Program welcoming
gays to San Francisco focuses on HIV prevention

The San Francisco Newcomers' Assistance Program (SNAP), run by the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, aims to not only welcome new gay residents to the city but to encourage them to protect themselves against HIV infection, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Surveys have shown that many gays who move to the city find it unwelcoming and that such alienation can lead to risky sex, substance abuse, and depression. Gay center director Anthony Philip, who hopes to enroll 75 new city arrivals in the program by the end of the year, says SNAP will work to both introduce new city residents to each other but also to stress the importance of practicing safer sex, as studies have shown that up to one quarter of all gay men in San Francisco are HIV-positive. "We want people to know when to play and when not to play and, if you fall down, what to do," Philip told the Chronicle. (Advocate.com)