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Sailor William Pinkney

Description: Carmen Fields reports that Captain William Pinkney is on a solo quest to sail around the five great capes of the world. Pinkney has already rounded three of the capes and children from around the world are tracking his voyages. Interview with Pinkney, who talks about his next voyage around Cape Horn. He says that he wants children from disadvantaged backgrounds to realize that it is possible to achieve one's goals through hard work and determination. Fields' report includes photos of Pinkney on his boat, footage of Pinkney addressing a group of people and footage from Pinkney's video logs of his journey.
0:59:24: Visual: Footage shot from a boat of rough seas. Footage of Captain William Pinkney (sailor) addressing a group of people. Pinkney says that he was told at age fourteen or fifteen that he had a bleak future. Pinkney says that he was told that he would probably be dead at age twenty from drugs or violent crime. Pinkney says that he was told that he would probably be incarcerated if he was not already dead. Shot from a boat of a sunset over the ocean. Footage taken by William Pinkney of his boat sailing into a harbor. Footage of Pinkney addressing the group. Pinkney says that his seventh grade teacher taught him not to believe what he was told. Carmen Fields reports that Pinkney set out from Charlestown Navy Yard on a boat last August; that Pinkney is on a quest to visit the five great capes of the world on his boat. Field reports that Pinkney has already rounded the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin of Australia and the South East Cape under Tasmania. V: Shots of color photos of Pinkney in his boat. Footage of Pinkney being interviewed by Fields. Pinkney says that he has covered 14,000 miles so far; that he will wait out the winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Pinkney says that it is iceberg season in the Southern Hemisphere. Pinkney says that his next voyage will be from Hobart, Tasmania to Cape Horn. Fields reports that children from around the world are tracking Pinkney's voyage; that Pinkney is making the voyage in order to set an example for young people. V: Footage taken by Pinkney of a group of schoolchildren in Tasmania. The schoolchildren wave and say, "Hello America." Footage of Pinkney being interviewed by Fields. Pinkney says that a dream can become a goal through hard work. Pinkney says that the goal can become a reality if a person is willing to pay the price to succeed. Pinkney says that children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and other children, must learn that it is possible to achieve their goals and dreams. Fields reports that Pinkney's 47 foot boat is computer-equipped; that Pinkney was able to repair his own steering device at sea. V: Shots of the computer on Pinkney's boat; of rough seas surrounding Pinkney's boat. Fields reports that Pinkney believes that sailors must be resourceful when they are out at sea. V: Footage of Pinkney being interviewed. Pinkney says that his voyage taught him that the present time is what counts. Pinkney says that he never saw any media coverage of the Gulf War while at sea; that he was focused on his journey. Footage from Pinkney's video log from September 8, 1990. Shot of a sunrise near Bermuda. Fields reports that Pinkney will attempt to round Cape Horn next; that Cape Horn is one of the most difficult stretches of water in the world. V: Footage of Pinkney being interviewed. Pinkney says that Cape Horn is "the graveyard of ships"; that many clipper ships were lost there. Pinkney says that Cape Horn is a challenge for all sailors. Pinkney says that he looks forward to the challenge. Pinkney says that he is confident that he will do it.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/22/1991

State of the Union / war update

Description: In State of the Union President Bush refers to new world order, encourages volunteer solutions to domestic problems, hints at cease-fire if Iraq promises to withdraw from Kuwait, and frets about Baltic sovereignty. Edward Kennedy and Dick Cheney seen in audience. Brigadeer General Pat Stevens of the U.S. Army speaks on the military situation in the Middle East.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/29/1991

Syphilis increase

Description: Seth Rolbein reports on a dramatic increase in syphilis cases in the late 1980s among women and people of color. Rolbein compares statistics on the incidence of syphilis cases among men and women in the white, Latino, and African American communities. Interviews with Dr. Tony Japour, a medical fellow in infectious disease; Barbara Neustadt, a registered nurse at Beth Israel Hospital; and Dr. Judith Steinberg of Boston City Hospital, about the latest epidemic of syphilis cases. Rolbein reports that the resurgence of cases can be traced to crack cocaine users, who may engage in sexual activity with multiple partners in crack houses. Rolbein notes that victims of syphilis may be at risk for HIV and AIDS. Rolbein's report is accompanied by clinical photos of syphilis patients and by footage of police officers investigating a crack house.
1:00:03: Visual: Shots of clinical photos of syphilis patients. The patients have severe skin lesions. Seth Rolbein reports that there has been an increase in syphilis cases. V: Footage of Dr. Tony Japour (medical fellow in infectious diseases) being interviewed by Rolbein. Japour says that syphilis was epidemic before 1945; that it was an epidemic among sexually active adults. Japour says that the disease declined after the discovery of penicillin; that penicillin cured syphilis. Japour says that after 1945, the disease declined from a rate of 70 cases per 100,000 people to 5 cases per 100,000 people. Rolbein reports that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has compiled the latest figures for syphilis. Rolbein reports that there were 710 diagnosed cases of syphilis in 1986; that the number of syphilis cases grew steadily and then grew dramatically in 1990. Rolbein reports that more than 1700 new cases of syphilis were reported in 1990. V: An on-screen chart details the numbers of syphilis cases from 1986 to 1990. Shot of a bacteria culture. Rolbein reports that researchers had seen a dramatic growth in the number of syphilis cases only one time since the 1940s. V: Footage of Dr. Judith Steinberg (Co-director, Public Health Clinic, Boston City Hospital) being interviewed. Steinberg says that there were a high number of syphilis cases among white, homosexual men in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rolbein reports that Barbara Neustadt (registered nurse, Public Health Clinic, Beth Israel Hospital) believes that there must be another population involved in the latest epidemic. V: Footage of Neustadt being interviewed by Rolbein. Neustadt says that the gay community in Boston has worked hard to educate community members about safe sex; that there has been a significant drop in all sexually transmitted diseases in the gay population. Footage of Japour being interviewed. Japour says that the disease is in an epidemic stage. Japour says that the number of cases among gay and bisexual white men has decreased dramatically; that the number of cases among people of color and women has increased dramatically. Rolbein reports that there was approximately one case per 100,000 people among white men and women under the age of twenty in Massachusetts in 1988 and 1989. Rolbein reports that the number of syphilis cases increased dramatically among African American men and women under the age of twenty in Massachusetts in 1988. Rolbein reports that the number of cases among African American men and women under the age of twenty doubled in 1989. Rolbein reports that there were 80 cases per 100,000 people among African American women under the age of twenty in 1989. Rolbein reports that there has been a dramatic increase of syphilis cases in the Massachusetts Latino community in 1988 and 1989. Rolbein reports that there were 135 cases per 100,000 people among Latina women under the age of twenty in 1989. Rolbein reports that statistics are comparable across the nation. V: An on-screen chart details statistics for the numbers of syphilis cases among men and women under the age of twenty in the white, African American, and Latino communities in Massachusetts in 1988 and 1989. Rolbein reports that medical investigators from Philadelphia, Connecticut and Massachusetts believe that crack cocaine is at the root of the epidemic. V: Shots of workers in a laboratory setting. An African American man hands a white bag over the counter. Shot of people walking on a street. Shot through the window of a car of a housing development. Shot of a bag of crack. Footage of Japour being interviewed. Japour says that there are crack houses where individuals sell sex for drugs. Japour says that crack houses are the equivalent of the "gay bath houses" of the 1970s. Japour says that crack makes people sexually aggressive; that clients of the crack houses may have several sexual encounters in the course of an evening. Rolbein says that syphilis is spreading quickly. V: Shots of police officers entering an apartment; of police investigating a room of an apartment. The floor of the room is strewn with trash. Footage of Neustadt being interviewed. Neustadt says that it is frightening to see young people with syphilis; that syphilis patients may eventually contract HIV and AIDS. Rolbein says that AIDS and syphilis are both spread through sexual contact; that syphilis is curable while AIDS is not. V: Shot of an AIDS prevention poster. Footage of Neustadt being interviewed. Neustadt says that the increase in syphilis probably reflects an imminent increase in HIV-positive people in Boston. Rolbein reports that the syphilis epidemic is moving away from the gay community; that the syphilis epidemic is affecting people of color and communities in the inner city. V: Shot of the entrance to Boston City Hospital.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/01/1991

Teen justice

Description: Meg Vaillancourt interviews South Boston high school sophomore boys about their view of confessed teenage murderer William Flynn in the Pamela Smart trial. Interview with Edward Loughran, Commissioner of the Department of Youth Services, about regulations surrounding juvenile offenders charged with capital crimes in Massachusetts.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/18/1991

The Heidi Chronicles

Description: Interview with playwright Wendy Wasserstein on "The Heidi Chronicles" and the evolution and complexities of the women's movement. Footage of a performance of the play.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/08/1991

Third world health care advice

Description: Alexandra Marks reports that the infant mortality rate in Boston is higher than in many third-world countries. Marks interviews Dr. Ronald White of the Martha Eliot Health Care Center. White talks about the problems facing low-income populations in Boston. White talks about changes in US government policy that ended the link between health care policy and economic development policy. Marks interviews Dr. Rodrigo Guerrero, one of several experts from the developing world to visit Boston for a conference on the health care crisis. Guerrero explains that people's health is related to income and says that reducing poverty will improve people's health. White agrees with Guerrero's recommendations about attacking poverty. Marks reports that attendees at the conference recommended that the city of Boston levy a twenty-five cent tax on cigarettes to pay for new health care programs. Interview with Mayor Ray Flynn about the need for quality health care in the city. Marks' report also features footage of women and children at health clinics in Boston and footage from Frontline of Colombian cities and villages.
0:59:19: Visual: Footage from Frontline of native residents of a village in Colombia. Alexandra Marks reports that the infant mortality rate in Colombia is seventeen deaths per 1,000 infants. Marks notes that Boston is the home of some of the most sophisticated medical technology in the world; that the infant mortality rate in parts of Boston is higher than in Colombia. V: Shot of a young African American boy walking near parked cars. Audio of Dr. Ronald White (Martha Eliot Health Center) saying that medical officials and government officials must acknowledge the crisis in health care. Marks reports that White is director of the Martha Eliot Health Care Center; that the Center is an affiliate of Children's Hospital. Marks reports that the clinic is in the frontlines of the fight against disease and violence in Boston's low-income neighborhoods. V: Shot of the exterior of the Martha Eliot Health Care Center. Shot of a woman with an infant and a child entering the health care center. Footage of White being interviewed. White says that substance abuse, violence, AIDS, infant mortality, and the decreased life expectancy of minority males are all problems of the low-income population. Footage of Dr. Rodrigo Guerrero (Carvajal Foundation) being interviewed by Marks. Guerrero says that development is not a problem of resources. Guerrero says that people must be mobilized. Marks reports that Guerrero is in Boston to give advice to White and his colleagues. Marks reports that Guerrero is the executive director of a Colombian charitable foundation; that programs sponsored by Guerrero's foundation helped to decrease the infant mortality rate in Colombia. V: Footage from Frontline of children in a Colombian village. Marks reports that Guerrero is one of several experts from the developing world who gathered in Boston today; that the medical experts are here to help medical workers in Boston deal with the health care crisis. V: Shots of attendees at the conference; of a speaker at the conference. Footage of Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) being interviewed. Flynn says that people look at Boston as a center of medical expertise; that Boston needs to provide quality health care for poor and needy people. Marks reports that Flynn has pressured two of Boston's leading maternity hospitals into providing $3 million over three years to decrease the infant mortality rate. V: Shot of a Latina woman and infant in the lobby of a pediatric clinic. The woman enters an examination room, followed by a white female health care worker. Shot of the infant on an examination table. The two women stand over the infant. Marks notes that the hospitals will provide more doctors and midwives; that health clinics will receive funding for more prenatal care. V: Footage of Flynn being interviewed. Flynn says that there have been cuts in federal and state spending on health care; that the city must rely on private hospitals to provide quality health care for all people. Footage of Guerrero being interviewed. Guerrero says that his foundation began opening health clinics and schools in poor areas of Cali, Colombia. Guerrero says that his foundation had limited success at first. Marks reports that Guerrero believes that providing medical care is not enough. Marks reports that Guerrero switched his focus from the development of health clinics to economic development. Marks notes that Guerrero's program trained people how to open small businesses like soda shops and beauty parlors; that the program provided technical assistance and loans to the businesses. V: Footage of an urban area in Colombia; of residents and traffic on the streets; of small businesses in a commercial area. Footage of Guerrero being interviewed. Guerrero says that income is related to health. Guerrero says that an increase in a family's income will result in better health for family members. Footage of White being interviewed. White says that Guerrero's idea is an excellent one. White says that this idea was behind the construction of neighborhood health centers during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration's War on Poverty. White says that the neighborhood health centers were originally under the jurisdiction of the Office of Economic Opportunity. Marks reports that the health centers were shifted to the jurisdiction of the Office of Health, Education and Welfare during the Richard Nixon administration. Marks notes that the shift in jurisdiction marked the end of the connection between health care and economic status. Marks reports that White believes that this shift led to a decline in health care. V: Footage of a white female health care worker and a Latino woman in a medical examination room. An Latino infant is on the examining table. The Latino woman changes the boy's diaper. Footage of White being interviewed. White says that jobs must be provided in order to reduce violence. White says that economic development provides opportunities for people. Marks stands outside of the Martha Eliot Health Care Center. Marks reports that attendees at the conference recommended that the city of Boston levy a twenty-five cent tax on cigarettes to pay for new health care programs. Marks reports that the measure is expected to be controverial; that the measure will probably be opposed by merchants. V: Footage of White being interviewed. White says that new revenue is needed to provide minimal programs; that programs are needed to make headway against AIDS, violence, drug abuse, and infant mortality. Marks reports that it is unlikely that new taxes or new health or development programs will be funded during this economic crisis. Marks reports that it is possible that poor people in Colombia will lead longer and healthier lives than poor people in Boston. V: Footage of an infant being weighed on a medical scale. A Latina woman and a white female medical worker look on.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/26/1991

Timilty Middle School

Description: Hope Kelly reviews the history of school desegregation in Boston. She notes that many critics cite the absence of middle-class and white students as a reason for the continued failure of the Boston Public Schools. She focuses on the Timilty Middle School in Boston, a magnet school with successful reading and math programs for its students. Kelly interviews teacher William Moran and principle Shirley Gonsalves about the school and its programs. Moran says that the students are successful. He adds that many come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Gonsalves talks about the benefits of school desegregation. Kelly reports that the Timilty School was named a National School of Excellence in 1989. Following the edited story is additional b-roll footage of students and teachers in classrooms at the Timilty School.
1:00:07: Visual: Shot of a school bus door closing. Shots of a school bus outside of the Timilty Middle School; of students on the bus; of white and African American students exiting the Timilty Middle School; of students boarding a bus outside of the school. Shots of African American and white students in a hallway of the school. Hope Kelly reports that busing for school desegregation began seventeen years ago in Boston; that busing was viewed as a way to bring equal opportunity to all students. Kelly notes that busing drove many middle-class white and African American parents away from the school system. Kelly reports that critics cite a lack of middle-class students as a reason for the continued failure of Boston Public Schools. V: Footage of William Moran (Timilty School) being interviewed. Moran says that all students can learn. Kelly reports that Moran grew up in the South End and Roxbury; that Moran attended Boston Public Schools and went to college. V: Shots of Moran walking through a corridor in the Timilty School; of Moran speaking to three students in the doorway of a classroom. Kelly reports that Moran is the seventh-grade coordinator at the Timilty Middle School; that Moran attended the Timilty School twenty years ago. Kelly reports that the Timilty Middle School ranks first city-wide in reading; that the Timilty Middle School is second city-wide in mathematics. Kelly notes that the students at the Timilty School do not come from advantaged backgrounds. V: Shots of a white teacher teaching students of diverse races in a well decorated classroom. Shots of the students in the classroom. Footage of Moran saying that students at the Timilty School low-income families; that many of the students live in housing projects. Moran says that the students come from disadvantaged neighborhoods across the city; that the school is a city-wide school. Kelly reports that most of the students at the Timilty School are non-white and poor. V: Shots of students walking in a corridor of the Timilty School. Footage of Shirley Gonsalves (Timilty School) being interviewed by Kelly. Gonsalves says that race and class are not the determining factors among the school's students. Gonsalves says that the school can do nothing about the relative poverty of its students. Kelly reports that Gonsalves is the assistant principal at the Timilty School; that she has worked in the Boston Public School System for seventeen years. V: Shot of Gonsalves walking through a corridor and up a set of stairs with a student. Kelly reports that Gonsalves began teaching in Boston during the first year of school desegregation. V: Footage of Gonsalves being interviewed. Gonsalves says that she grew up in the rural South where busing was used to maintain segregated schools. Gonsalves says that she rode a bus to school from the age of six to the age of eighteen. Shots of students walking in a corridor at the Timilty School. Kelly reports that there are low numbers of white students in the Boston Public School System; that 11% of students at the Timilty School are white. Kelly reports that Gonsalves believes that school integration has been a success. V: Shots of a white student entering a classroom at the Timilty School; of a white teacher standing with two African American students in a hallway. Footage of Gonsalves being interviewed by Kelly. Gonsalves says that students attended schools in their own neighborhoods with students of their own race before school integration. Gonsalves says that students were not exposed to other students of different backgrounds and from different neighborhoods. Gonsalves says that students need to learn about people of different backgrounds. Shots of a white teacher teaching to a class of middle school students; of an African American male student sitting at a desk in the classroom. Shots of other students in classrooms; of an African American female student writing on a chalkboard; of an African American boy reading a book at his desk. Shot of the white teacher teaching to students in the classroom. Kelly reports that the Timilty School is a magnet school; that classes are smaller at the Timilty School; that the schoolday at the Timilty School is 1.5 hours longer on four of five days per week. Kelly reports that the waiting list to enter the sixth grade class at the Timilty School had 200 names. Kelly reports that the Timilty School was named a National School of Excellence in 1989. V: Shot of Gonsalves and a student walking in the corridor.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/22/1991

Tsongas speaks to O.N.E.

Description: Alexandra Marks reports that Paul Tsongas addressed the members of the Organization for a New Equality (ONE) at a luncheon meeting. ONE is an organization committed to opening up new economic opportunities for minorities. The members of ONE welcomed Tsongas' pro-business, liberal agenda. Tsongas criticized the policies of George Bush in his speech and has accused him of promoting a racially divisive agenda. Tsongas is calling for a combination of tax incentives and government spending to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods. Interview with Robert Reich (professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University) about Tsongas' position on economic issues and education. Interview with Tsonga, who talks about the importance of education. Interviews with Dorchester residents Chico Joyner and Faries Odom about Tsongas.
1:00:04: Visual: Footage of Paul Tsongas (Democratic candidate for US President) at a luncheon for ONE (Organization for a New Equality). Tsongas walks to the podium as attendees applaud. Alexandra Marks reports that Tsongas is not known as a passionate speaker; that Tsongas showed his passion at a speech to ONE members. Marks reports that Tsongas spoke about the budget approved by the Massachusetts State Legislature. Marks notes that the State Legislature is controlled by Democrats. V: Footage of Tsongas addressing the attendees. Tsongas says that his generation will be the first to give less to their children than they got. Tsongas says that his generation should be uncomfortable with this state of affairs. Tsongas says that the legislators should not congratulate themselves for balancing the budget by ruining the schools. Shots of attendees at the luncheon. Marks reports that the attendees welcomed Tsongas' pro-business, liberal agenda. Marks reports that ONE is committed to opening up new economic opportunities for minorities. V: Footage of Tsongas addressing the attendees. Tsongas says that a politician needs to be "pro-business" in order to be "pro-jobs." Tsongas says that Democrats need to learn that it is hypocritical to be "pro-jobs" and "anti-business." Marks reports that Tsongas berated George Bush (US President) for championing ideology over common sense in supporting the previous day's Supreme Court ruling on abortion. Marks notes that the ruling upholds a federal regulation which forbids the mention of abortion in clinics where federal funds are used. V: Shots of Tsongas speaking; of attendees; of a cameraman at the conference. Marks reports that Tsongas chided Bush for using the racially divisive Willie Horton advertisement in the 1988 presidential campaign. Marks reports that Tsongas chided Bush for vetoing the Civil Rights Bill and for sabotaging efforts to salvage the bill. V: Footage of Tsongas addressing the attendees. Tsongas says that Bush opposed the Civil Rights Bill because he wants race to be an issue in the 1992 campaign. Marks stands on Blue Hill Avenue. Marks says that Tsongas is calling for a combination of tax incentives and government spending to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods. Marks says that Tsongas believes that government money is necessary to leverage private investment. Marks says that economists have mixed feelings about Tsongas' philosophy. V: Footage of Robert Reich (John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University) being interviewed by Marks. Reich says that the private sector in the US is globalizing quickly. Reich talks about the foreign activities of IBM and General Electric. Reich says that the government needs to be selective in its support of the private sector; that the government should not support companies who create jobs outside of the US. Marks reports that Reich believes that the key to economic development is to enhance the productive capabilities of individual Americans. V: Footage of Reich being interviewed by Marks. Reich says that education and infrastructure are important. Reich says that Tsongas emphasizes these things in his proposal. Footage of Tsongas being interviewed. Tsongas says that there is no future without education. Marks reports that some inner-city residents are supportive of Tsongas. V: Shots of Blue Hill Avenue. Footage of Chico Joyner (Dorchester resident) being interviewed. Joyner says that most people will rebel against a tax increase. Joyner says that new businesses would help the community. Footage of Faries Odom (Dorchester resident) being interviewed. Odom says that community involvement is crucial to the success of any initiatives in the neighborhood. Footage of Tsongas addressing attendees at the ONE luncheon. Tsongas says that all people are connected to one another; that people's actions have an affect on themselves and others. Marks reports that Tsongas intends to send this message during his presidential campaign; that Tsongas wants to fight against the racially divisive agenda of the Bush administration. V: Shot of Tsongas riding down an escalator with attendees. An African American man shakes his hand and wishes him luck.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/24/1991

War from Vietnam vet's perspective

Description: Footage of Vietnam War combat. Interview with lawyer Howard Levine about his choice to be in ROTC, his service during Vietnam, his twin sons who know people in Persian Gulf war, and the justifiability of military draft. Close up on Bronze Star medal.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 02/14/1991

Women and AIDS

Description: Alexandra Marks reports that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that women are the fastest-growing segment of the HIV-positive population. Marks reports that many believe that the CDC has radically underestimated the number of women with AIDS. Interview with April Moore, a recovering drug addict, who has recently been diagnosed with AIDS, but has no health insurance and no steady job. A conference on women and AIDS was held in Boston recently. Interview with Jean McGuire of the Harvard School of Public Health and Martha Moon of the Fenway Community Health Center at the conference. McGuire and Moon believe that many women are dying of AIDS without being diagnosed. Moon says that the CDC definition of AIDS does not include the symptoms of female victims. McGuire and Moon say that many female victims are not eligible for medical benefits because they do not meet the CDC definition of the disease. The CDC says that there is not enough evidence to link the symptoms of women patients to AIDS. McGuire and Moon criticize the CDC's lack of initiative on the issue.
1:00:04: Visual: Footage of April Moore (recovering drug addict) walking with Alexandra Marks (WGBH reporter) through a local park. Moore and Marks sit down on some stairs outside of the playground. Marks reports that Moore is a former drug addict and prostitute who is now in recovery. Marks reports that Moore recently completed her GED (Graduate Equivalency Diploma); that Moore is looking forward to finding a job. Marks notes that Moore was diagnosed as HIV positive last year. V: Footage of Moore being interviewed by Marks. Moore says that she was in a state of disbelief when she found out about her condition; that she has known for a year now. Moore says that she does not know how long she has been infected with the HIV virus. Shots of Moore; of Marks. Marks reports that Moore is low-income, a minority and has no health insurance; that Moore is a typical woman with AIDS. Marks reports that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has said that women are the fastest-growing segment of the HIV population. Moore notes that the CDC estimates that women comprise 11% of the HIV population. Marks reports that some experts believe that the CDC radically underestimates the number of women infected. V: Footage of Jean McGuire (Harvard School of Public Health) being interviewed by Marks. McGuire says that women are dying before they are diagnosed with AIDS. McGuire says that the medical field does not have an accurate image of the AIDS population. McGuire says that the women who die without being diagnosed were never eligible for benefits like Medicaid and Social Security. Marks reports that McGuire spoke at a conference on women and AIDS in Boston today. Marks reports that McGuire believes that the CDC has a narrow definition of AIDS. V: Shots of the conference on women and AIDS. Shots of a small AIDS quilt hanging on a wall; of attendees and panelists at the conference. Footage of McGuire being interviewed by Marks. McGuire says that the CDC definition was constructed to track an epidemic; that the CDC definition is constructed around narrow presentations of the disease. McGuire says that the CDC wants to be sure that it is definitively tracking the disease. McGuire says that the CDC definition narrows the population to males with AIDS. Footage of Martha Moon (Fenway Community Health Center) being interviewed by Marks. Moon says that women develop symptoms unknown to men with the disease; that the symptoms of women are not counted in the CDC definition. Moon says that women with HIV experience chronic yeast infections, recurrent cervical cancer, uterine tumors, and other pelvic diseases. Marks reports that Moon is the clinical director of the Fenway Community Health Center; that the Fenway Community Health Center was the sponsor of the conference. V: Footage of Moon being interviewed by Marks. Moon says that surgery eliminates cervical cancer in most women; that some HIV-positive women have recurring bouts of cervical cancer. Moon says that some of these women are completely disabled by the disease; that they are not eligible for medical benefits because they do not meet the CDC definition of the disease. Marks quotes Thomas Skinner (CDC Spokesperson) as saying that "We established this case definition of AIDS for our surveillance purposes. We do not control the use of the definition by other government agencies." V: Skinner's quote appears written on-screen in text. Footage of McGuire being interviewed by Marks. McGuire says that Medicaid has relied on the CDC definition; that the CDC refuses to take responsibility for the reimbursement structure of the government agencies. McGuire says that HIV-positive women do not care which agency is responsible. Footage of Moore being interviewed by Marks. Marks asks Moore what she will do if Medicaid will not cover her medical bills if she becomes ill. Moore says that she has not thought about it; that she tries not to think about it because stress could make her become ill. Marks stands on Commonwealth Avenue. Marks reports that the CDC says that there is not enough medical evidence to link female opportunistic infections to AIDS; that the CDC refuses to change its definition. V: Footage of McGuire being interviewed by Marks. McGuire says that the CDC refuses to include some symptoms in its definition; that those symptoms are those which are experienced by poor people and people of color. McGuire says that poor people and people of color are those who will need benefits. McGuire wonders if the dynamics of race, gender and class have anything to do with the government's reluctance to move forward on the issue. Marks reports that Moore has been unaffected by this issue so far. V: Shots of Moore walking on Commonwealth Avenue with Marks. Audio of Moore saying that she must keep an open mind; that she must stay aware in order to remain alive. Footage of Marks being interviewed by Moore. Moore talks about being afraid.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/19/1991