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Abounding Prosperity has already
begun HIV testing at its new location on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in
Dallas, though it has not yet held a grand opening. People who do not
self-identify as gay are more likely to come to the new office for testing and
prevention counseling, said Kirk Myers, AP’s executive director. The
organization is in the first year of a five-year CDC grant to expand HIV
testing, especially among black men ages 17-29 who have sex with men (MSM).
The new site is in the middle of the
business district and easy to access. “Male sex workers, the previously
incarcerated - all come here,” said Myers. The rate of those testing
HIV-positive in the AP program is very high, 6.6 percent, and Myers believes
many of the infections are not recent. “We’re just bringing testing to the
area,” he said. The AP office across from AIDS Arms’ Peabody Clinic is still
open, he added.
One of AP’s successful new programs
is “Let’s Talk About Sex,” a group targeting young black MSM peer networks to
encourage protected sex. “We pay one person to host a party,” Myers said. “He
invites his friends, and we come in and do an educational party.” In “Chat and
Chew” meetings, one for men and one for transgender women, groups of 12-15
people meet for a seven-week series and address issues such as spirituality,
homophobia, family, and attitudes about HIV.
[PNU editor’s note: For more
information, visit http://aboundingprosperity.org/.]
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
