Damon Jacobs
As seen in:
HuffPost,
Reason,
The Advocate Magazine,
Times Union (Albany),
LGBTQ Nation,
TheBody,
Plus,
TheBodyPro.com,
Positively Aware,
We Love Soaps TV
and
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Damon Jacobs
From the Archive: Ian Buchanan Interviews (2010, 2018)
Multi-talented and Emmy-winning actor Ian Buchanan is known for his daytime soap opera roles on General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, Port Charles and All My Children. We Love Soaps had the pleasure of speaking with Buchanan over the years and you will find out interviews. In this five-part interview as he reflects on insta-stardom on General Hospital, his tenure on The Bold and the Beautiful, and his work with The Citizen's Band.
From the Archive: Jacklyn Zeman Interviews (2009, 2010, 2011)
Emmy-winning actress Jacklyn Zeman is best known for her 45-year run as Nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC soap opera General Hospital. She played the character until she passed away in 2023. She also received multiple Indie Series Award nominations for her work on the web series Misguided. We Love Soaps interviewed Zeman several times over the years. Check out our interviews below. Zeman reflected on her 35-year career on ABC soaps, and the wisdom of hard life lessons learned.
From the Archive: Louise Sorel Interviews (2009, 2010, 2014)
Actress Louise Sorel has played memorable roles in several daytime and primetime television shows. She is best remembered by soap opera fans for stints as Augusta Lockridge on Santa Barbara and Vivian Alamain on Days of our Lives. We Love Soaps had the pleasure of interviewing Sorel several times over the years. Check out our interviews below. In our five-part interview, Sorel shared her thoughts on returning to Days of our Lives, and reflected on the highs and lows of her acting career.
From the Archive: Harding Lemay Interview (2009)
We Love Soaps sat down to talk with legendary soap opera writer Harding Harding Lemay back in the summer of 2009. In our five-part interview, the fascinating Emmy winner reflected on his time as head writer of daytime soap opera Another World from 1971 to 1979 (plus a brief return in 1988). Check it out at the links below.
From the Archive: Nicolas Coster Interviews (2010, 2017)
His track record in daytime is legendary. He is the self-proclaimed holder of the most daytime roles in history. His scene stealing turns on each of these soaps have earned him critical acclaim and fan loyalty. But how does the profoundly gifted Nicolas Coster perceive his career, and his responsibility to give back to others? Find out in our interviews with the actor below. We reviewed Mr. Coster's nine television soaps, plus his exciting new role as The Mayor of THE BAY.
From the Archive: Shawn Christian Interviews (2010, 2013)
Shawn Christian is well known to soap fans on all three networks thanks to his memorable roles as Mike Kasnoff on As the World Turns, Ross Rayburn on One Life to Live, and Daniel Jonas on Days of our Lives. We Love Soaps had the pleasure of interviewing the actor on a number of occasions. Our interviews can be found below. In our three-part "Talking Secrets" interview, Christian reflected on his soap career and discussed his TV movie Secrets Of the Mountain.
From the Archive: Don Hastings Interview (2010)
Today is Don Hastings 92nd birthday, a perfect time to revisit our January 2010 interview with the daytime legend. Although most know him as the respected pillar "Dr. Bob Hughes" on As the World Turns, many are not aware of how Mr. Hastings was a pioneer embarking in a brand new entertainment called television back when other actors had their fears and trepidations about an unfamiliar new medium (sound familiar?).
Sex talk: Mixing pleasure with prevention
Avoid death and destruction! STI prevention can be so grim. But it doesn’t have to be. Talking about STIs doesn’t need to fill people with dread. Bringing prevention information out of the dark ages is part of the Sex Talk interview with sexual health activists Damon L. Jacobs and Rodney McCoy, Jr. They illustrate the need to allow the idea of fun and pleasure into the conversation. DAMON JACOBS: We’ve been asked to interview each other on the topic of pleasure and fun in sexual health.
I’m Restarting PrEP After a Few Months Off. How Long Before It Can Protect Me From HIV?
Question I’m a guy who has sex with other guys. I stopped using PrEP during the initial lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in my town, but I really miss sex and want to feel touched again. I found a guy who has tested negative for COVID (I’m negative as well) and really wants to top. How long do I have to take Truvada for PrEP before I’m protected again? Answer The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for so many, both physically and emotionally.
Truvada vs. Descovy: Which Is Better for PrEP?
The Question I’ve been on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for a while, and I just had my latest checkup with my provider. Everything is normal, but my provider says I should switch from Truvada to Descovy because it’s less harsh on the kidneys. Curious what you think? The Answer Hi there, and thank you for this relevant and very timely question.
Can Amy Klobuchar End the HIV Epidemic?
Ending the United States HIV epidemic will take effort far beyond implementing policies about HIV. A president who wants to end the epidemic must consider health care policy, reproductive justice, mass incarceration, housing, immigration and myriad other issues that drive the epidemic’s numbers in marginalized populations across the US.
Can I Be Re-Infected With Another Strain of HIV Through Oral Sex?
Question I met someone who is also HIV positive and on treatment -- I am too. We always use condoms during sex, but I have also been eating his semen. Last night I had night sweats like I used to have before I found out I was positive. Is it possible I've been re-infected with his strain of HIV? Can I get drug resistance because of it? We both have had an undetectable viral load for a long time and have high CD4 cell counts (over 900), so is there anything to worry about?
My Son Paid a Woman for Sex. What's His Risk for HIV?
Question My 22-year-old son recently informed me that he lost his virginity with a woman who charged him 100 bucks. He met her on a smartphone app. He told me the sex was protected with a latex condom. He received unprotected oral sex as well. What makes me worry is that when I asked him to describe how he removed the condom, he told me he pinched the tip with one hand and made a circle with his index finger and thumb of the other hand around the base of his penis.
HIV Fears Two Years After Unprotected Receptive Anal Sex: What If HIV Tests Were Wrong?
Question Two years ago, I had unprotected receptive anal sex with someone whose HIV status I don't know. I was tested at three weeks (with a fourth-generation test), and it was negative. A little over a year after the possible exposure, I got pneumonia. While it did respond to antibiotics at home, it seemed more serious than what people my age (26) usually have. So, naturally, I Googled it and freaked out.
I'm on PrEP, but I Swallowed Someone's Semen. Am I at Risk for HIV?
Question I have been on PrEP for close to a year. A week ago, I sucked a person two times, they came in my mouth, and I swallowed twice. Now I'm super anxious, even though I'm on PrEP. What if I get infected? Answer I can understand that the first time you allow a man's cum inside your body, even orally, can be a moment of great fear. We have been told for more than 35 years to be afraid of men's semen, as it has been akin to disease and death in most public health messages globally.
The truth is you can afford the medication that prevents HIV. Here’s how
As two long-time advocates for LGBTQ+ health, we’re here with a surprising public service announcement: You can afford Truvada for PrEP – the groundbreaking pill that can prevent HIV transmission. You read that correctly. Lowering the price of drugs is an easy rallying cry, and HIV activists are using this political momentum to call for government intervention to lower the price of Truvada for PrEP -– as the key to ending the HIV epidemic.
Catfished by a Fake AIDS Conference!
I shoulda known. It all started about two weeks ago. On Twitter, I got a new follower: the International Conference on HIV/AIDS, @HIV/AIDS 2020. The blurb in their "About" section on Twitter said that they were the "official source for the news and updates related to #STD #HIV #AIDS -- International Conference on HIV/AIDS during #Feb 10-11, #2020 @Venice, #Italy." When I glanced at their Twitter feed, it was filled with red ribbon images and standard HIV messaging.
People Living With HIV Get Involved in COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
After the past year of pandemic looniness, the COVID-19 vaccines are finally bringing a measure of hope. For some, questions on their safety remain, despite evidence otherwise. And, for people with HIV, there are questions about interactions with HIV meds. And, of course, with all the documented short-term side effects—fever, nausea, fatigue, muscle and joint ache—is it worth it?
Has Anyone Gotten HIV When They Were on PrEP?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2012 due to its exceptional ability to prevent new HIV acquisitions.
Are STI Rates Rising Because of Our Successes in HIV Prevention and Treatment?
Question HI Damon, I was at a talk recently where there was a 'debate' that PrEP and U=U have led to higher rates of STIs. Is this true? Answer Hi there, thank you for reading! There has been much debate and confusion about whether PrEP, a pill that prevents HIV has led to higher STI rates. There is further confusion about how U=U, i.e, the science that proves that someone who is HIV+ and undetectable is also sexually untransmittable, contributes to these statistics.
The Doctor of PrEP User in Australia Has Some Answers
As Plus previously reported, a news story surfaced last week of a 27-year-old Australian man, Steven Spencer (above left), who claimed he acquired HIV while practicing PrEP as an on-demand strategy. We shared thoughts and reactions to the sparse details available about this event, but later realized we wanted to know more facts. So, we reached out to Dr. Darren Russell (above right), clinical adviser for Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine.
Op Ed: On-Demand PrEP Strategies Work Despite Recent Contraction
Thembelani Sibanda (above) says he's proud to be taking PrEP. (Photo by Daniel Born/The Times/Gallo Images/Getty Images) By the time I got back to my hotel room after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Conference in Atlanta ended last week, I was on a high. I learned more details about the new U.S. plan to end the HIV epidemic and for the first time in my career, it feels like there's concrete and realistic plan to bring down new transmissions by 90 percent in the next decade.
Flavored e-cigarettes help adults quit smoking
(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Photo: Steven Senne Photo: Steven Senne Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Photo: Steven Senne Although smoking rates are at a record low in New York City, the reality is that approximately two million adults in New York state still smoke tobacco cigarettes. The disparity in who smokes grows larger each year.
First U.S. Failure of Truvada as PrEP Is Reported at IDWeek
A poster presentation at IDWeek, a yearly conference held by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, revealed that a 21-year-old Latinx man has acquired HIV despite consistently high adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This new report is unique for several reasons, primarily because this is the first known HIV seroconversion with verified adherence to PrEP in the U.S. According to the report, the man initiated PrEP through a city health clinic in San Francisco.
Feel Like You Just Can't Get Motivated? We Have Help
Photo by Arielle Vey Photo by Arielle Vey Being a professional organizing coach—aka person hired to get people to actually deal with their jam-packed basements/attics/closets, not-yet-written term papers and stuff like that—I hear two claims over and over: “I don’t feel like it right now” and “The thing is, I’m not really in the mood to do this.” (Sound familiar?) For my clients, it’s less about disorganization or time management and more about the will to begin and then keep going, which...
Reported 'PrEP Failure' in Thailand May Be a Result of Missing Acute HIV Infection: Here's What You Need to Know
Reported 'PrEP Failure' in Thailand May Be a Result of Missing Acute HIV Infection: Here's What You Need to Know The Infectious Diseases Society of America reported on June 29, 2018, that a new HIV acquisition had been found in a person using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). According to the journal article, a 28-year-old cisgender male in Thailand began using PrEP on March 16, 2016, after being verified HIV negative by a third generation antibody test.
Op-Ed: Anti-Vaping Vote A Setback for Poz Health
On Tuesday, June 5th, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition E, which is intended to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products for adults over the age of 21. Included in this prohibition are menthol cigarettes, hookah products, and flavored cigars, all of which objectively contain tobacco. Unfortunately, politicians included electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes or vape pens) into this legislation.
Has Anyone Gotten HIV When They Were on PrEP?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2012 due to its exceptional ability to prevent new HIV acquisitions.
Reported PrEP 'Failure' Most Likely a Lack of Proper Testing and Adherence
When is a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) failure actually a provider failure? And how do we tell the difference?
Can E-Cigarettes Be a Harm Reduction Approach for HIV-Positive Smokers?
John is a 43-year-old gay-identified man who arrives coughing at my office for his weekly therapy appointment. "I've now been living with HIV for 15 years and undetectable for as long as they could measure viral loads. Now my doctor is telling me I have to quit smoking my pack a day." I clarify, "So, you've been taking medications every day to enhance the quantity and quality of your life, yet you're still smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
HIV Won't Kill You, but Smoking Will
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in 2017 that new HIV diagnoses had dropped 18 percent in 2014, it was a call for celebration. After all, many of us had spent the better part of the last two decades trying to get people to use condoms consistently in order to bring those numbers down.
Sex With PrEP, Like Life, Is Never Without Risk
A second person contracted HIV while on PrEP. What does that mean for the thousands of people relying on the regimen to keep them safe? Like so many who use PrEP to prevent HIV, I was fairly confused and dismayed when I originally learned the news that a second individual acquired HIV while consistently adhering to PrEP. Even as someone who has been teaching and speaking about PrEP for the past four years, I was shaken.
Sex With PrEP, Like Life, Is Never Without Risk
A second person contracted HIV while on PrEP. What does that mean for the thousands of people relying on the regimen to keep them safe? Like so many who use PrEP to prevent HIV, I was fairly confused and dismayed when I originally learned the news that a second individual acquired HIV while consistently adhering to PrEP. Even as someone who has been teaching and speaking about PrEP for the past four years, I was shaken.
Despite Second Case of HIV, PrEP Still 'Most Effective Tool for HIV Prevention'
On October 18 at the 2016 HIV Research for Prevention conference in Chicago, longtime HIV clinician and primary care provider Howard Grossman, M.D., shared data on a patient who acquired HIV despite having a lab test indicating consistent use of Truvada (tenofovir/FTC) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP use has increased rapidly in the past year in the United States.
'Curiosity About Any Failure of PrEP Is Healthy Because It Is So Extremely Rare'
'Curiosity About Any Failure of PrEP Is Healthy Because It Is So Extremely Rare' An Interview With Robert Grant, M.D., M.P.H., on the New Case of HIV Acquisition by an Adherent PrEP User Two documented cases of a person acquiring HIV despite consistent use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) now exist, with news of the second incidence announced at the 2016 HIV Research for Prevention conference in Chicago.
Harm-Reduction Initiatives Violate Hippocratic Oath
Most of us have heard the dictum, "First, do no harm." It's often thought of as part of the Hippocratic Oath—the traditional oath that new physicians take, in which they pledge to uphold the finest traditions of medical practice. Those precise words don't actually appear in the oath, but they were penned by the Greek physician Hippocrates in another work. The advice is pretty clear—physicians should never do more harm than good.
The Future of HIV Treatment-and PrEP: Long Acting Injectables
Dr. David Ho — TIME Magazine's 1996 Person of the year, and one of the people who launched the era of HIV-suppressing, highly active antiretroviral treatment—addressed the 2016 United States Conference on AIDS, talking about the next critical step in HIV treatment. "If you take the drugs they work, it you don’t they don’t work." Ho said, simplifying the problem with nonadherence.
Melissa Harris-Perry on Expanding the Definition of Blackness
Melissa Harris-Perry gave a moving keynote speech at the United Conference on AIDS, tying connections between Black Lives Matter and the fight to end the HIV epidemic (watch below). Going beyond the obvious intersections, Harris-Perry called for expanding the definition of "blackness" to include all "problematic" bodies; and suggested that people with these bodies are treated like an infectious disease threatening to overtake America.
SLU Scientist and Colleagues Solve Structure of HIV Surrogate Virus (Saint Louis University)
A scientist, in a broad sense, is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word. Scientists perform research toward a more comprehensive understanding of nature, including physical, mathematical and social realms.
Man gets rare strain of HIV despite taking antiviral pills
In the first documented case of its kind, a man taking an effective antiviral medication still contracted a drug-resistant strain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a new report finds. ... NEW YORK, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A New York pharmaceutical company, TGV-Laboratories, says it has unlocked the key for breaking down the protective barriers of...
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Gilead’s Second TAF-Based Single Tablet Regimen Odefsey® (Emtricitabine, Rilpivirine, ...
In the Bible, "Gilead" ( /ˈɡɪl.iː.ʌd/) means hill of testimony or mound of witness, (Genesis 31:21), a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is also referred to by the Aramaic name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew (Genesis 31:47). From its mountainous character it is called "the mount of Gilead" (Genesis 31:25).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Gilead’s Second TAF-Based Single Tablet Regimen Odefsey® (Emtricitabine, Rilpivirine, ...
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Odefsey® (emtricitabine 200 mg/rilpivirine 25 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg or R/F/TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in certain patients. Emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide are from Gilead Sciences and rilpivirine is from Janssen Sciences Ireland UC, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). Od ...
6 Things You Need to Know
" PrEP works when taken. Very rarely, PrEP with FTC/TDF [emtricitabine/tenofovir, Truvada] may fail to provide full protection against rare multidrug resistant viruses, " A thorough case study has revealed the likely acquisition of HIV by a 43-year-old gay man in Toronto who was adherent to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
HIV Infection Despite PrEP: 6 Things You Need to Know
A thorough case study has revealed the likely acquisition of HIV by a 43-year-old gay man in Toronto who was adherent to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Presented at CROI 2016 on Feb. 25, this is the first documented case of "PrEP failure," and it is spurring a lot of community and scientific discussion. "PrEP works when taken.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Damon
Contact Damon, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack