AIDS Hotlines: Selected List

The following listings are from AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Volume 3,
which is now in press (publisher, Alyson Publications, Boston) and
should be in the bookstores in late May or early June. We did not
include all hotlines, but those we think will be most useful for our
readers. You may want to keep this reference handy, for help with
your own questions, or for referring other people.

General AIDS Hotlines

** National AIDS Hotline: 800/342-AIDS (800/342-2437), 24 hours;
Spanish, 800/344-SIDA (800/344-7432), 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.; TDD
for the deaf, 800/243-7889, 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

This service, operated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control,
provides confidential information, referrals, and educational
materials to callers in the United States, its territories, and Puerto
Rico. Its information specialists use a database of over 10,000 service
organizations to find appropriate local referrals, for example financial
assistance, legal assistance, support groups, buddy programs, housing
services, and medical referrals. They can also answer many kinds of
general questions about AIDS. We have found that it is usually
possible to reach an operator with little or no wait on the phone.

But the treatment information from government hotlines is limited at
best. The reason is that there are many different ideas about AIDS
treatment, and no official body to decide which ones are OK for a
government agency to disseminate. For treatment information, you
need to check with private organizations; some are listed in this
directory, below.

[Note: Any '800' telephone number can only offer confidentiality --
not true anonymity -- because the recipient is paying for the call,
and therefore receives the telephone number of all callers with its
phone bills. We think it is unlikely that this will be a problem for
callers. But those who are especially concerned about confidentiality
may want to call '800' numbers from a public phone.]

** PWA Coalition of New York Hotline: National, 800/828-3280; local,
212/647-1420. Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Time.

This toll-free hotline is staffed entirely by volunteers living with
AIDS or HIV. Callers receive peer counseling, medical and treatment
information, and referrals. Also available without charge is the
monthly magazine, Newsline, and the Spanish language publication,
SIDAhora. Mothers of people with AIDS or HIV volunteer on the
hotline, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Eastern Time.

** HIV Nightline, San Francisco: 415/668-AIDS; Northern California
outside San Francisco, 800/273-AIDS. Monday - Friday, 9:00 p.m. -
5:00 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 5:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Project, the AIDS/HIV
Nightline is the only service of its kind in the U.S. It receives calls
from around the country, and is staffed by volunteers who are
trained to speak compassionately and knowledgeably about a range
of issues related to HIV infection and crisis intervention. Volunteers
and donations for the Nightline are welcomed.

** AIDS Project Los Angeles AIDS Hotline: 213/876-2437; in
Southern California, 800/922-2437; Spanish language in Southern
California, 800/400-SIDA; TDD in Southern California, 800/553-2437;
multilanguage communicator in Southern California, 800/922-2438.
Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and
Holidays, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

** AIDS Hotline of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC): 212/807-6655;
TDD/TTY, 212/645-7470. Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, noon - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

** San Francisco AIDS Foundation Hotline (English, Spanish, Filipino),
415/863-2437; in Northern California 800/367-2437; Filipino-only
in Northern California 800/345-2437. Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. -
9:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

AIDS Hotlines for Treatment Information

** Project Inform: 800/822-7422; 415/558-9051. Monday - Friday,
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Provides information on experimental treatments for AIDS or HIV --
including government and industry treatment trials, AIDS vaccines,
standards of care, and treatment and prophylaxis of opportunistic
infections.

** Seattle Treatment Education Project (STEP), Treatment
Information Hotline: 800/869-7837. Monday - Friday, 1:00 p.m. -
5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Provides information on experimental and alternative treatments for
AIDS or HIV -- including nutrition, vitamins, herbs, etc.

** Critical Path AIDS Project: 215/545-2212, 24-hours.

This hotline offers in-depth and specific AIDS treatment information.
It is not a general AIDS information hotline. Callers get individualized
attention to treatment questions for conventional, alternative, and
complimentary therapies. Additionally, literature searches from a
CD-ROM AIDS library can be conducted while you wait.

** AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service: 1/800-TRIALS-A (1/800-
874-2572); TDD for the deaf, 800/243-7012. Monday - Friday, 9:00
a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The AIDS Clinical Trial Information Service (ACTIS) provides current
information about federally and privately sponsored clinical trials of
experimental drugs and other therapies for adults and children who
have AIDS or HIV infection. Both health professionals and the
general public can call to learn about clinical trials which are open
for volunteers in their area. Information usually includes a brief
description of the study and of the investigational drug, entry and
exclusion criteria for volunteers, sites where the study is being
conducted, and whom to call at your local site for more information
about the study, or to volunteer. ACTIS is jointly sponsored by the
Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and the National Library
of Medicine.

** Canadian HIV Trials Network: 604/631-5327; or fax requests to
604/631-5210. Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

This registry for Canadian AIDS trials includes a brief description of
each trial, centers running the trial, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and
where to phone locally for more information. Information can be
given over the phone, or mailed if requested, in English or French.

** HIV Telephone Consultation Service (for physicians, nurses, and
other health-care providers only): 800/933-3413; or 415/476-7969.
Every day, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time; 24 hour voice mail.

Sponsored by Health Resources and Services Administration's
(HRSA), Community Provider AIDS Training Project at San Francisco
General Hospital, and American Academy of Family Physicians.

Under the direction of Ronald Goldschmidt, M.D. in the University of
California San Francisco Department of Family and Community
Medicine, this is a telephone consultation service for health care
providers who treat patients with HIV disease. Urgent questions are
answered but it is not a substitute for emergency care or specialty
consultation. The phone is answered by a clinical pharmacist,
physician or nurse practitioner. Patient-specific information is
requested (CD4 cell count, current medications, previous
manifestations of HIV disease, sex, age, and transmission category)
for case consultation, as well as demographic information about the
caller (address, phone number, type of practice, number of HIV+
patients in the practice, field of medicine). Whenever possible,
questions are answered immediately. Most calls are answered within
2 hours, and almost all calls are answered within a day. Information
available to primary health care providers includes case consultation,
medications, infection control, clinical trials, and literature searches.
Referrals to local clinical consultants and community resources are
made through the national network of HRSA regional AIDS Education
and Training Centers. This service is free, but restricted to health
care providers.

** Information Line for AIDS Studies: 800/AIDS-NIH (800/243-
7644). Monday - Friday, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Provides information (English or Spanish) about AIDS trials being
conducted at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

Specialized Hotlines

** CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse: 800/458-5231; TDD for the deaf,
800/243-7012. Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

This service works closely with the National AIDS Hotline, but it
focuses on providing printed and audiovisual material used in AIDS
education efforts, often to organizations -- while the National AIDS
Hotline usually provides information and referral during the call. The
National AIDS Clearinghouse has many kinds of specialized
information, including funding opportunities for AIDS programs, and
a database of national, state, and local HIV-related meetings,
seminars, and workshops.

There is often a wait on the phone to reach an information specialist
at this number.

** CDC Fax Information Service: 404/332-4565. 24 hours.

This automated service, which gives information by fax, includes a
variety of AIDS information (statistics, transmission,
education/prevention, anti-body testing, universal precautions,
approved treatments, clinical trials, vaccines, etc.), health advice for
international travelers (not AIDS specific), and other health topics.
This service is a useful example of a "fax back" system, which
organizations can use to provide detailed information by request to
the public.

** CDC AIDS Statistical Information: 404/332-4570. 24 hours.

This automated service, which gives information from the HIV/AIDS
Quarterly Surveillance Report, either by voicemail or by fax, includes
statistics for journalists and organizations.

** Indian AIDS Information Hotline: 800/283-2437. Monday -
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Pacific Time.

Operated by the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center to
promote health in American Indians and Alaska Natives through
empowerment and self-determination. This group serves as a
resource to Native communities and to support community efforts by
providing education and information services, thereby enhancing the
physical, spiritual, and economic health of Native people.

** Consumer Nutrition Hotline: 800/366-1655. Monday - Friday,
8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Central Time.

Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, callers can speak
with a registered dietitian about HIV/AIDS and nutrition, or ask for a
referral to a registered dietitian.

** Body Positive Hotline: 212/721-1346. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Eastern Time.

This hotline offers information and referral, emotional and practical
support, and treatment information for persons infected or affected
by HIV. Hotline volunteers may be individuals with HIV who can
provide peer support. If a person with HIV has not answered the
phone, a caller may specifically request to speak with someone living
with HIV and it can be facilitated (English, Spanish).

** National Hearing Impaired Hotline: 800/243-7889 (TDD).

** HANDI (Hemophilia and AIDS/HIV Network for the Dissemination
of Information): 800/424-2634 (English, extension 3051; Spanish,
extension 3054).

Sponsored by the National Hemophilia Foundation, this national
hotline provides information about hemophilia and HIV/AIDS
through a variety of publications, brochures, and articles. They also
provide referrals to local service providers.