The Region - News from Jan. 21, 1986

The National Assn. for AIDS Awareness, a firm offering testing and counseling at $100 for people anxious to know if they have contacted AIDS, opened its doors but immediately began canceling appointments. Lawrence Bery, part owner and executive director, said that testing could not begin immediately at the center in West Los Angeles because the presence of news cameras and reporters meant that customers would not be assured privacy. Potential customers were advised to reschedule testing and told that the introductory offer of $50 would be extended. The Los Angeles City Council last week passed an emergency measure calling for an investigation of the firm. Councilman Joel Wachs called it the “grossest kind of attempt to try to make a buck off another person’s misfortune.”