HAPPY HOLIGAYS!

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again! GO Atlanta wants to make sure you have everything you need to get your 2011 stockings filled.

Here are some queer friendly suggestions for the Holiday Season!

Get jittery for the Holiday with Gay Coffee!

Gay owned and operated— the Gay Coffee (http://www.gaycoffee.com) story begins in 2004 in a college town in Massachusetts in a tiny cafe built in a former ATM kiosk. Since then founder Melissa Krueger opened one of the very first Free Trade Coffee Shops in MA . Now a master coffee roaster Krueger and her partner launched GayCoffee.com- complete with flavors such as Red Hanky Roast, Weekend Pass, Second Date, Good Morning Mary!, and Stone Butch ( $13 each ).  1% of all profits are donated to the LGBT Task Force.

GO Atlanta appreciates a good cup of joe, as our Coffee Talk members can tell you.  Let us buy you a cup of coffee next year- look for new Coffee Talk dates and times in January on our main webpage.  These sessions are held in local coffee hotspots, and are focused on introducing men to our Gay Outreach.

Get in touch with your primitive side!

Planet Green brought the “Fabulous Life of the Beekman Boys” into the public eye. The show chronicles the life of Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge as they learned how to become farmers and launch their lifestyle brand, Beekman 1802. While the show wasn't picked up by the Discovery Network for a third season, the Beekman name and product line is still alive and flourishing! (http://beekman1802.com/)

Available on their webpage are gifts sure to stand out underneath or beside any tree, bush, or other holiday appropriate plant.  Such as a personalized autographed copy of the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook by Brent and Josh and goat-milk soaps made on the Beekman 1802 farm. The A Year in the Country, Gift Set features a collection of 12 bars of soap, all hand and farm made, that captures the pairs’ favorite fragrances from a year spent at Beekman 1802. With fragrances like that of the December soap described as “Cutting down pine boughs for garland and returning home to warm cookies”- who wouldn’t appreciate this unique gift and smells? The gift set comes in a hand-crafted cedar tray with galvanized metal top and is $70 plus shipping.

Make underWeAR not war!

In coordination with this year’s DADT repeal the sexy elves over at 2(X)IST’s (www.2xist.com) winter wonderland  have released their new Military line for the winter. The underwear is modeled after modern combat uniforms and body armor and accents strong lines to reinforce masculine features. GO Atlanta supports our city’s sergeants and soldiers marching to the front of this holiday shopping lines with this sexy and stylish underwear.

Ask, tell, and remember!

Speaking of repealing DADT, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a portrait work by Jeff Sheng  (starting at $24.95 at www.dadtbook.com and your local LGBT bookstores! ) is another great holigay find. The project showcases the portraits and stories of service members in the United States armed forces who secretly served under DADT.  These poignant photographs and beautiful, powerful stories are a good way to remember and celebrate this progressive moment in history.  

Without stories and discussions, our voices seldom find recognition. Let the New Year serve as a fresh start to tell your own story and learn more about our history as LGBT people.  GO Atlanta invites you next year to discuss topics such as the latter at our ONE NIGHT STANDS. Real men and real talk about issues that directly affect our lives and wellness of our community at large. Check our website WWW.GETUPANDGOATLANTA.COM for updates as to what we’ll discuss next!

Give a little love…

Philanthropy should always hold a line on your holiday to do list.  Atlanta is full of worthy causes that would benefit from a holiday donation.  Among those causes is Project Open Hand.  Project Open Hand exists to help prevent or better manage chronic disease by offering Comprehensive Nutrition Care to its clients here in Atlanta.  They are actively seeking volunteers to help package meals and drive meal delivery routes. This is the perfect opportunity to give back to the community while making new friends and connections along the way.  Remember this time of year is not just about receiving! For more information log onto http://www.projectopenhand.org

Shop Local:

With the recent noted financial struggles that LGBT owned bookstores like Outwrite Books & Coffee House (http://www.outwritebooks.com) in Midtown and Charis Books & More (http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/) in Little Five Points are facing here in Atlanta, GO Atlanta encourages everyone to spend their dollars in their very own gayborhood!

Tis the season to avoid the old adage- “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” by shopping and dining at the bookstores, clothing, novelty shops, and restaurants, that are locally LGBTIQQ owned.

For us Atlanta and Metro queers a good resource for trying out a new restaurant, looking up seasonal events, or finding a local queer friendly shop here in the city is:  http://www.gay-atlanta.com

At GO Atlanta we show our support through our monthly outreach initiatives. Our Out2Eat events encourage guys to try a new place and come together over a meal.  Our Happy Hours, for the 21 and up crowd, promote local gay bars and foster safer-sex discussion over a cocktail (or two)-first one’s on us!

Be sure to check our main webpage in January to see where we will go next!

Donate:

Next year marks AID Atlanta’s 30h year anniversary!  Since its humble beginnings in 1982, AID Atlanta has offered a broad range of services and has since grown to be the Southeast’s largest, most comprehensive AIDS Service Organization. Our mission here is to reduce new HIV infections and improve the quality of life of our members and the community by breaking barriers and building community. To this end, programs funded by AID Atlanta such as our own GO Atlanta, and the magnificent Evolution Center could not exist without the support of the LGBTIQ community.  We strive to our wits end at times to make our programs relevant to the community we service.

AID Atlanta has existed for 30 years because the agency recognizes that as our community grows and the landscape of Atlanta continues to shift, our message and commitment to reducing new and secondary HIV infections must become louder and more visible— or else we risk being swept underneath the populace’s rug.  “Reducing new HIV infections and improving the quality of life of our members” is not just the mission of our agency, but a commitment every staff, intern, and volunteer takes when working at the agency. By donating to the agency, you’re helping sustain the overall agency’s, GO Atlanta’s, and a myriad of other valuable program’s  continued growth and development towards seeing an end to new infections here in Atlanta, the US, and the world alike.

Click here to make a donation now!

  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN

Had he lived, Ryan White would be 40 years old today.  It seems hard to imagine that he's been gone for 22 years.  Yet, it seems even harder to imagine that all of his acccomplishments happened in a brief five years - from the ages of 13 until 18.

Growing up, children often think of how we'll change the world around us.  Some of us dream to be teachers, impacting the world by educating those around us.  Others imagine themselves to be firefighters, military service people, or police officers.  The goal is to improve the world around them by protecting those that we love.  Still, others have loftier goals and they dream of changing the world by being senators, congressmen or even the President of the United States.  The common thread in all of these childhood dreams is that we can change the world.  I doubt, however, that any child dreams that they will be a martyr - dying for their cause.  Ryan White didn't live to see his dreams come true, but he instead had martyrdom forced upon him.

A hemophiliac since birth, Ryan White was one of the first children and one of the first hemophiliacs to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.  Ryan was diagnosed in 1984 - when HIV/AIDS was still very new and little was known about how it was spread.  Ryan's innocence stood in stark contrast to the spectre of AIDS infected homosexuals.  He forced discussions on an issue that people were uncomfortable with - and he caused a nation to deal with the pandemic that was beating down it's door.

Ryan gained notoriety because he wanted to go to school.  His family fought - and won - court battles to allow him to attend school with his friends.  His family fought for his chance to be NORMAL.  Ryan White was critical in educating a nation that HIV/AIDS can happen to anyone.  He showed a world that HIV is not a "gay" disease.  He taught a country that HIV/AIDs can not be spread through casual contact - and that positive people need not live a life any different than anyone else.

At the age of 18, Ryan White died on April 8, 1990, just months before Congress passed the AIDS bill that bears his name – the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act. The legislation has been reauthorized four times since – in 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2009 – and is now called the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.  Because of one little boy's courage - and his desire for normalcy - people are better educated about the facts of HIV/AIDS and have more access to drugs that allow them to live longer, healthier, happier lives.

Happy Birthday, Ryan.  In your short life, you changed the world.  I can only imagine what you would have accomplished had you been given the time.

STD's: What's the Real Risk?

Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released an annual report of statistics and trends for three rampant sexually transmitted diseases in the US. For the first time in ten years overall syphilis rates have decreased in the country.  While this is a wonderful step forward for our nation, the CDC still reports ungodly amounts of STDS in the US.  What should come as no surprise is, just like in previous years, communities of color, gay men, and MSM-identified men are still subject to highest rates of infection among the nation’s most prominent STDS. 

Here is a breakdown of where the nation stands with each STD:

Syphilis:

MSM make up 2/3 of all 2010 syphilis rates. Black MSM who have seen a 135% increase in syphilis from 2006-2010, found some alleviation this year with an 8.5 % drop in infections compared to last year. Hispanic communities saw a 9% increase in in syphilis. Caucasian communities saw a 3.65 % increase in syphilis rates.

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia:

The CDC recorded 1.3 million positive case of Chlamydia in 2010. Black women make up the largest numbers of both Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infections. The Hispanic community saw a 12 percent increase in both STDS.  White communities faced a 7.5 percent increase in Chlamydia infections and a 9.2 percent increase in gonorrhea infections. 

These results highlight dichotomy’s that exist across color lines:

Reuters did a telephone interview with Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. He explained the statistics in way that communicates the spread better.

Syphilis infections are 2.4 per 100,000 for Whites, 5.9 per 100,000 for Hispanics and 20 per 100,000 for African Americans.

Rates of chlamydia in African Americans are about 1,383 per 100,000, compared with 467 per 100,000 among Hispanics, and 166 per 100,000 for Whites.

For gonorrhea, rates for Whites are 26 per 100,000. Among Hispanics, rates are about three times that at 63 per 100,000, and among African Americans, the rates are 512 per 100,000.

Fenton explained the dichotomy’s across color lines as such:

"It's not because someone is black or Hispanic or white that results in the differences that we see in STDs. It's really what these represent in terms of differences in health insurance coverage, employment status, in ability to access preventive services or curative services. These are all factors which are going to have a huge impact on communities”.

What Fenton said hits the bull right in its eye. Barriers to healthcare services exist in Hispanic, black, and queer communities. These findings are very similar to CDC reports released in August on 2009’s new HIV infections—which pinpointed that while gay/bi men make up only 2% of the population, they are an astounding 61% of new infections. Young MSM (ages 13 to 29) were most affected, representing more than 1 in 4 (27%) of all new HIV infections nationally in 2009.

MSM and other community’s that historically have been and continue to be marginalized today, face the heaviest burden for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV alike. But it is not the fact that they are of color, gay, or sleep with men that is causing these disparities; the fact is that access to healthcare, education, and preventive services become limited by societal stigma. The reality is individuals that lie within the intersections of being both queer and of color are at the highest risk for these STDs and new HIV infections.

AID Atlanta is doing its part to alleviate the stigma by providing programs that target specific risk groups. With programs like Evolution, Deeper Love, SISTA SOL, and of course GO Atlanta, we hope to reduce the rates and change the patterns in which these STDS and the HIV virus is spreading. Our new web-based outreach series, A Gay in the Life, allows us to break through some of the barriers associated with accessibility. Programs like the ones found here are hopefully just the beginning of more culturally competent health-care systems and AIDS service organizations.

For a list of all the programs found here at AID Atlanta log on to www.aidatlanta.org

And to watch A Gay in the Life for yourself check out www.getupandgoatlanta.com

FREE TO BE YOU & ME

If you grew up in the 1970's or 1980's, you probably can recall "FREE TO BE YOU AND ME"  Originally released in 1972, the project included an album of songs, a book, and a television special.  A time capsule of the 1970's, the project included Marlo Thomas and her ecclectic group of "friends."  The guest list ranged from Alan Alda and Cicely Tyson to Michael Jackson and Carol Channing.  That diverse mashup was the perfect fit for the project created by the Ms. Foundation for Women.  The goal of the project was to encourage post-1960s gender neutrality, saluting values such as individuality, tolerance, and comfort with one's identity. A major thematic message is that anyone—whether a boy or a girl—can achieve anything.

It's hard to believe that this album was released nearly 40 years ago.  Harder still, is to imagine that we're still trying to teach our children that they can be "free to be" who they want.  Have we made strides?  Certainly.  Do we have a long way to go, yet?  Most definitely.  Today's children can turn on their television and hear discussions about the repeal of DADT, and how ALL soldiers should have the freedom to be themselves.  Kids can sit with their parents and enjoy an episode of GLEE, where students encourage each other to embrace what it is that makes them unique and be proud to be "unicorns."  We can listen on our radios as Lady Gaga reminds us that we are all "born this way," whatever that "way" may be.  We can cheer along as Chaz Bono dances with the stars, challenging roles of masculinity and femininity with every choreographed step.  There has been a great change in the diversity that we see presented in our media, and all of that can only serve to make others feel more comfortable in their own skins.

As we gear up for PRIDE week here in Atlanta, I have to thank Marlo Thomas for reminding me that I am free to be whoever I want to be.  I am free to live a life that makes me comfortable and happy.  I am free to love whomever I choose.  I am free to surround myself with family and friends who support me no matter what.  I am free to find happiness in all of it's many forms.  Perhaps more importantly, though, you are free to do the same.  We are all free to find our own path, and to follow that path wherever it may lead.

This weekend, as you meander the park and the offerings of the festival, take time to revel in just how free we truly are.  When you listen to the performers on the stage, or tip that fantastic drag queen, think of the courage that it takes for them to express themselves so freely.   While you watch the parade, witnessing men and women who have the courage to so publicly proclaim "this is who I am," take time to be grateful for the freedom you have to do the same.  As you pack up your car and head back to your home, think of all of the people who missed out on PRIDE.  Think of the boy who is afraid to embrace his own fabulous spirit.  Think of the girl who is realizing that Mr. Right is never going to be who she's looking for.  Consider all of those who are not free to be.  Now, take that and hold on to it.  Remember it the other 364 days of the year, and let it encourage you to allow others to be free.

10 HIV-Positive LGBT Characters We Love

We often complain that there isn't real visibility in the LGBT community.  Until fairly recently, we didn't always feel that we were represented as a community in the media.  These images seemed exceptionally lacking in television and film. 

When media decided to throw us a bone, it seemed that the characters were all self loathing images of internalized homophobia.  If the characters didn't hate who they were and long to be straight, then they were comic baffoons who exuded every stereotype imaginable.

The Body.Com has compiled a list of 10 characters who failed to succumb to these media pitfalls.  These characters stand out for not only being representative of the LGBT community, but also for being HIV positive characterizations.  Some of the highlights on their list are Angel and Tom Collins from RENT and multiple characters from the groundbreaking QUEER AS FOLK.   The entire list can be viewed here. 

Are there other LGBT characters or HIV positive characters that should have been included?  Who stood out to you?  What characters spoke to you in your own life?  Please share your thoughts in our comments section.

STRONGER TOGETHER

We know the old addage that there is safety in numbers, but the reality is that it's true.  For instance, the only way you can REALLY know your partner's HIV status is to be tested together.  Often times we can find testing to be intimidating and awkward.  Wouldn't that situation be made better if your partner was there with you?  Additionally, we can find it hard to have a conversation about our wants/needs surrounding safer sex.  Wouldn't it be easier if you had someone to help you with that conversation?

WELL.....

AID Atlanta is now proud to offer couples testing for gay and bi men.  Testing Together provides an opportunity for you and your partner to have your HIV test together and get your test results together, with a trained counselor present to help you talk about the results. Testing Together and receiving your results together can start an ongoing healthy conversation between you and your partner about HIV in your relationship, and allow you to talk openly about building a protection plan together.

AID Atlanta is excited to be one of the area locations to pilot this program.  You can find out more details here: http://testingtogether.org/ or by visiting AID Atlanta.  If you have a partner, I encourage you to consider getting tested together.  You're always better to know your status - and your partner's too!

GETTING SERIOUS

There are often misconceptions in society that gay/bi men are somehow more promiscuous than their heterosexual counterparts.  Since the inception of HIV/AIDS, it seems that we've had to defend our sex lives, no matter how chaste and committed they may be.  Despite our best efforts, many still believe that the continuation of high numbers of new HIV/AIDS cases in the gay/bi community are directly correlated to promiscuous and risky sexual behaviors.  A new study, however, may finally help to silence that myth.

According to this study, the strongest single predictor of not using condoms in anal sex in a group of young US gay men was that the relationship was regarded as ‘serious’. Unprotected sex was eight times more likely in serious relationships than in casual encounters.

This study, conducted conducted by Northwestern University in Illinois, USA (Mustanski) reinforces previous findings that over two-thirds of HIV transmissions between US gay men happen between primary sex partners and only a third between casual partners (Sullivan).

In this study, the researchers comment, “there was almost no unprotected sex occurring in relationships classified as casual”. This suggests that HIV prevention strategies amongst US gay men may need to focus more on HIV risk and safer-sex negotiation within couples than on individual risk-taking decisions.

The entire article on the report can be read here.  It's important to note that this is ONE study.  However, it could help influence how groups like AID Atlanta target their programming to the community in the future. 

What are your thoughts?

Are you more likely to have unprotected sex in a

relationship you consider serious?

If so, what defines a "serious" relationship?

MOVING FORWARD

Earlier this month, the CDC released new findings that indicated that Gay & Bisexual men continue to make up the largest portion of new HIV/AIDS infections.  While HIV infection rates have remained level across the country, with new infections hovering around 50,000 per year, the infection rate amongst gay/bi men continues to climb.

The study showed that while gay/bi men make up only 2% of the population, they are an astounding 61% of new infections.  Young MSM (ages 13 to 29) were most affected, representing more than 1 in 4 (27%) of all new HIV infections nationally in 2009. Although young MSM of all races are affected, black MSM were the only group to see a statistically significant jump in new infections over the 4 years studied. Between 2006 and 2009, new HIV infections among young black MSM surged by half (48%), from 4400 infections to 6500 infections.  These rates are even scarier, when you consider that 1 in 5 people in the US do not know their HIV status.

Last week, The GA Voice did an article/cover story on some of the work that is being done in Atlanta to help combat these trends.  If you missed it, you can find the article here.  Clearly we have a lot of work to do still in the battle against HIV/AIDS.  One of our biggest foes is stigma.  Our new web outreach at http://www.getupandgoatlanta.com/ is working to help alleviate some of that stigma.  Here, gay & bi men (and our allies) can access video trainings to learn more about safer sex information.  You can also get information on how to start those conversations about safer sex with your friends and loved ones.  Additionally, men can find events in the Atlanta area to allow them to socialize with other gay/bi men and to meet with AID Atlanta staff face to face.

A Sex Toy Story

via POZ, by Trenton Straube

A new survey reveals that HIV-positive men who have sex with men lead vibrant, and sometimes vibrating, sex lives.

It’s not every day that we come across HIV-related research that explores health-promoting sexual behaviors. So when we came across the article “USA Study of Sex Toy Use by HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Other Men: Implications for Sexual Health” in the International Journal of STD & AIDS, we wanted to know more.

Conducted by the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University in collaboration with Online Buddies Inc., the survey included 2,275 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants were recruited from Manhunt.net and spanned the United States; most were white (83 percent), Latino (7 percent) or black (4 percent).

The survey set out to look at sex toy use and its implications for health among positive MSM. It found that 70 percent of participants reported using at least one sex toy in the past year, including dildos (49 percent), butt plugs (31 percent), vibrators (28 percent), masturbation sleeves (17 percent) and anal beads or balls (16 percent). And 31 percent reported using toys in the previous four weeks. White men were more likely to use toys, and men in sexually active relationships were more likely to use toys than those not in such relationships.

Before beginning, the researchers hypothesized that using sex toys not only increased sexual pleasure but also lowered the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and lead to fewer instances of unprotected anal sex.

To find out the results, we spoke with Joshua G. Rosenberger, PhD, MPH, who’s an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University in Virginia and has a joint research appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.


Your survey results found that positive MSM who used sex toys were not statistically more likely to have an STI or to use condoms. How does this bode for your hypotheses going into the research?

Overall we saw relatively low rates of people reporting risk reduction as a primary reason for toy use. What we found with the sex toy use was, not surprisingly, it was more commonplace for sexual pleasure. When we created the survey, we were more interested first in documenting the [sex toy] behaviors—focusing on how much do you enjoy this, how do you incorporate this into your sexual life—because no one had ever done that. [Risk reduction] is important, but that wasn’t our main goal.

Now that you know more data about sex toy use, how would you like to see the data used among advocates and health practitioners?

First and foremost, it’s a way to educate them that MSM sex is not just anal sex and that there is a whole sexual repertoire that exists. There really needs to be more discussion and dialogue about what that looks like. We spend so much time on disease transmission, on labeling gay, bisexual and other MSM as having all this anal sex.

When you’re thinking about HIV, [sex toys are] just one other risk reduction strategy. You can easily recommend toy use as a safe way to engage in fun, healthy sexual activity in which both people can get satisfaction and pleasure without risk—and you can teach them the necessary steps around toy use, which would include making sure the toys are cleaned properly. And really just putting that message out as another alternative. It’s not just abstinence; it’s not just condoms; here’s one other tool that you can use to make sex possible.

You’ve done previous research on sex toy use among the larger U.S. population. How do the MSM results compare?

The numbers, in general, are mostly the same across the board in terms of rates of use and lifetime use, [but] slightly higher among MSM. There’s actually a paper under review right now that’s looking at a final study we just completed with women who have sex with women, and we have questions in there about HIV infection and women who are HIV positive.

Can any of the takeaways from this MSM survey be applied to other groups?

Absolutely. That’s why it’s important. The implication of what can be done [in terms of risk reduction and sexual health and satisfaction] can be extrapolated to any population, regardless of [HIV] status.

The survey did reveal some interesting aspects of the general health and sexual activities of MSM living with HIV. It was great to hear that 91 percent of them described their health as good, or excellent or very good, and then there were the findings that 53 percent were not dating, and yet that 88 percent were sexually active. What do these stats say about this population group?

I think that the overall data is saying that men living with HIV are actually not that much different from those who are negative. And I think that’s an element we’re often forgetting within the public health domain, [which is] always looking to point out all the differences. It’s overall a pretty healthy population. So it really demonstrates that HIV is not the end all be all and all of a sudden you’re doomed, and there’s no more sex, no more relationships. With medical treatment, there’s no reason that [people living with HIV] shouldn’t be engaging in safe and happy and healthy sexual behaviors.

The survey looked at whether condoms were used during the last 10 times participants engaged in anal intercourse. The HIV-positive MSM who were the insertive partner, or the top, reported using condoms an average of 5.85 times out of 10. Those who were receptive, or bottoms, reported 5.68 times. Can you put these figures in a larger context?

We don’t have partner data for these events. And a lot of research out there talks about, or asks, “Did you or did you not use a condom? Yes or No” without understanding the contextual factors, such as not knowing their status, whether people ejaculated during this event, [whether they were with a long-term partner or was it an anonymous encounter]—all those factors that actually, when you’re thinking about risk, are important.

Having said that, we found that the number of events that were protected [averaged at nearly 6 out of 10]. Some people interpret that as 40 percent of sexual events were condom non-protected. Data from national representative studies [show] that among gay and bisexual men, regardless of HIV status, the rates of condom use are higher than in the heterosexual population in the United States. I think that gives you a nice comparison. Condom use might not be perfect; it may not need to be perfect; if there’s not a risk of disease transmission, then there may not ever need to be a reason to use a condom.

And now the million-dollar question, if the data can answer it: Does using sex toys make you more sexually satisfied and healthier overall?

What we found was yes, individuals who reported more toy use were more likely to report higher rates of satisfaction, pleasure and all of the domains that are associated with sexual happiness. [However, here’s the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum: How do you know whether toy use makes people more sexually satisfied or whether] people who are more sexually satisfied use toys? We don’t have that answer. We can’t really indicate which one leads to which.

Finally, why is it important to study a topic such as sex toy use among HIV-positive MSM?

It’s important to understand how individuals living with HIV construct their sexual lives. Being optimistic, a day will come when we have a cure or vaccine for this disease. It will be a shame [if] we look back at the literature and media [in] 50 years and [will not know] about the sex lives of gay men because all we’ve done is research about this one single disease.

And while [risk reduction] is certainly important, we’re [not] really taking into account that [HIV-positive] individuals are living healthy, sexual lives and have their own sexual health issues just as anyone else. Sex toys are just one way to bridge this gap and still promote both pleasure and risk reduction.

COMING SOON!

Welcome to the GO Atlanta blog!  We are a work in progress, but we will soon be up and running full force!


What is GO Atlanta, you ask?  GO Atlanta is a new Gay Outreach initiative of AID Atlanta.  We are committed to Empowering Atlanta’s Gay and Bi Men to Live Healthier Lives!

We're out in Atlanta - in the clubs, bars and coffee shops!  We're everywhere that you are!  We recognize, though, that men are online more and more.  Whether it's our smartphones or laptops, we've all grown increasingly tech savvy.  We're aware of that, so we are building a web presence that will increase our reach to Atlanta's men! 

We want to meet you!  We want to hear what you're interested in, and what challenges you're facing.  So, drop us a line - and let us know what's going on with you in your life!  In the meantime, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter or at http://www.aidatlanta.org/.  Just remind yourself to check back soon - you'll be glad you did!

Most of all, we want to know-

WHAT MAKES YOU GET UP AND GO???