I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
In a position paper released Monday morning, the American Academy of Pediatrics changed its HIV testing recommendations for teens.
On the 30th anniversary of the first American publication to note a strange new disease in previously healthy gay men, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has issued a study which includes a conclusion on how often gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men should be tested for HIV.
Kent County Health Department officials are warning residents that some one is impersonating health officials. Making matters worse, the impersonator is telling residents they have tested positive for HIV. The Grand Rapids Press reports the county has received information about at least six such instances.
The Obama administration on Tuesday released the nation’s first National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). That strategy includes a call for state lawmakers to pass legislation preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
A controversial change to Michigan’s HIV-testing law will get a hearing on Tuesday before the state House. The bill, while facing criticism from HIV activists and prevention workers, is expected to pass out of committee.
Activists with the group Michigan POZ Action are organizing a campaign to get state lawmakers to stop legislation that will remove a law that requires persons being tested for HIV do so with informed consent.
Under current law, anyone seeking an HIV antibody test must sign a document acknowledging they have consented to the test. But under revisions proposed in the House and the Senate, any doctor would be able to order an HIV test for a patient without permission, consultation or counseling.
The Messenger’s own Todd Heywood will be a guest on Walt Sorg’s AM Lansing radio show Thursday morning at 8:06 am. He will be discussing proposed changes in Michigan’s HIV testing laws. The show airs on 1320-AM WILS.
Last in a four-part series on AIDS in Michigan. An estimated 17,000 Michigan residents know they are infected with HIV, and 900 more will test positive for HIV this year, predicts the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). Yet the agency also estimates that less than 40 percent of the population is getting tested for [...]
Third in a four-part series on AIDS in Michigan. While experts debate over how and if to make HIV testing a routine part of annual physicals in Michigan, those who are at high risk for HIV infection offer many reasons for not getting tested. “I don’t get tested for HIV because I quit having sex [...]
This is the second story in a four piece series exploring HIV testing and AIDS in Michigan. There are many barriers to people getting tested for HIV, but the human factors — stigma and fear — top the list, health experts say. “There is still a lot of fear and prejudice and discrimination,” said Kaye [...]
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