UMA has been very hard at work on creating a strong HIV/Hepatitis C prevention and education program to serve eastern Oregon. This is part of the long term programming of our social justice movement on breaking stigma and increasing access to knowledge and services.
In May of 2011 UMA officially started it’s syringe exchange and no cost HIV testing mobile program that travels from site to site in a box van proudly displaying our logo for all to know change is coming to rural eastern Oregon.
Even though UMA is a Gay and People of color run organization we run into many barriers in eastern Oregon especially from our local hospitals and the good ol’ boys clubs that exist out here. UMA is here to fight the good fight and not allow ignorance to reign where acceptance, tolerance and human dignity should be cherished.
What’s next for UMA, In our efforts to increase our strength and knowledge we will be attending the farm worker justice training program in Woodburn Oregon. There focus is on the migrant farm worker population and getting HIV services out to them in rural areas.
HIV / AIDS is a serious, yet under-addressed, and under-recognized problem in many rural, latino communities. Local organizations often do not have the full capacity to effectively transmit prevention messages and to address HIV/AIDS stigma with hard-to-reach populations. This training will take place in the first week of August and we hope that we will be able to more effectively reach out to the migrant population in eastern Oregon.
for more information go to: http://farmworkerjustice.org/hiv-prevention
