AIDS EDUCATION GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

UNITED STATES: Hepatitis C Testing for People Born Between 1945 and 1965

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

CDC and health departments across the nation are partnering to provide free hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and education during May, which is Hepatitis Awareness Month. The primary testing target is baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965. Although this group represents only 27 percent of the US population, ...

ARIZONA: Parsons Foundation Gives $3 Million to Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On May 11, the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation surprised supporters of Phoenix’s Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS with the announcement of a $3 million contribution for the center’s capital campaign. The gift will ensure that construction on the new 50,000-square-foot Center for Health, Education, and Wellness ...

AUSTRALIA: HIV Rates Triple in the Northern Territory in Just 12 Months

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) recorded 36 HIV cases in 2012, compared to 11 in 2011, primarily due to 14 new diagnoses from irregular arrivals sent to the Immigration Detention Centres in Darwin. Without the irregular arrivals, NT’s 2012 statistics would still be high at 22 cases. NT AIDS and Hepatitis ...

ARIZONA: Routine Skin Testing Available Again at Tuberculosis Clinic Starting May 20

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Arizona’s Pima County Health Department has announced the resumption of routine TB skin tests beginning May 20, at the Tuberculosis Clinic, 2980 E. Ajo Way. The health department temporarily suspended routine skin testing because of a national shortage of the Tubersol solution used in the test. The clinic ...

NORTH DAKOTA: Officials: 26 Tuberculosis Cases from Grand Forks Outbreak

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

North Dakota health officials have identified 26 active TB cases linked to a Grand Forks area outbreak. The total included two TB cases in 2010, 20 cases in 2012, and four cases already in 2013. Grand Forks County reported 23 of these cases. Health officials have connected three other cases in Stutsman ...

CANADA: Nunavut Uses Comic Book to Do Sex Education

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Premier and Education Minister Eva Aariak of Nunavut, Canada, announced the launch of a new, culturally appropriate sexual health curriculum resource, the “Choices” comic book, for all Nunavut eighth grade classes. “Choices,” which was developed in Nunavut specifically for Inuit youth, aims to share information ...

NEW HAMPSHIRE: State Health Officials Urge Hepatitis Testing

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

During Hepatitis Awareness Month, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services officials urge residents to know about their hepatitis risk. Millions of Americans have chronic viral hepatitis and most do not realize it; this is an opportunity to remind the public and healthcare providers about ...

UNITED STATES: Triple Therapy for Hepatitis C is Effective After Liver Transplantation, but Side-Effects Are Common

18 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Researchers, including Elizabeth Verna of Columbia University and others from the Consortium to Study Health Outcomes in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Liver Transplant Recipients (CRUSH-C) study evaluated triple therapy in liver transplant recipients at six US centers. The researchers reported on their study ...

Health group didn't disclose HIV tests, apologizes

17 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Kaiser Permanente Northwest is apologizing to nearly 6,500 members in Oregon and Washington whose blood was tested for HIV without their knowledge or consent.

The health organization implemented a screening policy a month ago in line with a federal recommendation that ...

No time to lose in the search for an HIV vaccine

17 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

GENEVA, 18 May 2013 - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) joins partners and allies around the world in recognizing World AIDS Vaccine Day.

Developing an HIV vaccine is one of the greatest scientific challenges the world faces - and one of the most important. While encouraging ...

People with HIV pay more for life insurance – if they can get it (South Africa)

17 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

-- Their life expectancy is almost as high as those who are HIV free, yet they pay much more. Social justice organisation Section27 has been inundated with complaints about life insurance companies refusing to provide cover for people infected with HIV. S'khumbuzo Maphumulo, ...

Uganda: Gov't Urged to Levy a Tax On Alcohol to Fund HIV

17 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

As Uganda counts a 40% reduction in AIDS-related deaths in the past decade, the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) wants Government to levy a special tax on alcohol and cigarette to fund HIV programmes. According to UAC Executive Director Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, AIDS account for 60,000 annual deaths ...

India Widens Price Control Over Medicines

17 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

MUMBAI - India has significantly widened its control over drug prices, a decision that will make medicines more affordable for people but hurt the profit margins of pharmaceutical companies.

As many as 348 medicines including cancer drug fluoroucil and lamivudine-zidovudine used in the treatment ...

PENNSYLVANIA: Scientists Weaken HIV Infection in Immune Cells Using Synthetic Agents

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

HIV hides within certain types of cells and reproduces slowly, eventually causing chronic inflammation regardless of drug treatment. According to Servio H. Ramirez PhD, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Temple University School of Medicine (TUSM), although antiretroviral drugs ...

UNITED STATES: New AIDS Group Debuts as NAPWA Successor

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Organizers have announced that their new coalition Pozitively Healthy will assume the advocacy role formerly filled by the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA), which closed its doors in February due to bankruptcy. Pozitively Healthy will be the advocacy arm of the Washington D.C.-based AIDS ...

Danish researchers issue statement: We are not on the brink of an HIV cure

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Over the past several weeks some media outlets have grossly misinterpreted press releases and results from a clinical trial that occurred in Denmark. These media claimed that a team of Danish scientists stated that an HIV cure was imminent. Unfortunately, these incorrect internet news stories have ...

As Hepatitis C Spreads, Scotland Steps In

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

DUNDEE, Scotland - Sam Nicoll, an unemployed laborer with a history of heroin use in this down-and-out city, has recently been released from prison. He's just become a father. And on a recent morning, he ran out of injection needles.

But a nurse here, Brian Stephens, wants the 24-year-old ...

WASHINGTON: Front Porch -- Share Your Experiences with Tuberculosis

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Washington’s Snohomish County TB Voices Project is searching for individuals interested in sharing their TB experiences, whether their own or those related to someone they may know. The TB Voices Project was created to provide an avenue for individuals of all ages to convey their TB stories, and in so ...

NORTH KOREA: North Korea Sees Surge of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The South Korea-based TB aid organization Eugene Bell Foundation reported that North Korea has “at least 5,000” cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) every year. Incidence actually could be much higher because North Korea restricts foreign doctors’ access and the country does not have the means to ...

CALIFORNIA: Giants, Nonprofit Mark 20 Years of AIDS Awareness

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The Until There's a Cure (UTAC) Foundation and the San Francisco Giants baseball team will mark the 20th annual “Until There’s a Cure” game on Tuesday, May 21, when the Giants play the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park. The UTAC event will feature a pregame home plate ceremony titled “Together We Can,” ...

VIRGINIA: Charlottesville Nonprofit Offering Free Hepatitis C Testing

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The AIDS Services Group (ASG) is now offering free rapid hepatitis C testing at its offices in the Charlottesville, Va., area, becoming one of only two facilities in the state to offer the rapid test. ASG recommends testing for those individuals who are baby boomers, have received donated organs or transfused ...

CALIFORNIA: Donation to Fund HPV Vaccines for Youth

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Local television news station KERO Channel 23, Azteca Bakersfield, and the Scripps Howard Foundation have donated $15,000 to California’s San Joaquin Community Hospital’s Children’s Mobile Immunization Program to pay for free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations for approximately 40 underinsured youth. ...

Viet Nam: South-South learning helps prepare for sustainable provision of AIDS treatment

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Mr Dong, a 37-year-old man from Hanoi, has been living with HIV for a number of years. He is in good health thanks to the antiretroviral treatment that is provided free of charge in Viet Nam and is a leading member of the Viet Nam Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+).

But Mr Dong, as ...

NEW JERSEY: Drug Company Donates Thousands to HIV/AIDS Orgs

16 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Janssen Therapeutics, a division of New Brunswick, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, announced they will provide up to $30,000 in grants and/or charitable donations to 16 organizations, four of which are in the New York metropolitan area. The funding will increase awareness and provide ...

PAKISTAN: Risky Shots

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Unnecessary injections, unsafe injection practices, and non-sterile syringes and needles are major factors contributing to the spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Pakistan, according to Dr. Quaid Saeed, World Health Organization (WHO) national program officer on HIV and hepatitis. Other factors that ...

WHO statistics show narrowing health gap between countries with best and worst health status

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

GENEVA, 15 May 2013 / PRNewswire Africa / - The world has made dramatic progress in improving health in the poorest countries and narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and worst health status in the past two decades, according to the World Health Statistics 2013. The World Health ...

KENTUCKY: Northern Kentucky Health Department Ready to Give Low-Cost Hepatitis B Vaccines to Adults

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Kentucky has decreased its hepatitis B rate by more than 80 percent since 1993 by using the hepatitis vaccine. Now, hepatitis B high-risk residents are eligible for low-cost vaccination at the Northern Kentucky Health Department. The vaccination consists of three doses given throughout a 6-month time ...

Sangamo BioSciences Presents Clinical Data Demonstrating HIV Reservoir Reduction in HIV-Infected Subjects Treated with ZFP Therapeutic(R), SB-728-T

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Unprecedented Immune Reconstitution Drives HIV Viral Reservoir Depletion

Encouraging Preliminary Anti-Viral HIV Data during Treatment Interruption in Ongoing SB-728-T Phase 2 Trials

RICHMOND, Calif., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced ...

UNITED STATES: Twin Epidemics: HIV and Hepatitis C in the Urban Northeast

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

A Yale University research team reported identifying a geographical dimension of risk factors common to HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) that may influence surveillance, prevention, and healthcare delivery for people coinfected with these viruses. A growing number of people in the US Northeast have ...

CALIFORNIA: Oakland HIV/AIDS Housing the Focus of Meeting

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Local activists, consumers, and advocates in Oakland, Calif., met to discuss housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS a few days before Affordable Housing Week, which ends May 19. Darice Bridges, AIDS housing information and referral coordinator for Alameda County 211, discussed local resources available ...

CALIFORNIA: NorCal AIDS Cycle Opening and Closing Ceremonies Show Support For Bicyclists

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The NorCal AIDS Cycle, a four-day, 330-mile bicycle ride through Sacramento and surrounding areas, is scheduled for May 16–19. More than 200 riders will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Folsom Lake’s Beals Point. The closing ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on May 19 at the State Capitol after ...

SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS-Related Deaths Falling in S. Africa: Agency

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On May 14, Statistics South Africa, the country’s official statistics agency, declared that although one in 10 South Africans are HIV-positive, AIDS-related deaths are decreasing in the country. Bolstered treatment is beginning to have an impact. For years, South Africa has lagged behind in the ...

Genesee County Health Department Seeks Help at STD Clinic

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

With some of the highest STD rates in the state of Michigan, Genesee County Health Department Health Officer Mark Valacak is petitioning the board of commissioners to re-establish the county’s public health nurse position to assist with providing services. The county currently enlists the aid ...

MARYLAND: People More Likely to Keep HIV Clinic Appointments if They Believe Their Care Providers Know Them as a Person

15 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore investigated whether the quality of patients’ relationships with their HIV care providers helped patients keep routine care appointments. They were looking for potential targets for future interventions to improve providers’ interactions ...

CANADA: Program Allows Teens to Text Their Sex Questions

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM) announced the May 14 launch of “Sext ed,” a community-based initiative that allows teenagers to use cellphones to text and receive answers to sex-related questions anonymously. ACCM developed Sext ed to fill a void created when Quebec’s Ministry ...

GUAM: National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) will focus the public’s attention on the effects of HIV/AIDS stigma on May 19, National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The department estimates that one-third of Asians and Pacific Islanders are HIV-infected ...

Public Meeting on HIV Patient-Focused Drug Development and HIV Cure Research: June 14, 2013

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

FDA is announcing a Public Meeting on HIV Patient-Focused Drug Development and HIV Cure Research

Date: June 14, 2013

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m...

WISCONSIN: Three More Sheboygan Students Have Contracted TB, Officials Say

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On May 9, Sheboygan County, Wis., public health officials announced that three more Sheboygan Area School District students have active TB, in addition to a case confirmed in April. All four students are from the same family. Sheboygan County Health Officer Dale Hippensteel stated that the students’ ...

CALIFORNIA: Cedars-Sinai Cuts HIV/AIDS Services

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Hospital officials at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, Calif., have confirmed “some cutbacks” to the Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), which were originally announced internally in December 2012. These cuts will include HIV specialists Dr. Paula Gaut and Dr. David Hardy, ...

Varsities danger zones as US cuts AIDS funds

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

A big cut in US funding for South Africa's HIV-Aids programmes could lead to an increase in infections at universities and colleges.

Briefing the parliamentary portfolio committee on HIV-Aids in Cape Town last week, SA National Aids Council CEO Fareed Abdullah said funding from the US President's ...

CANADA: Fast, Cheap Methods of Diagnosing Infectious Disease? They're Coming Sooner Than You Think

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Researchers at the University of Toronto have created a cheap, rapid, easy-to-use testing method for infectious diseases. The test is not yet ready for widespread use, but researchers contend that it can make quick, accurate diagnoses available even in developing countries, speed up detection and response ...

Toronto Public Health urges vaccination against bacterial meningitis for MSM travelling to New York

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Since 2010 an outbreak of bacterial meningitis has been occurring in New York City among men who have sex with men (MSM). Twenty-two cases have been reported, including four in 2013. The age of cases ranged between 21 and 59 years. Public health authorities in New York have disclosed that seven of ...

NORTH CAROLINA: Possible Exposure to Hepatitis A

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Jackson County, N.C., and state health officials are working together with the High Hampton Inn restaurant in Cashiers, N.C., to investigate a reported isolated case of hepatitis A in a restaurant employee. The restaurant has been proactive in contacting patrons and taking needed measures to prevent ...

Zimbabwe's sustained progress towards Getting to Zero

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Zimbabwe is an example of political commitment and progress in the AIDS response. Although it is one of the countries most affected by the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, with an adult HIV prevalence of 15%, the country has achieved and sustains universal coverage of treatment to prevent mother-to-child-transmission ...

Rights group urges China to repeal penalties against sex workers

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China should remove criminal and administrative penalties against sex workers which often lead to serious police abuses, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Tuesday.

The abuses include torture, beatings, physical assaults, fines and arbitrary detentions ...

HIV-infected teacher's aide accused of molestation

14 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

ST. LOUIS (AP) - An Illinois special-needs teaching assistant accused of molesting a teenage student in school while knowingly infected with HIV remained jailed Tuesday as police investigated another claim of similar misconduct by the man involving a different student.

Prosecutors in St. ...

THE NETHERLANDS: High Prevalence of Oral HPV Infection in Dutch Gay Men

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

According to Dutch researchers, prevalence of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was high among gay men with HIV infection. Also, these men were more likely to be infected with HPV strains associated with high-risk of head and neck cancers. Between 2010 and 2011, researchers in Amsterdam ...

CALIFORNIA: AIDS Group Pushes for Measure to Form City Health Department in L.A.

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On May 10, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that they had gathered approximately 70,000 signatures, 50,000 of which they believed were valid, to qualify for a ballot measure that would allow Los Angeles residents to vote on whether the city should have its own public health department ...

NEW JERSEY: Middlesex County to Receive $1M to Support HIV/AIDS Care

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Middlesex County, N.J., will receive slightly more than $1 million in federal funds for its Ryan White HIV/AIDS program targeting low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Announcing the funding on February 21, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) stated that since New Jersey ranks high ...

THE BAHAMAS: U.S. Charge d'Affaires Presents $14,000 to Bahamian Organizations to Promote HIV/AIDS Awareness

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

US Charge d’Affaires for the Bahamas John Dinkelman awarded grants totaling $14,000 at a ceremony on May 8 to community organizations that submitted winning proposals to the 2013 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. The program funds nongovernmental organizations, ...

UNITED STATES: National Institutes of Health Names University of Rochester a Center for AIDS Research

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has designated the University of Rochester a Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), which means the university will receive $7.5 million throughout the next five years for HIV/AIDS work. The newest of 18 US CFARs, Rochester will use the funding to develop and nurture ...

Circumcision plans go awry in Swaziland

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

MBABANE, 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - It was an ambitious plan to circumcise the majority of men in Swaziland, an effort to reduce the risk of HIV transmission in a country with the world's highest HIV prevalence. How could it have gone wrong?

"First they told me that circumcision will not really ...

MAINE: Bowdoin Students Play Soccer for Annual HIV/AIDS Event

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Recently, more than 100 students of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, supported Grassroot Soccer’s fourth annual charity soccer tournament. The event began at Bowdoin four years ago to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit organization Grassroot Soccer, which uses the popularity of soccer ...

NEW YORK: NY Rep.-- VA says 18 Vets Positive for Hepatitis

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) stated May 9 that 18 veterans have tested positive for hepatitis, following the disclosure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital where they received treatment may have improperly re-used insulin pens on multiple patients. Collins said that the VA did not ...

CANADA: Nunavut Undertakes Hepatitis Survey in Baffin, Kivalliq Regions

13 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The Nunavut Department of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the University of Manitoba will conduct a voluntary survey among the Nunavummiut in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C and to ascertain the effectiveness of the government’s ...

Legal help for AIDS patients

11 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Center for Justice and the University of Mississippi Medical Center are partnering to provide free civil legal services to people living with AIDS. The collaboration includes the Mississippi State Department of Health's Crossroads Clinics Central and ...

NORTH CAROLINA: Teen Medical Ban Could Threaten Gay Youth, Say Advocates

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The North Carolina legislature has sent back to the judiciary committee proposed legislation that would exclude under-18 youth from receiving medical and mental health services without written, notarized parental consent. Proponents of H693 aimed to prevent under-age youth from receiving prevention, ...

GLOBAL: Cancer Vaccines Get a Price Cut in Poor Nations

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The lower price initially will be available only for demonstration projects in Kenya, Madagascar, Ghana, and Laos. However, it will extend to 30 million girls in 40 countries by 2020, according to Dr. Seth Berkley, chief executive of the GAVI Alliance.

In wealthy countries like the United States, ...

Scientists Develop Experimental Vaccine Against Heroin

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Scientists have developed an experimental vaccine to treat heroin addicts. Such a vaccine would be a major advance for both public health and safety. Addiction to the powerful, illicit narcotic not only destroys human lives, but also fuels a violent global drug trade.

An estimated ...

EUROPE: Second-Generation Protease Inhibitor Faldaprevir Cures up to 80% of Hepatitis C

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The second-generation protease inhibitor faldaprevir combined with pegylated interferon and ribavirin cured approximately 80 percent of previously untreated individuals with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to Professor Peter Ferenci of the Medical University of Vienna. Ferenci ...

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director commends Zimbabwe for its strong political will, commitment and sustained progress towards Getting to Zero

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

In a meeting on 8 May 2013 with the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Hon Joice Mujuru, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and Governance, Jan Beagle commended the Government of Zimbabwe for its leadership in the AIDS response. She congratulated the country on the successful mobilization of US$ ...

I refuse to let HIV stop me from dreaming

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Bonginkosi Vincent Buthelezi is a 17-year old high school pupil. He shares the story of how he became HIV-positive.

I was born into a warm, loving family with a very strict mom.

My friends almost destroyed my life. I was a laughing stock among my friends ...

Simpler ARV treatment begins in Eastern Cape

10 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Eight people have been initiated into the new Fixed Dose Combination of ARV treatment at the Magwa Clinic. The new treatment uses one pill, which combines emtricitabine, TDF and efavirenz.

28-year old Faniswa Mdutshane, from Mbotyi, said she was very excited to be on the new programme. She ...

FLORIDA: AIDS Walk Orlando Could Be Biggest Walk Yet

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

AIDS Walk Orlando 2013, scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on May 18 at the Walt Disney World Amphitheatre at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, Fla., hopes to draw 3,000 walkers and raise $250,000. According to Hope and Help Events Manager Chris Hessler, Congressman Alan Grayson will make opening remarks ...

New PHAC testing guide includes recommendations to promote routine HIV testing

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The importance of HIV testing, knowledge of HIV status and early diagnosis of HIV infection cannot be overstated, particularly given recent advancements in our understanding of HIV treatment and prevention.

People who are aware of their HIV-positive status can access care and support services ...

NIH Scientists Create New Tool for Identifying Powerful HIV Antibodies: Advance Could Speed HIV Vaccine Research

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

WHAT:

A team of NIH scientists has developed a new tool to identify broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) capable of preventing infection by the majority of HIV strains found around the globe, an advance that could help speed HIV vaccine research. Scientists have long studied HIV-infected ...

Kenya condom advert opposed by Catholic Church

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Kenya's Roman Catholic Church has condemned a Catholic group for a billboard and newspaper advertising campaign promoting condom use.

The US-based Catholics for Choice was planting "negative attitudes" that could destroy the nation's "moral fibre", church leaders said.

Catholics ...

WASHINGTON: Free Hepatitis Testing for At-Risk Individuals

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Snohomish, Wash., Health District is offering free hepatitis C virus (HCV) tests to at-risk individuals. According to Kathy Perkins, health district nurse, they will be using a rapid test this year that gives results in approximately 20 minutes. The test requires a drop of blood from a finger prick. ...

KENYA: AHF, KANCO Organize NO RETREAT ON AIDS March to Call for More Global HIV/AIDS Funding

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The Kenya AIDS Nongovernmental Organizations Consortium (KANCO) and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) anticipate more than 2,000 participants will march from Jevanjee Gardens to Uhuru Park in Nairobi during their sponsored NO RETREAT ON AIDS event on Friday, May 10. The march is part of AHF’s ...

Burundi marks its National AIDS Day and commits to an AIDS-free generation

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Burundi marked its National AIDS Day on 8 May and committed to stopping new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive. The Minister of Health of Burundi, Dr Sabine Ntakarutimana who opened the event at the Kamenge health centre in Bujumbura said, "I am committed to bringing Burundi ...

UNITED STATES: Barbara Lee Bill Would Push States to Roll Back Criminal HIV Laws

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives that would force the repeal or amendment of state and federal laws that make it a crime for HIV-infected people to expose sexual partners to the virus, even if they do not transmit the virus. Many states enacted laws ...

Cuba Knows Condom Use Not Enough

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

HAVANA, May 9 2013 (IPS) - "But I always used a condom!" was the sentence that played over and over in Jaime Roche's mind when the young Cuban man tested positive for HIV in October.

"I couldn't believe it. I'm an advocate of using condoms, even for oral sex," the health worker, who preferred ...

UNITED STATES: Pretreatment Anemia Raises Mortality Risk Among HCV/HIV Coinfected Patients

09 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Researchers investigated the impact of anemia prior to treatment on survival of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV coinfection. During 7 years of follow-up, researchers reviewed data from 5,000 patients with HCV and HIV coinfection, including 1,671 who had anemia before beginning therapy. ...

OHIO: Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond to Join 'Keep the Promise on AIDS' March in Cleveland, OH

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On Saturday, May 11, at 12 noon, advocates will gather at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Plaza in Cleveland for the “Keep the Promise on HIV/AIDS” march and rally. The event will feature civil rights leader Julian Bond, R & B singer Brandy, local Cleveland artists Kaoz and ...

HIV/AIDS activists rallying at Conn. Capitol

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Activists are rallying at the state Capitol to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Connecticut as part of the 13th annual "AIDS Awareness Day."

Wednesday's gathering is expected to include hundreds of advocates and people infected with the virus.

Gov. Dannel ...

UNITED STATES: CDC Urges Second Test to Catch Hepatitis C Infection

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Following an eight-site study, CDC recommends that all people who test positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) also should have an HCV RNA test to find out whether they have cleared the virus or they still have it. Approximately 20 percent of HCV-infected people get well without treatment. Since HCV has ...

GEORGIA: Director of AIDS Athens 'Inspired' from Helping Her Patients

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

AIDS Athens, Incorporated diagnoses five or six new HIV cases each month, according to Executive Director Olivia Long, and most of those newly infected individuals are 18–24–year-olds. The nonprofit organization serves 10 northeastern Georgia counties by assisting individuals with HIV/AIDS ...

UNITED STATES: Medical News Focus on STD, Not Cancer Prevention, to Promote HPV Vaccine Use

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

A study suggests that focusing on preventing the STD human papillomavirus (HPV) rather than cervical cancer will persuade more young women to get the vaccine. Janice Krieger, assistant professor of communication at the Ohio State University and lead author of the study, concluded that the failure of ...

Analysis: Sending the right message on mHealth

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

NAIROBI, 8 May 2013 (IRIN) - We’ve read the stories: From bedridden patients sending text messages to their health workers, to young people receiving HIV prevention messages via SMS, the mobile phone seems to have morphed from communications device to essential life-saver. But is the evidence ...

COLOMBIA: Colombian Antenatal HIV Testing Rates Reveal Health Insurance Paradox

08 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Although antenatal HIV testing has been a standard of care for pregnant Colombian women since 2000, a survey of 10,596 women revealed that only 35 percent of women who received antenatal care between 2000 and 2005 had an HIV test. Of the 10,596 women surveyed, 26 percent had insurance with their employer ...

PENNSYLVANIA: How a Home for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Manheim Township Has Evolved over 20 Years

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Hope House in Manheim Township, Lancaster, Pa., is one of two facilities in the state that provides care, counseling, and hope for persons with HIV/AIDS. When the group home opened 20 years ago, neighbors considered it a “death house” and resisted it, arguing that it would house people ...

ITALY: HIV Meds Protect Against Doubled Cancer Risk in Positive Men

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Italian researchers determined that men with HIV have approximately twice the risk of getting non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) compared to the general public, but antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can protect the body from the risk. The researchers conducted a retrospective study of 5,090 HIV-infected ...

AUSTRALIA: Free 'Rapid' HIV Tests Available From June Provide Results in 20 Minutes

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Queensland will become the first state in Australia to make rapid HIV tests widely available after recent approval by the state’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS. Queensland initially plans to stock the rapid test in sexual health clinics in Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Coast, Townsville, ...

Bill would allow faster HIV testing for infants

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Infants in California's child welfare system could be tested and treated sooner for HIV under a bill that has passed the state Assembly.

A measure from Democratic Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles would allow social workers to request an HIV test for a ...

KOREA: U.S. Non-Profit Group to Build Tuberculosis Center in Pyongyang

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The US nonprofit organization Christian Friends of Korea (CFK) will begin construction in mid-May on a Pyongyang center that will train North Korean physicians and researchers on TB prevention and treatment. Training for North Korea’s National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory currently takes ...

FLORIDA: Simply Healthcare Expands HIV/AIDS Medicaid Plan

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration approved Clear Health Alliance’s expansion of its services to Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Polk counties. Previously, the plan only was available in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Clear Health Alliance is an HIV/AIDS Medicaid specialty plan offered ...

Rwanda's President says young people are increasingly calling for a more inclusive and equitable society

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame emphasised the importance of the active participation of young people in health and development during his meeting on 6 May with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. President Kagame said through virtual networks and social media young people are increasingly ...

UNITED STATES: Hepatitis B No Barrier to Health Practice

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The US Justice Department has ruled that two applicants with hepatitis B virus (HBV) have the right to attend medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The Justice Department based its ruling on the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and a 2012 update of CDC’s ...

China and Africa Discuss Health Treatment Problems

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

African and Chinese delegates have come together in Botswana to exchange experiences on how to tackle health problems. Usually Africa is the one receiving advice from abroad. But African countries say they can teach other nations about health policies and how to tackle AIDS.

China, which ...

UZBEKISTAN: Uzbeks Required to Produce STD, Drugs Certificates to Travel Abroad

07 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

According to Shuhrat Berdiyev, head of the Tashkent STD health clinic, Uzbekistan citizens wishing to travel outside of the country soon will have to produce certificates at border control stations demonstrating they suffer from neither drug addiction nor an STD. Berdiyev said the Senate currently ...

FLORIDA: Local and Community News County Sees an Increase in STD Cases

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Florida’s Alachua County Health Department is promoting awareness, testing, and prevention in response to the county’s high STD rates. Rebecca Tanner, county health department educator, noted that a community mobilization meeting will take place the evening of May 6 at 6:00 p.m., at the county health ...

MASSACHUSETTS: Free STD Testing Offered in Yarmouth

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

On May 11, Yarmouth, Mass., police and health departments, in conjunction with the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, will offer free and confidential viral hepatitis, STD, and rapid HIV testing from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the community room of the Yarmouth police station. Testing will be open to all ...

NEW YORK: AIDS Walk is Making Great Strides Toward Funding Goal

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Volunteers, donors, and advocates came together at the Center for Architecture in New York City on April 25 to kick off the final days of campaigning prior to the 28th annual AIDS Walk NY, to be held in Central Park on May 19. The event is the largest AIDS-related fundraiser in the world, raising more ...

DENMARK; UNITED KINGDOM: Scientists' Hope for HIV Cure

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark are conducting clinical trials with humans to test a “novel strategy” as a cure for HIV. The technique includes unmasking reservoirs of virus hiding in resting immune cells and bringing the virus to the surface of the cells to be destroyed by the body’s ...

DENMARK; UNITED KINGDOM: Scientists' Hope for HIV Cure

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

FLORIDA: Local and Community News County Sees an Increase in STD Cases

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

MICHIGAN: Free Health Conference to Offer HIV/AIDS Info

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

In response to Michigan’s current HIV/AIDS statistics, the African American AIDS Advisory Committee, the Michigan HIV/AIDS Council, the Oakland University School of Nursing, and the Man Alive Planning Group will offer a free conference May 18 targeted for young men and those who love them from 9:00 a.m. ...

UNITED KINGDOM: International News U.K. Health Service Takes Closer Look at Apps' Potential

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

The United Kingdom’s state healthcare provider, the National Health Service (NHS), has developed a safety screening protocol for free and paid-for apps patients can download to smartphones, computers, and tablets to manage health conditions like HIV and chronic diseases. Although NHS does not have any ...

NEW YORK: AIDS Walk is Making Great Strides Toward Funding Goal

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST

FLORIDA: Local and Community News County Sees an Increase in STD Cases

06 May 2013 00:00:00 PST