WOMEN AND HIV CONFERENCE, DEC. 13-14, WASHINGTON, DC

There will be a conference on women and HIV in Washington,
DC, on December 13-14, 1990. The conference is free, and is
targeted at women with HIV, health care providers, and AIDS
service providers. The goals of the conference are to: identify
research needs, provide up-to-date treatment information on women
with HIV and improve the quality of care they receive, identify
the social and economic barriers facing women with HIV and how
they affect research, and identify community resources and
educate participants on the special needs of women at risk. The
conference will be organized in four basic tracks: epidemiology,
psychosocial and social issues, education and prevention, and
treatments and clinical issues.

The conference was called by the National Institutes of
Health after pressure to do so from AIDS activists, especially
the women of ACT UP/New York and ACT UP/DC. While this conference
will not be as comprehensive or accessible as we would like, it
is at least a recognition on the part of the Government that
there is a problem, and it is a step forward for the NIH in
dealing with the issues of women and HIV.

To register or request more information, call Carol Gordon
or Debra Steward at 301/770-0610, or 301/770-3153 after 5 pm
Eastern time. Interested people should call immediately to get
the registration form and send it in, because registration forms
should be in by November 30, and space is filling up fast.
Attendance is limited to the first 1,000 people, with 100 spaces
reserved for women with HIV. Women with HIV infection should note
that on their form.

A committee is working to raise money for transportation for
women who would not otherwise be able to get to the conference.
Individuals who would like to donate money or frequent flyer
miles towards travel scholarships can send their donation to:
Women and HIV Conference Travel Fund, c/o Denise Rouse, DC
Women's Council on AIDS, 725 8th Street, SE, Washington, DC
20003.

People interested in possible scholarships should contact
Denise Rouse of the DC Women's Council on AIDS at 202/544-8255.

The conference is also trying to find free community housing
in Washington for women with limited funds. Anyone who lives in
the Washington area and is able to house a conference participant
for a few days can contact Kate Perkins at 301/496- 0545.

Many AIDS activists want to get together Saturday, December
15, after the conference, to share information, compare notes,
and plan their next steps. Conference participants who are
interested in meeting with other activists, women with HIV, and
service providers should plan to stay through Saturday.
Information will be posted at the conference as to where this
meeting will be.