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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Vol. 49 • No. 48 • November 28-December 4, 2019
Website aims to lessen HIV stigma, promote U=U Joel Engardio
District 7 supervisor candidate Joel Engardio is hoping the third time’s the charm.
Gay men seek SF supervisor seats
by Matthew S. Bajko
F
Courtesy PlusLife Media
Crystal Shae, left, joined Karl Schmid, Tye Olson, and Bailey Pritchard on the set of PlusTalk.
by Charlie Wagner
U
ndetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U, is the message Karl Schmid works passionately to spread these days. As one of the few openly HIV-positive broadcasters on U.S. television, he wants to use his position to fight against what he believes is pervasive HIV stigma.
Since 2012, Schmid has worked as a producer and station host for ABC7 in Los Angeles. In March 2018, Schmid said that he publicly disclosed his HIV-positive status on social media, even though people had warned him, “You don’t want to be known as the guy with AIDS on TV.” He said that he’s received “great support from ABC” since his disclosure, but also said
he has been unable to get a story about U=U on TV. “We do stories about testicular cancer, and it’s great that we highlight these stories,” he said in a recent phone interview. “But if we don’t talk about HIV, people will not get tested or treated.” See page 5 >>
‘Jarring’ study shows HIV-neg young adults eschew PrEP, condoms
ollowing the departure of gay former District 9 Supervisor David Campos in early January 2017, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has had just one member of the LGBT community serving on it. That person has represented District 8, which includes the LGBT Castro district; since July 2018 gay Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has Reporter previously reported, Gilead currently by John Ferrannini served in the seat. has a medication assistance program to help Now two gay married men are looking to n what one researcher said was “jarring,” people obtain Truvada, as well as a co-pay couexpand the ranks of out supervisors by run54% of HIV-negative young adults didn’t pon program for those with private insurance. ning for seats on the November ballot next report using condoms or PrEP – two critiThe company indicated in an October stateyear. Either would be the first out person to be cal tools in preventing the spread of the virus ment that this assistance will also be available elected to their supervisor seat. that causes AIDS – according to the results of for people who wish to use Descovy for PrEP. Joel Engardio is mounting his third cama survey released by pharmaceutical company paign for the District 7 seat representing the Merck November 25. Other survey findings neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks. He first The national survey, “Owning HIV: Young The survey also found that 50% of HIVran in 2012 and saw his percentage of the vote Adults and the Fight Ahead,” was conducted negative respondents did not know that undesignificantly increase when he ran a second over the summer in conjunction with the Pretectable equals untransmittable. time against the incumbent in 2016. vention Access Campaign, a group seeking • Earn 1% cash back for everyday purchases “This is an incredible advance that a lot of “To me it’s third time’s the charm,” Engarto promote the knowledge that HIV-positive people aren’t aware of,” Sklar said of U=U. dio, 47, told Bay Area Reporter during an •theNo Annual Fee people with undetectable viral loads can“There’s so much more we can do.” Courtesy Twitter interview the morning of the November 5 not transmit the virus as part of the U=U Murray Penner, a gay man who is the execu• No Balance Transfer Fee election while seated in front of the West Portal Murray Penner is the executive director (undetectable=untransmittable) campaign. tive director of the Prevention Access Cambranch library. of the Prevention Access Campaign. The survey of 1,596 people had questions Fees paign, was diagnosed with HIV over 30 years NoNorman Foreign Transaction District • 7 Supervisor Yee, currently about HIV of adults from both the millennial ago. He said that it’s easy to forget the lack of president of board, is barred from running •theNo Interest charged days generation, defined as ages 23-36, and for Genera- 25 knowledge and resources about HIV/AIDS than 90% among gay and bisexual men when again due to term limits. As the B.A.R. has pretion Z, defined as ages 18-22 for purposes of that are available outside of major urban centaken as prescribed. Studies have also shown a viously noted, Yee has urged his aide, Ivy Lee, Apply today! the study. ters like New York and San Francisco. high level of protection for women, heterosexuto enter the Call race. 415-775-5377, stop by first-of-its-kind a branch SanFranciscoFCU.com “This was a groundbreaking, “If you live there you’re in a bubble. It’s not als, andor people visit who inject drugs. She ran unopposed this month to serve out survey with this demographic,” said Dr. Peter necessarily the same as the rest of the country,” Last month, the FDA approved a second a term on the city’s community college board Sklar, a straight ally who is director of clinical Penner said. “Some providers are reluctant to drug for use as PrEP, Descovy. The tenofovir through the end of 2020 having been appointresearch at Merck Research Laboratories. “The talk about (U=U) – they feel it will lead to unalafenamide (TAF) in Descovy is an updated ed last summer by Mayor London Breed to results were really jarring to all of us.” healthy behaviors. But that really has to change.” version of the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate help oversee City College of San Francisco. Lee For decades, condoms were the only known Perceptions about knowledge of HIV got (TDF) in the Truvada coformulation. has already said she will not seek re-election way to prevent transmission of the HIV virus worse the younger the respondents were, acHowever, the cost of Truvada and Descovy next November but has yet to announce if she between HIV-positive and -negative individucording to the survey. Twenty-three percent can be prohibitively expensive for some who will run for supervisor. She did not respond to als, when used and functioning properly. Onceof the HIV-negative millennials said that they could benefit. Both drugs are manufactured a request for comment for this story. daily Truvada, approved by the U.S. Food and by Gilead Sciences, Inc. and cost about $2,000 Drug Administration in 2012, has been shown See page 16 >> a month for a 30-day supply. As the Bay Area See page 14 >> to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV by more
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