L.A. to Investigate AIDS Awareness Firm : Company Plans to Sell ID Cards Saying Bearer Is Free of Antibodies

A company that plans to test for AIDS antibodies and issue identity cards to clients determined to be free of them drew sharp criticism Friday from members of the City Council, which passed a motion calling for an investigation of the firm.

The National Assn. for AIDS Awareness, a private, for-profit company, intends Monday to open in West Los Angeles the first in what it hopes will be a chain of AIDS testing centers in major cities across the country.

Judi Bloom, a company spokeswoman, described the company as “dedicated to stopping the spread of the AIDS virus.” The Awareness company hopes to contribute to this goal, she said, by counseling clients about safe sexual practices and by encouraging use of the identity cards to confirm that sexual partners have tested negative for the antibody to the virus that causes the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome disease.

Bloom said the fee for initial testing and for obtaining a three-month card is $100. Clients must be retested, at a $45 fee, to get updated cards, she added.

Council members expressed concern that the company was exploiting fears about AIDS and might undercut government-backed services relating to the disease.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who introduced the motion, which was passed unanimously, calling for the firm’s investigation, told the council:

“This, to me, smacks of one of these opportunistic things, and this is troubling to me.”

Yaroslavsky said one cause for his concern is that someone may have been exposed to the virus that causes AIDS but not have developed antibodies to the disease. The presence of antibodies indicates that a person has been exposed to the virus. It is believed, however, that only about 10% of those exposed develop the disease.

Bloom acknowledged that the test is not foolproof.

“We’re not saying it is,” she said. “But it’s better than nothing, and what alternative do we have right now? . . . (The cards) constitute protection in the sense that you can then look for other people who have also been tested, and have tested negative at this time, in order to help you make a safer choice of sexual partners. . . . (Awareness) will be catering as much or more to heterosexuals than homosexuals.”

The disease has primarily afflicted homosexuals and intravenous drug users.

But Councilman Joel Wachs, author of the city anti-AIDS discrimination ordinance, agreed with Yaroslavsky and told the council that the firm’s plans constitute “the most base kind of fraudulent activity. There are a lot of people that can suffer. . . . The innocent people that would rely on the validity of the card are obviously potential people who could suffer. . . . It’s really sick that someone will grab onto something like this to make a buck. . . . (Awareness) should be put out of business before they have time to do any harm.”

Lawrence Berry, part-owner and executive director of Awareness, said none of the council critics had contacted the company.

“We think they do not understand the facts,” Berry said. “These people, I think if they see what is written (in Awareness brochures) and they take a look at what is going on here, they’ll come to a different conclusion.”

The identity cards to be issued to customers who test negative for the AIDS antibody show a customer’s photograph, a signature, an expiration date, the words National Association for AIDS Awareness and the letters OK . Nothing is said about any testing for AIDS.

“There is nothing on the card that says or implies that they are AIDS-free,” Berry said.

Hugh Rice, director of the Edelman Health Center, which provides free testing for AIDS antibodies at the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center in Hollywood, said in an interview that there is a danger that identity cards might be “misrepresented and misinterpreted” as indicating the cardholder “is healthy and AIDS-free, and, therefore, they can engage in any sort of sexual activity.”

Education Needed

Rice said what is necessary to battle the spread of the AIDS virus is education about what constitutes safe sexual activity, not testing and identity cards.

Bloom said the cards will be basically meaningful to other cardholders, who will receive counseling about safe sexual practices.

“If I were a single woman, and someone flashed a card at me and then went on to say, ‘I’m negative, and I can do anything,’ I would look at them very dubiously,” Bloom said.

The City Council motion called for the county Health Services Department, the state Consumer Affairs Department, the federal Food and Drug Administration and the county district attorney to investigate the company’s operation. It also instructed the city Building and Safety Department to investigate whether Awareness complies with zoning regulations.

Permits Not Obtained

Yaroslavsky said late Friday that city inspectors had determined that required permits had not been obtained for renovating the company’s offices, and that a stop-work order was being issued. Parking requirements consistent with the facility’s proposed use apparently have also not been met, he said.

“If the company chooses to open its offices Monday in any case, without the proper permits, they will be ordered to close,” Yaroslavsky said.

Berry said Awareness is leasing space and is not responsible for the renovation work. He said as of late Friday afternoon there had been no communication to him from the city.