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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Doneley Meris, MA, Director of CenterBridge Bereavement Services Program, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10025, 212-620-7310, doneley@gaycenter.org and Anthia C. Zito, MPH candidate, CenterBridge Bereavement Services Program, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10025.
These interactive workshops for HIV-positive gay men address issues regarding dating, compatibility, intimacy and sustaining relationships with others. As the dynamics of HIV/AIDS has changed over the past 20 years, the needs of HIV-positive gay men likewise shifted, reflecting the long-term survival component of this disease. The challenges of living with a disability, limited opportunities for social interaction and depleted social support networks due to multiple AIDS-related losses have a profound impact on HIV-positive survivors. Through initial feedback from a focus group with this target population, gay men communicated the challenges they face in trying to establish social ties with other gay men.
This presentation will focus on the interactive workshop curriculum developed to meet the needs of this population. Specific modules on initiating, establishing and maintaining social relationships, disclosure concerns, negotiating safer sexual practices, and building on the recognition of individual preferences and compatibility will be discussed. Participants' individual responses to what they perceive compatibility, intimacy, and the challenges of social disconnects within the sub-culture of HIV-positive gay men and beyond will be incorporated in this discussion.
For this community that has been historically disenfranchised, it is imperative to build upon their current social skills and develop new ways to sustain their social support networks thus avoiding social isolation and promoting healthy behavioral choices. For human service/public health professionals working with the HIV-infected/affected and queer communities, this presentation can provide a psychoeducational model to innovative programming designed to meet the changing needs of HIV-positive gay men.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Gay Men
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.