European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health aids info in the streets the Section of Kaise Strasse near the main Frankfurt Irain station is a mix of sex shops boutiques and drug  Day prostitutes shoppers Lou risks and drug addicts mingle on the wide Street. Three evenings a week his unlikely assortment of passersby arc joined by volunteers trom the Gorman group aids a Lile who distribute information about aids trom a Blue Van. Brochures in several languages including English lie on a table in Irani of the Van and Are available to anyone. Bui they Are particularly directed at intravenous drug abusers one of the groups Al highest risk for the disease. The idea of the Van is to go to the junkies to see where they stand and to inform them Al he places they go said Thomas Blankenhor the director of the aids his bus preset. We had some drug addicts Como to us Lor help before the Van program started but we wanted to reach More of  a recent report from the work health organization said the spread of a is among intravenous drug abusers in Europe is alarming and that All countries should consider setting up prevention programs encouraging changes in behaviour. The sexually Active can protect themselves by using condoms Tho drug addict is warned not to share Needles with other addicts and to Uso clean syringes. But it is easier to convince people to buy condoms than it is o convince a Strung out drug addict to buy syringes when he would rather spend fits Money on More drugs said Blankenhor. Syringes can be bought at German pharmacies without a prescription a gaunt German with Long Sandy hair interviewed inside the aids Hitte Van said a spends 55 Marks about �30 a week for syringes so he won t have to use a dirty Needle or someone else s Needle. But he said of knows other addicts who Are not worried about aids and still share Needles. A woman who picked up a brochure in Spanish said she wanted 1he information because i am a  she said she and her husband also a drug addict were from Barcelona. We shool drugs and we want to know something about  she said. We Are scared and we want to know what we can do not to get  she said it is difficult to find information about aids in spam or to get help for addiction. Two prostitutes also sought information prostitutes Are Al High risk for aids because of their Many sexual Conla ets. I know a Tot about aids said one of the women. I read a lot and i try to get information of give of my colleagues Many girls Don t know they Don t believe they can catch aids the woman 27, said she never has be unless her partner uses a condom. Blankenhorn said the questions people ask most Olien about aids concern How they can get the disease and How they can i Oleal themselves. Most people have a Basic knowledge of the disease but want More specific information such As where they can go to be tested he said the questions Are answered in privacy with a member of the aids Hille group inside ins Van which is parked on the Kaise Strasse irom 5 . To 7 . On mondays wednesdays and fridays. People seeking counselling Are encouraged to go to the main office at Escher Heimer lands Rasse 9, where there is More privacy and More time of talk said Blankenhorn. Aids a Lle. Which is supported by government and private funds also runs an English aids hotline from 7 . To 10  on fridays. The number is 069-530 93, is Boio by Lynda a spank members of a German group called aids Hofto peas out information near via Frankfurt Railroad nation. Aids the . Military connection in Germany a is is a greater threat to westerns ciely than the soviet Union according Loa doctor who helped diagnose the first Cas of acquired immune deficiency syndrome i Germany. The danger to our society trom aids is much worse than from tha russians said or Wolfgang stifle of he University Hospital in Frankfurt the internal dangers from the disease Are much greater Shan the external dangers by some so called  to help combat tie disease slide said he would like German health officials and american military doctors in Germany to coordinate campaigns telling germans and americans How they can protect themselves trom aids. At present the americans and the germans have separate programs. It is not such a separate world on the weekends they germans and americans meet in the same discos. There Are thousands of hungry Young men who have payday and Como to this and lha place of find sexual  the people a highest risk for aids Are homosexuals and drug addicts both homosexuality and drug addiction Are grounds for discharge from the . Military. But Stille said. You can t say there is no homosexuality because the army does not tolerate it. There is hidden homosexuality. If you ask our homosexual pal cents have there been contacts with army personnel the answer is of yes plenty " some american soldiers also go to German prostitutes. Slide said. The infection rate of aids is Low in German prostitutes because they Are registered and receive regular checkups he said ii is higher in prostitutes who Are heroin addicts. American soldiers a said should be encouraged to use condoms and to stay away from drugs. Military personnel should also steer Clear of homosexual Bains he warned. There must be a continuous Campaign for gis always forever slide said. Or. Col Michael Benenson chief of preventive Medicine Tor tha 7th medical come said cooperation Between she germans and american military medical personnel would be reasonable in appropriate situations and is Likely to take Placo in the Mure aids education for us army service members in Europe starts when a Soldier arrives overseas according to i. Col. Caroline Rakiewicz a Community health nurse or he 7h medical come. We have aids education out there on a big time basis she said. Education is going on at Ell t t army  service members learn about aids through lectures and question and answer sessions during initial processing upon arrival overseas she said. Service members also receive an hour of aids education when they Are tested for the aids antibody they View a film about aids called nobody s immune and have a Chance to ask questions of a medical professional before the testing. The testing of  of All military branches in Europe began in the fall of 1986. Service members being transferred to Europe Are tested before leaving the Umed states. The . Air Force in Europe has no organized aids Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday May 5,1987