Day 6- March 25th

In the morning, we visited Gilead Pharmaceuticals, which was located outside of San Francisco- the farthest we'd been out of San Francisco all week! Gilead is a pharmaceutical company that produces drugs, and many of their drugs are for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. We were given presentations about Gilead's drugs and its efforts to reduce cost to reach the maximum amount of people with their drugs (Atripla, Truvada, etc.). It was interesting to see how Gilead, as a pharmaceutical company, worked both to proliferate its drug in the HIV/AIDS community, as over 60% of HIV/AIDS patients apparently use a drug created by Gilead. Learning about their efforts around the globe also allowed our group to see how the company was working to help the issue of HIV/AIDS, especially in areas of low-income and education. Our group was given a tour of some of the chemical and biological labs at Gilead, and it was interesting to see the scientific perspective of dealing with HIV and AIDS. As a smaller pharmaceutical company compared to Merck and GSK, our group noticed distinctions in the structures of the companies and perceptions of how drug companies maintained "profitable"- the entire experience allowed us to see everything from the commonly "vilified" drug company's point of view.
We then attended a policy panel at the Center for AIDS Prevention located at a UCSF branch. Meeting with different people involved at the Center for AIDS Prevention really showed us how the work being done in the field of HIV/AIDS is so broad. We heard from one woman who had researched the "ballroom" communities and how they dealt with HIV/AIDS, along with sexual health and community. We also heard from a worker from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, who talked about his work in the HIV/AIDS field. Lastly, we learned about WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life Threatening Disease), and the efforts to help women dealing with HIV.
Later, we visited the office of Bay Area Young Positives, where we learned about the "actual harm" of various sexual acts by organizing them into a line of increasing "ability to transmit HIV/AIDS". While there, we also made condom packets that we would later pass out during our outreach at The Crib.
We then visited the STOP AIDS Project, where we were instructed on how to fill out special surveys for the organization that would help them assess different needs in the community, especially in the Castro. After we had some basic instruction, we were placed in different stretches of the Castro where we worked to interview people for our surveys, as well as passed out condoms to promote sexual health. While there were definitely some instances of chilly and cold responses, most of the people in the Castro were extremely responsive and friendly- something that I definitely had not expected. This was definitely one of the highlights of our week, as we were able to do some hands-on volunteering work in the community regarding HIV and AIDS.
After our work in the Castro, we worked again with Bay Young Positives at The Crib, an 18+ club in San Francisco that has a large gay and bisexual demographic. We worked also by having people fill out surveys about their own sexual and drug health, as well as handed out the condom packets that we had packed earlier in the day. It was fun being able to meet people who were attending the club, and people were actually friendly and willing to fill out the survey- especially if you caught them while they were just coming in or waiting in line for the bathroom. Comparing the two demographics of the Castro and The Crib was interesting, as the two communities had very different targeted age ranges, but we were doing mostly the same type of work for both.

Jonathan Hsieh

Day 4- March 23

Today, we visited the SF AIDS Foundation, an organization based in San Francisco that assists those currently living with HIV and AIDS, while also working to prevent new infections of HIV and AIDS. We were able to learn about one of their main programs, the HIV Prevention Project, through one of coordinators, Mimi. Mimi provided our group with a great background about the HIV Prevention Project, telling us about injection-drug users in the community and how they are working to lower transmissions of HIV/AIDS in San Francisco by providing a clean needle exchange program. Mimi actually showed us some of the materials that they pass out to prevent the spread of HIV, including different types of needles, tourniquets, clean water, vitamin C, and much more. We learned that the SF AIDS Foundation actually works in a number of different areas, going directly to different communities like the Haight and the Tenderloin to reach their clients, as their belief is that they can better extend their services to a greater amount of people in that manner. After her talk, she took our group to one of their actual needle-exchange centers where we learned more about the needle-exchange program, as well as saw firsthand how the needle exchange program works. Mimi and the other workers at the needle exchanged all espoused a "harm-reduction" philosophy- a mindset where they will meet at-risk people where they are, and try to keep them as safe as possible from the epidemic. Seeing the community and the needle exchange was a very eye-opening experience for most in our group, and we were able to better see the work that the SF AIDS Foundation is taking in their community.
After our tour of their nearby needle-exchange program, we were given talks by one of the directors of the SF AIDS Foundation, as well as one of the leaders of Black Brothers Esteem, a group that promotes sexual health and well-being of the African-American gay and bisexual community. We learned about the national HIV/AIDS hotline run by the SF AIDS Foundation and learned about the many different programs offered by the SF AIDS Foundation.
When we were finished with our visit to the Foundation, we had some free time to explore San Francisco until evening. Some members of our ASB group decided to explore Union Square, Chinatown, and the Castro. In our visit to the Castro, it was the first experience for some of the group to the area, and we were able to see the interesting dynamics existing in the Castro area. We visited "Under One Roof", a store in the Castro run by volunteers, in which all of the proceeds go back towards HIV and AIDS related organizations in San Francisco. It was great for us to be able to see a different factor in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and we noticed that "Under One Roof" supported many of the organizations that we had already visited and some of the ones that we were planning to visit later in the week.

Jonathan Hsieh

Day Three

So we began our day on Monday, early start as usual. We started by going to Project Inform. We had an orientation were we talked to the representatives at Project Inform about HIV/AIDS, its history from the time it began until now. They started in 1985 to educate the growing number of people with HIV at that time. They support their clients through their hot line which is mostly managed by a consistent pool of Volunteers and they also give clients information about support organizations available there. Here we divided into different small groups and began to volunteer. We called different AIDS organizations to update information, so that it is kept current for client use. It was really interesting to call these organizations and talk to them. Some people were definitely nice and positive but we did also get some mean people too. Our group members found it really interesting to be impostors and we had others calling in under the name "Robbie Williams" or in a British accent. That was very funny and thumbs up to you guys for keeping a fun atmosphere.

After Project Inform, we visited the AIDS Legal Reference Panel. This was a completely new and interesting experience. They brought to our notice how HIV is related to legal issues etc as they aid that most people do not consider that aspect as being part of advocating for this disease. The representatives we talked to were very knowledgeable about the issues involved. We talked for example about how insurance companies are taking away the Disability of people who have survived HIV for like ten years because they found them mowing their lawn, and therefore declared then capable of carrying out a day's work. So the legal panel presents these cases to court through attorneys who do this job for free. It was interesting to note their perspective on viewing HIV/AIDS as a chronic illness. This disease is viewed in this way so as to remove the stigma against HIV positive individuals....however, this creates problems with health insurance for the patients. The immigration issues they deal with involving HIV patients where interesting and they are really dedicated to helping people affected/infected by the disease.

After this we had a few hours of free time where group members went around different areas in San Francisco. I returned to Stanford with Crystal and do a few things on campus. The campus was way warmer than San Francisco, but we just grabbed some lunch and headed back.So we were a little late to the HIV planning council due to the heavy traffic. The HIV Council was really interesting though also quite confusing. I think most of the group felt marginalized and we did not really get much interaction with the members. So afterwards we headed back home to prepare dinner and hopefully get some rest. But as you can imagine, we probably "double movied" that is, watched more than one movie, the quote being courtesy of our trip leader who was advicing us to get some rest so as to power up for the next day. Well there were a lot of things planned for day Four........and so far so good.

Thanks guys :)
Tracy Makuvire

Day 5 - Wednesday March 24

We all woke up early again around 8 o' clock and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading out the door. From 9-10, we visited Club Eros, a sex club for gay/bisexual men, and we were given a tour through the club. What we expected to see was completely different from what we actually saw. Situated on Market Street, Club Eros inside seemed to be a nice cozy house with a nice lounge area and a gorgeous bathroom. If not for all the beds upstairs in the play rooms, it would have seemed like a normal hang out place for students or even a house shared by a couple of roommates. The more we heard about Club Eros and the more we saw, the more we were impressed with the establishment. Despite being a public sex club, its policy was adhering to safe sex practices, which included always providing condoms and lube. Overall, Club Eros was a pleasant surprise.

Then we headed over to Shanti, which was a neighborhood outreach that focused on providing a support system as well as making sure clients were healthy mentally as well as socially in order to help them prolong their lives and improve their current state of health. As an organization, Shanti seemed to have a decent program and we all learned a little bit about immunology along the way.

Following a quick lunch of homemade sandwiches, we visited the SF AIDS Foundation where we sat in on a Latino Education/Support group. There, we learned about the link between HIV/AIDS and drugs and interacted a bit with the members of the support group. Following the presentation, we heard the inspiring stories of the members and shared some of our own stories. It was an event that touched a lot of us very deeply.

We then rushed back to the house to prepare dinner for our special guest, Jay, who helps Stanford train members of HIVPact and had a discussion over dinner while having such things as stir-fried chicken and vegetables, naan and humus, veggie patties, and breaded chicken. Jay was surprisingly open about many topics and we covered many subjects from legal issues to self experiences. It was a great way to end a long day.

~ Louis

Day Three

We began day three with a busy itinerary.

First stop: Project Inform

Project Inform is an informational portal and a great resource for HIV + patients. This nonprofit is policy driven and promotes activism within fields like the promotion of new medical strategies and quality health care. Dana Van Gorder, of the Board of Directors for the project, spoke to us about the mission and some of the strides of the organization. One concern that arises from conversation was that many of the HIV/AIDS services, especially those in San Francisco, seem to overlap in terms of service goals, consumers, and methods or split up due to political differences. During reflection, Sonja pointed out that this dispersion of resources, funds, and attention may have a detrimental effect on the programs' efficacy. Others reflected on the nature of service organizations and realized that this prevalence of scattered organizations is a ubiquitous problem in areas beyond HIV/AIDS.

After the enlightening talk from Dana, we were paired up and assigned a list of organizations to call in order to verify/update the contact information for Project Inform's database. None of us had much experiencing with telemarketing, so it was a new and thoroughly entertaining experience.

AIDS Legal Reference Panel

The legal panel was unanimously the highlight of our day. This assembly of highly professional lawyers originated during the onset of the AIDS epidemic and volunteered their time dealing with wills upon an AIDS patient's death. As the disease progressed and inflicted became more sustainable, their jobs evolved into a variety of legal issues from housing to insurance disputes. Apparently, some insurance companies engage in spying activity in order to release some recipients from their insurance policies. There was one instance of a company that spied on and captured evidence of one of its stakeholders pushing a lawn mower. This was used as evidence that this lawn mower was perfectly capable of working and thus is no longer dependent upon the insurance company's support. His policy was shortly terminated. Aside from dealing with these types of litigation, the company also works with HIV/AIDS inflicted foreigners who wish to gain political asylum within the states. Most of the clientele are persecuted, gay men who can show evidence of discrimination from their original countries. This topic spurred much discussion over reflection and invoked principles that generally surround the issue of immigration.

After the legal panel, we dispersed among the gossamer web of SF's downtown retail and restaurants and satisfied our respective needs. Especially notable is the King Thai restaurant where the quality of the food is good, the prices great, and the thai tea, free.

HIV Planning Council

The final activity of the day was sitting in on the HIV Planning Council of San Francisco that was open to public participation. This a monthly committee that consists of members of the community, usually volunteers involved with AIDS/HIV nonprofits or the "consumers" of such programs. The mission statement of the council is as follows: "The council determines the needs of this population, establishes priority for services and allocates funds from Part A of Ryan White Programs. For 2009 the funding amounted to over 26 million dollars for the three county area." As enthused as the majority of the group was over this public forum, we found it difficult to engage in the conversations that were going on. There was some debate among us over the efficiency of the meeting as well as its efficacy. We came to the conclusion that such organizations do bear the heavy burden of trying to be fair, efficient, and receptive to public opinion while executing the plans in a timely and financially savvy manner. There is definitely much to learn and explore in the field of AIDS/HIV public policy and planning.

We look forward what tomorrow has in store!

Links for future reference:
http://www.projectinform.org/
http://www.sfcarecouncil.org/

-Nicole Z.

Day 2 - HIV Story Project, Tenderloin Health, MCC SF

Such a packed day! We learned so much, ranging from technology techniques to harm reduction to queer spirituality. I'm going to try to talk about everything that happened, but sorry if I leave anything out! Feel free to add to my post, guys.

After a lovely breakfast of Costco croissants with turkey (we're so innovative!), we headed over the the Stop Aids Project office, where Academy-Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz and Ian Wolfley from The HIV Story Project gave us a lesson on utilizing social media effectively. Marc had us each introduce ourselves and talk about three things we learned from our ASB class, and I loved hearing about what everyone in our class had taken away from the class. He also encouraged us all to sign up for Twitter accounts to document our ASB trip (look for our Twitter!) so that we can help spread the word about our program and let other HIV/AIDS organizations know about our work. We even learned a couple interview techniques! We're all also very excited to see the films from The HIV Story Project when they come out next year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of HIV/AIDS. Marc was really interested in our program and gave us a quick overview of all the organizations we're working with this week and also told us about his own experience with AIDS. It was inspiring to see him so enthusiastic and energetic about his work even though he said his medications made him so tired that sometimes he had to wake up an hour early so that he could get out of bed.

After a quick lunch, we headed over to the Tenderloin District to Tenderloin Health (TLH) where we were scheduled to help make needle exchange packets, but unfortunately the needle exchange was canceled for the day (a rare occurrence, according to Emilie). Emilie talked to us about Tenderloin Health and harm reduction programs in general. Tenderloin Health provides many services for HIV patients, including case management, medical and mental health services, HIV housing, HIV testing and counseling, weekly needle exchange and urgent care clinic, and a Community at Work program. Many of TLH's services are categorized under "harm reduction," and Emilie focused on the "continuum" that harm reduction provides and on how harm reduction doesn't facilitate drug use but rather provides a way for injection-drug users (IDU's) to change the method, frequency, and drugs. It was disappointing to hear about the drastic reductions in funding that Tenderloin Health experienced that forced the organization to decrease staff by half and end many of its programs. After Emilie spoke with us, we toured the Tenderloin District with Antonio. We stopped by some of the housing projects provided by TLH, including the Aranda Hotel and Jake Hotel as well as Glide Memorial Church and the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center. Sadly, many of the housing projects offered for HIV patients were closed due to budget cuts. The Tenderloin District itself was definitely unlike anywhere I had been before - homeless people were all along the streets, and people were buying drugs in open view, and the air often smelled like cigarettes, weed, or sewage. I felt sad for the individuals we walked past because it seemed like they weren't able to get help or didn't want it, but I have to admit I was also a bit scared and intimidated by the district and its residents. When we went two blocks over and saw Davies Symphony Hall and the Opera House, it was hard to believe that we were still in the same city.

We stopped at Costco quickly, and then we drove to the Multicultural Community Church - San Francisco (MCC-SF), where we attended a service. Even though I'm not religious, I was truly moved by the service. The beautiful and lively music, the enthusiastic churchgoers, and the positive atmosphere were all very inspiring. Pastor Lea Brown gave a sermon about embracing good memories and letting go of bad ones that I felt was relevant to individuals of all backgrounds. During the community prayer, members of the congregation offered a prayer for people in their own lives, and it was so touching to hear individuals speak about their loved ones. After the service, Pastor Brown answered some of our questions, telling us about the role of spirituality and faith in queer life as well as the role of MCC-SF during the early stages of the AIDS epidemic. Visiting the MCC-SF was a great way to end the day on a positive note!

Now we're back at the house, relaxing after a long day watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Can't wait for tomorrow!

-Margaret

SF ASB- Day 1

So, done with our first day! Here's a quick recap of all the crazy fun we had today :D

So after getting up way too early (for being college students, obviously), we all managed to trek out to Tressider to meet up and load the cars with all our stuff and supplies. After all that was done, we started heading up to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for our first volunteer event.

At Golden Gate Park, we joined up with a number of other volunteers from a variety of groups to help plant newly donated trees and just perform general upkeep of the memorial. It was really incredible, and a privilege, to be able to share this time with so many volunteers who have been personally affected by HIV/AIDS. Half of us worked to pull weeds out, and the other half pushed and shoveled mulch up and down these hills for the new trees. However, no matter what we were doing, we were very lucky to be working with such a diverse and welcoming group of volunteers. Despite how taxing the work was, it was a great way to start the trip.

Next up, we drove to a Native American AIDS project powwow. The powwow was first and foremost a celebration of life in this community that has been so affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. After taking in the sights, sounds, and dances, we were able to have an interesting conversation with three different representatives from the Native American AIDS project, Larkin Street, and Black Coalition on AIDS. After that, we helped to clean up for a bit, and then headed back to the apartment to eat, relax, and regroup for the next day. Here goes!

-Daniel Herrador

How I found myself getting my blood drawn to test for HIV...

“Let’s take a gamble,” he whispered.

“Let me come inside of you, and if you are pregnant, we’ll marry and live the rest of our lives together.”

Any objective 3^rd party would look at this situation and warn the girl, “DON’T DO IT! ARE YOU CRAZY?!” In any case, that’s what I wish I had told myself. There’s something numbing about sexual moments that leave any trace of rationality in that fuzzy place far away. It’s there, but you can’t quite make out its outline, like an old friend from long ago. In its place tugs my guilty desire for romanticism and adventure. The thrill of a risk, and the remote chance of abandoning my ivy-grown life for the simple, rustic lifestyle in the Chinese countryside – like one of those princess-meets-peasant type fairytales. Truthfully, I almost wanted him to get me pregnant.

As soon as we finished, I fell back down to reality. Well, not quite. I went to the opposite extreme and obsessed over the paranoid possibility that I was now HIV positive. My researcher-hat thinking took the reins. He came from a low-income, low-education background, I reasoned, both factors associated with HIV infection. He had had one other partner before, and they didn’t use condoms. He’s never been tested for STD’s. I was going to die of HIV.

That was the last time I saw him, because the next day I flew back to school. I immediately made an appointment for an HIV test. The nurse was nice enough, but I was turned off by her – perhaps a little too unfairly.

“Why are you getting an HIV test today?”

“Because I had unprotected sex.” Why else…

“Was this consensual?” Her straight-faced detachment almost annoyed me.

“Yes, of course.” Why is she asking so many questions. I thought I could just get the test and leave.

“Have you thought about taking emergency contraception?”

I hadn’t even thought about the risk of pregnancy. She showed me the relative risks of HIV and pregnancy. In 20 years, she had seen nine students test positive for HIV, while pregnancy? Too frequent to even remember. Pregnancy was the much more real possibility, but somehow in the whole paranoia mess, I had completely neglected it. I just hear so much scare-talk, about how AIDS is so deadly. Everybody’s talking about it nowadays.

Later I thought about what made me so uncomfortable in the nurse’s office. She was just trying to help. I was defensive – I knew I had done something I shouldn’t have, and I didn’t really want to explore why I did. However, I didn’t really have any protection against repeating that behavior – other than vowing to “never again”. There was also the hypocriticalness of my role as a researcher on HIV, someone who should know the risks, someone ultimately hoping to promote safe practices – and here I was encouraging others to do something I couldn’t even do.

I am now an HIV counselor in my school, providing students with counseling and testing. I don’t tell them what to do. I try to understand and reframe their behavioral motivations. Sometimes, prescriptions can only go so far.

Welcome!

Welcome to SF AIDS Adventures, a blog chronicling the service-learning journey of twelve students and two instructors in the class "Silence is death: Interdisciplinary perspectives on HIV/AIDS in San Francisco". Our ten week class culminates in a week-long service trip over spring break. We hope you are interested in our experiences!

Course Description:

In 1981, the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, "A mysterious outbreak of a sometimes fatal pneumonia among gay men has occurred in San Francisco and in several other major cities." The New York Times called it, a "rare cancer". On the streets, this fear-striking disease was known as the "gay plague". San Francisco has been and continues to remain at the center of the US AIDS epidemic since the beginning. In San Francisco alone, there have been 27,592 cumulative AIDS cases, 75% of which were among gay men. In 2006 alone, San Francisco reached an estimated 965 new HIV infections. Patients with HIV cover all walks of life, spanning multiple ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. Most of these patients do not receive adequate primary care or even proper social conditions such as food and housing.

This ASB trip will investigate the US HIV epidemic from a variety of perspectives, with emphasis on San Francisco's unique role. Students will work with organizations that serve HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area, potentially establishing lasting relationships with AIDS community. In addition to exploring the biological, historical, and societal aspects of HIV/AIDS, students will confront the issues of stigma, prejudice, and social exclusion that remain among the major challenges in tackling HIV/AIDS. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said at the 2002 World AIDS Day, "The fear of stigma leads to silence and when it comes to fighting AIDS, silence is death." Through a combination of service and learning, we hope to instill in students a personal desire to break the silence and advocate for HIV/AIDS--be it in the dorm, throughout the Bay Area, or on an international scale.