Banal-ize this

>> The HIV-positive demographic may have changed but the struggle remains

by NOEMI LOPINTO

Last week La Fondation d'Aide Directe-SIDA Montréal begged the public not to abandon people suffering from HIV/AIDS. The president of the organization, Michel Parenteau, denounced what he called the "media banalization" of HIV/AIDS. Parenteau's foundation provides food, financial and material support to single parents, the homeless, welfare recipients and other underprivileged people living with the virus.

"People don't believe HIV/AIDS is a problem anymore," says Parenteau. "Since the media reported the introduction of the new 'miracle' drugs [protease inhibitors like AZT, Viracept, and Ziagen], we've seen our support begin to dwindle."

The face of HIV/AIDS has changed. When the virus was at its peak in 1984, 86 per cent of the victims of HIV were homosexual men. In part due to the fierce lobbying of rights-organizations like Act/Up, that number has diminished to 36 per cent in 1999. However the rate of infection has grown among heterosexual women and intravenus drug users. In 1991 intravenous drug users represented a little more than two per cent of all cases. That number has sky-rocketed to 45 per cent of the newly infected.

Parenteau says this change has meant a "cultural adjustment" for him and his volunteers. "In 1995 we were still losing 30 to 60 people a year." says Parenteau. "We spent that time with our hearts constantly on our sleeves. Then three years ago there was quite a change. Suddenly the mortality rate dropped and we started getting more single mothers, the mentally ill, the homeless and drug addicts. They pose a special problem because they are not thinking about their health. These people will come to the food bank, take a bag of food and then go around the corner to sell it to buy drugs."

Dr. Pierre Côté has been working in Centre-Sud with HIV-positive clients for 14 years. He says poverty and powerlessness come hand in hand. "This is a population that is not well organized," says Coté. "They have no lobbying power. They don't have much in common with each other except for addictions. The organizations that serve the HIV-positive community refuse to treat these people. We have had to readapt our services, working with the psycho-social organizations. So we're not just fighting the disease, but homelessness and addiction."

FADSM is one of Montreal's only food banks which provides fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, milk, nutritional supplements and multi-vitamins, as well as canned goods to HIV-positive clients. They have a nutritionist on staff, provide references, laundry services and emergency financial support. The grand majority of FASDM's clientele are welfare recipients, with an average income at barely 50 per cent of poverty-line levels. This past year, citing fallen revenues, FASDM tightened their eligibility criteria for the second time.

"When I began this organization 10 years ago," says Parenteau, "I was naïve--I wouldn't do it again. But in those days everybody had been touched by AIDS, we had a lot of help. People want to think AIDS is over. We're tired, out of breath from saying the same thing over and over. We still need that help. Without it we wouldn't last three months."

The foundation is hosting an all-you-can-eat spaghetti benefit night on June 2, at the Hôtel Wyndham Montreal. Tickets are $20. For more information call 522-9732.