(00:00:00) Thank you Greta six minutes now past twelve o'clock programming and NPR is supported by the anchor Livingstone system a way to build a distinctive custom home in concrete masonry now showing at the spring Home and Garden Show. Good afternoon. Welcome back to midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary eichten glad you could join us when the AIDS epidemic struck the United States in the early 1980s, very little was known about the new disease doctors really didn't understand that it could take years for HIV to develop into AIDS and the tests weren't always reliable as a result thousands of hiv-infected couples had children often unknowingly infecting the baby many other children got HIV through transfusions with tainted blood products at first doctors expected youngsters with HIV to die in childhood in many. Did but then came antiviral drug treatments like AZT and protease Inhibitors, which helped thousands of youngsters stay alive. Now, it's estimated. There are more than 10,000 young people living with HIV or Aids the teenagers with HIV often face complicated and sometimes lonely lives producers Stephen Smith and stefaney Curtis of American radio works. That's our national documentary unit supplied tape recorders to three teenagers with HIV to help them keep a record of their young lives. They prepared a document a report the positive life which were going to hear this afternoon, and we'll be talking about HIV and AIDS and opening and opening up the phone lines for your questions first though the positive life. (00:02:04) Hi, my name is Tony Torrez. I'm 15 years old and I go to high school at New Smyrna Beach High. I'm a freshman and I'm HIV positive. I got her blood transfusion when I was (00:02:18) born (00:02:20) and ever since then my life has been just a little bit different than others. (00:02:28) Actually Tanya's life is a lot different than other kids. She was Gravely sick from the day of her birth and doctors didn't diagnose her HIV disease until she was five all they knew was she got sick a lot. (00:02:40) She was in the hospital (00:02:42) almost monthly. That's tonya's mom Brenda. (00:02:45) They told me actually when she was a newborn that she would never leave the (00:02:48) hospital. She left the hospital when she was three weeks old (00:02:52) then they tell you when you find out your have AIDs that you not to expect to make it two years and she passed that and then they told me the experts told me not to have she wouldn't make it to 10 and now she's 15 and a half and half. Oh, pardon me Amanda (00:03:17) lunchtime at Tanya's high school starts at 10:30 in the (00:03:20) morning. Mostly the same people sit with the same people. It's just not always in the same. Spot we're not the popular's and we're not the dweebs. So we're in the middle. I'm sorry Colleen, but that sandwich looks really really nasty. (00:03:35) Tanya loves her High School, especially drama class. She'd like to be an actress but she's also taking classes to be a caterer. Tanya has a ready mischievous smile dark eyes and thick wavy brown hair HIV slowed her growth. So she's shorter than most of the other kids her age. Tanya has a chronic and often painful disease in her legs from taking an experimental anti-aids drug when she was younger. So a lot of the time she rolls through the school hallways in a wheelchair which makes her an inviting Target for (00:04:05) Pranksters. (00:04:10) In the socially obsessive self-conscious world of high school a wheelchair is unwelcome social cargo for a girl who secretly Longs for (00:04:18) romance. (00:04:26) Have you noticed that most songs are like about love and stuff like this girl dumped me or I want you back or something like that. If you notice that it's all about like couples and stuff. It's weird (00:04:42) speech (00:04:53) Tanya lives with her mom in a small Florida town near Daytona Beach on most afternoons. You can find Tanya hanging around the house with her best pal a be listening to music Abby's mission for the past several months has been to set Tanya up with a (00:05:06) guy. Hi is Chris are? Okay, just telling Abby called and thank you. That's grounded. Oh grounded even better until Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday. Does he have a crush on me? No figures. I had a feeling you didn't why would he nobody has a crush on you? She's the agent fected girl. You think it's goes boys off definitely wheelchair to you think that scares them off. I have this big four-wheel thing that I'll run him over with a mess with me think that's not gonna scare him off that will scare off. Thank you. Do we have any cheese stuff? Mom rocks get back out there. Roxy out. So if you did go on a date with another date, what's your dream date with I don't have one right now. I'm looking for a date period I don't have a dream date. She wants to go to the movies. Yeah, the movies that (00:06:06) works so far. Abby's recruiting mission is a complete flop. The problem is boys that Abby tries to snag for Tanya invite a be out instead. Tanya says she's always being asked if you can get HIV from kissing it's unlikely and from Brenda's point of view. Any kissing would be more dangerous to her daughter than to the boy because of Tanya's poor immune system. (00:06:29) She's gets a boyfriend and he's got some kind of infection of some, you know, even a bad cold or whatever she's gonna get it if she's kissing (00:06:35) them that's going to (00:06:37) happen. She catches everything and so we have to go eventually in your miserable when you're sick. So that's a concern for me not her but me (00:06:48) as the mother of a girl infected with HIV Brenda never Thought she would have the pleasure of maternal anxieties about dating and kissing but Tanya's years of taking anti AIDS medications have paid off or health is stable enough. Now that she doesn't have to take the drugs and Brenda is guardedly optimistic about Tanya's future (00:07:06) when she was five. It was let's go pick out the casket and you know, what colors and where do we want her buried and that kind of thing and now it's well, where does she want to go to college? And what did she want to be? And will she ever be able to have children? Will that ever happened? Is she going to be able to find a husband and that's the kind of thing. She thinks about now, there's nobody nobody nobody. Nobody did I know anybody I know I would not go out with because I know them I've known them for years. What? Okay, what's the hurry? (00:07:45) The (00:07:45) very instructive so here is a group of them. I have here (00:07:51) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Lori weiner heads a counseling program for children and teens with HIV Tanya was one of her patients traveling regularly to Bethesda for check-ups weiner pulls out a stack of paintings. She ask Tanya and other kids to make symbolizing the stages of life with HIV (00:08:10) or someone, you know, where they first found out they were eight years old and all they do is I'm going to die and for the years the web it's a picture of a black and white web was circled around with blue and the after the web's is new medicine. And that was when they were nine years old and then keeping secrets in school and how many years they did that and then coming out telling the truth (00:08:31) weiner says that younger children tend to worry about medical aspects of the disease most like nasty-tasting medicines or getting sick all the time or deaf teenagers have a different set of worries for every (00:08:43) child going. Adolescence is different but clearly socialization becomes very important wanting to belong wanting to be able to have a social life wanting to be able to have friends wanting to be like everybody else for many of the children infected with HIV puberty is delayed many of the children are shorter in stature and in weight and feel different in terms of their physical appearance than other children their age (00:09:11) and unlike the other kids youngsters with HIV typically have a complicated medication schedule. They take a lot of pills during the school day often slinking off to an obscure spot to gobble down their medicine and something else may set them apart. Their families are also traumatized by the disease students with HIV may go home to parents who are themselves disabled by AIDS or have already died by one count some 30,000 American children have lost their parents to AIDS (00:09:52) What we're gonna interview you (00:09:56) Tanisha made this tape with her sister and her sisters (00:09:58) baby. My name is cut you stop talking about my baby list for this baby (00:10:12) Tanisha lives with her grandmother in a small house crammed with an assortment of siblings uncles aunts and cousins. Denisha doesn't want her real name used on the radio because most of the people in her Chicago school and neighborhood don't know she's HIV positive. (00:10:26) This is me. And my sister. This is my mom duck and Rhonda (00:10:32) tanisha's photo album shows the toll of HIV snapshots of family gatherings include a few relatives who started avoiding Tanisha when they found out about the disease, they kept her from holding or playing with their children and the pictures show her mother emaciated and exhausted before AIDS. Finally killed her at age 29. Tanisha was seven. This is my mom my (00:10:54) cousin feel let's do look like your mom save man. I cannot get HIV she was doing drugs, but they ain't she didn't know that she was pregnant. So she went to the doctor. She found out I know if she's knew she was pregnant. She wouldn't did it. (00:11:15) Tanisha's grandmother was Raising her now. The girl is tall and strong for her age with long Limbs and wavy black hair that tumbles down her back her legs are covered with the And bruises than an active girl gets for a person with HIV. Her health is good. Tanisha has never gotten a life-threatening infection and as she grows older tanisha's natural teenage impulse for Rebellion sometimes collides with the extra protectiveness that comes naturally to adults who care for a young girl with HIV. Her grandmother says Tanisha (00:11:45) is a very sweet girl. She spoiled by the whole family and we all loved her and she loved to have her way and sometimes I think she can run me. And when I stop her she get so upset, but then she know she got to do what mama say p some people say. I'm a tomboy because I beer are you wrestling with the boys and stuff my grandmother. She be so shook up. Don't do that. Don't do that. I don't want you to fall and cut yourself, you know, sometimes I think my grandma just a little too unprotected of me. I told her hey Grandma, I'm big. I'm not no. I don't. I'm not your knee cap size and even want me. I'm almost Target. She won't be a teenager about a couple more weeks and you just have to get used to me out and playing and falling. Get down Matthew filter. I don't like when I get a cut my grandmother go get clubs and bleach it all the type of stuff. And I mean that's I did sometimes it does offend me because she has to get all that stuff. Like it's so dangerous like it. She touches her killer when she could just wipe her hand off of something but I understand that the mother virus that I have is dangerous. I understand that you don't really want this you don't want it but my grandma always told me, you know, your blood is dangers of gloves feel alive lately. Yeah. No put your mouth honey. Hey Bubba, and I hope I don't ever get sick and I hope I live long time. I have a niece and nephew that I want our love to grow up and see them grow up along with me. My goal is to finish High School. I want to give me a job when I get 16. I don't want my grandma to start a savings account for me. And I want to give me a card. I have a birthday coming up and I'll be 13 and I'm glad I've been living in my doctor told me that I'm doing very good. I think Lord day I wake up every morning and can walk and talk and hear run touch and play and feel just like everybody else. (00:14:31) In spite of her teenage Defiance Tunisia is actually quite careful about staying healthy, but other kids with HIV sometimes try to prove their like everyone else by taking risks. They drink or get into drugs some risk the health of others by having unprotected sex for a young woman who gets pregnant drug therapies can reduce the risk of passing the disease to the baby from about 25 percent to less than 8% but pediatric HIV specialist Catherine samples, encourages her patients in Boston to recognize the likely problems. How will you feel is a child does turn out to have the infection how will you feel if you're very sick and can't take care of your child. And what is what are your plans? Those are issues that adult people deal with also when they have HIV and decide that they're going to have children, but it's more complicated when you're a teenager and still at the age of denying that these things are ever going to happen to you. We don't ever say to a kid this diagnosis means you can never date. You can never have a relationship you can never Children, we talked about the pros and cons and we talked about being available to help if their decision includes a decision to have sex or decision to have a child but while the burden of a childhood with HIV compels some young people to take heedless risks others grow up faster than their peers and seem far more cautious and thoughtful than typical teens. In a working class neighborhood of Boston Mark found out he is HIV positive in seventh grade. He was 12 years old Marcus a haemophilia. He got the disease from contaminated blood products from the moment. He found out Mark kept the news a secret many young people with HIV do even today. (00:16:15) I knew I was going to wait until I graduated high school to tell my friends that I was HIV positive because I wanted to go through high school as a normal kid and not as the boy with age. (00:16:28) I don't want to be picked on and beat up and make fun of every day because I had a date (00:16:33) we decided not to be upfront with very many people at (00:16:37) all marks mom Diane because if you walk up to somebody and say, oh I have multiple sclerosis or cancer. They don't back off and treat you any differently. But when you went up to people and said this was in your family, they didn't want to talk to you. They were so afraid they would just A chick from talking to you were drinking out of a water fountain with you. None of that's true since graduating. I said every night that I'm going to tell my friends tomorrow night, but every time that time rolls around I chickened out I was scared and I just backed out and I couldn't do it. (00:17:22) I don't know. I just I just don't want to lose friends. As I get older new challenges coming to play. So just I'm going to college now. (00:17:39) I'm going to have to tell my roommates that I'm hiv-positive (00:17:44) Danny. You're finally awake. Huh? What is this clackers? What's going on? So I'm taking one day and I take my medicine they're going to say what's that for (00:18:00) as well? They might Mark chokes Down A Fistful of antiviral drugs several times each day, and then I'll just come out and say it's because I have (00:18:08) HIV. I'm going to check my mail (00:18:15) on campus Mark seems like any other college guy. He listens to bands like Godsmack and corn. He stays up too late. Then in the morning Downs a Hostess apple pie and a carton of chocolate milk for breakfast. He studies he drives around in his (00:18:28) car his Limp Biscuit (00:18:39) has got a body like me, (00:18:41) but I got to think twice (00:18:44) before because of HIV Works never really had a major Girlfriend by his own choice as of now. I decided not to have sex (00:18:53) before I even think about putting somebody in such a risk. I got a really really love that person. But then I really really love the person that much. (00:19:04) How can I even think about putting him at that risk? (00:19:07) And if I were to ever give anybody HIV and it was pretty much like killing somebody If I did my name is Natasha and I'm one of Mike's good friends and okay, if you find a girl you should I I mean, it's not necessarily like you should say. Hey, I'm HIV positive like on the first day, you know, I mean if you find a girl, they're nice person. They know you from the inside and out and then once you feel comfortable, I think you should say something before anything gets like, you know intimate. Well, it would be like your reaction if Lake After like a few dates (00:19:45) with somebody they told you that they were hiv-positive. (00:19:50) I'd be like, okay, so what do we do now? You know if it depends on how the serious like the relationship was going. Do you know what I mean? If it was like date fund like you're just going out and you know, you go out and kiss whatever, you know have a good time. But if you're planning on doing anything, then we'd have to figure stuff out along the lines of that. It wouldn't be like, oh shoot. I gotta run away now, you know, I mean, really (00:20:21) Not long ago Mark finally told his roommates about his HIV. He says the guys seemed kind of underwhelmed about the news Mark even made a presentation about his disease in a speech class and no one bolted for the door after years of concealing this significant part of his life. Mark is relieved and a little stunned that it's not such a big deal to (00:20:41) others. You know, when you learn that you have HIV with the way today is you know that you aren't going to die right away, you know that especially with the protease Inhibitors that are coming out now with the cocktails that they're called mixed with all different medicines, you know, people are no longer dying with HIV. They're learning how to live with HIV and the only thing holding people back from living with HIV is other people putting them down. (00:21:23) This is Steven Smith, Minnesota Public Radio. (00:21:28) The positive life was produced by Stephen Smith and stefaney Curtis of American radio (00:21:33) works the national documentary unit of Minnesota Public Radio. It was mixed by Craig Thorson production help provided (00:21:40) by Nancy fusion and Nathan Williamson special. Thanks to Joe Richmond. The program was edited (00:21:45) by national public radio's Deborah (00:21:47) George, the executive producer for American radio works is Bill Buchanan Berg. (00:21:57) This is midday on Minnesota Public (00:22:01) Radio. And for (00:22:02) the rest of this hour we're going to be talking with a couple of folks from the University of Minnesota's Youth and AIDS project about teenagers and HIV and some of the problems those kids face and we sure invite you to join our conversation. If you've got a question or comment something that came up in your mind as you were listening to the documentary, give us a call six five. One two, two seven six thousand. That's our Twin City area number six five. One two, two seven six thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities one eight hundred two, four two two eight 286512276 thousand one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight and we'll get to our conversation and your questions in just a moment. But right now some news headlines. Here's Kathleen Hellenic Kathleen. Thanks Gary Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says, they're not there yet on a Kosovo peace deal. So both sides are going to be given more time to as she puts it reflect on the choices before them after 17 days of negotiations and Ants the ethnic albanians today agreed to sign an agreement within two weeks after discussing the plan with People Back Home Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan has presented a trademark balanced view of the economy and his appearance before the Senate Banking Committee. Greenspan says, the eight-year-old expansion has left the economy stretched presenting a variety of risks. He says the economy should remain solid this year with a slower pace of expansion and a higher rate of overall inflation. The jury has begun its deliberations in the dragging death of a black man a Jasper Texas prosecutors describe defendant John King as satanic and told the jury there's plenty of evidence to convict him and the death of James bird king is the first of three white men to face capital murder charges and last June's killing of bird. Governor Ventura ramps up for days in the nation's capital today with a meeting with Minnesota's Congressional Delegation. It's rare for all of the states lawmakers to be together at the same time Ventura has been in Washington for the annual winter meeting of the national Governors Association. A bill has been introduced that could touch off another debate on whether Minnesota should build a new stadium for pro sports teams. The bill would create a commission on culture and recreation. The 12-member agency would have authority to sell bonds to construct or rehabilitate culture and sports facilities for use by sports teams arts groups or the University of Minnesota. The mood is somber today at Minnesota Vikings headquarters in the Vikings newly named defensive coordinator chip Myers has died of a heart attack. He was 53 and was just promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator last month quick look at the forecast today cloudy and southern and western Minnesota partly sunny in the arrowhead high should range from Five to Thirty Gary that's a latest out of The Newsroom. All right, thank you Kathleen hallinan with news headlines this hour of. Midday. We're talking about some of the problems facing teenagers with HIV and AIDS. Dr. Gary Rama fatty the director of the youth and AIDS project at the University of Minnesota is with us also with us is Patricia massing a consular with the project goal of the project is to prevent kids from getting AIDS and to care for young people and families who are living with HIV and AIDS again. If you have a question or comment about teenagers and AIDS and HIV, give us a call our Twin City area number 6512276 thousand 6512276 thousand those of you calling from outside. The Twin Cities can reach us toll free at 1-888-438-6557 and one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight folks. Thanks for coming in today. Thank you any statistics on how many kids here in Minnesota are living with HIV. Maybe at this point we have any idea that (00:25:53) well thus far in the epidemic. We've had several hundred young people in Minnesota between the ages of 13 and 21 and at the youth end AIDS projects we care for about 30 young people each year. Some new ones come in some older ones grow out of the programs and move on to adult programs. The problem across the country seems to be a very serious one this this issue of adolescents with HIV HIV has become the sixth leading cause of death of teens there an estimated 40,000 new cases in the United States each year in adults and young people and half of those cases occur in people under 25 and a quarter of them and people under 21. So the epidemic is a lot like other sexually transmitted diseases and it affects young people even more than adults. Hmm (00:26:44) the mark one of the one of the kids we heard in the documentary was talking at the end of the end of the report about The real issue now is living with HIV and yet it sounds like kids are still dying from this to absolutely I think part of the living with it requires an emotional support system and like many of the kids said people who find out disappear from their lives. I've seen families disappear from from kids lives. I think part of what we do at the euthanasia project is the emotional support and letting them know that you know having HIV doesn't mean that your life is over with where the three kids that we heard in this documentary pretty typical of the kids. You see, (00:27:31) I think they're pretty typical of children who were infected who grew up to Young adulthood. There's somewhat differ from our own clients at the youth and AIDS projects in being younger. And also how they got HIV most of our clients got HIV through sex and drugs in fact sex and drugs accounts. (00:27:51) Or (00:27:51) about 90% of the infections of young people with HIV and AIDS in the United States. So we got a somewhat different picture of younger people who acquired it either at the time of their birth or through blood transfusions or blood products (00:28:08) you suppose that makes a difference in how these kids see themselves and how other people see them as to how they ended up with HIV. Oh, absolutely. I think they see themselves, you know, there's a big push for abstinence today and I think a lot of these kids see themselves in a very shameful way for having had sex and having contracted HIV. We do have a good amount of clients who are mothers and fathers and who have had children even being hiv-positive and their children have are not positive. So I think the face of HIV is changing and I think I wish the stigma would change a little bit more in the community as far as tolerance of HIV and acceptance of a lifestyle that you know, you can go on and you can live and you can have children and you can have families and back to Mark again the last kid that we heard from in the documentary. He was amazed at how underwhelmed his friends were when he when he finally made the announcement was from his Viewpoint. Nobody seem to think much about it one way or the other is that typical doesn't sound like it. (00:29:26) I think a lot of people adults and young people have been traumatized by the hysteria of the past around AIDS. They're familiar with the stigma that's been attached to it and some of the difficulties that people in the past have gone through so it's very understandable that they should feel fearful that they will still be subjected to those things and that fully understand. The times have changed and people have grown to be more understanding. (00:29:54) I think it also requires a personal acceptance themselves. And I think it takes a good deal to get to that spot where they're really comfortable in their own skin and they're comfortable in their HIV and you know, the first moment of any negative response from someone sends them right back into a shell. So it's I've seen both sides. I've seen a lot of support and then I've seen a lot of of stigma and a lot of Shame pushed upon them. We're talking this our about kids and HIV and AIDS joining us here in the studio. Dr. Gary room a fatty director of the youth and AIDS project of the University of Minnesota. Patricia bassing is whether she's a counselor with the project and again, if you'd like to join our conversation, six, five, one two, two seven six thousand 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight Alan your comment, please (00:30:51) Yeah, I'm I listen to the program for the part of the program near on youth with AIDS and you know, I was impressed by it. But I I just went down to the AIDS Walk Center preparing for the AIDS Walk in May on Saturday. I met a gentleman who's in his late 20s. He said aids for about 18 months now and I asked him about these new cocktails and and you know, he said the thing about the thing people don't talk about is the expense of these drugs. He said already all of his credit is he has no credit anymore and there have been months when he's had to go without you know the food that he wanted to have to be able to try and buy these Inhibitors and I just think is important thing to bring up. I mean I still don't think any of this is being really addressed by the government kid. That's 18 go. The college he still covered by his parents Insurance. Probably when he becomes 22 That's All She Wrote and what insurance company is going to underwrite him. (00:32:02) What about the expense involved in in these drugs? I mean, how did the kids get the money for (00:32:08) this? Well you the colors raising all sorts of good points one is the expense issue now here in Minnesota where rather fortunate that there is Public Funding for supplementing insurance policies, and there's also direct Public Funding for purchase of medications for people who otherwise can't identify a way to pay for the medications. So we're lucky in that regard and I don't really see any reason why in Minnesota anyone should go without treatment, but the caller raises some very important issues. In other localities cost is a real issue in most of the world. It is Jonathan Mann said at one point in his career if the cure for AIDS was just a glass of clean drinking water. Most of the world couldn't afford it. But beyond the issues of the cost the colors raising other issues about the complexities of the treatments. Most of the treatments are three four or five drugs. Some of the drugs require refrigeration. Some of them must be taken at certain times of day with or without food. These treatment regimens are very complicated and young people may not have the wherewithal to comply with them. Well and may not benefit from (00:33:21) hmm. I would think to we've heard some reports indicating that over time some of these drug treatments lose their effectiveness. And if you have a kid who's been infected since birth isn't there the likelihood that over time they will no longer be helped by the drug cocktails (00:33:43) the many people develop resistance to the medications particularly. If they don't take them in religiously perfect kind of a way consequently, they may outlive the use of the medications they started on initially and need to be moved on to different types of medications. It's the hope that we continue to develop new combinations of drugs and new individual drugs. So that people won't run out of options older adults may have already (00:34:14) hmm. What's the trend are more and more kids getting infected or ending up infected or (00:34:22) We (00:34:23) stabilized there is the number going down. What is the trend at (00:34:27) this point across the United States? If you look at 13 to 24 year-olds across the board. I don't see any evidence therefore increases rather the epidemic seems to have plateaued in general. But if you look at certain subpopulations of young people there, you'll see the increases. For example, there are two major subpopulations one is young women often young women of color whose partners are men who are older and possibly injection drug users. Now this population of girls has been very hard hit by the epidemic in the prevalence of the disease continues to increase among them. And another such population would be young men who have sex with men. And once again people of color are disproportionately affected among them. So if you look within certain subpopulations of adolescents, you see where the disease is increasing but across the board It's plateaued (00:35:24) Noir your comment, please (00:35:26) Gary Patricia. How are you doing? Hi, how are you? Doing? Good. Nice to hear your voice same here. You all are doing good job. Thank you. My question is kind of two-pronged and one is the first piece of it is what can how can you explain the lack or continued lack of access to resources for programs such as yours, I mean would the kind of work that you're doing which is remarkably valuable to the community. How can we explain that Trend and then what can you do and what can we do as a supportive Community to reverse that Trend to change the soft money and a declining amount of soft money that programs like yours a receiving so that we can support this these types of efforts a little bit more substantially. What can we do and what can you do and how do you explain this process? (00:36:23) Okay. Well, first of all, what can you give us a brief overview of exactly what it is you folks do with the youth needs project. (00:36:31) Well, we do several types of programs are we do HIV prevention programs HIV antibody counseling and testing for young people and third we provide care for young people living with HIV infection. All of our programs are supported by grants from the state or from the federal government. With the collar is referring to is that the resources are limited for such programs and programs for young people are competing with programs for older adults and younger children and young people often lose out in that competition because there's less empathy towards young people adolescents than there is towards younger children and older adults with HIV seem to Advocate better for themselves. They are voters after all. So what we need to do is rather than fight over pieces of a shrinking pie. We have to increase the size of the pie increase overall funding for HIV and AIDS in the state of Minnesota and nationally to help people understand that despite the advances in the treatment of AIDs that aids is still one of the leading killers in the United States and remains a very important public health problem nationally and locally (00:37:42) back to the phone. Sue your question, please (00:37:44) yeah, this is a question for Patricia, and I was just wondering how as a You're able to motivate young people with HIV to modify their lifestyle and accept responsibility for having AIDS since I'm sure this is difficult for adults and I would just make it doubly hard for kids and I was just wondering what her tactics are. (00:38:03) Hi Sue. Thanks for calling. Well engaging in their life is part of the problem. And you know young people are seldom asked to be as responsible and even adults are seldom as to be as responsible for their health as someone who is HIV positive. So it's many times a trial and error with young people them. One of the things that they went that Physicians engage them in a lot is their their lab statistics their viral load and their CD4 count the viral load being the amount of virus in their blood and their CD4 count meaning they're associated with their immune system. So When Physicians engage them with these numbers they can see them going up and down and they see the association with them taking their medication. And so it's one of the ways that they're prompted and my job is you know, also a very difficult and getting them engaged in their health. And and I think it's it's it's a relationship building type of thing. Mmm. What kind of impact does it have on younger people when they look at celebrities who have been a public identified as as having HIV Magic Johnson comes to my now, here's a guy who's been. Well, he still with us years and years after it became big news. He's healthy as a horse and I would think if you if you saw a Magic Johnson and a lot of people like that it would be difficult to take this as Eriously, perhaps as you should is that a problem I think many of the clients that we deal with don't have the kind of lifestyle that Magic Johnson does he has a lot of resources to himself and many of our clients are poverty level and don't have the emotional support systems and the financial resources to have a lifestyle like magic and I think that's part of the problem. You know, I think it's it's a wonderful thing for them to see but it's also it's not their life. Hmm. We're talking this our about teenagers with HIV and AIDS Gary. Dr. Gary running fetty is with us director of the youth and AIDS project University of Minnesota. Patricia bassing is whether she's a counselor with the youth and AIDS project and if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call our Twin Cities. Number six five one 2276 thousand 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities 1-800 to for 22828 and we should mention by the way. If you'd like some more information on this subject more information on the documentary that we started the hour with the Positive life. You can find that on our website www.mptv.org. Www dot MPR dot-org. Is there what do you tell kids about sex? To avoid it at all costs. So what's the message the message with our positive clientele is safe sex. And one of the things that we really try not to do is is shame them. I think that they carry a lot of the burden of Shame with sex the way it is now it with you know with with the the fact that they are positive the stigma with it carries a lot of Shame was what I'm trying to say. But we we Supply them with the resources that they need we hand out condoms and and we hand out information and we talk to them about ways to have safe sex. We talk to them about ways to have sex without having intercourse and we actually we try to make it, you know sex is a beautiful thing. (00:42:24) It's important to remember that most of our clients got HIV through sex and they've been having sex for many years and having risky sex too. So it takes a lot of work to help somebody change their behaviors and to have sex in a less risky kind of way. It probably isn't realistic for most of them to stop having sex altogether. I think people should understand that most HIV transmission occurs in the context of a relationship and I don't think there's enough appreciation for that fact, I think in a lot of people's mind. We think that people with HIV. Oh must be promiscuous and we use that word in a judgmental kind of away and that in think that they have a lot of sex partners and that they're not responsible and how they behave sexually but the fact of the matter is that most of the young people we care for have had Fairly few Partners in their lives and they got HIV from repeated sexual contact with a steady partner. So it's in the context of a relationship the transmission happens and many of our clients have been parents themselves despite their young ages. So the issue becomes how do we help them change their behavior in a way that helps them be safer in the future so they don't spread infection to other people. How do we get them to comply with treatments during pregnancy? So they prevent the spread of infection to the children that they might eventually have in their lives and in general. How can they communicate with their partners and with their providers about having HIV and making responsible decisions (00:44:05) that was another point I was going to ask about because it came up in the documentary. What do you recommend for kids that they should tell everybody they meet. Hey, I'm I'm infected or I don't think just leave it out of conversations all together. Not at all. I think that it's important their comfort level is the most important thing and their acceptance of their own HIV is the most important thing. We you know, we Go with how they are basically, you know, it's it's important for them to be able to tell friends and family so that they can actually accept it themselves in a way but it you know pushing them beyond their levels is not what we do Randy your question, (00:44:52) please hi. I just listened to the section the portion where you talked about Magic Johnson and the things that you said were that he had more outlets and pop probably more financial capability than anyone else to fight this but you never really wanted to the areas of what he's doing. I mean, maybe there's somebody listening that doesn't want to call and ask these questions. But I mean, I'm I'm a little curious and I always have been why he's doing so (00:45:16) well. Okay, I think he has access to a lot of things that help him in a physical way. He probably eats a very good diet many of these people who are in poverty and perhaps are on food stamps eat a substandard diet. It's a it's a completely different lifestyle to have access and to not have Financial Resources. Hmm. It sounds is it fair to say that in many respects this disease or how at least how its treated is a function of money. Social standing social (00:46:00) position. Well at the foundation of this disease is poverty that that is one of the fundamental conditions that sets up children to eventually get HIV disease and how does that work and poverty goes hand-in-hand with drug use poverty goes hand-in-hand with social deprivation child abuse abandonment of the concerns of children in poverty is associated with under education. So poverty is at the root of many factors, which can lead a person down the road towards risky behavior and adolescents and eventually getting HIV. (00:46:39) Hmm Lawrence your question place. (00:46:42) Yes. I was I'm a person that will prepare a short comment. I'm a person that believes in abstinent before marriage. I believe that leads to happier sexual lives and I was wondering why they don't teach abstinence and view of all the scientific evidence that shows that a that a moral life and sex after marriage is much more. Satisfying to people worldwide. Well, I agree with you entirely, you know, and I think that the responsible use of sex is the most gratifying kind of sex altogether because it happens in the context of a loving and intimate relationship where people feel safe and wanted unfortunately, those aren't the rules by which most people live and in Minnesota for instance by seventh grade already about 15 percent of young people have engaged in sexual intercourse by high school graduation. That percentage is up to about 75% about 10 percent of young people get pregnant each year. And there are many forces which impact on their sexual behavior young people are not having sex because the adults around them think it's a great thing for them to do. They're having sex for many other reasons than that, which is beyond the scope of this program, but we already talked about poverty and under education. There are many other factors that contribute to precocious sexual activity including poor role modeling to so we deal with the reality that young people are having sex at younger ages than we would like to see them having a tan. How can we at least prevent the spread of disease if they're engaging in those risky behaviors? (00:48:21) You folks are based here in the Twin Cities at the U of M. What about people outside the metropolitan area AIDS prevention in rural areas. What is there any access to any kind of? Programs for for kids outside the Twin Cities. (00:48:39) Yes, we provide work with school professionals and Community professionals and greater Minnesota. These are professionals who work with young people and we help train them to provide age HIV prevention in their own communities are HIV positive programs serve people all over the state regardless of their residents. Mmm, (00:49:01) and they have easy relatively easy access (00:49:04) to well. I think always living in Greater Minnesota creates barriers to Services, which are based in the in the Twin Cities. We can't deny that there is some access and I think people in Greater Minnesota have to work harder to get at those programs, but they are there (00:49:21) there was a I think it's fair to say of near panic. Fifteen years ago / AIDS main boy, if you if you ever did a radio program on it, you'd have more questions and you could ever deal with people were just wild eyed about this have people stopped. Following this problem on the assumption that it's all taken care of. Now it's all cured and not much of a not much to think about worry about any more General societal response to to the issue. (00:49:54) Well, the one hand I'm glad to see that diseases like HIV are regarded as public health problems that are a fact of life and the other hand if people are becoming blase about them and unconcerned then it's a worry it's very hard to capture people's attention and interest over a long period of time and that's exactly what we require to fight AIDS. We need a sustained effort over a long period of time. Mmm. I agree (00:50:24) do the kids get the sense that they're in this for the Long Haul. Oh yes. Oh, yes many times. They'll call me up and say boy, I just saw something on the news. Is that true or or they're doing research about something else is this true and and they follow They follow what's happening with HIV quite a bit. Hmm. Don't they get depressed? Oh, yes. That's the first place. They go. That's the first place they go when they get depressed I'm going to die and you know, that's part of my job. Not not right now, you're not going to and and right now you're healthy many, you know, some kids who are just doing very well and are very healthy with their HIV status. That's the first place they go when they do get depressed. So it's a very different place for for many young people than many other young people have to live with it's it's there. You know, I'm going to die. Hmm if people are listening right now and they know her I've just found out that a teenager. They know as HIV. What what's the best response? What's the best thing to say to those kids (00:51:36) be a friend and be helpful the fact of the matter is that this is a chronic disease. Is it doesn't need to be a terminal or a fatal kind of an illness. There's a lot that everyone with HIV can do to lead a relatively healthy and happy kind of a life and I think that people with HIV need to understand the options available to them and need to have hope so that they have a will to live in the future and to carry on the young people with HIV are particularly at risk for abandoning all their plans not completing their education. I getting a job not saving up for that car. So and with some hope they can go on to accomplish all the tasks of adolescence that lead to adulthood. (00:52:22) Thanks so much for joining us today. Appreciate it. Thanks for having us. Thank you good conversation. We've been talking this our about teenagers with HIV and some of the special problems that they face if you missed the program, by the way, we started off with a documentary done on this subject by David Smith and stefaney Curtis called a positive life and we're going to be broad broad rebroadcasting that documentary and this conversation at nine o'clock tonight our guests this our dr. Gary Rama fetty the director of the youth and AIDS project at the University of Minnesota. Also with us Patricia bassing a counselor with the youth and AIDS project at the University of Minnesota. Like to thank all of you who have been with us this hour and hope you'll be able to join us tomorrow special Main Street radio broadcast tomorrow from Thief River Falls focusing on some of the issues facing Minnesota Farmers and how those problems affect the rest of rural Minnesota (00:53:22) on the next All Things Considered on New Year's Day 1900 Minneapolis. And st. Paul made predictions about how their cities would look in the year 2000 tune in and see what you recognize. It's all things considered weekdays at 3:00 on Minnesota Public (00:53:35) Radio. You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. We have partly cloudy Sky now 29 degrees at Cana wfm 91.1 Minneapolis. And st. Paul cloudy to partly cloudy through the afternoon with a high in the mid 30s. There's a 30% chance for snow in the cities late tonight low, 20 to 25 60 percent chance for snow tomorrow with a high in the low 30s. From NPR news in Washington, I'm Ray Suarez. And this is Talk of the Nation (00:54:14) to views of (00:54:14) police violence one from the street up and one from City Hall down. (00:54:20) It was the person look suspicious. So a very person of color look suspicious to these cops who doesn't look suspicious to them. This is under investigation by the DEA and nobody should minimize it a terrible tragedy and an important investigation but to blame an entire police department, which I believe is the best in the country and I think most (00:54:39) professionals do would be very unfair (00:54:41) that's New York, mayor Rudolph Giuliani who's proudly presided over a police department that's helped reduce violent crime drastically and has (00:54:48) also been tainted by persistent (00:54:49) allegations of police violence against the public especially among racial and ethnic minorities the police and the use of force after news.