The California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers, together with HIV, viral hepatitis, and STD community-based organizations across California, have launched a community-driven effort to inform development of a statewide plan to end the HIV, HCV, and STD epidemics in California. What makes this initiative innovative and unique – in addition to community leadership – is its ambitious goal of addressing these health conditions as a syndemic – a set of linked health problems that interact synergistically and exacerbate poor health outcomes. The syndemic approach differs from the biomedical approach in that it treats diseases concurrently and also addresses the social determinants of health that drive these epidemics.

End the Epidemics: Californians Mobilizing to End HIV, HCV, and STDs, is a statewide coalition of over 100 public health and community organizations. In March 2019, End the Epidemics issued a community consensus statement, now signed by over 140 organizations, calling on Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to convene a high-level working group of key stakeholders to develop and implement a strategy to end the HIV, HCV, and STD epidemics.

Downloads and Links

Consensus Statement (English) Updated 5/23/19

Consensus Statement (Spanish) Updated 4/18/19

400 YEARS: Reflections on Lessons Learned & Imagining Our Futures Be a presenter at 400 Years: Reflections on Lessons Learned & Imagining Our Futures Black Women for Wellness convenes the only conference centering the lived experiences of Black women & girls seeking reproductive justice. 400 Years reflects on the impact of systematic and institutional racism on our reproductive health status and the role of implicit bias in supporting racism and causing the health disparities currently experienced by African American and Black women. 400 Years intends to gather the lessons learned from our history, the battles fought, the victories won, the joys shared, and the insights to move forward. 400 Years will ask participants to imagine health and well-being for Black women & girls, name how it looks and feels, then plant seeds now that will grow toward that vision. Additionally, we will examine the connections and opportunities between our interaction with the environmental justice movement, our use of integrated voter engagement, and how we wield the media tools towards shaping and determining our futures.   WHO SHOULD SUBMIT All researchers, community advocates, community members, organizers, health care professionals, health educators, administrators, policymakers, elected officials, and their staffs are invited to attend and share the work that you are doing to promote the health of Black women towards achieving reproductive justice.   CONFERENCE CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Black Women for Wellness is seeking submissions of abstracts that address African American/Black women’s reproductive health and well-being. This year's tracks for submission are listed below. The goal is to highlight actions, information, and strategies that reflect on the lessons learned and the paths forward through: workshops of one hour and 15 minutes in length, or reproductive justice talks of 5 minutes in length  400 YEARS CONFERENCE TRACKS 1.   Maternal & Infant Health 2.   Social Determinants 3.   Civic Engagement 4.   Environmental Justice 5.   Teen/Young Adult Track (geared for audiences ages 14- 24) 6.   Reproductive Justice Talks (3-5 minute TED talk style presentations) Call for Abstracts Deadline: June 20, 2019 Conference Date: August 26th 2019 8:00 AM-6:00 PM Click to Submit an Abstract

School on Wheels provides tutoring services, backpacks, and school supplies to homeless students living in transitional or emergency shelters, group foster homes, motels, in cars or on the street.

Help spread the word with your networks to get students to apply to become a Spring into Love intern. 

You can apply online or by downloading the application here. Don't wait. Applications are due September 7, 2018 for 12 spots! 

FREE 8-week Machine Tooling course at El Camino College – a starting point for a potential career in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, which have many good paying jobs! Part of the Propel LA-funded Community Progress Makers (CPM) program will include soft skills training provided by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board, as well as job interview referrals upon successful completion of the program. This is a no cost program open to all age groups 18 years and over with the goal to move people from low paying jobs to learning skill sets that will put them in a higher economic scale.

Submit Comments on the Proposed Title X rules to the 
Dept. of Health and Human Services by July 31st! 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed new regulations for the Title X federal family planning program that could impede access to time-sensitive family planning and reproductive health services in California and across the country. These harmful changes include imposing a gag on provider referrals for abortion services, repealing current counseling requirements, requiring the separation of family planning facilities from those that provide abortions, and imposing additional burdens on providers and patients. Read the prosed rules here.

Public comments regarding the Proposed Rule may be submitted through 11:59 PM EST on July 31st. Comments can be submitted here. We know that individuals and organizations that support the proposed changes are flooding HHS with comments. We must make our collective voices heard and take action to prevent these harmful regulations from taking effect.

Essential Access Health is encouraging all of our community partners to:

1. Submit comments and share our template with your community organization partners – download template for organizations
2. Mobilize your supporters to submit individual comments – download template for individuals, patients, social media, etc.
3. Help us track our progress! Let us know you took action here.

If you have questions, please contact Sylvia Castillo, Senior Manager of Government + Community Affairs at [email protected]. 

About Title X

Congress established the Title X program in 1970 to provide high-quality family planning services and other preventive health services to individuals who may otherwise lack access to health care. The Title X program in California is the largest and most diverse network in the nation. Over 1,000,000 women, men and teens each year receive Title X-funded services at more than 350 health centers across the state, representing 25% of the total Title X patient population nationwide. Learn more about Title X.

Black Women For Wellness is requesting abstracts for our annual Power Forward: Reproductive Justice Conference, August 20, 2018, from 8:00am to 6:00pm, at the California Endowment.

The LA Trust is hiring for work on their new CDC grant cycle. Position can start as early as June 1.