Re:Final Draft of manual for positive persons

[Guest guest]

Dear Brahmn Prakash -ji,

Thanks for our comments. The 'manual' was chosen because people thought the

'pamphet' was too " informal', 'not serious' and such comments. Hence the

idea of a bilingual manual.

Also, you're right about the three tests. But do you think we should burden

frightened people about ALL three? I mean even common ILISA tests are giving

false positives because of presence of malaria infection, even sometimes

Flu.

Also, here goes our logic (and please suggest and criticise, if you see

fit), even if you ARE positive, where are the facilities for

post-positive-test persons? We are trying to reduce stress as much as

possible. In the Humsafar Center, we purposely involve positive persons in

cooking food, making tea and generally integrating them into the community

activity. Many a time, the stress level increases as they fall sick.

The effort is to make them more aware of their own social responsiblity and

not to ask THEM to educate the community all the time. Afterall it is the

community's function to empower its weakest members. This i think is OUR job

thru workshops etc.

I am very grateful to all those who responded (over a dozen on this list)

and that itself shows some amazing social awareness and collective

consciousnessness.

Very grateful for all your help. It is much appreciated as I am also

stressed out with over a 125 persons now known directly to us who are

positive with nowhere to go in a city like Mumbai.

If you wish to know about homosexual men, i suggest you go to our website

www.humsafar.org

The largest network of homosexual men and MSM is Shyamala Natarajan's South

India AIDS Action Program

(SIAAP) witrh over 40 chapter in Tamil Nadu's towns and cities.

We ourselves work with a little over openl gay/bi/lesbian 35 groups spread

over India. The report of our conference 'Looking into the next mellenium'

is in its second print now and uses the IIM method of resource lectures/

focus group discussions/ rapporteuring through closed loops. A lot of

qualitative info is there about the much stigmatised activity. We hope to

make it available at the earliest

Our postal address is

The Humsafar Trust

P.O.Box 6913

Santacruz (West),

Mumbai metro 400,054

Please send in your request after one month when the reprints will come

into the office. The might cost you around Rs. 150 per copy.

regards

Ashok Row Kavi

E-mail:<arowkavi@...>

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