Justin's HIV Journal: Open That Closet Door Fashion Show 2014 -- Presented by NovaSalud, Inc (VIDEO & PICTURES)

On August 16, 2014 NovaSalud Inc. put on a beautiful fashion show are the O street Mansion in NW DC.   Clothing designed by Juan Jose Saenz-Ferreyros Peruvian Fashion Designer and Owner of Ferreyros Couture Company Photography by Chris Zarconi Photography and Jose Dimas C M.  All models have been affecting in some shape of form by HIV/AIDS.  The fashion show was meant to fight against the stigma of HIV.  I participated in the fashion show and mini-doc and I really appreciate all the NovaSalud does and continues to do in the community.  Fellow HIV/AIDS activist Rod McCoy and Patrick Ingram were models as well.  I hope to work with NovaSalud again.

NovaSalud is established by and for the community, NovaSalud, Inc's mission is to improve and strengthen the health and well-being of our diverse Northern Virginia community through culturally-competent and language-appropriate HIV/AIDS services and prevention education.  NovaSalud works to effect the change necessary to instill understanding and compassion, and strives to mitigate the discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.

(VIDEO AND PICTURES BELOW)

This is the mini-documentary from the Break The Stigma of HIV -- Open That Closet Door Fashion Show -- Presented by NovaSalud, Inc



Interviewees:
Rodney McCoy Jr. Justin B Terry-Smith Patrick Ingram Brian D. Batres-Outlaw Karla Manzanares Ayesha Simonsaysenvyme Williams

Justin HIV Journal: Celebration Of Life LGBTQ Film Project

This was very artistic and keep in mind the video has some nudity in it. 

This is a film by the bossacima project which took place in the Bossa Lounge in the Adams Morgan section of Washington DC.  The project was made to showcase and celebrate all walks of life in the LGBTQ community.    It was my first and I believe it was 2005 in which this was made.   It was an amazing project to work with Daniel Cima, Rachid Abdallah and videographer Susana Travieso. 

It was completely liberating for me.  At the time I worked as an exotic dancer and I was just leaving the military in 2003.  I needed the money and was not very marketable professionally.  So the project used those two aspects of my life in the project.  It was an amazing finished work by all who participated and I wouldn’t take it back for anything in the world. 

Black Men Living With HIV In America - Part Two / Justin B Terry-Smith

Black Men Living With HIV In America - Part Two / Justin B Terry-Smith 6:00PM LIVE August 11th 2014

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/toddwilliamsshow/2014/08/11/black-men-living-with-hiv-in-america--part-two-justin-b-terry-smith

Justin*in Time: HIV is NOT a STD ?!? Reversing HIV with JUICE?!? WTF

Justin*in Time: HIV Advice Column


HIV is NOT a STD ?!? Reversing HIV with JUICE?!? WTF

Justin answers questions and some ignorant comments


click on the link below:
http://aumag.org/wordpress/2014/08/08/justin-time-july-2014/

HAPPY 5TH YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

HAPPY 5TH YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: The man that I'm so deeply in love with, who rises above the rest, who leads by example and dared to love me back. You are the one who keeps me motivated and helps me to fulfill my dreams, no matter how far fetched they are. He who gives me space, hugs, cuddles and kisses when I need it and deals with the heavy load that comes with being my husband. I love you forever and ever. Our love is eternal:

Some loves may come your way,
And captivate your mind,
And some loves may touch your heart,
With words so sweet and kind.

But, your love has touched me deeper,
More than you'll ever know,
More than merely capturing my heart,
You're etched upon my soul.

A love that will forever burn,
Like an eternal flame,
And long after we both are gone,
Our love will always remain.

For our love is eternal,
Forever, come what may,
A love that can't be measured,
Like the hours in a day.

And someday amongst the heavens,
Written with stars across the sky,
On the list of the greatest lovers,
Will be the names of you and I.

-By Dirty Martini

Justin's HIV Journal: PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) NEW HIV PREVENTION PILL

According to the CDC (2014) Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a way for people who do not have HIV to help prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day.  The pill contains two medicines that are also used, in combination with other medicines, to treat HIV. When someone is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, PrEP can help stop the virus from establishing a permanent infection. 

In 2012 the Food and Drug Administration approved the HIV prevention measure, but it is still not widely known.  PrEP is a one pill a day named Truvada, which is produced in California from Gilead Sciences.  Severe and sometimes fatal lactic acidosis (a buildup of lactic acid in the blood) and liver problems have occurred with Truvada.  Symptoms of lactic acidosis include unusual weakness or tiredness; unusual muscle pain or cramps; fast or difficult breathing; stomach pain with vomiting, nausea, feeling cold, especially in the arms and legs; dizziness or light-headedness; fast and/or irregular heartbeat. Symptoms of liver problems include yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, persistent loss of appetite, nausea, and/or stomach pain.

BUT NOT TO WORRY:  An insider has told me that researchers are developing another 1 pill a day HIV prevention regime that is less harmful to humans for consumption.

This is a great breakthrough.  I’m very glad for this as long as we put things into prospective.  This discovery can help us get to zero and can help the gay community combat HIV and hopefully we will never be put down by HIV again. 

"If something comes along that's better than condoms, I'm all for it, but Truvada is not that," said Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Let's be honest: It's a party drug."  After his reaction to the drug many people were in uproar and wanted him to resign as president of AHF.  "There's an element in the gay community that espouses 'anything goes,' that is for sexual freedom and not giving an inch," he said. "But demonizing me or AHF isn't going to shut us up."  I think I understand what he was trying to say, but I don’t think it was the best way to put it. 

The concerns that steam from this are that the gay community will use this as an excuse to have more sex without condoms.  I don’t think that will be the case but I do understand his concern.  The concern that people will stop using condom and use Truvada is a big concern amongst doctors as well.  They have started to see people the beginnings of people asking for a prescription for it.  One major concern is that when using Truvada for HIV prevention that people will forget about the things it doesn’t prevent like, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Vaginitis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or Genital Warts, Hepatitis, Trichomonas etc.  I don’t say this to scare you but reality is reality.  #thetruth. 

AND FOR THE RECORD

I’m in FULL support for PrEP.

CDC (2014), CDC Fact Sheet: Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention, Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/PrEP_fact_sheet_final.pdf

Justin's HIV Journal: HIV Infections in DC Decrease

The World Health Organization (WHO) (2014) estimates, that 35 million people around the world are infected with HIV and 1.1 of them live in the United States (WHO, 2014).

There was a decline in Men, Women, White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, heterosexual, Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs) and most age groups, except young gay and bisexual men. 

In 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all Americans from the ages of 13 to 64 should be tested for HIV because it should be a common as having one cholesterol tested.  In 2000 37% of the population was tested and in 2010 that number increased to 45%.  In the United States in the year 2002, 24 out of 100,000 people were diagnosed with HIV and in 2011 that number decreased to 16 out of 100,000. 

According to the Washington Blade (2014) the Washington DC 2014 Annual Epidemiology & Surveillance Report the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the District of Columbia decreased to 680 in 2012, a decline of 42 percent from the 1,180 new cases reported in 2008, that is an overall 42% decline.  Men who Sex with Men (MSM) also saw a slight decrease in the DC area.  In 2008 in the DC area there were 443 MSM diagnosed with HIV and in 2012 there were 313 MSM diagnosed with HIV.  Heterosexuals saw a drop, in 2008 there were 335 heterosexual diagnosed with HIV compared to 215 in the year 2012 (Washington Blade, 2014).

There were no baby born with HIV compared to the 1 out of 10 babies with HIV were born in the DC area

And Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs) diagnosed with HIV dropped 81%, which are primarily and directly contributed to Needle Exchange Programs. 

References:

Washington Blade (2014) Report shows new HIV cases in D.C. continue to decline Retrieved from http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/07/02/report-shows-new-hiv-cases-d-c-continue-decline/

World Health Organization (WHO) (2014) HIV/AIDS Retrieved from www.who.int/hiv/

Justin's HIV Journal: 2014 Top HIV Voices

trialreach.com lauched the first in a series of ‘#TopVoices’ to honor the best bloggers and online resources for patients. Part of their mission is to provide support and help to patients when they are making critical decisions about their health. The people and sites they will be awarding their ‘Top Voices’ badge provide immense value; from providing practical advice to connecting patients with others who are going through the same journey.

The ‘#TopVoices’ awards was inspired, in part, by one of their very favorite bloggers, HIV activist Josh Robbins who founded I’m Still Josh. Josh has been helping them to choose the award nominees, starting this month with the HIV community.

TOP HIV Voices 2014 badge

They hope you find this useful and please let them know if there are any blogs or sites that you would like to nominate for a ‘#TopVoices’ award.

Over to Josh:

These “Top HIV Voices for 2014″ embody the passion that it requires to build a community from a fundamentally limited beginning— sharing a personal story or contributing in a small but grand way to the global conversation surrounding the HIV community, HIV activism and the reduction of new HIV infections; advocating for increased awareness, decreased stigma, and the chance eventually to an AIDS-free generation.  

Josh Robbins, the founder of I’m Still Josh

As an HIV blogger myself and founder of “I’m Still Josh”, the blogs and digital HIV destinations below continue to inspire me, challenge me, encourage me and offer wisdom that words alone could never explain. In addition to this very short list, there are many more blogs and publications that inspire me and that I find great comfort.  

Congratulations to the following TrialReach.com’s 2014 Top HIV Voices:

Rise Up to HIV - Founded by Kevin Maloney

Volttage Buzz - Founded by Jack Mackenroth

Poz Life of Patrick - Founded by Patrick Ingram

My Fabulous Disease - Founded by Mark S. King

Shawn & Gwenn - Founded by Shawn Decker & Gwenn Barringer

A Marine and HIV - Founded by Brian Ledford

OpenlyPOZ – Founded by Rob Quinn

POWER - Founded by Nelson Vergel

HIV Blogger: Living Positively - Founded by Michael Carchrie Campbell

HIV/AIDS Activism & Advocacy Report - Founded by Aaron Laxton

The STD Project - Founded by Janelle Marie

UK Positive Lad - Founded by Tom Hayes

Justin’s HIV Journal - Justin B. Terry-Smith

My Journey With AIDS - Founded by Kenn Chaplin

The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive - Founded by Marvelyn Brown

Christopher vs HIV - Founded by Christopher Myron

My PrEP Experience - Founded by AIDS Foundation of Chicago

My Coming Out… Take Two - Founded by Frankie Frank

Dave’s Life Living With HIV - Founded by Dave Jones

Diva Living With AIDS - Founded by Rae Lewis Thornton

Sean Strub - Founded by Sean Strub

Justin's HIV Journal: HBO’s “The Normal Heart” Review

HBO’s “The Normal Heart” Review

Click link for full story...

http://baltimoregaylife.com/category/departments/our-life/justins-hiv-journal/

Justin's HIV Journal: Named One of The Best HIV/STD Health Blogs of 2014 by Healthline

Healthline

MY BLOG: Justin's HIV Journal was named one of The Best HIV/STD Health Blogs of 2014 by Healthline. Thank you HIV Awareness: Healthline.‪#‎Healthline‬ YAY!!!!! Thank you to all who believe in and support my work and the work of other HIV/STD blogs. Others named on the list were NEJM Journal Watch, TheBody.com's HIV/AIDS Blog Central, The STD Project, POZ.com, My Journey with AIDS, Shawn and Gwenn, Hep B Blog, Living in the Bonus Round, Go Ask Alice, HCV Advocate News & Pipeline, Blog.AIDS.gov, I'm Still Josh, Volttage Buzz, Patrick Ingram's Poz+ Life of Patrick, Mark S. King's My Fabulous Disease, Sean Strub's blog, A Marine and HIV, and Ending the Stigma. CONGRATS TO ALL.

Website with all awardees
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-hiv-std-blogs

Justin's HIV Journal: Positive Parenting Moment A Son Surprises His Dad

There are many things that I want to teach my son as he goes into adult hood.  He is 17 years old and sorry to say for him that he has to grow up fast.  He has to understand that when you're an adult that are thing that are expected of you.  There is one thing that I wanted him to especially understand, which the consideration for what things people might hold dear.  Growing up I don't think that he had that.  December 27th was my birthday and as most of you know that is two days after Christmas.  My family has always been respectful of that and I love them for it.  I'm going to guess that after having a talk with my son about planning around that time he understood what I meant.  He actually did something that was so creative and loving it surprised me and most of you know I'm almost never surprised, check out the video.

Justin's HIV Journal: HIV Plus Launches One-of-a-Kind Mobile HIV Treatment App

HIV Plus, the brand dedicated to helping people with HIV lead their fullest life possible, invites readers to celebrate the New Year by living their healthiest life possible. The most trusted brand in HIV and AIDS news today has launched a free Treatment Guide mobile application providing an easy, user-friendly way for people to get information at the tips of their fingers. The new mobile Treatment Guide is currently available for free and downloadable on all mobile platforms through Google Play Store and iTunes.

“We’re thrilled to launch the Beta version of the HIV Plus Treatment Guide Mobile App, an extension of our annual treatment guide—the most comprehensive HIV treatment guide available, with breakdowns of every single medication approved by the FDA to treat HIV, AIDS, or HIV/AIDS-related conditions, as well as current drug trials, upcoming medication approvals, and the lowdown on complementary medicines,” said Diane Anderson-Minshall, editor in chief of HIV Plus magazine. “The mobile version offers things that our print and digital treatment guides couldn’t: a pharmacy finder and map at your fingertips, health tracking, and medication and appointment reminders. It’s got all the bells and whistles people in the U.S. and other developed nations expect in a mobile app, but it can also be accessed from anywhere the world, including resource-limited settings, where over 90 percent of the world's HIV-infected population resides.”

The free HIV Plus Treatment Guide mobile app offers the most comprehensive information on every FDA-approved medication for the treatment of HIV and HIV-related complications. The app allows users to easily set daily pill and appointment reminders, find an HIV specialist pharmacy nearby, and access articles from the trusted health editors of HIV Plus magazine. This app is simple, secure, and powered with essential HIV treatment information.

The comprehensive Treatment Guide mobile application includes:

• Medication Listings: Dozens of medications with photos for easy identification, dosage, side effects, precautions and interactions, and recommendations.

• Daily Pill Reminders: Set up the reminders along with photos and other info so you never forget your meds.

• Appointment Reminders: Never miss a doctor’s appointment again! You can set the reminders for both doctor and pharmacy visits as well as ADAP recertification.

• Tracking Viral Loads and CD4 Counts: You can see how your health is doing in graph form, so you stay on track month to month.

• Daily Dose:  Constantly updating health articles from the editors of HIV Plus magazine

• Pharmacy Finder: The GPS-enabled app will help you find a Walgreens HIV-specialist pharmacy near you wherever you are in the U.S.

• A detailed list of current clinical trials.

• Descriptions of complementary or alternative medicine options and their effectiveness.

Download the new Treatment Guide now and celebrate the New Year with a healthy you! For more information on the HIV Plus Treatment Guide, please visit HIVPlusMag.com/TreatmentGuide.

About HIV Plus

HIV Plus is the country’s largest publication aimed at people with HIV and those who care about and for them. We reach more than a quarter million readers each month with print and digital magazines, our website, and through the HIV Plus Treatment Guide mobile app. We’re dedicated to offering empowering stories about people with HIV or AIDS, interviews with celebrity advocates, investigative articles on health disparities, and information and news on treatment, research, stigma, and more.

With a controlled circulation of 225,000 and 5.2 readers per issue, HIV Plus reaches more HIV-positive people than any other publication in the U.S. HIV Plus is distributed to top clinics, doctors, specialty pharmacies, and over 1,000 top ASOs in all 50 states. HIVPlusMag.com reaches more than half a million unique visitors each month.
 

Justin's HIV Journal: Foster Parent Moment A boy and his chores

When a boy becomes one with his chores it’s amazing the change you will see.  My son was given a chore list to begin his chores every weekend.  There were about 10 chores he could do on Saturday thru Sunday.  When I was growing up I did just that.   He complained so much I decided to make sure that he would do his chores and broke them up into one chore a day.  Now he has no excuse on doing his chores.  Laziness does not a Terry-Smith make.  Of course I was a lot softer in explaining it to him, but I’m known for my tough love. ;-) <3 p="">