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Director David France talks How To Survive A Plague

By Drew Wilson

How to Survive A Plague, a documentary from journalist/filmmaker David France, tells the story of ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) - whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition. Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time.

With unfettered access to a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs of heroes in the making.

Dedicated to France's lover, Colorado native Doug Gould, who died of AIDS complications in 1992, the film has been getting rave reviews and premieres in Denver on Sunday, October 21.

Drew Wilson: David, How to Survive A Plague has been getting rave reviews. How does that feel and what have been some of your favorite responses to the movie?

David Francis: I am mostly surprised but also heartened by the way that younger audiences are responding to it. It’s such an historic story. It’s from my gay youth but people see an inspiration in it for the whole community, I think. The feedback I get from people is this kind of new or renewed sense of community and that’s really rewarding.

As a journalist, you’ve been covering HIV/AIDS and the gay community since the early days. What was that like?

I began covering it for Gay Community News which, at the time, was a well-respected weekly out of Boston and really the only paper doing true gay journalism at the time. The Advocate existed but they weren’t really doing reporting. Then New York Native came out and became the go-to paper for anyone interested in AIDS, the scientific community, the infected and affected communities. 

HIV and AIDS was so scary and coverage was so controversial back then. Did you encounter a lot of resistance to your reporting?

I was reporting in the gay presses so there was no resistance, only hunger for the information people needed to survive. By 1983 or 1984, half of the gay male population in New Yorkwas HIV positive. We were in constant crisis mode and we really couldn’t produce enough news to satisfy the need for information. I started covering the crisis in 1981 or 1982 and it wasn’t until 1987 that the first pill came out. What people were looking for was just some hope, something to hold onto that they could get through this. We were reporting on underground drug experiments and underground pharmacies across the country where people would go to get drugs illegally. If people died during the drug trials their friend and lovers would bring whatever drugs they had left to these underground pharmacists so there was a real network of stuff that was happening - none of which produced any good results, but without it the prognosis was certain death.

And that feeling of having nothing to lose was a big part of the reason why ACT UP came bursting out of the “underground.”

Yes, they came from the underground with the realization that the underground wasn’t going to save them. They had to go above ground. They had to go to Big Pharma and the FDA and convince them and direct them into the proper way to fight this epidemic. And that’s the trajectory of the characters in the film as they ultimately invade the halls of science and force themselves into partnerships with doctors and scientists. They weren’t being welcomed, they had to knock the doors down.

And in addition to resistance from “above ground” establishments, ACT UP faced a lot of resistance and condemnation even from segments of the GLBT community.

It was so controversial, what they were doing. They were breaking laws, they were engaging in civil disobedience. They were shouting down politicians and disturbing the peace and many GLBT organizations opposed them officially. But their strength was that they had thousands of people worldwide who became part of the ACT UP movement and the could show up at any place and any time with thousands of people arguing a single point and that showed that they had grassroots support and that gave them the strength to pursue their points.

Looking back, what would you say is the legacy of ACT UP and AIDS activism?

AIDS activism changed everything. In declaring their rights to healthcare they first had to declare their rights to civil rights and that gave us the acceptance we see today for gays and lesbians. When the epidemic opened in 1981 we didn’t have any of that stuff. Nobody was talking gay marriage. There was nobody who even saw that as a possibility back then. Out of the ashes of this terrible plague came the modern gay rights movement and that’s pretty phenomenal.

Do you think ‘How to Survive A Plague’ will bring a renewed sense of urgency to the fight against HIV/AIDS?

Man, I hope so. Have you looked at the statistics of what’s going on out there? HIV rates of men who have sex with men are skyrocketing. It’s crazy, 58 percent of all new infections are young gay and bisexual men and those men only make up one percent of the population. It’s a growing epidemic in the community and people don’t talk about it. Young men are so disconnected from the idea of HIV that they don’t know if they are positive or negative.

As a community we need to embrace the idea of responsibility to one another and love for one another and oneself. That message, if we can get people to see it, is an infectious message. We need to be reminded that we are part of a community and that we have a burden and responsibility and opportunity and that, I think, is the message of the film.

What message do you have for readers of MileHighGayGuy and Denver’s gay community?

Everybody needs to know the inspirational quality of our history. The empowerment that we inherit from generation to generation, the shoulders that we stand on, and that we come from a line of heroes. This is a story about the heroes that made it possible for us to be alive today. This is our story.

Win tickets to advance Denver screening of How To Survive A Plague

Want to be one of the lucky few to see an advance Denver screening of HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE on Wednesday, October 3 at 7pm?

You can enter to win an admit-two pass by texting the word EQUALITY and your ZIP CODE to 43549.

(Entry deadline: 10/1 at midnight; Example Text: EQUALITY 80246). Winners will be notified on Tuesday, October 2.  There is no charge to text 43KIX. Message and data rates from your wireless carrier may apply. Remember, movie companies overbook previews, so arrive early because seating is not guaranteed.

IFC Films presents HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, the story of two coalitions—ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group)—whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition. HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE opens at the Denver Film Center Colfax on October 12!

Gay Denver tops and bottoms wanted for HIV/AIDS Vaccine study

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Denver gay men wanted for HIV/AIDS study

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Denver Tops and Bottoms Wanted for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Study

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time.

HIV/AIDS: Are we currently experiencing the second wave of the epidemic?

Writing for AlterNet, Michael Bouldin examines the alarming rise in HIV and AIDS rates among American gay men. Is this truly the Second Wave of HIV/AIDS?

Denver Tops and Bottoms Wanted!

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Denver Tops and Bottoms Wanted!

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Denver Tops and Bottoms Wanted!

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Denver Tops and Bottoms Wanted!

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

The White House Blog: How Far We've Come On AIDS

Matt Compton, writing for The White House Blog, asked a group of White House officials to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS and how far we've come in dealing with the disease including:

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President

 John Berry, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Grant Colfax, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy 

Brad Kiley, Director of the Office of Management and Administration   

·         Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council

·         Gayle Smith: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy for the National Security Staff

·         Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady

Denver Tops and Bottoms wanted for HIV vaccine study

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

Jack Mackenroth: Does good. Looks good.

Jack Mackenroth continues to travel the country speaking about HIV education and fighting the stigma. He will be at this year's World AIDS Conference in D.C. on July 20, with the POZ ARMY. (pozarmy.com) Poz Army is a grassroots movement to re-energize the fight against HIV and AIDS, and to push for a cure. Jack is a "general" in the POZ ARMY, joined by fellow celebrity activists like Olympian Greg Louganis, singer Jamar Rogers from The Voice, Ongina from RuPaul's Drag Race, the "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown, who is the first person to be cured of AIDS, and many other activists. You can do your part by following POZ ARMY on Twitter @pozarmy and by showing support on Facebook.

Jack is in the final stages of preparation for the launch of a new dating/hook-up site and mobile app for HIV-positive guys. HIV-positive men often don't feel welcome on the existing sites and are tired of having to have "the conversation" or worrying about when to disclose their status. This new site will cater to HIV-positive men and help to combat the stigma through visibility. All of the models are HIV-positive and members don't have to feel the stigma of living with HIV. It goes live on Sept. 1 after beta testing. Unfortunately, the site's name is still confidential. Check Jack's Facebook page for updates in August.

Initially the site will be fairly simple in order to build membership. We all know sex sells so that's part of it, but it will also have a health and resources section. As the site grows, they will build more of a community aspect where people can chat in forums and the site can partner with other agencies. They want to have cutting edge information on studies and medication. They've also partnered with Dr. Frank Spinelli who is the go-to guy for HIV education. This could have a massive affect on building a solid HIV-positive community of men who have sex with men. There has never been a site like this before and they aim to hit a million members. The site will be free to sign up and members will control their content so Jack encourages everyone to take a look.

And if you are not following Jack on Twitter--get on it!! He was voted Best Gay Tweeter of 2011/2012 by National Lampoon and one of the Top 10 Celebrity Tweeters by Metrosource Magazine. He's hilarious. 

Jack Mackenroth photos by West Phillips - South Beach

FDA approves first drug for reducing the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection in uninfected individuals who are at high risk of HIV infection and who may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners. Truvada, taken daily, is to be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in combination with safer sex practices to reduce the risk of sexually-acquired HIV infection in adults at high risk.

The FDA previously approved Truvada to be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-infected adults and children 12 years or older.

As part of PrEP, HIV-uninfected individuals who are at high risk will take Truvada daily to lower their chances of becoming infected with HIV should they be exposed to the virus. A PrEP indication means Truvada is approved for use as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy that includes other prevention methods, such as safe sex practices, risk reduction counseling, and regular HIV testing.

"Today’s approval marks an important milestone in our fight against HIV," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "Every year, about 50,000 U.S. adults and adolescents are diagnosed with HIV infection, despite the availability of prevention methods and strategies to educate, test, and care for people living with the disease. New treatments as well as prevention methods are needed to fight the HIV epidemic in this country."

As a part of this action, the FDA is strengthening Truvada’s Boxed Warning to alert health care professionals and uninfected individuals that Truvada for PrEP must only be used by individuals who are confirmed to be HIV-negative prior to prescribing the drug and at least every three months during use. The drug is contraindicated for PrEP in individuals with unknown or positive HIV status. The FDA strongly recommends against such use.

Truvada for PrEP is being approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to minimize the risk to uninfected individuals of acquiring HIV infection and to reduce the risk of development of resistant HIV-1 variants. The central component of this REMS is a training and education program to assist prescribers in counseling individuals who are taking or considering Truvada for PrEP. The training and education program will not restrict distribution of Truvada but will provide information about the importance of adhering to the recommended dosing regimen and understanding the serious risks of becoming infected with HIV while taking Truvada for the PrEP indication.

"The REMS for Truvada for the PrEP indication is aimed at educating health care professionals and uninfected individuals to help ensure its safe use for this indication without placing an unnecessary burden on health care professionals and patients," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Truvada’s safety and efficacy for PrEP were demonstrated in two large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. The iPrEx trial evaluated Truvada in 2,499 HIV-negative men or transgender women who have sex with men and with evidence of high risk behavior for HIV infection, such as inconsistent or no condom use during sex with a partner of positive or unknown HIV status, a high number of sex partners, and exchange of sex for commodities. Results showed Truvada was effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection by 42 percent compared with placebo in this population. Efficacy was strongly correlated with drug adherence in this trial.

The Partners PrEP trial was conducted in 4,758 heterosexual couples where one partner was HIV-infected and the other was not (serodiscordant couples). The trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of Truvada and tenofovir versus placebo in preventing HIV infection in the uninfected male or female partner. Results showed Truvada reduced the risk of becoming infected by 75 percent compared with placebo.

No new side effects were identified in the clinical trials evaluating Truvada for the PrEP indication. The most common side effects reported with Truvada included diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, and weight loss. Serious adverse events in general, as well as those specifically related to kidney or bone toxicity, were uncommon.

As a condition of approval, Truvada’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, Inc., is required to collect viral isolates from individuals who acquire HIV while taking Truvada and to evaluate these isolates for the presence of resistance. Additionally, the company is required to collect data on pregnancy outcomes for women who become pregnant while taking Truvada for PrEP and to conduct a trial to evaluate drug adherence and its relationship to adverse events, risk of seroconversion, and resistance development in seroconverters. Gilead has committed to provide national drug utilization data in order to better characterize individuals who utilize Truvada for a PrEP indication and to develop an adherence questionnaire that will assist prescribers in identifying individuals at risk for low compliance.

Treating individuals with HIV prevents its spread, experts say

Treating HIV-positive individuals with drugs also helps slow the spread of the virus, according to health experts who advocate a treatment-as-prevention approach to the disease. 

“If we could find everybody with HIV, link them to care, make sure they were getting treatment and doing well, we could make a huge dent in this epidemic,” said Rochelle Walensky, an AIDS researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Get on TOP of HIV/AIDS: Volunteer for a local vaccine study

Get on top of HIV prevention and volunteer for an HIV vaccine study through HopeTakesAction.org. 

They are looking for HIV-negative, 18-50 year-old-men and transwomen who ♥ men to volunteer in a vaccine study. Don't worry ... you can't get HIV from the vaccine, and you will be compensated for your time. 

The Gay Vegans: 20 Years Without Felix

By Dan Hanley

Every once in a while I think about the old days. Specifically my thoughts go to a dance bar in Norfolk and my head fills with songs from New Order, Madonna, Yaz, Depeche Mode, Erasure and Dead or Alive. I close my eyes and see a dance floor filled with men, and remember many faces of old friends.

As the 90's began, more and more of those men lost their battle with HIV/AIDS.

I still remember so many of them like it was just this past weekend that we danced, went to a meeting, had dinner or went to a drag show.

One of those who lost his battle was my dear friend Felix. He died on July 6, 1992. It's difficult to believe that he has been gone for 20 years.

Felix was one of the most loving, caring, fun and kind men I have ever met. When he passed away, the world changed. My world definitely changed. Gone was a the man who taught me so much, mainly about love and friendship. He taught me how to love everyone. And if you have ever gotten a hug from me, the hug that holds hard and lasts a bit longer than your average hug, well I got that from Felix. A lot of who I am today came from or was inspired by Felix.

There have been very few days in the last 20 years that I haven't thought of him. I carry a drawing of him at AIDS walks. I often think about how he would react to a person or situation. And I am always totally grateful for having known him.

In 1992, Felix was one of over 40,000 people in the US, the majority gay men, who died from complications caused by AIDS. It would be a couple of years yet until the drug cocktails came around and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands. Nevertheless, over 17,000 people in the US died from complications due to AIDS in 2010.

I remember Tidewater AIDS Crisis Taskforce in Norfolk, VA and the many times I was there to help, to drop off a wheelchair, to get a prescription, to see a friend perhaps for the last time. I remember seeing the list of those who had died in the last week or month, and the many hours spent in hospitals. (TACT is now Eastern Virginia AIDS Network http://evanva.org/ )

And, back to this anniversary, I remember Felix. My dear, loving friend whom I still miss so much 20 years later. I know many of you have experienced loss. And I know the loss is always felt. How fortunate was I to know Felix!

Thank you for reading my blog post. This one was one of my toughest as my eyes fill with tears. My email address is vegandude@msn.com if you would like to share thoughts that you don't want to put in the comments section.

This post originally appeared on Dan Hanley's website The Gay Vegans. Republished with permission.

FDA approves first over-the-counter home use HIV test kit

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, the first over-the-counter, self-administered HIV test kit to detect the presence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is designed to allow individuals to collect an oral fluid sample by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside of their mouths, then place that sample into a developer vial, and obtain test results within 20 to 40 minutes. A positive result with this test does not mean that an individual is definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the test result.

Similarly, a negative test result does not mean that an individual is definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous three months. The test has the potential to identify large numbers of previously undiagnosed HIV infections, especially if used by those unlikely to use standard screening methods.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection. About one in five are not aware they are infected. There are about 50,000 new HIV infections every year. Many of these new infections are transmitted from people who are unaware of their HIV status.

"Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate.”

Clinical studies for self-testing have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 92 percent for test sensitivity, the percentage of results that will be positive when HIV is present. This means that one false negative result would be expected out of every 12 test results in HIV-infected individuals.

Clinical studies also have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 99.98 percent for test specificity, the percentage of results that will be negative when HIV is not present. This means that one false positive would be expected out of every 5,000 test results in uninfected individuals.

OraSure Technologies, the manufacturer of the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test will have a consumer support center that is available via phone and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center will be operational and available to educate users with information about HIV/AIDS, the proper method for administering the test and guidance on what to do once results have been obtained once the manufacturer makes the product available for sale to the public. Information about the consumer support center and contact information is included in the test kit.

Denver recognizes National HIV Awareness Month with vigil at State Capitol

In recognition of National HIV Awareness Month in July, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains is partnering with Rocky Mountain Cares, One Colorado, and the GLBT Community Center of Colorado (The Center) to remember, celebrate and honor those who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS by holding a vigil on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol on July 12 at 5:30 p.m.

The vigil will feature State Sen. Pat Steadman, Dr. David Cohn, former associate director of Denver Public Health and founder of the Denver Health Infectious Diseases/AIDS Clinic, in addition to Dr. Benjamin Young, medical director for Rocky Mountain Cares and vice president and chief medical officer of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. Rocky Mountain CARES provides high quality centralized medical care and supportive services to a diverse and inclusive Colorado HIV/AIDS community.

July is National HIV Awareness Month, which aims to to re-ignite a national discussion about HIV/AIDS in order to increase public awareness, end HIV stigma and discrimination, and engage new stakeholders in the fight against the disease, with the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic.

Since the first HIV/AIDS diagnosis in the United States 31 years ago, with the first case reported in Colorado less than a year later, HIV/AIDS has taken many loved ones. Today, one new person becomes infected with HIV every 9.5 minutes in the United States, and 1 in 5 individuals don’t know that they are HIV positive. It is estimated that there are about 11,000 people in Colorado who are known to be living with HIV, and 2,000-3,000 are living with HIV, but are not yet diagnosed. Approximately 430 people are diagnosed with HIV in Colorado each year.

Yet there are glimmers of hope as significant advances in care, treatment and prevention have occurred over the last two decades. Recent and ongoing progress in care and new findings in research are making long and healthy lives possible for HIV/AIDS patients, and the rates of infection and death have markedly declined. There is also a growing number of advocates, activists, and concerned citizens who have joined the fight to end HIV/AIDS.