novfltnhfli 19.1999
15
n f f liT T T O R S ln e w s
S preading
the W isdom
by K aty D avid son
HIV and H erstory
Women receive special notice this World AIDS Day
in Portland-area events by P a trick M organ
f you ask people on the street what someone
he murmurs of “gay cancer” from
peer-based networking program for women liv­
with HIV looks like, they probably won’t
two decades ago are far behind as
ing with HIV/AIDS in Oregon and southwest
describe a middle-aged woman with children.
HIV continues to impact a growing
Washington, says women are often diagnosed in
In fact, they probably won’t describe a
cross-section of the U.S. popula­
later stages of the disease.
woman at all.
tion.
Due in part to their roles as caregivers, she
This misconception is what fuels Karen
Critics say public awareness, medical care
says, women will often neglect their own health
Pancheau every day. Under the wings of
and research have failed to keep pace with the
needs. And because women generally are not
Women’s Intercommunity A ID S Resource,
changes. Given that, organizers of Portland’s considered at high risk, they are less likely to be
Pancheau and her assistant, Joy Halme,
observance of the 12th annual World AIDS Day
tested regularly.
recently created an autonomous group called
say they wanted to focus on a group that has his­
“The science and education have been
W omen’s Wisdom, a support network for
torically gone unnoticed with respect to HIV
directed toward the primary statistical popula­
women with HIV in Oregon and southwest
infection: women.
tions. But in the future, this is not going to be a
Washington.
The theme of this year’s event is A Positive
predominantly male disease,” Pancheau says.
Pancheau, who contracted HIV when she
Life: Honoring Women Living with HIV/AIDS.
“At its current rate, it will be totally across the
was given a blood transfusion during her preg­
“We wanted to look at what has really been
board, increasing especially for women of color.
nancy, has a grimly realistic mantra: “Women
going on in regards to our community and the
Statistics are absolutely alarming for the number
are so busy taking care of everyone else, they
world with this disease,” explains Judith Rizzio,
of women of color being affected by the disease.”
don’t have time to take care of themselves.”
a member of the Coalition of AIDS Educators.
Pancheau, who will be the keynote speaker
This fact can lead to a series of problems
“And we had this tremendous opportunity to tie
at Portland’s World AIDS Day event, is an HIV­
for women who have HIV and don’t know it,
the event in with a traveling exhibit.”
positive mother of a positive teenager.
Pancheau says. Women often get diagnosed
The display, which features photographs of
She notes what she feels is a lack of respon­
much later than men— and by the time
sibility in the med-
they get themselves to a doctor, A ID S
§ ical field for taking a
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may already be full-blown.
| stronger role in diag-
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She also says there is not enough
| nosing HIV/AIDS
research about how some HIV medi­
| among women,
cines affect women.
g
She says some
T he steps leading up to Women’s
| doctors who don’t
Wisdom began about two years ago,
view
women
as
when Pancheau and Halme attended
being at risk are
an intensive HIV/AIDS training con­
reluctant to test a
ference in San Francisco.
woman for H IV —
They brought the energy they
even at the patient’s
gained there back to Portland and a
request.
year later put on a conference of their
But,
Pancheau
own called C ircle o f String. They
says, as the number
brought in River Huston, a woman liv­
of women infected
ing with HIV and author of A Positive
has risen, outreach,
Life: Portraits o f W omen Living with H IV.
education, research
Huston’s book is a collection of pho­
and treatment have
been slowly broad­
tos and stories of seemingly typical
ened to
include
women across the country who live
women’s needs.
with HIV.
After Circle o f String, Pancheau got
For all groups,
permission to reproduce the photos and
and especially for
This photo of Trade Edness-Etheredge is part of River Huston’s book
women, Pancheau
stories from A Positive Life to create a
A
Positive
Life:
Portraits
of
Women
Living
with
H
IV
regrets that shame
traveling exhibit that will run for about two
remains a major
years and will visit Portland to commemorate
obstacle to HIV/AIDS treatment.
women living with HIV/AIDS, will be on dis­
World A ID S Day.
play at Metropolitan Community Church of
W hen it is revealed that someone is HIV­
As a culmination of these years of activism,
Portland, 2400 N.E. Broadway, from Nov. 23
positive, she says, “the first thought is ‘How did
Pancheau put together the Women’s Wisdom
through Dec. 1 (World A ID S Day).
you get it?’ which often means ‘W hat did you do
network in July. It now sponsors regular activ­
wrong to deserve this?’ It’s irrelevant how some­
According to Rizzio, women between the
ities such as a drop-in support group every
one gets it, but we feel that we have that right to
ages of 15 and 25 comprise the fastest growing
Tuesday, the Black Women’s Support Group,
ask. It’s a blame factor. No matter what your life
group of HIV-positive people nationwide.
and a “Nurture Night.”
choices, no one deserves to get this disease.”
"W hile in Oregon our known infection num­
“We want to give women the tools to be
Though the focus of this year’s event is
bers [for this group] are quite low when compared
proactive about HIV,” she says. “There are a
awareness of HIV/AIDS among women, orga­
to many other places in the world, we’re looking
lot of misunderstandings about positive
nizers and co-sponsors emphasize that all people
at a global epidemic,” she says. “Plus we’re talk­
women. Women’s Wisdom has been a good
impacted by the disease will be honored and
ing
about
new
cases
which
haven’t
necessarily
way to reach people.”
remembered.
been diagnosed yet.... Outreach to women is
inadequate. There is an amazing amount of com­
■ For more information about W O M E N ’S W I S ­
■ PATRICK M o r g a n is a Portland'based free*lance
placency
out there.”
DOM, call (503) 238*4420 or 1*888*303*4420.
writer.
Karen Pancheau of Women’s Wisdom, a
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PORTLAND, OREGON
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commemoration will be held Dec. 1 at the Metropolitan Commu­
nity Church of Portland, 2400 N.E. Broadway.
It kicks off at 6 p.m. with an A ID S quilt panel display. In preparation,
Portland Names Project is holding panel-making workshops. For more
information, call (503) 797-2881.
The main program starts at 7:30 p.m. and includes the presentation
of the Red Ribbon Award from the Coalition of A ID S Educators.
There will be performances by the Four Directions Native Drum and
Singers, as well as Outside In’s Gorilla Theater troupe.
A
Participating groups include M GC Portland, Coalition of A ID S Edu­
cators, Portland Names Project, HIV Day Center, Our House of Port­
land, Outside In and W omens Intercommunity A ID S Resource.
lso, an A ID S memorial mass will be held at 7 p.m. in the main
sanctuary of St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church, Southeast
16th Avenue and Division Street in Portland.
The mass is sponsored by Catholic Charities A ID S Ministries. For
more information, call (503) 963-8102.
A
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4 2 3 5 SE Woodstock • 774-3531
RALEIGH
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