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6 MONTROSE VOICE/JUNE 13, 1986
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BRANDON ZAHN
In Loving Memory of Brandon J Zahn
October 26. 1954—June 13, 1985
It has been a year since Brandon
departed the earth and he is still mourned
and missed by family and friends But at
least it is easier now to smile and even laugh
at the countless memories he left behind
May we all be so fortunate.
ROBERT JASON
LATIMER
Robert Jasen Latimer entered into eternal
rest following an automobile accident on
Friday, June 6, 1986. at the age of 21.
A native of New York. Robert lived in
Houston for 8 years On Monday, June 1.
Robert left Houston to embark on a world
tour. Those of us who knew him will miss his
travel and nightclub reviews. Many people
will remember his sense of humor and kind
words for all His life will serve as an enduring example of how much can be accomplished with a constructive and positive
approach to life's challenges.
He will remain in our hearts and our
minds as he was in life, avital. bright, articulate and witty loving man His exuberance
and wisdom deeply enriched the lives of
those fortunate to have known him Your
actual presence will be deeply missed
Robert, but the richness we gained from
knowing you will nurture us throughout the
remainder of our lives. Rest, dear Robert,
until we are together again, our love still
lives In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made to the charity of your choice.
—Tyler York
JACK LOLLAR
Jack Lollar. born April 25. 1964, passed
away June 5, 1986 A native of Houston, he
graduated from the Kinkaid School and
attended Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Texas He is survived by his parents,
Klinka And John Lollar: sisters, Carolyn and
Knsten Lollar; grandparents. Jerry Lollar
York of Houston and Mary and Jack Garrett
of Danbury; aunts and uncles. Bob Garrett
and Jacko and Nancy Garrett of Danbury:
Susan and Jim Baker of Washington. D.C,
Jerry and Raymond Hill of Houston, and
many cousins.
A funeral service was held Saturday June
7. at at the Church of St. John the Divine,
with the Rev Laurens A, Hall and Father
Francis Monahan officiating interment followed at Glenwood Cemetery Pallbearers
were to be Bodie and Will Winston, Jacko
and Bob Garrett, Raymond and Ben Hill,
Mike and Graham Guernro. Bob Rayford,
Holly Kinsinger, and Fay Monsen
In lieu of other remembrances the family
suggests a gift in care of Dr Adam Rios.
University of Texas Cancer Center, M.D.
Anderson Cancer and Tumor Institute.
Department of Clinical Immunology and
Biological Therapy. Box 41, 6723 Bertner
Ave., Houston. Texas, 77030. Geo H Lewis
& Sons, 1010 Bering Drive. 789-3005
OUR POLICY The Monlrose Voice will commemorale me
passing ot Montrose residents and Houston gay community
members with an announcement Friends or relatives ot the
deceased may provide us with lacts about the person's lite,
names ol the closest survivors and Burial arrangements Prose
or verse can be included Pictures are appreciated and will be
rel_rned Name ot the deceased should Be altacned to the
photo Information should be provided to the Montrose Voice
at the earliest possible date and will be published m the next
available edition There is no charge for this service
Women with AIDS
Disease's Pathway into
Heterosexual Population is Slowly
Widening
Editor's Note: Statistics and interviews with health officials show
that AIDS in heterosexual women is
of growing concern—to their sexual
partners as well as to their children.
In New York City, for example,
AIDS is the leading killer of women
aged 25-29.
Though the fatal disease is not
easily transmitted sexually, doctors
see an AIDS epdemic among non-
drug using heterosexuals slowly
developing.
By Scott Aiges
Pacific News Serivce
Special to the Montrose Voice
Cheryl stares down at her crimson
fingernails as she remembers being
told she had HTLV-3/LAV, the
virus that can lead to AIDS.
"You definitely have this virus,"
she recalls her doctor saying last
February. "And I said, 'I'm not
going to deal with it. No thank
you."'
"I don't want to say it out loud
because that makes it more real,"
she says. "What have I ever done in
my life so terrible that this should
happen to me?"
A growing number of women
share Cheryl's situation. They
caught the virus through heterosexual contact, and public health officials see signs that AIDS, or
acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is slowly spreading beyond
the established risk groups of homosexual men, intravenous drug abusers, Haitians and hemophiliacs.
Although relatively few women
have manifested AIDS, which destroys the body's immune system, for
every victim there are perhaps 50 to
100 carriers of the HTLV-3/LAV
virus, and as many as 50,000 female
carriers in New York City alone,
states Dr. Charles Rabkin, an epidemiologist with the New York City
Department of Health.
In New York City AIDS has now
replaced cancer as the biggest killer
of women aged 25 to 29, according to
the city's health department.
Cheryl's case illustrates the
threat of the disease's spread to
heterosexuals. She was infected by
sexual contact with her husband,
who contracted the virus by using
intravenous drugs.
Cheryl, who asked that her real
name not be used, is 26 years old
and black. She has AIDS-related
complex (ARC), which means she
has tested postivie for the virus. It is
not known how many of the estimated 1 to 2 million virus carriers in
the United States will develop
AIDS. But if Cheryl gets an "opportunistic" disease, that could be her
fate. An opportunistic disease, such
as Kaposi's sarcoma, takes advantage of the weakened immune sys
tem.
In this country, the number of
women with full-block AIDS
remains small compared to men:
women account for 1341, or only 6.5
percent of all the 20,531 cases
reportd to the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) in Atlanta.
Most of the those women—63 percent in New York City and 52 percent nationwide—contract the
disease by using intravenous drugs
with AIDS-tainted needles. But
CDC statistics show that the proportion of women who contracted
AIDS from heterosexual contact—
and not from needles—has jumped
from 11.1 percent, or 48 women, in
November 1984, to 18.2 percent, or
244 women, in May 1986.
Nevertheless, some doctors downplay the assumption that AIDS
could spread widely throughout the
heterosexual population. "The risk
to women is more because of their
drug use than because of their sexual practices," says Dr. Stephen
Shultz of New York City's health
department.
In New York City, AIDS
has now replaced cancer
as the biggest killer of
women aged 25 to 29
But other specialists argue that
more women will be affected. "We're
talking about a sexually transmitted disease," says Dr. Harold Jaffe,
chief of the epidemiology branch of
the AIDS program at the CDC. "So,
in theory, anybody who is sexually
active is at risk. But the risk varies
depending on the number and type
of partners they have."
Several ongoing studies, for
example, have shown that heterosexual vaginal intercourse is the
dominant route of AIDS transmission in central Africa. "Unless the
virus is quite different in Africa biologically, there is every reaosn to
believe that it's possible the same
situation could occur in the United
States—men and women being
equally affected," says Dr. David
Archibald, an AIDS researcher at
Harvard.
The unraveling of Cheryl's life
began when, after two years of marriage, her husband took up using
intravenous drugs. He was working
around the clock with a construction company and started snorting
cocaine to stay awake. "And then he
found it worked better if he shot it,"
Cheryl says.
"There are a number of very, very
sad instances where a woman had
no idea that she had a drug-using
boyfriend, and in many respects
was an innocent bystander," says
Dr. Shultz.
'He was going to work every day,"
Cheryl says of her husband. "He
was bringing home a paycheck
every Friday." When her friends
told her about her husband's drug
problem, "I didn't believe them."
But the paychecks began going
for drugs and "then he used to beat
me up. Here I am this wonderful,
faithful wife and look what I get,"
she says staring at the one window
in her tiny apartment. "It's not
fair."
Cheryl, who said she has not used
IV drugs, has separated from her
husband, but not before spending
six straight months in the hospital
this year for AIDS-related treatments.
Now, living with the knowledge
that she is an AIDS carrier has
made Cheryl feel like a pariah in
society. "I don't tell anyone. No one.
Ever."
While female-to-male transmission of AIDS is still rare in this
country, a recent survey by the CDC
indicates it is possible. Of 57 men
with AIDS interviewed, 15 of those
would admit to no risk group but sex
with female prostitutes.
But there is a greater chance a
woman with AIDS will pass the disease onto her children. "The
infected female is more of a risk to
the unborn than to her male sex
partner," says Dr. Shutlz.
Only 241 pediatric AIDS cases, or
1.4 percent of the total, have been
reported to the CDC, but the risk to
children is proven. Traces of the
HTLV-3/LAV have been found in
menstrual blood, vaginal secretions, tears—and even breast milk.
"I think the transmission of the
virus to the unborn is a major concern. The risk is proven," Dr. Shultz
says. "We have some 122 cases of
congenitally acquired AIDS. So
there is a spread of the infection to
the fetus."
Until women with AIDS attact
the kind of headlines that have been
mainly reserved for male homosexuals, many are left to suffer in loneliness. "Women who have AIDS are
more isolated and alienated and
without support systems," says
Anastasia Lekatsas, who interviews women with AIDS for the
New York City health department.
"Women really don't have a place to
go."
Chery, who lives alone in one
small room, says, "Everything is so
important to me. The reds are
redder, the blues are bluer. Time-
time is so important to me." Then
she adds with an ironic smile, "I'm
tainted love, you know."
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