Abstracts Vol. 1 [International Conference on AIDS (11th: 1996: Vancouver, Canada)]

Monday, July 8, 1996

Mo.D.480 - Mo.D.490

services and their ability to access and utilise information and suplport. leforrsnation and
support need to be developed which is appropriate and accessible to women living with
HIV/AIDS and their dependents.
Sonia Lawless, PO. Box 750, Newtown, Sydney NSW 2042;Tel: 6 I 02 3 10 2 101
Fax: [phone]
Mo.D.480
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO NATIVE AMERICAN CASE MANAGEMENT
Bellymule-Zuniga, Gloria, *FranklinVera E., *Armstrong Delford, *Lonston, Dan.
*Ahalaya Project
Issue: Native Americans are often discriminated against based on thier HIV status.
Project: Native Americans with HIV are often discriminated against based on their HIV status.The results are denial of adequate health care, support services, and other benefits.
Resolving these problems often requires specialized and independent advocacy services for
the client. Native American services must be different from other direct services approaches.The general public, agencies and individuals involved in AIDS issues lack information
about the discrimination and rights of Native American people living with HIV/AIDS.The
Ahalaya Project Model is designed to address these issues in Oklahoma. Over the four
years of Ahalaya's existence, individual advocacy services have been provided to Native
Aiei cans living with HIV/AIDS.The goal of the Ahalaya model is to improve the quality of
life for each client.This is possible by reducing the stressors in the client's lifethe Ahalaya
model consists of six components which addresses these areas.The are:Traditional Healing,
Referral Services, Emergency Client Assistance, Case Management, Secondary Prevention
Services, and Social/Psychological Support.Traditional healing is the component totally
unique to Ahalaya. And it is this component that brings healing to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual areas of the client's life.
Results: To improve the quality of life for clients by reducing the possible stressors for
daily living.
Lessons Learned: Resolving these problems often requires specialized and independent
advocacy services and Professionals knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS.
Gloria Bellymule-Zuniga, Ahalaya Project, 5350 S.Western, Suite 500, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma 73109,Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Mo.D.481
LIVING WITH AIDS - A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE
lunga, Rodney
Aboriginal people in South Australia make up I% of the state popilation and 3% on a
national level.Yet in South Australia we have the highest suicide rate (37%), not only nationally but on of the highest in the world.This combined with the poor health standards, lack
of education and extremely low life expectancy make HIV/AIDS prevention/education
almost impossible, hence long term survival means anyone who survives seroconversion.
Aboriginal people have been forced to fight a range of both fatal and infectious diseases
since colonisation, for many HIV/AIDS is just another So, unique, culturally appropriate educational methods have had to be implemented and to be in keeping with our oral traditions. One major problem in both prevention/education and case management for newly
infected people has been first contact with non-Aboriginal managers and other service
providers who have their own agendas and plans of action and it often conflicts with our
own case management and peer education. So non-Aboriginal organisations that provide or
house HIV/AIDS services are proven to be totally inadequate.
For myself I have been living with HIV/AIDS for 13 years and as such I am one of the
longest documented Aboriginal PLWA's. It has become the norm to see people die within
the first five years and the latest is around eight years. I believe we need more access to
traditional medicines in combination with western medicines and other alternative treatments. Drugs, both recreational and prescribed are proving to be detrimental.
It will be my intention to highlight and discuss the appalling HIV/AIDS situation within
Indigenous Australians and beginning attempts at addressing this situation.
Rodney Junga, 12 Henrietta St, Blair Athol, South Australia, 5084 Telephone [phone]
Mo.D.482
INDIGENOUS TO INDIGENOUS OUTREACH:A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
NATIVE AMERICANS AND NATIVE HAWAIIANS
"Green Rush, Andrea, *linuma, G. 'National Native American AIDS Prevention Center,
Hawaii Department of Health, Maui District Office.
Issues: In order to address the unique needs of indigenous populations, HIV/AIDS prevention education strategies must be developed by indigenous people that reflect their values
and traditions. Further, a mechanism is needed for indigenous people to share successful
approaches and strategies with one another.
Project: In 1995, an HIV/AIDS education and prevention training program was initiated to
train Native Hawaiian community leaders, gatekeepers, and health and human service workers.The training sessions were a collaboration between the National Native American AIDS
Prevention Center (NNAAPC) and Native Hawaiian community representatrs'es.The training was the culmination of a four year process exploring how Native Americans and Native
Hawaiians might work together to develop culturally appropriate HIViAIDS pr-evention
strategies. Is emphasized the local knowledge and resources ot participants, experiential
learning and Native Traditions, such as spirituality, the importance of eders, and oial tradition.
Results: This unpiecedented initiative represented the first time Native Hawaiiarrs and Native
Americans collaborated on a health piomotion or disease prevertion pi-ogram. Key leaders
fiom the Native Hawaiian community participated in the training sessions: and iportant
linkages were made between these two indigenous populations. Wbile similarities between
Native Hawaiians and Native Americans were explored, the unirlue cultural aid social
aspects nfl each island weire ieflected in the training sessions. Future initiatives are planned.
Lessons Learned: The training sessions were the culmination oI a o~r year piocess.The initial dialogue and meetings that laid the groundwork for the sucrcessful trrininrg sessions that
followed were an integral investment in building trust. Pi-ojects involvrn Native people
require this investment in order to develop trust and understandirg
A. Green Rush, NNAAPC, 2 100 Lake Shore Ave., Suite A, Oakbl,-t, CA t4606 liSA
Tele: 5 I0-444-205 I, Fax: [phone]I593, emasil:andreagrlaol.coei

Mo.D.483
UNPROTECTED INTERCOURSE AND THE MEANINGS ASCRIBED TO SEX BY
ABORIGINAL PEOPLE LIVING ON-RESERVE IN ONTARIO, CANADA
Bullock, Sandra L*, Myers T*, Calzavara LM*, Cockerill R*, Marshall VW**, Burchell A*. *
HIV Social Behavioral and Epidemiological Studies Unit; ** Dept. of Behavioural Science,
University ofToronto, Canada
Objective: To determine whether the meanings ascribed to sex by on-reserve Aboriginal
people are associated with their reported use of condoms.
Methods: A stratified random sample of 658 Aboriginal people was drawn from I I reserve
communities in the province of Ontario, Canada. Unprotected and protected intercourse
were modelled using two separate logistic regressions. Firstly predictors of unprotected
intercourse were analyzed using a sub-sample of 408 individuals who reported participation
in any sexual activity in the 1 2 months prior to interview, and who d walso answered the 18
questions on the meaning of sex. Secondly, consistent condom use during intercourse was
modelled for the 376 individuals who reported participating in intercourse.
Results: At least one episode of unprotected intercourse was reported by 340/408 (83%)
of respondents. Unprotected intercourse was significantly more likely for: males (OR=5.2);
individuals with a "steady partner" (OR=2.0); and individuals who described sex as "loving"
(OR 34.8), and "depressing" (OR=2.2). Unprotected sex was less likely for individuals who
reported sex as "dirty" (OR=0.38) and "frightening" (OR-0.50). Of the 376 individuals who
reported intercourse, 31(8.2%) Ireported using a condom on every occasion. Consistent
condom use w as more likely for individuals: familiar with Aboriginal traditions (OR24.8);
with a history of physical abuse (OR 15.0); and who reported sex as "frightening"
(OR=2.8). Protected intercourse was less likely for individuals: over the age of 30 (OR-. 16);
with a history of sexual abuse (OR-.1 3); and who describe sex as "painful" (OR-.32).
Conclusions: The meanings ascribed to sex by Aboriginal people living on-reserve in
Ontario, are important predictors of both protected and unprotected intercourse.
Describing sex as "loving" was the strongest predictor of unprotected intercourse.Variables
such as the number of partners an individual has were no longer significant predictors of
condom use once sexual perceptions were entered into the models. A better understanding of the meanings people ascribe to sex is important to help individuals become more
aware of whry threy choose to participate in particular sexual activities, and will ultimately
lead to more culturally sensitive AIDS education strategies.
Sandra, L. Bullock, 12 Queen's Park Cres.WToronto, ON M5S I A8 Phone: [phone]
Fax: (4 1 6)97 I 2704 E-mail [email protected]
Mo.D.484
FEATHER OF HOPE ABORIGINAL AIDS PREVENTION SOCIETY (FOHAAPS):AN ORAL
TRADITION OF "CULTURAL SENSITIVITY" AND SPIRITUALLY BASED PROCESS
Lennie, Ernie HB, Community Developer - South:, Daniels, Jo-Ann BBM, Community
Developer - North. Feather of Hope Aboriginal Aids Prevention Society
Issue: Aboriginal Elders prophesied "The Shape Shifter" known as the HIVirus.They said the
Shapeshifter has the ability to destroy us or to teach us.
Project: Aboriginal people have a unique process of healing and dealing with HIV/AIDS.
Feather ol Hope Community Development shares this process of healing through educa
tion and training as mandated by the Elders.We rebuild the process and use the virus as a
teacher, through the oral tradition of sharing the culture and spiritual tradition we move
with and develop the process.The hope is the Eagle Feather, our symbol, which balances
and allows us to find our own voices: balances our lives (re: emotion, mind, spirit, and body)
in rielation to our world therein we find our ability to speak to one another about those
issues causing unhappiness, illness and death. No less than 4 days are required to begin the
awareness proce ss which offers a journey of healing and self-empowerment.
Results: Behaviour Change:The issues causing the Shapeshifter to travel to live and thrive
within us is slowed down and controlled with the individual's ability to make the journey feom
mind to heart.-The journey from mind to heart is through sharing, caring, honesty, and respect.
Thuis Aboriginil people begin to understand HIV/AIDS, its cause and how it works and are
able to pen t prevent the prejudice which has so far caused the disease to go underground.
Lessons Learned: Injecting a person into an Aboriginal Community for a couple of hours to
give AIDS 101 does not work because it only appeals to the mind.The virus does not travel by itself, it travels by human behaviour, therefore, we must examine and deal with causal
issues controlling behaviour. Aboriginal culture and spirituality is the most effective tool we
have to rteal with HIV/AIDS because they deal with mind, body, emotions and spirit.
Jo-Ann Daniels & Ernie Lennie, #201, 11456 JasperAve., Edmonton, ABT5K OM I
Mo.D.490
THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL AND GENERATIONAL FACTORS ON THE INCIDENCE OF HIV AND STDS AMONG YOUNG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN IN FRANCE
Adai, Philippe. Schiltz, Marie-Ange. *CERMES-EHESS, * *CAMS**-CNRS, Paris, France
Objectives: Depending on the age group observed, there exist considerable differences in
the incidence of HIV and of STDs among young French gay men.These variations will be
puit into persprective with the dissemination of prevention messages and with the estabishmess of familial separation and economic and sexcual independence.
Methods: 14/rh young bisexual and gay French men aged I 6 to 30 responded to a questionnraire in 1993 published in six gay oragazines.The incidence of HIV and of STDs increases, brut in a discontiuruous fashion: for those over 28, 20%/ of the respondents were HIV+,
Iris rate svas 10t6 for those between 24 and 27, and at 23 years of age, the rate drops to
below 3% for the youngest gay men.
Results: I - We observe a considerable drop in the incidence of HIV for those whose sexual lives began after I1984 as opposed to those who were sexually active before I1984.This
drop appears at an age (around 28) where gay life-styles tend to have stabilized.Thus, this
decline irr the ncidece of HIV testifies to the positive effect of the first information campalins about AIDS. In France, it is in 1987 that the associastions disseminate more broadly
thir messagu aind that the government enacts its first televised prevention campaigns. 2 -
The str ropu in the incidence of DIV among young gay men under the age of 24 coincides with this tsurning point in the history of prevention since these young ores did indeed
beein the,-isexual lives around I1987. If, however safer sex is more widely practiced among
yosung zra' men, cer..... personal factors ran endanger these precautions, a) There exists a
yr eatri unpriscun so risk at the beglinning of one's sexual life. b) Moreover, near the age of

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