AIDS in the Black Community: "Our People, Our Problem, Our Solution"

Posted by Jane Coaston
Washington, D.C.
February 11, 2013

Leisha McKinley-Beach, Director of Technical
Assistance and Stakeholder Engagement for
the Black AIDS Institute. (Photo: Leisha
McKinley-Beach)

As we celebrate Black History Month, we're honoring African-Americans who are taking part in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This week, we're talking to Leisha McKinley-Beach. Leisha McKinley-Beach currently serves as the Director of Technical Assistance and Stakeholder Engagement for the Black AIDS Institute. Prior to joining BAI, Leisha served as HIV Prevention Director for the Georgia Department of Community Health and an HIV Prevention Manager for the Florida Department of Health. Recently, I talked with her about HIV/AIDS in the Black community and the future of the pandemic.

Lesotho's steady progress in the fight to save lives

Posted by Charles Lyons
Washington, D.C.
February 11, 2013

EGPAF President and CEO Charles
Lyons speaks at the Senkatana launch
in Lesotho. (Photo: EGPAF, 2013)

I have just returned from the Kingdom of Lesotho, a country entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa; a country that’s about the size of Maryland, but has a strong reputation for providing important lessons in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Learn more about my trip and how Lesotho is putting the health of women living with HIV first.

What We’re Reading: African-Americans and HIV, The Psychology of HIV/AIDS, and Blood Transfusions

Posted by Jane Coaston
Washington, D.C.
February 8, 2013

Tennis champion Arthur Ashe with his family
in 1992. The first African-American man to win
Wimbledon, he was infected with HIV during
surgery in 1993. He became an advocate for
people living with HIV before dying of pneumonia
in 1993. Today, his family continues his work.
(Photo: Sports Illustrated) .

This week, we’re learning about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the psychological needs of children with HIV, and how men living with HIV can have HIV-negative children.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Remember and Reflect

Posted by Jane Coaston
Washington, D.C.
February 7, 2013

Hydeia Broadbent and Magic Johnson at a
Nickelodeon television special on HIV/AIDS in
1992. (Photo: CNN)

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in the United States, an opportunity for us to remember those we have lost to AIDS, and a chance to think about what we can do to welcome “the beginning of the end of AIDS.”

Foundation Recognized for Smart Charity Practices

Posted by Jane Coaston
Washington, D.C.
February 6, 2013

Each year, Charity Navigator, America’s largest and best charity evaluator, rates the country’s nonprofit organizations. And for the fifth consecutive year, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has received a four-star rating – the highest possible ranking.

Putting Children’s Psychology First

Posted by Jane Coaston
Washington, D.C.
February 5, 2013

Sharon Nichols, PhD, whose ground-breaking
work focuses on the psychological needs of
children living with HIV. (Photo: Sharon Nichols)

Sharon Nichols, PhD works in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. She has over 20 years of experience working with children living with HIV, with a focus on the cognitive and behavioral functioning of children living with HIV who took part in clinical trials for new medications. She also serves in the Behavioral Leadership Group of the Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Research. She took some time to sit down with us and talk about her work and the psychological challenges children and young people living with HIV face.