BREAKING: AIDS Partnership Michigan forced to close highly efffective REC Boyz prevention program

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=49432

DETROIT - AIDS Partnership Michigan very reluctantly closed its highly regarded HIV prevention project for young men of color who have sex with men today. The mpowerment program, entitled REC Boyz, has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since October of 2006. The five-year grant ends today, and as of this time, has not been refunded. Repeated calls to the CDC have not been returned.

Because the program has been so effective, the decision was gut-wrenching for staff. However at $31,000 a month, the nonprofit could not afford to fund it on its own.

"I have seen board members angry before. But I have never seen them cry," said Barbara Murray, executive director of APM. "It has been the most highly impactful and game-changing program this agency has had the opportunity to operate."

The REC Boyz have annually served over 300 young men and transgenders ages 13 to 24, utilizing a peer leadership model developed at the University of California San Francisco Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. The project has implemented a well-received HIV counseling and testing program that has reached over 700 individuals within the target population, including 76 percent men who have sex with men and 5 percent transgenders, with a confirmed positivity rate of 6 percent. Studies have shown that most people who are tested for HIV reduce risky behaviors.

During the grant period, the REC Boyz have reached over 5,000 high risk young Detroiters with informational sessions, outreach activities, skills building workshops and discussion groups. The annual funding from the CDC for the project has been $369,497 with a staff of 5 full-time employees. The program has been located at East Jefferson and St. Aubin.

[William769]

1. It's starting to get really bad and this is a step in the wrong direction.

Prevention is key! On that note though AIDS clinics in general have been getting less & less funding.

Medicaid is being cut & for people that are in Florida that have no means of getting antiviral medicine but through the ADAP program, there is a waiting list here of over 3,000 people waiting for coverage. People with with AIDS & HIV are suffering & now they are cutting on prevention? Yea that the ticket! :eyes:

Recommended.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[w8liftinglady]

3. as someone who works actively with HIV patients, I HATE this mindframe