LoveNotes – June 2003 Issue
SisterLove – LoveNotes – June 2003 |
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Legislative Update: Women’s Rights in Georgia ThreatenedThe Feb/March 2003 issue of LoveNotes included a briefing of seven (7) legislative attempts to present barriers for women and girls exercising their right to access abortion services and information. This month we provide an update on these bills along with information about other legislative actions that were initiated during the 2003 session of Georgia’s legislature. The Georgia legislature closed on April 25th and will remain in recess until January 2004. Each of the bills profiled in the Feb/Mar 2003 LoveNotes has been carried over to the 2004 legislative session for further action. The list below includes those bills mentioned in our last issue and a summary of other legislation related to a woman’s right to choose that was introduced during Georgia’s 2003 session. To review the Feb/Mar 2003 issue of LoveNotes, visit SisterLove online at http://www.sisterlove.org/sl_lovenotes_Feb-2003.htm. 24 HOUR WAITING PERIOD: (-) Georgia Senate Bill 23: Informed Consent. 24-Hour Waiting Period. COURT APPROVAL REQUIRED TO OBTAIN AN ABORTION: (-) Georgia House Bill 1 : Requires a Woman Seeking an Abortion to First Obtain a ‘Death Warrant’. DUTY OF GEORGIA TO PROTECT LIFE FROM THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION: (-) Georgia House Bill 377 (2003): Recognizes that the “State of Georgia has the duty to protect all innocent life from the moment of conception until natural death.” States that a fetus is a person from the moment of conception. Declares that abortion causes psychological disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal tendencies, increased tobacco use, increased drug and alcohol abuse, martial discord, and an increased risk of breast cancer. Bans all abortion without exception. Legislative History: Franklin–2/13/2003. INTRODUCED. Will carry over to 2004. PROPER IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR GUARDIANS: (-) Georgia Senate Bill 240: Requires a parent or guardian to show proper identification, defined as identification issued by a governmental agency, when accompanying a minor to an abortion provider. Legislative History: Hudgens–3/5/2003. INTRODUCED. Will carry over to 2004. ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ LICENSE PLATES (-) Georgia House Bill 254: ‘Choose Life’ License Plates to Establish and Fund a ‘Choose Life’ adoption support Program. This pending legislation reflects the intention of a strong, vocal minority in Georgia that is bent on denying women and girls their reproductive rights. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) assigned Georgia a grade of “‘F” on its abortion laws and reminds us all that “94 percent of Georgia counties have no abortion provider” and that “between 1996 and 2000, the number of providers fell from 41 to 26 — a 37 percent loss.” Source: The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) website: www.naral.org. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Call, E-mail or write your legislators and let them know what you think about these pending bills. DON’T KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS? Visit Project Vote Smart online at: www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY TO THOSE WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND THE THREAT TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS? Read ‘Freedom of Choice Talking Points’ made available online by The Nation at: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030519&s=engle FOR MORE INFORMATION: Georgia Assembly – Legislative Information: Georgia Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (GARAL): Planned Parenthood Federation of America: SisterLove’s Housing and Support Services Program: Update by Dázon Dixon Diallo, MPH This year SisterLove celebrates 14 years of leadership and service to the Atlanta community. We currently operate with fourteen (14) employees in three sites that include Atlanta and South Africa. We manage four major programs (Health Education & Advocacy, Housing and Support Services, International, and Bridge Leadership) that are tangible examples of our mission to eradicate the impact of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health challenges upon women and their families through education, prevention, support and human rights advocacy in the United States and around the world. SisterLove has successfully maintained a supportive group home in Southwest Atlanta for HIV+ women and their children since 1992. Our long-term transitional housing program, which consists of two residential homes collectively known as LoveHouse, will celebrate its 11th program year this summer. We are proud of the women and the families we have had the opportunity to know and support for more than a decade. At an optimal level of operation, LoveHouse has a maximum capacity to serve 15 individuals (10 adult women and five children). The LoveHouse residential homes and property were purchased in 1994 from Childkind, Inc. through a HOPWA grant awarded to SisterLove to provide housing for eight (8) women and four (4) children. Through the years, SisterLove has successfully supported many women as they transitioned from homelessness to permanent housing. Most recently, the supportive social and housing services provided through SisterLove’s housing program graduated a single woman and two mothers and their six children. Growth and transition are a normal part of social change work, and SisterLove is experiencing such a transition in its housing program. Both LoveHouse I & II are in need of critical repairs and renovations to correct the effects of normal ‘wear and tear’ and address damages caused by severe weather. Recently, we placed a freeze on taking new applications for residents as it became necessary to assess our current situation and opportunities to make the necessary repairs. SisterLove continues to provide housing for our residents and remain committed to providing relevant and life-affirming services for HIV+ women and their children. SisterLove is temporarily operating LoveHouse at a less-than-optimal level, providing housing and support services for four residents, to allow time for the completion of needed repairs. Many of these repairs and renovations are being accomplished through generous donations of time and monies from UPS employees and the UPS Foundation. For more information about the marvelous UPS employees, led by Aretha Black, who bring such blessings to SisterLove, read about their loving support in LoveNotes’ Feb/March 2003 issue (http://www.sisterlove.org/sl_lovenotes_Feb-2003.htm). For information about how YOU can enhance SisterLove’s capacity to serve homeless women living with HIV/AIDS and their children, contact Leslie Posey, SisterLove’s Chief Operating Officer, by email at ldposey@sisterlove.org or by phone at 404-753-7733. SisterLove is aware of the gap in service that our minimized operations may have caused in Metropolitan Atlanta. It is not uncommon for us to have a waiting list of women who specifically seek our services. It is ultimately in our community’s best interest for SisterLove to provide the highest level of quality housing services possible for women participating in our program at all times. We are proud to be doing this, especially during this time of transition. SisterLove is actively working toward returning to full capacity and will certainly notify colleagues in the AIDS services community, supportive organizations and friends, of the date when we will resume accepting applications for our maximum number of bed spaces. As we have always done, we will accept referrals from varied sources that have helped us identify women in need of our housing program. These referral sources include Project Azuka, Revelation Seed Workshop, Fulton and Dekalb County Health Departments, AID Atlanta, the Ponce Center, United Way’s 211 and the Living Room, among others. On behalf of the many women who have come to rely upon SisterLove, we offer our thanks to those who have supported our work to provide safe, affordable and supportive housing for women hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, social stigma, ethnic and gender based health disparities and a struggling economy. Your confidence in SisterLove has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. With your continued support, we will remain a resource for women and children affected by and living with HIV/AIDS. SisterLove’s Health Education and Advocacy Program: Update SisterLove’s outreach to women of color has been recognized by the awarding of two contracts by Georgia’s Department of Human Resources. These awards support two projects targeting women at risk for HIV/AIDS in a total of five critical counties in Metropolitan Atlanta. The two projects, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Project and the HIV Perinatal Transmission Prevention Project, are being implemented by a vibrant team of AIDS prevention education specialists. Both projects exemplify SisterLove’s innovative approach to community education and build upon services that have been provided through its Health Education and Advocacy Program since 1989. While a majority of the Project team staff are new SisterLove employees, each has amassed impressive experience in the areas of HIV/AIDS, women’s reproductive health, sexual rights, community education, women’s wellness, community outreach and activism. With the addition of new Project staff, SisterLove’s Health Education and Advocacy Program now includes: Sabrina Taylor, Health Education and Advocacy Program Coordinator and Prevention Project Coordinator, Lisa Diane White, Prevention Outreach Coordinator, Genetha Mustaafaa, Perinatal Project Coordinator, Nyrobi Moss, Perinatal Peer Educator, and Dia Hodnett, Healthy Love Program Coordinator. Specially designed prevention education curricula based upon SisterLove’s trademark HIV/AIDS education workshop, the Healthy Love Party, will be developed for each project. Dia Hodnett, SisterLove’s Healthy Love Program Coordinator, will assist both teams in enhancing the Healthy Love Party curriculum to address the specific needs of women to be served through the perinatal and prevention projects. SisterLove’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Project will successfully implement a multi-dimensional community education campaign focused on providing community outreach and education for African American women in the metropolitan area. The campaign will include life-affirming and life-altering workshops on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, HIV testing and counseling, a media campaign and targeted outreach to those most at risk. The primary goal of the Project is to increase women’s awareness and provide them the information, skills, and resources needed to assess their personal risk and examine beliefs and behaviors that place them at greater risk for contracting HIV. Women interested in attending an HIV/AIDS Prevention Education workshop, and those wishing to refer women to this Project, are asked to contact Sabrina Taylor at 404-753-7733 or by email at staylor@sisterlove.org. SisterLove’s HIV Perinatal Transmission Prevention Project will provide specialized prevention education for a total of 200 Latina, Asian American and African American women in Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. Women of child-bearing age will receive culturally relevant education meant to increase their awareness of HIV/AIDS, how it is transmitted and how to prevent its transmission during pregnancy, delivery and after their child’s birth. Women testing positive for the virus will benefit from case management services that will assist them as they access local services and make informed decisions about their health, sexual lives and having children. The ultimate goal of the Project is to reduce the likelihood of the perinatal transmission of the virus. Women interested in attending a HIV Perinatal Transmission Prevention workshop in one of the five designated counties, and those wishing to refer women for these workshops, should contact Genetha Mustaafaa at 404-753-7733 or by email at gmustaafaa@sisterlove.org. Women interested in arranging a Healthy Love Party for their female loved ones, friends or co-workers are encouraged to call Dia Hodnett. For over thirteen years SisterLove has conducted Healthy Love Parties in community centers, living rooms, dormitories and church basements — wherever women gather — providing the facts about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmited infections in a way that encourages self-exploration and the sharing of life wisdom that enriches women’s lives and supports them as they make healthier choices and lead healthier lives. Dia can be reached at 404-753-7733 or by email at dhodnett@sisterlove.org. SisterLove’s International Program: Update The year 2003 marks the end of the second year of SisterLove’s Thembuhlelo HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Project (HCBP). Thembuhlelo, a Zulu word meaning “trust the process”, speaks to the Project’s guiding principle and its aim to emphasize the trust that SisterLove has ‘in process’ and ‘in community’. Such trust inspires our work to enhance the strength of non-government and community-based AIDS service organizations in South Africa. For the past six months, SisterLove’s International Program staff in South Africa and in Atlanta have worked to implement a strategic plan that was developed in collaboration with South African non-government organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), government officials, agencies and activists. The resulting strategic plan is intended to build the capacity of NGOs and CBOs in the Nkangala District of South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province to meet the needs of those affected by the epidemic in a very rural and stratified Province. Organizations committed to meeting the needs of the District have requested assistance in the areas of resource development, effective strategic planning, innovative networking and movement building. In addition to these needs, organizations have expressed their desire for consultative support and training — needs not unlike those of AIDS service organizations serving communities of color affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. Project activities over the last few months have focused upon meeting the capacity building needs that were identified through extensive surveying and consultations with 70 NGOs/CBOs in 5 municipalities of the Nkangala District of Mpumalanga. Some of the capacity building trainings presented to the NGOs/CBOs included a two-day Financial Management Workshop, a five-day Nonprofit Management workshop and a week-long training of trainers series of health education workshops for those NGOs/CBOs serving youth. In South Africa, youth are defined as those age 18-35. Trainings planned for the third fiscal quarter include a three-day workshop on decision-making, leadership, conflict management and resolution, interpersonal communication and group dynamics. Evaluation of training effectiveness and impact is continuous and provides SisterLove an opportunity to address South African organization’s emerging needs and concerns. For the first two weeks of June, SisterLove, South Africa’s staff, Tryphinah Ngwenya and Busisiwe Baloyi visited SisterLove’s corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia to develop the strategic plan that will guide the third year of this Project and receive supplemental training on organizational guidelines that include financial operations and contractual regulations. Their visit to the U.S. also allowed them to conference with representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who are responsible for Thembuhlelo HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Project oversight. SisterLove, Inc., and particularly SisterLove, South Africa, were honored to receive an invitation from the South Africa National Council (SANAC) to become an NGO representative, representing the interests of non-government and community-based organizations working in the Mpumalanga Province, at SANAC’s summit for South African NGOs and CBOs. That this honor came less than one year after SisterLove, South Africa received official NGO status is especially heartening and a testament to the ground-breaking and community enriching efforts of the staff of both SisterLove, South Africa and the International Program staff of SisterLove, Inc. of Atlanta. The work being accomplished in South Africa is crucial to SisterLove’s work in Georgia and throughout the United States. What we are learning from and with South African AIDS service organizations and activists not only inspires us, but also influences our strategies, our planning and our activism. As political influences, public attitudes and personal behaviors shift and rates of HIV and AIDS among women, especially women of color, increase within the United States, we must avail ourselves of every resource and align ourselves with every ally. We are truly in a fight for our very lives and we cannot do it alone. SisterLove’s commitment to partnering with organizations and individuals engaged in this fight remains strong. We will continue to work collaboratively and proactively with those in Atlanta, those across the state of Georgia and throughout the United States to improve our service to women. We will also continue to work collaboratively with organizations and individuals in South Africa and throughout the African Diaspora to bridge the gaps of understanding and of action because it is not only the right thing to do, but necessary for our collective survival as women, as people of color and as a global community. Those seeking more information about SisterLove’s work in South Africa are invited to contact Seseni Nu, International Programs Manager (404-753-7733 | snu@sisterlove.org) or Tryphinah Ngwenya, South Africa Programs Manager, in Witbank, South Africa (013-691-2264 | tngwenya@sisterlove.org). Call for Leaders and Activists: SisterLove Board of Directors Recruitment Effort SisterLove’s Board of Directors is looking for dynamic, inspired and committed women and men to join it’s ranks in service to SisterLove and the thousands of women who have come to rely upon SisterLove’s services. Individuals with a desire to provide leadership and impact change in our communities are asked to contact SisterLove for a Board member application. Those with an awareness of the AIDS epidemic’s impact upon women and their families, and particularly those with experience in fundraising, public relations, financial managment or organizational development, are needed to help guide SisterLove’s future and insure its ongoing viability. Women and men, particularly those of color, who are living with HIV/AIDS are especially encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. If you would like to be considered for a position on SisterLove’s Board of Directors or know of someone uniquely qualified for this opportunity, please contact Yashica Willis, SisterLove’s Office Manager/Executive Assistant, at ywillis@sisterlove.org or by phone at 404-753-7733. Know that you are needed and that you can make an indelible difference. Study: Condoms Don’t Increase Teen Sex Associated Press (05.28.03)::Laura Meckler Teenagers at high schools where condoms were available were no more likely to have sex than other teens, a study says. The study published Wednesday backs earlier research on the programs developed in the 1990s to stem the spread of HIV and reduce teen pregnancy. It says that students in high schools with condom programs were more likely to use condoms, while students in other high schools were more likely to use other forms of birth control. Overall, there was no difference in pregnancy rates. The study could not determine if there was an increase in STDs. Researchers at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examined high schools in Massachusetts where the state Department of education encouraged schools to develop condom programs. The study took a sample of all high The Massachusetts study also found that: (*) Schools offering condoms were more likely to teach students how to use them properly. (*) Students at condom schools were more likely to have received information about HIV/AIDS. (*) Students at schools with condom programs were no more likely than others to say that condoms were easily available, even though they were more likely to use them. The data came from the 1995 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The study, “Condom Availability Programs in Massachusetts High Schools: Relationship with Condom Use and Sexual Behavior,” was published in the American Journal of Public Health (2003;93(6):955-962). Source: CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update. May 29, 2003.
CDC Launches New Initiative Affecting HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Services ………… This first article provides a summary of the initiative and the CDC’s rationale for instituting a change in its efforts to reduce the number of new HIV transmissions. The primary source for this article is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Department of Health and Human Services’ Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (April 18, 2003 | Vol. 52 | No. 15) and the CDC’s ‘Revised Guidelines for HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral’ which was presented during a ‘technical expert panel review’ on February 18-19, 1999. Website addresses for these and other sources of information regarding the Initiative will be provided at the end of this article. Subsequent articles regarding the Initiative and its implications will address the viewpoints of those on the forefront of the struggle to reduce the number of new HIV transmissions in the United States. SisterLove encourages you to express your thoughts not only on this subject but also on the following article in this special LoveNotes series. Comments and feedback should be directed to Kozetta Jane Harris, LoveNotes’ Editor, at lovenotes@sisterlove.org or by calling 404-753-7733. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) April 18, 2003 weekly report on the morbidity and mortality associated with the AIDS epidemic announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at decreasing the incidence of HIV and AIDS in the United States. The CDC’s report cited statistics chronicling a steady rise, followed by an apparent ‘leveling off’, in the number of persons living with HIV and AIDS along with the number of Americans succumbing to the syndrome over the past twenty years. The contributions of combination antiretroviral therapy and advances in testing technology were heralded in the CDC’s relaxed and confident introduction of its new thinking about HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. The ten week old initiative, titled ‘Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic”, reflects a clear shift in the federal agency’s attitude about prevention efforts of the last twenty years and their projected success over the years to come. With a conservative nod to community based prevention efforts that have targeted those at greatest risk for contracting HIV, and mention of the role that federal funding has played in increasing community support for such prevention efforts, the CDC introduced four key strategies: I. “Make HIV testing a routine part of medical care” in professional and traditional medical environments. II. “Implement new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside medical settings” to increase access to HIV testing for individuals in non-medical settings where individuals considered to be at high risk are prevalent. III. “Prevent new infections by working with persons diagnosed with HIV and their partners” instead of focusing primarily upon those who are HIV-negative and at greatest risk for contracting the virus. IV. “Further decrease perinatal HIV transmission” by strongly encouraging medical professionals and institutions to routinely test all pregnant HIV-positive women and implementing a ‘national behavioral surveillance system’ to monitor HIV incidence. The CDC’s description of its Initiative clearly states that it is “aimed at reducing the barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection, and increasing access to quality medical care, treatment, and on-going prevention services.” Feedback about the Initiative’s ability to reach these goals were expressed by those invited to a series of “Community Based Organization Consultations” that the CDC held in San Francisco, New York, Miami and Chicago shortly after the Initiative was launched. While community organizations were not given an opportunity to influence a change in the Initiative’s directives and strategies, they were given an opportunity to provide input regarding the Initiative’s wording and the development of funding criteria that will guide the CDC’s community funding decisions. Since its publication, the Initiative has inspired many in the community of AIDS service organizations, particularly those serving and supporting communities of color, to express concerns about the CDC’s apparent shift away from supporting prevention efforts with those at risk for contracting HIV. The second article of this series will address the beliefs and concerns of national and local organizations concerned about HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment in the United States. For more information about “Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic”, visit the online resources listed below. FOR MORE INFORMATION: The full text of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) announcing its Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic: CDC Revised Guidelines for HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral: SisterLove’s Support of National HIV Testing Day – June 27th This past June 27th marked the ninth annual National HIV Testing Day, a nationwide event organized by the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) and sponsored by the CDC, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), and others. NAPWA’s motivation for organizing this community education and action campaign is its recognition that “in the fight against HIV/AIDS, knowledge is power”. Each year the campaign helps reach millions of Americans at risk for HIV with messages “encouraging them to Take the Test, Take Control”. National HIV Testing Day is an annual occurrence, happening each June 27th to focus Americans on the need to know our HIV status. In an article that speaks to the estimated quarter of a million Americans unaware of their HIV status, Ray Daniels, NAPWA’s Communication Director, answers the question “Why in the world would someone want to know if they are HIV-positive?” “The answer is simple. Knowledge is power. Knowing one’s HIV status is better than not knowing. (…) tremendous strides have been made in diagnosing and treating HIV disease and related infections, those advances mean little to someone who does not know they are infected. Even today, far too many people learn that they have HIV quite late in their infection – once serious illnesses have appeared – thus missing years of opportunity for early care and treatment.” SisterLove’s support of National HIV Testing Day is an essential part of its prevention education services and its commitment to supporting women as they empower themselves, make healthier decisions and lead healthier lives. During the week of June 23rd SisterLove’s Health Education and Advocacy Program staff, in partnership with the DeKalb Health Department, participated in community events throughout DeKalb County. On June 23rd-25th, SisterLove was at the North, East, and South DeKalb Health Centers, respectively. On June 25th staff participated in outreach and testing efforts at Georgia Perimeter College’s Decatur Campus and on June 27th, National HIV Testing Day, at the South DeKalb Mall. Each event gave members of the community an opportunity to take a free HIV test and receive valuable information about community services for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. SisterLove’s outreach and education efforts centered on encouraging women to take an HIV test and inviting them to register for SisterLove’s upcoming HIV/AIDS Prevention Education, HIV Perinatal Transmission Prevention and Healthy Love Party workshops. Throughout the year, anyone interested in any of these community education workshops should contact SisterLove at 404-753-7733 and ask for one of the following staff: HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Workshops: HIV Perinatal Transmission Prevention Workshops: Healthy Love Party Workshops: FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY: National HIV Testing Day website (NAPWA): http://www.nhtd.org/ National HIV Testing Sites and Other Resources (CDC): http://www.hivtest.org/ OR CALL 1-800-342-AIDS |
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| LoveNotes is edited by Kozetta Jane Harris, SisterLove’s Information, Education and Communication’s Manager.
For more information about SisterLove, or articles appearing in this issue, contact Kozetta by email at kharris@sisterlove.org, by phone at 404-753-7733 or by mail at P.O. Box 10558, Atlanta, GA 30310. SisterLove is on a mission to eradicate the impact of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health challenges upon women and their families through education, prevention, support and human rights advocacy in the United States and around the world. SisterLove greatly appreciates the financial support provided by: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS : Georgia Department of Human Resources : Gertrude E. Wardlaw Trust : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention : Public Welfare Foundation : Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund. SisterLove is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Contact us today regarding opportunities to volunteer and to make a contribution in support of women and families affected by HIV/AIDS. You are invited to visit SisterLove online. “Healthy Loving is Healthy Living” www.sisterlove.org |