LIVE! LAUGH! LUST! Because Joy Is Good Medicine

PALM SPRINGS, CA| Forty years ago, the conversation about HIV was centered on survival.

Today, thanks to extraordinary advances in treatment and research, many people living with HIV are asking a different question:

How do we live well?

That question is at the heart of the 11th Annual Positively Aging Project Conference.

This year's theme, "Live! Laugh! Lust!", celebrates the idea that while medicine helps us live longer, joy, connection, and purpose help us live better.

Yes. We said "Lust!"

Because joy, intimacy, and connection don't look the same for everyone.

Beyond the playful title lies a simple truth: joy belongs in the conversation about aging with HIV. Alongside advances in medicine, purpose, laughter, meaningful relationships, curiosity, and human connection are essential ingredients for a life well lived.

"Healthy aging isn't just about adding years to life. It's about filling those years with purpose, connection, laughter, and hope," said Steven Drew Auerbach, Co-Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of HARP. "Medicine helps us live longer. Joy helps us live better. That's what this conference is all about."

This year's conference features three nationally recognized keynote speakers whose personal and professional journeys embody the spirit of Live! Laugh! Lust!

LIVE

Award-winning HIV activist, journalist, and author Mark S. King will explore life beyond diagnosis and the opportunities that come with growing older with HIV.

LAUGH

Comedian, storyteller, and radio personality Shann Carr will remind attendees that laughter has long been one of our community's greatest sources of resilience while honoring the extraordinary role lesbians played during the AIDS epidemic as caregivers, advocates, and chosen family.

LUST

Nina Grace Ruedas, MPH, MS, LMFT, Director of the UCR Women's Resource Center and Clinical Instructor at the UCR School of Medicine, will explore intimacy, relationships, self-acceptance, and living authentically without apology. Her presentation encourages participants to define happiness and connection on their own terms, whether through partnership, casual relationships, deep friendships, or independent living, free from stigma, expectations, or judgment.

LEARN

While each Positively Aging Project Conference explores a different annual theme, one tradition remains constant: a panel of leading HIV physicians and researchers sharing the latest advances in treatment, healthy aging, and emerging research. Together with this year's keynote speakers, the program strikes a thoughtful balance between cutting-edge science and the lived experience of aging with HIV.

The 11th Annual Positively Aging Project Conference will be held on Saturday, September 19, at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs. Presented through the longstanding collaboration of the HIV+ Aging Research Project (HARP), The Center, Brothers of the Desert, Jewish Family Service of the Desert, the Alzheimer's Association, PALS (Planning Ahead for LGBTQ+ Seniors), Triangle Care Management, Eisenhower Health, and DAP Health, the conference reflects a shared commitment to improving the lives of people aging with HIV through education, research, and community connection.

Registration and a complimentary continental breakfast begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by the conference from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A complimentary lunch will also be served. Throughout the day, attendees can visit community resource tables featuring healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and support services from across the Coachella Valley.

As with all Positively Aging Project educational events, admission is free and open to the public.

Now in its eleventh year, the Positively Aging Project Conference continues to demonstrate what is possible when healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience come together with a shared purpose.

Whether you've been living with HIV for decades, are newly diagnosed, support someone who is, work in healthcare, or simply want to learn more, you'll leave with practical tools, new connections, renewed hope, and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed appreciation for what it truly means to live well.

Event Details

11th Annual Positively Aging Project Conference Theme: Live! Laugh! Lust! Date: Saturday, September 19 Registration & Complimentary Continental Breakfast: 9:00 a.m. Conference Program: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Complimentary Lunch: Included Location: Mizell Center, Palm Springs Admission: Free and open to the public

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992515665994?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn More: www.HARP-PS.org

Live boldly. Laugh often. Lust for life.