The Arkansas HIV/AIDS Minority Task Force is studying how to urge the state’s HIV-positive people to play a stronger, more visible role in public forums, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette/NWAnews.com reports (nwanews.com, 6/10).

The task force is holding public forums on HIV/AIDS throughout the state in July and August, and hopes many positive citizens will attend and make their voices heard.

Michelle Smith of North Little Rock and Jefferson Comprehensive Care Systems, Inc., said that HIV-positive people wishing to make recommendations to the task force should be given “a conducive atmosphere that is not threatening.”

Other task force members suggested that allowing anonymous testimonies and audiotaping the forums (instead of videotaping them) would help preserve anonymity and encourage more people with HIV to attend.