With AIDS Cases Rising, Miami Can't be Seen as a "Playground"

By: Stephanie Palacino

Shelly Wolland gave giggles between her two sons wrestling in the kitchen. She graciously smiled at the start of the interview and took a seat on her beige leather coach, her Chihuahua wagging his tail inquisitively. Shelly is a mom. Shelly is a doctor and Shelly is an AIDS specialist.

As the interview began, Doctor Wolland’s posture straightened, her hands folding onto her lap and her tone becoming straight and serious.

She has been an AIDS specialist since 1995 and a doctor for more than 20 years. Doctor Shelly Wolland also ran the Sunshine Medical AIDS Clinic where she says AIDS and HIV cases are some of the highest in the nation.

As cited by the Care Resource Center in Florida, Miami-Dade County has the highest concentration of AIDS and HIV in the state, with some places in particular having some of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infected in the country.

“The zip codes that have some of the highest concentrations in the city are 33142 and 33147. These areas are primarily poorer neighborhoods of blacks and also areas that deal with a large drug problem.” She adds that the drugs are probably the reasons for the high AIDS rate in the community. “This area has a lot of uneducated people as well as a large population of drug users. What tends to cause a lot of spikes in AIDS is not only infection through needles but also drug users becoming too disoriented to realize who they slept with and whether or not they used protection.”

A member of First Baptist Church located in the 33142 zip code also attributed drugs as well as lack of education to the large rate of AIDS and HIV infected in the community.

“We are aware of the fact that our community’s concentration of AIDS is one of the highest in the nation. Our church members are primarily disenfranchised blacks who lack not only education, but are also exposed from a young age to drugs and violence.

Sometimes protecting themselves is the last thing on their minds when they are coming from broken homes or are even having to fight to get their next meal. We hope that because this is such a problem, some outside groups might see how crucial helping this community is to the fight against AIDS.” She adds that another large reason AIDS is seldom talked about by the media is because tourism place such an integral role in the South Florida Economy. “People don’t come Miami to see the plight of a community in need. They come to have a good time at the beach and then leave when their done. Miami has to hold up that image of a playground.”

Doctor Wolland explains that though South Florida does have a very large population of AIDS infected people, there are many strides being made in treatment of AIDS patients.

Strong Advice from Doctor Wolland for Those Infected

“There have been significant accomplishments in the way we treat people. Even though AIDS medications weren’t even available until about 20 years ago, people living with AIDS can now live a close to normal life.” She warns though that there are still very important things to consider when contracted with the virus. “If you catch it early and we do a test of your geno type, we can determine what medication will work best for you. The one-size fits all way of treating someone is in the past. But if you are given a certain cocktail of medications, you must make sure to take them consistently and on time.”

She adds that failure to adhere to this advice could result in the virus becoming more resistant to the drugs, meaning more drugs will have to be taken to offset the effect.“The more you miss your medication, the more pills you have to take. The more pills you have to take the more side-effects you are going to get.” With a nod she again repeats in a stern tone “Do not forget to take your pills.”

Some side effects of the AIDS/HIV medications include nausea, diarrhea, osteoporosis, an increase in heart disease, lipo-dystrophy, tingling around mouth, and sleepiness.“Regardless of these side-effects or even the cost, most want to stick it out over dying pneumonia.”The

Treatment as explained by Doctor Shelly Wolland

The way the treatments work is that when someone is infected with the HIV virus the first thing that is done is to do two measurements of HIV. What these two measurements tell them is how many viruses are floating their blood per cubic millimeter and what is a person’s T-count, the effects of HIV being that it attaches itself to a T-cell and destroys the immunity. The medications prevent the virus from bonding with T-cells or boost your overall T-count.The average person has a 1000 T-count in a millimeter. When someone is infected with HIV their T-count will fluctuate between 500 and1000 showing relatively no symptoms. When someone’s T- count is between 200 and 500 a person will become more prone to sickness. Less than 200 T-count is considered full blown AIDS.Other treatments include injections to build up the white blood cell count; there are also testosterone injections for strength and growth hormones to help get weight back.

Doctor Wolland adds that there are also a lot of problems with coming up with an AIDS vaccine which has been a long time hope of the medical community.

“It is very difficult to develop a vaccine. The virus is always mutating and it’s very hard to pin it down. Also, to come up with a vaccine means we would actually have to inject someone with a strain of the virus and we have no way of guaranteeing that the AIDS virus wouldn’t be transferred to that person.”

She also speculates that perhaps an AIDS vaccine would not be in the interest of most pharmaceutical companies, citing diabetes as another illness whose potential cure might be being snubbed out for fear of financial losses.

“There is a lot more money is treating someone than there is to cure someone.”

Still, Doctor Wolland remains optimistic about newer AIDS treatments, mentioning that all pregnant women are now tested for AIDS as part of standard prenatal care.

“Not all woman get prenatal care, but if a pregnant woman is infected we can give her the proper medication that can help prevent the virus from passing through the placenta and into the baby.”

According to her research, in the passed ten years the number of babies born with HIV from their infected mothers has dropped from 30 percent to roughly 3 percent.

“Regardless, women should be incredibly careful because heterosexual woman are the quickest growing group of those infected with HIV and AIDS.

On Groups who helps sponsor AIDS Awarness feel free to contact http://www.dlp.org/betadelta/ who also will be partcipating in this years AIDS WALK

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South Florida Hospitals Offer AIDS Awareness Classes and Support

By: Monique Rivera

There is no cure for AIDS. AIDS is something that an infected person must live with for the rest of their life. The HIV/AIDS rate in Miami continues to rise at an alarming rate. Those already infected with AIDS struggle to find ways to pay for medications.

So what is Miami doing to help these struggling people?The Aventura Hospital teaches about HIV/AIDS every other Monday. Jackson Memorial Hospital also has support groups, which take place every Tuesday. For those who do not speak English, they offer Creole-speaking support groups on Wednesdays and Spanish-speaking support groups on Thursdays.“We teach them about safer sex, and disclosing,” said Edgar Resto, a Health Educator at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “We teach them how to maintain a quality life, and how to live better.”Resto said the support groups are fun for the participants, because they play games and interact with them in different ways.For those with full-blown AIDS, they can receive medical insurance to help pay for their medications through the Ryan White Fund Program, which was established in 1991 to help underprivileged citizens of the community get the help and medication that they need if they test positive for HIV/AIDS. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Qualification for funding through the Ryan White Program depends on one’s income level. For example, a single person cannot make more than $29,000 a year in order to qualify for the funding. A household of two cannot make more than $39,000 a year. These rules apply to the state of Florida only.

“It’s an expensive disease,” said Arlene Merrill, Director of Infection Control at Aventura Hospital. “Medications can range from $30,000 to $55,000 a year. Some cost up to $15,000 a month."

This year, Dell will air its first-ever Super Bowl commercial intended to help raise money for AIDS treatment programs in Africa. The commercial will feature a set of crimson-red special-edition personal computers and a printer for sell, which will help benefit (RED), a program to help fight AIDS among women and children in Africa. The program was co-founded by U2 lead singer Bono.month for people with full-blown AIDS.”

Back in 2004, the number of male HIV/AIDS cases reported in Miami was 1133. The number of female cases reported was 468, according to the Miami Dade County Health Department.

The number of Hispanics reported with HIV/AIDS back in 2005 was 413. The number of blacks reported that same year was 369. In 2006, the number of HIV/AIDS cases reported for MSM, men who have sex with men totaled 844. The total number of HIV/AIDS cases reported in Miami in 2006 was 1,202.

HIV/AIDS patients have a tendency to grow certain types of bacteria. Many of the medications can cause cancer, bone disease, and other serious problems.

HIV, which stands for the human immunodeficiency virus, is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV infects the CD4 cells in the human immune system. The more CD4 cells that HIV infects, the closer a person is to having full-blown AIDS. When the CD4 cell count in a person’s body has dropped down to 250, the person is considered to now have AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency System. Those who share needles, have anal/oral sex, get body piercing, tattoos, and share the same straws to snort cocaine, have a high risk of being infected with the HIV virus.

The Aventura Hospital sends all of those who test positive for HIV/AIDS to the Miami-Dade County Health Department.Jackson Memorial Hospital is considered a first point of entry. It is where people come to get tested for HIV/AIDS, and from there, the hospital refers you to different clinics, psychiatrists, and other support systems.University of Miami Hospital offers support groups on Thursdays. Doctors from the UM Hospital go to the Jackson Memorial Hospital to help them provide services to patients.

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Latino Support Group Union Positiva Inc Helps AIDS Patients Cope

By: Lylliam Lacayo

It has been 22 years since Santos, 47, was diagnosed with HIV, but it was not until recently that with the help of a Latino support group called Union Positiva Inc, he finally had the courage to reveal to his children the truth.

“Whenever I’m having a bad day and I feel depressed, I come to Union Positiva to speak to my friends,” said Santos with a smile.

Union Positiva, is a non-profit organization located in the heart of Little Havana. They are a committed agency leading the fight against the devastating medical, social and economic effects that the HIV/AIDS epidemic inflict on the Latino community in South Florida.

“In Union Positiva we give HIV/AIDS patients the tools to disclose their status to their relatives,” said Union Positiva Program Manager, Christian Ocon.

But in addition they offer countless other services to the Latino community.

In 2000, Union Positiva began providing free HIV/AIDS testing. On average they administer 2,000 CTR/HIV Rapid Tests per year. According to their data collected, an average of 1 new HIV case for every 47 Latino that is tested results positive.

This alarming statistic differs from the stats that the CDC has recorded which states that 1 from every 102 Latino that is tested result HIV positive, said Ocon.

According to Union Positiva’s research, although all populations are equally affected by HIV/AIDS, men who have sex with men better known as (MSM) are ranked number one in reported cases with HIV. Next in line are heterosexual woman, and last are heterosexual man.

However, Ocon notes that there is a striking inconsistency with the aforementioned statistic, and that is that heterosexual men come in third place in regards to new reported cases of HIV simply because they are the least likely to get tested for HIV/AIDS.

Evidently, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a serious threat to the Hispanic/Latino community. In addition to being a population seriously affected by HIV, Hispanics/Latinos continue to face challenges in accessing health care, prevention services, and HIV treatment.

That is why once a patient is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at Union Positiva they generally refer them to the Ryan White Program.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, makes the right care and treatment possible for low-income, uninsured and under-insured men, women, children and youth with no other way to meet their medical care and support needs.

The Program prioritizes lifesaving services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, including HIV/AIDS medications and targets resources to areas that have the greatest needs.

“Here at Union Positiva we are 100 percent dedicated to the Latino community providing prevention, awareness, and offering help both psychologically as well as emotionally to those that suffer from HIV/ AIDS,” said Christian Ocon.

Ocon who is of Nicaraguan descent and whose brother died of AIDS many years back enjoys working at Union Positva.

“It fulfills me,” he said.

In his three years of working at Union Positiva he has countless anecdotes about the Latino community who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

He adds that the hardest part of his job, however, is telling people that they are HIV positive.

“HIV affects everyone differently,” Ocon said. “I remember once I told a gentleman that he was HIV positive and he just got up and said, “Oh okay thanks, well I need to go to the gym now.”’

But one anecdote that he will never forget was the story of Argentinean couple whose love super ceded HIV.

Ocon, decided to keep the identity of the couple confidential but their love story he told with great flair.

There was a middle aged man, who had been living with HIV for years and was in a relationship with a woman who did not have HIV. The couple after being together for a few years decided to work closely with doctors to bring up his T-Cells to the maximum level possible.

Once the T-Cells were at the level they aimed, the couple started having unprotected sex because they wanted to have their own baby.

Miraculously it turns out that the women became impregnated but not infected with the virus. In the end, both the lucky woman and the baby were HIV free.

“That case was unprecedented, I had never heard of anything like that before,” Ocon said with excitement.

But just like the Argentinean couple who were able to achieve their dream of having a baby. There is also the story of Santos and Eduardo, who met in Union Positiva and whose love for one another is what keeps them going in life.

Santos and Eduardo met while attending a support group meeting called “Grupo Reacción,” designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for men of all ages who have sex with men.

The program focuses on developing skills, building beliefs that they can make their situation better and creating hope for a positive and better future.

While attending the support group, Santos was at the verge of being diagnosed with full blown AIDS. He weighed 115 pounds, and had lost faith in life.

But his life made a 360 turn when he found love.

“It was in here in Union Positiva where I met Eduardo,” said Santos with a smile.

That friendship later developed into a stronger bond and soon Eduardo started helping Santos take his medicine, which he often neglected to take.

“Eduardo helped me a lot,” Santos said, as he patted his chubby stomach.

Both Santos and Eduardo are grateful of being able to go to a place such as Union Positiva where the staff welcomes them with open arms.

Whenever the couple is in the area of Little Havana, Union Positiva is one of their stops.

And For Ocon, talking and helping couples like Santos and Eduardo simply makes his day.

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Executive Director of the South Beach AIDS Project Speaks up for Black and Gay Minorities Infected with AIDS

By: Jeanette Lopez

Charles Martin has fought to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS for more than ten years.

“I have a passion because I am a black gay man. I see how it is destroying communities,” said Martin.

As executive director of the South Beach AIDS Project, Martin understands that HIV/AIDS is still an epidemic especially in South Florida.

The South Beach AIDS Project is the only prevention program in the state of Florida that targets the gay minority infected with the disease. SOBAP provides testing, education and counseling. All free of charge. Although the program is geared toward homosexual males, they do often provide services to females.

“Any community we work in, we need to be a reflection of that community,” said Martin.

Martin is aware that the number of people infected with AIDS each year has declined by sixty percent since the early 90’s, but he knows that today AIDS is devastating minority communities across the United States. In fact, AIDS is the number one cause of death in Blacks between the ages of 25-44, and one out of every eight black males is living with HIV/AIDS.

“Our own people are dying, and the people dying are the poorest,” said Martin.

To Martin, AIDS infections in the United States could be prevented if the proper programs were used to educate people. Currently, abstinence programs are in use. These programs tell America’s youth not to have sex, instead of educating them on how to protect themselves from incurable sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and Herpes.

“We teach kids not to play in the street, but we also teach them how to look both ways,” said Martin.

Martin believes the problem with abstinence programs lies in traditionalist thinking. People do not want to encourage sex, so they preach kids not to have sex at all.

“We are only giving them half the message. We are failing them,” said Martin.

Enough proof that abstinence programs are not discouraging teenagers from having sex is the current teenage pregnancy rate. Every year, 750,000 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant, and the United States has the highest pregnancy rates in the world. Most alarming is that pregnancy rates do not include those individuals who are sexually active, and do not get pregnant, which include teenage boys.

Martin sarcastically grins as he tells a story about a young girl that went to get tested for HIV/AIDS at the South Beach AIDS Project some years back. He asked her if she used condoms.
She responded that she was on the pill.

The pill is for birth control, and it does not prevent a girl from being infected with sexually transmitted diseases or from infecting someone else. Some are unfortunately misinformed.

Martin believes that the lack of information the young girl had is a common trait many American youths share.

Like the young girl, other people become infected this way. They are only concerned about not getting pregnant, instead of being worried about getting a terminal disease. Martin believes this behavior stems from being told not to have sex, instead of being taught how to protect themselves from diseases.

“I don’t think we should scare them as much as educate them,” said Martin.

Educating people could help the way people view those who are infected with HIV/AIDS. People who have the disease are often stigmatized.

“There is no other disease that you can say you have that people will look at you as if you have done something immoral,” said Martin.

It is the stigma associated with the disease that is hard for most individuals infected to overcome. People look at those infected as if they brought it on to themselves. They forget that it only takes one night and one mistake to become infected.

“People who look down on them have done the same things,” said Martin.

Poor education is at fault when some people are unaware that you cannot catch AIDS. The disease can be transmitted sexually, by sharing syringes or by blood transfusions.

As part of his job, Martin reads any news relating to HIV/AIDS. He remembers one story in particular about a 4 year-old boy who was forbidden from swimming in a campsite pool for fear he would infect others.

“This shows the ignorance about the disease that is still so pervasive,” said Martin.

Education is also at fault when people think they cannot become infected because they are not gay or drug users. The fact is AIDS can be transmitted by heterosexuals as well, but people only associate homosexuals with the disease.

Others assume since they are not considered high-risk individuals for contracting HIV/AIDS, they should not worry about the disease. Martin believes this thinking gives some a false sense of security. When in reality, they too are not safe from the disease. He believes that this false sense of security is why more people 60 years old and older are the becoming infected with HIV/AIDS.Martin agrees that HIVS/AIDS is an important issue that has not been getting enough media coverage.

“HIV/AIDS has been swept off the front page,” said Martin.

In the early 90’s, HIV/AIDS was spreading rampantly across the United States infecting over 100,000 people each year. The media then covered AIDS everyday because people were dying everyday. With the advent of new medication, people started living longer.

If the media covered HIV/AIDS, even if the abstinence program did not, people would be more aware about the disease. In Miami, there should be more coverage about the disease because this disease reflects a large part of the community.

No coverage has lead some to believe that there is a cure. In reality, there still is no cure.
With such high rates of AIDS infected people in the United States, more should be done. For Martin, the problem can stem from policy making. He believes that certain issues have divided this country. Some of which, are insignificant when compared to HIV/AIDS.

“We are more worried about keeping marriage between a man and a woman,” said Martin.

Martin believes it is more important to find a solution to the AIDS epidemic in this country. He cannot understand why within the United States, it being one of the most powerful countries in the world, some people are still dying from AIDS.

“I see how we are so worried about the simple things,” said Martin.

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Church Preaches Message of Awareness to AIDS Community

By: Elvis Ramirez

The AIDS pandemic is one problem that many Christian churches have ignored since the outbreak of the disease in the 1980s; the illness was viewed as a problem of the gay community and thus not of concern for the church. However, one church’s ministry in Overtown still continues to reach out to its suffering community 18 years after it was founded.

Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the oldest Black congregations in
Miami and its AIDS program is also one of the oldest in the city.

Greater Bethel established its AIDS outreach program in 1990 after members saw how the disease was affecting their neighborhood.

Overtown had the highest rate of AIDS infected people in Florida, said Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, education and prevention specialist and program director for the AIDS ministry.“The church also had the resources … the physical and the financial. So that was probably part of the reason they started this ministry,” he said.

John F. White, the church’s reverend, started the initiative. It was the first religious response to the AIDS problem in the black community of Miami, said Cribbs-Lorrant.

According to the Miami New Times, the program also included a “twice-monthly religious service for gays and lesbians and their families that they called the Ministry of Reconciliation.” But that part of the program was eliminated by White. This aspect of the problem was instituted in 2000 and removed in 2001.

As part of the program, church members formed a street team that goes out on weekend nights, from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., and reaches out to club goers. They preach their message at heterosexual nightclubs as well as same-sex clubs.

Cribbs-Lorrant tells of one time where the street team encountered a drug dealer in Opa Locka. The dealer was selling to his clientele, when the street team approached him. After seeing them handing out condoms and talking to the people in the area, the dealer began to urge his clientele to get tested or he would start withholding his “supplies.”

“It was really weird [to hear this man giving the same message we were],” he said. “He actually told his people to get tested before they would get more supplies.”

Despite the fact that they are handing out condoms, the members of Greater Bethel believe in abstinence. They, however, claim to understand that abstinence-only teachings don’t work.

“You have to be realistic,” he said. “[We have to] keep people alive long enough to save them.”

Because abstinence only teaching doesn’t work in the real world, the street team hands out condoms and encourages safe sex. People are going to have sex regardless of what’s out there, said Cribbs-Lorrant. In fact the church does not support abstinence-only teaching, but it is still a part of their message.

People need to know about AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases even if they practice abstinence, said Cribbs-Lorrant.

Bucking the tradition of having a completely separate AIDS program, Greater Bethel has actually included the AIDS ministry as part of their general service. Sermons on AIDS and why congregants should help people that are suffering from the disease are common.

Greater Bethel is also part of The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of Aids. During the weeks of March 2, several institutions will hold prayer services specifically for those who need healing. The church believes that the power of prayer can heal, but they still act to aide others. They act in order to prevent the spread of AIDS and pray to heal those that already are suffering from the disease. Greater Bethel work closely with other organizations that are fighting against AIDS.

The church is partners with Care Resource, which does the testing for HIV and provides medical services that the church cannot. The church hosts testing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but they are not planning to expand this aspect of their program.

“We are right near Jackson [Memorial Hospital], and Camillus House is right around the corner. We don’t want to take anything away from them. I think our work supplements theirs,” Cribs-Lorrant said.

However, they keep an updated database of treatment centers, support groups and other testing sites in the area to refer people to the appropriate place to get care.

“We once had a girl who had been out of care for three years. She hadn’t received treatment or medicine for those three years. So we got her back into a treatment program [outside of the church],” he said.

The program also includes a service they call “Churches Taking a Stand.” The church takes it upon itself to help other religious institutions learn about AIDS and how to become testing sites.

“Feed and Forum” is another service they provide as part of their ministry. The purpose is to get the homeless and needy to gather and learn about AIDS. People who attend this event, which is held once a month, receive testing, information on AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections and a warm meal.

“You have to feed people to get them to come,” Cribbs-Lorrant said. “This way they eat and they listen to our [church leaders] talk about AIDS.”

Greater Bethel’s AIDS ministry was also part of the “Ride the Bus…” initiative started by the Miami-Dade County Health Department. Members from the ministry and Miami-Dade health officials rode the public buses and handed out “Ride the Bus…” bags filled with condoms, lubrication and cards with HIV testing site information.

They offer other services and events such as pastoral counseling, and HIV/AIDS information courses.

The ministry seems successful especially when compared to other churches in Miami-Dade, which have ended their AIDS ministries because of lack of funds or because the churches themselves have closed.

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HIV Services Strained with Federal Funding

By: David Rodriguez

When I was looking for an image that suited the topic for this post, this image came up rather quickly. Bugs have made me queasy all my life, so seeing some blown into dog-like proportions and having sexual contact with people struck me as both intelligent and direct. If one walks into sex with no caution, there is no telling what poison is going to get into one's system.

Upon researching what organizations here in Florida offer men and women with AIDS and HIV a chance to fight back and live as fulfilling a life as possible, the first misconception I cleared was that having AIDS and being HIV+ are not exactly the same. As the website aids.org clarifies in its Fact Sheet, a person is declared HIV+ when the person's body creates antibodies to fight the HIV virus and tests recognize those antibodies. But they might not be sick with AIDS at all, sometimes for many years. If "opportunistic infections" appear (an infection that would not appear if the person's immune system were working fine), the person is declared as sick with AIDS.

I went straight to Google looking for organizations that provide relief for people with AIDS and HIV+. After trying different word combinations, I came across the website for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation This organization spawned in Los Angeles in 1987 as a group of activists and artists saw people infected with HIV+ "literally die on the streets." Originally called the AIDS Hospice Foundation, it changed its name in 1990 to reflect its goal to expand medical care for these men and women. Since then AHF has been expanding, opening thirteen clinics in the California area and setting foot in seventeen countries. In Florida AHF opened a clinic in Jacksonville and last January 26 opened another one in Fort Lauderdale, in the area of Wilton Manors.

According to Joseph Terrill, public policy coordinator for AHF, the organization has thrived over these past twenty years but its "taking politicians to task" has got it into trouble. Though he declined to mention a specific situation, Terrill cited the occurrence as an example of what could set AIDS counseling and relief organizations behind: their dependence on the government, for funding or otherwise.

There exists a similar sentiment around the Ryan White Program, an initiative that started in Florida back in 1991 and is aimed to provide people with AIDS and HIV+ support and treatment through service providers affiliated to the program. The program is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services. Health Resources,a and Services Administration. Theresa Fiano, coordinator for the program, said that right now it is taking "level funding," which means that it is not receiving the increases in funding it had seen prior to 2002. Since the war effort started, funding for these "discretionary" programs has diminished and, though it will not terminate any of the program's initiatives, this turn of events does show that politics still can determine whether people get the help they need, not the need for help itself.

However, at a more local level, support for people with AIDS and HIV+ has not dwindled. A glance at the list of service providers under the Ryan White program shows twenty-four centers that provide those infected with services like prescription drugs, case management, counseling and treatment, outreach services, and legal assistance. According to Holly Alitrandi, attorney working for the agency that seemingly exclusively offers the latter service, Legal Services of Greater Miami Inc., a great majority of the cases they deal with involve AIDS and HIV+ patients reclaiming their right for pensions and insurance payments. And as they continue working, the number of cases has increased each year.

Another center offering help for AIDS patients, the Borinquen Health Care Center Inc., has been working for nearly thirty-five years providing their services predominantly to minorities too poor to receive help otherwise. Despite their time in service, only until this time they will open a second center in the area of Kendall. Just like Legal Services of Greater Miami, their intake of patients only grows with each year that passes.

That AIDS and HIV+ patients can find centers where help is available is evident, but the proportion in which new cases arrive in comparison with the steady but not overtly growing funding that these centers receive leave questions behind: Are these places and the programs that fund them really safe? How long before spending for other programs catches up with the budget allocated to these places and, as more infected people walk through the doors of clinics and pharmacies, less can be provided? Only time and wise spending from government departments can tell, but as both numbers fluctuate the way they have over the years, a wake-up call is nothing short of overdue.

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