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Contents
Special
Focus: HIV/AIDS in Latino Communities
Spreading
the Word: A Vaccine is the Best Hope against AIDS
Vaccine
Trial Network Reaches Out to Diverse Communities
FDA-Approved
HIV Home Test Kit Offers Comfort and Anonymity
Multiple
Factors Lead to Spread of HIV in Latino Communities
Focus
Groups Explore AIDS Public Education Strategies
San
Antonio Women Unite to Support Victims of AIDS
La Columna Vertebral: You
may be HIV-Positive, Now What?
Announcements
Download
Spanish-language fact-sheets and radio capsules on HIV
vaccines, visit our new Internet portal on Spanish HIV vaccine
resources, National HIV Testing Day, eco-enterprise funding available,
volunteers sought for cancer pain study, contributors' guidelines...
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extra help for your clients? SRF is here for you!
Do your clients need additional services which your organization
doesn't provide? Click here to download
a flyer for your clients about our toll-free, bilingual information
and referral help-line. Feel free to add your own organization's
logo!
 Spreading
the Word: A Vaccine is the Best Hope against AIDS
By Ellen Alderton and Monica Villavicencio, Self Reliance Foundation
Newsflash:
Contrary to rumors, no HIV vaccine exists yet. Not one to prevent healthy
people from catching the HIV virus which causes AIDS, and not one to
treat people already infected. Nonetheless, the consensus among the
best medical researchers - both in this country and abroad - is that
a preventive HIV vaccine, which would protect healthy, HIV-negative
people from contracting the virus, is the only way to stop the spread
of this global pandemic.
With efforts for
a preventive vaccine mounting, Self Reliance Foundation has launched
Nuestros Voluntarios. Nuestros Héroes. Nuestra Esperanza.
(Our Volunteers. Our Heroes. Our Hope.) Part of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign,
the Nuestros Voluntarios initiative will inform the Latino community
about the HIV epidemic and vaccination research and unmask some of the
myths surrounding vaccine trials.
"We aren't
seeking to recruit people to volunteer for vaccine trials," says
Arturo Vasquez, executive director of the Self Reliance Foundation.
"But, we do want to raise the estimation and respect within the
Latino community for people who do choose to volunteer... And we want
to correct some of the misperceptions that may surround vaccine trials
- such as the belief that you have to be HIV-positive to participate
or that test vaccines can infect you with HIV."
The
Nuestros Voluntarios initiative will inform the Latino community
about the HIV epidemic and vaccination research and unmask some
of the myths surrounding vaccine trials.
With Latinos experiencing
some of the highest levels of HIV infection in the country, SRF has
made HIV/AIDS public education a priority in its outreach efforts. Evaluation
of past campaigns, such as Conociendo el SIDA (Understanding
AIDS), has revealed the continual need for customized, engaging HIV/AIDS
information. Nuestros Voluntarios combines public education with
a call to action, using focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of
radio capsules targeting the Latino population. Starting April 26, media
messages, including 14 radio capsules and a newspaper column, were distributed
nationwide through the Hispanic Radio Network's cast of affiliate radio
stations and newspapers.
In addition to providing
factual information on HIV/AIDS and vaccine research, radio and print
outreach is encouraging listeners to call SRF's National Hispanic Resource
Helpline for more information on the virus, research, and testing sites.
Helpline staff can send out fact sheets as well as refer callers to
the closest organizations providing information on HIV vaccine research
in their communities.
 Click
here to learn
more about the National
Hispanic Resource Helpline.
"The initiative
focuses on confronting issues of fear, shame, and embarrassment associated
with HIV and AIDS in the Latino community, and on appealing to traditional
values - such as concern for family and community - which may prompt
people to take a stronger interest in supporting vaccine trials,"
says Vasquez. In the United States alone, AIDS has claimed over 150,000
Latinos, while over 600 U.S. Latino children under the age of five are
HIV-positive. Culturally-relevant messages further educate audiences
on the importance of involving representatives of all ethnic, racial
and cultural communities in the search for an effective vaccine. Indeed,
developing the vaccines in cooperation with the broad spectrum of diverse
American communities is so important to the HIV Vaccine Trials Network
that it has established a system of community advisory boards to guide
its public education and outreach efforts.
Nuestros Voluntarios
also seeks to dispel myths of the dangers of HIV vaccine trials. Many
potential volunteers fear that participation may expose them to the
HIV virus and lead to infection. Scientists ensure that these trials
meet the most rigorous standards of safety for those who volunteer to
participate, testing with synthetic copies of the HIV virus, which cannot
infect participants. By using synthetic versions of the virus, scientists
hope to trick the immune system into believing it sees the real virus
and developing the necessary antibodies to combat HIV. Although they
have yet to crack the code that will bring about a preventive vaccine,
medical researchers have already learned a great deal from the research
conducted thus far.
The process of developing
an effective vaccine continues to be a complex one. Unlike other infectious
diseases, HIV, once it progresses to AIDS and especially without treatment,
is the only infectious disease known to man which eventually kills all
of its victims. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "this is one of the
most challenging tasks a medical researcher could ever face."
Developing
the vaccines in cooperation with the broad spectrum of diverse American
communities is so important to the HIV Vaccine Trials Network that
it has established a system of community advisory boards to guide
its public education and outreach efforts.
For 20 years, experts
have understood how AIDS is transmitted and the steps that individuals
can take to prevent getting infected with the virus. Nonetheless, in
this country alone, there are 40,000 new HIV cases each year. However,
with medications allowing HIV-infected patients to live longer and better
quality lives, doctors can learn from long-term, HIV-infected survivors
how the immune system effectively fights a disease.
Medical experts
point out that historically, the most effective means of controlling
infectious diseases, such as polio or smallpox, have been through the
widespread use of preventive vaccines. In the words of Dr. Emilio Emini,
head of vaccine research for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
contra el SIDA, "the only thing that one can do at this point to
deal with this infection . is to keep it from happening, to keep uninfected
people from becoming infected. And the only way to do that is to have
a successful vaccine."
 Vaccine
Trial Network Reaches Out to Diverse Communities
By
Seth Greenberg, HIV Vaccine Trials Network
With
around 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide and 5 million new
infections in 2003, there is no question that the HIV/AIDS pandemic
is reaching astronomical numbers. While the search for a preventive
HIV vaccine will continue as quickly as possible, there is general agreement
that a successful vaccine can only be developed through a global effort.
Dating
back to the beginning of preventive HIV vaccine development, the private
sector has not been inherently attracted to vaccines since creating
HIV medication is likely to be far more lucrative. In an effort to expedite
the search for a preventive HIV vaccine, the U.S. government established
a network of research sites that would bridge the gap between the private
and public sector as well as allow for scientific comparisons of various
products across different populations.
Rallying
private and public sectors
The HIV Vaccine
Trials Network (HVTN) was developed in 1999 to establish a partnership
of research scientists, clinical trial sites, and community representatives
working with industry and governments in the global search for a preventive
HIV vaccine. Funded through the U.S. government's National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), the HVTN conducts all phases of clinical trials, from
evaluating candidate vaccines for safety and the ability to stimulate
immune responses, to testing vaccine efficacy. Headquartered in Seattle,
Washington, the HVTN has over 28 research sites on four continents.
The
HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) was developed in 1999 to establish
a partnership of research scientists, clinical trial sites, and
community representatives working with industry and governments
in the global search for a preventive HIV vaccine.
The HVTN has an
established infrastructure of research sites that run clinical trials
with products developed by pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions,
or other governmental agencies. The HVTN currently has 11 Phase I trials
(which test on a small number of volunteers, primarily for product safety)
and two Phase II trials (which include larger numbers of volunteers)
in process. These trials are being conducted in a total of 11 countries.
The HVTN has been a leader in the field through innovative policy and
hopes that some of the products currently being tested will move forward
into Phase III trials (the final phase of clinical trials) in the next
few years.
Supporting
diverse communities
Any HIV/AIDS-related
clinical trials have to face the debate over whether volunteers in resource-poor
settings who become infected with HIV during the course of a trial due
to their behavior should be provided with antiretroviral therapy (ART).
In 2003, the HVTN announced that participants who become HIV-infected
would receive long-term ART, and hired Dr. Stephen Tabet, a Mexican-American
Clinical Trials Physician, to assist in the development of mechanisms
to provide ART for newly-infected trial participants.
Another area of
leadership for the HVTN, alongside cutting-edge science, is its strong
commitment to involving the community at all stages of vaccine research.
Each research site is required to have at least one paid staff member
who is primarily dedicated to community education. The HVTN recognizes
that informing and engaging diverse communities will be critical if
the Network hopes to be able to recruit large numbers of people for
Phase III trials.
Public
education and outreach must include every community so that support
for vaccine research can be gained worldwide. It is not possible
to know if a vaccine is effective in all types of people unless
the product is tested in persons of diverse backgrounds.
All research sites
are also required to have a Community Advisory Board (CAB), consisting
of volunteers from the target population and other professionals. CABs
review research studies for acceptability to their communities from
a cultural and ethical perspective. CABs have played an integral role
in ensuring the protection of rights for all trial volunteers, including
a lead role in the development of the "Participant's Bill of Rights
and Responsibilities," a document that is now HVTN policy. Community
representatives from these boards are involved at every level of the
decision-making process in the Network.
Current
Latino involvement
While increasing
HIV medications to developing countries will undoubtedly have an impact,
the only way to truly halt the spread of AIDS will be through a preventive
HIV vaccine. The HVTN is committed to engaging under-represented communities
in an effort to ensure that any successful HIV vaccine works equally
well for all people. As part of that effort, the HVTN looks to the Latino
community to help spread the word about the importance of HIV vaccine
research and identify appropriate community leaders and educators.
Public education
and outreach must include every community so that support for vaccine
research can be gained worldwide. It is not possible to know if a vaccine
is effective in all types of people unless the product is tested in
persons of diverse backgrounds. Historically, the U.S. Latino population
has been under-represented in HIV research and most recently in preventive
HIV vaccine trials. It is critical that the Latino community understands
the important role it can play in assisting in the search for a safe
and effective preventive HIV vaccine.
Fortunately, the
Latino community outside of the continental United States has played
an integral role in the vaccine effort. There are HIV vaccine products
that are currently being tested in Puerto Rico and Lima, Perú.
There are also clinics in the Dominican Republic and Iquitos, Perú
that are conducting trials to determine how prepared the community is
to participate in HIV vaccine research. Aside from these Spanish-speaking
countries, HIV vaccine studies are being run in other Caribbean and
South American countries as well as in several locations in Africa and
Asia. With this said, efforts are still needed to engage Latinos here
in the United States.
 FDA-Approved
HIV Home Test Kit Offers Comfort and Anonymity
By Beverly Lyles, Self Reliance Foundation
At one time or other,
most sexually active adults have worried about contracting HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS - and good reason. The American International
AIDS Foundation estimates that there are approximately 900,000 people
currently living with AIDS in the US and about 300,000 who may not even
know that they are HIV-positive.
Particularly among
Latinos, the statistics are alarming. Latinos represent about 14% of
the U.S. population, but the Kaiser Foundation reports that they currently
account for about 18% of the AIDS cases and have an infection rate that
is 19% of new AIDS cases each year. Although Latinos are disproportionately
affected by HIV/AIDS, they are less likely to be tested or seek treatment
for the disease, compared with non-Latinos. Fears, shame, secrets, and
embarrassment stop many from taking the necessary steps to get tested.
According to Alberto Santana, director of the National Alliance of State
and Territorial AIDS Directors, "Latinos do not test. You have
people who walk into an emergency room with symptoms and that is how
they learn they have HIV."
According
to Alberto Santana, director of the National Alliance of State and
Territorial AIDS Directors, "Latinos do not test. You have
people who walk into an emergency room with symptoms and that is
how they learn they have HIV."
Although many people
who are at risk of contracting and spreading the HIV virus remain untested,
undiagnosed, and untreated, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved,
Home AccessT HIV-1 Test System provides another option for "at-
risk" individuals who are afraid to go to a clinic to get tested.
The home testing kit includes detailed instructions on how to collect
samples to be sent to a lab for testing. Clinical studies show that
the Home AccessT testing system, the only test FDA-approved for home
use, is able to identify 100% of all known positive blood samples and
99.5% of HIV-1 negative blood samples, the same rates as tests used
in clinic and hospital settings. Test results are available in 3 to
7 days. To preserve anonymity, each home testing kit includes an identifying
code number which is used when retrieving test results via a toll-free
number.
Regardless of their
specific test results, counseling is available to those who use this
system. Print materials and telephone counseling offer interpretations
of positive and negative results and information on how to prevent infection.
For those testing positive, the Home Access System offers information
on transmission prevention, treatment options, referrals to health care
professionals, support for partner notification, and up to six personal
counseling sessions in one year.
The FDA cautions
individuals seeking home tests to be wary of unapproved tests that promise
in-home results in as little as 15 minutes. Test materials must be analyzed
in a lab to ensure full accuracy.
While there is still
no cure for AIDS, new AIDS drugs are making a positive difference for
hundreds of thousands of HIV infected individuals. Early detection and
new drug treatments have literally transformed AIDS from a death sentence
into a manageable condition for many individuals. Thanks to modern day
medicine, some HIV-positive people have no detectable levels of virus
in their blood streams at all. These new medicines have helped many
infected individuals regain control of their lives.
The Home AccessT
HIV-1 Test System can currently be ordered - in English only - on several
sites on the Internet, including www.drugstore.com.
For more information on HIV testing, call the FDA's HIV/AIDS Program
at the Office of Special Health Issues, (301) 827-4460.
 Multiple
Factors Lead to Spread of HIV in Latino Communities
In the past two
decades, HIV/AIDS has become a significant threat to world health. In
the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Control report over
816,000 cases of AIDS since the disease's emergence in the early 1980's.
In this same time period, almost half a million Americans have died
from AIDS.
While all Americans
must cope with these staggering losses, the news for the Latino community
is especially bad. Even though Latinos make up only 14% of the U.S.
population, 18% of Americans living with AIDS are Latinos - and the
numbers are growing by the day. There are many reasons for this alarming
spread of AIDS among Latinos. Sadly, many of them are preventable:
Where
the rubber hits the road. condoms
One major issue
has been a widespread reluctance to use condoms. Many Latinas, for example,
are uncomfortable about negotiating condom use with their partners.
As a result, fully 47% of Latinas with AIDS have contracted the disease
through heterosexual sex.
Often, there is
also a reluctance among Latino men to acknowledge homosexual or bisexual
behavior. Fifteen percent of Latino men who have sex with other men
do not consider themselves homosexual, and therefore, may not even consider
themselves at risk for AIDS. (They are.)
Although few parents
enjoy having to talk to their kids about using condoms, doing so can
help save a child's life. Keep in mind that while 15% of all American
adolescents are Latinos, fully 20% of adolescents with AIDS are Latino.
But there's hope. Latino adolescents who talk to their mothers about
condom use are three times more likely to use condoms than youngsters
who don't have this so-important talk with Mom.
A final word on
condoms: Past surveys have also found that many Latinos simply do not
believe that condoms can effectively prevent the spread of AIDS. (They
can. Correct and consistent use of a latex or polyurethane condom is
98-100% effective in preventing the transmission of HIV.)
And
another problem. drugs
Many AIDS cases
in the Latino community - 35% percent of men with AIDS and 40% of women
- are among injection drug users. As with unprotected sex, too many
of these cases are avoidable. By using sterile needles and syringes
only once, the vast majority of these infections could be prevented.
Although most people
probably don't associate other forms of substance abuse with the spread
of AIDS, misuse of drugs such as alcohol, opiates, marijuana or cocaine
can also contribute to contracting HIV. People under the influence of
drugs and alcohol are significantly more likely to engage in risky sexual
behaviors than people who are sober.
And
finally.
Sadly, a leading
contributor to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Latinos is that many people
in this community simply do not trust the information that they hear
about AIDS from the U.S. government. Many Latinos have their reasons,
but it is important to keep in mind that other groups such as the Pan
American Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Bank
are also putting out the same messages: Use condoms. Don't share needles.
Talk to your children. Get tested.
Even as AIDS moves
into its third decade on the world scene, the importance of reiterating
these same, basic messages cannot be overemphasized.
Thanks go to
Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington who reviewed this article.
 Focus
Groups Explore AIDS Public Education Strategies
As part of its Conociendo
el SIDA, (Understanding AIDS), public education campaign, the Self
Reliance Foundation has conducted focus group evaluations of media materials
designed to raise awareness of the growing spread of AIDS in U.S. Latino
communities. Two focus group sessions - one all-male and one all-female
- took place in January in Washington, D.C. Independent evaluator, Jacobo
Menajovsky, designed the evaluation methodology and also moderated the
two groups.
Group
members also acknowledged that cultural variables within Latino
communities tend to squelch any discussion of the subject. Participants
mentioned taboo, religion, and machismo, as well as poverty and
related issues of ignorance and prostitution.
Nine men and ten
women participated in the groups, which were conducted in Spanish and
which evaluated a series of one-minute Spanish-language radio capsules
and an informational newspaper column. Group members identified themselves
as Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Costa Rican, El Salvadoran, Nicaraguan,
Honduran, Venezuelan, Colombian, Argentine, Peruvian, and Bolivian.
While both groups
considered remaining abreast of health issues to be important, clear
differences in the each gender's preferred style for obtaining health
information emerged. Men reported listening to the radio less than women,
and stated that they did not actively seek out health programming, either
on radio or television. They expressed a preference for "straightforward"
shows where information is conveyed quickly and where they would not,
therefore, become bored. Women, on the other hand, expressed an interest
in long-format shows addressing health issues in-depth.
Concerning public
information surrounding AIDS, all participants agreed that there is
not enough information available to the U.S. Latino community on the
subject. Specific areas where group members said they needed further
information included:
· "How
do you get infected, please details!"
· "Symptoms."
· "How to prevent it."
· "How to live with AIDS and how to share spaces with people
with the disease."
Group members also
acknowledged that cultural variables within Latino communities tend
to squelch any discussion of the subject. Participants mentioned taboo,
religion, and machismo, as well as poverty and related issues of ignorance
and prostitution.
Based on participants'
reactions to the content and production style of the radio capsules,
this series of seven short-format programs was revised and re-aired
across the Hispanic Radio Network. Capsules, which were broadcast on
the Fuente de Salud (Fountain of Health) daily segment, aimed
to provide general information on the relationship between HIV and AIDS;
how the HIV virus is spread; and reasons for its disproportionate impact
on the U.S. Latino community. Two newspaper columns explored similar
themes in greater depth, and were distributed as HRN's syndicated weekly
column La Columna Vertebral (The Support Column) which appears
in over 90 Spanish-language newspapers across the country.
Specifically, daily
capsules focused on:
· What Is
HIV/AIDS?
· HIV/AIDS: A Growing Problem among Latinos
· Male-Male Sex and HIV/AIDS
· Injection Drug Use and HIV/AIDS
· Recreational Drugs Encourage the Spread of HIV/AIDS
· HIV/AIDS: Spreading in the Heterosexual Community
· New Treatments for HIV/AIDS: Hope for the Future
A final, important
feature of the campaign was its repeated message that, with modern medical
treatments, AIDS has become a highly manageable disease. In preparation
for the distribution of media products, the Self Reliance Foundation
devoted over two months to updating its national database of AIDS clinics
and treatment centers serving Latinos. All radio capsules and newspaper
columns provided SRF's toll-free bilingual help-line number so that
individuals could call for further information and for referrals to
culturally competent treatment centers in their areas. The Conociendo
el SIDA campaign was supported by a grant from the National Library
of Medicine.
To read a previous
article on the Conociendo el SIDA campaign, click
here.
 San
Antonio Women Unite to Support Victims of AIDS
(Mujeras
Unidas in one of over 12,000 Latino-serving organizations featured
in SRF's national information and referral database. To learn more
about our information and referral services, or to add your organization
to our database, click here.)
Mujeres Unidas
Contra el SIDA (Women United Against AIDS) was founded in 1994
as a bilingual/bicultural support group for Latinas who were HIV-infected
and/or affected. Our mission is to encourage support, promote health
and well-being, and provide a safe place for Latinas and families whose
lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS in the San Antonio, Texas area.
We provide these services through support groups and outreach education.
Mujeres Unidas
provides the community with three support groups that are all held
at the Mujeres Unidas office in San Antonio. Mujeres Unidas,
a women's support group is held three Thursday evenings each month.
Entre Familia (Among Family) is a family support group and is
held one evening a month. Amigos Sin Fronteras (Friends Without
Borders) is a support group for Spanish-speaking men and is held every
Monday afternoon.
Mujeres Unidas
provides HIV/AIDS outreach and prevention education services through
community presentations through our Las Adelitas program (named
in honor of Mexican women revolutionaries). Presenters include members
of Mujeres Unidas who have been certified through American Red Cross.
The first Adelitas program is the Madrina (Godmother)
project, in which the established members of Mujeres Unidas provide
mentorship and education to newly diagnosed women, as well as to women
who have recently learned of a loved one being diagnosed to learn coping
strategies and healthy behaviors.
Mujeres Unidas
is also currently conducting pláticas (talks) in the form
of small group presentations and focus groups to Latinas and their families.
The small group presentations, which target Latinas, address a basic
understanding of HIV, STDs, drugs, abstinence, condoms, and HIV antibody
testing and take place in private homes and other settings where participants
feel comfortable to share in an open discussion. The focus groups are
intended to solicit discussion on how Latino parents can best educate
their children/adolescents about issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS. Incentives
of HEB vouchers for grocery store purchases are provided to both the
host/hostess and the participants of each presentation.
A new topic was
recently added to the pláticas, HIV vaccine research.
On February 25-27, 2004, two members of Mujeres Unidas attended
a training on HIV vaccines in Washington, D.C. The purpose of adding
this new information to our prevention education information is to increase
HIV vaccine awareness among the Latino community. Now, individuals attending
pláticas will not only learn about HIV, but will also be provided
with information on efforts to control the pandemic. Part of the presentations
will be devoted to educating individuals on the basics of vaccines,
namely that they are being developed to prevent HIV infection. The vaccine
research portion of presentation will also concentrate on dispelling
any myths on vaccine research by providing the public with factual information.
Mujeres Unidas
is currently preparing for its annual fundraiser, the 6th Annual Baile
de Vida (Dance of Life), which is scheduled for Friday, April 2
in San Antonio. Tickets are on sale now for this event, if you are interested
in supporting the continuation of our services and making a significant
contribution to the care of Latinas and families living with HIV/AIDS.
For more information
on our organization, please contact Jessica A. Calderón, Director
of Programs, or Jessica Rodriguez, Outreach Prevention Specialist, at
(210) 738-3393 (1142 W. Woodlawn, Suite #2, San Antonio, Texas 78201).
 You
may be HIV-Positive, Now What?
By Ellen Alderton, Self Reliance Foundation
Latinos in the United
States are particularly hard-hit by HIV/AIDS. As of 2001, almost 20,000
cases of HIV had been reported among Latinos, and, today, Latinos account
for one-fifth of all HIV cases in the country. Twenty years ago, testing
positive for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) usually led to death
in a short time frame. Today, while finding out that you have HIV is
still sobering news, HIV is a very treatable and manageable disease,
albeit one which requires constant and expensive medical attention.
But, first you have to get tested and learn your results.
Anti-retroviral
therapy
Since its introduction in 1997, a new form of HIV treatment, know as
Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), has cut AIDS death rates
in half. Anti-retroviral drugs work by slowing down the reproduction
of the HIV virus. (As HIV grows in the body, it gradually weakens the
immune system until, eventually, the infected person develops the disease,
AIDS.)
While HAART treatment
cannot completely prevent the growth of HIV, it can slow down HIV's
advance significantly. The British-based National AIDS Trust, for example,
reports that HAART treatment can extend an infected person's life by
at least 10-15 years.
Protecting
the unborn
Anti-retroviral treatment may not only be important for you, it can
also be crucial to the other people in your life. A pregnant HIV-infected
mother, for example, can pass the infection along to her unborn child.
In fact, slightly over three percent of the HIV cases in the Latino
community are among children younger than 5 years of age. But, pregnant
women do not always pass along the HIV infection to their fetuses, and
there are steps an expecting mother can take to minimize the chances
that she does. Proper medical treatment can reduce the baby's risk of
catching the virus by almost 70%.
I'd
rather not know
When something is
frightening, it's all too human to want to just turn the other way.
When it comes to dealing with HIV/AIDS, choosing ignorance is the worst
possible course of action. Speaking in 1993 about the lessons the Latino
community had drawn from AIDS, activist Dana Gorbea-Leon, a Latina living
with HIV, commented, "We learned that until we died we were very
much alive, that until we died we could refuse to be a statistic or
a number in someone else's charting of the epidemic, that until we died
we had a responsibility to live the kind of lives we saw fit."
By not facing the
fact that you may be HIV-infected, you run the risk of passing the infection
along to those who matter most to you - a lover, an unborn child. By
not getting immediate treatment, you could also be cutting 10-15 years
from your own life. Take heart, and if there is a chance that you could
be infected (if you have ever had without a latex condom or used injection
drugs), go and get yourself tested.
HIV/AIDS
treatment centers
True, many people in the Latino community do not have health insurance;
others don't even have papers. Fortunately, there are many resources
out there for people of limited means. Many community health clinics
offer free AIDS testing, free counseling, and free or reduced-cost medicines
to people in need - regardless of their citizenship status. Call the
National Hispanic Resource Helpline today to find out if there any such
treatment centers in your area: 800-473-3003. Calls are free and confidential.
Thanks go to
the Whitman-Walker Clinic and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington;
both organizations reviewed this column.
Announcements
New
fact-sheets on HIV vaccines available
Click below for
the PDF files of:
1. HIV
Vaccine Research in America: 5 Questions Answered
(SPANISH VERSION)
2. About Preventive HIV Vaccines: Confronting
the Myths
(SPANISH VERSION)
3. How High is Your HIV Vaccine I.Q.?
(SPANISH VERSION)
4. Cómo
funcionan las vacunas
New
HIV vaccine Internet portal
Relatively little
Spanish-language information is currently posted on the Internet concerning
HIV vaccines. Click here to see the
best Spanish-language resources currently available.
Listen to vaccine radio capsules
Click here to listen to short-format
(one-minute), Spanish-language HIV vaccine radio capsules. Capsules
are in downloadable MP3 format.
Participants Needed for Internet Study
Eun-Ok Im, MPH,
Ph.D., School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin and her colleagues
are conducting a study to inform development of computer software to
assist nurses' decision making on cancer pain. Reimbursement for participation
will be made. Visit the website
or email eim@mail.nur.utexas.edu
for more information.
National
HIV Testing Day: It's Better to Know
The tenth annual
National HIV Testing Day takes place Sunday, June 27. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that up to 950,000 Americans
are currently living with HIV, but 280,000 of these people do not even
know they're infected. The National Association of People with AIDS,
who sponsors HIV testing day, works to connect people to HIV treatment,
testing and counseling services, and encourages people to take the test
if:
- they have never
been tested.
- they have had unprotected sex since their last test.
- they have shared a needle since their last test.
To learn more about
National HIV Testing Day visit http://www.napwa.org/hivtestinfo/
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Funding Available
The Rainforest Alliance's
Community Conservation Enterprises (CCE) provides small grants to eco-enterprises
in Mexico and Central America, with a preference given to areas of high
biodiversity. For more information, visit their website. http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/cg/index.html
To
post an announcement in Acceso Hispano...
Acceso Hispano runs free bilingual announcements of
national or regional interest (for not-for-profit concerns). Announcements
may be up to 35 words (English) and however long the exact Spanish translation
is. We also include logos and Web site links. We prefer bilingual submissions,
but can translate if necessary. Deadline: 2 weeks before publication
date. Submit announcements to Editor@hrn.org.
Are
You Doing Good Work? Contributors' Guidelines
Acceso Hispano
is looking for articles about exemplary programs in the field of Latino
outreach. Your 450-900 word (1-2 page) article can discuss your organization
or project's mission, size and scope, deliverables, target audiences,
and lessons learned. Submit articles and photos Editor@hrn.org.
We reserve the right to make editorial changes.
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