A Podcast of the series is available here .

The AIDS Crisis has Hit Latino Communities Particularly Hard..

PART ONE: PREVENTION IS LOSING GROUND
Efforts to prevent the spread of HIV among Latinos in our region seem to be failing. The rate of new infections has remained steady—and those who treat HIV patients think they’re only catching a minority of the actual cases. In Part One of Voices of HIV, Francesca Rheannon looks at the challenges facing prevention and tells the story of one woman whose personal tragedy spurred her to join the fight to prevent HIV.

Women Face Higher Risk of Infection

PART TWO: LATINA WOMEN AT INCREASING RISK
In the Latino communities of Holyoke and Springfield, HIV is increasingly striking women. In those cities, women comprise up to half of those infected with HIV. Overall in Massachusetts, Latina women are seventeen times more likely to get infected than their white counterparts. In Part Two of Voices of HIV, Francesca Rheannon examines why Latina women are more at risk, and reports on one woman’s story.

Needle Exchanges Remain Controversial in Many Communities.

PART THREE: NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS BRING HOPE AND FACE CONTROVERSY
In the fight against HIV, needle exchange programs have been proposed as one means of preventing the virus from spreading. But they can be controversial. In Part Three of Voices of HIV, Francesca Rheannon reports on Hartford's innovative needle exchange program.

Model Program Flourishes in a Correctional Setting

PART FOUR: A MODEL TREATMENT PROGRAM
Each year, some 5000 inmates pass through the gates of the Hampden County Correctional Facility, a medium security jail in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Many are at high risk for infectious diseases like HIV—and of bringing them to the jail or back home when they get out. In Part Four of Voices of HIV, Francesca Rheannon reports on the jail's innovative program that aims to safeguard both inmates and the rest of the community.

Youth are increasingly the victims of HIV.

PART FIVE: THE FACE OF HIV AMONG LATINOS IS GETTING YOUNGER
HIV infection rates among Latino teens in Holyoke are almost three times higher than the average for other teens in the state. In Part Five of Voices of HIV, Francesca Rheannon reports on how HIV is affecting Latino youth in that city—and what they are doing about it.

SPOTLIGHT ON VOICES OF HIV (excerpted from ¡Tertulia!)

1) Ann Levie of the Hartford Health Center speaks about the need for sexual education among youth.

2) Dr. Jeff Scavron of Brightwood Health Center talks about how HIV has changed the approach to community health care.

3) Hector Dávila, Puerto Rican nurse and Community Health Educator on Living with HIV. (In Spanish)

4) Springfield Focus group: Dr. Anne Morris and Arlene Bermúdez of CRI/Springfield, on living with HIV, and Vicki Phillips of the AIDS Fooundation of Western Massachsetts talk about the importance of educating the community. (Bilingual)

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
Francesca Rheannon is an independent radio producer with a background in public health and social work. She works with WFCR 88.5 in Amherst as a freelancer, and as collaborator on the show ¡Tertulia! Rheannon also produces and hosts the radio program, Writer's Voice, which airs on WMUA 91.1 and on Pacifica affiliate, WXOJ-LP, in Northampton. Rheannon produced WFCR's five-part English language series, Voices of HIV

WFCR's five-part English-language series, Voices of HIV will air on ¡Tertulia! over five weeks, Sundays, January 15 through February 12, 2006. Since 1985, Luis Meléndez has been the producer and host of WFCR's ¡Tertulia! , a weekly overview of Latino and Latin American music, culture and current events. Over the years, Luis has produced other Spanish language, cultural and educational radio and television programs in Massachusetts. From 1994 to 2002, Luis was the Director of HIV-AIDS Prevention and Education services at the Spanish American Union (SAU) in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts.

ABOUT VOICES OF HIV
WFCR's Voices of HIV has come about in several stages—each conceived to generate as much discussion as possible on the topic of HIV and its impact on the Latino community. Producers Francesca Rheannon and Luis Meléndez spent numerous weeks consulting the western New England Latino community on the nature of the problem—the impact, the response to the crisis, and the outlook to the future. Focus groups and other discussions were held during this phase of the project throughout the region. This helped to identify the most important topics of concern, the resources, and what is still needed in order to overcome HIV and AIDS.

Dozens of interviews of people living with the disease have been recorded, of people who are witness to the disease because their loved ones have become infected or have passed away, and of those who are concerned about the well being and development of the Latino community, including community health workers, teachers, and religious leaders.

These interviews and additional field production have led to a five-part series, Voices of HIV, which aired on WFCR's Morning Edition. A bilingual series, Spotlight on Voices of HIV, aired on WFCR's ¡Tertulia!; the Spotlights are available above. Audio from Voices of HIV is also available above.

RESOURCES

WFCR provides the following resources without any endorsement of the agencies or individuals listed.

Asterisk * = mentioned in the pieces

MASSACHUSETTS RESOURCES

*Community Research Initiative of New England (CRI) http://www.crine.org is a nonprofit community-based organization in New England that conducts HIV clinical trials and offers treatment under the HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) http://www.crine.org/info/drugcontent1.html . It has offices in Boston, Springfield and Provincetown, MA. Dr. Claudia Carbonell http://www.crine.org/info/drmartorell.htm is CRI’s Associate Director of Research - West.
HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) http://www.crine.org/info/drugcontent1.html, A program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that provides financial assistance to qualified Massachusetts residents who are HIV positive and are unable to afford medications. Individuals are eligible as long as their income does not exceed $50,000 per year. Undocumented residents are eligible for this program as long as they reside in Massachusetts. HDAP also has a Comprehensive Health Insurance Initiative (CHII) for people who already have health insurance but need help in paying premiums. For further information, and for applications call 1-800-228-2714.
*HIV/AIDS Bureau http://www.mass.gov/dph/aids/hivaids.htm , Massachusetts Department of Health. The Bureau's website has a wealth of information, including HIV counseling and testing sites in Massachusetts http://www.mass.gov/dph/aids/services/counsel_test.htm , research data, clinical guidelines, links to HIV/AIDS service organizations and much more. Contact information for the Bureau: 250 Washington Street 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108. Tel: (617) 624-5300; fax: (617) 624-5399 ; TTD/TTY(617) 624-5387. MA HIV/AIDS Hotline: (800) 235-2331; TTD/TTY: (617) 437-1672.
HIV counseling and testing sites in Western Massachusetts
BayState Medical Center – *Brightwood Health Center, Springfield : 413-794-8725
Pager: 413-794-3222 (follow voice prompts and ask for Sandy Ortega); Spanish
BayState Medical Center – Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center, Springfield : 413-794-8723; Spanish
Berkshire Medical Center – Neighborhood Health Center, Pittsfield : 413-447-2654; Spanish
Cooley Dickinson Hospital – *CEPA, Holyoke : 413-536-8721, Spanish
Holyoke Community Health Center, Holyoke : 413-420-2130 x2139; Spanish
New North Citizens Council; Springfield : 413-733-4053; Spanish
Northern Educational Services, Springfield : 413-731-0651
Springfield Southwest Community Health Center, (now known as Caring Health Center), Springfield : 413-739-1100; Spanish
Tapestry Health, Northampton : 1-800-696-7752 or 413-747-5144, Spanish
*Tapestry Health Systems http://www.tapestryhealth.org/services/HIV_services.html provides a wide variety of AIDS and HIV services throughout western Massachusetts, including HIV and Hepatitis C Case management, medical services & referrals assistance, alternative health care referrals, food & transportation, and volunteer buddies. Tapesty Health Administrative Office, 320 Riverside Drive, Florence, MA 01062; 413-586-2016; 1-800-696-7752. It also runs the clean needle exchange program in Northampton http://www.tapestryhealth.org/services/harmreduction.html#needle .

CONNECTICUT RESOURCES

*AIDS Project – Hartford http://www.aidsprojecthartford.org/
An organization providing a wealth of services and prevention programs, including a *Needle Exchange Program . For more information about the program, featured in Voices of HIV, go to http://www.aidsprojecthartford.org/educate.html
phone: (860) 951-4833; fax: (860) 951-4779; TTY: (860) 951-4791
HIV counseling and testing sites in Hartford
Hartford Health Department, The Burgdorf/Fleet Health Center, 131 Coventry Street Hartford, CT 06112, (860) 543-8822
East Hartford Health and Social Services Department, 740 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06108 (860) 291-7293
New Britain Health Department, 31 High Street, New Britain, CT 06051, (860) 826-3464
Latinos/as Contra SIDA, INC., 331 Wethersfield Ave, Hartford, CT 06114, (860) 296-6400
Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, 1841 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06114, (860) 278-4163
Alcohol, Drug Recovery Center, HIV Counselor, 500 Blue Hills Avenue, Hartford, CT 06112 (860) 714-3701
Charter Oak-Rice Heights, 21 Grand Street. Hartford, CT 06106, (860) 236-0857
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Hartford Dispensary, 12-14 Weston Street, Hartford, CT 06103 (860) 525-2181
Hartford Dispensary 345 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Other Connecticut counseling and testing sites can be found at the CT Department of Public Health’s website here: http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BCH/AIDS/cts.htm
*Hispanic Health Council http://www.hispanichealth.com
The Hispanic Health Council (HHC) is a community-based, non-profit organization located in Hartford, Connecticut. Several of its programs are involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and case management

RESOURCES BY VOICES OF HIV SEGMENT

PREVENTION IS LOSING GROUND
Community Research Initiative of New England (CRI) http://www.crine.org
CRI of New England – Springfield 780 Chestnut Street, Suite 30, Springfield, MA 01107; Phone: 413-734-2264; Toll Free: 888-469-6577; Fax: 413-734-2275

Brightwood Health Center, Springfield : 413-794-8725
Hispanic Health Council, http://www.hispanichealth.com,175 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06106, (860) 527-0856; Fax: (860) 724-0437, info@hispanichealth.com

NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS BRING HOPE AND FACE CONTROVERSY
AIDS Project – Hartford http://www.aidsprojecthartford.org/ phone: (860) 951-4833, fax: (860) 951-4779, TTY: (860) 951-4791

CEPA (Centro de Educación, Prevención y Acción) http://www.hfn.org/infoandreferral/agencies/cepa.html
Primary site: 74 Essex Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, 536-8721
2nd site/ Drop-in center: 68 Essex Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, 535-1947
Fax: 535-3116, E-mail: CEPAprog75027@aol.com

Tapestry Health Systems http://www.tapestryhealth.org/
For HIV/AIDS services: http://www.tapestryhealth.org/services/HIV_services.html
For needle exchange: Tapestry Health, 6 Center Street, Northampton, MA 01060. Walk in or call 413-586-2016 x164 for an appointment

LATINA WOMEN AT INCREASING RISK
CEPA (Centro de Educación, Prevención y Acción) http://www.hfn.org/infoandreferral/agencies/cepa.html
Primary site: 74 Essex Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, 536-8721

2nd site/ Drop-in center: 68 Essex Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, 535-1947; Fax: 535-3116, E-mail: CEPAprog75027@aol.com

La Voz, Tapestry Health Systems
Mimi, featured in this segment, was contacted through Tapestry Health Systems’ La Voz program. For more information http://www.tapestryhealth.org/services/laVoz.html
Monday-Friday 9 A.M. -5 P.M. at 39 Mulberry Street, Springfield, MA 01105
(413)734-8766

THE FACE OF HIV AMONG LATINOS IS GETTING YOUNGER
Girls Incorporated of Holyoke http://www.girlsincholyoke.org/
52 Nick Cosmos Way, Holyoke, MA 01041; (413) 532-6247

A MODEL TREATMENT PROGRAM
The Hampden County Correctional Center’s Public Health Model for Correctional Health Care. Find out more about the program at http://www.mphaweb.org/hccc.html
Director: Dr. Thomas Lincoln at Brightwood Health Center, 380 Plainfield Street, Springfield, MA 01107; phone: 413-794-8725; e-mail: Thomas.Lincoln@bhs.org