BTTBP in the Media

Dab the AIDS Bear Visits Yuma

(Published in the Yuma Sun, 04.24.10, and written by Chris McDaniel – Sun Staff Writer. Direct link to their publication of the article here. Photo credit by Chris McDaniel – Yuma Sun)

DAB THE AIDS BEAR was in Yuma Saturday to take pictures with local citizens. The bear is symbolic in the HIV/AIDS community for bringing support to those impacted by the disease.

Members of Back to the Basics Please (BTTBP), a local nonprofit organization committed to furthering HIV/AIDS education and awareness, gathered at Smucker Park Saturday to share Dab the AIDS Bear with the Yuma community.

Dab is symbolic to the HIV/AIDS community for bringing support to those impacted by the disease, said Gabriela Leon, BTTBP HIV outreach director.

According to the BTTBP website, Dab the AIDS Bear was started as a symbol of love and hope by Dab Garner for friends dying in quarantine from AIDS in the early 1980s.

“Dab began taking a teddy bear to his friends who were in the AIDS wards to give love through the teddy bear,” Leon said.

“Once the AIDS wards were closed down, the patients were still alone in the hospitals and their homes and hospices because of societal or family rejection or a variety of other reasons. So it spawned into Dab taking teddy bears to them, and this project turned into a bigger thing.”

The bear continues the message of hope for people living with HIV/AIDS and symbolizes the millions whose sacrifice and deaths provided the life-saving medications available today, event organizers said.

The bear travels around the country so people, including many celebrities, can take pictures with it, which are posted to dabtheaidsbearproject.com. The pictures taken in Yuma on Saturday will be posted to backtothebasicsplease. com as well.

“We want to bring awareness and love to people regardless if they are infected or not,” Leon said. “A teddy bear could be that love and connection to another human being that is needed.”

HIV/AIDS is still around and claiming victims, Leon said.

“HIV/AIDS is a big problem in small communities because of the lack of resources. We know nationwide there have been severe funding cuts. Some of the programs that have been greatly impacted are social human service programs.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles or syringes with someone who is infected or, very rarely, through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors.

Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding after birth.

The CDC said HIV/AIDS has claimed the lives of over 550,000 Americans. Today, between 800,000 and 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and one fifth of those infected are unaware of their infection.

Also, the number of people living with AIDS is increasing, as effective new drug therapies are keeping HIV-infected persons healthy longer and dramatically reducing the death rate.

Arizona has reported 10,975 AIDS cases to the CDC from the beginning of the epidemic through December 2007. Arizona is ranked 21st highest among the 50 states in cumulative reported AIDS cases, the CDC said.

According to aids-ed.org, the four southern Arizona border counties represent about 1,292 AIDS cases, or 21 percent of the total for the state, with 80 AIDS cases and 73 HIV cases reported in Yuma County since the beginning of the epidemic as of December 2007.

A report submitted by the state of Arizona in August 2008 said there were five new HIV cases in Yuma at that time as well as four new AIDS cases.

“The rates are high, and we want people to at least know HIV is still out there, and the numbers are increasing in our community,” Leon said. “There are still many people who are misinformed about how you can and cannot catch it, and it is important to get the information out.”

Leon believes there is still a stigma attached to anyone infected with the disease. She said the infected may refuse to tell anyone about their condition because they are afraid of getting fired, losing their friends or getting disowned by their families.

“There is still a huge stigma. We’ve done our best to get people to speak at our events, but they are always concerned someone is going to recognize them. We really want the community to realize AIDS is still very present in Yuma County and the only way to fight the fear is to get educated and read about it and get more information. That is the only way we will understand and begin to destigmatize it.”

Leon said there is no reason to fear someone who is infected with AIDS.

“You can hug them and hold them. People with HIV have babies, get married and are in relationships. As long as they take care of themselves, they will not pass HIV through casual contact.”

World AIDS Day Event Held at AWC

(Published in the Yuma Sun, 11.28.09, and written by Stephanie A.Wilken – Sun Staff Writer. Direct link to their publication of the article here.)

World AIDS Day 2009 will honor the lives lost to the disease Tuesday at Arizona Western College.

The commemoration takes place at AWC’s College Community Center Tuesday beginning at noon with a prayer vigil at 6 p.m.

The day will be marked by worldwide events remembering those who succumbed to the pandemic and renewing a commitment to finding improved treatments, according to Brandon Bennett, president of Back To The Basics Please (BTTBP), the nonprofit hosting the tribute.

“Yuma has never experienced an event like this before. HIV is not a minority issue, it is a public issue. So we’re trying to make this event as public as possible with garnering as many public health organizations as possible.”

Some of the organizations participating include Yuma County Public Health Services District, Yuma County AIDS Network, Sunset Community Health Center, Hospice of Yuma and Project GBH, as well as several other institutions.

BTTBP is an online support group serving the addiction recovery community since 2003, Bennett said. Its mission is to connect any individual in any part of the U.S. to local resources to meet their needs with quality services, he added.

Along with HIV prevention information and discussions, attendees will be addressed by state Sen. Amanda Aguirre, state Rep. Lynne Pancrazi and Mayor Larry Nelson. The prayer vigil will be led by Stacy Richards, pastor of the United Church of Christ.

Richards said he will commence the vigil with an invocation and then offer brief comments. He said there are many ways of contracting HIV and people need to take care to protect themselves.

“For those who do contract HIV, the rest of us need to be caring, compassionate and reach out with aid and comfort. I strongly urge people to come out and support the effort.”

Bennett said World AIDS Day is important because it brings awareness to all those loved ones who have been affected by the pandemic. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to stress the need for prevention and offer support for those afflicted as well as those with family or friends who have been stricken, he added.

“HIV infection rates are on the rise in Arizona and in Yuma. We are seeing a climb in statistics throughout minority populations as well as mainstream society.”

Bennett also pointed out HIV is prevalent all over the globe and just because some live in a rural area does not mean they are immune. Each individual can make a difference in the fight against the pandemic by educating themselves.

“People should be aware HIV is a terminal disease, even though various therapies are available. But HIV is developing into new strains that are more virulent than what exists now.”

He said it would benefit everybody to know the consequences of risky behavior. And for those already infected with HIV, this event is good material to get started on how to maintain or improve health.

Bennett said despite progress made in treatment options, HIV remains a significant threat. It has claimed the lives of 25 million throughout the world while an estimated 33.2 million currently live with HIV and remains one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.

Erica Messer, chair of the Yuma County AIDS Network, noted in a previous story in the Yuma Sun what is important is that free AIDS testing is available once a week from the Yuma County Public Health Services District.

Messer also said it is hoped HIV could be eradicated by 2015 and while World AIDS Day began as an awareness event, emphasis is now on public education because HIV is not a disease that discriminates.

The Yuma County AIDS Network holds its own vigil at Sanguinetti Park with refreshments and entertainment on Dec. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.