The Miami Herald, Inc.; a Knight Ridder publication. One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693 - Miami Herald (MH) - Thursday, November 14, 1996 Edition: Final Section: Neighbors NW Page: 3 Word Count: 703
Maria Camacho; Herald Staff Writer

TEXT: Ada Arias recalls hiding the leaflets about AIDS from her parents and her two teenage sons. For almost a year she stealthily shielded the pamphlets -- all to keep her HIV-positive status under wraps.

"I was hiding all the information I was getting," she said. "It was so much stress."

Now, she is open about being HIV-positive and has become an activist to educate Hispanic women about the disease that is spreading among their ranks. Arias heads Positive Hispanic Woman, one of a few support groups available in South Florida for Hispanic women living with HIV.

The group is gearing up for its first fund-raiser at 1 p.m. Sunday, a benefit luncheon at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in memory of AIDS activist Pedro Zamora, who died Nov. 11, 1994, of complications from the disease.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS rates are higher among both blacks and Hispanics than whites. Of the 13,764 females diagnosed with HIV in 1995, 10,527 or 76 percent were either black or Hispanic. Among Hispanic women, the most common modes of exposure to HIV are intravenous drug use (37 percent) and heterosexual contact (38 percent).

Such alarming statistics convince Arias that her activism is necessary. But it didn't happen overnight. It took joining a support group and seeing for herself what damage fear can do.

"When you're alone, you don't know any better, then you start seeing how frightened people are, how you and others hide," she said. "People getting sick and not getting help because they are afraid. I don't want fear to conquer me." "We want to let women know they have a place to go," said Arias, of Hialeah.

The group's mission is to educate the community about AIDS, to provide advocacy on HIV issues and to provide counseling, support and referral services to its members.

"You need support from someone who is in the same shoes," she said.

A small group of Hispanic women began meeting informally in February. Since then, the group became more organized and has grown to include about 30 members from Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Cuba.

Once a month, the women meet to provide information on how to live with HIV. Sometimes members speak about their experiences; other times guest speakers are invited for discussions on health issues, including acupuncture, therapy and nutrition.

Still many Hispanic women, even some in the group, do not reveal they are HIV-positive. Arias said getting Hispanic women to join is often difficult. Consuelo Moreno, a counselor in North Miami, has been treating HIV-positive and AIDS patients for 11 years by focusing on the emotional and spiritual aspect of living with the disease.

Moreno said Hispanics have difficulty trusting others, which causes them to hide their HIV status.

"We have been taught for generations that we are what others say we are, not what we feel we are," she said. "We are so afraid of what others say."

Milagros Zamora is aware of the fear and indifference about AIDS in the Hispanic community. She is continuing her brother Pedro's battle for knowledge and prevention.

"I know many of the women are afraid to come out," Zamora said. "But there will always be someone who will extend a hand to comprehend and console. Yesterday it was my brother. Tomorrow, it could be a friend, or your brother. We need to educate and prevent further spreading." IF YOU GO

Tickets cost $25 per person or $225 for a table for 10. Prizes, including free acupuncture sessions, massages, dinners and a cruise, will be raffled. Proceeds will go to Positive Hispanic Woman, a nonprofit organization devoted to the needs of Hispanic women living with HIV. For more information, call 512-3900 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. WHO TO CONTACT

Positive Insights, a monthly newsletter published by Positive Hispanic Women, is available in Spanish and English. For more information, contact Positive Hispanic Women, 7975 NW 154th St., Suite 360, Miami 33016, or call 512-3900. The newsletter is mailed in an unmarked envelope. Names of subscribers are strictly confidential.

DESCRIPTORS: HEALTH; AIDS

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