San Francisco Chronicle - Friday, November 16, 2001
Christopher Heredia, Chronicle Staff Writer

As a result of the examination of two Stop AIDS Project workshops, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson ordered a review of all department- funded HIV/AIDS activities.

The inquiry was initiated after the programs were brought to the attention of Rep. Mark Souter, R-Indiana, who chairs the committee on government reform.

Guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control say federally funded AIDS prevention programs must neither encourage sexual activity nor be "obscene" under the definition provided in a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

In addition, local panels are supposed to review the programs for effectiveness and to make sure they follow the federal guidelines.

At Souter's request, Health and Human Services Inspector General Janet Rehnquist scrutinized the material offered in the workshops.

In an Oct. 12 report, she concluded that Stop AIDS Project's "Booty Call" and "Great Sex" workshops both "could be viewed as encouraging, directly . . . sexual activity." She also said both might be construed as obscene.

She quoted Great Sex workshop material that gives advice on "ways of reducing the spread of HIV" while "making and keeping sex safe, erotic, fun and satisfying (that's great sex!)"

"Booty Call," she wrote, discusses the taboos of anal eroticism, 10 things men and women don't know about anal sex and ways to avoid injury and sexually transmitted diseases.

Thompson, in a Nov. 14 letter to Souter, also alleged that the two workshops had not been examined by a local review panel.

"Although the CDC has taken preliminary actions in response to the Inspector General findings . . . more must be done to rectify problems identified," Thompson wrote. He said he has ordered his deputy, Claude Allen, to examine all federally funded HIV/AIDS activities with an eye toward measuring their effectiveness and whether they are within the guidelines and being reviewed by local health panels.

A top San Francisco Department of Public Health official defended the programs and denied that the materials hadn't been reviewed by his department.

"President Bush himself has spoken about the federal government not interfering with local decision-making," said Steven Tierney, director of HIV prevention for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. "Whether we talk about (sex), or not, it's happening. It's our job to make sure people have best information to reduce their risk, to have safe sex and not increase the number of new HIV infections."

Tierney's department estimates that there will be 700 new HIV infections in San Francisco this year. Nationwide, the CDC expects 40,000 new cases.

Stop AIDS Project, which does HIV prevention outreach to gay and bisexual men in San Francisco, received $686,000, or 38 percent of its budget, in federal funds in 2000. The U.S. government spends an estimated $400 million annually on AIDS prevention.

Stop AIDS Project interim co-director Steve Gibson said the organization would cooperate with officials from the CDC in its review -- but said the organization had done nothing wrong.

Gibson was more upset that the matter came to light because San Francisco AIDS activist Michael Petrelis brought the workshops to Rep. Souder's attention. (The Chronicle has obtained a restraining order against Petrelis, who has allegedly made threats against employees at the paper.)

"The number of HIV infections doubled last year in San Francisco," Gibson said. "Now is not the time to adopt a 'just say no' approach to HIV prevention. "

011116
SC011109

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .