Interviewee: Macarena Pérez, Transgender Peer Educator, Centro de Promoción y Solidaridad Humana (CEPROSH), Dominican Republic Interviewer: Betty Alvarez, Consultant, FHI 360 Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20th that honors the memory of lives lost in... Continue Reading
Written by Georgia Arnold, executive director and founder of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, and executive producer of the award-winning “edutainment’ campaign, MTV Shuga. MTV Shuga is a 360 mass media campaign that uses the power of entertainment to generate... Continue Reading
Written by Beyonce Karungi, Executive Director, Transgender Equality Uganda The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the largest international gathering of governments and civil society dedicated to developing an agenda that promotes progress for women and girls. Each year, the UN brings... Continue Reading
Written by Alice Olawo, Senior Program Officer, LINKAGES Kenya Harmful gender norms and inequalities increase violence and HIV risk while limiting the use of HIV services by members of key populations (men who have sex with men [MSM], transgender people, people... Continue Reading
Written by Levis Nderitu, co-founder, Sullivan Reed Sullivan Reed is an organization in Nairobi, Kenya that specializes in the economic and social empowerment of LGBT people in Kenya, where homosexuality is criminalized and HIV prevalence is almost three times higher... Continue Reading
LINKAGES would like to thank the clinical staff members of CEPROSH, the police chief, and the key population members in Puerto Plata who contributed to this interview. LINKAGES has the privilege of working with many incredible community-based organizations throughout the... Continue Reading
Written by Amitava Sarkar (preferred name – Amrita), Co-chair, IRGT “Please help, somebody please help!” Despite my shouting, my two friends and I drew no attention from passersby. We were surrounded by at least 10 men who were beginning to get... Continue Reading
Written by Alesandra Ogeta, Research and Advocacy Officer, Jinsiangu Organization I am living in a country that is quickly transforming into an open, democratic, and economically vibrant society. Despite the increasing freedoms in socio-economic and political spaces, the same cannot be... Continue Reading
Part 1 written by Rolande Lewis, Program Officer, LINKAGES Part 2 written by Irwin Iradukunda, Director of Programmes for Mouvement pour les Libertés Indivduelles (MOLI) and key population activist in Burundi Part 1 On Tuesday, May 17, The International Day... Continue Reading
Written by Alexus D'Marco, Founder of the DMARCO Foundation “To deny people their human rights is to deny them their humanity” - Nelson Mandela This quote has been a call to action for me. Over the past years of my life I... Continue Reading
This blog is managed by the EpiC project and dedicated to sharing stories, events, and resources from HIV epidemic control efforts around the world.
Assessment
A questionnaire or “screener” meant to be used with individual patients in a clinical setting to screen for, help diagnose, or monitor progress for individual mental health conditions.
Intervention
Larger packages or broader-reaching resources that describe actions or activities to be implemented. These may be appropriate for individuals, groups, and/or programs.
Anxiety
Feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness that may occur as a reaction to stress. Anxiety can be a symptom or a feeling; it can also be a clinical diagnosis of a mental health condition.
Burnout
A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, typically related to one’s work, that is not managed well. Burnout is considered an occupational phenomenon.
Clinical diagnoses
Mental or neuropsychiatric disorders, or disruptive, unusual, or maladaptive behaviors that have been evaluated and diagnosed by a trained medical professional.
Depression
A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Disability
A physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
Insomnia
A sleep disorder, or disordered sleep pattern, characterized by trouble falling and/or staying asleep.
Overall well-being
The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy; judging one’s own life positively; generally, “feeling good.”
Post-traumatic stress (PTS)
A normal adaptive response to traumatic or stressful life events that can result in a wide range of distressing symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differs from PTS and is a clinical diagnosis.
Self-efficacy
An individual’s belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals.
Self-harm/suicidality
Deliberate injury to oneself as an emotional coping mechanism, ranging from cutting oneself to suicide. Expressions of self-harm and/or suicidality are usually considered an emergency and should be assessed and managed by a trained professional.
Social support
The perception that one is cared for, has assistance available if needed, and that one is part of a supportive social network.
Stress
Any type of change to one’s internal or external environment that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. “Managing stress” is an effort to return from this state of strain or disturbance to homeostasis or well-being.
Substance abuse
Use of a substance (usually drugs or alcohol) in amounts or by methods that are harmful to oneself or others. Substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction are distinct clinical diagnoses.
Trauma
Lasting biopsychosocial and/or emotional response that often results from experiencing a terrible event such as an accident, crime, military combat, or natural disaster, or a series of chronic traumatic events like persistent abuse or neglect.
Program beneficiary
Individual who receives program services; an entire group or population may be the recipient of services.
Service provider
Individual who directly provides services to another individual, group, or population (the “program beneficiary”) through a program.