HIV rates have increased over 300% in the last 5 years. Syphilis rates have increased 87% in the last year (PDF). The traditional approach to addressing these problems has been to run a media campaign, remind people to use condoms, trace contacts of partners, and maybe hand out a brochure. These are the same approaches [...]
http://john.mn/2011/09/redefining-how-you-have-sex/
I’ve sat on a fair amount of boards and committees over the past decade. I’m often the youngest, most technologically savvy, and probably the only one who actually enjoys Robert’s Rules of Order. Out of this, I have come to strongly believe that government transparency is essential to address most public health issues. I could argue [...]
http://john.mn/2011/09/open-government-is-public-health/
The American Public Health Association posted the video of Dr. Cornel West’s opening speech tonight. I’ve listened to it twice now, and am still in awe. I strongly recommend watching it. Today was a much more relaxed day, as I have finally bought into the “marathon not a sprint” mentality for this conference. I also [...]
http://john.mn/2010/11/apha-day-3-the-home-stretch/
I woke up way earlier than I intended, but thought I should take advantage of this and head to the convention early. Today, by intention or coincidence, I almost exclusively went to HIV/AIDS presentations. Most interestingly, there were a few themes that I realized in the presentations: Everyone is the same, but different. There was [...]
http://john.mn/2010/11/apha-day-2-so-much-sex/
I arrived yesterday at the American Public Health Association meeting in Denver, CO, after a brief and intimate experience with Jon from the Transportation Security Administration (not unlike other’s experiences), and just in time for the opening ceremony. Dr. Bill Jenkins, one of the people instrumental in ending the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, gave an opening [...]
http://john.mn/2010/11/apha-day-1-people-not-papers/
A little over a week ago, a letter I co-authored ended up in the Star Tribune. As a follow-up to that letter, the strib wrote an editorial endorsing the need to utilize new, online methods as part of HIV prevention programs. The editorial was well written, and made a good point. Of course, I’m probably [...]
http://john.mn/2010/07/more-hiv-prevention/
I co-authored a letter to the editor that ran in the Star Tribune yesterday regarding the urgent need to modernize HIV prevention efforts. This sparked a handfull of comments on the strib website about how preventable HIV is (just like the flu, which kills ~36k people per year), and how we’re wasting money on AID’s[sic] [...]
http://john.mn/2010/06/modernize-hiv-prevention/
As I’m sure you’re well aware, Minnesota saw an 83% increase in HIV cases among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in 2009. This prompted the Department of Health, Hennepin County (Part A), and the Department of Human Services (Part B) to plan a YMSM Provider’s Summit. Someone at the summit made a [...]
http://john.mn/2010/03/how-long-have-we-known/
There’s a definite and urgent need to adapt our HIV prevention strategy to reflect the needs and styles of adolescents and young adults. This is clear from the 9 year history of increasing newly diagnosed HIV cases among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), including the 83% increase in the last year. I [...]
http://john.mn/2010/03/hiv-prevention-2-0/
I attended the Minnesota YMSM Provider Summit yesterday, and that (alcohol, hormones) emerged as one theme partially attributable to the increase in HIV infections in men under 24. Honestly, I’m just trying hard to find a legitimate and professional excuse to say “horny” in a blog title… We received an epidemiology update, with additional information [...]
http://john.mn/2010/02/drunk-and-horny/