Photo By Sgt. Ricardo Gallardo | David Peralta-Torres, program coordinator at the M-Factor, arranges events for...... read more read more
EL PASO, Texas - The M-Factor, a support group for gay and bi men in El Paso, Texas, has noticed an increase in active-duty military participation since the repeal of "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" Sept. 20, 2011.
Irene Ovalle, the El Paso Public Health supervisor, said the M-Factor has seen a 30 percent to 40 percent increase in active-duty participation over the past five months.
Although the Army has many outlets for soldiers to seek support and engage in community activities like the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers and Army Community Service, there isn’t a support group solely for homosexual soldiers.
Support groups, like The M-Factor, provide an opportunity for homosexual soldiers to gather off post in a controlled, non-military environment and have fun without spending money at bars and night clubs.
The M-Factor is also an educational environment for gay and bi-sexual men to learn how sexually transmitted diseases are spread and safe ways to mitigate transmission. The program also offers counseling, free and anonymous HIV testing, and help identifying risky behavior.
The United States Center for Disease Control estimates that males who have sex with males account for just two percent of the United States population, but accounted for 61 percent of all new HIV infections. Because of this, the county of El Paso started the M-Factor as a way to reduce HIV infection in the area.
In the Army all soldiers are tested for HIV at least once every two years but some soldiers wish to be tested more often and more discreetly.
“Getting tested once every two years isn’t enough for people engaging in risky sexual behavior,” said David Peralta-Torres, the program coordinator for the M-Factor.
David also said the discreet nature of the testing encourages more people to get tested regularly.
The M-Factor program is approved by the Center for Disease Control and is funded by the City of El Paso.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2012 23:37 |
| Story ID: | 85138 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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