Alianza Latina in Action!

At the Niagara Street Health Fair on June 20, 2009.

The Food Express delivery truck returns to the Evergreen Center on Thursday, June 25th at 10:00 a.m. The truck delivers perishable food items such as produce, dairy and meat for immediate distribution. Anyone in the area can access the truck.

• Food is distributed on a first come, first served basis. Because of high demand the line form early.


• You must bring your own bags/boxes to carry food away.


• The Evergreen Center hosts the truck on the 4th Thursday of every month.


• Items distributed will vary from month to month.

Camp Good Days

Molly sent this along: Camp Good Days runs a residential camping program for children ages 8-14 who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. The program, called Camp Courage/TLC, is held on Keuka Lake from July 22 to July 24 . If enough people from the Buffalo area register, a the camp will provide bus transportation from the Buffalo office on Transit road to camp and back. All of the camp’s programs are offered free of charge and Molly says this would be a great opportunity for a child newly aware of their parents' status to be around other kids who are dealing with the same issues in a fun atmosphere. Applications and information are available at http://www.campgooddays.org/. Thanks Molly!

Rural Connections

HIV+ individuals who live in rural areas of Western New York and don't have internet access may have a tougher time finding information and staying connected to services. Now there's a free* telephone support/resource group held via conference call which is available to HIV+ MSMs (men who have sex with men). Conference calls are held each Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. and are facilitated by an HIV+ MSM. Calls are confidential, but space is limited so you must register to participate: call John at (315) 571-4770. This is a service of the Central New York Health Systems Agency HIV Care Network. Thanks to Mark for the tip!

* the service is free but note this is a toll call from the (716) area code.

The Evergreen Association at Pride 2009

Oral Sex: How Risky Is It?

Thanks Cathy for the latest from the CDC:

Oral Sex Is Not Risk Free
Like all sexual activity, oral sex carries some risk of HIV transmission when one partner is known to be infected with HIV, when either partner’s HIV status is not known, and/or when one partner is not monogamous or injects drugs. Even though the risk of transmitting HIV through oral sex is much lower than that of anal or vaginal sex, numerous studies have demonstrated that oral sex can result in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Abstaining from oral, anal, and vaginal sex altogether or having sex only with a mutually monogamous, uninfected partner are the only ways that individuals can be completely protected from the sexual transmission of HIV. However, by using condoms or other barriers between the mouth and genitals, individuals can reduce their risk of contracting HIV or another STD through oral sex.

Oral Sex is a Common Practice
Studies indicate that oral sex (fellatio, cunnilingus and anilingus) is commonly practiced by sexually active male-female and same-gender couples of various ages, including adolescents. Some data suggest that many adolescents who engage in oral sex do not consider it to be "sex;" therefore they may use oral sex as an option to experience sex while still, in their minds, remaining abstinent. Moreover, many consider oral sex to be a safe or no-risk sexual practice. In a national survey of teens conducted for The Kaiser Family Foundation, 26% of sexually active 15- to 17-year-olds surveyed responded that one "cannot become infected with HIV by having unprotected oral sex," and an additional 15% didn’t know whether or not one could become infected in that manner.

Oral Sex and the Risk of HIV Transmission
The risk of HIV transmission from an infected partner through oral sex is much less than the risk of HIV transmission from anal or vaginal sex. Measuring the exact risk of HIV transmission as a result of oral sex is very difficult. Additionally, because most sexually active individuals practice oral sex in addition to other forms of sex, such as vaginal and/or anal sex, when transmission occurs, it is difficult to determine whether or not it occurred as a result of oral sex or other more risky sexual activities. Finally, several co-factors may increase the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex, including: oral ulcers, bleeding gums, genital sores, and the presence of other STDs. What is known is that HIV has been transmitted through fellatio, cunnilingus, and anilingus. In addition to HIV, other STDs can be transmitted through oral sex with an infected partner. Examples include herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital warts (HPV), intestinal parasites (amebiasis), and hepatitis A.

Reducing the Risk

Generally, the use of a physical barrier during oral sex can reduce the risk of transmission of HIV and other STDs. A latex or plastic condom may be used on the penis to reduce the risk of oral-penile transmission. If your partner is a female, a cut-open condom or a dental dam can be used between your mouth and the vagina. Similarly, regardless of the sex of your partner, if your mouth will come in contact with your partner’s anus, a cut-open condom or dental dam can be used between your mouth and the anus. At least one scientific article has suggested that plastic food wrap may be used as a barrier to protect against herpes simplex virus during oral-vaginal or oral-anal sex. However, there are no data regarding the effectiveness of plastic food wrap in decreasing transmission of HIV and other STDs in this manner and it is not manufactured or approved by the FDA for this purpose.