Shoulders To Stand On EC November Issue 2015
A Community’s Response To AIDS – Early Rochester Community AIDS Education
With the identification of AIDs in June, 1981 by Dr. Michael Gottlieb, U of R Medical Center trained physician, the CDC in September, 1981 chose Rochester as one of six U. S. cities where a special watch for cases of pneumacystis and also AIDS – known in 1983 as the “gay cancer” – was undertaken. The CDC assigned Dr. Alain Roqsin at the Monroe County Health Department to watch for these cases. Over the next 24 months, Sue Cowell at the University Health Services, the Monroe County Health Department, and the U of R Medical Center Infectious Disease Unit began educating the community about this “new” disease. The Empty Closet newspaper became the primary source for information on the disease. The EC began AIDS Updates in June, 1983 and an AIDS Directory beginning in May, 1990. Beginning in May, 1983 Sue Cowell wrote a monthly column on Health which covered information about AIDS, and issues in both women’s and men’s health.
The Rochester community responded quickly to this new infectious disease, AIDS. Through the leadership of the University of Rochester, the Gay Alliance, and the New York State Health Department’s AIDS Institute the infrastructure for dealing with this disease began to be put in place. In 1982, Sue Cowell at the University Health Services began holding meetings with an ad hoc group of volunteers to address the needs of local persons with AIDS, a local AIDS hotline was staffed by volunteers at the Gay Alliance, Dr. Tom Rush at the U of R Medical Center Infectious Disease Unit began the first local clinic for AIDS (October, 1982), In April, 1983 the first local AIDS prevention literature was produced with the help of the American Red Cross. In May, 1983 the ad hoc group of volunteers became AIDS Rochester, and the first symposium for medical providers was held at the Monroe County Medical Society with Dr. Michael Gottlieb, MD as guest speaker. In the Fall of 1983, the Rochester Area Task Force On AIDS (RATFA) was established, and served as an advisory board to AIDS Rochester. Drs. Roy Steigbigel and Ray Mayewski were among the first doctors to see AIDS patients here in Rochester. At the end of 1983 there were 4,156 AIDS cases nationwide. There were 7 cases in Monroe County.
In March, the Empty Closet ran the front page story, “AIDS Threat Increases: Two Cases contracted locally.” As awareness grew that AIDS was a threat in areas outside of NYC, County Manager, Lucien Morin, designated Monday, September 10 through Sunday, September 16 as the first AIDS Awareness Week with a proclamation and a range of educational events.
In the September, 1984 issue of the EC, Jackie Nudd, Executive Director of AIDS Rochester, Inc. said, “Lucien Morin’s proclamation is an indication that local leaders are truly taking a look at what AIDS means to the general community. One of the general functions of AIDS Awareness Week is to educate aad reach out to all segments of the community.”
A symposium on AIDS was held on Sept. 10 at the Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic for health care workers from a four-county area. A second symposium sponsored by AIDS Rochester Inc.
and the Infectious Control Unit at Strong Memorial hospital was held on Sept 14 at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. Seven speakers including Jackie Nudd; David Putnam, the AIDS Public Health Representative for the New York State Department of Health; Dr. William Valetiti, an epidemiologist at Stroag Memorial Hospital and co-chairman of the Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS discussed a variety of AIDS – related topics, including Treatment, psycho-social issues, reporting of AIDS cases, dental problems of persons with AIDS community awareness, resources and education. On Sept. 14 an open forum on AIDS free and open to the public, sponsored by AIDS Rochester Inc. aad the Gay Men’s Health Cemer of New York City, was held in Hubbell Auditorium at the University of Rochester. Along with education, local community fundraising was critical to support AIDS research and other services. AIDS Rochester in January of 1984 received a $40,000 from NYS AIDS Institute, but state moneys were not available for ALL of the services that were needed, and so local communities had to step up to the plate. Rochester did.
AIDS Rochester continued the AIDS hotline, the U of R and the County Health Department continued to educate the community, and the EC covered the AIDS story across the country. By the end of 1984 there were 9,920 AIDS cases nationwide and 12 cases in Monroe County. Within 5 years the number of cases in the Rochester area would rise to 300.
Shoulders To Stand On will continue the history of A Community’s Response To AIDS in the next issue. focusing on education and testing. Shoulders To Stand On is proud of the early work done by AIDS Rochester, the County Health Department and the U of R in educating a frightened community about an epidemic that overwhelmed the community. Educating the public, researching a cure, improving treatment continues today. We are by no means finished.