Positive Radio Network w/ Aaron M. Laxton & Mathew K. Rodriguez

Join Aaron tonight as he opens the microphone to discuss everything that you have on your mind. Call in at (929) 477-1195. For the  entire hour Aaron will be taking your phone calls and talking about all of the hot topics. The good, the bad and the ugly. Have you had something that you really wanted to say but didn't know where to say it or how to say it. Call into the show tonight and sound off on-air.  Follow Aaron on Twitter or by visiting his website.  Follow Mathew on Twitter or by visiting his website.

Hepatitis C affects 3 million people in the United States every year. About 25% of people living with HIV are also living with hepatitis C. It affects the most marginalized people in the US: the poor, people of color, incarcerated people. The pills to cure it are the most expensive drugs in human history. Getting these drugs into people's hands are harder than ever. No matter which way you slice it, hepatitis C is a complex problem to solve, and incredibly hard to live with.  This episode will featured Ed Barron and Kevin Maloney, two HIV-positive men who have also been living with hepatitis C, who will share their experiences with both viruses.

Adrian Castellanos is a 22 year-old HIV/AIDS advocate/activist. He was born and raised in the Southern-most part of Texas, known as the Rio Grande Valley. A border area of Texas to Mexico and South Padre Island. Adrian studied art and fashion briefly in Texas before he moved on to becoming a hair stylist in his home town. At 21, Castellanos' path was redirected when he was diagnosed with AIDS. While he spent two weeks in a hospital room, he decided to "make his mess his message". Since his diagnosis on March 26, 2014 he has gone on to receive a Youth Initiative Scholarship to attend USCA in October 2014, acquire a position with the Valley AIDS Council (the only HIV/AIDS Agency in his area) Janurary 2015, and receive a separate scholarship to attend AIDSWatch in April 2015 where he lobbied Congress regarding HIV/AIDS issues. Adrian now spends his time doing free HIV screenings at two universities in his area and for the community with his agency. He also participates in outreach and education efforts to raise awareness within his community. Castellanos utilizes social media to deconstruct stigma and engage with as many people as possible. He is just out of his first year of diagnoses but already has a strong outlook on what he plans to do for the fight to end the epidemic.  Click here to follow Adrian on facebook and twitter.   You can  find Mathew on Twitter at @mathewrodrigeuz and Aaron @aaronlaxton.

HIV criminalization often disproportionately affects people of color, who are already overburdened by the United States' criminal justice system. In this episode of Positive Radio Network, Mathew and Aaron are joined by Charles Stephens of The Counter Narrative Project, a young black gay men's advocacy group, and Tabias Wilson, a law student at Howard University, to discuss the case of Michael "Tiger Mandingo" Johnson. Johnson was a college wreslter when he was accused of HIV exposure and nondisclosure after sleeping with several white men at his college. Wilson and Stephens will be addressing the particular challenges of Johnson's case and how we can move forward.  Be sure to follow Mathew on twitter @mathewrodriguez and Aaron @aaronlaxton

One of the truths of the HIV epidemic: you can't just throw money at the problem. While we need more money to fight the HIV epidemic in the US, we also need to make sure the money is being spent smartly. This month, hundreds of AIDS activists descended on Washington, D.C. for the annual AIDS Watch. They met with politicians and Congress people to make sure that the money for AIDS is there -- and that the voices of those living with HIV are heard.

For some fucking is something that is done for fun and for others is it is something that is a dreaded. During this epidose we are going to discuss all things sexual! Whether you like to sleep in the top bunk, bottom bunk or maybe you like to romp around in both. What are some things that we like to do adn how do we like to do it? Does PrEP factor into the conversation about PrEP expecially when we put on our "Kinky Boots" or when someone is "showing us the ropes?" Mark S. King has been writing about living with HIV since testing positive in 1985, the week the HIV antibody test became publicly available. His blog, My Fabulous Disease, was a 2015 GLAAD Award nominee. Prior to becoming involved in AIDS work in the 1980's he owned and operated Telerotic, a phone sex company for gay men. During this week's episode we are going to talk about all things sexual, freaky, kinky and everything in between. You can follow Positive Radio Network on Twitter at @PRNTweets.  You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton and by visiting his website www.aaronmlaxton.com You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez. and by visiting his website www.mathewkrodriguez.com

We've heard the statistics, and know the truth. Transgender people are not only disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic -- when it comes t our data, they're often not even counted! In the eyes of our government, they are an invisible population. With transwomen of color 49x more likely to contract HIV than the general population and many transmen being intimate with gay men, this is a population that should be a part of an HIV prevention, treatment and care agenda. This week, we will focus on the transgender population and how they are working to prevent HIV and take care of themselves. We will be joined by people on differnet points of the transmasculine/ transfeminine spectrum.  You can follow Positive Radio Network on Twitter at @PRNTweets.  You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton.  You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez.

With the passage of a new Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana, it is now legal for businesses to discriminate against someone on the basis of sexual orientation. Since the announcement of the passing of the bill, many activsits have had differing views on how to address the issue. In this episode, we will go over the events in Indiana in the past few days, and speak to Indiana natives about how the community can best come together and help our LGBT brothers and sisters who live in Indiana.  19 States have 'religious freedom' laws like Indiana however Indiana is the only one being boycotted. Click here to see a map of the states where these laws are in place currently. To follow Positive Radio Network on Twitter, check out @PRNTweets.  You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton.  You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez.

Gay men use alcohol and other drugs at a disproportionately higher rate than the rest of the population. Gay men use for a variety of reasons from coping with mental health issues to just seeking fun. However, at the intersection of mental illness is often a high risk for HIV infection. This week, we'll be discussing the many reasons gay men use substances. We'll also talk to some men who have a history of substance use and have since started on the road to recovery.  You can follow Positive Radio Network on Twitter at @PRNTweets.  You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton.  You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez.

Unfortunately, some people believe that HIV/AIDS is over. Many of us know better. While the leaders of the early movement are very visibile to some -- names like Peter Staley and Mark Harrington come to mind -- some are unsure about who will be leading the movement of tomorrow. More importantly, what will the HIV/AIDS epidemic look like in the future? Today, we will speak with four young activists who recently presented at New York City's LGBT Center about their work as young HIV/AIDS activists. We will talk with Kyle Bella, the founder of Our Viral Lives, a digital narrative project, Martez Smith, an HIV+ black public health student, Kia Labeija an artist and photographer and a part of New York City's famed House of Labeija and Charlie Ferrusi, an MPH student who hopes to enter the world of government work and make advocacy for underrepresented populations his focus.  You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez.  You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton.

We have all seen the reports flying across social media about a new "cure" for HIV. As a person living with HIV and as an activist, these reports drive me crazy since they are sensationalized stories used for click-bait. Media outlets know that using a keyword such as "cure" will increase the amount of traffic to there sight and so forth. I for one think that we need to remove the word "cure" from our vocabulary completely. The current state of HIV research has shown that the more we learn about HIV, the more we learn that we do not know.. Everyone wants a "cure" however what is the current state of effrots in the United States to pressure law makers, big pharma and so on to actually push even further into "cure" research? When was the last time that you went to a rally for an "HIV Cure"? It is my opinion that each one of us must hold the media and each other accountable for recklessly throwing the c-word around. Every time the word "cure" is used, it relays that this eipdemic is over. This epidemic will not be over until we have zero new-infection. This epidemic will not be over until we have zero mother-to-child transmission (a goal that we are close to reaching). www.medicaldaily.functional-hiv-cure-step-closer-reality-fda-approval-clinical-human-trials-325048

HIV in Prime Time We all wish that more stories about HIV were featured in the media. With 1.2 million people in the US living with HIV, it's fair to say that there should be more HIV-positive characters represented on TV. But, when we do hear stories about HIV, are we always happy with them? With two recent high-profile television shows – HBO's Looking and ABC's How to Get Away With Murder – featuring HIV-positive gay characters, now's the time to ask: "How should HIV be represented on TV?" This week, we discuss media representations of HIV, how they've grown over time, and where we wish they could go. You can follow Aaron Laxton on Twitter at @aaronlaxton. You can follow Mathew Rodriguez on Twitter at @mathewrodriguez.

December of 2014 I was asked to speak to a students at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. I spoke to the students about my journey as an HIV activist and I gave them some thoughts to ponder as they set out to change the world in their own ways. This audio comes from the slides that were created for the event. This presentation came midst the protesting that was taking placein Ferguson, Missouri and around the world. I remember that I had to catch a train bright an dearly and returned back to St. Louis that same night.   I would love to hear what you are passionate about and how you hope to change the world. You can fine more about Aaron by visiting his website at www.aaronmlaxton.com and on social media at aaronlaxton.

CROI, statistics, TasP, PrEP ... what does all of this mean? In this week's episode, we break down the language of research and focus on what it means for people living or at risk for HIV. It can be a challenge to dissect and translate the research language into something that's useful to everyday life, and to help us, we have J. Welsey Thompson, MHS, PA-C, AAHIVS, DFAAPA. He has practiced medicine for over 28 years and is in practice at Rosedale Infectious Disease in the greater Charlotte region of the Carolinas. He has co-investigated in over 60 clinical trials for new medications to treat HIV. He lectures locally, statewide, and nationally to medical conferences, to patient groups, and provider groups.  He serves as guest lecturer and adjunct professor at Davidson University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Wake Forest University and Wingate University.  Wesley Thompson, PA-C along side hosts Aaron M. Laxton and Mathew K. Rodriguez help guide you through the research from CROI and will make sure you come away knowing something you didn't before. You may find out more about Wesley by visiting his website at www.jwesleythompson.com. If you would like to keep in touch with Aaron, make sure to find him on Twitter at @aaronlaxton. To talk to Mathew, you can find him at @mathewrodriguez. And, to follow Positive Radio Network, check out @PRNTweets.

As reported on several media outlets including ProjectQ and ImstillJosh a South Carolina HIV activist has been arrested and accused of non-disclosure. On February 19, 2015 Orr was arrested by the Oconee County Sheriff's Office. Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt reported, "The Sheriff's Office began its investigation after an officer spoke with the victim on February 5th. The victim revealed to the officer that he had unprotected sex with Orr on two occasions, December 11th and December 15th of 2014, at the Fairfield Road address. The victim told deputies that he later learned that Orr was HIV positive. Investigators determined that Orr was HIV positive prior to having sex with the victim but did not notify him of such. Warrants, which were being onstained on February 19th, charging Orr with two counts of exposing another to the HIV virus, involve only one victim." In this epoisode Activist Aaron M. Laxton and Mathew K. Rodriguez discuss HIV and the issues regarding this case as well as what HIV Criminalization looks like Nationally. You can find out more about HIV Criminalization by visiting The Sero Project and you may find Robert Suttles online on Twitter @i_suttle You may also visit HIV is NOT a Crime Sound off and let us know what your thoughts are... Aaron M. Laxton @aaronlaxton Mathew K. Rodriguez @mathewrodriguez Since the original air date a campaign has been started by Josh Robbin tilted #isupporrt on social media.