Current challenges and new directions in prevention and management of HIV / AIDS will be the topic of March's Hartford HIV Forum. Director Laurie Sylla, MHSA., from the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center at the Yale School of Nursing, will be speaking on Tuesday, March 9 at noon at the Living Center, 1841 Broad Street. The event is free; lunch will be provided and advance registration is required.

Sylla will present an update from the 11th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, which was held mid-February in San Francisco, CA.

By attending the Hartford event, interested members of the public and health care professionals will learn about recent developments in HIV research and prevention strategies, including results from vaccine trials and prospects for microbicides, an HIV prevention method for women.

"There is a new scientific understanding of how the virus and the body interact at a genetic and cellular level," said Sylla. "We'll talk about this in laymen's terms and discuss its implications for new drug, vaccine and microbicide development."

This is the second lecture in the Spring 2004 series of forums organized by The Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center. The Hartford HIV Forum meets from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month. The goal of the forums is to give the local community the most up-to-date information on current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research and care. To register for the forum, call The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. Signing for the hearing impaired and Spanish interpretation are available with a minimum of ten days advance notice. For more information about the series, contact Peg Weeks at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 x229.

The Institute for Community Research is an independent, nonprofit organization which conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources. The Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center trains providers with the goal of improving HIV clinical care. The Hartford HIV Forum is co-sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.

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