This press release was issued by AIDS Vancouver on October 27, 1997.
(Vancouver) Recent estimates suggest
young gay men in a Vancouver study are twice as likely to be HIV+
as had been expected and the figures appear to be higher than
several reports from U.S. cities.
The previously unreleased* findings of the Vanguard Project --
an ongoing study of HIV rates and risk factors with young gay
and bisexual men in Vancouver -- will be presented 2 pm, Tuesday,
October 28, at the 10th Annual BC Conference on HIV/AIDS. The
findings of this follow-up study revealed evidence of ongoing
high risk activities, a disturbing trend of unprotected sex despite
interventions.
"These results point to a possible second wave of the AIDS
epidemic among young gay men," says Paul Perchal, Director
of Education at AIDS Vancouver, and moderator for the conference
session.
"For young gay men -- many of whom are dealing with rejection,
coming out and homophobia -- thinking about negotiating safer
sex may seem overwhelming."
Perchal also says the media attention given new treatments has
led some to believe AIDS may no longer be fatal.
As a result, AIDS Vancouver is refocusing efforts to help young
gay men, but simple prevention education programs may no longer
be enough, says Perchal.
"The rise in HIV among young gay men suggests the problem
goes beyond simply making condoms available. We need to provide
gay youth with supports and services. To do that we must build
stronger community partnerships, do the research to find out what
gaps exist and to find out what it is that young people need in
order to make better health choices."
*Note from the Project Coordinator: These findings were actually released in May 1997. This error originated in the press material released by the BC AIDS Conference.
For more information, contact:
Bonnie Devlin
Vanguard Project Coordinator
608 - 1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6
Tel: (604)806-8306
Fax: (604)806-9044