Falling Between the Cracks

Abstract

Brian K. Goodroad, DNP, ANP-BC, AACRN, is an Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Carol A. (‘‘Pat’’) Patsdaughter, PhD, RN, CNE, ACRN, is Associate Editor, Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, and Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA. Butts are not revered in dominant, mainstream American society. To the contrary, butts are viewed as bad. Butts are dirty. Butts are shameful (e.g., ‘‘I’m going to spank your butt.’’). Butts are the source of many insults (e.g., ‘‘You can stick it where the sun don’t shine’’) and witticisms, as we’ve come to learn by being the butt of many jokes over the past several months of working on this special issue of JANAC on anal dysplasia and cancer in persons living with HIV (PLWH). But we know that butts are really no different than any other body part and can become affected by either infection or disease as in the case of anal dysplasia and cancer. Hence, the second guest editor was intrigued when she saw an announcement for a dinner presentation entitled Happy Hiney Health on March 23, 2011 at the Pride Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This