the facts shall we?
PROP 8: is a California state constitution amendment which passed in late 2008 in there state elections.
Proposition 8 came directly from Proposition 22, which states that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the state of California. BUT the Supreme Court of California decided in 2008 that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional which would leave up to the voters in late 2008 when they had their state elections. Since California has a huge gay population with liberal alike people thought it would definitely turn in the liberals favor. But alas it did not. MORMONS, MORMONS MORMONS!!!!. (Not saying ALL Mormons are bad) Well hearing all this money was being secretly raised by those in the Mormon faith to ban same sex marriage in California once and for all. Also the advocates for same sex marriage made one mistake as well. People needed to take the message of same sex marriage outside the borders of cities that were already known to be liberal and start hitting more conservative parts of the state which did not happen.
(PSSSTTT I was a canvasser for same-sex marriage in Maryland. You know, going door to door advocating for it. Well that's what we did hear in Maryland AND IT SEEMED TO WORK, point of reflection).
After the voted were counted in late November 2008 all in all the Proposition would add the amendment to California's constitution that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. BUT the U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010 because of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger. The Honorable Judge Vaughn Walker decided that Proposition 8 violated the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Walker then filed that Proposition was not to be enforced until the appeal which would not be held until February 7th, 2012, when the circuit court ultimately agreed with Walker's ruling. Walker was also under scrutiny because he himself was gay, but was later to be excused because the law was unconstitutional which had nothing to do with Walker's sexuality. But the court still said that no more marriages can take place until further appeals take place. On June 5th 2012 was court denied hearing anymore cases on Proposition 8, so opponents of Prop 8 filed to request that the Supreme Court review the case, on July 30, 2012. On December 7, 2012, the Supreme Court granted the proponents' petition. The Supreme Court is looking into if this is constitutional and heard arguments on March 26th, 2013.
DOMA: is a Federal law that restricts benefits and marriage recognition to ONLY opposite sex marriages in the United States. Unfortunately, in 1996 the after passing both the houses in the U.S Congress the bill it was signed into law by one of my favorite President Bill Clinton. The former President now regrets having signed DOMA into law and wishes he could take it back. Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have gone on record in support of same-sex marriage. One of the main problems with DOMA was Section 3. Section 3 states that when it came to same-sex marriage federal benefits like insurance benefits for government employees, Social Security survivors' benefits, immigration, and the filing of joint tax returns are NOT recognized.
After 8 years of a lack in leadership from Former President Bush, President Barack Obama was voted into office. The Obama administration determined that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional and said that it would not defend it in court. Republican leaders decided to use the Dept of Justice to try to defend it in court, but Section 3 would be later found unconstitutional by 8 federal courts. The main issues that people spoke on were issues including bankruptcy, public employee benefits, estate taxes, and immigration. The Supreme Court on March 27th, 2013 heard arguments on both sides.
WE WILL SEE IN LATE JUNE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS WHEN THE SUPREME COURT MAKE THEIR DECISION ON DOMA AND PROP 8
Every three years the CDC puts out its HIV Surveillance Report which gives a status on infection rates by city, state, region etc. After the results of he report came out it was found that Philadelphia was ranked 24th among metropolitan area for new AIDS diagnosis. Over 75% of new HIV cases found were actually stage 3 AIDS. Currently there are about 12,000 people in Philadelphia living with HIV/AIDS.
What do you think the problem is? Are people not getting tested early enough? Are people becoming complacent with HIV in general?
People are now living longer and longer with the HIV virus. Some are still in the mindset that if they get HIV or put their selves at risk they can just take care of it later. Well that is not the case. Once you are infected with the HIV virus the best thing to do is to seek help/treatment. The earlier you are able to get to a doctor the better. Some people are afraid to get test because they are fearful of the results and HIV stigma.
According to the BBC 28% of South
African school girls are HIV positive.This is such a travesty.The
South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is stating that young men are
not infecting them but older men are.The South African Health Department put out this ad to engage the
HIV/AIDS epidemic.
What do you
think?Helpful or Stigmatizing?
Motsoaledi was put into off in 2009 by Former South African
President Thabo Mbeki.Mbeki was instrumental
in brainwashing a lot of citizens to believe that HIV does not cause AIDS,
because he himself was brainwashed by HIV Denialist and/or Dissidents.Mbeki also claimed that his administration did
not have the resources to send aide to all South Africans that were HIV
positive.
Motsoaledi stated that he has treated pregnant girls that
range from ages 10 to 14 who were also HIV positive.After he took office there were rates of
infection that were first greater than 678,000 but climbed to 1.5 million.In 2012 alone 260,000 perished from AIDS,
about half of which were from South Africa.
Bans Bans Bans!!! We have bans for a lot of things in this country, but one is about to be lifted. The Senate Heath Education and Pensions Committee have approved the HOPE Act, also known as the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act. The act would lift the federal ban on transplanting HIV positive organs to HIV positive recipients.
The HOPE Act would instruct the Department of Health and Human Service to make up a strategy to be about to transplant the HIV positive organs into HIV positive recipients. This plan would decrease the wait time on people that were listed as HIV positive and negative. Over 40 advocacy groups have endorsed this bill including the United Network for Organ Sharing.
This could save over 1000 lives. We lifted the ban of Don't Ask Don't Tell, HIV Organ Donating, etc. Now we need to act on DOMA and the blood ban. Which do you think will come first? And why?
I was able to dig up this clip from News Channel 9 on the anniversary of HIV a couple of years ago here is the story written in its entirety. Thank you to Brittany Morehouse
WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- When Justin B. Smith was born, AIDS didn't even exist; now the video blogger is inspiring others with being an openly gay male who is HIV positive.
"It had not dawned on me it was the anniversary," said Smith. "When I first heard that, I was like: 'Oh, 30 years... Oh my gosh...I'm 31; it's been as long as I've been alive.'"
While Smith contracted the virus in 2005, he remembers reading about Ryan White, the famous child with AIDS who wrote about about being publicly shamed because of the disease. At the time he was 14, Smith said his mother told him his blood work was off and he immediately thought 'HIV.'
"My mother was like: 'No, you have high blood pressure.'" he said. "I remember reading about Ryan White and thinking about how sad it was he couldn't go to school and all the kids made fun of him. Today, even though we have a lot of work still left to be done, we've come very far in education. We know that me touching someone is not going to give that person HIV."
Smith documents every major and minor detail of having HIV in a video journal. It began as a blog.
"There are people out there living with HIV and everybody has their own journey," he said. "My journey is different but I decided to put it in front of the camera because I have yet to see an African American gay male or anybody actually going to a doctor's visit, putting it on YouTube and letting thousands of people or even millions of people see firsthand what an HIV positive person goes through."
Now, he's published a children's book called "I have a secret." It's about a young child like Ryan White who has HIV.
Now, some of the greatest responses he gets from his public profile come from people a couple decades older. Many of them have lost half of their friends who died after contracting AIDS.
"I get a lot of attention from that generation saying thank you," he said. "Thank you for doing this."
I was going through some old military things and came across a video of me in Basic Training of that was back in 1999 when I was just 19 years old. This was during the era of the policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. Also since it is dated it was on a VHS tape. I thought to myself, “Wow I’ve grown a lot since then.” My foster used to express interest in the military. He said, “Dad I want to be a Marine”. Of course his father and I tried to persuade him to join the Air Force or the Army, since I’m prior Air Force and my husband is prior Army. After that discussion I think my foster son decided to change his mind about even going into the service, but who knows, he is a teenager and may change his mind later.
Looking at the tape I see myself as I was egotistical, stubborn, and so unfit for the military. I did so many things in the military that I got into trouble for. For example I got speeding on base and my driving privileges were revoked for about 60 days on base. I constantly woke up late for work because I was taking my medication for my thyroid disease. I had a mean supervisor at one point and she hounded me every chance she got until one day when I had cursed her out and got an Article 15 for it. I was raped while in the military and because of DADT I couldn’t tell anyone, because I feared of being kicked out dishonorably. I was a bad person I just wasn’t mature and even though basically my whole family is military I still didn’t have the discipline. But with the help of friends and those who I still call family I made it through. I was able to be discharged honorable with decorations and awards. I made three really good friends who I call my military brothers and we were all gay and I loved them and still talk to them to this day.
My joining the military I was able to take advantage of the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIBILL) and since I was active duty during 9/11 I am about to us the 9/11 MGIBILL. I earned my Associate’s in Communications & my Bachelor’s in Political Science with the MGBILL, now I’m going to earn my Master’s Degree in Public Health with it as well; I only have 7 more classes to go. Also I filed for disability because of my thyroid condition and I’m considered a 10% disabled 9/11 Veteran.
The Air Force taught me a lot and helped me a lot even through the rain, the dark and troubling I stuck in there. The military changed my life for the better; I had more resources than ever when I left the military. Now I’m thinking about going into the National Guard, my husband and I need to have that discussion later. I’m a 1st Lieutenant in the Maryland Defense Force right now and I love it. But we will see how this will pan out as far as me going into the National Guard.
The military isn’t for everyone, but for me personally I wanted to serve my country and also follow the footsteps of generations before me. My family history is that every War this country has been in my family was there to fight, yes I said every War and I wanted that tradition to live on in me and maybe in the generation after me. I just know that I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the military. On a personal note I wanted to say Thank you and RIP to my friend Derrick Grigg for making the ultimate sacrifice while overseas, you will and always will be missed. This log is dedicated to you, brother.
So I’ve decided to take my doctor’s orders seriously. When it comes to HIV it is really important that one keeps their stress levels down and unfortunately it has been harder for me than not. I’ve decided to not let anything or anyone stress me out and if that mean cutting people out of my life completely or putting them in another category so be it. I also emphasize to always look after your own health. I’ve decided to go to bed earlier, drink less, and really try to quit smoking.
I had a situation where I accidentally made a mistake and was persecuted for it. The one person that I thought would believe me didn’t and I got upset but this time it wasn’t a normal upset. Some of the things that he said to me started making me have physical reactions. First I started to breathe irregularly, sweat and my chest started to hurt; I didn’t know it at the time but I was having an anxiety attack. I was with friend’s when this happened but I was clever enough to sequester myself in a room in the house because I didn’t want anyone to see me at this time. After that moment I decided NO MORE STRESS.
So my son and I had a SPA/SHOPPING DAY and that was a great way to distress.
Even more recently there was a situation that happened at home with our son and I stayed calm and didn’t fly off the handle:
My husband and I have a rule for the house that NOBODY is allowed to be in the house without permission or us being present. We both had Maryland Defense Force Drill last night when I get a phone call. It was another Foster Parent named Paula. Paula asked me if had seen her foster daughter Jade. (We noticed that whenever Jade and Londyn hang out together she badly influences him to stay out late when he is suppose to be home, hangs out at our house without her parents’ permission etc.) I said to Paula, "No why?" "Jade said she was going over your house after school and I haven't seen her my husband even went to your house and knocked on the door and nobody answered" Keep in mind school is out at 2pm and it was about 7pm when I got the call. I immediately called my foster son Londyn. Londyn didn't pick up after me calling twice so I tried one more time. His butt picked up the phone before he did. His phone was in his back pocket and he didn't know it had picked up the call. I could hear Jade and Londyn in the background talking. I put it on speaker and l my husband listen to make I was not going paranoid. I then called back a 4th time and Londyn finally picked up the phone. "Hi Dad, how are you?" He sounded out of breathe I asked, "You sound like your outside what going on?" He said, "I was just walking Jade home" I said, “From where?" "The house" He replied. I said, “Okay You know you're not supposed to have anybody over when we are not there and without permission, you could've either called us or texted us to ask if Jade could come over, right?" He said, "Well yeah" "Okay I'm happy that you are ok and that you didn't lie about her being there, BUT you will be disciplined. When we got home the house was a mess. He is home today from school GUESS WHAT TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE, ROOM AND BATHROOM ESPECIALLY. Also the broken light will be coming out of his allowance AND NO X-BOX for a week. He is not allowed to hang out with Jade.
So I’ve decided to make a little list. It’s like a Bucket List if you will
1) Skydiving
2) Bungee Jump
3) Become more active in HOPE DC
4) Climb a Mountain
5) Take more trips out of state alone
6) Horseback Riding alone
7) Indoor Wall Climbing
8) Act in an indie film/series or move short.
9) Camping for a weekend alone
10) Go on more spiritual retreats (Non-Christian Based)
11) Monthly SPA treatment
12) Be more serious about Yoga
This is short list and I will add to this after scratching some of them off as I go. I have to learn new ways and tools to calm myself down. I am a bit of a thrill seeker an adrenaline junkie and I now have to exercise that more than ever. It tends to relax me more often than not. It’s what I call a good type of stress.
Recently I went to my doctor’s appointment and saw that I
was borderline Hypertension.He also said that my T-Cells dropped as
well.This is NOT good.But I’m still undetectable which is
good.All my vitals were goo except of
course because of hypertension.I’m only
33 and someone has told me I’m much too young to have this diagnosis.Since I’m in school for my Master’s Degree,
Activism, Writings, and having a kid on top of that stress has been at its
highest I’ve ever had in my life.After
my appointment my doctor has told me that my cholesterol is under control and
everything seems to be doing well.He
has recommended I go back on Fish Oil and Vitamin D.
Hypertension is the term used to
describe high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is a measurement of
the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through
your body.
Blood pressure readings are usually
given as two numbers -- for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One
or both of these numbers can be too high.
The top number is called the
systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood
pressure.
Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is
lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood
pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher,
but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension.
If you have pre-hypertension, you are
more likely to develop high blood pressure.
If you have heart or kidney
problems, or if you had a stroke, your doctor may want your blood pressure to
be even lower than that of people who do not have these conditions.
Causes,
incidence, and risk factors
Many factors can affect blood
pressure, including:
How much water and salt you have in your body
The condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood
vessels
The levels of different body hormones
You are more likely to be told your
blood pressure is too high as you get older. This is because your blood vessels
become stiffer as you age. When that happens, your blood pressure goes up. High blood pressure increases your chance of
having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, and early death.
You have a higher risk of high blood
pressure if you:
Are African American
Are obese
Are often stressed or anxious
Drink too much alcohol (more than one drink per day for
women and more than two drinks per day for men)
Most of the time, there are no
symptoms. For most patients, high blood pressure is found when they visit their
health care provider or have it checked elsewhere.
Because there are no symptoms,
people can develop heart disease and kidney problems without knowing they have
high blood pressure.
If you have a severe headache,
nausea or vomiting, bad headache, confusion, changes in your vision, or
nosebleeds you may have a severe and dangerous form of high blood pressure
called malignant hypertension.
Signs
and tests
Your health care provider will check
your blood pressure several times before diagnosing you with high blood
pressure. It is normal for your blood pressure to be different depending on the
time of day.
Blood pressure readings taken at
home may be a better measure of your current blood pressure than those taken at
your doctor's office. Make sure you get a good quality, well-fitting home
device. It should have the proper sized cuff and a digital readout.
Practice with your health care
provider or nurse to make sure you are taking your blood pressure correctly.
See also: Blood pressure monitors for home
Your doctor will perform a physical
exam to look for signs of heart disease, damage to the eyes, and other changes
in your body.
The goal of treatment is to reduce
blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of complications. You and your
health care provider should set a blood pressure goal for you.
If you have pre-hypertension, your
health care provider will recommend lifestyle changes to bring your blood
pressure down to a normal range. Medicines are rarely used for pre-hypertension.
You can do many things to help
control your blood pressure, including:
Eat a heart-healthy diet, including potassium and
fiber, and drink plenty of water. See: High blood pressure and diet
Exercise regularly -- at least 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise a day.
If you smoke, quit -- find a program that will help you
stop.
Limit how much alcohol you drink -- one drink a day for
women, two a day for men.
Limit the amount of sodium (salt) you eat -- aim for
less than 1,500 mg per day.
Reduce stress -- try to avoid things that cause you
stress. You can also try meditation or yoga.
Stay at a healthy body weight -- find a weight-loss
program to help you, if you need it.
Your health care provider can help
you find programs for losing weight, stopping smoking, and exercising. You can
also get a referral from your doctor to a dietitian, who can help you plan a
diet that is healthy for you.
There are many different medicines
that can be used to treat high blood pressure. See: High blood pressure medicines
Often, a single blood pressure drug
may not be enough to control your blood pressure, and you may need to take two
or more drugs. It is very important that you take the medications prescribed to
you. If you have side effects, your health care provider can substitute a
different medication.
Expectations
(prognosis)
Most of the time, high blood
pressure can be controlled with medicine and lifestyle changes.
Complications
When blood pressure is not well
controlled, you are at risk for:
If you have high blood pressure, you
will have regular appointments with your doctor.
Even if you have not been diagnosed
with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked
during your yearly check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had
high blood pressure.
Call your health care provider right
away if home monitoring shows that your blood pressure is still high.
Prevention
Adults over 18 should have their
blood pressure checked regularly.
Lifestyle changes may help control
your blood pressure.
Follow your health care provider's
recommendations to modify, treat, or control possible causes of high blood
pressure.
References
Goldstein LB, Bushnell CD, Adams RJ, Appel LJ, Braun
LT, Chaturvedi S, et al. Guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke:
a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011
Feb;42:517-84.
Victor, RG. Systemic hypertension: Mechanisms and
diagnosis. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwald's
Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed.
Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 45.
Review
Date: 6/10/2011.
Reviewed
by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General
Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
I'm not proud to be HIV positive but I'm proud that I can be open about my status and stand up to the faces of adversity. This is my part that I can do and I'm not ashamed that I did it. There are many activists that do not like the idea of this tattoo and that is okay but know that I did this not for myself but for others who cannot be open about their HIV status.
Also I feel that doing this does open up the room for discussion. From what I hear from others that have this very tattoo representing their HIV positive status, it actually opens up people to dialog about HIV and about their own status. I also feel that people asking questions about HIV will better help with education.
I wear the tattoo but the tattoo does not wear me.
