[Articles About HTLV-III/LAV Antibody Test] Page: 1 of 6
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2
DIALO
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE DALLAS GAY ALLIANCE February 1985
The DGA Board of Directors
strongly urges gay males not to
take the HTLV-III/LAV antibody test
and not to donate blood. The Alli-
ance has added its name to and sup-
ports the following statement re-
leased by the National Gay Task
Force on January 11, 1985:With the expected licensing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of
the test for antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV, the virus considered to be associated
with AIDS, it is important to state what we believe this test does and does not
do, what its potential misuses are, and what risks members of the gay community
face if they take this test.
It is our recommendation that, except in rare circumstances, this test
should be used ONLY in the context of screening blood donations and as part of
research programs that guarantee strict confidentiality. Individuals should be
aware that this test will NOT provide answers to such questions as: am I
healthy? do I have AIDS? am I a carrier of AIDS?.have I been exposed to AIDS?
can I give AIDS to someone else?
The HTLV-III antibody test does NOT diagnose AIDS. It simply measures. the
development of antibodies to the HTLV-III virus. A positive test result'
showing the presence of antibodies could mean nothing more than exposure to the
HTLV-III virus. It is not known whether individuals with positive test results
will go on to develop AIDS, whether they will be harmed by additional infection
by the virus, whether they are infectious, or whether they are possibly immune.
Similarly, a negative test result does not necessarily mean an individual
has not been exposed to the HTLV-III/AV virus. It could mean there has been
no prior exposure or infection by the virus, that the individual is still in an
incubation period before development of the antibody, that there may have been
a prior infection and the antibody is no longer detectable, that the test was
performed incorrectly, or that the test itself was inaccurate.
Irrespective of test results, we underscore the importance of all members
of high-risk groups continuing to follow prevention guidelines that have
been put forward by AIDS service organizations, including the adoption of safe
sex practices. The declining rates of sexually transmitted diseases among gay
men in many cities show the success of these efforts. Whether one has tested
positive or negative, whether one has been exposed to the HTLV-III virus or
not, safe sex practices may help to prevent either new or further exposure to
the virus or the transmission of the virus to another party.
While the blood test will be used to screen donations at blood banks, the
test will not eliminate all donations that have been exposed to the HTLV-III
virus and are therefore potentially infectious. There is evidence that
individuals who test negative can, in some cases, be carrying the HTLV-III
virus. Therefore, this test is simply an added measure to screen donors and is
NOT a substitute for the donor deferral guidelines that recommend that those
persons falling into at-risk groups should refrain from donating blood at this
t sme.This includes all males who have had sex with more than one male since
1979, and males whose male partner has had sex with more than one male since
'979. Continued on Page 8TAKE
(
by mike Richards
As you may have read in local
newspapers or seen on television
recently, there will be a blood
test for exposure to the
HTLV-III/LAV virus. It is critical
at this time to make everyone aware
of what this test means, or does
not mean.i
r
wmmmmmmm-=
AIDS ACTION
COUNCIL UPDATE:
A CALL
FOR POLITICAL
ACTION
by Mike Richards, Board Member of
Federation of AIDS-Related
Organizations (FARO)
The U.S. Congress is now working on
the 1986 budget, and figures released
from the Office of Management and Budget
indicate cuts for the Public Health Ser-
vice are expected. With AIDS cases
continuing to increase and with the ever
increasing costs of medical care for
persons with AIDS, the AIDS Action Coun-
cil calls on all concerned people to
write or call their congresspersons ex-
pressing the need for increased and ad-
ditional funding for research on
treatment and cure of AIDS and for
funding of support services for Persons
With AIDS (PWAs) and educational
information concerning all aspects of
AIDS.
It is critical that all organizations
and, in particular, all persons working
directly with PWAs to respond to this
call for action. Writing letters can
have an influence on legislators and
congresspersons to appropriate new
funding for AIDS activities.
Who to write to? Key people to write
in Congress are those representatives
that sit on the budget appropriations
committees and subcommittees in both the
House and Senate. Lobbying for AIDS
related activities is most effective
with these legislators and their staffs.
Neither Senator Lloyd Bentson nor Sen-
ator Phil Gramm of Texas sit on any of
these committees. But it is important
to inform them of your support for in-
creased funding for AIDS research and
urge them to contact their colleagues on
these committees.
Representatives Charles Wilson and Tom
Loeffler of Texas sit on the House Ap-
propriations Committee, and Represent-
ative Mickey Leland of Houston sits on
the House Subcommittee on Health and the
Environment.
It is recommended that you also con-
tact Representatives John Bryant, Steve
Bartlett, and Martin Frost and urge them
to support AIDS research.
tIMoEDIATEACTION TO BE TAKEN: -
1.) To secure supplemental funding in
the current fiscal year (1985) of at
least $10 million under the "Preventive
Health Programs" law (P.L. 98--555), in
order to ensure much increased funding
for prevention and public education
programs on AIDS. This bill was passed
last session, and authorized spending on
AIDS education equal to as much as 50%
of any funds appropriated above S50
million for the CDC's sexually trans-
mitted disease (STD) prevention program.
In other words, according to this
formula, if Congress ultimately provided
a $55.5 million appropriation (a
realistic figure, in our opinion) for
the STD program, about $2.5 million
would become av iil le for AIDS
education. The current appropriation of
Continued on page 3
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Dallas Gay Alliance. [Articles About HTLV-III/LAV Antibody Test], article, February 1985; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc916046/m1/1/: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.