Social marketing material developed by Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights, a 2014 GLAM grantee in Ghana AVAC, amfar, COC Netherlands and International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) are pleased to announce seven Global Lube Access Mobilisation (GLAM) awards to projects in Africa. GLAM, an initiative of IRMA’s Project ARM (Africa for Rectal Microbicides) in collaboration with Read More >>

by Mike Wilson(former IRMA intern, IRMA advocate forever)  Hello IRMA! It feels like I have not said that greeting in ages. I may not be an intern with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, but I have certainly not left behind my engagement with (and love of) IRMA and other HIV prevention organizations. Since leaving the IRMA internship I Read More >>

Find out a little about Stephen McGill in his mini-bio, the latest in IRMA’s “Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate” series on the IRMA website here.  Stephen is one of five new bios posted in the past week.   Stephen McGill Monrovia, Liberia  Stephen McGill, with an extensive background in public health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and human rights Read More >>

via Positive Lite, by Marc-André LeBlanc “This situation is unacceptable. We’re in 2013, for the love of all that is wet and wild! How can we not know the answer to such a fundamental question—are lubes safe?”   Here I am again, standing in front of a giant wall of lube options at a local store. Water-based, silicone-based, Read More >>

Today IRMA, in collaboration with amfAR and AVAC, is excited to release a re-designed Version 2.0  of the GLAM Toolkit: Advocacy to improve access to safe, condom-compatible lubricant in Africa. The Toolkit is now available in French in addition to English – making it more useful for Francophone speakers in Africa – and the new design makes Read More >>

IRMA*, amfAR*, and AVAC* are delighted to announce that IRMA Nigeria (in partnership with International Center on Advocacy for the Right to Health), Stop AIDS in Liberia (SAIL), and an organisation in Zambia** have been awarded Global Lube Access Mobilisation (GLAM) funding to campaign for access to safe, condom-compatible lubricants in their communities. Throughout the world, and Read More >>

via IRIN PlusNews “Key populations – such as MSM and sex workers – who need the lubricant the most, often get their health-related services from local NGOs, which are not often included in [HIV/AIDS] policies or broader [health] programmes,” explained Bidia Deperthes, a senior HIV adviser with UNFPA’s Comprehensive Condom Programming division in New York. KATHMANDU, 21 February Read More >>

Today, IRMA,  in collaboration with amfAR and AVAC, is delighted to officially release Version 1.0 of The GLAM Toolkit: Advocacy to improve access to safe, condom-compatible lubricant in Africa. The Toolkit provides background on the status of lubricant (lube) access in Africa and strategies for civil society and government partners to secure and distribute sustainable supplies of Read More >>

via Survey Monkey, for [Project ARM] GLAM Lube Distribution Survey Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete this survey on lubricant distribution in your country. International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) has launched a special initiative called “Project ARM – Africa for Rectal Microbicides” to ensure rectal microbicide research and advocacy are on the African map. Read More >>

via Windy City Times, by Jim Pickett For seven, long, long days I dove into the deep end of the madness that was the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) and various ancillary meetings held in Washington, D.C., last week. It was a mad, mad world of 20,000 plus people from every corner of the planet running to Read More >>