Jennifer Jako

Jennifer Jako (born 1973) is an AIDS activist, filmmaker, photographer, lecturer and designer. She is the co-director of the documentary film, "Blood Lines", a portrait of HIV-positive youth. Following her infection with HIV at age 18, she began educating in the hopes of preventing HIV infection in young people. Jako has lectured on the subjects of wellness, reproductive health, survival and understanding to audiences of all ages. She has spoken directly to over 200,000 people and her media outreach has touched over 50 million people. She has been featured in numerous magazines, television shows, and books.

Background

She was born in Drumright, Oklahoma, to an Italian mother from [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padriciano Padriciano] near Trieste and Hungarian father from Nagykovácsi near Budapest. Jako’s nomadic childhood was abusive, impoverished and sometimes homeless.

The countries and states she grew up in include: Oklahoma, Illinois, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Hungary, Holland, England, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Turkey and Morocco. She is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian and English and speaks some Hungarian, Dutch and German. She attended Summit County High School in Frisco, Colorado, Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, Oregon, Lake Oswego High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from the latter in 1992.

In 1991, at age 18, she contracted HIV from one exposure from a young man who did not know he was infected. She studied fine art at [http://www.gouv.mc/devwww/wwwnew.nsf/1909$/6f07d9949ede0b84c125706f0050e233fr?OpenDocument&6Fr/ Ecole Supérieure d’Arts Plastiques] in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 1991 and the [http://www.pnca.edu/ Pacific Northwest College of Art] (PNCA) from 1993-1995 in Portland. After an initial six months of sexual activity at age 18, she became abstinent.

She found out she was HIV positive at age 19 from a routine Pap test appointment at which a nurse encouraged her to get tested for HIV as she had had six partners. Jako did not consider herself to be at risk for HIV nor Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and conceded to take the test out of social responsibility. She had had sex without a condom once (the source of infection) and had a condom break once. When diagnosed she was told she would be lucky to live to age 25. During her studies at PNCA in 1995, she began work with another HIV-positive woman, Rebecca Guberman, on a documentary film, "Blood Lines", which would later be broadcast on MTV as "True Life: It Could Be You" from 1999 – 2004. Production assistance came from the Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Wieden & Kennedy and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. It is now distributed as an educational video.

HIV Medications or HAART

Jako took AZT for two weeks when first diagnosed, but became so ill that she stopped taking the drug. Afterward, she remained drug naïve until 1997. After extensive research and pressured by a failing immune system, Jako began a regimen of Nevirapine, 3TC, and d4T. In 1998 she replaced d4T in her regimen with Abacavir because d4T caused severe side effects. The worst side effect she experienced associated with d4T is lipodystrophy. Jako has permanent truncal adiposity (a collection of fat at the waist, back and neck, and wasting in the extremities.) She also experiences dangerously elevated lipid levels, both cholesterol and triglycerides due to side effects from her medications. The elevated lipids required the addition of Gemfibrozil to control them.

While a treatment advocate, Jako emphasizes the need for patient education and a holistic approach. Her long term success on one three drug combination or HAART is the result of perfect adherence for over nine years. Jako has had complete viral suppression for over nine years.

HIV and Family Planning

Jako married Christopher John Bleiler in 2001. Bleiler continues to test negative for HIV. They had a child in 2005 through artificial home self insemination [http://www.pinelandpress.com/faq/homeinsem.html#syringe] . In 2006, their daughter was born via vaginal delivery. Jako’s daughter has received two HIV DNA PCR, a blood test that looks for direct (DNA) evidence of the virus rather than antibodies, test results with undetectable results, one draw within 24 hours of birth and one at age 9 weeks. These results place her daughter at over a 98% likelihood of good health. Her daughter will be tested again at four months [http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/dires/epi-presentation-iac2004-pcranalysis.pdf] , at which time a final, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocol, determination of her daughter’s HIV status will be made. (Daughter was tested a third time and is indeed confirmed HIV negative.) Jako continued her strict adherence to a HAART regimen during pregnancy and did not breastfeed her daughter.

Public Work/Activism

Lectures:
Universities: Elon, Colgate, Hampshire, Idaho State, Michigan, Washington State, Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth, Lewis & Clark, Oregon Health Sciences, Virginia Wesleyan College, Reed, Johns Hopkins, Vassar and more…

Conferences: Native American Youth Leadership, Sex & TV, Ryan White National Youth, Unitarian Universalist, and more…

Briefings: Capitol Hill Congressional Staff, MTV – National HIV Testing Day, NBPA Supersonics, and more…

Media Profiles:
* "Newsweek" [http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=12515583,3032542&pg=20/ cover] and [http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=12662539,3032542&pg=4/ "The Faces of HIV"]

* ABC After School Special: "Sex Unplugged",

*"Glamour",

*"The Oregonian" cover article

*"The Jenny Jones Show"

* "Independent Film & Video Monthly"

* "POZ Magazine",

* "The New York Times"

* "USA Today"

*"Ladies Home Journal"

* Lifetime Television: "Full of Hope"

*Discovery Channel: "Changing Faces, AIDS in America".

Book Profiles:
[http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/perseus/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0762408456/ "Girlfriends"] , Jane Wexler & Loren Cowen, Running Press
[http://www.rebeccasreads.com/reviews/18wom/18mark91.html/ "Women of Courage"] , Katherine Martin, New World Library

Awards:
Red Ribbon Award, Coalition for AIDS Education
Ribbon of Hope, [http://www.emmys.tv/events/2004/2004tvcares.php/ TV Cares, Academy of TV Arts & Sciences]
Gold World Medal and Best Public Affairs Program, [http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/main.taf?p=2,4/ New York Festivals]
Golden Eagle Award, [http://www.cine.org/ CINE]
Nominee: Information Programs, [http://www.banff2006.com/about.php/ Banff Rockie Awards]
Best Short, Awarded by Matt Groening at 26th [http://www.nwfilm.org/archives/NWf&V/nwfv26/program.html/ Northwest Film & Video Festival Program]

References

The New York Times - Caryn James, Tuesday, December 1, 1998, Beyond Their Years: Young Faces of AIDS: http://www.aegis.org/news/nyt/1998/NYT981201.html

USA TODAY, AIDS drives plots on TV, Posted 8/7/2006 9:52 p.m., By Steve Sternberg: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-08-07-aids-on-tv_x.htm

ABC News, Living With AIDS, Some Now Embracing a Surprisingly Long Future: As Life Spans Increase for Patients, Some Realize They Have Time to Make Plans, by Kate Snow, June 5, 2005: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/AIDS/story?id=2042328&page=2

Elon University, The Pendulum Online, Natasha Nader / News Editor, True Life: Jako speaks out about being HIV positive: http://www.elon.edu/e-web/pendulum/Issues/2006/04_13/news/jako.xhtml

Marlin Chronicle Online, Virginia Wesleyan College, Jennifer Jako CV acquired from Speak Out, speakers and artists. www.speakoutnow.org

Eliot Weblog, About Jennifer Jako: http://www.oregonlive.com/eliot/weblog/?aboutauthor

Speak Out, Speakers and Artists: http://www.speakoutnow.org/People/JenniferJako.html

Jan. 4, 2002, LUTHER COLLEGE, Happenings, Luther News, HIV-positive filmmaker Jennifer Jako to speak Jan. 17 at Luther College Center for Faith and Life: http://publicinformation.luther.edu/jenniferjakolecture.html

Author: Pat Aufderheide, http://centerforsocialmedia.org/documents/bloodlines.pdf

CNN.com, American Morning, May 19, 2006: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/19/ltm.06.html

The New York Times, Young People Open to H.I.V. Testing, By ALISA TANG, Published: June 29, 1999: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9F07E4DD113AF93AA15755C0A96F958260

Ferment Newsletter, January 2000: http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/resources/pdf/issue13.pdf

Elon University, April 10, 2006: http://www.elon.edu/e-web/speakers/jako.xhtml

May 15, 2006, Speak Out Soapbox: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:E0oyBYObmWMJ:www.speakoutnow.org/sos.html+jennifer+Jako&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=14&client=safari

Artery, Artist in the Archives, Rebecca Guberman: Public and Private: http://www.artistswithaids.org/artery/artist/artist_guberman.html

RadicalHapa Blog: http://radicalhapa.typepad.com/my_weblog/friends/index.html

Bios: http://www.fixpdx.com/id4.html

July 28, 2005, Article written by Jako: http://www.djc.com/news/en/11170276.html

External links

1. ART/HAART well tolerated in HIV-infected pregnancies: vertical transmission reduced - ObstetricsOB/GYN News, October 1, 2003 by Diana Mahoney http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_19_38/ai_109025357

2. Cooper E, Charurat M, Mofenson L. Combination antiretroviral strategies for the treatment of pregnant HIV-1-infected women and prevention of perinatal HIV-1 transmission. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2002;29:484-494. Abstract http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/11981365

3. Lallemant M, Jourdain G, Le Coeur S, et al. Two-dose intrapartum/newborn nevirapine and standard antiretroviral therapy to reduce perinatal HIV transmission: a randomized trial. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:289-292 Abstract http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15247337

4. Fertility Plus, information written by patients for patients. At-Home Insemination, The Turkey Baster Method
* http://www.pinelandpress.com/faq/homeinsem.html#syringe

5. Predictive value of HIV-1 DNA PCR in perinatally HIV-exposed infants Born in 1997-2002 in NYC, R. Murphy, V. Peters, B. Gill, K. Dominguez, P. Thomas, J Wheedon, KL Liu, E. Handelsman, XVth International AIDS Conference, Bangkok Thailand 2004.
* http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/dires/epi-presentation-iac2004-pcranalysis.pdf