Re-Evaluating
0raQuIck

Thank you for raising the issue of
HIV Rapid Testing in your July

2004 article, “The Longest Week.”
The awareness OITM brings to our
community around issues such as
this is greatly appreciated. We agree
that the health and well-being of gay
and bisexual men and other popula-
tions at risk for HIV is important. At
this time I’d like to clarify some
information that appeared in this
article.

As recommended by the
Vermont HIV Prevention
Community Planning Group, the
Vermont Department of Health eval-
uated rapid testing in the summer of
2003. During that time we consid-
ered issues such as the accuracy of
the test, the complexity of the test,
appropriate testing locations, and
costs associated with implementation
and maintenance of a rapid testing
system. This gave us reason to not
recommend rapid testing. for the gen-
eral population at that time. We have
recently received new information
about the accuracy of the test and
will be conducting a new review of
these issues to see if implementing a
pilot program for rapid testing makes
sense in Vermont communities.

We understand that CDC
encourages rapid testing because
more people will choose to be tested
and will learn their HIV status as a
result of this new technology. CDC

says that, nationally, up to a third of
people who are tested for HIV do
not go back to receive their test
results. Vermont has a much better
track record than the rest of the
country in giving back test results.
In Vermont in 2003, 83% of overall
test results were delivered to clients.
Ninety percent (90%) of positive
test results were delivered to clients
that same year. In 2002, 100% of
positive test results were delivered
to clients.

It is important to clarify
that the OraQuick rapid test
described in your article is a screen-
ing test only. As such, all positive
results from OraQuick are consid-
ered “preliminary positive” which
must then be confirmed through tra-
ditional testing methods. Getting
results from these confirmatory tests
can take up to two weeks. The tradi-
tional tests used by the Vermont
Department of Health include a set
of two screening tests and a simulta-
I.le_0.11.Sly-run. confirmatory test. on . .. _ .
each positive test result. This means
that when an individual receives a
positive test result through the
Vermont Department of Health test-
ing system, he or she can be sure
that the test result is accurate from
the start.

Susanna Weller, MPH

Acting Director, HIV/AIDS Program
Division of Health Surveillance
Vermont Department of Health

Outinthemountains  

Pride Satisfied

Could this year's Pride Day live up
to the line of success, positive / neg-
ative write-ups, rain / shine, heat /
cold, more / less funds, volunteers,
attendees, vendors, homophobes 
YES!!

Nat Michael
Underhill

Faith and Pride

July 10 was a terrific day for me and
my family. Afier marching the
length of the Pride parade with my
partner and son and enjoying the
waterfront festival, we attended the
Evensong service held at the
Episcopal Cathedral in Burlington.
The gathering at the

Cathedral was a testament to the
strength of our movement. As I
looked around, I saw a large number
of people who worship regularly at
the Cathedral, both straight and gay.

-- I-also saw peoplel recognized from 

other faith communities in town,
again, both straight and gay. Many
of them had marched in the parade
that morning. The service afforded
us all the opportimity to hear Gene
Robinson preach, the openly gay
man who last year was approved by
the national Episcopal Church to
serve as Bishop of New Hampshire.
All too ofien it seems that
terms like “religious” and especially
“Christian” have become shorthand

for “homophobic.” But there are
vast numbers of people out there
who are working for lgbt justice
because of their religious convic-
tions. Our community is wise to rec-
ognize and appreciate the kind of
faith that demands justice, for us
and for others. The Evensong serv-
ice was a living reminder and
embodiment of just that kind of
faith, and I was very glad to be
there.

Liz Stedman
Burlington, VT

Major Marriage Fight
Make no mistake, lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender issues are
on 2004 election ballots in almost
13 states.

In Oregon, Republicans
opposed to same-sex marriage have
turned in double the number of sig-
natures required to put an anti-gay

«constitutional amendment on the

November ballot. Voters in Missouri
will see an amendment at the August
primary election, and Louisiana's
electorate will confront the issue in
September. Then, in November,
marriage ballot measures will take
place in Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, Oklahoma and
Utah.

In Michigan, anti—marriage
groups will submit over 400,000
signatures to election officials and

  
 

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letters

easily qualify their constitutional
amendment for the fall ballot.
Arkansas and Montana are still veri-
fying signatures, while Republicans
are continuing to get signatures in
North Dakota and Ohio.

I did not defend this coun-
try for over 20 years so George
Bush and the Republicans could
restrict civil liberties in America. I
urge you to get mad, get active, reg-
ister to vote and support Ken'y/
Edwards and other Democrats in
2004.

Major Robert Tormey

U.S. Air Force, Ret.
Escondido, CA

People or Courts?
President Bush keeps saying that
people, not the courts, need to
decide the issue of gay marriage.
Funny, he had no problem with the
courts, not the people, deciding the
last presidential election. " ' '

William Stosine
Iowa City, IA

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