27th Annual Empowerment Conference
SEX POSITIVITY
SEX POSITIVITY
Day
Hour
Minute
Second
August 2, 2024 • New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District
Empowerment is back!
After 3 years away due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are so excited to bring our community back together to learn, share resources, and celebrate the lives of people living with HIV throughout Louisiana. If you’re new to the Empowerment Conference, this is an annual, day-long event for people living with HIV, their loved ones, and the broader HIV care community throughout Louisiana.
Our Mission is to End the HIV Epidemic in New Orleans by destigmatizing the lives of people living with HIV and sharing awesome advances in HIV care and technology. This year, our conference theme is Sex Positivity, so we will bring together resources and partners to celebrate the healthy and thriving sexual lives of people living with HIV.
Attendance for Empowerment Conference is free to all participants, and Breakfast and Lunch will be provided. Valet parking at the hotel costs $12 per vehicle plus tip.
Conference Schedule
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Registration, Exhibits, Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:05 am
Introduction from Conference Chairs
9:05 am – 10:00 am
Breakfast Plenary Panel: Empowerment Conference Through the Years
Presenters: Dr. Lynn Besch, Infectious Disease Doctor; Joseph Battiste, Former Chair of the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council; Hara Delahoussaye, Community Volunteer; and Noel Twilbeck, Former CEO of CrescentCareModerator: Jack Hoda, HIV Services Manager of CrescentCare.
10:15 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 1
Track A
Breakout Session 1
Track A
Intimate Partner Violence and HIV
Presenters: Andy Mahoney, RN Forensic Coordinator at New Orleans Family Justice CenterThis session will define Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and provide discussion around the sometimes-interconnected relationship between IPV and HIV. We will explore how IPV can increase the risk of HIV and how living with HIV may increase the risk of IPV. Basic screening and intervention tips for people experiencing and/or who know people experiencing IPV will be shared.
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 1
Track B
Breakout Session 1
Track B
An Update on Anal Cancer Screening Guidelines
Presenters: Jacob Rickoll, DNP, AGNP-C, AAHIVS, Owner and Lead Medical Provider at Integrity Health & WellnessAnal cancer is rare in the general community but occurs more commonly in specific populations, such as men who have sex with men that are living with HIV. The Anal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research (ANCHOR) study, which ended in March 2024, showed that early treatment reduces anal cancer risk among people living with HIV. This presentation will review the ANCHOR study and explain the who/what/when/where/how of anal cancer screening for adults living with HIV.
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 1
Track C
Breakout Session 1
Track C
HIV Criminalization: What to Know and How to Fight Back!
Presenters: Dietz (any pronoun used with Respect), LCCH Statewide Coordinator; Marvin Anderson (he/him), LCCH Mobilization SpecialistLearn more about how HIV criminalization law affects people in Louisiana and find out how to get involved in "modernizing" it!
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 1
Track D
Breakout Session 1
Track D
Healthy Sexual
Presenters: GileadTBD
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Track A
Breakout Session 2
Track A
Sex and Body Positivity for People Living with HIV 50+
Presenters: Lorraine Loydrake, Robert Turner, Kyra KincaidModerator: Jim Meadows, LMSW, Executive Director of NOAGE (New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders)
Over half of people in the United States who are living with HIV are aged 50 and older, and studies have shown that PLWH who have experienced changes in their bodies related to HIV (and its treatment) can experience negative body image and changes in sex drive. This panel discussion will focus on these and related issues, and time will be allotted for audience members to share their personal experience.
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Track B
Breakout Session 2
Track B
CANS Can’t Stand, Documentary Film Screening and Conversation
Presenters: Wendi Cooper, Co-Producer and Subject of FilmNature by Solicitation (CANS) law to terrorize queer/trans Louisianians. CANS Can't Stand follows a group of Black trans women in New Orleans who are fighting to repeal that law—and advance trans liberation across the state. Join Wendi for a screening of the documentary film and a candid, post-screening conversation.
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Track C
Breakout Session 2
Track C
PrEP Equity Roundtable
Presenters: CrescentCare & GileadTBD
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Track D
Breakout Session 2
Track D
Fighting Stigma Through Personal Action
Presenters: GileadTBD
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Lunch Plenary, Exhibits
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Breakout Session 3
Track A
Breakout Session 3
Track A
Sex and Law: Intersections for People Living with HIV (PLWH)
Presenters: Todd Hebert, Director of Legal Services at CrescentCare; Joshua Holmes, Legal Services Supervisor at CrescentCareThis session will review the nuances surrounding law and sex in Louisiana, how they affect people living with HIV, and what sex positive strategies exist to successfully navigate these nuances.
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Breakout Session 3
Track B
Breakout Session 3
Track B
Collaboration Matters: Client and Case Manager Partnership
Presenters: Sebastian Figueroa, LMSW (CrescentCare); Dominique Fisher, MA, RSW (CrescentCare); Patrice Morris, MSW, RSW (CrescentCare); Bernadette St. Amand, LMSW (CrescentCare); Abbie Sussman, LMSW (CrescentCare)This session will support People Living with HIV in having the resources to self-advocate for their health and wellbeing in medical and case management settings. This discussion-centered session will emphasize the collaborative nature of the client as an active part of their care team. And there will be coloring!
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Breakout Session 3
Track C
Breakout Session 3
Track C
Family Building for People Living with HIV
Presenters: Dr. Nicole Ulrich of Audubon Fertility; Tasia Steward and Victoria Williams of Birthmark Doulas; Raquel Russell and Angela Williams of the Louisiana Department of Child and Family ServicesModerator: Lauren Arrigo, Medical Provider at CrescentCare
There are a lot of myths out there about having and raising children when you’re living with HIV, but the truth is, there are a lot of options for those of us interested in expanding our families. Attend this panel-style session to learn more about various family building options for people living with HIV.
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Breakout Session 3
Track D
Breakout Session 3
Track D
Living Well with HIV
Presenters: GileadTBD
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Ballroom Exhibition
Thank you to our Empowerment 2024 sponsors:
