Testing Together, now under way in Chicago and Atlanta, Georgia, takes an unusual approach: It encourages gay male couples to get tested together and hear their results together. After delivering the results, a counselor talks with the couple about what to do next, including agreements they may want to make with each other about sex and health.

HIV Arkansas hosted their first Annual World AIDS Day Ceremony on Thursday, December 1st 2011 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. Nearly 30 people gathered in a reverent night of remembrance as 30 Candles were lit at various times during the ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic. The ceremony consisted of personal stories from survivors of HIV and AIDS, friends and family members along with special music all of which were touching and heartfelt.

When many people think of AIDS or HIV, they often picture a younger person, perhaps in their twenties or thirties. But with improving medical technology and treatments that help patients live for much longer, those perceptions are becoming outdated. Often termed the “graying of AIDS,” people 50 and older are making up a larger share of the HIV/AIDS population across America. In fact, recent statistics show the seniors’ portion of the population grew from 22 percent in 2001 to 35 percent in 2007.

“When he got here he was very disappointed that there were no services at all and he had a dream to change that,” said Butch McKay, who now, 20 years later, directs an organization that fulfills that dream — the Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Service (OASIS) center in Fort Walton Beach. The center received its nonprofit status Oct. 3, 1991, after a small band of volunteers, including Neal’s mother Carmelita, started meeting regularly. “The first office was Carmelita’s trunk, then it moved to the kitchen,” McKay said. St. Simon’s on the Sound Episcopal Church later let the group move into its first real office space.

HIV/AIDS has killed greater than 25 million people around the world, and at present close to 33 million are infected with HIV/AIDS. The American Psychological Association has indicated that more than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV and more than 56,000 people in the United States contract new infections annually.

Saint Mark's Cathedral on Capitol Hill will host the Seattle AIDS Memorial on Saturday, September 24, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Subtitled "30 Years of Sorrow, Comfort and Hope," the memorial commemorates the 30th anniversary of the first HIV/AIDS diagnosis as well as the 25th anniversary of the first AIDS Walk in Seattle. The event, which is free and open to all, offers a multi-faith observance through readings and song.

The Rev. Scott Seefeldt wants to make a difference, but this time it won’t be from the pulpit. Seefeldt will be on the seat of his Trek in his second Wisconsin AIDS ride. Seefeldt, 36 of Baraboo, who has been spinning his wheels for nearly a decade, is the pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church, 111 6th St. in Baraboo. He said the Act 9 Wisconsin AIDS bike ride will allow him an opportunity for thought and prayer while he pedals across the state. "It’s really a win-win," he said. "The church allows me a certain number days for retreat and what better way to use that time than for a good cause?"

St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lakewood, OH celebrated 40 years of service provided by The Free Clinic. This important organization provides HIV services, medical, dental, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services to the medically underserved.

HIV remains one of the most formidable challenges facing the human family and we ignore this challenge, literally, at our own peril. This is clear from the final declaration agreed by the U.N. General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS that met June 8-10 in New York. The cost in human suffering, lost opportunities and diversion of resources remains a challenge that no one can escape, but there is hope of better protection through increased access to anti-retroviral drugs, early testing, and recent medical breakthroughs.

"Mostly what happened is there were people in the congregation who said their friends were sick and asked if I would go visit them," he said. "The hospitals would also call to say there was a gay man here who is Lutheran and very sick. That got me involved."

Three decades ago, the June 5, 1981, issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported on five previously healthy young gay men in Los Angeles diagnosed with pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), an infectious disease usually seen only in people with profoundly impaired immune function. As a specialist in infectious diseases and immunology, I had cared for several people with PCP whose immune systems had been weakened by cancer chemotherapy. I was puzzled about why otherwise healthy young men would acquire this infection. And why gay men? I was concerned, but mentally filed away the report as a curiosity.

A great example of how Episcopal churches can include HIV testing in their events: “FAMILIA, SALUD Y VIDA” HEALTH AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL St. Anna’s Episcopal Church and Oportunidades NOLA would like to invite the community to join us for our second annual bi-lingual “Familia, Salud y Vida” Health and Wellness Festival, to be held on Sunday, June 5, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Our Festival will promote healthy lifestyle choices and celebrate the culture and diversity of our city. Free services include blood pressure and diabetes screenings, HIV testing, acupuncture and massage, hurricane preparation, food stamps and Medicaid information and much much more!

St. Mark's Cheyenne [was] once again a sponsor for the AIDS Walk in Cheyenne. Registration begins 9.30 a.m.on MAY 7th, 2011.

While AIDS continues to infect and kill people -- the U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that more than 18,000 people with AIDS die annually in the United States and an estimated 56,300 Americans become infected with HIV each year -- perceptions, treatment and the demographics of the disease have changed since the 1980s. The church's awareness of and response to AIDS have changed along with them, with some Episcopal ministries growing and evolving, others dwindling. Yet the need remains, advocates say.

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD). This annual observance is a day to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate our communities about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research.

Thalia Ortiz walks into a classroom of ninth-graders on Denver’s west side hoping to harness some of the very cultural values that others commonly see as a barrier to safe sex practices in the Latino community. Ortiz, a social worker with Denver Area Youth Services (DAYS), is using ¡Cuídate!, a six-hour curriculum that is one of the only evidence-based HIV prevention programs available for use with Latino youth ages 13-18.

The "Lazarus effect" is a phrase coined by doctors and relief workers in Africa to describe what happens to AIDS patients after they start receiving antiretroviral medicines. On Sunday, churches around the world read from the Gospel of John and heard the story of Lazarus, in which Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, as part of Lazarus Sunday.

Retired Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, an outspoken activist for human rights and equality in Uganda, delivered a presentation at the United Nations in New York on April 8 calling for the global decriminalization of homosexuality as a way to make progress in the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Everyone has been touched by somebody who has been affected by HIV/AIDS. In fact, nearly 7,500 new cases of HIV infections are reported worldwide each day. In the United States alone, someone is infected with HIV every nine and a half minutes. A significant fundraiser since 1990, Dining Out for Life offers a meaningful way to support a worthy cause that suffers from lack of funding. On a single day, nearly $4 Million is raised in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.