A concert in Los Angeles tonight will fund preventative measures
against HIV infection by donating its proceeds to the UCLA AIDS
Institute.
The organization called “MUSICaids … life thru
music” will be featuring its “Songs for a New
Resolution” concert to support the UCLA AIDS
Institute’s research.
The concert, which will showcase artists James Taylor, Arnold
McCuller, Brandi Carlile, Deborah Falconer and Brandon Fields, will
take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.
“MUSICaids…life thru music,” a nonprofit
organization, provides information about research and prevention,
and helps fund HIV vaccine and microbicide programs.
“It’s about using the form of education and
entertainment, which is educainment,” said Daryl Roach,
founder and executive director of the AIDS organization.
The funds from the concert will be used by the UCLA AIDS
Institute in its vaccine and microbicide research.
Microbicides ““ used to prevent HIV transmission ““
come in the form of lubricants or cream applied prior to sex to
decrease the possibility of HIV infection.
“The advantage here is to focus on something that might
reduce transmission per sex act while we are waiting for
vaccines,” said Peter Anton, researcher at the UCLA AIDS
Institute and director of the Center for HIV and Digestive
Diseases.
Certain microbicides are currently in clinical trials in Africa,
India and other countries, Anton said.
The artists, who are donating their services, will be helping to
raise funds for microbicide research at the event.
“I hope people, if they read about this and hear about it,
encourage others to come out and support it because the research
deserves the support,” said Arnold McCuller ““ an
expressive vocalist performing tonight who has recorded albums with
the likes of Aretha Franklin.
“I realized that as a performer I could get together a
number of other performers for a good cause,” he added.
Microbicides can be used by women to guard against HIV infection
in situations when condom use is not an option.
“One of the problems is that there is complacency and
decreased emphasis on ways to prevent new infections. Some of this
is that people feel medications are making this a non-serious
disease because they can just take pills and they will be
OK,” Anton said.
“In fact, in certain areas in the United States, the
HIV/AIDS prevalence is as dismal and daunting as the most advanced
regions in Sub-Saharan Africa,” he added.
Preventative measures, as in the use of microbicides, can be
beneficial in curbing the increase in HIV infections.
“The data from a few years ago shows that one in three
African American young men in urban settings is HIV
positive,” Anton said.
“That is a 30 percent prevalence rate which is one of the
highest in the world,” he added.
The concert will support research that will address such
issues.
Music, in conjunction with community support, will help advance
the research.
“What is promising, which is what MUSICaids is about, are
microbicides … that are four or five years away (from being
available to the public),” Roach said.
Any kind of support for research is beneficial, Anton said.
“A lot of times people think that contributions of $100,
$500 or $1000 dollars cannot make a difference in research … but
the truth is the research really benefits from these types of
fund-raising beneficiaries,” he said.
The concert will be held tonight at 7:30. Tickets are
available at www.musicaids.org or at the Wilshire Ebell Theater box
office at (323)939-1128.