Darrell Cunningham – “WALK THE TALK” IS AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND OTHER ISSUES THAT IMPACT YOUNG WOMEN.
Darrell Cunningham – JEWELS, WHICH STANDS FOR JOURNEY TO EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH EVERYDAY LIFE SITUATIONS, IS A PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE AIDS INSTITUTION THAT ASSISTS WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12-22 WHO ARE AT RISK/LIVING WITH AN STI.
Darrell Cunningham -INTERVENTION SPECIALIST AA’MANI (UH-MON-IE) DENNIS SAYS THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING A POSITIVE CHANGE IS KEEPING YOUR WORD.
Aa’Mani Dennis -Okay you said something, now adhere to that, like stick to that.
Darrell Cunningham -DENNIS TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A COMFORTABLE SPACE.
Aa’Mani Dennis -To have these discussions in a safe environment for women.
Darrell Cunningham – THE NEW YORK HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS ENDING THE EPIDEMIC WILL MAXIMIZE THE AVAILABILITY OF LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT FOR HIV AND WILL IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF NEW YORKERS.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – With the rising rates of HIV in Onondaga County, one program is on a mission to help end the epidemic.
Journey to Empower Women through Everyday Life Situations, or JEWELS, is a program funded by the AIDS Institution that assists women between the ages of 12-22 who are at risk/living with a Sexually Transmitted Infection. They are able to link those who are living with a disease to a specialist who can create a medication regiment that fits them. If they are at risk of contracting an STI, these specialist can introduce them to PREP, which is pre-exposure prophylaxis medication that can help prevent HIV.
Aa’Mani Dennis, an intervention specialist for JEWELS, wants to deliver hope to broken communities. With monthly discussion panels called “Walk The Talk”, conversations focus on healthy relationships, sexual health and other issues that impact young women.
According to Dennis, the program adopted the three-point plan New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in 2014 to move New York closer to the end of the AIDS epidemic by 2020. The goal is to reduce the number of new infections and achieve the first ever decrease in HIV prevalence in New York State.
The three-point plan, according to The New York Department of Health, is as follows:
Identifies persons with HIV who remain undiagnosed and link them to health care.
Links and retains persons diagnosed with HIV in health care to maximize virus suppression so they remain healthy and prevent further transmission.
Facilitates access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (prep) for high-risk persons to keep them HIV negative.
“Ending the Epidemic in New York State will maximize the availability of life-saving, transmission-interrupting treatment for HIV, saving lives and improving the health of New Yorkers,” says the New Health Department.
