Bay Area Reporter - August 25, 2005
Tyson Gillfillan

One of the oldest grassroots HIV prevention organizations in the country, Stop AIDS has decided to capitalize on the momentum of new data from the health department - which showed the city's first signs of a decline in its HIV rates - to launch a suite of new programs designed to lower that rate even further.

After unveiling several initiatives geared toward prevention among HIV-negative gay and bisexual men, the group has announced new efforts to reach out to men who are HIV-positive.

"For us, these programs are about reducing the stigma of being HIV-positive, and to help in HIV prevention," said Michael Cooley, Positive Force program director at the Stop AIDS Project.

Funded by a $1.5 million contract with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, with nearly $400,000 earmarked for HIV-positive outreach, the programs range from special events like speed dating, picnics, and club nights to support groups and workshops. Cooley said the initiatives are designed to provide support and resources to those who have recently been diagnosed with HIV, and primarily focus on reaching groups who are less likely to actively seek these types of resources on their own - particularly men under 40 and communities of color.

Coping and support programs

The cornerstone of these programs is a series of weekend-long workshops called the Positive Living for Us Seminar. According to Stop AIDS, PLUS is the only early intervention program of its kind in Northern California, and includes sessions on health and nutrition, the pathology of HIV, information about anti-HIV medications and complementary therapies, public and private insurance considerations, and harm reduction strategies. The seminar also includes small group and panel discussions dealing with what Cooley called the "human side of being HIV-positive," such as telling one's family, partner disclosure techniques, and general coping mechanisms.

Stop AIDS will offer the PLUS seminar five times throughout the year, including one specifically for men of color. The first PLUS weekend is scheduled for September 17-18. The organization said workshops typically fill up early, and waiting lists are expected.

Among Stop AIDS' new programs is a weekly Tuesday drop-in group for recently diagnosed gay, bisexual, and transgender men. Cooley said the drop-in group, which begins September 6, would be peer facilitated and is designed to provide small group support to its participants. The group will also act as a feeder mechanism into the more comprehensive PLUS seminar.

Also in September, Stop AIDS' Positive Force group will distribute informational brochures titled "I Just Found Out I Have HIV, Now What?" at HIV testing sites, clinics, and doctors' offices throughout the city. Positive Force will also be working to help medical service providers recognize signs of avoidance coping or denial in dealing with patients' HIV status, and will encourage referrals between the medical community and HIV support organizations.

Social events

According to Cooley, an advisory group of volunteers who are HIV-positive help design many of the Positive Force initiatives. One outreach activity developed by the advisory group is a reprise of the previously successful "Club Life" event, a dance club night for the HIV-positive friendly community.

"We've also tried HIV-positive speed dating events in the past, which have helped introduce our programs," said Cooley. "We're looking into doing different types of these events this year ... including one targeting Gen-Xers, one on intergenerational dating."

Serodiscordant relationships

Finally, Stop AIDS has announced a new program called "Magnetic Love," a monthly group produced by and for men in mixed HIV status relationships. Modeled after Stop AIDS workshops and the AIDS Health Project's now-defunct serodiscordant couples group, Magnetic Love seeks to tackle issues mixed status couples face such as social stigmas, illness, and potential death.

"We found there was a lot of money going toward programs for HIV-negative men, and money going toward programs for HIV-positive men, but nothing really for where those two worlds meet," said Cooley. "Our advisory group saw this as a bridging opportunity, and to provide social support in a non-clinical environment."

Cooley said he's encouraged by the recent reduction in new HIV transmission rates in San Francisco, attributing it to factors such as serosorting and programs discouraging risk behaviors like crystal methamphetamine abuse. But ultimately, he's not changing his game plan.

"We are now, as we've always been, deeply committed to reducing HIV transmission among the gay community," he said.

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For more information about the Stop AIDS Project's Positive Force programs, or to reserve space at a workshop or group session, call Michael Cooley at (415) 575-0150, ext. 225, or visit www.stopaids.org.

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