By Sarah Rayner
Tulsa, OK – Tulsa is coming together to spread awareness of AIDS and HIV tomorrow for World Aids Day. One of the events tomorrow is the World AIDS Day Symposium from Tulsa CARES, providing speakers to create a better understanding of the disease and sensitive to those who are living with it. Speakers include lawyers, doctors and a Reverend as well as those who have worked within the AIDS community.
As many as 1,777 people are estimated to be infected with HIV and are unaware of their status in Oklahoma, with 26 people dying of HIV/AIDS last year. The idea of this event, and of World Aids Day overall is to educate people on the disease and erase some of the stigmas towards people with HIV/AIDS.
Along with the Tulsa CARES World AIDS day Symposium, there will also be free in-home Rapid HIV testing tomorrow by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Guiding Right, Inc. will debut a documentary entitled "We Were Here" at the circle cinema.
----------- Local and Regional Programs
Thursday, Dec. 1 - Guiding Right, Inc. (Tulsa) will collaborate with the AIDS Coalition and Oklahomans for Equality to debut a documentary entitled, "We Were Here." The documentary reflects on the arrival and impact of AIDS on the residents of San Francisco. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. at the historic Circle Cinema located at 12 S. Lewis Avenue in Tulsa. For information about this event or for free and confidential HIV counseling and testing contact Heather Nash at (918) 591-6034, or emailhnash@guidingright.org Thursday, Dec. 1 - Red Rock Behavioral Health Services (OKC) at 4400 N. Lincoln Blvd in Oklahoma City will be providing free, confidential and anonymous, walk-in HIV testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, contact Michael Maus at (405) 425-0473; toll free at (877) 339-3330 or email mikem@red-rock.com. Thursday, Dec. 1 - Lawton Indian Hospital (Lawton) will be hosting a World AIDS Day testing event. Testing will begin at 9 a.m. and there will be a Lunch & Learn at noon with guest speaker, Gloria Zuniga, talking about basic HIV facts. Testing will end at 2 p.m. For information, contact Denise Smith, MPH, at Karole.smith@ihs.gov or (580) 354-5294. Thursday, Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day Symposium (Tulsa), "It takes a village to fight HIV/AIDS" at the OSU Tulsa Auditorium, 700 N. Greenwood Ave., Tulsa, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The symposium is presented by Tulsa CARES and will feature speakers discussing access to testing, treatment, successful interventions, how judgments affect treatment, and legal issues. Registration is $35.00 and includes a light breakfast and box lunch. For information, contact Bruce Lewis at (918) 834-4194 / 1-800-474-4872 orbrucel@tulsacares.org. Thursday, Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day Observance (Oklahoma City) will be held at Expressions Church, 4010 N. Youngs Blvd. The observance starts at 7 p.m. and includes keynote speaker Executive Director of Cimarron Alliance Scott Hamilton, along with musical and dance performances, and a lighting of candles in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. For information, contact Expressions Church, (405) 528-2210. Sunday, Dec. 4 - Guiding Right, Inc. (OKC) will join efforts with two Oklahoma City African American churches. Dr. George E. Young, Pastor of Holy Temple Baptist Church, 1540 NE 50th Street, and Dr. Joel A. Tudman, Pastor of Net Church, 1212 N. Hudson, will discuss the devastation of HIV/AIDS 30 years later, specifically the impact on African Americans. The churches will also address their role in helping reduce the number of HIV infections through education, routine HIV testing, treatment and care for those who are HIV positive. Guiding Right, Inc. will set up educational booths prior to Sunday services at 10 a.m. at both locations and distribute pamphlets and red ribbons.