Study Finds improvements in teen sexual behavior, but increased risks

This story, appearing in the New York Times, discusses the encouraging developments in US teens' sexual behavior, but highlights an important, and disturbing trend: while teens are delaying sex and increasing their condom use over a 17-year period, the rate of HIV and other STDs is increasing in the past few years. The article states that while teens are having less sex, having it later, and using condoms more often, there is still

"...a 34 percent increase in H.I.V. and AIDS cases diagnosed among teenagers 15 to 19 from 2003 to 2006."

This increase underscores the need for more comprehensive education in terms of the risks of STDs, particularly HIV/AIDS.

To read the full study, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for August 1st.

Olympians and Until There's A Cure

Congratulations to Kerri Walsh, Olympic Gold-Medalist in beach volleyball, and one of our most recent PSAs! Kerri's photo appears in September's issue of Maxim Magazine, and she is wearing several of our African Art bracelets.

Along with Kerri, Olympic Gold-Medalist men's basketball player Carmelo Anthony has posed for Until There's A Cure, wearing our best-selling silver plate bracelet, as well as the now-discontinued large jelly bracelet. Look for Carmelo's photo in upcoming months.

Congratulations on all the impressive performances, and a special thanks to those who have lent their time and faces to the fight... Until There's A Cure.

Please support the reauthorization of PEPFAR

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is currently under threat in the US Congress. Please take a moment to visit this site and sign your name, encouraging the reauthorization of these much-needed funds.

"The Senate might not consider PEPFAR reauthorization at all this year. With 15,000 new infections every day in sub-Saharan Africa, over 60% of them among women and young girls, we can't afford any delays in renewing US commitment to fighting AIDS."

For detailed information about PEPFAR, please visit their web site.

-Until There's A Cure

create a WEARness... Until There's A Cure

We are finalizing our new fundraising initiative -- UNTIL wristbands at high schools and middle schools across the country. This campaign will be truly comprehensive, involving physical events as well as interactive participation online. It's a lot of work but we're very excited... and busy!

As part of the campaign, we're encouraging people to send us pictures of themselves wearing The Bracelet. Send us a picture of you, your friends, your parents, your dogs, cats, teammates, classmates, roommates, etc. wearing your bracelets and we'll post them to our Flickr photostream.

Stay tuned for more updates in the very near future!

-Until There's A Cure

IAVI Gains a Leading Vaccine Expert

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the medical effort dedicated to the development of a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS, has gained Dr. Thomas Hassell as vice president of vaccine development. Please view the press release detailing Dr. Hassell's work here.

UTAC Updates!

Candice Wiggins was profiled in the San Jose Mercury News on June 29th, discussing her success with the Minnesota Lynx as well as her partnership withUntil There's A Cure! You can access the article online here.

National HIV Testing Day was on June 27th, 2008 - for more information about this annual event, please visit the CDC's NHTD page.

In product news, UTAC is excited to be one of Fry's Electronics newest vendors! Look for the Until There's A Cure displays at each of the 34 Fry's stores -- find the nearest one by visiting the store locator. Fry's will carry several different styles of The Bracelet.

-Until There's A Cure

Intern with Until There's A Cure

Until There's A Cure is looking for an intern -- view our internship description here, on Idealist!

WNBA/UTAC Video

Please view the WNBA's promotion video for the Minnesota Lynx Until There's A Cure Night with Candice Wiggins!



-Kelly

Making Our African Art Bracelet

We've had a lot of compliments on our African Art Bracelet, handcrafted by members of a village in Namibia, a nation that has been severely affected by HIV/AIDS. The bracelets, which are carved from recycled PVC pipe, are individually designed by the carver and feature totally unique designs -- no two are ever exactly alike. The proceeds from the sales of these bracelets support prevention/education/care programs within Namibia, so by wearing one, not only are you making a fashion statement of your own, you are directly benefiting small businesses and HIV/AIDS awareness in a truly tangible way.

This photo album includes pictures of how the bracelets are actually made -- I was surprised by the process myself! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at Until.

To see how the bracelets are created, please visit the gallery here.

Until There's A Cure,
Kelly

Products and Promotions

Our newest addition to the Until Bracelet family is the UNTIL wristband. We've introduced them at two events so far: this year's San Francisco Giants Until There's A Cure Night at AT&T Park--where we gave every Giants vendor a black UNTIL wristband--and at the June 10 Minnesota Lynx's Until There's A Cure Night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. For the Lynx game, we had UNTIL bands specially-made to include Candice Wiggins' name and jersey number for the first 5,000 fans.

We are very excited about this product as it provides a new way for us to increase awareness and funding for vaccine research and HIV/AIDS education: school and group fundraising. Students can purchase the wristbands in packages of 10, in pink, red, or black, to be sold individually to friends and family -- money they raise will be granted to one of our pre-screened AIDS foundations in their region.

For those who plan to sell a large volume [over 1,200], the bracelets can be custom ordered in almost any color; think school colors for homecoming, or holiday colors.

To check out the UNTIL bands and start supporting HIV/AIDS research and prevention education in your area, please visit our online ordering page.

-Until There's A Cure

Review us on Yelp!

Yelp offers a unique way for Bay Area [and more distant] wearers of The Bracelet to encourage other people to support HIV/AIDS awareness. By reviewing Until There's A Cure and our products, you can help to make more people aware of the cause and the foundation.

Please visit our page and Yelp us out!
-Kelly

Welcome to the UNTIL blog

Thank you for checking out the UNTIL blog -- we will update this frequently to let you know about events, new products, partnerships, and news in the world of HIV/AIDS awareness.

Please check back regularly, and remember to wear The Bracelet... Until There's A Cure.

www.until.org