FOR RELEASE: October 5 , 2006
CONTACT: Pamela Williams
Office of Communications
405/271-5601

Oklahoma HIV/STD Statewide Conference Set for Nov. 29

A November conference on HIV/ STD issues will provide an educational forum for health care providers, educators, families, friends, and persons living with HIV/AIDS. The conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) HIV/STD Service and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in coordination with the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma. A statewide committee of volunteers organized the Oklahoma HIV/STD conference.

Keynote topics and speakers for the conference include the following:

• Syphilis and HIV Co-Infection, Dr. Bruce Furness, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington, DC
• At the Crossroads: New Realities, New Directions, Kandy Ferree, CEO, National AIDS Fund of Washington, DC
• A Sharpened Perspective on Improving Access to Testing and Treatment for African Americans, Rodney Goodie, Houston, TX

Workshop topics include:

• Syphilis and the Men Having Sex with Men (MSM) population
• Methamphetamine abuse
• Linking African American women in care
• Hepatitis B and co-infection with Hepatitis C and/or HIV
• HIV treatment and care
• STD/HIV education for youth
• Homophobia and stigma

In addition, a panel of long-term survivors and those living with co-infection will share their experiences, identify ways to navigate the system, talk about disparities in care, and discuss HIV and co-infections.

The Early Bird registration fee is $50 if postmarked by Nov. 10. There are a limited number of scholarships available to persons living with HIV/AIDS. Registration forms and the conference agenda are available at www.publichealthok.org, or for more information call the OSDH HIV/STD Service at (405) 271-4636.

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