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 mmurrain@HAMP.HAMPSHIRE.EDU ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 hiv-aids-dialogue-request@inter.nl.net. Submissions go to the list name at inter.nl.net, i.e., hiv-aids-dialogue@inter.nl.net. 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 matthew@ic.uva.nl. 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 matthew@hivnet.org Sister Mary Elizabeth Mary.Elizabeth@aegis.hivnet.org (aids.data moderator) Jan Langenberg Jan.Langenberg@amsterdam.hivnet.org (aids.nl overseer) Lucas Vermaat Lucas.Vermaat@limburg.hivnet.org (sysop, HIVNET board) Ron Dixon Ron.Dixon@london.hivnet.org (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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (415) 626-1246 |AIDS Info BBS SFO|300/2400|Free, can be an alias (512) 444-9908 |HEALTH-LINK AUS|300/2400|Free, can be an alias (302) 731-1998 |Black Bag BBS DE|300/1200|List of Medical BBSs &... (215) 755-1917 |ECB Systems |300/2400|Free, can be an alias (602) 235-9653 |St. Joseph's Hosp. PHX|300/1200|Free, Medical BBS (703) 578-4542 |GLIB VA|300/2400|Free, Donations/Over 18 (800) 926-2792 |NAPWA-Link DCA|300/2400|Charge, 8 Toll Free Lines (206) 323-4420 |Seattle AIDS Info SEA|300/1200|Free, can be an alias (213) 825-3736 |UCLA-DAIMP (AIDS) LAX|300/2400|Free, can be an alias (800) 825-3736 |UCLA-DAIMP (AIDS) LAX|300/2400|Free, Toll Free-CA only (504) 584-1654 |Tulane Med. Ctr. BTR|300/9600|Free (516) 842-7518 |Utopian Quest NY|300/1200|Free, $$ or Services (212) 686-5248 |Utopian Quest NYC|300/1200|Free, $$ or Services (214) 247-5609 |AIDS Info. Exch. HOU|300/1200|Free, Login: Type AIDS (214) 247-2367 | " " " " |300/2400| " " " " (214) 247-8432 | " " " " |300/2400| " " " " (214) 247-8437 | " " " " |300/2400| " " " " (202) 639-8735 |HRCF NET DCA|300/2400|Free, can be alias (206) 543-3719 |U. of Wash. HHS SEA|300/9600|Free, can be alias (415) 863-9697 |FOG CITY SFO|300/2400|Free, Use Name: AIDS INFO (404) 351-9757 |Medical Forum ATL|300/2400|Free (518) 783-7251 |CCMC-AIDS |300/2400|Free (415) 863-9718 |AIDS Action BBS SFO|300/2400|Free (519) 822-0896 |AIDS Info - Canada |300/2400|Free (604) 681-0670 |Questor Project-Canada|300/2400|Free (800) 245-2601 |HOTFLASH STL|300/2400|Charge/GayCom (803) 252-6103 |Paragon SC|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom (713) 521-2191 |Exchange BBS HOU|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom (316) 269-4208 |Land of Awes KS|300/2400|Charge/Gaycom (800) 522-6388 |CDC AIDS Lab Info ATL|300/2400|Registration for labs (617) 245-9464 |Doug's Den BOU|300/2400|Charge/GayCom (301) 235-4651 |Harbor Bytes BLT|300/2400|Charge/GayCom (514) 597-2409 |S-TEK Montreal|300/2400|Charge/GayCom (201) 968-7883 |The Super Stud NJ|300/2400|Charge/GayCom (708) 694-4298 |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 (800) 458-5231. 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; (415) 626-1246 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; (404) 377-9563 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, (404) 377-8895. Black Bag BBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington, DE; (302) 994-3772 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; (617) 432-2511 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, (617) 432-0885. Breaking Walls; Building Bridges . . . . . . Concord, CA; (510) 827-0804 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, (213) 993-7416. Can We Talk - Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . .Chicago, IL; (312) 588-0587 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; (301) 403-8343 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, (301) 403-8329. 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; (215) 563-7160 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 (215) 463-7162. A user's manual is available. For more information, contact Critical Path AIDS Project, 2062 Lombard St., Philadelphia, PA 19146, (215) 545-2212. FDA Electronic Bulletin Board . . . . . . . .Toll-free; (800) 222-0185 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 (301) 227-6849. 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; (415) 863-9697 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: (415) 863-9718. 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; (504) 443-5546 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; (714) 248-2836 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; (800) 788-4118 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; (713) 521-2191 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, (713) 528-5554. LEGALNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Petersburg, FL; (813) 343-0797 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, (813) 343-0797. 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 (800) 522-6388. For more information, contact Program Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 12794, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (800) 322-4383. NAPWA-Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC; (703) 998-3144 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, (202) 898-0414. NCJRS BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC; (301) 738-8895 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, (800) 851-3420. OASH BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington, DC; (202) 690-5423 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, (202) 690-6248. Ohio AIDS/HIV BBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbus, OH; (614) 279-7709 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, (202) 898-5600. Questor . . . . . . . . . . . British Columbia, Canada; (604) 681-0670 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; (206) 323-4420 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; (804) 266-0212 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: (415) 322-7398]; GEnie [the General Electric Network for Information Exchange, voice phone: (800) 638-9636]; 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: (800) 638-8480]; BRS Search Services [(a division of Maxwell Online; voice phone: (800) 456-7248]; 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 aids-request@cs.ucla.edu). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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" <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu> 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: lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu 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: 1-800-342-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: (410) 965-4064. =============================================================================== 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 aids-request@cs.ucla.edu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 <KARYPM@SJUVM.BITNET> 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 <shirriff@sprite.berkeley.edu) wrote the sections on Peter Duesberg, and on Strecker and Segal's theories that HIV is synthetic. Eric Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com> 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.