Pozitively Healthy Brochure

Get

engaged!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Join E-mail or call Carmelita Whitfield: Carmelita@healthhiv.org / 202.507.4744 or Julio Fonseca: Julio@healthhiv.org / 202.507.4723

Engage Amplify the voices of PLWHA around the country by joining the Pozitively Healthy Coalition in advocacy and educational efforts at www.pozitivelyhealthy.org.

Connect

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

A national coalition for people living with HIV/AIDS and their allies advocating for HIV positive communities Are you concerned how health care reform will affect you?

Do you want to empower PLWHA to make pozitively healthy decisions?

Would you like to become a better informed consumer?

Facebook.com/PozitivelyHealthy @HealthHIV YouTube.com/HealthHIV

an initiative of

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Join

today!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

www.pozitivelyhealthy.org

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Pozitively Healthy is a national advocacy coalition composed of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their allies, including friends and family, as well as leaders and advocates in the HIV movement.

Pozitively Healthy advocates and educates so that the HIV community is and remains positively healthy.

The Coalition seeks to help advance equitable access to HIV competent healthcare and evidence-based treatment for the 1.1 million PLWHA in the United States by identifying and responding to HIV consumer-reported barriers.

Managed by HealthHIV, Pozitively Healthy is guided by a National Steering Committee (NSC).

Following are statements from Pozitively Healthy members on the importance of this coalition.

Pozitively Empowering

‘‘

Pozitively Educating and Advocating

‘‘

My involvement with Pozitively Healthy is rooted in understanding the history of the HIV movement, and my desire to diminish the emotional and social suffering PLWHA experience due to ignorance and judgment. I see stigma as one of the largest barriers to testing and treatment. We need to change the way HIV is understood in public discourse; HIV is a virus and a public health issue. My long-term vision for Pozitively Healthy is to one day look back at the victory over stigma and judgment and see an enlightened and accepting society that recognizes HIV as a medical issue as opposed to a moral one.

ʼʼ

Ann Stuart Thacker, Executive Director, AIDSNET, Bethlehem, PA

Pozitively Improving Access

I am a 53-year-old Black gay man who has been HIVpositive for the past 25 years. I am dedicated to working with and advocating for youth, so that they may not have to endure the pain and hardships I have experienced. My involvement with Pozitively Healthy allows me to work with a diverse group of individuals on a personal, meaningful, and shared cause. I treasure the opportunity to be a positive influence and to help empower all HIV consumers.

‘‘

My passion for helping others has led me to join a number of advocacy groups, as well as found Brothers Reaching Others, Inc. (BRO), which provides resources, educates clients, empowers individuals, develops skills, engages others, and disseminates information to disenfranchised and impoverished communities.

As a gay man born during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, I never would have guessed that nearly 30 years later that stigma, barriers to quality heath care, and undue suffering would still exist for so many members of my community. Heroic efforts and huge advancements in science have been made; however, we have seen little progress in addressing not only the stigma of being HIV-positive, but also the legal and emotional ramifications of intolerance and misinformation. It is because of this uphill battle for PLWHA that I have chosen to advocate on behalf of myself, my friends, and my community by joining Pozitively Healthy. It is because of those men and women who fought during the early days that I’m able to now lend my voice in support for those will come after me.

Edward Jackson, CEO, Brothers Reaching Others, Anniston, Alabama

Bryce Romero, Consumer Marketing Assistant, Human Rights Campaign

ʼʼ

EMPOWERMENT.

EDUCATION.

ʼʼ

ADVOCACY.

ACCESS.

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthca for HIV Positive Communities

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Pozitively Healthy is a national advocacy coalition composed of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their allies, including friends and family, as well as leaders and advocates in the HIV movement.

Pozitively Healthy advocates and educates so that the HIV community is and remains positively healthy.

The Coalition seeks to help advance equitable access to HIV competent healthcare and evidence-based treatment for the 1.1 million PLWHA in the United States by identifying and responding to HIV consumer-reported barriers.

Managed by HealthHIV, Pozitively Healthy is guided by a National Steering Committee (NSC).

Following are statements from Pozitively Healthy members on the importance of this coalition.

Pozitively Empowering

‘‘

Pozitively Educating and Advocating

‘‘

My involvement with Pozitively Healthy is rooted in understanding the history of the HIV movement, and my desire to diminish the emotional and social suffering PLWHA experience due to ignorance and judgment. I see stigma as one of the largest barriers to testing and treatment. We need to change the way HIV is understood in public discourse; HIV is a virus and a public health issue. My long-term vision for Pozitively Healthy is to one day look back at the victory over stigma and judgment and see an enlightened and accepting society that recognizes HIV as a medical issue as opposed to a moral one.

ʼʼ

Ann Stuart Thacker, Executive Director, AIDSNET, Bethlehem, PA

Pozitively Improving Access

I am a 53-year-old Black gay man who has been HIVpositive for the past 25 years. I am dedicated to working with and advocating for youth, so that they may not have to endure the pain and hardships I have experienced. My involvement with Pozitively Healthy allows me to work with a diverse group of individuals on a personal, meaningful, and shared cause. I treasure the opportunity to be a positive influence and to help empower all HIV consumers.

‘‘

My passion for helping others has led me to join a number of advocacy groups, as well as found Brothers Reaching Others, Inc. (BRO), which provides resources, educates clients, empowers individuals, develops skills, engages others, and disseminates information to disenfranchised and impoverished communities.

As a gay man born during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, I never would have guessed that nearly 30 years later that stigma, barriers to quality heath care, and undue suffering would still exist for so many members of my community. Heroic efforts and huge advancements in science have been made; however, we have seen little progress in addressing not only the stigma of being HIV-positive, but also the legal and emotional ramifications of intolerance and misinformation. It is because of this uphill battle for PLWHA that I have chosen to advocate on behalf of myself, my friends, and my community by joining Pozitively Healthy. It is because of those men and women who fought during the early days that I’m able to now lend my voice in support for those will come after me.

Edward Jackson, CEO, Brothers Reaching Others, Anniston, Alabama

Bryce Romero, Consumer Marketing Assistant, Human Rights Campaign

ʼʼ

EMPOWERMENT.

EDUCATION.

ʼʼ

ADVOCACY.

ACCESS.

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthca for HIV Positive Communities

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Get

engaged!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Join E-mail or call Carmelita Whitfield: Carmelita@healthhiv.org / 202.507.4744 or Julio Fonseca: Julio@healthhiv.org / 202.507.4723

Engage Amplify the voices of PLWHA around the country by joining the Pozitively Healthy Coalition in advocacy and educational efforts at www.pozitivelyhealthy.org.

Connect

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

A national coalition for people living with HIV/AIDS and their allies advocating for HIV positive communities Are you concerned how health care reform will affect you?

Do you want to empower PLWHA to make pozitively healthy decisions?

Would you like to become a better informed consumer?

Facebook.com/PozitivelyHealthy @HealthHIV YouTube.com/HealthHIV

an initiative of

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Join

today!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

www.pozitivelyhealthy.org