Collection of Internet/Collection of Internet.iso/faq/sci/aids_faq/part4

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Newsgroups: sci.med.aids,soc.motss,sci.med,sci.answers,soc.answers,news.answers
Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!wupost!wubios.wustl.edu!sma
From: [e-mail] (Sci.med.aids Moderation Team)
Subject: AIDS FAQ part4of4: Frequently Asked Questions with Answers
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: poster
Summary: Please read this before posting to sci.med.aids.
Keywords: FAQ, AIDS, HIV
Sender: [e-mail] (sci.med.aids)
Supersedes: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Division of Biostatistics, WUMS, St. Louis, MO
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1993 17:38:22 GMT
Approved: [e-mail] (Dan R. Greening)
          [e-mail] (Sci.med.aids Moderation Team)
Expires: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 17:38:22 GMT
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Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu sci.med.aids:7525 soc.motss:175932 sci.med:72249 sci.answers:618 soc.answers:628 news.answers:14492

Archive-Name: aids-faq4
Last-Modified: 10 Nov 1993

===============================================================================

Section 6.  Internet resources.

 Q6.1        Ben Gardiner's Gopher AIDS Database
 Q6.2        CDC AIDS Public Information Dataset.
 Q6.3        HIVNET/AEGIS Gateway (BETA VERSION)
 Q6.4        Other USENET newsgroups.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 6.1.  Ben Gardiner's Gopher AIDS Database

The 'gopher' system provides convenient menu-driven access to a wealth of
arcana--and valuable information--on the Internet.  Daily, more and more
resources are made available in gopherspace.  Generally, your local gopher
client (if one is installed) will be available by typing 'gopher' at your
system prompt; your local system administrator should be able to provide
further details.  Local gopher clients in turn allow convenient access to
other remote gopher clients throughout the Internet.

One of the most valuable gopher resources for AIDS-related information is
the mirror of Ben Gardiner's AIDS-Info BBS database (also available by
direct modem dialup -- see below section).  This database exists on the
University of California at San Francisco Experimental Gopher.  It may be
reached either, (1) through the menu system of your local gopher:
     -->  More Gophers and Other Internet Services/
     -->  All Registered Gophers/
     -->  North America/
     -->  USA/
     -->  california/
     -->  University of California - San Francisco, UCSFYI/
     -->  Computers and Networking Guide to Services at UCSF/
     -->  Questions, Answers and Information about Everything/
     -->  Databases (including Ben Gardiner's AIDS BBS database)/

or, (2) by typing 'gopher itsa.ucsf.edu', and going through the final
three menus.  However, these particular menus are subject to change.

The most convenient means of reaching the database is by adding the below
information to your '.gopherrc' file.  This will set a bookmark in your
personal gopher for the AIDS-Info BBS, which may be reached by typing 'v'
from anywhere within the gopher system.  The information to add, using
your favorite system editor, is:

Type=1
Name=Databases (including Ben Gardiner's AIDS BBS database)
Path=1/.i/.q/.d
Host=itsa.ucsf.edu
Port=70

The University of California at San Francisco Experimental Gopher also
provides gopher gateways to a wide variety of Biology and Medical resource
gophers.  The UCSF gopher may be reached as described above ('gopher
itsa.ucsf.edu'), or most simply by adding the following to your
'.gopherrc' file:

Type=1
Name=Bio and Medical Gophers and Info. Sites
Path=1/Bio and Medical Gophers and Info. Sites
Host=itsa.ucsf.edu
Port=70

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 6.2.  CDC AIDS Public Information Dataset.

You can get the CDC AIDS public information Dataset via anonymous ftp.
Michelle Murrain has set up a small AIDS ftp site, which has the most
recent dataset (data through 1992). She gets each year's version (usually
in June-July) and puts it there. It contains a line of data on each
individual, including transmission category, OIs diagnosed, date of
diagnosis, etc.  If you send her your snail mail address she'll send you a
copy of the guide to the dataset.

Michelle has used the dataset to analyze differences in OI prevalence in
women and men (J Women's Health - out soon) and is now in the process of
looking at ethnic and gender differences in survival, especially at
whether everybody has benefited from recent improvements in survival with
AIDS.

The ftp site is:

  dawn.hampshire.edu:AIDS


The name of the file is PIDS92Q4.DAT (BEWARE the file is 16 MB!!) There is
also a Women and AIDS bibliography there.  If anyone has resources they
would like to share with folks via FTP let her know and she'll be glad to
add them.  Contact Michelle Murrain via

  [e-mail]


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 6.3.  HIVNET/AEGIS Gateway (BETA VERSION)

After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, the gateway for the HIVNET/AEGIS
message areas is about to go into testing.  If you are interested, I would
like to invite you to be part of our test group.

Thank you for your interest in the HIVNET/AEGIS mailing lists.  HIVNET is,
as you probably know, a network for HIV and AIDS information and
discussion.  HIVNET is primarily based in Europe and, together with our
sister organization, AEGIS, based in the US and reaching to other
continents as well, try to make as much free information available as
possible.  We distribute both message areas (analogous to Usenet
newsgroups) and files, containing periodicals such as Aids Treatment News
and the CDC Aids Daily Summary, as well as one-shot documents and reports.

HIVNET and AEGIS have been based on Fido protocols and technology,
allowing low-cost entry into the net.  The file distribution capabilities
of Fidonet have been put to good use as well.

For this test period, we are gatewaying the following areas to mailing
lists, based at NLnet.  NLnet, the commercial Internet provider in the
Netherlands, has been kind enough to subsidize our connectivity.  For the
time being, we do NOT wish to distribute these areas as newsgroups, out of
concern for the signal to noise ratio.  Up until now, these groups have
all been extremely high signal in comparison with areas such as
sci.med.aids.  In the future, if the demand grows enough, we will look
into distribution as a separate hierarchy.

The configuration is still be tested, so please feel free to report any
anomalies.  The lists are all resident on inter.nl.net.  The available
lists are:

Fido area       List name               Source  Description
---------       ---------               ------  -----------
AIDS.DATA                               AEGIS   Read-only - data postings
AIDS.DIALOGUE   hiv-aids-dialogue       AEGIS   Discussion area
AIDS.DRUGS                              AEGIS   Read-only - NLM Drug desc.
AIDS.SPIRITUAL  hiv-aids-spiritual      AEGIS   Spiritual discussion
AIDS.TRIALS                             AEGIS   Read-only - NLM Drug trials
AIDS.WOMEN      hiv-aids-women          AEGIS   Discussion of women's issues

AIDS.NL         hiv-aids-nl             HIVNET  Dutch language discussion and
                                                data

AIDS.FR         hiv-aids-fr             HIVNET  French language discussion and
                                                data

HIVNET.GER      hiv-hivnet-ger          HIVNET  German language discussion and
                                                data

AIDS/ARC        hiv-aids-arc            FIDONET Discussion - from Fidonet
                                                backbone

INTERNET        hiv-internet            HIVNET  Discussion and announcements
                                                about the lists and gateway

If anyone should have an article for submission to AIDS.DATA, it should be
sent to hiv-aids-data, which will forward it on to the moderator.

Please send me a list of which lists you want to join.  After the setup,
to join a list or unsubscribe, send a message to the -request address,
such as [e-mail].  Submissions go to the
list name at inter.nl.net, i.e., [e-mail].

The file base should be available within the month via anonymous FTP and
gopher.  There will be a facility to receive announcements of new files.
If you wish to join this list as well, let me know.

A few notes about the lists and gateway:

* E-mail replies to individuals are not really possible at this time, due
  to limitations in the gatewaying software.  At the bottom of this
  document is a list of working addresses.

* The volume on some groups can be pretty high, such as hiv-aids-data.  Be
  warned!  it is, however, a very useful source of information.

* The gateway itself, at least for the time being, is a ramshackle,
  Rube-Goldbergesque collection of PD software (FredGate, Waffle), Fido
  software (Gecho, FrontDoor) and Perl scripts, all running on a poor
  386SX in my work room.  Later I hope to move the whole thing to a
  FreeBSD Unix box.

First I have to find a machine to develop it on!

Any questions can be addressed to either the hiv-internet list (by
preference), or to me personally at [e-mail].  I am automatically
connecting everybody to the hiv-internet list, at least during the test
phase.

Thank you for your interest!
Best regards,
Matthew

Working e-mail addresses:

Matthew Lewis           [e-mail]
Tjerk Zweers            [e-mail] (aids.data
moderator)
Sister Mary Elizabeth   [e-mail] (aids.data moderator)
Jan Langenberg          [e-mail] (aids.nl overseer)
Lucas Vermaat           [e-mail] (sysop, HIVNET board)
Ron Dixon               [e-mail] (sysop)


Any of the users at the following BBS systems in HIVNET are reachable at
the address of the system, with the FULL NAME as user name, with '.'
instead of spaces:

Fido                    Internet
----                    --------
1:103/927               aegis.hivnet.org
2:25/555                london.hivnet.org
2:280/413               amsterdam.hivnet.org
2:280/419               hivnet.org
2:284/306               limburg.hivnet.org

Other systems may follow, as the gateway is expanded.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 6.4.  Other USENET newsgroups.

Questions about AIDS come up occasionally in sci.med and soc.motss.  The
newsgroup bionet.molbio.hiv may or may not be available at your site--it
discusses technical issues related to the molecular biology of HIV.  As
with any newsgroup, including sci.med.aids, you should read these for a
few days before posting, to see if your question has been answered
already, and to get a feel for the tone of the group.

===============================================================================

Section 7.  Other Electronic Information Sources.

 Q7.1        Ben Gardiner's list of AIDS BBSes.
 Q7.2        National AIDS Clearinghouse Guide to AIDS BBSes.
 Q7.3        National Library of Medicine AIDSLINE (please contribute)
 Q7.4        Commercial Bulletin Boards
 Q7.5        Reappraisal of the HIV-AIDS Hypothesis.
 Q7.6        Lesbian/Gay Scholars Directory.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.1.  Ben Gardiner's list of AIDS BBSes.

The below list of Bulletin Board Systems is taken from Ben Gardiner's
AIDS-Info BBS.  First is a summary of telephone numbers, followed by
writeups on some of the specific services.

Subject: New Black Bag BBS List
Date: Dec  7 1991  (760 lines)

AIDSBBS.LST        AIDS Bulletin Boards Systems (BBS)               7-4-91

 Phone Number  |  Name of Service -   |   Baud |Rates or Other Information
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[phone] |AIDS Info BBS      SFO|300/2400|Free, can be an alias
[phone] |HEALTH-LINK        AUS|300/2400|Free, can be an alias
[phone] |Black Bag BBS       DE|300/1200|List of Medical BBSs &...
[phone] |ECB Systems           |300/2400|Free, can be an alias
[phone] |St. Joseph's Hosp. PHX|300/1200|Free, Medical BBS
[phone] |GLIB                VA|300/2400|Free, Donations/Over 18
[phone] |BACKROOM           NYC|300/2400|Charge, Gay BBS/ Gaycomm
[phone] |NAPWA-Link         DCA|300/2400|Charge, 8 Toll Free Lines
[phone] |Seattle AIDS Info  SEA|300/1200|Free, can be an alias
[phone] |UCLA-DAIMP (AIDS)  LAX|300/2400|Free, can be an alias
[phone] |UCLA-DAIMP (AIDS)  LAX|300/2400|Free, Toll Free-CA only
[phone] |Tulane Med. Ctr.   BTR|300/9600|Free
[phone] |Utopian Quest       NY|300/1200|Free, $$ or Services
[phone] |Utopian Quest      NYC|300/1200|Free, $$ or Services
[phone] |AIDS Info. Exch.   HOU|300/1200|Free, Login: Type AIDS
[phone] | "     "     "      " |300/2400|  "     "      "    "
[phone] | "     "     "      " |300/2400|  "     "      "    "
[phone] | "     "     "      " |300/2400|  "     "      "    "
[phone] |HRCF NET           DCA|300/2400|Free, can be alias
[phone] |U. of Wash. HHS    SEA|300/9600|Free, can be alias
[phone] |FOG CITY           SFO|300/2400|Free, Use Name: AIDS INFO
[phone] |Medical Forum      ATL|300/2400|Free
[phone] |CCMC-AIDS             |300/2400|Free
[phone] |AIDS Action BBS    SFO|300/2400|Free
[phone] |AIDS Info - Canada    |300/2400|Free
[phone] |Questor Project-Canada|300/2400|Free
[phone] |HOTFLASH           STL|300/2400|Charge/GayCom
[phone] |Paragon             SC|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom
[phone] |Exchange BBS       HOU|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom
[phone] |Land of Awes        KS|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom
[phone] |CDC AIDS Lab Info  ATL|300/2400|Registration for labs
[phone] |Doug's Den         BOU|300/2400|Charge/GayCom
[phone] |Harbor Bytes       BLT|300/2400|Charge/GayCom
[phone] |S-TEK         Montreal|300/2400|Charge/GayCom
[phone] |The Super Stud      NJ|300/2400|Charge/GayCom
[phone] |The Lambda Zone    CHI|300/2400|Charge/GayCom

[Copyright Ben Gardiner, 1993, for AIDS Info BBS, San Francisco,
California, U.S.A., 1-415-626-1246, source of this file.  Only
non-commercial reproduction is permitted.]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.2.  National AIDS Clearinghouse Guide to AIDS BBSes.

Subject: Guide to AIDS BBSes
Date: Apr  2 1993  (396 lines)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse

                    A SELECTED GUIDE TO AIDS-RELATED
                       ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARDS
INTRODUCTION

This is a guide to representative electronic bulletin boards containing
information about HIV infection and AIDS. This guide is not a complete
listing of all AIDS-related electronic bulletin boards, but has been
prepared as an introduction to the subject and can be used as a starting
point to locate information. This document was prepared by the CDC
National AIDS Clearinghouse; please notify the CDC Clearinghouse with any
updates or additions. Inclusion of a service does not imply endorsement by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC Clearinghouse, or
any other organization.

Electronic bulletin board systems, often called BBS's or bulletin boards,
are computerized information services that are accessed by using a
computer, modem, and telephone line. BBS's meet today's demands for
current news on HIV infection and AIDS and provide a convenient means for
information exchange among professionals, volunteers, and individuals
involved in the fight against AIDS.

BBS's can consist of any of the following features: electronic mail,
bulletin board forums, searchable databases, and transferrable information
files. Electronic mail is a convenient way of sending private messages to
others using the same system. Bulletin board forums, sometimes called
conferences, are interactive systems for posting public messages to groups
of users connected to the same system. Searchable databases can sometimes
be accessed through BBSs, providing a quick means of obtaining specific
information such as bibliographic references, full-text articles, and
information about organizations. Text files of information can be
downloaded from most BBS's, then later edited and/or printed at the user's
computer.

Many BBS's provide gateways to national forums. Messages posted on these
forums are "echoed" on networks linking BBS's throughout the country. Some
examples of these forums include the FidoNet AIDS/ARC forum, the UseNet
SCI.MED.AIDS newsgroup (available on all Internet nodes as the AIDS
listserv), the GayComm Talk About AIDS forum, and the AIDS Education and
General Information Service (AEGIS) network's AIDS.DATA and AIDS.DIALOG.

To access a BBS, your computer (IBM-compatible or Macintosh) must be
equipped with a modem (external or internal; 2400+ baud recommended) and
communications software (such as ProComm, CrossTalk, or Red Ryder). The
modem must be connected to the computer and to a phone line. It is
preferable, but not necessary, to use a phone jack separate from any
telephones; the phone and the modem can use the same phone line, but not
simultaneously.

CDC NAC ONLINE

CDC NAC ONLINE is the computerized information network of the CDC National
AIDS Clearinghouse and gives AIDS-related organizations direct
computerized access to the CDC Clearinghouse and its information and
bulletin board services. It contains the latest news and announcements
about many critical AIDS- and HIV-related issues, including prevention and
education campaigns, treatment and clinical trials, legislation and
regulation, and upcoming events. CDC NAC ONLINE provides direct access to
CDC Clearinghouse databases such as the Resources and Services Database of
organizations providing AIDS-related services. The system also features
electronic mail, interactive bulletin board forums, and is the original
source of the AIDS Daily Summary newsclipping service.

CDC NAC ONLINE users include U.S. Public Health Service agencies,
universities, health administrators, community-based organizations, and
other professionals working in the fight against AIDS. CDC NAC ONLINE is a
free service for qualified non-profit organizations and can be accessed by
dialing a toll-free number. For a registration form or more information,
call the CDC Clearinghouse at [phone].

OTHER SERVICES

Unless otherwise stated, services are free. The phone number listed at the
top right of each record is the data-line that can be dialed with a modem.

AIDS Info BBS. . . . . . . . . . . . .San Francisco, CA;  [phone]
    AIDS Info BBS is a long-established comprehensive electronic bulletin
board targeted primarily to HIV-positive individuals, persons with AIDS,
and others concerned about HIV infection. It contains hundreds of articles
including AIDS Treatment News, electronic mail, and an open forum. Anyone
can access AIDS Info BBS free. For more information, contact Ben Gardiner,
AIDS Info BBS, P.O. Box 1528, San Francisco, CA 94101.

AIDSQUEST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Atlanta, GA;  [phone]
    AIDSQUEST is an electronic bulletin board provided by AIDS Weekly
publishers for AIDS Weekly newsletter subscribers. AIDSQUEST replaces AIDS
Weekly Infoline, an electronic bulletin board that was previously
available to any caller. AIDSQUEST includes DAITA, the Database of
Antiviral and Immunomodulatory Therapies for AIDS, articles from AIDS
Weekly, statistics from CDC, an interactive forum, and the UseNet echo of
SCI.MED.AIDS. Anyone can obtain information about AIDSQUEST by connecting
online to the above number. For more information, contact AIDS Weekly,
P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528, [phone].

Black Bag BBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington, DE;  [phone]
    Black Bag BBS, a member of the AEGIS network, is an electronic
bulletin board containing information about many medical topics including
HIV/AIDS. The Black Bag Medical BBS List is a comprehensive list of
medical-related electronic bulletin boards in the United States and
abroad. Black Bag BBS also includes AIDS Treatment News, AIDS statistics
and the FidoNet echo of the AIDS National Discussion. Donations are
encouraged, but anyone can access Black Bag BBS free. For more
information, contact Edward Del Grosso, MD, 1 Ball Farm Way, Wilmington,
DE  19808.

Boston AIDS Consortium SPIN. . . . . . . . . Boston, MA;  [phone]
    SPIN, or Service Provider Information Network, is maintained by the
Boston AIDS Consortium. It includes AIDS Treatment News, statistics from
CDC, and other AIDS-related information. Anyone can access SPIN by
connecting online to and typing the username "spin."  For more
information, contact
Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02112,
[phone].

Breaking Walls; Building Bridges . . . . . . Concord, CA; [phone]
    Breaking Walls; Building Bridges is sponsored by the Diablo Valley
Metropolitan Community Church and includes general MCC information as well
as AIDS dialog and files, including the AIDS Daily Summary.  It serves the
Oakland/East San Francisco Bay area and is a member of the AEGIS network.
For more information, contact Breaking Walls; Building Bridges, Diablo
Balley Metropolitan Community Church, P.O. Box 139, Concord, CA  94522-
0139.

CAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Subscription Only
    CAIN is the Computerized AIDS Information Network sponsored by the
state of California. CAIN contains electronic mail, an interactive
bulletin board forum, and databases of upcoming events, educational
materials, organizations, and articles. It resides on the Delphi network;
charges for connect time are billed by Delphi. For more information,
contact CAIN, 1625 N. Hudson Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90028-9998,
[phone].

Can We Talk - Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . .Chicago, IL;  [phone]
    Can We Talk - Chicago (CWT) is a publicly accessible, privately
operated system. It contains many newsletters, government information, and
articles. It offers connections up to 9600 baud. For more information,
contact Eddie V, Sysop, Can We Talk - Chicago, 3943 N. Whipple St.,
Chicago, IL  60618-3519.

CESAR Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC;  [phone]
    Administered by the Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of
Maryland, College Park and supported by Governor Schaefer's Drug and
Alcohol Abuse Commission. Includes Maryland AIDS statistics. Within
Maryland, call (800) 84-CESAR. For more information, contact Center for
Substance Abuse Research, 4321 Hartwick Road, Suite 501, College Park, MD
20740, [phone].

CHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  By Subscription Only
    CHEN is the Comprehensive Health Education Network sponsored by the
Council of Chief State School Officers. It contains general information
about HIV issues related to schools. It includes the biweekly HIV/AIDS
Education Bulletin Board newsletter. Use of CHEN is free to qualified
organizations; however, the purchase of IBM PSINet software is necessary.
For more information, contact Council of Chief State School Officers, One
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC  20001-1431, (202)
408-5505.

Critical Path AIDS Project BBS . . . . Philadelphia, PA;  [phone]
    The Critical Path AIDS Project has developed an electronic bulletin
board for persons with AIDS, researchers, health-care providers, and
others. It includes an extensive series of forums, downloadable files
including primarily resource and treatment information. Anyone can access
the system free by typing "BBS" when first connecting to the system. A
9600-baud connection can be made by dialing [phone]. A user's
manual is available. For more information, contact Critical Path AIDS
Project, 2062 Lombard St., Philadelphia, PA 19146, [phone].

FDA Electronic Bulletin Board  . . . . . . . .Toll-free;  [phone]
    The Food and Drug Administration operates a publicly accessible
electronic bulletin board. Included are press releases related to AIDS,
such as those announcing new drug approvals. To access, dial the above
modem and enter "BBS" at the "Login" prompt. Local users in the Washington
DC metro area should call [phone]. Those on an FTS2000 line should
dial FTS-394-6849 or 394-5657. There is no charge and users can connect at
up to 9600 baud. A users manual and technical support are also available.
For more information contact the FDA Press Office, Parklawn Building, 5600
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857.

Fog City BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco, CA;  [phone]
    Fog City BBS, a member of the AEGIS network, includes many articles,
general information, and the GayComm Talk About AIDS forum. Although a
subscription fee is charged for full membership, anyone can call Fog City
BBS for free AIDS information by connecting online to and logging on as
"AIDS INFO" when prompted for first and last name. For more information,
contact Fog City BBS, 584 Castro Street #184, San Francisco, CA
94114-2588, Fax: [phone].

GLIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC;  (703) 578-GLIB
    GLIB, the Gay & Lesbian Information Bureau, is maintained by the
Community Educational Services Foundation. It includes treatment
information and the GayComm Talk About AIDS echo. Subscription fees vary
and may not be required in some cases. GLIB is also available through Bell
Atlantic's IntelliGate Service. Anyone can obtain information about GLIB
by connecting online as a visitor. For more information, contact Community
Educational Services Foundation, P.O. Box 636, Arlington, VA 22216, (703)
379-4568.

HEEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kenney, LA;  [phone]
    HEEF is the Health Education Electronic Forum, which replaces the
Tulane Medical Center's BBS. A $2.00 subscription fee is requested. Anyone
can register on HEEF by connecting and logging on as a visitor. For more
information, contact Lifestyle and Health Promotion, 59 Monterey Dr.,
Kenner, LA 70065-3142.

HIV/AIDS Information BBS . . . .San Juan Capistrano, CA;  [phone]
    HIV/AIDS Information BBS is the hub of the AIDS Education and General
Information System (AEGIS), a growing network of HIV-related electronic
bulletin boards (see last page). It includes many newsletters and hundreds
of files that can be downloaded. It also echoes FidoNet and other
networks, and is available via PC Pursuit. Anyone can access HIV/AIDS
Information BBS free at connections up to 9600 baud. For more information,
contact Sister Mary Elizabeth, Sisters of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, P.O.
Box 184, San Juan Capistrano, CA  92693-0184.

HNS HIV-NET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tollfree;  [phone]
    HNS HIV-NET, sponsored by Home Nutrition Services, is an electronic
bulletin board for physicians and other health-care professionals treating
HIV-positive patients and those with AIDS.  It contains hundreds of files
of newsletter articles, bibliographies, and graphics files of pictures of
opportunistic infections.  There are also a number of different forums,
corresponding to different health-care professions.  Interested users
should dial the data line to register.  After being validated or registered
by the sysop, they can call back.  For more information, contact John Owens,
MD, HNS HIV-NET BBS, 9037 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX  77054.

The Houston Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . .Houston, TX;  [phone]
    The Houston Exchange, a member of the AEGIS network, contains
information from the Houston Clinical Research Network, an affiliate of
the Montrose Clinic. Anyone can access the Houston Exchange free. For more
information, contact Houston Clinical Research Network, 4211 Graustark,
Houston, TX  77006, [phone].

LEGALNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Petersburg, FL;  [phone]
    The Stetson University College of Law's Legal Information Network
sponsors an online discussion area and a selection of files relating to
legal HIV issues. Anyone can access LEGALNET free with connections up to
9600 baud. For more information, contact Stetson University College of
Law, 1401 61st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL, [phone].

LPIES  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  By Subscription Only
    LPIES is the Laboratory Performance Information Exchange System
sponsored by CDC's Public Health Program Practice Office and is available
free to HIV testing laboratories and related organizations. Qualified
users can register by connecting online to [phone]. For more
information, contact Program Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 12794, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27709, [phone].

NAPWA-Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC;  [phone]
    NAPWA-Link is the electronic bulletin board of the National
Association of People With AIDS and is part of the network maintained by
the Community Educational Services Foundation (see GLIB). NAPWA-Link
contains electronic mail, announcements, and databases of news articles,
drug interactions, and organizations. Users must pay a fee; several
membership plans are available. Anyone can connect for online information
about NAPWA and NAPWA-Link by logging on as a visitor. For more
information, contact the National Association of People with AIDS, P.O.
Box 34056, Washington, DC 20043, [phone].

NCJRS BBS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC;  [phone]
    The NCJRS BBS is the electronic bulletin board of the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service. It includes information about
publications and services available from the National Institute of Justice
AIDS Clearinghouse, such as information about HIV and incarceration.
Anyone can access NCJRS BBS free. For more information, contact National
Criminal Justice Reference Service, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-
6000, [phone].

OASH BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC;  [phone]
    OASH BBS is the free and publicly accessible electronic bulletin board
of the U.S. Public Health Service, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Health, National AIDS Program Office. It distributes many files of AIDS-
related information from the federal government, including the AIDS Daily
Summary, Federal Register announcements for funding, and the National
Library of Medicine's AIDS Bibliography. OASH BBS has electronic mail,
public forums, and file transfer. Anyone can access OASH BBS free;
connections up to 9600 baud are available. For more information, contact
National AIDS Program Office, Hubert Humphrey Bldg. Room 729-H, 200
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC  20201, [phone].

Ohio AIDS/HIV BBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbus, OH;  [phone]
    Ohio AIDS/HIV BBS is a relatively new system that branched off from
the Mystic Christian & Recovery BBS. It is a member of the AEGIS network.
Connections up to 9600 baud are available. For more information, contact
Michael Kelly, Sysop, Ohio AIDS/HIV Info BBS, P.O. Box 2970, Columbus, OH
43216.

Public Health Network  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .By Subscription Only
    The Public Health Network is produced for public health administrators
by the Public Health Foundation and contains information posted by a
number of U.S. Public Health Service agencies including CDC, the National
Institute for Drug Abuse, and the Health Resources and Services
Administration. A subscription is required and connect fees are charged.
For more information, contact Chris Frank, Public Health Foundation, 1220
L St., NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, [phone].

Questor  . . . . . . . . . . . British Columbia, Canada;  [phone]
    Questor is UseNet system (for Unix users) that echoes the UseNet
SCI.MED.AIDS discussion. Anyone can access Questor free by connecting
online to the above number.

Seattle AIDS Information BBS . . . . . . . .Seattle, WA;  [phone]
    Seattle AIDS Information BBS, a member of the AEGIS network, is
targeted to persons with AIDS and HIV infection. It contains electronic
mail, bulletin board forums, and hundreds of articles available for
viewing and file transfer. Donations are encouraged, but anyone can access
Seattle AIDS Information BBS free. For more information, contact Seattle
AIDS Information BBS, 1202 E. Pike, Suite 658, Seattle, WA 98122-3918.

888 Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richmond, VA;  [phone]
    888 Online is a member of the AEGIS network and includes all AEGIS
files as well as interactive forums. Files can be searched by words in
their text. 888 Online also includes information related to alternative
lifestyles and recovery. For more information, contact Bill Smith, 888
Online BBS, P.O. Box 15885, Richmond, VA  23227-5885.


AEGIS

Listed below are the network affiliates of the AIDS Education and General
Information System (AEGIS).  These BBSs echo messages and exchange files
of HIV/AIDS information, including the AIDS Daily Summary.  The AEGIS
network is also linked to a similar network in Europe called HIVNET.
Anyone can log on anonymously to an AEGIS BBS for free.  Other BBS
services interested in joining AEGIS should contact Sister Mary Elizabeth
of the HIV/AIDS Information BBS (which see).

                        AEGIS NETWORK AFFILIATES

State         BBS Name                         Fidonet Node   Phone Number
Arizona       The Meat Rack BBS                1:114/188      602.273.6956
California    Breaking Walls; Building Bridges 1:161/203      510.827.0804
California    The Task Force                   1:161/513      707.746.6091
California    Fog City BBS                     1:125/100      415.863.9697
California    The Clovis Co of Fresno          1:205/48       209.323.7583
California    HIV/AIDS Info BBS                1:103/927      714.248.2836
Colorado      Telepeople                       1:104/69       303.426.1866
Colorado      The Denver Exchange              1:104/909      303.623.4965
Delaware      Black Bag Medical BBS            1:150/140      302.994.3772
Florida       MOTSS BBS of Satellite Beach     1:374/41       407.779.0058
Florida       Aftermidnite BBS / Tampa         1:377/43       813.831.7587
Massachusetts The Den                          1:101/225      617.662.6969
Minnesota     Drag-Net / Andover               1:282/1007     612.753.1943
Missouri      Doc in the Box                   1:289/8        314.893.6099
Missouri      KC AIDS InfoLink                 1:280/14       816.561.1187
Nevada        Las Vegas AIDS Info BBS          1:209/238      702.658.3591
New York      Brooklyn College ONLINE!         1:278/0        718.951.4631
New York      The Erie Canal BBS               1:2608/31      315.445.4710
North Carolina The Isolated Pawn / Durham      1:3641/281     919.471.1440
Ohio           The Mystic Christian            1:226/520      614.279.7709
Oklahoma       The Looking Glass BBS / Tulsa   1:170/706      918.743.1268
Tennessee     Riverside BBS                    1:123/424      901.452.6832
Texas         The Houston Exchange             1:106/20       713.521.2191
Texas         Puss-N-Boots / Grand Prairie     1:124/3103     214.641.1822
Texas         AIDS Chat Line / Grand Prairie   1:130/55       214.256.5586
Texas         Loaves & Fishes BBS              8:3000/7       512.444.8790
Virginia      888 Online                       1:264/190      804.266.0212
Washington    Seattle AIDS Info BBS                           206.323.4420
Ontario       Mother's Board / Ottawa          1:243/38       613.728.4122
Quebec        EC / Bellefeuille, Pq            1:242/90       514.433.1105
Australia     SouthMed of Sydney Net           3:712/700      61.2.583.1027
NOTES

Several publicly accessible commercial networks have AIDS-related forums,
such as The Well [Whole Earth 'Lectronic Network, online registration:
[phone]]; GEnie [the General Electric Network for Information
Exchange, voice phone: [phone]]; and CompuServe [voice phone: (800)
848-8990].

There are also several database vendors that provide gateway access to
AIDS-related databases, including the National Library of Medicine [voice
phone: [phone]]; BRS Search Services [(a division of Maxwell
Online; voice phone: [phone]]; and DIALOG [voice phone: (800)
334-2564].  More information about AIDS-related databases can be obtained
by calling a Reference Specialist at the CDC Clearinghouse, (800)
458-5231.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.3.  National Library of Medicine AIDSLINE (please contribute)

If you know how to obtain access to this service, please contribute
instructions to the FAQ (e-mail to [e-mail]).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.4.  Commercial Bulletin Boards

There are AIDS-related areas on Compuserve and America Online.  (we need
details: how to contact Compuserve and America Online, what the newsgroups
are called, etc.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.5.  Reappraisal of the HIV-AIDS Hypothesis.

Please see Q5.3 `Duesberg's Risk-Group Theory' for introductory
information on this question.

The Group for the Scientific Reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis
(hereafter just 'Group' for short) is an organization of scientists,
AIDS-activists and educators, and other concerned persons, currently
numbering around four hundred.  As their name indicates, the Group wishes
for the scientific community to reexamine an hypothesis which they believe
to have been prematurely, dogmatically, and even dangerously, accepted.
Many or most of the best known AIDS-skeptics are members of the Group,
including Peter Duesberg, Robert Root-Bernstein, John Lauritsen, Eleni
Eleopoulos, Michael Callen, Jad Adams and Kary Mullis.  The Group may be
contacted at 2040 Polk St. Suite 321, San Francisco, CA 94109 USA; Fax:
415-775-1379.  The Group publishes a newsletter entitled Rethinking AIDS,
for which a $25/year donation is requested.

The Group came into existence as a result of efforts to get the following
four sentence letter published in a number of prominent scientific
journals, including Nature, Science, JAMA, The New England Journal of
Medicine, and Lancet.  As of October 1993, all have refused to do so.

     "It is widely believed by the general public that a retrovirus
     called HIV causes the group of diseases called AIDS.  Many
     biomedical scientists now question this hypothesis.  We propose
     that a thorough reappraisal of the existing evidence for and
     against this hypothesis be conducted by a suitable independent
     group.  We further propose that critical epidemiological studies
     be devised and undertaken."

The members of the Group do not necessarily agree with each other on the
precise nature and causes of "AIDS;" all they automatically have in common
is disbelief that HIV (sole) causation of AIDS has been scientifically
established.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 7.6.  Lesbian/Gay Scholars Directory.

From: "Louie Crew" <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 93 11:06:05 EST

I have compiled an E-Mail Directory of Lesbigay Scholars, with now more
than 195 persons listed.  To be included, fill out the form below and
return it to me:

              [e-mail]

Do NOT send by snail mail.

The E-Directory helps lesbigay scholars connect regarding on-going
manuscripts, conferences, and other scholarly projects.   I send
the Directory to all who agree to be listed, with updates individual
by individual.

I also make available to one e-mail address by which those listed
can post announcements of interest to the entire group.  But this is
not a discussion list per se--rather, a resource list.

Please share this announcement with any friends who might be interested
and with any other e-networks where forthright lesbigay scholars might
assemble qua scholars.

Thank you.

Louie Crew
Author/editor of _The Gay Academic_ and 950+ others
Co-founder of the Lesgay Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English
Founder of Integrity, the lesgay justice ministry of the Episcopal Church
Academic Foundations Department, Rutgers University/Newark
(Snail mail:   P. O. Box 30, Newark, NJ 07101)
============================================================================
                 Entry Form for E-Directory of Lesbigay Scholars
Name:

Institutional affiliation:
       Department:
       Position:
E-mail address(es):
Snail mail:
Phone(s)
FAX:

Citations of a sample of yr. previous lesbigay scholarly projects:

List/description of yr. on-going lesbigay scholarly projects:

===============================================================================

Section 8.  Non-Electronic Information Sources.

 Q8.1        Phone Information about AIDS.
 Q8.2        Phone Information about AIDS drug trials.
 Q8.3        US Social Security: Information for Organizations

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 8.1.  Phone Information about AIDS.

For general information about AIDS and referrals to other AIDS information
sources, call

            CDC National AIDS Hotline:    [phone]-AIDS
                  Spanish:                1-800-344-7432
                  Deaf:                   1-800-243-7889


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 8.2.  Phone Information about AIDS drug trials.

You can obtain information about ongoing AIDS drug trials in the United
States by calling the AIDS Trials hotline at

    1-800-TRIALSA


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 8.3.  US Social Security: Information for Organizations

SSA is committed to disseminating information about its benefit programs
to as wide an audience as possible.  If your organization has a
newsletter, electronic bulletin board, informational database, or other
system for housing and disseminating information to people living with
AIDS and their caregivers, SSA would like to know about it.  SSA wants to
work with you to share information about Social Security benefit programs
and eligibility criteria.  SSA will share or exhibit public information
materials if you will inform them of any meetings/conferences.  Also, if
you believe your staff could benefit from an in-service training program
covering SSDI/SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, and other topics, please inform
SSA.

SSA looks forward to a continuing partnership with your organization to
inform the thousands of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS about
the benefits available through Social Security.  If you have any
questions, or have any additional public information needs, contact Robert
G. Goldstraw, Social Insurance Affairs Specialist (AIDS Outreach), Social
Security Administration, Baltimore MD 21235.  Telephone: [phone].

===============================================================================

Section 9.  Administrative information and acknowledgements

 Q9.1        Feedback is invited
 Q9.2        Formats in which this FAQ is available
 Q9.3        Authorship and acknowledgements

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 9.1.  Feedback is invited

Please send me your comments on this FAQ.

We accept submissions for the FAQ in any format; All contributions
comments and corrections are gratefully received.

Please send them to [e-mail].

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 9.2.  Formats in which this FAQ is available

This document is available as ASCII text, an Emacs Info document and
PostScript.  We currently make only the ASCII text available as a posting.
We are working on establishing a sci.med.aids archive where the other
formats will be stored.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 9.3.  Authorship and acknowledgements

The following people contributed to this FAQ:

Dan Greening assembled and edited this document.  Jack Hamilton wrote the
introduction and first section.  Phil Miller offered periodic edits.  Anne
Wilson forwarded many valuable articles from the CDC National AIDS
Clearinghouse.

Robert Walker wrote the section on minimizing the risk of HIV infection.
Michael Howe's sci.med.aids response regarding blood banks is reproduced
here.  Paul M. Karagianis <[e-mail]> contributed archives
answering question about mosquito transmission.  Iain Nicholson, who works
on Plasmodium falciparum, wrote the section on malaria.  Vince Hammer
wrote the review of ``Do Insects Transmit AIDS?''

Michael Howe provided references for the question "Does HIV cause AIDS?",
and has scanned several documents for this FAQ.  Ken Shirriff
<[e-mail]) wrote the sections on Peter Duesberg, and
on Strecker and Segal's theories that HIV is synthetic.  Eric Raymond
<[e-mail]> wrote about the USSR disinformation campaign.

Rob James wrote a description of the US blood testing process.  David
Wright wrote the reasons why we should not donate blood to get a free HIV
test.

David Mertz wrote the section on internet access to the gopher database.
Michelle Murrain wrote the section on the CDC patient data FTP site.