Richmond Times-Dispatch

Report says ‘epidemic of fear’
stifling rural AIDS treatment

WASHINGTON (AP) — An “epl-
demic of fear and bigotry is pre-
venting many rural Americans in-
fected with the AIDS virus from get-
ting cure, (he National Commission
on AIDS sald yesterday.

The commission also sald too few
women, children and members of
minorities are included In expert-
mental-drug testing and thal too
many physicians aad dentists still
won't treat peuple with AIDS.

“We have fo do much better to
educate everyhody to this durable
new threat in our environment,” said
Dr. June Osborn, chairwoman of the
15-member comialasion that advises
Congress and the White House.

e’re very late In responding to a
massive problem, but getting even
later makes no sense at all,” said Dr.
Osborn, dean of the University of
Michigan School of oy Health.

8/22/90

The report sald that “in rural
America, there is an epidemle of
fear and bigotry, fanned by the ab-
sence of education and knowledge,”
concerning AIDS and the human im-
munodeficiency virus, or HIV, which
causes the disease

Panel members, who earlier this
year went to Georgia and Texas to

rn abont the impact of AIDS, sald
education about the disease Is “virtu-
ally non-existent and desperately
needed in rural communities.”

The report described the experi-
ences of ple who had beenrejec -
ed by thelr church, lost their jobs and
were evicted from their spartments
because of their Infectlon.

“Ignorance and misinformation
are seriously hampering, if not erip-
pling efforts to treat” rural Amert-
cans with AIDS, it said

Blacks and Hispanics account for

p.A2

43 percent of all AIDS cases, but the
make up only 23 percent of cll
(rial participants, the report sald.

Children and women of child-bear-
ing age usually have Leen excluded
from clinical trials, but the panel
sald that must change.

The report also sald the National
Institutes of Health had moved too
slowly to find drogs to manage Oop-
portunistic Infections, which are the
cause of death for most AIDS

patients.

Turning to health-care personnel,
the commission sald it “heard re-
peatedly about a serious shortage of
dentists willing to treat people with
RIV infection and AIDS.

The report related the experiences
of one witness who suld the only two
dentists in his communily who wauld
accept Medicaid declined to see him
because he was Infected with IMV.

“One dentist's excuse was that bis
office was c ed and he would not
be able to lize the room after the
visit. The other dentist sald she had
plants and could not take the risk of

im infecting her plants and her
plants then infecting her other pa-
lents,” the report said.

Too many bys cvae also are re-
fusing to see patients. And like
many dentists, they appear to be un-
aware that the virus is spread
throngh blood and body fulds --
mostly through sex or needle sharing
by intravenous drug users -— not ca-
sual contact, the commission said.

The commission also recommend-
ed creation of “a comprehensive
community-based primary health
care system, supported by adequate
flonacing and relmbursement
rates.”