Final Rule Removing HIV Infection from U.S. Immigration Screening

After 22 yeas, HIV travel and Immigration ban, it was first established in 1987, and today Jan 4, 2010 has been lifted.

General Questions and Answers

Immigrants and refugees must undergo a medical exam as part of the immigration process for entry into the United States. The exam includes screening for any illness defined as a communicable disease of public health significance. All of these diseases can be easily spread between people. Those immigrants and refugees found to have these diseases may not enter the United States.

The screening process, along with this list of diseases which can prevent entry into the United States, are outlined in federal regulations written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If new diseases emerge or as more is learned about diseases already on this list, regulatory changes can be made to alter the disease list.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC are removing HIV infection from the list of diseases that keep non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States. General information about the change is provided below:

What was the process for removing HIV from the list and when will the change take effect?

HHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 2, 2009 explaining the proposed changes in the Federal Register and seeking public comment on those changes. The proposed rule was based on the science that HIV is not spread through casual contact. A public comment period was open until August 17, 2009. These public comments were considered in making the final policy decision. After the comment period closed, CDC carefully reviewed over 20,000 public comments. Most comments supported the rule as proposed.

The final rule was published on November 2, 2009 in the Federal Register. After the 60-day waiting period required by federal guidelines, the final rule will go into effect on January 4, 2010.

Before the effective date of January 4, 2010, what changes will take place for non-U.S. citizens with HIV infection who wish to enter the United States?

Until the final rule is in effect on January 4, 2010, non-U.S. citizens who have HIV cannot come to the United States unless granted a waiver by the Department of Homeland Security. Also, all those applying for an immigrant visa will have to be tested for HIV infection during the immigrant medical exam until January 4, 2010.

Under the new rule, effective on January 4, 2010, HIV testing will no longer be required as part of the immigrant medical exam. In addition, waivers will no longer be needed for HIV infection.

What diseases prevent non-U.S. citizens from coming to the United States?

Diseases that can prevent entry to the U.S. fall into three categories:

• Any of the following diseases: active tuberculosis, infectious syphilis, gonorrhea, infectious leprosy, chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, granuloma inguinale, and HIV infection. (HIV infection will be removed on January 4, 2010)
• Quarantinable diseases designated by any Presidential Executive Order. The current list of diseases includes cholera, diphtheria, infectious tuberculosis, plague, smallpox, yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and influenza caused by novel or re-emergent influenza (pandemic flu).
• Diseases reportable as a public health emergency of international concern to the World Health Organization under the International Health Regulations of 2005. These diseases currently include: polio, smallpox, SARS, pandemic flu and other public health emergencies of international concern.

HIV infection will be removed as a communicable disease of public health significance effective January 4, 2010. At that time, HIV infection will not be used to keep people from entering the United States.

Who is affected by the rule change?

Those who are not U.S. citizens will no longer be denied entry to the United States based on their HIV status. This would include: immigrants (including those in the United States applying for change of status to lawful permanent resident), refugees, and those seeking asylum. This also includes temporary visitors for school, work or pleasure.

Why did CDC remove HIV infection from the list of diseases that can prevent non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States?

When the regulation preventing non-U.S. citizens from entering the country was created in 1987, far less was known about how HIV infection is spread and what puts people at risk for HIV. Health experts now know that HIV is not spread through casual contact like hugging or shaking hands. Nor is HIV spread through the air, food or water. In the United States, HIV infection is passed between adults almost solely through unprotected sex with someone who has HIV or by sharing needles or syringes used by someone with HIV. Removing HIV infection from the list of illnesses that prevent entry to the United States is based on this improved knowledge of the risk of spreading the disease.

Will the rule change increase the risk that average Americans will contract HIV?

Allowing non-U.S. citizens with HIV infection into the United States will not pose a risk to the public’s health through casual contact. HIV infection is preventable and is not spread through casual contact or day-to-day activities. It is mainly spread through behaviors which involve the exchange of bodily fluids during sex or sharing of needles.

HIV is not a new virus in the United States. Currently, it’s estimated that more than 1 million Americans are living with HIV. It is important to remember that any risk posed by people with HIV is not a result of their nationality. The risk of spreading HIV is only increased when a person engages in specific behaviors, such as having unprotected sex or sharing needles.

Why are HHS and CDC removing only HIV infection when other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are still on the list of diseases that prevent entry?

Legislation passed in July 2008 removed language from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) related to HIV. This original text had mandated that HIV infection be on the list of diseases that can keep people from coming to the United States. The decision to remove HIV infection from the regulations is because of this change in law and the science of how HIV is spread. In the United States, HIV infection is passed between adults almost solely through unprotected sex with someone who has HIV or by sharing needles or syringes used by someone with HIV. HIV is not spread through casual contact.

CDC continues to review the list of diseases in the regulations. If CDC seeks to remove other STDs in the future, it will do so through the federal rulemaking process.

Why does the law require 60 days before the final rule can go into effect?

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires a 60-day waiting period for any rule that has a major economic impact. An economic analysis has shown that this rule will have a major national economic impact. Thus, this rule meets the OMB guidelines for the 60-day waiting period.

The 60-day waiting period will begin on November 2, 2009. Thus, the final rule will go into effect on January 4, 2010.

Where can I find out more about the new rule?

For more information about the new rule, or to view the rule in its entirety, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/laws_regs/fed_reg/remove-hiv/final-rule-hiv.htm.

For more information on HIV, please see http://www.cdc.gov/hiv.

Source: DCD General Q and A section

Other similar sites
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/takeaction/resourcecenter/959.html

Wake Up The Matrix Has You

Hello Everyone,
Someone sent me this message and I remember having this kind of discussion in our room Paltalk. As well as one of my closest friends, has the same stand, she was telling me: she watched videos, read documents that proof this statement's true. She also discussed this issue with her Pal friends in their own room and they seems to be convinced on the idea of what this message is stating. Usually, I do not post message like this but I just want to share it with you all.

Part#1 Follow the white rabbit

Part#1
AIDS is man made and thanks to a brilliant Dr by the name of Dr Boyd Graves and Dr Leonard Horowitz we have the proof and can prove it. Did you know 8 out 10 people of color already believe that aids was man made even with out proof. Why is that ? Because you don't have to be a Dr or a scientist to know things don't add up. In the words of my Brother Kanye West (If Magic Johnson got a cure for aids and all the poor people passed away) Now many of you have not done enough research for to start at the very beginning. So let's start from where we can prove it is man made with our governments documents. Now the key word here is Government documents this is not a 9-11 conspiracy theory that is open for debate this is our own governments document and one by one I will break it down to all of you. Let's start on June 9 1969 when the US Pentagon went before congress and asked for 10 million dollars to create a synthetic bio logical agent that would deplete the defense system to allow for the on sight of a infectious disease. How do we know this we have the documents to prove it's called Hr 15090 watch the video below. I also wanted to point out 10 years after they asked for the money we had the virus that we now call HIV and Aids.

Part#2
Now let's fast forward to January 1971 why this date? you may ask because this is when President Nixon aka Tricky Nixy as he was called announced his campaign to find a cure for cancer he made plan to invest over 100 million dollars to find a cure. Now something else happen that same year October 1971 the Army's Fort Detrick, Maryland, biological warfare facility was converted to a cancer research center, eventually becoming the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center. They would start what would be called The Us Special Virus Cancer Program. Now there is one issue here that I want everybody to be aware of because by law this program had to produce progress reports. The first report released was progress report#8 now how can there be a number 8 if this was the first year of the program. The answer is it was not the first year and they have been working on this cancer program for years and thanks to the freedom of Information act Dr graves along with other research went back to the library and found the missing progress reports that shows the blue print of HIV/Aids not just a document saying they made it but a blue print of how they put it together. The program originally started in 1962 and ended in 1978. It shows in the progress report that they created the ESP-1 virus compared under a microscope this virus is identical to HIV/ Aids. It also shows that they have successful created a biological agent that would deplete the body defense system know someone tell me what HIV does to your body?

Part#3
Now I want everyone reading this to put on there detective hats right now we are going to solve aids. I believe it was Sherlock Holmes who said if you eliminate the illogical the only thing remaining will be the truth no matter how none logical it seems. So what do we know about aids there are four hiv virus we only deal with the main ones in the US. We were told that a African and a monkey did something sexually that started aids.Than that person did something with a women and passed it on this is what we were told.. Now I want you guys to keep that in mind when I make this next point. Now a group of Dr and scientist from all over the world researched HIV/Aids to find out what it was with the hopes of finding a cure. Now all of these Dr from all over the world and here in the US concluded 29% of hiv is made up of a Icelandic sheep disease called Visna only found in Iceland. Now lets pause it right there and go back to what we were told about HIV and how it came to be. So the monkey that carried the virus took a flight to Iceland had sex with a sheep infected with Visna caught a plane back to Africa in time to infect the African with Aids? lol !! Now ask your self this question if Monkeys where really where aids came from why are there still monkeys living. What happen did the monkeys do what we did started practicing safe sex? Is that why we have not seen a mass death rate in monkeys like there is with black people or people of color. Aids never came from a monkey it was tested on them yes but it never came from them. In the progress reports of the Us Special Virus Program it show them testing Visna with a monkey virus Ironically after Dr Graves went public with this information Chapter#10 of that progress report was taken out of the world data base library but its ok he had made copies so we still have the original documents. Now what all of you have to understand when you read this is all of this is public information you can go to the world data base library and type in the Us Special Virus Program and view the documents before they delete all of it.

Why Part#1
Why!!!

Now in the movie the Matrix, Morpheus said this to Neo before he gave him the red pill, "All I'm offering you is the truth". Let's all take the red pill. Dr. Graves knew that if he was going to prove Aids is man made he could not build a case on speculation. He knew that if he testified along with other doctors and scientist on the stand that their credibility would be attacked and disputed. All kinds of court room magic would take place to install doubt. But if you put forth our own government documents to prove this AIDS was created by our government. Then there would be no room for doubt and no cross examination. Now, in a murder trail you have to show proof and motive to convict someone of murder. And that's just what we intend to do. So we now know Aid's and HIV is man made, but why? Keep in mind when we are talking about government documents that you can google anything I have told you and research it for your self. It's all public information. Next, let's journey back into time to March 16, 1970 where Richard Nixon states: "In the United States effort to 'stabilize the population of Sub-Saharan Africa' and thus, increase the national security of future United States, Nixon proclaims there would be 'explosive events' (relative to John D. Rockefeller, IIIs oversight on the problem of African overpopulation. Now the key word I want everyone to focus on is Overpopulation. Not only does he say there is a need to stabilize the African population he signs it in to law. How do we know this; well we have the documents to prove it. It is U.S. Public Law 91-213. So let me break that down for those of you who missed that. President Nixon signed into law a plan to stabilize the African population.

Why#2

Why !!!
Now what if I walked up to you on the street and told you that the US has plans to kill Africans and poor countries all over the world so that they can take over their natural resources. Let's be honest, everyone of you would look at me like I was crazy.I would react the exact same way. Now what if I told you I have the proof and the government documents to prove it. You can Google this document, it is called "N.S.M 200". Take a minute and read through it. To summarize all the fancy talk, it says that if we can decrease the population off the third worlds ie Africa, India etc.. what would be left is their natural resources for us. Now, let's stop right here. Does anyone know where aids has the highest population in the world? Most of you would guess Africa, but it's actually India, then Africa. All of third world countries have the highest population for Aids. How many of you have heard the name ,HENRY A. KISSINGER. If you have been keeping up with the media you would have seen him along with David Rockefeller showing their support and predicting the election for president Obama. What you might not know is that HENRY A. KISSINGER is the same person who wrote the NSM 200 in April of 1974.

Why#3
Why !!!

I need everyone reading this to put their detective hats back on and let's get to work.
We now have researched that in 1970 President Nixon signed in to law a plan to stabilize the African population because of over population. We also know Nixon appointed HENRY A. KISSINGER who in 1974 wrote N.S.M.200, a plan to depopulate the third world as a plan to take over third world countries' natural resources. What you don't know is that this very same year a group of World Nations now called the United Nations met in Bucharest, Romania for what they called a World Population Reduction Meeting. Once again, all of this is public record. Now let's pause right here and ask yourself this question, "How do you reduce a population?" There are only two ways to do this in either a mass increase in the death rate or a mass decrease in the birth rate. The sad part of this is some African leaders were at this meeting and they all agreed to comb their population. (Pause) Does anyone know what happens in China if a family has more than one child? Per Chinese Law, the second baby is aborted (meaning killed), the man is forced to a vasectomy and the family gets a big fine. Now, this is where it gets thick. In 1979 was the first time in world history when an outbreak of aids occurred in two spots at the same time. One in Africa and another epidemic in gay men in New York City. How is that you may ask? The answer is it cant happen naturally. What you don't know is our government recruited 1086 promiscuous homosexual men to take an experimental Hepatitis B vaccine from 1979 to the early eighties. All 1086 men died of Aids. How do we know this, there are governement contracts showing reports of this experimental vaccine . Please google the Hepatitis B Manhattan project for your personal research. This is very important because the government can say they did not know that the vaccines where contaminated with Aids. Than why in their contract are they recruiting promiscuous homosexual males; as these are the exact words used on the reports and contracts. They could have recruited anyone including non promiscuous men or woman. I want everyone to think about the word promiscuous and what it means. Now, how do we know it was our government who put aids in the vaccine. Well some off the families of the 1086 men got up enough courage and sued our government and settlements where issued with gag orders (Meaning they cannot go public with any information in reference to this experimental vaccine). Why would the government prevent people from talking about this information unless they had something to hide.You can pull up the case files and see they won the law suits.

Here is all the proof share it with your friends and love ones

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6k0we_misleading-cnn-report-on-aids-statu_news

http://www.mikehagan.com/USSPECIALVIRUSFC.jpg

http://www.whale.to/v/hepb1.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLHndzBl4g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8FX-B9vcgg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edikv0zbAlU

http://cafe.comebackalive.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38176

Missing Blogging

I miss my blog sersiouly, I'm going to be active from now on :))

Top 5 Foods for Beautiful Skin

5. Seafood
Active components: Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc

Benefits: Smooth, clear and glowing skin

Most of us have heard that fish can be really good for your overall health -- it's a primary component in what's known as the "Mediterranean diet." Many types of fish and shellfish can also work wonders for the skin, especially oysters and fatty fish like salmon.

The primary nutrients that make fish so good for your complexion are zinc and, especially, omega-3 fatty acids. Increasing omega-3 intake can reduce dryness and inflammation. Inflammation can cause skin to age faster, and research shows that getting too little omega-3 may contribute to inflammatory disorders like eczema and psoriasis [source: UMMC]. Omega-3 fatty acids can also help keep the heart's arteries clear and so improve circulation. Good circulation is crucial to skin health.

Zinc can help fight acne because it's involved in metabolizing testosterone, which affects the production of an oily substance caused sebum, a primary cause of acne. Zinc also assists in new-cell production and the sloughing off of dead skin, which gives the skin a nice glow [source: Self]. You'll also find these benefits in flaxseed oil and walnuts.

4. Citrus Fruits

Active component: Vitamin C

Benefits: Smooth and taut skin

Vitamin C is a prime skin-care ingredient in tons of beauty creams. This vitamin aids in the body's production of collagen, a protein that forms the basic structure of your skin [source: Discovery Health]. Collagen breakdown, which starts speeding up significantly around the age of 35, can leave your skin saggy [source: RealAge]. Consuming extra vitamin C in foods like oranges, grapefruits, Acerola cherries (a single Acerola has 100 percent of your vitamin C for the day) and tomatoes can help tighten the skin and prevent wrinkles.

Vitamin C also may fight inflammation, and its antioxidant properties can neutralize the free radicals (highly reactive oxygen molecules) that damage cells and can prematurely age your face.

In case you get tired of eating all that fruit, hot peppers, bell peppers and sprouts also have good amounts of vitamin C.

3. Red and Green Vegetables
Active components: Vitamin A, beta-carotene

Benefits: Bright and smooth skin

Skin is the body's largest organ. It makes sense, then, that what's good for your whole body is also good for your skin -- and as far as food goes, it doesn't get much better than vegetables. You'll especially want to look for red-orange and green vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach.

Orange-red vegetables are full of beta-carotene. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which acts as an antioxidant, preventing cell damage and premature aging. In the case of vitamin A, you also get anti-acne benefits -- vitamin A has been used in acne medications (think Retin-A) for many years.

Spinach and other green, leafy foods provide tons of vitamin A, too, which helps your skin produce more fresh new cells and get rid of the old ones, reducing dryness and keeping your face looking bright and young.

Mangoes are also a great source of vitamin A. It's best to get this vitamin from food and not from supplements, though, since too much vitamin A can cause health problems [source: iV].

2. Nuts

Active component: Vitamin E

Benefits: Young and soft skin

As with many of the skin-healthy foods on our list, the good stuff in nuts -- especially almonds -- has to do with antioxidant activity. Vitamin E combats skin-aging free radicals, especially protecting skin from sun damage due to UV-sunlight-generated free radicals [source: Self]. Vitamin E also tends to help skin hold in moisture, relieving dryness and making skin look younger.

Pairing vitamin E with selenium can enhance its antioxidant abilities, so go ahead and throw some almonds into your cottage cheese (great source of selenium) for a skin-revitalizing snack [source: LifeScript].

Almonds, pistachios and walnuts also provide a nice supply of omega-3 fatty acids, another great skin nutrient.

1. Whole Grains
Active components: Rutin and B-vitamins

Benefits: Clear and moisturized skin

The "whole food" movement has whole-body advantages, not the least of which is great-looking skin.

Whole foods are basically unprocessed -- whole wheat bread instead of white bread, for instance. The whole grain buckwheat is a good source for the antioxidant rutin, which helps combat inflammation-related skin damage. Wheat germ provides the B-vitamin biotin, which assists cells in processing fats. If you don't have enough biotin in your body, your skin can become dry and scaly.

In general, whole grains instead of processed carbohydrates can improve your complexion. Processed (or refined) flours can cause an insulin spike, which in turn can encourage acne. Replacing your refined-flour pancakes with buckwheat pancakes is a good acne-reducing move. Incidentally, this would also help reduce your risk of developing diabetes [source: MedicineNet].

Not into buckwheat? Avocadoes and mushrooms can provide similar benefits.

Now, while oranges, buckwheat, oysters, spinach and almonds are great foods for your skin, achieving great-looking skin through dietary changes doesn't have to be so specific. A healthy body means healthy skin. Just feed your body good, healthy foods, get some exercise and keep your stress low, and your skin will reap the benefits.

source: Howstuffworks

Teddy Afro Ethiopian Singer is free today

Ethiopian famous singer, Teddy Afro (Tewodros Kassahun), released from jail (today) on Thursday, Aug 13, 2009 after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for hit-and-run.

Teddy Afro pleaded guilty in BMW hit-and-run accident caused a death of an 18-year-old homeless man in Addis abeba, Ethiopia in 2007.

Ethiopia Television (ETV) News stated he was freed early because of good behavior are taken into consideration.

When Teddy walked out of jail, he smiled and said how happy he is to be free, and he added he has met a lot of good people and learned a lot from the experience.

Abesha Care Team.

MySpace Comments


I wish you Health...
I wish you Love of friends and family...
And Peace within your heart.
I wish you the Beauty of nature...
I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...
I wish you Generousity so you may share...
I wish you Happiness and Joy...
And Blessings for the New Year.
I wish you the best of everything...
That you so well deserve.
Sweet/Abesha Care

Teddy Afro

WORLD AIDS DAY DECEMBER 1

December 1, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS DAY. The day is also an apportunity to highlight the need for continued development of education and prevention initiavtives.

STOP AIDS, KEEP THE PROMISE!!

ENJOY LIFE, TAKE CONTROL. STOP HIV/AIDS
WORLD AIDS DAY QUIZ
THE WHITE HOUSE/ WORLD AIDS DAY, 2008

So today is a good day to decide to get smart.
Make sure your children understand the risks — in 2004, the CDC estimated that more than 5 percent of new HIV infections are found in young people.
Make appointments for HIV testing for your child who is sexually active and for yourself and your partner if you're in a new relationship — or a longer term one in which neither has been tested.

KNOW HOW HIV TRANSMITTED
WHO MESSAGE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY

CONTROL YOUR LIFE



GLOBAL VOICES/ WORLD AIDS DAY: BLOGGING POSITIVELY
IMPORTANT HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAYS

KEEP YOUR BODY HEALTHY



WORLD AIDS DAY-BE CONCERNED
DONATE TO OUR "CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS
Show Others You Support the Room By Joining The groupe of Abesha Care at Paltalk.

To share ideas and meet Habesha people living HIV/AIDS visit www.abeshacare.com Love connection site.

Vote For CNN Heroes Ato Yohannes Gebregeorgis

Ethiopia Reads' Founder Yohannes Gebregeorgis is A CNN Hero! Story Available Online Now.

www.cnn.com/heroes and Please vote for him!
Please visit his site for more information
http://www.ethiopiareads.org/

Say No To Violence of Against Women

Obama and McCain on HIV

HIDDEN DISEASE

We are The One Song "Obama"

Jolie-Pitt Foundation Funds Ethiopian AIDS and TB Center

September 15, 2008 poz.com

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $2 million through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation to the Global Health Committee, which will establish a center for children in Ethiopia affected by HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, MSNBC.com/Access Hollywood reports.

The center will be an expansion of the Cambodian Health Committee, which has fought both life-threatening diseases in that country since 1994.

“Our goal is to transfer the success we have had in Cambodia to Ethiopia where people are needlessly dying of tuberculosis, a curable disease, and HIV/AIDS, a treatable disease,” Jolie told Access Hollywood.

The couple’s oldest son, Maddox, was born in Cambodia, while Zahara, their adopted daughter, hails from Ethiopia.

“It is our hope when Zahara is older she will take responsibility of the clinic and continue its mission,” Pitt said in a statement.

What Time Is The Presidential Debate?

The first debate between Barack Obama and John McCain is at 9 p.m. EST tonight (26 Sep 08). The reason I post this is because, when I typed this question into google I couldn’t find the time anywhere. I guess now it can help others if they google it they can get their answer. Thanks and Feel free to leave a message.

PLAY THE GAME

Play the game


If you are having trouble connecting to the game through these links, visit www.posornot.com

Lose Myself

Lauryn Hill Lose Myself Lyrics
Songwriters: N/A I used to do it for the love a long time ago
And all I ever wanted was love
I used to love without fear a long time ago
And all I ever wanted was love
Then somebody came around and tried to hurt me
Tried to make me feel like I was unworthy
Took a pure love and tried to make it dirty
Truth was they never did deserve me
No!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

Couldn’t tell me I was love when I needed it
When, all I ever wanted was love.
Should a told me just me because!
I’m worth receiving it
But all I ever wanted was love
There’s is something awkward about the selflessness it
takes to
Give love and the good that it makes you!
True love can never really forsake you
But it took a little while just for me to see!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

I had a paralyzing fear of facing failure
And I couldn’t love you perfectly with fear in my head
So I peerlessly had to face the danger
So I could come back and love you whole instead
All of your soul I said!
So I could make it better

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

B-Sec:
And so it goes that I never meant to hurt you
Couldn’t stay but I never meant to desert you
Whole lot a things I just had to work thru
Time to heal and restore myself worth too
Confrontation of my fears and anxiety
Cried a whole lot years I suffered quietly
And though it may have taken years I can finally!
Tell you that you were always on my mind!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could make it better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
make it better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could make it better
Had to lose myself in love
And that was just the way!

Bridge:

Takes strength to absorb all the abuse I did
Great love to absorb all the misuse I did
Hey baby it’s not an excuse I give.
And I’d do it all again because for you I live

Takes strength to absorb all the abuse I did
Great love to absorb all the abuse I did
Hey baby it’s not an excuse I give.
And I’d do it all again because for you I live

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could make it better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
make it better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could make it better
Had to lose myself in love
And that was just the way!
And that was just the way it is…

Bush signs sweeping AIDS bill

Landmark measure repeals longtime ban on HIV-positive immigrants, visitors

LOU CHIBBARO JR
Friday, August 01, 2008

President Bush signed a sweeping global AIDS relief bill at a White House ceremony Wednesday afternoon that includes language repealing the U.S. ban on HIV-positive foreign visitors and immigrants.

The bill-signing ceremony took place less than a week after the House of Representatives voted 303 to 115 to approve a Senate-passed version of the legislation, which reauthorizes the highly popular U.S. foreign aid program known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The Senate passed the bill one week earlier by a vote of 80 to 16.

First Lady Laura Bush and Mark Dybul, director of the U.S. global AIDS office, accompanied the president at the bill signing ceremony.

The president, along with a large, bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, agreed to include a provision in the PEPFAR bill that repeals a 1993 U.S. immigration law prohibiting HIV-positive visitors from entering the country. The 1993 law to be repealed by the PEPFAR bill also bars most foreign nationals with HIV from being eligible for legal immigrant status.

However, as the president prepared for Wednesday’s bill signing ceremony, the White House had yet to disclose whether he and his Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt, would approve one more administrative action needed to end the U.S. ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.

In 1987, HHS used its existing legal authority to add HIV to a list of communicable diseases that disqualifies HIV-positive visitors from entering the country as well as foreigners with HIV from being eligible for immigrant status.

The PEPFAR bill that Bush signed allows the 1987 administrative policy to remain in place unless HHS or one of its component agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, reverses the policy.

An HHS spokesperson last week agreed to make inquiries into Leavitt’s position on the issue of repealing the HIV ban, but the spokesperson did not get back with additional information by press time.

A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for the president’s position on the HHS administrative ban.

“The legislation Congress has passed will move us from the emergency phase to the sustainability phase in fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), after the House voted to approve the PEPFAR bill.

“It will authorize $48 billion over five years to provide life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention for men, women and children in the poorest countries of the world,” she said.

Pelosi also noted that the bill would eliminate the HIV travel and immigrant ban, a policy that Pelosi and Democratic leaders, along with many Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate, have long opposed.

“Congressional backing for the repeal of this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States is a huge step forward for equality,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “The HIV travel and immigration ban performs no public health service, is unnecessary and ineffective.”

The 1993 immigration law and the HHS policy directive putting the HIV visitor and immigrant ban into place allow for some exceptions. But groups like Immigration Equality, which advocates for immigrants who are gay or who have HIV, have said the exceptions are limited and have helped only a small number of HIV-positive foreign nationals seeking access to the U.S.

Under the 1993 law and the HHS policy, foreign nationals seeking to visit the U.S. can obtain a temporary waiver from the ban, which allows short-term visits for tourism or business purposes. Foreign nationals seeking a waiver must register their names and HIV status with U.S. consular offices in their home countries in a process that immigration activists say could violate privacy rights. Waivers also place certain limitations on HIV-positive visitors.

The law and policy allows foreigners with HIV to be eligible for immigrant status if they can demonstrate that an immediate family member, such as a spouse, parent or child, who already has legal U.S. immigrant status or citizenship, is dependent upon them for care and support. Activists say U.S. immigration officials rarely grant this exemption and that it is off limits to same-sex partners whose relationships are not recognized under U.S. law.

Some Capitol Hill insiders have speculated that the Bush administration might decide to leave the HHS policy in place, preferring to let the next president decide whether to repeal it. That would leave the ban in place until at least late January.

A spokesperson for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Obama opposes the ban and would take action to end it if he’s elected president.

A spokesperson for the campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, did not return a call seeking McCain’s position on the issue.

'Hidden epidemic' of HIV amongst African migrants in the United States

Michael Carter, Thursday, August 28, 2008

There is a “hidden epidemic” of HIV amongst African migrants living in the United States, according to investigators writing in the September 12th edition of AIDS. The researchers found that African-born individuals in the US had a disproportionately high prevalence of HIV – although they comprised only 0.6% of the study population, almost 4% of HIV diagnoses were amongst African-born individuals. Furthermore, the investigators found that in one health area approximately 50% of HIV infections amongst black people were amongst individuals originating in Africa.

Because current US surveillance data do not routinely include information on individuals’ country of origin, it is probable that a significant number of HIV infections currently classified as being amongst African-Americans are likely to involve recent migrants from Africa.

Failure to acknowledge the scale of the HIV epidemic amongst African-born individuals, could, the investigators argue, mean that the HIV prevention and care needs of African-born US residents are being neglected. The investigators call on the US government and health authorities to target information about the availability of HIV testing and care to individuals from Africa, and for the gathering of accurate surveillance data about the country of origin of individuals diagnosed with HIV.

In 2005, almost two-thirds of the world’s HIV infections were located in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 25% or more of total HIV infections in western Europe are amongst migrants from southern Africa. Although the total number of African migrants in the US increased by 130% between 1990 and 2000, there is little information about the number of HIV infections amongst this community, and few HIV prevention or care services are targeted at individuals in this group.

US immigration law requires that all persons applying to become lawful permanent residents in the country have an HIV test. Infection with HIV is normally a bar to even temporary entry to the US (although this may change), but this prohibition is waived for refugees and in other special cases.

To try and find out what contribution African-born individuals were making to the epidemiology of HIV in the US, investigators contacted health authorities in nine areas where African-born individuals comprised 0.5% or more of the total population. Six states (California, Georgia, Ohio, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Ohio) were included in the study, as were Washington DC, New York City and King County, Washington State.

The health authorities in these areas provided information on the total number of HIV infections within their district in 2003-04, as well as the place of birth of individuals diagnosed with HIV, and the HIV risk activity of these individuals.

A total of 459,000 African-born individuals were resident in the eight areas included in the study – some 47% of all African-born individuals living in the US according to figures from the US census.

Although African migrants comprised just 0.6% of the total population of the districts participating in the study, they accounted for 4% of all HIV diagnoses. But there was considerable variation between the participating areas, with African migrants contributing just over 1% of HIV diagnoses in Minnesota, but 20% of infections in California.

Further analysis of this surveillance data showed that African-born individuals constituted 16% of all HIV infections in black people due to heterosexual sex (or where the risk was unknown), and in every area except New Jersey well over one-third of black heterosexual HIV infections amongst African migrants.

“African-born persons account for a substantial proportion of HIV diagnoses in selected areas of the United States with large African-born populations”, write the investigators.

They believe their study has a number of implications:
· The failure of HIV surveillance methods to record the place of birth of individuals means that the needs of foreign-born individuals are being neglected.
· US surveillance data are currently being misinterpreted. For example, the increase in HIV infections amongst black people in King County, Washington, was originally thought to be due to new HIV infections amongst American-born black people. This could mean that prevention efforts are misdirected.
· By failing to properly estimate the full contribution of African-born individuals to the US HIV epidemic, current surveillance data may be underestimating the importance of heterosexual transmission to the ongoing epidemiology of HIV in the country.

The investigators call on US federal, state and local authorities and health departments to develop resources targeted at African-born individuals that provide information about the availability of HIV testing and care. The authors also note that there are unanswered questions about the “societal commitment to noncitizens residing in the United States”, particularly “to what extent will HIV-infected residents be eligible for medical care and how will testing HIV-positive affect their residency?”

Reference

Kerani RP et al. HIV among African-born persons in the United States: a hidden epidemic. AIDS 49: 102 – 106, 2008.


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