The University of Illinois School of Public Health is launching a first-of-its-kind research project on Latino gay and bisexual men and HIV prevention.
Two Communities: The Latino Gay Community Study in Chicago and San Francisco will collect data from men in the two cities with the aim of developing culture-specific HIV prevention methods. It is being funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Project staff unveiled details of the study at an open house last week at UIC attended by AIDS service providers and advocates. The project's overall goal is to determine what impact community service organizations have in reducing sexually risky behavior among Latino bi and gay men.
One of the project's hypotheses is that community involvement, such as support groups and GLBT social services, help counter the negative effects that poverty, racism and homophobia have on "sexual risk behavior."
Researchers said organizations work to help individuals make safer choices about sex.
Assistant Professor Jesús Ramírez-Valles, of UIC's School of Public Health, is the study's principal investigator. His co-investigators are Dr. Richard Campbell of UIC's Health Research and Policy Centers and Professor Rafael Diaz of San Francisco State University. Locally, Alfredo G�"mez-Beloz and Dalia García are serving as project coordinators.
The project will be done in three phases over five years. This first phase involves collecting life histories of 80 men in the two cities, 40 in Chicago and 40 in San Francisco. Phase two calls for the development of a survey instrument based on the life histories, and phase three involves the interviewing of 600 respondents, 300 in Chicago and 300 in San Francisco.
Respondents will be recruited from community organizations, clubs and self-referral.
The study is currently seeking research subjects. Participants will go through two-to-three hour, face-to-face interviews in either English or Spanish. The interviews will be held at the project's office, 850 W. Jackson, Ste. 400. Participants must self-identify as Latino and as a member of the GLBT community. All information will be kept confidential, and the interviews will be recorded. Volunteers will receive $50 for their participation.
For more information, call Dalia García at ( 312 ) 355-1180 or ( 866 ) 419-8771. Or visit the Web site at www.uic.edu/sph/2comunidades.
In other news, Wed., May 16, the University of Illinois at Chicago presents Mejores Selecciones, Nuevas Soluciones Contra el VIH/SIDA, a conference on HIV/AIDS for the Latino community. The program is free and will be presented entirely in Spanish. Chicago Circle Center, 750 S. Halsted, ( 312 ) 422-8180, x 13.
BRIEFS
Howard Brown Health Center and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund will benefit from a special screening of the film Scout's Honor Tuesday, June 12 at the Sulzer Library. The film, based on the fight of a straight youth to change the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policy, will air on PBS later in June. call HBHC at ( 773 ) 388-1600.
The Chicago Bar Assoc. hosts a Transgender Research Forum May 19, a discussion of the findings from the city's first-ever needs assessment of the Transgender community. From 1-4 p.m., 321 S. Plymouth, ( 312 ) 996-0038.
The ACLU-Roger Baldwin Foundation 7th John R. Hammell Awards Brunch is May 20, to honor individuals and organizations who defend and advance the rights of GLBT and HIV-impacted persons. This year's award winners are Ronna Hoffberg, creator of Girls On Top, and Evette Cardona, activist and member of Amigas Latinas. Starts 11:30 a.m. Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker, ( 312 ) 201-9740.
The Bailiwick Repertory 2001 Larry Osburn Trailblazer Awards, featuring award winners Rudy Galindo, has been postponed. Call ( 773 ) 883-1090.
Berlin features an art show and fundraiser May 18 to benefit Positive About Living, a peer volunteer social support group for gay and bisexual men impacted by HIV/AIDS. Art by local artists, food, music, door prizes and a silent auction, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., 954 W. Belmont, ( 773 ) 293-1226.
