979 10 13078 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2662/1990_reACT-Believe_vol3no2.pdf 2258eeefc606f9769b41f732723caffb PDF Text Text ���������� https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2662/1990_reACT-Believe_vol3no1_[1989_v3n1]_2.pdf d1bcad91a61edf90d7a92f9f5171df83 PDF Text Text Ur\ Ok I m r\ I —K /IC^ nVil U eheve The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Newsletter January /February 1959 Volume III, Issue I Educators! Posters for kids! See inside Condoms & Cars Staff & Board.................. "Hands On" AIDS Therapy The Case For Early Intervention . Questions from the Phoneline Tidbits Pg. Pg ?g Pg 1 2 3 4 Dry 4 -Dao Ss CAN Comes to T. Bay!... . Volunteer! Volunteer' ACT-B Calendar. Shared Life President's Message Pg 7 Pg 7 Pg 8 Pg 9 Pg 10 �1. Condoms and Cars Reprinted with permission from the AIDS Committee of Windsor It's become the leading cause of death in young people. It can be avoided completely only by abstaining. Yet few are willing to make that sacrifice and choose rather to live with the risk. Most efforts to contain this epidemic focus on reducing the danger to an acceptable level. Those words refer to traffic accidents. They are also familiar terms for describing the AIDS epidemic. There are those who argue that the only way to stop AIDS is to promote abstinence. No level of risk is acceptable. Ifthey were consistent in their logic they wouldalso be campaigning to ban the automobile Even with all the emphasis on seat belts, air bags, speed limits and drunk driving laws, the highways are hardly a risk free environment. The usual criticism of condoms is that their record as a birth control device is less than reassuring. An often quoted statistic is that over the course of a year about 10% of the heterosexual couples using condoms will v.oj'w. IVilVV ^ 1 V^J***M*V f Condoms are neither failsafe nor foolproof For the most part they don't work because people forget to use them or damage them through improper use And sometimes condoms are poorly manufactured. Why then do public health officials, health care workers and community AIDS organizations rely so heavily on condom promotion? The answer lies in the distinction between conception and infection One sperm cell, and only, one. is needed to fertilize an ovum. The reproductive process is designed to facilitate fertilization, with millions of sperm cells contained in every ejaculation of semen. On the other hand AIDSis a difficult disease to contract sexually. Viral infections must occur in sufficient number and frequency to overwhelm the immune response That threshold varies with the source of the infection and the health of the people involved. The levels of HIV in semen and vaginal fluids are lew and often can not be detected in r\orer»«"io Vv> nrrr** tn Ko * r, f - Over several years the risk is compounded. If the chances of geting AIDS are the same as having a baby abstaining starts to look very good indeed. j'W UWiiU lUlW VW l/V tiilVVtVM. Studies have shown that the sexual partners of people with HIV often remain uninfected over long periods of time despite repeated exposures through unprotected intercourse. In comparison the exchange of blood through sharing needles provides a far more efficient means of infection In order to break the epidemic ofsexually transmitted AIDS, condoms dent need to be 100% effective In fact even a leaking condom may sometimes be sufficient in keeping the amount of exposure below the threshold of infection. Realistically however, the goal is to make HIV infection an isolated event, not to eliminate all risk. So far this strategy appears to be working in the one segment of society that is taking safer sex seriously the gay community Rates of sexually transmitted disease and the incidence of HIV transmission have been reduced far beyond what was believed possible. And this has happened despite the large numbers already infected Abstention will always be an option. We can choose not to have sex or not to travel the highways. But most of us will continue to take chances •n ikit wUl vAl tvsi. iXioUvlAig, reasonable concessions to safety Jim Monk �r Christine Mather (just call me Chris) I am the new Support Services Coordinator at ACT-3 > my name is 2. ren Maki and Eileen Parker are now with us as Fundraising Coordinator and Communications/Outreach Coor­ dinator respectively Karen was a member of the ACT-B Board That's a Support Services Coordinator?" That's a good question, one for which we don't yet have a full answer Basically. I see my job of Directors She will coordinate and help plan as providing "psycho-social" support (O K I'll and implement the private fundraising of try and make that the last jargon I use) to ACT-B in conjunction with the Eundraising P V A s. their families, friends and other care This will include organizing Committee givers figuring out just what services should bingos, special events and making foundation be developed to deliver that support is the first and corporate approaches. task the Support Services Committee Eileen has been with us previously, and I face. Of course, we 11 be reviewing what since July, on a CEIC Section 25 job creation has been done in other communities, but we'd program. She will be continuing her work in like to begin by hosting an organizational/ commumcations;producmg posters, pamphlets, brainstormiong meeting for anyone our newsletter and working with the media concerned about AIDS We can anticipate that and will also be coordinating our Northwestern from this meeting will come ideas, direction Ontario Outreach Program and guidance - so start thinking Ve il be advertising and explaining this meeting more thouroughly closer to the event e miss Donna and Vicki That's a description of my position now for I am an some information about me already! immigrant from England and have been in Donna was our Project Coordinator and Vicki Thunder Bay for 13 years Eor the last eight was our Administrative Assistant on a CEIC years I have been a Social Worker and have Section 25 job creation program. worked in several local agencies. I very much Each with her own special brand of humour enjoy living in Canada and especially like and unique insight, they brightened up the getting out into the bush. If there's any kind of assistance I can offer i office and our lives Donna has moved on to another job and Vicki is enjoying the Florida you or those you care about, from counselling to negotiating with government agencies, feel winter. We miss them! free to give me a call or drop in at the office In our next newsletter will be a column ACT-B Board of Directors from me about stress and stress management techniques. David Belrose President Deb White Vice-President Chris Mather H.B.S.W Norma Proctor Treasurer ACT-B Staff Terry Bryant..................... Secretary George Arnold Director Linda Gambee VolunteerCoordinator Rick Atkinson......................................... Director Darcia Kohuska EducationCoordinator Michael Chan Director Lawrence Korhonen Office Manager Carl Gray..................................................Director Karen Maki FundraisingCoordinator Betty Kruzick Director Chris Mather Support Services Coordinator John McDonald ....................................Director Eileen Parker Communications Coordinator Jeanette Munshaw..................................Director Michael Sobota.....................Executive Director Barbara Reid........................................... Director �r Christine Mather, i (just cal! me Chris) I am the new Support | Services Coordinator at ACT-B > my name is 2. ren Maki and Eileen Parker are now with us as Fundraising Coordinator and Communications/Outreach Coor­ dinator respectively Karen was a member of the ACT-B Board 'What's a Support Services Coordinator?" That's a good question one for which we don't yet have a full answer Basically. I see my job of Directors She will coordinate and help plan as providing "psycho-social” support (O K I'll and implement the private fundraising of try and make that the last jargon I use) to ACT-B in conjunction with the Eundraising P W A s. their families, friends and other care This will include organizing Committee givers figuring out just what services should bingos, special events and making foundation be developed to deliver that support is the first and corporate approaches. task the Support Services Committee Eileen has been with us previously, and I face. Of course, we 11 be reviewing what since July, on a CEIC Section 25 job creation has been done in other communities, but we'd program. She will be continuing her work in like to begin by hosting an organizational/ communications;producing posters, pamphlets, brainstormiong meeting for anyone our newsletter and working with the media concerned about AIDS. We can anticipate that and will also be coordinating our Northwestern from this meeting will come ideas, direction Ontario Outreach Program and guidance - so start thinking We ll be advertising and explaining this meeting more thouroughly closer to the event e miss Donna and Vicki That's a description of my position now for I am an some information about me already! immigrant from England and have been in Donna was our Project Coordinator and Vicki Thunder Bay for 13 years Eor the last eight was our Administrative Assistant on a CEIC years I have been a Social Worker and have Section 25 job creation program. worked in several local agencies. I very much Each with her own special brand of humour enjoy living in Canada and especially like and unique insight, they brightened up the getting out into the bush. If there's any kind of assistance I can offer i office and our lives Donna has moved on to another job and Vicki is enjoying the Florida you or those you care about, from counselling to negotiating with government agencies, feel winter. We miss them! free to give me a call or drop in at the office In our next newsletter will be a column ACT-B Board of Directors from me about stress and stress management techniques. David Belrose........................................ President Deb White Vice-President Chris Mather H.B.S.W Norma Proctor Treasurer ACT-B Staff Terry Bryant........................................ Secretary George Arnold......................................... Director Linda Gambee VolunteerCoordinator Rick Atkinson ....................................... Director Darcia Kohuska EducationCoordinator Michael Chan Director Lawrence Korhonen Office Manager Carl Gray ............................................ Director Karen Maki FundraisingCoordinator Betty Kruzick Director Chris Mather Support Services Coordinator John McDonald........................................Director Eileen Parker Communications Coordinator Jeanette Munshaw..................................Director Michael Sobota . Executive Director Barbara Reid........................................... Director �3. Massage & the Acquired Immune Deficiency by William ¥. Roberts It was not easy to begin massage work with PW A.s. I found no resistance in myself, especially after checking nth others who were already working in this area. However some friends were not happy nth the idea This led to some heated discussions (!) and a procedure that seemed to satisfy everyone involved Everyone is involved. Let me put out some of my experience and I hope, some useful ideas I'll make two things clear at the beginning. Massage is a laying on of hands, a caring person taking care of another. This, in itself, is a healing process at least as old as the Bible and certainly something that everyone can do. The second point is that there is no need to adjust the approach of massage for a person with AIDS or other related dis-eases There are special situations to be aware of, however you must be aware of any one’s special circumstances before and as you work on them And you must decide to work. It also seems important for any massaging person to not take on the dis-ease of a person they are working on To do so. I find, drains energy, gives headaches and ends further sessions. I prefer to iook at the massage person as a conduit or channel for anv healing process that is at work, and an unplugged drain for tensions to pass off and thru. Leaving no residual This means I must clear my head. I found that washing before a session, burning cedar with a window cracked to clear the working space, shaking the hands off when they feel heavy, taking breaks when needed (by both people!), a glass of good water and a light heart worked quite well for myself At times I use music, however 111 mention that later Relax! EorthePV A there are some other aspects I feel are important Nervousness1 Yours at least, and this may be the first time this person receives a massage. Check this out with any person you work on. and give some careful thought to the fear that may be in someone who is quite possibly facing their death. In the case of Karposis Sarcoma, there may be darkened areas of skin (like bruises) or open lesions I exercise the same caution as I would around bruises and wounds Very gently over the bruise and leave the wound alone The hands can be passed over the areas, without touching, with probably the same effect The care is more important than the actual contact. Joints may be quite stiff Gentle manipulation using the comfortable range of motion. I let the person tell me if something hurts My aim is relaxation and normalization of body functions. Many, if not most relaxation tapes are just plain dumb and a waste of money! Listen before you buy. The most useful ones I’ve found are simply sounds oceans/crickets/frogs/birds and music that is not climactic Stuff that moves easily (and maybe exoticallyor eccentrically) as you would like the body to move There is a lot to talk about here and maybe I can go into another article I don t want to leave without mentioning two possibly important items Tickling Not a lot! and not at the end! (Check out the situation with the person first) And iust holding the head with both hands and allowing the complete relaxation.* Sometimes a deep sigh will indicate the release, and other times a snoring sound* That’s all for now. please feel free to contact me. * Emotional Stress Release points on the head, check out a Touch for Health book or a Naturopath. William Roberts is a long standing volunteer vith ACT-B. He is a trained Touch For Health practitioner, a masseur, a teacher of T'ai-Chi and plants trees. For more information an the healing properties of massage, stop by the ACT-B Resource Centre Library at 285 Bay St. �The Case For Early Intervention PART l TYPES OF INTERVENTION Sc ATTITUDE TtV>o UiW A 4 A W N rsqft nf flntc % VA \AAiO series, we reported the Federal Government's revised guidelines for the use of AZT As mere has become known about this drug and how to appropriately administer it. AZT has shown itself to be an effective way to slow the replication of HIV in many infected individuals Eor others. aZT may not be effective or appropriate. 5hould you use AZT if you are HIV +’ That is a decision that should wholely rest in your own hands. The decision is best made by knowing and understanding what your current health status is. in consultation with a good. AIDS aware physician. It could also be beneficial to talk with a counselor at your local AIDS committee. The first step in making any decision about treatment concerns, is knowing what your status is This is the primary reason for individuals to consider taking the HIV antibody test. In a future article we will present the case for being tested. TYPES OF INTERVENTION Five general categories of intervention are currently available. 1. general health maintenance. 2. holistic or complementary therapies. 3 antiviral medicine. 4 immuneododulating medicines and 5 preventive medicine against opportunistic infections. Martin Delaney, coauthor of Strategies for Survival: The Gay Men's Health Manual for the Age of AIDS, wrote in a Eebruary, 1989 article "The biggest mistake we can make in exploring these approaches is to assume that we must choose one. as if it were an election campaign No singular method of intervention is sufficient on its own." A traditional, simplistic approach to health usually went something like this: if I get sick, go to a doctor and s/he will fix it. It is a common altitudinal approach that gives power over to trained professionals, eases us of the burdens of responsibility, and - for the most part - is usually effective. Modern medicine has developed allot of "fixes". AIDS knocks out the support for this attitude completely. There is no "fix", no magic bullet that provides a single treatment or cure At the same time, understanding that there are five useful ways to begin early intervention points toward a new attitudinal model, one of taking personal responsibility for decision making about our health, in partnership with skilled resources In future articles of this series, we will discuss the case for HIV antibody testing, new treatments, and cautions to bear in mind about interventions. 4. ????’’? Questions From the Phoneline Q: If someone I work with has AIDS, can I catch it from them’ A: Unless you had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, or shared intravenous needles with them, there is no way you could be exposed to the *HIV You can not get AIDS or HIV infection from casual contact. virus You can't get it from sneezing, touching, kissing, brushing by. sharing a phone etc. In fact, you are of more risk to the person with AIDS Vhen one has AIDS, their immune system is suppressed, so they become more susceptible to illnesses such as colds and flus This isn't good for the person with AIDS, as these simple illnesses become hard to fight off. If you work with someone who has AIDS, the best thing you can do is learn something about A IDS so that you can better support your colleague Don't be afraid of that person -don't be afraid to touch A hug can do wonders Q Can I get AIDS from having Oral Sex’ A There is a low risk of HIV transmission from oral sex as the HIV virus is found in Continued on Page 10 �Tidbits. te p wm lit ml M/M Is mi To all AIDS Committees. We have found bubble gum flavoured dental dams. To order write to Ash Temple 615 Erin Street Winnipeg. MB. R3G 2W1 1-800-665-8985 We have multicoloured condoms in bright green ', cherry red. canary yellow and electric blue We ordered them from: Safetex Corporation 1100 Valley Brook Avenue Lyndhurst, New Jersey 07071 As I write this Tidbitl am feeding my little baby Sarah. Yes. I’m at work and so is my 2 month old baby! This would have been unheard of 20 years ago. but the times are changing It's been a positive experience for everyone. I have been able to return to work when Sarah is still very young I haven t had to face early separation from my baby or my other baby, my work. She makes us giggle when she makes funny noises during staff meetings; and. when things get crazy around the office. Sarah gives us a big smile and makes everything all right! They offer a wide variety of paper and envelopes I find the paper is of good quality. Domtar in Winnipeg also has recycled paper available Call (204)949-0210. Also some printers in Thunder Bay will have recycled paper available in the near future. They're Here! Posters For Kids________________ HEY* YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU CANT GET AIDS ER0M is produced by the Minnesota AIDS Project and is widely distributed in the United States Thunder Bay is the first city in Canada to receive this award-winning poster Whimsical cartoon characters come to life on a giant 17 x22" full colour poster that is sure to delight children of all ages The A IDS Committee of Thunder Bay is offering this poster for children, free to all local schools, along with an informative Teaching Guide. Contact Darcia Kchuska, Education Coordinator for more information at 345-1516 AIDS COMMITTEES: This poster is available at the discounted price of $2 00 per poster. Open House_____________________ An Open House will be held at ACT-B all day. Eriday, Eebruary 9 Come in and meet all the staff and have some great coffee and conversation While you're here, see our display and our "goodies" table. Sneak out a bit early Eriday afternoon and come on down Everyone is welcome! Environment__________________ ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS_______ This newsletter has been printed on recycled paper We ordered the paper from The Paper Source Fallbrook. Ontario K0G1A0 (613)267-7191 The ACT-B Resource Centre Library has three videos available geared specifically to teens A Letter From Brian---------------------------------This video tells the story of a teenage girl who �6. you know what? you CAN'T GET ALPS FROM: mm AIM IS Hot 5PACAO BY "TAltioS VC ToOCJf / had an intimate experience with a teenage boy named Brian He writes her a letter and tells her he has AIDS. She is scared. A Letter Erom Brian" tells how she deals with her situation. The Subject is AIDS----------This film features frank discussions with and among teenagers about the causes, concerns and preventive practices related to AIDS. STD Street Smarts—^— This video is produced by. for and with "street youth". With frank language and explicit imagery, this video addresses difficult issues such as sex and injection drug use in the age of A IDS. It is non-judgementai in its portrayal of young people acquiring, using, and sharing knowledge about safe sex and needle use This video is not intended for the average high school audience. "STD Street Smarts" is accompanied by a comprehensive facilitators' manual Eor more information on these and other videos and resource material available in our library, contact Darcia Kohuskai Education Coordinator at 345-1516 More Tidbits �7 OAN in Thunder Bay ! The summer of 1990 is going to be our turn to host a quarterly meeting of the Ontario AIDS Network' So. what is the OAN. you might ask? Veil, its MISSION STATEMENT says, "The Ontario AIDS Network is a coalition of Community Based groups mutually creating a just and effective response to AIDS" Meeting four times a year in various cities in Ontario, the local AIDS Committee plays host to the member delegates I have attended many of the OAN meetings. They can be large meetings with up to fifteen AIDS organizations taking part. Issues such as anonymous testing, treatments, funding programs and advocacy are discussed It helps our groups to make a coordinated response to the media, the Ontario Ministry of Health and the public. Also, workshops are held to share new knowledge and upgrade skills Massage, treatments, media relations, fundraising are just a few that have been covered in the past This is not the first OAN meeting to be held here The group was here about two years ago October of 1987 to be exact. That was during the city's first AIDS Awareness Veek! The OAN is a long way away, but there is a lot of planning and work to be done now. Is any one interested in getting involved? By creating an ad hoc committee we can pull together a great weekend for all our OAN members that will be here Looking after developing the agenda, assisting with catering, and billeting will be needed. An entertainment component for the weekend could be considered! Transportation may be required, meeting space needs to be found, and there will be mailings and office duties to be assisted with in the pre-event stages. Give me a call at the office if you want to assist with this project. It will only last from about February to July, with the majority of the work being done four to six weeks before the meeting If you can't help with the work,would you be able to provide accomodations for for someone while they're here7 This would be a great help All volunteers are also invited and welcome to attend the OAN when it's here This can be a fun event and we can show the off our organization to the rest of the province! Lawrence Korhonen Volunteer! 1989 has proven to be a very busy year for our volunteers, from bingos, client care, mall and school displays to office work. AIDS Awareness Veek and office renovations. One thing is for sure, not only would these events not have happened if it weren't for our volunteers, but it wouldn't have been as successful or as professional and without as much care. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay to thank each and every one of you, and also to let you know that you, the volunteers, are the best. And whatever the obstacles and the problems, volunteers who work with persons with AIDS or any work with AIDS Committees are the best of the best. Thank You! I personally want to say Tidbits Our 1990 Healthy Sex Calendar For Gay & Bisexual Men is now available at the New Year's price of only $4.95' Vehavea limited number of calendars left. Call 3*45-1516 to have one mailed to you or pick one up at 285 Bay Street A series of Vellness Seminars will be held at ACT-B in February and March. Guest facilitators will cover topics such as nutrition, stress reduction, massage and meditation All are welcome. Phone 345-1516 for details �8. ’.hanks for caking me feel right at home and comfortable since mv joining the ACT-B team My greatest pleasure has been getting to meet and know each and every one of you. You are simply the greatest I am looking forward to working with all of you in the New Year as well as at our informal volunteer get togethers The first of which is on January 11th at 7 30 pm. here in our newly renovated office. Hope to see you there. As we go into a new year I would like to leave some special words with you I do not know who wrote them but they are wonderful words to live by Speak it again Speak it still again Speak it still once again I wish all of you a wonderful and Happy New Year and along with it peace and tranquility. Sincerely Linda Gambee Volunteer Coordinator On This Day Mend a quarrel Search out a forgotten friend Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust. Write a love letter Share some treasure Si ve a soft answer Encourage youth Manifest your loyaltym a word or deed. A CT-B Calendar January 17 Board Meeting 7.00 p m. January 23 BINGO1 6 30 Diamond Bingo Hall February 7 Executive Committee Meeting Keep a promise. Find the time Forego a grudge. Forgive an enemy Listen. Apologize ifyou were wrong Try to understand. Flout envy Examine your demands on others Think first of someone else Appreciate, be kind, begentle Laugh a little more. Deserve confidence Decry complacency Take up arms against malice Express yourgratitude Gladden the heart of a child Take pleasure m the beauty and wonder of the earth Speak your love Eebruary Volunteer Orientation at the ACT-B office at 285 Bay St All interested persons are welcome Contact Linda Gambee at 345-1516 Eebruary 9 Open House1 All Day at the ACT-B office, 285 Bay Street Eebruary 14 Valentine’s Day Deadline for submissions for the March/April issue of ReACT-Believe Eebruary 21 Board Meeting 7 00pm March 7 Executive Committee Meeting �9. Shared When 1 decided to write this article I didn't know if I could I didn't know if I'd be able to relate to the problems that a person with AIDS faces. I spoke toaP W.A. andwe shared our experiences. I found we could relate - with a difference.. For the last ten months I have felt tired, alone and scared, Constant fatigue really dragged me down. I had to watch, every day, that I didn't do too much. If I went like crazy one day. I'd be exhausted for the next two. I was too tired to read or even sleep. I just-sat. It got to the point that I had to leave my job My friends didn't understand how I could be so tired. The fatigue didn't help my mood any either I became very cranky and my patience wore thin With the lack of sleep and the negative feelings and memories I had to deal with I became very sensitive -1 cried a lot. I needed my friends more than ever but my mood swings were driving them away I couldn't talk to them about how I felt because they couldn't understand. I had so many things to deal with, so many things to learn and understand. I needed help -1 needed and I felt alone, I had to deal with my self image I used to be such an Life independent, hardworking, active person. All of a sudden I needed help, and lots of it1 I couldn't work I had to go for Social Assistance. I couldn't afford to live in my nice apartment I had to move to more meagre surroundings I needed help to pack my things, I had to borrow money. I come from a family where you work and are responsible for yourself Needing so much help was a big kick in the ego. It's been a difficult and stressful year for myself and my friend with AIDS. The year turned out well, though. We both dealt with our situations. There is a positive side to this story. It's not all sadness. My friend has really improved the quality of his life over the past year He has learned to accentuate the positive He has reached out to people that can give him positive answers; some old friends and some new When he's feeling low he'll call a positive someone and talk it out. Another person's positive outlook can really help. *The Color of Light Daily Meditations For All Of Us Living With AIDS, by Perry Tilleraas He has learned to work with. not against his illness He reads *The Color of Light every day and reads about his illness and nutrition He walks every day and sets priorities for each day He doesn't chastise himself when he doesn't accomplish all he set out to do He pats himself on the back for what he has done He knows that he can put it off, because there is no sense stressing himself My friend has learned to ask for help emotionally and financially. He realizes now that the help is there for him. He has worked hard. He earned what he is getting. He strives to alleviate his anger and drive away his negativity which his illness thrives upon. Speaking to people who are not ill helps, and writing down his feelings also helps him to see things in a different light He has learned to live a positive and active life within the everchanging limitations of AIDS. Oh yes. the difference I mentioned at the beginning I feel better now. I'm working again and I have a brand new baby girl. My friend has AIDS Eileen Parker �10. continued from page 4 blood, semen and vaginal secretions in enough concentration to infect There is a possibility that one could be exposed to HIV while performing oral sex on an HIV infected person In order for the virus to transmit from the infected person to the other, the uninfected person would have to have a point of entry into their blood stream In other words, the infected semen or vaginal secretion would have to enter a cut or open sore in the mouth of the uninfected person, and that person would then have become exposed to the HIV virus The Safer Sex Guidelines developed by the Canadian AIDS Society, recommends that men wear condoms and women use a latex barrier when receiving oral sex- every time! Q: Me and some of the guys from school take steroids and we use the same needle. Can I catch AIDS or is that just from sharing needles when you do drugs’ A Sharing needles is sharing needles. It doesn't matter what you're shooting. Yes, you can be exposed to the HIV virus by sharing a needle with someone who is infected. You should not share needles but if you do they should be cleaned using bleach and water After EACH person uses the needle you should flush it out 2 or 3 times with bleach and then 2 or 3 times with water Make sure you do that in between EACH person. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Welcome to the 1990's As we enter anew decade it may be useful to take stock and try to see where we are heading. The early years of the A IDS era were marked by a variety of responses with some of the most useful work arising out of the concern of individuals, and coalescing in the community-based AIDS groups. Now that the initial panic and confusion has subsided, and government (at least in Ontario) has provided basic support, we are ready to move into a new period of action As we move into the '90's, we need no longer look at AIDS with the pessimism of the '80's Although no "magic bullet" cure or vaccine is likely to appear, we are learning to manage AIDS and we can begin to look at it as a chronic manageable condition. Drugs such as AZT and DDI often help on the medical front, while studies in complementary therapies offer a great deal of promise I believe the time has come for all of us to examine ourselves, both as individual whole systems and as part of a global ecology. If we begin to take ownership of ourselves, and the planet we live on. we can begin to effect significant change both in our personal health and in the health of our planetary home One of our projects in the near future is a series of Wellness seminars, and this should be an exciting way to begin the new decade in a positive and healthy manner Let us all begin to move along the path to personal and planetary health and wholeness David Belrose is a founding member of ACT-B and is serving his second full term as President He was born ^ rmsed m Thunder ®aY ^ writs for Canada Post 95 a *eWer carner • �ARE YOU AT RISK ? Call the confidential AIDS Information Phoneline at 345-SAFE. It ■ From 5 30 a m to 5:00 p.m. our staff and volunteers will answer your questions ■ After 5 p m. listen to an informative taped r ssage Would you like to be on our mailing list? Call 345-1516 or mail to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 ACT-B Services Speakers for educational presentations and in-service sessions for professional groups The ACT-B Resource Centre Library. Confidential one-on-one counselling. Support groups for persons with AIDS, friends, family, and others An Outreach Program to smaller communities in Northern Ontario. Producing and providing educational materials to groups and individuals All submissions and opinions for ReACT-Belie ve should be forwarded to the Editor by calling 345~1516 or writing to P.O. Box 3 5fib Thunder Bay; Ontario, P7B 6E2 ACT-B is a member of the Ontario AIDS Network and the Canadian AIDS Society/ La Societe Canadienne du SIDA (Charity * 0779330-11) The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay If you have any questions or comments, please contact our office at (807) 345-1516 from 8 30 am. to 5:00 p m Our office is located at 283 Bay Street printed on recycled paper � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 3 No 2 - Spring 1990 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2663/1990_reACT-Believe_vol3no3.pdf a1b50a4d70e660f9d53e2b5a0e5b3790 PDF Text Text ���������� https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2663/1990_reACT-Believe_vol3no3_2.pdf cbdadf26ba3603b176b7d5d58a4c11fb PDF Text Text elieve The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay newsletter Summer 1990 Volume III Issue III is Visual AIDS 7h* flngast 31 - September 30, 1990 A travelling exhibition of AIDS posters from around the world at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery located beside Confederation College. The gallery is open Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 8:00 p.m., and Friday to Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. 7 See images that are shocking, funny, sensitive, wild, ridiculous, poignant, touching, erotic, sensual, scarey, frightening, intelligent, curious, and - bizarre .. . . . uncover countries' deepest assumptions about sex, family, pleasure and national duty." from "Condom Conundrum", Pg. 2. ►Vo*1 V® Inside . . . CUEW Anti-HIV Discrimination Lab Safety 'The Works" The Test Tidbits Discrimination Stress The Caring Profession Surviving__ Video Project Self Success Nutrition & AIDS New Publications Editorial Condom Conundrum Questions From the Phoneline 7 11 9 10 1 4 9 11 7 7 3 6 8 5 2 5 �Tidbits • • • OAN The quarterly meeting of the Ontario AIDS Network is scheduled to take place in Thunder Bay on July 6, 7 and 8 at the Thunder Bay Yacht Club. The OAN is an organization made up of 25 community-based AIDS service organizations in Ontario, of which ACT-B is a member. Also attending will be representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Directorate, the Canadian AIDS Society, and the Federal Centre for AIDS. The PLWA/HIV Task Force will be officially meeting for the first time on Friday. This group has been recognized by the OAN, and we are very excited about this, as there should be opportunities for local PLWA/HIV persons to participate. The quarterly meetings enable the member groups to share Information and work together in the fight against AIDS. Yard Sale! ACT-B's annual Yard Sale is coming up soon. We're looking for any donations of items for our sale. For pick up call 345-1516. Volunteers, God Bless Them Many will be shocked to find When the day of judgment nears That there's a special place in heaven Set aside for volunteers. Furnished with big recliners. Satin couches and footstools, Where there's no committee chairmen. No group leaders or car pools. No eager team that needs a coach. No bazaar and no bake sale, There will be nothing to staple. Not one thing to fold or mail. Telephone lists will be outlawed. But a finger snap will bring Cool drinks and gourmet dinners And treats fit for a king. You ask, "Who'll serve these privileged few And work for all they're worth?" Why, all those who reaped the benefits And not once volunteered on Earth. purpose of the Forum was to obtain community input into planning what Support Services we should provide. About forty people attended from a wide variety of organizations. The afternoon was spent in small groups doing planning exercises. The result of all this activity was a proposed list of 17 services. This list is being discussed at the Support Services Committee to decide how to proceed. I would like to personally thank all the ACT-B staff and volunteers who worked hard to make this event such a tremendous success. - Chris Mather Volunteers Awarded! The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay annual Volunteer Recognition Event was held at the Thunder Bay Yacht Club on Sunday, May 6. 38 volunteers were presented awards for their dedication and service to ACT-B. Special awards were presented to volunteers who contributed at least 50 hours of service to ACT-B in the past year and made significant contributions in a variety of capacities: Coffee mugs: Michael Chan Marilyn Chicoine Ed Galeotafiore William Roberts Bonnie Vermette Crystal Pcntney Gold Pens: Marion Bowers Fern Campbell Vic Chicoine Jeanette Munshaw Cindy Sundberg Deb White Blue Achievement Pins: 4h * Norman Bowers Dwight Gifford Carl Gray Norma Procter Planning Forum Blue Achievement Pin and Gold Pen: Barbara Reid The ACT-B Support Services Community Planning forum was held April 5th, 1990. After much preparation, anguish and mail listing it proved to be a great success. The Silver Achievement Pins: David Belrose Terry Bryant Cathy Powell Page 1 Are you interested in an AIDS presentation? We can talk to your staff, community group, classroom, clients or to the general public about AIDS what it is and what you need to know to prevent exposure. We can also talk to you about workplace concerns, safer sex or a specific area you want to know more about. For more information, contact Darcia Kohuska, Education Coordinator at 345-1516. ACT-B Dictionary ACT-B The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. A community-based AIDS Service Organization dedicated to confronting AIDS through education, advocacy and support. HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus - The virus believed to cause AIDS. AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome - the immune system is disrupted by the HIV virus, leaving the body defenceless against opportunistic infections. PLWA HIV+ Person Living With AIDS having tested positive for HIV antibodies. Library The ACT-B Resource Centre Library has books and videos available on loan on a variety of issues surrounding AIDS. There are also a variety of free brochures and pamphlets available. The library is open Monday to Friday, from 8-30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and it is located at 285 Bay Street. Are you HIV+? Is someone you love HIV+? The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay offers caring, supportive counselling for individuals and groups. Support Services also include assistance with daily living tasks, transportation, dealing with government agencies, as well as emotional support. Contact Chris at 345-1516. Appointments outside the agency and evenings are always available. All enquiries are confidential. ReACT-Believe �How the world is selling safe sex: condom conundrum An extract from an article by David Talbot, Mother Jones, Magazine, January 1990 No human malady is more vested with symbolic meaning than AIDS. To view AIDS posters, pamphlets, and commercials from around the world - the global art of public health - is to uncover countries' deepest assumptions about sex, family, pleasure and national duty. In Israel, the virus is portrayed as a sinister looking Palestinian commando in classroom literature. In Poland, a country obsessed with economic erosion, unsafe sex has been depicted as a rust corroded bolt penetrating a stainless steel nut. In a poster produced by the New York radical feminist group Gran Fury, the viral terror takes the shape of a big ballistic erection, accompanied by the caption: "Sexism rears its unprotected head, AIDS Kills Women". It kills men too of course, but that half of the species is not Gran Fury's concern. is to uncover countries' deepest assumptions about sex, family, pleasure and national duty.' '. . . In most parts of the world, AIDS campaigns tend to address the public as misbehaving children and employ either fear or moral messages. For example, corpses and skulls are common images in these campaigns. AIDS awareness material produced by gay groups and Scandinavian Health Ministries tend to counter these morbid, moralistic messages by stressing hope, eroticism, and humour. "Sex is Wonderful" rejoices a Danish safe sex poster that depicts a young naked couple in a delirious embrace. We know nothing of their marital status; ReACT-Believe appealing. It is in the U.S. that we see some of the world's cockiest safe sex propaganda produced by groups like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In these posters, naughty smooth skinned youths tug at each other's jockey shorts like tussling puppies and shamelessly display themselves wearing nothing more than Trojan sheaths. However, none of this sauciness has been allowed to enter into the educational efforts of the U.S. government. While teens in suburban North America are chanting slogans like "Control Your Urging, Be A Virgin", kids in the Danish country of Funen are watching explicit condom instruction videos and are being handed "safe sex" kits. "Kids from twelve years and up are taught about safe sex" says condom coach Paul Madsen. 'We bring dildos into the classroom and let them roll on the rubbers". Madsen is treated like Father Christmas when he shows up in Danish schools with his bag of safe sex goodies. But when AIDS activists from the group ACT UP! tried to distribute condoms recently in New York city high schools, they were run off campus like low life crack dealers. Michael Hewlquist, program officer for AID5COM, lias concluded that people are more likely to AIDS proof thenlives when the educational campaign adopts a "more light hearted and upbeat approach. When safe sex information is presented in a cultural context, such as carnival songs or plays I've seen in Trinidad, it seems to sink in better with people". Fortunately, there are growing signs of this creativity throughout the third world. A group called Puppets Against AIDS presents a safe sex Punch and Judy show on the streets of South Africa. The show is an effective way of reaching the country's black population, half of which are illiterate. In Thailand, Dr. Mechai Viravaidya, the country's leading family planning expert has painted condom ads in bold white letters on the sides of elephants, and has convinced Buddhist monks to bless condoms in order to win them wider acceptance in the Thai countryside. "Why do we get so embarrased about sex?" Viravaidya says as he hands out condom key rings and safe sex T-shirts. ‘We are all walking around with something between our lees". Page 2 �Questions from Editorial If I use a condom does that mean I'll never get AIDS? Using a condom during anal, vaginal and oral sex greatly reduces your risk of HIV infection, other STD's and pregnancy! (now that's a lot in a little piece of latex!) It is important that you learn how to use a condom properly, as condom failure is usually due to improper use. Condoms rarely fail because of manufacturers defects. (Check out Consumer Reports on Condoms, March 1989 issue) Here are some condom tips ... Only use latex condoms natural skin condoms don't prevent HIV transmission. Check the date on the condom package. Latex is a synthetic material, it usually has about a 3 to 4 year shelf life. ^ Be careful when you open the package and put it on. It's fragile, so watch rings, fingernails etc.. Pinch the reservoir tip or top half inch of the condom before rolling it on an erect penis. This provides space for the semen. ^ Roll on and lubricate using a water based lube like K-Y F- • Don't use oil based products like vaseline or margarine, as they weaken the latex and may cause it to break. After ejaculation, hold onto the rim and pull out. Take the condom off and throw it away. Don't reuse a condom. r Also, remember that practice makes perfect, so try them alone before you try them with a partner. Try different brands until you find one you like. For more condom information, contact your local AIDS committee or family planning centre. Confidential: spoken or % written in confidence; entrusted with secrets; charged with a secret task In March, I overheard information about a woman’s positive HIV status in the emergency ward of a local hospital. Everyone that is aware of a person’s HIV status must be sensitive to the issue of confidentiality - this includes health care providers, social service agencies, AIDS service organizations, friends and family and anyone else that may have access to confidential information. Confidentiality is vital because of the social stigma attached to AIDS. Breaking of the confidentiality agreement, whether it be written, spoken or understood, has the potential for serious repercussions for the HIV+ person in the form of a loss of housing or a job, being ostracized by friends, co-workers and even family. All those with access to confidential information must not only keep that information from outside sources, but must not break confidentiality within the organization. Co-workers should be informed of a person’s HIV status only on a "needs to know basis" - watch your coffeetime talk! Ask yourself: - who has access to files? - how do you identify yourself when phoning a person? - are mailings confidential? - who can overhear confidential personal and phone conversations? Confidentiality is something we all need to keep in mind - and to ourselves. Excerpts from the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Confidentiality Policy. "... credible service is based on trust, respect, sensitivity, and a high code of practice. Ensuring the confidentiality of privileged information is an important component of responsible and professional service delivery." "As part of service delivery, it is necessary to share information with others within the workplace. The underlying principle is that all personal and health information related to an identified individual must be treated as confidential. This means that information of a confidential nature that is given, read, observed, overheard or otherwise acquired will be held as privileged information. It also means that agency personnel will not carry on a conversation about service users in the presence of persons who have no official need to know." If your agency or organization is forming a confidentiality policy, contact ACT-B at 345-1516 for information and consultation. AIDS Infoline 345-7233. page 5 ReACT-Believe �Nutrition & AIDS ACT-B Advisory Council Fred Bail Director, Public Health Laboratory Darlene Blnette Coordinator, Community AIDS Program Doug Broman Producer, Thunder Gay Magazine Nicky dark Infection Control Supervisor, P.A.G.H. Joy Fedortck Educator k Native Advocate Mickey I lenneaaey Qty Councillor John McDonald lawyer Mary McKenzie ' Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Marie Fortier Residential Care Worker Eleanor Richardson Educator 4c TVO Regional Liaison Steve Roede Family Phyaidan Canadians get into healthy fiber. . . An Introduction ACT-B Board of Directors David Belroee President Deb White Vice-President Norma Procter Treasurer Terry Bryant Secretary George Arnold Director Rick Atkinson Director Michael Chan Director Carl Gray Director Betty Kruzick Director John McDonald Director Jeanette Munshaw Director Barbara Reid Director Latex! Add a little fiber to your healthy sex diet. . . . ACT-B Staff Volunteer Coordinator Doug Broman Director, Video Project George Kenny Researcher /Writer, Video Project Dorda Kohuaka Education Coordinator Lawrence Korhonen Office Manager Karen Maki Fundraising Coordinator Chrw Mather Support Services Coordinator Scott Miazdzyk Researcher /Writer Video Project Eileen Parker Communications/ Outreach Coordinator Deb Patterson Researcher /Writer Video Project Michael Sobota Executive Director Sheila Berry A duck walks into a pharmacy and says to the pharmacist, "I'd like a condom please". The pharmacist says, "Sure, do you want that on your bill?". ReACT-Believe An excerpt from a pamphlet by the Task Force on Nutrition Support in AIDS. This pamphlet is available at the ACT-B Resource Centre Library located at 285 Bay Street. For more information on nutrition, talk to your doctor or your dietician. The opinions and medical Information offered by ReACT: Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of die staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. If you have any questions or comments please contact tike Editor, Eileen Parker at (807) 345-1516 or write to P.O. Box 3586, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2. When the immune system is weakened, as it is with AIDS, it is particularly important to maintain good nutritional habits. Eating both the right amounts and the right types of food will give you energy, protein and other nutrients that will help give you strength and may improve your ability to fight infection. Since your illness may make it more difficult to follow your regular diet, you will need to make greater efforts to insure you are getting enough protein and calories in your diet. Once you are familiar with ways to adjust your diet, you will be better able to meet the challenge of eating well. You must first be familiar with the foods that make up a proper diet. Eating a wide variety of foods is one of the best ways to meet your daily nutritional needs. As you know, breakfast has always been an important meal. Because you may become more tired as the day progresses, or because of your medication, it will be extra important for you to have a healthy meal to get your day off to a good start. Since infectious bacteria exist in the environment, you should take precautions to avoid the further complications they can cause. Always was all fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Cook meat well, avoid raw fish (sushi) and raw eggs (including homemade AL 721 preparations). Remember to purchase only pasteurized dairy products. Also, it is important to avoid "fad" diets or products that promise to cure your illness. Special diets or fad regimes often do not provide the adequate calories, protein, vitamins or minerals needed by your body. Our office is located at 285 Bay Street. We are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To be on our mailing list call (807) 345-1516. Page 6 �Surviving CUEW Anti-HIV Discrimination Clause (Always In Debt Syndrome) There are some benefits to surviving with an AIDS diagnosis. One never has to worry about paying the high premiums for Life Insurance because as far a9 the Insurance Companies are concerned you're already dead. And if you are fortunate enough to already have Life Insurance then don't be late with those payments. Did you ever scan through that real estate magazine and 9ee this month's dream home? Well you can cross that dream off your list. Chances are the bank won't give you a loan because it's uninsurable. By the way, if you're still working I suggest you go out and apply for a few credit cards. Not that I can see you abusing them, but when money gets tight perhaps you can use them to buy essentials such as food. If you leave applying until you're no longer able to work you may as well not apply. Welfare recipients are labelled as dead beats with most major credit companies. If s not so much that you're a dead beat it's just that your level of income will not meet their level to qualify. Oh well, one's dignity stays intact so much better when we're dealing with C.O.D. Another benefit of having AIDS is not having to rush out to the bank at the end of the year to choose that RRSP. After all why would a person with AIDS even consider a Retirement Savings Plan. When you have received your AIDS diagnosis a Canada Savings Bond with seven years to maturity even becomes a little risqu£. There is one major benefit to living with this illness, and that is that you become much more aware of the world that you live in. Minutes and hours take precedence in our lives for we have had to deal with our mortality or the lack of. The only Relationships and friendships have become AIDS important as we have stepped out of the VACCINE fast lane of life. Survival is the number available one priority at this time. GETTING - Ron Rogers Person Living With AIDS in Thunder Bay P.O. Box 2554 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B6E2 B3tf right now is at your drugstore You can write your own prescription for it. And it can cost less than 50$ a shot. The Canadian Union of Education Workers Local 5 recently won protection from HIV discrimination in their collective agreement. The CUEW put forward an anti-HIV discrimination clause during their negotiations with Lakehead University. A representataive of CUEW consulted with ACT-B in preparation for the negotiations. ACT-B also provided an education inservice session for the bargaining team and others at Lakehead University. The University already has a Workplace AIDS Policy in place. CUEW reports that the Thunder Bay local is the first local to achieve the anti-HIV discrimination clause in contract negotiations outside of the Toronto area. The other union locals who have won this clause are at OISE and York University. Video Project Work is now in progress to develop two AIDS-related videos for the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Designed to fill in some of the gaps that exist around education issues, the project is funded by the AIDS Community Action Program (ACAP), of the Health Promotion Directorate, Health & Welfare Canada. A Native AIDS video will introduce basic education concerns to Native people living in the more isolated areas of the region. Not only will the video dear up some of the myths about the spread of AIDS, viewers will be informed about the possible risks and preventative measures. As well, it is hoped that the material will lead to better understanding and perhaps introduce an atmosphere of increased compassion for affected individuals. Women have been targeted for the second video which is a fictionalized account that presents basic AIDS information in an accessible manner with an emphasis on negotiating safer sex. Running through June, July and August, the videos will be ready for distribution and airing by the end of August. BRING YOUR OWN CONDOM C'tv / mi/'V Him;?/* It’s called a condom. Page 7 ReACT-Believe �Negotiate is a new poster available as a part of the series "Good Health Lasts a Lifetime", produced by the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Single copies are available free to post in your agency. Volume orders are available at $2.00 per poster. Healthy Sex for Gay & Bisexual Men is a reprint of our highly successful 1988 brochure, with over 12,000 copies in circulation! The new edition boasts an all new design and photographs. For prices and information contact Darcia Kohuska, Education Coordinator at (807) 345-1516. ReACT-Believe Page 8 �The goods on "The Works" Relaxation Techniques Relaxation techniques are also used extensively to combat stress. The idea is that the mind and body are in a constant state of feedback with each other. Therefore, by being able to relax your body you will also be relaxing your mind. Why not try the following exercise. In the last issue of ReACT-Believe we described a method of taking action to reduce the number of stressors in your life. In this column let's look at how to cope with stresscausing situations which can not be eliminated, such as long term illness. What we're talking about here are practices which if followed daily will reduce the effect stress has on you and will build 1. Lie down on a firm but your store of energy. comfortable surface. If your bed is super soft maybe the couch Meditation would work. Some people find When you hear the word meditation what the floor most suitable. comes into your mind? Do you picture an eastern guru sitting on a bed of nails? Don't 2. Put yourself in a comfortable worry, you don't have to be way-out to position. Many people use the meditate. There are many forms and uses of position they are most often in meditation. What they have in common is a just before they fall asleep. cleansing of the mind of the busyness of the day and the forming of a state of physical 3. Concentrate on the muscles of and mental peace. Such techniques have your right foot. Tense them as been used for centuries to assist people to tightly as you can. Concentrate heal themselves. What follows is a healing on really getting to know what it meditation using visualization techniques feels like for those muscles to be from "The Holistic Health Handbook" tense. compiled by the Berkley Holistic Health Center. 4. Relax your foot. Concentrate on enjoying the relaxation of your A Healing Meditation foot. Get to know the difference between relaxation and tension in that muscle group. Lie down. Relax your body deeply, starting at the toes and working up the legs, the torso and arms, the neck, the face, ail the way to the scalp. When you are sensing your relaxed body as deeply and gently as you can at that moment, locate whatever physiological problem you have. Visualize it, not necessarily accurately in terms of physiology, but in any way that makes sense to you: a tumor could be seen as a pile of sand to be removed by elves, a systemic infection as lumps to be strained out of the blood; a head­ ache as a vise around the head which can even­ tually be loosened. Then visualize this image of your problem as melting, or being attacked, or loosening up, or being filtered out ... in your own way. Do this meditative visualization three or four times a day, each tune sensing the current state of the health problem and letting whatever visual representation comes into your mind be transformed into a representation of well-being Page 9 5. Repeat steps 4 & 5 with your left foot. Now move on to other muscle groups. Most people use the following sequence, right foot, left foot, right calf, left calf, right thigh, left thigh, pelvic area, abdomen, chest, shoulders, neck, scalp, face. Some people find that while they are relaxing a muscle, it helps to imagine it being drawn down towards the centre of the Earth, others visualized it as becoming lighter and lighter until it floats away. Caution: don't tense and relax a muscle group which you have recently injured, and don't jump up quickly after you've finished this exercise. Bring yourself back gently and calmly and slowly get up. by Alexandre Highcrest An excerpt reprinted with permission from Stiletto, the Prostitutes Safer Sex Project newsletter. You've seen their ads in NOW: "Are you shooting up?. . . " The Works, the needle exchange at 660 Dundas West**. We've all heard about the place so I paid them a visit and here's what I discovered. I dropped in on them in a rather clandestine manner; no mention was made of who I was, my CORP* affiliation, etcetera. I was simply a customer with two used needles to exchange. They offered me clean needles at the rate of up to 10 to one. I wasn't asked if I was a user, or the user; I was simply asked how many needles I would like. I took 20 - why not? No other questions were asked, although the person minding the store was curious as to how I heard about the project. Lubed or dry condoms, condom wallets, small packets of personal lubricant, and bleach kits (which also contained condoms and personal lube) were also available free for the taking, along with the usual reams of safe-sex and safe-drug-use literature. Canadian Organization for the Rights of Prostitutes A street in downtown Toronto ReACT-Believe �HIV TESTING Recem advances in drug treatment tor AiDS are causing people to re-evaiuate wnether being tested for HIV is sometning tney wish to consicer. Because mere was no treatment ana oecause of social attitudes towards AIDS many people did not see a reason to get tested. The success of AZT. m prolonging life for some, has resulted <n its wider use. New drugs ana treatment are becoming avaiiaoie that are helping people prevent illness, if you are thinking about navmg a test, there are many issues to think about One of those is a common one: it aeais with who will know about my HIV status. HIV Antibody Test This is a test tnat detects the body s reaction to hiv. the virus involved with AIDS, it is a highly sensitive test ana provides tne most reliable information on wnetner you have been infected with HIV. Following arc listed the types of tests, their degree of confidentiality and where these tests arc available. TYPES OF TESTING AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS ANONYMOUS TESTING A secret code is used to identify your blood. The staff at the test site do not know your name. It is not oossibie for tne laboratory, the doctor or the public health department to know who you are. You are known only by your number. CONFIDENTIAL TESTING NOMINAL This is where tne testing clinic and laboratory, the doctor and the public healtn department know your name. NON NOMINAL You are able to choose with your doctor a special code and the code follows your blood sample to the laboratory. If your doctor is one that is trusted by the public health department to do counselling before and after the test, then the public health department will not ask for your name and address. If your doctor is not one that is known to do counselling, the public health department will ask for your name and address and will ask you to come for counselling. The public health department are within their rignts to know the names and addresses of all those who use this method. CONFIDENTIAL NOMINAL Who will know my name and address? The doctor, the medical staff, and the public health department. Sexually Transmitted Disease clinic, your doctor. Where can 1 go for testing? ANONYMOUS NON NOMINAL The doctor, the medical staff. and the public health depart­ ment UNLESS your doctor does pre and post test counselling. NO ONE In Ontario - only available at the Hassle Free Men's Clinic in Toronto. In Quebec available at two locations in Montreal, one location In Quebec City. Sexually Transmitted Disease clinic, your doctor. WHERE TO GO CONFIDENTIAL TESTING Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit 999 Balmoral Street Monday and Friday 4:30 - 6:00 pjn. No appointment necessary Telephone: 625-3900 ANONYMOUS TESTING This is noi availaDle in the Ottawa Region. It is available in Quebec, however, and available lo ALL. Please telephone lor an appointment. In Toronto: — CISC Metro Montreal AIDS intervention Centre Telephone: (514| 934-0552 Bilingual Services — 9 00 a m. to 8 00 p m. Hassle Free Men's Clinic For appointment: (416) 922-0603 Hours. Mon 4-9 p m. Thu. 103 o.m Tue. 103 o.m. Fn. 4-7 pm Wed. 4-9 p.m. Sat. 102 o.m. CLSC Centrevilie rue Sleury. Montreal Telephone: (514) 861-6644 Primarily francophone — 9:00 a m. to 8:00 p.m. Quebec City Info-Sante £quipe de Prevention et de Dftostage. Infection d VIH et SlDA Telephone: (418) 648-2626 Doctors Dy appointments You may oe asked for the First three digits of your postal code, This is to identify your home region only. For more Information on tasting, call the AIDS Intoilne si 545-7233. ws-FAFF Tint's 345-7233. Tati to p-taH pbopSt, uittldoys, We don 't law to itouj pouf- name,, /n tie ewnityt poa aan fate* to a taped megsapt. ReACT-Believe Page IQ �by Susan Ivany "AIDS has forced laboratory workers to take a hard look at techniques that may put themselves or patients at risk I work as a laboratory technologist in a local hospital, and have been employed in the same lab since 1980. I have seen changes take place In the lab over the past ten years as a direct result of the AIDS crisis. Early in the '80's there was some hysteria among health care workers, lab staff included. AIDS has forced laboratory workers to take a hard look at techniques that may put themselves or patients at risk. I believe that among most of my colleagues a sensible middle ground has been reached, where proper but not ridiculous precautions are routinely taken. This has come about only by staff familiarizing themselves with safer procedures and learning more about AIDS and HIV. The risk of exposure to infectious diseases has always been a part of this job. The AIDS crisis has forced us to take a critical look at our procedures. The most apparent changes are in the area of infection control and lab safety: One example of this is the recapping of needles. Our blood collection trays are now equipped with sharps containers so that it is never necessary to re-cap a used needle. With a sharps container, the adaptor and needle twists off. When the container is full and ready for disposal, the lid is snapped so nothing can come out or go in. This has reduced needle-stick injuries significantly. Lab staff now use vinyl or latex gloves when handling or taking blood. They have become so routine, that I could thread a needle wearing them now! Isolation procedures are now routine. The lab technician may pose a danger to the person with AIDS. The lab technician wears gloves, a gown and mask to protect the patient from any opportunistic infections that the lab technician may pass to the patient. Biohazard bags are now used for transporting samples to the lab. Even within the last five years, lab staff were eating and smoking in the lab! Another routine that we never thought twice about was getting a fluid sample to the top of a pipette by using mouth-suction. The proper procedure now is to use a suction-bulb to draw the fluid to the top. I believe that protection from all infectious diseases is more scrupulous than it has ever been. Lab staff are now using precautions that should have been taken years ago. You know what they say, "Better late than never"! < "The Caring Profession" by Lisa Coulouris R.N. As a registered nurse. I have looked after patients with AIDS in a hospital setting. What is it like to care for people with AIDS? I found it to be a challenge; one in which I enjoyed. Keeping a person with AIDS comfortable, clean, hydrated and free from new opportunistic infections is no easy task. At the same time, it is a rewarding experience. My patients appreciated little extras done for them. When they would have two hours of uninterrupted sleep after a relaxing massage, I knew 1 was doing my best, treating them with the compassion, respect and dignity they deserved. That in itself was a reward. It can also be a trying experience, not because of the patients, but some staff. Because of the debilitated state of most of these patients, two nurses are usually needed to carry out general nursing care. Most staff were more than eager to help without question. They were fantastic in they way they approached all patients with genuine care and concern. Unfortunately, a few were just the opposite. I was absolutely shocked at the attitude of some of the nurses I encountered. One flatly refused to enter the room, stating, "Find someone else to help you" (She was not busy at the time). At a time when patients need a lot of support, I found instead, much discrimination among my colleagues. Comments such as "I wish those gays wouldn't visit here”, and "They shouldn't let AIDS patients help themselves to the pantry - they might touch the food" were just a few of the things I heard. One evening I needed help washing my patient's hair. I asked several nurses before someone would help. The responses were: "I can't, I might miss my break”, "I don't want to bring that (AIDS) home to my family" and "What does he need his hair washed for - he's not going anywhere". It is only a few nurses I am speaking of, but to me even just one nurse with such attitudes is too many. There is a lot of fear of AIDS - even within the medical profession. Therefore, I feel that more education is needed. Inservices on AIDS for staff should be mandatory for all personnel working with AIDS. Hopefully, with more education, the fear of AIDS will decrease, so all patients, regardless of diagnosis or sexual preference will be treated equally. Page 11 ReACT-Believe printed or 100% recycled paper Lab Safety � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 3 No 3 - Summer 1990 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2665/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no1.pdf 21a46e02d6f53e8cb6af07621ffc024a PDF Text Text ������������� https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2665/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no1_2.pdf e150ccc664c59c3215d64338caf16e7e PDF Text Text �{Romance ACT-B Advisory Council Fred Ball Doug Broman Nicky Clark Joy FedoricK Mickey Hennessey John McOonald Mary McKenzie Mane Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roede Director, Public Health Laboratory Producer, Thunder Gay Magazine Supervisor, P.A.G.H., Infection Control Educator & Native Advocate City Councillor Lawyer Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liaison Family Physician zoitfi y Intelligence ACT-B Board ol Directors Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Terry Bryant Denyse Cuiligan Susan Ivany Gail llnkJater Jeanette Munshaw Diane Roberts Ron Rogere Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Before romance. Call the AIDS It\foline at 345SAFE (345-7233) and get the facts about AIDS and safer sex. ACT-B Stiff David Belrose Sheila Berry Lawrence Korhonen Karon Maki Glenna McLeod Eileen ParKer Calhy Powell Michael Sobota Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Office Manager Fundraising Coordinator Support Services Coordinator Communications/Outreach Coordinator Secretary Executive Director Gallois’ Revelation V Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m - 5 p.m talk to our staff and volunteers. V Afterhours and weekends listen to an informative taped message. You do not have to give your name. 'If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize it.' Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of V Outside Thunder Bay, call the Ontario Ministry of Health AIDS Hotline. It’s toll-free! English the agency. You can phone or mail. You can remain anonymous if you wish. We'd like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly French: TDD: 1-800-668-2437 Monday to Saturday 10 cum. - 10 p.m Sunday - 12 p.m - 7 p.m 1-800-267-7432 1-800-267-7712 appreciated. Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B6E2 (807)345-1516 8:30 a.m. • 5:00 p.m. Eileen Parker, Editor, ReACT-Believe The opinions and medical information offered by ACT-B Dictionary ACT-B The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. A community-based AIDS Service Organization dedicated to confronting AIDS through prevention, support, education and advocacy. HIV AIDS ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe PLWA Human Immunodeficiency Virus - the virus believed to cause AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - the immune system is disrupted by HIV leaving the body defenceless against opportunistic infections. Person Living With AIDS should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. HIV+ Having tested positive for HIV antibodies. �Anonymous Testing The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay supports anonymous testing and believes that anonymous testing is needed. Often people don’t get tested for HTV because they feel they don’t need the test or for fear of a lack of confidentiality. With the stigma surrounding AIDS and HTV infection, they don’t want everyone to know what their test results are, or that they have ever been tested. Confidential testing, which is the current avenue for testing in Ontario, allows for the testing site, the doctor and the public health department to know your name. If a person doesn’t want confidential testing, where does that leave them? - wondering if they are HIV+? Perhaps not getting the test or postponing it, which would delay vital early treatment, or, not worrying about it and if they are HIV+,i possibly spreading HIV to others. Often if people feel they must be tested, they will travel to Toronto for anonymous testing, or to Winnipeg or Duluth. In an article from the October 19, Globe & Mail, Ontario Health Minister Evelyn Gigantes said she supports anonymous testing for AIDS, as recommended in a report (H1V/A1DS: A Need For Privacy) by the Ontario government’s Information and Privacy Commission. A release from the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission states, "The major recommendations of the report are that anonymous testing be made available for HIV antibodies; and that partner notification be centred around the physician and the affected person." There is controversy surrounding anonymous testing. One side believes that the consequences of disclosing HIV/AIDSrelated personal information could be devastating. The other side cites issues around public interest such as notifying contacts that have been or are at risk, counselling the affected person, and medical research. Also from the Globe & Mail, "The report has been criticized by some medical health officers, but Ms Gigantes said she thought the commission ‘made the case (for anonymous testing) as fully and carefully as it can be made.’ ... she said it makes sense "intuitively" that fears of having their identity disclosed prevent some individuals from coming forward to be tested. ‘The social and economic penalties for a person suspected of even taking a test in our society are grotesque,’ she said in an interview. She said she has asked ministry officials to investigate ‘within a very short time’ ways to implement anonymous AIDS tests in the province." The Ontario Ministry of Health has agreed to establish a pilot study to research anonymous testing for HIV antibodies at multiple centres in Ontario. At this time, the sites and project coordinator have not been determined. Thunder Bay may be considered as a possible test site. " . . .with confidential testing the testing site, the doctor, and the public health department know your name." Anonymous Testing sites use only a secret code to identify you. The staff at the test site do not know your name. It is not possible for the laboratory, the doctor or the public health department to know who you are. Currently, in Ontario, Anonymous Testing is available only at the Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto. Men’s Clinic - (416) 922-0603. Women’s Clinic - (416) 922-0566. In Thunder Bay, confidential testing is available at the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, 999 Balmoral St., Monday and Friday, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Call 625-5900. �If your Jim The other day I was asked to write what it was like to be a Person Living with AIDS in Thunder Bay. I’ve asked myself that same question but didn’t pursue an answer. The answer involves acceptance. In essence, that is what it is like; accepting. I do have an illness to which there is no cure and thus far is fatal. There is a certain amount of fear here. The question, although challenging is of benefit to my mental well-being. I continue to accept. To write down what it is like, is an expression for me, of feelings. Having AIDS has prodded me into getting in touch with these feelings and/or emotions. At the risk of sounding "insane"; being diagnosed HTV+ was the beginning of a crawl towards a quality of life which up to that crucial moment of self-affirmation, has been foreign to me. Feeling the way I do today did not come easy. To me it has been a process which includes: denial, self-loathing, rejection, blame, isolation, grief, terror and loneliness. My own diagnosis was not my initial introduction to AIDS. Approximately eight years ago, an acquaintance of mine simply seemed to be here and then wasn’t I knew a healthy successful and productive person. Whispers of fear went around my circle of friends. Did you know Randy died of AIDS? What is AIDS? I’m scared, but I won’t think about it It will never happen to me anyway!! Three years later the disease was at my doorstep. I came home one night late as usual, high as usual and my "Longtime Companion" told me he had AIDS. I cried such as I had never cried. I believe for another three years I was in some stage of shock, if not shock, certainly denial. I became a cold, self-seeking, isolated shell. I became self­ destructive. Suicide thoughts were common place and I wouldn’t talk, I mean talk about AIDS. It was like a headache; don’t think about it and it will go away. It never has. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and barely acknowledged it. I’ve actually lost count, if you can believe this, of how many people I’ve known personally who have died of AIDS. I was diagnosed about six months ago. I don’t wallow in fear of impending death: mine or my "Longtime Campanion’s." I suppose 1 now embrace life. That brings me back to the question. What’s it like to be a person living with AIDS in Thunder Bay? It’s difficult but I’m here by choice. I have a goal and as I stated, I’m crawling towards it I recall different time. My life will never be the same and that's O.K. It was truly not that great. My companion still lives in our home in Toronto. He’s coping, surviving and adjusting just as I. I’m lonely but not alone. I have a support network which I utilize, friends which I’m grateful for. I’m not happy but I’m far from being sad. My family is close, they love me. They lend their courage. My values are different. I appreciate the pace and natural beauty of Thunder Bay. I believe my life has a purpose; I’m not sure what it is. I possess fear but I’m not controlled by it. I survive, that’s what I do best. When I’m at my lowest. I’m not afraid to ask for help. I'm not afraid to ask someone to listen to me, to hug me, to love me. All I want really is to be allowed to live. That’s what it is and what I am: a PERSON LIVING with AIDS in Thunder Bay. ....Jim organization would like to receive posters, pamphlets, brochures, educational packages and our quarterly newsletter, write or call ACT-B from anywhere in Northwestern Ontario. You can also request .as an organization or individual to receive our newsletter only. Please specify if you wish to receive your mail in a plain envelope. Call (807) 345-1516. A volunteer position is now open for the position of Treatment Issues Coordinator. Duties will include: preparing the Treatment Section of ReACT-Bclieve - 2 pages, 4 times per year. This will involve finding articles to reprint from treatment focused newsletters, possibly researching new treatment articles, requesting article submissions from volunteers and doing design and layout for the treatment section. Typing skill is an asset. Training and resources will be provided. This position will report to the Communications Coordinator. Call Eileen Parker at 345-1516, Monday to Wednesday. —> ACT-B’s Native Outreach Tour travelled to Geraldton, Sioux Lookout, Kenora and Red Lake. Presentations were given in Ojibway and English along with videos, posters and pamphlets geared for Native people. For information about resources available specifically for Native people contact ACT-B at (807) 345-1516. �A Support Group is available for those living with HIV and AIDS. They meet every Thursday evening in a confidential atmosphere. A Support Group is also available for family, friends, partners and caregivers of those living with HIV and AIDS. They meet the second and last Wednesday of each month. Both groups are facilitated by professional counsellors, and provide a supportive environment for discussions. Oral Polio & IITV infection by Eileen Parker Babies and children given the oral polio vaccination can pose a threat to those with AIDS or HIV infection. The oral polio vaccination contains a dose of live 'attenuated polio virus that the child takes orally. The live virus is excreted in the child’s feces for up to several weeks (in rare cases up to 2 months). In an interview with Dr. Joan Don, she said that being HTV positive does not necessarily mean that the person’s immune system has broken down enough to be susceptible to the polio virus. As a precaution, she recommends that people who have HIV infection or AIDS, or who are otherwise immune compromised should avoid household or similar close contact for up to 4 weeks after immunization. Children shed the virus for a longer period if it is their first immunization. The period for viral shedding decreases with subsequent immunizations. Dr. Don also advises that if a child will be in contact with someone who is immune deficient, the child should receive IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) rather than OPV (oral polio vaccine). Don’t avoid caring for cute little kids, but it may be wise to ask the parent if the child has received the oral polio vaccine recently, and/or consult your physician. If you are a parent with HIV or AIDS, consult your physician when it’s time for your child’s "shots". * Attenuated - a live vinis that has lost its ability to cause clinical illness, but it can still "infect". It causes a strong immune response. What are Support Groups? 99One day out of the week when you don't feel so alone." ft A place where you can go and be yourself - there are no barriers , you can be open. It-, < n I m not the only one. H "Those who aren't HIV+ don't really understand what I'm going through9 9 "a place to seek the support and friendship of others on our journey to overcome the day to day implications of AIDS.9 9 99A place where fear can be diminished somewhat through the caring of fellow group members.9 9 For more information call the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay office at 345-1516. ALL ENQUIRIES ARE CONFIDENTIAL. Support Services are available for those living with HTV and AIDS, and their families, friends, partners and caregivers. Individual, family, and group counselling is available through the AIDS Committee. Referrals can be made to other counselling services available in the city. Practical support is available for daily tasks such as housekeeping, transportation, cooking and shopping. AC7T-D volunteers provide practical support when requested. Short term financial assistance is available for emergency needs; such as medication, food, rent, or other necessities. ACT-B can then help to access sources of income to meet these needs in the future. Advocacy is provided on a person’s behalf. When you are HTV+ or have AIDS, you may be discriminated against by your employer, welfare, an insurance company, your landlord or others. We can provide information and referrals to ensure that your rights are not violated. To access Support Services call Glcnna at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Buy uL 345-1516. ALL ENQUIRIES ARE CONFIDENTIAL. �October 1990, by Sean Hosein. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay does not treatments) or therapy described in ReACT-Believe. accept the risk of, or responsibility for, any damages arise or result, either from use or reliance on the herein. Persons relying on the information provide professional. AZT versus THA: results from France look promising for THA As HIV is known to infect brain cells (Science 1990;249:549-553), it is not surprising that in advanced HIV disease, brain damage can occur. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, in which dementia also occurs, researchers suspect that a virus is at the root of the problem, and have used the drug THA (Tcirahydroaminoacridine or Tacrine) in experiments on subjects with Alzheimer’s disease with some beneficial effects. Scientists think that THA may also be of use in treating the memory loss and other neurologic complications that occur in some patients with AIDS. Results of THA trials in France were reported in Treatment Update #10, but at that time were based on only 2 months of the trial. The researchers now have released the findings of their 7-month study. The trial, at l’Hopital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, and l’Hopital de l’UniversiuS Internationale, Paris, involved 62 males and 8 females. Sixty-two subjects had ARC. Forty-five subjects took AZT (either by itself or in combination with TGA, and in doses between 600 to 1200 mg/day);25 subjects took THA (by itself or in combination with AZT, and in doses between 150 to 250 mg/day). Eighteen subjects took only THA, and 19 subjects took only AZT. Subjects took AZT for an average of 27 weeks and TGA for an average of 24 weeks. Seven subjects died in the AZT group, while none died in the THA group, a statistically significant result. Sustained decreases in HTV p24 antigen were seen in the TGA group, along with sustained increased in the CD4+(T4) cell count. The incidence of opportunistic infections was greater in those on AZT than in those on TGA. VI International Conference AIDS, San Francisco, 1990 abstract SB 457. It is not clear why the results from the UK differ from those from France, but the French trial is known to be using ultra-pure THA (purified by the Synthese et Recherche company in Anthony, France) and this may account for the difference. In the USA, THA is made by Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals (Morris Plains, New Jersey), which is said to be seeking "Treatment IND" status (investigational new drug) for the drug from the FDA. In Canada, THA is made by Pharmascicnce (Montreal) under the brand name Alzyme in 25 mg capsules. AZT: viral resistance has serious implications for early intervention As larger numbers of HIV-infected people have begun to use AZT, limits to its usefulness have become more apparent. One of the major factors affecting its efficacy is the development of strains of HIV which are resistant to doses of AZT that can be tolerated by humans. At the University of California (San Diego), research on AZT resistance has been taking place for the past 2 years; scientists have found that virus from 42 HIV-infected subjects who had no prior exposure to AZT was susceptible to inhibition by AZT. Virus taken from 31 subjects with AIDS or advanced ARC developed resistance more quickly than virus taken from people with earlier-stage HIV disease. This was a statistically significant difference. After 1 year of AZT administration, nearly 90% of people with late-stage HIV disease (AIDS/advanced ARC) had HIV which was resistant to AZT. This was contrasted with the group who had earlier-stage HIV disease, in which only 31% of the subjects were resistant to the virus. A lower CD4+ cell count was predictive of the chance of resistant strains of HIV emerging with 1 year of AZT use. People with CD4+ counts of less than 100 cells had an 89% chance, with CD4+ cells in the range of 100-400 a 41% chance, and with more than 400 cells, a 27% chance of developing resistant strains of HIV within 1 year. The emergence of AZT-resistant HIV appeared sooner in subjects who were on very high-dose AZT (1200 to 1500 mg/day) than on lower doses (500 to 600 mg/day). Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1990;3(8):743-746. AZT: Early Intervention in Canada & the USA results in no difference in disease progression Canadian physicians/investigators have conducted a long-term study of AZT intervention in subjects with early-stage HIV disease. All 74 subjects were asymptomatic and were matched to a group of similar controls who did not receive AZT. The 74 subjects were given a schedule of increasing doses of AZT: 600 mg/day for 10 weeks, 900 mg/day for 9 weeks, and then 1200 mg/day for 9 weeks. This was followed by a "wash-out" period of 6 weeks, after which subjects were given either 1200 mg/day or the next highest dose of AZT they were able to tolerate. The difference in rates of disease progression between the two groups was not statistically significant VI International Conference AIDS, San Francisco 1990 oral presentation THB 18. To determine the effect of AZT on the "functional status and well-being" of subjects with early ARC, researchers at the University of California conducted a study of 71 subjects in a placebo-controlled trial of AZT (1200 mg/day). Their results show that after 6 months, most scores on function and quality of health had improved for the placebo group while some scores had declined for the experimental arm (AZT group) compared to values at study entry. These differences were statistically significant. Over the following 6 months, subjects on AZT declined less than those on placebo. By the 12th month, values for both groups were similar to pre-trial scores VI international Conference AIDS, San Francisco, 1990 oral presentation THB 19. . �rMENT mmend> advocate or endorse the use of any particular he AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay therefore, does not osts or consequences of any kind whatsoever which may madon contained herein, or due to any errors contained lust do so at their own risk. Please consult your health HGP-30: Vaccines as Therapy One of the reasons HIV may be able to subvert the body’s immune system is that different components of HIV resemble various components of the body; parts of the vims are thought to be similar to certain hormones, antibodies, and growth factors. As antibodies are produced against HIV, they may also "cross-react", or attack the components of the body which resembles HIV. Some scientists think that if an anti-HIV vaccine is given to people, the anti-HIV antibodies produced as a result of the vaccination might also attack the body. Medical Hypotheses 1990;31:155-156. However, in 2-year trials of the Salk HIV vaccine, most of the subjects do not appear to be suffering any ill effects as a result of having been vaccinated. In most subjects, the vaccine appears to have halted the further decline of their immune systems. In the next issue of Treatment Update we will report on progress in vaccine development and testing, including the Salk HIV vaccine, as well as on research taking place in England, France and Zaire. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute and George Washington University have developed a synthetic molecule--called HGP-30-which mimics pl7 and p24, the core proteins of HIV. Antibodies produced against HGP-30 attack pi7 and p24 as well. In experiments with rabbits immunized with HGP-30, high levels of antibodies against HGP-30 do not appear to cause any ill effects. In laboratory experiments, these antibodies effectively neutralize HIV. Tests with 19 non-HIV infected human volunteers show that immunization with HGP-30 causes the production of antibodies to pl7 and/or p24. The vaccine was not associated with any toxicity. Another advantage of this vaccine is that it appears to activate CD8+(T8+) cells. These cells play an important role in controlling HIV infection, and Norwegian researchers have found that CD8+ cells produce a novel anti-viral substance. It is thought that this vaccine may boost the levels of antibodies to the core proteins in HIV-infected people and may thus serve as a form of therapy, delaying progression to AIDS. Plans arc under way in California to implement phase I trials of HGP-30 in HTV-infected subjects later this year. VI International Conference AIDS, San Francisco, 1990 oral presentation SA76. The Thymus Gland and HTV The thymus gland, located in the chest, plays an important role in the development of certain white blood cells, helping them to mature into various types of T-cells. The gland also acts as a storage centre for T-cells, and releases hormones which affect the immune system. Because the immune deficiency seen in AIDS is similar to that seen in children with rare thymus disorders, early in the 1980s researchers began to investigate the functioning of the thymus gland in people with HIV infection. French researchers have found that subjects with advanced HTV infection have low levels of a thymic hormone called thymulin. Also, American and Danish researchers have found abnormalities in thymic hormone production in subjects who were HIVinfected but who did not have AIDS. Initially, they thought that they found eleveated levels of the thymic hormone thymosin-alspha, in their subjects. Further investigation revealed that these subjects had high levels of an inner or core protein of HIV (called pi7) in their blood. Parts of pl7 resemble thymosinalpha and their detection systems treated the two substances as one. Actual levels of thymosin-alpha are decreased in subjects with HIV infection. At autopsy, the thymus glands from people with AIDS are often reduced in size and appear to be damaged. Some of this damage may be due to direct infection by HIV. However, there may be another mechanism whereby HIV infection results in thymus damage. As previously mentioned, part of hIV, pi7, resembles part of the crucial thymic hormone thymosinalpha. When antibodies are produced against this HIV product, it is likely that they attack not only HIV but also thymosinalpha and possibly the thymus gland as well. Indeed, at autopsy, the thymus glands from people with HIV infection have the appearance of glands which have come under severe attack by antibodies. Science 1986;232:1135-1137. Further work on pi 7/thymosin connection has resulted in the development of an anti-HIV vaccine called HGP-30. More info The ACT-B Resource Centre Library keeps articles, fact sheets, research studies, newspaper clippings and newsletters containing treatment information. We also subscribe to specific treatment information newsletters with the latest information on AIDS & HIV treatments. This information is available to everyone, health care professionals, those with HIV or AIDS, students, agencies, caregivers, and anyone with an interest in AIDS and HIV infection. The Resource Centre Library is located at 285 Bay Street �RU AIDS Awsumf As Communications Coordinator with ACT-B, the question that I am most often asked by reporters is, "How many people have AIDS in Thunder Bay?". People want statistics. They want them because they want to know if they arc at risk of getting AIDS. There is AIDS in Thunder Bay. Yes, you may be at risk. A main reason is because perhaps you think that you’re (pardon the pun) immune to AIDS because you’re not in a "high risk group". There are no high risk groups, only high risk behaviours. Having sex without a condom is a high risk behaviour. When discussing AIDS and condom usage I have heard "We don’t have to worry about that We’re married.", "I won't get AIDS because I’m with one partner.", "I don’t have to use condoms. My girlfriend is really nice.", "He only had one girlfriend before me.", "We don’t use them. We’ve been going out for four months." It only takes once to get HIV (the virus believed to cause AIDS). The virus doesn’t take into account how much you’re in love, how nice your partner is, how nice you are or how long you’ve been married. You can’t tell if a person has HIV by looking at them. A person can be perfectly healthy (for years!) and be carrying HIV. The person may not know they have the virus. Well, we’ve established that anyone may be at risk. Will you use a condom? I’ve heard a common statement, "Na, I don’t like those things." (This coming from a person who wears a seatbelt, quit smoking, and is getting back in shape). Using condoms is an essential part of maintaining good health. I have also heard another disturbing statement, "Yeah, she carries condoms, I’ll go for her." The guy that said this was implying that a woman who has condoms must be "easy". There is a big error in his thinking here. Consider this - if your partner doesn’t use condoms with you, chances are they haven’t used them with other people either. Also, if this person goes to the bar and gels drunk or stoned, it’s not very likely that they’re being safe and making sure they’re using condoms at 2 in the morning. If your partner insists that condoms be used, chances are that this person is responsible and is caring for his or her health. I’d choose the person who uses condoms. Oh yes, the original question, "How many people have AIDS in Thunder Bay?" How many people who have it is not the issue. There is no way of accurately measuring the number of people that carry HIV. We do know that there are people living with AIDS and HTV in Thunder Bay and that number is growing. Call the AIDS Infolinc - 345-SAFE that a vaccine for HIV will be discovered within the next few years. 2 T F HIV and AIDS are the same thing. 3 T F You can tell by looking at someone, whether they have HIV infection. 4 T F Prostitutes often pass HIV to their "customers". 5 T F Once you know someone better, you don’t have to keep using condoms. ®TF Education about HIV and AIDS needs to be only for gay and bisexual men and IV drug users. 7 T F Testing for HIV antibodies is available in Thunder Bay. 8 T F HIV can not be transmitted by sharing food or drink with someone who has HIV. 9 T F You are at risk by working with someone with AIDS or HIV. J0TFA common way of contracting HIV is through your dentist. 11 T F Mosquitoes don’t carry HIV. 12 TF People with AIDS and HIV can have a healthy sex life. �RU AIDS Amur®? As Communications Coordinator with ACT-B, the question that I am most often asked by reporters is, "How many people have AIDS in Thunder Bay?". People want statistics. They want them because they want to know if they arc at risk of getting AIDS. There is AIDS in Thunder Bay. Yes, you may be at risk. A main reason is because perhaps you think that you’re (pardon the pun) immune to AIDS because you’re not in a "high risk group". There are no high risk groups, only high risk behaviours. Having sex without a condom is a high risk behaviour. When discussing AIDS and condom usage I have heard "We don’t have to worry about that We’re married.", "I won't get AIDS because I’m with one partner.", "I don’t have to use condoms. My girlfriend is really nice.", "He only had one girlfriend before me.", "We don’t use them. We’ve been going out for four months." It only takes once to get HIV (the virus believed to cause AIDS). The virus doesn’t take into account how much you’re in love, how nice your partner is, how nice you are or how long you’ve been married. You can’t tell if a person has HIV by looking at them. A person can be perfectly healthy (for years!) and be carrying HIV. The person may not know they have the virus. Well, we’ve established that anyone may be at risk. Will you use a condom? I’ve heard a common statement, "Na, I don’t like those things." (This coming from a person who wears a seatbelt, quit smoking, and is getting back in shape). Using condoms is an essential part of maintaining good health. I have also heard another disturbing statement, "Yeah, she carries condoms, I’ll go for her." The guy that said this was implying that a woman who has condoms must be "easy". There is a big error in his thinking here. Consider this - if your partner doesn’t use condoms with you, chances are they haven’t used them with other people either. Also, if this person goes to the bar and gets drunk or stoned, it’s not very likely that they’re being safe and making sure they’re using condoms at 2 in the morning. If your partner insists that condoms be used, chances are that this person is responsible and is caring for his or her health. I’d choose the person who uses condoms. Oh yes, the original question, "How many people have AIDS in Thunder Bay?" How many people who have it is not the issue. There is no way of accurately measuring the number of people that carry HIV. We do know that there arc people living with AIDS and HIV in Thunder Bay and that number is growing. Call the AIDS Infoline - 345-SAFE that a vaccine for HIV will be discovered within the next few years. 2 T F HIV and AIDS are the same thing. 3 T F You can tell by looking at someone, whether they have HIV infection. 4 T F Prostitutes often pass HIV to their "customers". 5 T F Once you know someone better, you don’t have to keep using condoms. 6 T F Education about HIV and AIDS needs to be only for gay and bisexual men and IV drug users. 7 T F Testing for HIV antibodies is available in Thunder Bay. 8 T F HIV can not be transmitted by sharing food or drink with someone who has HIV. 9 T F You are at risk by working with someone with AIDS or HIV. J0TFA common way of contracting HIV is through your dentist. 11 T F Mosquitoes don’t carry HIV. 32 TF People with AIDS and HIV can have a healthy sex life. �"United we Deliver." stand... Together we Dedicated to those whom I have met in Thunder Bay. can And I will sense your hearts of love. Your friendship I will not regret. For these are the times, Lest -1 will not forget. And when it’s my time that will come. I will leave with dignity, and pride... and this I pray. v "As she sings her song, She dances to create the circle. As we three, we sit as one. Together, we prayed of life's obstacles. And as we clasped our hands we became strong." When the music had played. I too fell the notes of its serenity of the mountains. While the strengths of the trees as they danced and swayed. It was a time for my reflections. While in my silence., quietly I prayed. "Oh! Great Spirit," I am one of many, who also shares my challenges of my tomorrows. I will share the walk of silence. And perhaps will feel many spirits of sorrows. I carry this illness, it is no coincidence. And I believe this was given by choice. I am an Indian, who is HIV positive. But I am not alone. For there are many that will stand with me to live, And while I will continue to travel, Far up in the skies above, I will feel your eyes, "Dear Grandfathers" Look down and guide them well. Smile down on these. Whose hearts are courageous and strong. For the heart is like a rose, Once it is in bloom. You can feel its beauty. Have faith and the world will see, Your love and your care Will carry you as you will prepare. For a better tomorrow as your brightest destiny. This will be your reward. My dear Brother and Sister "United we stand... Together we can deliver!" And if by chance you look above Watch for a certain bird. For it is me in spirit of Ken Ward. For this I pray. To me new friends of a unique family of the staff, members, volunteers of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. With my sincerest love, Ken Ward "Feather of Hope" Good-bye and Hello This will be the last message from me, as a member of the Board of Directors of ACT-B. Since the founding in early 1986,1 have been a part of this agency, and have seen it grow, often slowly, sometimes rapidly, until its present state. It will be strange not to be part of the board any longer. However, beginning my new responsibilities as Education Coordinator is exciting and challenging. 1 look forward to waking with everyone in my new role within the agency. It will be difficult to live up to the expectations generated by the work that Darcia has done, and.I want to thank her both as President of the Board, and as her replacement, for her significant contribution to the development of this agency. So, good-bye to everyone from the President of the Board of Directors, and hello from the Education Coordinator. David Belrose At the November Annual General Meeting, memben of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay voted in a new Board Director*. Our new board members, Kathryn Arnold, Joanne Books, Norman Bowers, Denyse Culligan, Susan Ivany, Gail Linklater, Diane Roberts and Ron Rogers. Our returning board members are Rick Atkinson, David Belrose (who has since become our new Education Coordinator), Terry Bryant and Jeanette Munshaw. We would like to welcome all of you and look forward to working with you in the coming year. �Time to lend a Hand AIDS & The Human Rights Code The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination against people with HIV. This includes all those who have AIDS or who have tested positive for HIV, whether they show symptoms or not. The Code also prohibits discrimination agsinst people who are believed to have HIV, as well as those who associate with them. Here are some examples of discrimination: | If you have been denied a job, dismissed or demoted because you have AIDS/HIV, or because someone thinks you do, and you can still do that job; | If you have been required to undergo an HIV-antibody test at an employment medical or have been asked whether you have AIDS or HIV at an employment interview; | If you have been denied accommodation because you have, or are believed to have, AIDS/HIV; ■ If you have been denied service by a store, restaurant, theatre, club, government agency, insurance company, hospital, dentist’s or doctor’s office, or other such provider of services, goods and facilities because you have, or are believed to have, AIDS/HIV; | If you or your child have been denied permission to attend school because you or your child have, or is believed to have, AIDS/HIV, or if you or your child have been asked to take a HIV-antibody test as a condition of admission; | If you have been harassed at work by your superiors or co-woikers, or by your landlord, building superintendent or other tenants in your building, because you have, or are believed to have, AIDS/HIV; If you have experienced any of these situations or others please get in touch with the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Support Services department at 345-1516, or contact the Ontario Human Rights Commission at (807) 623-9119. You may be able to file a complaint It is your right to be protected against discrimination because you have, or are believed to have AIDS/HIV. You do not need a lawyer or have to pay a fee to anyone in order to file a complaint. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay offers advocacy and support, and referrals if needed, in cases of discrimination. Between November, 1986, and October, 1987, Statistics Canada surveyed people over 15 who performed volunteer work such as fund-raising, canvassing, providing information or organizing events: - 5.3 million people, 27 per cent of the adult population, volunteered at least once. - More than one billion hours of time were donated, equivalent to half a million full-time jobs. - Some people worked for several causes. On average, 3.7 hours a week were donated. - Albertans were most likely to volunteer (40 per cent); residents of Quebec least likely (19 per cent). - Women were more likely to volunteer almost 6 in 10. - Volunteering increased with age, to a peak of 36 percent for people between 35 and 44. - People in large metropolitan centres were less likely to volunteer: Montreal (17 per cent), Toronto (21), and Vancouver (23). Western centres were the exception, however, with Saskatoon, for example, having a 44 per cent participation rate. Source: Globe &. Mail. July 23, 1990 (ACT-B has over 100 volunteer!!) _^Kneacc Bye Dar, With fond memories we say goodbye to Darcia as our Education Coordinator. A new job will take her to the jungle of downtown Toronto, and off to the wilds of Northern Ontario. Darcia will still be involved with ACT-B in the future as a volunteer serving on the Education Committee. We miss you and wish you the greatest of success and happiness, AND STOP IN AND VISIT! OKAY! - the staff and volunteers of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay # �Volunteer Training: "Who needs it, anyway?" Without a doubt, most everyone acts in a volunteer capacity for an agency or organization. Let me expand on this. As volunteers, wc are representatives of our organization. In the public eye, we are seen as reflections of an agency’s standards and philosophy. Even when wc arc not volunteering at an event, people still associate us with that group. Therefore our behaviour should represent a responsible volunteer of that agency. Training therefore should cover basic points; the history of the organization, its mandate, goals, general policies and procedures for volunteers, basic HIV infection and AIDS information, sociological, psychological, and biological aspects of HIV and AIDS and related issues. Volunteer training is given to educate at the entry level. In six hours, highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals present facts. Facts dispel myths. From there, volunteers take this information out into the community. These facts are presented, complete with that old technique - humour. We always joke about things that we feel uncomfortable talking about; sex, death, racism, sexuality, suicide, and on and on. There is much to accomplish in such a short time, yet much is accomplished. Each person who has gone through the orientation should understand the AIDS Committee better, should be aware of HIV infection and AIDS, should know that they will be working with people who respect the rights of others, should be prepared to uphold the concept of confidentiality, should have a sense of humour and know how and when to have fun. Beyond the basic orientation, we are in the process of developing specialized training for those volunteers who have indicated their interest in working specifically in the support services area of our committee. Knowledge and training give us a level of comfort around sensitive and cloudy issues. That’s why it’s so important Sheila Berry Volunteer Co-ordinator AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Thanks Volunteers! d <o Without you Stage One: ACT-B My wife and I had the pleasure of attending the Volunteer Orientation to ACT-B on Sept. 22nd at the Thunder Bay Yacht Club. We were warmly welcomed by Sheila Berry, Volunteer Co-ordinator, who broke the icc and set the stage for our introduction to ACT-B. As prospective volunteers, Sheila took this opportunity to outline the various duties we might perform and to reassure us that we would be expected to perform only those duties which were personally suitable to our nature and schedule. She also emphasized the need for reliability, responsibility and confidentiality among the members in order to provide and maintain an effective level of service. In other words a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and we volunteers "links" are to strengthen the chain and lighten the load. The next portion of the program was covered by Michael Sobota, Executive Director, who gave a basic overview of who and what ACT-B is and how it relates to the networking efforts on a provincial, national and global level. Michael also provided a historical and educational "AIDS 101" mini-course on AIDS and HTV infection - Complete with a question and answer period wc could have continued for days. The program was rounded out with a touching and thought provoking video entitled AIDS: A Family Experience. This real life drama provided the basis for an in-depth group discussion which enabled us to look within ourselves and share personal views with other group members. At this point I think we had become ACT-B volunteers,'but hadn’t yet realized it You are presently reading my first volunteer contribution to ACT-B and although I am a slow study I hope to contribute further to this worthwhile effort. I thank my wife for bringing me along to the orientation and ACT-B for providing me with a very enjoyable day and a free lunch to boot!! Craig Davis ACT-B Volunteer we’d be . . . Yeah Cathy! A dream come true. Cathy Powell is our new secretaryl Ya-hool She's already whipped us into shape • Where are you going? Let me know if you’re taking calls. Jane Doe was looking for you. Did you mark what time you’ll be back? When’s that postage machine coming? Get off my typewriter. When she isn’t whipping us into shape, she’s making us smile, and our visitors feel welcome. Welcome Cathy. Answers from RU Aware questionnaire. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. False False False False False False 7. True 8. True 9. False 10. False 11. True 12. Tme Number of correct answers 12 - bravo, you’re pretty aware 6-11 - you’re average aware less than 6 - you're not very aware If you got less than 12 contct answers or want more information, call the AIDS Infoline at 345-7233. �The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay gratefully acknowledges all the businesses and organizations that supported our educational message in the Chronicle Journal for World AIDS Day. Bay Credit Union Iain Angus, MP Manitoba Pool Elevators McKellar General Hospital MDS Laboratories Spadoni Bros. Thunder Bay Art Gallery Thunder Bay District Health Council Thunder Bay District Health Unit UTDC Inc. Can-Car Works Thank you to all the people, organizations, and businesses that supported and worked together to make AIDS Awareness Week a success. AIDS Awareness Week Steering Committee ACT-B volunteers Ashley Wright Beatrice Foods Canada Games Complex Confederation College Fitness Centre Country Seed Planters Designs On You Executive Suite Fun Run Volunteers Japan Camera Jeanne Edwards Ken Ward Landale Gardens MacLean Hunter Community Programming Magnus Theatre Mayor Jack Masters McDonald’s Pat Fenlon Petals ’n Pots Port Arthur General Hospital Robin’s Donuts Salon of Beauti Shelley Wark-Martyn MP Sunspun Foods Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Valhalla Inn Thank you to the Thunder Bay Foundation for the generous donation. primed on recycled paper Writers & Readers Write Would you like to try your hand at writing? Would you like to learn how? You can write articles for ReACT-Believe. We can assign stories or you can run your ideas past us. If you’ve ever wanted to write an article or an editorial, call me, Eileen Parker at 345-1516. News Flash From the North Pole!! (Bay St. Affiliate) Santa’s Helpers - disguised as polar bears delivered Christmas baskets filled with goodies to our friends living with HTV and AIDS. A great big bear thank you goes out to the following businesses for sharing and caring in the true spirit of the festive season. Fanny’s Fabrics - Netting and ribbon Kemp Fisheries - Wild Rice Northco Foods (Robin’s Donuts) - free coffee & donuts Safeway (Court St.) - a variety of fresh fruit Second Cup (Keskus) - tea & coffee ACT-B volunteers & staff added a loving touch to the baskets in the form of a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 4 Issue 1 - Winter 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2666/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no2.pdf 9559106331ff5a59608b1253539afd43 PDF Text Text ������������ https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2666/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no2_2.pdf 86214235e2275663e7ba57d0b4968f8b PDF Text Text ReACT-Believe The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay newsletter Spring 1991, Volume IV, Issue II AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807) 345-1516 AIDS Infoline 345-SAFE : KEEWAYWIN (Journeys) AIDS in the First Nations HR a HrfhgfSifSiijj. i.: The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay is pleased to I :. 1 offer the first video produced in Northwestern Ontario. specifically developed for use by First Nations i communities. The video may provide basic AIDS information, create a climate of tolerance and understanding, and promote discussion about issues surrounding AIDS. KEEWAYWIN has received an enthusiastic response. A facilitator’s guide accompanies the video. The video can be ordered on a cost recovery basis of $20 per copy. Order form on page 9. KEEWAYWIN is available for free on loan at the ACT-B Resource Centre Library at 285 Bay Street. �Smoking & HIV - AIDS Calgary It has been reported at the San Francisco Conference that there is a need I to take smoking into account when monitoring HIV-infected individuals. .More study is needed to confirm what type of relationship exists between smoking and HIV progression. There is' mounting evidence that tobacco is an immuno-suppressive. Quitters have been shown to .have higher levels of immunoglobulin and NK (natural killer Shells) cell activity. Second hand smoke and short term smoking among nonsmokers does not seem to have the same iramuno-suppressive effects as chronic smoking\However the effects of second hand smoke-on people with chronic ^broncho pulmonary disease and coronary heart-disease is great, not to mention the - effect of smoke-filied rooms on allergenic individuals and others hyper-sensitive to cigarette smoke. Such rooms can have levels of carboij monoxide greater than air pollutions standards. Smoking also effects the rate of metabolism^(accelerated) and\ the phartnocodynamics\^ffcct within ythe body) of drugs us^ mV^he treatment of various disorders. Xjhis^quld^cause^ In nnour u/hon toxic ity\tooccur when omnlinn smoking oaococ ceases ’ such as wfiertameis hospitalized or sincenicotine can recluce^e blood flow to the skin, absorption rates may be slowed, and lead to further complication. Overall, physicians may need to adjust doses or select different medications in patients who are cigarette smokers. In conclusion, it must be noted that the physiology of the body is not designed to handle tobacco smoke. The effect alone on the lungs is striking. One cigarette will slop the cilia in the lungs for 20 minutes or more, from performing the task of keeping the air passages free of foreign material. Cigarette smoking increases the amount of mucus produced in the bronchial tree and interferes with the uptake of oxygen in the respiratory system. This along with a decreased oxygenation in the red blood cells can only further compromise the immunosuppressed individual with HIV. - by David C. Burke Koffee Klatsch ’To talk about HIV/AIDS issues, whether or not you are HIV*" Koffee Klatsch is held every 2nd Thursday. The location is confidential, You can call Glenna, our Support Services Coordinator at 345-1516. "an environment of unspoken understanding & support by being able to identify with each other’s concerns" ACT-B Dictionary ACT-B The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. A community-based AIDS Service Organization dedicated to confronting AIDS through prevention, support, education and advocacy. HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus the virus believed to cause AIDS. AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - the immune system is disrupted by HTV leaving the body defenceless against opportunistic infections. K PLWA Person Living With AIDS HIV+ Having tested positive for HIV antibodies. Hospital bed, wheelchair, vacuum cleaner, fridge & stove. Education materials are now available in Finnish! Pamphlets, brochures and books range from educational cartoons to books full of factual information about AIDS - all written in Finn. The information is available free at the ACT-B Resource Centre Library, located at 285 Bay Street. Drop in any time, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. * These materials are available in limited supply. These items are available on loan through our Support Services Department Other items needed can be requested from Glenna, our Support Services Coordinator at 3451516. Talk to her about your needs, together, ways can be found to fill them. Join a fun crew of BINGO workers. 1 Tuesday a month we laugh & work like crazy, to raise funds for the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. To join, call Sheila, our Volunteer Coordinator at 345-1516. Winner! KEEWAYWIN, a project of ACT-B’s Education Department, won the Thunder Bay Press Club, Alexander "Lackey" Phillips award for Besi Feature Television. Quite an honour! ACT-B in the morning . ., ACT-B now has their very own cups. They’re classy clear mugs, with our logo on it You can get them at the office for $6.00 each or 2 for $10.00 The Support Services Committee is making a cookbook designed for PLWAs. We need submissions of hints, nutritious meals for 1 or 2, cheap meals, recipes for special diets, & if you are MV+, please pass on your cooking hints to other PLWAs. Submit your recipes to Glenna, Support Services Coordinator. ! �It’s funny how so many people think that teens who come to a youth clinic like ours must be noisy, unkempt, light-fingered, manipulative and unreliable. Gail was just the opposite to this unfortunate stereotype. She was quiet, always carefully dressed, honest and straightforward, and a' compliant patient who never missed her appointments. In fact, she was not at all atypical of the many "girl next door" type patients that form the core of most adolescent medicine practices. When we first saw Gail and her parents it was the spring of her Grade 8 year. She had lost 20 pounds over the First four or five months of high school. At the time she was pretty resistant, angry and evasive. She had all the typical features of the slow starvation syndrome. She had poor concentration and poor sleep. She was depressed and preoccupied with thought of food, counting calorics, weight, fat, etc. She was pretty paranoid about her parents’ motivation for bringing her to our clinic. When I examined her I found Gail to be hypotensive, brady-cardic and cold. She had many of the other stigmata of weight loss (lanugo hair, dry carotenemic skin) and a history of amenorrhea and hair falling out. She was noticeably restless and didn’t like being asked to sit down. Clinically, she presented a pretty typical picture of an early onset eating disorder. Ideally, I would have admitted her to our adolescent inpatient unit and and put her on our weight restoration program. However, we were in the midst of our annual spring epidemic of new cases of anorexia nervosa and had already exceeded our bed allotment. After consultation about Gail’s options, her parents decided to try and get her to gain weight at home. We sat down and worked out a strategy of restricted activity, increasing intake and stress reduction (a program that we have subsequently formalized into a "7 Day Dietary Challenge". Using a clinic history sheet, I wrote out hospital-type orders for the parents to follow and set out a meal plan that Gail agreed to try. As they left the office I told my nurse to expect a panic call the next day. I was not too hopeful for their chance of success. Gail and her parents fooled me. Their success with reversing her weight loss taught me how difficult it is to predict which patients will succeed on our T r e a t i n g T e e n s by Dr. Roger Tonkin reprinted with permission from The Medical Post, February 5. 1991 7-Day Dietary Challenge and which will fail. Over the course of the next few weeks we gradually increased Gail’s intake and activity level Within a month she had improved sufficiently to warrant a return to full-time school attendance and by summer break she had achieved her agreed-upon goal weight. I was able to gradually reduce the frequency of her clinic visits from weekly to monthly and things at home had resumed some semblance of normalcy. I continued to follow Gail in the clinic. She became less depressed-and we settled into a fairly relaxed working relationship. She seemed to be getting on with her adolescence. While her weight had improved, her skin folds and body mass index indicated that she was still on the slim side of normal. However, she continued to worry about being fat and her parents reported that she still wasn’t eating normally. As time passed she experienced several episodes where her weight dropped below goal levels. These episodes were usually associated with the stress of exams, too many late night-shifts at work, or conflict with her friends. Each time I would exhort her to increase her intake and to reduce the pressures she placed upon herself. Each time her weight would improve and we would relax again. As time passed Gail continued to present issues or concerns that needed discussion. Sometimes these were related to dealing with her eating disorder. For example, what to tell her friends how to regain her parents trust, what to do about eating on a school band trip and how soon could she resume her gymnastics. Other times she came in with problems that were unusal but typical for her age group. For example, once she came in with a bottle of prenatal vitamins and asked if they were safe for her to take. She and some other Grade 12 classmates had the idea that one of these pills daily would make their hair grow longer, stronger and faster ... a desired preliminary to having their grad photos done. Gail moved slowly but steadily through the normal adolescent developmental milestones. However, one development did cause everyone some grief. That was her relationship with Pete. Pete was a schoolmate, a star football player, and the object of attention from many of the girls in Gail’s school. He was a good student and a responsible young man. He had his heart set on a professional career in football. Gail couldn’t believe he would be attracted to her. It blossomed into a classical high school sweetheart story. Aware of the intensity of the developing situation and of how much time the two of them were spending together, I would from �Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic practices are subject to change at any time. A person becoming disabled and unable to work might suddenly find that they have an interruption of their normal income from employment and at that lime there are five major sources of income which they should consider and be familiar with. 1 •* The Kinna-aweya Legal Ginic is a member of the provincial-wide Community Legal Clinic system. These clinics were created in order to allow people with low incomes access to legal advice and representation with the kinds of legal problems unique to groups for which traditional legal services are usually not available especially on a costfree basis. For more information about how to access the services of Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic call 344-2478 in Thunder Bay. In Armstrong call 583-2631. In Geraldton call 854-1278. In Marathon call 229-2290. Other community legal clinics are in Kcnora (468-8888), Sioux Lookout (737-3074), and Fort Frances (274-5327). The word Kinna-aweya is Ojibway for Everyone. Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic is one of the many agencies our clients can be referred to for specific needs. If you dre living with HIV, and do not wish to contact Kinna-aweya directly, call Glenna, our Support Services Coordinator for more information, at 345-1516. All enquiries are confidential. DISABLED IN ONTARIO If an individual is disabled in Ontario whether as a result of injury or disease they usually Find that there arc two rather serious problems. The First of course, is their physical well-being and the second is their Financial situation. This article is intended to be an overview of the various sources of income that a disabled person should be aware of and is designed to provide general information only. Naturally, all laws, policies or Private Insurance - Anyone becoming disabled and unable to work should speak to their employer about any insurance policies which may be in place by virtue of their employment and might cover disability. Naturally, they should also review any individual and private policies which they may have to see what benefits they are entitled to. If there is any confusion or misunderstanding concerning any of the private insurance policies which may be applicable a disabled individual should obtain legal advice. I will outline two systems of doing that without incurring costs at the end of this article. 2. Workers* Compensation Naturally, if the disability is in any way related to employment a claim should be made to the Workers’ Compensation Board. Most people realize that if they arc disabled as a result of a traumatic injury at work, they would be entitled to these benefits, however, it is also possible that a worker would be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if they have a disease which is in some way caused by their work environment. 3. My Spirituality Unemployment Insurance - As I think people know, there are sick leave benefits available under the Unemployment Insurance Act and whether you qualify for these benefits is determined by how many weeks of employment you have. The criteria is somewhat different than qualifying for regular benefits. Sick leave benefits are paid for a shorter period of time, however, if there is any doubt at all about whether you qualify for these benefits then an application should be made. Again, if you are denied benefits under U.I. you should obtain legal advice concerning the possibility of an appeal. Cmtuaud an Pg. 10 I was told that to have a spiritual feeling with God, one has to have a Soul. I know I have a Soul, because I have a spiritual feeling with God. God is my higher power, my keeper. Sometimes He is a man who stands above me and listens to my conversations, my prayers, my thoughts. Sometimes, He is the'"spirit" who gives me the courage and determination to venture forth to do things I am afraid of doing, and sometimes He is love that I share with myself and others. I do not know really what form He should take, but I know He is in my heart at all times, and I am never alone. He motivates me and my life. He is the reason 1 am what I am today. 1 can talk to Him about my sadness, my pain, my fears, my gratitude, my happiness, my hopes, my reason for being, and I always find solitude and understanding after I talk with him. He builds up my self-esteem when I need it, and He is my inner voice that leads me to new challenges and new beginnings in my daily life. He allows me to "smell the flowers", to give love to my family and friends, and to receive love from them, to appreciate my health, my life, my happiness, my work, my children, my grandchildren and all the wonderful daily happiness that makes my life so complete. Without God in my life there would be a void that would be a feeling of just existing, and because I have God, 1 know He will allow me to grow more and more each day to the best of my ability, knowing I am unique in His eyes, and therefore, mine. I have a great relationship with God, who is my spiritual guide and friend, and the keeper of my soul. Anne Ciemny is an active volunteer with ACT-B. �ACT-B Advisory Council Fred Ball Norman Bowers Nicky Clark Mary McKenzie Marie Portter Eleanor Richardson Steve Roede Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Supervisor, PAG.H., Infection Control Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liaison Family Physician No Survival by Amanda Raymond ACT-B Board oi Director! Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Terry Bryant Denyse Culiigan Susan tvany Gail Llnklaier Jeanette Munshaw April Richardson Ron Rogers Diane Roberts Director Treasurer Director Director President Director Director Director Vice-President Director Director Director ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry Lawrence Korhonen Karen Maki Glenna McLeod Eileen Parker Caihy Powell Michael Sobota Educallon Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Office Manager Fundraising Coordinator' Support Services Coordinator Communications/Outreach Coordinator Secretary Executive Director Gallols’ Revelation AIDS Infoline at 345-SAFE (345-7233) and get Call the the facts about AIDS. "If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobted and no one dares to criticize it" Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliment and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency- You can phone or mail. You can remaip anonymous if you wish. We'd like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. appreciated. They are greatly Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B6E2 (807) 345-1516 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eileen Parker, Editor, ReACT-Believe The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. A Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. talk to our staff & volunteers ^ Afterhours and weekends listen to an informative taped message. ^ You do not have to give your name. * Outside Thunder Bay, call th6 Ontario Ministry of Health AIDS Hotline. It’s toll-free! English 1-800-668-2437 Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday - 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Frangais 1-800-267-7432 TDD 1-800-267-7712 A If you want more in-depth counselling, want to join a Support Group, or would like to access our Support Services, just contact Glenna, our Support Services Coordinator weekdays at 345-1516. All enquiries are confidential. I am wondering how many teenagers think about AIDS. I don’t mean telling jokes about it, but thinking about it seriously. It’s sort of like car accidents it won’t happen to us if we are safe drivers, right? That’s how I feel. I won’t get AIDS ’cause nobody I know has it. But 1 am wrong. AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was first identified in 1981. It began as what seemed to be a "Homosexual" disease, but then it spread, and normal, everyday people were getting it Nobody thought that these normal, everyday people could get it There arc only ihree ways that you can contract AIDS: through sexual intercourse, intravenous drug use (shared needles) and mothers passing it to their children during pregnancy. Nowadays, attitudes about premarital sex are more liberal. We, as teenagers, are not encouraged by adults to have sexual intercourse until we are older, but according to a study dope by Queen’s University, 70% of Canadians asked in the 18 to 24 age bracket first had sexual intercourse when they were younger than 18. The AIDS virus has an incubation period of up to seven years or more, and the incidence of AIDS is high in 20 to 29 year olds. That would mean that some of these people contracted the virus in their teens, making us very vulnerable to this disease. We may not see the signs now, but they will develop. We all know how to prevent AIDS. We know that abstinence is the safest way to be protected, but it’s unrealistic for most of us. Be careful of the person you are with, and be protected. We have to take AIDS seriously now, because we are at risk. It’s not just a homosexual disease. It doesn’t discriminate. It can be you, or your friend, or a relative. And remember, there is no cure for AIDS. You will die from it. You can not get better. Amanda is 17 years old. She goes to Hammarskjold High School �Treatment Treatment Issues'Coordinator, Craig Davis Hie AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay doe* not recommend, advocate or endorse the use of any particular treatinent(s) or therapy described in ReACT-Believe. The AIDS Ccmmittcc of Thunder Bay therefore, does not accept the risk Of, or responsibility for any damages, costs -or consequences of any kind whatsoever which may arise or result, either from use or reliance on the information contained herein, or due to any errors contained herein. Persons relying on the information provided must do so at their own risk. Please consult your health professional. Any medical information should be used at your own discretion. Reprinted from the Vancouver PWA Society newsletter . . . MEDICAL FORUM REPORT On January 23, 1991, Dr. Karen Gclmon spoke on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and the Alpha-interferon Trial. This was an excellent presentation, unfortunately the turnout was less than we had hoped for. The whole purpose of these forums are to give the members information on treatment, therapies, new trials and provide an excellent opportunity for the members to voice their concerns or complaints. The Forums are relaxed and give the opportunity to directly question the presenter. Despite the poor attendance. Dr. Gelmon did give a good overview of the difficulties in treating KS and the unpredictable course this disease takes. She noted that some patients with the illness may only ever develop one lesion, then there are those who develop crops of lesions over a period of time, and finally, those who develop lesions quickly and often internally. The treatment prescribed depends upon the degree of involvement, and where the lesions are. Facial lesions are often treated for cosmetic concerns, either with radiation therapy or cryosurgery, which is actually freezing of the lesions with liquid nitrogen. With some of the recent studies that have been published in the U.S. where low dose interferon has been tried, the results have been encouraging, so the Canadian trial will hopefully support the efficacy of Interferon as a treatment This needs to be established so that the drug will be made available to people with KS through the various Cancer Control Agencies. As it stands now, the cost of this drug is not covered in B.C. for KS. The drug is to be administered daily by subcutaneous injection, much as a diabetic takes his insulin daily. The dose will depend to a certain extent on the individual’s tolerance to Interferon. Side effects include depression of the hemoglobin, nausea, headaches, and fevers which may continue during the first few weeks of treatment The cost? If an individual is using 3 million units daily, it works out to about $50,000 per year! Dr. Gelmon explained that there has been a lot of difficulty in getting this trial going because the supplier of Interferon (Schering) has been very difficult to deal with. The investigators were initially told they could enroll as many people in the trials as they wanted, and then were told they could enroll no more than eight! Locally they have enrolled eleven participants and are hoping to have sixteen before too long. To quality for this trial, the individual must also be on AZT and appropriate PCP prophylaxis. Despite the restrictions they arc working under, they do hope to gather useful information with the present trial design. Dr. Gelmon noted that a response is usually seen within two and one-half months to four months. Those who are responding favourably will be kept on the drug. A favourable response would be clearing of the lesions and a reduction in the number. Patients will be followed through I DC. For more information on this trial, eligibility and possible enrollment, please speak with Pat or Nancy at Infectious Disease Clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital 6315060. - Al Hawkins AIDS Infoline - 345-SAFE COMPOUND UPDATE Q Trichosanthin, Compound Q, is one of the most promising drugs under investigation and in use. It has been in use in China for quite a while mostly as a drug to induce abortion. It has been in use in the U.S. for approximately 3 years. Martin Delany of Project Inform did the first study with 10 men who, as Delany put it "didn’t have a 100 T-4 cells between them". They also had; many concurrent opportunistic infections including neurological involvement. He was very lucky only 3 of them died. There has been one other death possibly related to Compound Q in LA, the man had a herniation of his brain stem. At this point it is estimated that somewhere between 800 and 1000 people have taken Compound Q. The drug is now in phase two trials with the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration. Compound Q is very selective: it only kills infected Macrophages and leucocytes. Antiretrovirals, (also called chain terminators as they terminate the reproductive chain of the cells, mostly T-4 Cells like AZT) DDI, ddC, have little or no effect on infected macrophage or leucocyte blood cells. Compound Q, very importantly, crossed the blood/brain barrier. Obviously, this means that Compound Q will very significantly reduce viral load. It is thought that this great reduction is at least one of the reasons that we see an increase in T-4 cells, between 30% to 40%. The lower the number of T*4 cells before the infusions of ’Q’ the lower me increase after, as a general rule. . Yes, it is true that some people with T4 cells at higher ranges 350+ have become what Delany calls "his graduates" which means their T-cell counts and ratios have returned to "norma!" levels. It must also be said that Compound Q is a potentially dangerous drug. There can be very dangerous side effects including anaphylactic shock. Careful monitoring by a knowledgeable medical person during and �for 3 days after infusion is necessary. There should also be emergency drugs immediately available in case of a severe reactions. The usual side effects seem to be like the flu in reverse. You’re really sick a few hours after the infusion and you get better over 2-3 days. These side effects last for 2-3 days and can be very uncomfortable. Almost all the groups infusing Compound Q in the U.S. require the PWA having the infusions have 200 or more T-4 Cells, no current opportunistic infections, nor neurological involvement and liver functions in ’normal’ range. PWA with T-4 cells less than 50 who have infused Q usually have very little increase in their T cells and because of the killoff of infected macrophages and leucocytes these people are wide open in the weeks following their Q infusion to very serious 0.1.*s which can be deadly. MAJOR STRIDE IN MAI THERAPY The price of keeping people alive longer with prophylaxis for PCP is that they develop other infections that interfere with the quality of life. Mycobacterium avium or MAI is one such infection. Before the 1980s, only fifty cases of this infection were reported in all the world’s medical literature. Now, it is estimated that as many as 50% of PWAs may have MAI in the course of their HIV disease. Antibody positive? Sources: Project Inform Perspectives Lecture by Dr. Larry Waites, heed of FDA phase II trials SJF. California, conversations with Dr. Payne, researcher, Phoenix, Ar. - Dan Cotton EPO APPROVED! The FDA approved a license for Procrit, a synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO), which significantly reduces anaemia in people treated with AZT. A protein formed in the kidneys, EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells. EPO had already been licensed for patients with kidney failure and its marketed by Amgen, a pharmaceutical company, as a product called Epogen. Another company, Ortho Biotech, conducted trials of their version of EPO in people with AIDS. While these trials progressed, Ortho provided free EPO through a treatment-IND program. Now Ortho’s drug, with the market name Procrit, has been licensed for anaemia in HIV-infected patients. Procrit is an extremely expensive drug: one dose (7000 units) will cost about $70.00. Patients typically need three doses a week and Ortho speculates that the annual cost will be from $6,000.00 to $8,500.00. reprinted from GMHC January 10,1991. Treatment Issues, Comment: This treatment is now available through the Infectious Disease Clinic at St. Paul’s hospital. Contact Ann Beardsell at 631-5074. You don't need to feel alone! There are other people out there with concerns like you. At ACT-B, you can join a Support Group, take part in individual or family counselling or take it easy at the Thursday afternoon Koffee Klatch with others with concerns like yours. Just call Glenna, our Support Services Coordinator at 345-1516, for more info and for the times & locations. If you don’t want to go to anything, you can just chat on the phone. However you want it MAI manifests with multiple symptoms which may be non-specific. Very often, this infection can be confused with other things and is difficult to diagnose. The current standard therapy for MAI includes the following: INH, Rifampin, Ethambutol, Ciprofloxacin, Clofazimine, and Amikacin. We see a fairly good response rate to this regimen. There is some improvement of symptoms. The infection, however, does not get cured, and persistent, low grade symptoms may interfere with the quality of life. The four or five drug regimen, however, may be difficult to keep up, since some need to be taken intravenously. Now there is a new antibiotic, clarithromycin, which may offer a one drug anti-MAI therapy. This compound is related to erythromycin, but has a wider spectrum of activity and is more fat soluble. Clarithromycin is available in Ireland, Italy and a few other countries (including Canada, under EDRP. See below). We have two studies of clarithromycin as treatment for MAI. A 1989 study looked at how much clarithromycin was needed to treat MAI in the test tube. An effective dose was fairly easy to attain. The researchers found that clarithromycin was the single best drug that they tried as treatment for MAI-infccted rats. At the recent ICAAC, Paris researchers reported on a double blind study of clarithromycin for MAI in AIDS patients. The study was divided into two groups of twenty-three patients. The clarithromycin group showed a steady decrease in MAI levels of over the six weeks, whereas the placebo group showed a steady rise. During the second six weeks of the study the first group received a placebo and four drugs from the standard regimen. MAI levels began to move up. The second group was given clarithromycin and the four drugs. Their MAI levels steadily decreased. The researchers concluded that clarithromycin either alone or in combination was a reasonably effective treatment for MAI. Excerpted from "Being Alive" February 1991. See also: AIDS Treatment News Number 113. Comment: Thanks to lobbying efforts by our members, Clarithromycin is now available in Canada, for those unable to use the standard treatment. Contact Dr. Sabih Khan Emergency Drug Release Program Bureau of Human Prescription Drugs Vanier Place, Vanier Ontario K1A IBS �Book Review by Michael Sobota Surviving AIDS by Michael Cailen I first heard Michael Cailen in July, 1988, at the Boston Lesbian and Gay Health Conference. I met him a year later, summer 1989, in San Francisco. While there, I attended a presentation he made at a similar AIDS and Health Conference. He was part of a panel that carefully and intelligently explained why they believed HIV was not the "cause" of AIDS. Michael Cailen is a wonderfully engaging person. He is a singer - has a kilo tape released called Purple Heart and is a member of the gay male choral group The Flirtations - and he is a long time survivor of AIDS. He has survived "AIDS" for about nine years now. It was with real excitement that I purchased his book Surviving AIDS, hoping that this would be the volume to make his story available to a much wider audience. His book is divided into three main sections. The first retraces the story of AIDS and HIV during the 1980’s. This is probably the weakest part of the book. If you have read And The Band Played On or any number of newspaper and magazine analysis of AIDS during the past decade, this is all old stuff. What is significant and important is his passionate writing about being alive, when science and medicine said he should be dead. Well, statistically, anyway. The second section of the book, and probably the best, is the middle section where he lets other people with AIDS tell their own first person stories. There are more than a dozen first person accounts here. Their experiences are told With passion, intelligence and a great deal of humour. And they arc all different, so don’t pick up Callen’s book expecting to find the common, universal traits that determine what constitutes "long term survival". While some embrace macrobiotic diets, others spurn this. Some are guided by Louise Hay’s selflove therapy, others think she is hocuspocus. Each, however, is very willing to speak loudly about how they have come to where they are today. These stories break down the stereotype of the "generic PWA". Not all PWA’s are the same, none of them are perfect, not all are "activists", etc . The final section is personal. Here Cailen says he will answer "for the first and last time what I would do if 1 were you." He carefully articulates nineteen separate points that he offers as guidelines to surviving AIDS. They range from: 1. Decide if you really want to live, followed by 2. Spring Clean emotionally, all the way through 19. Keep an open mind about holistic or alternative approaches to healing. You don’t have to be HTV-f to benefit from his wisdom in this section. You should know when you pick up the book that he has strong opinions. He does not believe HIV "causes” AIDS. He docs not believe anyone should take AZT. Read his book for information he presents as a first person experience, together with the other accounts he includes. He also wisely admonishes you to make your own decisions about your own life. I recommend Callen’s book for his information, his passion, his gay pride and his sense of humour. This is an important. addition to anyone’s library who is at all interested in AIDS/HIV. Michael Sobota is our Executive Director and, is a professional reviewer. Did you know . . . If you use a petroleum based lube, like Vaseline, on a condom or with a condom, within 60 seconds the condom loses 90% of its strength. The Library The ACT-B Resource Centre Library is located at 285 Bay Street Books and videos are available on loan. Resource books are also available for viewing in the agency. We also carry files full of newspaper clippings, magazine articles and studies. We subscribe to up-todate Treatment newsletters, with the latest information on different types of treatments and therapies for AIDS and HIV. ’elpful ’ints from Eloise . . For those times when you don’t want to say, "Ah, excuse me for a minute". Always be prepared. Try Vclcro-ing a condom package to places where sex may occur: the bed, the couch, the kitchen table, the door. And practise. You don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark for an embarrassing eternity, or worse, risk breaking the condom. Become quick and efficient at putting on a condom properly. ", . . got money,, cab fare in my shoe, Jody’s gonna meet us at the bar, what am I forgetting ... I heard Randy’s not going out with Sherry anymore, got any hairspray?, I hate my hair, I hope he’s gonna be there tonite, think this skirt is too short?, I’ll see if I can get him to go party with us after, ... Oh yeah, now I remember, you got any condoms in your purse?, oh wow, red ones, where’d you get them?, did you and Joey try those mint ones yet?, they’re fun to put on!, I hate my hair .. ." �Treating Teens, continued from page 2 time to time, ask Gail By the time she got to France she was routine screen at his college) to be HIV about the extent of their having a ball. The phonecalls home and positive. Gail was shattered. She called me sexual relationship. the letters to Pete became shorter and less in panic. She knew that she should be frequent. They stopped completely when Eventually, they did tested for HIV and wanted it done engage in sexual she arrived at the home of her "French immediately. 1 asked her to come in and intercourse and, as is so Parents." It was then that she met Pierre. talk before we set anything up. It was often the case with first He lived in the same village and worked really tough for her to accept that Pete conimmd from pej intercourse in teens, it on a local estate. They saw a lot of each could have given her HIV. After all they was unprotected and was followed by a other in those two weeks. She told me had been faithful to each other and she that while she was in love with Pete she knew he didn’t do LV. drugs. We spent a missed period and a pregnancy scare. She wanted to deal with the scare on her was very attracted to Pierre. While Pete lot of time talking about her trust in him was steady, caring and patient, Gail found and his strong denials that he had "done own and not involve he* parents or Pete. Fortunately, the pregnancy test was Pierre to be much more romantic and anything". I did point out that they had negative and a period quickly followed sensitive. She talked about how confused often had sex without using condoms. It Just the same I asked my nurse to see her and guilty she had felt They shared was sad to see her trust in Pete so badly many passionate and sexually active hours in the hope that Gail might be less shaken. She was in despair but also angry. embarrassed talking with a female. In her but she resisted Pierre's pleas for sexual I arranged for the HIV testing and made an characteristic fashion Gail listened intercourse. That is until the night before appointment for Gail to come in when the carefully to the nurse, but chose not to she was due to fly back home. Pierre had results were back. She too was HIV deal with the issue of condoms or birth offered to take her to Paris and see her to positive. I told her that we would have to control.I had met Pete and we often the airport. They decided to "see" Paris go over her own history to check for other chatted in the wailing room, but Gail and spent a memorable day together. The sources of infection or individuals that she usually resisted my efforts to gel him to decision to share a room in a quaint hotel might have shared a needle with. She join us to sec if he had any questions io came later (as did the unplanned and vehemently denied any other source but ask me about her eating disorder. This unprotected sex that followed). She cried Pete. She resented by implication that she lime I thought he should join us, but she all the way home on the plane. Upon her might have been unfaithful or that she refused to allow him to join in a return to Vancouver, Gail told me of her ^ould be the source of Pete’s HIV. It was discussion of birth control and STD Paris adventure. She told the story with then that she remembered Pierre and that prevention (even though he was sitting a mixture of sadness and pleasure. At night in Paris. The end to this story has yet out in the waiting room). I said that first, she reported difficulty being to be written. Pierre proved to be HIV while they weren’t dating others, and that comfortable around Pete, but soon they positive and had given a history of I.V. Pete was a pretty responsible young man, were both back full swing at school and drug use and needle sharing. It is hard to I was concerned about what happened on busy planning for graduation. By think of how Gail had struggled to school field trips or when she wasn’t Christmas everything seemed back to overcome her eating disorder only to be around to fend off the attractive girls who normal. The two of them were still felled by the silent menace within chase him or to police the situations engaging in sexual intercourse, but only seemingly innocent behavior that is but a where he might be tempted to use LV. sporadically using condoms. Gail told me normal part of adolescent experimentation drugs (anobolic and street). My message that Pete was being "careful". There and development. Gail and Pete rarely see was not well received and the discussion were no further pregnancy scares. Pierre, each other. Their respective families are was ended with a terse "Pete isn’t like who had written to her a couple of times, just shattered. It will be interesting to see that... you don’t know him.* "I wasn’t the eventually stopped keeping in touch. how ordinary girls like Gail will cope with only one concerned about the closeness of Graduation came and went. Gail looked the tide of AIDS that has begun to sweep Gail’s relationship with Pete. Her , happy and beautiful. Her weight held up through the typical "family next door." No parents, who liked him, complained that well during final exams. Her parents doubt Gail and her family will adjust better they were never apart, that she was never were proud of her. She and they looked than I would predict Working with home without him being there. Between very much the part of the "folks next adolescents is a humbling experience. Gail’s 11th and 12th Grades her parents door". Pete got accepted into a decided to encourage her to go on a prestigious U.S. football college. The Roger Tonkin is head of the division of future looked bright and Gail’s eating school-sponsored summer tour of Europe. adolescent health, department of pediatrics, Because she was in French immersion problem was history. I saw Gail UBC. they arranged to extend her time away by intermittently over the next year. Things having her live for several weeks with a seemed to be going well for her and she Teens or parents with questions family in France. The parents were and Pete seemed to be coping with their about AIDS can call the AIDS Infoline at trying to give her a time away from Pete. forced separation by commuting to see 345-SAFE. Gail spent her first weeks of the tour on each other on long weekends. By this If you have any concerns about or the phone back home to Pete. Otherwise time she was on the Pill and her parents are effected by II/V/AIDS, call Glenna, our she managed the travel, the meals, the knew that she and Pete were sexually Support Services Coordinator, at 345-1516. pressures of meeting new people quite involved. Everyone seemed comfortable Individual & family counselling is well. Gradually she gained some with that knowledge. Thai’s when the available. confidence and began to enjoy herself. bombshell burst. Pete was found (in a �Three cheers for volunteers! From October 1 to December 31, the volunteers at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay put in 1189 hours! This was done by 126 volunteers. That’s equivalent to having a paid staff person doing over a half year's work! 29.73 weeks to be exact. Thank you! To David Hoe from the AIDS Committee of Ottawa and to Clarence Crossman of the AIDS Committee of London - thank you for being so generous with your - Michael wisdom. Thank you to the generous people from our community who donated the fridge and stove. Thank you to the Music Department at Lakehead University for the use of their music room to hold our Volunteer Orientations. The Quilt A Quilt Committee has been started, with two goals:' 1. To bring the Canadian Quilt to Thunder Bay. 2. To produce Quilt panel(s) to commemorate people we have lost to AIDS. For more information contact David Belrose, Education Coordinator at 345-1516. If a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I should not mind a bit. But if a friend of mine had a sorrow and refused to allow me to share it, I should feel most bitterly. If he shuts the door of the house of mourning against me, I would move back again and again to beg to be admitted so that I might share in what I was entitled to share. If he thought me unworthy, unfit to weep with him, I should feel it as the most poignant humiliation. - Oscar Wilde Submitted by Susan Ivany, from a pamphlet produced by the AIDS Committee of Toronto ORDER FORM KEEWAYWIN (JOURNEYS) AIDS In The First Nations Name/Organlzatlon: Address: ____________________________ ______________________ 1---------- City/Prov: ____ ____________ —1,--------------------Postal Code: ___________ ______ 1-------------------Number of Copies:________ @ $20.00 (Total Cost)___________ (Price Includes taxes and shipping) Please send orders to: KEEWAYWIN AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B 6E2 Telephone (807) 345-1516 or Fax (807) 345-6994 Getting up early on a Saturday morning isn’t my most favourite thing to do on a weekend, but this particular morning was well worth it, I must admit A few cups of coffee and a muffin was just what I needed when I got to the Volunteer Orientation. Sheila Berry, our Volunteer Coordinator started the morning off with a warm welcome and introduction. Dr. Fred Ball gave the group a biological overview which I might add was a refresher for me since my first orientation over two years ago. Dr. Ball sure knows what he is talking about. We then had a catered lunch which included homemade soup and sandwiches. It was delicious. After lunch, David Belrose, our Education Coordinator gave us quite an enlightening safer sex demonstration which included a few giggles here and there. He then briefed the participants on what the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay does and what role ACT-B plays within the Community. Once we got the picture of how ACT-B worked we had to put our memory to work for a Bingo Quiz. The quiz was both fun and interesting. After a short break, Ron Rogers spoke on how HIV/AIDS has affected his life. Personally, this pan of the orientation was the most moving segment of the whole day. After Ron talked for about an hour about his personal experiences, I must admit that Ron brought a few tears to my eyes. As I looked around the room I realized that I was not the only one who was emotionally drained. All I kept saying to myself was how much courage Ron had to get up in front of group of total strangers and spill his heart out During Ron’s presentation, I also noticed that there wasn’t that usual fidgeting that sometimes occurs when people are speaking. Nobody was moving, whispering or doodling. All eyes and ears were directly glued to Ron. How he must have felt. His attitude was so conrinmd on pagt 10 �Kinna-aweya, positive and after he had finished his presentation, it left me with the feeling that "I think I have problems". I would want my problems any day over Ron’s problems. Thanks Ron for making me see myself in a totally different perspective. Sheila wrapped up the day giving the participants an overview on the significance of volunteering and how important it is when someone makes a commitment to volunteer. As an active volunteer, I have found that people really do start to rely on you and isn’t that what we all desire; to be wanted and needed? As a staff person, it gave me a real nice feeling to see all these new volunteers giving up their Saturday to come and see what the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay was all about Way to go Sheila, volunteering and working with ydu make it all worthwhile!!! Q. What do you do with 365 used condoms? A. Make them into a tire and call it a Good Year!! Coliectomaniacs . . . ' ACT-B collects newspaper clippings, magazine articles, books, novelties . . . anything that relates to AIDS/HIV - Safe Sex, IV Drug Use, Palliative Care, etc . . . Just drop them off at our office'm 285 Bay Street You can also look at all the information we have on file in our library. AAW has grown to ^involve so many organizations, that our planning starts in January! If you or your organization would like to join the AIDS Awareness Week Steering Committee, contact David Belrose, Education Coordinator at 345-1516. continued from page 3 t-. Canada Pension Plan Disability Pensions -If yoti arc unable to work because of a physical or mental disability you may be able to get a disability pension through the Canada Pension Plan. You do not need to be over 60 years of age to get a disability pension and if you are refused this benefit, you have a right to an appeal. You arc entitled to this benefit if you have made contributions to the CPP Plan, if your disability makes you unable to work regularly in a job that lets you support yourself, if your disability is likely to last a long time or if your disability is likely to cause death. This application should be made as soon as you are aware of your disability because if you wait too long after you have stopped work, you could lose your right to the CPP disability pension. Again, if the pension is denied or if you have any questions, you should obtain legal adviep. • If you are unable to work and arc a "person in need" in the province of Ontario you may well be entided to benefits under the General Welfare Assistance Act or the Family Benefits Act. These benefits are what is called "needs tested" which means they will do a review of your financial situation to decide if you qualify for the benefits. This will include adding up your income from other sources and reviewing your assets to see if you qualify. Even if you are already receiving benefits from any one of the other programs you might be entitled to some "topping up" of your income through one of these programs. If you arc presently receiving benefits under the General Welfare Assistance Act speak to your social worker about your entitlement to benefits under the Family Benefits Act as a disabled person because those benefits are paid at a higher rate. Again, if you have any problem at all with benefits under either of these Acts, you should obtain legal advice and consider your right to appeal. Other financial implications of a disability relate to the disability benefit under the Income Tax Act ?nd any disability benefit connected with any loans or mortgages. You should check with any financial institution where you have a loan and see if you still need to make payments on that loan while you are disabled. Also, be aware there is a "non-refundable tax credit" which can be applied to your income tax calculations to reduce the amount of tax you have to pay. Some benefits such as CPP are taxable while others such as FBA are not. The disability amount during the taxation year 1990 was $3,327.00 and in order to claim this amount you must obtain a form from Revenue Canada and have your doctor complete the form and sign it. With any of the above-mentioned benefits, if you have any problems, you should obtain clear legal advice. Concerning workers’ compensation matters, you can obtain advice from the Office of the Worker Adviser and concerning all of the other matters, you can obtain advice either by contacting your local community legal aid clinic at the following address: Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, 233 Van Norman Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7A 4B6, telephone: 3442478 or arrange for an interview with a private lawyer for one-half hour without charge through the Lawyer Referral Service. That service is accessed by phoning 1-800-668-8526 which will connect you with an office in Toronto where all of the lawyers in Ontario who participate in this program are registered. Simply advise that office that you are in Thunder Bay and wish to speak to a lawyer and then identify the issue and they will refer you to a lawyer in Thunder Bay who will review the matter with you and provide clear legal advice without charge. I think we are all aware of how dramatically stress and anxiety can influence our physical and mental well­ being. Any one who is experiencing and dealing with a disability or an illness needs as much help as possible to relieve all unnecessary stresses and anxieties. Certainly a person’s financial situation can be an enormous source of stress and worry and knowing what benefits you may be entitled to can be very important in alleviating anxiety. Please remember there are individuals and agencies prepared to extend whatever assistance is possible and do not hesitate to ask for that assistance. �What are volunteers? Volunteers are like Ford They have better Ideas. Volunteers are like Coke They're the real thing. Volunteers are like Bell Canada They're answering your call. Volunteers are like Midas Mufflers Nobody tops them. Volunteers are like PanAm They make the going great. Volunteers are like Dial soap They care more. Volunteers are like V05 hairspray Their goodness holds In all kinds of weather Volunteers are like Hallmark Cards They care enough to give their very best. Volunteers are like Standard Oil You expect more and you get more. Volunteers are like Benetton They work United together. Volunteers are like Robin's Donuts They're the best part of your day. Volunteers are like Thunder Bay They've got a giant heart. Volunteers are like Thunder Bay Cellular They're wherever you go. But most of all. . . Volunteers are like Frosted Flakes They're GRRRREATI ACT-B volunteers are over 100 strongl They do everything from Support Services, to planning, to stuffing envelopes, answering the phone, fundraising at BINGO, photography, writing, designing, typing .. . whewl the list is just too long to write. If you'd like to join, contact Sheila, our Volunteer Coordinator at 345-1516. Training is provided. Thanks a Bunch! � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 4 Issue 2 - Spring 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2667/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no3.pdf c33ec977969bddcb5c92c32aaa2da2a2 PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2667/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no3_2.pdf 703d5f292e12971b17c78a966b73a80e PDF Text Text ReACT-Believe The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay newsletter Summer 1991, Volume IV, Issue III AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7I3 6E2 (807) 345-1516 AIDS Infoline When you leap...protect your LOVE. WE’RE ON THE MOVE Summer {feat Edition �A note from the President of the Board The agency has just passed through a very busy winter and spring which included staff changes and searches for new office space. As many of you know the search was successful. Renovations are under way and we move July 20. Unfortunately not all the renovations will be finished until well after the move. We will have to manage without a board room, a classroom/workshop space, and storage space for a couple of months. The good news is that there is more space and Glenna’s office will be sound-proof. Thank to all staff and volunteers who worked so hard and accomplished so much over the last few months. The agency has an on-going commitment to work together with all individuals and to provide the best possible services for everyone. I urge anyone who has questions or issues of their own to contact us or come in and talk to us. ACT-B thanks the Nylons for donating 10 of their concert tickets for local PLWAs. Terry Bryant ACT-B Advisory Council Fred Ball Norman Bowers Nicky Clark Nancy Loewen Mary McKenzie Marie Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roede Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Supervisor, P.A.G.H., Infection Control City Councillor Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liaison Family Physician ACT-B Board of Directors Director Treasurer Secretary Director President Director Director Director Vice-President Director Director Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Terry Bryant Denyse Culligan Susan Ivany Gail Linklater Jeanette Munshaw April Richardson Diane Roberts ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry John Books Lawrence Korhonen Glenna McLeod Michael Sobota Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Fundraisin^'Communlcations Coor. Office Manager Support Services Coordinator Executive Director Gallols' Revelation "If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize it* Please give us your feedback! SEND US YOUR CANADIAN TIRE MONEY Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency. You can phone or mail. You can This is a new fundraising campaign. remain anonymous if you wish. We’d like to know Drop it off or mail it to our office. your comments In order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. FILL OUR TOOL BOX WITH COUPONS Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly appreciated. Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807) 345-1516 9:00 am. - 4:00 p.m. John Books, Editor, ReACT-Believe The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. �This is our 3rd Annual Fun Run - & growing every year! Run For Your Life We're running for your money. This is a province-wide event coordinated fundraising Walk/Run This year our goal is 501 runners & walkers! Sunday, October 13 A Family Fun Day. 1991 Run Committee Lots of prizes, food & fun for the whole family. Sheila Berry John Books Nicky Clark Estelle Howard Nick Makletzoff Eileen Parker Bob Richardson BE THERE OR BE SQUARE! Call 345-1516 for location & registration. HELP Support Services is requesting donations of large household items, for loan to clients. Kitchen tables, chairs, beds, dressers, sofas etc. are needed. Call Glenna at 345-1516 COMING THIS FALL: SPEAKERS' BUREAU This will be your opportunity to become a volunteer speaker for ACT-B. Look for training sessions to begin in September. THE QUILT ACT-B has undertaken the project of bringing the NAMES PROJECT QUILT to Thunder Bay in the spring of 1992. You can help to organize the event, or help to produce a panel to remember a loved one. MEN'S SURVEY '91 Thunder Bay will be part of a national survey of the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of men who have sex with men, from October 15 - December 15. SAFER SEX OUTREACH The safer sex discussion group for gay and bisexual men will resume in September on the fourth Thursday. Look for the beginning of safer sex house parties, where you can learn and have fun in a safe environment. NATIVE AIDS PROJECT We will be in the second year of this project, which will include a tour to First Nations communities in the region. AIDS AWARENESS WEEK (October 7 - 13) The major event each fall is AIDS Awareness Week, and this year it will be national in scope, with the theme "Our Challenge For Life". This promises to be a busy and exciting season, so please think about how you would like to be involved. Give David a call at 345-1516 about any of this. �Welcome John AIDS Awareness Week is Oct.6-13. The theme this year is "OUR CHALLENGE FOR LIFE". Many fund­ raising, educational and enter­ tainment events are planned. ACT-B's volunteers play a key role in the running of the agency. We need volunteers of all kinds. If you would like to help out, give us a call. Hello, Hello. Let me introduce myself. My name is John Books and I am the new Fundraising and Communications Coordinator. I am looking forward to meeting all of you who are involved with ACT-B. Though nervous and still wet behind the ears, my goals are to expand our funding base and to help make ReACT-Believe an interesting forum of the ACT-B community. HAS MOVED! ACT-B has relocated Our new address is 217 South Algoma St. That’s all we’ve changed so far. Everything else stays the same. Our mailing address and phones are the same. P.O. Box 3586, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6E2, 345-1516. Slay tuned for further developments. Our grand opening, office warming will be in the fall. Join us. Become a member! Members set our course at Annual Meetings. They are kept up-to-date about our work. They elect the Board of Directors who keep that work on track. ACT-B Membership form. Name Address Postal Code Telephone Enclosed is: _____ $10 Membership fee _____ $25 Supporting membership fee _____ $ Donation Mail to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6E2 To be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting, your membership must be up-to-date, (30 days prior to the meeting). The A.G.M. is in November. Please, renew your membership now. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 4 Issue 3 - Summer 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2668/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no4.pdf 558b45a1fc7ccc06b1087aef6f47e800 PDF Text Text ������������ https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2668/1991_reACT-Believe_vol4no4_2.pdf f3d3346ef9a1a81d48fa2143f771eb19 PDF Text Text reACT-Believe The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Fall 1991, Volume IV, Issue IV AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.0. 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807)345-1516 AIDS Infoline 345-SAFE Our Challenge for Life AIDS AWARENESS WEEK October 7 to 13, 1991 ��AIDS AWARENESS WEEK 1991 - OUR CHALLENGE FOR LIFE CALENDAR OF EVENTS Voices of Positive Women Voices of Positive Women is a provincial organization run by and for women who are HTV positive. Presently based out of Toronto, women are connecting with other women in urban and rural areas to talk about the difficulties that women must deal with as a result of their compromised immune system. The purpose of this group is to get HTV+ women together to share information and resources and to reach out to those women who feel isolated. If you are an HIV+ women or would like more information about the group, Voices of Positive Women, please contact Beverly or Darien at (416) 324-8703 or write to Voices of Positive Women, P.O. Box 471, Station "C", Toronto, Ontario, M6J 3P5. Voices of Positive Women is seeking representation form Northwestern Ontario by women who are HIV+. If you have concerns about HIV/AIDS, please contact the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay at (807) 345-1516 or drop by our office at 217 South Algoma Street SUNDAY - OCT. 6/91 SUNDAY - OCT 13/91 Preview Presentation - Ken Ward Kashadaying Student Residence At 6:30 p.m. "FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE" 5K Fun Ron Pledge Walk Confederation College Warm up at 9:00 a.m. Starting line 10:00 ajn. Registration forms available at AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Office 217 S Algoma Street MONDAY - OCT. 7/91 Tree Planting Ceremony Marina Park - 12:00 noon Keynote Speakers Cindy Robins & Marie Silva (Two HTV Positive Women) & If you would like further information Please Call ACT-B at 345-1516 or drop by at 217 S. Algoma Street Ken Ward Thunder Bay Multicultural Centre 7:00 - 9:00 pan. TUESDAY - OCT. 8/91 Presentation - Ken Ward Thunder Bay Youth Friendship Society - 6:00 p.m. THURSDAY - OCT. 10/91 Candlelight Vigil The AIDS Committee of Thunder 217 S. Algoma - 7:30 p.m. "Update on HIV Testing" Fred Ball - Director of Public Health Laboratory Thunder Bay Health Unit - 9:00 a.m. (staff only) Participating Agencies; AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay, Confederation College, Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, Lakehead University, McKellar Hospital, Port Arthur General Hospital, SL Joseph’s Hospital and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit Local Sponsors include: Sportop, Provincial Papers, Krazy Krazy Audio Video Experts, Crazy Mikes Super Stores, Painted Turtle Shops, Kelly’s Food Services, Bailey’s Sea & Ski, Japan Camera Centres, GL.T.B., Insight Promotions, Airlane Motor Hotel, Canada Games Complex, Prospector Restaurant, The Boda Restaurant. FRIDAY - OCT 11/91 Healthy Sex Cabaret (X-Rated) The Prince Arthur Hotel Doors open at 8:00 Tickets Available at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay 217 S. Algoma Street SATURDAY - OCT 12/91 Iff /t>f A/&5 </£ An!// &£ Cooa fe fur. &£ tf&Mc frteA {reef* Youths Poster Competition Posters to be displayed all day at Intercity Mall Presentations at 12:00 noon Today, as we prepare the 5ih AIDS Awareness Week in Thunder Bay (October 7 - 13, 1991),the week will be declared nationally by the Canadian AIDS Society and celebrated simultaneously across the country. The theme this year was selected by a national steering committee of AIDS educators. The theme, "AIDS: Our Challenge For Life", reflects our work and our lives in the 90’s. It is both a personal message for each one of us and a national one for all Canadians to become aware of. �Things you need to know: When: The race starts at 10 a.m. sharp. Sunday. October 13. 1991. Where: Confederation Fitness Centre College Registration: To register. mail in your registration to the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. P.O. Box 3586. Thunder Bay. Ontario P7B 6E2. (Please do not send money through the mail.) Or. drop off your registration in the dropoff boxes at the Canada Games Complex. Fresh Air Experience, or at the AIDS Committee office at 217 S. Algoma Street. Race Kits: Race Kits can be picked up at Confederation College. Saturday. October 12. 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Divisions: Men and Women Junior i Open | Senior Master j Veteran under 20 20 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50+ i Entry Fee: $ 15.00 - non-refundable. The Course: 5K course at Confederation College. For more information, contact the ACT-B office at 345-1516. Change Facility: changing facilities. Fitness Centre Entry Deadline: Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m.. Wednesday. October 9. 1991. No late registrations will be accepted. Bring in those pledges. �'OUR ENTRIES FUN/RUN. Registration Form Name_ ... this is ing event, your friends, nd coworkers. Age (As of October 13) Address_____________ City_________________ Province/State Postal/Zip Code Phone ( )____ Ciub/School_ T-Shirt Size: Large _ X-Large Gender Male__ Female Liability Waiver - please read and sign In consideration of the acceptance of my entry,1 for myself, my executors, administrators and assignees, do hereby release and discharge the race sponsors, promoters and organizers including all daims of damages, demands, and action whatsoever In my manner arising from my participation in the AIDS Awareness Week 5K Fun Run/Walk. I attest and verify that I have full knowledge of the risks involved In this event and I am physically fit to participate. Signature (of parent or guardian if under 18) Make cheque payable to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay �Farewell Terry To those of us who are fortunate enough to know Terry, the adjectives kind, caring, giving; come immediately to mind but these are only a few of his many fine qualities.When Terry left Ottawa to live and work in Thunder Bay, it was Ottawa’s loss and a huge plus for our area and especially ACT-B. From Ottawa, Terry brought not only his furniture but also a great sense of humour. As a Federal Government employee, he once applied for compassionate leave and in the column marked ...state reason... he replied, "received letter from my lover that said, COME PASSIONATE OR DON’T COME AT ALL. " Terry attended his first meeting of ACT-B at our annual general meeting in November of 1989 and was promptly elected to the Board of Directors. In December 1990, he was elected President of the Board. During his entire time with the agency, he served on every committee, worked at bingos, at yardsales and was available wherever and whenever he was needed. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, clients, and over one hundred volunteers, we bid you fond farewell Terry, and we wish you nothing but the best in Calgary. As it says on your lapel button: KEEP IT UP. Your great bear hugs will be missed by many. Norm Bowers Secretary, Board of Directors DO YOU HAVE A ROOM TO RENT Single Male on Disability Pension is seeking a comfortable, clean room for rent. Kitchen and washroom facilities would be essential. I am also a Non Drinker and occasional smoker. MEN'S SURVEY 91 Men’s Survey 91 is a joint research project of the University of Toronto, Universite Laval and the Canadian AIDS Society, funded by Health and Welfare Canada. Men’s Survey 91 is a national survey designed to measure knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV infection among Canadian gay and bisexual men. Involving almost 5,000 men in 34 cities, Men’s Survey 91 will be the largest survey of its kind in Canada, and one of only a few undertaken anywhere in the world. Data will be collected in bars, bathhouses and at community events. The aim of the project is to obtain data that can be used to develop educational and health promotion strategies for gay and bisexual men. Over the last few years, communitybased organizations have done a lot of work in distributing information and using other interventions to promote safer sex. It is widely believed that this work has done a lot of good. But there are important questions that need to be answered. Until now, no Canadian survey has attempted to capture the issues and concerns about HTV and AIDS with regard to gay and bisexual men - the group still most affected by HIV/AIDS. Men’s Survey 91 will help to identify the gaps in men’s knowledge about HIV transmission, safer sex, antibody testing and other issues. Another aim is to better understand what kinds of beliefs and attitudes influence positive behaviour change and maintenance of safer sex practices. Men’s Survey 91 is also meant to reveal whether, among gay and bisexual men, there are identifiable target populations that require special attention in HTV prevention work. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay will coordinate data collection in Thunder Bay. For more information contact: David Belrose - Local Coordinator (807) 345-1516 �Gallois’ Revelation "If you put tomfoolry into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize it." Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency. You can phone or mail. You can remain anonymous if you wish. We’d like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly appreciated. Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B6E2 (807) 345-1516 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. John Books, Editor, ReACT-Believe The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay is funded by: ONARIO MINISTRY OF HEALTH HEALTH PROMOTIONS BRANCH, HEALTH AND WELFARE CANADA OUR NEW OFFICES ACT-B’s office is now located at 217 S. Algoma. The location is on the comer of Algoma and Cornwall streets, kittycomer from the former Cornwall Street School/Lakehead University Fine Aits building. The relocation was done to provide improved services, more space for staff and activities as well as increased services. ONARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION THUNDER BAY FOUNDATION GENERAL FUNDRAISING, INCLUDING: community, business and many individual donations. Currently the new building provides separate offices for the staff including sound-proofed offices for confidential counselling. The ACT-B library now has its own small room with a VCR and monitor for quiet, private screenings. There are new washrooms, a small kitchenette and lunchroom. Further renovations, to be completed later this fall will add an activity/classroom for us in Support Services, a board/committee room and designated storage space. Watch for an announcement of our "Open House" planned for later this fall Meanwhile, our doors are open. Welcome. Please drop in. �Have you renewed your membership for 91/92 ? CALL FOR PERSONS INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ACT-B. ELECTIONS TO BE HELD AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN NOVEMBER. IF INTERESTED, PHONE OUR OFFICE : 345-1516 FOR AN INTERVIEW AND INFORMATION PACKAGE. CONSIDER JOINING A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED AND DEDICATED BOARD MEMBERS, FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF PROFESSIONS IN THUNDER BAY. Join us. Become a member! Members set our course at Annual Meetings. They are kept up-to-date about our work. They elect the Board of Directors who keep that work on track. ACT-B Membership form. Name Address Postal Code Telephone Enclosed is: _____ $10 Membership fee _____ $25 Supporting membership fee _____ $ Donation Mail to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6E2 To be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting, your membership must be up-to-date, (30 days prior to the meeting). The A.G.M. is in November. Please, renew your membership now. �TREATMENT SECTION An Interview with Larry Bruni, M.D. by Denny Smith (reprinted from AIDS Treatment News Issue No. 124, April 5, 1991) The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay does not recommend, advocate or endorse the use of any particular treatments) or therapy described in ReACT-Believe. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay therefore, does not accept the risk of, or responsibility for, any damages, costs or consequences of any kind whatsoever which may arise or result, either from use or reliance on the information contained herein, or due to any errors contained herein. Persons relying on the information provided must do so at their own risk. Please consult your health professional This article is a separate page of the newsletter. Please, pull out and retain for your files. �TREATMENT STRATEGIES Interview With Larry Bnmi.M.D. by Denny Smith To help support strategic, individualized programs for controlling HIV disease, we interviewed Larry Bruni, M.D. a Washington D.C. physician who has maintained a large HIV practice for several years. Dr. Bruni is known as an innovator in the care of his patients a Cable News Network (CNN) interview with him should air later this month. D.S. For people who are still above 500 T-helper cells, what do you look for to make decisions about intervention in the progression of HIV? LB: The various blood markers aren’t very useful at that point, so I look carefully at the clinical picture. I’ve come to regard anything except a broken bone as possibly related to HIV. That may be a fallacious assumption, but better to be too vigilant, rather than trivialize something like a rash or headaches that could be tied into disease progression. I don’t dismiss anything. When people worry that they are being hypochondriacal, I tell them that they’re not. By just recording patients’ complaints in their charts, I can sometimes discern a pattern of symptoms. Small things that would ordinarily go unnoticed may be signicicanL For example, when I examine the ears, I look for small bubbles behind the eardrums. These can be caused by infections of mycoplasma, which sometimes colonize the middle ear. I’m more willing to try doxycycline than to tell the patient "don’t worry about it". DS: When do blood markers become noteworthy? LB: Well, the T-4 helper cell counts and percentages are important because, of course, progressive depletion of helper cells is the hallmark of HIV infection. But you can’t rely on this alone, partly because the methods of counting the cells are not absolutely precise; there are many calculations involved in deriving the final "count." DS: That’s a good point, because I think a lot of people, including myself, don’t understand all the calculations involved in lab results. We often assume that the total blood cell population is ordinarily stable, so any variation in one component is alarming. LB: No one should be alarmed by small variations. Also, the percentage of T-helper cells is more revealing than the absolute count. DS: When someone who is on AZT experiences a drop in T-helper cells, is that ever attributable to a drop in the overall white count, which can in turn be attributed to AZT? LB: Yes. So I don’t routinely put people on nucleoside anologs (AZT, ddi, ddC) for T-helper cell counts above 500. But there are circumstances that may warrant the use of AZT in that range, particularly clinical symptoms that indicate disease activity. For example, if someone is having repealed bouts of genital warts. DS: In other words , a relatively minor problem which is resistant to normally successful treatment may be a signal of HIV activity. LB: Not only that, but I think HIV would be a rather indolent (slow to change) infection if it weren’t for all the other infections our bodies have to process at the same time. I don’t really make a distinction between opportunistic infections and the idea of cofactors. 1 teach my patients that HIV disease is a slow process if not for other thingi push it, such as other infections, ea to sunlight, etc. And infections can transactivate each other. While the warts are allowed to recur by HIV, HIV is stimulated by the wart virus. So for both practical and theoretical reasons, we need to control this cycle by controlling any problem that is potentially chronic, like bronchitis or adenovirus colitis. DS: In light of that, what are some of the things you look for in patients who would ordinarily think of themselves as asymptomatic? LB: Sinus infections, skin rashes, fungal infections of the toenails, athlete’s foot that is persistent, prostate infections, and of course, headaches and fatigue. Headaches especially, are too often chalked up to "tension", but since stress can contribute to immune dysfunction, and to emotional dysphoria, I think even a tension headache may deserve intervention. DS: You mentioned sunlight as a cofactor. LB: Yes, even before studies were published about its effect on HIV, sunlight was known to provoke herpes outbreaks. Strong sunlight, probably the ultrviolet rays, can impair immune response. You don’t have to worry about the regular exposure during daily activites. I’m talking about laying out in the sun, or playing volleyball in your swimsuit for hours at a time. T-helper cell counts drop almost invariably after someone spends a long weekend at the beach. DS: I understand that you favor the empirical use of antibiotics, when a set of symptoms is eluding any particular diagnosis or treatment. Is there a concern that antibiotic drugs could suppress the immune system further? LB: I haven’t really seen any systemic damage from antibiotics. Indeed, my own �experience is that a course of antibiotics frequently perks up the immune picture. The first anatibiotic I tried on an empirical basis was doxycyclinc in 1988, based on Stephen Caiazza’s ideas. DS: Since HIV isn’t affected directly by antibiotics, this must be a way of dealing with cofactors in hiding. LB: It often seems that something else is driving the infection. The notion that latent syphilis may be treated this way is interesting. I can’t think of any topic in medical school that professors were more smug about than syphilis treatment "We know everything there is to know about this disease," they say. Reminds me of the character in Voltaire’s Candidc. DS: Dr. Pangloss! LB: Yes, as though we live in the best of all possible worlds, and we know everything we need to know. But meanwhile, one treatment they were using to treat syphilis failed to cross the blood/brain barrier, and those people may be ciironically infected with syphilis, including many people with HIV. DS: So the cerebrospinal fluid could be "reseeding" the body and doxycycline may be dealing with it? LB: I’ve had some excellent results with doxycycline; tetracycline, as well, will cross the blood/brain barrier. I try it in people who have a residual indicator of syphilis in their blood. And now we know that we could be treating mycoplasma infections empirically, too. I have actually seen rises in T-helper cells in some patients in some patients during treatment with doxycycline. DS: How do patients and physicians make judgment decisions together? LB: Physicians need to be willing to make some intuitive judgments, because we won’t find advise in the medical journals, whose reports invariably end with something like "not statistically conclusive, more investigations needed. "Patients can be limited by their preconceptions. I still get patients who say to me, "I’ll try anything except AZT." "Why won’t you try AZT?" "Because it’s poison." Yet studies clearly show that when we use AZT correctly, we can improve the quality and the length of life. DS: So you’re trapped between patients who do not like the primary option available, and a medical establishment which cannot seem to improve the options. LB: Well, I’m really happy now that we have ddC, even if people have to use the "gray market" version. I think ddC works, without horrible side effects. Now routinely, whcnl start people on AZT, after threemonths I tell them it’s time to switch to ddC. Another three months, we return to AZT, and I continue alternating like that. DS: What’s the rationale for rotating instead of using them together? LB: Well, it takes about three months for AZT side effects to appear, at the current low doses. This dosing may avoid indefinitely those predictable drops in white cells and hemoglobin. By using them separately, you can also see how each drug affects each patient DS: You’ve mentioned AZT and ddC., but not ddl. LB: For a year and a half, our office has been overwhelmed by the paperwork associated with ddl. And the manufacturer’s criteria for ddC eligibility are ridiculous. I’m ready to forego all that if patients can reliably obtain ddC through the buyers’ clubs. DS: Arc there other important treatments that patients can get through the buyers’ clubs? LB: In addition to ddC, I’m glad to see the clubs carrying levamisole (a potential immunomodulator) and clarithromycin (a new antibiotic). I started recommending levamisole to patients last November, before it was approved by FDA for use in colon cancer. When it became available by prescription, I started slowly, not being familiar with its use and wishing to avoid loxicities. Now I give it to people who do not improve on more standard therapies. I think it holds great promise as an immunomodulator. DS: Is clarithromycin still looking promising for treating MAI, cryptosporidiosis, or toxoplasmosis? LB: I’ve replaced all the old MAI drugs with clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin. The dose we’re trying is eight pills (250mg. each) of clarithromycin daily, which unfortunately is expensive. I’m seeing some weight gain, and reduced fevers. These patients feel it’s working. I’m trying the related drug azithromycin to treat toxoplasmosis in several patients who were obviously failing the pyrimethamine/sulfa combination. It’s too early in follow-up to say for sure, but I think it will work. I’m also advocating some prophylaxis in people who have been exposed to Toxoplasma, and who have dropped below 200 T-helper cells. I believe azithromycin and clarithromycin probably will become the best drugs with which to treat toxo or prevent active infections. Anecdotally, two of my patients with cr>'PlosPondiosis found complete relief from the diarrhea within five days on azithromycin, and after ten days of treatment they maintained normal bowel function and regained all their lost weight for months. DS: Something we have been hearing a lot about lately is gall bladder inflammation and bile duct obstructions. Is this becoming a common HIVassociated trouble? LB: Very common. This is usually a condition called acalculous cholecystitis, meaning an inflammation which is not �caused by gallstones. The cause could be any of a number of pathogens, like CMV, CTyptosporidiosis, or other parasites. But the drugs we give to treat those infections do not penetrate the gall bladder very well, making it sort of a reservoir of infection. The signs are abdominal pain, often connected with diarrhea. Since this tends to persist and not respond to antibiotics, the best treatment seems to be removal of the gall bladder. You can get along nicely without a gall bladder, and the surgery should improve both appetite and nutrient absorption. DS: Getting back to the empirical use of treatments, you have found IVIG (intravenous immune globulin) useful, haven’t you? LB: It can be very helpful, also very expensive. It’s valuable for treating the kind of recurring bacterial infections that a healthy immune system ordinarily handles, especially sinus infections. It is also a good complement to use with ganciclovir when treating CMV pneumonia or colitis. Adding it to therapy for retinitis does not help much, according to studies which have been completed. DS: Can you make immune globulin specific, engineer it to be concentrated in certain antibodies? LB: It’s not engineered so much as graded for counts of particular antibodies. I use Gammagard made by Baxter, because it has the highest concentration of anti-CMV antibodies. DS: Do you have any advice about nutritionhal supplements? LB: I have recommended a short list of supplements for several years, and have recently added NAC and coenzyme Q10 to that list. DS: Why has interest in coenzyme Q been revived recently? (Note: do not confuse coenzyme Q with compound Q). problems that fit someone’s solution. LB: It might be helpful for countering some of the heart muscle degeneration being reported now in connection with HIV infection. LB: Exactly right. And we need innovators. More AZT studies are not innovative. The non-innovalivc answers are not solutions. They are solutions in search of problems, as you said. And all the while researchers around die world traipse around their own little garden path, doing their own personal research. By contrast, we could harness that creative thinking, and integrate this research chaos into a bigger picture. One model I’ve worked with is the National Community Research Initiative, in Washington, D.C. We began by developing computer software, called CRIS, to let physicians keep up with each other’s experiences, to correlate all the raw data of our practices. We’ve developed a database that can work as a total clinical management system. We can directly download results of bloodwork from the laboratory by modem into the database. This technology could help to share statistics, to generate statistically valid correlations. In my office we will soon have a computer work station in each patient examination room, so we can have the patient’s history and treatment experiences and all lab work at our fingertips. DS: I saw one such report that alerted physicians to the possibility of HIV cardiac abnormalities, and that some symptoms casually attributed to lung involvement, like fatigue and shortness of breath, instead could be implicating the heart Research Politics DS: What are some of the politics affecting the clinical care picture today? LB: I see the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institues of Health as having a symbiotic relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. They are in a codependent relationship. People on both sides have their complaints, but they do not seriously analyze themselves. Congress plays along with the game, too, funding and regulating the relationship. And as in codependency, something like a disaster has to happen for a real change to occur. No one is presently in charge of an overall plan for AIDS. But you watch - five years from now, when straight teenagers are dropping like flies, then AIDS will become a national priority. Of course, we will probably have a new administration by then, too. Meanwhile, we need clinicians and researchers to talk to each other, to try to build solutions to the problems of HIV disease. Instead of obsessing on basic research, we must constructively analyze what the problems are, and start acting on priorities toward the solution. Plan the work and work the plan. No organization in the world is doing that now. DS: Perhaps we should aim for solutions that fit the problem, instead of DS: It would seem that physicians in different countries, using different therapies, could use the database to leam from each other. LB: Yes, this information is eminently exportable. Communication technology is an innovative, useful approach. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 4 Issue 4 - Fall 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2669/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no1.pdf 97994860d42170caa0abc37cd4146ba1 PDF Text Text ������������ https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2669/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no1_2.pdf 45abf2c63c79b54290457f210a2b78c8 PDF Text Text reACT-Believd M£o| ‘We ^>1 IP not ‘-Rest ■k H h- In IWwter^ . „ ^$jp_ AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.0.3586 TU Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807)345-1516AIDS [Aids infoline 345-safe Committee of Thunder Bay .gb^Winter 1992, Volume V, Issue I �RESOURCE CENTRE TALKING SAFER SEX :S * HOME PARTIES Host A Home Party With Some Of Your Friends And Learn More About Safer Sex Explore Safer Sex, Erotica, Fantasies, Fears, Feelings In The Safety And Comfort Of Home What To do: Host: Plan a party and invite some friends for an evening of discovery and learning about safer sex, erotica, fantasies and more. Call David at ACT-B, 345-1516. Friends: Agree to participate when the host asks. Bring whatever you would like to eat and drink while exploring. Give host special topics or ideas for David to cover or bring to the adventure. If you can't host a party, but want to participate, try to encourage a friend to hold a party. AN EVENING FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN OF ANY AGE. This is a project of the AIDS COMMITTEE OF THUNDER BAY. bD LIVING WITH HTV Call for Submissions Are you HTV positive? Got something to say about it? FUSE wants to hear from you! FUSE is a non-profit alternative arts magazine that has published for fifteen years. We have consistently covered events and issues from feminist, lesbian and gay, labour, and people of color communities. We are planning a special issue for late spring of 1992. All contributions will be from people living with HIV. ACT-B has a very good selection of videos, books, and other resource material. Most of these materials can be borrowed In order to continue this service, we need your help in returning borrowed materials on time. Over the past year, there have been several items which have disappeared. The cost of replacing them is very high, and makes it difficult for us to get new materials. Take a look, and if you have any overdue videos or books from ACT-B, please let us have them back. In particular, we are missing the videos "COMMON THREADS: Stories From the Quilt" and "INEVITABLE LOVE". As well, there are several books long overdue. Please help us continue to provide our loan service. B We are looking for personal essays, critical pieces, non­ fiction, illustrations, photo­ collages, pictures, snap-shots... any Itind of response that speaks about living with HIV from first hand experience. (The only thing we don’t publish is fiction and poetry.) Submissions can be made anonymously. If you’re interested in contributing or know someone who might, drop us a line or give us a call. Better yet, show us your stuff. All work will be returned if requested. page 2 Deadline is March 2, 1992. FUSE MAGAZINE 183 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario M5T 2R7 (416) 367-0159 �Volunteer Spotlight Can Mosquitoes Transmit AIDS? Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the deadly epidemic caused by the HTV virus, is most often transmitted by contaminated hypodermic needles or through sexual contact. Since mosquitoes feed on human blood and may attack a series of individuals, the question arises: Can you get AIDS from a mosquito bite? Insects can transmit viruses in two ways, mechanically and biologically. With mechanical transmission, infected blood on the insects mouthparts might be carried to another host while the blood is still fresh and the virus is still alive. Infection by this means is possible but highly unlikely, because mosquitoes seldom have fresh blood on the outside of their mouthparts. Mechanical transmission does occur in horses, however, with equine infectious anaemia, a virus closely related to AIDS and transmitted by horseflies. These flies are pool feeders; their bite causes a small puddle of blood to form, and they immerse mouthparts, head, and front legs while lapping it up. If disturbed, however, they quickly move on to another horse, where the fresh blood of the two hosts may mingle. Blood-feeding mosquitoes are much neater and more surgical; they insert a tube for drawing blood, and by the time they are ready for their next meal, even on a second host following an interrupted meal, any viruses from their first meal are safely stored away in their midgut With biological transmission, the pathogen must complete a portion of its life cycle within the carrier, or vector species. Protozoans that cause malaria, for instance, go through an extremely complex cycle inside the mosquito, eventually congregating in the salivary glands, from which they may infect avian, primate, rodent, or reptilian hosts, depending on the malaria species. The HIV virus, however, does not replicate or develop in the mosquito once in the insects gut, the virus quickly dies. Repeated studies since 1986 show that AIDSinfected blood fed to mosquitoes and other arthropods does not live to be passed on and that, fortunately, there is no biological-transmission cycle of AIDS in blood-feeding arthropods, which frequently ingest the virus as part of their blood meal. Natural History, July 1991. : found In "Between the Lines" newsletter ofAIDS Committee of Guelph, Winter 91/92 THI FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON "Whol o dayl ... I mull hcv* ipnod malaria ecron half lh* country." page 3 Anne Ciemny is a remarkable person. She was a working mother, who through necessity learned to organize every minute of her day to make it count. And that’s how she approaches her volunteer commitment here at ACT-B. Because of her skills in office work, she has been so helpful to us in the area of office support. Anne has also made the best of her involvement with us by branching out into new areas. For instance, she has a wonderful talent for writing. Because of that, she is now working closely with John on the Re-ACT Believe newsletter, which you are reading right now! Anne is retired and has six grandchildren. However, no one believes she is her true age. She seems to have boundless energy, and a very positive outlook on life. Volunteering at ACT-B has also opened her mind to the words HTV and AIDS. Take an example from this great lady-it’s never too late to change or learn. Thankyou, Anne! SPEAKER'S BUREAU Become a volunteer speaker with ACT-B. We need speakers who can address Issues knowledgeably and with compassion. Participants need not be professional speakers. The agency will provide training and support. The training will take place early In the year, one night a week for four weeks. Please consider lend­ ing your talents to the speak­ er's bureau. There will be a limited number of spaces for training, and applications will be accepted on a first-come basis. Call David at 345-1516 for more information. �This is for Donald Dunbar whom I will always love and miss dearly in the times ahead and for his miraculous family who showed me that love can indeed overcome all adversity. ACT-B Advisory Coundl Fred Ball Norman Bowers Nicky Tittley Mary McKenzie Marie Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roede Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Supervisor, P.A.G.H., Infection Control Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hosp Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liason Family Physician Strength Me opened his circle and Cct me in, at a time when openings art hard. Me Bared his soul and shared, his past, his present and dreams. ACT-B Board of Directors Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Susan Ivany Gail Linklater Mary Ann Morriseau Carol Nicholson April Richardson Bob Richardson Diane Roberts Ted Romanowski Director Treasurer Secretary Director Director Vice President Director Director Director Director President Director Me fought with courage and tears, a conflict, formidable and harsh. Me gained wisdom and insight grew, as motherly love enveloped him. Me taught me patience and love as he accepted me and what I stood for. Me gave new meaning to the word hope, as l saw the world through his eyes. ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry Meghan Blanchette John Books Gabriel Kakeeway Lawrence Korhonen Glenna McLeod Michael Sobota Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Secretary Fundraising/Communications Coor. Native Outreach Coordinator Office Manager Support Services Executive Director Gallois’ Revelation "If you put tomfoolry into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize iL" Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency. You can phone or mail. You can remain anonymous if you wish. We’d like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly appreciated. Me showed me the joy a family can Bring, when all else is But a dream. ‘'But most of all he gave me strength, when he reached out and called me friend Donald died peaefuly in his home on November 28, 1991 surrounded by his loving family. We at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay miss him. Good-bye Donald, Glenna. Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 eA *-6-RSLO-5UULSUC2. CuO.Q.C -4JXCP HOW TO BE A LOCAL HERO (807) 345-1516 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. John Books, Editor, ReACT-Believe Anne Ciemny, Assistant Editor The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. page 4 MAKE GIVING A FAMILY AFFAIR Local Hcro« l<nnw that when even-one in your family helpi decide which causes to support, everyone iluies in the rewards oi Riving Make giving a part of your family plans and family budget.You 'll all be ^ Local 1 lcioct. A New Spirit of ('living A MtMntl in ninuiai •*** <hr~ir^(rB~v~Tr7rv~tr a 8 v a r 'tyre- �DOCTALK - NUTRITION FOR THE MIND AND BODY jv; ’ The following is an edited version of the transcript of Los Angeles M.D. Joan Priestly’s lecture delivered at a PWAlive forum June 5„1991, at the Sabathani Community Center, Minneapolis. From PWAlive Summmer 91 issue. I’m going to talk about my experience with HIV, which I’ve been working with since 1986, and the program I’ve developed, which seems to work dramatically well with people. I’m going to say all the things I’m not going to say later tonight, so this is not just a preview of tonight’s presentation. Tonight is a panel discussion with other doctors, sort of Aids 101, sponsored by Burrough -Welcome. I was invited and paid by Burrough - Welcome, of all things, to talk about why AZT is a virtually useless drug. Joan Priestly’s 5 - Point Program What are some simple things you can do to empower yourself, improve your health, and enhance your immune system? Over the last six years now, I have developed a five-point empowerment program that’s really very simple-tilings that people can do for themselves. Number One Simple lifestyle changes I’ve been saying this for five years now. Mercifully someone got enough money out of our government to really start studying these things and really research them and there is data in the medical literature that substantiates what I’ve been saying for five years and a lot of holistic doctors have been saying for 20 years. There are certain things that need to be changed when anyone has a compromised immune system: that would be anyone with allergies, with cancer, with chronic fatigue syndrome, and with HIV. Crummy white cells are crummy white cells. If they don’t do their job for you infections and cancers and other things start showing up. How do we repair your immune system so that your white cells can do their very best for you? Stop Smoking. One of the most important things to do is to stop smoking . People with HTV were studied and people who smoked were three times more likely to develop AIDS over one year than people who did not smoke. To stop smoking cigarettes is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Stop Drinking. Next is to stop drinking alcohol. Totally. It’s been shown that the alcohol in one lousy glass of wine, or one can of beer, or one shot of hard liquor is enough to significantly impair your white cells. So 1 ask anyone who has cancer or who has been exposed to the AIDS virus. Would this be an issue for you? Would you be willing to stop drinking alcohol? And you can imagine, most of the people who have already wound up at a holistic office have already handled some of the so-called low-level addictions. They’re in 12-step programs, they’re in AA, they’ve handled this kind of thing a long time ago. For people who have not handled it, I ask them point blank, are you willing to make that commitment to yourself? And if they’re not willing to, then I’m not willing to see them again until they’ve been sober for 30 days. These things have been studied and researched very well; my clients have the best statistics in the country and I know that if people who continue to smoke and drink come on board as clients, they’re going to screw up my statistics. No Drugs. Next of things that really need to be changed are recreational drugs. At least in LA, cocaine seems to be the drug of choice and marijuana is second. Cocaine’s been proven to be a great offender for your immune system. If you want to watch white cells completely go into a huddle under the microscope, just put them in with cocaine. So it’s really necessary to stop doing cocaine and marijuana or other recreational drugsquaaludes, amphetamines, etc. They wreak havoc with your immune system. Other life style changes include destressing. People need to sleep a certain number of hours; they need to stop staying up all night. I ask my clients to do meditations and visualizations and yoga and deep breathing exercises. Anything that can decrease your sense of stress in life will enhance your response to the AIDS virus and that’s about the only guarantee that I can safely make. Safer Sex. Other lifestyle changes include what we euphemistically call safe sex. It’s really safer sex, it’s all we’ve got, using condoms. You don’t want to take the chance of exposing yourself to a nastier strain of the AIDS virus. It’s not correct to talk just about "the" AIDS virusthcre’s a thousand and two different strains and we know the virus is mutating, it’s becoming a nastier, more aggressive bug. People who are becoming infected now are becoming infected with this nastier bug and I predict that we’re going to see a sharper curve in this epidemic because of that. You don’t want to take the chance of reinfecting yourself with a nastier strain of the AIDS virus to say nothing of the other sexually transmitted diseases that we tend to forget about: hepatitis, syphilis, herpes, things like that. As you can see, the issue is not cigarettes; the issue is not alcohol. Those are just manifestations of a larger issue. The issue A* �V," «W- really is to what extent are people willing to love themselves and revere their bodies and participate 100% in turning their lives aroundyv' Number Two ^ . Diet * r' There’s a profound relationship between diet and nutrients and how well your body functions and how well your immune system functions. What can people do to improve their diet and maximize their bodies? Number one I feel with HIV is to get the sugar out of your body. And I mean out, completely. White sugar, cane sugar. Cane sugar comes in a myriad of forms in a whole lot of foods that you would never expect to fmd sugar in, so it becomes a matter of reading labels of everything that you eat. Anything that ends in "o-s-e" - fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose - is a synonym for sugar and you want to avoid foods that say they have those products in them. Honey is fine in moderation. Why am I a bitch about sugar? Two reasons. One, sugar shuts down white cells. That’s been shown in different laboratories. Two, it’s been shown that the pneumocystis bug that causes pneumocystis pneumonia, which is still the biggest killer with HIV, is a yeast, instead of a parasite. All yeasts thrive on sugar. You want to keep the Candida undo- control and you want to do everything you can to keep the pneumocystis under control, so a no­ sugar diet is actually a pneumocystisprevention diet. Next would be animal meats. In general, I like my HIV clients to have a largely vegetarian diet of fresh fruits, whole foods, non-processed foods, which means all the salads, vegetables, fruits and grains that you can stuff down comfortably on a daily basis, along with quality protein. It’s been shown that people who have been exposed to the AIDS virus, for reasons we don’t understand, require more protein than the general population. This is where I part company with the macrobiotic people. In fact, even some of the macrobiotic people are having a debate. The conclusion is that you cannot get enough protein from a macrobiotic diet if you are HIV-positive. Quality protein comes from chicken, fish, eggs, and soy bean products such as tofu and tempeh. It does not come from animal meats. What is an animal to be lacking in people who have been meat? If the animal has four legs, don’t exposed to the AIDS virus? Vitamin C, \ ,j Vitamin A, Vitamin E, zinc, iron, ->Sf eat it. What about chicken? Chickens have two legs, that’s ok. What about selenium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, essential fatty acids, and ** , v~ • fish? Fish have fins, that’s ok. If it has four legs, don’t eat it. So I ask my others. Which nutrients are well known clients to stop eating animals and animal for stimulating your immune system? products, including cow milk, butter, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, zinc, cheese. They can substitute goat’s milk iron, selenium, manganese, and essential or soy milk. fatty acids. I think this is an overlooked Yeast is a fungus. Most fungi thrive on reason why people who have been sugar, it’s another reason to stop exposed to the AIDS virus become sick alcohol. The purest among us, quickly. I have come to the conclusion admittedly, would say no honey either, that using nutrients in high doses can help but I want to be practical. I’m above people maintain their health much longer. all things a practical Capricorn and I Also add to the list B vitamins - all of want to give people a program they can them. live with and that’s one of my gripes Let’s talk about the B vitamins for a with macrobiotics; it’s too rigorous and moment. It’s my contention that some of only the most anal-compulsive among the anaemia and neurological problems us can survive a macrobiotic diet. like dementia and mental deterioration I do suggest to my patients that they that show up with HIV are not due to the stay away from sushi and raw fish. AIDS virus but to cumulative B vitamin There are worms in raw fish that get deficiencies that Western doctors are not into us, especially if your immune trained to recognize and treat. About five system is already down. I would prefer years ago, I literally woke up having people to buy chicken from the health dreamed a B vitamin formula I could use. food store. I actually use a protein All my clients take the B vitamin shot at supplement that calls for raw egg to be least every other week if not every week. added. I personally have no qualms In my 600 or so people, I have not seen about using raw eggs if and only if one case of neurologic deterioration. I’ve they’re purchased in health food stores also had the pleasure of sometimes being from conscientious companies. The big able to cure people’s peripheral firms that sell to supermarkets stuff neuropathy - that’s the burning sensations their chickens full of antibiotics and you get in your hands and feet - by using steroids and keep them in tiny little a daily B vitamin shot injection. By using pens. There are other companies that a shot, you get around the absorption raise much more high-quality poultry problem. and from that, safe poultry comes safe . The second way of using nutrients is as S9 eggs. -'s/r • therapy. The philosophy and doses are Number Three different. What the American Medical vN Nutrients * Association would greatly prefer that you My mqjor area of expertise is the use of not realize, is that nutrients can be used in nutrients. Nutrients are used two ways place of drugs if you use them in high for people who’ve been exposed to the enough doses. Nutrients have drug-like AIDS virus. It’s been shown several effects, but not by just eating oranges. times that people exposed to the AIDS Vitamin C virus have problems absorbing certain Let’s look at the nutrients I use as therapy nutrients. Therefore, they have to do in HIV. I use nutrients instead of drugs something to increase their intake of as my first line of defense against all nutrients: either increase their food diseases. First and foremost is vitamin C. intake or use nutrients in concentrated How much? form as supplements. Someone who Everybody’s body is different. Most can only absorb 20 percent of what a people level off at about 16, 18, 20 normal person can absorb either has to grams. This is four to five teaspoons or eat five times as much food or use a so. How much vitamin C is in an orange, nutrient that’s five times as by comparison? Well, it takes 20 oranges concentrated. Which do you think is to make one gram of vitamin C. If you going to be easier for people? were going to gel 20 grams of C in one What specific nutrients have been found day you have a choice of 20 capsules or -%r page 2 �400 oranges. I’m not sure I believe the hype from the company about Ester-C. Ester-C is a form of vitamin C they claim is four times better absorbed. But it’s six times as expensive. I’m not sure the value’s there. I do recommend people who haye high amounts of gastric upset get Estej-C; it does seem to help that. I use wtiat’s called the Linus Pauling dose of vitamin C because he’s the one who pioneered this philosophy. This is a 15-to-20 gram amount for maintenance. When people have an infection, even just a cold or hepatitis or any of the bacterial infections, they can chug vitamin C by the bottle ail day long and you will not hit your bowel tolerance dose; you will not get diarrhea. Why? Because your body’s needs for vitamin C increase astronomically when you’re sick. I’ve taken at least 100 grams a day of vitamin C and didn’t get diarrhea, and then as the cold turned around, I got diarrhea at progressively lower levels each day. You do not want to chug vitamin C. You want to spread your dose as much as possible over the course of the day so you can get more in without getting diarrhea. Zinc Zinc has a profound effect on your immune system. People who are sexually active need zinc because you lose a certain amount of zinc in semen every time you come. If you’re on a junk food diet and sexually active, you can build up a deficiency very quickly. ...zinc deficiencies and protein calorie deficiency-malnutrition-show exactly the same T-cell changes and white cell changes you see with AIDS. Garlic, of all things, is next. Garlic is nature’s sulphur drug. Intravenous garlic has been used all by itself to treat cryptococcal meningitis. It’s very effective against yeast and parasites, and all my clients swallow several capsules of garlic a day. You wouldn’t care to eat this many garlic cloves; you’ve got to do it by capsules, the capsules I use are deodorized so people don’t lose friends and clients. Next would be a general purpose product I use. which again is made by Jarrow; he’s humble enough to put his name on all his products. This is called the Jarrow Pack. Next is Quersitin. We’re getting a little more sublime here. Quersitin is a biocaldinone found in orange rinds. It is the only known substance I have found to date after five years of looking that blocks the AIDS virus directly, the same way AZT blocks the AIDS virus . It is a reverse blocker. This is truly a natural person’s AZT substitute, without the expense or the horrendous side effects. How much? 1000 milligrams a day. Next would be the essential fatty acids, which come in two forms. One is called EPO and the other is called EPA. EPO stands for evening primrose oil. EPA is the fish oils you may have read about used for heart disease or high blood pressure. These are a form of prostiglandyns. They help your body ward off inflammation. Other things I add in, depending, include SSKI, one of the oldest prescriptions products around. It’s potassium iodine. Iodine is an amazing natural antibiotic. Remember the days of mercurichrome? It’s specifically active against the herpes virus. I have people come in with the herpes virus who are resistant to acyclovir and foscamet and 1 have them dribble SSKI on the herpes outbreak directly and that’s the end of the herpes. Amazing stuff. It does sting, and I mean you’ll leave fingerprints in the ceiling for about five minutes. But hey, it’s the end of herpes. I also use Compound Q and dmg. NAC is one of the hottest things hitting the holistic scene. NAC is an amino acid that happens to be a prescription product not sold in this country. It becomes in your body glutothione, an amazingly active product against the AIDS virus. It helps your white cells work their absolute best for you. People with AIDS have been studied and shown not to be able to manufacture glutothyione, so this is one more type of replacement therapy. You can get NAC from the buyers’ clubs. Buyers’ clubs are an extraordinary phenomenon. They are organizations formed by AIDS activists around the country that have gradually become more feisty, vocal, courageous, and open. The buyers’ clubs started by selling nutrients. They now bring in drugs that are used in other countries and sell them quite openly. If this was cancer, we’d all be in jail right now, but because it’s HIV and the AIDS activist community has been so active and vocal and determined, they have to some extent, developed enough voice and power that they have the government on the run. That’s the only way to say it. The buyers’ clubs have brought in drugs used in other countries and they sell them at very reasonable prices; they may be expensive products, but the mark-up is minimal. The buyers’ clubs have gotten their hands on dDC and the buyers' clubs are selling it to anyone who wants it This is unheard of. Whenever I want some quasi-legal drugs from another country, I call my friends at the buyers’ clubs and they bring it in for me. They are a wonderful outlet for expanding the options of your treatment plan. They have gotten their hands on peptide T, which is an extraordinary product that has had tremendous political roadblocks set up by our own government. The buyers’ clubs are selling erythromycin, the only known effective treatment for a very damaging infection called MAI. Thank God for them. I’ve had a lot of people turn their lives around when they started getting these products through the buyers’ clubs. I encourage you to contact and support them. In the handout on ddC are the numbers of all the buyers’ clubs around the country. Number Four: Drugs There certainly is a place for drugs in the management of some diseases and especially in the management of HIV. Let’s talk for a moment about AZT. I personally do not use AZT in my practice. When someone needs to take an anti-viral drug, I send them to the buyers’ club to get ddC. I personally think ddC will be proved to be the star performer of all anti virals being studied right now. I also think AZT will be dead in the water when ddC is approved. No one thing is going to work for everybody. My personal feeling is ddC is everything AZT has not been for the vast majority of people mainly safe, less expensive, non-toxic, and effective. One of the main side effects of ddC is peripheral neuropathy, which is a tingling in your hands or feet, but some * neuropathy is caused by the AIDS virus. c Hardly anyone dies from AIDS-they die 1 from opportunistic infections that come J �along once someone’s immune system is so compromised they can’t fight them off. One of the biggest ones is PCP pneumonia. My clearcut recommendation is Bactrim. One double strength, three times a week. It has been virtually 100 percent effective in preventing PCP pneumonia. Anyone whose T-ceils dip below 200,1 put on Bactrim. For the handful of people who can’t tolerate Bactrim, the next drug I use is an old timer called dapsone, an anti-leprosy drug. I use 100 milligrams twice a week. For those who can’t tolerate dapsone, thank God we have pentamidine. They are the ones who should be using pentamidine. My contention is that people with AIDS are living longer because it is finally understood that we have to fight infections. The most effective drug I’ve found against yeast is fluconazole, or diflucan. 100 milligrams a day, for one week. It’s safe and nontoxic for this period of time. It’s magical against yeast. I don’t use any other drugs against yeast Yeast is naturally found throughout our intestines. It’s a matter of keeping it in balance and not letting it overgrow. Anytime anyone takes antibiotics, they should also take acidophilus, which helps keep the good guys in your intestines. It stops the antibiotics from eliminating more and more bacteria. When the good guys are eliminated, yeast can overgrow. There are other drugs being invented to fight opportunistic infections and I think that’s the way of the future. It’s not as exciting, and there’s no Nobel Prize in it for the researchers, and that’s why I think everyone’s concentrating on the virus. They forget people don’t die horn the virus but from opportunistic infections. Thank you for the relentless actions of ACT UP telling doctors that they have to switch their research focus into more productive areas. We are gradually developing protocols like this for all the major opportunistic infections. KS is a real head slammer. I don’t know what to do for KS and neither does anyone else in America. There is a French product that costs about $1000 a month that is being imported... No American drug company will profit from it, so it’s not being actively researched. I may also be working with a KS treatment from mainland China service. If you think about it, look at all that has never been allowed out of the talent and education we have in this China. Of course, the Chinese have room today. What would happen if you about five AIDS clients, so they don’t went out and put all your attention on have a lot of people to experiment with. some other major issue? I specifically ask The problem is that we don’t know if people to do work that has nothing to do KS is a cancer or an opportunistic with AIDS. It puts them in contact with infection; we don’t know what’s going people they would never otherwise meet, and people meet them who wouldn’t meet on. them otherwise. It keeps them from Number Five: Nutrition for the mind. thinking about their disease 24 hours a day. If you think about it, there’s a whole 1 had a woman come to my office who had breast cancer, and the doctor told host of other issues that really need our her she had four months to live. She attention, whether it’s animal rights or said. Great, I’m going to make those homelessness, deforestation or the ozone four months the most fantastic of my layer, nuclear waste, whatever. A lot of entire life. She blew off her marriage, these other issues can loll us all, quickly. changed her job, took ceramic classes, I ask my clients to do anything they can started working with Louise Hay; she to develop some sort of spiritual worked with a host of other people alignment, something, any sort of power based in Los Angles who do what I call beyond themselves that they feel they can inner transformational work with people. tug on in times of need. She wrote out forgiveness exercises, I should change this talk around and do number 5 for an hour and a half and then joined a 12-step program to stop alcohol, she cleaned up her diet, and her mention in passing that you can take cancer went away. Her doctor said vitamins and change your diet. This is "spontaneous remission," which is how one of the most important things people can do for themselves. we discount the incredible work that people do for themselves. I think using the emotional, mental, and spiritual side of things is as important - V ' as swallowing tons of nutrients. It took vV*»Yy a long time to recognize that the best vitamin program in the world, and the best diet in the world couldn’t begin to overcome a hateful attitude. I tell my clients, if they haven’t come out to their The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay parents, they should do so. It’s part of does not recommend, advocate or owning and loving who you are. If they endorse the use of any particular have not told significant people in their treatments) or therapy described in life that they are HIV positive, I ask ReACT-Believe. The AIDS Committee them to do so. We have people I work of Thunder Bay therefore, does not with who can help role-play and accept the risk of, or responsibility for, fantasize and work up to handling those any damages, costs or consequences of issues. My experience is that these kind any kind whatsoever which may arise of things are a sword that hang over or result, either from use or reliance people in this situation until they deal on the information contained herein, with it one way or another. Other or due to any errors contained herein. things people do is general emotional Persons relying on the information clearing. 12-step programs are excellent provided must do so at their own risk. for doing this, for making amends and Please consult your health getting rid of old emotional baggage. professional. My contention is that this old stuff literally hangs out in your body and can work against healing. I ask people to do acupuncture and massage work, to go out jogging to do anything that will put them in physical contact and touching situations with other people. I ask my clients to go out and do page 4 �Why I Volunteer With ACT-B First, a bit of my background. My name is Anne Ciemny and I was bom in Thunder Bay and have lived in Thunder Bay iny entire life. I am a mother of two girls, ages 31 and 33 and a grandmother to six grandchildren, 4 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. I have worked in a family business for 25 years in the office, in the warehouse doing all variety of jobs and for the past 12 years, I worked solely in the office looking after Accounts Receivables and typing. What brought me to the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay? Two years ago I became separated from my spouse and I had to leave the family business and I became retired. Here I was a workaholic, retired, and now I had the choice to do what I wished. I knew Sheila Berry, the Volunteer Coordinator, as she had worked with me in my family business, and so I went to see her at the ACT-B office and I became a volunteer office worker where I was able to continue to function as a typist, keep up my skills and also volunteer my time. My involvement with AIDS was not highly received by my age group and many of my friends, but I had a positive approach when I told everyone I was volunteering there, and their attitude changed and they complimented me on doing the volunteer work. Peoples attitudes are changing now because HIV & AIDS disease is affecting all of the community. What has volunteering done for me? I used to sterotype people before coming to ACT-B. I have learned there are gay men and lesbian women I work with who are just the most caring and wonderful individuals who I have the deepest respect for and if I hadn’t come to the AIDS office, I would have missed out on knowing them. Also, I do not prejudge any more. I keep an open mind and do not put people in certain categories. I have learned so much about the HIV/AIDS disease and met people who have the disease. I have learned that we must educate, especially the young people, and we all must have compassion and show love to those affected, just as we would do with someone with polio, or alzheimer’s disease. I have four grandsons and love them very much. If one of them should ever contact AIDS, my love would not be turned off. I could; deal with it now. The one thing these people need is love. I am appreciated for the work I do in the office and I do many varieties of duties such as folding brochures, pricing items for flea market sales, counting condoms and mostly typing into the computer, which is my greatest love. After 37 years of marriage and being with one partner always, I find if and when I enter into a new relationship, I will insist that my partner be tested for HIV & AIDS. I care about my health and my body and I cannot assume what my partner may tell me about his past is the page 5 truth. What we are asking the young adults to do to practise safer sex, we, the 55+ group must take the responsibility to do the same. This disease hits any age group. I also volunteer at the Heart & Stroke Association and the people there are also very caring, thoughtful, and appreciative. Volunteers are really treated "very special". I fmd it to be a rewarding experience and I enjoy the "good" feeling I get out of "giving of myself' to others in need. It has made me a better person and given me an inner joy that I never knew existed. Please try it sometime! Thank You Anne Ciemny. HOWTOBE A LOCAL HERO CALL A FRIEND Chances arc, many of your friends are already Local Hemes, giving their time and money to causes that will interest you too. If you're looking lor ways to help your community, they can be a great souice of inspiration. Pick up the phone. Be a Local Hero. ^ AHA - ttsasr A New Spirit of Giving A ''n* to ' •'lunwcrini; You need not shoulder all the load As you travel that rocky, uphill road. Sit awhile - look around Try to find a more even ground Rise up - reach out your hand over here I’ll share your load, I’m a volunteer. by Norm Bowers. Volunteer & Board Member. �NOTICE TO ALL WHO SEND FAXES TO THE AIDS COMMITTEE OF THUNDER BAY PLANTS |p * i ACT-B DOES NOT OWN A FAX MACHINE. OUR AGENCY HAS BEEN USING A FAX SERVICE FOR RECEIVING AND TRANSMITTING DOCUMENTS. WE HAVE DONE AN INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE COST AND NECESSITY OF THIS SERVICE. WE HAVE DECIDED TO STOP USING IT. THE AIDS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SPRUCE UP THE OFFICE WITH SOME PLANTS. IF YOU HAVE A PLANT THAT YOU NO LONGER WANT OR WOULD LIKE TO DONATE ONE, BRING IT TO US. IT WOULD HELP MAKE THE RESOURCE CENTRE FEEL MORE INVITING. FLOWERING PLANTS, IVYS, CACTI, FERNS, TALL PLANTS, SMALL PLANTS, SOME THAT LOVE SHADE, SOME THAT LOVE LIGHT (WE FINALLY HAVE LOTS OF WINDOWS), FLOWERING WHATNOTS... ALL ARE WELCOME. PLEASE TAKE CAREFUL NOTICE: THE AIDS COMMITTEE OF THUNDER BAY HAS CANCELLED ITS FAX SERVICE. THIS CANCELLATION OF SERVICE IS EFFECTIVE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1991. PLEASE REMOVE OUR FAX NUMBER FROM YOUR COMMUNICATIONS LISTS. Should you need to contact us for some urgent reason, you may do so by telephone. THE AIDS COMMITTEE OF THUNDER BAY wishes to thank the businesses and individuals who donated to our holiday baskets. The baskets were distributed to people living with AIDS in Thunder Bay and/or their families. CINEPLEX ODEON VICTORIA AVE. CINEPLEX ODEON VICTORIAVILLE DELI EXPRESS FANNY’S FABRICS MAGNUS THEATRE ROBIN’S DONUTS SAFEWAY COURT ST. SAFEWAY REGIONAL OFFICE < SECOND CUP KESKUS ZELLER’S COUNTY FAIR ZELLER’S INTERCITY Leona Bergkvist Joanne Books Marion & Norm Bowers Anne Ciemny Marilyn Dunbar Ray Gagnon Karen & David Goose Brad Hetsler Gail Linklater Richard & Teresa Michano Jeanette Munshaw Barbara Rivard Diane Roberts Laura Spiller Mike Topp Margaret Traer Stan Weinsheimer Hazel Wohni And thank you to Ernie Jeffery and Joyce Barnes for the Christmas tree. page 6 �MAGIC Wait And See As the world is becoming more and more aware of the AIDS issue, I see that a lot could have been done sooner. Because of the way it was perceived as a disease of the oppressed, a lot of people chose to ignore it. They joked and laughed as homosexuals were dying of the disease. Until a few high profile atheletes began to succumb, then, some people began to take notice. To no avail, litde was still being done. This may sound like old hat news to those who are aware of this issue, it isn’t to a lot of Native communities in the Northwest area of Ontario. I shudder to think some Native leaders and their voters chose to ignore this issue because of their negative attitudes. Perhaps, we as First Nations people need to know how to heal before we go on to govern ourselves. The disease is now everywhere and we should always think ahead of the growth of the illness. AIDS like alcoholism is non-discriminatory and may prove to be more devastating than the latter. So, Anishinabe, take note...The basketball and hockey players have. Gabriel Kakeeway As a dedicated volunteer at ACT-B I could not allow my­ self to exclude an article on the impact MAGIC JOHNSON had on me. Before his astounding appearance on TV that November day when he announced to the world that he had HIV VIRUS, I really did not know too much about this SUPER BASKET­ BALL PLAYER. However, when I heard HIV/AIDS on the news broad­ cast, I immediately glued myself to my TV screen and drank in all the news broadcasts. His per­ sonal appearance, and special news casts and special appear­ ances connected to this story that day and the following days that week kept my interest. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that terrible happenings have a way of turning out good, if you truly believe. We have lost the best basketball player in all the history of basketball, but we have gained a great AID to the dreaded disease of HIV/AIDS. What better help could we have received than this MAGIC HERO of all people to tell the world he has abecome inflicted with this disease. Now, more people are listening, now many are seeking information, as they realize it is time to put aside the fear and replace it with education and action to prevent further spread of the disease. I applaud this beautiful, positive man for what he did, for what he is going to do, and for what all of us all over the world will gain from his experience. Spiritually, educationally, and financially, MAGIC JOHNSON has really come to our AID. We have the "MAGIC” on our side now! HURRAH FOR US! Anne Ciemny Assistant Editor. HIV Testing and Insurance Recently, we have become aware that more and more insurance companies are requiring HIV tests of people applying for insurance. Often urine samples are used for the tests, and sent out of the province. The urine tests are not licensed in Ontario and are often unreliable. We are also concerned, because people tested this way are not adequately supported through the knowledgeable counselling which is vital to the testing process. Not all insurance companies operate this way, so wr encourage you to shop around Be sure of what is happening before you agree to testing. If you have questions, please give us a call. �The QUILT is Coming to Thunder Bay October 8 -11, 1992 to the P.A.C.I. Gymnasium The AIDS Committee Is bringing the Quilt to Thunder Bay to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS In our community. This will be both an educational event and a fundraiser for the agency. What is the Quilt? It began as the Names Project in San Francisco in 1987 as a response to the human tragedy of lives lost to AIDS. The Canadian division of the Quilt is housed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It first toured in 1989, and continues to travel throughout Canada. Consisting of over 400 panels, it represents only a small percentage of those people who have died from AIDS in Canada. Each panel is lovingly commemorated to a lost friend, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, friend or partner who has succumbed to AIDS. The Quilt is truly a work of art; a mosaic fabric representative of the diversity and uniqueness in each of us. The panels serve not only as loving memories, but also as tools to convert ignorance and insensitivity into understanding and compassion. VOLUNTEERS are needed for events leading up to bringing the Quilt here, and also for on site responsibilities, such as opening ceremonies, shifts during the display, closing ceremonies and cleanup, attendance and publicizing,etc. If you want to be a part of this great event, call Sheila at 345-1516. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 5 Issue 1 - Winter 1992 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2671/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no3_[1992v3n4].pdf be9afbdf7a0315cae4b9036dbc4aa111 PDF Text Text �������� https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2671/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no3_[1992v3n4]_2.pdf 6511fb9167257dff1a146324be7f571d PDF Text Text reACT-Believe Summer 1992, Volume 3, Issue TV AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.0.3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807)345-1516 AIDS Infoline 345-SAFE The Quilt Visiting Thunder Bay, October 8 to 11,1992 at ihc 1’AC.L Gymnasium AN EDUCATIONAL .AND FUNDRAISING EVENT TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF HIY/A1DS ON OUR COMMUNITY act-b Pmirrronrrpi. an awl rlnagn mmrihwcd In Hmdrrwin Delta I alt-hill Marlt-iiiiR (Vimmuniratinm * (j 4>«ir «-p.ir.ttinn\ rtmirihuirti In M2 House. • • Priming rnnrrilxiinl In ABC Primers in (Sty Name • Paper supplied In die Abitibi Price Prminrial Papers Mill nf Thunder Bat • This is a photocopy of a full colour poster designed for the Quilt. Henderson Delta Lakehill donated the design work and has negotiated for the paper and printing services. ACT-B is very grateful for this generous donation. �A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE A person’s attitude towards AIDS has a profound influence on the course of the illness. A positive expectation of recovery is likely to produce improved health, whereas a negative expectation more often results in physical and mental deterioration. This "selffulfilling prophecy" occurs because when people expect something to happen, they act in ways which increase the likelihood of that expectation coming true. With HIV, for example, if people believe that they can fight the disease, they tend to reorganize their lives around a less stressful and more healthy way of living. This often ameliorates the severity of their illness and can lead to periods of comparatively good health thus confirming the person’s original belief and expectation. In reverse, if a person feels that they are powerless to do anything about HTV, they tend to cither live fast and wild or totally neglect themselves. When this results in declining health, it only serves to confirm and reinforce their initial feelings of helplessness. "It’s no use feeling sorry for yourself," says Helen. Diagnosed with HIV, she’s convinced that a ’positive altitude’ is important. "There arc positive steps a person can take to stop themselves from getting sick. I find that I’m looking after my body better and that makes me feel better too. The fact that I’m taking more control over my life, gives me a sense of optimism which is reflected in the fact that I’m in a state of very good health... and I intend to stay that way." The role of expectations in affecting the functioning of the immune system is illustrated by Dr. Richard Smith’s experiments of the University of Arkansas. Seven tuberculin-positive patients were inoculated in one arm with tuberculin and the other arm with non-rcaclive substance. The frequent repetition of these injections established a behavioral conditioning in which the patient expected the reaction in one arm to always be positive and the reaction in the other arm to always be negative. Then, without the patient’s knowledge, the injections were switched to opposite arms. This resulted in a very drastically reduced immune reaction to the tuberculin injection - the swelling being on average only 4 mm in diameter instead of 15 mm. Dr. Smith therefore concluded that a patient’s expectation significantly affects their immune response. In a similar vein, the way attiludes toward an illness can influence its course of development was demonstrated by Dr. Simonlon in his study of cancer patients at Travis Air Force base in California. He found that patients with positive attitudes had better responses to treatment, whilst those with negative attitudes had poorer responses. Even more significantly, he discovered that patients who were very seriously ill, but had positive attitudes, recovered better than patients who had less severe cancers but negative attitudes. These findings were con finned by a study of breast cancer patients at Kings College Hospital in London. Of those who adopted a positive, optimistic and page 2 fighting response to their diagnosis, 45 per cent were still alive 15 years later, compared with only 17 per cent of those who responded negatively and fatalistically. This evidence suggests that although an optimistic and constructive mental approach may not guarantee recovery, it certainly will often lengthen life expectancy and increase the probability of survival. In the case of AIDS, even more so than cancer, a person is confronted by overwhelmingly negative attitudes and expectations: "Once you’ve got AIDS it’s too late... There’s nothing anyone can do...AIDS inevitably results in a rapid and painful death." These views are not realism, but pessimism. They look at AIDS in the worst conceivable light, and contrary to all scientific evidence, deny any chance of a hopeful prognosis. Negative attitudes and expectations are thus a denial of truth and reality. Adopting a positive mental attitude involves opening one’s eyes to the possibility of taking control of the future by acting in ways which help ease suffering and prolong survival. Rather than seeing HIV as an irreversible personal defeat and a noncommutable sentence of death, a positive response looks upon HIV as a personal challenge which has hopeful possibilities. In the words of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical, it means a commitment to "pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again". Bill, a person with AIDS, described how a positive mental approach helped him to survive and lead a worthwhile, enjoyable life: "Having AIDS is not necessarily a death sentence. But judging from the statistics and how the media often reports them, a person with AIDS could understandably feel helpless, lost and resolved to an early death. Yet that is not always Lhe case. �VISION ON... AN UPDATE Not every AIDS patiem is gravely ill. Many are doing extremely well living happy, productive and basically healthy lives. I am one of them. Having been diagnosed almost a year ago and having survived pneumocystis and a near fatal bout of cryptococcus meningitis, 1 am around to tell about it. I realize I have been lucky and my good fortune has been through a combination of excellent health care, a great support system, and a positive attitude... No matter that there is no cure at the moment for the disease, it is imperative to keep a positive attitude." The value of a defiant, optimistic and constructive response to AIDS was also vouched for by Roger who has AIDSRelated Complex. He recalled the consequences of "turning adversity into a virtue" through switching to a healthier lifestyle and radically reappraising his outlook on life: "My condition is stable and improving. Physically, I am getting a little better every month. Mentally, I am getting better every day...I have become a better person, with much to live for. I am doing everything in my power to get well... Now that I feel better about myself mentally, I’m feeling better physically." It’s not just that a positive mental altitude engenders a sense of emotional well-being; it also appears to have a strengthening effect on the body’s natural defences against infection. A study by Dr. Lydia Temoshok, of the University of California, in 1989 found that people with AIDS who were positive and assertive tended to have a belter functioning immune system than those who were distressed, passive and resigned to their fate. Reprinted from "AIDS: A Guide to Survival" Peter Tatchell The last newsletter reported that the Board and Staff would be revisiting the agency’s goals and looking ahead to the next three years. Since then, four evening workshops were held to develop new objectives for the agency. The group reviewed the activities of ACT-B by talking about their experiences with the agency. Everyone learned where we were all coming from and our reasons for being involved with ACT-B. From that point, the group dreamed a little about the next three years. All this discussion helped determine what current and new activities would be completed to meet ACT-B’s goals. Then, using these activities as a foundation, specific objectives were written for each goal. A complete report on the entire process is being prepared and can be made available to members on request. From the workshops, ACT-B also established the framework to carry out its mandate. The membership will be presented with this blueprint at the November Annual General Meeting and will be welcome to contribute their comments and ideas to further shape ACT-B’s three-year work plan. The Board’s responsibility will be to ensure the agency’s new objectives are achieved. A lot of work was involved in completing this goal-setting process. All those who participated were enthusiastic and contributed a substantial amount of excellent material. They deserve a round of applause for their efforts. ANONYMOUS TESTING IS AVAILABLE IN THUNDER BAY: PHONE 625-5981. You can now find out your individual health status concerning IIIV by being tested anonymously in Thunder Bay. The process is simple. All you have to do is phone 625-5981 to set up an appointment. During this initial phone call, you will be asked for a first name, in order to book an appointment. No other identifying information will be asked for. At the appointment, you will receive information to explain to you just what the test means, and to provide appropriate counselling relevant to your own personal situation. A blood sample will be taken and you will be given a date and time to return for your test results. Currently, this may be three weeks. Appointments are being accepted beginning July 21, 1992. paqe3 If you have any questions about anonymous testing, please call us at ACT-B: 345-1516. Accurate, candid and up to date information coupled with sensitive pre and post test counselling is what you should receive if you choose to be tested We’re here to help assure you receive that. �ACT-B Advisory Coundl Fred Ball Norman Bowers Dianne Britton Beth Huston Mary McKenzie Marie Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roedde Nicky Tittley Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Coordinator STD Clinic, Thunder Bay District Health Unit Director of Administration, Kinn-awaya Legal Clinic Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liason Family Physician Supervisor of Infection Control, P.A.G.H. ACT-B Board of Directors Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry Meghan Blanchette John Books Karon Ferland Lawrence Korhonen Bonnie Kyle Glenna McLeod Alissa Setliff Michael Sobota Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Secretary Fundraising/Communications Coor. Counselling Conference Coordinator Office Manager A.AW. Coordinator Support Services Education Assistant Executive Director 3 HOW TO BE A localhf.ro (807) 345-1516 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. John Books, Editor, reACT-Believe Anne Cicmny, Assistant Editor Donna Lyons, Assistant Editor Carol Bold, Assistant Editor MAKE GIVING A FAMILY AR AIK The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. l .nc.il I Ivmv* know lli.il wltvn uniryolk' in yoiu l.imilv lv;l|" JccJc win. Ii. .imi-vto support, i*v«‘rv A N™ Spirit ..I ( -£~a ihjivt inihr rrwjnU.il piviilp,. M.ikr £iuu|;-i p4H ill youc I.imily pl.tns.mil family budget.’l.m'll dll lit 4 . • I.1H..1I I SetIK’S, - "If you put tomfoolry into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize it." Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency. You can phone or mail. You can remain anonymous if you wish. We’d like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly appreciated. Director Treasurer Secretary Director Director Vice President Director Director Director Director President Director y g 's - s 'sr s -fr-tra 3 s - p ~o a -y-^~2r-zrTr-g~z>^B~a- Gallois’ Revelation Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Susan Ivany Gail Linklater Gabriel Kakeeway Carol Nicholson April Richardson Bob Richardson Diane Roberts Ted Romanowski ^ irrTrTrrTTirai? page 4 �The Resource Centre Open House, held Friday June 19, was a tremendous success. The opening ceremony hosted by ACT-B Vice President Gail Linklater, Board Member Ted Romanowski and provincial AIDS Coordinator Dr. Jay Browne - marked the finish of a three year plan and provided ACT-B with the opportunity to thank the Ontario Ministry of Health for its support in establishing the much needed new and expanded facility. Sharon Kennedy, representative from MPP Shelley Wark-Martyn’s office, presented ACT-B with a plaque and Dr. Browne cut the ribbon. The Resource Centre never looked better and everyone attending seemed impressed. A large meeting room was set up as the beverage and reception area and a smaller room displayed a variety of posters and a table of materials produced by ACTB. Some significant donations were also received, including two large floor plants and a framed poster of the movie "Long Time Companion" which ACT-B premiered in Thunder Bay. Many thanks go out to those involved including: Gail and Ted for their role in the opening ceremony, Karen Ferland for volunteering as "hostess" with the "mostest", Leona Bergkvist and Susan Gibbs for greeting guests and staffing the reception table and Lawrence Korhonen for planning and coordinating the event. Do ya gotta f-f-fridge you could give us, eh? The Centre is still in need of some things such as a fridge. The one that is here right now is about as big as a bread box. It can only hold about two tins of juice and a pint of cream for coffee. A larger fridge is desperately needed. Apartment size is probably most suited for the space it will go into, but we’ll take any larger fridge. If anyone out there has a fridge they are planning to get rid of, call 3451516. We’d be glad to take it off your hands. "Protocol or no, if he doesn't stop talking soon. I’m gonna eat him. “ Scene from an Ontario AIDS Network Meeting Daoe 5 �'KS'tiJS 7‘gOW 7VS SVUe#7WH T>SP1. So, do ya still wanna be in TV? THE SPRING OUTREACH TOUR April 21 - May 22, 1992 The 1992 Spring Outreach lour, possibly the last one in the foreseeable future, was highly successful. Divided into western and eastern portions, there were a total of 40 presentations in 18 communities reaching 1421 people, and covering 3967 kilometres. The western tour ran from April 21 to May 1, with 18 presentations in 8 communities, while the eastern tour ran from May 11 to 22, with 22 presentations in 10 communities. The main theme of the tour was "AIDS: A Challenge for our Community". The presentations were divided as follows: 9 public school, 13 high school, 4 hospital, 6 agency (health, social service, jail), and 8 community. There was good response from the presentations, although the community forums were usually sparsely attended. The coordination of the tour was smoothly done. /// thanks to the work of Joanne Books. This tour was the last one to be undertaken as part of our commitment to do outreach to Northwestern Ontario, based on Trillium Foundation funding. There seems to be a growing awareness of the fact that AIDS is an issue everyone must deal with, and everyone wants to know the numbers locally. Schools seem to be doing some work in AIDS education, with varying levels of impact. Work with agencies, including health care facilities, seems to be important. There are still a lot of myths and misconceptions, and these presentations provided an opportunity for people to get new information, and to voice their concerns. I want to thank all those who helped to organize the tour, and to express my appreciation for the hospitality you showed in each of the communities I visited. On June 16, a group of people ( Ihe Television Project Working Group) got together to talk about what kinds of shows we would like to present on Cable 7 TV. We will be doing half-hour shows in addition to a special on the Quilt. From a list of brainstormed ideas, the group came up with plans for the shows. Carol Nicholson helped the group establish a format that would make the work easier to do as well as keeping the shows consistent. There are two parts to the group working on this project. One is planning: this involves deciding what the content will be, planning the segments, and writing scripts as needed. The other part is technical: camera crews, directors, editors, VTR operators, sound and lighting crews will be needed. It is rumoured this is a fun thing to do. If you're worried that you’ve never done these things before, relax. McLean Hunter conducts regular workshops and will train our team. We’ll need people to work on scripts, and do some videotaping prior to the season starling. The aelual shows can probably be done in two or three nights in the fall, and three or four nights in the new year. Meegwetch, Gabe! In May this year, Gabriel Kakeeway left ACI-B to become’ AIDS Education Coordinator for Nishnawbc-Aski Nation. We were sorry to see Gabe leave, not only because of his professional skills, but also because of his personality and humanity. We all miss his humour and his clear sighted understanding of the work he does. Although our Native AIDS Project no longer exists as such, we are still available as a resource, and we expect to cooperate with Gabe in the future. We know that he will bring skill, knowledge and sensitivity to the continuing work of raising awareness about AIDS in the First Nations. We’d like to have people willing to commit for the season, although working a half season is possible. If any volunteers want to take part in this time limited project call David at the Resource Centre. Space is limited for the technical crews and some positions have already been filled. so ifyou want to be in television,... call 345-1516, now! Farewell and thank you^Gabe. Daae 6 �PREPARING FOR THE QUILT "Do it! Money will come when you are doing the right thing." Michael Phillips The First Law of The Seven Laws of Money. With this philosophy in mind, allow me to update the activities of the Quilt commitiee(s). The Working Quilt Committee, co­ chaired by Sheila Berry and myself, has been meeting once or twice per month for just over a year. In the Fall of 1991, the committee decided to "Do it" and confirmed with the Names Project Foundation Canada that our display would take place OCTOBER 8 -11, 1992, at the PACI GYMNASIUM. The Board of Directors had approved this decision in May 1991. We then agreed to form an Honorary Quilt Committee, whose members would act in an advisory capacity and would provide a much needed profile within the community. All members are well known, respected individuals in the community. Their ambassadorship and support of this project is indeed appreciated. This committee is co-chaired by Dusty Miller and myself, and has met twice. "Money will come..." Fundraising Update To date we have raised roughly $4,000 for the display. Another $4,500 is available to us through the AIDS Awareness Week budget. Our fundraising goal for the Quill display is approximately $10,000. Our pancake breakfast was great fun and raised $710. Thanks to the Second Cup Keskus for providing their delicious coffee and tea for our Quilt fundraising events. Also a special word of thanks to Sonja and Diane for making such great pancakes! The Ken Hamm Concert was a wonderful evening of music. Thanks to Ken, William Roberts, Rodney Brown, Damon Dowbak, Gibson Martin and I and their special guests the Abolition Dancers(a clogging group from Minneapolis). It was truly a great evening and we raised $400.00 for the Quilt. Wc will be holding two extra bingos at Diamond Bingo Hall on Friday, August 21 @ 10:00 p.m. and one on Sunday, September 13 <2> 1:00 p.m. If you are able to volunteer at these bingos, please give Sheila a call! These fundraising events will bring us to our goal without difficulty. Costs for the display include a fee to the Names Project for transporting the Quilt from it’s base in Halifax, hospitality for the crew that travels with the Quilt, advertising, promotion and other expenses. No admission is charged at the display, however, donations arc accepted and these go to the Support Fund which serves the emergency financial needs of PLWHIV/AIDS in Thunder Bay. Organization for the display is coming along well. Committee members are working hard to ensure that "all systems are go" when the Quilt arrives. So there you have it...a year ago the Quilt Committee and our Board of Directors decided that a display of the AIDS Quill was the "right thing to do". Now the funds are pretty much in place, the organizing is going well, and all of us are anticipating this event with much enthusiasm! Anyone interested in being involved with the Quilt, please contact either myself or Sheila. Susan Ivany Board Member and Co-chair of the Quilt Committee The cover of this issue shows the draft of a poster design for the Quilt Project. All the design work was donated by Henderson Delta Lakehill Inc. page 7 �Join us. Become a member! Members set our course at Annual Meetings. They are kept up-to-date about our work. They elect the Board of Directors who keep that work on track. AC.T-B Membership form. Name Address Postal Code Telephone Enclosed is: _____ $10 Membership fee _____ $25 Supporting membership fee _____ $ Donation Mail to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6E2 FIRST NOTICE MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL BEFORE A.G.M. To be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting, your membership must be up-to-date, (30 days prior to the meeting). The A.G.M. is in November. Please, renew your membership now. OPENING DOORS NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO CONFERENCE ON HTV/AIDS COUNSELLING Growing out of the Ministry’s counselling initiative in late 1990, this conference is a regional follow up designed to assist professionals in Northwestern Ontario who are involved in HIV/AIDS counselling issues. Although in the early planning stages, it is shaping up to be an informative and stimulating event. Topics will range from counselling to community development, with an emphasis on direct work with clients. We anticipate including client representation in order to provide two way learning and information exchange. The conference planning committee is comprised of local and regional members. Ihey include Michael Sobota and Glcnna McLeod, AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay; Vivian Johnston, Thunder Bay District Health Unit; Paul Johnston, McKellar Hospital; Rai Therrien, Northwestern Health Unit (Kenora) and Russel Angus, Community Consultant At present the conference is scheduled to take place in early November and will be held over approximately a day and a half. If you are interested in further information on topics, taking part, or have any questions/suggestions, please call Megan at the office. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 5 Issue 3 - Summer 1992 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2672/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no4.pdf ffc9c2b6876a5f9f806222e1402dd13e PDF Text Text ������������ https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2672/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no4_2.pdf 1934236405dd5ad63d7bd76edbc36ddb PDF Text Text reACT-Believe Fall 1992, Volume 5, Issue TV AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.0. 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807)345-1516 AIDS Infoline 345-SAFE No More Fear No More Ignorance �ACT-B Advisory Council AIDS AWARENESS WEEK CALENDAR OF EVENTS SATURDAY. OCT. 3rd Fun Run/Pledge Walk Boulevard Lake at 9:00a.m. SUNDAY, OCT. 4th AIDS Awareness Week Brunch Lakehead University-Outpost 11:00a.m. MONDAY, OCT. 5th Tree Planting Ceremony Marina Park at 12:00 noon. AIDS InfoNight for Youths Thunder Bay Multicultural Centre 7:00p.m. TUESDAY, OCT. 6th Puppets Against AIDS & Mini Cabaret Prince Arthur Hotel at 8:00p.m. Tickets $5.00 WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7th Puppets Against AIDS Indian Friendship Ctr. Satellite location only, 704 McKenzie St., 8:00p.m. I THURSDAY. OCT. 8th Opening Ceremonies - The Canadian AIDS Quilt P.A.C.l at 8:00p.m. Puppets Against AIDS Lakehead University-Day performance FRIDAY, OCT. 9th Student Day/Quilt 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.mv P.A.C.l. Public Viewing/Quilt 4:00p.m. to 9:00p.m., P.A.C.l. Puppets Against AIDS Confederation College-Day performance SATURDAY. OCT. 10th (Public Viewing/Quilt 9:30a.m. to 9:00p.m., P.A.C.l. Candlelight Vigil 7:30p.m. Assemble at P.A.C.l. SUNDAY, OCT. 11th Volunteers! QUILT Closing Ceremonies 12:00-2:00p.m. Needed for Fun Run/ Walk and Canadian AIDS Quilt display. If you have a couple of hours, call Sheila, today, 345-1516. Fred Ball Norman Bowers Dianne Britton Beth Huston Mary McKenzie Marie Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roedde Nicky Tittley Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Co-ordinator STD Cinic, Thunder Bay District Health Unit Director of Administration, Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TV0 Regional Liaison Family Physician Supervisor of Infection Control, P.A.G.H. ACT-B Board of Directors Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Susan Ivany Gail Linklater Gabriel Kakeeway Carol Nicholson April Richardson Bob Richardson Diane Roberts Ted Romanowski Director Treasurer Secretary Director Director Vice President Director Director Director Director President Director ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry Meghan Blanchette John Books Karen Feriand Lawrence Korhonen Bonnie Kyle Glenna McLeod Michael Sobota Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Secretary Fundraising/Communications Coor. Counselling Conference Coordinator Office Manager A.A.W. Coordinator Support Services Executive Director Please address any comments on reACT-Believe to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P78 6E2 (807) 345-1516 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. John Books, Editor, Anna Ciemny, Assistant Editor Donna Lyons. Assistant Editor Carol Bold, Assistant Editor The opinions and medical information offered by reACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by reACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. �SO LONG, IT’S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YA Well reality has finally sunk in, this is it, I’m out’a here. Now what? As most of you know I am off to Lakehead University to do my Masters in Social Work — wish me luck, I may need it. The good news is I am not totally abandoning the agency. I will be around as a volunteer on several committees that I am already involved in. I am not giving up my starring role in the upcoming television project. By the way, get those memberships in and come out and vote for me in the Fall elections; I am running for office, ACTB office that is. I will also maintain my involvement in trying to get a needle exchange going in this city -- wish me luck, I will need it. The way it looks you will see just as much of me in the future as you do now. There’s no getting rid of me! Another reality that has recently sunk in, is how much I am going to miss my job and everyone 1 work with. I would like to thank the staff for their support and friendship these last two years, without them I would probably have ended up in the "rubber room" on a few occasions. Thanks to the board members for all the hours they have dedicated to my department, especially Norm, Gail, Joanne and Rick. I would also like to thank the many other volunteers who have made llie running of the department so much easier. Yes, Anne this means you too, without your magic fingers I would never have had a five month plan. I would especially like to thank Michael for all his encouragement and support in making the transition out of the agency and on to my new endeavours. Last but not least I want to say a special thank you to all the clients that I have worked with these past two years, getting to know all of you has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my social work career and 1 will miss you all gready. In closing, I would like to welcome the new support services coordinator and wish him or her the best of luck in the agency. I know all of you will make this new member feel as much a part of the family as you did with me. Thanks again to everyone for two exciting and fulfilling years, Glenna McLeod. NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO HIV/AIDS COUNSELLING CONFERENCE ACT-B is organising a conference to look at issues concerning counselling about HIV/AIDS. The conference will take place on October 15-16 and will be held in the new Ontario Government Building , 189 Red River Road. A planning committee has been working hard over the summer months preparing the content and recruiting speakers for the event. The basic goal is to provide a forum where HIV/AIDS counselling issues can be discussed, information presented and personal counselling skills strengthened. Registration has reached capacity, with participants coming from all over the region. A Farewell to Glenna! It is difficult to believe that two years have come and gone. As much as it’s too bad to see you leave, we know it is not forever. I’m sure you’ll become one of our many active volunteers to help develop the agency to it’s fullesL potential. Good luck with your Masters Degree Program. I know it will be difficult, but you’ve overcome even more difficult obstacles working with us. Miss you, Russell Angus page 3 ACT-B wishes to thank the Ontario Ministry of Health for funding the conference. We also want to thank our Conference Planning Committee: Russell Angus - community consultant, Vivian Johnston - Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Paul Johnston- McKellor General Hospital, Glenna McLeod - ACTB Support Services Coordinator and Michael Sobota - ACT-B Executive Director. Karen Ferland has been coordinating and implementing the work coming from the Conference Planning Committee. �fm AH. VikVtf OP- UPE- REGISTRA TION PLEDGES The 1992 From All Walks of Life 5K Fun Run/Pledge Walk will be raising money to support Education and Support Services provided by the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay (ACT-B) services used by the people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. Last year ACT-B’s client load doubled and the money raised from last year’s Fun Run/Walk helped us to increase our services. All you have to do is register to walk or run and have fun! With your registration, you will receive this year’s spectacular From All Walks of Life t-shirts to add to your collection. On race day join in the fun and racing snacks. Free with your registration are new friends and lots of smiles. Do not forget to sign the Waiver at the bottom of the attached registration form. If it is not signed your registration will be nullified. You can help by asking people in your community to pledge their support on the attached pledge form. PRIZES Don’t miss out on the prizes for pledges you collect - have your pledge form and pledges in by Friday, October 2nd. Drop them off at the ACT-B office at 217 S. Algoma Street. For more information about pledges, contact John at 345-1516, or leave a message for the Pledge Coordinator, Bob Richardson. Run or walk your best time, and you could win top prizes in your category. The top pledge collector will receive round trip tickets to Winnipeg for themselves and a friend plus two nights accommodation at Polo Park Inn! We will be giving away plenty of unique and useful prizes. We don't want anyone to feel left out! So don’t miss out on the fun! ABOUT THE RUN The annual 5K Run/Walk held during AIDS Awareness Week is running into its fourth year - and growing. This event is becoming more popular as AIDS Committees from coast to coast are holding their own walks or runs. page 4 �SOLIDARITY OR ABANDONMENT & BETRAYAL? An address given by: Jon Gates Coordinator Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development Canadian Council for International Cooperation 1992 Canadian AIDS Society Annual General Meeting Halifax, Nova Scotia May 23, 1992 Good Evening. I’d like to commence by thanking you for inviting me to be the key-note speaker at the Canadian AIDS Society Annual Bean Fest and Bun Toss. I do so early on, because many of you may well wish I hadn’t come by the end of my speech. To keep things transparent, my speech tonight is in three parts. The first deals with our domestic accomplishments and lessons learned, the second deals with the realities of AIDS internationally and our concomitant responsibilities, and the third will hopefully draw the two together and indicate some cause for future action. In a time and place long ago, and far away - about ten years ago - the world first started to become aware of AIDS. I say long ago and far away because when we look back it is an effort to remember the circumstances of that time because so much has changed since. The world has changed profoundly, with geo-political realities of decades becoming obsolete in a matter of months. We have changed and our communities have changed. The practice of medicine and public health has changed. The way government responds to public health issues has changed. Allow me to review these changes for a moment. as legitimate players in the process of developing policy. In the industrialized countries of the world, AIDS struck hardest in a pre­ existing, self-identified community, with existing political and community structures and with a defined agenda for social change - namely the gay male community. While the results were, and are, devastating to this community, the consequences were not all detrimental. Let me explain. Second, people with AIDS and their organizations succeeded where no one else had in accelerating the rate at which new and experimental drugs and treatments could be made available to those who needed them. In the process, power was shifted from medical research establishments to patients in critical areas such as who has the right to determine and accept risk with unproven processes. The gay community was faced in the 1980s with a fight for its very survival. And fight they did. Wonderful, talented, at times impossible, at times inspired, but always determined, the community came together and fought back with grit and determination. This room is filled with those people, and we arc all benefitting from their actions. For the first time in Canadian history, a government has produced major health policy, namely the National AIDS Strategy, in circumstances where their failure to consult the client group concerned would have resulted in a loss of credibility for the government itself. No government in Canada that wishes to promulgate public policy on AIDS can do so without consultation with the appropriate community-based clientcentred groups responding to AIDS. In short, health-care clients are now seen Third, there has been unprecedented success in generating public responses to public fear and misinformation. By insisting that response to public prejudice was a public responsibility and not the responsibility of those subjected to the prejudice, our community has helped teach government an object lesson in human rights. Lastly, domestic groups responding to AIDS have developed contacts internationally that are without precedent in the field of health care. AIDS Service Organizations have an international network in place at this time, and development organizations responding to AIDS have a loose-knit international network in place at this time. These arc firsts in the health care field and may well prove to be models in other areas as well. These are accomplishments that we should �be extremely proud of. What, however, are the lessons we have learned from these accomplishments? 1 would suggest that we have learned two important and interrelated home truths. We have learned Lhat action to create change comes from the individual and is an individual responsibility. And we have learned that we have succeeded best when we have acted collectively. Thus, if we want things to change, we must make individual decisions to do so, and recognize that our best chance of effecting the desired change is to act in concert with other individuals with similar goals. This process has a name: it is called Solidarity. Solidarity crosses all boundaries of race, religion, sex, culture and age. It occurs when individuals make common cause toward common goals. In the face of all that has confronted us it has been our solidarity that has allowed us to make gains. When we have stood together, we have increased our chances of success. When we have been divided amongst ourselves, we have increased our chances of failure. Our solidarity is our primary resource, with money, staff and volunteers being wasted without it. As a community, we have suffered a great deal. But all of our suffering and our historic response to that suffering has not made us unique. On the contrary, by our suffering we have joined the majority of the human family. Three-quarters of the world population lives in circumstances where suffering, misery and grief, to a greater or lesser degree, is a feature of their daily lives. Our suffering and experience has made us unique and special only in that it has provided us perspective and insight into how the vast majority of people on this planet live their daily lives, a perspective lhat most people living in our highly privileged society never come to be aware of. If we have access to common ground with the majority of our fellow human beings, what are the realities of their lives? 1 would like to begin to answer this question by initially restricting myself to outlining this global context as it relates to AIDS. The most salient feature of this context is that AIDS is striking as many women as men, and some experts are predicting that by the end of the decade, as many as sixty per cent of all cases will by among women. Because of their physiology, not only are women more likely than men to contract HIV during unprotected sex, but they arc also more likely to be diagnosed later than men, have less resources to fight illness, and will live a shorter period of time after diagnosis than men. Thus, women will acquire HIV at an increased rate than men, and they will suffer differentially as well. When one understands that in most developing countries women are the primary food producers, and do two-thirds of all labour world-wide, one begins to understand how devastating AIDS is in its global context. The second striking feature of the glohal context is its sheer magnitude. By the end of this decade, forty million people will have been infected by HIV. Ten million will have AIDS. Ten million children will be infected by perinatal transmission, and at least the same number will be orphans, having lost their mother or both their parents to AIDS. These figures translate into an incredible picture at the community level. In Zimbabwe, seventy per cent of the officer corps of the armed forces are HIV-positive, as are seventy per cent of the police in Harare, the capital. In Zambia, two-thirds of the managers of the copper industry are HIV-positive, and this industry supplies eighty per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. In Uganda, thirty per cent of all district health officers have or have died of AIDS. These people are responsible not only for the response to AIDS, but to all other health problems as well. An estimated one hundred page 2 thousand people are being exposed to HIV each day in the brothels of Bombay. In most sub-saharan African countries, infection rates range from ten to twenty per cent in the general population, and are often over thirty per cent in the adult population. This pattern is repeating itself in Asia, Oceania-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Let me drive this point home. Worst case cenarios in Canada place our infection rate in the general population at approximately onefifth of one per cent. This compares with the previously staled rates of ten to twenty per cent in many African countries. Even if one transposes all potential Canadian infections into the gay male community alone, that community would have an infection rate of about two per cent. Without belittling or denigrating our experience, I say to you bluntly, that we have had a comparative picnic in the way in which we have had to respond to this disease. And please let us remember that much of what has been accomplished has been accomplished in a very different atmosphere than people in developing countries face around HIV and AIDS. We live in countries in which the rule of law is essentially secure. That is not true of many developing countries. We live in countries where the acts of discrimination have manifested themselves primarily in the denial of services or work and in the slowness of government response to the pandemic. In developing countries governments have not only been quick to deny and slow to respond to the issue, but in many countries, activism around AIDS issues is the equivalent to writing yourself a death certificate. Discrimination is in the form of brutalization, jailing, torture and death. So we have not even had to operate under similar conditions in many instances. As I say, I don’t wish to belittle what we have accomplished, I am merely illustrating lhat in the global context, the rest of the world has had to face a great deal indeed. The third striking feature in the global �context is the difference in resources. And I will very quickly sum this up by saying that three ketoconazole or nizoral tablets represent the per capita annual expenditure on all health care for about three-quarters of the world’s population. Put another way, three-quarters of the world’s population live in countries where seven dollars or less is spent per year per capita for all health-care needs. When we compare that sort of health care with the system under which we live we can begin to understand just how truly amazing the community-based response in developing countries has been and how much they’ve accomplished with so very little. From the beginning, we’ve insisted that AIDS be looked at as more than a medical problem. We’ve understood its social consequences, we’ve understood its human rights dimensions, we’ve understood its public policy dimensions. And we have fought to have that broader perspective accepted. What then happens when we broaden our perspective globally, beyond just the issue of AIDS? Well the last ten years - the ten years in which we’ve been dealing with AIDS internationally - has seen a world tipped on its ear. Who ten years ago would have predicted the fall of the Berlin wall? Who ten years ago would have predicted that a jailed poet and playwright would become the president of Czechoslovakia or an electrician from a shipyard the president of Poland? Or that masses of people would stand in Red Square in front of tanks to protect their fledgling democracy — a democracy yes, I say that again. Think back ten years at how profoundly different the world was. AIDS has occurred during, and been a pan of a massive change in the geo-political realities of the world we live in. These changes have underscored several important points. They have told us that individual actions have meaning and consequences. They have told us that individual actions result in change. And that individuals acting in concert with other individuals are effective in creating a new and better world. Finally these changes have reinforced the notion that geographic boundaries in 1992 are essentially meaningless. I make this point because there are still those in our community who will make the claim that we should look after out own firsL The argument is that we should look after our own community first, and that that is where our responsibility lies. I would ask the question of those people - How do you define that community? Is it just you and your neighbour? Or does two houses down the street count too? Or do you draw the line at the end of the block? Or maybe just the neighbourhood. Or the quarter of the town or the village, or the region, or province. Do we exclude from our services, resources, care and concern someone’s cousin because they live on the other side of the street, and the street was a boundary line? In 1902, it may have been possible to draw such lines. In 1992, our world is one where such lines arc meaningless. Our responsibilities and the consequences of our actions are global. We may choose through a system of priorities to take actions whose effect will be primarily local, but that in no way ever mitigates the fact that our responsibilities are to the whole of the global community and that our actions will affect everyone, both at home, and abroad. The argument that we must take care of our own and somehow draw a line which excludes the rest of the human family is an intellectually bankrupt, bereft of principle and devoid of humanity. I have heard this argument for twenty years now, I am heartily sick of it, and tonight T will serve notice that I will challenge anyone in our community who propounds it - at anytime, at any place, on any platform, under any page 3 circumstances, to public debate on this issue. It is a morally corrupt argument, and it is long overdue that it joined the trash heap of history along widi cold-war thinking, big is better, greed is good, growth is great, and all of the other notions that the nineties are showing to be obsolete and irrelevant as guide posts for the next century. If one of the fundamental lessons that we have learned domestically is that Solidarity is our greatest resource, and in the historic times we live in we are reinforcing the idea that we live in a global community and that our responsibilities are global, it seems to me rather logical that we should be combining those two processes. That is to say, we as a community in this country should be finding ways in which we can display our solidarity with people with HIV and AIDS on a global scale. And tonight I have a proposal, a challenge to our community as to how I think that might be done. By the end of this decade there is a good possibility that the first therapeutic vaccine will be on the market, perhaps the first preventative vaccines, and not long afterwards a cure for AIDS will in fact be found. If history is any guide to go by, our society - once we have discovered those vaccines or cures - will move very quickly to secure the safety of our own populations. Once that has been accomplished we will promptly forget about the issue and in the process abandon three-quarters of die world’s population to meet dieir fate as best they can. We did so with dysentery, we did so with cholera, we have done so on virtually all major public health issues. When we have solved the problems in our own society, we have then forgotten about them and put them on the back-burner and they have become just another disease, another illness that those people, over there, have to deal with. We have managed to separate it and distance it from our own reality. Well as I’ve �indicated this evening, those separations - certainly the geographic ones - arc without legitimacy. 1 believe that our community, from its lessons learned over the last ten years, and from its unique placement in health-carc issues has an opportunity to act in solidarity on this issue in a way that is striking, effective, and in fact manifests that solidarity which we understand domestically, on a global scale. Every individual choice has collective consequences, so every choice carries responsibilities that extend beyond the individual. Those who do not recognize this principle are social rogues requiring restriction by the rest of society for the common good. Tonight I’m asking you to make individual choices. They will not be easy or without pain. Fundamental change does not occur without pain - it is not an easy process. Our community understands pain. In the face of social hatred and contempt, we have endured. When family members or friends abandoned us, we endured. In the face of divisions from within our own community, we consulted, we built consensus, we endured. We have endured and suffered, and tonight I’m going to ask you to engage in a course of action which may well result in the need for more endurance and in more suffering. But this effort will not be in vain. It will be part of a process which changes the world we live in for the better and displays in real terms the solidarity we’ve been talking about this evening. It allows us internationally to have the work ‘solidarity’ come to have the same concrete reality and meaning that we know it to have domestically. My proposal is this - We have over the last ten years lobbied successfully for the early release of drugs. Tonight I am asking you to change tactics and reverse that process. I am asking that people living with AIDS and with HIV, and their organizations call on our national governments and multilateral organizations to delay the release of any new vaccines or a cure for AIDS until such time as three conditions can be met. That the drug or vaccine be affordable world wide. That it be accessible world-wide. And that it be available world-wide. And that without those conditions being met, we would make it clear that we would not be in favour of the release of those vaccines or drugs. In taking this action, we would send a clear message to governments, and most importantly to people living with HIV and AIDS in developing countries that we will not allow the lifeboat to leave until such time as we can be assured that everyone has a chance to be on board. This action will be historic. Never before has any relatively privileged group in an industrialized country indicated to the world that they were prepared to make genuine sacrifices in order to ensure that people in developing countries would have a better life. I repeat. The rich of the world have never sacrificed to improve the lot of the poor. If we take this action we will create a model for all other endeavours to make the world a more just place to live. We can choose to stand by and watch the sweep of history, or we can make history. Let us choose to make history. The ghosts of those who have died of AIDS will ride with us. Justice is our cause. Our solidarity is our shield. Passion is our sword, and we must not stop until the day is ours, the dragons are slain, and everyone, everywhere regardless of circumstance can live their lives free from the scourge of AIDS. We have a choice - extend our Solidarity or abandon and betray three-quarters of the world’s population, and in so doing betray ourselves. You may not accept the course of action I have proposed, but your imagination could supply you others. The people in this room represent everything that I would like to be. You represent my dreams, my hopes and aspirations for myself, you are the model by which I try to live my life. page 4 and it is your standards that I try to emulate. I do not have it within my capacity to make those of you who are ill well. Nor do you collectively have it within your capacity to make me well. But together we can start to make the world well. And at the end of the day, that is one of the primary reasons why we’re here. You are my heros. I commend you. I salute you. And I thank you. 1992 A Community Commitment �Things you need to know: REGISTRA TION FORM The race starts at 10 a.m. sharp, Saturday, October 3, 1992. NAME WHEN: WHERE: AGE (As of Oct.l) Boulevard Lake To register, mail in your registration to the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay, P.O. Box 3586, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2. (Please do not send money through the mail.) Or, drop off your registration in the drop-off boxes at the Canada Games Complex, or at the AIDS Committee office at 217 S. Algoma Street. ADDRESS_________ Race Kits can be picked up at Confederation College on October 1st and 2nd, between 5:00 and 7:30 p.m.. They will also be available on race day at 9:00 a.m. T-SHIRT SIZE: LARGE _ X-LARGE REGISTRATION: RACE KITS: DIVISIONS: Men and Women Junior Open Senior Master Veteran ENTRY FEE: under 20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 + CITY______________ PROVINCE/STATE_ POSTAL/ZIP CODE. PHONE( )_______ GENDER MALE____ FEMALE Liability Waiver please read and sign $15.00 - non-refundable. 5K course at Boulevard Lake. For more information, contact the ACT-B office at 345-1516. THE COURSE: Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, September 30th. (A few exception are always made) ENTRY DEADLINE: In consideration of the acceptance of my entry. I for myself, my executors, administrators and assignees, do hereby release and discharge the race sponsors,promoters and organizers including all claims of damages, demands, and action whatsoever in my manner arising from my participation in the AIDS Awareness Week 5K Fun Run/pledge Walk. I attest and verify that I have full knowledge of the risks involved in the event and I am physically fit to participate. Signature (of parent or guardian if under 18) Make cheque payable to : AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay page 5 �REGIONAL OUTREACH ADVERTISING If you live in a Northwestern Ontario community outside Thunder Bay, look for advertisements in your local newspapers this fall. Although ACT-B will not be touring in the region, we hope to keep people aware of the issue of AIDS through these ads. The first ad will run during AIDS Awareness Week, October 5-11, and the second will promote World AIDS Day, December 1. NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY As part of the need to provide appropriate prevention campaigns for the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities, we are planning a needs assessment survey for this fall. The survey will be marketed to try and reach a significant portion of the local gay, lesbian and bisexual communities. Focusing on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, the survey will attempt to elicit information that will permit the establishment and/or modification of education programs. Contact the ACT-B office if you would like a survey to fill out, or look for the survey at various local venues. ACT-B TELEVISION SHOW PREMIERES IN OCTOBER Watch this fall and winter for an exciting series of television programs, "LIFE LINE: AIDS and You", airing monthly on Maclean Hunter Cable 7. This series of seven programs will begin October 8 at 8:00 pm. with live coverage of the opening Ceremonies of the Canadian AIDS Quilt display. Following that there will be a program every month from November to April. The shows will cover a wide range of subjects, including two live phone in shows. We encourage you to watch these programs, and to provide feedback to us. Help us to offer useful and entertaining information to the community. It is also still possible to become more directly involved and join the production team. Call if you are interested. Here is a schedule of the programs, which will usually air the last Tuesday of each month, and then be repeated at least twice. TV PROJECT SCHEDULE 1992-93 Thursday, Oct. 8 8:00 pm. The Quilt Show - live special from PACI Tuesday, Nov. 24 8:00 pm. Introduction to ACT-B AIDS Awareness Week Review The Global picture Tuesday, Dec. 22 8:00 pm. Faces of AIDS - Support services Tuesday, Jan. 26 8:00 pm. Prevention - safer sex and "target" groups Tuesday, Feb. 23 8:00 pm. HIV Antibody Testing **live phone-in** Tuesday, Mar. 30 8:00 pm. Aspects of Health Care and HIV/AIDS Tuesday, Apr. 27 8:00 pm. A Look at the Future of AIDS **live phone-in** page 6 �WORRIED? Been wondering about getting the test? Concerned about past behaviour but scared to bring it up with your doctor, your family, with anybody? Want to know your own status but don’t want everybody else to know? Don’t want people to know you’re gay - or think you are if you’re not? Maintaining your privacy is the most important thing? And you genuinely believe you’ve risked exposure to HIV and want to get tested... CALL 625-5981. Thai’s all you have to do. You can get the HIV antibody test anonymously. One phone call will get you an appointment at the Anonymous Testing Ginic. You don’t have to give your name or address or any identifying information. The counselor will ask for a first name only, to book the appointment. Nothing will be reported, whatever your test results arc. Except to you. So if you’ve been worried and thinking about testing, now is as good a time as ever to take that step. But be warned: a lot of people arc deciding to do the same thing. That phone number (625-5981) is getting popular. There is a waiting list building for appointments. Don’t let that discourage you. Call now and get in line. Knowing your health status can relieve concerns, whatever the results are. And whatever the results are, know that we’re here at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay to give you information and support. You are not alone. ANONYMOUS HIV TESTING NOW AVAILABLE IN THUNDER BAY FOR APPOINTMENTS, CALL: 625-5981 FOR INFORMATION OR COUNSELLING, CALL IHE AIDS INFORMATION PHONELINE 345-7233 COME ON IN! GET YOUR INFORMATION HERE! Our resource library should now be a more friendly and accessible place, thanks to behind-the scenes changes designed to help ease your search for information. Alissa Setliff, who worked with us over the summer as an Education Assistant, has catalogued and organized our library. Our collection of books, reports, and videos has been entered in a computer database. This should make it easier to access materials, and we will be able to provide bibliographies and lists of our holdings. The ACT-B Resource Centre Library contains a collection of books, videos, posters, articles, fact sheets, research studies, newspaper clippings and newsletters containing information related to HIV infection and AIDS. We also subscribe to specific treatment information newsletters with the latest information on HIV and AIDS treatments. page 7 This information is available to everyone, those with HIV or AIDS, health care professionals, students, agencies, caregivers, and anyone with an interest in HIV infection and AIDS. Still in the works is new shelving which will allow for better display of the material we have. We also hope to have a file cabinet in the library soon which will contain treatment information files, vertical files, and newsletters from other agencies and organizations. So, come in and take a look. See what we have available. �2nd NOTICE TO THE MEMBERSHIP: THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE AIDS COMMITTEE OF THUNDER BAY (ACT-B) WILL BE HELD IN NOVEMBER, FOR THE PURPOSES OF RECEIVING REPORTS AND TRANSACTION OF NECESSARY BUSINESS, INCLUDING THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS TO THE BOARD. ONLY MEMBERS MAY VOTE. YOUR MEMBERSHIP MUST BE IN GOOD STANDING AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. PLEASE TAKE OUT A MEMBERSHIP NOW. MEMBERSHIPS OR RENEWALS WILL BE GOOD FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1993. CALL FOR PERSONS INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ACT-B. ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN NOVEMBER. CONSIDER JOINING A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED AND DEDICATED BOARD MEMBERS FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF PROFESSIONS IN THUNDER BAY. PWA/H1V ENCOURAGED. IF INTERESTED, PHONE OUR OFFICE 345-1516 FOR AN INTERVIEW AND INFORMATION PACKAGE. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay acknowledges and thanks our various funders: : Ontario Ministry of Health : Health Promotions Branch of Health and Welfare Canada : Ontario Trillium Foundation :General Fundraising which includes community, business and many individual donations. ACT-B is very grateful to the following sponsors of AIDS Awareness Week events: Pro Golf, Prospector Restaurant, Shear Heaven, Wildwaters Wilderness & Fishing Shop, Framing Experience, Harrington Court, Kelly’s Nutrition Centre, Ramada Red Oak Inn, Floral One Design, Jeannic Tuomi R.M.T., Lakehead Travel Agency Ltd., Canadian Partner, Polo Park Inn, Henderson Della Lakehill Marketing Communications, Eatons, P.A.C.I., The Second Cup Keskus Mall, Prince Arthur Hotel, Mister Print, Coles Bookstores, Lakehead University, Confederation College, Thunder Bay Library, Sweet Thursday Bookstore, Women’s Bookstore, Black Unicorn, Adult Only Video Store, Kent Sign Co. Ltd., Trinity United Church, Lakehead Regional Family Centre, Dr. Fernandes, The Life & Health Insurance Companies in Canada, Secondary School Teachers Charily Fund. All of the above are committed sponsors as of September 1, 1992. Join us. Become a member! Members set our course at Annual Meetings. They are kept up-to-date about our work. They elect the Board of Directors who keep that work on track. Have you renewed your membership? ACT-B Membership form. Name Address Postal Code Telephone Enclosed is: _____ $10 Membership fee _____ $25 Supporting membership fee _____ $ Donation Mail to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6E2 To be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting, your membership must be up-to-date, (30 days prior to the meeting). The A.G.M. is in November. Please, renew your membership now. page 8 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 5 Issue 4 - Fall 1992 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2670/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no2_[1992v2n4].pdf 3ca70bc54f860f9dc04ce0ecb9e2673c PDF Text Text ������������ https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/17/2670/1992_reACT-Believe_vol5no2_[1992v2n4]_2.pdf 0fa933e1683bc867d4151f6c77213523 PDF Text Text reACT-Believe The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Spring 1992, Volume 2, Issue IV AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 (807)345-1516 AIDS Infoline 345-SAFE �GET READY! GET TESTED! ANONYMOUSLY! After years of advocacy by ACT-B and sister organizations in Ontario, anonymous testing for HIV antibodies will be available at various sites throughout the province. What does this mean? Testing for HIV antibodies has been available since 1985. A positive test result (being HIV +) must be reported to public health in Ontario. That means that your doctor or the STD Clinic (two of the most frequent sources for testing in Thunder Bay) would have to report your name if you had a positive test result, even if they "assured you of confidentiality". The rationale for reporting your name has traditionally been to do contact tracing, or what is now commonly called "partner notification". The likelihood of contact tracing having a major impact on the spread of HTV/AIDS is questionable. And it has always depended on the cooperation and honesty of the individual being tested. You may have heard some health care workers say that anonymous testing has always been available, that this is not new, that all you had to do is make up a name, lie when you go for the test, etc. What is interesting is that it has been those same individuals who have resisted making anonymous testing official. We have always believed you have a right to know your health status concerning HIV/AIDS without having to name yourself to public health. Or to lie about it. Well, now it’s official. You can request an anonymous test and not give any identifying information about yourself. If you are considering being tested, we suggest you request an anonymous test. The anonymous testing service will initially be available through the Thunder Bay District Health Unit STD Clinic. It is important that this not be the only available site, and we are continuing to work on alternative locations, in cooperation with TBDHU staff. ACT-B will keep you informed of how and where to access anonymous HIV testing through it’s newsletter, as well as special promotional materials. You should be aware that, if you test HIV +, and then seek treatment from a doctor, the doctor still must report your name to public health. We are working with the Ministry of Health to change that reporting requirement. For now, accurate, candid and up to date information coupled with sensitive pre and post test counselling is what you should expect and demand, wherever you are being tested. If you don’t receive that, please call us. We can help you. page 2 OGDEN-EAST END COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE PROGRESS REPORT The Centre has taken several steps towards becoming operational since the announcement of funding by the Ministry of Health in April 1990. We are now located at 607 Simpson Street and from this temporary base we hope in the near future to be able to provide health services to the Ogden-East End Community which will include health promotion, illness prevention and primary health care. Our staff is at present very actively getting to know the community, discovering the resources available and discovering what services residents feel are important. We welcome enquiries, suggestions, visits, new members and potential volunteers. Our staff at present consists of: Janice Hewson, Executive Director; Debbie Inman, Administrative Assistant; Alison McMullen, Health Promoter; Darwin Bakke, Outreach Worker; Lorraine Thomson, Community Health Nurse; Kelly Lyytinen, Receptionist and Lori Trelinski, Medical Secretary. Our physician, Dr. Christine Peat will be joining us in April. Expanded services in our permanent location are of course still some time off. As soon as we have finished the planning work which is now underway, we will be able to start providing health care with a difference to the Ogden-East End Community. �DONATIONS WANTED Here we grow again!!! ACT-B is soon to take occupancy of Phase Two of the Resource Centre. This new addition to the office will house a Board Room (which will also be used for Education and Volunteer Training Sessions), a classroom/activity room for Support Services and much needed supply storage. The expansion will bring the Centre’s total space to a comfortable 2,700 square feet. Even though we have been at our new location for over nine months, plans are in the works for an official opening. No date has been set but we’ll keep you posted. We may even be able to have the Minister of Health in attendance. Vision ON!!! Recently the Board and Staff held a one day development workshop on planning. While we didn’t exactly develop a plan, good work lwas done at reviewing and revising our Mission Statment and Goals. At the last Executive Committee meeting it was suggested that material from the workshop could be the ground work for a visioning session at the next Annual General Meeting in November. The agency will bring in a skilled outside facilitator to lead us in a bit of a dreaming excercise about what the agency should look like and be doing three to five years from now. This will be a great opportunity for the members to get involved in shaping our future. The last time this was done was over four years ago and the agency achieved those plans. Some Board and Staff members are involved in some prepatory work now. Look for updates in following newsletters and be ready for an evening of "seeing the future" in November. On line with D.I.S.C. In January ACT-B subscribed to the Disabilty Information Services of Canada (DISC). This service is a computer network funded by the federal Secretary of State. It is based in Calgary. The network is for individuals with any disabiltiy or organizations to use for communicating, sharing infomation about treatments or news and informing people of upcoming conferences or events across Canada. ACT-B’s Education Coordinator helped to set up our computer so we can communicate with other groups. The Canadian AIDS Society and the Ontario AIDS Network have also joined DISC and individual agencies are coming on line. AIDS is a new component to DISC but it will sure to be a very active part of the network in the near future. DISC is available for clients if they wish. If there are computer knowlegeable volunteers out there that wish to learn how to use it and train others on how to use the system please call the office and speak with Lawrence. page 3 We are looking for donations to make up gift baskets for clients who are hospitalized. If you can contribute any of the following, please drop them off at the office or call for pick-up. - baskets (any type) - ribbon or other decorative items - paperbacks or magazines - small puzzles or games - any item you think might make a neat addition to a gift basket We will be adding perishable items, such as candy and cookies, as the baskets are put together. Thank you for helping add a little cheer. NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR SERVICE USERS The ACT-B Support Services Department, in conjunction with the Volunteer Department, is compiling and analyzing information about client needs. The information is being gathered in a simple survey of current clients who access our services. The goal of the survey is to gather up to date information about what ACT-B services clients use, what ACT-B services are not used and why, as well as what additional client needs exist that are not being addressed. The information will help planning Support Services for the future. Survey results are coming in and the analysis stage is beginning. Glenna MacLeod, Support Services Coordinator and Sheila Berry, Volunteer Coordinator, thank all of the respondents who participated in the survey. �ACT-B Advisory Council Fred Ball Norman Bowers Dianne Britton Beth Huston Mary McKenzie Marie Portier Eleanor Richardson Steve Roede Nicky Tittley Director, Public Health Laboratory ACT-B Board Representative Coordinator STD Clinic, Thunder Bay District Health Unit Director of Administration, Kinn-awaya Legal Clinic Coordinator, Palliative Care, McKellar Hospital Residential Care Worker Educator & TVO Regional Liason Family Physician Supervisor of Infection Control, P.A.G.H. ACT-B Board ot Directors Gallois’ Revelation "If you put tomfoolry into a computer, nothing comes out but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine is somehow enobled and no one dares to criticize it." Please give us your feedback! Comments, concerns, compliments and criticisms about the newsletter, our publications, or about any aspect of the agency. You can phone or mail. You can remain anonymous if you wish. We’d like to know your comments in order to improve on weak points, and continue to deliver our strong points. Thank you to the agencies and individuals who have given us their comments. They are greatly appreciated. Write to: AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay P.O. Box 3586 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6E2 Kathryn Arnold Rick Atkinson Norman Bowers Joanne Books Susan Ivany Gail Linklater Mary Ann Morriseau Carol Nicholson April Richardson Bob Richardson Diane Roberts Ted Romanowski Director Treasurer Secretary Director Director Vice President Director Director Director Director President Director ACT-B Staff David Belrose Sheila Berry Meghan Blanchette John Books Gabriel Kakeeway Lawrence Korhonen Glenna McLeod Michael Sobota ».d b Education Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Secretary Fundraising/Communications Coor. Native Outreach Coordinator Office Manager Support Services Executive Director p oo o o 0 o o Q O a oa a n gap HOW TO BE A LOCAL HERO (807) 345-1516 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 pjn. John Books, Editor, reACT-Believe Anne Ciemny, Assistant Editor The opinions and medical information offered by ReACT-Believe are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the staff or Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Medical information offered by ReACT-Believe should be used with your own discretion. Please consult your doctor. MAKE GIVING A FAMILY AFFAIR Local l Icroc* know that when everyone in wtur family helps decide which c.iuici to support, everyone shares in the rewards ot giving. Make giving a pan ot your familv plans and Jamils budget. You’ll all be ■. . I aval Horoo s/’ ± A V» i -0 r.nmg I page 4 i 3 'o �AIDS: WHY IS SCIENCE FAILING? Below are reprints of two newsletter articles which point to a concern with widely accepted theories of what HIV actually is. The articles do not dispute the means of transmission or prevention. They do call into question the process by which disease progression occurs in the body. The first is an edited English translation of an article which appeared in the October 12, 1991 edition of the Jomal da Tarde, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Reprinted from Vancouver PWA. Written by B. Els wood and Drs. R. Strieker and W. Neves. What is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HTV) really doing in AIDS? From the days of Koch and Pasteur, Western medicine’s approach to the treatment of infectious diseases has traditionally been to identify the causative organism and then to develop a treatment to inactivate that organism. When AIDS came on the scene in the early 1980’s, the same paradigm for treatment was applied: first, find the causative organism, then develop a strategy to neutralize it. HTV was first isolated from the blood of AIDS patients in 1983. It was identified as the cause of AIDS in 1984. This retrovirus was found to infect a cell of the immune system called the CD4 "helper” T lymphocyte, or T4 cell. Based on this finding, an industry was bom which has now grown into multi­ billion dollar operations expressly for the purpose of finding a strategy to neutralize HTV and to prevent it from infecting T4 cells. Since macrophages have also been found to be infected by HIV, it was thought that the same strategy should address both T4 cell and macrophage infections in a preventative vaccine or antiviral regimen. Unfortunately, this paradigm of AIDS is fraught with inconsistencies that have not been addressed by the HTV industries. First, the number of HTV-infected T4 cells and macrophages is actually minuscule Qess than one in five hundred), far too small an amount to account for the catastrophic cell loss seen in AIDS. Second, the long latency period of AIDS, now thought to be as long as 8-12 years, cannot be explained by the simple HTV infection model. Third, subtle defects in T4 cell activation are seen long before there is any significant reduction of T4 numbers in the blood, and long before the onset of overt symptoms. At least three other paradoxes are not explained by the standard model of HTV infection. First, AIDS patients appear to be resistant to most ordinary colds and flues in which immunoglobulin protection is involved. Second, use of steroids (which are immunosuppressive) has shown benefit in treatment of PCP and in other AIDS-related pathologies. The highly immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporine, has also transiently increased T4 cells, when, under the popular model of the disease, it should have actually done the opposite. Third, a small percentage of long-term HTVinfected individuals have never developed clinical symptoms, or, if symptoms have appeared, it is only swollen lymph glands. Among these long-term survivors, a common blood trait is that they �usually have significantly elevated levels of CD8 suppressor T cells or T8 cells. These patients seem to remain asymptomatic as long as their T8 cell count are elevated and regardless of T4 cell levels, which may in fact be very low. Given these inconsistencies and paradoxes, the model of AIDS as a disease of progressive HTV infection and destruction of T4 cells is severely wanting. However, the leading scientists and researchers charged with finding solutions to the epidemic still cling exclusively to the singular, narrow HTV model of disease progression. They have been dismissive and generally scornful of any alternative model of the disease even when presented with evidence. A recent report in a prominent European immunology journal demonstrates convincingly that the crucial targets of HIV infection are the Langerhans cells of the skin and the dendritic cells of the blood. What this important finding means is that the entire AIDS industry has, hitherto, been basing its therapies on the wrong target cells and the wrong model of disease causation. If HTV doesn’t kill Langerhans and dendritic cells, is there an alternative model of disease to account for the pathogenesis of AIDS? The answer is yes. AIDS is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity is a disease condition caused by a persons immune system attacking that person’s own body organs. Examples are rheumatoid arthritis (and immune attack on joints) or myasthenia gravis (an attack on the nervous system). Recently, another autoimmune condition called Grave’s disease was diagnosed in President and Mrs. Bush in the U.S. Mounting evidence indicates that AIDS is also autoimmune in nature. The key feature in AIDS however is that rather than attacking some other organ system of the body, the HIV-altered immune system is actually engaged in attacking itself. In particular, the immune system attacks its own foundation, the Langerhans and dendritic cells. Langerhans cells, upon encountering a virus or other infectious agent, immediately take it up and migrate through the lymph vessels to the regional lymph nodes where they begin maturing into the dendritic cells found in the blood and spleen. Dendritic cells present this antigen to T4 cells. Thus any pathogen encountered by Langerhans cells is eventually telegraphed to the entire immune system, stimulating the resting T cells into immune activity. Research indicates that AIDS is not an immune "deficiency" per se, but actually begins as an overstimulated or page 2 overheated activation of the immune system. Once an infection has occurred, and after a sufficient number of LC/DC have become infected (the so-called latency period), LC/DC send out faulty immune activation signals. The resultant disorder is reflected in the qualitative immune dysfunction known as AIDS-related complex. It is soon followed by a quantitative dysfunction because the infected LC/DC are now seen as "foreign" or "not-self' by the rest of the immune system. Unless arrested and reversed, this process breaks exponentially into terminal AIDS. Once the autoimmune process is underway, the original triggering agent (HTV) is no longer involved in the disease and can for all practical purposes be absent (the hit and run effect). Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost due to wrong assumptions about HTV’s role in causing AIDS, and wrong assumptions about the best strategies to treat it. The deadly implication of their error only seems to reinforce the hesitancy of those in charge of AIDS clinical research to change directions. It seems just too awful to admit. And that is why science is failing in the battle against this disease. What is now needed is not the development of more antiviral drugs, but new immunomodulators of the LC/DC system, and treatment strategies to autoimmunity while allowing restoration of proper immune function. �AIDS Pathogenesis: Introductory, Background Articles Published by John S. James This article was reprinted with permission from AIDS Treatment News, a twice-monthly newsletter. AIDS Treatment News provides the most accurate, up-to-date treatment information available as well as examining public policy issues. Available by subscription. To request more information write to ATN Publications, P.O. Box 411206 San Francisco,CA 94141 or call either 800- TREAT-1-2 (800-873-2812) or 415-256-0388 , The pathogenesis of AIDS, or how the disease actually develops, was widely neglected during most of the epidemic, but has recently become a major focus of research. The early "conventional wisdom," that HIV infects T-helper cells and kills them, resulting in immune deficiency because of the loss of these cells, was generally accepted without much thought, and is still the basis of AIDSeducation material for the public. This theory has a number of problems, however, especially: (1) Only a small fraction of Thelper cells are infected at any one time in persons with latent HTV infection or with AIDS, and the body could easily replace these cells; and (2) the theory does not explain the long delay in the development of disease, with an average of about ten years between infection and AIDS. Over the last few years it has become clear to researchers that much was unknown about how the virus actually causes disease in the body. The issue is important because the old theory only suggested one basic approach to fighting AIDS - stopping the virus. There were also thoughts about "boosting" the immune system, but without an understanding of how this system had been damaged, it was difficult to design rational therapies. Even the development of antivirals was hindered because it was not known which cells were most important in the infection. Today there are a number of newer theories of pathogenesis. Most of them focus on how HTV could kill Thelper cells indirectly, other than by infecting them. These new theories are not mutually exclusive; it is likely that several of them may be true. To the extent that they are supported by newfindings as more research is done, they may help guide efforts to develop treatments to greatly reduce the damage caused by HTV, as well as to design better antiviral drugs. HTV primarily infects T-helper cells which are in lymph nodes, not circulating in the blood. This infection has tended to be overlooked, because it is harder to measure in clinical trials, since lymph-node biopsies would be required. * Dendritic cells, these immune-system cells, in the skin and mucous membranes, are more easily infected by HIV than Thelper cells. They may be a major reservoir of infection, and pass it on to the T-helper cells. A recent article in The New York Times ("How AIDS Smolders: Immune System Studies Follow the Tracks of HIV," by Gina Kolata, March 17, 1992) provides an accessible introduction to several of the newer theories of pathogenesis, including: * Superantigens. Antigens are substances, often produced by bacteria or viruses, which are capable of stimulating an immune response. Ordinary antigens will not do so unless they match two different parts of the T-cell receptor (a molecule on T-helper or T-killer cells) called the alpha and beta chains. In any one individual there are many different kinds of alpha and beta chains, and they are combined at random in different T-cells, giving many millions of different combinations. Most antigens, therefore, are selectively recognized by only a few of the of the many T-cells in the body. * Infection of lymph nodes. This theory suggests that Superantigens, produced by some bacteria and some viruses. pages �attach to the beta chain only; this process commonly kills the cell, by unknown mechanisms which may involve overstimulation. A single superantigen can therefore kill the whole class of cells with a given beta chain, since it does not matter what the alpha chain is. It is suspected that HIV can produce a superantigen, although this is not known for sure. Mutations of the virus could cause changes in the superantigen, destroying cells with one kind of beta chain after another. Recently a research group at the University of Brescia in Italy found that certain beta chains were missing in the T-helper cells of persons with HIV, although the alpha chains were normal, strongly suggesting that a superantigen was killing the cells. ("Selective Depletion in HIV Infection of T-Cells that Bear Specific T Cell Receptor V Beta Sequences," by L. Imberti and others, Science, November 8, 1991, pages 860-862.) * Programmed cell death (also called apoptosis). It is believed that when T-cells develop, they have a "suicide program" built in, as part of the body’s means of allowing the immune system to distinguish "self' (its own proteins and other potential antigens) from "non­ self' (foreign substances, usually from bacteria or viruses). According to a theory called clonal deletion, which is becoming widely accepted, random variations in inherited genes cause the development of many millions of different T-cell receptors in any one individual; this group of many different kinds of cells would cause an immune response against the body’s own cells as well as against an invader. But at a certain stage of development, immature T-cells are killed in the thymus if they are activated by any antigen. Since only the body’s own antigens are present then, any cells which are activated at that stage are killed (by their own suicide program), leaving only cells which will not attack the body. It is possible that HTV causes abnormal recurrence of this suicide program later, in mature cells. There are several other theories of AIDS pathogenesis. One important possibility is that HIV causes autoimmunity, an abnormal immune response against other cells in the body perhaps against immune - system cells. [Note: for background on the clonal deletion theory, see "How the Immune System Learns About Self," Scientific American, October 1991, pages 74-81.] The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay does not recommend, advocate or endorse the use of any particular treatments) or therapy described In ReACT-Believe. The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay therefore, does not accept the risk of, or responsibility for, any damages, costs or consequences of any kind whatsoever which may arise or result, either from use or reliance on the information contained herein, or due to any errors contained herein. Persons relying on the information provided must do so at their own risk. Please consult your health professional. page 4 �WE SALUTE OUR VOLUNTEERS Volunteer Appreciation Week April 27th through May 02, 1992 From Sheila: As we at the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay are well into another calendar year, we can look back proudly on 1991 at all our accomplishments, and feel grateful and glad that we logged over 4000 volunteer hours. These hours were given freely by our talented and dedicated volunteers, in a multitude of activities; committee work, board meetings, bingos, office support, client support, special events, yard sales, education displays, bedrose making, and endless list of tasks that maintain a high level of service to the Thunder Bay District in confronting HIV/AIDS and advocating for and supporting people both infected and affected by this disease. In the coming year, I am asking for your continued support. There are greater challenges before us as we realize a larger fundraising commitment, and a growing HIV/AIDS presence in our city and surrounding area. I will take a moment to recognize some of the volunteers who have made significant contributions in the year of ’91. Rick Atkinson-for keeping the rest of us in "check", for his committee work, and his laugh. Joanne Books-for her board and commitee work, all the extra stuff she gets talked into, and for cleaning up all leftovers in the office, and for her sense of humour! Norm Bowers-for everything!! Enough cannot be said about the multitude of things this guy does. Norm is retired, but he’s still working! Board member, coin-boxes, client support, office support, committees, Guy Friday. Marion Bowers-for supporting Norm in his work here and for hanging in with the Nevada Tickets at bingo. Anne Ciemny-for being so-o-o efficient, so-o-o dedicated, so-o-o organized, so-o-o positve. Anne is also retired but nothing slows this gal down. She’s great!! Denyse Culligan-for bringing the SECOND CUP to ACT-B’s events, and providing us with excellent teas and coffee, for continuing to be a supportive member. Karen Ferland-for lending her bookkeeping skills and for helping us throughout the year. Dr. John Fernandez-for his support! Maria Fiorot-for helping out at special events, and for hanging in at the Casino, when she had get up at 5 a.m. Brian Holden-who’s always avilable for artisitLc consultation and other related tasks. Susan Ivany-Board Member, committees, a real mean Casino dealer and driving force to bring the Canadian Quilt to Thunder Bay in Oct ’92. Ida Korhonen-for being versitile in her volunteering, bingos, phones, education booth, committees, yard sales, special events. Loretta Kwasnieski-who put her talents of massage to work for clients. David Lawrence-for driving clients to appointments and being a source of support, and those bingos! Gail Linklater-for her patience and understanding on support issues, and for sitting on the Board. Lornie and Tina-for making a new volunteer, Kayle Landon, and for their help at bingo, and other various tasks, Tina for help with reception, and cutting client’s hair. Lornie for his muscles. Sonya Matijek-for co-facilitating the support group for Family, Friends, and Carepartners, and for helping out at Special Events, Nevadas at bingo, and her sewing and craft skills. Theresa Michano-for assistance with the Quilt, bingos, education, and little suprizes. Jeannette Munshaw-for her expertise and calm while serving on the board and other committees. Any news yet? Carol Nicholson-for her efforts in education, sitting on the current board, her computer skills, and her easy going manner. Cathy Powell-for all her work on the Canadian AIDS Society’s Fundraising page 5 Committee, assistance at bingo, Candlelight Vigil, Volunteer Appreciation, Christmas Baskets, commitees, etc. What a gal! Bob Richardson-for his work on the Fun Run/Walk and fundraising efforts. Diane Roberts-President of the Board of Directors, works bingos, special events, signs cheques, and has a good ear whenever called upon. Willie Roberts-for those early morning airport drives, for being so instrumental in the ACT-B relocation, for finding unusual acts for our Safer Sex Cabarets. Ted Romanowski-for help with phones, coin-boxes, sitting on the Board, bingos, and special events. Melanie Shaw-for phones, stuffing, Christmas Baskets Laura Spiller-bingo calling with a smile! LaVerne St.Pierre-for helping out at the office, bingos, special events, Christmas Baskets. Mike Topp-for his tremendous efforts in raising pledges for the Fun Run/Walk, and ongoing support for clients. Debbie Whistleward-for her ongoing efforts in education, through distributing pamhlets, condoms, and talking to people about HIV/AIDS prevention. To those who regulary have helped out with reception; Carla Armstrong, Leona Bergkvist, Terri Cupello, Brad Hetsler, Nell Kivipelto, Wendy Luck, Melanie Shaw, Justus Zela. To our GREAT BINGO CREW!!! To Staff who also put in volunteer hours in Fundraising, Support, and Education. To volunteers who have baked for our events. To all the volunteers who helped with the FUN RUN/WALK Oct ’92. TO ALL ACT-B VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE HELPED US TO COME THIS FAR! �A Look at AIDS Service Organizations in Ontario The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay is participating in a research study which will examine AIDS service organizations in three cities in Ontario: Thunder Bay, Hamilton and Toronto. The study is being conducted by Dr. Roy Cain, who teaches in the school of Social Work at McMaster University in Hamilton. The project is funded by the National Welfare Grams Program, Health and Welfare Canada. The project will examine how AIDS service organizations have changed over time and the social forces which have shaped their development. The study also aims to identify the struggles faced by these organizations and the problems they confront. Dr. Cain says "By comparing the information from the three groups, this study will help show how geography and social setting impact AIDS services in various communities. An important aim of the project is to identify the common issues and struggles of AIDS organizations. At the same time," he adds, "we want to show how the local context in which the organizations operate can create special challenges for workers." Dr. Cain expects to finish his examination of the three Ontario groups by December 1992. A preliminary report will be prepared by the end of the year. He then hopes to look at three AIDS organizations in Quebec during 1993, with a final comparative report expected to be completed by the end of 1993. AIDS: THE BRIGHTER SIDE Having worked with my people in regards to the issue of AIDS, I have been amazed to see that we are not so afraid. There are however, some communities that are just beginning to realize this disease can happen to anyone at anytime. I have been doing workshops on AIDS and have found out that those who have had previous presentations were given the "doom and gloom" approach and did not like what they heard. For the most part people want a positive approach, ie. Education = Prevention. They also do not want to be talked down to. I for one believe that death is not such an uncommon spectre for reserve and urban Natives alike. It is sad in a way that we have become so used to having someone pass on. We’ve had about 500 years of experience on that matter. The condom demonstrations have been one highlight. I have watched our older people struggle to accept rubber usage. They willingly accept this challenge. There have been many times when I have laughed with them as they process their changing attitudes. When explained properly and respectfully, there seems to be less of a threat to the moral issues of those involved. page 6 The growing number of aboriginal PLWA/H1V sharing their experiences has helped to illustrate the risk situation. Some people have stepped forward to say their Native spirituality helps to ease their fears and that has also helped them to survive longer. Although I have spoken of Natives in general, it is important to note that AIDS strikes everyone the same way. I have only explained what is happening at the present time. Next year, the story will be different, hopefully it will be better. Gabriel Kakeeway KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE QUILT MANY VOLUNTEERS WILL BE NEEDED �NEWS FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SO YOU WANT TO BE IN TELEVISION This fall and winter will be an exciting time for ACT-B as we make a return to television. Maclean Hunter Cable 7 Television has agreed to the production of a series of TV programs. Starting in October with coverage of the Quilt display, the series will continue monthly through to April. A mix of pretaped and live shows will provide a way for us to promote our services and reach large numbers of people. This venture will take a lot of cooperative effort - creating, writing, producing, appearing on-air, doing production work (camera, audio, electronic graphics, etc.). No experience is required, as Maclean Hunter will provide the necessary training. As the series develops, we will be promoting it So watch for it. If you think you might be interested in being a pan of it, give us a call. PROGRAM EVALUATION Over the rest of this year, we will be evaluating our education and prevention programs. We need to sharpen our focus, to get the best results for our effons. If you have any comments or suggestions to make, please write or give us a call. OUTREACH TOUR 1992 Pan of ACT-B’s commitment to education has been outreach to communities throughout Northwestern Ontario. The Spring Outreach Tour for 1992 will involve some 36 presentations in 21 communities. This has been an important service over the past few years, but this will be our last outreach tour with current funding. In the future, presentations and workshops outside Thunder Bay will be possible only on a cost-recovery basis. Our thanks go those who have participated, and we hope you will carry on the important work of prevention and education in your communities. We continue to be available as a resource. "TAKING CARE: A GUIDE FOR CAREGIVERS" The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay is pleased to announce the publication of our newest publication. "Taking Care: A Guide for Caregivers" is a booklet designed for families, Mends, lovers, and carepartners of people who are living with HIV infection or AIDS. Written in an easy to understand manner, the booklet covers a wide range of basic information, and offers direction to additional resources. With a focus on local resources, we believe this will be of use to any person or family dealing with HTV infection or AIDS. The booklet is available at a cost of $2.00 per copy, or $1.50 per copy on orders of 20 copies or more. Tax and shipping are extra. We believe this to be a useful publication, welcome your inquiries. page 7 �The AIDS Committee Is bringing the Quilt to Thunder Bay to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS In our community. This will be both an educational event and a fundraiser for the agency. What is the Quilt? It began as the Names Project in San Francisco in 1987 as a response to the human tragedy of lives lost to AIDS. The Canadian division of the Quilt is housed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It first toured in 1989, and continues to travel throughout Canada. Consisting of over 400 panels, it represents only a small percentage of those people who have died from AIDS in Canada. Each panel is lovingly commemorated to a lost friend, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, friend or partner who has succumbed to AIDS. The Quilt is truly a work of art; a mosaic fabric representative of the diversity and uniqueness in each of us. The panels serve not only as loving memories, but also as tools to convert ignorance and insensitivity into understanding and compassion. VOLUNTEERS are needed for events leading up to bringing the Quilt here, and also for on site responsibilities, such as opening ceremonies, shifts during the display, closing ceremonies and cleanup, attendance and publicizing,etc. If you want to be a part of this great event, call Sheila at 345-1516. ( � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource David Belrose fonds Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource reACT-Believe Vol 5 No 2 - Spring 1992 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Health and Medicine Description An account of the resource Newsletter of the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF