Category Archives: LGBTQ+

Lessons learned along the journey from discovery to recovery

Legacy Community Health’s Wellness Manager Felicia Lee-Sexton overcame a cocaine addiction to become a world-renowned fitness expert and award-winning body builder. Now she utilizes her experience to help Legacy patients with diabetes, eating disorders, HIV and gender care needs at our Body Positive Wellness Center—a free service for our patients. If you’re a Legacy patient …

What is the Banyan Tree Project?

May 19 is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. By Barrett White   In 2005, we celebrated the first Asian and Pacific Islander HIV Awareness Day. The effort was spearheaded by a group in California, API Wellness. The faces of the AIDS crisis were predominantly White gay men, and presently, the most at-risk …

The 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference: What We Learned, Part 2

On day two of the conference, experts in their fields debated the cost-effectiveness of PrEP. How did they come to their conclusions, and how can states leverage that cost without the patients paying the price?   By Barrett White According to the CDC’s website, PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a medication regimen that “when taken …

The 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference: What We Learned, Part I

By Barrett White Over the past week, the CDC hosted the annual National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta. At the podium were familiar faces such as Drs. Anthony Fauci, David Malebranche and the director of the CDC, Bob Redfield. Over the course of the conference, panelists tackled tough topics like HIV stigma, PrEP access for …

Even though two people have been recently declared in remission of HIV, there is no cure. Yet.

By Barrett White Last week, two people living with HIV went into long-term remission following a bone marrow transplant. Long-term remission means that they have not been completely cured of the virus, but there is a very little chance that it will come back. The patients’ bone marrow transplants were intended to treat cancer diagnoses, …

Today is Black HIV Awareness Day. Do you know your status?

By Barrett White “I don’t have HIV, I’m not gay,” said Kalvin Marshall, in disbelief, at learning he was living with HIV. But he was and so was his wife Eunice. The Marshalls are members of Positive Organizing Project (POP+), an advocacy training program designed by and for people living with HIV/AIDS. They were given …

Mythbusting the HIV stigma

By Barrett White   If you’re unsure how HIV is spread, or how to prevent it, you’re not alone. Is AIDS the same thing as HIV? Is there a cure for AIDS? We took these common questions, beliefs, and misconceptions into consideration and created this handy mythbusters guide to HIV/AIDS with the help of Legacy’s …

The Texas Legislature is now open for official business

Legacy Community Health Policy Agenda

By Barrett White   Both inside and outside the halls of government, Legacy’s public affairs practice moves public policy at the state and federal levels to improve the lives of the patients and communities we serve. Today marks the beginning of the 86th Texas legislature—this session, Legacy will be tackling topics at the state and …

Your Favorite Legacy Stories

By Barrett White   Each week, Legacy brings you health news, tips, and patient stories. Now that we’re a week into 2019, we took a look back on what you enjoyed the most based on your likes, shares, click-throughs, and comments. Here are a few of your favorite stories from 2018. 1. Seven Ways to …

Legacy Montrose Lights Building in Honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance

Pictured: The Legacy Montrose building lit for Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2017.   By Barrett White Each year on November 20, we observe International Transgender Day of Remembrance. This year, Texas saw the murders of Dallas resident Karla Patricia Flores-Pavon and Brandi Seals, who was right here in Houston—and who was identified by the …