TO YOUR HEALTH:

AIDS 2002: Public Forum on HIV Treatment Set for Tuesday, August 20

Baltimoreans Lynda Dee and Dr. Joel Gallant to Provide News from Barcelona AIDS Conference

BALTIMORE People living with HIV and their service providers will learn the latest news about HIV treatment research from around the world on Tuesday, August 20, when local experts Lynda Dee, Esq., and Dr. Joel Gallant appear at a public forum to present the most up-to-date HIV treatment news from July's 14th International AIDS Conference.

The forum will take place in Mt. Vernon at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free, and the public will be encouraged to ask questions about progress in treatment and research.

Ms. Dee is executive director of AIDS Action Baltimore. Dr. Gallant is associate director of the Johns Hopkins AIDS Service.

The pair will discuss:

when and how to start treatment for HIV infection
new medications for treatment of HIV and "salvage therapies" for people who need to change medication regimens
treatment interruption strategies, such as Stuctured Treatment Interruptions (STIs) and Structured Intemittent Therapies (SITs)
HIV treatment vaccines and other ways to improve functioning of the immune system
medication side-effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and metabolic complications, such as lipodystrophy and lipoatrophy
HIV co-infection with hepatitis, herpes, and syphillis
progress toward solving the global AIDS crisis

After their presentations, Dr. Gallant and Ms. Dee will answer the public's questions about new directions in HIV treatment strategies and research

Also on the agenda will be Scott Barnett and Doug Rose, who will lead a discussion about research and activism, focusing on how the community can affect HIV/AIDS research by participating in clinical trials and community advisory boards (CABs). Current trials offered at Johns Hopkins will also be discussed. Mr. Barnett is outreach manager for the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Trials Groups. Mr. Rose is a community activist, co-chair of the Johns Hopkins AIDS Clinical Trials Group Community Advisory Board (ACTG CAB), and active with Maryland's AIDS Legislative Committee (ALC).

This public forum is co-sponsored by AIDS Action Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins ACTG CAB. First and Franklin Presbyterian Church is located at 210 W. Madison Street (at Park Avenue). Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m.; the program begins promptly at 7 p.m. An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be present. Child care will be provided upon request. For more information, to request child care, or to RSVP, call Helen Higgins at 410-614-7890.

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This story was published on August 7, 2002.