Page A3
January 19, 2000
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Health/Education
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CDC confronts AIDS epidemic US WEST commits to extend learning
in African-American women
CQMHiBi r m M o m
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C o m h ib l u - d s torv
tor T he
P ortland O bserver
A st art I ¡ng report from the Centers for
Disease Control (CD C) indicates that
the rate ofH IV /A ID S is progressing
faster am ong African A m ericans than
any other group in the nation. Even
m ore disturbing is the new s that
A frican-American women account for
m ore th a n h a lfo fa ll new AID S cases
am ong women.
Patrica N alls and B elinda Rochelle
o f W ashington, D.C. have taken these
statistics to heart and created an
innovative HIV treatm ent education
program in their com m unity. The
program , called HIV U niversity, is
one o f m any HIV U niversities that
have been cropping up in various
cities across the United States, thanks
to the program created by W.O.R.L.D.
(W om en O rganized to Respond to
Life-threatening D iseases) and the
national HIV U niversity training
p ro g ra m s p o n s o r e d b y G la x o
Wellcome.
Pat is the Founder and Executive
D irector o f the W om en’s Collective,
a com m unity-based organization in
W ashington, D.C. serving w om en
with HIV andtheirfamilies. She teamed
up w ith Belinda to create “ Fighting
for O ur Li ves,” their highly successful
version o f HIV University. Belinda
has been a treatm ent advocate for
years and now w orks at the W om en’s
Collective.
Pat and B elinda’s program is living
p ro o fth at HIV U niversity positively
impacts the lives o f w omen with HI V.
T h ro u g h th e ir le a d e rs h ip an d
understanding, Pat and Belinda have
provided a vital support network to
w om en living with HIV/A1DS in their
area, and the inform ation they need
to m anage their illness.
A fter com pleting a training program
in San Francisco w ith other women,
P a t an d B e lin d a r e tu r n e d to
W ashington, D.C. to create their own
H IV U n iv e rsity . T h e W o m e n ’s
C ollective recruited other w om en
activists to plan an intensive tw o-
day training w orkshop for over 70
w om en. They publicized “Fighting
fo r O u r L iv e s ” to w o m e n in
Was', lington D.C., as well as to women
in rural areas ofVirginia and Maryland,
w ho otherw ise m ight not have access
to treatm ent inform ation or support
services. T hey also designed the
topics for each o f the w orkshops,
arran g ed
fo r s p e a k e r s
an d
coordinated transportation, meals,
day-care and overnight lodging for
w om en w ho had to travel a long
distance.
“T he AID S epidem ic is changing,
and the way w e organize around these
issues has to change as w ell,” said
Belinda. “HIV University isaprogram
that brings together under-served
populations o f w om en w ith HIV and
em pow ers them. If you are a w om an
o f color, or a poor w om an w ith HI V, it
is very easy to feel that you are
ignored. W e w ant to change that,”
she added.
Issues that w ere addressed at
“ Fighting for O ur L ives” included
tre a tm e n t c h o ic e s, w e lfa re and
M e d ic a id , d is c r im in a tio n a n d
c o n f id e n tia lity , d o c to r /p a tie n t
relationships, how to care for children,
sexuality and spirituality. Participants
also had the opportunity to speak to
physicians one-on-one about their
m edical concerns.
“ I felt that it w as particularly
im portant to invite HIV positive
w om en to act as co-leaders in the
w orkshops. As they shared their
personal experiences about living
with HIV, the group not only felt
em pow ered, but also began to feel
that they w ere in a safe place, and the
w om en began to open up to one
another,” said Pat. “W e w ere happy
to see that the women were interacting
with the healthcare providers and
with one another because w e feel that
w om en have a lot that they can share
Advertise in
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and learn from each other.”
“Fighting forO u rL iv es” culm inated
w ith a graduation cerem ony where
each o f the w om en w ere presented
with certi ficates and flowers, and were
given the opportunity to tel 1 the group
how they had benefited from the
program , in their ow n w ords, thus
inspiring each other further.
P at’s interest in getting women
in v o lv e d in p ro g ra m s lik e H IV
U niversity is ju st one exam ple o f her
activism in com m unities ofcolor. As
a w om an o f color who had lost her
husband and you n g est dau g h ter.
Tiffany, to the disease, she felt very
along. For three years, she rem ained
silent about her HIV status, fearful
that a revelatio n m ig h t provoke
discrim ination against her and her
rem aining tw ochildren. Finally, with
the help o f a counselor, she was able
to break the new s to her children and
get the support services they needed.
Today, as m ore and m ore w om en o f
color are affected by HIV/AIDS, what
A $50millioncommitment from U.S.
began as a support group that met in
! WEST to boost technology in schools
P at’s hom e, is now a full fledged
will expand learning opportunities for
organization that serves o ver 370
! Oregon students. State Schools Supt.
w om en and their fam ilies. It is one o f
Stan Bunn said today.
only a few organizations nationw ide,
“This com mitm ent will expand our
created by and for w om en living with
j classro o m w alls to b ey o n d th e
H IV /A ID S. “T h e p o w er o f HIV
horizon,” said Bunn. “Students will
U niversity is that it is peer-based,
be able to learn more, because they
w om en helping them selves, their
will have access to a m ultitude o f
fam ilies and each other,” added Pat.
resources.”
T he original H IV U niversity was
Bunn said in tw o years all o f
created by W .O .R .L .D . (W om en
O regon’s high schools will have the
O rg a n iz ed to R e sp o n d to L ife-
e q u ip m e n t and c o n n e c tiv ity to
threatening D iseases), acom m unity-
provide tw o-way (audio and video)
b a s e d o r g a n iz a tio n lo c a te d in
distance education. “The possibilities
O akland,C A . For the past three years,
are endless,” said Bunn. For instance,
G laxo W ellcom e, a pharm aceutical
instruction can be provided w here
com pany com m itted to HIV research
teacher shortages do not allow classes
and developing new treatm ents, has
to be offered. Foreign language and
sponsored a training program in San
advanced math and science programs
Francisco w here team s o f two women
are good exam ples.
from 10 U . S. ci ties are i n vited to learn
The $50 m illion will pay other
how to im plem ent HIV U niversity in
dividends, including teacher training
their com m unities.
and video conferencing, Bunn said.
For HIV treatment information, please
“For exam ple, this will give us the
call toll-free at 1-888-TREAT-HIV.
capability to share the expertise o f
o u r o u ts ta n d in g te a c h e rs w ith
teachers throughout O regon.”
U.S. W EST today delivered a check
for $25 million toGov. John Kitzhaber
and a group o f North Salem High
S c h o o l s tu d e n ts . T h e s e c o n d
paym ent will be delivered in January
2001.
Retirem ent Living
• Studio & 1 -Bedroom Apartm ents w ith Full Kitchens
• Easy a ccess to shopping and bus lin es
• Dining R o o m , Beauty and Barber Shop
• Activities, Clubs, and Garden areas
• Safety, Security, and Com panionship
• Federal Rent Subsidies for those that qualify
Westmoreland’s
Union Manor
6404 SE 23rd Avenue
Portland. Oregon 97202
233-5671
M arshall
Union M anor
Kirkland
Union Manors
2020 NW Northrup Street
Portland. Oregon 97209
3530 SE 84th Avenue
Portland. Oregon 97266
225-0677
777-8101
EBBAlHO
o rro R T U N in
—
W:
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....
W hat’s in a census form ?
An opportunity to help
empower our community.
Census 2 0 0 0 information can
help determine where new
schools, job training centers,
healthcare facilities and
\
- ■
daycare centers are needed.
W hat
our community’s fair
share of billions of dollars
in government funding
will be. W here businesses
and factories will be built.
There's power in filling
ou t Census 2OOQ,
because the re’s
strength in numbers.
Census 2 0 0 0 .
This is our fu tu re .
Don’t leave it blank
Start Heir
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