Positive Living Society of British Columbia (Formally BCPWA)

WESTERN CANADA'S BIGGEST AIDS FUNDRAISER WALK FOR LIFE '90 fundraiser announcement and information; JOIN "WALK FOR LIFE '90" Call for volunteers; KAPOSI'S SARCOMA TOPIC OF MONTHLY MEDICAL FORUM; A FRONT RUNNER Simon Nkoli is a frontrunner in the race to beat AIDS in South Africa. We speak to him during his visit to the Vancouver PWA Offices while he was in Vancouver to address the opening ceremonies of Gay Games III; BOARD ACTIVE Report from the chair on resignations and search for new candidates, events during Gay Games III including fundraisers and noted visitors, and discussions towards forming a hospital liaison committee; OPENINGS FOR VANCOUVER PWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Call for volunteers; ACT UP DEMO First public demonstration by the Vancouver chapter of ACT UP, mission statement and contact information; CHALLENGES Call for volunteers for fundraising and other projects; AIDS TREATMENT HIGHLIGHTS RESEARCH NEWS: ISOPRINOSINE SLOWS DISEASE PROGRESSION. FLU SHOTS A MUST FOR PWA/HIVs. FOSCARNET PROMISING AGAINST CMV, HIV; PATH PASSIVE IMMUNOTHERAPY AVAILABLE IN VANCOUVER IN 1991? Advocacy committee is working to see that this treatment becomes available in Vancouver; HOUSING THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING WHAT WE NEED Reports on attempts to obtain funding for a Housing needs Assessment; KUDOS OF THE MONTH; CALENDAR; ONGOING EVENTS; MADRID RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE IV INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS; RICHARD WRIGHT MAY 24, 1945 - AUGUST 3, 1990; FINALLY THE DANCE BEGINS Poetry; JEROME NAGEL 1958 - 1990; FAUSTO IOCCHELLI 1963 - 1990; AT THE END Poetry; RAINBOW RUNNER We were honoured during Celebration '90 to have a visit from Brent Richardson Earle whose runs for the lives of PWAs have inspired thousands; SURREY ART SHOW BENEFITS PWAs Fundraiser announcement; SWALLOW A PILL - EASILY Helpful hints; FREE CONDOMS? ONE BARRIER WE REALLY DO NEED Report from the Advocacy Action at the BC Coalition for the Disabled asking people to request money for condoms from their Welfare workers; HELPLINE volunteers needed; NOTICEBOARD;

WELCOME TO CANADA! PWAs GRANTED ENTRY FOR GAMES During Gay Games III, there will be a "window" period during which short term visitors with HIV/AIDS may enter Canada without hassle, PWA Society working to make this easing of travel restrictions permanent; BOARD SECRETARY'S REPORT Board considering ceding its Advocacy/Activism role to ACT UP Vancouver; A NEW VISION Report from the Chair of the Society clarifying its position on Euthanasia, discussing the ramifications of the formation of a Vancouver chapter of ACT UP, discussing the program review underway and the many changes in the organization. Call for input, volunteers; S.F. CONFERENCE An Activist Reports; PWA EVALUATION PROJECT continues. Call for focus group participation; ADVOCACY COMMITTEE The Board is considering changes to allow it to work with and adapt to the formation of ACT UP Vancouver. The Advocacy Committee is dealing with mounting complaints of discrimination but seeing little resolution, which a more aggressive ACT UP may be able to resolve; AIDS TREATMENT HIGHLIGHTS RESEARCH NEWS. AZT EARLIER IS BETTER. PCP PROPHYLAXIS.EARLIER IS BETTER? HYPERTHERMIA. HOPE OR HYPE? ORAL ALPHA-INTERFERON UPDATE; KIND ENOUGH AND BRAVE ENOUGH Letter to the editor re assisted suicide; NEW PHONE LINE FOR WOMEN WITH AIDS/HIV The Vancouver Women and AIDS Network announce twice-monthly confidential drop-in and information phone line for HIV positive women; HAVE FREEDOM WILL TRAVEL Report from the International Conference for PWA/HIVs in Madrid, discussing human rights and HIV and travel in particular; ddI MEMBER QUESTIONNAIRE Members taking ddI are reminded that we are surveying the side effects of ddI and other issues related to ddI; FESTIVE! Fundraiser announcement; WRITE FOR THE NEWSLETTER Draft guidelines for submissions; EUTHANASIA FORUM Monthly Medical Forum; NATIONAL AIDS STRATEGY ANNOUNCED The Federal Minister of Health, Perrin Beatty, announced the much delayed national strategy on AIDS but no new money or programs; CALENDAR; ONGOING EVENTS; SUNLIGHT HARMFUL TO PWAs? Research report; TOSS 'EM What's Lurking in YOUR Medicine Cabinet? Move your medications from the bathroom to a dry, cool place; EAT WELL Food Remedies to Common Problems for PWAs; A LETTER FROM PAT Information on the Palliative Care Unit at St. Paul's Hospital; SUPPORT GROUP For Lesbians and Gays with a Disability. Call the BC Coalition of the Disabled for more information; INTERVIEWEE Call for study participants; JUST A REMINDER: Because That's What Friends are For! II Information and reflection on AIDS Vancouver's Buddy Program; FRIDAY AFTERNOON FESTS!! Good Times are Back!; THOUGHTS ALONG THE WAY Falling Out of Victim Consciousness. Personal reflection; LEATHER STAR grants realistic wishes of terminal PWAs; LONGTIME COMPANION Movie review; REMEMBRANCE OF VALENTINE'S DAY Poetry; THE LAST CANTO II Poetry; ROGER J. BOURQUE June 1945 - July 1990; COMPLEMENTARY TICKETS PROCEDURES; ATTENTION PWA ARTISTS! Walk for Life '90 committee is in dire need of graphic ideas, suggestions and submissions for posters and brochures; BAR-B-Q! Farwell to David Lewis who is retiring from the PWA Society to take up a position with ACT UP; HELPLINE; NOTICEBOARD; LET'S GO! MOVIE NIGHT FRIDAYS; WALK FOR LIFE '90 Fundraiser announcement, call for volunteers;

BOYCOTT! WHITE SPOT, KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN UNFAIR The Board of Directors of the Vancouver Persons with AIDS Society have unanimously called for a boycott of those businesses operated by White Spot Restaurants after investigation of a complaint that White Spot Restaurants Limited had terminated the employment of a person with AIDS based on nothing other than his disability; GMHC BOYCOTTS SF CONFERENCE Gay Men's Health Crisis of New York City voted to join the boycott of the 6th International Conference on AIDS; ATTENTION! HEALTH FUND CHANGES Changes in the Complementary Heath Fund; OFFICE FUNITURE Thank you BC Hydro for donation of furniture; BOARD DISCUSSIONS Report from Board of Directors. Complete meeting minutes available in the office; ADVOCACY REPORT Committee inundated with reports of HIV/AIDS related discrimination; AIDS TREATMENT HIGHLIGHTS. ORAL INTERERON - ALPHA. 99 AIDS Patients Claimed to be symptom free. AZT = POISON = DEATH? NEOPTERIN AND HIV REPLICATION; ddI QUESIONNAIRE All people taking ddI are asked to participate; CATASTROPHIC RIGHTS by John Dixon, Book review; THIRD ANNUAL AIDS, MEDICINE AND MIRACLES CONFERENCE Conference report; DECISIONS Four personal accounts of decisions taken by Vancouver PWAs who have considered switching from AZT to ddI; ONGOING EVENTS; HOW AIDS CHANGED MY LIFE Excepts from talk delivered by the Reverend Neil Gray as a part of a Conference held in Calgary for AIDS Caregivers; EDWARD ROSS BAKER March 23, 1944 - April 1, 1990; LIVING & DYING IN EACH MOMENT Personal reflection on changes in reactions towards someone is dying, toward death itself; KUDOS OF THE MONTH Thank yous; TELL US! Funding received from Health and Welfare Canada to conduct a Program Review. Call for participation; ddI MEMBER QUESTIONNAIRE Please participate in monthly side-effects questionnaire; EATING HINTS Are You Just Not Hungry?; WISHES FULFILLED Leather Star raises funds to grant "last wishes." Call to apply or for more information; STOP SMOKING! The PWA Smoking Cessation Program, 8 weeks long, call to register; LEGAL, MEDICAL ISSUES FOCUS OF MONTHLY FORUM; MEDICAL FORUMS ON AUDIO TAPE available; EUTHANASIA: CHOICE IN DYING Guest from the National Hemlock Society to speak at Monthly Forum; ON OUR SHELVES New Books in the PWA Library; HELPLINE; 'LOUNGE LIZARDS' Needed to Look after the PWA Living Room Lounge; NOTICEBOARD;

AZT A MORAL VICTORY Report on the Vancouver Persons with AIDS Society case charging the provincial government with discrimination on its policy requiring payment for HIV; ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Announcement; A YEAR OF RAPID CHANGE Annual report from the Chair of the Vancouver Persons with AIDS Society; AIDS ACTIVISM TAKES ATLANTA AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power held 2 days of actions in Atlanta Georgia against the Centres for Disease Control demanding an HIV inclusive definition of AIDS; ddI PATIENTS QUESTIONNAIRE We are collecting data on the side effects of ddI. Share your experience; MARCH 25TH 1 PM ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING; INFORMING OURSELVES Should the Vancouver PWA Coalition Advise and Inform Members about Treatments? Commentary; A ROOF OVER MY HEAD! Housing Needs Project formed to identify the housing needs of PWAs and to work toward the provision of more affordable housing suitable to meet those needs; FOCUS ON WOMEN FOR WORLD AIDS DAY 1990 World Health Organization announces theme for World AIDS Day; WOMEN AND AIDS NETWORK Drop in space to share and obtain information; AIDS TREATMENT HIGHLIGHTS RESEARCH NEWS: ACYCLOVIR MAY HELP DELAY DISEASE PROGRESSION, HOW AZT & ddI WORK, LITHIUM MAY REDUCE AZT SIDE EFFECTS, ddI PRODUCES SIDE EFFECTS IN HIGH DOSES; ONGOING EVENTS; PASSIVE IMMUNOTHERAPY (PATH) PROMISING NEW AIDS TREATMENT Plasma rich in antibodies against HIV is drawn from seropositive donors, treated to inactivate the HIV and transfused to patients with advanced HIV disease; PATH PASSIVE IMMUNOTHERAPHY TRIAL IN VANCOUVER? Canadian PATH Task Force set up working towards establishing multi-centre PATH trial. Call for volunteers. Information pack available; BC FUNDING SOON FOR TESTS? HIV P24 Antigen (P24) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (B2M) Meetings held to work toward funding tests; TESTS FUNDED IN FEBRUARY P24/B2M testing is now available; A TAROT IN TRANSITION: The transformative Power of the Heart. Personal reflection; THOUGHTS ALONG THE WAY Reflection on freedom; DISCRIMINATION Have you been discriminated against because of your HIV/AIDS status? Contact the Advocacy Committee with details; THE HERO DEED Personal reflection; ON THE SHELVES New acquisitions to the PWA Library; TALKING BOOKS available; "THE NORMAL HEART" March 11th Fundraiser Performance; "SLAVE AUCTION" Fundraiser announcement; DEBT ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE BC Government Debtor Assistance Service; DISABILITY BENEFITS: GETTING YOUR FAIR SHARE The BC Coalition of the Disabled's Advocacy Access has advocates to help people with a disability get their fair share of benefits; PWAs LIVING LONGER Health Study Reveals Reprinted from the Bay Area Reporter; SHELLFISH POISONING Medic Alert to PWAs Cook shellfish thoroughly, avoid mixing cooked shellfish with raw in the same container; CHUCK GROCHMAL 1952 - 1990; VOLUNTEERS Program Well under Way. Systems are now in place and new volunteers are currently being screened, trained and placed in various programs; HELPLINE Volunteer Opportunities at PWA Get Involved!; NOTICE BOARD;