HIV-POSITIVE LATINO TAKES MESSAGE TO AIRWAVES

The calls pour in as talk radio host Francisco Plascencia hits the airwaves

with his weekly show addressing ticklish subjects such as sexually transmitted

diseases and prostitution -- all in Spanish.

A Roseland woman wants to know if there's any truth to a rumor about an

HIV-infected butcher's contaminating meat.

Medically impossible, he assures her.

An anxious husband asks if he runs a high risk of catching STDs from a

labor camp madam and spreading them to his wife.

Absolutely, Plascencia warns.

Plascencia said his program provides an important service to Latinos, who

often are ignored even though they represent 17 percent of the population in

Sonoma County.

''We're not doing enough for the Latino community,'' said the host of

''Hablando Enserio'' or serious talk, which runs at

7 p.m. Tuesdays on KBBF radio, 89.1 FM. ''I want them to talk to me as a

trusted friend.''

The chatty 30-year-old started the program in March, partly for personal

reasons.

Twelve years ago, after immigrating to Sonoma County from Mexico,

Plascencia got HIV through unprotected sex.

He didn't speak English and knew little about drugs that could prevent him

from developing AIDS.

For the first year or so after testing positive, he tried to forget,

keeping the secret even from his family.

''I thought I was going to die right away,'' Plascencia said. ''I separated

my glasses and dishes from the rest of the household and started partying a

lot.''

Eventually, Plascencia got sick and was hospitalized.

He began taking medicine, told his parents and joined a support group where

he found other Latinos with HIV, many of them whole families infected with the

virus.

It became obvious that a lack of dialogue on subjects that were routine for

other cultures was hurting people, he said.

Plascencia discovered his talent for broadcasting on a trip to Miami. He

spoke as an invited guest on a radio program and decided to start a similar

show in Santa Rosa.

He landed the hourlong time slot on La Nuestra, a tiny, 1,000-watt station

operating from a trailer in southwest Santa Rosa.

''The main idea of the show is to make sure the Latino community is

informed,'' Plascencia said. ''I also want to protect them and teach them how

to talk.''

When he enters the sound booth for his show, the format is simple -- set a

new health-related theme each week and answer questions about it.

He's the only Spanish-speaking host in Sonoma County who talks about such

cultural taboos as birth control and gay sex. And with HIV on the rise among

Latinos, Plascencia is sought after for his knowledge on the subject.

On a recent Tuesday, Plascencia brought up new statistics from world health

officials about the AIDS epidemic that is spreading through Africa.

Callers lit up the switchboard with their own stories and questions.

A man from Napa County complained about a woman who boasted the week before

that she was infected but still having unprotected sex.

The man exploded in a torrent of insults.

''He was not happy about it,'' Plascencia said during a music break.

Some callers want basic information about health issues in a language they

understand. Others want to talk off the air with Plascencia, fearing someone

will recognize their voices.

Plascencia is happy to oblige.

His passion for helping people has won praise, but he's also ruffled

feathers. Plascencia has been outspoken in his criticism of public health

agencies, which he said devote few resources to Latinos.

His blunt talk has prompted newspaper editorials and a debate about how the

county spends its AIDS money.

The time he spends on the air and performing school presentations is all

volunteer. He supports himself as a full-time caterer.

''I have great respect for him,'' said Bertha Diaz, health educator at

Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg. ''It takes a great person to come out

and say what he does.''

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 521-5250 or at

ppayne@pressdemocrat.com.