Category Archives: Public Health

Today is National HIV Testing Day. Do you know your status?

Eliminating the stigma begins with knowing your status. By Barrett White   Today, health care providers throughout the nation are highlighting the importance of HIV prevention and the end of HIV stigma. On average, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are nearly 40,000 new HIV transmissions every year, with the highest rates …

Honoring the community on National Long-Term Survivors Day

June 5 is National Long-Term Survivors Day. Many of those who survived the height of the AIDS crisis are aging, and what that can mean for HIV treatment. By Barrett White   When the virus first struck the United States, it was considered fatal. Just before the crisis began, Montrose Clinic—what Legacy was known as …

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 …

Local, Free, and Fun: Summer destinations to get the family off the couch

By Barrett White Over the summer months when the kids are out of school and the stress of homework, exams, and class projects fades into memory, it’s easy to let the body relax with the mind. It’s often joked that Houston is “the most air conditioned city in the world”, and with good reason—the average …

Nutritious, Simple, and Cheap: Meal Plans from a Legacy Dietician

By Barrett White Cooking for a family—or cooking multiple meals for a single person meal prep—doesn’t have to be difficult, time consuming, or expensive. In fact, stopping for fast food to satisfy the hunger pangs, even just to order off the dollar menu, adds up quick and is easily more expensive in the long run …

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 …

Vaccine Before Vacation: Staying healthy this summer

By Barrett White My family didn’t travel much when I was a child, we simply couldn’t afford it. But when we could afford a weekend adventure away from home, we would pile in the car and drive out to New Orleans, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio. We never worried much about travel vaccinations, because these …

Summer’s Coming—Is Your Skin Ready?

By Barrett White The temperature in Houston has been pushing 80 degrees the past couple of weekends and pollen is officially blanketing every outdoor flat surface in sight. Spring is here—but knowing Houston weather, this means summer is not far behind. As the sun-lovers emerge from their homes and make their way to the plethora …

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, …