Metformin, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, may help the immune system recognize HIV and reduce the viral reservoir, according to study results published in Cell iScience. Other research suggests that metformin may also improve immune recovery when added to antiretroviral treatment.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can keep HIV replication suppressed indefinitely, but the virus inserts its genetic blueprints into the DNA of human cells and establishes a long-lasting reservoir that the drugs can’t reach. This integrated HIV DNA lies dormant in resting T cells during treatment, but it can start churning out new virus when antiretrovirals are stopped, making a cure nearly impossible.
Metformin (Glucophage and generic equivalents), an mTOR inhibitor, is a widely used medication that promotes insulin activity, decreases glucose production in the liver and helps control blood sugar levels. The mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) pathway plays a role in both glucose metabolism and T- cell growth and diOerentiation. Metformin promotes weight loss, may improve fatty liver disease and other metabolic problems, has
anti-inflammatory eOects and has shown activity against some viruses, including SARSCoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19). The oral drug is generally well tolerated, but it can cause side eOects including gastrointestinal symptoms.
Augustine Fert, PhD, of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center, and colleagues previously showed that metformin reduced mTOR activation and HIV transcription in CD4 T- cells and decreased systemic inflammation in nondiabetic people living with HIV. Chronic inflammation contributes to numerous comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.
In the new study, the researchers explored how metformin aOects the HIV replication cycle and viral reservoir. They used a viral outgrowth assay to analyze CD4 T cells collected from 13 HIV-positive people on antiretroviral therapy. All but one were men, most were white and all had clade B HIV, the type most common in North America and Europe.
When cells were exposed to HIV in the laboratory, metformin led to an increase in the number of productively infected CD4 cells, meaning they contain intact virus capable of replicating. But it also reduced the release of new viral particles from these cells. This coincided with higher expression of an HIV release factor dubbed BST2 (tetherin), which binds newly produced virus to the cell surface and prevents it from exiting, as well as a survival factor known as Bcl-2, which inhibits cell suicide.
Together, this led to improved recognition of productively infected CD4 helper T cells by broadly neutralizing HIV envelope antibodies. Although this study did not look specifically at CD8 killer T cell responses, prior research has shown that metformin appears to increase their activity against cancer cells, so it might also enhance the activity of CD8 cells that target HIV.
“Metformin exerts pleiotropic eOects on post-integration steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle and may be used to accelerate viral reservoir decay in ART-treated people with HIV,” the study authors concluded. (Pleiotropic means that a drug works by multiple mechanisms.)
These findings suggest that by reactivating infected CD4 cells in the viral reservoir, metformin might be used as part of a “shock and kill” functional cure strategy to flush out the virus and make it recognizable to the immune system and susceptible to antiretrovirals.
The researchers now plan to launch a clinical trial to test metformin in people living with HIV. As a limitation, they noted that oral metformin mostly acts in tissues such as the intestines and liver, so it may not reach peripheral blood CD4 cells throughout the body.
In another report, Silvere Zaongo, PhD, and Yaokai Chen, MD, of the Chongqing Public Health Medical Center in China, reviewed evidence about immunological nonresponders people who do not experience adequate immune recovery and maintain a low CD4 count despite viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy.
As described in the Chinese Medical Journal, they found that immune cell exhaustion, combined with chronic inflammation and a disturbed gut microbiome, may contribute to incomplete immune recovery. Prior studies in the literature suggest that metformin has properties that may help ameliorate all three factors.
“In light of evidence discussed in this review, it can be seen that metformin may be of particularly favorable use if utilized as adjunctive treatment in immunological nonresponders to potentially enhance immune reconstitution,” the authors wrote. “The approach described herein may represent a promising area of therapeutic intervention, aiding in significantly reducing the risk of HIV disease progression and mortality in a particularly vulnerable subgroup of HIV-positive individuals.”
Click here for more news about HIV cure research.
A dermatophyte known as Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII) has been identified as the cause of an emerging sexually transmitted fungal infection in four adults in the United States, according to a paper published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
TMVII is a sexually transmitted fungus that causes genital tinea; the fungus might be misidentified as eczema, psoriasis, or other dermatologic conditions, Jason E. Zucker, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, and colleagues wrote.
“Dermatophyte infections, including TMVII, are spread through direct skin-to -skin contact,” said corresponding author Avrom S. Caplan, MD, a dermatologist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, in an interview.
“In the United States, to our knowledge, the infection has only been in MSM [men who have sex with men], but there have been reports of TMVII in Europe in non-MSM patients, including among patients who travelled to Southeast Asia for sex tourism or partners of people who have been infected with TMVII,” he said.
The four patients were diagnosed with tinea between April 2024 and July 2024, and fungal cultures and DNA sequencing identified TMVII as the cause of the infection. All four patients were cisgender men aged 30-39 years from New York City who reported recent sexual contact with other men; one was a sex worker, two had sex with each other, and one reported recent travel to Europe.
All four patients presented with rashes on the face, buttocks, or genitals; all were successfully treated with antifungals, the authors wrote.
Individuals with genital lesions who are sexually active should be seen by a healthcare provider, and TMVII should be considered, especially in the event of scaly, itchy, or inflamed rashes elsewhere on the body, Caplan told Medscape Medical News
Additionally, “If someone presents for a medical evaluation and has ringworm on the buttocks, face, or elsewhere, especially if they are sexually active, the question of TMVII should arise, and the patient should be asked about possible genital lesions as well,” he said. “Any patient diagnosed with an STI [sexually transmitted infection], including MSM patients, should be evaluated appropriately for other STIs including TMVII,” he emphasized.
Continued surveillance and monitoring are needed to track TMVII and to better understand emerging infections, Caplan told Medscape Medical News. Clinicians can find more information and a dermatophyte registry via the American Academy of Dermatology websites on emerging diseases in general and dermatophytes in particular, he said.
“We also need better access to testing and more rapid confirmatory testing to detect emerging dermatophyte strains and monitor antifungal resistance patterns,” Caplan added. “At this time, we do not have evidence to suggest there is antifungal resistance in TMVII, which also distinguishes it from T indotineae,” he noted.
Encourage Reporting and Identify New Infections
“Emerging infections can mimic noninfectious disease processes, which can make the diagnosis challenging,” said Shirin A. Mazumder, MD, associate professor and infectious disease specialist at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, in an interview.
“Monitoring emerging infections can be di_icult if the cases are not reported and if the disease is not widespread,” Mazumder noted. Educating clinicians with case reports and
encouraging them to report unusual cases to public health helps to overcome this challenge, she added.
In the clinical setting, skin lesions that fail to respond or worsen with the application of topical steroids could be a red flag for TMVII, Mazumder told Medscape Medical News. “Since the skin findings of TMVII can closely resemble noninfectious processes such as eczema or psoriasis, the use of topical corticosteroids may have already been tried before the diagnosis of TMVII is considered,” she said.
Also, location matters in making the diagnosis. TMVII lesions occur on the face, genitals, extremities, trunk, and buttocks. Obtaining a thorough sexual history is important because the fungus spreads from close contact through sexual exposure, Mazumder added.
Let me start by saying that this piece is not anyone’s opinion but my own. This article does not reflect the opinions of the other contributors or any of the organizations that I have worked with or I am associated with. I, like most of you watched the returns on “election night” and from the first few calls of who was ahead I began to get frustrated. The machine that is the Republican party has been in the works for decades. They have found the perfect distraction to their diabolical plans. Someone who would say and do anything to be in power and in the spotlight without having to do any real work. The team that must be behind Donald Trump crossed every “T” and dotted every “I” to pull this oE. The days of decorum and decency have left the building. The political landscape has forever been changed and I don’t see how it can ever be repaired or restored.
For years, I have not written his name in anything I have published…. not in any articles, not in a tweet, nor in any of the material I recorded. I treated him like “Beetlejuice”.
Trump’s entire campaign for 2024 has been a bitch slap to the world. From not being held accountable for breaking so many laws while in oEice to blatant racism…all of the things that should be a disqualification for holding the Oval OEice has never and as of the Supreme Court’s ruling that give the President “King” status – he never will. And if you thought it was diEicult to get him out of the White House in 2021, the U.S. is in for a real treat – HE’S NEVER GONNA LEAVE THAT OFFICE NOW!
Many will say that my assessment of the turn of events are a conspiracy theory but if you follow my logic and look at them carefully, you will see how I came to these conclusions. For every action there is a reaction.
But what happened on November 5th, 2024 was basically “Death by a Thousand Cuts”. The dream of making history by electing a woman of color to the presidency was a façade. I say this because Trump knew that whoever was running against him in 2024 was going to lose.
Everything he had ever accused others of was exactly what he was doing all along. People and operatives were put in place to ensure he would make it back to the White House. Elon Musk didn’t buy Twitter for his own amusement. It was part of the plan to control the narrative. Rupert Murdock didn’t create the “Tea Party” for his own amusement. These were all part of the plan to destroy America. Immigrants coming in and taking over the country with money.
Each election after Bill Clinton was in oEice, the Republicans dipped their toes further and further into fascism because their policies were not popular. The song and dance that Ronald Reagan sold America of “Trickle Down Economics” didn’t work. It only lined the pockets of the rich and the poor suEered the most. They devised a plan that partnered with religious groups…another unlimited source of money. And the Catholic Church’s power and reach is phenomenal. If they said boycott a product or venue it was a done deal. They began using fear tactics to grow their base. And yep, you guessed it…the LGBT Community was the perfect target. Gay Marriage became the main focus to re- elect George W. Bush.
And honestly…if George Floyd’s death had not been caught on video Trump would have had a second term as “45”. His mishandling of COVID would have been glossed over by the uninformed because his name was printed on the stimulus checks. If you ask many Black and Latino males who voted for him most would tell you he did a lot for them during the
pandemic. Not realizing that it was the Democrats that actually passed those checks. It should have been Nancy Pelosi’s name on them, but that’s not how Democrats roll. And yet Trump inflicted another cut in America’s death.
But the “thousand cuts” started before he got in oEice with Trump’s Birther Movement aimed at Barack Obama. When Obama killed Bin Laden, he waited until the finale of The Apprentice to announce it (even though it happened hours earlier). Obama’s jokes about Trump at the Correspondence Dinner in 2011 really angered him. This is when he decided he was going to do something about it by running. Trump became the response to Obama getting into the White House and Republicans swore that a black man would never be president again. Oh…you can be a mouthpiece for their agenda (there’s always gonna be a “house nigger” in the bunch). But you could never be in charge of the most important oEice in the land.
Before Obama graced the Oval OEice, it would be suicide to say the things that Trump has said in his many years in the spotlight. From the Central Park Five to accusing Ted Cruz’s father of helping assassinating John F. Kennedy to suggesting injecting bleach into people to get rid of COVID…he would have never even made it down that escalator. But the press spent more time giggling about his run than actually looking at what he was doing and who was propping him up for that run.
Michael Jackson once said “If you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth.”
The lies that this man has told over his years have been phenomenal! And he will lie about anything. And the sad thing is that FOX News repeated those lies over and over again to Middle America. The same states that have no idea what the business of the United States means to the country. They gave y’all extra representatives to balance out the power in Congress but the Republicans, Racists and the Far-Right Conservatives have juiced you up to think that you’re more important than states like New York and California. These two places are the problem of the U.S. But you don’t live there and most of you have never been there. So, your views are taken from what you watch on TV. (kinda like Trump). It’s no coincidence that some of the most popular TV shows that shaped Pop Culture were FOX programs. Rupert used the advertising money from shows like The Simpsons, In Living Color, Mad TV and Married with Children to fund the Republican agenda. Funny how The Right loves to talk about “The Gay Agenda” while they are indoctrinating the youth of America with their views. And this is how The Right demonizes LGBT people by throwing stones so you don’t see the dirt that their doing.
The first warning shot was the Kathy GriOin photo shoot. I have never forgiven Anderson Cooper for abandoning her for that photo holding Trump’s head. By doing so, he sent a message that he and CNN would bend the knee. Big mistake. The condemnation that should have happened when Barack and Michelle were being called “monkeys” by sitting politicians is where that outrage should have been. And by letting racists get away with saying whatever they want to, the nation dies from yet another cut.
When the Republicans lost several seats in the 2022 Mid-term Elections, that should have been when they dumped Trump and got back to working across the aisle for the American people. But no! They bent the knee further. Why? Because there has never been a political beast like Trump. Someone who say all the things that they have had to apologize for in the past. Well…they don’t have to anymore. Trump has made it possible to say whatever you want anytime you have something to say.
It is my belief that “Perfect Phone Call” with Volodymyr Zelensky is what caused Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. It was the “okay” signal that Putin needed. He knew that Ukraine was not prepared and didn’t have weapons. For every response there is a reaction. And Trump has caused many of the problems that the United States face today.
If he had not fumbled his reaction to the pandemic, he would have won a second term in 2020. Denying that he was dangerous, waiting to respond and not holding corporations and business accountable for price gouging lead us to where we are now with high prices on groceries and most products. But as usual, the Republicans used this to blame Democrats.
The night of the election I chatted with someone I used to hang out with when I lived in NYC. He told me that he was glad that Kamala Harris didn’t win. That her and Biden had bankrupted America, and he couldn’t vote for her to continue Biden’s work. I told him that the America has cut oE its nose to spite its face. For all the Black and Latino men who didn’t want to vote for her because “they didn’t like her”, I say it’s not about who you like or want to have a beer with. It’s about who is qualified to do the job. Trump’s win now sends a message that if you’re Black, if you’re Latino, if you’re LGBT or not on his team you will be dealt with accordingly. He spelled it all out over the past year and especially in the closing weeks of his campaign. The rally at Madison Square Garden should have sank him. But no. No apology needed. Just say you didn’t know that comedian or what he was going to say. Yet Latinos voted overwhelmingly for Trump. Talk about bending the knee…
And I kinda blame Dave Chapelle and D.L. Hugjley for their stances on the Transgender Community. It was the tail end of the Black Lives Matter Movement and they reinforced the anger of Black Men towards the LGBT Community. Blaming gay men for their slow or none movement to making strides in the struggle for justice. Afterall, it was gay people who organized and began Black Lives Matter. But black men were not gonna march and protest along side Trans-women. And Joe Biden didn’t help either when he said “If you don’t vote for me you’re not black.” Cuz, let’s face it. It was black women who saved the U.S. in the 2020 election. But some lessons and behaviors are taught and run deep in black men. From slavery days, if a white man say something, old skool black men will do it. They don’t
really trust other black people (especially a woman) when they are speaking about something. This was a major obstacle for Kamala.
I’ve been saying this all along…”Until we all have rights no one has them.” We are all gonna have to work together in order to help each other live in harmony. No one group is better or the chosen ones. We are all here together and have to find a way to live together. This was the reason I recorded the song “Until We All”. You can listen to the original mix here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXchpxxOkbg
And if you thought they did Hillary Clinton bad….wait until they write in history books about what was said and done to Kamala. But wait…I guess with the new regime they won’t be writing that history at all. Remember…White America doesn’t want to be reminded of their dirt. I’m not saying all white people. I’m talking about the millions of white people and the immigrants that want to assimilate “whiteness” because of the darker your skin the less you are worth. Which always confused me as a child because I lived in Florida and all the white people I knew loved going to the beach to get tanned. This is why the Kardashians took over Pop Culture. Their Armenians passing as white and fucked black men. Cuz let’s face it…Kim just did on video what Paris Hilton wouldn’t.
So when I saw the commercial that Elon Musk paid for that called Kamala the “C -word” on CNN, I couldn’t believe it! Trump’s campaign disrespected so many people and he still won the election. From the moment he attacked Jeb Bush in the debates in 2016, it was clear that decorum had gone out the window. And Jeb’s political career was over after that. Bullying and talking over your opponent is Trump’s emo that he learned from Roy Cohn
when he defended him in his civil case back in the 70s when he was refusing to rent to black people.
There used to be a time when Democrats and Republicans had respect for each other. But over the years from the 90s to the present “The Party of NO” has gotten worst with each election cycle. Their gerrymandering of the voting districts has gone unchecked and is the reason why Black and Latino voters are disenfranchised.
I feel so bad for Stacy Abrams…fighting against the “Good Ol’ Boy” system in Georgia cannot be easy. And she poured her heart and soul into her campaign only to be foiled by the person she was running against. The decision of the count was his. How is that fair? It’s not.
You know…I kept wondering why Bill Maher was such an asshole with his platform. And suddenly now it all makes sense. “Identity Politics”. While he is a Democrat, he is also white. And the clear message from this election is that “White Americans are tired of having to apologize for being white.” They don’t want to be reminded of all the things they did to acquire the United States. It is inconvenient to face the truth of the real history of this country. And Trump has given them the right to embrace their xenophobia, homophobia and racist inclinations.
When I moved to Canada, I tried to explain what growing up in Florida was like to my husband. Old money trumps everything. And remember that this was the 70s & 80s. There was no internet. And Republicans could really control the narrative. Certain news just didn’t make it to people of colour. They literally could pass whatever they wanted to keep
them in line. You don’t give up that power that easily. You fight to keep it. The rich in the U.S. just bought the country on November 5th.
Trump wasn’t really worried about going oE script at his rallies. His followers had already drank the Kool-aid. They wanted to hear that he and he alone was going to fix America. But we as Democrats didn’t fall for his grift. How else could the Republicans fall completely in line behind a racist, rapist and felon. Deep down they want to “Make America Great Again” like it was back before the niggers, wetbacks and faggots had a voice. Because we all know that giving rights and freedoms to these groups takes away from White Americans. It poisons the blood of the country. Something ripped directly out of Adolph Hitler’s playbook and Trump just repeated it.
I guess the thing that I wonder is Trump really smart or the ultimate puppet. His arrogance and ego seem to be his main driving force. I have a feeling Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller are really behind most of the agenda he has. And over and over again Trump has shown he will say anything and not blink. Lying at the top of his lungs and not flinch. And many men admire that about him. I mean…Afterall, he did fuck Stormy Daniels while his wife was having their son Baron. And look…she’s still there. Why? Because of the power and position. Another immigrant taking an American job.
Someone else that should have everyone worried is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. What a fuckin’ disappointment he must be to the Kennedy Family. They were royalty in the states and he has drug them down to Jerry Springer level.
How the hell is he going to “fix” the healthcare system when the man sounds like he’s gasping for air the whole time he’s speaking? I fear that the United States are in for a rough time over the next four years. And it’s all gonna start as soon as Trump walks back into the Oval OEice. The Greatest Grift of All will be complete. I warned a decade ago about “The Puppet Show”….Reality TV and S ocial Media changing the perception of news and facts. We have all this technology in the palm of our hands and somehow we have gotten dumber and dumber. We no longer know how to talk to each other. We no longer have newspapers or real newscasters. Everyone is a pundit with an opinion. They want to be James Carville and that’s like Britney Spears wanting to be Madonna. That time has passed. It cannot happen again.
The funny thing is that Donald Trump has always told us exactly what he was doing and what his intentions were. From mass deportations to getting revenge on his enemies, he has never lied about what is going to happen. But he will lie about EVERYTHING else. This would be the rise of a term that would transform our facts, news and social media. And now no one believes anything because of his lies.
The ”Fake News” which Trump poisoned the air waves with is exactly what I believe happened on election night. What we witnessed is an elaborate scheme to take over the country. It was assisted and funded by Russia and Elon Musk and STARLINK is what it is called. Think about it…the rich are not gonna suEer from Trump’s policies. They can still have abortions if they want. They are gonna maintain their fortunes. It’s the little guys who thought Trump could fix our problems that are going to hurt the most. All those Latinos who voted him in thinking that they will keep other Latinos from coming in to take their opportunities will be sad to find out that they were the targets all along. The economy will tank because the truth of the matter is immigrants are the backbone of the United States. They do the jobs that our young people are not and will not do. But the idea is to bring back slavery (just don’t call it that). Make people of colour go back into the fields because these will be the only jobs available.
STARLINK is the satellite system owned by Musk that conveniently reported the tallies from most voting polls. This would explain how Trump’s tallies were so high and he won the popular votes. The exit polls also seem to point to Latino and Black men turning out in large numbers for Trump. CNN’s Joy Reid explains this as “White Innocence” where the white voters had nothing to do with Trump’s win. They were innocent bystanders watching the black and brown people turning on each other. But if you really dissect the numbers
both groups of men only equal to 12% of the vote for Trump. Black and Latino women voted overwhelmingly for Kamala. It doesn’t add up. But white women are really suspect in this one. But if the people of color are mad at each other then no one will be paying attention to what the rich has planned for the U.S. economy. Social benefits and services will be cut to shreds.
And many will say “Why do you care about the election? You live in Canada.” My answer is “I’m still an American and whatever happens in the U.S. aOects the entire world.” The Taliban congratulated the U.S, for not electing a woman president. This is a serious message that has been sent out. Alarms should be going oE everywhere because we are all in for a hurt locker of pain for the upcoming years. And to my Canadian friends…Steve Bannon has made many trips here to strategize with your Conservative Party. And Trudeau has spoken of foreign interference in Canada’s elections. Divide and Conquer…war is not always fought on a battle field. You may be a few years behind your neighbors below but whatever happens there will come here shortly after. Pay attention!
Look…there have been many pundits who have argued that Kamala Harris and The Democrats were too far left and did not address the Average American Voters. I do not believe that. I believe Kamala Harris was shafted just like Hillary Clinton. Both overqualified and women. But Kamala had the extra burden of being a person of color in a firestorm of misinformation and distrust created by Donald Trump and his first term in the White House. He had already put cracks in the system by appealing to the worst instincts of the American voter. Kamala gave a great plan for how to get us back on track. And now with these crazy cabinet picks of people like Matt Gaetz (who thankfully dropped out because he knew that all the truth of the allegations were going to come out), Robert Kennedy Jr, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth and Linda McMahon confirms that Trump, Putin & Musk’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Government so that it transforms into a dictatorship is going to be the new normal.
This is the “Fuck Around And Find Out” season and there are going to be a lot of people who are not going to be ready when it all starts changing. I recently spoke at a conference in Baltimore and I brought up a fact that probably many gay men who voted for Trump didn’t think about. If Robert Kennedy Jr becomes Head of Health Services this means that funding for HIV studies and meds will be cut or completely whipped oE the table because he is an HIV denialist. And for all you gay men out that are depending on PrEP to continue your carefree lives of freedom to fuck whoever you want, it will cease to exist too. Because if those who control the purse strings for drugs to keep me alive as person living with HIV are cut, there will be no need for PrEP. Guess you Log Cabin Republicans didn’t think this one through. Oh you can still spend your weekends on Fire Island and have your trips to Provincetown. You just will have to be more careful when selecting a sexual partner.
So, as we close out 2024, I am reminded that I often approach a lot of people that I find online to be featured in our magazine. I got reminded recently that I had approached a Sexual Health Educator named Andrew Heath. And what better way to end the year than having a conversation with someone whose job is to make sure that people are informed about what is sexually healthy. (interviewed by Jade Elektra)
JE: Good afternoon, Andrew... how are you today?
AH: Yeah, I'm really good, thank you. Busy, but doing good. It's just a really busy time of year when you've got kids.
JE: Now, forgive me... I know we chatted a long time ago, and I'm an old drag queen at the ripe old age of 57. So, my memory ain't what it used to be. Could you tell our readers a little about yourself? Where are you from? What's your background?
AH: Yeah, sure, so I am originally from Whitby in North Yorkshire in the UK, but I currently live in Lincoln, UK. I've lived all over the UK, but Whitby will always be my home, by the seaside. I'm a dad of two amazing children from my previous marriage to my ex-husband, who both live with me full-time, and I have an incredible partner, Simon, who is so supportive, and I don't know what I would do without him.
For the last eight years, I've worked in HIV support services and Sexual Health Awareness Promotion. During that time, I have worked in di[erent areas of the organisation, working with newly diagnosed clients, in schools doing education workshops about HIV and sexual health, and also in outreach work going to known cruising spots and public sex environments, which can be interesting. It was certainly an eye- opener when I first started that role. Most recently, though, I have been working in a specific service for men and LGBTQ+ people. I've been doing it for six months now and love it. I really feel like I'm helping those who are so often the hardest to reach. It can be tough some days hearing people's stories that they're often still trapped in, but it's worth it knowing you can help.
JE: If you have followed this magazine, you know that this is the point where we ask: how long have you been HIV+, and what was it like when you were diagnosed?
AH: Well, it's actually quite nice to do this interview at this time because I was diagnosed on the 25th of November 2014. So, it's just been the 10th anniversary of me receiving my diagnosis. To look back and reflect like this is quite poignant, really.
Back then, I was a very di[erent person, and when it came to HIV, I was absolutely clueless. I was living in London at the time, and up to that point, I'd always had relationships with women. Stu[ had happened with guys before, but I used to say I was straight as I genuinely believed I couldn't have feelings for a guy. Looking back, it was
probably just my way of dealing with being in denial about my sexuality at the time. Anyway, I met this guy and was like, "Oh s**t, I actually really like this guy" and didn't really know what to do. I thought, I'll just go with the flow and see what happens, and very quickly, it was obvious that it was becoming a relationship.
So, just over five weeks into the relationship, my partner got a text from a guy he'd previously met saying that he had tested positive for gonorrhoea, and he was just letting him know. I was like, right, we both need to get tested anyway, so o[ we went to the sexual health clinic. He had already booked an appointment, so I went along and asked if I could get tested too whilst I was there. They told me, "Unfortunately, you’ll need to go across the street to the express clinic if you don’t have an appointment." So, I was like, "Ok, no probs, I'll be back in 10", thinking it’d just be a quick visit.
I went through the usual swabs, and the last step was the HIV finger-prick test. They explained how it worked, and honestly, I didn’t have any worries; I’d had a full screening just two months before and had been careful. But then, I noticed the nurse looking at the two dots on the test screen. She looked up at me and said, "This has come back reactive." I asked her, "What does reactive mean?" and she responded, "It means it’s highly likely that you’ve tested positive for HIV."
In that moment, my world just fell apart. I didn’t know anything about HIV at the time. The first thing I asked was, "How long do I have left?" The nurse looked at me and said, "You have the same amount of time as you always did. Do you know anything about HIV?" I just shook my head, completely blank. The next thing I asked was, "How accurate is this test?" She told me, "It’s about 99.6% accurate," or something around that.
At that, I just broke down. I genuinely thought that this meant I would develop AIDS and die because that was the only information I’d ever really been given growing up, and people didn't really talk about it even 10 years ago. They asked if they should call anyone for me, and I remember saying, "I don’t even know if he's my boyfriend; we’ve only been seeing
each other about five weeks." They asked where he was, and I told them he was across the road getting the same tests. So, they called him, and eventually, he came over. We just sat together and cried for a long time.
I couldn’t bring myself to leave the clinic. I kept thinking, "You can’t just tell me this and send me home something has to be done now." But they told me to come back in a few days to see a consultant. I did, and that was the start of a huge learning curve. Over the next few weeks, I began to wrap my head around things and followed what the doctor recommended. I went on medication right away, and within two to three months, I was undetectable. They said it was an early diagnosis, so thankfully, my immune system hadn’t been damaged.
That was the beginning of my journey, but I didn’t tell anyone for a long time. It took about 18 months before I told my mum. And it wasn’t until three years to the day of my diagnosis that I went public with it. Until then, I lived with it in secret.
JE: I was diagnosed in 1990. I believe that I became positive in the summer of 1989. I kinda didn't come out publicly about my status until 2010. I only tell ya this because I don't want you to feel like the only person sharing personal information. When did you decide to come out about your status?
AH: Aww, thank you for sharing that. Things were very di[erent back in 1990 when it comes to HIV, not just the public perception of the virus but even things like treatment. Your journey must have been quite scary at times, so I really appreciate you and the things you continue to do.
For me, it was 2017, nearly three years since my diagnosis, and I’d started working in HIV support services. Part of my job involved going out to schools, colleges, universities, workplaces anywhere really and delivering workshops on HIV, sexual health, relationships, things like that.
So, there I was, standing in front of classrooms full of kids aged 14 and up, telling them about how it’s just one pill a day, explaining that once you're undetectable, you can't pass it on, and just how easy it was to test; and yet at the same time, I was still keeping my own diagnosis a secret. I felt like I was part of the problem.
JE: Now... are you a teacher professionally, or are you a teacher as a title? I tell folks that I am a makeup artist but really I can only do my own makeup.
AH: No, I'm not a qualified teacher. My title was trainer or educator rather than teacher. So, I would go into schools as an outside speaker and deliver a session on HIV for that lesson.
JE: How did you start teaching people about their sexual health? Was this a calling? Did your own status help inform your decision?
AH: 100% it was my diagnosis that inspired me to do this kind of work. Before my diagnosis, I was working at The Savoy Hotel. I just found myself bending over backwards to make sure rich or famous people (often with no manners) got what they wanted. Then I'd leave at the end of my shift and see people sleeping on the street.
After my diagnosis, I remember thinking, I could be spending my time helping people who really need help rather than those who can a[ord the luxuries in life.
It was three years to the day that I got my diagnosis when I put it out there on Facebook. I never ever expected it to go as far as it did. The post was liked and shared hundreds of times, and I received messages from people around the world messages of support, and also from some people sharing their status for the first time because they felt comfortable to do so.
Not long after that, I received a message from a journalist asking if they could write an article about how far my Facebook post had gone. I agreed, because there wasn’t much accurate information about HIV in the media, so I did the interview, and the journalist who wrote it was fantastic.
She worked for the Press Association, so it was put into a pool of other articles, allowing any publication to pick it up and publish it. The next day, it was in three national newspapers, various online news and LGBTQ+ pages, and I had the local TV news contact me, asking if I would do an interview.
It all went a bit crazy after that. I had local radio ask me to do interviews, I was asked if I would be the face of three campaigns across the UK about HIV prevention, U=U, and National HIV Testing Week, and I was even invited to fly to Luxembourg to the European Commission to discuss HIV prevention across Europe.
I had some amazing opportunities and just thought, whilst I have the platform to talk about it, I should do it, so I did.
JE: Do you do speaking engagements? And if so... how would someone book you? Could someone find you on social media?
AH: I'm always happy to talk to anyone about HIV and my story in whatever setting that may be.
Although I don’t o[icially work in HIV support services at the moment, I do still get asked to speak at di[erent places and events. Usually in schools, colleges, universities, etc., but sometimes in places of work for sta[ training or at youth groups and things like that to deliver enrichment sessions to help educate people further.
There may be more stu[ happening with that im looking into in the new year, but for now, you can contact me on social media:
Facebook: @MrAndrewHeath
Instagram: @a.heath_
X: @a_heath_ (although I don’t really use X as much these days).
JE: Before we let you go... one last question. What advice would you give to a newly diagnosed person?
AH: Oh wow! That's a tough one, I guess, because everyone's situation is so di[erent.
Firstly, if you are diagnosed with HIV, you WILL be okay.
Secondly, don’t start Googling stu[, as you are likely to read wrong or outdated information.
I remember asking my consultant about a week after my diagnosis how to tell my mum. She just looked and asked, "Do you need to tell your mum?" and I was like, "Well yeah, it's
kind of a big deal." Then she said, "It's as big as you want to make it. Would you call your mum and tell her if you'd just found out that you had chlamydia?"
"No, of course not," I replied.
"Then why is this any di[erent? How do you think she will react if you told her?" she asked.
"I think she'll totally freak out and panic," I said.
Then she gave me one of the best pieces of advice anyone ever gave me. She said:
"If you have to tell your mother, just wait until you have all the answers to all the questions that she is going to ask, and you've got your head around it first. Otherwise, you'll be the one supporting her when you need the support. You may not always get the reaction you want from people, so be cautious with who you tell, as once you've told someone, you can't 'un-tell' that person. It's also no one else's business, so don’t feel you have to tell anyone if you don't want to."
JE: Well, I really want to thank you for doing this interview. It is so important that we share our stories and document them. This is how we help others—by being living examples of people who are making a di[erence. Is there anything else you'd like to say or share as we close out our interview?
AH: Just thank you for asking me to do this interview and for all you do for the community. And to all the readers who took the time to read today thank you.
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Alright…what a shitty way to end the year! I’m so depressed and worried about the future. The only thing that keeps me going is my music. So, I hope this month’s selections will help you get to the New Year. We’ve got twenty-two tracks to talk about. And because of the results of the 2024 U.S. Election, I am feeling nostalgic for a time when our politics didn’t dominate the headlines. So be prepared for some old mixed into the new. I’m gonna be leaning towards some new 80s & 90s remixes and reboots.
Up first to start our mix is the seductive Country Pop track “Bodyguard” by Beyoncé. I have to say that she nailed her homage to Pamela Anderson. It’s a catchy song and I am happy for her eleven Grammy nominations. Let’s see if she gets “Album of the Year” this time. Especially after being snubbed for the Country Music Awards this year.
And since the U.S. has leaned red this season, let’s go Country Pop for minute and talk about “Before I Let Go” by CYRIL featuring MarcLo. I chose the Segumooz Remix Edit for our mix today. I did have to speed it up a little to get to 122 BPM.
Our third selection is an international song that blends the UK with France. “These Walls” by Dua Lipa featuring Pierre De Maere is a cute Pop radio track. I don’t speak French but their voices blend very nicely together. Here in Canada this will be a great “Early Evening”
song to play to welcome people in as they check their coats or get their first drink at a party.
You know…I often would say that the harmonies of the Bee Gees were so intricate and precise that it would be insane to try to do a cover even close. But a group called Maincourse did just that with their cover of “Love You Inside Out”. The vocals are not spot on, but they are pretty close and give the eYect. I’d play this.
For our fourth selection we are gonna go back to the 2000s with a Pop R&B hit by the late Aaliyah. I guess with all the technology we have now anything can be remixed. I sure wish that the Anthem Kingz x Optical Disco Mix of “Try Again” had been around when I was spinning at The Monster in NYC. As the first Black DJ hired I was fired for playing Hip Hop (which was the popular music at the time) and a remix like this could have slipped right by the owner.
I guess Lil Nas X finally got the memo that all those downtempo songs below 90 BPMs just weren’t cutting it on the charts. His latest sing is “Light Again!” and thank God it’s a dance track. I try really hard to support our LGBT artists but when you keep giving the same formula that is too slow for a dancefloor I cain’t help ya! Let’s hope there are some bangin’ remixes coming down the pike. But for now, I will definitely play this one. The video is fun and breathes some new life into his public persona.
So, if you have read any of my past articles you know that I am not really a fan of too many of today’s female rappers (or male rappers either). It’s all the same shit of how phat their asses are, how wet their pussies are or what a nigga can do for dem. There’s too much going on in the world to just be bouncin’ yo ass in front of a camera. If you can do it anyone can! There’s nothing special about any of this! Take that bravado and focus it on getting your rights back to control your bodies! And for that matter…EVERYBODY needs to take a step back and decide what the focus is for these next four years!
Anyway…I digressed.
The shares Bootleg of “Get It Sexy Like Whoa” by Sexy Redd vs Black V Neck is generic. The only good thing about this is that it has a Club speed remix that can be played if you get a request for it. And if you look real close in the video, you’ll see a cameo of Drake sitting at a table with her. Other than that…ain’t nothing new to see here!
Now, let’s talk about a female rapper that I am impressed with. She’s from my hometown, Tampa, Florida and she’s making the rounds on the Pop scene. I’m talking about Doechii. She was just featured on Katy Perry’s “I’m His, He’s Mine” and now she is featured on the new single by BANKS called “I Hate Your Ex- Girlfriend”. She delivers a couple of bars with a nod to Kelis’ “Caught Out There”. See ladies…this is how you do it. You can still have your Street Cred but get your way into the Pop charts. That’s business and makin’ paper. Rapping about yo ass for a Black Audience is like preaching to the choir!
And as our Pop train continues down the line, we arrive at “Obsessed” by Haven Madison. Apparently, she’s a completely new artist. Huge following on social media but I have never heard of her. Pretty girl but in her video, she resembles a white version of Trans Activist & Actress Laverne Cox. I’m sure one or both of them will be oYended by my opinion. I think it’s the way they have done Haven’s makeup that makes me see it. The song is cute. Maybe a couple of remixes will spice it up for more Club play.
Okay…let’s make a sharp turn into some Latin Pop. Our tenth track is “JACKPOT” by Belinda & Kenia OS. I’m lovin’ how Latin Music is just Pop Music. There are enough Latinos in the U.S. that there’s no need to translate your lyrics. And with the production of most Club songs today this makes it easier for a DJ to weave in and out of a Latin set. So important these days to be able to play for everyone on the floor. The track is hot! Don’t understand a word of what they are saying but the vibe is good for dancing.
Ironically, the Alexander Holsten Remix of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin dropped a couple weeks after he was photographed with Troye Sivan at the 2024 Los Angeles County Museum Art / Film Gala. Which sparked rumors of a romance, but I think it was just two gay recording artists meeting for the first time. And while I find both attractive, I just don’t see it! Ricky is very “Daddy” and Troye is too much of a “Twink”…and yeah I know a Daddy Twink scene can be hot but from what I have read about both they aren’t compatible. But as for the remix…great job and definitely a good mix to spin for a floor. Maybe these two will collaborate on a track together. That would be interesting.
Another LGBT artist in Latin Music is Karol G. Her latest track, “PROVENZA” has been remixed by Rob Rivera (I’m wondering if this is Robbie Rivera from the 2000s). Again…I don’t speak Spanish, but I like the groove and vibe of this remix.
I have to confess that this was my second version of this mix. In the first I had included the new Weeknd featuring Anitta called “Sao Paulo” but wasn’t happy with the original mix which would have continued our crossover Latin set. I promise to include one of the remixes for January.
But our thirteenth track turns another corner and leans into some 80s vibes. The Amice Remix of “Wave” by Fast Boy Raf uses not only the hook from “Self Control” by Laura Branigan but at certain points just rewrites the lyrics. For the kids today this will probably seem like a catchy new song. But it’s not. I haven’t listened to te original version, but this remix is nice.
So leaning further into our nostalgic moment, SicKickMusic has perfected a mashup between “Remember The Time” by Michael Jackson and “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins called “Do You Remember, Don’t Worry”. It’s a little short on sampled lines but it
somehow works.
And since we are remembering, I had to realize that with the election results it’s “Happenin’ All Over Again”. My friend and colleague Dwayne Minard has refreshed this 90s Dance hit by Lonnie Gordon. He’s probably not gonna like this but I do not subscribe to remixers or producers putting their names before the artist. You wouldn’t have a track without the vocalist. You remixed it. You didn’t create it. It’s a good remix. It keeps the original sound but deepens the energy. My favourite is still the Jewels & Stone Club Mix
I have to say that when Lady GaGa came on the scene I thought “she’ll last a couple of years and fall oN.” Michael Musto felt the same way about Madonna. But both have hung in there and still are going. I’m sure GaGa’s stint with Tony Bennett really threw her fans for a loop but I thought it was a brilliant move. She’s just been added to the cast of the next season of Netflix’s WEDNESDAY and she just dropped a new single “Disease”…just in time for World AIDS Day. The track has nothing to do with the actual day, but I am going to have fun programing it for events around it. The original is a downtempo track and there are plenty of remixes, but the one that I will be playing is the Sefu Remix.
Our seventeenth selection is the Detoto Remix of “Diet Pepsi” by Addison Rae. I have seen anyone go as far as Justin Bieber from social media but there have been plenty who have tried. Addison rose to fame from TikTok and now that U.S. may be shutting it down, she might be the last of the tribe of internet stars for America. But apparently, she is a triple
threat – Singer, Dancer and Actress. I never heard of her…but then again, I don’t use TikTok and I tend to go by chart listings and my own personal taste in music. This remix is good. I think I like the title more than I like the song (probably because I drink Diet Pepsi all the time).
For years now I have been thinking to myself that Shawn Mendes would look great with another man on his arm. I didn’t buy his romance with Camila Cabello. And I guess my Gaydar wasn’t too oY because back in October at a concert appearance he chose to discuss his sexuality publicly so he could live his “Authentic Truth”.
“The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone. And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that,” Shawn concluded. “And I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things. And that’s all I really want to say about that for now.”
I say let him discover what he needs to to find his own truth. Would I like to help him find out…hell yes! But that’s never gonna happen. He is a beautiful young man with a lot of heart and sensitivity. We don’t get that too often from the male population. And when we do they are often criticized or ridiculed. I’m glad I came out back when I was 16. It has been a long journey to self-acceptance but I appreciate every step of the way. I am living my best
Life right now at 57. I hope by the time this 26-year- old hits 30 he knows his answers and truth. His latest single “Heart Of Gold” got a slight remix in AJ’s Dance Mixshow Edit. It’s catchy and definitely Canadian Pop Radio Friendly
Another Canadian Pop star from the past is Shania Twain. And her 90s classic “Still The One” and Owl City’s “Good Time” got the J Bruus treatment when he did this fantastic mashup between the two. I might have played Shania’s song more if this version was around back then.
It’s funny but back in the 80s I liked Bronski Beat but I really did not appreciate their songs and Jimmy Somerville’s vocals until much later in life. Now that I have started DJ-ing for a Sunday Tea Dance, the Classic Disco and Hi NRG tracks really mean so much more. And “Smalltown Boy” is one of those songs that really hits the nail on the head when describing what it was like to be a gay young man dealing with smalltown mentalities all around. So, I was so happy that Dave Audé & Tall Paul gave the track a makeover and slowed it down to 128 BPMs. Such an important slice of our LGBT History and we as DJs should be preserving as many of the classics as we can. The Sunday Tea Dance is a tradition that needs to be upheld and glorified. For it was at these events that we learned
how to dance…how to socialize and talk to one another. There were no cellphones. There was no internet. It was all trial and error. And that’s how we became the people we are today. We actually spoke to each other and read the room.
Our twenty-first track is by the guy I call the Pop Whore of the Century…Pitbull. I don’t consider his music to be Hip Hop or Latin Club. It’s just pure Pop. And he’s even recorded a Dance version of “9 to 5” with Dolly Parton. His latest is “Now Or Never” with Jon Bon Jovi which uses the hook from “It’s My Life”. I’m not impressed. I won’t be playing this one.
Our final track is Hani’s Bootleg of Quincy Jones’ R&B ballad “Secret Garden” featuring Barry White, Al B. Sure, James Ingram & El DeBarge (in the order of their vocals on the song). This was a White Label vinyl that circulated in NYC back in the 90s. When you work in spaces where there isn’t dancing allowed because they don’t have a Cabaret License, remixes like this become very important. Folks know the song but haven’t heard an uptempo version. I chose this to showcase the genius of Mr. Jones. His ear produced hits for Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Frank Sinatra, Leslie Gore and too many to mention. Oprah and Will Smith’s acting careers would not exist without Quincy Jones. His legacy and imprint on the music industry is undeniable and changed the world (especially with the release of “We Are The World”). I was really sad to hear of his death on November 3rd at the age of 91. The knowledge and stories that he carried are the archives of the entertainment business. And he wasn’t afraid to spill the tea. Back in 2023 he talked about Marlon Brando and Richard Pryor’s aYair. I’m sure he had so much more to share. Thank you, sir for all that you gave the world. Rest in peace. Mr. Jones.
