Looking for Volunteers

Are you looking for opportunities to help out in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS? We're forming a special team of bright young men to help the cause. For this special team, here are the qualifications:

1. Willing to be trained (trainings are scheduled during weekends)
2. Strong interpersonal communication skills
3. Working professional, has shown some level of success in school, business, or corporate career
4. Gay or bisexual male - has intimate understanding how it is to be one

 Trainings consist of 3 tiers and are highly selective. First set of trainings is scheduled in February, entitled "Self-Empowerment Workshop." There will be 3 batches of 18 participants each (Feb 4-5, Feb 11-12, and Feb. 18-19.) It is an overnight training and will be held in Malate, Manila. Food and overnight accommodations are provided for chosen participants. For those interested to be considered for this training, kindly fill out this registration form.

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The Love Yourself Cafe: Friendship & Love Among Men

If love is a tree--sturdy, beautiful, fruitful, and teeming with rich, energetic life--then friendship is its roots. Where there is love, there is friendship; just as the roots are to the tree, friendship to love is that which sustains, grounds, and strengthens. So in, February, traditionally the month when we celebrate love, we zero in on its fundamental, animating principle: Friendship, specifically among men who like men.

Migs the Manila Gay Guy and the Love Yourself organization thus bring you, once again, the Love Yourself Cafe. It’s a safe place for casual conversations on topics that dare, with people who care to question and share. Our topic for the cafe is:

Friendship & Love Among Men

February 11, 2012, Saturday

6 to 9 PM

While this is a relaxed and fun environment, privacy and confidentiality are taken very seriously. Attendance is strictly by invitation. To ensure privacy of all attendees, venue details shall be sent only to the invited participants.

If you would like to join this private, by-invitation event, express your interest by filling out the form at this link (http://tinyurl.com/tlycafe2) no later than January 31st.

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Nominate 'Love Yourself' at the Twitter Shorty Awards!

Nominate LOVEYOURSELF for a social media award in the Shorty Awards

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New Year's Resolution: HIV Testing

If you are thinking of starting the year by conquering your fear, taking care of yourself, loving yourself -- here's a great first step. Good news is that we're here to help! Click here!

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We can still reverse this trend.

With 212 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) in November 2011, the Philippines for the first time has breached the 2,000-mark in terms of its annual numbers. Only two years ago, in 2009, we were at a sub-1,000 mark.

We enjoin everyone to help as we, in Love Yourself, firmly believe that this outrageous growth rate can be arrested and reversed. We are doing our share, and we need everyone's help. Do you want to help? Register here.

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Love Yourself and QCHD conduct free HIV counseling and testing

Volunteer HIV educators and counselors take a break
after a long day of work on Dec. 11, 2011. [Photo by: Ura Sevilla]

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT individuals, after learning about it through social networking sites, blogs, and Facebook, voluntarily came to a special HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) event organized by the Love Yourself (VINN Advocacy) Group on December 11, 2011. The event was held in a private facility in West Avenue, Quezon City, in partnership with the Quezon City Health Department (QCHD).

The program provided an intensive STI and HIV/AIDS education session to all attendees. For those who signed the informed consent for testing, the mandated pre-test and post-test counseling were also done. A total of twenty-six (26) volunteer HIV counselors (trained and certified by the Department of Health), and HIV educators (trained by certified trainers of the Philippine National AIDS Council) helped in ensuring that the education and counseling were done according to set protocol.

The 108 HIV Ab test clients’ age ranged from 18 to 46 years. Out of the 108 clients, 99 were male and  9 were female.

As per DOH protocol, during the post-test counseling and release of the rapid HIV test result, all clients were given instructions, as follows:

The blood samples of the clients that turned out reactive shall be sent to the National Reference Laboratory-STD AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory / San Lazaro Hospital to undergo the confirmatory test. The QCHD will contact the client after two weeks and the results will be given. If confirmed positive, the client will undergo further laboratory tests, most importantly the CD4 level to determine the need for administration of anti-retroviral drugs. For all others that received non-reactive results for the test, they were reminded to consistently use the recommended HIV prevention practices, and take the voluntary HCT again after three to six months.

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Free HIV Counseling and Testing on December 11

Ano: HIV Confidential Counseling and Testing – it’s FREE! Walang bayad!
Kailan: Sunday, 11 December 2011 (10am to 4pm)
Saan: Playroom – 35 West Avenue, Quezon City

Mga malimit na itanong:

1. Natatakot akong magpa-test. Anong gagawin ko?
Normal na kabahan o matakot ang mga taong nagpapa-HIV test. Kung hindi ka pa talaga ready, okay lang. Mayroon mga trained HIV educators at counselors doon sa event, at maaari mo silang i-konsulta. Hindi ka nila pipiliting magpa-test kung talagang ayaw mo. 

2. Magkano ang bayad para makasali dito?
Ang HIV counseling ay walang bayad, libre. Gayun din ang HIV testing, free of charge din. Kung mas nakaluluwag ka naman sa pera at gusto mong tumulong, taos pusong tatanggapin ng Love Yourself ang inyong donasyon, kahit magkano man.

3. Anong dapat kong dalhin?
Dalhin lamang ang sarili. Hindi ka hihingan ng anuman, kahit pa ng ID.

4. Blood test ito, kailangan ba akong mag-fasting?
Hindi kailangan mag-fasting. Walang bawal kainin o inumin bago magpa-test -- hindi ito makaka-apekto sa HIV test.

5. First time ko itong magpa-test. Ano ba ang mangyayari doon?
Napakabuti ng iyong desisyong magpa-test. Basahin ang sumusunod bilang gabay: What to expect during your HIV test.

6. Ako ay isang babae, tunay na babae. Puwede ba ako magpa-test?
Oo. Ano ka man, babae, lalake, o anuman, maaari kang sumali at magpa-test.

Iba pang katanungan? Email help@loveyourself.ph


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Something Beautiful

You are invited to join the LoveYourself Photoshoot Batch 4. They say a picture is worth a thousand words -- in this special charity photoshoot, it's worth a thousand pesos and a lot of love, for yourself and for a society we envision free from the scare of HIV/AIDS. Register here:http://theloveyourselfproject.blogspot.com/p/open-shoot-registration.html

The cute, sweet music for this ad is "Beautiful World" (originally written as a love song) by Adam Crossley. Listen to more of his great music here:http://www.myspace.com/adamcrossley

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STI/HIV/AIDS Learning Session at Chevron

Love Yourself's Founding President Ronivin Pagtakhan and Director of Communications Chris Lagman led an STI/HIV/AIDS learning session among employees of Chevron at RCBC Plaza, Makati on December 7, 2011. It was organized and sponsored by Chevron's PRIDE organization in the Philippines.

After the two-part talk, peer educators and counselors Ivy Krystel Hapitan, Dexter Secosana, Neil Bryant Calizo, and Jedd Rommel conducted small group question-and-answer sessions to address specific queries among the attendees.

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HIV & AIDS Registry, October 2011: 92% higher than same period last year.

In October 2011, there were 200 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) and re- ported to the HIV and AIDS Registry. This was 92% higher compared to the same period last year (n=104 in 2010). Most of the cases (97%) were males. Males having sex with other Males (85%) were the predominant type of sexual transmission. Download the report here.

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