The Three Letters Podcast

Welcome to season three of the Three Letters Podcast! We're switching things up, and dispensing with the awareness day format to bring in a variety of sexual health folks to chat. This episodes guest is the lovely and luscious Alex Hall from the Bottom's Digest. If you aren't already familiar with Alex, or the Digest, imagine if Paula Dean, Barefoot Contessa or Martha Stewart had a cooking show where they made food just for bottoms! That's the Bottom's Digest in a nutshell! Alex and the Digest aspire to fill you up…with food that won't drag you down when you're in the mood. Join us as Alex and I get to the bottom of makes a recipe “bottom friendly”, and why you shouldn't go without dinner for that top you just met on Grindr. We also talk about the need for sex education, how to clean your peach, the importance of educating your top, social media censorship, and why Barefoot Contessa is and always will be a gay icon. Like, subscribe now to joint he conversation! Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast's creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland's HIV Advisory Board.Alex Hall - Hall was born and raised in Houston where he grew up cooking Mexican and Cajun dishes with his friends and family. family. Alex learned to cook from southern women, like his mom, grand mother, and gay icons like the Barefoot Contessa. Alex aims to use his food to impress the pants off someone, and bring you dish that keep you in the mood! Alex currently resides in Chicago. You can find him as “The Bottoms Digest” on Instagram, TickTock, YouTube, and Twitter.https://www.thebottomsdigest.com/https://futuremethod.com/https://www.instagram.com/doctorcarlton/?hl=enhttps://www.uberlube.com/https://www.cheekycharity.org/

December first is World AIDS Day.! My guest this year is Eric Marcus who's current season of the podcast series Making Gay History is an audio memoir of his coming of age during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City. ​Community note! Frannie Peabody Center will be hosting multiple events, including a candlelight vigil on December 1st, in addition to viewings of AIDS Quilt panels and free HIV testing during select time slots from December 1st-5th. Go to peabodycenter.org/worldaidsday for more information. Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast's creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland's HIV Advisory Board.Eric Marcus - Eric Marcus is the author of a dozen books, including, Why Suicide?, Breaking the Surface, the #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography of Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, and two editions of Making Gay History. Making Gay History has been turned into a currently running podcast series of the same name based on the audio recordings Eric made for the original book. Eric is also the co-producer of Those Who Were There, a podcast drawn from the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. Lastly, he is the founder and chair of the Stonewall 50 Consortium.Making Gay History - https://makinggayhistory.com/

August 29th is National Faith and HIV/AIDS Awareness Day! My guest is Mike O'Loughlin who is the host of the podcast “Plague: The Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church,” and the author of the forthcoming book based on the podcast, Hidden Mercy (due out November 2021). In this episode we learn that beneath the Catholic Church's many public mistakes concerning HIV/AIDS there were individuals of faith for whom compassion trumped over stigma and homophobia. Like, subscribe and listen now! Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast's creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland's HIV Advisory Board.Michael J. O'Loughlin - Michael J. O'Loughlin is the national correspondent for America Media, where he writes regularly about the Catholic Church. He is also the host of the award winning podcast, "Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church.”Mike is also author of The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters. Previously a staff writer for The Boston Globe's “Crux,” Mike has also written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Advocate, and Religion News Service. He has been interviewed on MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, NPR and by several local and regional media outlets.Mike is a gay catholic who, when he's not writing, reading, or Tweeting, Mike enjoys running (he's run a few marathons) and cooking. He lives in Chicago.He has a book based on the podcast called Hidden Mercy due out in November 2021 from Broadleaf Books. You can find him at his website mikeoloughlin.com and on social media.https://www.mikeoloughlin.com/

June 27th is National HIV Testing day, and my guest for this episode is social media star, GI doc, and butt sex expert Dr. Carlton. You may already know Dr. Carlton from his star turn on social media (@doctorcarlton) where he has over 20 thousand followers (and counting)! Dr. Carlton gained a reputation for his fun, frisky, and medically sound advice about all things anal. Join us as we dive deep into a discussion about social media censorship, butt play, backdoor anatomy, and tips on how to protect your peach! Like and subscribe now to join the conversation! Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast's creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland's HIV Advisory Board.Doctor Carlton - Dr. Carlton (he/him)Dr. Carlton - Dr. Carlton is a gay gastroenterologist who was raised in a conservative tobacco town in the Deep South, but somehow made his way to training at the Mayo Clinic for a top tier medical education. He landed his dream job in San Diego where he is married to an amazing guy and has two kids. While he serves the entire community's medical needs, he is particularly parody to serve the local LGBTQ community for healthcare without judgement or shame. Dr. Carlton stumbled onto Tik Tok during the pandemic and realized the need and hunger for anal sex education…and not just from LGBTQ family but also from women and straight men interested in butt play. So many people are embarrassed to talk about anal sex or ask questions about it, but let's face it…most people want to know how to do it right, do it well, and do it safely! Who better than a gay GI doctor who not only knows the medical side of things, but is no stranger to anal sex himself! Doctor Carlton on social mediaInstagram and Tik Tock @doctor_carltonGay and Lesbian Medical Associationhttp://www.glma.org

May 18th is National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. Our guest is the wonderful Chloe Manchester from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Ren and Chloe discuss vaccine safety, and the importance of adult vaccines for those living with HIV. Tune in, like, and subscribe!Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast's creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland's HIV Advisory Board.Chloe Manchester, MSc- Chloe (she/her) is an Epidemiologist at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Her work focus on Vaccine-Preventable Disease surveillance for the State of Maine. Chloe studied epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and has worked in multiple countries around the world. Chloe's career has focused on maternal, reproductive and child health, including the fields of family planning, HIV/ AIDS and immunization. This work has brough Chloe to Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Nepal, to name a few. Chloe's passion for improving health outcomes, inclusion and elevation of people living with HIV is inspired by her father who dedicated his life's work to this cause. Chloe enjoys running, sailing, cooking and playing at the beach with her son.Chloe Manchester MSc -• CDC Vaccines and Immunizations• https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html

March 10th is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Today we welcome the multi- talented Anthony Giorgio of the Queer Teen Podcast on to the show. Join Anthony and Ren as they discuss what is like to grow up queer, the importance of queer inclusive, evidence based sexual education, queer faith, what adults can learn from youth, the special magic of queer youth, and whether or not you can still call yourself a baby dyke or a twink after 30 (spoiler: you can!) Tune in, like, and subscribe!Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Anthony Giorgio (QT: Queer Teen Podcast) - Anthony is the host of Queer Teen Podcast encouraging the next generation of Queer Youth from across the world to stand up for what's right. Having worked in both America and India for LGBTQ+ rights he has seen, heard and experienced a spectrum of Queer life. The purpose of starting this podcast was to elevate and give a bigger voice to Queer Youth and their leaders. He often partners and runs workshops with Garden State Equality, Make it Better for Youth, Broadway to Bombay with Prince Manvendra Sing Gohil of India, GLSEN Maryland/ New Jersey and The Los Angeles LGBTQ Centers annual Models of Pride conference. He enjoys working with the Queer Youth community and creating transformative experiences for the future leaders of the world.• QT: Queer Teen Podcast• QT can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook• http://Queerteenpodcast.podbean.com/• queerteenpodcast@gmail.com• Beloved Arise• https://www.belovedarise.org/• Make It Better For Youth• https://makeitbetter4youth.org/

March 20th is National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day! We are thrilled to have Curtis Harris-Davia (San Carlos Apache) on to the show! Curtis has spent his career serving indigenous people, and honored us with a one of a kind history lesson on the two-spirit movement, and how native people were and are a vital part of the LGBTQ+ community. We also cover meth use, World Pride, the Two-Spirit HIV Conference, the importance of connecting with our history, and the unique challenges native people living HIV face. Like and subscribe to join the conversation! Tune in, like, and subscribe!Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Curtis Harris-Davia - Curtis Harris-Davia (San Carlos Apache) is an organizer of the Two-Spirit Indigenous People’s Association (TSIPA), one of the founding members of New York City’s “We’Wah and Bar-Chee-Ampe” – the second ever Two-Spirit organization in the United States, and has been advocating for the Two-Spirit community since 1989. He continued to do so at the Heritage of Pride (HOP) NYC town hall meeting on August 13th where he demanded that HOP include the “TS” in “TSLGBTQ” on all print media and communication for WorldPride 2019/Stonewall 50. This gesture would show respect for the First People of Turtle Island as well as honor Two-Spirit Indigenous People who are an integral part of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. He also worked at the Indian Community House for many years as director of programs to serve indigenous and two-spirit people living with HIV.American Indian House (NYC)https://www.aich.org/Healthy Elders Networkhttps://aichhen.org/Albert McLeodhttps://www.uwinnipeg.ca/awards-distinctions/honorary-doctorate/mcleod.htmlTrevor Strattonhttps://canfar.com/story/trevor-stratton/

March 12th is National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day! I am joined by the wonderful and every positive Dee Otaler from the Positively Dee Podcast. If there is one thing Dee wants you to know it is undetectable = untransmittable! We talk about her work as an advocate for the Prevention Access Campaign, living with HIV, health disparities, and what we can do when it comes to stigma. Special guest host from Bowdoin College, Blaine Stevens! Like, subscribe and listen now! Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Blaine Stevens (guest host) - Blaine is a student at Bowdoin College in Maine. She is a volunteer with Frannie Peabody Center’s prevention program. Davina Conner Oteler - Davina Conner Otalor otherwise known as “Pozitively Dee”. Dee is an HIV-positive activist, educator, international speaker, and is the community engagements outreach specialist for U=U Prevention Access Campaign. Most recently, she served as a keynote speaker at an international HIV Conference in Sweden on behalf of Prevention Access Campaign. She is the founder of the non-profit Poz Haven Foundation, which works to provide mentoring to women recently diagnosed with HIV, and is the host of Pozitively Dee’s Discussion Podcast, an award-winning podcast that touches upon all things related to HIV advocacy. Dee has an Associate’s Degree in Public Health and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she works to end HIV stigma for women and to provide a voice for those underrepresented in HIV advocacy. Dee’s PodcastDee’s podcast can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook under “Pozitively Dee”. Dee can be reached via e-mail: dee@preventionAccess.orgChristy's Placehttp://www.christiesplace.org/The Well projecthttps://www.thewellproject.org/ Sister Lovehttps://www.sisterlove.org/Postive People Network Inc.https://positivepeoplenetworkinc.org

February 7th is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day! I am joined by none other than the marvelous Dr. Justin Terry-Smith to talk about it all, basically. HIV/AIDS impact on black Americans, long-term survivors, changing attitudes towards PrEP, and U=U, how black Americans can get better access to healthcare, the COVID/HIV comparisons, Black Lives Matters and HIV, and much more! You also might find out why otters are so intimidating! Like, subscribe and listen now! Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Dr. Justin Terry-Smith - Dr. Justin Terry-Smith - My guest today is Dr. Justin Terry-Smith. Dr. Terry-Smith is an HIV positive activist, actor, educator, speaker, and writer. He has contributed to many publications including Black AIDS Institute, thebody.com, as well as regional and national news video and radio outlets. Justin created ‘Justin’s HIV Journal’ on Youtube.com to advocate for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, awareness, and his experience living with HIV. Justin has his Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease. His dissertation “Factors Influencing Use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Among Men Who Have Sex With Men" was recently published. Dr. Terry-Smith is also a Black Gay Jewish man, and a professor at Anne Arundel Community College. He resides in Maryland with his husband Dr. Philip Terry-Smith. They have two children. His website is: www.justinterrysmith.com•Justin’s Website•www.justinterrysmith.com•Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments• CDC Timeline of the Study•Your Wrong About Podcast did a wonderful two-part episode on the Tuskegee study. It’s irreverent but very informative.•Black AIDS Institute - https://blackaids.org/•Last Men Standing - https://projects.sfchronicle.com/2016/last-men-standing-film/•Whitman-Walker Health - https://www.whitman-walker.org/•Us Helping Us - https://www.ushelpingus.org/

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day to unite in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, support people living with HIV, and honor those who have lost their life.One of the most most famous AIDS-related icons is the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Conceived in 1985 by Cleave Jones and then co-founded as the NAMES Project with Mike Smith in 1987, the quilt has blossomed into a 48,000 panel memorial. Smith joins me to talk about the how the quilt began, the struggle to maintain a memorial made of spangles and cloth, and how the busiest quilt in American history went virtual. Like, subscribe, and listen!Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Mike Smith- Today is World AIDS day and my guest is Mike Smith. Mike is the co-founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and served as managing director there from 1987 to 1989. He returned in 1996 to produce the last full-scale display of the Quilt in Washington DC that year. Mike was executive director of the LGBT Community Center of Colorado from 1997 to 2001 and then, from 2002 to 2015, he led AIDS Emergency Fund & Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (AEF & BCEF), agencies that annually help more than 3,000 people disabled by HIV/AIDS or breast cancer pay their bills while too sick to work. He has recently rejoined the Quilt team as a consultant to the National AIDS Memorial, the new stewards of the Quilt.Mike’s undergraduate degree is from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He received his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.•NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt •Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board Virtual Hosting Of 8 Panels

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) is observed each year on September 27 to raise awareness about the continuing and disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on gay, bisexual, and queer men in the United States.Ren welcomes two of Maine’s most distinguished gay men, Representatives Matt Moonen and Ryan Fecteau. Join us as we discuss policy making during a pandemic, LGBTQ+ law making, marriage equality, conversation therapy, queer healthcare, drag queens, PrEP policy, and what makes being gay in Maine so special! Like, subscribe and review!Please note the we are still producing episodes, but are a little off schedule due to the pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and patience.Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV/AIDS. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Matt Moonen - Representative Matt Moonen is serving his fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives representing Portland district 38 (along with 7 other representatives from Portland). He has served as House chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary and as a member of the Taxation Committee. Matt is a longtime leader in progressive politics in Maine, and currently serves as the Executive Director of Equality Maine.Rep. Moonen is also the Majority Leader. In this position, he serves as head of the Democratic caucus of 89 members. He convenes Democratic members to discuss legislation and provide guidance on policy. His office provides staff and support to all the Democratic members of the House. He is also the executive director of Equality Maine, a member of the HIV Advisory Committee for the State of Maine, and lives in Portland with his husband, Jeremy Kennedy. Representative Ryan Fecteau - Rep. Ryan Fecteau is a third-term member of the Maine House of Representatives representing Biddeford district 11, along with Victoria Foley in district 12.. After his election, Fecteau became the third-youngest member of the legislature and the youngest openly gay state representative in the United StatesFecteau was born and raised in Biddeford and attended Biddeford High School. He completed a four-year degree at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he studied political science and theology and religious studies. He previously chaired the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development committee in the 128th Legislature and now serves as the Assistant House Majority Leader.He operates a retail store in Ogunquit, Maine, and lives in Biddeford with his goldendoodle, Pancake.•Online Absentee Ballot Request •Maine Voter Registration and Voter Guide•Free home HIV test-kits from the following agencies:•Frannie Peabody Center - 207-749-6818•FPC’s PrEP guide•Health Equity Alliance - 207-990-3626 •Maine Access Points•Ryan (and Pancake’s) Instagram•Equality Maine

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD) is observed each year on September 18. In 2008, the AIDS Institute launched this day to bring awareness to the challenging issues the aging population faces with regards to HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment.To mark this awareness day Ren is joined by none other award winning blogger, author, speaker, and HIV/AIDS activist Mark S. King! In this funny and more than a little irreverent episode Ren and Mark lay it all on the table including writing the AIDS epidemic, AIDS activism then and now, long-term survivors, meth and gay men, the late Larry Kramer, and of course that time Mark won a car on the Price Is Right. Honestly, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Like, subscribe, and listen now! Please note the we are still producing episodes, but are a little off schedule due to the pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and patience.Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as the prevention program coordinator. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Mark S. King - "I'm a HIV positive gay man in recovery from drug addiction. What’s not to love?" We agree! But he's so much more than that. Mark is also an award winning blogger, author, speaker, and HIV/AIDS activist who has been involved in HIV causes since testing positive in 1985. King was named the 2020 LGBTQ Journalist of the Year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association (NLGJA), which also awarded King their “Excellence in Blogging” honor in 2014, 2016 and 2020. My Fabulous Disease won the 2020 GLAAD Award for Outstanding Blog after five consecutive nominations.Today, Mark lives in Baltimore with his husband Michael, a real smarty pants involved in national healthcare access. Michael is a much better person than Mark. Ask anybody.For more about Mark check out his memoir A Place Like This where in he tells the tale of chasing dreams of being an actor in 1980s Los Angeles, and his time owning and running Telerotic, one of the largest gay telephone fantasy services in the country. Mark on the Price Is RightBaby faced Mark wins a car!Mark’s blogMy Fabulous Disease Mark’s MemoirA Place Like This GLAAD AwardGLAAD Award for My Fabulous DiseaseDr. David FawcettDr. Fawcett’s websiteLust, Men, and MethReunion ProjectThe Reunion Project - Founded in 2015 by activists living with HIV, The Reunion Project (TRP) is the national alliance of long-term survivors of HIV, collaborating with local and national HIV advocates, providers and researchers. Together, we convene and connect individuals and communities, sharing our experiences of survival and loss while honoring our past, and developing successful strategies for living and supporting one another—today and into the future.Age Is Not A CondomAge Is Not A Condom campaignPalm Springs HIV & Aging HIV & Aging Research Project- With more links about HIV & aging KICK ASSLet’s Kick ASS — AIDS Survivor Syndrome empowering HIV Long-Term Survivors to thrive through connection, engagement, and meaningful action since 2013. We are an all-volunteer, grassroots movement, united in compassion, committed to action, and insisting on visibility. We are dedicated to ending isolation and envisioning a future we never imagined.

June 27th is National HIV Testing Day! The Three Letters Podcast welcomes HIV tester for Health Equity Alliance, Sarah Haas to a bonus episode of the Three Letter Podcast!Please note the we are still producing episodes, but are a little off schedule due to the pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and patience.Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as a prevention, outreach, testing, and education specialist. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Sarah Haas - Sarah Haas (they/them, she/her) is an LGBTQ+ Community Organizer with Health Equity Alliance, based in the Bangor area. During the week, they can be found being lightly roasted by their youth group, making flyers, and planning pride parades. On the weekends they can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons or fixing something in their house that was definitely fine before. They live with their soon to be wife, two cats, and springer spaniel mix in Holden, and though they’ve listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts, this is their first time on one.

Maine has numerous community based providers offering FREE HIV home test-kits. Contact one of the agencies below for a free test!Health Equity Alliancehttps://www.mainehealthequity.org/207.990.3626Frannie Peabody Centerwww.peabodycenter.org207.749.6818Maine Access Pointshttps://www.maineaccesspoints.org/207.319.8823Portland Public Health - India St. STD Clinic & Syringe Exchange https://www.portlandmaine.gov/399/India-Street-Public-Health-Center207.874.8446

June 27th is National HIV Testing Day! The Three Letters Podcast welcomes Caroline Jackson from the Kaiser Family Foundation, as well our mighty interns from Frannie Peabody Center Erin Greatorex and Blaine Stevens as co-hosts! Join us for a fascinating conversation about the impact media can have on fighting HIV stigma, getting people testing, and home HIV testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. There also might be a little celebrity gossip so hit subscribe button, and press play!Please note the we are still producing episodes, but are a little off schedule due to the pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and patience.Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is The Three Letter Podcast’s creator and host. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as a prevention, outreach, testing, and education specialist. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Caroline Jackson - Caroline Jackson works on the Social Impact Media team at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco focused on public health policy and communication (not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente).Caroline joined the foundation in 2007 and spent nine years managing the creative development of many public education campaigns with leading media companies in the U.S. addressing sexual health, including Rap-It-Up with BET, Entérate! / ¡Protégete! with Univision, and PAUSE with FOX. Caroline also helped launch Greater Than AIDS in 2009, a public information response to HIV/AIDS in the U.S., working with health departments and community partners to reach those most affected with the latest on testing, prevention, and treatment. The public-private partnership model helps extend the reach of limited resources in high need areas.In 2016, Caroline transitioned to a consultant, managing special projects for the team. Today she oversees the Greater Than AIDS/Walgreens National HIV Community Partnership, a 10-year partnership with Walgreens, health departments, and community organizations across the country to broaden the reach of HIV testing and information in non-traditional settings and to support the outreach of local organizations.Caroline holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communication from American University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Dickinson College. She is from Maine, and after living on the west coast for 12 years, moved back to the Portland area with her husband and three kids last November. Great Than AIDSgreaterthan.orgPedro Zamorahttps://www.poz.com/blog/25-years-without-pedro-zamoraAlicia Keys with KFF 2013https://www.kff.org/hivaids/press-release/we-are-empowered-alicia-keys-wants-to-change-the-way-women-think-about-hiv/

World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually on May 18. HIV vaccine advocates mark the day by promoting the continued and urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection. They acknowledge and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, supporters and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective AIDS vaccine and urge the international community to recognize the importance of investing in new technologies as a critical element of a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.Join Ren, and guests Dr. Katy Garret, PharmD, and Dr. Stephen Pagkalinawan, MD, and the public health interns at Frannie Peabody Center as we discuss vaccine development and safety, COVID-19 and HIV, and the exciting updates to HIV prevention such as Cabotegravir for PrEP, the Dapivirine ring, and the scoop on Descovy and Truvada! Please note the we are still producing episodes, but are a little off schedule due to the pandemic. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Ren Morrill (Host) - Ren is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as a prevention outreach, testing and education specialist. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Dr. Katy Garrett, PharmD - Dr. Katy Garrett, PharmD, BCIDP, AAHIVP is the clinical pharmacist at Gilman Clinic specializing in the treatment and prevention of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Dr. Garrett is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and completed a residency at the Orlando Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center and a fellowship in HIV clinical pharmacology at the University of North Carolina prior to moving to Maine. She is board certified in infectious diseases pharmacy and is certified in HIV pharmacy by the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Her professional interests predominantly involve disease prevention – both HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis and vaccine-preventable illnesses. Dr. Garrett recently initiated a program designed to make PrEP more accessible and presented research evaluating the efficacy of a newer hepatitis B vaccine among people living with HIV or Hepatitis C. Outside of work she enjoys taking her dog for hikes in the White Mountains, exploring all the croissant and bagel places in the area, and cycling.Dr.Stephen Pagkalinawan, MD- Stephen Pagkalinawan is a dual Internal Medicine/Pediatrics physician and NJ native who completed his undergraduate education at Rutgers - New Brunswick and medical education at Rutgers New Jersey Medical school. He is now finishing up his residency over at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME and will be leaving for Philadelphia this July to start an adult Infectious Disease fellowship at Temple University and pursue his interests in HIV medicine and sexual health. During his 4 years at Maine Medical Center, he has taken care of hundreds of patients of all ages and has done work to increase awareness of PrEP amongst staff, especially on the Adolescent Pediatrics side.•Khan Academy Medicine - HIV Suite•AVERT’s article on HIV subtypes•AIDS Info - What is an elite controller •HIV Vaccines Trial Network•No On Question 1 AKA Maine Question 1, Religious and Philosophical Vaccination Exemptions Referendum (March 2020)•Host Brian Lehrer and HIV activist Peter Stanley remember Larry Kramer, and discuss vaccine research.•Amy Walter and Anthony Facuci remember Larry Kramer, and talk about the difficulty of developing a HIV vaccine in comparison to one for COVID-19. •The Side Effects of Vaccines - How High Are the Risks - Education video mentioned in the show that outlines just how safe vaccines are.•PrEP Watch - Dapivirine Ring•Poz Magazine - Cabotegravir for PrEP•What is PrEP?•What is the difference between Truvada and Descovy for PreP?•People without insurance can get free PrEP.•How Well Do U=U and PrEP Work?

Tuesday, April 18 was National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD). National trans testing day was created to recognize the importance of routine HIV testing, status awareness and continued focus on HIV prevention and treatment efforts among transgender people. This awareness day began in 2016 and continues to be organized by the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health. On the podcast we have two transgender stars of the LGBTQ+ community here in Maine. The Executive Director of the Maine Transnet Quinn Gormley (she/her), and the former communications director for Equality Maine, and founder, and former executive director of Speak About It, Shane Diamond (he/him). Join us as we discuss LGBTQ+ healthcare woes, statewide policy victories, the power and pitfalls of the new trans visibility, the importance of recognizing non-binary and other gender diverse people, and how to better include trans folks in HIV prevention and care messaging. Ren Morrill (he/him) - Ren is the host of the Three Letters Podcast. He is a Maine native with a life long passion for HIV. He works for Frannie Peabody Center as a prevention outreach, testing and education specialist. He also serves as the co-chair of Pride Portland’s HIV Advisory Board.Guests:Quinn Gormley (she/they) currently serves as the Executive Director of the Maine Transgender Network (MTN). Her work with MTN ranges from community building initiatives, expanding health equity and access across the state, suicide prevention, policy advocacy, and violence prevention. Before MTN, Quinn worked in a variety of community organizing settings, including at the Health Equity Alliance managing a rural HIV testing program and building rural LGBTQ+ communities, and with the Maine People’s Alliance working on economic and health justice issues. Throughout her work, Quinn believes in centering the wellness of marginalized communities, and that the root of power and liberation can be found in communities that embrace their diversity and interdependence. She lives with her husband Ezra and a small menagerie of pets in Mid Coast Maine.Shane Diamond (he/him/his) is the former Communications Director for EqualityMaine and the founder and former Executive Director of Speak About It. He is an out and proud trans-identified man living in Portland with his partner and his dog, Harvey Chocolate Milk, riding out the Covid quarantine with a sourdough starter, a home yoga practice, and a Netflix queue that is equal parts true crime drama, standup, and drag. Episode Resources: Grunt - http://www.grunt.org.au/ My Generation on Youtube - https://youtu.be/J-sceHHpzPoPrEP4 Trans - https://youtu.be/xqpynKdzJeITrans friendly sexual health resources in Maine: Mabel Wadsworth Center, Planned Parenthood, Maine Family Planning

For National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day- the Three Letters Podcast welcomes sex educator Kaylee Wolfe and Dr. Sarah Holmes from the Universiaty of Southern Maine.

The Three Letters Podcast welcomes Teddy Burrage and Denzel Coleman to discuss their experience of being black in Maine, as well as the role of stigma, masculinity, race, and sexuality play in the lives of Black Americans at-risk or living with HIV.