SisterLove, Inc. January Newsletter

Happy New Years from all of us at SisterLove, Inc. We hope you all have had a wonderful start to your 2020! Thank you for your continued support in the new year.

Upcoming Events 

Georgia Legislative Session

Georgia Legislative Session began on Monday, January 13th. We hope this session will produce positive change for our community and our legislators will work with us to create new action that supports those in need. We will keep you all updated on new legislation being brought forth and how you can help! 

Anniversary of Roe v Wade

Next week marks the 51st anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade case that affirmed the legal right to abortion. In the past 51 years, as legal doctrine has transformed and public ideologies have become further polarized, the fight to achieve reproductive justice continues. For us at SisterLove, ensuring access to abortion is one of many healthcare issues impacting the well-being of Black women. Our Director of Policy and Advocacy, Sequoia Ayala, Esq., MA, is an invited speaker at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, January 23, 2019 from 12-1PM. Her presentation, Access Denied: Unpacking Roe in the Fight to Achieve Reproductive Justice, will explore the ways Black Women, women of color, and other marginalized communities are continuing to honor the legacy of Roe, while organizing to achieve true reproductive justice, beyond the acknowledgement of a legal right--but through an expansion of access and dismantling of oppressive systems that limit the reproductive freedoms of these communities daily.

Upcoming SisterLove Events 

SisterLove Listening Sessions 

SisterLove invites members of the community to join us the last week of January to learn about the recent HOPWA changes and discuss issues facing their community. Community suggestions will inform our programs and services for 2020. We will have both an event at Positive Impact and Virtually. 

People of all ages are welcome, including children. 

Food will be provided

RSVP for Positive Impact Session with Rasheeda Jordan of Positive Impact on 1/29 from 5:30-7:30: Here

RSVP for the Virtual Session with Randi Jackson of Partners from HOME on 1/30 from 5-6:30: Here

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Week of Advocacy

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is an annual, nationwide observance that sheds light on the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. Every year on March 10, and throughout the month of March, federal, national, and community organizations come together to offer support and hope, reduce stigma, share information, and empower women and girls to learn the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.

Today, about one in four people living with HIV in the United States are women 13 or older. Globally women make up 52% of people living with HIV. Only about half of women living with HIV are getting care, and only four in 10 of them have the virus under control. Women face unique HIV risks and challenges that can prevent them from getting needed care and treatment. Addressing these issues remains critical to achieving an HIV/AIDS-free generation.

While there are many milestones in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, it is important to recognize that the disease affects women all across the country. Some women are living with HIV while working and taking care of families. Other women are caregivers to family members or friends with HIV/AIDS. During National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we invite everyone to help reduce stigma.

To honor National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, SisterLove is hosting a Week of Action:

Week of March 9-12: RJ Advocacy Training Video hosted by Sequoia Ayala (link will be sent during this week)

March 9th: Intersections at the Grassroots: HIV is a Reproductive Justice Issue

March 10th: Advocacy Twitter Chat

March 11th: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Advocacy Day hosted by SisterLove

RSVP Here: https://www.sisterlove.org/events/national-women-and-girls-hiv-aids-week-of-action-hosted-by-sisterlove

 In the News

SisterLove has signed on to a letter to Ambassador Birx, who currently serves as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and is  responsible for PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). The letter addressed concerns about the approach to index testing in PEPFAR 2019 Country Operational Plan Guidance for all PEPFAR Countries and the adverse consequences and human rights violations resulting from its implementation. The current guidelines arise concern that people in various countries are being forced to get tested for HIV, violating their rights to refuse such test. There have been reports that under these guidelines pregnant women have been denied services until their partners are tested for HIV, reports of violence against sex workers who were compelled to name their clients, reports of clinics going to MSM contact's houses without consent of contact and reporting exposure, and other grave violations of people's privacy. Many of these events occurred outside the health facility leaving little surveillance to ensure patients are respected. Although testing is a key way to eliminate the spread of HIV, these accounts put the credibility of testing programs at risk and deter people from being tested, staying in care and being honest. We will continue to follow this story in future newsletters.

FDA Rejects Injectable HIV Treatment

At the end of 2019, the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected ViiV Healthcare's HIV injection. The drug, known as Cabenuva, was created to be injected into the muscle once a month instead of a daily oral medications. This was intended to help those who had difficulty adhering to the once a day schedule of the oral medication due to housing insecurity or issues with healthcare, and prevent "pill fatigue." In a statement put out by ViiV Healthcare, safety was not the cause of the rejection and that they would be working with the FDA to figure out next steps. Studies had shown that the injection was effective so, although the official cause for denial was not given, it most likely was due to the chemical or manufacturing process. To learn more, read here.

Barriers to On-Demand PrEP

A recent studied conducted by the Western Sydney Sexual Health Centre looked at the issues with access to on-demand PrEP. On-depend PrEP is incredibly helpful in preventing the spread of HIV and allows those to who do not have access to healthcare and unable to pay for daily PrEP to have access. However in order to have access to on-demand PrEP, healthcare workers must have knowledge of the product and feel confident in advising patients to use it. The study showed of the healthcare workers interviewed, less than half felt confident discussing on-depend PrEP, even though more than half were working in sexual heath. Their insecurity about subject stemmed from confusion regarding the on-depend PrEP schedule, and that there was not enough evidence to prove it was effective. This studied showed that although healthcare workers now feel comfortable advising their patients about daily PrEP, they are not providing patients with other options that may better suit their needs. Healthcare workers need to be provided with more studies, resources, and tools to be better equipped at providing their patients with the best recommendations for their unique situations. To read the study, click here.

PrEP and Pregnancy

The transmission of HIV while pregnant and during the postpartum period is often a key concern in preventing the spread of HIV. One way to ensure someone does not contract HIV during this period is by taking PrEP. However, since the advent of PrEP, there have been some concerns about the safety of its use during this period. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using PrEP during the pregnancy and postpartum period for those who are at substantial risk of HIV infection. However, many national guidelines have not made such recommendation.  The Journal of the International AIDS Society completed a study on the safety of PrEP for pregnant and postpartum people. The study found no negative outcomes by using PrEP. The conclusion stated that "early safety studies of PrEP among pregnant women without HIV inflection are reassuring and ongoing/planned studies will contribute extensive new data to bolster the safety profile of PrEP use in pregnancy." The hope is that larger and more comprehensive studies will be competed to help those at risk of HIV feel safe while pregnant. To read the full study, click here.

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