‘

August 1990

 

Substance Abuse and AIDS (frompage7)

Try to separate your intake of chemi-
cals from sexual activities. That may mean
looking outside of bars for sexual partners,
meeting them instead through friends,
community groups, at beaches, or other
non-drinking environments. It could mean
eliminating or strictly limiting your alcohol
intake when you go out to a bar. Or it could
mean deciding that some nights are drink-
ing nights and some others are cruising
nights. The key is to honestly assess when
you are most likely to take chances, and to
do everything possible to make sure that
you don't put yourself in those situations.

And if you use injected drugs, make
sure you never share needles. Either buy
clean ones or clean them between uses by
rinsing them out, first twice with bleach and
then twice with water.

Finally, ask yourself if your use of
alcohol or other drugs is a problem in your
life. Is practicing safe sex impossible be-
cause of your drinking or drug intake? Is it
taking control of other parts of your life?

Tfie Tassion of £Pear£s...

filugust 3

fllugust 12
$3.00
fllugust 18
$1.00

‘Tuesday: ‘Bud $1.00

‘Women’: Dance and {Buffet
$500 5-.9 p.m.
Menk Dance, Buffet, and Draft

Ladies Lounge Dance (an oldies zfance)

Don't forget our nigfitfy specia£s:
Monzfily: ’We[[Drin.fis $1.75’

’Wetfnesc{ay: Miffer Lite $1.00
’17Lursday: Corona $1.75

If so, you can do something about it.
Self-help groups like Alcoholics Anony-
mous (including special, gay groups) and
Narcotics Anonymous, outpatient and in-
patient counseling and treatment, detox
facilities, and other options exist. If you
think you have a problem with alcohol or
other drugs, contact your health care pro-
vider or a substance abuse facility to find
out where you can get help.

It isn't always easy to make an honest
assessment of our own practices, and it can
be even harder to make the necessary
changes. But the effort is worth it - and
when we talk about AIDS, the stakes are too
high to ignore. Besides, you may be sur-
prised to find out that sex can be even more
fun when you're in control and aware of
what is happening.

For more information about AIDS/
HIV testing and related issues, call the
Vermont AIDS Hotline at 1-800-882-
2437.

  
   
  
     
   
    

6-10 p.m.

7 p.m.

 
   
   

135 Pearl Street
Burlington, Vermont

13