Before becoming an associate professor at the University of Chicago, Dexter Voisin worked for years as a social worker/mental health counselor in large urban areas such as Atlanta and the Bronx. Often, he was the only black male therapist in a social services agency and was assigned to counsel young black men. Many of
Senora Desiree cries when she talks about her only son, who is HIV-positive. The fact that the 18-year-old has been barred from visiting Chicago only heaps humiliation on top of her pain. I have suffered so much because of the law, said Desiree, a Chicago resident who last saw her son in their native
Many in the black community turn to their church first during a crisis, and as more African-Americans tackle health problems, foreclosure, divorce and social injustice, church leaders are finding themselves more needed than ever, they say. At the same time ministers often become consumed with caring for their church co
Former President Bill Clinton said homeless HIV/AIDS patients are in dire need of health care reform in a speech at a benefit Wednesday for the Chicago House & Social Service Agency, a nonprofit providing housing and support for people with HIV and AIDS. There s still an increasing number of homeless people with HI
It is not as though Dr. Helene Gayle didn t have enough on her hands fighting poverty across the globe as president and CEO of CARE. But she has never been known to turn down a chance to do battle against HIV/AIDS. This time the invitation came from President Barack Obama, who recently tapped Gayle -- a more than 20-ye
I met Stan Sloan a year ago in a row of old warehouses near Division Street and the Chicago River, behind a little door marked Sweet Miss Giving s. On the back side of the door sat a bakery so new the stainless steel had hardly a scratch. The bakers were new, too, and they had three regular orders to fill, including th
President Barack Obama said Friday the U.S. will overturn a 22-year-old travel and Immigration ban against people with HIV early next year. The order will be finalized Monday, Obama said, completing a process begun during the Bush administration. The U.S. has been among a dozen countries that bar entry to travelers wit
In 1973, Robert Randall was going blind from glaucoma when he discovered that smoking marijuana seemed to help his condition. That didn t matter to police when they found the Washington, D.C., resident growing cannabis and arrested him. Preferring to keep his sight, Randall sued the federal government, arguing that he
Board president -- who gave up direct control of county hospital, hiring and budget -- lectured health chief at recent meeting and lets him know Stroger still influences his budget Cook County Board President Todd Stroger locked eyes on the county hospital s new boss and delivered a lecture. William Foley, who runs the
During the debate on health reform in Washington, much as has been made of the need to bend the curve --to significantly and permanently reduce the seemly unstoppable growth in health care costs ( Centrist plan on table, News, Sept. 17). Much of the policy discussion has focused on reducing unnecessary tests, increasin
Medical groups may recommend procedure on boys, but opponents say benefits exaggerated For years the medical establishment in the U.S. has avoided advising parents on whether to circumcise their newborn sons, saying the benefits do not outweigh the risks. Now, however, new research suggests the procedure could be used
In the late 1950s, Godwin Onyema was a student at an all-boys boarding school in Nigeria . He had a history teacher whose wife was a missionary doctor from Liverpool, England, and assigned to a hospital several miles from Onyema s school. Because the doctor s husband was a teacher at the school, she came whenever the s
A team of scientists, including two from Lincoln Park Zoo, studying the wild chimpanzee population in Tanzania s Gombe National Park, has discovered chimps falling ill and dying of an AIDS-like disease, a surprising finding that researchers hope could lead to new insights into the disease process and ultimately to a va
KANSAS CITY, MO - A Kansas City church wants to make sure people are practicing safe sex. That s why many of its members signed a national petition to make condoms more widely accessible. Currently, some stores, like CVS Pharmacy, have condoms locked behind cases, making customers ask for assistance when making a purch
Supporters of a teacher fired from a Lake Zurich Catholic grade school for showing an AIDS prevention video that includes instructions on condom use plan to gather Friday to raise money for him. Patrick Szady, 60, of Lake in the Hills said he taught at St. Francis de Sales for 32 years and had shown the video, Time Out
More than 60 religious leaders in Illinois are calling on state senators this week to pass a bill that would allow patients to use medical marijuana with a doctor s recommendation and without criminal consequences. Medical marijuana is an issue of mercy and compassion, said Rev. Bill Pyatt of the First United Methodist
HENDERSON, N.C. -- Sheila Holt moved to this small town from New Jersey two years ago to take care of her ailing mother. But as a former heroin addict with HIV, she found that rebuilding her life in the South was harder than she had imagined. She was shocked that the wealth of services, such as housing, transportation
A Northwestern University doctor-in-training potentially exposed hundreds of patients, including infants, at three Chicago-area hospitals to tuberculosis in what is being called an unusual case of a medical-care provider putting patients health at risk. The 26-year-old female pediatric resident was diagnosed Tuesday wi
PAW PAW, Mich. - At first glance they look like old pals, maybe a bunch from the Rotary Club leisurely gabbing away over the hamburger special, making the waitress work overtime for her tip. But these guys are different. Their eyes, their fidgeting and their restlessness betray a shared bond of chronic pain, sleepless
Q - Who qualifies? A - People diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition, including cancer, HIV-AIDS, glaucoma and other chronic conditions. Q - Will all Michigan doctors agree to authorize medical marijuana use for patients with those conditions? A - Some won t, but it s not clear yet how many. Q - Will marijuana
Cotton swabs tucked between their jaws and cheeks, bishops from the nation s largest Lutheran denomination sat in silence for three minutes on Thursday as they underwent testing for HIV. Those few minutes of silence would serve to break another silence, one that the bishops insist has kept the Evangelical Lutheran Chur
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois prisoners would be allowed to buy condoms as a way to protect against HIV under a measure backed by a House committee Wednesday. Even though sexual activity is banned in state prisons, condoms should be made available to deter HIV infections in inmates who ignore the ban, said Rep. Monique Davis
In hundreds of movie theaters across the country on Thursday evening, a special film, A Powerful Noise, will be shown to honor International Women s Day. It is an inspiring documentary depicting the plight of women and girls in impoverished nations and the eternal indifference of men. You re probably thinking this isn
An Ethiopian refugee from Chicago s North Side is in federal custody, accused of mailing an envelope containing his HIV-infected blood to then-President-elect Barack Obama, authorities said. Saad Hussein, 27, of Edgewater, is charged with sending non-mailable articles tainted with HIV-infected blood, according to a cri
In an effort to reach more people who have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease, the Chicago Public Health Department is encouraging the use of electronic postcards to spread the word. The online service, InSpot, allows Chicagoans with STDs, including HIV/AIDS, to avoid the awkward conversations with sexual p
Despite helping to start a venture that grew into the second-largest bicycle parts company in the world, Chicago businessman F.K. Day still sat at home some days unhappy. It wasn t that he didn t love his job. He just wanted more—a chance to make a real difference in people s lives. He discovered his calling four years
Sometime during the next six months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider approving the FC2, a second-generation female condom. That appears likely, since an FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended the product in a Dec. 11 vote. The female condom allows women to take the lead in protecting themselves
More than 1,000 Chicago teenagers were tested today for HIV and other diseases during a youth health event on the South Side. The HIV test required a saliva swab and was completed in 20 minutes. Teens walked away with a T-shirt, candy or a pen. Many said they weren t sexually active, but thought it wise to get a free s
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.