Preface

1
Preface

• During the 1999 HIV Prevention Leadership Summit
  ,1
• 11 American males (10 heterosexuals and one MSM)
  
• Attended the summit. Dubbed by themselves as the
• Pittsburgh 11. These men were from cities such
  as
• Atlanta, Buffalo , Chicago ,Los Angeles, Miami,
• Oakland, and Rochester.
• These were cities in the President Clinton and
• Congressional Black Caucus Video mentioned with
  high
• rates of HIV/AIDS among African American males
  that led to
• President Clinton declaring HIV/AIDS as a State
  of Emergency
• In the African American/Black community in the
  United States

2
Background Continued

• The Pittsburgh 11, frustrated with the absence
  of no summit workshops that focused upon the HIV
  prevention needs of heterosexual men, met offline
  to begin discussing long-standing barriers to
  heterosexual men of color accessing HIV
  prevention services and care
• Access to HIV Prevention services consisted
• of traditional at-risk groups, MSM,
  Injection Drug use
• (IDU), Criminal Justice, and one the Care
  side PLWHIV/PLWAs.
• 2. There were no HIV Prevention Programs designed
  to
• meet the prevention needs of heterosexual
  men
• The Pittsburgh 11 made a solemn oath among
  themselves to continued advocating in their
  perspective locales and nationally for the
  inclusion, parity , and representation of
  heterosexual African American/Black males in the
  design of HIV prevention programs

3
Black Men Latino Men Health Crisis, Inc. (BMLMHC)

• A Call to Action
• Position Statement , A pro-active response to the
  unmet HIV prevention needs of marginalized
  communities of Black and Hispanic heterosexual
  males

4
Dramatic shift in STD, HIV, and AIDS in the City
of Rochester, New York

• According to HIV/AIDS data from Monroe County
  Department of Public Health, located in upstate
  New York
• Although the majority of Monroe County residents
  are white, the majority of STD and HIV cases occu
  in Black males and females.
• High rates of STD and HIV have shifted
  dramatically to Black heterosexual males and
  females.
• The current CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance policy
  obscures HIV transmission trends in heterosexual
  males and females.
• STD/HIV interactions and access to HIV prevention
  resources distributed using the CDC criteria for
  heterosexual cases of HIV are major factors to
  STD and HIV disparities among black heterosexual
  males and females

5
Position

• It is the position of BMLMHC, Inc. that In spite
  of several advances in HIV prevention and care
• U.S. Blacks are experiencing alarming rates of
  STD, HIV, and
• AIDS
• Federal, state have not allocated equitable HIV
  Prevention
• resources for marginalized communities of
  Black and Hispanic
• heterosexual males and females.
• The Current CDC Surveillance Policy continue use
  of its outdated HIV/AIDS at-risk group assignment
  hierarchy that drives funding allocation at the
  expense of minority populations particularly
  Black heterosexuals.
• Nationally known Community Based Organizations
  reports
• documenting HIV/AIDS in Black America have
  been grossly
• inaccurate, excluding the reality of HIV
  acquisition and transmission
• among black heterosexual males and females.
• HIV/AIDS prevention, Black Think Tanks that
  included Black MSM, women , and the exclusion of
  Black heterosexual men.

6
Key Recommendations

• Broad-based/nationwide community support that
  includes the Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic
  Caucus recommendation by the Ms. Foundation
  urging the CDC to revised its HIV/AIDS
  Surveillance Policy.
• Allocate HIV Prevention Funding based on current
  trends not on the squeaky wheel.