2005

GEORGIA: AID Atlanta Executive Director to Step Down: Southern Voice (12.16.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Dyana Bagby; Kim Anderson has announced she will leave her position as the leader of AID Atlanta on Jan. 6. Anderson was named executive director in July 2002 after serving a year as the agency s chief operating officer. Development Director Steve Balfour will serve as interim executive director and said he plans to apply for the p
EUROPE: EU Warns that HIV Cases on the Increase in Europe: Associated Press (12.15.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; The European Union is launching a three-year AIDS campaign to promote safe sex and the use of sterile needles and to prevent mother-to-child infection. We must not lose sight of the fact that HIV/AIDS is still one of the biggest preventable killers worldwide, said Markos Kyprianou, the EU s health commissioner. With a
UNITED STATES: HIV and Smoking: Burning Up Lives: Gay City News (New York) (12.01.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Christopher Murray; The culture of AIDS is a culture of smoking. While around 22 percent of Americans smoke, a recent study showed that up to 66 percent of people with HIV are lighting up. That s not all. People with HIV are at much greater risk of negative health outcomes related to smoking than those without the virus. Why would people
NEW MEXICO: Program Targets Teen Birth Rate: Albuquerque Journal (12.09.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Michael Davis; In South Valley early next year, the New Mexico Department of Health is launching Plain Talk ( Hablando Claro ), a comprehensive program to help youths, parents, and community leaders battle the area s high teen pregnancy and STD rates. Currently, one in 10 South Valley teen girls will have a new baby by the end of the
CALIFORNIA: You've Got Mail, and...: Los Angeles Times (12.15.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Rong-Gong Lin II; Daniel Costello; On Wednesday, Los Angeles County announced that people with STDs can use the Web site inSPOTLA.org to notify sex partners to get tested and practice safer sex. The free site can help inform partners by e-mail that a user has an STD - from HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea to crabs or scabies. It will help more peo
CALIFORNIA: Facility Halts Use of Oral HIV Test: Los Angeles Times (12.16.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Rong-Gong Lin II; On Thursday, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center announced it has stopped using the OraQuick Advance rapid-result oral HIV test, which it says produces too many false positives. The center will use blood for its rapid-result testing; the problem has not been reported with this method. One of our biggest concerns is
UNITED STATES: Relationships of Deterrence and Law Enforcement to Drug-Related Harms Among Drug Injectors in US Metropolitan Areas: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 1: P. 93-99 (01.02.06) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Samuel R. Friedman; Hannah L.F. Cooper; Barbara Tempalski; Maria Keem; Risa Friedman; Peter L. Flom; Don C. Des Jarlais; To understand associations of punitive policies to the population prevalence of injection drug users (IDUs) and to HIV seroprevalence among IDUs, the authors conducted a lagged- cross-sectional analysis of US metropolitan statistical area data. After controlling for other metropolitan area characteristics, estimates of
CANADA: Canada Has Two-Tier Sex Trade: Report: Edmonton Sun (12.14.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Kristen Vernon; Researchers with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network are calling on the government to decriminalize prostitution and end what some call Canada s two-tiered sex trade. Toronto- based CHALN claims that while federal law overlooks prostitution in upscale massage parlors and escort services, sex workers on the streets are
UNITED STATES: US Judge Orders Serono to Pay $704 Million to Settle Fraud Allegations: Associated Press (12.15.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; On Thursday, Rockland, Mass.-based Serono Laboratories pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal conspiracy involving fraud when it offered kickbacks to doctors to bolster lackluster sales of its AIDS wasting drug Serostim. The settlement of the case was announced in October. In Boston, US District Court Judge Regina
UNITED STATES: CDC Recommends New Blood Test for TB: Associated Press (12.15.05) - Friday, December 16, 2005; Mike Stobbe; CDC said Thursday it is recommending a new, more accurate blood test for TB. The test is believed to yield fewer false positives and is more convenient for patients. For the past 100 years, health care workers have used a skin test to detect TB, in which a small amount of protein-bearing testing fluid - tuberculin - is
ILLINOIS: Howard Brown Calls for More Syphilis Testing: Windy City Times (Chicago) (12.14.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Andrew Davis; A recent spike in syphilis cases in Chicago has prompted Howard Brown Health Center to call for increased testing among sexually active men who have sex with men (MSM). The Chicago Department of Public Health reports that cases of primary and secondary syphilis among MSM increased to 135 during the first half of 2005 c
GREECE: 25 Percent Leap in New Greek HIV Cases in 2005: Agence France Presse (12.13.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; On Tuesday in Athens, Health Minister Nikitas Kaklamanis told a press conference that Greece has recorded 522 new HIV cases in 2005 through Dec. 8. This year s number of new HIV cases is thus expected to be 24-27 percent higher than last year s, according to data from the Center for Infectious Disease Control.
COLORADO: Colorado AIDS Project Feeds Afflicted: Rocky Mountain News (12.12.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Karl Licis; In an average month, the Colorado AIDS Project s Food Bank and Nutrition Program provides assistance to more than 500 HIV- positive people. A patients income determines their eligibility for the free program, which was launched in 1987. The food bank provides about one-third of the weekly nutritional needs of its clien
NORTH CAROLINA: The Other Deadly Virus; Durham Group Raising Awareness of Hepatitis C: News & Observer (Raleigh) (12.10.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Stanley B. Chambers Jr.; Organized in 2003, the Durham-based Piedmont HIV Integrated Community Access System is helping educate the community about hepatitis C virus (HCV). PHICAS s goal includes improving access to HIV/HCV care for the under- and uninsured, integrating social and medical services, and helping medical professionals understand
WASHINGTON: More Test Positive for Gonorrhea: Longview Daily News (12.12.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Barbara LaBoe; Earlier this month, the Cowlitz County health department issued an outbreak alert after receiving reports of 16 gonorrhea cases as of Nov. 23. According to epidemiologist Hilary Gillette, the number, which has since climbed to 27 cases, represents a one-month record for the county. The November figures put the county o
WASHINGTON: Spokane Schools Approve Updated Sex-Ed Materials: Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (12.06.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Rob McDonald; After months of discussion among administrators and a committee of citizens and students, the Spokane Public Schools board of directors recently approved new sex education videos and other materials. Produced by a division of the Discovery Channel, the videos, with titles like Deadly Desires and Sexual Pressure, will
SPAIN: High Levels of HIV Drug Cause Mental Problems: Reuters (12.13.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; In Spain , researchers studying long-term efavirenz therapy found that patients at higher doses had an increased rate of adverse psychiatric events, new research suggests. Up to half of patients on long-term efavirenz therapy may experience mental disorders, but data are lacking on which patients are at risk, noted Fel
KENYA: HIV Mystery in Kenya: Spouses Escape Infection: Edmonton Journal (12.14.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Mike Pflanz; Britain is funding a study to learn why tens of thousands of Kenyans in HIV serodiscordant couples have not transmitted the virus to their husbands or wives. Along the shores of Lake Victoria, HIV prevalence rates are among the world s highest. Some Kenyan social customs are thought to promote infection. The dominant L
INDONESIA: Vending Machines Serving Up Condoms in Indonesia: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.14.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; On Wednesday, Indonesian media reported the government has installed condom vending machines in Jakarta and elsewhere to curb STDs and increase men s role in family planning. Even if married women are monogamous, they can be infected if their husbands have unprotected sex with other partners, Ipin Husni, spokesperson f
NORTH CAROLINA: Sex? Systems Vary on What to Say - or Not to Say: News & Observer (Raleigh) (12.14.05) - Thursday, December 15, 2005; Patrick Winn; Under North Carolina law, all sex education lessons should stress a mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship in the context of marriage. This abstinence-only approach is at the core of sex education in more than 100 of the state s 117 school systems. Lessons on methods of contraception emphasize their pot
EASTERN EUROPE; RUSSIA: Group Urges Decriminalization of Prostitution to Prevent Spread of AIDS in East Europe: Associated Press (12.12.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; A survey of 27 states in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union found that 14 treat sex work as a minor offense or crime, a civic group said Monday. But instead of marginalizing sex workers, states should encourage them to be partners in the HIV/AIDS fight, according to the Central and Eastern European Harm Reducti
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa to Ban Zulu Custom of Virginity Testing: Agence France Presse (12.13.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Fienie Grobler; This week, South Africa s National Assembly will debate a bill that bans the age-old Zulu custom of virginity testing for girls under 16. The tradition, which involves the inspection of girls genitalia, has been criticized by human rights advocates who call it invasive and degrading. But others see it as an integral pa
UNITED KINGDOM: Deaths from Hepatitis C Double: The Guardian (London) (12.14.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; James Meikle; The Health Protection Agency reported Tuesday that deaths from hepatitis C in England have doubled in less than a decade. The number of people requiring hospitalization for the infection has tripled, as has the number of liver transplants necessitated by it. HPA is revising its estimate of those living with the virus.
CALIFORNIA: Magnet to Make Necessary Changes for Future: Bay Area Reporter (12.01.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Zak Szymanski; Two years after the Magnet health center opened in San Francisco s Castro district, its director, health advocates and volunteers are in the process of reviewing and expanding its programming and changing its organizational structure. We are a gay men s community health center, treating not just the health of the indiv
NORTH CAROLINA: Robeson Syphilis Rate Plunges: Fayetteville Observer (12.12.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Venita Jenkins; After four years of aggressive screening and awareness campaigns, Robeson County syphilis cases have dropped by 80 percent, county health officials said recently. In 2001, Robeson reported 144 cases, or 73 cases per 100,000 residents, according to CDC. As of Dec. 1, the county logged only 18 cases for 2005, mostly amon
FLORIDA: Miami-Dade Teachers Are Schooled on AIDS: Miami Herald (12.12.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Peter Bailey; Last week, a group of middle-school teachers gathered at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club to hear physicians lecture on abstinence, safe sex and accommodating HIV-positive students as part of a training seminar for the Miami-Dade school district s HIV/AIDS curriculum. AIDS: Get The Facts! is mandatory for all Miami-Dade
NEW YORK: City Debuts New AIDS Curriculum: Gay City News (New York) (12.14.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Andy Humm; After years of delay and unheeded mandates that New York City public school students be taught about HIV/AIDS, the Department of Education unveiled a revised curriculum on Dec. 1. This publication underscores the Department of Education s fervent belief that this is important. It is crucial to get it right, said Betty
CAMEROON: Malaria May Boost Mother-to-Child HIV Infection - Study: Reuters (11.18.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Tansa Musa; Mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) may be more likely when the mother is also infected with malaria, suggests a study presented at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Malaria Conference 2005, held Nov. 13-18 in Yaounde, Cameroon . An international team of researchers investigated the co
GLOBAL: Cut High Cost of New AIDS Drugs, Urges UK: The Guardian (London) (12.14.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Sarah Boseley; Breaking with its practice of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the British government will today confront the pharmaceutical industry over the high cost of new AIDS drugs. At a London conference, International Development Minister Gareth Thomas is set to call for cheaper drugs for poor countries and the development of s
MISSISSIPPI: Misconceptions About HIV Persist in Mississippi's Black Communities: Associated Press (12.10.05) - Wednesday, December 14, 2005; Valerie Bauman; While black people comprise 37 percent of Mississippi s population, they account for more than 75 percent of the new AIDS cases reported, the United Health Foundation says. The state health department says that figure is 69 percent. According to Paul Byers, a deputy state epidemiologist, 420 blacks were diagnosed with
CANADA: Hospice Launches Guide for HIV/AIDS Patients: The Guardian (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) (12.13.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Canadian Press; La Maison du Parc, a Montreal hospice serving the HIV/AIDS community since 1991, has published For the Pleasure of Eating, a book with recipes and nutritional tips for patients. We are thrilled to provide updated nutritional and recipe information to the HIV/AIDS community, said Marielle Delaney, the CEO of the hospice
MALAYSIA: Mahathir's Daughter to Step Down from Malaysian AIDS Chief Post: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.13.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; In Kuala Lumpur, The Star newspaper reported today that Marina Mahathir is resigning her post as president of the Malaysian AIDS Council on Jan. 1. Marina, the daughter of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, offered assurances she is not leaving the AIDS field. For 12 years I have been talking about every
FLORIDA: Manatee HIV/AIDS Outreach Still an Uphill Battle: Bradenton Herald (11.27.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Donna Wright; With more local residents testing to learn their status, Manatee County s HIV ranking has gone from 13th to 10th among Florida s 67 counties in the past 12 months. From July 1, 1997, when tracking began, through Aug. 31, 2005, Manatee has logged 491 HIV cases. From 1981 through Aug. 31, 2005, Manatee has reported 942 A
FLORIDA: Osceola Drops TB Test for Some Immigrant Kids: Orlando Sentinel (12.07.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Claudia Zequeira; On Dec. 6, the Osceola County School Board voted 4-0 to stop requiring TB testing for students who come from, or travel to, countries with high TB incidence. This was a question of testing everyone or not testing anyone at all, of not singling out certain students, said Dana Schafer, a district spokesperson. Another re
MALAWI: Small Tears in Placenta May Be Relaying HIV to Babies: Scripps Howard News Service (11.22.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Lee Bowman; Mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) may be occurring via small tears in the placenta during birth, a recent study suggested. Without treatment, 25-35 percent of babies born to HIV- positive mothers become infected, resulting in an estimated 500,000 HIV-positive newborns worldwide each year. With HIV treatment, MTCT
AUSTRALIA: Prisoners Sharing More than Dirty Needles: Australian Associated Press (12.08.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Amy Fallon; The recent National Prison Entrants Blood-Borne Virus Survey found that 34 percent of Australian prisoners are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), compared to 1 percent of the general community. The report showed that 56 percent of injecting drug users in Australian prisons are HCV-infected. In Victoria, Australia s
MEXICO: A New Law in Tijuana Regulates the Oldest Profession: New York Times (12.13.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; James C. McKinley Jr.; In a bid to regulate Tijuana s booming sex trade, the city council in June passed a law that requires registered prostitutes to undergo monthly STD testing. The ordinance also forces brothel owners to adopt more hygienic practices. In the 1980s, city officials first addressed the problem by opening a clinic in La Coahu
MISSISSIPPI: Report Critical of Health Agency: Clarion-Ledger (Jackson) (12.06.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Jerry Mitchell; A recent report by the watchdog Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) found the Mississippi Department of Health manipulated its TB treatment data to make it appear more successful. According to the PEER report, department employees were instructed in February 2003 at the risk of
MICHIGAN: Forum Encourages Frank Talk on Sex: Detroit News (12.11.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; Delores Patterson; Initiated by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Talk Early & Talk Often (TETO) is a free education program designed to help parents talk with their kids about sexuality. TETO is a joint effort by the Michigan departments of Education and Community Health to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in the state. In 2003, mo
GLOBAL: More HIV Funds to Promote Abstinence; Researchers Call Policy Misguided: Baltimore Sun (12.10.05) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005; David Kohn; In fiscal 2006, effective Oct. 1, 66 percent of US international aid to prevent sexually transmitted HIV must be used for activities that promote abstinence before marriage and fidelity, reads a directive from the office overseeing President George W. Bush s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. A copy of the directive, Key
MYANMAR: Myanmar Reports Slight Fall in HIV Rate, Seeks Outside Help: Report: Agence France Presse (12.12.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Myanmar s HIV rate has declined slightly from 1.5 percent in 2000 to 1.3 percent in 2005, Min Thwe, deputy director of the country s National AIDS Program, said in a report today. Anti- AIDS efforts must target young people, especially women, because the male-female ratio of infections has worsened from 4:1 in 2000 to
CHINA: Relief Group Says World Trade Organization Rules for Drug Patents Hurt AIDS Patients in China: Associated Press (12.12.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Helen Luk; The World Trade Organization s intellectual property rules are preventing China from manufacturing its own generic HIV drugs, ultimately hurting Chinese AIDS patients, Doctors Without Borders said today. A recent WTO measure now under negotiation would make permanent a waiver that allows poor nations to import such dru
IRELAND: State Plan Urged to Combat Massive Rise in Sexual Diseases: Irish Independent (11.25.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; David Quinn; The Dublin AIDS Alliance and Red Ribbon Project recently launched Straight Talking, a frank safe sex campaign including information about oral sex, masturbation and various forms of sexual intercourse. At the campaign s unveiling, the groups said the Irish government should develop a national sexual health strategy to
UNITED STATES: Incidence of TB in Inmates with Latent TB Infection; 5-Year Follow-Up: American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol. 29; No. 4: P. 295-301 (11.05.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Mary C. White, PhD; Jacqueline P. Tulsky, MD; Enrique Menendez, MD; Joe Goldenson, MD; L. Masae Kawamura, MD; Inmates are a high-risk population for TB control efforts, including treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI), and completion of therapy after release has been poor. The authors of the current study aimed to evaluate therapy completion and active disease over five years in a cohort of inmates. The authors used a sample
HAITI: Doctors in Haiti Fight Superstition, Poverty in War Against AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Alfred de Montesquiou; A clinic in Haiti is addressing patient beliefs and circumstances that could be barriers to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Getting people to adhere to HIV medication and practice safe sex are as important as drug access in Haiti, where Voodoo, superstition, unemployment, poverty and low education are prevalent. T
CHINA: China's Human Trials of AIDS Vaccine Going 'Smoothly': Researcher: Agence France Presse (12.12.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Nine months after its launch, China s human trials of an AIDS vaccine are going smoothly, the Xinhua News Agency reported today. Over the weekend, the last group of 15 Chinese volunteers received the vaccine and reported no side effects in the first 24 hours. The first 24 hours are a vital period of observation. So far
INDIA: Former Indian Prostitute Vows to Fight HIV/AIDS: Reuters (12.09.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Krittivas Mukherjee; Bharati Dey, 40, recently took over as director of the World Health Organization-funded HIV/AIDS project in Sonagachi. The area, one of Asia s largest red-light districts, is located in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta. My chief goal is to ensure that not a single sex worker offers her service without condoms. We want to bri
UNITED STATES: Frieden Steps Up War on HIV: Gay City News (New York) (12.08.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Duncan Osborne; In a recent New England Journal of Medicine editorial, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City s health commissioner, urged more aggressive government monitoring, control and treatment efforts against HIV. Frieden stated that the failure to apply standard disease-control methods undermines society s ability and responsibi
UNITED STATES: The Vaccine War: Newsday (New York) (12.08.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Kathleen Kerr; Merck & Co. has asked the Food and Drug Administration to review its application to market Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine that could prevent 70 percent of HPV- related cervical cancer and 90 percent of genital warts. But the scientific community is not alone in weighing the use of the vaccine, which cou
UNITED STATES: Changes Planned in Use of Oral HIV Test; Blood to Be Checked Quickly to Confirm Any Positive Results: San Francisco Chronicle (11.10.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005; Sabin Russell; Acting on news of an unusually high number of false positives with a rapid-result oral HIV test in two cities, federal health authorities soon will issue new guidelines for its use. San Francisco public health clinics have recorded 49 false positives with the OraQuick Advance HIV test since May. New York clinics logged
UNITED KINGDOM: Hospital Worker Diagnosed with TB: BBC News (12.06.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; At least 100 patients at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent are being offered TB testing after a health care worker there was diagnosed with an active case of the disease. Everyone who was in contact with this worker will be contacted, said Dr. Mathi Chandrakumar, director of the Kent health protection unit. There is no ne
TANZANIA: Dartmouth Launches Health Project with College in Tanzania: Associated Press (12.05.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Dartmouth College will partner with the Muhimbili University College of Health in Tanzania on a clinic for HIV-infected children and a trial of a tuberculosis vaccine. The project will add courses to Dartmouth s curriculum, from global health to researching the feasibility of creating a pharmaceutical industry to serve
UNITED STATES: Par, Three Rivers Get Food and Drug Administration OK on Ribasphere: Associated Press (12.05.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; The Food and Drug Administration has approved the hepatitis C treatment Ribasphere, co-manufactured by Par Pharmaceutical Cos. and Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals LLC, the companies said Monday. FDA approved Ribasphere, which uses the active ingredient ribavirin, in 200 mg, 400 mg and 600 mg tablets for use with interfero
UNITED STATES: Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Gets Fast Track: Associated Press (12.08.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; On Thursday, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the Food and Drug Administration has granted its hepatitis C drug fast track status, which formalizes agency assistance in drug development and in-process data submissions. FDA grants fast track designation, which can speed up the review process, to therapies that addr
CALIFORNIA: San Francisco Clinics Getting High False-Positive Rate on Oral HIV Test: San Francisco Chronicle (12.09.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Sabin Russell; According to San Francisco Department of Public Health officials, analyses of more than 6,000 rapid-result oral HIV tests conducted in city public health clinics since spring found 47 positive results in patients who were negative in follow-up testing. Of the roughly 200 positives detected by the OraQuick Advance HIV t
UGANDA: Changes in Sexual Behavior and Risk of HIV Transmission After Antiretroviral Therapy and Prevention Interventions in Rural Uganda: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 1: P. 85-92 (01.02.06) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Rebecca Bunnell; John Paul Ekwaru; Peter Solberg; Nafuna Wamai; Winnie Bikaako-Kajura; Willy Were; Alex Coutinho; Cheryl Liechty; Elizabeth Madraa; George Rutherford; Jonathan Mermin; The authors conducted a prospective cohort study to assess changes in risky sexual behavior and estimated HIV transmission from HIV-infected adults in rural Uganda after six months of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Between May 2003 and December 2004, 926 HIV-positive adults were enrolled and followed in a home-based ART
NIGERIA: Truck Park Trysts Fuel Nigerian AIDS Epidemic: Agence France Presse (12.02.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Emmanuel Goujon; Benin City, Nigeria , is a metropolis on the crossroads of southern trade routes, a stopover for truckers hauling goods to other West African towns. Many experts warn that HIV is set to explode there as it spreads into the general population from high-risk groups such as truckers, soldiers and sex workers.
AFRICA: Appeal for Treatment for Children, the Forgotten Face of the AIDS Epidemic: Agence France Presse (12.08.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; While nearly 90 percent of children with HIV/AIDS live in Africa, pediatric antiretroviral (ARV) therapies remain rare, expensive and mostly unsuitable for use there, experts told the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa. You can see the adults being treated but the ki
FLORIDA: Florida Legislature Passes Measure to Overhaul Medicaid System: Associated Press (12.08.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; David Royse; Under a bill approved Thursday by the Florida Legislature, Medicaid patients in designated counties will be shifted into private managed care plans beginning next year. More than half of Florida s 2 million Medicaid recipients are already in some type of managed care plan or health network, and their treatment is contr
CALIFORNIA: Medicare Part D Deadline Nears for People with AIDS: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.08.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; In order to ensure proper drug coverage, AIDS advocates are urging California HIV/AIDS patients to enroll before Jan. 1, 2006, for both the new Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D) and the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). While most seniors have been told they can wait until May 15, 2006, to choose ins
MINNESOTA: State May Drop Some from HIV Program: Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (12.07.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005; Glenn Howatt; The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently reiterated that it has legal authority to deny services to clients who owe money for HIV/AIDS Program services. HAP helps people with HIV/AIDS buy prescription drugs and maintain private health insurance. Clients owing $500-$1,000 in cost- sharing payments could
ARKANSAS: University of Arkansas Scientists Win $10.2 Million Grant: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (12.06.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Tracie Dungan; Researchers at the University of Arkansas Center for Protein Structure and Function will seek ways to block a receptor for HIV under a new five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health. The funding, which continues the work of the $9.6 million NIH grant that established the center in 2000, will enable more tha
RUSSIA: Over 200 Transfused with HIV-Infected Blood Product in Russia City: ITAR-TASS (12.08.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Yuri Khots; Authorities in Voronezh say they have identified all 208 people who received a blood product infected with HIV. Medics have obtained samples for HIV testing from 72 people, and the remainder will be tested shortly, said Mikhail Chubirko, the region s chief sanitary physician. During the past six months, the 208 people
FLORIDA: Activists to Expand Services for AIDS Patients: Daytona Beach News-Journal (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Anne Geggis; Hope Metropolitan Community Church is launching a nonprofit group, called Efficacy, to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention and outreach to parts of west Volusia and all of Flagler counties. We feel that there are enough cases to justify one caseworker spending one or two days a week in Flagler and West Volusia, s
MASSACHUSETTS: Marking 10 Years of Advocacy: Bay Windows (Boston) (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Ethan Jacobs; In 1995, seven volunteers dedicated to fulltime HIV/AIDS work incorporated as the nonprofit Massachusetts Asians and Pacific Islanders (MAP) for Health. At the time, the number of HIV infections in Boston s Asian/Pacific Islander (API) community was relatively small, but MAP for Health founders were worried that both m
OHIO: New HIV/AIDS Cases Down Among Those Who Use Needles: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Regina McEnery; With the help of the public-private AIDS Funding Collaborative, the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland (FCGC) operates Ohio s only sanctioned grassroots needle exchange program (NEP). Working discreetly from a van at long-standing locations on Cedar Avenue and West 25th Street, the program dispenses clean syringes, water
THE NETHERLANDS: Management of Chlamydia Cases and Their Partners: Results from a Home-Based Screening Program Organized by Municipal Public Health Services with Referral to Regular Health Care: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 10: P. 625-629 (10..05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Hannelore M. Gotz, MD, MPH; Christian J.P.A. Hoebe, MD, PhD; Jan E.A.M. Van Bergen, MD, MPH; Irene K. Velhuijzen, MSc; Jan Broer, MD, PhD, MPH; F. De Groot, BA; M.J.C. Verhooren, BA; D.T. Van Schaik, MSc; A.J.J. Coenen, MSc; Jan H. Richardus, MD, PhD; In the current study, the researchers evaluated the management of Chlamydia trachomatis cases and their partners found in a Municipal Public Health Services(MHS)-organized systematic home-based chlamydia screening project in the Netherlands among women and men ages 15-29. Of 8,339 participants screened, 165 (2 percent)
GLOBAL: HIV Impact: Region-by-Region: BBC News (11.30.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; The latest figures from UNAIDS and the World Health Organization were used to develop the following summaries of HIV/AIDS surveillance in each region of the world. *Sub-Saharan Africa - 25.8 million HIV cases, or 64 percent of the global total; 3.2 million new HIV infections; 2.4 million AIDS deaths.
ESTONIA: Estonia Unveils Plan to Cut EU's Highest Per Capita HIV Rate: Agence France Presse (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; On World AIDS Day, Estonia revealed its plan to slash new HIV infections from the current level of 55 per 100,000 people, the highest rate in Europe, to 20 per 100,000 by 2015. According to experts, the country of 1.4 million is in the worst position in the world, outside Africa in terms of HIV infections. The infecti
AFRICA: Rethink Strategies in the Fight Against AIDS: UN Expert: Agence France Presse (12.08.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Emmanuel Goujon; There are three reasons for reasons for thinking HIV/AIDS strategies, especially in Africa, are inadequate and should be rethought, a UNAIDS official said at the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa. First, every year we see an increase in the number of infections, Mi
ILLINOIS: With Federal Money at Risk, Illinois to Add Patient Names to HIV Tracking System: Associated Press (12.07.05) - Thursday, December 08, 2005; Carla K. Johnson; Prompted by proposed changes to federal funding, Illinois will join 38 other states when it starts tracking HIV cases using patients names in January. Currently, a person who tests HIV- positive in Illinois is assigned a code number when the case is reported to the state public-health system. State officials expect tha
INDONESIA: Soldiers in Indonesia's Papua Urged to Shun Prostitutes: Agence France Presse (12.06.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Indonesia s military chief has instructed personnel in eastern Papua province to avoid sex workers and exercise abstinence, as HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic levels in the region, the state Antara news agency reported Tuesday. In Papua, 12 of at least 48 soldiers with HIV/AIDS have died, spokesperson Major G.T. Situmora
BANGLADESH: 7 Percent of Injection Drug Users in Dhaka Carry AIDS Virus: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.06.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; According to a new report cosponsored by the National AIDS and STD Program, more than 7 percent of injection drug users in the capital city, Dhaka, have tested positive for HIV, along with nearly 5 percent of IDUs elsewhere in Bangladesh . The survey said that while female IDUs showed a zero prevalence rate, 44 percent
UNITED STATES: Using Economic Threshold Analysis to Determine the Intensity of HIV Prevention Services for HIV-Seropositive Persons: AIDS Vol. 19; No. 17: P. 2025-2029 (11.18.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; David R. Holtgrave; Previous studies of the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for HIV-positive persons have looked at interventions with varying intensity, from single sessions to those offered twice-weekly for six months. This raises issues concerning cost-effectiveness, prompting the author of the current study to ask: at va
CANADA: South Asian, with AIDS, Can Mean Isolation: Toronto Star (12.01.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Prithi Yelaja; It s a pretty repressed community, Derek Yee said of Toronto s South Asians. They don t like to admit they have gays, let alone people with HIV. Yee, a volunteer with the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), raises awareness of HIV among young South Asians by telling them that he likely became infected wh
HAITI: Haiti Says Cuts HIV Cases by Half in 10 Years: Reuters (12.02.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Joseph Guyler Delva; On World AIDS Day, Dr. Albert Camille Archange, director of Haiti General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, said the nation s HIV prevalence has declined from 6 percent in 1995 to 3.1 percent at present. The progress was made largely through HIV/AIDS education campaigns, he said. Even with the lower figure, however, Haiti st
GLOBAL: World Trade Organization Approves Measures to Improve Access to Cheaper Medicines in Developing Countries: Associated Press (12.06.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Sam Cage; On Tuesday in Geneva, the World Trade Organization approved changes to its intellectual property agreement making permanent a waiver that currently allows developing nations without their own pharmaceutical industry to import cheaper generic copies of patented medicines for communicable diseases like AIDS. The amendmen
GLOBAL: Vaccine Experts Meeting in India to Promote Injection Safety: Associated Press (12.06.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; At a meeting in New Delhi, India , the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization said its distribution of single-use syringes has protected millions of children from infection with diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The syringes automatically disable themselves after one use, and GAVI said it has distributed 1.2
AFRICA: Women More Vulnerable to HIV/AIDS Infection than Men, Less Apt to Cope: Agence France Presse (12.07.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Helen Vesperini; Women are more biologically susceptible to HIV infection and are, especially in Africa, less able to cope with it due to cultural, social and economic factors, experts told the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa in Abuja, Nigeria . Nearly 60 percent of infection
AFRICA: Slow but Promising Start for ARVs on the African Continent: Agence France Presse (12.07.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Jerome Cartillier; The World Health Organization s 3 by 5 initiative to ensure antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) for 3 million HIV patients in developing countries by the end of 2005 was slow to start, ultimately reaching about 1 million people, experts told the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in
CALIFORNIA: Drugs Help AIDS Patients Live Well into Senior Years: Daily News of Los Angeles (12.01.05) - Wednesday, December 07, 2005; Rachel Uranga; Experts predict that in the coming decade, more AIDS patients will join the ranks of seniors, thanks to drug treatments that extend their lives. The proportion of Los Angeles County residents with AIDS age 50 and older has grown from 14 percent in 1997 to more than 25 percent in 2004. About 6 percent are 60 or older.
UNITED STATES: Doctor to Take Helm at CARE: Seattle Times (12.03.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Paula Bock; After five years as head of HIV, TB and reproductive health at the Gates Foundation, Dr. Helene Gayle is leaving to become president and CEO of CARE USA next spring. At the foundation, Gayle led a $200 million anti-AIDS campaign in India , helped draft a plan to find an HIV vaccine, and increased TB prevention, treatme
UNITED STATES: Merck & Co.: Wall Street Journal (12.06.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Dow Jones Newswires; On Dec. 1, Merck & Co. submitted an application for US Food and Drug Administration approval of its cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, which is engineered to protect against four types of human papillomavirus. Merck is seeking to get a priority review designation for Gardasil and said it expects FDA s decision in ab
UNITED STATES: Making AIDS Vaccine a Reality: Baltimore Sun (12.01.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Margaret I. Johnston; Dr. Anthony S. Fauci; The ultimate defeat of HIV/AIDS will require a multifaceted effort but will be difficult, if not impossible, without a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine. Cutting-edge science has led to novel vaccine approaches that have shown promise in the laboratory and in animal tests. But all this effort will be for naugh
CAMEROON: New Study Highlights AIDS Peril from Bushmeat Trade: Agence France Presse (11.21.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Richard Ingham; For the third time in as many years, researchers are sounding the alarm over the trade in bushmeat, slaughtered chimpanzees, monkeys and gorillas, as a potential source for new pathogens. Previous studies have shown that simians are the source for HIV, and DNA sleuths speculate that the earliest case may have been a hu
UGANDA: Next Target in AIDS Fight: Sugar Daddies: Christian Science Monitor (11.25.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Abraham McLaughlin; In Uganda , 10.3 percent of women ages 15-24 have HIV/AIDS compared to only 2.8 percent for similarly aged men. Experts attribute the gap largely to the sugar daddy phenomenon, in which men have sexual and economic relationships with much younger women. In addition to being economically and socially vulnerable, women w
NIGERIA: Doctors Without Borders Blasts Nigeria's Approach to HIV/AIDS: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.06.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Nigeria s fee-based provision of antiretroviral therapy at government hospitals is a significant barrier to ARV access, according to a Doctors Without Borders study. Nearly 50 percent of the patients live on less than $36 per month, yet they are paying between $8 and $67 per month for a recommended package of care, DWB
AFRICA: Africa Lagging on Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission: Agence France Presse (12.05.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; In Africa, lack of infrastructure and other obstacles to HIV drugs access continue to hamper efforts to prevent mother-to- child HIV transmission (MTCT), experts said Monday at the start of the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa. MTCT accounts for 90 percent of the 6
SOUTH CAROLINA: AIDS Drugs Take Financial Toll on Patients: The State (Columbia) (12.01.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Czerne M. Reid; While new medicines and improved services help people infected with HIV/AIDS live longer, more productive lives, the economic burden is high. HIV is not just a health issue, it s also an issue of economics, Carmen Julious, executive director of Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services, said of antiretroviral regimens that c
UNITED STATES: Ad Links Teen HIV Infection, Drug Use: Washington Times (12.02.05) - Tuesday, December 06, 2005; Marguerite Higgins; As part of a $130,000 public-education campaign, the National Institute on Drug Abuse on Dec. 1 unveiled a television ad linking HIV teen infection with drug abuse. NIDA, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, developed the 60- second public service announcement to highlight research showing that teens wh
DELAWARE: Delaware Awarded $1.3 Million Housing Grant for Patients: News Journal (Wilmington) (12.02.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Robin Brown; The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Delaware a grant of $1.3 million to provide housing for state residents with HIV/AIDS. The grant - part of more than $18 million in AIDS housing funding HUD announced on World AIDS Day - will provide transitional housing and support for Kent and Sussex coun
MISSISSIPPI: TB Tests Show No New Infections: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) (12.02.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Jimmie Covington; On Thursday, Mississippi Department of Health District Officer Dr. Alfio Rausa said second-round skin testing of more than 750 students at Horn Lake Intermediate School found no new positive results for TB infection. Results are not yet in on 29 people who were absent on the initial day of testing. Testing was ordered
SINGAPORE: Singapore to Set Up Fund for HIV-Positive Women, Their Children: Xinhua News Agency (12.05.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Today, Channel NewsAsia reported that Singapore is setting up a fund to aid HIV-positive women and their children. Several hundred thousand Singapore dollars will be raised for the fund, said Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan, who urged the public to contribute. On Thursday, the Ministry of Health re
UNITED STATES; SOUTH AFRICA: Studies Examine Ways to Prevent Cervical Cancer with Few Resources: Associated Press (11.01.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Carla K. Johnson; Faster, more aggressive cervical cancer treatment could benefit low-income American women and women in developing countries who test positive for high-grade precancerous lesions, two recently published studies suggest. Though some of these women may be treated unnecessarily, the trade-off could save lives in resource-p
AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan Must Act Now to Prevent HIV/AIDS Explosion, Experts Say: Agence France Presse (12.03.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; At a meeting Saturday in Kabul, experts warned that Afghanistan must act now to prevent a major expansion of HIV/AIDS caused by needle sharing. Among factors that could spread the virus: widespread poverty and an increasing number of refugees returning from Iran and Pak
PAKISTAN: Pakistani Leaders Urge Countrymen for Joint Efforts to Combat AIDS: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.01.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; In messages published Thursday to commemorate World AIDS Day, President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz urged Pakistanis to adopt protective measures to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. By September, Pakistan reported 3,073 confirmed AIDS cases and just over 80,000 HIV cases in the country of 16
INDIA: Indian Minister Says Concerned About AIDS Awareness: Reuters (11.30.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Kamil Zaheer; On Wednesday, Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss expressed concern about HIV/AIDS awareness, monitoring and treatment, and suggested the country s official case tally may be short of the real number of infections. India officially has 5.1 million HIV/AIDS cases, second only to South Africa , but
AFRICA: UN: More than 3 Million HIV Infections in 2005 Deepen Africa's AIDS Crisis: Associated Press (12.04.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Bashir Adigun; This week in Abuja, Nigeria , a conference will bring together scientists, activists and politicians to develop new strategies to fight HIV/AIDS. AIDS continues to outstrip Africa s efforts to contain it, said UNAIDS chief Peter Piot, who noted that 3.2 million Africans have become HIV-infected this year, the highest n
WISCONSIN: Sex Ed Plan Likely to Pass; Bill Would Require Stressing Abstinence: Wisconsin State Journal (11.29.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Doug Erickson; A bill that would place a greater emphasis on abstinence in school sex education classes has passed the Wisconsin Senate 24-9, and the Assembly is expected to approve it soon. Current state law lists more than a dozen topics that school districts may include in their sex education instruction, and no one topic is favor
MARYLAND: HIV/AIDS Care in Maryland Criticized: Washington Post (12.02.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Phuong Ly; Some Maryland public-health clinics are so short of Spanish- speaking case managers that janitors and others untrained in health care are called upon to translate sensitive HIV-related information to patients, according to a report released Thursday by CASA of Maryland. The Silver Spring-based immigrant-advocacy agency
CALIFORNIA: Life-Prolonging Drugs Lead to Increase in People with HIV: San Francisco Chronicle (12.01.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005; Sabin Russell; According to a new study by the University of California, 151,000 state residents are living with HIV, up 40 percent from 1998, when 108,000 people had the virus, chiefly because more patients are surviving with improved drug therapy. The number of patients who have progressed to AIDS, 57,200, is double the figure from
ARGENTINA: Giant Condom Overlooks Buenos Aires on AIDS Day: Reuters (12.01.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; The Obelisk of Buenos Aires, the city s most famous landmark, was covered in a giant pink condom Thursday in recognition of World AIDS Day. City officials used cranes to cover the 220- foot monument with the cloth condom. It seemed we could have the biggest impact by putting a condom on the most important symbol of the
UNITED STATES: From Kenneth Cole, a New Solidarity: New York Times (12.01.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Eric Wilson; In his latest effort against HIV/AIDS, US fashion designer Kenneth Cole is offering T-shirts reading We All Have AIDS and I Have AIDS. Cole, who is chairperson of amfAR, said he hopes both HIV-positive and HIV-negative people will wear the shirts as a gesture of solidarity. There is a legend of the Danish king, Christi
AFRICA: Alicia Keys and Bono to Release Song to Raise Funds for African Children with AIDS: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Superstar musicians Alicia Keys and Bono have collaborated on the recording Don t Give Up (Africa), all of whose proceeds will go to Keep a Child Alive, a charity that provides medicine to families infected with HIV/AIDS. The song will be available exclusively through iTunes starting Tuesday. The duo first sang Don t G
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Watchdog Lays Out Yardstick for HIV Fight: Washington Post (12.02.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; On World AIDS Day, the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice said it will use condom distribution and syringe exchanges among criteria in its February report card on the District s HIV/AIDS programs. The February report will follow by six months a center report that criticized the District HIV/AIDS Administration a
CANADA: Toronto to Host AIDS Conference: Toronto Star (12.02.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Coinciding with World AIDS Day, officials announced Thursday that next summer Toronto will host the annual International AIDS Conference, which is expected to attract up to 20,000 scientists and experts and 2,500 journalists from around the world. It is one of the most important gatherings for the release and discussio
UNITED KINGDOM: The Attitude of Patients Towards Medical Students in a Sexual Health Clinic: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 437-439 (10.05.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; N. Ryder; D. Ivens; C. Sabin; The current study sought to determine patient attitudes toward medical students in a sexual health clinic and describe factors associated with patient refusal of medical student involvement. Researchers gave 259 consecutive patients attending a general genitourinary medicine clinic a self-administered questionnaire tha
SOUTH AFRICA: Research Reveals Alarming Levels of Ignorance About HIV Risk in South Africa: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; According to a recent survey of South African households commissioned by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, many people in the world s most HIV-infected country suffer a false sense of security about their risk of acquiring the virus. The survey, which also conducted HIV tests on respondents, found that HIV prevalence amon
GLOBAL: World Bank Steps Up Global Anti-AIDS Program: Associated Press (12.01.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; The World Bank announced Wednesday a strategic plan to help poor- and middle-income nations fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic by strengthening no-interest loans, grants, analysis, technical support and AIDS policy advice for affected countries. National strategic plans that are for the most part not well- devised with clear
BRAZIL: Brazil Bucks AIDS Trend, but Blacks Are Hard-Hit: Reuters (11.30.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Andrew Hay; On Wednesday, Brazil s government reported that new AIDS cases in the country fell from 33,904 in 2003 to 30,886 last year. Brazil s HIV prevalence rate dropped from 19.2 cases per 100,000 people in 2003 to 17.2 per 100,000 in 2004. However, the percentage of AIDS cases occurring among those who self-identified as blac
RUSSIA: Prayer and a Warning Against Condoms: Moscow Times (12.02.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Dan Shea; Among several World AIDS Day commemorations in Moscow, Russian Orthodox clergy and government officials prayed for those with HIV and told listeners that abstinence is better than condoms for stopping the disease. Clergy said the event was inspired by a new partnership between the Orthodox Church and the US Agency for
GLOBAL: Europeans Reject Abstinence Message in Split with US on AIDS: The Guardian (London) (12.01.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Sarah Boseley; A World AIDS Day statement released by the 22 European Union member states urged developing nations to use every HIV/AIDS prevention tool, including sex education, sexual/reproductive health clinic access and distribution of condoms and clean needles, to slow the epidemic. While not mentioning the United States
UNITED STATES: Conference: Black Women Urged to Take Charge of AIDS Fight: Associated Press (12.01.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; Robert Jablon; On Thursday in Los Angeles, the Black AIDS Institute (BAI) and other groups kicked off the first national conference focused on AIDS and black women in America. As of 2002, AIDS was the leading cause of death for US black women ages 25-35. According to a CDC report released last month, African Americans were eight time
GLOBAL: On World AIDS Day, Bush Touts His Relief Program: Washington Post (12.02.05) - Friday, December 02, 2005; David Brown; President Bush marked World AIDS Day yesterday by saying that US efforts are helping bring HIV prevention and treatment to hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world. Speaking to five Cabinet secretaries and numerous ambassadors from African nations in a hall at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Bu
UNITED STATES: Impact of AIDS: Washington Times (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Tonight, Cinemax and HBO and will broadcast two documentaries aimed at heightening public awareness of the global impact of AIDS. At 7 p.m. EST, Cinemax will air Orphans of Nkandla, which looks at the impact of AIDS on three families in South Africa . At 9 p.m. EST, HBO will present the Academy Award- nominated film Y
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Marks World AIDS Day with Millions in Funding: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; In acknowledgment of World AIDS Day Thursday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair released a statement that his government will donate 20 million pounds ($48 million US) to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and 7.5 million pounds ($13 million US) to help develop HIV microbicides. The AIDS crisis represents a huma
AUSTRALIA: Australia Promises $10 Million to Fight AIDS in India: Associated Press (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer recognized World AIDS Day today by announcing a five-year, $10 million Australian ($7.4 million US) pledge to help India fight AIDS. The money will help with AIDS education, prevention and care in the northeastern states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya, said Down
TANZANIA: AIDS Is Wiping Us Out:' Tanzanian President: Agence France Presse (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; In a nationally televised address on the eve of World AIDS Day, outgoing President Benjamin Mkapa warned that HIV/AIDS is wiping out whole generations in Tanzania . Day after day, parents bury their children instead of children burying their parents, Mkapa said Wednesday. In many cases, we see energetic parents falling
SINGAPORE: Rapid HIV Test Kit Launched in Singapore: Agence France Presse (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Today, a Singapore biotechnology firm announced it has reached an agreement with US-based OraSure Technologies to make its OraQuick HIV 1/2 rapid test available in Asia. This technology will greatly facilitate HIV testing and may well prove to be a decisive turning point in the battle to control AIDS, said Sze Wee Tan
HAITI: Study: AIDS Drugs also Help Haitians: Associated Press (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Stephanie Nano; When treated with standard AIDS drugs, resource-deprived patients in Haiti did as well as US patients on the medicines, researchers reported today in the largest study of AIDS treatment in a developing country. The study tracked the first 1,004 Haitian AIDS patients who began treatment after international funding targe
INDIA: Indian Premier Urges 'Safe Sex' for Youth on AIDS Day: Agence France Presse (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Launching a national convention marking World AIDS Day today, India s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged youths to learn about safe sex and HIV/AIDS in a bid to prevent losing control of the epidemic. You should comprehend the need to educate our young about the mode of transmission of this disease, and leading a heal
CHINA: China Marks World AIDS Day, but Faces Uphill Battle Against Spread: Agence France Presse (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; China marked World AIDS Day today with a pledge to keep HIV cases under 1.5 million and with public-awareness campaigns that dominated the media. State-run television aired continuous programs about AIDS, while newspapers reported on the plight of HIV/AIDS patients, especially farmers who contracted the disease when
GLOBAL: AIDS' Youngest Sufferers Left Behind in Drive to Scale Up Treatment: Associated Press (11.29.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; Of the estimated 2.2 million children worldwide who are infected with HIV, less than 1 percent are receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Without the medicine, most will die before their fifth birthday. Particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than 85 percent of all HIV-infected children under age 15, pediatri
GLOBAL: UN Urges 'Exceptional Response' to AIDS Crisis: Reuters (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Andrew Quinn; The UN today called for an exceptional response to the global AIDS crisis. The lessons of nearly 25 years into the AIDS epidemic are clear, said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot. Investments made in HIV prevention break the cycle of new infections. By making these investments, each and every country can reverse the
UNITED STATES: HUD Secretary Announces Housing Grants for AIDS Patients: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; On Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced $18.8 million in grants to 15 states to assist with housing costs for people with HIV/AIDS. A three-year, $1.4 million grant will go to Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota for their collaborative, multi-stat
UNITED STATES: Aggressive HIV Monitoring Is Urged by City Health Chief: New York Times (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; Richard P�rez-Pe�a; In an editorial in today s New England Journal of Medicine, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene officials advocate that HIV be treated more like other infectious diseases. Nonetheless, the political costs include offending both sides of the political establishment, from conservatives who oppose condom
GLOBAL: Bush Will Tout US Efforts to Combat HIV Globally: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (12.01.05) - Thursday, December 01, 2005; William Douglas; Today at the White House, President Bush is expected to mark World AIDS Day by providing an update of his five-year, $15 billon global AIDS effort. The President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief appears to be on target in year three, having disbursed $2.4 billion in 2004, $2.8 billion in 2005 and with $3.2 billion slat
RUSSIA: Russia's Miss Positive Wants HIV Honesty Not Shame: Reuters (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Meg Clothier; People see I m healthy, beautiful, cheerful. They see that I m always smiling, and all their stereotypes just completely fall apart, said Svetlana Izambayeva, who will be crowned Russia s first Miss Positive on Thursday. After learning in 2002 she was HIV-positive, the hairstylist, now 24, said she wanted to die. The
UNITED KINGDOM: Condoms Plan for Taxi Passengers: BBC News (11.24.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Pending approval from Edinburgh City Council s licensing committee, a plan to provide taxi passengers with free condoms could go into effect as early as January. A US-based company has provided Festival City Cars, which has a fleet of 220 taxis, with 5,000 condoms to hand out. It seems sensible that the cabbies, if the
INDONESIA: Indonesia's Response to Emerging AIDS Epidemic Inadequate, UNAIDS Chief Says: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Citing insufficient funding and a lack of coordination among government agencies and donors, UNAIDS chief Peter Piot today called Indonesia s overall response to its emerging AIDS epidemic inadequate. An estimated 150,000 to 250,000 Indonesians are HIV-infected, and the disease is spreading rapidly among injecting drug
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Says Seven Percent of AIDS Sufferers Can Access ARVs: Agence France Presse (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; On Wednesday, Zimbabwe s Health Ministry reported that only 7 percent of the country s AIDS patients are now receiving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Of the 1.6 million Zimbabweans with HIV/AIDS, 280,000 need ARVs, the ministry said. We currently estimate that about 21,000 are receiving antiretroviral therapy in Zimbabwe
FLORIDA: Tampa Awarded Grant to Help AIDS Patients: St. Petersburg Times (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson is scheduled to visit Tampa today to announce a $1.3 million grant to the city to help people with HIV/AIDS secure housing. Tampa administers almost $3 million annually in HUD grants used by nonprofit charities to provide housing for people with
MASSACHUSETTS: Gay Men Recruited for HIV Vaccine Trial: Boston Globe (11.28.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Kadesha M. Thomas; To find high-risk gay men we need to go where they are, Jim Maynard, of Boston s Fenway Community Health center, said of his recent excursion to a popular gay bar s leather night to solicit volunteers for the HIV Vaccine Trial Network. HVTN is recruiting participants for a nationwide trial of two HIV candidate vaccine
UNITED STATES: Association of Chlamydia trachomatis with Persistence of High-Risk Types of Human Papillomavirus in a Cohort of Female Adolescents: American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 162; No. 7: P. 668-675 (10.01.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Erika Samoff; Emilia H. Koumans; Lauri E. Markowitz; Maya Sternberg; Mary K. Sawyer; David Swan; John R. Papp; Carolyn M. Black; Elizabeth R. Unger; Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the necessary but not sufficient cause of cervical cancer. Most infections resolve by the host immune response, and it is thought that host or external cofactors are required for progression to cancer. The association between a history of STD infection and cervical cancer has bee
GLOBAL: Pope Avoids Condom Issue in AIDS Message: Reuters (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Philip Pullella; I feel close to those sick with AIDS and their families and I invoke for them the help and comfort of the Lord, Pope Benedict said in a message issued for World AIDS Day. The pontiff avoided, however, the controversial matter of the Roman Catholic Church s opposition to the use of condoms. In its World AIDS Day statem
AFRICA: Border 'Pit Stop' Teaches Truckers and Communities They Pass Through About AIDS: Associated Press (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; UN World Food Program trucks bringing desperately needed supplies may also be helping spread HIV in some of the world s most infected countries. To counter the problem, WFP said Tuesday it is setting up pit stops that provide HIV prevention information to truckers and the communities they pass through in at least two s
INDIA: Truckers Seek Comfort When India's Roads Get Lonely; Highways Major HIV Routes: Associated Press (11.29.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Margie Mason; The estimated 5 million to 8 million truck drivers who deliver supplies along long-haul routes, men who are far from home and always on the move, have become one of India s populations most at-risk for AIDS. Of the 20-25 truckers tested each month at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital near New Delhi s Sanjay Gandh
AFRICA: African Leaders to Account for AIDS Grants at Abuja Conference: Agence France Presse (11.26.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Ade Obisesan; African leaders will account for funds and grants spent so far to fight HIV/AIDS at the upcoming 14th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), organizers said. The conference opens Dec. 4 in Abuja, Nigeria , with the theme HIV/AIDS and the Family. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former US Presid
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV Infects 5.2 Million South Africans: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.29.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Figures released Monday by the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA) show an estimated 5.2 million people, or 11 percent of the nation s population, are HIV-infected. The estimate is lower than the health department s most recent number (6.3 million) and higher than the estimate put out by Statistics South Africa (4
UNITED STATES: Doctors to Recommend Children Get Vaccine for a Sexual Disease: Wall Street Journal (11.30.05) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005; Laura Landro; A recent nationwide study found nearly 75 percent of 513 pediatricians surveyed said they would recommend a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, if approved, to children ages 9- 17. While 70 percent of pediatricians expect safety concerns to factor into the decision, more than 40 percent thought parents would be relucta
NEW YORK: STD Chlamydia a Concern in Onodaga County: Associated Press (11.25.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; The incidence of chlamydia rose 60 percent between 2002 and 2004 in Onondaga County, according to a report in the Post- Standard of Syracuse. In response to the increase, the state has set up sentinel sites in Onondaga, Monroe, Westchester, Erie and Dutchess counties, which are now testing every STD clinic patient for
CHINA: Shanghai to Nearly Triple Number of Condom Vending Machines: Agence France Presse (11.29.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; To promote safer sex and help check STDs, Shanghai plans to install another 1,200 condom vending machines in the city, nearly tripling the 700 condom machines it has now. The machines will be positioned at entertainment venues, residential communities and areas where migrant workers gather, Xinhua News Agency said, cit
AFRICA: Child-Friendly AIDS Medicine Desperately Needed in Africa: Charity: Agence France Presse (11.28.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Pharmaceutical companies must develop inexpensive pediatric AIDS formulations if the epidemic is to be stopped, especially in impoverished Africa, Doctors Without Borders said in a statement released ahead of World AIDS Day. In the absence of child-strength pills that combine all needed drugs in one tablet, medical sta
LESOTHO: Lesotho to Offer Free HIV Tests: BBC News (11.29.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Madeleine Morris; In what is believed to be the first such effort in the world, health workers will offer free HIV tests to every person in tiny, mountainous Lesotho . The government has plans to add 7,500 workers to take test kits door to door. Local leaders will be consulted on the best ways to encourage testing. It is estimated that
FRANCE: France Concerned over Rise in HIV Infection: Agence France Presse (11.26.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; According to figures released Saturday by the monitoring agency Institut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS), an estimated 7,000 people in France were newly infected by HIV in 2004. This is a 16 percent increase over the 6,000 new infections documented in 2003, when reporting new infections became mandatory. Some 1,500 French H
UNITED STATES: Only a United Front Can Win Battle: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (11.28.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Dr. Sam Ho; Jury Candelario; Since the beginning of the [AIDS] epidemic, community organizations have been on the front lines, offering information on how to prevent HIV and AIDS, and providing services to those afflicted. Additionally, we have see a rise of organizations dedicated to reaching groups that are hardest hit by AIDS, particularly wom
FLORIDA: City Ranks Low in Syphilis: Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) (11.12.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Cherie Black; According to the latest CDC data, Jacksonville ranked 18th among 25 major US cities in the rate of syphilis for 2004. Jacksonville reported 70 cases of primary and secondary syphilis for a rate of 8.6 cases per 100,000 people, lower than Miami s rate (9.1) but higher than New York City s (7.7). Citing more recent infor
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV Children Benefit from Zinc: Study: Reuters (11.25.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Zinc supplements could be an easy and safe way to reduce illnesses such as diarrhea in HIV-infected children, according to US and South African researchers. While zinc is an essential mineral for development and a healthy immune system, there have been concerns about the safety of supplements for HIV patients because t
GLOBAL: Glaxo Hopes to Adapt Measles Shot for HIV: Reuters (11.28.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Ben Hirschler; On Monday, GlaxoSmithKline and France s Institut Pasteur announced plans to jointly develop an experimental AIDS vaccine by fusing HIV genes onto an existing vaccine for measles. Since the measles vaccine is known to provide very long- lasting immunity, Glaxo officials believe piggy-backing an AIDS vaccine onto it is
GLOBAL: UN AIDS Envoy Says Private Sector Must Help Cash- Strapped Global Fund: Agence France Presse (11.29.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is facing the gravest financial crisis since it was created in 2002, and multinational firms have an obligation to help, especially in Africa, Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said Monday. Last week, the Global Fund urged donors to help close the gap
GLOBAL: AIDS Goal Missed, but Effort by UN Branch Is Praised: New York Times (11.29.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Lawrence K. Altman; On Monday, the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition released a systematic analysis of the World Health Organization s initiative to treat 3 million HIV patients in developing countries with antiretroviral drugs by the end of this year. While WHO fell short by over 1 million, ITPC credited the agency for treat
UNITED STATES: Churches to Tackle AIDS: Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (11.28.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Bettye Wells Miller; More than 1,400 pastors, health care providers and high- ranking federal officials are expected to attend the three-day Disturbing Voices Conference on HIV/AIDS at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest beginning Tuesday. The goal of the gathering, which concludes Thursday on World AIDS Day, is to show pastors in c
UNITED STATES: Delicate Choice Just Got Tougher: Los Angeles Times (11.28.05) - Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Daniel Costello; In the United States , the male circumcision rate is falling just when a gathering body of evidence suggests the procedure could reduce the transmission risk for HIV and STDs. More than a decade ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stopped recommending routine circumcision, believing there is a lack of evidenc
SOUTH AFRICA; UNITED STATES: Anti-Apartheid Film Duo Confront South Africa's AIDS Pandemic: Associated Press (11.24.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn; On Monday, the US cable channel HBO will debut Yesterday, an English-subtitled film that tells the year-in-the-life story of a young rural mother named Yesterday who has been diagnosed with AIDS. Nominated as a foreign-language contender at last year s Oscars, Yesterday is the work of the South African director/produce
INDIANA: Feds Help Northern Indiana County with TB Outbreak: Associated Press (11.23.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Kosciusko County officials are working with state and federal health officials to stop an outbreak that has seen 10 TB cases diagnosed this year. Since 1999, the county has had at least 19 TB cases possibly linked to contact at social clubs and bars. CDC and the Indiana Department of Health are helping Kosciusko County
IRAN: Iran to Launch Crackdown on Drug Addicts: Agence France Presse (11.22.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Iran s justice minister said during a regular news briefing on Nov. 22 that drug users would soon be arrested and sent to rehabilitation camps if they do not soon become substance- free. Addicts are criminals; this is a serious warning to them to kick the habit before they are arrested, said Jamal Karimi Rad. Under for
GLOBAL: How to Turn the Corner on AIDS: Washington Post (11.23.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Jim Yong Kim; The good news is hard to find in the new UN [AIDS] report, but it s there. While the number of AIDS deaths continues to rise, the rate of increase is slowing, probably because a growing percentage of people in need now have access to HIV treatment. The World Health Organization reports that between 250,000 and 350,000
UNITED KINGDOM: British HIV Patients Show Increasing Drug Resistance: Reuters (11.17.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; New research reports that HIV-infected people in Britain have one of the world s highest levels of drug resistance, and the rate continues to increase. The resulting reduction in treatment effectiveness represents a major clinical and public health problem, according to the report s authors. The UK Group on Transmitted
GLOBAL: Health Officials Hail Battle Against TB: Associated Press (11.24.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Ariel David; On Thursday in Rome, health officials lauded a World Health Organization-led TB partnership that is providing developing nations with $70 million in resources to help them produce low-cost medicines to fight the disease. The effort pools the resources of drug companies, universities, and international organizations to
THAILAND: Thailand's AIDS Death Toll Reaches 560,000: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.23.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; On Wednesday, Thailand s deputy health minister said 560,000 Thais have died from AIDS over the past two decades, and another 540,000 people are now living with HIV/AIDS in the nation. This year there have been 18,000 new cases of HIV, with 77 percent of them working age people between the ages of 20 to 39, and 84 perc
INDONESIA: Indonesia on Cusp of AIDS Epidemic: UNAIDS Chief: Agence France Presse (11.28.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Now becoming the new frontline of the AIDS epidemic, Indonesia needs every segment of society to quickly join the fight against AIDS in order to avert its spread, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said Monday in Jakarta. Ten years ago, one in ten people in the world with HIV were in Asia.
UNITED KINGDOM: More Casual Sex by Young People Drives Disease to Record High: The Independent (London) (11.25.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Jeremy Laurance; A new report by Britain s Health Protection Agency found that nearly 700,000 new STD diagnoses were made in 2004, up 62 percent from a decade ago. There is a more relaxed attitude toward casual sex, said professor Peter Borriello, director of the HPA s Center for Infections. People don t take that seriously so neither
MONTANA: More Women Becoming Infected with HIV: Billings Gazette (11.27.05) - Monday, November 28, 2005; Diane Cochran; While gay men continue to make up more than half of HIV diagnoses in Montana, state health officers have seen an increase in cases among women in recent years. At the Yellowstone City-County Health Department, 21 of 100 HIV- positive patients are women. At Yellowstone AIDS Project, 13 of 60 clients are women. Most of t
TAIWAN: Taiwan Segregates HIV/AIDS Prisoners to Curb Spread of AIDS in Jails: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.23.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; In order to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in jails, Taiwan is segregating HIV-positive prisoners into special wards, an official said Wednesday. We are building separate wards for HIV/AIDS convicts in six prisons, and have begun moving these prisoners to those wards, said Hung Chien-chung of the Correction Department of
MALAWI: McCollum to Travel to Malawi: Associated Press (11.22.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; On Tuesday, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) left for Malawi for a weeklong trip to assess the problems of HIV/AIDS and hunger. With 14 percent of its population infected with HIV, Malawi is facing a food shortage that charities fear will be the worst in a decade. This visit is about translating statistics and policy into
BRAZIL: Brazil Vows to Slow HIV Transmission to Newborns: Associated Press (11.22.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; On Tuesday, Brazil s Health Ministry announced a new prenatal testing program promotion to help prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, with a goal to reduce the transmission rate for infected mothers to 1 percent by 2008. The ministry said that 75 percent of mothers in Brazil last year received prenatal HIV tests. T
NEW JERSEY: Fraternity Talks to Black Youth About Sexuality: The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) (11.20.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Jennifer Hines Cunningham; On Saturday at Passaic Community College, members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and young men from area high schools gathered to discuss STDs, abstinence, teen pregnancy and the challenges facing black men. At these high schools, sex is like going to class. Everyone s doing it, said Kenneth Sumter, coordinator of the P
UNITED STATES: Nurses, Physician Assistants as Good as Doctors for HIV Care: Reuters Health (11.15.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Amy Norton; A study of 68 US HIV clinics found that physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided a quality of care comparable to that of doctors who specialize in HIV/AIDS and they generally outperformed non-specialist doctors. As part of their education and training, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PA
CANADA: HIV Cases Increase 20 Percent in Canada: Toronto Star (11.22.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Elaine Carey; In the past five years, HIV diagnoses in Canada have risen 20 percent and women account for a quarter of new cases, according to the UNAIDS global report on the epidemic released Monday. While the government continues to spend considerable money to fight the disease domestically, the statistics continue to expand, Ai
SOUTH AFRICA: No Sign of AIDS Slowdown in South Africa - UN: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.22.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Tamar Kahn; Despite indications that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is slowing in a few sub-Saharan African countries, there is no sign that infection rates in South Africa are abating, UNAIDS said Monday in its 2005 global surveillance report. South Africa has the world s highest HIV/AIDS caseload, with more than 6 million infections, UNA
GLOBAL: World Health Organization Says Battle with AIDS Still Being Lost: Financial Times (London) (11.22.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Andrew Jack; Jo Johnson; On Monday, the World Health Organization s outgoing HIV/AIDS director urged pharmaceutical firms to allow a humanitarian corridor between companies in order to help fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Patent holders of HIV drugs should allow rival firms to produce low-price, generic copies of their antiretroviral drugs
MASSACHUSETTS: Bishops: Stop Mandatory Study of Birds and Bees: Boston Herald (11.19.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Marie Szaniszlo; The four Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are calling for a change in state law that would make sex education an elective course rather than a requirement. Allowing for parents to opt their child into sex education, instead of opting them out as they can now, would give schools more incentive to inform parents a
ILLINOIS: Sex Ed for Older Adults? State Starts Program in Light of Rising HIV Cases: Chicago Daily Herald (11.20.05) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Madhu Krishnamurthy; Responding to a slight increase in state HIV infection rates among adults over age 55, the Illinois Department of Public Health is reaching out to sexually active older adults with a new sex education program, officials said recently. HIV cases among adults over age 55 increased from 40 in 2001 to 132 in 2005, accordin
CHINA: Macao Forges Anti-HIV Commission: Xinhua News Agency (11.22.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; On Tuesday, the Government Gazette in Macao published an order by Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah establishing a 25-member commission to fight AIDS. Chui Sai On, secretary for social affairs and culture, will head the body, which will comprise representatives of the public-health sector and civil society. Through Sep
GLOBAL: Global Fund Pleads for Cash as AIDS Numbers Rise: Agence France Presse (11.21.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Monday s UN report on the global AIDS epidemic includes good news about slight decreases in infections in Kenya , Uganda , Zimbabwe and urban Haiti , an endorsement of vigorous efforts to fight the disease, said Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund to Fig
FLORIDA: Carnival Promotes Safe Sex to Students: Miami Herald (11.20.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Jenny Jacobs; Earlier this month, the University of Miami student group A Week for Life sponsored a carnival to promote HIV/AIDS education and awareness. Its attractions included fried chicken, dancing, games and cotton candy, as well as condoms, lubricant and penis replicas that were used to demonstrate proper condom usage. People
SOUTH AFRICA: Improving the Quality of STI Care by Private General Practitioners: a South African Case Study: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 419-420 (10.05.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; H. Schneider; N. Chabikuli; D. Blaauw; I. Funani; R. Brugha; The authors implemented a multifaceted intervention to improve the quality of sexually transmitted infection (STI) care among 64 private general practitioners (GPs) working in two urban districts in Gauteng Province, South Africa . They then evaluated the intervention. At the core of the intervention were four interact
LATIN AMERICA; CARIBBEAN: UN Report: More than Two Million People with HIV Across Latin America, Caribbean: Associated Press (11.21.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Vivian Sequera; Almost 200,000 new HIV cases were reported in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last two years, and together the regions have some 2.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a UN report released Monday. This year, there have been 66,000 AIDS-related deaths across Latin America and 24,000 in the Caribb
RUSSIA; EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL ASIA: Young Russian Drug Users Fuel Biggest AIDS Epidemic in Europe: Agence France Presse (11.21.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Europe s largest HIV/AIDS epidemic is in Russia , where young intravenous drug users (IDUs) form an extraordinarily large number of those infected, according to AIDS Epidemic Update 2005. The annual UNAIDS report on the global epidemic was released Monday, ahead of World AIDS Day next Thursday. There were more tha
MIDDLE EAST; NORTH AFRICA: HIV Infection Rising in Mid East: BBC News (11.21.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Unprotected sex, intravenous drug use and a lack of adequate education efforts are fueling the spread of HIV in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the UNAIDS report released Monday. Some 510,000 people in the region are now HIV- infected. Among the report s findings: *In Sud
AFRICA: Africa's HIV Rate Still Highest: BBC News (11.21.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; HIV prevalence is declining in Kenya , Uganda and Zimbabwe , despite each remaining saddled with a large, potentially ruinous epidemic, according to the UNAIDS annual global HIV/AIDS update released Monday. Prevalence remains high in southern Africa and is expanding, e
GLOBAL: Number of People with HIV Doubled in Past Decade, UN Finds: Washington Post (11.22.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Craig Timberg; HIV infections have more than doubled in the past decade to 40 million worldwide, and the pandemic shows few signs of coming under control despite a massive global effort, according to the 98-page UN report released Monday. It s increasing everywhere, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, director of HIV/AIDS for the Wor
VIRGINIA: Report: Detection, Education Key to Reducing Cervical Cancer Deaths: Associated Press (11.18.05) - Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Dionne Walker; Improving cervical cancer survival rates in Virginia will require subsidized medical treatment for low-income women diagnosed with the disease and increased awareness of the STD that is linked to it, according to an 82-page report issued by the Governor s Task Force on Cervical Cancer. Though the state s cervical cance
UNITED STATES: Bristol-Myers Drug Said Cuts HIV Rebound: Associated Press (11.18.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; A lower percentage of HIV patients taking Reyataz experienced a rebound in viral levels compared to patients on other protease inhibitors , according to a Friday announcement from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., manufacturer of Reyataz. The study of 419 patients found that 7 percent of those who switched to Reyataz experienc
UNITED STATES: Women's National Basketball Association Player Raising Awareness for Sexually Transmitted Disease: Associated Press (11.18.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Becky Hammon of the New York Liberty is taking part in WNBA s Choose to Know campaign to educate people about human papillomavirus and its link to cervical cancer. At least half of sexually active women and men will get the virus, and most do not know they are infected, according to CDC.
MASSACHUSETTS: Provincetown Hosts One of Few Needle Swaps: Cape Cod Times (11.17.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Eric Williams; Operated by the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod and funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Provincetown s needle exchange program (NEP) is one of only four in the state. The others operate in Boston, Cambridge and Northampton. But local advocates hope the state legislature will soon pass a bill authori
UNITED STATES: HIV-1 Seronegativity in a Child with Proved Perinatal HIV Infection on HAART: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 377-379 (10.05.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; N. Desai; M. Mathur; K. Abu-Lawi; The researchers conducted a case study to report the unexpected absence of HIV-1 antibodies and provirus in the peripheral blood of a four-year-old with previously diagnosed perinatal HIV infection. The study included a review of clinic and laboratory records and confirmation of results of HIV-1 enzyme linked immunosor
INDIA: India Seeks Novel Ways to Tackle AIDS: Reuters (11.17.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Kamil Zaheer; From tapping into the national obsession with cricket to using advertising slogans on soft-drink bottles, India is employing a variety of methods to promote HIV prevention messages. In the world s second-most populous nation, condom use is still low and most HIV cases are in rural areas. In July, the country s Nati
INDIA: UN Official Doubts India on AIDS Data: New York Times (11.21.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Reuters; On Saturday in Guwahati, India , UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said shortfalls in surveillance have left India with HIV numbers that do not reflect the true scope of its epidemic. Piot was speaking before UNAIDS released its global AIDS report in New Delhi. India having only 28,000 new infections is plainly
ASIA: UN Says China Slow to Fight AIDS, Praises Thailand: Agence France Presse (11.21.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; China and Myanmar must do more to prevent the spread of AIDS, while Thailand is the region s success story for bringing about a decline in the number of new HIV infections, the UN said today. Its AIDS Epidemic Update 2005 was released in New Delhi ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec.
GLOBAL: UN: HIV Continues to Spread but Prevention Investments Starting to Pay Off: Associated Press (11.21.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Emma Ross; HIV/AIDS claimed the lives of some 3.1 million people worldwide last year and another 4.9 million people became infected, the UN said today in a published update. The new infection and death estimates are in line with those made last year, when the total number of people living with the disease was estimated at 39.4 mi
GLOBAL: Computer Users Enlisted in Hunt for AIDS Drugs: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.21.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; David Ho; The FightAIDSHome project is asking computer users worldwide to donate the power of their idling PCs to a distributed or grid computing effort to fight HIV/AIDS. Backed by Scripps Research Institute and IBM, the project s distributed computing system can harness thousands of disparate computers, borrowing their computi
WASHINGTON: Groups to Protest Naming Patients with HIV: Seattle Times (11.12.05) - Monday, November 21, 2005; Warren King; Beginning in June 2006, federal funding for some patient care will be withheld from states where doctors and clinics do not report HIV-infected residents by name. The message over the past year has become very clear that reports must be name- based, Jack Jourden, director of infectious disease for the Washington Depart
ILLINOIS: Howard Brown Health Center Starts Crystal Meth Program: Windy City Times (Chicago) (11.16.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; The Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago has launched Crystal Clear, an outpatient treatment program for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people dealing with crystal methamphetamine dependence. The intensive program provides counseling six days a week; access to the program s care manager; and financial, legal a
ESTONIA: Estonia's HIV Positives Set Up Association: Baltic News Service (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; In Estonia recently, the Network of Estonian HIV-Positive People announced its founding. Its purpose is to unite, advocate for, and objectively inform people with HIV in Estonia. The group is composing a board to represent interests of the state and community in various forums, said Igor Sobolev, who is now the board s
CHINA: China Denies Plans to Build Special AIDS Prisons: Agence France Presse (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; During a regular briefing Thursday, China s foreign ministry spokesperson, Liu Jianchao, said the country had no plans to build special prisons for AIDS patients, as had been reported by state media. Instead, Liu said a humanitarian development of existing facilities for the prisoners is being made to improve medical a
COLORADO: Dentist's Office Gives, Brings Smiles to Patients Living with HIV/AIDS: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (11.12.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Gary Massaro; The Howard Dental Center (HDC) on Capitol Hill in Denver has been serving the dental needs of people with HIV/AIDS since 1994. Its name honors Dr. John Howard, a dentist who treated seropositive patients before his 1988 death from AIDS at age 55. Some of Howard s original patients still come to the clinic, where servic
MICHIGAN: People with HIV to Lose Provider of Food, Housing: Detroit Free Press (11.14.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Emilia Askari; Wellness House, one of Detroit s oldest HIV/AIDS nonprofits, will permanently close on Dec. 1 due to a loss in funding from the city and other sources. At one point, the agency provided 3,000 low-income clients with monthly food boxes or vouchers, and it housed 24 people each year in its residential program. The last t
NEW YORK: HIV Stats Stagger; Black Gay Prevention Panel Offers Sobering Insights: Gay City News (New York City) (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Duncan Osborne; At the Fashion Institute of Technology on Nov. 14, a panel discussed the state of HIV prevention among African-American gay men. The meeting followed a CDC report which found that of 1,767 gay or bisexual men surveyed in five US cities, 46 percent of black men were HIV-positive, compared to 21 percent of white men and
UNITED STATES: Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview and Face to Face Interview Modes in Assessing Response Bias Among STD Clinic Patients: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 421-425 (10.05.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; K.G. Ghanem; H.E. Hutton; J.M. Zenilman; R. Zimba; E.J. Erbelding; The authors sought to describe the difference in reporting risk behavior in audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) and face-to-face interviews (FFI) among patients at a public sexually transmitted disease clinic. Randomly selected patients at a Baltimore clinic sequentially took an ACASI- formatted risk behavio
GLOBAL: 2 Tests Cut Cervical Cancer Risk in Poor Countries: Reuters (11.16.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Gene Emery; Just two lifetime health clinic visits could halve the cervical cancer risk for women in developing countries, according to a new study. Thanks to regular screenings, cervical cancer claims only around 4,000 lives annually in the United States . In the developing world, however, it is a leading cause of cancer deaths.
ZIMBABWE: Prostitutes, Vendors Scrounge on Zimbabwe Roads: Reuters (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Cris Chinaka; Desperate economic conditions in Zimbabwe are forcing thousands of young people to work as roadside vendors or prostitutes. The highway girls, as they are called, are often picked up by crossborder truck drivers, a phenomenon that health authorities say is feeding an HIV/AIDS epidemic that kills 2,500 Zimbabweans each
GLOBAL: AIDS May Help Spread of Bird Flu: BBC News (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Roland Pease; At a conference organized by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, experts warned that HIV/AIDS patients could harbor the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, potentially allowing the virus to become more adaptable and thus more dangerous to humans. Currently, H5N1 has infected about 125 people in Southeast Asia
UNITED STATES: HIV Diagnosis Rate Decreasing in Minorities, CDC Says: Associated Press (11.17.05) - Friday, November 18, 2005; Mike Stobbe; On Thursday, CDC reported that while new HIV diagnoses among African Americans declined about 5 percent a year since 2001, blacks are still about eight times more likely than whites to become infected. CDC s new HIV statistics are based on 2001-04 data from the 33 states with name-based HIV reporting. Officials do not
RHODE ISLAND: AIDS Quilt Display Opens Thursday: Providence Journal (11.15.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Beginning Thursday and continuing through Nov. 28, six sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence. Quilt panels are being exhibited in the church for the first time since 1998. For information, telephone 401-331-3225.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Claflin, University of South Carolina Team to Curb Disparities in HIV/AIDS, Cancer: Associated Press (11.15.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; John C. Drake; The University of South Carolina in Columbia and Claflin University in Orangeburg will use a five-year, $7.5 million federal grant to study disparities in the incidence of AIDS and cancer. One project will explore why human papillomavirus persists in some women while it lasts only a short time in others. The link betwe
CHINA: Baylor Program for Children with HIV Adds Center in China: Houston Chronicle (11.16.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Leigh Hopper; Baylor College of Medicine - which already treats HIV-infected people in Romania , Botswana , Uganda , Swaziland , Lesotho , Malawi , and Burkina Faso - has
SOUTH DAKOTA: Sioux Falls Board Drops Sex Ed Materials: Associated Press (11.15.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; On Monday, the Sioux Falls School Board voted unanimously to pull the Health Smart sex education materials from middle schools and empanel a committee of parents, educators, and health professionals to choose a new program. Last month, at least 29 parents complained that the two-week sex education component of Health S
TEXAS: Ector County Drops Contraception Curriculum: Associated Press (11.15.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; On Tuesday night, the Ector County Independent School District board voted 4-3 to end a one-day contraception lesson as part of the district s abstinence-only sex education curriculum. For two years, the contraception lesson was taught at the end of the sex education program with parental consent. Before the vote, boar
CALIFORNIA: Rise Forecast in Local STD Cases: San Diego Union-Tribune (11.09.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Cheryl Clark; Syphilis rates are projected to increase nearly six-fold in San Diego County this year compared to 2002, according to several recently released reports. In 2005, county estimates show the syphilis caseload could be the highest in a decade. The projected case total for 2005 is 219, but Dr. Robert Gunn, STD control offic
UNITED STATES: Condoms Protect Against Genital Herpes: Reuters Health (11.14.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Amy Norton; In a new study of more than 1,800 adults at high risk of genital herpes , those who reported usually using condoms were one-quarter less likely to test positive for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) than those who did not. According to lead author Dr. Anna Wald of the University of Washington-Seattle, the level of HS
GLOBAL: Circumcised Men Less Apt to Transmit Chlamydia: Reuters Health (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; A new study suggests that women whose male sexual partner is circumcised are less likely to contract Chlamydia trachomatis than those whose partner is uncircumcised. Dr. Xavier Castellsague, of Institut Catala d Oncologia in Barcelona, and colleagues studied the relationship between male circumcision and C. trachomatis
NIGERIA: Nigerian AIDS Funds at Risk over Poor Accounting: Reuters (11.16.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Estelle Shirbon; A panel of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will recommend terminating two grants to Nigeria , according to a letter obtained Wednesday by Reuters. Lacks of transparency and authorities failure to meet targets are the reasons for the proposed cut off. The five-year grants totaling $80 million have three ye
NORTH CAROLINA: Teen Mom Count Climbs: News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (11.11.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Amy Gardner; Last year, North Carolina s teen pregnancy rate rose for the first time in 15 years, according to new data released by the State Center for Health Statistics. While the increase is small - 2.3 percent across North Carolina, to 62.4 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 15-19 - experts say it is important to take note and
WISCONSIN: Abstinence Bill Gaining Momentum: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11.16.05) - Thursday, November 17, 2005; Steven Walters; The Wisconsin Legislature is close to passing a bill that would require school districts with human development classes to teach abstinence until marriage as the preferred behavior. Sponsored by Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), the bill has already passed the Senate and is backed by the Republican- dominated Legislatur
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Topic of Talk: Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (11.15.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Bettye Wells Miller; Department of Public Health officials and community organizations in Riverside County are offering a free, public forum about HIV/AIDS and African Americans in the western part of the county. First 5 Riverside s Faith-Based Partnership for Community Change steering committee is hosting the event, which is part of the h
UKRAINE: HIV/AIDS Spread in Ukraine Poses Threat to Security - Kinakh: ITAR-TASS (11.15.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Raisa Stetsyura; AIDS has engulfed all 27 regions of Ukraine and has become an issue that should be studied at the highest level, according to Anatoly Kinakh, secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council. The government, entrepreneurs and society should pool their efforts to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he sa
CHINA: Hong Kong Records Largest Gain in HIV, Big Rise Among Gays: Agence France Presse (11.16.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Today, Hong Kong Department of Health officials said they recorded 91 new HIV infections from July to September 2005, a 29 percent increase from the previous quarter. Two-third of the infections were acquired sexually, including 32 cases acquired homosexually, up from 17 cases the previous quarter.
NORTH CAROLINA: Nash County Health Department to Focus on HIV Testing Efforts: Rocky Mount Telegram (Rocky Mount, N.C.) (11.10.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Tom Murphy; The Nash County Health Department will use a $10,000 state grant to increase HIV and STD testing in community sites and drug rehabilitation facilities. The North Carolina STD Prevention and Care Branch originally funded the Nash County HIV/AIDS effort as an education outreach. We will change our focus in the HIV/AIDS p
MASSACHUSETTS: Road Warriors in the Fight Against AIDS: Boston Globe (11.14.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Bella English; Boston is one of seven US sites where CDC-funded vans are taking HIV testing to at-risk people who are unable or unwilling to visit traditional clinics. Five days a week, one night and some weekends, a van offers city residents rapid, 20-minute HIV testing. Costing an annual $327,000, the van is staffed by two health w
UNITED STATES: The Psychosocial Impact of Serological Herpes Simplex Type 2 Testing in an Urban HIV Clinic: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 309-315 (08.05.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; J.L. Meyer; R.A. Crosby; W.L.H. Whittington; D. Carrell; R. Ashley-Morrow; A.S. Meier; R.D. Harrington; R. DiClemente; A. Wald; The authors conducted a prospective study of the psychosocial response to a new serological herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) diagnosis in patients receiving care at an urban HIV clinic. At entry, patients sera were tested for HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies by western blot. Participants completed a 90- item psychosocial
CAMBODIA: Cambodians with HIV Take Part in Annual Boat Race Festival: Associated Press (11.15.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; More than one million people are converging on Phnom Penh this week for Cambodia s annual water festival and boat race. This year, for the first time, HIV-positive Cambodians are crewing one of the 400 boats. We want to show that people living with HIV are normal people and capable of action like others who don t have
UNITED KINGDOM: Call for Free Condoms to Combat Spread of HIV in Prisons: The Guardian (London) (11.14.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Eric Allison; Paul Lewis; On Monday, the Prison Reform and National AIDS trusts released a report finding significant gaps in efforts to control already high rates of HIV and hepatitis C among inmates throughout the UK prison system. Though rates of hepatitis C and HIV are 20 times and 15 times higher respectively in prisons than in the public,
SOUTH AFRICA: Volunteers Enroll for Second-Step Vaccine Trial: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.15.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Tamar Kahn; On Monday, volunteers began signing up for South Africa s first Phase II clinical trial of an HIV vaccine candidate. South Africa s selection for the trial is an indicator of international confidence in the quality of its research, said the study s national protocol chairperson, Eftyhia Vardas of the University of Witw
UNITED STATES: National AIDS Fund Aims to Boost Profile: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.10.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; Since its founding 17 years ago, the National AIDS Fund (NAF) has awarded $126 million to community-based groups. Even so, most people have never heard of it, a problem the fund s leadership is looking to solve. People hear about the tremendous work of the organizations receiving grants from us but they don t always he
INDIANA: Indiana University Survey of Rural Men Stirs Sex Education Debate: Indianapolis Star (11.12.05) - Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Staci Hupp; In a recent Indiana University (IU) survey of 75 rural male state residents, almost half said they waited too long before putting on a condom or took the condom off too soon during their most recent sexual encounter with a woman. We did these studies to find out, are people actually making mistakes? said William Yarber
UNITED STATES: Evanston Research Group Releases HIV Medication Survey: Windy City Times (Chicago) (11.09.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Evanston, Ill.-based Richard Day Research recently released the results of a national Internet-based survey on HIV/AIDS medication adherence. The drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb underwrote the survey, which had 403 participants. Among findings: *Respondents averaged eight years of taking HIV medications. *85 percen
GEORGIA: Possible TB Cases Reported at 2 Schools: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.12.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Kristina Torres; Brian Feagans; Osborne High School officials have notified students and parents that one student may have contracted TB, requiring the precautionary screening of other students and staff for TB. Officials anticipate they will screen about 100 Cobb County students, including a busload of Griffin Middle School students who rode with th
RUSSIA: Discrimination Holding Back AIDS Progress in Russia: Minister: Agence France Presse (11.14.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Discrimination is hampering Russia s efforts against HIV/AIDS, said UNICEF, UNAIDS and Russian officials on Monday. The country s biggest problem is the public s attitude towards people with HIV, which cannot be changed by any financing, Vladimir Starodubov, Russia s Deputy Health Minister, said in Moscow at a conferen
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: UN-Backed Child-Focused HIV/AIDS Campaign Launched in Papua New Guinea: Australian Associated Press (11.14.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; On Monday in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Governor-General Paulias Matane helped launch Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS, a UNICEF/ UNAIDS initiative to fight the global epidemic s impact on children. The campaign intends to help prevent new HIV infections among youths, prevent mother
UNITED STATES: HIV Program Shows Promise for Low-Income Teens: Reuters Health (10.26.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Amy Norton; Community-level HIV prevention programs that incorporate more of a teenager s everyday life may strongly influence their decisions later, a new study revealed. Dr. Kathleen J. Sikkema and colleagues studied 12- to 17-year- olds living in 15 low-income housing developments in five US cities to determine if a community-b
CANADA: Federal Prisoners Can Tattoo Each Other: Clean Syringes Ahead in Battle Against Blood-Borne Disease: Ottawa Citizen (11.11.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Carly Weeks; Canada has opened tattoo parlors in five federal prisons and a sixth one is to open later this month in a bid to curb the spread of blood-borne diseases. For $5 Canadian ($4.18 US) each, federal prisoners can get tattooed by trained fellow prisoners. Racist or gang-related designs are prohibited. The contentious pilo
CAMBODIA: Cambodian Drug Users Raise New AIDS Threat: Associated Press (11.11.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Ker Munthit; A survey finding some Cambodian intravenous drug users (IDUs) are selling their blood to hospitals to pay for drugs is troubling officials and experts, who warn the practice could spread HIV to people who would otherwise have little chance of acquiring it. Cambodia has no known case of HIV transmission via transfusion,
LIBYA: Libya Postpones Decision in HIV Case: Associated Press (11.15.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Khaled El-Deeb; Today in Tripoli, the Supreme Court of Libya delayed until Jan. 31 its ruling on the appeal filed by six medical workers sentenced to death following their conviction on charges of deliberately infecting with HIV more than 400 hospitalized children. The six, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, maintain they
MASSACHUSETTS: Officials Say Hospitals Failed to Clear Doctor of Disease: Associated Press (11.12.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; A federal probe into the case of a physician who worked at four Massachusetts hospitals for six months while infected with TB found that the facilities failed to adequately ensure their doctors were free of infectious diseases before permitting them to practice. Boston Medical Center (BMC), the surgical resident s prin
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma Has 15th Highest Rate of Gonorrhea: Associated Press (11.10.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; According to CDC s latest statistics, Oklahoma s gonorrhea rate is the nation s 15th-highest. However, the state s rate was down 2 percent in 2004 and down 8 percent since 2001, said Michael Harmon, chief of HIV and STD Services for the Oklahoma Health Department. Increased efforts to find and treat the partners of inf
MASSACHUSETTS: Bill Would Allow Sale of Syringes Without a Prescription: Associated Press (11.14.05) - Tuesday, November 15, 2005; Steve LeBlanc; On Monday in Boston, House lawmakers voted 115-37 to allow Massachusetts residents to purchase syringes without a prescription directly from pharmacists. The bill would also decriminalize needle possession. Massachusetts is one of the last US states that still ban non- prescription sales of hypodermic needles. Supporte
MICHIGAN: Student at West Ottawa High School Diagnosed with TB: Associated Press (11.12.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; A West Ottawa High School student has been diagnosed with pulmonary TB, the Ottawa County Health Department said, adding it is the first active case in a county school in 12 years. The health department is working with school officials to identify people who may have come in contact with the infected student. Students
MYANMAR: Japan Pledges $3.8 Million to Fight AIDS, Malaria in Myanmar: Associated Press (11.09.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; On Wednesday, Japan s embassy in Yangon announced a pledge of $3.8 million to provide Myanmar with antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother-to-child HIV infections, and antimalarial drugs and 70,000 insecticide-treated nets to prevent mosquito-borne malaria infections of mothers and children. The funds will also help vac
ASIA-PACIFIC: Asian Development Bank Approves $8 Million Grant to Boost AIDS Fight in Pacific: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.11.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; On Friday, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said it approved an $8 million grant to help deliver AIDS drugs and strengthen surveillance, community-based prevention efforts and campaigns targeting high-risk groups in 10 Pacific countries. The project will also help develop the skills of health workers to identify
CHINA: Southern China Builds Special Prisons to House HIV/AIDS Inmates: Agence France Presse (11.14.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; China s Guangdong province will build at least two prisons to house inmates with HIV/AIDS in order to handle an increasing number of infected prisoners, the China Daily reported today. Official statistics show that the southern province has 518 prisoners with HIV and around 20 with AIDS. Guangdong had an estimated 40,0
CALIFORNIA: Syphilis Increases Nationally, Gonorrhea Is Down: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.10.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; Bob Roehr; CDC data released Nov. 8 show San Francisco had the nation s highest rate of primary and secondary syphilis in 2004, with 45.9 cases per 100,000 people, 10 times the nation s 4.7 rate. Nationally, men who have sex with men (MSM) comprised an estimated 64 percent of syphilis infections in 2005, with peak infection rates
CALIFORNIA: Needle Exchange Won't Be Targeted: Los Angeles Times (11.11.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; Rong-Gong Lin II; In response to recent complaints by officials with Clean Needles Now, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) offered its assurance at Tuesday s Police Commission meeting that it would not target the needle exchange program s activities. Over a five-week period starting mid-September, LAPD visited the exchange site th
UNITED STATES: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Adolescents in Detention: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine Vol. 159; No. 11: P. 1015-1018 (11.05.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; Rita M. Blair, MD, MPH; Jacques G. Baillargeon, PhD; Patricia J. Kelly, RN, PhD; Sarah J. Lerand, MD; Janet F. Williams, MD; Rob Lyerla, PhD; Miriam J. Alter, PhD; In order to assess the prevalence and correlates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a sample of detained adolescents, the researchers undertook a cross-sectional prevalence study with adolescents ages 10-18 who were consecutively admitted to a juvenile detention facility in San Antonio, Texas. The study involved 1
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Sorcery, Shame Hinder Papua New Guinea Fight Against AIDS: Reuters (11.04.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; Michael Perry; Terrified of HIV and its supposed connection to sorcery, some in Papua New Guinea throw HIV-infected people into the river or dig a grave and put them in it and let them die, or just leave them [in] the backyard and refuse to feed them, said Father Jude, a Franciscan who runs an HIV/AIDS clinic in Port Moresby.
UGANDA: Global Fund Against AIDS, TB and Malaria Resumes Aid to Uganda: Agence France Presse (11.10.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; On Thursday, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced it has lifted its suspension on grants totaling $367 million to Uganda for health program assistance. Over the past two months, the Global Fund has been heartened by the intensive efforts of our partners in Uganda. We are very pleased that the progres
UNITED KINGDOM: One in Nine Among Under-25s Test Positive for Chlamydia: The Guardian (London) (11.10.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; James Meikle; British authorities fear that chlamydia may be even more widespread than had been thought following the disclosure that one in nine people under age 25 tested positive for the STD in a national screening program. Between April 2004 and March 2005, 60,698 young people were screened; 12.5 percent were males. Of females,
UNITED STATES: US FDA, Biogen Say Skin Drug Not for HIV Patients: Reuters (11.10.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; On Thursday, Biogen Idec Inc. and the Food and Drug Administration said Amevive, a skin drug manufactured by the biotechnology company, should not be used in patients with HIV. On the FDA Web site, the agency and the drug maker said that Amevive, which is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque
NEW MEXICO: Syphilis Infections on Rise in New Mexico: Albuquerque Journal (11.11.05) - Monday, November 14, 2005; Jackie Jadrnak; Syphilis cases continue to rise in New Mexico, whose rate of the disease climbed from fifth- to fourth-highest in the nation last year, according to recently released CDC figures. And while rates of the disease have been rising across the country, unlike the rest of the nation, New Mexico is seeing syphilis more freque
INDIA: Bollywood Actresses to Perform at AIDS Awareness Concert in Bombay: Associated Press (11.10.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; On Saturday, several prominent Indian actresses, Celina Jaitely and Yana Gupta, and singers, Shaan and Kunal Ganjawala, will perform at an AIDS awareness concert in Bombay. MTV, the event s sponsor, said the concert aims to promote responsibility among young people and educate them about steps they can take to avoid co
INDIANA: TB Cases Vex Health Department: Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, Ind.) (11.08.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Michael Schroeder; On Monday night, Dr. Deborah McMahan, Fort Wayne-Allen County health commissioner, told the health board the county has logged 18 confirmed TB cases so far this year, compared with 24 last year. The board s president, Dr. Gregory Schmitt, said, We really don t know if things are getting better or [if they remain] statu
GLOBAL: Congress Sends Bush $20.9 Billion Foreign-Aid Bill: Associated Press (11.10.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Liz Sidoti; On Thursday, Congress sent to President Bush a $20.9 billion foreign-aid bill. The bill allocates $2.8 billion to the international fight against AIDS; this is up $629 million from last year and is $268 million more than Bush requested. The president s Millennium Challenge program, which seeks to reward democratic refo
UNITED STATES: TV: A Lot of Sex and Sales: New York Times (11.10.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Lawrence Van Gelder; In a study released Wednesday, the Kaiser Family Foundation documented almost 3,800 scenes with sexual content in more than 1,100 TV shows it researched. In the 1998, the report s first year, 1,900 such scenes were found. The proportion of shows that included discussions of contraception, abstinence or safe sex was 14
CALIFORNIA: Place to Celebrate Life: Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.) (11.08.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Stefanie Frith; On Monday, Palm Springs Desert AIDS Project (DAP) broke ground on an 80-unit development designed to provide affordable housing for people with HIV/AIDS. The nonprofit partnered with about a dozen local and state organizations to finance the $10.5 million project, which should be completed by the end of next year. A g
ILLINOIS: Man Alive Health Summit: Windy City Times (Chicago) (11.09.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Amy Wooten; Social and cultural forces shaping the behaviors that place gay men at higher risk for HIV infection are often overlooked in prevention strategies, keynote speaker Ron Stall, PhD, told attendees of Test Positive Aware Network s annual Man Alive health summit in Chicago on Nov. 5. In HIV/AIDS studies, too much emphasis
RUSSIA: Impact of Gender and Sex Work on Sexual and Injecting Risk Behaviors and Their Association with HIV Positivity Among Injecting Drug Users in an HIV Epidemic in Togliatti City, Russian Federation: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 10: P. 605-612 (10.05.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Lucy Platt, MSc; Tim Rhodes, PhD; Catherine M. Lowndes, PhD; Peter Madden, MSc; Anya Sarang; Larissa Mikhailova, MD; Adrian Renton, PhD; Yury Pevzner, PhD; Kathleen Sullivan, BA; Mikhail Khutorskoy, PhD; Togliatti City has a large HIV epidemic associated with injecting drug use. The authors conducted the current study to examine whether risk behaviors and risk factors associated with HIV differed across a sample of injecting drug users (IDUs) by gender and sex work. Field workers recruited a sample of IDUs (n=423) comp
LATIN AMERICA: UNICEF Says There Is Worrying Spread of HIV Among Children in Latin America: Associated Press (11.10.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; At a regional HIV forum in San Salvador, UNICEF chief Miriam de Figueroa said the virus is spreading at an alarming rate among children in Latin America. We forget that behind the numbers there are hidden faces, the faces of children, said de Figueroa. The meeting in El Salvador has brought together more than 3,000
UNITED STATES: Pap Test Warning in Ad Campaign May Mislead: Chicago Tribune (11.09.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Connie Lauerman; In ads on TV and in magazines, Digene Corp. is promoting its test for human papillomavirus (HPV). The ads suggest that a Pap test alone might be insufficient for detecting cervical cancer. However, some doctors say the ads are somewhat misleading. The HPV test can only be administered with a Pap test, because the Pap t
NEW JERSEY: Syphilis Rates Rose Again in 2004, CDC Reports; In New Jersey, However, News Was Better: The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) (11.09.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Ruth Padawer; While CDC reported this week that the national rate for early- stage syphilis jumped 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, it fell by 15 percent in New Jersey. During that time, the state recorded a 16 percent drop in gonorrhea, compared with a 1.5 percent decline nationwide. Obviously we are very pleased that we re below the n
UNITED STATES: Food and Drug Administration Reports Reduced Risks with Condoms: New York Times (11.11.05) - Friday, November 11, 2005; Gardiner Harris; In a 63-page report issued Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration said that when used correctly, latex condoms greatly reduce the risk of pregnancy and certain STDs. The report, prepared in response to a 2000 law, will form the basis for condom package labeling and provide more up-to-date information about effectiv
AUSTRALIA: Teens Having Sex Earlier but First-Time Mums Older: Report: Australian Associated Press (11.08.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; A recent report examining the sexual lives of young people in Victoria found that the average age of sexual debut is 16 but the average age for first-time mothers is increasing to 29. Launched by Health Minister Bronwyn Pike and compiled by the Royal Women s Hospital, Family Planning Victoria and the Center for Adolesc
SINGAPORE: Business Alliance Formed to Fight AIDS Discrimination at Work: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.08.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; A new business alliance introduced on Tuesday will seek to fight HIV-based discrimination in the workplace and to educate people about AIDS, organizers said. Wang Kai Yuen, a member of Parliament and managing director of Xerox Singapore , will lead the alliance, whose 14 members come from the private sector. Wang said
LATIN AMERICA: In El Salvador, Thousands Gather to Fight HIV in Latin America: Associated Press (11.09.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; On Wednesday, Salvadoran President Tony Saca told some 3,000 people at an AIDS conference in San Salvador that preventing and treating HIV should be at the top of our political agenda. He added, One of the worst consequences of the AIDS epidemic is the discrimination. Without a doubt this violates people s dignity and
VIRGINIA: Health Workers Seek to Curb Syphilis Outbreak: Virginian-Pilot (11.10.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Nicole Morgan; An increase of syphilis in the Suffolk area prompted local and state health workers to hold an open forum yesterday on ways to eliminate the disease. Two years ago, about seven syphilis cases were reported in Western Tidewater, which includes the cities of Suffolk and Franklin, and Isle of Wight and Southampton countie
MEXICO: High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Detection and Related Risk Factors Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women in Mexico: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol.32; No. 10: P. 613-618 (10.05.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Carlos Hernandez-Giron, MD, MSc: Jennifer S. Smith, MPH, PhD; Attila Lorincz, MD, PhD; Eduardo Lazcano, MD DSc; Mauricio Hernandez-Avila, MD, DSc; Jorge Salmeron, MD, DSc; The authors conducted an epidemiologic study to identify differences in the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection between pregnant and nonpregnant women in Mexico . They also investigated the relationship of HPV DNA positivity with socioeconomic, gynecologic, and obstetric risk factors. In the past, signif
UNITED KINGDOM: British Mother Pushes for Parents' Right to Know When Teens Seek Sexual Health Advice: Associated Press (11.08.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Emily Behlmann; On Tuesday, a mother of two teenage girls filed a motion in London s High Court requesting a review of British guidelines that allow people under age 16 to seek sexual health advice or abortions without notifying their parents. In her filing, Sue Axon, a divorced mother of five from Manchester, cited the European Conve
NORTH CAROLINA: AIDS Funding Unfair, Feds Told: News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (11.07.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Cheryl Johnston Sadgrove; At a news conference Sunday at Raleigh-based Shaw University, North Carolina s office of HIV/STD Prevention and Care (HSPC) and patient advocates urged the federal government to distribute Ryan White CARE Act funds equally. RWCA provides primary health and support services to non- and under-insured HIV/AIDS patients, a
UNITED STATES: Senate Expands Medicaid Coverage of HIV Disease: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.10.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Bob Roehr; On Nov. 3, a five-year, $450 million demonstration project to provide HIV patients with earlier access to Medicaid benefits was approved by the Senate as an amendment to the 2006 budget reconciliation bill. The project enhances federal matches for states that extend Medicaid benefits to low-income HIV patients. The Ear
ALABAMA: Unreliable Alabama Testing Led to Low Chlamydia Rates in 2004: Associated Press (11.09.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Holly Lang; CDC figures released Tuesday show a decrease in Alabama s chlamydia cases, from 14,209 in 2003 to 13,314 in 2004. But state health officials said Wednesday that chlamydia cases are actually increasing, and they said the reported decrease was the result of unreliable testing procedures in Alabama. Alabama was the last s
UTAH: STDs Rise Among Utah Women: Salt Lake Tribune (11.09.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; Carey Hamilton; According to CDC data released Tuesday, Utah s syphilis rate remained fairly steady in 2004, with 13 cases reported, while gonorrhea cases in the state rose from 231 in 2000 to 603 in 2004. Utah s chlamydia cases climbed from 2,188 cases in 2000 to 3,857 in 2004. Seventy-five percent of Utah s gonorrhea and chlamydia c
LOUISIANA: State Has Top Rate of Syphilis; It Ranks 2 and 3 in Other Sexual Diseases: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (11.09.05) - Thursday, November 10, 2005; John Pope; CDC data released Tuesday indicate that Louisiana logged the nation s highest rate of syphilis last year, the second- highest rate of gonorrhea and the third-highest rate of chlamydia. In 2004, Louisiana s syphilis rate was 7.4 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 2.7 nationally. The state had 234.4 gonorrhea cases pe
CANADA: Average Canadians Have Sex 108 Times a Year, Survey Finds: Ottawa Citizen (11.09.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Misty Harris; According to the 2005 Global Sex Survey by condom maker Durex, Canadians engage in sex on average 108 times a year, compared to the global norm of 103 times. The ninth annual survey, the largest sexual health research project of its kind, solicited online responses from more than 317,000 people from 41 countries; no ma
GEORGIA: Make the Connection: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.08.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; On Friday, 7th Heaven television star Beverley Mitchell and a local physician will discuss cervical cancer and its connection to human papillomavirus at Atlanta s Lenox Square, 3393 Peachtree Rd., NE. For more information, telephone 1-888- 447-8266.
MISSOURI: St. Louis Leads the Nation in Rates of Gonorrhea: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11.09.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Deborah L. Shelton; St. Louis leads the nation in rates of gonorrhea and ranks second in chlamydia and fifth in syphilis, a CDC report released yesterday showed. Last year, 2,440 gonorrhea cases were reported in St. Louis, a rate of 734 cases per 100,000 people. Fewer than 50 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were reported in the ci
GLOBAL: United States OKs Generic AIDS Drug for Children's Use Abroad: Reuters (11.04.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; On Friday, US Food and Drug Administration officials announced the approval of generic lamivudine for use in President Bush s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a five-year, $15 billion initiative launched in 2003. The drug, made by India s Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., will not be available in US markets because the drug is sti
SOUTH DAKOTA: Panel: Scrap Sex-Ed Guide: Sioux Falls Argus Leader (11.08.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Brenda Wade Schmidt; On Monday, a committee reviewing the Sioux Falls School District s sex education materials recommended that the booklets and teachers guide be removed from middle schools. Ann Smith, who directed the committee s work, said the matter will next go before the school board. A report should be ready by the board s meeting
OHIO: Wright State University to Use Grant to Combat Hepatitis C: Dayton Daily News (11.04.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Mark Fisher; Last month, Wright State University medical school researchers won a five-year, $1.3 million federal health grant to help stem the spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the Dayton region. WSU researchers applied for the Department of Health and Human Services grant because HCV hasn t been addressed in our community befo
CALIFORNIA: Syphilis Cases Rise Across Nation in 2004; Bay Area Reverses Trend, Experts Say: San Francisco Chronicle (11.09.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Jason B. Johnson; Local health officials said the Bay Area has bucked the recent trend of a national increase in syphilis cases, which CDC reported on yesterday. Between the first half of 2004 and the first half of 2005, the number of new syphilis cases in San Francisco declined 27 percent, according to the city Department of Public Hea
UNITED KINGDOM: Increase in HIV Sexual Risk Behavior in Homosexual Men in Scotland, 1996-2002: Prevention Failure?: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 367-372 (10.05.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; G.J. Hart; L.M. Williamson; To examine trends in homosexual men s sexual risk behavior for HIV infection in Scotland, the authors conducted cross- sectional surveys in 1996, 1999 and 2002 in gay bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Overall, they interviewed 6,508 men: 2,276 (79 percent response rate) in 1996, 2,498 (78 percent response rate) in 1999 an
GLOBAL: Poor Legal Protection for Women, Children Exposes Them to HIV: Experts: Agence France Presse (11.09.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Women and children are at a higher HIV/AIDS risk because of the widespread failure to protect their legal and property rights, said experts at an International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) conference in Kuala Lumpur. These rights include protections from rape, physical abuse and discrimination, experts told the f
UNITED STATES: AIDS Activists Push Congress for More Money, Attention: Associated Press (11.08.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Erica Werner; On Tuesday in Washington, hundreds rallied for the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA), urging Congress to pay attention to HIV/AIDS and reauthorize the Ryan White Care Act (RWCA), which expired in September. I feel like people have kind of forgotten about HIV because people are not dropping dead as frequently as they used to,
UNITED STATES: Officials Report Mixed Picture on STD Rates: New York Times (11.09.05) - Wednesday, November 09, 2005; Lawrence K. Altman; On Tuesday in a telephone conference with journalists, CDC officials reported that while US gonorrhea rates have dropped to their lowest recorded level, syphilis and chlamydia are on the rise. In 2004, the national gonorrhea rate fell to 113.5 cases per 100,000 people. This was the STD s lowest rate since 1941, when th
NIGERIA: UNICEF Launches Campaign to Protect Nigerian Children Against AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.06.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; UNICEF is launching a major campaign aimed at protecting children from HIV/AIDS in Nigeria , which has the third highest number of infected people in the world. Globally every minute, a child under the age of 15 dies because of AIDS, UNICEF said in a statement released Sunday in Lagos. More than 600,000 infants are bo
INDIANA: Anderson Schools Host Forum on Teen Sex: Associated Press (11.08.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Anderson Community School officials will host an open forum on Wednesday intended to give girls an early warning about the potential hazards of teenage sex. The program is designed for preteen girls in grades 4-6 and their mothers. A similar program is being developed for boys. It s the time when students start to go t
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma's Adolescent Birth Rate Exceeds National Rate: Associated Press (11.04.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Oklahoma s birth rate among females ages 15-19 was 56 births per 1,000 in 2003, 33.3 percent higher than the national rate of 42 births per 1,000 females in the same age group, the state Department of Health said Friday. Oklahoma s health care system spends around $24.4 million on adolescent births and could potentiall
UNITED STATES: AIDS Protesters Arrested Outside White House: Associated Press (11.07.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; On Monday, 29 people among a crowd of about 150 AIDS activists were arrested outside the White House. The protesters, who were with the Campaign to End AIDS, staged a peaceful die-in and held tombstone-shaped signs reading, Stop Bush s War on AIDS. Sgt. Scott Fear, US Park Police spokesperson, said the 29 were charged
CALIFORNIA: Department of Public Health's Tierney Jumps to San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.03.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; San Francisco s director of HIV prevention for the past five years, Steven Tierney, is resigning his position to become deputy director of programs and services for San Francisco AIDS Foundation. His new job begins Dec. 1. SFAF s former program and service director, Renee Durazzo, departed in September after serving SF
CALIFORNIA: Meth Task Force Plans to Focus on Treatment in Proposal to Mayor: San Francisco Chronicle (11.08.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Wyatt Buchanan; In recommendations to be delivered to Mayor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, San Francisco s 75-member Crystal Methamphetamine Task Force calls for expanding existing prevention, treatment and law enforcement efforts against the drug. The impetus for the Task Force was the connection between meth use and new HIV infections,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Meth Comes Out of the Closet: Washington Post (11.08.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; John-Manuel Andriote; District health officials are launching a crystal methamphetamine education, counseling and treatment campaign in response to the growing number of gay residents who use the libido-enhancing drug, some while cruising for sex. Whitman-Walker Clinic, which provides HIV/AIDS care and other services, reports that 75 percen
UNITED KINGDOM: The Effects of Early Syphilis on CD4 Counts and HIV-1 RNA Viral Loads in Blood and Semen: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81; P. 380-385 (10.05.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; S.T. Sadiq; J. McSorley; A.J. Copas; J. Bennett; S.J. Edwards; S. Kaye; S. Kirk; P. French; I.V.D. Weller; The researchers conducted a retrospective case-controlled study comparing blood plasma HIV-1 viral loads and CD4 counts in cases during early syphilis (n=63, 27 receiving antiretroviral therapy) to those before and after syphilis and with controls with non-systemic acute sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (n=104, 3
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Policies Thwart HIV Victims Seeking Help: Chicago Tribune (11.07.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Paul Salopek; Even in the best of times, Zimbabwe s AIDS crisis, 12.7 million citizens are HIV-infected, and up to 3,000 new cases surface every week, would be a daunting public-health challenge. But the problem is compounded by myriad other issues: hyperinflation, scarce foreign funds to import medicines, mass hunger, drought, and
CHINA: Hospitals in China Find Profit in AIDS: Washington Post (11.08.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Peter S. Goodman; Chinese government efforts to supply 30,000 HIV patients with free antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by the end of the year are being undermined by a health care system in crisis, some patients and medical experts say. Since the communist government began privatizing health care by lowering its share of total funding for ser
CANADA: Health Canada OKs First Rapid-Result HIV Test for Doctor's Office, Clinics: Canadian Press (11.07.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Sheryl Ubelacker; On Oct. 25, Health Canada approved for the first time a rapid HIV test for use in doctors offices, clinics and hospital emergency rooms. Using a drop of blood, the Insti HIV antibody test produces results in 60 seconds on average, said Richard Galli, director of research and development for the test s maker, Biolytical
UNITED STATES: A Plan to Eradicate AIDS: Bay Windows (Boston) (11.03.05) - Tuesday, November 08, 2005; Laura Kiritsy; At AIDS Action Committee s (AAC) annual meeting on Nov. 1 in Boston, Executive Director Rebecca Haag said her agency is joining other AIDS service organizations nationwide in advocating bold thinking and a new innovative approach to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The normative framework in which we define HIV and AIDS i
CALIFORNIA: Elizabeth Taylor Shines at AIDS Center Dedication in Los Angeles: Associated Press (11.05.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Sandy Cohen; On Friday, Elizabeth Taylor attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the Clinical AIDS Research and Education Center of the University of California-Los Angeles. Taylor also announced the creation of the Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund, which will support the center s work through grants and p
CHINA: Chinese Flock to Sex Festival as Society Sheds Taboos: Agence France Presse (11.07.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; On Saturday at the Third Guangzhou Sex Culture Festival, experts and local officials sought to disseminate information about the dangers of unsafe sex. More than 50,000 people attended the first day of the three-day event, reported the state-controlled China Daily. Other cities are planning similar events, including Sh
GLOBAL: House Foreign Aid Bill Boosts AIDS Funding: Associated Press (10.04.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Liz Sidoti; On Friday, the House of Representatives voted 358-39 to approve a spending package that provides $20.9 billion for foreign-policy programs and aid to poor nations. The product of compromise between the House and Senate, the bill commits $2.8 billion to the international fight against AIDS, up $629 million over last yea
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Whitman-Walker Resumes Search for New Director: Washington Blade (11.04.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Lou Chibbaro, Jr.; On Oct. 27, the board of the Whitman-Walker Clinic (WWC) announced it has reopened its search for a new executive director, more than six months after the agency suspended its search due to a financial crisis. Whitman-Walker Clinic s financial situation has stabilized somewhat in the last several months, and the board
CALIFORNIA: Police Presence Puts Chill on Needle Exchanges: Los Angeles Times (11.04.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Rong-Gong Lin II; Daniel Costello; In Los Angeles, some needle exchange staffers and intravenous drug users say police are intimidating program clients. Shoshanna Scholar, executive director of Clean Needles Now, said participation in the outreach had declined significantly since mid-September, when police began showing up at the site. She recently made
UNITED STATES: Study Shows Barriers to HIV Vaccine Acceptance: Women's Health Weekly (11.08.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; New research suggests that public-health officials must respond to concerns about stigma and vaccine-induced infection if women are to take full advantage of eventual HIV vaccines. Peter A. Newman, of the University of Toronto, and colleagues from the University of California-Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Hea
SOUTH AFRICA: A Two-Front Fight: AIDS, the Church: Chicago Tribune (11.04.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Laurie Goering; Bishop Kevin Dowling acknowledges that abstinence and faithfulness in marriage, the Catholic Church s antidote to the AIDS epidemic, are the only way to be sure you won t get infected. But in Dowling s diocese in Phokeng, a poor township outside of Rustenburg, South Africa , the only solution we have at the moment is c
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Activists Threaten Legal Action if Health Ministry Fails to Shut Down Controversial Doctor: Associated Press (11.04.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Clare Nullis; On Friday, some 1,300 members of the Treatment Action Campaign demonstrated outside the offices of South Africa s Medicines Control Council (MCC) demanding it close down the operations of a German-born doctor accused of undermining the country s fight against HIV/AIDS. Matthias Rath has come under fire from the
CHINA: Victims of HIV Scandal Detained at Major Conference in China: Agence France Presse (11.07.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Some 30 people who contracted HIV from blood transfusions were briefly detained by authorities when they tried to deliver a petition to Chinese government officials, according to their friends and fellow activists. The 30 were among 50 people from Henan province who traveled to the provincial capital of Zhengzhou, wher
UNITED STATES: Barriers Falling for HIV-Positive Patients Seeking Kidney and Liver Transplants: Associated Press (11.02.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; David Crary; AIDS advocates are buoyed by two recent successes in winning equal access for HIV patients seeking organ transplants. In September, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the first state measure to prohibit insurance firms from denying coverage for organ transplantation based solely on a patient s HIV st
UNITED STATES: AIDS Rally Calls Attention to Disease's Devastation Among Blacks: Washington Post (11.06.05) - Monday, November 07, 2005; Lori Montgomery; On Saturday, nearly 300 AIDS activists from across the nation gathered in Washington to call for a renewed federal and societal commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic. Participants in the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA) are scheduled to lobby Congress over the next three days for more attention, resources, and research. Th
KENTUCKY: Two Active Cases of TB Found in Bowling Green: Associated Press (11.03.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; After a college student and an elementary-school pupil were diagnosed with TB, health officials in Bowling Green announced plans to test more than 500 people for the disease. Rebecca Tyree, a Barren River District Health Department communicable- disease nurse, said about 375 students and staff will be tested at Western
LESOTHO: Tiny Lesotho Struggles as AIDS Timebomb Ticks Away: Agence France Presse (10.23.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; Southern Africa s Lesotho is one of the world s poorest countries, with a per capita income of $590 per year and the third-highest HIV/AIDS rate. Twenty-nine percent of those ages 15-49 are HIV-positive. Since 1991, life expectancy has fallen from 60 years to only 35 at present. The tiny, mountainous nation is one of s
GLOBAL: AIDS and Children - A Texas Victory, a World Crisis: Dallas Morning News (10.31.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; In the 1990s, the United States declared war on mother-to- child HIV infections. It made a difference. Just last week, for example, Catholic Charities shut its child care center for HIV-positive preschool children in Fort Worth because so few children have the virus. For the rest of the world, that day of celebration
NEW YORK: School AIDS Efforts Assailed: Newsday (New York) (11.04.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; Ellen Yan; Concerned that students are having problems accessing health advice and condoms at New York City high schools, the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP) yesterday launched a Find the Condom in Your Schools campaign. The nonprofit wants campaigners to request condoms from staff and survey their peers on condom
CALIFORNIA: Crystal Use Drops Among Gay Men: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.03.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; Data from the Stop AIDS Project (SAP) surveys show the number of men who reported crystal meth use dropped 8 percent between the last half of 2003 and the first six months of 2005. In 2003, 18 percent of the 1,305 men surveyed said they had used crystal in the last six months. By 2005, only 10 percent of the 809 men su
SUDAN: Changing the Prescribing Patterns of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the White Nile Region of Sudan: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 426-427 (10.05.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; I.B. Eltayeb; A.I. Awad; M.S. Mohamed-Salih; M.A. Daffa-Alla; M.B. Ahmed; M.A. Ogail; L. Matowe; It is suspected that the number of inappropriate prescriptions for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is high in Sudan . The authors evaluated the effect of multifaceted interventions on prescribing for STIs in the White Nile State, Sudan. The study involved 20 health centers randomly assigned to four different mul
UNITED STATES: HIV Drugs Not at Fault for Causing Gain in Girth: New York Times (11.01.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; David Tuller; Many HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors have experienced peripheral lipoatrophy, the loss of fat tissue in their cheeks, arms, legs and buttocks, as well as central lipohypertrophy, weight gain in the upper trunk. Some patients so feared this syndrome, called lipodystrophy, that they refused treatment with t
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Envoy Criticizes South African Government Treatment: Associated Press (11.03.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; Clare Nullis; In an Associated Press interview Thursday, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis said poorer African nations are doing a better job than South Africa is in providing treatment to HIV-infected patients. Only the most energetic, uncompromising political leadership can turn this thing around, Lewis said v
UNITED STATES: Abstinence Educators Urged to Persist: Washington Times (11.04.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; Cheryl Wetzstein; Yesterday at the first national conference on evaluating abstinence education, federal officials urged educators to continue their work despite public controversy over the programs. Abstinence-based sex education is an emerging field of behavioral intervention, said Dr. Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for popul
UNITED STATES: FDA Considers Approving First Do-It-Yourself Test for HIV: Associated Press (11.03.05) - Friday, November 04, 2005; John J. Lumpkin; On Thursday, a committee of independent expert advisors to the Food and Drug Administration listened to testimony sounding out the potential benefits and pitfalls of over-the-counter sales of OraQuick Advance. The 20-minute HIV test, made by OraSure Technology, is widely used in doctors offices and clinics. The panel w
ILLINOIS: Crystal Breaks Campaign News: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.26.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Amy Wooten; On Oct. 17, the Chicago Crystal Meth Task Force met and learned that the Crystal Breaks campaign is going well. The word is out there, we re getting great press, and the campaign has been really successful, said Fletcher Whitwell of Starcom, which helped create the public service announcements. The campaign s Web site,
RUSSIA: 32,000 HIV, 50,000 TB Cases in Russian Jails: Official: Agence France Presse (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Justice ministry figures presented to Russia s Duma on Wednesday show 32,062 inmates with HIV and 49,334 with TB among the country s incarcerated population. The rise in HIV cases is not caused by an epidemic in prisons but reflects the general trend in the country, said Ludmila Alpern of the nongovernmental Moscow Cen
LIBYA: Libya Denies Legal Deal over Bulgarian Nurses: Reuters (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Salah Sarrar; In a Wednesday interview with Reuters, a senior Libyan official denied a published report that the nation would scrap capital punishment to facilitate the release of five Bulgarian nurses. The five, together with a Palestinian doctor, were sentenced to death following conviction on charges of deliberately infecting chi
TURKEY: BCG Protects 'More Than Thought': BBC News (10.15.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; A UK study of 979 children from Istanbul found that the BCG vaccine protects some people by preventing them from catching TB, rather than merely by preventing TB infection from becoming an active disease. The heaf test, often used to check for TB infection, can give false-positive results in people who have been vaccin
MADAGASCAR: Madagascan Mine Brings AIDS Threat: BBC News (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Olenka Frenkiel; HIV infection rates in poverty-stricken Madagascar are said to be under 2 percent, a fraction of the rates of nearby countries in sub-Saharan Africa. But plans to build an ilmenite mine in the south, the country s poorest region, have some worried that the development could expose Madagascar to an explosion of HIV/AIDS
UNITED KINGDOM: 1,321 Teens Are Treated in Ulster Sex Clinics: Belfast Telegraph (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Nigel Gould; In the past year, 1,321 teens contacted sex health clinics in Northern Ireland after contracting STDs, official figures show. Of the teens who made initial contact with Genito- Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics, 81 girls and 19 boys were age 15, while 22 girls and one boy were age 14 or younger.
VIETNAM: Drug Substitution Treatment in Vietnam to Fight HIV/AIDS: Expert: Agence France Presse (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Vietnam s ability to combat HIV/AIDS rests in part on providing substitution treatment for intravenous drug users, government and World Health Organization officials said Wednesday in a statement. According to WHO, transmission via needles accounts for the majority of new HIV infections in Asia. The future of the
CALIFORNIA: Sex Questions Found Not to Violate Parents' Rights: San Francisco Chronicle (11.03.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Bob Egelko; Yesterday in San Francisco, the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that parents rights were not violated when a Los Angeles County elementary school conducted a student psychological survey that included questions about sexual feelings and masturbation. While the judges refrained from commenting on the wisdom
CALIFORNIA: Scientists Tout Stem Cells' Use to Battle HIV: Contra Costa Times (11.03.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Betsy Mason; Together with Ronald Mitsuyasu, a University of California-Los Angeles researcher and HIV/AIDS specialist, UCLA virologist Jerome Zack is working on a way to insert a gene into bone marrow stem cells that could either protect the cells from HIV or deactivate virus already in the cells. The effort would replace a gene t
UNITED STATES: HIV Home Test to Be Debated: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.02.05) - Thursday, November 03, 2005; Linda Loyd; On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to hear OraSure Technologies Inc. and public health officials, including CDC, discuss rapid-result at-home HIV testing. OraSure makes OraQuick Advance Rapid Test, the only FDA- approved HIV-1 and -2 rapid oral fluids/blood test, which is already widely used in
LIBYA: Libya Seen Likely to Free Bulgarian Nurses - Report: Reuters (11.02.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; On Nov. 15, Libya s supreme court is set to rule on an appeal filed by five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for deliberately infecting with HIV hundreds of hospitalized children. The six have maintained their innocence. Today, the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat quoted Arab diplomatic sources as
CALIFORNIA: Sex Ed for Parents: Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (11.01.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Mike Schwartz; The California Family Health Council in Los Angeles recently launched Talk with Your Kids, a campaign to help parents talk with their children about sex. The initiative is training community health providers to work with parents to encourage healthy communication about sex; disseminating more than 100,000 tip sheets to
NEW HAMPSHIRE: HIV/AIDS Commission Says Federal Help Working: Associated Press (11.01.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; A New Hampshire legislative committee studying the state s system for helping residents with HIV/AIDS urged Gov. John Lynch and the state congressional delegation to seek continued funding for the federal Ryan White CARE Act, which is up for renewal. Legislators have been concerned about possible cuts to Ryan White, th
GLOBAL: Congress Trims Foreign-Aid Budget: Wall Street Journal (11.02.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; David Rogers; Late Tuesday, House-Senate negotiators reached agreement on a $20.9 billion foreign-aid bill. It includes an estimated $2.82 billion to fight AIDS overseas, approximately $258 million more than President Bush requested. The bill devotes $450 million, double the administration s request, to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS
MICHIGAN: Save Lives - Test for HIV: Detroit Free Press (10.31.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Many Americans infected with HIV, perhaps one-third, don t know it, and the problem is far worse among poor people and minorities, who have less access to health care. One step the nation s doctors, hospitals and clinics could take immediately to ease the problem is making HIV testing routine, which would increase inf
CALIFORNIA: Last Hurrah for Long-Standing Charity Plant Bazaar: Sacramento Bee (10.29.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Pat Rubin; After nearly a decade of potting and selling plants for local AIDS charities, Bob Hamm is finally calling it quits. Hamm will sell about 2,000 plants for $1 apiece at his last AIDS Benefit Plant Sale, Nov. 1-6. It s been an interesting journey, but it s time to quit, said Hamm, who has lived with HIV for 20 years and c
CALIFORNIA: University Medical Center Seeks Hepatitis C Patients: Fresno Bee (10.31.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Barbara Anderson; Researchers at Fresno s University Medical Center are seeking hepatitis C virus-infected Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites for the Hepatitis C Latino Study sponsored by the drug maker Roche. The scientists believe there may be differences in how Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients respond to treatment for the infe
UNITED STATES: Health Indicators Among Low-Income Women Who Report a History of Sex Work: the Population-Based Northern California Young Women's Survey: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 428-433 (10.05.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; D.L. Cohan; A. Kim; J. Ruiz; S. Morrow; J. Reardon; M. Lynch; J.D. Klausner; F. Molitor; B. Allen; B. Green Ajufo; D. Ferrero; G. Bell Sanford; K. Page-Shafer; V. Delgado; W. McFarland; for the Young Women's Survey Team; The authors conducted a secondary analysis of a population- based, cross-sectional survey of young, low-income women in northern California, examining differences in demographic characteristics, HIV-related risk behavior, prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV, and other health concerns among women
IRAQ: In Iraq, Little Solace and Even Less Care for Those with HIV: Newark Star-Ledger (10.31.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; James Palmer; Discrimination and a lack of medications are among the many challenges that confront HIV-positive people in Iraq . The Baghdad-based AIDS Research Center (ARC) has found only 448 HIV cases since 1987 and 21 new cases since April 2003. But experts fear that the primary route of transmission has shifted away from blood t
CHINA: Credibility Concerns May Make China Coy About Disclosing HIV Data: Expert: Agence France Presse (11.01.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Chinese officials may be concealing new HIV/AIDS data because refined surveillance techniques yielded fewer actual cases than the 840,000 infections that government officials have regularly cited for the past two years, a US expert on China said Tuesday. But a Chinese health ministry official in charge of monitoring HI
UNITED STATES: HIV/AIDS Message Fills Hearts, Highways: Washington Post (10.31.05) - Wednesday, November 02, 2005; Susan Levine; Nine cross-country caravans of HIV/AIDS activists in the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA), traveling by minivans, buses and even by foot, are scheduled to converge in Washington this Saturday to begin 4 Days of Action. Through October, the caravans began winding their way through US cities and towns along their routes to th
TEXAS: Baylor Offers Free Medical Lectures: Houston Chronicle (10.27.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; On Nov. 8 at Rice University, the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management Dean s Lecture Series will feature On the Cusp of Hope: Corporate and Academic Partnerships Against Global HIV/AIDS. The lecture will focus on the care and support of AIDS patients in impoverished countries. Officials from Baylor and its cor
GLOBAL: US Health Group Receives World's Largest Humanitarian Prize: Associated Press (10.31.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; On Monday, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced it had awarded Boston-based Partners in Health a $1.5 million Humanitarian Prize for its community health-care work in Haiti , Peru , Mexico , Guatemala ,
UNITED STATES: Food and Drug Administration Approves Tablet Form of HIV Inhibitor Kaletra: Wall Street Journal (11.01.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Dow Jones Newswires; Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories said it has received Food and Drug Administration approval for a tablet form of its HIV inhibitor Kaletra . The new form will allow adult patients to take fewer pills with or without food as part of their treatment regime, and it does not require refrigeration.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Committee to Consider Fate of Sex Ed Curriculum: Associated Press (10.31.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; On Nov. 7, a committee of parents, teachers and school officials will advise Sioux Falls District Schools Superintendent Pam Homan on what to do with a sex education curriculum that was approved for use in middle schools this fall without parental input. The school board will then make a final determination on the curr
SOUTH CAROLINA: Wind-Tossed AIDS Caravan Makes Its Way to Columbia: The State (Columbia, S.C.) (11.01.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Linda H. Lamb; On Wednesday, a caravan of AIDS activists is expected in Columbia for a rally offering information, music and prayer at the State House. WIS-TV s Craig Melvin will host the event. The caravan is one of 10 traveling the country in support of the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA). Similar caravans are visiting more than 150 US
UNITED STATES: HIV-Related Risk Behavior Among Hispanic Immigrant Men in a Population-Based Household Survey in Low- Income Neighborhoods of Northern California: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 8: P. 487-490 (08.05.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Vivian Levy, MD; Kimberly Page-Shafer, MPH; Jennifer Evans, MS; Juan Ruiz, MD, DrPH; Scott Morrow, MD, MPH; Juan Reardon, MD; Martin Lynch; H. Fisher Raymond; Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH; Mathew Facer, PhD; Fred Molitor, PhD; Barbara Allen, MD, MPH;; The authors compared risk behaviors and HIV testing between recent (in the United States 5 years) Hispanic immigrant men (n=410). The investigators conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey of HIV/sexually transmitted disease markers and risk behaviors in men ages 18-35 in low-income census block groups in t
UGANDA: Uganda Takes Up Abstinence Campaign: Los Angeles Times (10.31.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Edmund Sanders; Uganda s AIDS prevention campaign, considered one of the world s most successful, has fractured over its ABC strategy, which stresses abstinence, being faithful and condoms. Some religious groups and politicians believe condom promotion has gone too far and are downplaying safe sex in favor of abstinence. Even Presiden
CARIBBEAN: UN Health Official Urges Caribbean Companies to Spend More on HIV Prevention for Employees: Associated Press (10.31.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Kerry-Ann Hamilton; On Monday in Port-of- Spain , Trinidad , the executive director of UNAIDS called on companies to increase their investment in HIV prevention or prepare for the higher health-care costs that accompany rising rates of infection.
GEORGIA: High Hepatitis Rates Spur State Health Campaign: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.29.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Patricia Guthrie; A new state health campaign will seek to stem the spread of hepatitis in Georgia, where infection rates for some forms of the disease are two to three times higher than national levels. The effort will focus first on providing information through health care providers; it will then use radio and TV spots and an educati
UNITED STATES: AIDS Gel on a Faster Track: Washington Post (11.01.05) - Tuesday, November 01, 2005; Justin Gillis; A study to be published this week in the journal Nature found that certain AIDS drugs topically applied as a vaginal microbicide gel might prevent an HIV-like infection in monkeys. And on Monday, the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) announced it had struck a licensing deal granting it rights to create a
CHINA: China Launches One-Yuan Donation Appeal for AIDS Victims: Xinhua News Agency (10.31.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; This month, China launched a nationwide one-yuan donation program to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and help provide money for people infected or affected by the disease. Launched by the 121 Joint Action Organizing Committee, the initiative plans to direct one yuan (12.3 US cents) donations to help AIDS orphans and infe
ZAMBIA: At Least 1.7 Million Zambians Need Food, UN Agency Warns: Associated Press (10.28.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; On Friday, the UN World Food Program warned that a food shortage affecting at least 1.7 million Zambians is quickly deteriorating in the face of little international assistance. Villages are on the brink of widespread starvation, said David Stevenson, WFP country director. There is no maize, wild foods are exhausted, a
MASSACHUSETTS: Data: More People with AIDS Surviving: Boston Herald (10.28.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Jon Brodkin; There were 15,289 Massachusetts residents living with HIV/AIDS at the end of last year, a 25 percent increase from 1999, according to a study of Department of Public Health AIDS data. Much of the increase is attributed to advances in new treatments that have cut AIDS mortality. Until 10 years ago, every single one of m
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Student Health Center Pushes HIV Testing Program: The Hilltop (Howard University, Washington) (10.31.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Anya L. Alexander; Last week, Howard University s Student Service Center kicked off its HIV Testing Initiative, offering students free, confidential testing at their dormitories, with results in 20 minutes. We try to make a conscious effort to get to the dormitories because we find that more students are willing to take the test because
ARIZONA: Health Groups Fight STDs Among Valley Hispanics: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (10.31.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Mel Mel�ndez; The Phoenix-based Concilio Latino de Salud (Latino Health Council) is partnering with local agencies to offer HIV/STD screenings, treatment and education, and other public-health services to the city s residents, especially Latinos. No� Vargas, a program manager with the nonprofit, said Concilio targets Latinos because
UNITED STATES: Scans Show How HIV Attacks Brain: BBC News (10.11.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; As drug therapies improve, many HIV/AIDS patients are living longer. However, studies suggest that at least two patients in five will experience cognitive impairments, ranging from minor deficits to dementia . The pattern of damage HIV inflicts on the brain has not been well understood. In the current study, Dr. Pa
SOUTH AFRICA: Male Circumcision Reduces HIV Risk by 60 Percent, Says Study: The Guardian (London) (10.25.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Ian Sample; In a recently published study tracking more than 3,000 heterosexual men for almost two years, scientists have found that circumcision reduces a man s risk of acquiring HIV by 60 percent. Researchers who previously noted differences in HIV acquisition between groups of circumcised and uncircumcised men have suspected th
UKRAINE: Aid Group Urges Ukraine to Combat Discrimination Against HIV/AIDS Patients: Associated Press (10.27.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; On Thursday, Doctors Without Borders (DWB) urged Ukraine to combat the prejudice and discrimination HIV/AIDS patients face in the ex-Soviet republic, which has one of the highest infection rates in Eastern Europe. Official government figures show 76,875 HIV cases recorded since the country s first reported case in 1987
AFRICA: Vaginal Gel Trials Start in Africa: Associated Press (10.28.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Clare Nullis; On Thursday in Johannesburg, the first nine volunteers enrolled in what will become the largest trial ever of PRO 2000, a vaginal gel designed to act as a physical barrier to prevent HIV reaching target cells during sexual intercourse, said Sibongile Walaza of the University of Witwatersrand Reproductive Health Researc
ARIZONA: Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Must Cover Transplant: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (10.31.05) - Monday, October 31, 2005; Kerry Fehr-Snyder; An administrative law judge has ruled that an HIV-positive Phoenix woman cannot be denied a state Medicaid-funded liver transplant on the basis of her health status. Last November, Brenda Gwin was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease caused by hepatitis C infection. That same month, the Arizona Health Care Cost Conta
ILLINOIS: Hastert's Office to Meet with AIDS Advocates: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.26.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; At noon Friday in Aurora, staffers from the office of US Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) are scheduled to hold a town hall meeting with some 40 AIDS advocates to discuss the re-authorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. The meeting is one stop among many for activists who are traveling to Washington to rall
NEVADA: Nevada Pharmacy Board Delays Decision on Conscience Clause: Associated Press (10.27.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Kathleen Hennessey; On Thursday, the state Pharmacy Board voted to extend to Dec. 8 the debate over a proposed conscience clause that would outline pharmacists rights to refuse to dispense medicines on moral grounds. The board is examining whether pharmacists can refuse to fill prescriptions they find morally objectionable, and if so, wha
MISSISSIPPI: Lawmakers Examine Mississippi's Disparities in Health Care: Associated Press (10.27.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Valerie Bauman; On Thursday, Mississippi legislators gathered at the Capitol in Jackson for a public hearing of health disparities affecting state residents. State and nongovernmental data were presented that showed extensive, profound health inequalities. A report by United Health Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization support
CALIFORNIA: Kaiser Play Puts Sex, AIDS in Spotlight: Contra Costa Times (10.24.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Jackie Burrell; Before an audience of more than 500 freshmen in the Livermore High School gymnasium, Kaiser Permanente s educational theater program recently performed Secrets, a play about teen sex, HIV, abstinence and drug use. Secrets is one of four of the HMO s theater productions that play free to 300,000 Northern California stud
TEXAS: Closing of HIV Center Is a Symbol of Progress: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (10.26.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Chris Vaughn; A few years after the Anne Simon Reeves Center s 1991 launch as a hospice for HIV-positive children, HIV treatments improved and the Fort Worth-based Catholic Charities program switched missions to become a daycare center for infected and affected children. On Tuesday, the center celebrated its closure, a final milepos
ILLINOIS: Syphilis Cases on the Rise: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.26.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Amy Wooten; The number of syphilis cases in Chicago more than doubled from 2004 and 2005, prompting health officials to look for ways to reduce new infections. Men who have sex with men (MSM) make up more than 70 percent of cases. Diagnoses among Latino MSM have increased 300 percent, from 7 to 21 primary and secondary cases throu
BELGIUM: Lymphogranuloma Venereum Outbreak in Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Belgium, January 2004 to July 2005: Euro Surveillance Weekly Vol. 10; No. 9 (09.29.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Marc Vandenbruaene; Bart Ostyn; Tania Crucitti; Koen De Schrijver; Andre Sasse; Mark Sergeant; Eddy Van Dyck; Marjan Van Esbroeck; Filip Moerman; Following an alert from the Netherlands in January 2004, health experts discovered an outbreak of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Antwerp in 2004. ESSTI ALERT, a surveillance system that monitors sexually transmitted infection (STI) events, helped broadcast the alert. In January
GLOBAL: Manchester United's Ferguson Backs UNICEF AIDS Campaign: Agence France Presse (10.25.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; On Tuesday, top UK soccer club Manchester United said it will support a new UN campaign aimed at focusing worldwide attention on children affected by HIV/AIDS. We today announce our firm commitment to focus efforts on the issue of AIDS affecting children, said Sir Alex Ferguson, the club s manager. We recognize that AI
SOUTH AFRICA: Center to Study Local Plants for Clues to HIV: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.24.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Tamar Kahn; A consortium of researchers studying local plants that traditional healers use to fight HIV/AIDS recently received $4.4 million from the US National Institutes of Health. While four out of five South Africans use traditional medicines, according to the Health Department, there is little scientific evidence of their the
UNITED STATES: Government Considers First Do-It-Yourself AIDS Test: Associated Press (10.27.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; John J. Lumpkin; On Nov. 3, the Food and Drug Administration s Blood Products Advisory Committee will consider whether to recommend over- the-counter sales of an oral HIV test. The OraQuick Advance HIV test could become the first FDA-approved HIV test consumers can take without the presence of a health care worker or the need to mail a
UNITED STATES: Doctors Support a Childhood Vaccine for a Sex- Related Virus: New York Times (10.28.05) - Friday, October 28, 2005; Lawrence K. Altman; According to a new survey reported Thursday to an expert panel meeting in Atlanta, most pediatricians would be willing to give patients a vaccine against the types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause most cases of cervical cancer if federal officials licensed the immunization. Merck & Co. and
MARYLAND: In Brief: Washington Post (10.27.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; The Odenton Health Center in Odenton, whose services include immunizations, HIV testing, HIV/AIDS case management and TB testing, is under renovation and will remain closed through the end of the year. Clients of the center will be treated at the Glen Burnie Health Center, 416 A St. SW in Glen Burnie. For information,
UNITED STATES: Business News in Brief from Around New Jersey: Associated Press (10.26.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; On Wednesday, Tibotec Therapeutics announced it has expanded access to TMC114, an experimental AIDS drug. The program will provide a treatment option for HIV-positive patients in need of the drug, the company said. For more information about TMC114, visit www.tibotec.com.
FLORIDA: Suit Filed over Medical Care at Jail: St. Petersburg Times (10.26.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Saundra Amrhein; An HIV-positive former inmate at Hillsborough County Jail is suing Prison Health Services Inc. (PHS), the facility s medical contractor, alleging that it denied her treatment, which resulted in her going blind. In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Hillsborough Circuit Court, Aretha Jackson accuses the company of cruel and
WASHINGTON: Locals Join HIV/AIDS Caravan: Spokesman Review (Spokane, Wash.) (10.24.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Peter Barnes; On Sunday, three Spokane residents joined a caravan from Seattle and the East Coast as part of the national Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA). The initiative culminates next month in Washington, D.C., with rallies to back increased federal HIV/AIDS funding. It s time to not be afraid anymore and put a stop to this, said Spok
UNITED STATES: Access to Reproductive Health Services May Facilitate HIV Treatment: AIDS Weekly & Law (09.01.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; In order to explore the integration of reproductive health services into HIV care and treatment programs, L. Myers and colleagues at Columbia University studied the design and progress of the MTCT-Plus Initiative, which provides HIV care and treatment services to HIV-positive women as well as their HIV-positive childre
GLOBAL: UNICEF AIDS Campaign Launches in Britain: Associated Press (10.25.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Jenn Wiant; On Tuesday in London, UNICEF and UNAIDS kicked off a $30 million global campaign to raise awareness and money for children infected with HIV, living with an infected parent, or orphaned by AIDS. The London event was one of several held around the world marking the launch of Unite for Children. Unite Against AIDS. A go
SUDAN: Stigma, Ignorance Risk Spread of AIDS in Sudan: Reuters (10.24.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Opheera McDoom; Nearly three-quarters of Sudanese young people ages 19-25 are sexually active, but fewer than a tenth know how to protect themselves from STDs, UNICEF said Monday. Compared to sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV/AIDS incidence in some countries is as high as 10 percent, Sudan has a relatively low incidence of 1.6 percent of
GLOBAL: UN Report: Disease, Aging Workers and Labor Migration Threaten the Public Sector: Associated Press (10.26.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Robin Hindery; Labor migration, changing birth and mortality rates and HIV/AIDS are hindering governments provision of public services including education, health care and transportation, according to the UN World Public Sector Report 2005, released Wednesday. The emigration of skilled, educated health professionals from developing c
OKLAHOMA: Adolescents Face Infertility Danger with Disease: Associated Press (10.25.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Kelly Kurt; The Regional Infertility Prevention Advisory Council is meeting Thursday in Oklahoma City, bringing public health officials together for a two-day conference on chlamydia screening, treatment, surveillance, and other issues. Attendees will include officials from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. Chla
VIRGINIA: After Years of Decline, Syphilis on Rise in Virginia: Virginian-Pilot (10.24.05) - Thursday, October 27, 2005; Nicole Morgan; Syphilis appears to be on the rise in Virginia as the state recorded its first increase in cases last year since 1994, when 1,409 cases were diagnosed. Cases increased from 156 in 2003 to 223 in 2004. Rob Mason, assistant director of Virginia s Outbreak Response Unit, said the new findings came just after officials at
UNITED KINGDOM: TB Cases on the Rise in Province: Belfast Telegraph (10.24.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Nigel Gould; Northern Ireland recorded 84 TB cases last year, the highest annual figure since 1995, according to Health Minister Shaun Woodward. Between 1995 and 2000, TB incidence rates fell by 333. Cases increased between 2000 and 2002 before dropping again in 2003, according to statistics from the Northern Ireland enhanced TB su
EUROPE; ASIA: AIDS Epidemic Fastest Growing and Getting Worse in Ex-Communist Countries, UN Says: Associated Press (10.25.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; On Tuesday, UNICEF said former communist countries in Europe and Central Asia are experiencing the world s fastest-growing AIDS epidemics. In the region, an estimated 1.4 million people are HIV-positive, and about 210,000 became infected last year. More than three-quarters of those infected are under age 30, and the ra
MARYLAND: Panel OKs Study on Reusing Drugs: Baltimore Sun (10.25.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; John Fritze; On Monday, Baltimore City Council s Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee unanimously approved a resolution to study the feasibility and safety of redispensing to poor patients the previously prescribed but unused medicines of patients with AIDS, cancer and other expensive-to-treat illnesses. Similar progr
AUSTRALIA: Blind Sampling Is Superior to Anoscope Guided Sampling for Screening for Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 415-418 (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; C.M. Vajdic; J.S. Anderson; R.J. Hillman; G. Medley; A.E. Grulich; The authors compared anal cytology smears, either those collected blind (swab inserted 4 cm into anal canal and rotated) or guided through an anoscope (transformation zone visualized and then sampled) in terms of patient acceptability and sample quality. Using a paired, random sequence clinical trial, 151 homosexual me
RUSSIA: Lung Disease Scars Russia's Deve: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.26.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Sabra Ayres; TB infection rates in Russia have increased nearly three-fold in the last 15 years and, along with HIV/AIDS, the disease now threatens the country s economic and social development. Russia has the highest TB death rate in Europe, with more than 30,000 deaths last year. In 2004 alone, 118,000 new cases were detected amo
MOZAMBIQUE: Staff Crunch Hurts Mozambique's AIDS Battle: Reuters (10.24.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Mateus Chale; On Monday in Maputo, Health Minister Paulo Ivo Garrido said that at least 6,000 of Mozambique s health workers are expected to die from AIDS by 2010, seriously impairing the government s plans to expand access to health care services and antiretrovirals (ARVs). Ministry data show that an estimated 1.4 million of Mozamb
SOUTH AFRICA: Jesse Jackson Gives Backing to South Africa's AIDS Plans: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.25.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Chantelle Benjamin; On Monday in Johannesburg, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition President Jesse Jackson gave his support to the South African government s HIV/AIDS efforts, saying combating the disease is crucial to the country s economic development. Jackson met with Mayor Amos Masondo to look at ways to extend a 2003 sister-city agreement between
ASIA-PACIFIC: Pacific Can Avoid AIDS Crisis, Officials Say: Australian Associated Press (10.26.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Peter Williams; We can still avert a devastating epidemic if we act now and act decisively. We can do it, J.V.R. Prasada Rao, UNAIDS Asia-Pacific director, told a conference today in Auckland, New Zealand . The response to SARS and the response to the recent tsunami shows what we can do in a crisis. However, Prasada Rao said the
NEVADA: Nevada Board to Consider Pharmacist Conscience Rules: Associated Press (10.23.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; On Thursday, the Nevada Board of Pharmacy will consider a controversial proposal that would permit pharmacists in the state to refuse to fill a prescription that violated their moral or religious beliefs. Under the proposed regulation, pharmacists could refuse a prescription if they notify their employer in writing in
UNITED STATES: Tanox to Report Promising Results for AIDS Drug: Wall Street Journal (10.26.05) - Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Marilyn Chase; The Houston-based biotechnology firm Tanox Inc. is expected today to report encouraging results from an ongoing Phase II safety and efficacy study of its intravenous HIV entry inhibitor drug TXN-355. Designed to block entry into human cells by both X4 and R5 classes of HIV, TXN-355 lowered HIV levels in blood better th
MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Health Officials Say Active TB Case Unlikely from Eight Positive Tests: Associated Press (10.22.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; It is unlikely that an active TB case will be found among the eight people who tested positive for the disease at Horn Lake Intermediate School last week, said Dr. Alfio Rausa, district health officer with the Mississippi Department of Health. The eight will need chest X-rays to verify no active TB, but Rausa said they
UNITED KINGDOM: GlaxoSmithKline Stops Trial of HIV Drug on Safety Concern: Agence France Presse (10.25.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; UK-based GlaxoSmithKline said today that it has terminated trials of the HIV inhibitor aplaviroc after a Phase III study participant experienced liver problems. GSK said its decision was based on the need to protect the safety and health of patients. No further clinical studies of the compound are planned at this time,
UNITED STATES: Prevalence of HIV/AIDS Among Black Women Explored: AIDS Weekly & Law (10.06.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; S.K. Whitmore of CDC s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Surveillance and Epidemiology, National Center for HIV/STD and TB Prevention, and colleagues analyzed surveillance data on HIV infection to investigate the virus prevalence among black women. HIV/AIDS has emerged as a persistent health threat to black women in the
AUSTRALIA; THAILAND: Anti-HIV Gel Boosted for Clinical Trials: Australian Associated Press (10.14.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Janelle Miles; VivaGel, an Australian-invented anti-HIV product, will be tested on about 200 men and women in Thailand and Australia beginning next year. Designed for application before sex to prevent HIV and herpes, the gel will be tested for safety in four human trials, according to Mark Sullivan, chief operating officer of a conso
CHINA: China Warns HIV Cases Could Exceed 10 Million by 2010: Reuters (10.24.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Echoing a UN warning, state media said Monday that China could have as many as 10 million HIV cases by the end of this decade unless effective measures are taken. If the preventive measures are slack, the number of people infected by HIV could reach 10 million by 2010, said Dai Zhicheng, director of the Health Ministry
ASIA-PACIFIC: AIDS Threatens to Destroy Pacific Cultures: UN: Agence France Presse (10.25.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Today in Auckland at the opening of a Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS conference, the chief of UNICEF s New Zealand office said the epidemic is threatening to annihilate all the development achievements in the past 30 years, and it will be children and young people who suffer the greatest impact. Whereas a great de
SOUTH AFRICA: UN Envoy Sharply Criticizes South Africa's AIDS Program: New York Times (10.25.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Sharon LaFraniere; In his new book, Race Against Time, UN Special Envoy on AIDS to Africa Stephen Lewis criticizes South Africa s government and its president, Thabo Mbeki, for what he calls bewildering policies and a lackadaisical approach to treating the estimated 837,000 people in urgent need of HIV drugs. Almost every other sub-Sahar
GLOBAL: AIDS Fight Overlooks Young, Study Says: Los Angeles Times (10.25.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Robyn Dixon; Less than 5 percent of HIV-positive children in the world have access to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs); an estimated 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS; and only 10 percent of those children receive assistance from government or aid agencies, UNICEF said is a report released today. Fewer than one i
MASSACHUSETTS: Parents Press for Consent Before School Sex Surveys: Boston Globe (10.23.05) - Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Brian Kladko; Some Massachusetts parents want the state to get parental consent before surveying school children about their sexual activities. School districts conduct the anonymous, confidential surveys, which are intended to help educators and public-health specialists learn more about students behavior and identify dangerous tre
MEXICO: Mexican HIV Center Getting Maryland Help: Baltimore Sun (10.21.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Jonathan Bor; University of Maryland s Institute of Human Virology has singed a memorandum of understanding with the Universidad Autonoma of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico , to create an institute for the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The new center will be a division of the Mexican university and will carry the name IHV Mexico,
MOZAMBIQUE: HIV Infection Rate in Mozambique Rises to 16.2 Percent: Health Minister: Xinhua News Agency (10.19.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Mozambican Health Minister Ivo Garrido, briefing Parliament on Wednesday, said 16.2 percent of Mozambicans ages 15-49 have HIV. In 2004, an estimated 1.4 million people in the country had the virus: 80,000 children, 570,000 adult men and 800,000 adult women. Of the roughly 109,000 new infections in 2004, 34,000 were am
TANZANIA: TB Incidence on Rise in Tanzania: Xinhua News Agency (10.18.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Addressing an international TB symposium on Oct. 18, Fred Lwilla said Tanzania s yearly incidence of TB in 2003 climbed to 64,665 notified cases, compared to 11,753 cases in 1983. Lwilla, who heads Tanzania s national TB and leprosy control program, said of all notified cases in 2003, 92.4 percent were new. According t
MICHIGAN: Being Sexually Active Is Not a Game, Teens Told: Detroit Free Press (10.20.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Sharon Gittleman; Brenda Underwood, head of Teaching Abstinence Saves Kids (TASK), visits schools, churches and social service organizations in Detroit and its suburbs. Underwood uses skits, videos and handouts to share her message that having sex is not a game. Peer pressure and a desire to be loved and wanted are just two factors that
ARKANSAS: Project Touting Sex Abstinence Gets $837,000: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Ark.) (10.20.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Van Jensen; The nonprofit Centers for Youth and Families (CYF) in Little Rock has received an $837,000 federal grant to help prevent 75 siblings of teen parents from having babies of their own. The award gained attention because of the small number of clients served and because it is among an increasing number of federal grants sp
IDAHO: Panhandle Health District to Test All Students for TB: Associated Press (10.22.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; On Monday and Tuesday, the Panhandle Health District will conduct TB testing of all students and staff at Coeur d Alene High School. The decision to test was made after officials learned a hospitalized student has TB. About 1,485 students and 100 school employees will undergo TB testing in the auditorium, said health o
TENNESSEE: Local Hepatitis C Support Group Created to Serve Music Industry: The Tennessean (Nashville, Tenn.) (10.11.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Sameh Fahmy; Susan Nadler, co-owner of Bandit Records and co-producer of Soundstage on PBS, recently co-founded a hepatitis C support group in Nashville for people in the music industry. The blood-borne virus affects nearly 4 million Americans, and CDC estimates 80 percent of those infected show no signs or symptoms. Many in the mu
UNITED KINGDOM: Most Travelers Do Not Need Hepatitis Booster: Reuters Health (10.11.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; A new study conducted by Dr. Jane N. Zuckerman of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London and colleagues concluded that a single course of hepatitis A and B vaccine is enough to give most healthy travelers lifelong protection from contracting the infections. Since recommendations on the use of bo
ASIA-PACIFIC: AIDS 'Galloping' Through Papua New Guinea, UN Officials Warn: Associated Press (10.23.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Mike Corder; The battle against AIDS in Papua New Guinea and other countries in the Pacific region will be the focus of a meeting that begins Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand . More than 450 researchers, community activists, regional leaders and people living with HIV/AIDS are expected to attend the fou
GEORGIA: Lawsuit Takes State Prisons to Task for Hepatitis C Treatment: Macon Telegraph (10.21.05) - Monday, October 24, 2005; Don Schanche Jr.; Winston K. Goforth, who is serving a 10-year drug sentence at the Georgia Men s State Prison in Hardwick, tested positive for hepatitis C in April 2001. In March 2002, he filed a pauper s lawsuit in US District Court in Macon seeking to force the state to treat him for the disease. This year, the 11th US Circuit Court
MASSACHUSETTS: Rapid HIV Tests to Be Conducted: The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Natalia Mu�oz; The New North Citizens Council of Springfield will offer residents rapid HIV and hepatitis testing with results in 20 minutes as part of nearly $2 million in state and federal contracts. Funds will be used to train leaders to reach out to injecting drug users and to develop testing programs. Tests will be administered
RHODE ISLAND: Quest Resumes for AIDS Vaccine: Providence Journal (10.13.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Felice J. Freyer; Miriam Hospital in Providence, one of six centers chosen to test a new HIV vaccine, seeks 20 people ages 18-50 who can commit to coming to the hospital about once a month for a year to test a new HIV vaccine. The National Institutes of Health- funded study involves a vaccine composed of fragments of HIV virus that are
ASIA: Doctors Urge Screening to Detect Asia's Silent Killer: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; A new survey found that nearly nine out of ten people in Asia do not know enough about hepatitis B, which affects 270 million in the region. Dr. Nancy Leung Wai-yee, AsiaHep s founding chairperson, urged members of the public to be screened for the disease. Almost half of the 1,200 people surveyed in
ZAMBIA: Zambia Tests HIV 'Herbal Remedy': BBC News (10.19.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; At a recent press conference in Lusaka, Zambian Health Minister Sylvia Masebo announced that 25 people with HIV have enrolled in a three-month trial of three herbal medicines to see if they treat HIV/AIDS. It is a momentous occasion for Zambia which establishes a partnership between conventional medicine and traditiona
MASSACHUSETTS: Town Eyeing Crowded Housing; Tuberculosis Cases Are Cited: Boston Globe (10.16.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Missy Ryan; The Milford boards of Selectmen and Health are recommending the Oct. 24 town meeting adopt proposed changes to housing bylaws that would curb overcrowding in rental properties, which was cited as potentially helping to spread TB among residents. The proposal comes amidst an influx of immigrant workers mainly from
CALIFORNIA: Campaign Calls on Clergy: Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Bettye Wells Miller; On Wednesday, Riverside public health officials launched African Descent AIDS Mobilization (ADAM s Project), a campaign to encourage black churches and mosques to talk about HIV/AIDS and urge testing and treatment. According to Victoria Jauregui Burns, chief of the Riverside County health department s HIV/AIDS program,
CALIFORNIA: Study Shows Need for Late-Night Health Services: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; A study by researchers from San Francisco s AIDS office found that health care providers should offer late-night services such as HIV testing, counseling and needle exchange for gay men. Lead researcher Valerie Rose and colleagues conducted a street outreach last fall, offering a Late Night Breakfast Buffet of services
THE NETHERLANDS: Reinfections, Persistent Infections, and New Infections After General Population Screening for Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in The Netherlands: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 10: P. 599-604 (10.05.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Irene K. Veldhuijzen, MSc; Jan E.A.M. Van Bergen, MD, MPH; Hannelore M. Gotz, MD, MPH; Christian J.P.A. Hoebe, MD, PhD; Servaas A. Morre, PhD; Jan Hendrik Richardus, MD, PhD; for the PILOT CT Study Group; The authors conducted a cross-sectional study among a subsample of participants in a population-based screening in urban and rural areas of the Netherlands to determine the rate of new infections, reinfections or persistent infections with Chlamydia trachomatis; to define appropriate screening intervals; and to identif
ASIA-PACIFIC: Pacific Taboos Hinder AIDS Prevention - Leaders: Australian Associated Press (10.21.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; In an open letter prior to next week s Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS Conference in New Zealand , regional leaders said Pacific peoples must overcome taboos in order to stem the gathering storm of HIV/AIDS. The upcoming meeting, they said, presents an opportunity to reinvigorate collective action against infections.
GLOBAL: Maryland Group Moves to Get TB Vaccine for World's Poor: Washington Post (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Justin Gillis; On Thursday, a Maryland-based foundation announced it will subsidize development of a promising TB vaccine for use in developing nations. With more than $100 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation added GlaxoSmithKline PLC s TB vaccine candidate to its development por
UNITED STATES: Injected into a Controversy: USA Today (10.20.05) - Friday, October 21, 2005; Rita Rubin; Merck & Co. said it plans to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year for approval to market a vaccine targeting four types of human papillomavirus (HPV), two of which cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer; the other two cause most cases of genital warts. G
UNITED STATES: Poll Shows Strong Public Support for Range of Health Practices: Wall Street Journal (10.20.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; A new Harris Interactive online poll that surveyed 2,242 US adults found that 87 percent support funding international HIV prevention and treatment programs and 70 percent favor funding of international birth control programs. Ninety-two percent of those polled strongly/somewhat favor condom use to prevent HIV and othe
UNITED STATES: Bush and Bono Lunch at the White House: Associated Press (10.19.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Nedra Pickler; U2 lead singer Bono had lunch with President Bush at the White House on Wednesday, and the two discussed AIDS, debt relief and world trade during their hour and 40 minute meeting, said presidential spokesperson Scott McClellan. The rock star is in town to play two concerts at Washington s MCI Center Wednesday and Thurs
UNITED STATES: House Approves Lee's Bill Protecting Orphans: Tri-Valley Herald (Pleasanton, Calif.) (10.19.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Josh Richman; On Tuesday, a bill to focus the US response to the global problem of orphaned and vulnerable children passed 415-9 in the House of Representatives. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), would create the position of special adviser within the US Agency for International Development to coordinate assistance
CALIFORNIA: County Rejects Easier Needle Sales: Sacramento Bee (10.19.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Phillip Reese; The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to reject a state program allowing pharmacies to sell up to 10 needles at a time to adults without a prescription. According to the state law, pharmacies may only do so if the program in approved by the local government where the pharmacy is located. Health e
UNITED KINGDOM: Who Reports Sexual Function Problems? Empirical Evidence from Britain's 2000 National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81; P.394-399 (10.05.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; C.H. Mercer; K.A. Fenton; A.M. Johnson; A.J. Copas; W. Macdowall; B. Erens; K. Wellings; The authors conducted a probability sample survey to identify sociodemographic, sexual and health behavioral and attitudinal factors associated with reporting sexual function problems. In 2000, the investigators collected data on 11,161 men and women in Britain through a combination of computer-assisted, face- to-face
UNITED KINGDOM: Sex Advice for Teenagers 'Must Stay Confidential': Guardian (London) (10.19.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Lucy Ward; A government consultation over a document, entitled Working Together to Safeguard Children, is considering whether to require that health and youth workers share with social workers and police information about sexual activity among underage youths. The sexual-health charity Brook said taking away the right to confiden
SOUTH AFRICA: A 'Living Legend' Gives HIV Patients Reason to Celebrate: The Star (Johannesburg) (10.18.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Jillian Green; Johannesburg s Themba Lethu Clinic at Helen Joseph Hospital recently celebrated its first anniversary. Since the clinic opened, more than 7,000 HIV patients have been treated, 3,579 of them with antiretroviral therapy, the most at any health treatment site in South Africa . In recent weeks, the clinic has offered ARVs
MALAWI: Malawi Village Underscores Impact of AIDS: Associated Press (10.18.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Clare Nullis; In Malawi , where an estimated 900,000 of its 12 million people have HIV/AIDS, subsistence farming, a mainstay of the struggling economy, is suffering. Nationwide, the HIV/AIDS rate is over 14 percent. In some provinces such as Nsanje in the south, the rate can soar to 35 percent. We don t have machinery for farming
INDIA: Truckers Ride AIDS Highway Up and Down India: Agence France Presse (10.19.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Health care experts have launched a campaign to halt the spread of HIV by truckers in India s northeastern Meghalaya state, which has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in a country with 5.1 million HIV patients. Some 10,000 trucks travel the northeast in a single day. A study conducted by local charity Healthca
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma Drug Assistance Program: Associated Press (10.20.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Michael Harmon, chief of HIV and STD services for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, told a state Senate panel the department needs an additional $603,600 for its HIV Drug Assistance Program. The money, Harmon said, would raise the amount of state funds for the program to nearly $1.39 million. Oklahoma has about
MASSACHUSETTS; UGANDA: Weekend Retreat: Boston Globe (10.17.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Stephen Smith; In preliminary findings from a Boston pilot study, 23 of 26 patients who took HIV/AIDS medications just five days a week showed no evidence of the virus and reported feeling better, according to scientists from Community Research Initiative (CRI) of New England. The CRI researchers first presented their study at the 15
ILLINOIS: State May Get Names of HIV-Positive: Rockford Register Star (10.20.05) - Thursday, October 20, 2005; Aaron Chambers; The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday it will soon begin requiring county health departments and other health care providers to submit the names of people who test positive for HIV. Currently, a code number identifies these people to the state and their names are not entered into the state s data
LIBYA: Libyans Demonstrate Against Bush's Stance: Associated Press (10.18.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; In Tripoli on Tuesday, several hundred Libyans protested against President George W. Bush s call for the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor a Libyan court sentenced to death in 2004 for allegedly infecting 400 children with HIV. The defendants case is on appeal. After a meeting Monday with Bulgar
RUSSIA: Russia's Spiraling HIV, Health Problems Highlighted in UN Report: Agence France Presse (10.17.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; On Monday, the UN Development Agency released a report detailing several health challenges Russia is facing. HIV infection in the Russian Federation has acquired an epidemic character, with almost one in 150 Russians now living with HIV/AIDS, said the report, Russia in 2015: Development Goals and Policy Priorities. Ru
NEW JERSEY: Ground Is Broken for Center House: Asbury Park Press (10.18.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Nancy Shields; The Rev. Robert Kaeding, who founded the AIDS nonprofit The Center in 1992, announced Monday that construction of Center House, a home for 25 single adults with HIV/AIDS, has begun at 806 Third Ave. In the course of a year, we help over 100 individuals with emergency housing. and the goal always was to help people have
UNITED STATES: Acceptability of Human Papillomavirus Self- Testing in Female Adolescents: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81; No. 5: P. 408-414 (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; J.A. Kahn; D.I. Bernstein; S.L. Rosenthal; B. Huang; L.M. Kollar; J.L. Colyer; A.M. Tissot; P.A. Hillard; D. Witte; P. Groen; G.B. Slap; The researchers conducted this study to develop scales assessing acceptability of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in adolescents, to compare acceptability of self- to clinician testing, and to identify adolescent characteristics associated with acceptability. At a hospital-based teen health center, females ages 14-2
AFRICA: Elusive Trail of AIDS Funds to NGOs in Africa: Reuters (10.14.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; James Macharia; UNAIDS estimates that $8.3 billion will be available to fight AIDS globally from all sources in 2005, up from $6.1 billion in 2004. In Africa, where many donors prefer to fund nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), perceiving governments as corrupt, some are asking where the money has gone. Too little of this mon
SWAZILAND: Swaziland's AIDS Orphans Battle Drought, Hunger: Reuters (10.12.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Rebecca Harrison; Like much of southern Africa, Swaziland faces a food crisis due to drought. Although Swaziland s harvest is not as sparse as in neighboring countries like Malawi , the food shortage is mainly affecting the country s 80,000 HIV/AIDS orphans, who have no parents to grow maize or buy food. Shortages in the country of
SUDAN: Sudanese Government Launches HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign: Associated Press (10.18.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Information Minister Zahawi Ibrahim Malik announced Tuesday that Sudan and UNICEF have launched a national HIV/AIDS awareness campaign aimed at stemming the spread of the virus that has claimed the lives of 23,000 Sudanese and infected 600,000 more, half of whom are males under age 25. The epidemic jeopardizes bene
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Pfizer Includes Papua New Guinea on AIDS Drug Program: Australian Associated Press (10.17.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Chris Herde; On Monday, Pfizer Australia announced that Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been included in its Diflucan Partnership that supplies the anti-fungal medication to countries on the World Health Organization s list of the 50 least-developed nations.
UNITED STATES: Feds Probe Viagra Use, Rise in Unsafe Gay Sex: Washington Blade (10.14.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Andrew Keegan; A recent conference in Maryland brought health officials together with representatives of impotence drug manufacturers to discuss use of the drugs and their role in increased HIV infections among gay men practicing unsafe sex. Use of PDE5 inhibitors Cialis, Levitra and Viagra is apparently linked to substance abuse amo
UNITED STATES: What Is Sex? 'Technical Virginity' Becomes Part of Teens' Equation: USA Today (10.19.05) - Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Sharon Jayson; A recent CDC study found that more than half of 15-to-19-year- olds have received or given oral sex. Although the study did not ask the particulars of such encounters, other research suggests that teens mostly believe it s not sex. The CDC report, released last month, shows that one quarter of teens who have not had se
TENNESSEE: Horn Lake Students, Staff Exposed to TB: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) (10.14.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Jimmie Covington; Students and staff at Horn Lake Intermediate School must be tested after exposure to a person with TB, said a letter the DeSoto County school recently sent home with students. On Oct. 18, the school will administer a TB skin test, and a health worker will check each person on Thursday to see if there is a test reaction
GEORGIA: South Georgia Prisoner Diagnosed with TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.18.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Patricia Guthrie; Two hundred thirty-eight inmates and 13 staff at Autry State Prison in Halpern, Ga., are being treated for TB as a precaution after one active case of the disease was discovered. A prisoner with the infection was transferred from Autry to the Augusta State Medical Prison, where he is being treated, said Camille Cunning
RWANDA: AIDS Prevalence Among Rwandan Children Appalling: Official: Xinhua News Agency (10.17.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; On Monday, UNICEF Country Representative Bintu Keita said Rwanda has 160,000 AIDS orphans, and 22,000 HIV infections among its 1.2 million children. Keita is directing a campaign in Cyangugu province to create HIV/AIDS awareness among youths. Keita stressed that strong measures, especially among girls, are needed to ed
LIBYA: Tripoli Rejects US Demand to Free Bulgarian Nurses: Agence France Presse (10.17.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; On Monday, Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgam told the Arab satellite television network Al-Jazeera that Libya rejected President George W. Bush s call to spare the lives of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 380 Libyan children with HIV/AIDS. This is a legal matter which cannot be infl
KANSAS: Abstinence Group Wins Federal Grant: Wichita Eagle (10.14.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Beccy Tanner; The US Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded a $770,800 grant to Abstinence Education Inc. (AEI) of Wichita. The agency will use the money to develop its Pure and Simple program for possible use in schools, churches, community centers and youth organizations. Targeting youths ages 12-18, the program
GEORGIA: No More Focus on Death: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.15.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Patricia Guthrie; With HIV/AIDS patients living longer, the need grows for support services such as those offered by Atlanta agencies Jerusalem House, a residence for HIV/AIDS patients; Project Open Hand, which delivers meals; and Positive Impact, Inc., which provides mental health counseling. Jerusalem House provides housing for HIV/AI
UNITED STATES: HPV in Children May Point to Sexual Abuse, or Not: Reuters Health (10.03.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; A study published in Pediatrics pointed to a disagreement regarding the origin of human papillomavirus in children and suggested that a medical evaluation be conducted in cases of HPV in very young children. Dr. Sarah H. Sinal and colleagues at Wake Forest University examined the records of children younger than 13 wit
TANZANIA: Student Gains Valuable Experience in Africa: San Diego Union-Tribune (10.14.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Pat Sherman; Dhwani Vasani, a resident of Rancho Penasquitos, spent July through September in a Tanzanian village educating people about HIV/AIDS. Vasani, who will graduate from the University of California-Los Angeles next spring, joined 20 other students from UCLA and Stanford as part of a program called Students for Internationa
UGANDA: Uganda Faces HIV Treatment Challenge - Pfizer Chief: Reuters (10.14.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Daniel Wallis; Successful HIV testing in Uganda , begun as part of a government education campaign that cut infection rates from 30 percent to 6 percent, has now created more patients than the country can care for, according to Hank McKinnell, chairperson and chief executive of US-based pharmaceutical giant
GLOBAL: Bayer Offers New Antibiotic with Promise in Fight on TB: New York Times (10.18.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Yesterday, Bayer Healthcare announced that it will allow its new antibiotic, moxifloxacin, to be tested against TB. If the medicine substantially shortens TB treatment, which typically lasts six months, the firm will sell millions of doses at low cost to poor countries. The move is unusual because Bayer makes about $50
UNITED STATES: Serono Agrees to Pay More than $700 Million to Settle Fraud Allegations: Associated Press (10.17.05) - Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Mark Sherman; The third-largest US case of health care fraud was settled Monday as Geneva-based Serono Laboratories pled guilty to federal conspiracy charges that it increased its market for the AIDS drug Serostim by offering kickbacks to doctors and manipulating an AIDS wasting test. Serono agreed to pay $704 million, a criminal fi
NEW YORK: Turnout Is Low at AIDS Awareness Event: Buffalo News (10.15.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Janice L. Habuda; Organizers of Buffalo-area events Friday marking National Latino AIDS Awareness Day said they were disappointed by low turnout. Surveying those gathered at an event, Isidro Oyola of Kaleida Health s Project Reach said, It s pathetic. Most of the participants here today are service providers. But this doesn t reflect wh
PENNSYLVANIA: AIDS Walk Helps Raise Awareness and Money: Philadelphia Inquirer (10.17.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Joel Bewly; An estimated 20,000 people took part in Sunday s 19th annual AIDS Walk Philly. The walk s sponsor, the Philadelphia-based AIDS Fund, will distribute the $450,000 raised by the event to 29 local groups that offer prevention and care services. We re thrilled with the amount that was raised, said AIDS Fund s Cari Feiler B
UNITED STATES: US HIV Treatment Guidelines Updated to Include Fuzeon: Advocate (10.15.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; The Department of Health and Human Services recently issued updated treatment guidelines supporting the use of the fusion inhibitor Fuzeon with an active boosted protease inhibitor in patients with three-class virologic failure. HHS supported the approach as it resulted in better and more prolonged virologic suppressio
MICHIGAN: School Board Approves Reproductive, HIV/AIDS Curriculum: Grand Rapids Press (10.11.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; The Board of Education voted to adopt reproductive health and HIV/AIDS classes in the curriculum for Hamilton Community Schools. HIV/AIDS classes will begin at the elementary level, while reproductive health classes will start in middle school and continue through high school. Parents can excuse their children from any
FLORIDA: New Leader Chosen to Revitalize AIDS Outreach: Miami Herald (10.13.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Arthur Gatlin, director of Pastoral Care for Black Church in Action (BCIA), has been named executive director of Minorities Overcoming the Virus through Education, Responsibility and Spirituality (MOVERS). MOVERS is a minority not-for-profit organization founded by Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in Liberty City in
NEW YORK: AIDS Services Agency to Move to New Facility on High Street: Buffalo News (10.11.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Sharon Linstedt; In a joint venture, Buffalo s AIDS Community Services (ACS)and Clover Management are developing Evergreen Center, a $10 million, five-story medical services and research center to be located at 23 High St. A derelict 10-story building near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is being torn down to make way for the 50,000
CALIFORNIA: Lunch with Side of Health; Grape-Picking Crews Get Free Food and AIDS Information: Fresno Bee (10.14.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Valerie A. Avalos; On Thursday, the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency and Radio Campesino 90.5 FM brought lunch and AIDS prevention information to about 50 fieldworkers as part of Bi- national Health Week. Roberto Bustos, a community education specialist on AIDS prevention and education for the county, provided female and ma
UNITED STATES: Association Made Between Alcohol Consumption and Medication Adherence: AIDS Weekly (10.03.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; R.S. Braithwhite and colleagues at Yale University conducted a study to determine whether there are temporal and dose- response relationships between alcohol consumption and poor adherence to medication. The researchers conducted telephone interviews with participants in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, an eight-site o
SOUTH AFRICA: Call to Address High AIDS-Related Deaths in Prisons: Business Day (South Africa) (10.12.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Wyndham Hartley; On Oct. 11, Inspecting Judge for Prisons Johannes Fagan told a parliamentary select committee on security and constitutional affairs that deaths from natural causes, including HIV/AIDS, in South African prisons have surged more than 700 percent in the past nine years. Although enthusiastic about prison improvements res
LIBYA: Time Is Short for Bulgarian Nurses Facing Death in Libya: New York Times (10.17.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Elisabeth Rosenthal; On Nov. 15, the Libyan Supreme Court will hear the final appeal of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV at Al Fateh Children s Hospital in Benghazi. Bulgaria s President Georgi Parvanov plans to raise the case today at a meeting with Presi
NEW YORK: In Lincoln Tunnel, Tires Yield to Feet in Rally to End AIDS: New York Times (10.16.05) - Monday, October 17, 2005; Damien Cave; On Saturday, more than 500 AIDS activists marched through the Lincoln Tunnel, to some motorists dismay, as part of events conducted by a local contingent participating in the National Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA). Many in the group plan to keep walking to Washington, where they will meet with others from across the coun
TENNESSEE: 2,000 Take Strides in Fight Against AIDS: Tennessean (Nashville, Tenn.) (10.09.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Terrance Dean; On Oct. 8, 2,000 people participated in a 2.5-mile AIDS Walk sponsored by Nashville CARES at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall. Co-chairpersons country singer Kathy Mattea and Tara Burns, Miss Tennessee 2005, entertained the crowd. Nashville CARES, middle Tennessee s leading community-based AIDS service organization, assis
INDIANA: AIDS Awareness: Fort Wayne News Sentinel (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Events in the Fort Wayne area marking the third annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, Oct. 15, will include free HIV, blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol screenings. The Saturday screening is scheduled for 1-3 p.m., at the Center for Non-Violence, 235 W. Creighton Ave. Results from all tests will be given th
CANADA: Ross Student Contracts TB: Guelph Mercury (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Brian Whitwam; Health officials are calling for TB testing of students and teachers at John F. Ross Collegiate in Guelph after a student at the high school was found to have an active case of the disease. The diagnosis was confirmed on Oct. 7; the student had been at home for several days before that. On Tuesday, health officials, sc
GEORGIA: Jail Tests Staff, Inmates for TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.14.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Patricia Guthrie; More than 3,000 inmates and sheriff s deputies in the Fulton County Jail will be screened for TB in the coming two weeks. The testing follows the news that four inmates who tested negative at intake later tested positive when they were transferred to another facility. Former inmates who may have been in contact with th
ILLINOIS: AIDS Foundation of Chicago Holds Forum on HIV Prevention Success: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.12.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Amy Wooten; The AIDS Foundation of Chicago recently presented Reality Check: HIV Prevention Works! - the last in AFC s three-part 2005 Speakers Series. What would the epidemic have looked like if prevention programs had not been in place? asked panelist David Holtgrave, PhD, a chair of the new Department of Health, Behavior and So
FLORIDA: Musical Advice: Miami Herald (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Jerry Berrios; Louis and Rosalia Curbelo of Fort Lauderdale, who married in 2004, decided to start a band last year. Louis was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, and the couple wanted to make music with a message. Their duo, Los Doctores ( The Doctors ) sings about AIDS prevention in salsa, Spanish hip-hop, and plena beats. Louis and Rosali
TEXAS: Free HIV Tests Available for Hispanics: Houston Chronicle (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services Inc. (AVES) will offer free HIV testing to Houston Hispanics 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Friday at the Consulate General of Mexico , 4507 San Jacinto and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday at the Kroger Supermarket, 5610 Gufton. The tests will be conducted using a mouth swab; results will take
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Prevention: Postexposure Prophylaxis Compliance Low for Sexual Assault in South Africa: AIDS Weekly & Law (10.03.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; The current study sought to describe the demographic characteristics of victims of sexual assault in Transkei region, South Africa , and to assess the outcome of HIV transmission and evaluate the success of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) after its implementation there. An earlier study found that more than 90 percent o
China: China Reports 42 percent Rise in HIV Cases: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.14.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Today, China s health ministry reported a cumulative total of 126,808 HIV infections, including 28,789 AIDS cases, through June 2005. This represents a 42 percent increase from the last reported total of 89,067 HIV cases through September 2004. Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization representative in China, sa
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa AIDS Activists Demand Government Action Against Vitamin Guru: Associated Press (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Clare Nullis; South African AIDS advocates and political representatives are urging their government to stop a vitamin guru from taking advantage of senior officials reservations and ambivalence regarding the benefit of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for treating HIV/AIDS. Last week, a woman who in June had publicly declared her health
UNITED STATES: Little Progress in Stemming STDs: MSNBC.com (10.12.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Jacqueline Stenson; Health experts estimate there are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States each year, up from 15 million about ten years ago. The numbers are not exact because not all STDs are reported to CDC, and some people do not know they are infected because STDs do not always show symptoms.
FLORIDA: Push on to End Stigma of AIDS Among Latinos: Miami Herald (10.13.05) - Friday, October 14, 2005; Fred Tasker; On Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, a press conference publicized National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, which is Saturday, Oct. 15. HIV and AIDS have a disproportionate impact on Latinos in the United States and in Florida, said Thomas Liberti, chief of the HIV/AIDS bureau of the Florida Department of Health. The stigma on
ARIZONA: March Against AIDS: Tucson Citizen (10.11.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Jenny Hunsperger; Tucson s 17th annual AIDS Walk on Sunday, Oct. 15, benefits the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and serves as community outreach to remind people about the need for vigilance in prevention. Registration costs $10. Activities include a 10- kilometer (6.2 mile) run, 4k (2.4 mile) walk and a display of panels from the AI
FLORIDA: HIV Results in 20 Minutes: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (10.10.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Julia Glick; The Manatee County Health Department and HIV/AIDS Prevention Program will offer free OraQuick HIV tests at events recognizing National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, Oct. 15. On Friday, free testing is available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the department s Clinic No. 7, 410 Sixth Ave. E., Bradenton. OraQuick testing, health screen
UGANDA: US Gives $3 Million to Care for Terminally Ill Ugandan AIDS Patients: Associated Press (10.12.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; On Wednesday, the US Agency for International Development pledged $3 million for a program to care for Ugandans terminally ill with AIDS. The money will help patients receive care at Uganda s largest AIDS hospice, Hospice Africa, or through organizations trained by the hospice, according to Margot Ellis, country direct
UNITED STATES: South Leads Trend of Motherhood Without Marriage: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.13.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Helena Oliviero; The South leads the nation in the percentage of babies born out of wedlock, according to an analysis of new marriage and fertility data from the US Census Bureau. Nationwide, 29 percent of babies were born to single mothers. In Georgia , however, nearly 40 percent of babies were born outside marriage - up sharply from
UNITED STATES: Study Reveals Racial Disparities in Prenatal HIV Testing: AIDS Weekly & Law (10.06.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; D.N. Perlman and colleagues investigated within-group and between-group variations in prenatal HIV testing in a sample of low-income pregnant and recently postpartum women. The scientists used multivariable linear regression to estimate proportional differences in prenatal HIV testing for the total sample and stratifie
INDIA: In Tamil Nadu, Women Lead the War Against HIV: Inter Press Service (10.12.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Soma Basu; Recently in Madurai, a high-HIV-prevalence region in the southern Indian state Tamil Nadu, six HIV-positive women went public with their health status at an event organized by the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI). The event was an example of the concerted HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts that women
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Bodies Get Slice of Bush Plan to Fight AIDS: Cape Argus Times (10.10.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; The 15-member Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PSCM) - launched on Sept. 28 as part of President Bush s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - includes three South African agencies. The new alliance will seek to supply medicines, including antiretrovirals, to several nations, most of them in Africa, and to p
AUSTRALIA: Government Ups Number of HIV Screenings for Indigenous Women: Australian Associated Press (10.13.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Darrin Barnett; Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott recently announced the federal government will spend $1 million Australian ($747,000 US) annually to link pregnant Aborigines to free HIV/STD testing. The funds are part of a strategy to help prevent high HIV/AIDS rates in Papua New Guinea (PNG) fr
FLORIDA: Report: AIDS Funds Wrongly Diverted: Miami Herald (10.12.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Carol Marbin Miller; In 1999, Florida social service administrators went shopping for money to pay for the behavioral care of a politically connected couple s autistic child, ultimately using federal AIDS funds, according to a state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) inspector general s report. The now-divorced Broward couple ado
CALIFORNIA: AB 547 Removes Section of State Law Regarding Emergency Declaration: Eureka Reporter (10.08.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Assembly Bill 547, sponsored by Assemblymember Patty Berg (D-Eureka), which makes it easier for cities and counties to maintain needle-exchange programs to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. The measure eliminates a section of state law requiring cities and counties to
UNITED STATES: FDA to Weigh At-Home Testing for AIDS Virus: New York Times (10.13.05) - Thursday, October 13, 2005; Gardiner Harris; On Nov. 3, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will discuss a proposal to let OraSure Technologies sell the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test over the counter. The test, currently sold only to doctors and clinics, has proven to be effective, safe, and easy to use. The remaining questions are wh
UNITED STATES: LeRoy Whitfield, a Voice for AIDS Among American Blacks, Dies at 36: Associated Press (10.11.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Verena Dobnik; LeRoy Whitfield, a writer who spotlighted AIDS in black America, died Sunday in Manhattan of AIDS-related complications. He was 36 and had lived with HIV for 15 years. After a Harvard Medical School researcher studied him as a rare long-term survivor who would not take AIDS medications because of concerns about side ef
UNITED STATES: National Count of Homeless Puts Issue in Human Terms: USA Today (10.12.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Martin Kasindorf; A USA Today survey of all 460 localities that reported data to the Department of Housing and Urban Development in June found that about one in every 400 Americans, or 727,304 people, were homeless. Since then, however, the Gulf Coast hurricanes have nearly doubled the ranks of the homeless nationally. Of homeless perso
UNITED STATES: New Device Offers Friendly Medication Reminder to HIV Patients: AIDS Weekly & Law (10.06.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Johns Hopkins University Division of Infectious Disease researchers found that a pocket-sized device helps ensure that HIV patients with slightly impaired memory comply with their medication regimens. The portable Disease Management Assistance System, nicknamed Jerry by users, gives electronic-voice reminders, flashes
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Telethon Appeals for Action: Not Cash - to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (10.09.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; In an unusual twist on the traditional telethon, a show televised Sunday by the South African Broadcasting Corporation solicited people to pledge action, not money, to fight HIV/AIDS. More than 155,900 pledges included promises to teach children about HIV, get tested, volunteer at hospitals and charities and support in
MALAWI: In Malawi, AIDS Pushes Food Shortages to Crisis Point: Agence France Presse (10.12.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), up to 5 million people in Malawi need food, with extreme hunger expected to peak in December and January. Malawi is the hardest-hit of six southern African countries suffering a food crisis. Malawi s HIV/AIDS epidemic, which affects 15 percent of the population, has been ex
ZIMBABWE: HIV Rates on Decline in Zimbabwe, UN Agency Says: Reuters (10.11.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Stephanie Nebehay; On Tuesday, UNAIDS announced that HIV infection rates in Zimbabwe have fallen to around 20 percent, down from 25 percent five years ago. But the agency warned that the country, with a population of about 12.5 million, still has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, and infection rates could start to ris
AFRICA: Rights Group: Africa Governments Fuel School Drop-Outs: Reuters (10.10.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Millions of children affected by AIDS are dropping out of school in southern and East Africa, and government efforts to stop the exodus are few and ineffective, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday in Johannesburg. In a survey of Kenya , Uganda , and
BRAZIL: Brazil Reaches Deal with Abbott Labs in AIDS Drug Dispute: Associated Press (10.11.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; On Tuesday, Brazil s health ministry announced an agreement with the US pharmaceutical firm Abbott Laboratories Inc. that cuts the price of its AIDS drug Kaletra , averting Brazil s threat to break the patent and manufacture the medication domestically. The deal cuts Kaletra s price from $1.
UNITED STATES: Many in US Playing a Risky Game of Sex: MSNBC.com (10.10.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Jane Weaver; Of 56,000 adults polled in a large new survey, only 39 percent reported always asking whether new sex partners have HIV or other STDs. The online survey, conducted by MSNBC.com and Zogby International, garnered one of the largest responses ever to a US sex survey. Nearly one-third said they never discuss a prospective
GLOBAL: NIH to Launch Study of AIDS Vaccine: Wall Street Journal (10.11.05) - Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Marilyn Chase; Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have set out to recruit 480 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers at 13 sites in the United States , South America, the Caribbean, and Africa in what is deemed the first trials for a truly global AIDS vaccine. Previously, most vaccines trials used HIV strains found in one or
GEORGIA: Stars Due for AIDS Walk: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.07.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Richard L. Eldredge; This year, Atlanta record producer Dallas Austin, supermodel Naomi Campbell, and Will & Grace actor Leslie Jordan have signed on as celebrity honorary chairpersons of Atlanta s 15th Annual AIDS Walk. All three celebrities plan to be on hand for the walk s opening ceremonies in Piedmont Park at noon, Oct.
TEXAS: Free HIV Tests Offered for Latinos: Houston Chronicle (09.22.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; On Oct. 15, Houston s Latino HIV Task Force will offer free HIV testing as part of the third annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. Comprising 19 health agencies and community organizations, the task force was created in 2002 by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services to increase HIV/AIDS and STD awaren
UTAH: Counseling Center Gets Grant for HIV Therapy: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (10.09.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; The Utah Department of Health recently awarded a grant to the Salt Lake City-based Cornerstone Counseling Center to provide HIV prevention case management services. The grant is designed to provide free counseling to those who are injecting drugs and others at high risk for HIV infection. Men who have sex with men are
ILLINOIS: Meth TV Program Airs in Chicago: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.05.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; In the next phase of an awareness campaign headed by the Chicago Crystal Meth Task Force, a new 30-second TV commercial is set to begin airing on Comcast cable channels - including Bravo, TLC, and MTV - in Chicago. The spot, Crystal Breaks, depicts a male meth user whose body eventually shatters, symbolizing the drug s
MICHIGAN: Westland Clinic Focuses on HIV/AIDS Treatment: Detroit News (10.05.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Ursula Watson; The Infectious Disease Clinic, based in Westland, is the only one if its kind in Wayne County. Working in collaboration with Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center and its HIV/AIDS program, the clinic is part of the Oakwood Healthcare System. Although patients with other infectious diseases are also tested
WISCONSIN: Defiant Woman with TB Is Jailed: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.07.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; John Diedrich; On Oct. 5 in Milwaukee, Circuit Judge Clare Fiorenza ordered a woman who refused to take her TB medicine jailed for six months. The judged called the woman, who had fled treatment repeatedly in the previous four months, a huge health risk. Health officials said the woman is not now contagious; however, if she does not
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: New AIDS Agency Chief Calls for Expanded Effort: Associated Press (10.07.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Brett Zongker; Marsha Martin, named last month as director of the District of Columbia HIV/AIDS Administration, on Friday announced a plan to reform the administration and to develop a larger, grassroots effort to combat HIV/AIDS. We will have to create the capacity we lack, Martin stated. We want to make the district s response to H
UNITED STATES: Urine Test Spots Chlamydia in Male Teens: Reuters Health (09.30.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Routine urine screening for chlamydia is an effective means of detecting infections in sexually active young men, according Dr. Kathleen P. Tebb of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues. Chlamydia is moderately prevalent among such youths but many are unaware of their infection. From 2001 to 2002, t
SOUTH AFRICA: De Beers AIDS Plan Goes to Great Depths: Business Day (South Africa) (10.06.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Tamar Kahn; The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS recently honored De Beers and five other companies for efforts to fight the epidemic. De Beers was recognized for its workplace HIV counseling and testing program. Last year, 95 percent of the workers at Koffiefontein, one of the company s seven South African mines, were tested
UGANDA: Virginity Becomes a Commodity in Uganda's War Against AIDS: Washington Post (10.07.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Emily Wax; In Uganda and other African countries, governments are promoting female sexual abstinence before or outside marriage as a means to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Janet Museveni, Uganda s first lady, recently organized an abstinence march and launched a virgin census at the country s main university. Government billboard
UNITED STATES: Gay Men's Health Summit Coming Up: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.06.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; Liz Highleyman; The semiannual Gay Men s Health Summit will be held Oct. 19-23 in Salt Lake City, Utah, bringing activists, health care professionals, service providers, researchers, and policymakers together to address health issues of interest to the gay, bisexual, and transgender men s communities. While many of the challenges faci
CALIFORNIA: California Law Prohibits Transplant Surgery Denial Based on HIV Status: Advocate.com (10.11.05) - Tuesday, October 11, 2005; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a measure prohibiting health insurance companies from denying organ transplant coverage for HIV patients solely on the basis of their serostatus. The law, sponsored by Assemblymember Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), is the first of its kind in the nation to target su
VIETNAM: US Actress Tea Leoni Visits Vietnam as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador: Associated Press (10.05.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Tea Leoni, in her capacity as UNICEF goodwill ambassador, visited Vietnam this week to help fundraise for the Global Campaign for Children and AIDS. Leoni visited young people at a Hanoi support center for HIV patients and appeared at several schools in the city. UNAIDS estimates that 220,000 childre
ILLINOIS: Cook to Lead Howard Brown: Chicago Free Press (10.05.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Effective Oct. 24, Michael C. Cook will succeed Keith Waterbrook as president and CEO of Chicago s Howard Brown Health Center, which serves gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients. Currently executive director of Interfaith House, Cook has served as president of the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liber
AUSTRALIA: Games Athletes Plan for Bedroom Gymnastics: Australian Associated Press (10.06.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; On Thursday, condom maker Ansell said it will provide 60,000 condoms and 60,000 units of lubricant for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, March 15-26. Burton Van Rooyen, Ansell s Asia-Pacific marketing vice president, said the company learned from the Sydney Olympics to stock additional supplies. We initially suppl
VIRGINIA: TB Tests Set for About 150 at Thomas Dale High: Richmond Times Dispatch (10.06.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Olympia Meola; Starting next week, health officials will conduct TB testing on about 150 students and staff of Thomas Dale High School. The testing was prompted by a suspected TB case among staff at the school. All clinical signs and preliminary tests indicate that [the staff member has] tuberculosis, but actual cultures of the germs
NEW HAMPSHIRE: UNH Student Senate Wants Condoms in Dormitory Vending Machines: New Hampshire Union Leader (10.07.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Brian DeKoning; Condoms should be returned to vending machines in University of New Hampshire residence halls and on-campus apartments to allow students quick, easy and reliable access to them, said a resolution passed by UNH s Student Senate. Students can currently obtain free condoms at the campus infirmary during business hours. Ma
CALIFORNIA: Council Says No to Needle Plan: Sacramento Bee (10.06.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Molly Dugan; On Monday, the Rancho Cordova City Council voted unanimously to oppose a proposal to legalize the sale of hypodermic needles without a prescription. Council members cited concerns, including condoning illegal drug use and the issue of improperly discarded needles. The vote made Rancho Cordova the second city in Sacrame
UNITED STATES: Reducing the Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Behavioural Interventions: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 386-393 (10.05.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; D.J. Ward; B. Rowe; H. Pattison; R.S. Taylor; K.W. Radcliffe; To determine whether behavioral interventions are effective in reducing the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic patients, the authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published articles. Using data from Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, Applied So
CANADA: Crack Users Say Pipe Program Helps Them Stay Healthy: Ottawa Citizen (10.06.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Raina Delisle; Nearly a year ago, the city of Ottawa augmented its needle- exchange program, which began in 1991, with a controversial safer-inhalation initiative to distribute clean pipe kits to crack cocaine users. Ottawa adopted the program based on a report that former medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Cushman, presented to t
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV Cases Continue to Climb in South Africa, Researchers Warn: Associated Press (10.06.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; The number of HIV cases in South Africa continues to increase, which could cause life expectancy in one of Africa s most- developed countries to plummet from 63 to 46 years and below, researchers said Thursday. Almost 6.3 million of South Africa s 47 million population are believed to be HIV-infected, up from 5.3 milli
UNITED STATES: Survey Takes US Debate on Premarital Sex into Virgin Territory: Agence France Presse (10.05.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Stephen Collinson; According to a new survey released by San Diego State University (SDSU), young women in the United States and Canada on average have first intercourse at age 15, have more oral sex and are less prudish than previous generations. SDSU psychology professor Jean Twenge and Brooke Wells of City University of New York analy
GLOBAL: Vaccine Prevents Most Cervical Cancer: New York Times (10.07.05) - Friday, October 07, 2005; Denise Grady; Yesterday, researchers reported that a two-year study of Merck & Co. s experimental vaccine Gardasil found that it was highly effective at preventing cervical cancer, nearly every case of which is caused by the common STD human papillomavirus (HPV). More than 30 types of HPV infect the human genital area. Some type
CARIBBEAN: Caribbean Receives $7 Million Grant to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (10.05.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; On Wednesday in Port-of- Spain , Trinidad , the Pan-American Health Organization announced a $7 million grant to help Caribbean nations fight AIDS. Jones P. Madeira, spokesperson for the PAHO-administered Caribbean Epidemiology Center, said the money will pay for public-education programs, monitor
MICHIGAN: Budget Lacks Hepatitis C Funds for Inmates: Lansing State Journal (10.03.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Michigan s 2005-2006 budget, which took effect Saturday, cut $1 million in funding that would have been used to test and treat prisoners for hepatitis C. The action effectively kills the state s plan to fight the virus in its prisons. The program would have surveyed inmates at intake, testing those most at risk, as rec
DELAWARE: Feds Begin Inquiry into Delaware Prison Health Care: Associated Press (10.06.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Authorities confirm that the US Department of Justice has launched a formal inquiry into the medical care provided for inmates in Delaware s prisons. The probe follows a series of articles in Wilmington s News Journal that examined inmate suicides and AIDS-related deaths over the past four years; inmate allegations of
GEORGIA: HIV Groups Changing Outreach Efforts: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.30.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Dyana Bagby; Several metro Atlanta AIDS groups are using various strategies that target minorities, youth and drug users. AIDGwinnett has partnered with the North Georgia AIDS Alliance to specifically target migrant workers. The effort is a component of AIDGwinnett s plan to reach out to people of color in metro Atlanta as part of
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: High Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Sex Workers in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea: Correlates and Recommendations: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 8: P. 466-473 (08..05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Tony Lupiwa, PGDSc; Dagwin L. Suarkia, MSc; Michael M. Paniu, BSc; Asibo Wahasoka; Hannah Nivia; Jacinta Kono; William Yeka, MAppSc; John C. Reeder, PhD; Charles S. Mgone, MMed, PhD; Drawing on a previous survey that identified more than 200 female sex workers (FSWs) participating in commercial sex along the Highlands Highway of Papua New Guinea , the authors conducted the current study to estimate the prevalence of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis and HIV among female sex workers in
IVORY COAST: Ivory Coast HIV Rate Worsened by Conflict: Government: Agence France Presse (10.04.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Ivory Coast Health Minister Albert Mabri Toikeusee said efforts to help HIV/AIDS patients have been hampered during the past three years because most foreign donors suspended funding after a rebellion split the country into two rival zones. The ministry said some 570,000 people, 7 percent of the Ivorian population, h
SAUDI ARABIA: UN Puts AIDS in Spotlight in Conservative Saudi Arabia: Reuters (10.05.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Dominic Evans; Last week, the UN launched an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign aimed at teenagers in Saudi Arabia , where discussions about sex are taboo and homosexuality and adultery are criminal offenses. The UN Development Program s Mayssam Tamim said Wednesday she hopes more schools across Saudi Arabia adopt the prevention workshops f
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand Court Rules No Need to Disclose HIV If Condom Used: Australian Associated Press (10.05.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Peter Williams; On Wednesday in Auckland, the Wellington District Court ruled that HIV-positive people do not have to reveal their serostatus to sex partners if they use condoms. This is thought to be the first such decision in the world. In dismissing two charges of criminal nuisance against an HIV- positive man who had protected sex
TANZANIA: US Drug Company and Tanzanian Government Open High- Tech HIV Treatment Facility: Associated Press (10.06.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Sukhdev Chhatbar; Today, the Abbott Fund, the charitable arm of Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories , joined with Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to open a state-of-the-art outpatient center and clinical laboratory in Dar es Salaam. The facilities at Muhimbili National Hospital are part of a nationwide program to improve Tanzania s he
GLOBAL: Merck Cervical Cancer Vaccine Prevents Lesions: Reuters (10.06.05) - Thursday, October 06, 2005; Ransdell Pierson; Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck & Co. announced today that its experimental Gardasil vaccine completely prevented early-stage cervical cancer and precancerous cervical lesions caused by the two most common forms of human papillomavirus (HPV). Gardasil targets HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for abou
CALIFORNIA: Thousands Raise $500,000 for AIDS: San Diego Union-Tribune (10.03.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; In its 16th year, AIDS Walk San Diego drew approximately 10,500 participants Sunday to raise money for more than 30 HIV/AIDS organizations in the county. More than 22,000 San Diego residents have HIV/AIDS and depend on social service agencies to help with housing, medicine and food. According to Aaron Heier, an event o
NEPAL: Elton John Donates 25,000 pounds to Nepal Gay Rights Group: Agence France Presse (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal s only gay rights group, said today that Elton John s 25,000 pounds($44,000 US) donation will help fund a clinic for gays and lesbians with HIV. The British rock star has assured the clinic of further assistance in the future, according to Blue Diamond s chief executive, Sunil Babu Pant.
GLOBAL: UN Study: Nearly 400 Million People Will Die from Chronic Diseases in Next 10 Years: Associated Press (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; Uta Harnischfeger; A World Health Organization report released today predicts that nearly 400 million people will die from heart disease, diabetes and other chronic, or noncommunicable, ailments over the next decade. WHO called for healthier lifestyles and inexpensive medicines to reverse the trend. Until recently, infectious diseases li
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia to Provide Free Antiretroviral Drugs to AIDS Patients: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; Ethiopia s Ministry of Health said today that selected government hospitals and rural health care centers have been given clearance to provide free antiretrovirals to AIDS patients regardless of income. Previously, most of the more than 1.5 million Ethiopians living with AIDS had to purchase ARVs. Some 9,000 patients h
UGANDA: Heightened AIDS Risk Seen with Pregnancy: Study: Agence France Presse (09.29.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; A recent issue of The Lancet reported on a study conducted on more than 10,500 Ugandan women, roughly a fifth of whom were pregnant or breast-feeding. The researchers, led by Ronald Gray of Johns Hopkins University, routinely tested the volunteers for HIV during the study period and collected data on their social backg
BELGIUM: AIDS Virus 'Could Be Weakening': BBC News (09.29.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; A new study details the results of a comparison of HIV-1 samples from 1986-1989 and 2002-2003 conducted by a team at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Researchers found the newer samples appeared not to multiply as well and were more sensitive to drugs. Dr. Eric Artz said, This was a very preliminary study
UGANDA: Condom Shortage Hits Uganda's AIDS Campaign: Financial Times (London) (10.04.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; Andrew England; Uganda s highly successful ABC AIDS program has long been praised for reducing the country s HIV/AIDS rate from 30 percent to about 6 percent. But President Yoweri Museveni and his government have recently found themselves at the center of a highly charged debate over the influence of the United States and religio
THAILAND: Chiang Rai Tries New Approach to Teaching Teens About Safe Sex: The Nation (Thailand) (10.03.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; A survey of teenage behavior conducted in Chiang Rai province this year raised concerns about the risk of HIV infection among youth. Only about 30 percent of respondents said they used condoms. The survey also found that teens are beginning to have sex at younger ages and that they do not tend to practice safe sex or h
THE NETHERLANDS: Dutch Researchers Call for Sex Education in Primary Schools: British Medical Journal Vol. 331: P. 654 (09.24.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; Tony Sheldon; A report produced by two Dutch sexual health organizations calls for more primary-school sex education because more teenagers are having sex than ten years ago, and they are starting younger. The study, which included responses from 5,000 12- to 25-year- olds, found that 30 percent of Dutch secondary schoolchildren are
GERMANY: Germany Reports Sharp Rise in HIV Infections: Reuters (10.05.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; Louis Charbonneau; The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany s central disease control center, recently released a statement saying that the country s number of HIV infections is rising. Representing a 20 percent increase over the first half of 2004, cases in the first six months of 2005 numbered 1,164. The German health minister consider
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa, United States Launch Anti-AIDS Drive to Protect Teachers: Agence France Presse (10.04.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005; On Tuesday, the United States and South Africa announced a new $3.4 million program aimed at curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS among South Africa s teachers. In the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, close to 22 percent of teachers are HIV-positive. Teachers in the northern Mpumalanga state and the coastal Eastern Cape regio
BRAZIL: Brazil Close to Deal on AIDS Drugs: CNN.com (10.03.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Reuters; On Monday, Brazil said it is nearing a deal with the US pharmaceutical firm Abbott Laboratories that would cut nearly in half what the nation pays for the AIDS drug Kaletra . There are just a few differences in the text of the accord that still need to be ironed out, Health Minis
EUROPE: Europe Needs to 'Wake Up' to Rising HIV Infections: UN AIDS Chief: Agence France Presse (10.03.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; On Monday in Lisbon, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said Europe needs to wake up again in the face of an increase in the number of new HIV cases all over Western Europe. Since 1996, new HIV cases have nearly doubled in the European Union, EU data indicate. The largest increases were observed in
INDONESIA: Males Who Refuse to Wear Condoms Face $500 Fine: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.04.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; The Jakarta Post reported that authorities in Merauke regency, province of Papua, will enforce a 2003 bylaw that could result in a fine of up to $500 for male customers in red-light districts, bars and hotels who refuse to use condoms. Joseph Rinta of the regency health office said authorities would encourage sex worke
DELAWARE: Protesters Demand Reforms to Prison Health Care System: Associated Press (10.04.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Randall Chase; On Monday in Dover, some 50 people marched on the state Legislature and the governor s mansion to demand better medical care for state prison inmates. The demonstration followed a recent series of articles in Wilmington s News Journal that detailed a system critics say is profit-driven, subject to little oversight, and
WASHINGTON: Clinic Helps Teens Face Medical Issues: King County Journal (10.02.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Mike Archbold; The Teen Choice Medical Center in Auburn serves clients 13-16 years old. Founder Jacqui Letran, a nurse practitioner who worked with teens in a public clinic setting for eight years, said as far as she knows, the center is the only private teen- specific clinic in King County. The clinic offers birth control products a
SOUTH DAKOTA: Parents Upset with Sioux Falls Sex Education Classes: Associated Press (10.01.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; The Sioux Falls school district chose a new middle school sex education curriculum for sixth-, seventh- and eighth- graders this year. Emphasizing disease prevention and healthy living, the curriculum uses the Health Smart Books from ETR Publishing, a California nonprofit. Subjects taught include male and female anatom
ILLINOIS: Chicago Department of Public Health Stats Link Meth Use to HIV, Unsafe Sex: Chicago Free Press (09.28.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Gary Barlow; A recent STD/HIV/AIDS report from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said meth-using men who have sex with men (MSM) are experiencing much higher rates of HIV infection and unsafe sex than MSM who do not use meth. The study, which includes data from the department s 2003-2004 Project CHAT survey of MSM, sai
UNITED STATES: An Emerging HIV Risk Environment: A Preliminary Epidemiological Profile of an MSM POZ Party in New York City: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: 373-376 (10..05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; M.C. Clatts; L.A. Goldsamt; H. Yi; The researchers conducted a behavioral intercept survey among men at entry to POZ Party events in New York City in 2003. POZ Parties are emerging sexual environments for HIV-positive men who have sex with men. The investigators examined domains including demographic characteristics; history of HIV infection; motivation
MOZAMBIQUE: Poverty and Stigma Ensnare Children with AIDS: Inter Press Service (09.30.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Ruth Ansah Ayisi; In Mozambique , an initiative for HIV patients sends trained activists to 2,112 children ages 7-17 who have or are affected by HIV. The activists make sure the children are attending school whenever possible and have good food and educational materials. About 50 of the children receive antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). The
GHANA: Ghana Cocoa Harvest Flings Cause AIDS Worries: Reuters (10.02.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Orla Ryan; Ghanaian health officials are concerned that cocoa farmers harvest customs of taking new wives or visiting prostitutes could lead to a rise in HIV/AIDS. These farmers are in the habit of taking more women in the cocoa season, said Evelyn Appiah Kubi of the cocoa-buying cooperative Kuapa Kokoo. We can t do our business
UNITED STATES: Abstinence Message Too Weak, Official Says: Portland Press Herald (10.03.05) - Tuesday, October 04, 2005; Paul Carrier; The Family and Youth Services Bureau, which oversees abstinence programs for the Department of Health and Human Services, said it is getting tough with states that use federal abstinence money because some have interpreted its mandates too loosely. Congress approved eight guidelines for the abstinence-only program it c
CALIFORNIA: Members Sought for HIV/AIDS Group: Contra Costa Times (08.29.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; The Contra Costa HIV/AIDS Consortium, a community advisory body of the Contra Costa AIDS program, is seeking members. The group includes representatives from HIV/AIDS prevention and care agencies, HIV/AIDS patients, staff from Contra Costa Health Services, and community members. The consortium offers recommendations on
TANZANIA: Tanzanian President Voices Concern over Rising Numbers of AIDS-Related Orphans: Agence France Presse (10.01.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; On Friday, outgoing President Benjamin Mkapa expressed concern over Tanzania s increasing number of AIDS-related orphans. The country currently has 2.5 million orphans and is projected to have 4.2 million by 2010 as a result of HIV/AIDS, said Mkapa. Many orphans are forced into hard labor due to lost families and lack
BULGARIA: Bulgaria Seeks UN Agency's Help in Freeing Nurses Sentenced to Death in Libya: Associated Press (09.30.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; In a letter, Bulgarian officials have asked the UN s World Health Organization to help secure the release of five nurses from Bulgaria who are awaiting execution in Libya after having been convicted of purposely infecting some 400 children with HIV. The five nurses, along with a Palestinian doctor, were convicted in 20
CALIFORNIA: Forum Stresses HIV Threat to Black Women: Los Angeles Times (10.02.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Rong-Gong Lin II; There s a lot of things in our community that we don t want to talk about, said Carla Bailey, an HIV-positive African American woman speaking at The Cost and Casualties of Silence, an Oct. 1 HIV/AIDS forum at King/Drew Magnet High School in Willowbrook, Calif. Bailey, who sits on Los Angeles County s HIV Commission, n
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: AIDS Clinic Marches On Despite Maryland Unit's Closure: Washington Post (10.02.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Mary Beth Sheridan; On Sunday, several thousand people turned out for the Whitman- Walker Clinic s 19th annual AIDS Walk Washington, just one day after the financially struggling nonprofit provider shuttered its Maryland facility. This has been a hard year for us, Roberta Geidner- Antoniotti, the clinic s interim director, told the crowd
UNITED STATES: A Cost-Effective Analysis of Interventions to Increase Repeat Testing in Patients Treated for Gonorrhea or Chlamydia at Public Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32, No. 9: P. 542-549 (09..05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Thomas L. Gift, PhD; Kevin C. Malotte, DrPH; Rebecca Ledsky, MBA; Matthew Hogben, PhD; Susan Middlestadt, PhD; Nancy L. VanDevanter, DrPH; Janet S. St. Lawrence, PhD; The GCAP Study Group; Since persons who have been infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea (CT/GC) are at increased risk for reinfection, the authors of the current study sought to conduct a program- and societal-perspective cost-effectiveness analysis of five interventions designed to encourage public STD clinic patients to return for rescreen
GLOBAL: Sex, Lies and Celluloid: Doctors Hit Out at Hollywood: The Guardian (London) (10.03.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Sarah Boseley; A survey of the top films from the past 20 years found that many irresponsibly portrayed sex and drugs, according to researchers. Just one of the movies studied made a reference to condoms, while no films in the study promoted safe sex, and nobody ended up with an STD or an unwanted pregnancy. Sydney University public-
THAILAND: Thailand Expands Access to Critical AIDS Medicine: Inter Press Service (09.30.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Marwaan Macan-Markar; As of October 1, the Thai government will give an additional 10,000 patients access to GPO-VIR, a locally produced generic AIDS drug. Previously, some 50,000 Thais were receiving the medicine under a quota system. Thailand s universal health care program, established in 2001, allows patients hospital visits for 30 baht
THAILAND: 'Mr. Condom' Says Thailand Has Returned to Ignorance: AIDS Is Back: Associated Press (10.03.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Alisa Tang; Mechai Viravaidya, dubbed Mr. Condom for his pubic-education and condom-distribution campaign, said new HIV infections are rising because Thais, especially youth, are having unprotected sex. Mechai, a senator and chairperson of a private population association, claims the country had 25,000 new infections last year, mo
UNITED STATES: Pregnancies Among Unmarried Teens Have Plummeted: Knight Ridder Newspapers (09.29.05) - Monday, October 03, 2005; Frank Greve; According to CDC, teenage pregnancies and births have fallen nationwide by about one-third from their peaks in 1991. In 1990, 116 teens ages 15-19 per 1,000 got pregnant; just 85 per 1,000 got pregnant by 2000. More recent estimates indicate that the decline continues. Between the late 1980s and 2000, abortions among t
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Princess Anne Meets Papua New Guinea People with HIV: Australian Associated Press (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; On Thursday in Port Moresby, Britain s Princess Anne visited care centers and met local people living with HIV. Accompanied by her husband, Admiral Timothy Laurence, the princess visited the island nation to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its independence. At a state reception Wednesday night, Princess Anne called
MICHIGAN: Step Against AIDS: Detroit Free Press (09.30.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; The annual AIDS Walk Michigan will take place in eight locations across the state this weekend. Organizers of the walk in Detroit on Saturday hope it attracts 500 walkers and raises $50,000 for dozens of local AIDS prevention, education, and service organizations. Registration for the Detroit walk begins at 8:30 a.m. a
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Thousands Expected for AIDS Walk: Washington Blade (09.30.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Jorge Valencia; On Saturday, Oct. 1, the 19th Annual AIDS Walk Washington is scheduled to step off from Freedom Plaza at Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. The 5-kilometer walk is a key fundraiser for the region s largest AIDS service organization, the Whitman-Walker Clinic, which provides testing, medical, and counsel
WISCONSIN: AIDS Walkers Brave Storms: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (09.26.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Mike Johnson; Slightly more than 2,500 people took part in the 16th annual AIDS Walk Wisconsin along Milwaukee s lakefront Sunday, Sept. 25, despite rainstorms and fog. The walk raised $383,028 for the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care centers across the state. We were a little bit down i
CHINA: China's Doctors Not Up to Scratch on Hepatitis B: Report: Agence France Presse (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; On Thursday, Chinese state media reported that a survey of doctors found a widespread lack of knowledge about hepatitis B virus, its prevention and treatment. Among 290 infectious- disease specialists, just two-thirds were fully informed about HBV treatment procedures, China Daily reported. Among 334 doctors who were n
INDIANA: Tuberculosis Cases Reported in Kosciusko County: Associated Press (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Kosciusko County health officials are alarmed over a recent spate of infectious TB cases. Nine cases of TB have been reported in the county, and more than 20 latent cases have been detected, said Dr. William Remington. From 2000 to 2004, only 15 county residents tested positive for TB. The cases appear to be concentrat
UNITED STATES: Social Support and Maladaptive Coping as Predictors of the Change in Physical Health Symptoms Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS: AIDS Patient Care and STDs Vol. 19; No. 9: P. 587-598 (09..05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Eric Ashton, BA; Mark Vosvick, PhD; Margaret Chesney, PhD; Cheryl Gore-Felton, PhD; Cheryl Koopman, PhD; Kristen O'shea, BA; Jose Maldonado, MD; Michael H. Bachmann, MD, Dsc; Dennis Israelski, MD; Jason Flamm, MD; David Spiegel, MD; Researchers in the current study sought to examine social support and maladaptive coping as predictors of HIV-related health symptoms in a primarily low-income and diverse sample of HIV/AIDS patients with respect to gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. To study coping strategies, social support, and HIV-related h
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Blacks No Longer Considered High- Risk Blood Donors: Agence France Presse (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; A new risk assessment model for blood donations that does not use race as an indicator of blood safety was unveiled Thursday by South Africa s National Blood Service. In December, controversy erupted when the service acknowledged that race was a criterion in determining whether a donor was high-risk because blacks have
ZAMBIA: Zambian President Opposes Mandatory HIV Testing for Candidates: Agence France Presse (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; On Wednesday, President Levy Mwanawasa expressed dismay over a proposal from the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) that all presidential candidates undergo HIV testing and disclose their results. Last week, the doctors group called for mandatory testing of all candidates ahead of the 2006 elections, saying HIV/AIDS coul
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Faces Growing Hepatitis C Crisis: Report: Reuters (09.30.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; A report released today shows that Britain has Europe s worst record for diagnosing and treating hepatitis C virus (HCV). Commissioned by the Hepatitis C Trust (HCT) in Britain, the report said only about 2 percent of HCV-infected persons in the country receive treatment, compared to 13 percent in France
WYOMING: AIDS Advocate Decries Proposal: Casper Star Tribune (09.28.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; A proposed rule that would allow Wyoming pharmacists to cite moral objections as grounds for refusing to fill particular prescriptions could lead to discrimination against AIDS patients, an advocate said Tuesday. Health professionals are supposed to help. They re not supposed to judge, said Pamela Reamer Williams, dire
UNITED STATES: Institute Releases Black AIDS Report: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.28.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Last week, the Black AIDS Institute (BAI) released the second in a series of reports documenting the epidemic among African Americans. The report focuses on social factors that are leading to a disproportionate number of new HIV infections among young African Americans. While people under age 25 account for half of all
UNITED STATES: Hurricane Rita Prompts Cancellation of HIV Conference: Washington Blade (09.29.05) - Friday, September 30, 2005; Andrew Keegan; Hurricane Rita and the evacuation of Houston have forced the cancellation of the ninth annual US Conference on AIDS (USCA), its sponsor, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), said Tuesday. The conference was scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 2. The nation s largest gathering of HIV/AIDS service organizations (ASOs) was expe
DELAWARE: AIDS Walk Breaks Record in Its 19th Year: News Journal (Wilmington, Del.) (09.26.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Robin Brown; About 4,000 people helped make Sunday s 19th annual Delaware AIDS Walk an unprecedented success, said event organizers. John Baker, executive director of AIDS Delaware, said the large turnout could indicate new hope for the state s battle to curb HIV/AIDS. Walk officials said the fundraising total will be tallied this
CALIFORNIA: School District OKs Abstinence Curriculum: Los Angeles Times (09.29.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Late Tuesday, the board of the Santa Ana Unified School District voted 4-1 to approve an abstinence-based sex education curriculum on the condition that a new abstinence textbook is supplemented with information that covers birth- control alternatives. Sex education has long been a controversial issue in Santa Ana, whe
NORTH DAKOTA: North Dakota Gains 3 More HIV Infections: Grand Forks Herald (09.26.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Three new HIV cases were reported to the North Dakota Department of Health in the first half of 2005 - six fewer than during the same period in 2004, officials announced Monday. Though the state s incidence of new HIV infections remains the lowest in the nation, that could provide some North Dakota residents who engage
GLOBAL: Three High-Profile Women Combine Star Power to Fight HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (09.29.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Will Lester; On Wednesday in Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and actress Angelina Jolie spoke at a dinner of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, helping to raise $1.3 million. Rice told the crowd at the Kennedy Center that businesses play a key role alongside government in figh
MICHIGAN: HIV/AIDS Curriculum to Be Finalized: Detroit Free Press (09.29.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Sharon Gittleman; In Southfield, school officials are reviewing the district s sex education curriculum to make sure it meets the state s requirements. Michigan law requires that districts provide HIV/AIDS education to students at the elementary, middle-, and high-school levels, said Wanda Cook-Robinson, the district s associate superin
WEST VIRGINIA: Colleges Offer Students Oral HIV Tests: Associated Press (09.28.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Michelle Saxton; Earlier this month, West Virginia University became the latest higher education institution in the state to offer an oral- swab HIV test to students. What prompted it was a long- standing desire to have more HIV prevention, counseling, education, and testing, WVU s Director of Student Health Services Dr. Jan Palmer sai
CALIFORNIA: Officials Step Closer to Needle Exchange: Fresno Bee (09.28.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Barbara Anderson; On Tuesday, Fresno County s Board of Supervisors asked health officer Dr. Edward Moreno and health department staff to determine whether intravenous drug use in the county has become a public health crisis. Should Moreno find such a crisis exists, supervisors could declare a public health emergency, a power authorized
COLORADO: AIDS Activists Rally for Federal Support: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (09.28.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Felix Doligosa Jr.; At an AIDS rally in Denver on Tuesday, activists called for increasing federal funds for AIDS treatment and ongoing support of the Ryan White CARE Act, which expires on Oct. 1 and is up for review by Congress. Organized by the Mayor s Office of HIV Resources and community organizations, the event marked a local beginni
UNITED STATES: Sexual Risk Factors Among Self-Identified Lesbians, Bisexual Women, and Heterosexual Women Accessing Primary Care Settings: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 9: P. 563-569 (09..05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Audrey S. Koh, MD; Cynthia A. Gomez, PhD; Starley Shade, MPH; Erin Rowley; Few data are available on the sexual behaviors of women of diverse sexual orientations in a low-risk population. The researchers undertook the present study to evaluate sexual behaviors of women of all sexual orientations in primary care settings and their risk for HIV and other STDs. The subjects, a total of 1,304 wom
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean Hospitals Lack Lab Materials for HIV Testing: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (09.28.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; The lack of lab chemicals is making it hard for public hospitals in Zimbabwe to conduct HIV tests, according to the state-run Herald newspaper. At Chitungwiza General Hospital, a large public hospital about 12 miles from Harare, a critical shortage of reagents has caused HIV testing equipment to sit idle for four month
UNITED STATES: US Experts Weigh Guidelines for Impotence Drug Use: Reuters (09.27.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Susan Heavey; In draft guidelines issued Tuesday, experts called for steps to curb abuse of erectile dysfunction medications while research continues on whether the drugs increase HIV infection rates, particularly among gay men. The Food and Drug Administration, CDC, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute o
UNITED STATES: CARE Act Expires Friday: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.29.05) - Thursday, September 29, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; The Ryan White CARE Act, which funds HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs across the country, is due to expire on Friday, Sept. 30. Funding will not end as of Oct. 1, however, because CARE Act contracts are funded January through December. Groups familiar with the process say the act will continue as long as Congress
INDIA: India to Start HIV Testing Military Recruits: Reuters (09.24.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; On Friday, President Abdul Kalam said India will soon test all new armed forces recruits for HIV. Officials said the testing will begin in October. The military will be testing for HIV in new recruits and undertake prenatal examination of wives of personnel in the services, Kalam said at an army seminar in Shillong in
RUSSIA: Putin Says HIV/AIDS Funding in Russia to Increase More than 20 Times: Associated Press (09.27.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; On Tuesday in a nationally televised question-and-answer session, President Vladimir Putin said the Russia s annual HIV/AIDS funding would increase by more than 20 times next year. The increase will boost the sum from this year s 130 million rubles ($4.55 million US) - which Putin said is practically nothing for a coun
WISCONSIN: Senate Approves Three Bills Championed by Religious Conservatives: Associated Press (09.27.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Among three bills that religious conservatives endorsed and the state Senate passed on Tuesday is a bill requiring Wisconsin public schools to teach sexual abstinence as the preferred choice of behavior for unmarried persons. The measure, which passed 24-9, also requires schools to devote more time to abstinence than t
GEORGIA: AIDS Survival Project Taps New Executive Director: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.23.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Dyana Bagby; Bo Shell; The board of the Atlanta-based AIDS Survival Project recently announced the appointment of Molly A. Casey as ASP s new executive director. Casey replaces Jeff Graham, who led ASP for 10 years and is now its senior director of public policy. I m very excited, Casey said of her new position. HIV is the only disease peopl
GEORGIA: Fonda Joins Ellis in Promoting Widened Sex Education in Schools: Macon Telegraph (09.27.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Phillip Ramati; In Macon on Monday, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (GCAPP) co-founder Jane Fonda joined Mayor Jack Ellis to educate youths as part of a campaign to address the city s high teen pregnancy rate. The Academy Award-winning actress and resident of Atlanta spoke to about 75 teenagers, health care worker
SWEDEN: Persistence of Human Papillomavirus Infection Is Linked to Chlamydia: Women's Health Weekly (08.11.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Human papillomavirus (HPV) persistence is the major cause of cervical cancer, but most HPV infections will not persist and risk factors for HPV persistence are not well known, I. Sillins and colleagues at Lund University explained in the current study. To investigate whether Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a risk f
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-Positives in Search of Love, Click Here: Inter Press Service (09.24.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Wilson Johwa; Two years ago, Internet enthusiast Ben Sassman decided to set up an online dating agency in South Africa for people who are HIV-positive. His HIV-positive friends complained that after disclosing their status, prospective dates often slinked away, said Sassman. They were saying that when they meet people and disclose t
INDIA: Indian Women Face Peril of HIV: BBC News (09.21.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Madeline Morris; India s government says it is trying to promote HIV/AIDS awareness among women, who comprise 39 percent of its HIV infections. But unless there is a massive campaign, health workers fear the situation will get worse soon. Not only the illiterate women, but the so-called educated women also are not aware of HIV/AIDS. Th
ESTONIA: Baltic State May Have Highest HIV Rate Outside Africa: Officials: Agence France Presse (09.23.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; The infection of people with HIV is out of control in Estonia , Maarike Harro, director of the National Institute for Health Development, told a press conference Friday in Tallinn. In cases per million people, Estonia is in the worst position in the world, outside Africa. The World Hea
GLOBAL: G8 Pledges 'Not Enough' to Pay for AIDS Fight: Financial Times (London) (09.27.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; David White; On Monday in London, Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, warned of a serious shortfall in the funding needed to fight the global epidemic. Lewis said that even if the United States and other big donors follow through on the pledges they made at July s G8 summit, the level of funding will be inadequa
GLOBAL: New Initiative to Set Up Supply Chain for African AIDS Care: Associated Press (09.27.05) - Wednesday, September 28, 2005; On Tuesday in Washington, the United States awarded a $77 million contract to launch a new system to supply medicines and HIV-related aid to Africa. The recipient of the contract is the Partnership for Supply Chain Management; its aim is to provide a single source for obtaining and importing HIV medicines and test kits
CALIFORNIA: Parents, Teens to Discuss Looming Danger of STDs: Daily News of Los Angeles (09.24.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Tuesday night s meeting of Action, a support group for parents and teens in Saugus, will be devoted to the topic of teen sex and STDs. We want to help empower parents with the tools to talk to their teens about sex and teen high-risk behavior with regard to sex, said Judy Belty, guest speaker. Belty is executive direct
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Loses 'Cream' Through Brain Drain: Report: Agence France Presse (09.27.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Today in Harare, the state-run Herald quoted a Scientific and Industrial Research Centers study as saying that 500,000 professionals have fled Zimbabwe . The estimated 20,000 scientists and engineers still in the country are outnumbered by those who have left. One reason for there being fewer scientists left in Zimbabw
ZIMBABWE: More Zimbabwean Teachers Dying from AIDS: Agence France Presse (09.26.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; According to a report released Monday by the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe , 566 of the nation s teachers died last year of AIDS-related illnesses. Many of those teachers would still be alive today if they were provided with antiretroviral drugs, said Raymond Majongwe of the union. At least two teachers are e
GLOBAL: Aspen Pharmacare, Matrix to Set Up Venture: Associated Press (09.23.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd., South Africa s largest drug maker, and India s Matrix Laboratories Ltd. on Friday announced the establishment of a joint venture, called Astrix Laboratories Ltd., to manufacture generic AIDS drugs and other medications. Aspen will invest $36.5 million, and Matrix will transfer its manufa
TENNESSEE: Former Playboy Playmate with HIV Makes Positive Impact: Knoxville News-Sentinel (09.22.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Chandra Harris; Recently, former Playboy Playmate Rebekka Armstrong took the stage at the University of Tennessee s Carolyn P. Brown Memorial University Center Auditorium. Sponsored by the university s Women s Coordinating Council, Armstrong titled her appearance Exposed: An HIV+ Playmate Talks About Her Life. The 38-year-old Armstron
CALIFORNIA: Sex Education Text a Hot Issue in Pregnancy-Prone Santa Ana: Los Angeles Times (09.27.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Seema Mehta; Tonight, the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet to consider adopting an abstinence-based health curriculum. Though the proposed textbook does not include information on contraceptives, it would be supplemented by classroom lessons the board adopted this year on HIV/AIDS prevention, including
TANZANIA: Heroin and HIV Risk in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Youth Hangouts, Mageto and Injecting Practices: AIDS Care Vol. 17; Supplement 1: P. S65-S76 (06..05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; S.A. McCurdy; M.L. Williams; G.P. Kilonzo; M.W. Ross; M.T. Leshabari; Needle sharing is an emerging risk factor for HIV transmission in Africa. This study describes the practices that heroin users are producing as they establish rules and organization surrounding drug use. Knowledge of these practices provides insight into what HIV-prevention interventions may be most appropriate. In Dar
GLOBAL: Fight AIDS on the Home Court: Detroit Free Press (09.25.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Shannon Shelton; Sports leagues and teams are often vehicles for youth HIV prevention messages in Africa and developing nations in Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. In the United States , however, even leagues and teams that attract audiences at high risk for HIV infection often do not actively promote prevention, especially not
GLOBAL: Mandela Warns Global Fund for AIDS, TB, Malaria Running Dry: Agence France Presse (09.27.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Former South African President Nelson Mandela warned in an editorial today that donor nations should make up the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria s budget shortfall or risk losing political momentum to fight the HIV pandemic. Of all the major challenges facing the world, none is more lethal nor more globally p
UNITED STATES: San Francisco Offers Help to HIV+ Katrina Victims: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.22.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; San Francisco city leaders and AIDS organizations are helping HIV-positive Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees at both organizational and individual levels. Under One Roof - an organization that raises money for Bay area AIDS service organizations - launched the Above and Beyond Fund, which has distributed $4,750 to assist p
UNITED STATES: Katrina Relief Efforts Turning to Evacuees with HIV: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.23.05) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005; Andrew Keegan; Across the United States , AIDS service organizations, support systems, and government officials are helping link HIV- positive Hurricane Katrina evacuees to medical care and treatment. HIV-positive evacuees should register for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance by telephoning 800-621-FEMA,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Whitman-Walker Renews Director Search: Washington Post (09.23.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; After suspending its search in the spring, the Whitman-Walker Clinic is resuming the hunt for a permanent executive director. The last director stepped down nearly a year ago, and in the spring, cash-flow and budget difficulties compelled the region s largest HIV/AIDS service provider to lay off staff and cut programs.
RUSSIA: HIV/AIDS Epidemic Continues in Russia: Scientist: ITAR-TASS News Agency (09.23.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Robert Serebrnnikov; On Friday, Vadim Pokrovsky, head of Russia s Federal Research Center for AIDS Control, warned that the nation s HIV/AIDS epidemic is continuing and immediate attention is needed. The epidemic is changing its character, it is going beyond the boundaries of groups at risk and threatening to the whole population, Pokrovsk
LIBYA: Bulgarian Foreign Minister Rejects 'Blood Money' Deal for Medical Workers Held in Libya: Associated Press (09.23.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Nick Wadhams; On Thursday at the UN, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said his nation will not pay blood money to the families of hundreds of Libyan children infected with HIV. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor held by Libya since 1999 were convicted in 2004 of deliberately infecting the hospitalized children an
UNITED STATES: HIV Sentinel Surveillance Among Women Seeking Elective Pregnancy Termination, San Francisco: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 9: P. 590-592 (09..05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Eleanor A. Drey, MD; Philip D. Darney, MD, MSc; Brian Louie, BS; Timothy A. Kellogg, MPH; Mi-Suk Kang, MPH; Roop Prabhu, MPH; Amy K. Whitaker, MD; Jennie Chin, MBA; Arlette Molina; Willi McFarland, MD, PhD; The researchers sought to study HIV prevalence, incidence and risk factors among women seeking elective pregnancy termination in San Francisco. They conducted a cross-sectional survey of a consecutive sample of women seeking elective pregnancy termination in San Francisco s county hospital from August 2002 to July 2003
UNITED KINGDOM: 50,000 Londoners Are Addicted to Crack, Says Study: The Guardian (London) (09.20.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; James Meikle; Recently released figures suggest that 46,000 Londoners ages 15-44 - or about 1 percent of that age group - are injecting or smoking crack cocaine, creating serious implications for health and crime in the city. Previous estimates had placed the level of crack addiction at about a quarter of the new figure. Users who i
SOUTH AFRICA: Mbeki 'Betrayed' South Africa on AIDS: BBC News (09.26.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; A failure of leadership in South Africa has contributed to the country s HIV/AIDS epidemic, Zwelinzima Vavi, secretary general of the South African Congress of Trade Unions, recently told a national meeting of the AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign. Any health ministry that presides over the spread of an epidem
GLOBAL: Poor Countries Should Consider Circumventing Patents on AIDS Drugs, WHO Official Says: Associated Press (09.22.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; The paucity of low-cost key antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is hampering developing countries HIV/AIDS fight, a World Health Organization official told attendees Friday at a WHO conference in New Caledonia . Invoking a 2003 World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on drug patents, poor countri
UGANDA: Uganda Starts Hearing on Misuse of Global Fund AIDS Cash: Agence France Presse (09.23.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; On Friday, a presidential panel began public hearings into allegations that Uganda s Project Management Unit misused grant money provided by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Geneva-based Global Fund recently suspended $201 million in funding to Uganda, citing serious concerns about inadequate monitori
AFRICA: Africa's TB Crisis May Spur AIDS Treatment: Washington Post (09.26.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Craig Timberg; Treating TB is becoming the gateway to treating AIDS for a growing number of clinics in Africa. So many Africans with AIDS also contract TB that doctors call the diseases the terrible twins. Last month, the World Health Organization declared a TB emergency in Africa, where the infection rate has quadrupled in many coun
SOUTH AFRICA: South African AIDS Expert Advocates Circumcision as Best Available Vaccine: Associated Press (09.24.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Clare Nullis; Citing a recent Soweto-based survey that found circumcised men 65 percent less likely to contract HIV, a South African AIDS expert on Saturday called the procedure the best vaccine available against the virus. We dream of a vaccine which has this efficacy, Francois Venter, clinical director of Reproductive Health and H
UNITED STATES: Sex Drugs Called Avenue to HIV: Boston Globe (09.26.05) - Monday, September 26, 2005; Diedtra Henderson; Today and tomorrow in Maryland, drug companies and government agencies are meeting to discuss how erectile dysfunction drugs may be contributing to the spread of HIV and other STDs. Cities across the nation are reporting increases in new STD cases between men. The misuse of these drugs is one reason, some health offici
CHINA: Chinese Basketball Star Yao Gives Hong Kong Kids Lesson in Life and Hoops: Agence France Presse (09.22.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; On Thursday, the seven-foot-six Houston Rockets center Yao Ming spoke with more than 3,000 Hong Kong children about the perils and prevention of HIV/AIDS. He is an icon to many youngsters here - they look up to him as an inspiration, said a spokesperson for Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, which helped organize Yao s visit.
PORTUGAL: Portugal's First Sex Education TV Show a Hit: Agence France Presse (09.21.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; On Tuesday, Portugal s first late-night television show providing sex education attracted 42 percent of the viewing market, audience research showed. The first episode of AB.. Sexo included a demonstration of how to properly put on a condom. Sex education is virtually non-existent in public schools in the conservative
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Australian League Stars Spread HIV/AIDS Message in PNG: Australian Associated Press (09.19.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Lloyd Jones; Several Australian rugby stars, including retiring Sydney Roosters Captain Luke Ricketson and Bulldogs player Braith Anasta, were visiting Papua New Guinea this week as part of an AIDS education effort funded by AusAID. At Port Moresby National High School, the sports figures were greeted by hundreds of cheering studen
ILLINOIS: 5,000 at AIDS Walk: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.21.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Amy Wooten; On Sept. 17, more than 5,000 people took part in the 2005 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, together netting more than $200,000. The event benefited the AIDS Foundation of Chicago s grant-making program. This year, 10 percent of the proceeds are being donated to the National AIDS Emergency Fund, which is helping provide med
ILLINOIS: Chicago to Participate in Campaign to End AIDS: Chicago Free Press (09.14.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Gary Barlow; Chicago-area activities related to the national Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA) will continue, though Hurricane Katrina has delayed some of the premier events. C2EA includes 10 HIV/AIDS awareness and lobbying caravans that will converge in Washington Oct. 8-12 for demonstrations urging federal officials to help end AIDS.
TANZANIA: Antibiotic Pill for Syphilis Holds Promise: Associated Press (09.21.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; A single oral dose of the antibiotic azithromycin is just as effective as penicillin injections in treating syphilis, according to a Tanzania-based study in Thursday s New England Journal of Medicine. An injection of penicillin has long been the recommended treatment for syphilis. But in poor countries where there is o
ASIA: Asian Nations Face Deadly TB-HIV Threat: World Health Organization: Reuters (09.22.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Drug resistance and HIV-TB co-infection pose a serious threat to Cambodia , China , Vietnam , and the Philippines , the World Health Organization said Friday at a conference in Nourmea, the capital of
UNITED STATES: Stat! Get Me Hollywood: San Jose Mercury News (09.21.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Julie Sevrens Lyons; With so many successful health shows on US television, medical consultants have been in high demand to ensure that programs such as ER, CSI, and Scrubs portray medicine and the sciences accurately. Government officials are encouraging scriptwriters in that endeavor, even sending federal health experts to Hollywood to e
UNITED STATES: STD Vaccines In Works, but for Children: Chicago Tribune (09.18.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Tran M. Phung; By year s end, the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine could be submitted for Food and Drug Administration approval. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) vaccines are in advanced clinical trials, and gonorrhea and chlamydia vaccines are also in the works. Research suggests the vaccines best chance for efficacy will
CALIFORNIA: Testing Doesn't Stop HIV Spread in Porn Industry: Reuters Health (09.22.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Workers in the adult-film industry need to be made aware of the risks associated with participation in various acts, to be able to participate in decision-making about their health and safety at work, and to benefit from prevention practices, according to a report in CDC s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Last ye
GLOBAL: AIDS-Vaccine Test to Be Expanded on Upbeat Results: Wall Street Journal (09.23.05) - Friday, September 23, 2005; Marilyn Chase; Merck & Co. s MRKAd5 AIDS vaccine candidate elicited a stronger-than-expected immune response in trials among healthy volunteers, researchers said recently. The good news has led Merck to double enrollment in the trial to 3,000. The trial began in January. MRKAd5 is an adenovirus-based vaccine containing three engi
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Emergency Fund Offers Katrina Response: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.15.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; Cynthia Laird; The AIDS Emergency Fund and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund recently announced that they are waiving proof of residency requirements for Katrina evacuees to obtain grant assistance. AEF and BCEF usually also require confirmation of diagnosis and income verification before issuing up to $600 for rent, utilities, medical or
NEW YORK: Meeting to Focus on Women and AIDS: Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) (09.21.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; A one-day workshop entitled Empowering Women in Their Fight Against HIV/AIDS will be presented Saturday at the Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Albany s uptown campus. The Capitalize on Community Project will host the event, whose keynote speaker is Brenda Stone Browder, author of On the Up and Up: A Surviva
AFRICA: Australia Pledges $3 Million for Southern African Crisis: Australian Associated Press (09.22.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; The government of Australia has pledged an additional $3 million Australian ($2.29 million US) to help nations in southern Africa mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS, drought, and political conflict. A prolonged dry spell has destroyed much of the harvest across the area - a situation compounded by the world s highest HIV
LESOTHO: Lesotho Will Miss AIDS Drug Treatment Target: UN: Reuters (09.21.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; On Wednesday in Lesotho s capital of Maseru, the UN said the tiny mountain kingdom will probably not meet its target of providing drugs to 28,000 HIV patients by year s end. Jim Kim, global HIV/AIDS director of the World Health Organization , said that while the goal will not be met, the current figure of 6,500 in trea
WASHINGTON: Soccer Kick-Starts HIV/AIDS Education: Seattle Times (09.19.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; Vanessa Renee Casavant; On Saturday in Tukwila, Public Health Seattle & King County will host the second Kick HIV/AIDS Away soccer tournament. The event seeks to attract people from Seattle-area African and Caribbean immigrant communities in order to offer them AIDS education and HIV testing. According to Michael Hanrahan, the department
CHINA: Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers in China: Role of Gatekeepers: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 9: P. 572-580 (09..05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; Hongmei Yang, PhD; Xiaoming Li, PhD; Bonita Stanton, MD; Xiaoyi Fang, PhD; Ran Zhao, MD; Baiqing Dong, MD; Wei Liu, MD; Shaoling Liang, MD; Yuejiao Zhou, MD; Yan Hong, MA; The researchers sought to study the potential role of establishment gatekeepers in China in promoting condom use among female sex workers (FSWs). They set out to evaluate FSWs perceptions of gatekeepers attitudes and their support for condom use and to assess their relationship with FSWs perceptions, knowledge, and pr
AFRICA: Despite AIDS Scourge, African Working-Age Population Is Growing: Agence France Presse (09.21.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; On Wednesday in Washington, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that despite the toll of HIV/AIDS, sub-Saharan Africa s working-age population is growing and should continue to do so during the coming 40 years. After falling from 5.4 percent in 2004 to 4.8 percent this year, the region s economic growth sho
AFRICA: In Africa, AIDS Programs Target Fathers: Boston Globe (09.19.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; John Donnelly; Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, health professionals are recognizing that programs initially designed to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission must now involve families. What we hope to do is save the family, said Dr. Atiene Solomon Sagay, who runs a US-funded program in Jos, Nigeria , aimed at halting HIV transmi
MAINE: Health Chief Blasted in Sex-Ed Fund Flap: Bangor Daily News (09.21.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; A.J. Higgins; On Tuesday, the director of Maine s Bureau of Health announced the state will no longer accept federal money for an abstinence-based sex education program because it constrains what officials consider a balanced and effective approach to sex education already in place. Though Maine has been accepting about $170,000 in
ARKANSAS: Rights Group Seeks Reviews of Abstinence Programs: Associated Press (09.22.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; David Hammer; On Wednesday, the Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said it wants a review of abstinence programs intended to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies in 26 school districts statewide. The group cited a report prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) that found that many abstinence programs understat
UNITED STATES: ACLU Targets Abstinence-Only Programs: Washington Times (09.22.05) - Thursday, September 22, 2005; Cheryl Wetzstein; The American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday it will urge officials in 18 states to reject abstinence-only sex-education programs. Citing a December report issued by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), ACLU leaders said many abstinence programs contain false or misleading information, promote religion, and discrimina
INDIA: India to Use Cricket's Popularity in Television Campaign to Fight HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (09.19.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; TV and newspaper ads being run by India s National AIDS Control Organization are using references to the very popular game cricket to promote safer sex, according to a report in the Asian Age. In one TV ad, a screen flashes Not Out, suggesting a cricket umpire s verdict. HIV/AIDS can run you out. Cut the risk with cond
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Religious Sect Issues Call to Followers to Abandon Polygamy to Fight HIV's Spread: Associated Press (09.18.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; In what Zimbabwe s government called a historic breakthrough in the war on AIDS, leaders of the Vapostori indigenous Christian sects have called on their followers to abandon the practice of polygamy. In a 23-page document, the leaders also spoke out against child marriage, and inheritance of brothers widows, which had
GEORGIA: Child Prostitution: The Hidden Crime: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (08.17.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Ty Tagmai; At Atlanta City Hall Friday, a panel and audience members discussed a recently completed report that found child prostitution is thriving in the city. At the forum, a summary of the 75-page United Way-funded draft report circulated among the some 150 mostly female attendees. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard
TENNESSEE: Coalition Gets Grant to Attack Syphilis: Black Males a Target: 10 Groups Involved: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) (09.18.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Mary Powers; On Friday, the Shelby County Syphilis Elimination Coalition announced plans to expand syphilis education, outreach, and testing efforts in a drive to reduce syphilis cases locally. The SCSEC efforts, funded with a five-year state Health Department grant through the Memphis Health Center, reflect a national push to elim
FLORIDA: HIV Rate Among Local Hispanics Alarms Experts: Orlando Sentinel (09.14.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Victor Manuel Ramos; New HIV infections among Hispanic adults in the Central Florida counties of Brevard, Osceola, Orange, and Seminole increased by 19 percent from 1999 to 2004, compared with an 8 percent increase among whites, and a 26 percent dip among blacks. Among the region s women, only Hispanics had an annual increase from 1999 lev
CALIFORNIA: New Group for HIVers with Lymphoma: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.15.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Kevin Davis; A new emotional and practical support group for HIV patients with lymphoma will meet every third Wednesday in San Francisco. The group will help patients cope with the anxiety associated with diagnosis and symptoms; in addition, it will be a forum for sharing treatment and medication experiences. The Leukemia & Lym
UNITED STATES: Viagra (Sildenafil) Use in a Population-Based Sample of US Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 9: P. 531-533 (09..05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Jay P. Paul, PhD; Lance Pollack, PhD; Dennis Osmond, PhD; Joseph A. Catania, PhD; Researchers in the study sought to examine Viagra use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and its relationship to risk behavior for HIV and STDs. They conducted a population-based telephone survey of MSM in San Francisco and collected information on demographics, sexual behavior, substance use, HIV, and health status
SOMALIA: Breakaway Somaliland Intensifies War on Deadly AIDS Virus: Agence France Presse (09.19.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; In a statement released Monday, the UN humanitarian office for Somalia said authorities in the breakaway Somaliland region have launched a National AIDS Commission to fight HIV. The northwestern sector unilaterally declared independence in 1991 when Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted. A 2004 survey dete
UNITED STATES: US Agency Approves Generic Version of AIDS Treatment: Associated Press (09.20.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration has approved generic AZT versions for the US market, which could reduce the cost of domestic HIV treatment. Generic AZT was previously unavailable in the United States because GlaxoSmithKline held the patent for the drug, sold as Retr
GLOBAL: Cheaper AZT on the Way: News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (09.18.05) - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Sabine Vollmer; In July, drugmakers in China , India , and Africa began preparations to make generic forms of AZT , the GlaxoSmithKline drug that lost its patent protection Saturday. Generic AZT is expected to cost about $105 per patient annually, 20 percent less than t
UNITED STATES: Hurricane Recovery Help: Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) (09.19.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; The AIDS organization Housing Works is seeking supplies for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The list of items needed includes condoms, disposable diapers, sanitary pads, toiletries, and new extra-large T-shirts and underwear in all sizes. Michael Kink of Housing Works said it is coordinating with AIDS organizations in
UNITED STATES: Child-Friendly Drug Tentatively OK'd for HIV/AIDS: Newsday (New York) (09.20.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Zidovudine oral solution, a generic version of a child- friendly HIV/AIDS drug, has received tentative approval from the Food and Drug Administration. FDA s action means that while existing patents or exclusivity agreements prevent the product s marketing within the United States , the drug meets the agency s standards
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Activists Livid Over Senate Committee's Refusal to Allow Condoms in Prisons: Frontiers (Los Angeles) (09.27.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; On Aug. 25, the California Senate Appropriations Committee failed to pass AB 1677, a bill that would have let the state allow nonprofit health care agencies to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (such as condoms and dental dams) in state prisons to reduce the spread of HIV and STDs. With that action, AB 1677,
ANGOLA: Angola Records 3,000 New HIV/AIDS Cases: Agence France Presse (09.17.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Angola , whose estimated HIV infection rate of 5 percent of the population is far lower than the 20-30 percent rates found in other southern African nations, has recorded 3,000 new infections this year. Dulcelina Serrano, coordinator of the National AIDS Combat Program, said the upturn follows the opening of new test
CALIFORNIA: Folsom Cool to Needle Measure: Sacramento Bee (09.18.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Jim Downing; At an Aug. 10 meeting, Sacramento County s Board of Supervisors postponed a vote on allowing the non-prescription sale of syringes by pharmacies until more input was gathered from the county s incorporated cities. The board will take up the issue again Oct. 18. The Folsom City Council took a similarly cautious approach
MARYLAND: Reaching Out to the Fringes: Baltimore Sun (09.14.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Alec MacGillis; Since Baltimore launched its needle-exchange program 11 years ago, new HIV infections among intravenous drug users (IDUs) have dropped by 20 percent, to about 40 percent of city cases. The program has registered more than 15,000 clients and has about 325 visitors a week, many whom are believed to distribute or sell the
UNITED STATES: Human Papillomavirus Coupled with Tobacco Use Decreases Cancer Survival: Women's Health Weekly (09.01.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; US investigators undertook the current study to define the prognostic significance of HPV 18 and its phylogenetically related viruses and smoking on survival in patients with early stage cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus typing was performed in stage IB-IIB cervical tumors. Patient tobacco use was ascertained by qu
CANADA: 'Bargain with God' Pays Off for Doctor: Guelph Mercury (09.17.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Two years in the planning, Guelph s new HIV/AIDS clinic opened Friday. I bargained with God to make this work, said Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik, the Guelph family physician who organized the founding of the Masai Center for Local, Regional, and Global Health. I asked him to make it fun and make it easy. Well, it wasn t alwa
AFRICA: AIDS: A New War for African Militaries: Associated Press (09.19.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; In many ways, soldiers are at the forefront of Africa s HIV/AIDS pandemic, South African Deputy Defense Minister Mluleki George told a recent gathering of African military health officers in Cape Town. Their age, mobility, and access to casual sex place military personnel at high risk of becoming infected or transmitti
CANADA: New AIDS Strategy: If We Can't Scare Them, Let's Make Them Proud of Their Pride and Joy: Edmonton Journal (09.17.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Francois Marchand; AIDS Vancouver and Rethink Advertising are leading a national Gay Men Play Safe campaign in Canada this year. In the process, they created funny safer-sex messages in an explicit shift from the more than 20 years of occasionally dramatic, controversial, and confrontational HIV prevention discourse in the gay community.
MEXICO: Mexican Border City of Tijuana Tries to Make Prostitution Safer: Associated Press (09.15.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Elliot Spagat; On Aug. 12, new regulations took effect requiring Tijuana s sex workers to pass monthly STD exams as part of revised standards aimed at protecting their health and shutting down unsafe brothels. The city will issue electronic cards to replace the pink, pocket-sized health-history books that about 4,700 registered prost
UNITED STATES: Black Gay Leaders Express Discontent with HIV Efforts: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.16.05) - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Andrew Keegan; More than 70 gay black leaders met with senior CDC officials at an agency-sponsored meeting August 29-31 in Atlanta to discuss CDC s role in reducing HIV among black men who have sex with men (MSM). A CDC survey, released in June, of black MSM in five major US cities found that 46 percent were HIV-positive. A 1994 CDC
FLORIDA: Walk Will Raise Money for AIDS Patients: St. Petersburg Times (09.17.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; The AIDS Service Association of Pinellas is hosting the second AIDS Walk St. Petersburg. Proceeds of the Sept. 24 walk will go to benefit the clients of the ASAP program For AIDS Care Today, and 10 percent will go to the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast s sister hospice in Soweto, South Africa . The 5- kilometer walk
UNITED STATES: Housing Help: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (09.18.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Deb Peterson; On Monday, the National AIDS Housing Coalition is scheduled to give awards to Sen. Christopher Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) in recognition of their work on behalf of housing for people with AIDS. The Missouri-based HIV/AIDS housing organization Doorways will give Bond the award today at its off
GLOBAL: Clinton Global Aid Meeting Gathers $1.25 Billion: Reuters (09.17.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Larry Fine; On Saturday, former President Bill Clinton adjourned a three- day global conference aimed at addressing poverty, religious conflict, global warming, and government corruption. Nearly 200 formal pledges totaling $1.25 billion were made during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting. Projects related to HIV/AIDS, entrepren
UNITED STATES; THAILAND: Ansell's Thailand Condoms in Detention: Australian Associated Press (09.16.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; The US Food and Drug Administration has ruled that all condoms from the Ansell manufacturing plant in Thailand bound for the US market must undergo testing after two lots of condoms failed to meet FDA standards within the last seven weeks. FDA placed the Surat Thani facility in Level 2 detention, meaning at least 10
WASHINGTON: Agency Dedicated to Women with HIV: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (09.15.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Julie Davidow; Babes Network, a Seattle agency devoted to supporting women with HIV/AIDS, began as a small group of HIV-positive women gathering for potluck dinners at friends houses in 1987. In 1989, the network applied for a grant through Northwest Family Services. Three years later, Babes became an independent nonprofit organizati
MARYLAND: Opportunity to Fill Seats on Sex-Education Panel Draws Robust Interest: Washington Post (09.15.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Lori Aratani; Nearly 180 people have responded to the Montgomery Board of Education s request for residents to serve on a 15-member advisory committee to work with the school system in developing the district s sex-education curriculum. There s quite a bit of interest, said board President Patricia O Neill (Bethesda-Chevy Chase). T
SOUTH AFRICA: From Treatment to Prevention: The Interplay Between HIV/AIDS Treatment Availability and HIV/AIDS Prevention Programming in Khayelitsha, South Africa: Journal of Urban Health (09.05) Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 498-509 (09..05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Nomi C. Levy; Rebecca A. Miksad; Oliver T. Fein; The authors undertook the current study to describe the role that public access to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) has played in the development and efficacy of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Khayelitsha, a poor township in South Africa s Western Cape. The researchers documented prevention programming offered in the towns
SOUTH AFRICA: South African AIDS Lobbyists Say Typhoid Deaths Underestimated: Agence France Presse (09.19.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Today in Cape Town, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) accused the government of undercounting the mortality toll from a recent outbreak of typhoid and diarrhea. While the official report says three people have died, the AIDS activist group said its volunteers in Delmas, a small town in eastern South Africa
AFRICA: African First Ladies Launch New AIDS Drive: Reuters (09.15.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Claudia Parsons; On Thursday in New York, 40 African first ladies launched the Treat Every Child as Your Own campaign, which will seek to help AIDS orphans and children with the disease. We can t stand silently by while more and more youth are infected, said Janet Kagame, wife of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in announcing the new ini
GLOBAL: Glaxo Halts Trial of AIDS Drug Due to Liver Risks: Wall Street Journal (09.19.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Marilyn Chase; Last week, GlaxoSmithKline PLC announced that it had halted safety and efficacy trials of an HIV medication after two of the 250 treatment-na�ve trial patients developed severe liver toxicity. However, studies of the drug aplaviroc - GSK s candidate in a new class of drugs that will attempt to block HIV s infection of
GLOBAL: United States, Citing Abortion in China, Withholds Funding from UN Group: Associated Press (09.16.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; For the fourth year in a row, the Bush administration intends to withhold funding from the UN agency that provides family planning services and maternal health care to women around the world, saying it contributes to China s coercive abortion program. Congress had appropriated $34 million for the UN Population Fund (UN
WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia Has 65 New HIV/AIDS Cases in First Six Months of '05: Associated Press (09.15.05) - Monday, September 19, 2005; Michelle Saxton; In West Virginia, 65 new HIV/AIDS cases were reported in the first six months of 2005, compared to 139 cases for all of last year, said Dr. Loretta Haddy, the state s epidemiologist. Ten of the 27 West Virginians diagnosed with HIV so far this year are ages 20-29. According to the state s HIV/AIDS & STD Program s W
CANADA: Invitation Goes Out for Prince Edward Island AIDS Walk: The Guardian (Charlottetown) (09.10.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; To help prevent HIV infections and promote compassion and support services for Price Edward Islanders living with the disease, AIDS P.E.I is encouraging people to participate in the 12th annual AIDS Walk for Life, Sunday, Sept. 25. The walk begins at the group s office, 10 St. Peters Rd., at 1 p.m. and will wrap up at
UGANDA: No Condom Shortage: Washington Times (09.16.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; James Morrison; Ugandan Ambassador Edith Ssempala said her country is not facing a condom shortage, despite news reports suggesting otherwise. Reports have been appearing in the media. that our country s successful AIDS prevention efforts are in jeopardy due to a purported shortage of condoms, said Ssempala. The New York Times even re
GLOBAL: $200 Million Pledged to Clinton's Initiative: Reuters (09.16.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Larry Fine; On Thursday in New York, former US President Bill Clinton secured more than $200 million in pledges to fight HIV/AIDS and promote economic development in Africa. The three-day Clinton Global Initiative meeting - timed to coincide with UN General Assembly gathering - includes some 40 heads of state among the more than 7
NEW YORK: The Long Road to Washington: Village Voice (New York City) (09.09.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Pete L'Official; In October, 10 caravans will leave from various US communities and head to Washington for the Campaign to End AIDS Five Days of Action, a week of rallies, prayer vigils, and demonstrations to urge elected officials to help end the epidemic. The Washington events are scheduled to begin Nov. 4. Drawing their inspiration
NORTH CAROLINA: HIV Message Designed for Latinos: Charlotte Observer (09.12.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Steve Lyttle; This summer, a Mecklenburg County Health Department program aimed at Latinos helped to spread the word that HIV/AIDS and other STDs are a growing threat to the Hispanic community. Infectious-disease educators Jorge Patino and Mayra Rodriguez took this message to Latinos, especially young people, in community centers, c
UNITED STATES: A Community-Based Study of Hepatitis B Infection and Immunization Among Young Adults in a High-Drug- Use Neighborhood in New York City: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 479-487 (09..05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Benny J. Kottiri; Samuel R. Friedman; Gary L. Euler; Peter L. Flom; Milagros Sandoval; Alan Neaigus; Don C. Des Jarlais; Jonathan M. Zenilman; In a New York City neighborhood characterized as a drug supermarket, researchers conducted a community-based study of the prevalence and correlates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and immunization among young adults. From Bushwick, Brooklyn, the researchers recruited 489 adults ages 18-24 using multistage househol
AFRICA: First Lady Addresses African Women's Group About AIDS: Associated Press (09.15.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Pat Milton; On Thursday in New York City, US first lady Laura Bush told a group of African first ladies that education and compassion are key to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. Africa s progress is best measured in hope. Only a few years ago, people viewed HIV-positive diagnoses as a death sentence. to be endured in shame and iso
ILLINOIS: Illinois Extends ADAP to Katrina Evacuees: Chicago Free Press (09.14.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Gary Barlow; HIV-positive Hurricane Katrina evacuees who fled to Illinois are receiving help from the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other HIV/AIDS resources even if they cannot furnish the usual documentation. A Sept. 6 memo from Nancy Abraham, the Illinois Department of Public Health s ADAP administrator, instructed AIDS
ILLINOIS: $2.5 Million for HIV Fight; Education, Testing Efforts to Target Blacks: Chicago Tribune (09.16.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Erika Slife; On Thursday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he will raise state spending on HIV/AIDS education and testing efforts targeting African Americans to $2.5 million. The new campaign, called Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS, will feature public-service announcements, ads, and a Wellness on Wheels van that will travel
UNITED STATES: Oral Sex Prevalent Among Teens: Washington Post (09.16.05) - Friday, September 16, 2005; Laura Sessions Stepp; Just over half of US teenagers ages 15-19 have engaged in oral sex, a proportion that increases with age to about 70 percent for those ages 18-19, according to a report released yesterday by CDC s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The study, the most comprehensive national survey of sexual behaviors ever re
WASHINGTON: 500 Walk for AIDS, Raising $590,000: Seattle Times (09.12.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; On Saturday in Seattle, an estimated 500 people raised $590,000 for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance in the 19th annual walk-a-thon. According to the group s Web site, the walk is its largest fundraiser. Lifelong AIDS Alliance was formed in 2001 when the Chicken Soup Brigade and the Northwest AIDS Foundation combined resourc
NEW JERSEY: Paterson to Offer a Quick HIV Test: The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) (09.10.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Paterson s Division of Health is offering testing with the 20- minute OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV test for free to any adult; no appointment is needed. Division officials estimated 35 percent of patients taking the conventional test, which took up to two weeks to process, never returned for their results. Testing is ava
TEXAS: Health Experts Urge Jail Revamp: Dallas Morning News (09.13.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; James M. O'Neill; Experts hired to upgrade health care in the Dallas County Jail have called for an overhaul of inmate screening procedures, better tuberculosis testing, more staff and physical plant improvements. Among those producing the report was Dr. Michael Puisis, an authority on correctional health care who wrote an earlier repor
NEW YORK: Ill Woman Released from Detention: New York Times (09.15.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Nina Bernstein; Late Tuesday, Andrea M. Mortlock, a terminally ill Bronx woman, was temporarily released from detention while an immigration judge decides whether the deportation case against her should be reopened. A legal permanent US resident since 1979, Mortlock was ordered deported to her native Jamaica based on a 1987 convic
ILLINOIS: AIDS Run/Walk Event on Sept. 17; AIDS Foundation of Chicago Helps Hurricane Survivors: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.14.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Andrew Davis; The AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, to be held Sept. 17, will donate 10 percent of its net proceeds to assist HIV/AIDS patients affected by Hurricane Katrina. The earmarked money will go to the National AIDS Emergency Fund, which is working with community-based organizations to provide shelter, food, health care, medicati
UNITED STATES: Screening Prevents Disease, Improves Health of Young Women, Chlamydia Study Says: Women's Health Weekly (09.01.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; A recent analysis conducted by Kaiser Permanente in partnership with CDC found that by taking simple steps, health care institutions can increase the number of women tested for and diagnosed with chlamydia. Around 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia infections develop pelvic inflammatory disease, and 20 percen
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Infections Have Not Peaked, Says Study: Business Day (09.09.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Rob Rose; Old Mutual Healthcare s (OMH) most recent survey of 100 South African companies provides the latest snapshot of HIV in the corporate sector. The medical insurance company reported that 25 of the firms conducted workforce HIV prevalence studies. Despite a guarantee of anonymity, only 12 of the firms released prevalence
ILLINOIS: Illinois Likely to Require Names Reporting: Chicago Free Press (09.07.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Louis Weisberg; Illinois is one of only 14 US jurisdictions that report new HIV cases by code rather than by name. Because CDC counts only HIV cases reported by name, Illinois share of Ryan White CARE funds will soon be set at artificially low levels unless the state switches to name-based reporting, advocates say. The Illinois Depart
GLOBAL: Text of President Bush's Speech to the UN General Assembly: Wall Street Journal (09.14.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; Federal News Service; On Wednesday in New York, President George W. Bush addressed the 60th Annual UN General Assembly meeting. Following are HIV/AIDS-related excerpts from his speech. .To spread a vision of hope, the United States is determined to help nations that are struggling with poverty. We are committed to the Millennium Development
UNITED STATES: AIDS Group Issues HIV Treatment Guidelines for Katrina Evacuees: The Advocate (09.15.05) - Thursday, September 15, 2005; The American Academy of HIV Medicine s Recommendations for the Triage of HIV+ Patients target physicians in areas with large numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees who may have had little experience treating HIV patients. The document recommends the following steps: *Treating active opportunistic infections or other inf
KENYA: NBA Players Depart for Kenya to Spread Anti-AIDS Message: Agence France Presse (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; On Tuesday, several players from the National Basketball Association and the Women s NBA left Washington for Kenya , where they will promote AIDS awareness. The Jump4Life program is organized by the group Hoops4Africa with US government and corporate support. About one of every 17 Kenyan girls between 15 and 24 is infe
LOUISIANA: Help for Evacuees: Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, La.) (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; The Lafayette organization Acadiana CARES is working with agencies across Louisiana to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees with HIV/AIDS find housing. For more information, telephone 800-354-2437.
SPAIN: Spaniard Goes on Trial for Infecting 276 Patients with Hepatitis C: Associated Press (09.12.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; On Monday, the trial of a Spanish anesthetist accused of infecting 276 patients with hepatitis C was set to begin. The trial is expected to last for at least a year, news reports said. A prosecutor is seeking a 2,214-year jail term for the man, who worked in two Valencia hospitals and was a morphine addict. He allegedl
VIRGINIA: Teen Pregnancy Rate Still Up in City: Richmond Times Dispatch (09.06.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Tammie Smith; While Virginia s teen pregnancy rate has declined for at least a decade, from 36.2 pregnancies per 1,000 in 1996 to 27.4 in 2003, Richmond is bucking the trend. In 2003, the city s rate was 80.6 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 10-19, representing 1,024 pregnancies - about half of which ended in abortion. While the r
SOUTH AFRICA: Sexual Exposure to Blood and Behavioural Risks Among STI Clinic Patients in Cape Town, South Africa: Sexual Health Vol. 2; No. 2: P. 85-88 (06..05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Seth C. Kalichman; Leickness C. Simbayi; Although it is well known that the vast majority of HIV infections in South Africa are the result of heterosexually transmitted HIV, the rapid growth of South Africa s HIV epidemic and the behavioural risk factors that facilitate HIV transmission in South Africa have not been fully explained. As one potentially importa
CHINA: China Looks to Cabbage in Massive Condoms Drive: Agence France Presse (09.14.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Chinese officials seeking to fight HIV are looking to make accessing condoms as common as buying cabbage. If people could get a condom as conveniently and naturally as buying a Chinese cabbage, the AIDS prevention function carried out by condoms could finally imbue people s lives and change their bias [against condoms]
PHILIPPINES: AIDS Creeps Up on Unsuspecting Philippines: Reuters (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Ambika Bhushan; Of the more than 8 million Filipinos working abroad, about 3,000 have contracted HIV/AIDS - one of many elements that could contribute to a growing epidemic in the Philippines . Health workers say ignorance about the disease and poor public education are largely to blame for AIDS complacency in this predominantly Roman
GLOBAL: World Risks Duplication in AIDS Vaccine Push: Expert: Reuters (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Greater coordination is needed in the quest to develop an AIDS vaccine to avoid redundancy and improve the chances for success, Robert Hatch, senior vice president for public policy at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), USA, said Tuesday. There is a danger we see right now in AIDS vaccines, a lot of so-c
UGANDA: Uganda Begins Investigation into Alleged Mismanagement of Health Funds: Associated Press (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Henry Wasswa; On Tuesday, a six-person panel began looking into allegations that funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria were mismanaged by Uganda s Health Ministry. On Aug. 24, the Global Fund suspended funding to Uganda after its accountants, who were reviewing one of five grants to the country, reported problems.
KANSAS: Kansas Education Board Can't Agree on How to Handle Sex Ed: Associated Press (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; John Hanna; Meeting Tuesday in Topeka, the Kansas Board of Education failed to agree whether to recommend that local school districts obtain written parental consent before students could take a sex education course or to delegate the opt-in decision to the districts. Most districts currently require parental consent to opt their
UNITED STATES: Sex-Ed Groups Take Cue from Industry in Challenging Abstinence Curriculum: Associated Press (09.13.05) - Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Kevin Freking; Citing a seldom-used law that allows affected persons to seek the correction of information disseminated by federal agencies, two sex-education groups on Tuesday asked the Health and Human Services Department to correct abstinence program information they say is erroneous and ineffective. Advocates for Youth and the Se
GEORGIA: Hurricane Katrina: Agencies to Help Evacuees: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.13.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; In Georgia , residents displaced from states hit by Hurricane Katrina should telephone 1-866-752-3442 for all health care needs, including for HIV/AIDS. The Katrina Medical Resource Center Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day.
NEW YORK: Mayor's Report: Employment Is Up in New York, but So Are Rats and Syphilis: Associated Press (09.12.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Sara Kugler; According to New York City s annual Mayor s Management Report, which reviewed fiscal year 2005, crime and unemployment are low, but the city is battling a rat problem. The city s bill of health is mixed: Fewer New Yorkers are smoking, but syphilis is increasing. The city s number of syphilis cases rose from 599 in fisc
UNITED STATES: AIDS Quilt Group, Founder Settle Lawsuit: Associated Press (09.07.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Doug Gross; The Atlanta-based Names Project Foundation, which cares for the AIDS Memorial Quilt, has announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed by Cleve Jones, who created the quilt in 1987. Jones sued last year, claiming he was fired by the foundation after complaining that the 50-ton quilt was not being prominently displayed. T
HAITI: Briefly: Washington Times (09.13.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; In Haiti , Brigitte Girardin, France s junior minister for cooperation, announced that the French government will provide the island nation with more than $3 million for education and fighting AIDS, in addition to around $45 million in aid. Over the weekend, the European Union lifted sanctions on the former French colo
CAMBODIA: Assessment of Injection Practices in Cambodia Reported: AIDS Weekly & Law (09.01.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Therapeutic injections are overused in Cambodia , exposing health workers to needlestick injuries and a higher risk of blood-borne infections, according to a new survey of injection practices conducted by Sirenda Vong of CDC and collaborators at the World Health Organization and Cambodian Ministry of Health.
MYANMAR: Growing Incidence of TB Called Worrisome: Inter Press Service (09.05.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Marwaan Macan-Markar; The growing number of migrant workers from Myanmar who have TB is worrying Thailand s public health officials and doctors who work along the border. In mandatory health checks in 2003, 1,766 Myanmarese with TB required follow-up treatment, according to Thailand s Ministry of Health. In 2004, we detected 700 cases of T
KENYA: UK Lawmakers Shocked by Alarming Rate of Tuberculosis in Kenya: Xinhua News Agency (09.07.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; On a visit to Kenya , four lawmakers from the United Kingdom said they were shocked and outraged at the TB epidemic in the African nation. The four - Julie Morgan, Nick Herbert, Andrew George, and John Barrett - pledged to mobilize funds to fight TB in Kenya but called as well for an increased political commitment by t
ASIA: Asia Firms Must Gird Now for Spread of AIDS: Study: Reuters (09.09.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; A World Economic Forum (WEF) report released Friday called on Asian companies to prepare to fight AIDS now, while infection rates are well below 1 percent on most of the continent. Of the 1,300 firms in 15 nations polled, 37 percent said they expect AIDS to affect their operations in the next five years. This is the qu
KANSAS: State Board to Discuss 'Opt-in' Policy on Sex Education: Associated Press (09.12.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; John Hanna; On Tuesday, the Kansas Board of Education plans to review health curriculum standards, including whether to require written parental consent in order for students to be taught sex education. Currently, most schools require written parental notification to opt their children out of sex education. Since Kansas does not t
CALIFORNIA: Second LGBT Bill Sent to Schwarzenegger: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.01.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; Among recently passed bills awaiting the signature of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one that would prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage of organ transplants to HIV- positive patients. Assemblymember Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) introduced the measure, AB228. If Schwarzenegger approves the bill, it would
UNITED STATES: Approximately 8,000 AIDS and HIV-Infected Patients Displaced: Associated Press (09.12.05) - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Martha Mendoza; According to estimates by the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families (AACYF), about 8,000 people with HIV/AIDS who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina are now trying to find care. These people face the difficult challenge of trying to manage their disease without their doctors, clinics, and support systems. Pro
THAILAND: HIV Alarm Sounded: The Nation (Thailand) (09.10.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Thasong Asvasena; Around 20 percent of female sex workers in the Sanam Luang area recently tested positive for HIV, Dr. Parnrudee Manomaipiboon of the Bangkok health department said Friday. The 115 women had volunteered to get tested during an annual check-up conducted from May 1 to June 15, said Parnrudee, director of the Bangkok Metro
CANADA: Canada Pledges $210 Million to Global Anti-AIDS Fight: Agence France Presse (09.09.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; On Friday, Canadian International Cooperation Minister Aileen Carroll announced the country will give $250 million Canadian ($210 million US) over two years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. That brings Canada s total contribution to the fund to $525 million Canadian ($441 million US). The goal of the a
IOWA: Customers Fear Potential Illness from Closed Tattoo Shop: Associated Press (09.10.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Customers of a shut-down tattoo business in Burchinal have been phoning the Cerro Gordo County Department of Health inquiring whether they could be at risk for health problems from their tattoos. Freeky Inks Tattoos was recently closed by the health department for not having a business license and not practicing proper
OHIO: Planned Parenthood; Health-Care Organization Will Close Marion Clinic: Columbus Dispatch (09.02.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Dana Wilson; Some 370 patients have been sent letters notifying them that Planned Parenthood of Ohio will close its Marion County clinic by the end of September. Lisa Perks, the agency s executive director, said a shortage of federal money has caused the Marion facility to run a deficit of $20,000 for each of the past three years.
UNITED STATES: Challenges in Motivating Treatment Enrollment in Community Syringe Exchange Participants: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 456-467 (09..05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Michael Kidorf; Elizabeth Disney; Van King; Ken Kolodner; Peter Beilenson; Robert K. Brooner; While participants in needle-exchange programs exhibit high rates of substance abuse disorder, they remain very ambivalent about seeking treatment. In the current study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) for encouraging needle-exchange program participants to enroll in programs f
ZIMBABWE: Fear of Knowing AIDS Status Causes Blood Shortages in Zimbabwe: Xinhua News Agency (09.11.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Josiah Mucharowana; The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Zimbabwe s primary reservoir of blood and related products, is appealing for donors as the country faces a critically low blood supply. The majority of the Zimbabweans avoid donating blood for fear they might learn of their HIV status. Zimbabwe is among 39 countries in the
ZIMBABWE: Rights Group: Zimbabwe Slum Demolitions Disrupt Treatment of HIV/AIDS Patients: Associated Press (09.11.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; Scores of HIV/AIDS programs in Zimbabwe have been disrupted by the country s widely condemned Operation Murambatsvina ( Drive Out Trash ) slum demolition campaign, according to a report released Sunday by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). The 40-page document, Clear the Filth: Mass Evictions and Demolitions in Z
INDIA: Indian Tribunal Strikes Down Rule Denying Jobs to HIV- Infected People: Associated Press (09.09.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; S. Srinivasan; On Thursday in Bangalore, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal struck down a 1994 police rule that banned HIV- positive people from joining the force. The ruling from the southern Indian state was made public Friday. Six years ago, the Karnataka police force selected R. Ramesh Rao for a job, but rejected him after a r
GLOBAL: Tensions Simmer at Donor Meeting After Failure to Meet Global Fund Goal: Financial Times (London) (09.10.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; Andrew Jack; Donor nations recent failure to provide the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria with the amount of money deemed necessary for its work was met with frustration. The Global Fund replenishment conference in London managed to raise just $3.7 billion of the fund s targeted $7 billion for 2006-07. That amount would al
CHINA: Clinton Foundation to Provide Free Drugs to China's HIV/AIDS Children: Agence France Presse (09.11.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; On Sunday, officials with the Bill Clinton Foundation s HIV/AIDS initiative announced the expansion of its program to provide free treatment for HIV-positive children in China . In June, the former president s foundation began treating 200 HIV-positive children in central China, most of whom were infected from birth or
TEXAS: State of Alertness: Houston Chronicle (09.10.05) - Monday, September 12, 2005; In the wake of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, public-health officials in Texas have acted to aid survivors. The Texas HIV Medication Program and the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program are offering free antiretroviral therapy to evacuees in Texas. Patients must complete a one-page application. Once approv
RHODE ISLAND: AIDS Project Rhode Island Wins $3,000 Grant: Providence Journal (09.06.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; AIDS Project Rhode Island s speakers bureau recently received a $3,000 Until There s a Cure Foundation grant for speaker stipends and travel costs related to presentations about HIV/AIDS to schools, substance abuse clinics, and civic organizations. Presentations begin with information about HIV from a prevention educat
KAZAKHSTAN: Ex-US President Bill Clinton Backs Kazakhstan's Bid for Organization for Security and Cooperation Chairmanship: Associated Press (09.06.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; On Tuesday in Almaty, Kazakhstan , former US President Bill Clinton expressed support for the country s bid for chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Clinton also signed an agreement with the Kazakh government on the nation s membership in his HIV/AIDS foundation, which will enable Ka
SWEDEN: Sweden to Contribute to TB, AIDS, Malaria Fund: Xinhua News Agency (09.07.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Sweden has pledged $125 million over the next two years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Radio Sweden reported Wednesday. The Swedish contribution corresponds to 3 percent of the fund s goal, said Foreign Aid Minister Carin Joemtin.
TEXAS: Local Organizations Step Up to the Plate: Houston Chronicle (09.08.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Tom Manning; Houston s Gay and Lesbian Switchboard is coordinating local efforts to help provide HIV medications for Hurricane Katrina evacuees, among other services. For more information, telephone 713-529-3211.
GEORGIA: Housing for People with HIV: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.09.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Dyana Bagby; Thousands of HIV-positive Hurricane Katrina evacuees have called AID Atlanta s hotline seeking housing and medicine, said Executive Director Kim Anderson. About 15-20 people have made it in person to the agency, and more are on the way, she said. We ve gone to a number of shelters here and passed out flyers letting peo
GEORGIA: Hurricane Katrina: Agencies to Help Evacuees: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.09.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; In Georgia , residents displaced from states hit by Hurricane Katrina should telephone 1-866-752-3442 for all health care needs, including for HIV/AIDS. The Katrina Medical Resource Center Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day.
CALIFORNIA: Supervisors Narrowly Approve Clean-Needle Program: Vallejo Times Herald (09.08.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Jason Massad; On Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve a pilot non-prescription needle project aimed at reducing the transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis. The program allows people ages 18 and older to purchase up to 10 hypodermic needles at a pharmacy without a prescription. Loc
UNITED STATES: Condom Effectiveness for Prevention of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81; P. 323-325 (08..05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; L. M. Niccolai; A. Rowhani-Rahbar; H. Jenkins; S. Green; D.W. Dunne; While a growing body of research is increasingly demonstrating the effectiveness of condoms in preventing STDs, the current analysis aimed to provide a disease-specific estimate for the effectives of condoms in preventing Chlamydia trachomatis infection while controlling for known exposure to infection. Using a medical
CANADA: Students Spin Wheel for Facts on Sex: Toronto Star (09.08.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Tess Kalinowski; First-year students at the University of Toronto-Mississauga played Sexual Pursuit, a game the Peel public health department brought Wednesday to the campus as part of its new What are the odds? campaign. With the chance to win an iPod, students spun a wheel and faced trivia questions about contraception and STDs. By
RUSSIA: Russian Orthodox Church Launches Campaign to Stop Spread of AIDS Epidemic: Associated Press (09.06.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Maria Danilova; To help curb Russia s growing HIV epidemic, the Russian Orthodox Church launched a new program Tuesday to provide spiritual guidance and practical support to HIV/AIDS patients and their families. Priests will be instructed to treat people living with the disease as any other person suffering from some serious illness
SUDAN: South Sudan in HIV/AIDS Epidemic : United Nations Development Program: Reuters (09.04.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Amil Khan; HIV/AIDS is ravaging southern Sudan , where most of its people lack access to clean water, sanitation or education services, according to a UN Development Program (UNDP) report released Sunday. The report s statistics are among the first to be published on health, poverty, and education in southern Sudan, where former
AFRICA: Cultivated Land Disappears in AIDS-Ravaged Africa: Reuters (09.08.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; Patricia Reaney; Thursday in Dublin, researchers told attendees of the British Association of Science meeting that the amount of cultivated land in some African countries has fallen by nearly 70 percent due to HIV/AIDS. Around 80 percent of Africans live off the land but the disease, which infects more than 25 million sub- Saharan Afri
ARKANSAS: Arkansas Groups Reach Out to Medical Patients Displaced by Storm: Associated Press (09.08.05) - Friday, September 09, 2005; With medication running out, HIV/AIDS patients displaced by Hurricane Katrina have started calling Arkansas treatment centers asking for help. We have already had several calls from people needing medication and/or information about our services since the hurricane struck last week, said Kacey Tyler, case manager for t
LIBYA: Bulgaria to Send Equipment, Medicine to Libya to Help it Fight AIDS: Associated Press (09.07.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; On Wednesday, Bulgaria said it will send equipment and medicine to Libya to help it fight HIV/AIDS as part of a bid to win the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. Last year, a Libyan court sentenced the six medics to death for allegedly infecting some 400 children with HIV at a Benghazi children
TEXAS: For Those Who Need Help: San Antonio Express-News (09.07.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; The San Antonio AIDS Foundation, 818 E. Grayson St., is offering its services to evacuees of Hurricane Katrina living with HIV/AIDS. For additional information, telephone 210-225- 4715.
TEXAS: Dallas-Area Residents Continue to Provide Help: Dallas Morning News (09.07.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Norma Adams-Wade; Dallas agencies that serve HIV/AIDS patients are supporting Hurricane Katrina evacuees who have relocated to the Dallas area. For referrals to the Peabody Health Center, AIDS Arms and Resource Center of Dallas, telephone 214-521-5191.
PUERTO RICO: Homelessness and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Drug Injectors in Puerto Rico: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 446-455 (09..05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Juan C. Reyes; Rafaela R. Robles; H�ctor M. Col�n; Tom�s D. Matos; H. Ann Finlinson; C. Amalia Marrero; Elizabeth W. Shepard; The current report examined the association between homelessness and HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs). Subjects were recruited from inner-city neighborhoods of the North Metro Health Care Region in Puerto Rico . Five-hundred fifty-seven study subjects who were not in treatment were categorized into
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: Minister Concerned About Rise in HIV/AIDS: Antigua Sun (St. John's, Antigua) (09.05.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Antigua and Barbuda s Health Minister said he is concerned about the nation s high number of HIV/AIDS cases. John Maginley said his ministry s goal is to reduce the incidence of HIV and other STD among people ages 15-44 by 10 percent by 2014. Since 1985, Antigua and Barbuda have recorded 502 HIV cases. While the epid
AFRICA: After Niger, Rich Countries Ignore Southern Africa Food Crisis: Oxfam: Agence France Presse (09.07.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Ahead of next week s UN World Summit in New York, the British charity Oxfam on Thursday urged wealthy member states to help prevent food shortages in developing nations. Despite a plea by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for assistance, the World Food Program warned last week of a $187 million shortfall to feed the hung
LIBERIA: Liberian Schoolgirls Sell Sex to Pay for Fees: Study: Reuters (09.05.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Katharine Houreld; On Monday, the charity Save the Children (STC) said its survey of Liberian school-aged girls in Monrovia found that between 60 percent and 80 percent are selling sex in order to pay school fees and escape their poverty. We surveyed more than 300 girls over a five-month period, and initially we were not aware of this is
UGANDA: Uganda Commission to Probe Use of AIDS Funds: Reuters (09.08.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Today, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni s office announced the start of an investigation into reports that AIDS money from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria had been misappropriated. Last month, the Global Fund temporarily suspended grants to Uganda, citing concerns about financial mismanagement. Museveni
UNITED STATES: Chlamydia: The Most Common STD You've Never Heard Of: Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) (09.01.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; Darla Carter; Infecting some 3 million patients each year, chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STD in the United States . Though it can easily be cured with antibiotics, chlamydia often goes undetected because many people do not have symptoms of the infection. In 2004 in Kentucky, 6,470 chlamydia cases were reported, c
UNITED STATES: Is Plan B 'Unsafe'? Current Research Does Not Support Fears of Day-After Pill Dangers: Washington Post (09.06.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; January W. Payne; The Food and Drug Administration s recent decision to delay a ruling authorizing over-the-counter (OTC) access to Barr Laboratory s emergency contraceptive, Plan B, placed the drug s safety at issue. Plan B was FDA-approved as a prescription drug in 1999. FDA s deferment on Plan B s OTC status centers over whether it s
GLOBAL: US Condom Policy in Africa Targets 'High-Risk' Areas: Boston Globe (09.08.05) - Thursday, September 08, 2005; John Donnelly; To help prevent HIV in the developing world, the US government has significantly increased its purchase of condoms, to almost 1.1 billion in the past two years. By the end of 2005, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator projects the government will have shipped more than 612 million condoms this year to Africa, A
LIBYA: European Union Helping Libyan AIDS Sufferers: Agence France Presse (09.06.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; On Tuesday, the European Commission announced it was providing Libya with advice and technical assistance to help treat people with HIV/AIDS. EU and Libyan experts were set to meet Tuesday to discuss the support, which includes upgrading the Benghazi Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology to meet international s
GLOBAL: United Nations Says World Headed Toward Failure on Targets for Reducing Poverty: Associated Press (09.07.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; Without drastic measures the world will fail to meet UN Millennium Development Goals, according to the 2005 Human Development Report released today, one week ahead of a UN summit in New York City to assess the goals. The goals include reducing extreme poverty by half, reducing child mortality by two-thirds, and achievi
RHODE ISLAND: AIDS Prevention Online: Providence Journal (09.01.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Thanks to funding from the KR Hofmann Foundation, AIDS Project Rhode Island will become the state s first agency to launch a coordinated, Web-based HIV/STD prevention campaign. The Sexperts program, to be launched in local Internet chat rooms, will initially target gay men and expand to other groups at higher risk for
ARKANSAS: State Agency Issues Health Advisory: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (09.04.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; On Saturday, the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services issued a health advisory for Hurricane Katrina evacuees taking shelter in Arkansas. Among the items of interest: *People needing testing or treatment for HIV or other STDs may contact the nearest county health unit. *TB patients requiring continuation of
TEXAS: Clinic to Merge with The Assistance Fund: Houston Chronicle (09.01.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Tom Manning; The Montrose Clinic and The Assistance Fund (TAF) recently announced they are merging to create a new nonprofit consisting of an operating arm that provides health services and an endowment to work on long-term fundraising goals. Houston-based TAF provides health insurance and subsidizes medication to mostly unemployed
UNITED KINGDOM: Many Infants Acquire Hepatitis C Infection from Infected Mothers in Utero: Women's Health Weekly (09.01.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Many hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected infants were infected in utero, according to researchers who investigated when mother- to-child HCV-infection occurs and evaluated associated transmission factors. The prospective cohort study, conducted by J. Mok of University College London and colleagues, included 54 HCV-infecte
SOUTH AFRICA: An Anything But Trivial Pursuit: The Guardian (London) (09.06.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; A new board game created by Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) is teaching youths about HIV/AIDS, TB, pregnancy and rape. As kids ask and answer questions, myths are dispelled and, with them, the game s creators hope HIV stigma will be too. The game is very similar to Trivial Pursuit, with questions about HIV/AIDS, rape, T
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Orders Probe After Controversial AIDS Drug Resurfaces: Agence France Presse (09.06.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; On Tuesday, South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala- Msimang ordered the Medicine Control Council to probe claims that a dubious AIDS treatment is being openly sold on the Internet, a ministry spokesperson said. Virodene, which contains an industrial solvent, was marketed by Pretoria-based researchers as a cure
GLOBAL: Search for AIDS Vaccine at Risk Due to Lack of Interest and Funding: Lewis: Canadian Press (09.06.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; On Tuesday in Montreal, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis said efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine are faltering due to a lack of funds and global commitment. Speaking at a conference organized by the Canadian Network for Vaccines and Immunotherpeutics (CNVI), a coalition of researchers working on cl
GLOBAL: AIDS Pledges Leave a Funding Gap: Wall Street Journal (09.07.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Michael M. Phillips; European nations provided at least 60 percent of the $3.7 billion pledged for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria at the two-day donor conference that ended Tuesday in London. The total pledged is well short of the $7.1 billion the fund says it will need for 2006-2007. International health officials said the
KANSAS: Parents' Permission Slip May Be Ticket to Sex Ed: Kansas City Star (08.28.05) - Wednesday, September 07, 2005; Diane Carroll; At its Sept. 13 meeting, the Kansas Board of Education (BOE) will consider a draft recommendation whether to require school districts to teach sex education as an opt-in course for which parents would have to give written consent. Parents now have to opt their children out of sex education classes. The proposed opt-in
WASHINGTON: AIDS Walk in Seattle: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (09.02.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Thousands of people are set to participate in Seattle s AIDS Walk 2005, which helps raise funds for services provided by the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. The event takes place in Volunteer Park on Saturday, Sept. 10, with registration open at 8:00 a.m. and the walk beginning at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.aidswa
VIETNAM: More Vietnamese Men Get HIV from Prostitutes: Xinhua News Agency (09.06.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; By the end of 2005, an estimated 58,000 Vietnamese will have become infected with HIV after having sex with an HIV-positive prostitute, up from 25,000 in late 2000, Vietnam s Health Ministry said today. The number of infected sex buyers tends to cluster most in big cities and tourism centers like Hanoi, southern Ho Chi
TEXAS: Katrina's Aftermath: Health: Houston Chronicle (09.05.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; AIDS Foundation Houston will provide housing and placement assistance for Hurricane Katrina evacuees living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, telephone 713-623-6796, ext. 243, 257 or 223, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
TEXAS: Katrina Brief: Dallas Morning News (09.03.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Ernesto Londono; The Dallas County Health and Human Services is providing HIV and TB treatment services for evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina, officials said Friday. For more information, telephone 214-819-6001.
ARIZONA: Advocate Lives Life to the Fullest: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (08.25.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Mel Melendez; While living in Queens, N.Y., in 1988, Lorraine Brown discovered her six-year-old daughter packing a suitcase, saying she was going away because kids at her school kept calling her mom a whore and junkie, after word spread of Brown s HIV diagnosis. Since there were scarce resources available for women and children with
CALIFORNIA: Gay Men Find It's Not Easy Being New in Town; Programs Address Problems Inherent in Relocating to San Francisco: San Francisco Chronicle (09.02.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Wyatt Buchanan; Several new programs in San Francisco hope to welcome gay newcomers with a friendly reception, and one has HIV prevention as its main focus. According to a 2001 city Department of Public Health survey, the average gay man leaves San Francisco after only four years. Many say they feel the community is unwelcoming. That
SOUTH AFRICA: Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections in South Africa: A Review: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 287-293 (08..05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; L.F. Johnson; D.J. Coetzee; R.E. Dorrington; In order to examine how sexually transmitted infection prevalence varies among populations, and to identify the limitations of existing data, the researchers reviewed studies of STI prevalence in selected South African sentinel populations between 1985 and 2003. The studies tracked prevalence of syphilis, chancroid, gr
AFRICA: Africa's Poverty, Politics Give Diseases Big Advantage: Voice of America (08.31.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Raymond Thibodeaux; Poverty and politics are helping to spread preventable diseases in Africa, say health experts, who cite the recent polio campaign as an example relevant to the HIV, TB and malaria campaign. On the cusp of eradicating polio, an international vaccination campaign was suspended nearly two years ago in northern
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Denies Holding Off Free Condoms Plan in Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (09.04.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; On Sunday, Malaysia denied that it is delaying plans to distribute free needles and condoms to drug users due to opposition from Islamic religious groups. The staff have to be trained and educated properly before this program can be introduced, said Health Minister Chua Soi Lek. The six-month pilot program to suppl
GLOBAL: Pressure over AIDS Fund Likely to Mount on United States: Financial Times (London) (09.05.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Alan Beattie; At a two-day donor conference ending Tuesday in London, European nations are expected to make generous pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, shifting the onus to the United States to do likewise. So far, donor nations have pledged only $1.7 billion of the $7.1 billion the Global Fund needs for 2006
OHIO: Abstinence Lessons Reap Some Benefits, Study Says: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (09.03.05) - Tuesday, September 06, 2005; Regina McEnery; A new study of a federally funded abstinence-only program found that while it appeared to increase students knowledge about abstinence, it did not influence sexual initiation or condom use. The report, which measured the impact of For Keeps, run by Ohio-based Operation Keepsake, is one of the few scientifically valid s
ILLINOIS: AIDSCare Moves: Windy City Times (Chicago) (08.31.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Faced with eviction after 12 years, AIDSCare is moving from its Lakeview location to the organization s North Lawndale campus. Administration and development staff members will now operate from 212 E. Ohio, 5th floor, Chicago, IL 60611.
CHINA: China Admits Gays as a Major Group for AIDS Prevention, Control: Xinhua News Agency (09.01.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; China must not fail to recognize the existence of gays or the need to target HIV/AIDS prevention to them, as they represent a key group in the battle against the epidemic, said Chinese Vice Health Minister Wang Longde. The minister was speaking at the Beijing Plus Ten meeting, which marked the tenth anniversary of th
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Police AIDS Toll Hurting Crime Fight: Interior Minister: Agence France Presse (09.02.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; The AIDS-related deaths of some 1,000 police officers annually in Mozambique are denting its effort to deter crime, Interior Minister Jose Pachero said Wednesday in Lisbon, according to Portugal s Lusa news agency. The HIV rate among police in the former Portuguese colony is about 16 percent, the same rate as in the ge
CHINA: Education Critical to HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Children: UNICEF Official: Xinhua News Agency (09.02.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said this week that education is critical to controlling HIV s spread to China s youths. From Aug. 26-27, Veneman toured China s developing Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where she saw students stage a play about HIV/AIDS. Students of No. 15 Middle School of Yinchuan, Ningxia s
TENNESSEE: When Fears Keep People Away, Providers Take AIDS Tests to Streets: Knoxville News Sentinel (08.31.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Chandra Harris; Though a national HIV/AIDS prevention campaign aimed at young people proclaims Knowing Is a Beautiful Thing, fear of the unknown keeps many people from testing for the disease. To combat negative stigma and halt new infections, the Knox County Health Department is stepping up its community outreach, said county HIV-Pre
UNITED STATES: Effects of Methamphetamine Dependence and HIV Infection on Cerebral: American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 162: P. 1461-1472 (08..05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; MorphologyTerry L. Jernigan, PhD; Anthony C. Gamst, PhD; Sarah L. Archibald, MA; Christine Fennema-Notestine, PhD; Monica Rivera Mindt, PhD; Thomas L. Marcotte, PhD; Robert K. Heaton, PhD; Ronald J. Ellis, MD; Igor Grant, MD; In the current study, researchers examined the separate and combined effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on brain morphology. Using magnetic resonance imaging, morphotropic measures were obtained from methamphetamine-dependent and/or HIV-positive participants, and their appropriate age- and educatio
CHINA: Prostitution Thriving in Tibet as Authorities Look the Other Way: Agence France Presse (09.01.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of women in Tibet are turning to prostitution, a situation that authorities of China s autonomous region do not acknowledge. In Shigatse, Tibet s second-largest city with a population of 80,000, downtown appears as one sprawling brothel district. At night, a pink light every few m
ZIMBABWE: Bringing Hope to the Forgotten: Toronto Star (08.29.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Karen Palmer; At the Salvation Army s Howard Hospital in central Zimbabwe , a country where HIV rates are about 25 percent and there is no money for antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), death is a virtual certainty for AIDS patients. Indeed, a sign outside the hospital advertises coffins for sale. But for HIV-positive pregnant women here, 9
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Papua New Guinea Minister Admits Rights Group Charges of Police Brutality: Agence France Presse (09.01.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Papua New Guinea s (PNG) police minister acknowledged a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report claiming that police abuse - against children, sex workers, gays and those who carry condoms - may fuel the nation s growing AIDS epidemic. The report details young girls being gang raped by policemen in jail cells, and boys being s
UNITED STATES: Pennsylvania Physician Urges Revision of HIV- Testing Policies: AIDS Weekly (08.29.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; State laws should be revised to allow HIV testing of patients who are unable to consent to the procedure, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine s Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD, said in a recently published article. Other than heritable genetic disorders, HIV is the only medical condition for which explicit cons
UNITED STATES: Pediatricians' Group Issues Policy on Emergency Contraception for Teenagers: Associated Press (09.01.05) - Friday, September 02, 2005; Carla K. Johnson; In a posting on its Web site Thursday, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception. The move followed last week s decision by the Food and Drug Administration to again postpone a decision on the issue. While the AAP last year endorsed a request that
UGANDA: Uganda's Traditional Health Practitioners Urged to Combat AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; On Wednesday in Kampala, Ugandan Minister of Health Jim Muhwezi asked traditional health practitioners to do more to involve communities in HIV prevention. His statement was part of the commemoration of African traditional medicine day, whose theme this year is African Traditional Medicine: Contribution to Preventing H
CHINA: NGOs Play 'Outstanding' Role in Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Vice Health Minister: Xinhua News Agency (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; On Wednesday in Beijing, Chinese Vice Health Minister Wang Longde pledged more government support for nongovernmental organizations, whose AIDS-fighting work he called outstanding. Among NGO activities: The All- China Women s Federation has launched an HIV/AIDS education campaign targeting women in 51 locations around
CHINA: Checking Drug Use Vital for Checking HIV/AIDS Spread in China: Vice Minister: Xinhua News Agency (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Combating drug use is fundamental in China s efforts to slow its HIV epidemic, as injection drug use is a major transmission route, Chinese Vice Health Minister Wang Longde said Wednesday. HIV transmission through injection drug use is an especially serious problem in areas like Xinjiang, Yunan, and Sichuan, Wang said
GLOBAL: European Union Backs Off Airline-Tax Plan: Wall Street Journal (09.01.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; William Echikson; Today, the European Commission - the executive body of the European Union - is expected to back away from a French-led plan to tax airline tickets to raise money for diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. At its weekly meeting, the commission will call for a report assessing alternative possibilities for development a
NEBRASKA: New Funds Should Boost Fight Against STDs: Omaha World-Herald (08.29.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Kristin Zagurski; Local health officials are calling for Douglas County residents in their teens and 20s to seek testing and, if necessary, treatment for STDs. People ages 15-29 account for 75 percent of the county s chlamydia and gonorrhea cases, said Douglas County Health Department Director Dr. Adi Pour. In the budget it passed in Ju
PENNSYLVANIA: City Plans Switch to Name-Based HIV Reporting: Philadelphia Inquirer (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Marie McCullough; Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Board of Health voted unanimously to begin reporting HIV cases by name, rather than by code. The switch will take place at the end of September unless the board reconsiders. At a public hearing Tuesday, activists expressed more support, or resignation, than opposition. Name-based reporte
UNITED STATES: Lab Tests for Herpes Often Give Wrong Results: Reuters (08.29.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Megan Rauscher; A recent survey of laboratories performing herpes simplex virus (HSV) testing found many used blood tests that often give false results. In a proficiency examination of HSV testing, the College of American Pathologists sent 172 participating labs a blood sample containing HSV-1 antibodies but no HSV-2 antibodies. Thoug
UNITED STATES: HIV Among Injection Drug Users in Large US Metropolitan Areas, 1998: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 434-445 (09..05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Samuel R. Friedman; Spencer Lieb; Barbara Tempalski; Hannah Cooper; Marie Keem; Risa Friedman; Peter L. Flom; In the current study, the researchers sought to facilitate social and policy analyses of HIV epidemics by estimating HIV prevalence rates among injection drug users (IDUs) in 95 large US metropolitan areas. To calculate HIV prevalence rates among IDUs in the metropolitan areas, researchers averaged two estimates: the f
FINLAND: Finland Could Halt Tuberculosis Vaccines Program: Agence France Presse (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; On Wednesday, Finnish officials said that a universal TB vaccination program could soon be shut down since the disease is virtually nonexistent in the Nordic country. An expert panel is expected to examine the issue and report to the ministry of health and social affairs by the end of September. We have actually a very
UGANDA: Fund Looks to Lift Suspension of Uganda AIDS Cash: Reuters (08.31.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Frank Nyakairu; At a news conference in Kampala on Wednesday, the operations chief of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria said its suspension of funds to Uganda would be lifted in October provided the government recovers money that may have been misappropriated. Bradford Herbert said funding for Uganda would resume if what
UNITED STATES: Women's Health Chief Quits Food and Drug Administration over Delays on 'Morning After' Pill: Los Angeles Times (09.01.05) - Thursday, September 01, 2005; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar; Amid widening protest over the Food and Drug Administration s decision to delay a ruling on whether the morning after contraceptive can be sold without a prescription, the head of the agency s women s health office resigned yesterday. I can no longer serve. when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and rec
TEXAS: Students, Teachers to Get TB Screenings: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (08.31.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Amie Streater; Yesterday, North Side High School administrators notified parents of 192 students who may have been exposed to TB and asked for written consent to screen their child for the infection. The school was notified on Friday that a student had been diagnosed with TB, said Assistant Superintendent Leslie James. The infected c
CHINA: Beijing Registers 365 New HIV/AIDS Patients: Xinhua News Agency (08.31.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Today in Beijing, Liang Wannian, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Sanitary Department, announced that the capital had registered 365 new HIV/AIDS cases this year through July. The figures for new HIV (311) and AIDS (54) cases were up 53.2 percent and 42.1 percent, respectively, from the same period in 2004. Liang n
ZIMBABWE: Parents in Zimbabwe Asked to Discuss Reproductive Health with Children: Xinhua News Agency (08.31.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Today in Harare, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council called on parents to discuss reproductive health issues, including HIV/AIDS and STDs, with their children. There is an information gap between parents and children due to the old tradition of viewing sex as taboo, said Simbarashe Namusi, the council s produ
CALIFORNIA: Stop AIDS Project Unveils New Programs for HIVers: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.25.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Tyson Gillfillan; San Francisco s Stop AIDS Project (SAP) recently announced new outreach, support, and prevention efforts targeting gay and bisexual men who are HIV-positive. The initiatives are funded by a $1.5 million city Department of Public Health contract, with nearly $400,000 earmarked for HIV-positive outreach. The programs ran
UNITED STATES: Meta-Analysis of High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Persons Aware and Unaware They Are Infected with HIV in the United States: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 39; No. 4: P. 446-453 (08..05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Gary Marks; Nicole Crepaz, PhD; J. Walton Senterfitt, PhD; Robert S. Janssen, MD; The study compares the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviors in HIV-positive people aware of their serostatus (HIV+ aware) with the prevalence of such behaviors in HIV- positive people unaware of their serostatus (HIV+ unaware) in the United States and discusses the implications for HIV prevention programs. CDC esti
GLOBAL: Trafficking of Women, Children on Rise Worldwide : UN: Reuters (08.30.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; At an Asia-Pacific human rights conference Tuesday in Beijing, UN officials said human trafficking is on the rise around the world, with millions of women and children each year forced to become sex slaves, mine workers, and beggars. The International Labor Organization estimates that more than 2 million humans are tra
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS-Hit South Africa to Increase Nurse Training: Reuters (08.30.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; A shortage of nurses and other skilled medical personnel is the major obstacle to getting antiretrovirals to about 5 million HIV-positive South Africans who need them, according to health department spokesperson Sibani Mngadi. On Tuesday, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told a meeting of retired nurses that sh
UGANDA: Uganda Says No Condom Crisis but Abstinence Is Best: Reuters (08.30.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Frank Nyakairu; On Tuesday, Uganda rejected a UN claim that it faced a condom shortage due to a restrictive Christian ideology driving the five-year, $15 billion US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). There is no question in my mind that the condom crisis in Uganda is being driven and exacerbated by PEPFAR and by the
UGANDA: Uganda Names International Auditors to Oversee Anti- AIDS Programs: Agence France Presse (08.31.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; Today, Uganda announced that the audit firm Ernst & Young will now manage its AIDS programs, following intensive discussions between the health ministry and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Last week, the fund temporarily froze $201 million in assistance to the Ugandan entity administering Global Fund
GLOBAL: Health Groups, Religious Right Clash over Anti-HIV Efforts for Prostitutes: Baltimore Sun (08.28.05) - Wednesday, August 31, 2005; David Kohn; Public health groups and conservatives have split over a two- year-old congressional mandate that denies overseas US AIDS funds to any group or organization that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking. Though the pledge was initially required of international recipients, it was exte
GLOBAL: French Leader Renews Call for Global Airline Levy: Agence France Presse (07.29.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Speaking to a gathering of French diplomats in Paris on Monday, French President Jacques Chirac again said he will push for an international tax on plane tickets to fund humanitarian efforts, including the fight against AIDS. Along with France , Germany , Algeria ,
GLOBAL: Gilead Lowers Its No-Profit Drug Prices: Associated Press (08.29.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; On Monday, Gilead Sciences Inc. announced it is reducing the prices it charges developing nations for its HIV drugs Truvada and Viread . Through its access program, Gilead sells the drugs at no profit to a group of 97 developing countries.
ILLINOIS: Chicago Department of Public Health: Meth Users Engage in Riskier Behavior: Windy City Times (Chicago) (08.24.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; In preliminary data from a study of 162 newly diagnosed HIV- positive men who have sex with men, the Chicago Department of Public Health said that 49 of the men (30 percent) reported crystal meth use in the six months preceding their diagnosis. Meth users were almost twice as likely as non-users (32 percent versus 17 p
CALIFORNIA: Summit Stresses HIV Prevention: Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (08.28.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Cadonna Peyton; On Saturday, nearly 150 people attended Project Action s first Sex in the Inland Empire seminar. The event targeted people ages 16-25, though girls as young as 11 were in attendance. It featured interactive workshops covering topics such as sex, self-esteem and STDs, as well as music, poetry, and dancing. Right now our
MASSACHUSETTS: Conference Targets HIV in Communities of Color: Bay Windows (Boston) (08.25.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Laura Kiritsy; The HIV epidemic in communities of color will be the focus of a Sept. 15-16 conference hosted by the Boston AIDS Consortium. Some 300 people from across the state are expected to attend. I think it s going to be a great opportunity for consumers and policy makers and advocates to come together and share their policy an
TEXAS: AIDS Foundation Houston; CEO Plans Brighter Future: Houston Chronicle (08.25.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Kim Hughes; AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH), which provides HIV/AIDS education and services to more than 5,000 metro residents, recently named Kelly McCann as its new CEO. McCann, who joined the nonprofit in 1996, has served as its vice president of community relations for the last few years. Kelly is extraordinary in that she has a
UNITED STATES: Community Case Management for Former Jail Inmates: Its Impacts on Rearrest, Drug Use, and HIV Risk: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 420-433 (09..05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Karen Needels; Susanne James-Burdumy; John Burghardt; Dramatic increases in US incarceration rates have led to large concentrations of formerly imprisoned people living in poverty-plagued urban areas. It is therefore important to urban communities - and to service providers and policymakers concerned about them - to identify ways of helping inmates who exhibit multiple, s
CHINA: Preaching on HIV/AIDS Prevention Becomes Popular for Muslim Mullahs in West China's Ningxia Region: Xinhua News Agency (08.27.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; This year, Muslims in west China s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region have begun hearing their local mullahs preach about HIV/AIDS prevention. Earlier this year, 130 religious leaders from 43 mosques took a UNICEF course on HIV/AIDS prevention and care that mullahs can incorporate into their religious activities. UNICEF spo
UGANDA: Couple Helps Open School in Native Uganda: Associated Press (08.29.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Hugh Leach; In the 1990s, Ugandan Twesigye Jackson Kaguri came to the United States to study at Columbia University. During a 2001 visit to Uganda, Kaguri and his wife Beronda Montgomery-Kaguri first got the idea to start a school for AIDS orphans. Kaguri himself has lost a sister and a brother to HIV/AIDS. I was looking afte
SOUTH AFRICA: Advertising Authority Sanctions Vitamin Distributor Who Claims Anti-AIDS Drugs Toxic: Associated Press (08.29.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Clare Nullis; On Monday, South Africa s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ordered the vitamin seller Matthias Rath to submit all future advertisements to an industry authority for the next year to ensure his ads are neither misleading nor defamatory. Earlier this year, ASA found that Rath s ads in South African newspapers callin
UGANDA: United States Blamed for Condom Shortage in Fighting AIDS in Uganda: New York Times (08.30.05) - Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Lawrence K. Altman; Yesterday, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis and several AIDS advocacy groups charged that a shift in US policy is behind a condom shortage in Uganda . That shortage is putting many people - particularly married women and young people - at risk for HIV infection, they said. The critics said Uganda s
UNITED STATES: Post Office Issuing Arthur Ashe Stamp: Associated Press (08.26.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; On Saturday, the US Postal Service said it would honor tennis legend Arthur Ashe with a postage stamp, available nationwide on Monday. Ashe established foundations to help at-risk youths and to fight HIV, which he contracted through a blood transfusion during heart surgery. A Richmond, Va., native, Ashe learned to play
UGANDA: More than 1,000 Ugandans Die from Diseases Each Week in Camps for Homeless People: Associated Press (08.26.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Henry Wasswa; According to a report by the Ugandan government, various UN agencies, Britain, and the International Rescue Committee, more than 1,000 Ugandans die each week in refugee camps created because of an 18-year insurgency in the northern part of the country. Between January and July, 28,283 people died from AIDS-related illn
MYANMAR: Myanmar Vows to Continue AIDS Projects Despite Fund's Withdrawal: Agence France Presse (08.28.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; On Sunday, Myanmar vowed to continue fighting HIV/AIDS despite the withdrawal of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The fund announced its pullout on Aug. 19, saying the ruling junta had created an impossibly difficult environment to work in. At least 330,000 of Myanmar s 50 million people have HIV/AIDS, an
OHIO: School's Pregnancy Rate Shocks Adults: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (08.27.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Regina McEnery; Adolescent health experts are having a difficult time trying to discover why 65 of 490 girls at Timken High School in Canton got pregnant during the 2004-05 school year. We shouldn t just be looking at it as an issue of pregnancy, because it doesn t answer what needs these teens are trying to fill, said Dr. James Fitzg
CANADA: Access and Utilization of HIV Treatment and Services Among Women Sex Workers in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside: Journal of Urban Health Vol. 82; No. 3: P. 488-497 (09..05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Kate Shannon; Vicki Bright; Janice Duddy; Mark W. Tyndall; Despite the significant HIV treatment advance of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), many HIV-positive women are not realizing its benefits. While recent studies have identified female intravenous drug users (IDUs) and sex workers as at high risk of HIV infection, there have been few studies on their utilizat
THAILAND: Children with HIV Still Facing Rejection: The Nation (Thailand) (08.26.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Two cases of discrimination against children living with HIV recently surfaced in Thailand s Kaset Sombun district. An 11- year-old girl was forced to leave a school under intense pressure from parents who worried that the girl could pass the virus on to their children. A six-year-old girl in the same district was forc
AUSTRALIA: Dirty Needles Spreading Hepatitis C in Jail: Australian Associated Press (08.29.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Saffron Howden; To stem what it decries as the rampant tide of hepatitis C infections in Australian prisons, the prisoner advocacy group Justice Action is calling for the creation of needle-exchange programs. In its latest prison newspaper, Just Us, the group said more than one-third of the country s 23,000 prisoners have hepatitis C
VIETNAM: Survey Finds Vietnamese Youth Start Having Sex Late, Reject Gays, but Know About AIDS: Associated Press (08.26.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Friday in Hanoi, Vietnam s first national survey on youth was released. Done in cooperation with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, the survey of 7,584 people ages 14-25 asked questions about health, sexuality, education, and family lives. According to the survey, the average age of the first sexual encounter is
UGANDA: Uganda's AIDS Program Faces Crisis: Activists Urge Leaders to Make More Condoms Available: The Guardian (London) (08.29.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Sarah Boseley; AIDS advocates and UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis will today urge that Uganda both promote the use and availability of condoms in its AIDS strategy. For many years, Uganda s AIDS prevention program benefited from President Yoweri Museveni s speaking publicly about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent it.
UNITED STATES: Rights Agency Urges US Not to Deport AIDS Patient: New York Times (08.27.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Nina Bernstein; The Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is urging the United States not to deport an AIDS patient while it reviews her claim that returning her to Jamaica would be tantamount to a death sentence since the country lacks proper HIV treatment. Andrea Marie Mortlock, 41, is a l
CHINA: Chinese, American AIDS Researchers Sign Pact: Associated Press (08.29.05) - Monday, August 29, 2005; Sarah Brumfield; Today in Baltimore, China s Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Maryland s Institute of Human Virology (IHV) plan to announce an AIDS cooperation partnership. The agreement will include collaboration on clinical trials, technical assistance, and the development of tests and vaccines. Dr. Rob
GEORGIA: Celebrities Step Up for AIDS Walk Atlanta: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Richard L. Eldredge; Organizers of this year s AIDS Walk Atlanta, to be held Oct. 16 in Piedmont Park, have signed up record producer Dallas Austin, supermodel Naomi Campbell and Will & Grace actor Leslie Jordan as honorary co-chairs. The walk, which is the Southeast s biggest AIDS fundraiser, has also added a 5- kilometer run.
ALABAMA: Students at Fort Payne Elementary School Tested for TB Exposure: Associated Press (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Alabama Health Department officials tested 61 more students for TB this week at Plainview School in Rainsville after a student was confirmed by a physician to have TB in May, after the school had closed for the summer. A total of 178 students received skin tests, and four students testing positive for exposure were giv
NEW ORLEANS: Teen Program Focuses on Abstinence: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Students learned how to promote abstinence to their peers and communities at the Aug. 1-7 Louisiana Governor s Program on Abstinence (GPA) Summer Leadership Camps at Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth. The students will return to their schools with skits, interactive games, public service announcements, cheers
FRANCE: TB May Have Been Around Much Longer: Associated Press (08.18.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Randolph E. Schmid; While previous studies of TB bacteria s DNA have estimated that the lung disease originated about 35,000 years ago, researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris believe it could have been present in early hominids up to 3 million years ago. Our results change the current paradigm of the recent origin of tuberculosis,
SINGAPORE: Singapore Seeks Business Help, Rejects Condom Campaign in AIDS Fight: Agence France Presse (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; On Thursday, Singapore s Senior Minister of State for Health said the nation would seek the help of businesses and nongovernmental organizations in its AIDS fight but would not engage in mass publicity campaigns promoting condom use. We will not allow in-your-face type of condom campaign, Balaji Sadasivan told the Amer
AUSTRALIA: AIDS Rates Rising in Indigenous Communities: Report: Australian Associated Press (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Melissa Polimeni; AIDS diagnoses among indigenous Australians more than doubled from 2000 to 2004, and HIV diagnoses were not far behind, according to an annual HIV, STD and viral hepatitis surveillance report released Thursday. In response, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) urged that a safe sex education campaign be tailored sp
UGANDA: Ugandan President Vows Inquiry into Alleged AIDS Fund Mismanagement: Agence France Presse (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; On Thursday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni promised he would look into the allegations of serious mismanagement that led the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to pull $201 million in AIDS funding for his country. Museveni also gave reassurances that the pullout would not affect Uganda s HIV/AIDS efforts, wh
AFRICA: Regional Health Ministers Declare Tuberculosis an African Emergency: Associated Press (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Late Thursday in the Mozambican capital of Maputo, regional health ministers from 40 African countries agreed to declare TB an emergency in Africa. The are urging nations to develop plans to control the worsening epidemic, commit more resources to detecting and treating the disease, and expand access to TB and HIV medi
BRAZIL: Brazil Signs Agreement with the Clinton Foundation to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; On Thursday in Brasilia, Health Minister Saraiva Felipe and Ira Magaziner of the Clinton Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding that will help Brazil obtain AIDS drugs more cheaply. Under the agreement, the Clinton Foundation will provide Brazil with technical support to help it obtain the raw materials needed
NEW YORK: Federal AIDS Funding Debated: Gay City News (New York City) (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Brendan Keane; Last Friday, AIDS advocates and New York state and city officials gathered at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies to discuss lobbying strategies for the Ryan White AIDS Care Act. The act, which is the main federal funding vehicle for AIDS treatment and services, is up for Congressional reauthorization this fa
UNITED STATES: Leaders Seek 'All-Out Mobilization': Chicago Free Press (08.25.05) - Friday, August 26, 2005; Gary Barlow; On Aug. 17, the Black AIDS Institute issued an open letter in which 55 community leaders called for an all-out mobilization to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The letter was prompted by a recent CDC study that found 46 percent of the black gay or bisexual men in five major cities were HIV- positive. Of those men who were
VIETNAM: Vietnamese HIV Carriers Get Facilitation Cards: Xinhua News Agency (08.25.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; On Thursday, HIV/AIDS patients in Ho Chi Minh City began receiving cards that are designated to help them access free medical care more easily, local media reported. The cards allow patients to receive free treatment at 28 health care facilities in Ho Chi Minh City without being retested for HIV. Patients will also rec
NEPAL: UN Development Program, Nepal Sign Agreement to Fight HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (08.25.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Under an agreement signed between the UN Development Program and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will assist in developing strategies to fight HIV/AIDS in Nepal, FNCCI s Social Service Committee President Lok Bikram Thapa said Thursday. Local a
TEXAS: Building on Hope: Samaritan House to Add Housing for Families of People with AIDS: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (08.20.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; The Samaritan House, a nonprofit that provides housing and rent assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS, will break ground next month on three apartment buildings for homeless families coping with the disease. This is housing for families, said Executive Director Steve Dutton. Currently, many of our residents have to
VIRGINIA: Virginia, Local Funds to Keep AIDS Clinic Open: Washington Post (08.25.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Jacqueline L. Salmon; Whitman-Walker Clinic s Arlington, Va., facility - which was slated to close its doors on Oct. 1 as part of a financial restructuring - will remain open through the end of 2006 under an agreement announced yesterday. Alexandria, the Virginia Department of Health, and Fairfax and Arlington counties have pledged to cover
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Advocate Named as D.C. AIDS Administrator: Washington Post (08.25.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Lori Montgomery; Yesterday, District of Columbia officials said they have hired Marsha Martin as director of the city s HIV/AIDS Administration. The announcement came one week after the firing of Lydia L. Watts, who was terminated after barely a year in the $114,000-a-year job. After introducing Martin at his weekly news conference, Ma
UNITED STATES: Antibiotics-to-Go May Increase STD Treatment: Reuters Health (08.17.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Amy Norton; Providing male STD patients a dose of antibiotics to bring to their partners is more effective than the standard method of instructing the patients to tell their partners to see a doctor for testing and treatment, according to a new study. The practice of patient-delivered partner treatment is already common in Europe
GLOBAL: Whatever Happened to the Femidom?: The Guardian (London) (08.23.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Kate Burt; In the late 1990 s, the president of the Female Health Company (FHC) received two memorable calls regarding its female condom product. It was a woman called Anna, from Harlem, New York, recalled Mary Ann Leeper. She said: I just called to thank you for doing this. If I asked the man I live with to wear a male condom, h
AFRICA: Brain Drain Hurts Lesotho AIDS Fight: UN Official: Reuters (08.19.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Ntsau Lekhetho; The brain drain of African nurses migrating to Western countries is crippling the HIV/AIDS fight in Lesotho and other sub-Saharan African nations beset by the disease, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, said Friday. The country is struggling but the government is single-mindedly determined to fight the
ARGENTINA; BRAZIL: Two Nations Unite on AIDS Care: Argentina, Brazil Vow to Make Generic Drugs: Chicago Tribune (08.25.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Colin McMahon; This week, the health ministers of Argentina and Brazil announced a plan to work together in producing generic AIDS drugs. While providing little information about the agreement, including how soon production might begin, the two countries will start by sharing information and technology and by bringing experts togethe
UNITED STATES: National Tracking System for Neonatal Herpes Is Urged: New York Times (08.24.05) - Thursday, August 25, 2005; Lawrence K. Altman; On Tuesday, Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, of the University of Washington in Seattle, and other experts called for a national system for reporting herpes among newborns. Such a system would help doctors and hospitals make use of advances in detecting and treating herpes infections, they said. Effective immediately, CDC sho
TAIWAN: Condom Poster Draws Protest from Taiwan's Catholics: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (08.24.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; A safe-sex poster featuring a Catholic nun holding a condom has drawn strong criticism from Taiwan s Catholic population, forcing the Taipei hospital that produced it to remove the ads from the city s subways stations, Taiwanese media reported today. The poster shows a middle-age woman in a nun s habit holding a wrappe
THAILAND: Thailand Warned of HIV Infection Rebound: Xinhua News Agency (08.20.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Thailand must be vigilant about preventing a rebound of HIV infections, particularly among teenagers, drug users, and housewives, World Health Organization expert Daniel Tarantola told a press conference at the Thai Public Health Ministry on Saturday. Though the government has seen some success in controlling its epi
AFRICA: WHO Raises African Budget 30 Percent to $949 Million: Agence France Presse (08.23.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Africa will receive the World Health Organization s largest regional budget increase - 30 percent to $949.5 million - for efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria in 2006-07, WHO s Africa director, Luis Gomes Sambo, said Tuesday at a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique . Forty-six African health ministers and international hea
UNITED STATES: Couple-Focused Support Improves HIV Medication Adherence: AIDS Weekly (08.08.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; US scientists recently reported the results of a study conducted to assess the efficacy of a couple-based intervention to improve medication-taking behavior in a clinic population with demonstrated adherence problems. The SMART Couples Study, a randomized controlled trial, was conducted between August 2000 and January
SWAZILAND: Swaziland Girls Celebrate End of Sex Ban: Associated Press (08.23.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Thulani Mthethwa; On Tuesday, thousands of Swazi girls celebrated the premature end of a royal ban on sexual relations for girls under age 18, an ancient custom that was re-imposed in a bid to fight AIDS. In 2001, King Mswati III reintroduced the umchwasho chastity ritual for five years, during which girls wore tasseled scarves symboliz
ZIMBABWE: Sexual Violence Leads to High HIV Infection Rates in Zimbabwe: Xinhua News Agency (08.17.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Sexual violence and cross-generational sex have led to a high HIV infection rate among young women in Zimbabwe , which lacks large-scale programs to address the problem, according to a January-May 2005 study conducted by Population Services International and the African Union and released Friday. In studies conduct
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Pledges Battle Against HIV as UN Says Crisis Spreading: Report: Agence France Presse (08.23.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; In response to UNAIDS estimates that some 81,000 Malaysians have contracted HIV, compared to government figures showing 65,000 infections, Malaysian Health Department Director- General Ismail Merican said Tuesday the nation is focusing on its prevention efforts. We have to halt the sexual spread of HIV/AIDS and this ca
AFRICA: World Health Organization Reports Progress, Many Setbacks in Health in Africa: Associated Press (08.24.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Emmanuel Camillo; While Africa has seen progress against diseases like leprosy, it has suffered many setbacks in the fight to stop the spread of AIDS, TB and malaria, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. A weeklong WHO meeting began Monday in Maputo, Mozambique . More than 60 percent of all people with HIV live in sub- Sah
UGANDA: Fund Halts AIDS Cash to Uganda over 'Mismanagement': Reuters (08.24.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Richard Waddington; Today in Geneva, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced it is suspending aid to Uganda . The Global Fund said its auditors have raised serious questions about the operations of the Project Management Unit, the special agency created by the Ugandan government to administer the fund s cash allocations.
MAINE: Sex Education Course Fails State's Test: Portland Press Herald (08.20.05) - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; Mark Peters; On Friday, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) informed all school district superintendents that the curriculum of the federally funded abstinence group Heritage of Maine does not meet the state s comprehensive sex education requirements. Other abstinence-only or abstinence until marriage programs also fail to meet
AUSTRALIA: Biotron Anti-HIV Compounds Shown to Act Against HIV: Australian Associated Press (08.17.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; The Australian biotechnology firm Biotron Ltd. said recently that its Virion compound was found to work against drug- resistant HIV. CEO Michelle Miller said the treatment worked at later stages than all major HIV drugs currently on the market by preventing infectious viruses from coming outside of the cells. In additi
UNITED STATES: Panacos Drug Trial: Washington Times (08.23.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc. said recently that its experimental drug PA-457 reduced the level of HIV in patients blood by as much as 90 percent in a small, midstage clinical trial lasting 10 days. The reductions were statistically significant when compared with patients who took a placebo, said the biotechnology firm.
MARYLAND: Where Camaraderie Replaces Stigma: Washington Post (08.20.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Lindsay Ryan; With locations in Massachusetts and Frederick, Md., Camp Safe Haven is a weeklong sleep-away summer camp for US youths with HIV/AIDS, as well as for their siblings. The camp tries to create a positive social experience for kids who often face stigma for having HIV/AIDS, said Tony Lombardi, who is the camp s director an
KANSAS: African-American Activists Create Strategy to Beat AIDS: Wichita Eagle (08.21.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Christina M. Woods; On Saturday at Wichita State University, about 60 people gathered to strategize on fighting AIDS among African Americans. The epidemic s disproportionate impact on African Americans makes openness about the topic all the more important, they said. In Kansas, the state Department of Health and Education reports that bla
UNITED STATES: New Strategy Shows Promise in Treating Hidden HIV Infection: Associated Press (08.11.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Emma Ross; In a recent preliminary study, the anticonvulsant drug valproic acid was used to awaken dormant HIV, providing hope for an eventual treatment to eradicate it from the body. Current HIV drugs only work when HIV multiplies, which only occurs when infected cells are activated. Many cells remain HIV-infected but not activa
AFRICA: Regional Health Ministers Consider Declaring Tuberculosis an African Emergency: Associated Press (08.22.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Emmanuel Camillo; Health ministers from 40 African countries began a weeklong meeting Monday in Maputo, Mozambique , that will consider a resolution to declare TB an emergency in Africa. According to the proposal - scheduled for debate on Thursday - the African TB epidemic has grown to unprecedented levels due to the link with HIV/AIDS,
MYANMAR: Myanmar Urges UN to Reconsider Cut Off of Aid to Fight Deadly Diseases: Associated Press (08.23.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Myanmar is urging the UN s Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to reconsider its decision to pull funding to the Southeast Asia nation. The pullout was in response to the military government s decision last month to severely restrict aid workers travel. According to the Global Fund, the regime is making it imp
GLOBAL: Global Fund Provides HIV/AIDS Drugs for 90,000 More People in First Six Months of 2005: Associated Press (08.23.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Today in Geneva, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced it has provided 90,000 more people with HIV/AIDS treatment in the first six months of this year, bringing the total number of HIV/AIDS patients the fund treats up to 220,000. This 70 percent increase put the fund ahead of its midyear targets. The
UNITED STATES: Meth Conference Tackles HIV Issue: Salt Lake Tribune (08.21.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Michael N. Westley; More than 900 people from across the nation gathered in Salt Lake City over the weekend for the inaugural National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis. The conference, sponsored by the Harm Reduction Project, presented drug education and prevention information and promoted safe sex practices. Youths, men w
UNITED STATES: Federal Funds for Abstinence Group Withheld: Washington Post (08.23.05) - Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Ceci Connolly; Yesterday, US Department of Health and Human Services officials suspended a federal grant to the Silver Ring Thing abstinence program, concluding that the project includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded. In a letter to the SRT program director, Associate Commissioner of the Fa
UNITED STATES: India. Arie Featured with Ashley Judd in AIDS Documentary: Associated Press (08.19.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Nekesa Mumbi Moody; Singer India .Arie hopes that viewers will be moved to action against AIDS after watching Tracking the Monster, a documentary airing Tuesday night on VH1 at 8 p.m. The commercial-free, 90-minute feature follows Arie and actress Ashley Judd as they visit separate African countries struggling under the burden of HIV/AIDS
COLORADO: Rocky Mountain News (Denver): Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (08.22.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; John C. Ensslin; In Denver on Sunday, an estimated 8,000 people participated in the 18th annual AIDS Walk for Colorado. The event raised nearly $800,000, according to Danielle Corriveau, a spokesperson for Colorado AIDS Project, the organizer. The amount of money raised this year is about the same as last year, she said.
INDIA: US Increases Aid to Fight AIDS: Washington Times (08.20.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; On Thursday, the US Ambassador to India announced the United States will provide India $30 million this year to help fight AIDS. The US government had made health in India a priority and India is one of the five high priority countries under President Bush s HIV initiative, said Ambassador David C. Mulford.
UNITED STATES: Numbers Down for US Prison Deaths from Suicide, Homicide, AIDS: Associated Press (08.22.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Pete Yost; The US Justice Department s Bureau of Justice Statistics reported yesterday that prison deaths from AIDS, homicide, and suicide have declined despite an increase in the prison population. AIDS-related deaths in jails dropped from 20 per 100,000 in 1988 to eight per 100,000 in 2002. In state prisons, AIDS deaths decreas
UNITED STATES: Receptive Syringe Sharing Among Injection Drug Users in Harlem and the Bronx During the New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 39; No. 4: P. 471-477 (08.01.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Enrique R. Pouget, BA; Sherry Deren, PhD; Crystal M. Fuller, PhD; Shannon Blaney, MPH; James M. McMahon, PhD; Sun-Yeon Kang, PhD; Stephanie Tortu, PhD; Jonny F. Andia, PhD; Don C. Des Jarlais, PhD; David Vlahov, PhD; Syringe exchange programs (SEP) have been effective in reducing syringe sharing and reuse. To prevent the transmission of blood-borne infections, CDC and other government agencies recommend that injection drug users (IDUs) use a new, sterile syringe for each injection. In order for this recommendation to be implemented
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Reaches Out to Its Destitute AIDS Orphans: Agence France Presse (08.19.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Carole Landry; In Zimbabwe , an economic crisis that is pushing AIDS orphans deeper into poverty and hardship has prompted a government response to help cope with the problem. It is so difficult, because of our economy, for some families when the mother and father are there, imagine when it is now the child who is head of the family,
MALAYSIA: UN Estimates 81,000 Malaysians May Be HIV-Positive: Associated Press (08.22.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Up to 81,000 Malaysians are estimated to have acquired HIV since the country s first case was detected in 1986, the New Straits Times quoted Dr. Nafis Sadik, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia, as saying. With the epidemic s spread from high-risk groups to the general population, Malaysia must stop ignoring and stig
BRAZIL: Brazil Again Seeks to Cut Cost of AIDS Drug: New York Times (08.19.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Paolo Prada; On Thursday, Brazil s Health Ministry said it will again press Abbott Laboratories to reduce the price of its AIDS drug Kaletra or risk having Brazil break the patent and produce it locally. Following negotiations between Brazil and Abbott last month, departing Health Minister Humberto Costa announced the governm
MYANMAR: UN Global Fund Cuts Funding to Fight AIDS, Other Diseases in Myanmar: Associated Press (08.19.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Uta Harnischfeger; On Friday, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced it is leaving Myanmar because its main partners there have been unable to carry out their work since last month, when the military government put severe travel restrictions on aid workers. It is with tremendous regret that we pull out, said Global Fund
GLOBAL: Seven Indian AIDS Drugs Reinstated: Associated Press (08.19.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; On Friday, the World Health Organization reinstated seven generic HIV/AIDS drugs made by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. to its list of medicines approved for use in developing nations. WHO made the move after finding the Indian firm s drugs were equivalent to the patented medicines. In addition, WHO added three new antiretr
UNITED STATES: Panel on Prison Rape Hears Victims' Chilling Accounts: New York Times (08.20.05) - Monday, August 22, 2005; Carolyn Marshall; On Friday in San Francisco, the second in a nationwide series of meetings of the Congressional National Prison Rape Elimination Commission heard personal testimony and policy recommendations to stem prison rapes from rape survivors, state and federal lawmakers, police and prison officials, and mental health experts.
FLORIDA: Foundation Awards Grants to Fight AIDS: Miami Herald (08.18.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Through its Community AIDS Partnership Foundation, the Dade Community Foundation has awarded $425,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit organizations dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. The partnership is a collaboration between the public sector and private funders and receives significant support from Miami-Dade Co
FLORIDA: Time to Smile: Miami Herald (08.18.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Tim Henderson; Last Saturday, the North Miami-based Center of Positive Connections marked its 10th anniversary with a picnic at the Oleta River State Park. The center serves thousands of HIV- positive people with counseling, holistic health, and housing services, said founder Sheri Kaplan. While it began as a monthly social for about
CALIFORNIA: Billboards Push AIDS/HIV Awareness: Fresno Bee (08.17.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Barbara Anderson; The 10 HIV/AIDS prevention billboards located around southwest and southeast Fresno have a straightforward message: Know the facts. Protect Yourself. Get Tested. The billboards, which went up last week, are the first created locally to raise awareness about the disease. Gary Dennis, executive director of the California
KANSAS: Blacks Hope Truth Will Limit HIV's Reach: Wichita Eagle (08.18.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Christina M. Woods; Saturday at Wichita State University s Hubbard Hall, organizers of the Sankofa Health Collective are inviting members of city s black community to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS. The free event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and lunch will be provided to the first 100 people. We re all going to sit down. as men and wo
BRAZIL: A Critical Analysis of the Brazilian Response to HIV/AIDS: Lessons Learned for Controlling and Mitigating the Epidemic in Developing Countries: American Journal of Public Health Vol. 95; No. 7: P. 1162-1172 (06..05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Alan Berkman, MD; Jonathan Garcia, BA; Miguel Mu�oz-Laboy, DrPH; Vera Paiva, PhD; Richard Parker, PhD; The current study critically analyzes the development of the Brazilian National AIDS Program (NAP), widely recognized as the leading example of an integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment program in a middle-income country with significant levels of social inequality. UN indices of human development have con
SOUTH AFRICA: R U OK? South Africans Tackle AIDS with Texts: Reuters (08.18.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Rebecca Harrison; In 2000, University of Cape Town researchers harnessed the technology of one of Africa s most successful growth sectors - mobile phones - to create the text-messaging project CellLife, a system that allows HIV/AIDS counselors to track the complex drug regimens of patients and monitor their progress in real time. The ph
UNITED STATES: Commission to Hear from Prison Rape Survivors in San Francisco: Associated Press (08.19.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Kim Curtis; Today in San Francisco, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission will take testimony from survivors of prison rape and sexual abuse. The congressional commission held its first hearing in Washington in June; it is charged with creating a report on the problem and proposing national standards to fight it. One of
UNITED STATES: A Good Report on AIDS, and Some Credit the Web: New York Times (08.18.04) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Dean E. Murphy; San Francisco health officials say numerous factors could explain preliminary figures from a June CDC report which estimates the city s rate of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) is 1.2 percent per year, rather than the city s previous 2.2 percent estimate. Some city officials credit more regular
ILLINOIS: New Law to Focus on HIV in Blacks; Infection Rate Tied to Prison Population: Chicago Tribune (08.19.05) - Friday, August 19, 2005; Johnathon E. Briggs; Today, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is expected to sign a bill, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, that targets the link between HIV transmission and the disproportionately high incarceration rates of black people. We must act now and do all that we can to stop the spread of this disease, said Bla
UNITED STATES: The Other Hepatitis: Science Vol. 309; No. 5734: P. 539 (07.22.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; About 4 million US residents are infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV). For researchers studying the virus, New Mexico s Los Alamos National Laboratory offers HCV immunology and genome sequence databases online. The latter includes more than 30,000 full and partial genome sequences from worldwide samples. Users can sea
LIBYA: Libya Urges Bulgaria to Pay Blood Money to Lift Death Sentences on Medics in AIDS Case: Associated Press (08.17.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Khaled El-Deeb; Libya is calling on the Bulgarian government to negotiate the payment of a sum of money to win amnesty for six medics - five Bulgarians and a Palestinian - who were sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 400 Libyan children with HIV. The medics, who were arrested in 1999 and sentenced to death in 2004, maintain t
AFRICA: Southern African Summit Opens with Calls for Action on Zimbabwe, AIDS: Associated Press (08.17.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Sello Motsete; On Wednesday in Botswana , Southern African leaders met for a two-day conference on economic development, good governance, and food security. Meanwhile, human rights groups are pressing for more democracy in Zimbabwe and Swaziland and more action on AIDS. In a declaration, the groups called on govern
RUSSIA: Patterns in Sex Work, Drug Use and STDs in Russia Reported: AIDS Weekly (08.08.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; A recent study by US and Russian researchers finds that while existing surveillance data attributes [STD] infections to injected drug use over and above any other risk category in Russia, clinical and epidemiological data suggest that HIV infection may be increasing fastest among groups that are acquiring HIV through s
UNITED KINGDOM: School TB Jabs Face Axe After 50 Years: Belfast Telegraph (08.16.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Nigel Gould; A long-standing program of vaccinating school-age children in Northern Ireland against TB has been scrapped. Starting in September, children ages 10-14 who would have been offered the Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine through the program, which dates back to 1950, will be screened for TB risk factors and vaccinate
ASIA-PACIFIC: At-Risk Teenagers Ignorant of HIV: Australian Associated Press (08.17.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Jane Bunce; Ignorance of how HIV is transmitted is rife among Indonesian teenagers, and their lack of knowledge is typical of many in the region, according to UNICEF HIV/AIDS East Asia and Pacific adviser Wing-Sie Cheng. In a recent lecture at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia , Cheng said students in many East Asian cou
RUSSIA: Supply of Anti-HIV Drugs Falls Short: Moscow Times (08.16.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Stephen Boykewich; Russia s 1995 parliamentary guarantee of free HIV/AIDS treatment to all rings hollow to many infected Russians, especially following a federal law effective Jan. 1 that mandated cash-strapped regional authorities provide funding for the drugs. Only 2,000 of the federal AIDS center s estimated 1 million HIV-infected are
CANADA: AIDS Agency Toughens Message: Toronto Star (08.18.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Andrew Chung; Following strong criticism for failing to issue a warning before, the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has posted an alert on its Web site stating the link between crystal methamphetamine use, risky sex, and HIV. Crystal meth use increases sexual risk-taking among gay and bisexual men, warns the site. It also notes that
NEW MEXICO: Project Aims to Help Rural Areas Fight Hepatitis C: Albuquerque Tribune (08.05.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Megan Arredondo; Every Monday, rural and city doctors and nurses gather at the University of New Mexico Hospital s Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) - in person, by telephone or videolink - to discuss hepatitis C virus (HCV). Launched two years ago, the ECHO network offers participants from 11 agencies the oppo
IDAHO: Idaho Cervical Cancer Rates Lower than Average: Associated Press (08.16.05) - Thursday, August 18, 2005; Idaho women are 22 percent less likely to contract cervical cancer than women elsewhere in the United States , according to the National Cancer Institute. But the state has the nation s second-lowest rate of screening for the disease; only neighboring Utah s rate is lower. In 2004, Idaho legislation to tap federal mone
NIGERIA: Obasanjo Hails First Made in Nigeria AIDS Drug: Agence France Presse (08.15.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; On Monday, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo welcomed news of the first domestically produced antiretroviral drug. During a presentation of the AIDS drug VIREX by local drug firm Fidson Healthcare Ltd., Obasanjo said he was encouraged by the achievement and hoped for similar breakthroughs for other health problems,
OHIO: HIV-Blacks Awareness Plan Involves Churches: Dayton Daily News (08.16.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; The sixth in a series of HIV awareness events targeting the black community was recently held at Little Rock Church in the Hillcrest area of Dayton. The Montgomery County Combined Health District sends an outreach van to the events to offer rapid, free HIV testing. I think this series is one of the most successful and
UNITED STATES: University of Massachusetts and BioVeris Join Forces to Find Chlamydia Vaccine: Associated Press (08.16.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; The University of Massachusetts and Gaithersburg, Md.-based BioVeris Corp. are cooperating in the search for a chlamydia vaccine. Under their agreement, BioVeris will provide up to $600,000 to aid research in exchange for exclusive patent rights on the vaccine. Researchers at the university have been pursuing a chlamyd
FLORIDA: A Commitment to Serve: Orlando Sentinel (08.16.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Michelle Keller; Born in Haiti , Laud Jean-Jacques now works with central Florida s Haitian community to prevent HIV in a personal, culturally relevant style. In Orlando, he is the project supervisor for a CDC-funded pilot program using social networks to refer people at high risk for HIV for counseling, testing, and if infected, treat
CALIFORNIA: Syphilis Cases Drop Nearly 30 Percent: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.11.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; San Francisco syphilis cases declined by 27 percent, from 346 cases the first half of 2004 to 251 cases so far this year, according to the city s July 22 STD report. Despite a one- month increase in June, this year marked the first decrease since 1998. Gonorrhea cases increased slightly, to 1,153 compared to 1,059 by J
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: D.C. HIV/AIDS Administrator Fired: Washington Post (08.17.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Theola S. Labbe; The District s HIV/AIDS Administration chief, Lydia L. Watts, was relieved yesterday of her appointed position by Health Director Gregg Pane. The move follows months-long public scrutiny and two reports critical of HAA s response to the District s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pane cited the need for new leadership and said he wo
NEW JERSEY: Appellate Panel Strikes Down Atlantic City Needle Exchange: Associated Press (08.16.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; John Curran; Atlantic City cannot operate a needle exchange program without violating a law against distributing drug paraphernalia, an Appellate Division panel unanimously ruled on Tuesday. Both Atlantic City and Camden planned to operate needle-exchange programs; Camden s program has yet to begin operating, said Rob Tomasello, sp
UNITED KINGDOM: Sex and Relationships for HIV Positive Women Since HAART: A Quantitative Study: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 333-337 (08..05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; S. Lambert; A. Keegan; J. Petrak; In the current study, researchers asked 82 HIV-positive women to complete questionnaires addressing demographics, relationships, sexual behavior, and safer sex practices. Investigators administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). Their obj
CHINA: Health Experts Say Condom Use China's Final Defense Against HIV: Xinhua News Agency (08.16.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Condom use has become the final and most important defense against AIDS, Wan Shaoping, an official with the Sino-UK STD and HIV/AIDS program, said this week at the Initiative and Training Workshop for Population and Family Planning Sectors in Global Fund HIV/AIDS Program Areas in central China s Henan Province. Sexual
UNITED STATES: Not a Sponsor: Washington Times (08.17.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Greg Pierce; Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) recently wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Leavitt asking why HHS was listed as a primary sponsor of the First National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis in Salt Lake City, which is being organized by the Harm Reduction Project. On Tuesday, Suzy DeFrancis, HHS as
UNITED STATES: Cultural Challenge; Conference Addresses Meth, HIV Among Gay Latinos: Chicago Free Press (08.10.05) - Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Garry Barlow; At the recent National Conference on Latinos and AIDS in Chicago, New York-based Latino Commission on AIDS (LCA) President Dennis deLeon discussed the threat of crystal methamphetamine use by gay Latinos and barriers to HIV prevention and treatment. Understanding the impact of culture and family on sexual behaviors and
China: 70 New HIV Cases Reported in Second Quarter in Hong Kong: Xinhua News Agency (08.16.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; The Hong Kong Center for Health Protection reported today that 70 new cases of HIV infection were recorded in the second quarter of this year, bringing Hong Kong s total number of cases since 1984 to 2,647. Also in the second quarter of 2005, 20 new AIDS cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed AIDS
SOMALIA: UN Warns of Possible HIV/AIDS Explosion in Somalia: Agence France Presse (08.16.08) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; In a report released today, the UN warned that Somalia , which has been without a functioning government since 1991, could see an explosion of HIV/AIDS unless quick action is taken to reduce risk factors. Although HIV prevalence was low relative to some other areas of Africa, The findings show that HIV will soon become
NEW MEXICO: HIV Center Says Cases Among Hispanics, Youths Increasing: Associated Press (08.04.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Workers at the Camino de Vida Center for HIV Services in Las Cruces report seeing an increase in HIV infections among Hispanics and youths. Five of the center s 185 clients died last year; already this year, five clients have died, said Martin Walker, a prevention program counselor. According to Donny Grooms, chairpers
ARIZONA: County Reports Record Number of Tuberculosis Cases: Associated Press (08.14.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; So far this year, the Yuma County Health Department has diagnosed and treated 32 people with TB, compared to 20 cases in all of 2004. Three of the 2005 cases were children; four of the most recent were homeless men. Dr. Mallappa Neelappa, who treated some of the patients, blamed the rise on poor health and poor living
CALIFORNIA: Board Vote on Sales of Needles Delayed: Sacramento Bee (08.11.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Phillip Reese; On August 10, Sacramento s Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to postpone a decision on whether to allow adults to purchase needles without a prescription. Some supervisors said they had been unaware that the proposal would govern areas other than unincorporated parts of the county and believed several cities need to be co
UNITED STATES: Molecule on Immune Cells Linked to Sexual Transmission of HIV: AIDS Weekly & Law (05.19.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Scientists have hypothesized that HIV hijacks immune cells known as dendritic cells to infiltrate the immune system. Dr. Benhur Lee and colleagues at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) AIDS Institute have shown that blocking HIV s access to a naturally occurring molecule on dendritic cells may decrease the
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Business Slowly Wakes Up to AIDS Challenge: Reuters (08.09.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; James Marcharia; In South Africa , where new figures show that more than 6.5 million in a population of 47 million may now be HIV-positive, companies are coming to understand the impact the disease is having on their bottom lines. As infected workers die, others must be hired and trained; HIV/AIDS-related illness contributes to lost wo
AUSTRALIA: Syphilis Reaching Epidemic Status Among Gays: Research: Australian Associated Press (08.14.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Janelle Miles; New research reports that syphilis notifications in inner Sydney rose more than 10-fold from 1999 (six cases) to 2003 (162 cases). In the study, researchers conducted a case series of 57 inner Sydney gay men with syphilis in 2003 and prospectively studied cases of the STD associated with sexual behavior among 1,333 HIV
VENEZUELA: Prevention Campaign Aimed at Women and Teens: Inter Press Service (08.12.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Humberto Marquez; Venezuela is stepping up its HIV/AIDS prevention efforts by launching a new campaign that specifically targets women and young people; groups that are increasingly at risk for the disease worldwide. According to Health Minister Francisco Armada, Venezuela is one of the few countries that guarantees universal access t
UNITED STATES: Study Confirms Role of Meth in HIV: San Francisco Chronicle (08.16.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; Rachel Gordon; The results of a new study confirm that crystal methamphetamine use has emerged as the newest risk factor in the US HIV epidemic. People who use crystal methamphetamine are at least three times more likely to be HIV-infected than nonusers, according to research conducted jointly by the University of California-San Fran
GLOBAL: Accord Could Speed Distribution of Generic AIDS Drugs: Boston Globe (08.14.05) - Tuesday, August 16, 2005; John Donnelly; Late last week, the US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization signed an information-sharing accord that officials hope will streamline generic AIDS drug distribution in poor countries. The agreement is going to reduce the cost of AIDS drugs, and we also hope it decreases the confusion on the gro
INDIA: Trains to Spread Awareness on AIDS in India: Xinhua News Agency (08.14.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Four trains dubbed the Red Ribbon Express will bring HIV awareness and prevention messages throughout India beginning on Monday, its Independence Day. The train carriages will feature prevention posters and messages, and artists will perform skits and musicals stressing AIDS prevention at each of several stops. Medical
UNITED KINGDOM: Cabbies in South England City to Hand Out Condoms: Agence France Presse (08.10.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; As part of a new sexual health initiative, taxi drivers in the seaside resort of Brighton will hand out free condoms to late- night passengers. The Safe Ride Home program, sponsored by condom manufacturer Trojan, will provide the Brighton-based Radio Cabs with some 60,000 condoms to give to any passengers who ask. Afte
GLOBAL: NIAID Will Partner with Microbicide Organization: The Advocate (08.09.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced it will work with the International Partnership for Microbicides to step up the development of products to block the transmission of HIV and other STDs. The plan of cooperation calls for regular interactions between the organizations leaders, confe
ARIZONA: Drug Usage 'Huge' with HIV Victims: Arizona Republic (08.13.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Judy Nichols; In a recent Ryan White Planning Council-commissioned survey of nearly 600 Phoenix-area people with HIV/AIDS, more than 56 percent of respondents said treatment improved their health. However, many participants also reported using recreational drugs, including heroin, crystal methamphetamine, marijuana, Ecstasy, and pop
UNITED STATES: Effectiveness of Female Controlled Barrier Methods in Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV: Current Evidence and Future Research Directions: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 193-200 (06..05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; A.M. Minnis; N.S. Padian; The authors conducted a systematic review of articles that examined the disease-prevention effectiveness of at least one female-controlled barrier method and reviewed conference abstracts that presented clinical and preclinical microbicide data. Their purpose was to evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of female-con
UNITED KINGDOM: Increasing Detection of Asymptomatic Syphilis in HIV Patients: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 217-219 (06..05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; C.E. Cohen; A. Winston; D. Asboe; F. Boag; S. Mandalia; B. Azadian; D.A. Hawkins; Noting that new syphilis diagnoses in London were mainly in men who have sex with men, many of whom also had HIV, researchers at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital introduced regular serological screening for syphilis in the HIV unit during routine follow-up care to detect patients who might be at risk for asymptomatic s
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Raises HIV Infection Rate: Reuters (08.10.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Peter Apps; Mateus Chale; A new survey shows Mozambique s adult HIV infection rate increased from about 14 percent in 2002 to 16.2 percent in 2004, Health Minister Paulo Ivo Garrido told a news conference in Maputo Wednesday. The new figures were developed from data collected across Mozambique during 2004 by sampling pregnant women and some oth
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Papua New Guinea Heading for HIV Disaster, Experts Warn: Australian Associated Press (08.14.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Janelle Miles; The actual number of HIV-infected people in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is probably around 28,000 - three and a half times the official estimate, said Dr. John McBride, an infectious- disease specialist and professor at James Cook University. In contrast, Australia - with about four t
GLOBAL: 500 Million Young People Living in Extreme Poverty on International Youth Day: Associated Press (08.12.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Edith M. Lederer; In observance of International Youth Day on Friday, senior UN officials urged world leaders to take action and create a better future for 500 million young people living in extreme poverty, 15 million AIDS orphans, and millions of pregnant child brides. Clearly, the priorities must change, UN Population Fund chief Thor
UTAH: Utah Logs an Alarming Rate for Rape: Salt Lake Tribune (08.12.05) - Monday, August 15, 2005; Stephen Hunt; On Thursday, the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (UCCJJ) released a new report indicating that one in eight women in the state will be raped at some point during her lifetime. One in three Utah women, the report said, will experience some form of sexual violence - the most common being child molestatio
ZAMBIA: Zambian AIDS Patients to Receive Free Drugs: Xinhua News Agency (08.12.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Zambia has procured enough antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to provide 100,000 HIV/AIDS patients with free treatment by December, Ministry of Health spokesperson Victor Mukonka was quoted by the Zambia News Agency as saying. Mukonka said the ministry has reached the third phase in its Anti-Retro Treatment program, and it
CHINA: National HIV/AIDS Training Center Launched in Southwest China: Xinhua News Agency (08.11.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; A government-sponsored HIV/AIDS training center has opened in southwest China s Yunnan Province, according to Ministry of Public Health sources. The center is among the first of six such facilities to be established across China that will provide professional training in a bid to achieve more effective results in consu
UNITED STATES: Gilead Says Second HIV Drug Combination Fails: Los Angeles Times (08.10.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Bloomberg News; Gilead Sciences Inc. has announced that a second attempt at combining its HIV drug Truvada into a single pill with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. s Sustiva failed, delaying an application for Food and Drug Administration approval u
ARKANSAS: Little River Group Begins Outreach Program: Texarkana Gazette (08.11.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Ashley Gardner; Young Women in Action (YWIA) is a new HIV/AIDS peer outreach effort in Little River County to educate black and low-income women about the risks and prevention measures for HIV. It teaches you to be safe. to practice safe sex and use condoms, Shirley Coleman Johnson, a community activist, said of the program, a collabo
CALIFORNIA: CARE Act Changes Could Cost San Francisco $9 Million: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.04.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Matthew S. Bajko; San Francisco officials said the city stands to lose at least $9 million in Ryan White CARE Act (RWCA) funding over five years if proposed changes announced July 27 by US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt are congressionally approved. Leavitt announced the framework proposal before the Presidential Advis
ZIMBABWE: Patterns of Uptake of Treatment for Self Reported Sexually Transmitted Infection Symptoms in Rural Zimbabwe: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 81: P. 326-332 (08..05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; J.J.C. Lewis; G.P. Garnett; C.A. Nyamukapa; C.A. Donnelly; P.R. Mason; S. Gregson; To determine the extent of self reported symptoms perceived to be related to sexually transmitted infections and the patterns of subsequent treatment seeking behaviour in a predominantly rural population of Zimbabwe , the researchers conducted a population-based survey of 4,331 men and 5,149 women in rural Zimbabwe du
UNITED STATES: Social and Geographic Distance in HIV Risk: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 8: P. 506-512 (08..05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Richard Rothenberg, MD; Stephen Q. Muth, BA; Shauna Malone, MPH; John J. Potterat, BA; Donald E. Woodhouse, JD; In the current study, the authors examined the relationship between social distance (measured as the geodesic, or shortest distance, between two people in a connected network) and geographic distance (the actual distance between them in kilometers [km]) and the effects of each on the potential transmission of HIV. The
SOUTH AFRICA: South African National Defense Force Puts Best Foot Forward in War on AIDS Pandemic: Business Day (South Africa) (08.10.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Hopewell Radebe; Since 2003, when Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota revealed that at least 23 percent of South African National Defense Force personnel were HIV-positive, the Military Health Service (MHS) has made sure all infected SANDF staff have antiretroviral drugs access. Many SANDF members are at risk - young, sexually active, away
UNITED STATES: Conference to Highlight 'Comprehensive Care' for Meth Users: Houston Voice (08.10.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Bo Shell; Some 900 research, law enforcement, and health care personnel are expected to attend the First National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis, Aug. 19-20 in Salt Lake City. The Harm Reduction Project planned the event in response to the health risks of meth use, the lack of infrastructure in rural areas of t
UNITED STATES: AIDS Group Sues United States Over Funds: Wall Street Journal (08.12.05) - Friday, August 12, 2005; Michael Phillips; DKT International recently filed suit in a Washington, D.C., federal court against the US Agency for International Development and its administrator, Andrew Natsios, for rejecting the group s AIDS grant application because it refused to sign an antiprostitution pledge. Requiring a pledge to the Bush administration s po
CALIFORNIA: Talk About Sex: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.04.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; San Francisco s STD Prevention and Control Services unit is recruiting male and female volunteers who are interested in talking about STD prevention. The teams will visit local bars, sex clubs, street fairs, and other community events. The STD unit will provide training on how to be a community outreach worker along wi
GLOBAL: HIV Tester MedMira Inc. of Canada Forms China Joint Venture with Tianhe Pharmaceutical: Associated Press (08.09.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; On Tuesday, Halifax, Nova Scotia-based MedMira Inc. said its new partnership with the Chinese firm Tianhe Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. will open new over-the-counter markets for its rapid diagnostic products in China . Some production will begin in China, but most research, development, and manufacturing will remain at its
UNITED STATES: Gen-Probe Test Receives FDA Approval: Associated Press (08.10.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; On Wednesday, Gen-Probe Inc. announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its Aptima Combo 2 test to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea using liquid Pap specimens processed by Cytyc Corp s ThinPrep 2000 system. Gen-Probe said agency permission to use the two systems together will make its product more compr
NORTH CAROLINA: Highlights of Final North Carolina House Budget: Associated Press (08.09.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Among the highlights of the $17.2 billion 2005-06 state spending plan the North Carolina House tentatively approved on Tuesday is a $1 million increase for the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
NORTH CAROLINA: How HIV and AIDS Adds Up: Shelby Star (08.09.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Hays Burchfield; As the number of HIV cases in Cleveland County grows, so too does the challenge for low-income residents with the disease in finding care and treatment options. According to a state Department of Health and Human Services report, five people in Cleveland County tested HIV-positive in 2003, 12 did so in 2004, and 18 peo
NEW YORK: The City Is Launching a New Sex Ed Program: A Few Key Points: Village Voice (08.08.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Sharon Lerner; For the first time in 20 years, some New York City schools are about to introduce a new sex-education curriculum. The new lessons will teach high schoolers the difference between harassment and flirting and how to set sexual limits. Middle school kids will learn reproductive basics and the benefits of abstinence; howev
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Williams Vows to Have Hand in AIDS Reform: Washington Post (08.11.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Eric M. Weiss; Theola S. Labbe; In reaction to a report critical of the district s response to HIV/AIDS, Washington Mayor Anthony Williams (D) yesterday pledged his personal involvement in the fight. Williams announced he will not only form a task force to push improvements, as recommended, but he will also chair it. We spend a lot of money on AIDS a
UNITED KINGDOM: Chlamydia trachomatis Testing in the Second British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles: Respondent Uptake and Treatment Outcomes: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 32; No. 6: P. 387-394 (06..05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Angela McCadden; Kevin A. Fenton, MD; Sally McManus, MSC; Catherine H. Mercer, PhD; Bob Erens, PhD; Caroline Carder, MSc; Geoff Ridgway, MD; Wendy Macdowall, MSc; Kiran Nanchahal, PhD; Christos L. Byron; Andrew Copas, PhD; Kaye Wellings, MSC; Anne M.; According to the current study, noninvasive molecular tests for bacterial STIs provide new opportunities for testing in nonclinical settings. The authors objective was to examine patient treatment preferences and partner notification outcomes among Chlamydia trachomatis-positive cases identified in the 2000 national su
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudis Jail, Deport Foreigners with HIV: Globe and Mail (Toronto) (08.09.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Mark MacKinnon; Saudi Arabia gives antiretrovirals to its nationals who contract HIV, but it does not offer the drugs to the more than 4,200 foreigners in the country who have tested positive for the virus. Foreign workers, who comprise about one-quarter of the country s population, represent 54 percent of its known HIV cases.
NAMIBIA: Concern as Namibia Cuts HIV Disability Grants: Reuters (08.10.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Desiewaar Heita; Namibia s recent decision to restrict HIV disability grants to only those patients who are medically certified as unable to work could accelerate a patient s progression to AIDS, say activists. The government previously allowed any Namibian with HIV to claim a monthly disability grant of 300 Namibian dollars ($47 US) b
NORTH CAROLINA: Women's Health Study Says STDs on Rise: Durham Herald-Sun (08.08.05) - Thursday, August 11, 2005; Jim Shamp; Results from a University of North Carolina Center for Women s Health Research study released Monday reveal a disturbing trend: Many women in North Carolina are engaging in unsafe sex. According to the 2005 North Carolina Women s Health Report Card, the rate of HIV and AIDS among Hispanic women in the state more than t
GEORGIA: Northside Hospital Tests Find No Active TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (08.10.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Of 406 people screened for TB by Northside Hospital after it learned that an obstetrics nurse with active TB could have exposed others between March 1 and June 22, none has an active case of the disease. Skin tests performed by the hospital revealed 44 people were positive for exposure, but chest X- rays confirmed no a
VIRGINIA: 2nd Person Has Positive TB Test: Roanoke Times (08.09.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Jen McCaffery; On Monday, another person associated with the Downtown Learning Center daycare tested positive for exposure to TB, said Dr. Jody Hershey, acting medical director of the Roanoke and Allegheny Health Districts. Two people affiliated with the daycare have now tested positive for TB exposure, said Hershey. Last week, publi
VIRGINIA: Health Officials in Beach Want to Screen 200 for Tuberculosis: Virginia-Pilot (Hampton Roads, Va.) (08.09.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Four staff members at the Princess Anne Community Recreation Center in Virginia Beach have tested positive for TB, prompting the health department to expand its screening for the disease. The staff members were among employees screened after a patron was diagnosed with TB in the spring. The patron had used the facility
OREGON: Needleswap Proposal Moves Ahead: The Bulletin (Bend, Ore.) (08.09.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Chris Barker; On Monday, the Deschutes County Commission endorsed a proposed needle-exchange program to prevent HIV and hepatitis C transmission among intravenous drug users (IDUs), but it made a vote on the matter contingent on reviewing health department implementation plans. I would like to have an opportunity to review the progr
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: D.C. Criticized for Not Treating AIDS as a Citywide Health Crisis: Washington Post (08.10.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Susan Levine; A report released today details numerous failures in the District of Columbia s response to what is probably the worst HIV/AIDS rate for a major US city. Conducted by the public- interest D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), with 4,000 hours of research and writing donated by the law firm Hogan & Harts
UNITED STATES: Use of and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Is Associated with Decreased Sexual Risk Behavior in HIV Clinic Patients: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 211-218 (06.01.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Catherine Diamond, MD, MPH; Jean L. Richardson, DrPH; Joel Milam, PhD; Susan Stoyanoff, MPH; J. Allen McCutchan, MD; Carol Kemper, MD; Robert A. Larsen, MD; Harry Hollander, MD; Penny Weismuller, DrPH; Robert Bolan, MD and the California Collaborativ; Data from two previous San Francisco studies have suggested that the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy [ART] was associated with increased risky sexual behavior, noted the authors. However, these studies did not examine an ART-risky sex association cross-sectionally in the same patients. In the curre
CHINA: 86 Orphans of AIDS Victims to Live with Beijing Volunteer Families: Xinhua News Agency (08.09.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; Cui Qingxin; Xiao Min; In an effort to discourage discrimination, 86 Beijing families will host 86 orphans as part of the Second Summer Camp for Orphans of AIDS Victims, Aug. 12 to 17. The initiative is being launched by the China Youth Concern Committee (CYCC) and the nongovernmental group the Beijing Huaxia Charity Foundation. CYCC officia
ZIMBABWE: Up to a Third of Zimbabwe Teachers Infected with HIV, Report Says: Associated Press (08.09.05) - Wednesday, August 10, 2005; According to a report by a government-appointed education assessment team, Zimbabwe s teachers are no more knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS prevention than other adults in the beleaguered country. On Tuesday, the state-run Herald newspaper quoted the report as saying, Teachers are at high risk of getting infected with HIV