Addiction can come in many forms. While we many times think of addiction as self-medication through abusing a substance, that is really only the tip of the addiction iceberg. Let me illustrate through my life story.

I began to unravel the thread of my addictive experiences when I wrote an autobiography* about addictions. Moving through four addictions in my life up to the age of 56, I was a busy boy.

At age 14, my anger engendered by my father’s isolation from me was demonstrated through excessive exercise. The weight training became an emotional outlet for my rage and I came close to damaging my heart before a doctor helped put a stop to that obsessive behavior. But all was not better, because addiction is always a searching for something outside of us to fix a pain within.

A few years later, I joined a religious cult. Suddenly, I experienced the seductive jolt of believing that I was among a select few chosen by God. That “divine” election gave me a feeling of self esteem. It gave me a temporary fix of self value. But, after awhile, no matter the amount of prayer or study, that black hole within me was still not filled. Because that “religious” experience, a repetitive attempt to ease my pain, was not a true spiritual journey.

When the cult failed me, I then discovered alcohol. Intoxicated, I felt comfortable in a group, rather than feeling like an outsider. The alcohol dulled my pain and relaxed my mind from the nagging small voice that had been coaxing me to really understand why I was experiencing the stress of low self value. After some years, nearing death due to excessive drinking – I chose life with pain and the drinking ceased. But the addictive behavior did not.

I soon became addicted to food; cookies, ice cream and all the temporary pleasure junk food can bring. After a few years in this new effort to dull the psychological pain, my doctor informed me that I was now diabetic and my blood pressure was out of control. Again, out of desperation, I chose life and changed my diet and lost weight.

I share these stories with you to say that the addictive marathon that I ran for much of my life was a flight from the truth of my same sex orientation. It was an attempt to escape the deeper reasons for my feeling isolated and different. Once I faced the truth of my being, I gave myself the freedom to cease running away from who I am and to finally begin to live.

*Dr. Grupe’s autobiography is titled, “Building Sand Castles – A Baby Boomer’s Journey through Addictions”

~ Story by Chuck Longacre, RedRock BHS Columnist ~
Have you heard of Syphilis? Some have, lots haven’t. Syphilis is here, and it’s increasing in the LGBT community, particularly among men who have sex with men. Approximately one-half of all new HIV diagnoses in the state of Oklahoma, for the last two years, were co-infected with syphilis. It is estimated that one can acquire HIV up to five-times more easily, when a syphilis sore is present.
Syphilis has been called “the great imitator”, that’s because the symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions. The first symptom of syphilis is a sore that happens at the site of infection, often doesn’t hurt and it goes away without treatment, but you still have syphilis. Lots of people don’t see the sore, because it’s inside the body. In the second stage of the disease, a person may have a rash on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, rashes on their body, patchy hair loss, and again, all these go away without treatment, but the person still has syphilis. Late stages of syphilis may occur up to 20 years after infection. Untreated syphilis can result in paralysis, gradual blindness, dementia and early death. The good news is syphilis is curable. It is important a person sees a medical practitioner to treat their syphilis because the amount of antibiotic depends on how long a person has had the disease.
Alcohol and drug use puts one at greater risk for getting any STD, as these may lead to riskier sexual behavior. Abstaining from sexual contact is one way to protect you from being exposed to Syphilis. Being in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship is another way to reduce your exposure to any STD. A regular syphilis screening is recommended for anyone who is at risk for acquiring an STD. It is recommended that anyone who is sexually active receive a full STD screening at least once a year. When your doctor requests “blood work” during your regular check-up, he is not testing for any STD, unless you request it. And, if you do not have health insurance, and you feel that you are at risk, you can go to your local county health department to receive proper health care needs.
For more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, on HIV/AIDS and syphilis within the LGBT community, scan the code shown to the left with your smart phone.
For more local information, or any questions you may have about HIV/AIDS or any other STD, please email chuck@gayly.com.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced that it has reached two settlements today resolving claims that health care providers refused to serve people with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The first complaint was filed by a man with HIV who went to the Mercy Medical Group Midtown Clinic in Sacramento, Calif. After meeting with the patient and examining him, a podiatrist at the clinic informed the patient of his treatment options. Although surgery was one of the treatment options, the podiatrist incorrectly told the patient that he could not perform the surgery because of a risk that he would contract HIV from the patient during surgery. The United States determined that the podiatrist’s actions violated the ADA by denying the patient the full and equal enjoyment of the services offered at the clinic on the basis of his disability.

The second complaint was filed by a man with HIV who went to the Knoxville Chiropractic Clinic North in Knoxville, Tenn., for chiropractic treatment following an automobile accident. After examining him, the doctor determined that the patient required 24 subsequent appointments to treat his injuries. On his third visit to the clinic, however, the receptionist informed him that the doctor would not see him because they could not treat people “like him.” The United States determined that Knoxville Chiropractic Centers had a blanket policy of refusing treatment to persons with HIV in violation of the ADA.

“It is critical that people with disabilities, including HIV, not be denied equal access to goods and services, especially to health care services. The Civil Rights Division takes discrimination based on unfounded fears and stereotypes about HIV very seriously,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We applaud Mercy Medical Group and CHW Medical Foundation, as well as Knoxville Chiropractic Centers, for working cooperatively with the Justice Department to resolve these matters quickly and fairly.”

The settlement agreements require the entities to develop and implement a non-discrimination policy and to train staff on the requirements of the ADA. In addition, Mercy Medical Group and CHW Medical Foundation are required to pay $60,000 to the complainant and $25,000 as a civil penalty, and Knoxville Chiropractic Centers is required to pay $10,000 as a civil penalty.

The ADA requires public accommodations, like doctors’ offices, medical clinics, hospitals and other health care providers, to provide individuals with disabilities, including people with HIV, equal access to goods, services, privileges, accommodations, facilities, advantages and accommodations.

The Department of Justice provides a webpage specifically dedicated to information about the ADA and HIV at www.ada.gov/aids. Those interested in finding out more about these settlements or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to ada.complaint@usdoj.gov.

Most households in the United States have at least one pet. Why do people have pets? There are many reasons. Some of the health benefits of pets are listed below.

Pets can decrease your:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol levels
• Triglyceride levels
• Feelings of loneliness

Pets can increase your:

• Opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
• Opportunities for socialization

Many opportunities are available to volunteer at a local rescue or shelter if you are unable to house a pet in your home or apartment. For information, call your local animal welfare division or any pet rescue organization.

The Gayly staff would gladly help direct you to an organization in your area. Call us at (405) 496-0011 and we’ll help get you set up with an organization in your area.

Pets provide many benefits to humans. They comfort us and they give us companionship. However, some animals can also pass diseases to people. These diseases are called zoonoses. Although animals can carry germs, it is important to know that you are more likely to get some of these germs from contaminated food or water than from your pet or another animal you encounter.

Diseases from Dogs:

Although dogs can pass germs to people, you are not likely to get sick from touching or owning dogs. To best protect yourself from getting sick, thoroughly wash your hands with running water and soap after contact with dogs, dog saliva, or dog feces (stool).

It is rare, but dogs can carry a variety of germs that can make people sick. Puppies may pass the bacterium Campylobacter in their feces (stool). This germ can cause diarrhea in people. Puppies and some adult dogs often carry a variety of parasites that can cause rashes or illness in people.   Also rarely, dogs can carry the bacterium Leptospira (lep-TO-spy-ruh) which causes the disease leptospirosis (lep-to-spi-roh-sis) in people and animals. Dogs can also carry rabies, a deadly viral disease. Rabies from dogs is rare in the United States.

Diseases from Cats:

Although cats can carry diseases and pass them to people, you are not likely to get sick from touching or owning a cat. By following simple health tips, you can be even safe-against cat-related diseases.

Some cat-related diseases that make people sick are common, such as cat scratch disease (or cat scratch fever), and others such as plague (play-g), are rare. Toxoplasmosis (TOX-o-plaz-MO-sis) is a disease that can come from cats, but people are more likely to get it from eating raw meat or from gardening. Cats can also carry rabies, a deadly viral disease.

Diseases from Birds:

Although birds can spread germs to people, illness caused by touching or owning birds is rare. To best protect yourself from getting sick, thoroughly wash your hands with running water and soap after contact with birds or their droppings.

Different types of birds can carry different diseases. For example, baby chicks and ducklings often carry the bacterium Salmonella. This germ causes salmonellosis (sal-MOhn-el-OH-sis) in people. Parakeets and parrots can carry the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci (kluh-MID-ee-ah si-TACH-ee). This germ causes the disease psittacosis (sit-a-koh-sis). Pigeon droppings can have germs that make people sick.

Some people are more likely than others to get diseases from pets. A person’s age and health status may affect his or her immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. People who are more likely to get diseases from dogs include infants, children younger than five years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS, and people being treated for cancer.

To protect yourself from any animal-related diseases:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water after touching animals (particularly feces).
• Avoid scratches and bites.
• If you are scratched or bitten by a pet, wash the area with soap and running water right away.
• Vaccinate your pets against rabies and be sure all are current with other vaccinations.

For more information and a complete listing of pets and diseases they may carry, visit www.cdc.gov/healthypets/.

The AIDS Mastery Workshop is coming to the Dennis R Neill Equality Center in Tulsa on March 24th and 25th, 2012. This workshop is sponsored by the Northern Lights Alternatives (NLA), Oklahoma City and is funded by grants, fundraisers and individual donations. There is no cost to participants. All meals are provided for the weekend. While there is no cost to participants, donations are gladly accepted.

For those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, this Workshop offers the opportunity to find ways of living well, of opening up new possibilities, or rediscovering them. By exploring experiences, hopes, and dreams, the Workshop offers a way to live differently, empowering you to make positive choices about how to live life with HIV rather than being controlled by it. The result will be the opportunity to live a more powerful life, make better choices and decisions, and become part of a support group like no other.

“Testing positive for HIV can have a devastating effect on a person’s life,” says Pat Hernandez, co-Facilitator of the upcoming Tulsa Workshop. “Even though the urgency around HIV/AIDS has changed because of medications now available, there’s definitely a need for support and compassion for people who have just learned that they or their loved ones are HIV positive.”

The Workshop offers a unique opportunity to not let circumstances dictate the quality of life you will live. Through conversation, guided meditations, education, and visualization exercises, participants will explore the impact HIV has on life and discover ways to reclaim it. This workshop has been life changing for so many people.

There will also be a special AIDS Service Organization for professionals to attend held on March 22-23rd, the Thursday and Friday, just prior to this regular AIDS Mastery Workshop. It will also be held at the Dennis R Neill Equality Center. Applications for either Workshop may be found on our website at www.AIDSMasteryOKC.org. For more information please call us toll-free at 1-866-304-1481.

The first AIDS Mastery Workshop was in January 1986, in New York, at the Actors Institute. The workshop was created by Sally Fisher in response to her friends in the creative arts being affected early on by HIV and because nothing was yet available that spoke of personal empowerment. Since this time, the Mastery has continued nationally and internationally. Since its introduction here in Oklahoma in 1988, there have been over 75 AIDS Mastery Workshops held locally, with over 1,000 graduates.

For additional information, contact Diana Blocherer, NLA President, at 405-838-0666, or Chuck Longacre, NLA Vice President, at 405-426-0000.

Upwards of 19% of newly-infected individuals in the United States have a mutated form of HIV. This is due to the fact that the person who infected them had already built up a resistance to certain medications. This occurs when someone does not take their HIV medicines on a regular basis, and as prescribed by their physicians.

Anyone who is ready to start on an HIV drug cocktail should have a resistance test done to determine what medications will or will not work for them. Talk with your physician for professional advice on deciding which type of test would work best for you. There are currently three types of tests that a physician can do that help determine which medications are right for you:  genotypic, phenotypic and virtual phenotypic. Each has its benefits and drawbacks.

GENOTYPIC:
Probably the most common test used because of its effectiveness and at around $350 on average, it is financially less expensive. This test basically takes a small sample of your blood and looks at the exact HIV genes where a mutation occurs, and then compares them to a more generalized list of mutations known to become resistant to a particular HIV medicine. This test works best for people who have not started medications or for those who have taken only a few HIV medicines.

PHENOTYPIC:
This test is completely different and considerably more expensive, costing up to $1,200. A phenotypic test looks at your blood from a different point-of-view. Instead of checking one sample for a mutation, the test requires a larger blood sample, which is then put into multiple test tubes that have varying levels of different medications. These samples are then observed to see which ones respond the fastest when introduced to the medicines.

VIRTUAL PHENOTYPIC:
For all practical purposes, this can be seen as a combination of both the genotypic and phenotypic testing methods. For this test, a physician would do a genotypic test and gather this information to then be entered into a larger database, which contains information from others who have had a genotypic and phenotypic test in the past. If your genotypic information matches a past case history, your information is then matched with the same/similar phenotypic information associated with that case. Finally, this test has a price average closer to the genotypic cost.

As with all cases, the above advice is only that – advice.  Each individual, who is considering taking medications, must get with their individual physician and discuss what test and procedures works best for their situation.  Every human being is unique and different – therefore must be treated on an individual basis.  Visit www.theBody.com for more information on this topic and more.

Across the nation, February is recognized as American Heart Month. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States, it is also a major cause of disability in our country.

The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (or coronary heart disease), which often is first diagnosed after a heart attack. In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 had a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.*

Valentine’s Day is a great time to start taking steps to be heart-healthy. Here are a few tips to make that happen for you and your loved ones:
Prevent and control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

• Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke.
• Limit alcohol use.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Be active.
• Eat healthy.

Consider making a healthy meal for Valentine’s Day. Serve food lower in salt and fat content, provide more fruits and vegetables, and make less sugary sweets for an overall healthy Valentine’s Day.

If you drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. Alcohol misuse is now the leading risk factor for serious injury in the United States. It is also the third leading cause of preventable death. Don’t drink and drive or let others drink and drive. Women, of course, should not drink alcohol during pregnancy.

So, whether you plan to celebrate on your own or with someone special, have a safe and healthy Valentine’s Day. Use these tips to give the gift of health to yourself and loved ones on Valentine’s Day and all year long.

*reference: CDC Office of Women’s Health

In 1991, a small group of Oklahomans saw the limitations of state and federal funding for men and women infected by HIV. The discrimination caused by the epidemic in our state was, and still is, astounding. Imagine a time when telling your family that you had tested HIV-positive meant you would be kicked out of the house, left to fight a disease that tears you apart physically and emotionally. There were big gaps in treatment where some people weren’t getting into the right healthcare, based on this stigma.

The grassroots group of these individual Oklahomans came together and formed an organization called the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund (OACF), which was shocking at the time, because it included the word “AIDS” as part of the title. They knew there were staring stigma right in the face, and yet they kept moving forward.

Many members on the Board of the OACF knew of individuals who had HIV/AIDS. They founded the OACF because of those they had lost or were losing to this epidemic. These charter members were going against the grain here in Oklahoma. These courageous individuals were stepping up to confront a disease that most everyone was afraid of at that time. They were “coming out of the closet” in their own way, by stating they were going to fight this disease; something new was about to happen here in Oklahoma.

Through their continued dedication and perseverance they can now boast a total of over $10 million raised over the course of the past 20 years. Over $650,000 of the funds raised this last year alone were distributed to over 18 agencies and programs all across the state of Oklahoma. These funds provided health­care for those infected, and prevention messages for those who are at higher risk of becoming in­fected, while simultaneously filling in gaps where state and federal fund­ing are limited or restricted due to budget cuts.

We do not always see how the OACF assists those living with HIV/AIDS or at high risk from being infected, because they do not provide services directly to individuals. Instead, the OACF helps by supporting programs and services that are already in existence across the state of Oklahoma. For example, have you ever picked up some condoms at a local club or bar here in Oklahoma City? Those condoms were most likely funded by the OACF, and were distributed by various agencies collaborating together in this outreach program. Have you noticed the bus benches which read “Get tested. Dial 2-1-1”?  These are sponsored by the OACF on behalf of several agencies that provide free HIV testing in the area.

In 2011, the OACF partnered with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, to open ten new HIV testing sites targeting injection drug users and substance abusing communities throughout the state. Because these sites are unfunded to perform this task, the OACF provides them with free HIV test kits to serve these communities which are at higher risk for infection.

Oklahoma has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation, and the smoking rate in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community is even higher. The result is an excess of heart disease, strokes and cancer, leading to many years of life lost to premature death.

This did not happen by accident. The tobacco industry has a long history of aggressive marketing campaigns in the LGBT community. For many years, tobacco companies have sponsored “bar nights” and other events with distribution of free cigarettes and cigarette coupons aimed at encouraging smoking.

The Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition is reaching out to the LGBT community to provide information about how the tobacco industry has targeted them as customers of a deadly habit.

Internal industry documents reveal how tobacco companies have sought to exploit psychological factors in the gay community that make this particular population more vulnerable to tobacco marketing campaigns. And that effort has apparently succeeded, with an estimated 30% smoking rate in the LGBT community nationwide.

The Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition works directly with the LGBT community throughout the year on efforts to decrease smoking rates. The coalition encourages all Oklahomans who want to quit taking advantage of a free resource, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. When calling the Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669-English or 1-800-793-1552-Spanish), the caller receives one-on-one coaching by a trained professional who will help in developing an individualized quit plan. For more information on resources to quit smoking or the Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition, please call (405) 419-4247.