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AIDS Care: Psychological and Sociomedical Aspects of AIDS/HIV Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/caic20
San francisco conference review J. Elford , R. Bor , L. Sherr & G. Hart Published online: 25 Sep 2007.
To cite this article: J. Elford , R. Bor , L. Sherr & G. Hart (1990) San francisco conference review, AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 2:4, 347-348, DOI: 10.1080/09540129008257750 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540129008257750
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions
Downloaded by [University of Kiel] at 16:23 23 October 2014
AIDS CARE, VOL. 2, NO.4, 1990
347
SAN E;RANcIscoSUMMARIES A group of guest editors were requested to folloev a set of themes during the San Francisco Conference and p r d a risumi. This serves the purpose of i n f i i n g those who were unable to attend all the sessions they desired and provides an insigh@l summary of some major clinical and psycho-sod issues for those unable to be at the conference. The views are personal w the authors, and the sheer enormity of the conference must mean that some kqr work is not included. References are quoted by first author only together with Abstract Index Number. Interested readers can cross r#er w the San Francisco Abstract Volume or request papers directly from the authors themselves. Given time pressure some authors were unable to monitor their designated theme-hence inclusions in this summary may omit areas of potential psycho-social interest.
San Francisco Conference Review EDITORIAL COMMENT
J. ELFORD,R. BOR, L. SHERR & G. HART
It was most fitting that the Sixth International Conference on AIDS should be held in San Francisco, a city that has served as a beacon in the midst of an epidemic. Some of the first cases of AIDS ever reported came from this city. And over the last decade San Francisco has been at the forefront of providing comprehensive hospital, community and voluntary care for those with AIDS/ HIV and in developing HIV prevention programmes. For a host city which pioneered such progressive services it was therefore ironic that so many people boycotted the conference as a protest against the US immigration policies concerning HIV and AIDS. As a consequence there was a noticeable absence of people from other continents and an overall predominance of US
papers and presentations. This was a powerful reminder that HIV and AIDS are political as much as they are health problems. The inclusion of activist groups in this year’s formal proceedings was a recognition of the political dimension, amplified daily by organized demonstrations on the streets of San Francisco. Because of the boycott this was not a truly international conference. Consequently we can not report M y on the global aspects of AIDS/HIV. For example while the USA alone presented 59 papers on epidemiological surveillance, there were only 21 from the entire African continent. Are the days now numbered when quantum leaps are made from one annual AIDS conference to the next, as was the case
Downloaded by [University of Kiel] at 16:23 23 October 2014
348
SAN FRANCISCO SUMMARIES: J. ELFORD ET
just a few years ago? Inevitably ‘learning curves’ level off and new information is generated at a slower pace. Nonetheless the conference &d offer the opportunity for consolidating and strengthening our h o w l edge in numerous areas. These are set out in this special report on the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. We are fortunate that so many colleagues who went to the conference were able to write a report on the proceedings in their specialised area. They worked to a tight deadline, pulling together disparate and often con5icting material in order to produce a cohesive summary about their chosen topic. The eighteen papers in this section reflect the diversity of the conference and were selected as being appropriate for this journal. They include reports on clinical care, treatment and management; behavioural, social and psychological issues; the natural history of HIV and its epidemiology. Problems encountered by drug users, haemophiliacs, people living in Africa, family members and health care workers are given special attention. As an editorial group we returned home with specific and enduring impressions of the conference. These conccmed ‘relapse’, global inequalities and the impact of HIV/ AIDS on women and children. ‘Relapse’ was the key word underlying many papers about the sexual behaviour of gay men in the USA and some European countries. There were essentially two issues. Firstly, a growing number of gay men in their late duties and forties appear to have become complacent about safer sex, after many years of being saturated with health education messages. As a consequence, these men are beginning to engage in ‘unsafe’ sex. Secondly, young gay men in their late teens or early twenties see HIV and AIDS as a problem which affects older people-the next generation-and therefore feel detached
AL.
from it. Consequently, these younger men also do not respond to safer sex messages. ‘Relapse’, as described in these papers, could reverse the declining trend in HIV incidence seen among gay men in recent years. The inverse care law states that the availability of health care resources is inomely related to need. Nowhere is t h s more apparent than in the context of the AIDS pandemic. Most of the resources for treatment, research, care and prevention are still concentrated in North America, Europe and Australasia. Many Third World countries on the other hand cannot afford to provide rubber gloves for health care workers, let alone screen donated blood for HIV. The global inequality in the distribution of resources but not necessarily cases emphasizes the pivotal role of a global programme on AIDS and the importance of the work of non-governmental organizations. T o date, HIV and AIDS have been perceived by many people as being problems for men, despite the fact that globally they affect men and women equally. The growing paediatric case load reminds us that HIV affects women, men and their children. Papers at the conference brought to our attention the implications of HIV for maternal health, reproduction, orphans and population growth. Only through continued investment of money and interest will programmes of prevention and care be sustained. Such investment is vital at a time when the funding organizations themselves may be experiencing complacency and ‘relapse’. In contrast, the incidence of HIV, globally, shows no signs whatsoever of diminishing. The momentum gathered during the 1980s must be maintained into the nineties. This special report on the Sixth International Conference on AIDS may provide a few clues as to how this can best be achieved.
AIDS Care: Psychological and Sociomedical Aspects of AIDS/HIV Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/caic20
San francisco conference review J. Elford , R. Bor , L. Sherr & G. Hart Published online: 25 Sep 2007.
To cite this article: J. Elford , R. Bor , L. Sherr & G. Hart (1990) San francisco conference review, AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 2:4, 347-348, DOI: 10.1080/09540129008257750 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540129008257750
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions
Downloaded by [University of Kiel] at 16:23 23 October 2014
AIDS CARE, VOL. 2, NO.4, 1990
347
SAN E;RANcIscoSUMMARIES A group of guest editors were requested to folloev a set of themes during the San Francisco Conference and p r d a risumi. This serves the purpose of i n f i i n g those who were unable to attend all the sessions they desired and provides an insigh@l summary of some major clinical and psycho-sod issues for those unable to be at the conference. The views are personal w the authors, and the sheer enormity of the conference must mean that some kqr work is not included. References are quoted by first author only together with Abstract Index Number. Interested readers can cross r#er w the San Francisco Abstract Volume or request papers directly from the authors themselves. Given time pressure some authors were unable to monitor their designated theme-hence inclusions in this summary may omit areas of potential psycho-social interest.
San Francisco Conference Review EDITORIAL COMMENT
J. ELFORD,R. BOR, L. SHERR & G. HART
It was most fitting that the Sixth International Conference on AIDS should be held in San Francisco, a city that has served as a beacon in the midst of an epidemic. Some of the first cases of AIDS ever reported came from this city. And over the last decade San Francisco has been at the forefront of providing comprehensive hospital, community and voluntary care for those with AIDS/ HIV and in developing HIV prevention programmes. For a host city which pioneered such progressive services it was therefore ironic that so many people boycotted the conference as a protest against the US immigration policies concerning HIV and AIDS. As a consequence there was a noticeable absence of people from other continents and an overall predominance of US
papers and presentations. This was a powerful reminder that HIV and AIDS are political as much as they are health problems. The inclusion of activist groups in this year’s formal proceedings was a recognition of the political dimension, amplified daily by organized demonstrations on the streets of San Francisco. Because of the boycott this was not a truly international conference. Consequently we can not report M y on the global aspects of AIDS/HIV. For example while the USA alone presented 59 papers on epidemiological surveillance, there were only 21 from the entire African continent. Are the days now numbered when quantum leaps are made from one annual AIDS conference to the next, as was the case
Downloaded by [University of Kiel] at 16:23 23 October 2014
348
SAN FRANCISCO SUMMARIES: J. ELFORD ET
just a few years ago? Inevitably ‘learning curves’ level off and new information is generated at a slower pace. Nonetheless the conference &d offer the opportunity for consolidating and strengthening our h o w l edge in numerous areas. These are set out in this special report on the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. We are fortunate that so many colleagues who went to the conference were able to write a report on the proceedings in their specialised area. They worked to a tight deadline, pulling together disparate and often con5icting material in order to produce a cohesive summary about their chosen topic. The eighteen papers in this section reflect the diversity of the conference and were selected as being appropriate for this journal. They include reports on clinical care, treatment and management; behavioural, social and psychological issues; the natural history of HIV and its epidemiology. Problems encountered by drug users, haemophiliacs, people living in Africa, family members and health care workers are given special attention. As an editorial group we returned home with specific and enduring impressions of the conference. These conccmed ‘relapse’, global inequalities and the impact of HIV/ AIDS on women and children. ‘Relapse’ was the key word underlying many papers about the sexual behaviour of gay men in the USA and some European countries. There were essentially two issues. Firstly, a growing number of gay men in their late duties and forties appear to have become complacent about safer sex, after many years of being saturated with health education messages. As a consequence, these men are beginning to engage in ‘unsafe’ sex. Secondly, young gay men in their late teens or early twenties see HIV and AIDS as a problem which affects older people-the next generation-and therefore feel detached
AL.
from it. Consequently, these younger men also do not respond to safer sex messages. ‘Relapse’, as described in these papers, could reverse the declining trend in HIV incidence seen among gay men in recent years. The inverse care law states that the availability of health care resources is inomely related to need. Nowhere is t h s more apparent than in the context of the AIDS pandemic. Most of the resources for treatment, research, care and prevention are still concentrated in North America, Europe and Australasia. Many Third World countries on the other hand cannot afford to provide rubber gloves for health care workers, let alone screen donated blood for HIV. The global inequality in the distribution of resources but not necessarily cases emphasizes the pivotal role of a global programme on AIDS and the importance of the work of non-governmental organizations. T o date, HIV and AIDS have been perceived by many people as being problems for men, despite the fact that globally they affect men and women equally. The growing paediatric case load reminds us that HIV affects women, men and their children. Papers at the conference brought to our attention the implications of HIV for maternal health, reproduction, orphans and population growth. Only through continued investment of money and interest will programmes of prevention and care be sustained. Such investment is vital at a time when the funding organizations themselves may be experiencing complacency and ‘relapse’. In contrast, the incidence of HIV, globally, shows no signs whatsoever of diminishing. The momentum gathered during the 1980s must be maintained into the nineties. This special report on the Sixth International Conference on AIDS may provide a few clues as to how this can best be achieved.
