Contents:

• AIDS Treatment News Millennium Plans
• San Francisco General Hospital Funding Crisis: Call for Information
• Northern California: One-Day Advocacy Conference, January 29
• Medical Donations for Cuba
• Help Wanted, News Producer, UCSF Web Site
• Buyers' Club List, December 1999
• AIDS Treatment News Index, 1999

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AIDS Treatment News Millennium Plans by John S. James

Any new year, especially this one, is an occasion to examine one's directions and activities and make changes. Here are some of our plans for AIDS Treatment News: We expect to change the front page by adding an explanatory paragraph to most items in the table of contents, to help readers see quickly whether or not they want to read the full article. The new table of contents will usually fill the front page. We are not planning to raise prices. We want to focus primarily on practical information that readers may need in order to work most effectively with their physicians and other medical professionals -- and also to obtain access to care, through private insurance or public programs. Even though it seldom affects treatment now, we will continue reporting on some of the most important basic research, work which could lead to fundamentally new treatments in the future. And we will continue to report on public policy affecting drug development, or access to care. We will also include "alternative" treatment information, especially for relief from symptoms of illness, side effects of medications, or other stresses of dealing with a major illness. The advantage of focusing on relief in the alternative/complementary world, where few trials are done and much less data exists than for mainstream, approved drugs, is that people can often know quite quickly whether or not a treatment is effective for them. Relief is subjective, so the individual is the authority; when someone says they feel better, there is no point in arguing that really they do not, or that we do not know since there is no proof. A difficult issue for us is the great amount of "AIDS treatment news" which comes out in credible journals -- and often in the newspapers also, when a pharmaceutical company or other large organization chooses to promote it to the press. We plan to follow the major journals more closely in the future. But most of these reports, even if technically important, have little relevance to patients' or physicians' treatment decisions now, nor to their understanding of future treatment possibilities and prospects. We do not believe our readers want us to summarize even important work, when its relevance is not apparent. You can help; we welcome readers' suggestions on what is most important for you -- including suggestions on particular treatments, tests, medical conditions, access problems, policy issues, or other areas we should cover. Write to us either at aidsnews@aidsnews.org or at AIDS Treatment News, P.O. Box 411256, San Francisco, CA 94141.

San Francisco General Hospital Funding Crisis: Call for Information

We are investigating the ongoing funding problems at San Francisco General Hospital -- especially for HIV infection, but for other illnesses also. Please contact us if you have information we should know about. This issue has national implications. A recent study which interviewed almost 3,000 adult HIV patients in the U.S. found that about a third of those who were already in medical care for HIV skipped or postponed care in a six-month period for economic reasons, because they did not have the money or could not take time off work (see Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1999). Probably many more went without medical care entirely, but they were not counted in this study. Eight percent had gone without food, clothing, or housing to pay for HIV care. A retreat on public medical care by San Francisco -- an AIDS treatment leader, and one of the most prosperous areas in the country during a huge but uneven economic boom -- is an ominous sign for access to medical care everywhere in the country. The best way to reach us is either aidsnews@aidsnews.org or P.O. Box 411256, San Francisco, CA 94141. Anonymous information is OK if necessary -- but in that case, remember that we will have to be able to confirm everything we publish, without being able to contact you for assistance.

Northern California: One-Day Advocacy Conference, January 29

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation will hold a free one-day conference on state and national advocacy, January 29; participants need to register no later than January 21. Issues include Ryan White reauthorization (the current Federal program expires on September 30, 2000), needle exchange, HIV reporting, and funding for programs in minority communities. This all-day meeting, "Standing Our Ground: Protecting Our Future Through Community Partnerships," is sponsored by the HIV Advocacy Network of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. To register, send your name, organization, mailing address, phone, fax, and email (if you have fax and email) to HAN/SFAF, 995 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103, or by fax to 415-487-3089, or you can register online at: http://www.sfaf.org/policy/han_conference.html.

Medical Donations for Cuba

An effort is underway to donate enough medication for a one- year supply of combination therapy for 500 persons with HIV, in time for the IV Conferencia International Sobre el VIH/SIDA, to be held in Havana January 19-22, 2000 (with skills-building sessions January 24-26). Currently there are about 1,500 persons with HIV in Cuba, and 300 persons with AIDS -- meaning that this donation program could come close to meeting the entire need of the nation, since not everyone infected needs antiretroviral treatment now. "The situation in Cuba is unique... The 40-year-old embargo of Cuba prohibits U.S. pharmaceuticals and their foreign subsidiaries from doing business with Cuba, making it impossible for Cuba to purchase protease inhibitors, antiretrovirals, and other life-saving medicines. Monotherapy is often still the name of the game. Cubans who are living with HIV/AIDS must therefore rely almost completely on humanitarian donations from foreign individuals and organizations." [from brochure for the donations program] Over 20 drugs are needed now, including all of those approved in the U.S. for treatment of HIV. Donations of medicine and medical supplies can be sent to: Cuba AIDS Program, The River Fund, 11086 Roseland Rd., Sebastian, FL 32958, 561-589-5076. Please include a list of medicines, quantity, and estimated value. For more information about drug donation, contact: babaluaye@aol.com or jgl2gov@aol.com For information about the Conference, contact either: In U.S.: Jairo Pedrazza, babaluaye@aol.com In Cuba: Jorge Perez, jorge.perez@ipk.sid.cu

Help Wanted, News Producer, UCSF Web Site

The University of California San Francisco is hiring a news producer for its Web site, http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu. This job requires communication and writing skills, research experience in communications, public policy, or a related field, and familiarity with HIV/AIDS policy and social issues. It does not require Web design experience. Pay is $2,942 - $4,708 per month. For more information, contact Nicole Mandel, HIV InSite, University of California San Francisco, Positive Health Program, 3180 18th Street, #301, San Francisco, CA 94110, fax 415-502-9556, email nmandel@php.ucsf.edu. Resumes may be sent by email, fax, or mail.

Buyers' Club List, December 1999 by Judith Berkowitz

AIDS Treatment News publishes a buyers' club list each December. For a short overview and introduction to the meaning, history, and services of these organizations, see our listing for last year, in AIDS Treatment News #309, December 18, 1998. Arizona Being Alive Buyers' Club http://www.apaz.org/productcatalog.htm bealive@apaz.org 1427 North 3rd St. Phoenix AZ 85012 602-253-2437 fax: (602)265-9951 Travis Wright Memorial Buyers' Club Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation Buyers' Club http://www.saaf.org/BChome.htm saaf@azstarnet.com 151 S. Tucson Blvd. #211 Tucson AZ 85716 800-771-9054 (520) 322-6226 fax: (520) 327-9557 California Rainbow Grocery Cooperative (20% PWA discount) http://www.rainbowgrocery.org/general/vitamins/vitamins.htm vitamins@rainbowgrocery.org 1745 Folsom St. San Francisco CA 94103 415-863-0620 Monday-Saturday 9:00-9:00 Pacific time Sunday 10:00-9:00 (Worker-owned co-op grocery store, no mail order.) LifeLink http://www.lifelinknet.com/ sales@lifelinknet.com 750 Farroll Rd. Grover Beach CA 93433 888-433-5266 805-473-2803 Director: David Blanco CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Health Resource http://www.immunesupport.com/ customerservice@prohealthinc.com 1187 Coast Village Road #1-280 Santa Barbara CA 93108 800-366-6056 Fax: (805) 965-0042 Monday-Friday 6:00-5:00 Pacific time Embrace Life embrace@embracelife.com 2070-C Wharf Road Capitola CA 95010 800-448-1170 831-464-7444 fax: 831-476-7717 Colorado Denver Buyers' Club (PWA Coalition Colorado) pwacolo@aol.com P.O. Box 300339 Denver CO 80203 303-329-9379 fax: 303-329-9381 Monday 11:00-3:00 Mountain time Wednesday, Friday 2:00-6:00 District of Columbia Carl Vogel Center cvc@erols.com 1012-14th St. NW, Suite 707 Washington DC 20005 202-638-0750 fax: 202-638-0749 Director: Ron Mealy Monday, Wednesday 12-9 Eastern time Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 12-6 Florida AIDS Manasota amisrq@aol.com 2080 Ringling Blvd. #103 Sarasota FL 34237-7030 941-954-6011 fax: 941-951-1721 Georgia AIDS Treatment Initiatives http://www.mindspring.com/~atiaids/ATIHomePage.html atiaids@mindspring.com 828 W. Peachtree St. NW #210 Atlanta GA 30308 Director: Guy Pujol 888-874-4845 404-874-4845 fax: 404-874-9320 Monday-Thursday 12:00-7:00 Eastern time Massachusetts Treatment Information Network's/Boston Buyers' Club http://www.bgladco.com/bbc/ bosbuyrclb@aol.com Boston Living Center, 29 Stanhope St., 3rd Floor Boston MA 02116 800-435-5586, or 617-266-2223 fax: 617450-9412 Director: David Stokes Monday-Thursday 12:00-6:00 Eastern, F. 12:00-5:00 New York PWA Health Group http://www.aidsinfonyc.org/pwahg/ pwahg@freewwweb.com 150 West 26th St. #201 New York NY 10001 212-255-0520 fax:(212-255-2080 Director: Elizabeth Pete Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00 Eastern time Saturday 12:00-4:00 DAAIR http://www.aids.org/daair/membinfo.nsf info@daair.org 31 East 30th St. #2A New York NY 10016 888-951-5433 212-725-6994 fax: 212-689-6471 Director: Fred Bingham Wednesday, Friday 3:30-6:30 Eastern time Saturday 2:00-6:00 Texas Houston Buyers' Club http://houstonbuyersclub.com/ hbc@neosoft.com 3400 Montrose Blvd. #610 Houston TX 77006 800-350-2392 713-520-5288 fax: 713-521-7419 Canada Global Vitamins http://www.globalvitamins.com Hershey Drive Smiths Falls ON K7A 5C7 613-284-0076 800-996-8466 fax: 613-283-9306 Supplements Plus remedies@web.net 317 Adeline St. West #503 Toronto, ON M5V 1P9 800-387-4761 416-962-8269 fax: 416-977-3099 [Judith Berkowitz was the Librarian at the AIDS/HIV Treatment and Resource Library at Healing Alternatives Foundation in San Francisco, from 1992 to 1997. She continues to work with HIV information services at Project Inform.] ISSN # 1052-4207 Copyright 1999 by John S. James. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used. Next