The Asian Health Coalition of Illinois will hold a special reception May 19 (National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day) at the Jane Addams Hull House Center, 1136 W. Wilson, 6-8 p.m. For more information or to RSVP by May 9, contact Karl Kimpo at (773) 878-0761 or karl@asianhealth.org.
Asian Human Services (AHS), the largest Pan-Asian not-for profit organization, has just launched the Uptown HIV Prevention Program, a program aimed at educating Chicago’s Asian gay and MSM (men who have sex with men) community about issues related to HIV/AIDS.
According to Asian Human Services’s HIV/AIDS Needs Assessment for Non-English-speaking Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the majority of Asian Americans in Chicago do not believe that they are susceptible to HIV infection. Moreover, close to 40 percent have received no education or information regarding HIV transmission, testing or treatment.
In related news, AHS is sponsoring The Banyan Tree Essay Contest in honor of Asian Heritage Month. The essay should relate to the experiences, strengths and hopes of a gay Asian or Pacific Islander. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. May 15; first-, second-, and third-place monetary prizes will be awarded. The top selections will be announced May 19 at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted.
Contact Tess Munro at tess@asianhumanservices.org or (773) 293-8480.