CAP, Our House, & Prism Health have decided to suspend use of our Twitter accounts immediately due to Twitter quietly removing its longstanding policy aimed at protecting transgender folks from targeted misgendering and deadnaming, both of which are considered as forms of hate speech. It is our belief that Social media companies must commit to fostering safe environments for LGBTQIA+ folks rather than eliminating policies which protect them.

May 19th marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2022, a day dedicated to reducing HIV stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and promote prevention, testing and treatment.

May 19th is Hepatitis Testing Day! Millions of people living in the US have chronic viral hepatitis—but most of them don’t know they have it. That’s why Hepatitis Testing Day seeks to encourage folks to learn their status and help raise awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

“We have a front-row seat to all the barriers ... And those run the gamut from providers not familiar with PEP, to patients not being able to fill prescriptions because many pharmacies don’t stock the medication, to people not being able to afford the copay when they get to the pharmacy counter.”

April 18th is National Transgender HIV Testing Day! This year, we would like to share some context about the importance of this day and offer some resources for our trans and gender-nonconforming community members—including a fun local event!

March 31st marks Trans Day of Visibility—We’re celebrating at CAP, Our House and Prism by sharing a bit about the history of this day and sharing resources for our trans, nonbinary and gender non-conforming community members. 

March 20th marks the annual observance of National Native HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, a day to address the impact of HIV on Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. NNHAAD was created to encourage HIV testing, prevention, and treatment in these impacted communities.

February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). NBHAAD is a day to increase HIV education, testing and treatment in Black communities and acknowledge how HIV disproportionately affects Black people. 

Today is February 1st , and also the start of Black History and Black Futures Month in the United States. Black History Month was first conceptualized as being a weeklong celebration to encourage the coordinated teaching of Black history in public schools across the United States.

We are excited to share that we’ll be bringing back the Winter Survival Kits that we’ve done in years’ past at CAP and Prism Health, and will be accepting donations starting today, January 10, for any and all winter survival items (see list below). These items will be collected at Prism Health and the three CAP social service locations in Portland, Vancouver, and Longview through March 18, 2022.

When visiting Portland, Oregon in 1961, Dr. King addressed the audience at the Keller Auditorium (then called the Civic Auditorium): “Americans must rise above the narrow confines of their individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity,” he said. “They must rid themselves of the notion that there are superior and inferior races.” 

On our final episode of 2022, we are joined by a very special guest: Brenda Chambers. Brenda is a participant in CAP's Aging Well program and is a long-term survivor of HIV. Listen as she tells her story of being a grandmother, a caregiver, a friend, and a peer to her community, and don't miss hearing how she is leveraging her 18 years in recovery to support and mentor others through their healing journeys.

The HIV epidemic in Oregon & beyond is not over, and if you think it is, it is because you are only looking at the most privileged groups affected by HIV. The HIV epidemic is less visible because it is becoming concentrated among marginalized communities.

Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever international day for global health. Every year, folks across the globe come together to raise awareness of HIV & AIDS in our communities, support those living with and impacted by HIV, advocate for resources to tackle HIV transmission, combat stigma associated with HIV & AIDS, and, above all, remember those lost to us due to HIV & AIDS.

CAP + Our House + Prism Health are proud to sponsor the 2023 QDoc Film Festival! Founded in 2007 by Russ Gage and David Weissman, and directed by Molly King and Deb Kemp since 2017, QDoc has shown award-winning films fresh from Sundance, Berlin, Hot Docs, Tribeca, Amsterdam and other top-tier festivals. We have shown historical films, personal stories, artist biographies, experimental work and topical films dealing with current controversies.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a recognition of the ancestry and traditions of Native American and Indigenous Peoples within the context of what is now called the United States, and globally. As described by the National Congress of American Indians, this month “is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native People.”

Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is held on November 20th to honor those who have been killed as a result of transphobia, as well as to draw attention to the violence faced by many in the trans community. TDOR was established in 1999 by activist Gwendolyn Anne Smith as a memorial to Rita Hester, a trans woman who was murdered in 1998. This initial local vigil expanded and is now commemorated annually across the world.

November 1 officially kicks off Open Enrollment, the time of year when most people in the US shop and enroll in health coverage. But did you know, you can get complimentary health insurance navigation and other benefit navigations services at CAP? Joining us today is Rusty Shorey, one of the incredible Benefits Navigators here at CAP to discuss the various ways in which we can help you sort through all the noice of Open Enrollment, Benefits Navigation, and more!

As nonprofits that serve or advocate for LGBTQ+ people experiencing houselessness, Basic Rights Oregon, Cascade AIDS Project, the PDX Trans Housing Coalition, and Pride Northwest oppose Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Ryan’s proposal to ban unsanctioned public camping and force people living outdoors to move to mass shelters (Resolution 901).

Sitting in a chair at the local clinic, I received a diagnosis of HIV in 2007. Having accepted and come terms with the fact I am HIV-positive, a new reality of living with this chronic condition after 15 years, is now in the forefront; and posing a new challenge for both doctors and patients, aging with HIV.