On the Saturday May 29th 2010 edition of the local newspaper, Diario de Yucatan, they published a note with updated information related to HIV/AIDS. Dr. Jose Antonio Izazola Licea is the Director General of the CENSIDA, Mexico’s National Center for control and prevention of HIV/AIDS. The numbers are really alarming, of course Dr. Izazola represents the authority on this matter, and he is Mexican.

Dr Izazola comments that there is a registry of 8,000 new cases every year in Mexico, there is an estimated total of 220,000 cases, a mortality of 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants and mainly affecting the group of 15 to 49 years old. The Director General of CENSIDA mentioned they are working on the fact that the medication is not available all the time on the pharmacy stocks.

This is a reality in Mexico and in the Yucatan too, even if HIV+ people are getting their medication for free, as a part of the Mexican policy to treat HIV and offer it to the population, a person infected with HIV/AIDS, on treatment, who does not take their medication as they should, (because they didn’t have the supply for that month at the pharmacy) could develop resistance and fail the treatment, so even if they are getting their drugs for free, the CENSIDA admits there is this problem out there and they are working on it.

Dr. Jose Antonio Izazola Licea also mentions that thousands of people do not know they are HIV+, they calculate that there are 59,000 people who don’t know about their status and only 40% of the detected cases are under treatment.

The full article can be consulted at:

Diario de Yucatán

This is exactly why NGO’s exist, to provide community based attention and counseling as well as prevention programs which help the government efforts, in an understanding of shared responsibility and work to fight against this disease.

In this context, and being aware of what the Director General of CENSIDA has said, the presence of NGO’s, such as Brazos Abiertos, is of relevance and importance to help detect those 59,000 people who don’t know they are HIV+ and who don’t want to be tested in a local health center, providing them appropriate counseling and direction, helping the other 60% to be on treatment and cooperate with other NGO’s and the government to avoid the lack of medications on stock.

The impact of what Brazos Abiertos is doing in terms of education and prevention in the communities of the Yucatan, makes us realize that All of the volunteers involved are doing a lot of good to assist the local and national health departments to fight this disease, as well as to benefit many Mexicans directly!

The state of Yucatan is still #5 among 32 states in Mexico, by incidence per 100,000 inhabitants, and #14 in accumulated cases, AIDS is one of the top 20 causes of death in Mexico. Only in 2009, there was a total of 257 registered cases of both HIV and AIDS, You all can consult the State of Yucatan health department official preliminary 2009 statistics on the subject at:

Yucatan’s Health Department website

Those numbers are there and public, the Yucatecans are facing a health problem that requires the help of the government, the NGO’s and the community. People deserve the right to be well informed with the proper numbers and statistics, not to manipulate any kind of information that could hurt the legitimate work that NGO’s are doing on the field, here in this wonderful land of Mexico. One of those NGO’s is Brazos Abiertos.

So to All, We would like to invite you to join us on our workshops, community fairs, fundraisers, health fairs, testing campaigns and related activities to make them happen!, and to see what the authorities and official statistics say, not what a third party could be stating to manipulate the information and the reality to harm the credibility of any NGO. It is again thanks to the NGO’s that many people are being assisted in the system, counseled, treated, tested, educated!

It is also thanks to these NGO’s with the help of Congress and authorities, that a National law against discrimination  exists and campaigns against homophobia are promoted by national councils, and sanctions can be applied against those individuals who like to practice such.

Full text of the Federal Law to prevent and eliminate Discrimination

CONASIDA - CONAPRED Campaign against Homophobia

We applaud the work of International, National and local NGO’s who keep fighting against this disease, that is no longer lethal if under appropriate treatment, but is still deadly when not dealt with on time.

Thank you to All our world wide supporters, to the local ex pats and nationals who believe not only in our cause but fight with us shoulder to shoulder to help empowering the people of the Yucatan to respond to AIDS, to all the valuable volunteers who collaborate with Brazos Abiertos since day 1, to the wide list of donors who have backed up our work. Brazos Abiertos is not a group represented by a few, but a big family represented by hundreds, a family that keeps growing every day with your generosity and support!

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Brazos will be conducting a workshop in the village of Komchen, Yucatan on June 21st and 22nd and on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo on June 25th and 26th!  Come see what we do! For more information please contact brazos@hivyucatan.org

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On Friday April 23, Brazos Abiertos conducted the first ever HIV testing in the late night at the Main Plaza of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.  The idea of the evening testing was to target at-risk groups.  From 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Friday night Brazos Abiertos conducted 45 tests and found 4 persons that are HIV positive.   This is the highest percentage of positive test results that BAI has ever found in a single testing event.

If each of the persons tested would have continued to have unprotected sex  with and infected as few as 3 persons per year and those three persons had done the same, etcetera, then the compounded effect  over a three year period would mean that they and their partners would potentially have infected over 500 persons over a three year period.  The four persons that tested positive could potentially have infected over 2,000 persons.

So for a cost of as little as $150 USD (the cost of the 45 test kits), Brazos Abiertos may have prevented over 2,000 people from being infected with HIV. And that is not counting the other 41 people who not only were tested but learned about safe sex in our pre- and post-test counseling.

For Brazos Abiertos to continue its HIV testing program  in Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula, we need $15,000  USD  for HIV test kits over a one year period. You can sponsor a monthly test event for as little as $200 USD. Two hundred dollars is a small price to pay to prevent over 2,000 persons from becoming infected with HIV!  Brazos Abiertos plans to continue HIV testing in the Main Plaza of Merida at least once a month.

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On March 25th, TEAMM Yucatan and 2 of the Brazos Abiertos Interns, went back to the schools to teach in front of the groups. During 2009, TEAMM experienced their workshops in the community fair model in different towns and Mayan villages. This time with Lena Noecker and Kody Dobecka leading them for the second time, they have done a huge and successful workshop at the COBAY (high school) at the village of Umán. We have now offers from the same school to come back and teach other groups and grades. We are sure Brazos will come back to this high school in the near future.

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On March 14th, Brazos Abiertos conducted a testing and prevention campaign at the village of Umán, Yucatán, where there had been new cases reported lately. Umán is a very close town to Mérida, many people in their working population come to Mérida to work every day.

With the support of the local authorities and another non profit organization, Profesionistas Quiíicos de Yucatán, Brazos Abiertos tested 80 people. According to the local officials, the town is known by its low participation in events and health campaigns, and they were very surprised people kept coming to be counseled and tested.

We would like to thank the 30 volunteers and supporters who came to help at this event!

View the full Article of Diario de Yucatan

View Another Article at Vision Peninsular

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On March 7th, Brazos Abiertos had its First fundraiser of 2010. With the participation of 250 people, the event was a huge success!

Special Thank-You’s go to Henry Pounce and Sam Woodruff.  Thanks to the Merida Media, especially Yucatan Today, Yucatan Living, Diario de Yucatan and Punto Medio. As always thank you to Yucatan Today for handling all Brazos printing needs.

Brazos Abiertos could not have done the “Merida  Showcase of Homes”  without the talents of local designers and  architects Stephen Conger, Victor Cruz, Henry Pounce,  John Powell and Josh Ramos.

Brazos would also like to thank all the home owners, Jim Anthony, John & Mary Burrell, Stephen Conger, Jim Jordan, John & Janean Mc Quade, Henry Ponce,  John Powell and Josh Ramos.

Last but not least to our volunteers: Dr, Narces Alcocer  Ayuso,  Ellyne Basto, Dr. Benjamin Ramirez  y Ross Russell, Richard y Leslie Bennink, Yuica Conan y Mathiew Lhuile, George Fisher, Nancy y Barry Hoag, Sandy Kazim, William Knuths, Suzanne Larimer, Giovannva Marchant, Jaromey Menshal, Lena Noecker y Kody Dobecka, Josh Ramos y John Powell, Stephanie swift, Jose Solis, Robin y Doug Young, Lisa Willemsen, Sam Woodruff and Cotting White.

The Showcase of Homes in the Diario de Yucatan

First Article in Punto Medio about the Showcase of Homes

Second article in Punto Medio about the Showcase of Homes

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Denver, Colorado / Merida, Mexico

Lena Noecker helps invent HIV education programs for Mayan teens in the Pueblos of Yucatan. While a student at Regis University in Denver, Lena served as one of the original Brazos interns and has stayed involved providing valuable direction to the evolution of the Brazos Intern Program.

BA: Lena, what is the Brazos Intern Program, how does it work, what are the challenges & rewards of HIV/AIDS education in the Yucatan, and who is eligible to participate?

Lena: The Brazos Intern Program brings U.S. students in direct sustained involvement with Mayan teens for 2-4 months, to provide knowledge transfer and training resources for HIV/AIDS self-education, awareness and prevention in Pueblo communities.

Each community has unique needs and challenges but all face gender inequality, stigma surrounding AIDS, discomfort talking about sex, and lack of basic knowledge. Enabling Mayan teens to replace the stigma & fear in their communities with understanding is the greatest reward our interns experience.No matter the location, the Brazos Intern Program empowers Mayan teens so they can teach themselves and their communities how to combat HIV/AIDs.

The Brazos Abiertos Intern Program is open to students from all over the world. The program has hosted already 4 interns between 2009 and 2010. If you are interested in helping support the Brazos Intern Program please email John Truax at: john@hivyucatan.org. Join us in enabling Mayan teens to save lives in the Yucatan.

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