University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons In the Affirmative Periodicals 7-15-1999 In the Affirmative, Vol.6, No.7 (Mid-July/ Mid-September 1999) Mick Martin The AIDS Project Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/affirmative Part of the American Studies Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, and the Public Health Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Mick and The AIDS Project, "In the Affirmative, Vol.6, No.7 (Mid-July/ Mid-September 1999)" (1999). In the Affirmative. 22. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/affirmative/22 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Periodicals at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in In the Affirmative by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ,,fr/ ". '" j Mid-July· to Mid-September volume VI number VII IN THE.AFFIRMATIVE a newsletter for M .aine's HIV/AIDS community PROJECT PROJECT IN THIS ISSUE PROJECT Page One PROJECT Cover Story: FTC Warning on Home HIV Test Kits. The FTC Warns PROJECT Page Two Against Son1e PROJECT By The Way, editor Mike Martin's column: "A Summer's Assumptions." Hon1e HIV Test Kits Page Three Washington Post (06/19/99) HIV Reporting in Maine. HIV Vaccine News. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning Page Four about some home HIV tests sold over the Internet. Maine's AIDS Hotline. In a consumer alert, the agency cautioned, "Using one of these kits could give a person who might be infected with HIV the false Page Five impression that he or she is not infected." FTC tests showed that, HIV Treatment News. when a known HIV-infected sample was used, the tests indicated HIV and Women. that the sample was not infected. While Internet advertisements have falsely stated or sug­ Page Six gested that the kits were cleared by various well-known health Just So You Know. groups, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved HIV News. only Home Access Health's Home Access Express home HIV Page Seven test kit and the World Health Organization does not approve or Beware of Viaticals. license HIV tests, the FTC said. AIDS Update. An Alarming HIV Statistic Washington Post (06/22/99) Page Eight Support Groups, Client Services, and Up to 25 percent of the estimated 650,000 to 900,000 HIV-infected individuals in the For Your Information. United States may be unaware oftheir infection. _____m_The_A_ffl~_a_tive_ ©_J_~-,-9~-"-M_B_a~-M-an_fu_M-sh-~-ro-,~-e-AW_S_Pro_~_ct-~-rtla-nd-,M-E------------------------------~-a-g-eOn~ Tho AIDS Project 615 Congress Street - &th Aoor (or 142 High Strffl) P.O. Box 5305 by the way Portland, Maine 04101 Phone, n4-68n Fu, B7!Ml7&1 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.aidsp,oiect.org A Summer's Assumptions AIDS Hotline: nS..1267 or 1-800-851·2'37 York County Office Ufayette Center - 4th Aoor by Mike Martin Kennebunk, ME 04043 Phone: 985-8199 Fax : 985-8646 *51 Disregarding the dangers of assuming too many articles about HIV in each month. I never E-mail: [email protected] Staff: much (since we all know what happens when assume that I know it all, and I assume you don't Doug Bailey, HAVEN I Housing Coordinator we assume), let me highlight some of summer's either. The article about bad home HIV test kits Declan Buckley, MSM Outreach Worker correct and incorrect assumptions. advertised on the internet is something I assume Diana Carrigan, Cumberland County Case Manager If you thought that the number of new you want to spread the news about. As we Janine Collins. Cumberland County Case Manager clients coming to The AIDS Project for case encourage more and more people to be tested, John Cronin, MSM Outreach Worker management services dropped during the we need to make sure they get reliable testing, Sequoia Dance, Street Outreach Worker summer, you would be wrong. New intakes of because I do assume that those of us with HIV Douglas Eaton, Program Coord. of HIV Prevention clients traditionally increase in the summer. are, by this very fact, educators to those around Denise Ferer, York County Case Mngmt. Intern This year is no exception. So, if you thought us. Jill Frame, HAVEN Case Manager HIV takes a vacation in the summer, think On a lighter note, I always think that my George W. Friou, Executive Director agam. lawn mower will break down at least once a Demetra Giatas, Development Director However, if you thought that I would be summer. It did. Last week. It's nice to know that John Green, HIV Case Manager taking a vacation from doing this newsletter, some things can be counted on to happen just John Holverson, Director of Prevention and Education you would be correct. I always take the month when you are in the middle of a job. Gloria leach, Community HIV Prevention Educator I want to mention last month's Gay Pride Randy May, of August off from publishing this newsletter. It Director of Support Services Parade in Portland. I assumed that something Rebecca Neel, has something to do with summer and some­ Cum berland and York Counties Case Manager thing to do with my birthday. I'll turn 45 in unpleasant might happen. That someone in the Susan Parr, Cumberland County Case Manager August. I presume you'll understand I need the crowd would yell out some offensive comment, Getty Payson, York County Case Manager break. But the newsletter will be back in that sort of thing. But I didn't hear anything of Steve Reevy, Manager I Finance & Administration September, as always. the sort. The AIDS Project participated in the Daniel Schnorbus, Client Services Coordinator I always think that I won't have enough parade with clients, staff, board members, and David Aaron Swander, Education I Development Assistant news and information for another month's family and friends wearing spiffy-looking TAP Kerry S. Tardiff, Ad ministrative I Case Management Assistant newsletter, but then I always end up with more t-shirts as they marched from Monument Art Waller, than I have room for. You would think I would Square to Deering Oaks. I particularly want to Accounting Assistant Bowd of Directors: presume correctly, given reality. I assume I will mention the good work done by TAP staffers Joel C. Martin, Esq., President Michael Martin, Vice President presume correctly next time. I am particularly David Aaron Swander and Daniel Schnorbus Anne M. Romano, CPA. TrHsurer JoAnne Peterson, Secretary pleased with the article about the Maine AIDS and TAP Board Member Michael Burnham in Lawrence Bliss Michael Burnham Hotline written by Doug Eaton, the Hotline's organizing TAP's participation. And hats off to Jerro ld C. Edelberg, Ph.D. Dino Giamani coordinator. TAP runs the Hotline and the the folks who manned TAP's information table Judi Mansing Karla B. McGowan article by Doug is interesting reading. in Deering Oaks that day. Nice work everybody. Frances W. Peabody Carl Toney I always assume you, our readers, know So I have presumed and assumed your John Wade Verne Weisberg, M.D. that TAP welcomes volunteers. In particular, indulgences long enough. I hope you all have an Roberta M. Wright Advisory Board, you might think about volunteering to work on enjoyable summer and that this fleeting season Bettsanne Holmes, Chair Josiah K. Adams the Hotline. of sun and sea and summer squash rejuvenates Peter C Barnard Joan B. Burns Anyway, when putting together this your spirits and puts a little color into your life. Peter l. Chandler, CPA Madeleine G. Corson newsletter, I always assume that what is news to As the song from the 70's says, "See you in Maria P. Damerel Josiah H. Drummond, Jr. me is news to most of you. That's why I put so September." Alice Gemmer Pamela W. Gleichman Sandra Goolden Celeste Gosselin Sources for some of the Contributors to this issue of Jonathan W. Karol, D.O. Leo J. LaP1ante, CPA information in this In The Affirmative include: Pamela Knowles Lawrason, Esq. Mallory K. Marshall newsletter include: Mary Jean Mork Gwendolyn C. O'Guin, D.O. Demetra Giatas Patricia M . Pinto Lois Galgay Reckitt Portland Press Herald Doug Eaton Victoria A. Rochefort Lynn E. Shaffer USA Today Denise Ferer Elizabeth 0 . Shorr John H. Siegle, M .D. Maine Bureau of Health - HIV/STD Program Randy May Cynthia Sartwell, M.D. Seth Sprague CDC Hotline Community Bulletin Susan Parr James F. Tomney Virginia W. Truesdale CDC National Center for HIV, STD, Margaret Wiles and TB Prevention Kerry Tardiff, Distribution Jean T. Wilkinson Margo Wintersteen Mike Martin, Editor Roger F. Woodman Frances R. Zilkha ~'"'"'""'"' &,Page Two In The Affirmative © July 1999 from Bald Man Publishing for The AIDS Project, Portland, ME HIV in Maine: HIV Vaccine News Breakthrough Offers New Hope for AIDS Change in Reporting Vaccine of HIV Cases Nando Times Online (06/22/99) An international team of researchers has The following is the text ofa memo sent out on June 2 5, 1999 to found a link between HIV and key proteins the "Health Care Providers Involved in HIV-Antibody Testing" (and virus uses to attack cells, and they have others) from the Maine HIV/STD Program. This memo corzfirms the developed a vaccine based on their discovery. HIV requires receptors, including the CD4 new rules for reporting HIV cases in the state and why the rules are receptor and CCR5 proteins, for access into being put into place. The bottom line of the rules change to is better cells.