Terrace Review -——— Wednesday, December I1, 1991. 21 Complacency about AIDS Interest shown in respite Home open house Dec, 5 was a |W ' success and a real expression of rry C e mM e | C Sa S Christmas spirit, according to 5 Terrace and District Community Services staff members who run rate of AIDS and HIV being the facility. Thirty visitors past year who tested positive for detected among B.C.’s native dropped in for tea and cookies to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency mentally handicapped children and adolescents. There were neighbours, various agency workers, the media and a few prospective clients who visited with their families. Virus, the microbe that causes 7 AIDS), three were between the ages of 15 and 19. Bowering people. In a recent study of Vancouver street people, six percent of the natives tested THE were HIV positive while only four percent of the overall popu- lation of street people were infected. Only seven cases were reported among native people from 1988 to 1991, but from July to September of this year seven cases were reported. The situation prompted the Nu’ Chaa Nu’ulth Tribal Council on Vancouver Island to produce a video that graphically portrays risk behaviour among strcet finds that alarming. "The statistics (for AIDS) are levelling off, and there’s a dan- | ger of complacency," he said. "We're still enjoying the lowest rate in the province, but the window of opportunity to limit im! the spread of HIV seems to be 4 closing. The trend appears to be accelerating.” Although teenagers comprised only four percent of all the age SBAT Dr. David Bowering: “Trend groups that voluntarily had appears to be accelerating. - themselves tested for HIV, teens people in Vancouver. That account for nearly half the posi- video, Bowering said, was shown earlier this month to junior high school and high school students in the area as part of a World AIDS Day activ- ities undertaken by public health nurses from the Skeena Health Unit. tive tests. Bowering also notes that the rate of teen pregnancy and the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases among northwest teens exceeds the provincial average. "Now is the World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, has come and gone again and the Skeena Health Unit area, covering the entire Northwest, doesn’t have a single reported case of AIDS among its resi- . IS BACK!!! RETURN FARES FROM TERRACE to VANCOUVER oesssssssssse $200 to VICTORIA. eesessseersesssee 218 to SASKATOON onsen $458 to WINNIPEG .veesseesessoseee POG to TORONTO sessssnssesseeee PILI to MONTREAL osessssssessvrseese POD SAIL dents. But that’s not the whole picture, and the rest of it isn’t as time to change, especially for young people,” he said. "The A group of researchers rosy. HIV situation here could be on announced last month they its way to reaching an explosive believe AIDS was originally plus TAX & GST Dr. David Bowering, chief mass." turned loose in the human popu- TRAVEL BETWEEN medical health officer for the | Bowering said public health lation by malaria experiments JANUARY 13 - MARCH 28, 1992 conducted over the past 50 years in Africa. The experiments involved blood injections on human test subjects that may have accidentally used blood authorities are also becoming area, said last week that of seven concerned about the accelerating people | in the region over the 635-2281 £0 HALIFAX ssessssessssseessrrrerse POOZ BOOK BEFORE DECEMBER 15, 1991 cat Terrace Travel 4611 Lakelse Avenue Leave your card. wit 1 5,600 readers: - from chimpanzees. Chimps are subject to simian immuno- deficiency disease, a virus simi- | lar to HIV. INDEPENDENT TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS TWO STAGE SNOWTHROWER BUT REMEMBER... __ ENFORCEMENT TAKES NO HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS COUNTERATTACK December 8 - January 3 A program of the Government of British Columbia and ICBC Cent Sy or ah ENJOY YOUR FESTIVITIES wa a * Easy-to-operate controls « Remote discharge chute control « Fully enclosed, ice-free, gear drive auger « Gear drive with 5 forward speeds, neutral and reverse © High speed, four blade impeller « Snow- Hog | tires for au abe BUY BEFORE DECEMBER 15, 1991 AND SAVE UP TO $500. NEID ENTERPRISES LTD. Recreational Sales & Service 4925 Keith Avenue, Terrace Phone 635-3478 Fax 635-5050