Features

/ /

Gender-affirming IDs Linked to lower Suicidal Thoughts, Study Finds

A report published in the medical journal The Lancet has found that access to identity documents that align with an individual’s gender identity correlate with lower rates of suicidal thoughts. The research highlights the significance of such gender-congruent IDs, even as Idaho enacts a first-of-its-kind law preventing transgender people from updating their birth certificates. Those who had the ability to change their name and gender marker on birth certificates, driver’s licenses or other forms of identification were 25 percent less likely to experience psychological distress or consider taking their own lives. The research, led by Drexel University’s Dr. Ayden Scheim and […]

/ /

FDA Eases Ban on Gay Blood Donations amid Coronavirus Crisis

Faced with tremendous pressure during the coronavirus crisis to lift its policy barring gay men from donating blood, the Food & Drug Administration announced on Thursday it has eased the restrictions. While the previous policy, established in 2015, barred men who have had sex with men in the 12 months from making a donation, the new policy would shorten the deferral period, requiring abstinence for only three months. The FDA indicated it would make a change in a notice to stakeholders on Thursday, indicating the decision was based on “evaluation of the totality of the scientific evidence available.” “To help […]

/ /

Transgender Legal Group Releases Coronavirus Guide

The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund has prepared a free online guide, available in both English and Spanish, for transgender and non-binary individuals attempting to navigate life during the coronavirus pandemic. “A Know Your Rights Guide for Transgender People Navigating COVID-19,” which contains information that was accurate as of March 22, explores both trans-specific concerns and equity concerns that disproportionately impact trans and non-binary individuals, such as issues involving employment, housing and health care. It also features a national appendix of health and advocacy resources. The guide stresses the existence of a pandemic does not void the fact that trans and non-binary […]

/ /

International AIDS Conference to Happen Virtually because of Coronavirus

Organizers of the 2020 International AIDS Conference on Friday announced the event will be held virtually because of the coronavirus. The conference was scheduled to take place in San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., from July 6-10. International AIDS Society President Anton Pozniak and the conference’s two U.S. co-chairs, Cynthia Carey-Grant and Monica Gandhi, in a statement said the virtual conference “will enable delegates to access and engage with the latest HIV science, advocacy and knowledge traditionally presented at the conference.” “It will be a compelling combination of virtual sessions and community networking, including exhibitions, workshops, the Global Village, satellites and […]

/ /

Burning or Pain when you Pee? It Might be the STI Mycoplasma Genitalium

Without causing alarm, we’d like you to know about a sexually transmitted infection (STI) you probably haven’t heard about but that we’re seeing in people who visit our sexual health clinic Magnet at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Although the infection Mycoplasma genitalium itself isn’t new, awareness about and testing for this infection is recently on our radar. Here’s what to know.   What is Mycoplasma Genitalium?   Mycoplasma genitalium (we’ll shorten it to MG) is a bacterial infection that can cause symptoms similar to chlamydia. You can get an MG infection in your urethra (penis), vagina and front hole, rectum (butt), and likely in […]

/ /

Trans Surgeries Postponed indefinitely amid Coronavirus Pandemic

For as long as he can remember, Jaceon Cornado has dreamed of having a flat chest. When he turned 18 in the spring of 2017, the transgender teen eagerly started planning his surgical transition. ”This surgery is something I need to continue to get up in the mornings every day,” Cornado told NBC News. Just six months after his 18th birthday — and a year after the Obama administration lifted the transgender military ban (which would later be reversed by the Trump administration) — Cornado joined the U.S. Army in a combat role. He decided to surgically transition while in […]

/ /

How to Survive a Pandemic: HIV Experts and Activists on Lessons Learned

On July 3, 1981, The New York Times published its first account of the yet-unnamed AIDS epidemic. Doctors in New York and California have diagnosed among homosexual men 41 cases of a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer,” the article began. “Eight of the victims died less than 24 months after the diagnosis was made.” Chris Bartlett was 15 when the article was published. 35 Years Ago: the First AIDS Patients Were Diagnosed JUNE 3, 201601:55 “Between 1981 and 1995, when the first effective treatments came out … there was quite a bit of uncertainty,” Bartlett, now 53, told […]

/ /

Lawmakers Urge Trump Admin to Protect those with HIV amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Eleven Democratic senators called on the Trump administration Thursday to recognize the particular needs of people living with HIV as it responds to the global coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday, the senators warned that the coronavirus “poses a serious health risk” to the estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. who are HIV positive. The letter, which was shared with NBC News, says that “this risk is heightened by barriers to health care access” exacerbated by the White House’s own policies. “Your agency’s actions to reduce health care discrimination protections […]

/ /

Gay Cruise Accused of ‘Corporate Greed’ while Sailing during Coronavirus Pandemic

The world’s largest LGBT+ cruise line has come under fire for reportedly refusing refunds for an upcoming trip during the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government’s latest travel advice states that people over 70 and those with pre-existing health conditions should avoid cruises after a number of ships around the world were locked down because of COVID-19 outbreaks onboard. Several major cruise companies have cancelled trips with a full refund. Others have opted to continue running but will give a full refund to customers who choose not to travel. But Atlantis, a cruise line that charters all-gay vacations with Celebrity, did not offer […]

/ /

The ‘London Patient,’ Cured of HIV, Reveals His Identity

A year after the “London Patient” was introduced to the world as only the second person to be cured of HIV, he is stepping out of the shadows to reveal his identity: He is Adam Castillejo. Six feet tall and sturdy, with long, dark hair and an easy smile, Castillejo, 40, exudes good health and cheer. But his journey to the cure has been arduous and agonizing, involving nearly a decade of grueling treatments and moments of pure despair. He wrestled with whether and when to go public, given the attention and scrutiny that might follow. Ultimately, he said, he […]

«‹ 178 179 180 181›»