2006

LESOTHO: Masai for Africa Campaign Halfway to $1 Million Target: Guelph Mercury (Ontario, Canada) (12.26.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Joanne Shuttleworth; Last week, Canada s Masai for Africa campaign to sustain an AIDS clinic in Lesotho reached its halfway point to raising $1 million Canadian ($858,400 US). The brainchild of Dr. Anne- Marie Zajdlik, a Guelph family physician and HIV specialist, the clinic and its fundraising scheme have attracted interest nationwide fro
LIBYA: EU Urges Libya to Annul Death Sentence for Foreign Medics: Associated Press (12.28.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; On Thursday, the European Union urged Libya to free the Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor accused of infecting children with HIV after their death sentences were re-imposed by a Libyan court. It is my strong hope that . Libyan authorities will take the necessary measures to review and annul the death sentence, B
OHIO: Cervical Cancer Vaccine Offered; Medicaid Will Cover the Vaccine Next Year: Dayton Daily News (12.28.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Anthony Gottschlich; Next week, the Ohio Department of Health will begin shipping Gardasil to local health departments across the state. The vaccine, recommended for girls as young as nine, targets four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause most cervical cancers and genital warts. Medicaid recently approved covering the vaccine
MARYLAND: Rush for Student Vaccines: Baltimore Sun (12.23.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Sandy Alexander; Maryland school officials are concerned that newly required vaccinations for students will leave many facing suspension for failure to obtain them. Before sixth- through ninth-grade students can return to school after the winter break, they must show documentation proving they have had hepatitis B and chicken pox vacci
UNITED STATES: Hospitalizations of Pregnant HIV-Infected Women in the USA Prior to and During the Era of HAART, 1994-2003: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 14: P. 1823-1831 (09.11.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Athena P. Kourtis; Pooja Bansil; Melissa McPheeters; Susan F. Meikle; Samuel F. Posner; Denise J. Jamieson; In noting that the literature on whether HIV infection and its complex antiretroviral treatments confer a higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes is controversial, the authors of the current study set out to compare rates of hospitalization for select morbidities among HIV-infected and uninfected pregnant women in t
CARIBBEAN: Fighting Stigma: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) (12.10.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Tim Collie; In August, the Kaiser Family Foundation, in conjunction with the Ford Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, announced a $1 million media initiative to combat prejudice against HIV/AIDS patients throughout the Caribbean. The program trains broadcasters and journalists to improve reporting on the disease. The in
UNITED KINGDOM: HIV Taboo a Threat to UK Asians: BBC News (12.22.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Emily Buchanan; While HIV cases are rising in the United Kingdom , a reluctance to acknowledge the disease has officials fearing that low infection numbers for the Asian community are misleading. Low testing rates and high levels of HIV stigma could be masking the epidemic s impact among UK Asians. HIV is mostly acquired through heter
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Center Eases Pain on Wallet of AIDS Drugs: Agence France Presse (12.17.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Fran Blandy; Zuzimpilo Clinic in Johannesburg offers HIV patients antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at a third of the market rate. Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the recently opened clinic offers consultations, laboratory tests, and medicine for around 350 rand ($50 US) per month, compared to the average b
MAINE: State Weighs HIV Testing Policy Change: Times Record (Brunswick) (12.27.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Michael Reagan; The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MCDC) wants to make HIV testing routine in order to make it more accessible to some one-third of residents who are HIV-infected but do not know it. However, any changes in HIV testing policies must first pass the state Legislature. Currently, HIV screening must be sp
HAWAII: AIDS Clinic Gets Late Reprieve: Honolulu Advertiser (12.28.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006; Christie Wilson; The National Institutes of Health has agreed to a temporary cash infusion for the Hawaii AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, which had faced closure at year s end. NIH s $640,000 bridge funding, combined with other monies, should allow HACTU to operate for another six months, said Dr. Cecilia Shikuma, the unit s program directo
JAPAN: New TB Bacteria Resistant to Many Drugs: Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (12.27.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; On Monday, the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association warned that about 70 Japanese per year acquire extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Unlike multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), which is resistant to two first-line drugs, XDR-TB is additionally resistant to at least three of the six main classes of second- line TB drug
CALIFORNIA: Deluge of Bills Approaching: San Jose Mercury News (12.27.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Steven Harmon; A preview of bills filed for California s 2007 legislative session includes several health-related bills. Among them, Assembly Bill 16, sponsored by Assemblymember Sally Lieber (D- Mountain View), would require girls entering the sixth grade to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). Another bill, AB 66, woul
OKLAHOMA: Fatalities Linked to Meth Use Reported: Associated Press (12.26.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; The US Drug Enforcement Agency reported recently that methamphetamine use remains the principal drug of concern in the state of Oklahoma. That follows a state report that estimated substance abuse costs the state $3.21 billion-$4.38 billion per year, based on 2003 figures. Methamphetamine in particular has been cited f
TENNESSEE: 25 Years Later, Misconceptions Persist about HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (12.26.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Since CDC first reported AIDS cases 25 years ago, misconceptions still surround the disease in Tennessee. AIDS goes home with businessmen to their wives; wives bring it home to their husbands, said Sister Adamarie Kost, director of The Home Place, a Chattanooga residence for HIV patients. It s not a gay disease anymore
NEW YORK: Distribution of Free Condoms Soars in Recent Months: New York Sun (12.19.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Gabrielle Birkner; Community-based organizations and businesses that want to help promote male condom use in New York City can now order condoms and water-based lubricant through the Web. The city s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene now distributes 1.5 million free condoms monthly, compared to 250,000 18 months ago, before www.nycc
KENYA: A Prospective Study Assessing the Effects of Introducing the Female Condom in a Sex Worker Population in Mombasa, Kenya: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82: P. 397-402 (10..06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; S.C. Thomsen; W. Ombidi; C. Toroitich-Ruto; E.L. Wong; H.O. Tucker; R. Homan; N. Kingola; S. Luchters; The researchers conducted a 12-month, prospective study of 210 female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya , to assess the impact and costs of adding female condoms to a peer education program promoting and distributing male condoms. Participants were interviewed about their sexual behavior every two months for a total of sev
UNITED KINGDOM: HIV Home Screening Kit Launched: BBC News (12.28.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; People seeking HIV testing in the privacy of their own home can now do so thanks to the launch of the United Kingdom s first home test kit, the Dr. Thom test. An oral sample is sent from home off to a laboratory, which looks for HIV antibodies in the saliva. If the results are negative, results are sent out via e-mail.
ALGERIA: Algeria Promotes Condoms to Prevent HIV/AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.26.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Boubker Belkadi; Long considered taboo in this conservative Muslim country, condoms are now being publicly promoted by experts in Algeria as a tool in preventing HIV/AIDS. A government campaign on Algerian radio and television stations touts the contraceptive s virtues as a barrier to infection. Officials asked imams last month to prea
MASSACHUSETTS: Critics Chide State over Cervical Cancer Vaccine Delays: Boston Herald (12.26.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Jessica Fargen; Planned Parenthood says Massachusetts has been slow to cover the cost of Gardasil, which protects against several strands of human papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for 70 percent of US cervical cancer cases. Massachusetts should be a leader on this and should cover it for all women who want and need to get vaccinated,
GLOBAL: Poor Record Keeping Plagues Bush AIDS Effort in Developing Countries: Associated Press (12.26.06) - Thursday, December 28, 2006; Rita Beamish; An audit of the $15 billion President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) found the program has both undercounted, by lacking documentation, and overestimated the thousands of patients it has helped overseas. The program was unable to verify claims of success made by local groups that received money. The audit, c
ROMANIA: Leader Hosts Children with AIDS, Cancer: Washington Times (12.24.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; On Dec. 23, Romanian President Traian Basescu hosted dozens of children, some with AIDS or cancer, at his palace in the capital for a Christmas reception. Guests also included Gypsy children from southern Romania and schoolchildren from Bulgaria , Ukraine , and Moldova s breakaway republic of Transdnestr.
CALIFORNIA: Exposure to TB Suspected at Salon: San Diego Union-Tribune (12.22.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Helen Gao; Patrons and employees at Tommy s Estetica Unisex salon in San Diego may have been exposed to TB following the diagnosis of active TB in a worker there, cautioned the county Health and Human Services Agency on Thursday. That patient has been treated and is no longer infectious, county officials said. The agency is assis
CALIFORNIA: San Francisco Syphilis Campaign: Associated Press (12.26.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; San Francisco Department of Public Health researchers say a 2002-2005 campaign to encourage men to test for syphilis was successful. The Healthy Penis campaign featured comic-strip penis-shaped characters as mascots. The department sponsored the ads in order to check rising syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men. Mo
US VIRGIN ISLANDS: AIDS Patients' Advocates in US Virgin Islands Cite Drug Shortages: Associated Press (12.22.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Mat Probasco; More than 60 HIV/AIDS patients in St. Thomas have been without medications for up to two months because the US territory s Health Department failed to pay pharmacists supplying the treatments, said Bruce Small, director of Virgin Islands Community AIDS Resource and Education Inc. The Virgin Islands Health Department sa
FLORIDA: County Asks Gates Foundation to Study HIV Here: Palm Beach Post (12.22.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Jennifer Sorentrue; Recently, Palm Beach County Commission Chairperson Addie Greene sent a letter asking the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to consider Palm Beach County for research opportunities on HIV/AIDS. Commissioner Mary McCarty asked the commission to send the letter, following a recommendation from a resident. McCarty said it
UNITED STATES: Substance Use, Medications for Sexual Facilitation, and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Traveling Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 12: P. 706-711 (12..06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Eric G. Benotsch, PhD; Salvatore Seeley, MSW; John J. Mikytuck, BS; Steven D. Pinkerton, PhD; Christopher D. Nettles, MA; Kathleen Ragsdale, PhD; The researchers undertook the current study to examine the correlates of sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) while traveling for leisure. The subjects were 304 MSM visiting popular tourist areas. They completed a brief survey on sexual behavior and substances used while on vacation, including ere
SOUTH AFRICA: Circumcision May Stop 1.4 Million South Africa HIV Cases: Reuters (12.21.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Widespread circumcision could prevent about 1.4 million new HIV infections and 800,000 AIDS deaths over 20 years in South Africa , prompting a research group to call for a national circumcision campaign to help stem the country s epidemic. Recent studies showing circumcision confers an up to 60 percent reduction in HIV
VIETNAM: AIDS Epidemic Shifts, Vietnam Makes Policy: Reuters (12.25.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Grant McCool; On Jan. 1, a new law outlining a broad policy framework for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment goes into effect in Vietnam . The law strengthens the rights of HIV/AIDS patients, calls for AIDS education in the workplace, and for HIV medicines to be included in health plans. It also provides for condom distribution, need
GLOBAL: Web Site Grants Holiday Wishes for Children with HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (12.24.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Daniela Flores; Before graduating from Rutgers University-Newark in 1997 and becoming an accountant, Shimmy Mehta was surprised in working with the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children that many infected children had unmet non-medical needs. A lot of the things that the care centers told me that they needed weren t real medical in na
NEW YORK: Rifts Emerge on Push to End Written Consent for HIV Tests: New York Times (12.25.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Sewell Chan; Physicians and AIDS advocates are split on the yearlong push to end a 1988 state requirement of separate, written patient consent for HIV testing. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden has championed the change to remove testing barriers he says end in late diagnoses and AIDS mortality. More than 1,40
UNITED STATES: AIDS Research Funding Trimmed: Washington Times (12.22.06) - Wednesday, December 27, 2006; Gregory Lopes; As part of a major restructuring of its AIDS research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is cutting funding for AIDS clinical trial units across the country. The cuts will likely force 10 of the 32 units to close at the beginning of the year. Sites affected include New York City; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Honolu
UNITED KINGDOM: Leader Hails City HIV Reduction: BBC News (12.18.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Edinburgh Council s leader said HIV infections have declined among intravenous drug users (IDUs), but evidence of needle- sharing among young IDU would need continued monitoring. Edinburgh s position is now as a center of excellence where voluntary and statutory services work closely together offering some of the best
UNITED STATES: Vertex HIV Drug Candidate Development Halted by GlaxoSmithKline Because of Formulation Problem: Associated Press (12.18.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; GlaxoSmithKline has stopped collaborating with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. on the HIV drug candidate brecanavir (VX- 385), Vertex said in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The drug, which was in mid-stage clinical testing, would be too difficult to formulate, said Glaxo. The firms have collaborated
VIRGINIA: Nearly a Dozen at Lakeland High School Test Positive for TB: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (12.21.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Amy Coutee; Nearly a dozen people from Lakeland High School have tested positive for tuberculosis and are currently being treated with antibiotics. This follows the testing of around 200 students and staff at the 1,300-pupil school after a person was diagnosed last week with a possible active case of the bacterial infection. Dr. L
LIBYA: Bush Expresses Disappointment at Libyan Court's Sentencing of Bulgarian Nurses, Palestinian Doctor to Death: Associated Press (12.21.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; On Thursday, President Bush phoned Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov to express his disappointment with Libya s death sentence for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV. Bush added he strongly supports Bulgaria s efforts to secure the release of the
CALIFORNIA: Pharmacist Has a Way with HIV Patients: Orange County Register (12.14.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Yvette Cabrera; For years, HIV-positive residents of Laguna Beach have had to travel elsewhere to fill their prescriptions. But in June, when pharmacist Michelle J. Sherman became a consultant HIV specialist at Laguna Drug, the store became a full-service HIV/AIDS pharmacy. These medications help you live, but you also have side effec
UNITED STATES: Peer Referral for HIV Case-Finding Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 15: P. 1961-1968 (10.03.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Matthew R. Golden; Thomas L. Gift; Devon D. Brewer; Mark Fleming; Matthew Hogben; Janet S. St. Lawrence; Hanne Thiede; H. Hunter Handsfield; Researchers in the current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a health department- based peer referral program for identifying previously undiagnosed HIV cases among men who have sex with men (MSM). From 2002 to 2005, 283 MSM peer recruiters were enrolled in a public health program in
GLOBAL: A Cut, Blow Dry and AIDS Advice that Could Save Your Life: Financial Times (London) (12.09.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Andrew Jack; A salon-based HIV prevention program that beauty giant L Oreal created in South Africa is now being introduced internationally. With 30,000 staffers training some 400,000 hairdressers around the world each year, the company recognizes the opportunity to use salons as a venue for AIDS education. Martin Smith, chief
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Southern Africa Mulls Roping In Prostitutes, Gays to Fight AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.12.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Felix Mponda; Attendees at the recent three-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Malawi discussed how to bridge the gap between those targeted for HIV/AIDS prevention and those hit hardest by the epidemic. To make advances in prevention, we must begin to tackle honestly the difficult questions that the epidem
RUSSIA: HIV Policy Change Lambasted: Moscow Times (12.21.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Carl Schreck; On Nov. 21, Russia s Health and Social Development Ministry surreptitiously decreed first-line HIV drugs would be bypassed for third-and fourth-line AIDS drugs, AIDS activists and federal officials allege. The Community of People Living with HIV said the decree would jeopardize HIV patients lives. The more expensive al
CALIFORNIA: Condoms in Jail: Outlawed HIV Prevention: Oakland Tribune (12.18.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Cheryl Winkelman; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed legislation that would have required the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) to permit nonprofit groups and public health agencies to distribute condoms and dental dams in correctional facilities. According to Kate Monico Klein, director of San Francisco
RHODE ISLAND: Sex Education Program Still Flawed, Says ACLU: Providence Journal (12.19.06) - Friday, December 22, 2006; Tom Mooney; Following up on its earlier complaints, the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claimed again this week that a federally funded abstinence program continues to have serious flaws. Heritage of Rhode Island s abstinence program was being used in Woonsocket schools earlier this year, though
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Gives Green Light for Sex Education: Agence France Presse (12.21.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Under new plans approved by Malaysia s cabinet, the conservative, Muslim-majority nation will introduce its first- ever sex education program in schools. The program will address youths from age four through young adulthood and will include topics including homosexuality, masturbation, rape, and HIV/AIDS. The move sign
HAITI: UN Issues Appeal for $98 Million to Help Haiti's Economic Recovery: Associated Press (12.18.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; On Monday, the UN appealed for $98 million in contributions to help Haiti s economic recovery and to provide basic services. In Haiti, the UN maintains a force of 8,800 peacekeepers; these were sent in after the February 2004 revolt that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who now lives in South Africa
OHIO: 17 More People Exposed to TB, Reynoldsburg Tests Find: Columbus Dispatch (12.20.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; In the second wave of TB testing at Reynoldsburg High School, 17 more people have shown preliminary evidence of TB exposure. Authorities have now identified 19 people exposed, including the initial active case that led to the testing, said Debbie Coleman, a Columbus assistant health commissioner. More than 650 students
MINNESOTA: AIDS Research Program at University of Minnesota to Close Due to Lack of Funding: Associated Press (12.21.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; A University of Minnesota AIDS research program that has run clinical trials for 20 years will shut down following a funding cut from the National Institutes of Health, which is reducing its grants for domestic trials in favor of trials conducted in developing nations. Hank Balfour, principal investigator, said people
PENNSYLVANIA: Frank Talk from Magic About HIV: Philadelphia Daily News (12.13.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Valerie Russ; Of the nearly 2,000 young people who filled the auditorium at University City High School on Dec. 12 to see basketball great Magic Johnson, many were only babies when the NBA star announced 15 years ago he had tested positive for HIV. But that did not diminish the roaring cheers that greeted Johnson, who came to the sc
FLORIDA: AIDS Group Loses Money, Not Hope: Pensacola News Journal (12.19.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Carmen Paige; The Santa Rosa HIV/AIDS Minority Task Force is shutting its office after losing a state grant, effective Dec. 31. Volunteers, however, vow to continue to offer outreach services and testing. The $75,000 Florida Department of Health grant was the main monetary source for the task force, whose officials are applying for
GERMANY: Factors Associated with Exposure to Hepatitis B Virus in Injection Drug Users: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 84; No. 2: P. 154-159 (09.15.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Markus Backmund; Kirsten Meyer; Christian Schuetz; Jens Reimer; The current naturalistic study was undertaken to describe factors associated with exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in injection drug users (IDUs) who have undergone treatment; its aim was to better direct prevention and care in high-risk subgroups. In Munich, 1,018 patients who had ever shared needles and were admit
INDIA: Indian State Plans to Make HIV Test Mandatory Before Marriage: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.21.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Legislators in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday discussed plans to make HIV testing mandatory for couples seeking to marry. The proposed bill was brought up after lawmakers underwent voluntary HIV tests as part of an awareness program, the Indian Express newspaper reported. Andhra Pradesh has th
CANADA: Falling Short; HIV North's Housing Program Having Trouble Finding Rental Space for At-Risk Individuals: Daily Herald (Grande Prairie, Alberta) (12.14.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Stephen Thomson; Since the HIV North Society s housing program began Oct. 30, it has placed only two clients in rental housing units. HNS officials believe landlords reluctance to participate stems from their fear that the HIV-positive clients, who include current or former injection drug users and female sex workers, will use drugs or
CANADA: Mounties Attack Injection Safe Site: Harm Reduction Increases Drug Use, Internal Report Says: Ottawa Citizen (12.11.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Peter O'Neil, Vancouver Sun; An internal, three-page report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleges Vancouver s supervised drug injection site encourages drug use. The pilot Insite project was established to stem overdoses and HIV transmissions through needle-sharing among injection drug users. Vancouver Sun obtained the RCMP report th
UNITED STATES: Premarital Sex Common for Decades, Study Finds: USA Today (12.20.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006; Sharon Jayson; Most Americans have had premarital sex, a new Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) report says. Ninety-five percent of Americans polled in 2002 reported they had had premarital sex. For those who were age 15 between 1954 and 1963, the median age of first premarital sex was 20.4 years. The median age was lower younger for th
LIBYA: US Voices Disappointment at Libyan AIDS Trial Death Sentences: Agence France Presse (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; The Bush administration on Tuesday said it was disappointed in a Libyan court s death sentences for six medics convicted on intentionally infecting more than 400 hospitalized children with HIV. We re disappointed in the verdict, said White House spokesperson Tony Snow. The death sentence against five Bulgarian nurses a
LIBYA: UN Rights Office Urges Libya to Halt AIDS Trial Death Sentences: Agence France Presse (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; On Tuesday, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour called on Libya not to execute six foreign medical workers condemned for allegedly transmitting HIV to children who were their patients at the Al-Fateh hospital. The circumstances surrounding the application of the death penalty in this c
UNITED STATES: Bush Signs 3 Health Care-Related Bills into Law: Associated Press (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Among other actions Tuesday, President Bush signed the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. The version of the act in effect since 2000 distributed federal AIDS funds based on counts of patients who had progressed to AIDS. The new act also counts those with HIV, a formula that favors rural and Southern areas whe
NEW YORK: AIDS Facility Quietly Starts Expansion: Times Union (Albany) (12.07.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Kenneth C. Crowe II; Support Ministries for Persons with AIDS Ahana House is undergoing a $950,000 expansion, bringing to 37 the number of people the organization can assist. The transitional residence for homeless people with HIV/AIDS is located in a former convent. Ahana House is across the street from St. Mary s Church, St. Mary s Schoo
NEW MEXICO: Straight Talk at Barbershops: Albuquerque Journal (12.16.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Juan-Carlos Rodriguez; Since early this year, the state-funded South Valley Male Involvement Project (MIP) has helped educate males at barbershop sex seminars held in the West Side and in the valley. At Conrad Padilla s barber shop on Coors N.W., MIP Program Director Francisco Ronquillo recently presented a 45-minute sex education seminar on
NEW YORK: New Chief Executive of AIDS Organization Intends to Battle Stigma: Associated Press (12.17.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Marcus Franklin; Eradicating HIV-related stigma may be the biggest challenge Marjorie Hill faces as the new executive director of Gay Men s Health Crisis (GMHC), the New York-based AIDS service organization. While death rates from AIDS have plummeted due to effective therapies, stigma and discrimination still keep people from testing o
GLOBAL: Study Finds Risk of Getting HIV Not Raised by Birth Control Pills: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (12.09.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Regina McEnery; Results from a large international study of more than 6,000 women from Africa and Asia show birth control pills and other types of hormonal contraception do not increase the risk of contracting HIV. More than 100 million women across the globe rely on varying forms of hormonal contraception to prevent pregnancy. Still,
INDIA: Prison Sex Study Author Calls for Conjugal Visits in India Jails: Agence France Presse (12.14.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Sachindra Sharma; The author of a study of prison sex in India is calling for authorities to allow conjugal visits to decrease unprotected sex among male inmates and lower the risk of HIV transmission. Although homosexuality is illegal in India, sex behind bars is an open secret, said study author Mridul Srivastava, who teaches criminal
GLOBAL: UN Urges Circumcision in AIDS-Hit Southern Africa: Reuters (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Kamil Zahee; On Tuesday, UNAIDS chief Dr. Peter Piot called for Southern African nations to adopt mass circumcision as a tool in the fight against AIDS. Recent studies have shown circumcision cuts the risk of HIV infection among men by 50-60 percent. One US-Ugandan trial found male circumcision also reduces infection in female part
NEW JERSEY: New NJ Law Means Some Groups Can Give Addicts Clean Needles: Associated Press (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Beth DeFalco; On Tuesday, Gov. Jon Corzine signed into law a measure allowing six New Jersey municipalities to pilot needle- exchange programs (NEPs), in which injecting drug users (IDUs) swap used syringes for sterile ones as a means of stemming blood-borne infections. It s been long overdue, Corzine said at the signing, which foll
INDIA: India Promotes Female Condoms to Check AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.19.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Outreach workers are hitting the streets in Kolkata s centuries-old red-light district to teach sex workers how to use the female condom. The condom for women can be a great help to sex workers, said Anjali Narayan, deputy-director of West Bengal s AIDS program. It will help them to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Receives $65 Million from UN to Combat AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.14.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Zimbabwe will use a new $65 million grant from the UN to upgrade its fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria, according to Edwin Muguti, junior health minister. The UN grant comes two weeks after the health ministry signed a $40 million deal with Britain, Sweden ,
VIRGINIA: Possible Exposure to TB Leads to Testing at School: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (12.16.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; A group of students and teachers at Lakeland High School in Suffolk underwent TB testing on Friday. School officials were notified on Dec. 13 that some people at the school may have been exposed to a person with active TB. More information is available from the health department at 757-686-4900.
CALIFORNIA: Funding for AIDS Program Will Continue: Los Angeles Times (12.19.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Responding to concerns voiced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and others, officials at the National Institutes of Health on Monday pledged their continued support of the clinical trials program at County-USC Medical Center through 2008. Most of the program s 3,000 clients per year are low-income, minority HIV/AIDS pat
FLORIDA: Frankly, Teens Have Much to Say About Sex: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.03.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Macollvie Jean-Francois; Are you willing to die for [sex]? That was the question facilitators posed to around 400 teenagers attending the 27th annual Adolescent Health and Sexuality Conference at Dillard High School on Dec. 2. Organizers said the goal of the conference was to encourage young people to be responsible when it comes to actions t
ILLINOIS: Forum Seeks Answers on Meth: Chicago Free Press (12.13.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Gary Barlow; The nexus of crystal methamphetamine use, risky sex, and HIV infection among gay men was apparent in a recent community forum presentation by a Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) official. About 10 percent of gay men in Chicago used meth in 2004, including 2 percent who used it weekly, said Nik Prachand of CDPH
UNITED KINGDOM: Factors that Shape Young People's Sexual Behaviour: A Systematic Review: The Lancet Vol. 368; No. 9547: P. 1581-1586 (11.04.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Cicely Marston, PhD; Eleanor King; In the current study, the authors examined why providing condoms and safer sex information to people ages 15-24, while important, may not be enough to change their behavior. Cultural and social influences revealed through qualitative analyses might help to explain that gap. This systematic review of 268 qualitative you
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Australia-Backed Papua New Guinea Inmates Take AIDS Message to Settlements: Australian Associated Press (12.07.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Lloyd Jones; As part of a $100 million Australian ($78 million US) program to combat AIDS in Papua New Guinea (PNG), inmates from the Bomana jail outside Port Moresby are being trained as peer HIV educators. After undergoing HIV/AIDS awareness training by Australia s law and justice sector program, low-security status inmates recen
EUROPE: European Outrage over Libyan Death Sentences: Agence France Presse (12.19.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; A Libyan court s verdict condemning six medical workers, five Bulgarians and a Palestinian, to death for allegedly infecting 426 hospitalized children with HIV was met with swift condemnation. European Union officials warned Tripoli against carrying out the executions, and EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini expres
LIBYA: Libya Condemns Six to Death in AIDS Trial: Agence France Presse (12.19.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Afaf Geblawi; A Libyan court today sentenced six foreign medics to die by firing squad or hanging for allegedly infecting 426 hospitalized children with HIV. The six, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, had all pled not guilty. Some burst into tears upon hearing the verdict. The medics have been jailed in Libya since 199
SOUTH CAROLINA: Patients Wait for Help from Struggling Agency: The State (Columbia) (12.16.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Czerne Reid; The waiting list for South Carolina s AIDS Drug Assistance Program is the longest in the nation: 342 patients as of mid- December. Prospective ADAP clients have been added to the list since June, when administrators announced a $3 million shortfall. Case workers are helping patients access drugs through charitable prog
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: District's HIV Testing Found to Be Falling Short: Washington Post (12.16.06) - Tuesday, December 19, 2006; Susan Levine; In a new report, the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice blames poor planning and wasted resources for the District s failure to reach its goal of testing 400,000 residents ages 14-84 for HIV. More than half the Administration for HIV Policy and Program s (AHPP) initial $1.3 million budget was spent on 80,000 ora
OHIO: Second Person Positive for TB at Reynoldsburg High: Columbus Dispatch (12.15.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Charlie Roduta; Columbus health officials have reviewed the TB test results of 119 Reynoldsburg High School students and staff and found one person who tested positive, according to Debbie Coleman, assistant health commissioner. Additional testing will determine whether the person has active TB. The testing was called for after a stud
NEW YORK: 12 at Grover Cleveland Test Positive for Tuberculosis: Buffalo News (12.16.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Mary B. Pasciak; Two months after a Grover Cleveland High School student was diagnosed with TB, 12 people there have tested positive for the disease. According to Dr. Anthony J. Billttier IV, none of the 12 shows signs of TB infection, and they may not have been exposed to the disease by the initial student. That patient, who was most
IOWA: TB Testing for Children Expanded in Cedar Rapids: Associated Press (12.15.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Letters recommending TB testing have now gone out to the parents of 350 children who attended a Cedar Rapids gymnastics school. The decision to expand testing was based on the results of the September TB screenings of 150 pupils at Twisters Gymnastics Cheer and Dance Studio. That initial screening turned up several peo
MICHIGAN: Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Associated Press (12.15.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; In the final hours before adjournment early Friday morning, the Michigan House rejected legislation that would have encouraged girls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). The legislation, which had received overwhelming approval by the state Senate, first passed the house by a 58-45
LOUISIANA: Students Use Pep Rally for AIDS Awareness: Times-Picayune (12.10.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Adam Koob; Students at Helen Cox High School in Harvey recently commemorated World AIDS Day with a pep rally-style event to raise AIDS awareness. The school s Red Ribbon Club each year presents Safe Lifestyle Week, a time to promote healthy decision-making. This year the week coincided with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, and the stude
CALIFORNIA: Feds Aim to Reduce AIDS Housing Subsidy: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.14.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Matthew S. Bajko; Under a proposal published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) would cap the cumulative lifetime use of Ryan White CARE funds for short-term and emergency housing at 24 months. The public can make comments about the proposal through Feb. 5. If enacted, the rule wou
UNITED STATES: Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Infections Among Men and Women Entering California Prisons: American Journal of Public Health Vol. 96; No. 10: P. 1862- 1866 (10..06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Kyle T. Bernstein, ScM; Joan M. Chow, MPH, DrPH; Juan Ruiz, MD, DrPH; Julius Schachter, PhD; Evalyn Horowitz, MD; Rebecca Bunnell, ScD, Med; Gail Bolan, MD; The objective of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection among newly arriving inmates at six prisons in California. In this cross-sectional study conducted in 1999, urine specimens from 698 men ages 18-25 and 572 women ages 18 or older were collected
INDIA: Drugs Sold over the Counter Fuel HIV in India: Reuters (12.11.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Injection drug users (IDUs) in India are easily circumventing prescription laws for pain medications and sedatives, resulting in an informal market that is raising HIV risks, UNAIDS reported recently. Though by law many painkillers and sedatives require a prescription, these are nevertheless sometimes sold over the cou
LATIN AMERICA: Health Officials Urge International Community Not to Abandon AIDS Fight in Latin America: Associated Press (12.15.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Tracee Herbaugh; At a UNAIDS briefing on Thursday, health officials called for sustained efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Latin America. While the rate of new infections is leveling off in certain areas, the international community must continue to support prevention and treatment programs, regional officials said. We ask you not to
LIBYA: Benghazi Six' Await Their Fate in Libya AIDS Trial: Agence France Presse (12.17.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Afaf Geblawi; On Tuesday, a Libyan court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the trial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with deliberately infecting over 400 children with HIV. Prosecutors are calling for the death penalty, though the defendants claims of innocence are supported by doctors and scientists w
GLOBAL: Drug Resistant TB Cases Higher than Once Estimated: Reuters (12.18.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Patricia Reaney; New research analyzing surveys in 79 countries revealed there are more multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) infections annually than indicated by the previous estimate nearly a decade ago. MDR-TB strains are resistant to at least two of the most widely used first-line TB drugs. There is increasing drug resistance
UNITED STATES: On the Job with HIV: Washington Post (12.10.06) - Monday, December 18, 2006; Amy Joyce; In the workplace, attitudes and approaches toward HIV/AIDS remain complex. Some managers are unaware of what, if any, accommodations are available to HIV-positive employees. Others may react poorly to learning of an employee s HIV status due to the stigma still attached to AIDS. [HIV-positive] people are living longer
GEORGIA: Atlanta Ends Ban on HIV-Positive Massage Therapists: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (12.08.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Ryan Lee; On Dec. 4, the Atlanta City Council unanimously voted to amend a city regulation to allow people with HIV to be licensed as massage therapists. Prior to the amendment, massage therapist applicants had to submit a physician s note stating they were free of all communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Mayor Shirley Fra
SOUTH CAROLINA: S.C. to See More AIDS Funding: The State (Columbia) (12.12.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; The new funding headed to South Carolina under the reauthorized Ryan White CARE Act is particularly needed in the state, where the AIDS Drug Assistance Program is facing a $3 million shortfall and where 324 patients were waiting for drug assistance as of Nov. 29. The program s 2005 budget was $14.25 million; last year
ILLINOIS: Ex-Surgeon General Speaks About AIDS: Bradenton Herald (Florida) (12.11.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Carolyn P. Smith (Belleville News-Democrat); Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who served as US surgeon general in the Clinton administration, was the keynote speaker on Sunday at the HIV/AIDS and Health Awareness Worship event at Trinity United Methodist Church in East St. Louis. Elders called on churches to play a bigger role in getting HIV prevention information to the bla
WASHINGTON: County Happy with Expanded STD Testing: Daily News (Longview) (12.08.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Barbara LaBoe; Cowlitz County is facing near-record high numbers of chlamydia and gonorrhea cases this year, and Health Department officials have expanded opportunities for people to get STD testing. New Tuesday clinic sessions were announced late on Monday, Dec. 4, and the very next day four people presented for testing, said Jan Wh
INDIA: HIV Prevalence and Predictors Among Rescued Sex- Trafficked Women and Girls in Mumbai, India: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 43; No. 5: P. 588-593, (12.15.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Jay G. Silverman, PhD; Michele R. Decker, MPH; Jhumka Gupta, MPH; Ayonija Maheshwari, MD, MPH; Vipul Patel; Anita Raj, PhD; Although India s HIV epidemic has spread rapidly among female sex workers, and large numbers of women and girls are trafficked for sex each year, few HIV studies of this population have been conducted. In the current study, the authors examined the prevalence and predictors of HIV infection in sex-trafficked women and
CENTRAL AMERICA: Ashley Judd and Salma Hayek Use Their Fame to Focus Attention on HIV/AIDS in Latin America: Lexington Herald Leader (Kentucky) (12.01.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Otis Hart; Ashley Judd and Salma Hayek toured Central America recently to preach HIV/AIDS awareness and promote the one-hour documentary, Confronting the Pandemic, that aired on the Learning Channel on World AIDS Day. The program deals with HIV/AIDS prevention in Central America. Judd is goodwill ambassador for YouthAIDS, a nonpr
PAKISTAN: Afghan Drugs a Worry as Pakistanis Confront AIDS: Reuters (12.05.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; While Pakistani health officials face a low-prevalence HIV/AIDS epidemic, they worry that high-risk intravenous drug use (IDU) could be fueled by Afghanistan s bumper crop of opium, the raw material of heroin. We are committed for a strong program to combat HIV/AIDS, especially among [IDU], Mohammed Naseer Khan, Pakist
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Lifespans Cut Short by AIDS: Agence France Presse, (12.11.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Fran Blandy; South Africa s average life expectancy has declined by 13 years since 1990, from 64 years to 51 years, due to HIV/AIDS, according to a new survey by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Actuarial Society of South Africa. Estimated life expectancy is now 49 years for males and 53 years for females. Most disturbing
UNITED STATES: New AIDS Funds May Help Bring Transportation to Rural Patients: Associated Press, (12.12.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Desiree Hunter; AIDS advocates in the South hailed the Congressional reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, saying they hope it will, among other enhancements, improve programs to transport patients to often-distant medical appointments. The revised act, which includes $70 million in new money for fiscal year 2007, will direct mo
UNITED STATES: AIDS Group Asks Viagra Maker to Halt Ad Campaign: Los Angeles Times, (12.14.2006) - Friday, December 15, 2006; Rong-Gong Lin II; The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation is running advertisements criticizing Viagra s maker, Pfizer , for direct- to-consumer ads that AHF claims promote recreational use of the erectile dysfunction drug. AHF is particularly concerned about Viagra s use by gay men who also use methamphetamine, an illegal drug
AUSTRALIA: Young People Want Sex Education to Go Beyond Basics: Study: Australian Associated Press (12.10.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Young people in New South Wales say they want sex education programs to give them guidance in handling the complexities of emotional relationships in addition to knowledge about the mechanics of sex, according to a recent study by the University of Western Sydney and the NSW Rape Crisis Center. Three of 10 females and
CHINA: Hong Kong HIV Cases Rise Sharply as a Result of Unprotected Sex: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.01.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; According to health department data released on World AIDS Day, Hong Kong recorded 275 new HIV infections through September 30. In the whole of 2005, we only recorded 313 infections, so we expect 360 to 380 infections by year s end, said Raymond Ho, a senior medical health officer with the department.
AFRICA: Africa Lacks Skills, Money to Fight AIDS-Related Cancer: Expert: Agence France Presse (12.11.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; On Monday on the sidelines of a cancer conference in Cape Town, an expert said AIDS-related cancers are on the rise in Africa. There is such a huge amount of HIV in Africa. that HIV-associated cancers have also increased in prevalence, said Ian Magrath of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research. The
HAITI: In Haiti, Number of Children Orphaned by AIDS Grows: Associated Press (12.11.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Tim Collie; More than 400,000 people in Haiti have died of AIDS since the epidemic s onset, and an estimated 250,000 children have lost one or both parents to the disease. This year, for the first time, anyone with HIV/AIDS in Haiti can access, in theory, effective drug therapy - though geographic and cultural barriers to treatmen
WYOMING: 'Open Up and Talk About It': Casper Star-Tribune (12.10.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Allison Rupp; The Dental Services program at the Community Health Center of Central Wyoming began offering HIV testing in April 2005. It has since become a model for other dental practices across the country that would like to do the same. You give a whole different avenue to access, said Casper- based hygienist Stacy Smith, who, al
NEW YORK: Housing Works Plans New Resource Center for AIDS/HIV Positive Women: Fort Greene Courier (12.08.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Mattlee Davis; On Nov. 30, Housing Works broke ground for its new Brooklyn center, By and For Women, which will offer by spring of next year day treatment services, primary care, and dental services for women with HIV/AIDS. The creation of the center, located at 57 Willoughby St., reflects the epidemic s inroad among women. In 2005,
RUSSIA: Drug Injecting and Syringe Use in the HIV Risk Environment of Russian Penitentiary Institutions: Qualitative Study: Addiction Vol. 101; No. 12: P. 1787 (12..06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Anya Sarang; Tim Rhodes; Lucy Platt; Valentina Kirzhanova; Olga Shelkovnikova; Venyamin Volnov; Dmitri Blagovo; Andrei Rylkov; Noting that prison is a high risk environment in relation to [HIV] and hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission associated with injecting drug use, the authors undertook qualitative studies among 209 injecting drug users (IDUs) in Moscow (56 subjects), Volograd (83), and Barnaul (70). Among participants, 77 percent reporte
INDIA: India HIV Cases May Be Lower than Estimates: Study: Reuters (12.13.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Scientists studying HIV prevalence in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, found the number of infections were lower than earlier government estimates in which the state ranked highest nationwide. However, UN officials warned against hastily conflating that study s findings with broader, national surveillance estimates. Administrat
GLOBAL: WHO and UNAIDS Set Controversial Course for HIV Testing: Lancet Infectious Diseases Vol. 6; No. 12: P. 760 (12..06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Emily Bass; The World Health Organization and UNAIDS are drafting HIV testing recommendations, set for release early 2007, that will endorse provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC). The recommendation aims to reach the nine in 10 HIV-infected people worldwide who are undiagnosed and thus miss out on treatment services whe
CALIFORNIA: Bill Backs Cancer Shot for Girls: Sacramento Bee (12.08.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Jim Sanders; In California, an Assembly bill would require girls entering the sixth grade to receive Gardasil, a three-series vaccination against four types of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer and 90 percent of genital warts. Assembly Bill 16, sponsored by Sally Lieber (D-Moun
NEW JERSEY: State Rejects Abstinence Funding: Press of Atlantic City (12.08.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Richard Degener; Gov. Jon S. Corzine s administration has turned down $945,000 in federal abstinence money for next year, saying some of the newly enforced guidelines tied to the funds go against New Jersey s core curriculum standards. The move will leave groups like Peer Challenge scrambling for new funding sources. The abstinence edu
GLOBAL: HIV Risk Halved by Circumcision, US Agency Finds: New York Times (12.14.06) - Thursday, December 14, 2006; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; On Wednesday, National Institutes of Health officials said evidence from two large trials in Africa indicates that circumcision reduces a man s risk of contracting HIV from heterosexual sex by half. So strong was the evidence of circumcision s protective effect that NIH s Data Safety and Monitoring Board halted the tri
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 466 HIV Patients Being Treated, Reveals Ministry: Gulf News (Dubai) (12.08.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Nina Muslim; Mohammed Al Khan; On Friday, the United Arab Emirates Health Ministry announced there are 466 HIV patients receiving treatment, data the country previously kept confidential. Since the early 1980s, UAE has registered 657 HIV cases. All cases are UAE citizens, as non-nationals with HIV are deported, Health Minister Humaid Al Qutami told
CHINA: Chinese AIDS Patients Win Landmark Compensation Claim: Agence France Presse (12.05.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; The state-owned China Daily newspaper reported recently that a group of 15 patients who received HIV through hospital transfusions in 2004 will each receive a one-time compensation of 200,000 yuan ($25,562 US), and a monthly sum of 3,000 yuan ($383 US). The hospital, located in the northeastern Heilongjiang province, w
CHINA: China, US Holding Talks on Health Care, Infectious Diseases, and Regulatory Cooperation: Associated Press (12.13.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Audra Ang; Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt is part of a US Cabinet delegation, led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, in Beijing this week for talks on a variety of issues including health care. Leavitt attended the opening of a collaborative office between the US and Chinese centers for disease control and pre
FLORIDA: Video Aims to Save Lives by Enlightening Residents: Palm Beach Post (12.02.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Jim Reeder; The Executive Roundtable, a group of St. Lucie County policy makers, has released an AIDS education and prevention video. The film includes people who discuss their reactions to learning they are HIV-positive, pastors who talk about counseling patients, and local officials who focus on the epidemic s impact in the coun
UNITED STATES: Characteristics of Recently HIV-Infected Men Who Use the Internet to Find Male Sex Partners and Sexual Practices with Those Partners: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 43; No. 5; P. 582-587 (12.15.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Davey M. Smith, MD, MAS; Lydia N. Drumright, PhD, MPH; Simon D.W. Frost, DPhil; W. Susan Cheng, MPH; Stephen Espitia, MS; Eric S. Daar, MD; Susan J. Little, MD; Pamina M. Gorbach, MHS, DrPH; In the current study, investigators examined the characteristics and sexual behaviors of recently HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) who find partners through the Internet compared with other MSM who do not. A computer-assisted self-interview was administered to 194 recently infected MSM in Southern Californi
IRAN: For Iran's Isolated HIV Patients, Outreach and Treatment: Washington Post (12.02.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Nora Boustany; Fourteen Iranian doctors visited Washington recently to participate in discussions hosted by the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit international organization that supports dialogue on contemporary issues. The Iranians and their American counterparts discussed health systems and their challenges. The visit was the first such
SOUTH AFRICA: Focus on Mental Health: Business Day (Johannesburg) (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Erica Webster; Mental health issues can affect not only HIV/AIDS patients but also their families and caregivers, according to Zane Wilson, director of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). People who have both serious mental disorders and HIV infection need additional support, especially when they are taking antire
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS-Hit Southern Africa Mulls New Combat Strategies: Agence France Presse (12.12.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Felix Mponda; At a three-day meeting that began Tuesday in Blantyre, Malawi , representatives from Southern Africa are working to come up with effective HIV prevention approaches. The region is the epicenter of the global pandemic - accounting for a third of all HIV infections worldwide and 34 percent of AIDS deaths in 2006. Ste
GLOBAL: Call for Worldwide Use of Cervical Cancer Vaccines: Reuters (12.12.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Ben Hirschler; At a Tuesday meeting in London, international health experts called for global access to vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of most cervical cancer. Price will be a key factor in how quickly women in the developing world, where 80 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur, will be able to access HPV v
UNITED STATES: Uniting Against AIDS: Newsday (New York) (11.28.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Curtis L. Taylor; In the book Not in My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community (Agate Publishing), black Americans are speaking out about the epidemic s impact. Many of us are sick, dying, living in fear and shame, and many of us who aren t afflicted are living in denial, according to Gil I. Robertson IV, the book s editor. Robe
MARYLAND: Passage of Federal Act Preserves AIDS Funds: Baltimore Sun (12.12.06) - Wednesday, December 13, 2006; Jonathan Bor; Officials from Maryland and the Baltimore region said the Ryan White CARE Act passed by Congress Saturday will shave less money off the overall total than they had feared. The bill, which President Bush has promised to sign, will likely reduce the $20 million Baltimore and five surrounding counties received this year b
NORTH CAROLINA: Get HIV Test Now, Ads Urge: News & Observer (Raleigh) (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Jean P. Fisher; North Carolina has launched a new campaign to encourage HIV testing, titled, Get Real. Get Tested. The campaign - a joint effort of the state Division of Public Health, Duke Medicine, University of North Carolina Health Care and Fox 50 - will use radio and television advertisements to urge residents to learn their HIV
ZIMBABWE: Mugabe to Be Life President as Country Starves: The Australian (Sydney) (12.11.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Christina Lamb; Zimbabwe s ruling party congress this week may appoint Robert Mugabe, 82, president for life. If the proposal is raised, as I am sure it will be, why not? said Didymas Mutasa, national security minister and secretary for administration in the Zanu-PF Party. Zimbabwe has the world s highest rate of inflation (more than
UGANDA: Married Couples Top HIV Infection Rates in Uganda: Study: Xinhua News Agency (12.04.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; A study carried out between 1996 and 2005 found that 42 percent of the 130,000 new HIV infections in Uganda occurred within wedlock. Apuuli Kihumuro, director-general of the Uganda AIDS Commission, attributed the high infection rate to unawareness of HIV status, engaging in sex with multiple partners, and reluctance to
UKRAINE: President: Ukraine Still Has One of Fastest-Growing AIDS Epidemics in Europe: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; In a World AIDS Day address, President Viktor Yushchenko said HIV continues to spread faster in Ukraine than in other European nations, and he called for new measures to tackle the escalating problem. The country has 100,000 reported cases, one-tenth of them children. Each day in Ukraine, 40 people are diagnosed with H
RUSSIA: Report: Chief Epidemiologist Says Official Number of HIV Cases in Russia at 362,000: Associated Press (11.30.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; The Russian news agency RIA-Novosti recently reported the country s chief epidemiologist said the number of officially registered HIV patients is now 362,000. Among them are 2,300 children, and half of these cases resulted from mother-to- child transmission - a problem that remains acute, said Gennady Onishcheno, head
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: HIV Epidemic Ravages Papua New Guinea: Agence France Presse (11.30.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; HIV diagnoses have risen by about 30 percent a year since 1997 in Papua New Guinea , and an estimated 60,000 people in the nation of 5.9 million are now infected, according to a UNAIDS report. The study estimated that 1.8 percent of PNG adults are HIV-positive, but it acknowledged that the true
INDIA: Indian President Backs Law Against AIDS Discrimination: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has asked India s lawmakers to commit to passing, within six months, legislation to outlaw discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients. According to a recent study, one-quarter of HIV patients had been denied medical attention because of their serostatus. It is for the members of parliament to
CHINA: China to Promote Condom Use Among Gays: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; According to state media, China next year will roll out a five-year initiative to promote condom use by gay men, only one in five of whom reports regularly using condoms. The Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Center hopes to raise that rate to 70 percent, China Daily said. Wu Zunyou, director of the center s AIDS
FLORIDA: Broward Health Officials Want County, Cities to Chip In to Fight HIV/AIDS: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.06.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Bob Lamendola; Broward County s Health Department recently unveiled a 66-page report that says new HIV infections are growing again among gay and bisexual men and remain high among African Americans. From 1999 to 2004, new infections among gay or bisexual men jumped 94 percent, due largely to the combination of unsafe sex and party d
RUSSIA: Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies to Expand Antiretroviral Therapy in St. Petersburg, Russia: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 17: P. 2207-2215 (11.14.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Elisa F. Long; Margaret L. Brandeau; Cristina M. Galvin; Tatyana Vinichenko; Swati P. Tole; Adam Schwartz; Gillian D. Sanders; Douglas K. Owens; The authors of the current study sought to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat HIV-infected injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs in Russia . After developing a dynamic HIV epidemic model for a population of IDUs and non-IDUs in St. Petersbur
SOUTH AFRICA: Want Great Sex? Wait, Says South African Chastity Campaign: Reuters (11.30.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Rebecca Harrison; South Africans have recently launched their own version of the Silver Ring Thing, a Christian-themed abstinence campaign that has made headlines in the United States and Britain. At rallies, the South African Silver Ring Thing team entertains the crowd with slick video clips and skits about the dangers of STDs and the
GLOBAL: Condoms Can Be Fun, Too: ABC News (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Dan Childs; Campaigns promoting condoms should emphasize how they can raise the fun factor of sex, according to a recent Viewpoint piece in The Lancet. Since pursuit of pleasure is one of the main reasons people have sex, this factor must be addressed when motivating people to use condoms and participate in safer sexual behavior,
GEORGIA: Specialty Tag to Benefit AIDS Organization: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Eric Ervin; On Nov. 7, according to the office of Georgia s secretary of state, 67.4 percent of voters approved amending the state s constitution to allow state funds from the sale of specialty license tags to go directly to the organizations they endorse. License tags bearing the name of AIDS Survival Project, a statewide nonprof
SOUTH CAROLINA: Death of AIDS Patient Stirs Group to Hold Rally: The State (Columbia) (12.12.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; Ahead of a meeting of the State Budget and Control Board and following the death of a fourth patient awaiting help, activists will rally today for $3 million in emergency funds to end the waiting list for South Carolina s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). As people living with this virus. we have a personal interest
NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Needle Exchanges for Drug Users: Associated Press (12.12.06) - Tuesday, December 12, 2006; Beth DeFalco; New Jersey s Legislature voted yesterday to allow six municipalities to pilot needle exchange programs (NEPs) in order to examine their effect on preventing the transmission of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C, among intravenous drug users (IDUs). The bill passed 49-27 in the Assembly and 23-16 in the
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Aims to Cut HIV Infection Rate by 20 Percent in Next Year: Agence France Presse (12.05.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Warning that AIDS could reverse a half-century of development gains, Malaysian Health Minister Cua Soi Lek recently announced a goal of reducing the nation s HIV infection rate by 20 percent by the end of 2007 or early 2008. Measures to be employed in the prevention program include needle exchange, methadone therapy, f
ZAMBIA: AIDS Threatens Half of Zambian Youths: Red Cross: Agence France Presse (12.05.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Zambia s Red Cross Society has launched a $50 million appeal to fight HIV with a warning that nearly half the nation s young people face a lifetime risk of dying of AIDS. UNAIDS says 1.1 million of the country s 11 people are HIV-positive. Charles Mushitu, general-secretary of Zambia s RCS, said the $50 million would b
CANADA: New Law Speeds Blood Tests for Emergency Workers: The Record (Kitchener) (12.08.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Canadian Press; On Thursday, Ontario s Legislature passed a bill that would make it easier to force a person who bites or spits at emergency responders to undergo blood tests. The bill is designed to help such workers learn if they might have been infected with a blood-borne virus. The bill awaits royal assent before becoming law.
WISCONSIN: No AIDS Babies Born in State: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (12.01.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Wisconsin s Department of Health and Family Services has documented no HIV infections among newborns this year. Two infants were infected last year by mothers who were unaware they were HIV-positive. Between 1990 and 1994, Wisconsin recorded 30 newborn HIV cases.
FLORIDA: Agency Pairs Heterosexuals with HIV: Miami Herald (12.02.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Daniel Shoer-Roth; The Center for Positive Connections in Miami Shores offers social events and Internet listings to HIV-positive heterosexuals. The agency currently has 350 clients. Revealing HIV status is a challenge for anyone seeking a soulmate but is even more difficult for heterosexuals with the virus, said Evelyn Fisboin, a mental
UNITED STATES: Arrest History as an Indicator of Adolescent/Young Adult Substance Use and HIV Risk: Drug and Alcohol Dependence doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.09.017 (11.07.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Marina Tolou-Shams; Larry K. Brown; Glenn Gordon; Isabel Fernandez; Project SHIELD Study Group; Due to their substantially high rates of risk behaviors, high rates of substance use disorders and psychopathology, young offenders are particularly at risk for HIV, the authors wrote. They noted that while numerous studies have assessed the risk behaviors of youth in correctional settings, the current study sought to
GLOBAL: Heifer Works to Bring Food to Those with HIV and AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Jon Gambrell; The scale-up of HIV drugs to patients in developing countries must be accompanied by proper nutrition in order for the medicines to work most effectively, the charity Heifer International said ahead of World AIDS. People need milk, they need meat. Especially if they are on antiretroviral drugs, said Meghan MacKrell, HI
IVORY COAST: Abstinence Anchors HIV/AIDS School Curriculum: Inter Press Service (11.28.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Fulgence Zamble; A new curriculum adopted for the 2006-07 school year will promote abstinence for youth and condom use for adults in Ivory Coast . The nation s HIV prevalence rate is 4.7 percent, according to 2006 figures, down from 7 percent in 1991. The infection rate among students is 4 percent. In the past, we contented oursel
INDIA: Cheap AIDS Drug Pioneer India Faces Many Hurdles on Own Turf: Agence France Presse (11.30.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Tripti Lahiri; India , while a pioneer in producing generic antiretrovirals (ARVs), is not providing low-cost treatment to many of its own 5.7 million HIV/AIDS patients, some activists and experts say. According to UNAIDS , only 55,000 Indians are receiving antiretroviral treatment, 7 percent of those who need the drugs.
AUSTRALIA: Australians Becoming Complacent Towards AIDS: Expert: Australian Associated Press (11.30.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Nick Ralston; Australians are becoming complacent about HIV, according to Dr. Roger Garsia, chairperson of the New South Wales Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV and Sexually Transmissible Infections. Australia logged 950 new cases in 2005, up slightly from 2004, for a per capita prevalence rate comparable to that of the
UNITED STATES: Congress Sends AIDS Care Bill to President: Associated Press (12.09.06) - Monday, December 11, 2006; Erica Werner; On Saturday, Congress sent to President Bush a three-year reauthorization of the $2.1 billion annual Ryan White CARE Act, the nation s largest program for HIV/AIDS patient treatment and services. In a statement Saturday, the president expressed his support for the bill, the first revision of the act since 2000. The bil
CALIFORNIA: Desert AIDS Group Settles on Key Hire: Desert Sun (Palm Springs) (12.03.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Stefanie Frith; At the Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs, Arturo J. Hernandez has been named Director of Education, Prevention and Testing. He will direct a staff of six educators and outreach workers who present prevention programs at various community sites. Hernandez comes to DAP from the Latino group Bienestar, where he was Dire
OHIO: Columbus AIDS Task Force Seeking New Leader: Columbus Dispatch (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Sherri Williams; Following the Oct. 27 resignation of Executive Director Aaron Riley, the Columbus AIDS Task Force is seeking a new leader. Riley started with the organization as director of client services in September 2000 and was the first African American to head it since its founding in 1984. Five of the agency s approximately 40
INDIA: Health Authorities Rope In Islamic Clerics in Battle Against HIV/AIDS in India's Kashmir: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Aijaz Hussain; In India s deeply conservative Jammu-Kashmir state, the local AIDS prevention agency has recruited hundreds of Islamic clerks to boost awareness. Whenever I deliver a sermon, I talk about AIDS, said top Muslim cleric Mufti Nazir Ahmed. Methods to prevent AIDS correspond exactly with the teachings of Islam, he said, not
UNITED KINGDOM: HIV Pushing Sufferers in Britain into Poverty: Reuters (11.30.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Patricia Reaney; According to a report by the National AIDS Trust and the AIDS charity Crusaid, one-third of British people diagnosed with HIV have sought poverty-relief assistance. HIV often drives people into poverty, and poverty makes the condition more difficult to manage, said Yusef Azad of NAT. The report calls on government and
AFRICA: European Firms Pledge to Step Up Fight Against AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; On World AIDS Day, about 20 major European firms active in the developing world promised to do more to fight the epidemic, especially in Africa. Companies that have signed on include the cosmetics firm L Oreal, oil company Total, the Accor hotel and catering chain, and the brewer Heineken. More companies are expected t
GLOBAL: WHO Calls for More Access to Vaccines in Developing Nations: Agence France Presse (12.06.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; On Wednesday, the World Health Organization said access to vaccines for diseases like yellow fever, influenza and hepatitis B must be improved in developing countries. There can be a 20-year delay between the introduction of some vaccines in the United States and Europe and in the developing world, said Marie-Paul
CALIFORNIA: Tenderloin Health Receives Funding for HIV Dental Care: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.30.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Heather Cassell; The US Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $2 million, five-year demonstration grant to Tenderloin Health (TH) to provide critical dental care for HIV/AIDS patients. TH s partner agency is the Tom Waddell Health Center, which offers a dental clinic a few hours each week. TWHC works with the Native America
CALIFORNIA: Inquiry Begins on Hart Program: Daily News of Los Angeles (12.06.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Connie Llanos; In Santa Clarita, William S. Hart Union High School District officials said Tuesday they were investigating their sex education curriculum to see whether it violates state law, as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently warned. Under California law, public schools cannot invite speakers from faith-based grou
MICHIGAN: Detroiters in Rush to Catch Up on AIDS Fight: Detroit Free Press (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Patricia Anstett; In predominantly black metropolitan areas such as Washington and Detroit, HIV/AIDS impact is high. Our real issue is that it s spreading at an alarming rate in the black community while other communities have been successful in abating it, said the Rev. Horace Sheffield, a Detroit activist who recently launched a local
KENYA: Study Says Dual Infection with Malaria and HIV Fuels Epidemics' Spread in Africa: Associated Press (12.07.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Lauran Neergaard; In a vicious cycle, malaria is both fueling and being fueled by Africa s AIDS epidemic - highlighting the need to combat both epidemics simultaneously, according to new research. Scientists have suspected the epidemics interplay, and University of Washington researchers studied a mathematical model to figure out how mu
SENEGAL: Clandestine Sex Workers Linked to Rising HIV/AIDS Rates: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Makiko Kitamura; Senegal has one of Africa s lowest HIV/AIDS infection rates - less than 1 percent - but vulnerable groups such as sex workers and gay men have higher HIV prevalence. Currently, HIV infection among legal sex workers in Dakar has risen to 21 percent, compared to 1 percent 20 years ago, according to Enda Third World, an
TEXAS: Herpes Study Authors Deny Claims that Subjects Were at Risk: Dallas Morning News (12.02.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Paul Meyer; The public interest advocacy group Public Citizen recently criticized as unnecessarily risky a Dallas-based, placebo- controlled study of a drug therapy to prevent genital herpes outbreaks in women during childbirth. The GlaxoSmithKline-funded study enrolled 170 pregnant women who were given Valtrex (valacyclovir) and
MASSACHUSETTS: Cases of HIV on Rise Among Immigrants: Boston Herald (12.03.06) - Wednesday, December 08, 2006; Laura Crimaldi; The proportion of HIV cases among the foreign-born in Massachusetts has grown from 18 percent of HIV diagnoses in 1999 to 26 percent in 2004, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH). These figures represent all categories of immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. From 2002 to 2004, 785 fore
CHINA: HIV/AIDS Cases Up by More than 70 Percent in Shanghai: Agence France Presse, (11.29.2006) - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; China s Xinhua News Agency has reported that HIV/AIDS infections in Shanghai were up by 74 percent from 2005 to 2006. The city recorded 356 cases for all of 2005 but has already documented 621 cases this year through the end of November. Eighty percent of cases are males, and most are ages 25 to 44.
SINGAPORE: Singapore Detects Record Number of AIDS Cases: Agence France Presse, (11.27.2006) - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; According to Ministry of Health statistics, a record 317 Singapore residents were found to have HIV/AIDS last year, surpassing the previous record number of infections: 311 in 2004. The ministry said 90 percent of cases are males, and most transmissions occurred heterosexually through casual sex and sex with prostitute
INDIA: For India Truckers, AIDS is a 'White Man-Only' Disease: Agence France Presse, (11.30.2006) - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; A recently released survey commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh transport and health ministries found that a high number of truckers - who are 10 times likelier to be HIV-infected than India s general population - have heard about HIV/AIDS, but most do not consider themselves at risk. The truck drivers feel AIDS is a fore
ARIZONA: HPV Vaccine Catching On at U. Arizona Clinic: University Wire, (12.01.2006) Daily Wildcat; University of Arizona - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; University of Arizona Campus Health officials say they have administered 150 Gardasil human papillomavirus vaccinations since they began offering it in September. The three-series vaccine remains effective for at least five years against high-risk HPV strains that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percen
UNITED STATES: Congress Struggles to Break Final Logjam by the Weekend: Associated Press, (12.07.2006) Jim Abrams - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; Among a range of matters acted upon by the 109th US Congress as it moves toward adjournment, the Senate on Wednesday approved a measure to renew the $2.1 billion annual Ryan White CARE Act for AIDS prevention and treatment. The bill still needs approval by the House of Representatives.
GEORGIA: Stigma of Disease Persists; Residents of Macon's Rainbow Center Recount Slights: Macon Telegraph, (12.01.2006) Joe Kovac Jr. - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; The way some people treat HIV/AIDS patients is akin to racism, according to Johnny Fambro, director of Macon, Georgia s Rainbow Center and the Central City AIDS Network, which provides housing assistance to some 400 HIV/AIDS patients in 23 counties. He said despite extensive efforts to educate the public, the disease i
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The Condoms? Please, Take One: Washington Post, (12.01.2006) Susan Levine - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; Over the next two months, six local community groups are coming together in the Life Guard Project, a grassroots dissemination of 30,000 condoms and HIV prevention information kits in some of the worst-hit District neighborhoods. The idea is to get the word out: Here s a packet that can save your life, said Franck DeRo
UGANDA: Internet Use Among Ugandan Adolescents: Implications for HIV Intervention: Public Library of Science Medicine Vol. 3; No. 11: P. e433, (11..2006) - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; Michele L. Ybarra; Julius Kiwanuka; Nneka Emanyonu; David R. Bangsberg; The Internet is quickly becoming a low-cost, powerful method of delivering health intervention programs to sizeable numbers of people, especially youths, over diverse geographic regions, the authors of the current study noted. However, the feasibility and accessibility of such methods for resource- limited settings, wh
INDIA: As India Tops with World's Largest Number of HIV Cases, New Strategy Targets Drug Users: Associated Press, (11.29.2006) Nirmala George - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; In India , where most anti-HIV efforts have focused on promoting safe sex among high-risk groups such as sex workers, truckers and migrant laborers, health authorities are shifting direction to curb HIV s spread. India has 5.7 million HIV/AIDS cases, the largest number in the world. Our priority for the new phase o
KENYA: Stigma Remains Greatest Hurdle in Kenya's Fight Against AIDS: Agence France Presse, (12.01.2006) Karen Calabria - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; According to National AIDS Control Council statistics, 1.3 million of Kenya s 35 million people have HIV/AIDS. Sixty-five percent of the 1.3 million are women ages 19 to 45. Since 1984, according to health ministry estimates, at least 1.5 million Kenyans have died from HIV/AIDS. Awareness campaigns have reduced Kenya s
LIBYA: Libyan HIV Trial Twist: Newsday, (12.07.2006) Bryn Nelson - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; A new genetic study supports the innocence of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with deliberately infecting over 400 hospitalized children with HIV in Benghazi, Libya . The six were convicted and sentenced to death in an earlier trial; that verdict was overturned last year by the Libyan Supreme Cou
COLORADO: Colorado Blacks, Hispanics Face Growing AIDS Risk: Rocky Mountain News (Denver), (12.02.2006) Bill Scanlon - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; At the request of the Rocky Mountain News, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment categorized HIV/AIDS exposure by ethnic group and gender. The resulting analysis showed women are the fastest-growing risk group in Colorado, with black women 31 times more likely than white women to acquire HIV. Among m
SOUTH CAROLINA: Combating HIV; Report Says Limited Testing in SC Delaying Diagnoses: The State (Columbia), (12.01.2006) Czerne M. Reid - Wednesday, December 07, 2006; A study published on World AIDS Day in CDC s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that of more than 1,700 late testers diagnosed with HIV in South Carolina between 2001 and 2005, nearly three-quarters had visited a health care facility multiple times in the preceding years. The study, led by Dr. Wayne Duffus of
ILLINOIS: Pitching In to Fight AIDS Pandemic: Chicago Tribune (12.06.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Nancy Munson; Over the weekend, some 325 people at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Naperville worked to assemble kits of items to be sent to AIDS caregivers around the world. The response to help with the kits was way beyond any of our expectations, said the Rev. Greg Wenhold, the church s pastor. Included in the kits are disposabl
CALIFORNIA: TB Tests Planned at Center High: Sacramento Bee (12.05.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; On Friday, the parents of 270 students at Center High School, Antelope, were notified that their children need TB testing after being in contact with a student with an active case of the disease. A school nurse at the 1,600-student school was notified of the student s diagnosis on Thursday and consulted county health d
ZIMBABWE: One in Four Zimbabwe Children Are AIDS Orphans: UNICEF: Reuters (12.05.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Almost one in four children in Zimbabwe , 1.6 million, are now orphaned, having lost at least one parent, and this number is growing, UNICEF representative Festo Kavishe said Tuesday. HIV and AIDS have dramatically increased children s vulnerability in recent years to the point where Zimbabwe now has the highest perce
THAILAND: Military Concerned at HIV/AIDS: The Nation (Bangkok) (12.05.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Of the 29,540 conscripts and 4,299 volunteers who joined the Thai army since May 2004, 4,152 are HIV-positive, according to the Royal Thai Army Medical Department and the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science. In good news, however, the study found that an increasing number of those having their first sexu
PHILIPPINES: Philippines OKs Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Associated Press (11.29.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; The Philippines Bureau of Food and Drugs has given its approval to Gardasil, Merck & Co. s human papillomavirus vaccine. The three-injection immunization protects against the types of HPV that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. According to the Philippine Cancer Society, the nation recorded 7,27
VIETNAM: Vietnam Cheers Clinton on HIV/AIDS Tour: Agence France Presse (12.06.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Bill Clinton, the first US president to visit Vietnam , was today warmly greeted by crowds as he returned to Hanoi. I am glad to be back in Vietnam and to see that so much progress has been made since my wonderful visit here in 2000, said Clinton, who signed an agreement between his foundation s HIV/AIDS initiative and
NEW YORK: Teen Girls Skip Tests for Sexual Diseases: New York Post (11.27.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Carl Campanile; A state health report obtained by the New York Post showed only 41 percent of city females ages 16 to 20 received annual chlamydia screening through their commercial managed-care insurance last year. Only 45 percent of women ages 21 to 25 were tested, the survey found. Among poor women, only 42 percent of teens and 47
UNITED STATES: School-Based Screening for Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Among Philadelphia Public High School Students: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 10: P. 614-620 (10..06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Lenore E. Asbel, MD; E. Claire Newbern, PhD, MPH; Melinda Salmon; C. Victor Spain, DVM, PhD; Martin Goldberg; The current study aimed to identify, treat, and describe the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) infections among Philadelphia public high school students. The authors analyzed cross-sectional data from the first year of an annual program offering education, screening, and treatment
BRAZIL: AIDS Growing More Quickly Among Adults in Brazil, Defying Global Trend: Associated Press (12.02.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Elizabeth Dwoskin; On World AIDS Day, Brazil s health ministry announced the results of a study showing that HIV/AIDS is rising fastest among older Brazilians and declining among the young. The ministry said the number of Brazilians ages 50 to 59 infected with HIV/AIDS grew in the past decade by 64 percent, from 18.2 cases per 100,000 to
ASIA: UN Calls for Action to Cut Massive TB Deaths in Asia: Agence France Presse (11.29.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; In Jakarta two days before World AIDS Day, UN Special Envoy to Stop TB Jorge Sampaio called for Asia to coordinate efforts against the disease. TB kills more than 1 million people in Asia a year and is a major cause of death for those with HIV/AIDS. We are dealing with a disease or a pandemic which kills around 5,000 p
KENTUCKY: Wives, Mothers Battle Disease: Courier-Journal (Louisville) (12.03.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Laura Ungar; Nearly 25 percent of annual AIDS diagnoses in Kentucky are in women, and the fastest growth is among African-American women. Even so, some residents still believe AIDS is just a gay man s problem, said Vicki Johnson, an AIDS coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Public Health. Well, it s not, she said. While men a
HAWAII: Hawaii AIDS Clinical Trials Program Loses Funding: Associated Press (11.30.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Hawaii s AIDS Clinical Trials Unit has learned it will no longer receive a $2 million annual grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. ACTU is part of a network of 48 national and international sites funded by NIAID. Program Director Dr. Cecilia Shikuma said she was notified by telephone tha
NEVADA: Officials Urge HIV Testing Before Births: Las Vegas Review-Journal (12.02.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Annette Wells; At the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Friday, a panel of federal, state, and local health officials spoke of the need for statewide prenatal HIV testing to avoid mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). With rapid HIV testing, a mother of unknown serostatus could be admitted while already in labor and receive the te
UNITED STATES: AIDS Bill Ends Urban-Rural Stalemate, California Gets $260 Million: Associated Press (12.06.06) - Wednesday, December 06, 2006; Devlin Barrett; Under a compromise crafted by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), senators from New York and New Jersey dropped their months- long opposition to the revised Ryan White bill. As initially proposed, the five-year, $2.1 billion annual reauthorization had been held up by Northeast senators because it shifted AIDS money away from a
GLOBAL: Doctors Without Borders Calls for Affordable Treatment on World AIDS Day: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; On World AIDS Day, Doctors Without Borders challenged international institutions to come up with ways to help developing nations buy expensive new AIDS drugs. New [ World Health Organization ]-recommended regimens for patients starting treatment can be up to six times more expensive than today s most commonly used comb
MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Health Officials Say New Vaccinations May Be Needed: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Due to a recently discovered malfunctioning refrigerator, some 750 children and adults in the Newton area who were vaccinated by the health department between October 2005 and October 2006 may need to be re-immunized. Now we re going through each individual chart and trying to determine what revaccinations they might n
UNITED STATES: Pfizer to Expand Access to HIV Drug: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; On Friday, Pfizer Inc. announced plans to allow HIV/AIDS patients expanded access to a drug not yet approved by regulators but in late-stage clinical trials. Maraviroc belongs to the CCR5 antagonists class of drugs; these work by trying to block HIV from gaining entrance to white blood cells, rather than by fighting th
RHODE ISLAND: State Prison Doesn't Want to Distribute Condoms: Associated Press (11.29.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Officials at the state Department of Corrections are opposed to giving condoms to inmates, a policy recently recommended by the National Minority AIDS Council. Ellen Alexander, Assistant Director of Administration at DOC, said sex between inmates is prohibited at state Adult Correctional Institutions, and if we provide
NEW JERSEY: Needle Exchange Law Advances: Associated Press (12.05.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; On Monday, the state Assembly Appropriations Committee released a bill that would permit needle exchanges in six New Jersey communities and would allocate $10 million for drug treatment. The Assembly passed the measure in October 2004, and while it was passed by Senate committees, it has never been taken up by the full
KANSAS: $13,000 Grant Aids County in Treating TB: Wichita Eagle (11.28.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Barbara J. Isenberg; The state Department of Health and Environment has awarded a $13,000 grant to help the Sedgwick County Health Department fight TB, said Cindy Burbach, county division director of health protection and promotion. The funds will help pay for X-rays and treatment for patients with little or no insurance. The county has re
CALIFORNIA: Foundation Announces Grants to AIDS Groups: San Francisco Chronicle (11.29.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Sabin Russell; Fourteen Bay Area organizations faced with funding cuts in recent years will split a $1 million donation from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. The gift is timely, said San Francisco philanthropist Richard Goldman, since 2006 marks the 25th year of the AIDS epidemic. It seemed like a good time to emphasize that this
UNITED STATES: Parent Opinion of Sexuality Education in a State with Mandated Abstinence Education: Does Policy Match Parental Preference?: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 5: P. 634-641 (11..06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Kristin E. Ito, MD, MPH; Ziya Gizlice, PhD; Judy Owen-O'Dowd, BS; Evelyn Foust, MPH; Peter A. Leone, MD; William C. Miller, MD, MPH, PhD; Despite public debate about the content of sexuality education in schools, state and federal policy has increasingly financed and legislated abstinence-only education over the past decade, the authors wrote, noting that little is known about parental desires regarding sexuality education in states with mandated abstin
MEXICO: New Walk-in Clinic in Tijuana Joins Area's Fight Against AIDS: San Diego Union-Tribune (11.26.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Sandra Dibble; A new walk-in clinic in eastern Tijuana aims to fight AIDS in the Baja California city where as many as one of every 125 people ages 15-49 is believed to be HIV-positive. Mexico s AIDS rate is about half that of the United States . Rates along the US border have long been higher, however, and Baja California s rate is
CANADA: Federally Funded Prison Tattoo Parlors Shut Down: Edmonton Journal (12.05.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Janice Tibbetts; Canadian Public Safety Minister, Stockwell Day, told a news conference yesterday that a prison-based tattoo program is not an effective use of taxpayer money. The former Liberal government enacted the $600,000 Canadian ($526,130 US) pilot project in August 2005 at six federal penitentiaries. Proponents believed the pro
UNITED STATES: AIDS Fight Needs Churches, Obama Says: Los Angeles Times (12.02.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Michael Finnegan; At an evangelical AIDS conference Friday at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., 2,072 religious leaders gathered to discuss the church s role in fighting HIV/AIDS. Two potential presidential candidates addressed the crowd, emphasizing that stopping the epidemic should be a moral and not a partisan effort. We can
CALIFORNIA: Routine HIV Testing Poses New Problems for Health Officials: San Jose Mercury News (12.01.06) - Tuesday, December 05, 2006; Rebecca Vesely; In September, CDC recommended universal, voluntary HIV tests for all patients ages 13-64 in clinical settings as a way to link more of those who are HIV-infected but unaware of treatment and care. Many California providers, however, have questions about the logistics and costs of implementing the recommendations. The P
AFRICA: Encouraging Signs in Africa's Anti-AIDS Fight: WHO Official: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; In his World AIDS Day statement, Luis Gomes Sambo, the World Health Organization s Regional Director for Africa, pointed out some encouraging news. While acknowledging that Africa still remains the region of the world most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Sambo added, There are signs of hope: there are indications of
FRANCE: France to Fight AIDS with 20 Cent Condoms: Agence France Presse (11.27.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Ten million discount-priced condoms will soon go on sale in 20,000 locations around France , the government announced recently. The condoms will be priced at 20 cents euro (25 cents US). The goal of the outreach is to make safer sex behavior a reflex, said Xavier Bertrand, health minister. Venues selling the condoms wi
NIGERIA: Nigerian President Takes HIV Test on World AIDS Day: Agence France Presse (12.02.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; In World AIDS Day events on Friday, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo took an HIV test in Abuja. Our dictum should be zero tolerance to new HIV infections since this compromises the future of the country, This Day newspaper quoted him as saying. Obasanjo said he hopes his launch of the National Counseling and Testin
THAILAND: Teenagers Now Hardest-Hit by HIV in Thailand: Agence France Presse (11.30.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; According to a health ministry study released Thursday, Thailand recorded 15,174 new HIV cases in 2006, 40 percent of whom were teenagers who contracted the virus sexually. In addition, 0.44 percent of pregnant women ages 15-19 were found to be HIV-positive, the ministry said. The Department of Disease Control has set
NAMIBIA: World Food Program to Slash Orphan Feeding Programs for Lack of Funds: Associated Press (11.30.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; The World Food Program, facing a $4 million shortfall for its operations in Namibia through April, has said it may be forced to halt food distribution to 90,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the country by year s end. For the past 18 months, WFP has worked with Namibia s government to establish food programs in th
NETHERLANDS: Dutch AIDS Deaths Down but Infection Rate Up: Report: Agence France Presse (11.20.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; The recent annual report of the Netherlands HIV monitoring foundation found that while the number of Dutch people dying from AIDS has fallen significantly in the past decade, the rate of new HIV infections continues to rise. The foundation logged 329 HIV new infections in 1996, but logged 950 in 2006. Eighty percent of
CAMBODIA: Former US President Clinton Pledges Greater Help for Cambodian Children with HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (12.04.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Today in Phnom Penh, former President Bill Clinton praised the Cambodian government for its steadfast and consistent commitment to fighting AIDS but said more work remains to be done. Since June 2005, when the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation began working in Cambodia, the number of Cambodian children receiving HIV
NORTH DAKOTA: Fargo Group Plans Workshops on Abstinence Training: Associated Press (11.25.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Beginning Dec. 7 in Jamestown, Fargo-based FirstChoice Clinic s Make a Sound Choice program will offer workshops to teachers, counselors, and others to become certified abstinence educators. Now in its seventh year, Make a Sound Choice is funded by grants through the federal Health and Human Services Department. Kay Ki
SWEDEN: HPV and Smoking a Risky Combo for Women: Reuters (11.17.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Female smokers who are infected with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) are at higher risk for cervical cancer in situ (CIS), cancer that is confined to the surface layer of the cervix, than their peers with just one of the two risk factors, according to a new study by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stoc
UNITED KINGDOM: Blair Presses Religious Leaders over Condom Bans on AIDS Day: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; On Friday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged religious leaders to give up bans on condoms. In a pre-recorded interview broadcast on MTV on World AIDS Day, Blair said, I think if all the churches and religious organizations were facing up to reality, it would be better. Blair was especially critical of the Vatican
CANADA: Researchers Say Canadian Injection Site a Success: Reuters (11.20.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Allan Dowd; North America s only supervised safer injection facility, in Vancouver s Downtown Eastside, has connected some intravenous drug users (IDUs) to treatment, a new study found. While the pilot project did not increase the surrounding area s crime rate, its closure would likely increase health problems for the city, said t
CANADA: Ottawa's Long-Awaited AIDS Funding Announcement Pledges $120 Million in New Funds: Canadian Press (12.01.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; On World AIDS Day, the Canadian government announced it will contribute an additional $120 million Canadian ($105 million US) to the global fight against AIDS. The funding comprises $41 million Canadian ($36 million US) for prevention strategies, including $20 million Canadian ($17.4 million US) to fund vaccine researc
GLOBAL: Annan Touts Need for 'Accountability' in Dealing with AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.30.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasized that the theme for World AIDS Day 2006 is accountability. Accountability requires every head of state, legislator, and politician to declare that AIDS stops with me, said Annan, who is soon leaving his post after 10 years. It requires them to strengthen protection
NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire First to Offer Cervical Cancer Vaccine to All Girls: Associated Press (11.29.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Norma Love; On Wednesday, state Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen announced New Hampshire will provide free Gardasil vaccinations to females ages 11-18. New Hampshire will be the first state in the country to offer the vaccine in its universal children s [vaccine] program, said Stephen. Gardasil, which was approv
UNITED STATES: Bush to Ease Rule Limiting HIV-Positive Foreign Visitors: San Francisco Chronicle (12.02.06) - Monday, December 04, 2006; Sabin Russell; On Friday, the White House announced President Bush would issue an executive order allowing HIV-positive people from other countries to enter the United States on short-term tourist and business visas. Since 1987, HIV-infected non- nationals have had to obtain a special waiver to enter; these were usually granted to at
CHINA: Chinese Premier Spends World AIDS Day with AIDS- Affected Children: Xinhua News Agency (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Today in Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sported a red AIDS awareness ribbon as he welcomed 15 AIDS-affected children to the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. The children, two of whom are HIV-positive and 13 of whom were orphaned by AIDS, presented the premier with drawings they had made to symbolize th
INDONESIA: Indonesia Ministers Kick Off AIDS Awareness Day with One Million Flyers: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Today in Jakarta, three government ministers stopped traffic and distributed flyers as part of the kickoff of a national HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. The campaign is called the distribution of one million flyers because we want to prevent 1 million Indonesian people from being infected by HIV/AIDS in 2015 if nothing is
THAILAND: Thailand to Raise Awareness with Record Attempt for World's Longest Condom: Associated Press (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Thailand is marking World AIDS Day today with the Longest Condom Chain, a record-setting ribbon of 25,000 condoms intended to raise awareness about the disease. More than 1,000 activists and others are expected to take part in the event in Bangkok s Lumpini Park, said UNESCO, the UN cultural body that is co-organizin
UNITED STATES: World AIDS Day: Giving Back a Priority for Rapper: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Sonia Murray; Today, Atlanta-based rapper and YouthAIDS ambassador Ludacris wraps up a weeklong tour of colleges, universities, and retail stores across the nation promoting HIV/AIDS awareness among young people. I volunteered for this because it seems like nobody is talking about HIV anymore, like it s gone away or something, said
UNITED STATES: HIV Awareness Gets MTV Touch: Dayton Daily News (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Kevin Lamb; MTV will reach out to teens and young adults today on World AIDS Day by airing two programs on HIV/AIDS. The shows, which feature pop stars Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, are being supplemented by MTV s news broadcasts and its campaign www.thinkhiv.org. New HIV/AIDS cases are slowing in all US age groups except a
UNITED STATES: Progress Made in HIV Vaccine Development: United Press International (11.16.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Jonathan Jay Gibian; US researchers recently reported initial Phase I results from two vaccine candidates that successfully produced immune responses in healthy, uninfected adults. Eventually, the approach may be used to protect against HIV infection. Dr. Barney Graham and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research
AFRICA: Africa Urged to Break Deafening Silence on AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.29.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Jerome Cartillier; To combat AIDS, Africa must bring it out in the open, South African Zulu leader Mangosutho Buthelezi said in a recent interview. We have no alternatives. If we want our people to survive, if we want to get over this pandemic, we have to become upfront, open about it, including sexuality, he said. Buthelezi, 78, shocked
THAILAND: US Chamber: Thailand AIDS Drug Decision Sends 'Negative Signal': Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; The US Chamber of Commerce today criticized Thailand s decision to break the patent of Merck s antiretroviral treatment efavirenz . The chamber s Bangkok branch warned, Surprise actions such as these send a negative signal to foreign investors in Thailand regarding transparency and support for intellectual property rig
THAILAND: Thailand Breaks Patent with Merck's AIDS Drug: Agence France Presse (11.30.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Nareerat Wiriyapong; On Wednesday, the public health ministry of Thailand s military-backed government announced its decision to issue an immediate compulsory license to cut the cost of Merck s HIV/AIDS drug efavirenz from the current $67 per month to $38.50. We need to break the patent because the price is too high for the government to a
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Targets 50 Percent Drop in New HIV Cases: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Fran Blandy; Today, South Africa s Health Ministry unveiled a five-year plan to address HIV/AIDS, which has already infected 5.5 million of the nation s 47 million people. A chief component will involve preventing new HIV infections, especially by persuading youths to delay sexual debut. The action plan, released by Deputy Presiden
GLOBAL: AIDS Programs Fail to Reach High-Risk Groups: UN: Reuters (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Those most at risk of acquiring HIV worldwide - high-risk drug users, homosexuals, and sex workers - are often the least likely to be targeted by national surveillance, prevention and treatment programs, the World Health Organization said today. Only 1.6 million, or 24 percent, of 6.8 million people with HIV/AIDS world
UNITED STATES: Magic Johnson Combats AIDS Misperceptions: USA Today (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Steve Sternberg; At a World AIDS Day briefing in Los Angeles today, basketball great Magic Johnson will launch a $60 million campaign aimed at cutting HIV/AIDS rates among African Americans by 50 percent in the next five years. Through a partnership with drug maker Abbott Laboratories , the I Stand with Magic initiative will hold HIV
UNITED STATES: Quilt Remains a Poignant Symbol on World AIDS Day: USA Today (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; Kate Patterson; When it was last displayed in its entirety, in October 1996, the AIDS Memorial Quilt stretched along the National Mall from the Washington Monument to the US Capitol. That year, the quilt included 40,000 panels memorializing 70,000 people who had died from AIDS. Today, the quilt has 48,000 panels in memory of 91,000 pe
GLOBAL: Bush Pledges Fight Against AIDS, Promotes Abstinence: Agence France Presse (12.01.06) - Friday, December 01, 2006; In a statement released ahead of World AIDS Day, President George W. Bush reiterated the United States commitment to the global fight against HIV/AIDS and called abstinence the only sure way to avoid contracting the virus sexually. On World AIDS Day, we underscore our commitment to fight the AIDS pandemic with compassi
FLORIDA: AIDS Day Has Special Urgency: St. Petersburg Times (11.29.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Waveney Ann Moore; In observance of World AIDS Day on Friday, the Pinellas County Health Department and the city of St. Petersburg are sponsoring the World AIDS Day Wellness Fair at Williams Park in downtown. A variety of activities are planned, including free health screenings, flu shots, and free food and entertainment. The event, said
TEXAS: Artists Help Raise AIDS Awareness: Dallas Morning News (11.28.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Ian McCann; Brandon Formby; Local artists will mark World AIDS Day with the Art Rage Us event Friday and Saturday at the Resource Center of Dallas, 2701 Reagan St., Dallas. Telephone 214-528-0144. On Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., World AIDS Day Gospel Fest will take place at the Paul Quinn College chapel, 3837 Simpson Stuart Rd. Presenting sponsor the
GEORGIA: Atlanta Events to Mark World AIDS Day: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (11.24.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Zack Hudson; Nonprofits, schools, and local governments among others have planned a variety of events to mark World AIDS Day on Friday. AID Atlanta, the state s largest AIDS service organization, will host an award ceremony acknowledging its patrons and partners, featuring remarks from US Rep. Barney Frank (D- Mass.). Fulton County
LOUISIANA: Kenner Hosting AIDS Awareness Event: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (11.30.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; On Saturday from noon to 3 p.m., Kenner Mayor Ed Muniz and City Council member Marc Johnson will host an AIDS awareness event at the A.P. Clay Center, 200 Decatur St., Kenner. Scheduled attendees include representatives of the NO/AIDS Task Force, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Louisiana L
KANSAS: 25 Years In, Treatment Better but Millions Infected with HIV: Wichita Eagle (11.30.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Karen Shideler; Wichita-area World AIDS Day events include two memorial marches. A candlelight walk will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. at East High School, 2301 E. Douglas, Wichita. A free program, including a performance by the Heart of America Men s Chorus and a talk by Dr. Donna Sweet, will follow at 7 p.m. at the American Reed Cross,
MASSACHUSETTS: World AIDS Day Schedule of Events: Bay Windows (Boston) (11.30.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Boston-area World AIDS Day events include the following. For 24 hours beginning at 10 p.m. on Nov. 30, a vigil will be kept at the Medicine Wheel, an interactive AIDS memorial art installation at the Boston Center for the Arts. Visit www.medicinewheelproductions.org. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Women s Le
ILLINOIS: Chicago Events Mark World AIDS Day: Chicago Free Press (11.29.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Gary Barlow; Several Chicago-area groups are commemorating World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Some of Friday s events include: The AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago will conclude a lecture series, Commemorating 25 Years of HIV/AIDS, with a panel discussion at the institute s Price Auditorium at noon. Columbia College
FLORIDA: HIV Hits Blacks Harder: Palm Beach Post (11.18.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Antigone Barton; One in 42 black Palm Beach County residents has HIV, but this recent state Department of Health figure has, surprisingly, not attracted many people s attention, said Lorenzo Robertson of the county health department. A series of meetings to plan a strategic county response has been sparsely attended, he said. I invited
GLOBAL: Taking a Break from HIV Drugs Doubles Risk of Death, According to Large Global Study: Associated Press (11.29.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Mike Stobbe; HIV-positive patients who temporarily suspend their drug regimens more than double their risk of dying, according to a new study. Because AIDS drugs are expensive and can have unpleasant side effects, many patients have expressed an interest in treatment holidays, or planned breaks in regimen adherence. Indeed, several
INDIA: India's Finance Minister Says HIV/AIDS Biggest Threat to Economy: Agence France Presse (11.26.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Of all the biggest risks to India s economic future, HIV/AIDS has the most frightening potential to get out of hand, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said at Sunday s opening of the three-day India Economic Summit in New Delhi. The forum explored the greatest threats to the future of India s booming economy, which is cu
CANADA: Complex and Unique HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among Aboriginal Canadians: Canadian Medical Association Journal Vol. 175; No. 11: P. 1359 (11.21.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Ann Siversides; Among the HIV/AIDS patients seen at the Vancouver Native Health Society, aboriginals are often diagnosed late and have low CD4 T-cell counts and high viral loads. Opportunistic infections rarely seen now among the majority white gay males who comprise Canada s HIV/AIDS cases are still being diagnosed by VNHS s nurse Do
SOUTH AFRICA: New Clinic in South Africa Offers Cheap, Affordable HIV Treatment: Associated Press (11.28.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Celean Jacobson; With a $1 million grant from the US Agency for International Development, South Africa on Tuesday opened an HIV treatment clinic designed to be an alternative to both the country s beleaguered public health system and expensive private care. US Ambassador Eric Bost was the first to be tested at the Zuzimpilo Medical Ce
GLOBAL: Former US President Clinton Announces Affordable HIV/AIDS Treatment for Children: Associated Press (11.30.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Nirmala George; A new pricing agreement announced today by former President Bill Clinton should make HIV/AIDS treatments for children more accessible around the world. This breakthrough is a great example of what we can do together, Clinton said in New Delhi, India . This is a great day, but we have a long way to go. We have to make a
WESTERN PACIFIC: WHO Urges More Government Action Against HIV/AIDS: Reuters (11.30.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Ahead of World AIDS Day on Friday, the World Health Organization today called on governments in the Western Pacific region to raise greater awareness of HIV/AIDS and to bolster support for prevention programs. Countries need to step up efforts to reduce the spread of HIV, said Shigeru Omi, WHO s director for the region
UNITED STATES: Universal AIDS Tests Will Pay Off, Experts Say: Reuters (11.29.06) - Thursday, November 30, 2006; Maggie Fox; A CDC recommendation to offer HIV testing to all Americans ages 13-64 in routine health care settings would cost over $900 million a year but is well worth the effort, experts told a conference on HIV testing in Washington. The data scream that we need to be doing this, said Dr. Michael Saag of the University of Alabam
NEW YORK: NYU to Raise AIDS Awareness: University Wire (11.27.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Sara Dover, Washington Square News; New York University; New York University will host events for World AIDS Week through Friday, World AIDS Day. This year, the NYU chapter of Keep A Child Alive, which provides antiretrovirals to children and families affected by AIDS in Africa, will host events to highlight the effectiveness of treatment. The School of Medicine is displayin
CALIFORNIA: UCLA Student Groups Plan Week of Events to Increase Awareness of HIV: University Wire (11.27.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Gregor Hunter, Daily Bruin; University of California-Los Angeles; This is Get Tested Week on the UCLA campus, and its theme is Kiss and Tell. Know your status. It s advantageous to both you and your partner, said Tamaron Jang, the Undergraduate Student Association Council s student welfare commissioner. AIDS-related forums, films, and other offerings are on tap; free, anonymous, rapi
OHIO: Seamless Love Binds AIDS Quilt Panels: Columbus Dispatch (11.27.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Sherri Williams; Throughout this week, the Columbus Health Department is displaying panels of the AIDS quilt memorializing Ohioans who have succumbed to the disease. The panel display is located at 240 Parsons Ave., on the Near East Side, where an AIDS vigil will be held Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Also on Friday, free HIV testing will be
NORTH CAROLINA: Durham to Gather for AIDS Awareness: News & Observer (Raleigh) (11.25.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; A gathering commemorating World AIDS Day will take place Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Durham Armory, 220 Foster St. in Durham. Speeches, performances, and a march will be included; a dance will follow. Participants are asked to bring canned goods and nonperishable food for the food pantry of the Alliance of AIDS S
GLOBAL: 'Beat the Drum' to Air on Airlines: Associated Press (11.29.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; On World AIDS Day, Friday, Dec. 1, a film showing how HIV/AIDS affects African children will be featured on 40,000 flights on 34 air carriers. The 2003 film Beat the Drum is expected to raise $300,000 for African charities, said Bill Grant, president of Entertainment in Motion, which licensed the film to the airlines.
SOUTH AFRICA: Coital Bleeding and HIV Risks Among Men and Women in Cape Town, South Africa: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 9: P. 551-557 (09..06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Seth C. Kalichman, PhD; Leickness C. Simbayi, DPhil; Demetria Cain, BS; Charsey Cherry, MPH; Sean Jooste, MA; The researchers set out to examine the prevalence and sources of coital bleeding among men and women living in a township in Cape Town. Genital bleeding during intercourse may play a part in facilitating the spread of HIV in South Africa , which has one of the world s fastest-growing HIV epidemics. In this study, a pur
SAUDI ARABIA: In Saudi Arabia, AIDS Still a Stigma Despite Government, Activist Moves: Associated Press (11.27.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Donna Abu-Nasr; Deeply conservative Saudi Arabia has recently become more open about HIV/AIDS. However, social stigma is still tied to the disease, which people believe is contracted by acts forbidden by Islam and sometimes punishable by death, such as premarital sex, gay sex or adultery. Health workers and advocates who want to s
AUSTRALIA: Government Gives Go Ahead to Immunize Against Cervical Cancer: Australian Associated Press (11.29.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Tamara McLean; Maria Hawthorne; By April 2007, Australian females ages 12-26 will be able to receive free Gardasil, a vaccine protective against types of the STD human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, Prime Minister John Howard announced today. The $436 million Australian ($341 million US) agreement with local vacc
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Seeks New Start on AIDS Fight: Reuters (11.29.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Wendell Roelf; In South Africa , where AIDS kills at least 900 people every day, the government is about to release a revamped strategy aimed at preventing HIV transmissions and treating more of those already infected. The new policy follows intense criticism at home and abroad from activists and health experts who accused the nation
GLOBAL: Efforts to Treat AIDS Falling Short in Poor Countries, Report Says: New York Times (11.29.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Elisabeth Rosenthal; The goal of universal antiretroviral (ARV) access for HIV/AIDS patients by 2010, pledged by G-8 nations and supported by the UN, has not been followed by the actions required to realize it, according to a report released Tuesday by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition. At current rates, 5 million patients
UNITED STATES: End Homophobia to Cut HIV Among Blacks: Report: Washington Blade (11.24.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Ryan Lee; The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) recently issued a report on HIV/AIDS in the African-American community that received the endorsement of dozens of eminent black organizations and politicians. According to data from CDC, 51 percent of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2004 were in African Americans, though blacks accou
CALIFORNIA: Nationwide AIDS Campaign Is Aimed at Minorities: Los Angeles Times (11.29.06) - Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Rong-Gong Lin II; On Tuesday at a West Hollywood news conference convened by the Latino Coalition Against AIDS, community and public health leaders called for greater efforts to test minorities for HIV and educate them about AIDS prevention. Amy Rock Wohl, a researcher with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said that 7
LOUISIANA: AIDS Awareness: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (11.26.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Throughout this week at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, the university s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars will host AIDS Awareness Week. Organizers are asking those on the campus to wear red ribbons to show their support. A.J. Johnson, founder and CEO of the Baton Rouge AIDS Society,
CALIFORNIA: Forums, Concerts to Mark World AIDS Day: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.23.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Katie Dettman; The numerous Bay Area events planned in commemoration of World AIDS Day include the following. On Dec. 1 at 12:30 p.m., community members will mark the 15th anniversary of the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. Visit www.aidsmemorial.org. Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of the late Ryan White, will speak at
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Norton to Conduct Meetings on HIV/AIDS: Washington Post (11.28.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Susan Levine; Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has announced plans for several community meetings on HIV/AIDS. A Series of Frank Conversations by Us with Us will focus on the District groups most affected by the epidemic. The first gathering, which will involve clergy, will take place this Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the R
MYANMAR: Japan Pledges $2.65 Million for Fighting HIV/AIDS, Malaria in Myanmar: Associated Press (11.22.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Japan has pledged $2.65 million to UNICEF to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria in Myanmar , according to its embassy in Yangon. The funds will be used to buy rapid-result test kits and medicines for measles and malaria, as well as HIV test kits and medicines and equipment to promote reproductive health, the embassy said.
SOUTH AFRICA: More than 300 Cases of Extensively Drug- Resistant TB Confirmed: Associated Press (11.23.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; South Africa s health department has confirmed 303 cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) this year, according to the South African Press Association. In KwaZulu- Natal, the department has documented 263 cases, including 53 diagnosed earlier this year. Of those 53 initial cases, all but one have died
MALAWI; ZIMBABWE: HIV Incidence Among Women of Reproductive Age in Malawi and Zimbabwe: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 11: P. 646-651 (11..06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Newton Kumwenda, PhD; Irving Hoffman; Mike Chirenje; Clifton Kelly; Anne Coletti; Aleen Ristow; Francis Martinson; Joelle Brown; David Chilongozi; Barbra Richardson; Zeda Rosenberg; Nancy Padian; Taha Taha, MD, PhD; With the objective of determining the incidence of HIV-1, the researchers conducted a multisite study in Malawi and Zimbabwe to inform HIV prevention and vaccine trials. Women of reproductive age were enrolled in a prospective study and received five intensive HIV counseling and condom promotion sessions over two month
CHINA: Chinese Teenagers Turn to Internet for Sex Education: Xinhua News Agency (11.18.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Hunan province s first school-based Web site for sex education was recently launched by the Number 15 middle school in Changsha. Since speaking publicly about sex is culturally taboo, many Chinese students are too embarrassed to ask teachers about it. Traditional-leaning parents face the same problem. Sex topics, often
CHINA: China Promotes Condom Use Among Sex Workers to Curb HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (11.28.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; For the past eight months, health workers in Guangdong province have been visiting entertainment venues in the capital city of Guangzhou promoting condom use by sex workers. It s difficult talking to sex workers and it s even tougher to get them to sit down and listen to AIDS prevention training, said Xu Huifang, one o
INDONESIA: Indonesia Projects 500,000 HIV Cases by 2010: Reuters (11.28.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; A half-million HIV cases are predicted in Indonesia by 2010, but that figure could double unless effective preventive steps are taken, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari today told a news conference ahead of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Indonesia, the world s fourth most-populous country, currently has 169,000-216,000 HIV
THAILAND: Golden Triangle Clinic Offers Hope to Foreign HIV/AIDS Patients: Agence France Presse (11.26.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Charlotte McDonald-Gibson; The Chiang Saen hospital is five miles from the center of the opium-producing Golden Triangle, where Laos , Myanmar , and Thailand meet and where drug use and sex work are rife. The pioneering Thai clinic is famous for miles around for its treatment of HIV
GLOBAL: Clinton to Unveil Progress in AIDS Treatment for Children: Agence France Presse (11.27.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; On Thursday, former President Clinton will join French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy and India s ruling Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to highlight progress in expanding access to pediatric AIDS treatment, his foundation said Monday. Clinton s announcement will take place on the eve of World A
GLOBAL: AIDS Deaths Could Be Cut by 28 Million by 2030, Researchers Say: Associated Press (11.28.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Maria Cheng; Preventing new HIV infections and expanding the distribution of antiretrovirals (ARVs) could cut global AIDS deaths from an estimated 117 million by 2030 to 89 million, according to a new report from the World Health Organization . What happens in the future depends very much on what the international community does no
RHODE ISLAND: Report: '05 New HIV Cases Are Rhode Island's Fewest in Five Years: Providence Journal (11.20.06) - Tuesday, November 28, 2006; Tom Mooney; According to data analyzed by Rhode Island s Department of Health and released by the Rhode Island Community Planning Group for HIV Prevention, in 2005 the state saw its fewest new HIV cases in the last five years. At a Red Ribbon Rally ahead of World AIDS Day, the community group revealed findings including the follow
SOUTH CAROLINA: World AIDS Day: The State (Columbia) (11.27.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; Numerous events are planned to commemorate World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, in South Carolina. HIV testing will be available all week at the Department of Health and Environmental Control s county public health departments and community sites. For more information, telephone 800-322-2437 or visit www.scdhec.gov/stdhiv. A candle
CAMBODIA: Former President Clinton to Visit Cambodia for HIV/AIDS Talks: Agence France Presse (11.27.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Today in Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that former President Bill Clinton will visit Cambodia this week for talks on the country s AIDS epidemic. In 2005, the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation s HIV/AIDS Initiative established an office in Cambodia; it has worked since then to improve medical infrastr
CHINA: Police Release Chinese AIDS Activist After Canceling Public Forum: Agence France Presse (11.27.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Today in Beijing, police released activist Wan Yanhai after holding him for three days to prevent him from presenting a workshop entitled Blood Safety, AIDS and Legal Human Rights. The nongovernmental group AIDS Action Project said Wan was picked up on Friday by officials from the Beijing Public Security Bureau to disc
VATICAN CITY: Pope Condemns Discrimination Against AIDS Victims: Agence France Presse (11.25.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; During his weekly Sunday blessing, Pope Benedict XVI condemned discrimination against AIDS patients and offered encouragement to the Roman Catholic Church s multiple initiatives aimed at fighting the epidemic. I very much hope this circumstance will foster. commitment to avoid all discrimination against those touched,
CALIFORNIA: Food Line, Life Line; HIV/AIDS Patients Thankful for Delivery: Daily News of Los Angeles (11.23.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Jim Skeen; Thanksgiving for clients of a Catalyst Foundation food program came in the form of the usual weekly delivery of groceries and hygiene supplies, with the addition of turkeys to commemorate the holiday. Nearly 50 clients participate in the program, which is a joint effort by Catalyst and AIDS Project Los Angeles food pan
FLORIDA: AIDS Task Force to Shut Down: Pensacola News Journal (11.24.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Carmen Paige; The nonprofit Santa Rosa Minority HIV/AIDS Task Force recently lost its $75,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health. As the grant is its sole financial support, the group will close when the contract period ends. Founded in 1999, SRMATF is the only county agency that provides minority clients free HIV outreach
UNITED STATES: Detection of Chlamydial and Gonococcal Urethral Infection During Jail Intake: Development of a Screening Algorithm: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 10: P. 599-603 (11..06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; William E. Trick, MD; Romina Kee, MD, MPH; Dorothy Murphy- Swallow, RN, MSN; Mohamed Mansour, MD, PhD; Concetta Mennella, MD; John M. Raba, MD; The authors objectives were to determine risk factors for chlamydial or gonococcal urethral infection among adult male detainees at Cook County Jail in Illinois and to develop a screening algorithm with high sensitivity and specificity for detection of urethral infection. The researchers interviewed adult male detainee
ZIMBABWE: AIDS-Hit Zimbabwe Has Highest Orphan Rate: UN Official: Agence France Presse (11.19.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Zimbabwe has the highest number of orphans per capita in the world, primarily because of HIV/AIDS, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said recently. In the country of some 12 million people, about 20.1 percent are HIV-infected, down from 24.6 percent two years ago. More than 3,000 Zimbabweans die of AIDS-related illness
EGYPT: Egypt Launches 5-Year National Campaign Against HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C Among Children: Xinhua News Agency (11.24.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; On Thursday, Coca-Cola (North and West Africa) and UNICEF joined Egypt s Ministry of Health and Population to launch a five-year campaign against HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among children. Raising awareness about how HIV is transmitted remains a national priority, said Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali. Toward
AFRICA: Africans Chafe Under US Abstinence Provisions: Kansas City Star (11.18.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Jason Kane; Many relief workers, activists, and scholars say the abstinence approach to HIV/AIDS prevention does not translate well to Africa. Embedded in the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the provision favored by US religious conservatives dictates that one-third of PEPFAR s prevention funding go toward
WEST VIRGINIA: Most West Virginians Urged to Get Tested for HIV: Charleston Gazette (11.18.06) - Monday, November 27, 2006; Morgan Kelly; Through Dec. 31, health departments in all 55 counties of West Virginia will offer free HIV tests to patients who visit for STD tests or treatment. The campaign coincides with CDC s new recommendation to routinely offer HIV tests to all people ages 13-64 in clinical settings, said Dr. Loretta Haddy, the state s epidemi
MISSISSIPPI: Church to Exhibit AIDS Memorial Quilt: Clarion-Ledger (Jackson) (11.18.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, St. James Episcopal Church in Jackson is presenting a public display of a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Twelve quilt panels, each representing six to eight persons who died of AIDS, will be on display before morning worship on Nov. 26. Public viewing of the quilt will b
ZIMBABWE: One Child Abused Every Hour in Zimbabwe, Child Protection Groups Report: Associated Press (11.17.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Angus Shaw; The Child Protection Working Group reported recently that Zimbabwe is experiencing horrific levels of child abuse, fueled in part by the myth that sex with a virgin can cure STDs, including HIV/AIDS. More than 20 percent of Zimbabwean adults have HIV, and an estimated 1 million children have been orphaned by the diseas
VATICAN CITY: Vatican Concludes Study on Condoms: Associated Press (11.22.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; On Tuesday, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, head of the Vatican office for health care, told a news conference on infectious diseases that his office has completed a study on the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. He said the document was drafted with input from scientists, theologians, and other experts. The c
CALIFORNIA: BAY Positives Gets Grant for Live-Chat Program: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.16.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Jaime San Felippo; Earlier this month, the youth HIV group Bay Area Young Positives received a $2,500 eBay Foundation grant to support the live-chat HIV prevention feature on its Web site. Launched in April, the program allows health educators to immediately reach youths who have questions about HIV, are HIV-positive, or are at risk of i
UNITED KINGDOM: Use of Crystal Methamphetamine Among Gay Men in London: Addiction Vol. 101; No. 11: P. 1622-1630 (11..06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Graham Bolding; Graham Hart; Lorraine Sherr; Jonathan Elford; Crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth) reduces inhibitions and enhances sexual desire, the authors wrote, noting that several studies have found a strong association between use of the drug and high-risk sexual behavior by gay men. The researchers undertook the current study to assess crystal meth use by gay men in Lon
SOUTH AFRICA: Curbing the Costs of Absentee Employees: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.26.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Lynn Carlisle; Anton Engelbrecht, acting head of Alexander Forbes Health Management Solutions, recently outlined the challenge to employers from the effects of absenteeism due to illness. He noted employers face a direct cost of paying salary or wages to employees absent from work, as well as an indirect cost of about 2.5 times the w
AFRICA: Traditional Ways Spread AIDS in Africa, Experts Say: New York Times (11.21.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Elisabeth Rosenthal; Researchers in Africa are questioning the role tradition plays in HIV transmission. We don t know enough about this important topic, but there is no doubt that traditional practices are spreading HIV, said Dr. Edward J. Mills, a McMaster University epidemiologist who has worked extensively in South Africa
AFGHANISTAN: AIDS, Heroin Two-Pronged Problem for Afghanistan: Agence France Presse (11.19.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Catherine Jouault; Afghanistan health officials are worried the growing domestic use of heroin, and the needles shared to inject it, could lead to an expanding AIDS epidemic. In 2001, Afghanistan recorded just eight HIV/AIDS cases; it has now confirmed 61 HIV/AIDS cases. There are between 1,500 and 2,000 suspected cases, said Health M
CHINA: HIV/AIDS on the Rise in China: Agence France Presse (11.22.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; On Wednesday in Beijing, Chinese officials acknowledged the nation is seeing a spike in HIV infections as the virus spreads from high-risk groups to the general public. China s health ministry announced on its Web site that as of the end of October, 183,733 people in China had HIV/AIDS. Xinhua News Agency reported the
PENNSYLVANIA: Embracing Intimacy: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.13.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Dawn Fallik; An ongoing multi-site study is investigating the impact of a sex education program for people with mental health issues, a population often overlooked as asexual, and a topic not on most therapists minds. After advising for decades that people experiencing mental illness stay away from relationships, a few researchers
UNITED STATES: Birthrate Among Teenagers Drops to Record Low: USA Today (11.22.06) - Wednesday, November 22, 2006; Rita Rubin; The birthrate among teenagers in the United States hit an all- time low in 2005, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by CDC s National Center for Health Statistics. The US teen birthrate has been falling since 1991, when it peaked at 61.8 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19. The preliminary 2005 data show th
SOUTH KOREA: Unsafe Sex Mainly to Blame for Rise in South Korean HIV Infections: Agence France Presse (11.20.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Unsafe sex is chiefly to blame for a 13 percent increase in new HIV infections among South Koreans in January through September of 2006, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. During that period, 572 people were newly diagnosed, compared with 506 during the same months last year. Of the new
CALIFORNIA: TB Exposure Suspected at Jail: San Diego Union-Tribune (11.18.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Sheriff s department officials say San Diego County jail inmates may have been exposed to TB by a fellow inmate. The inmate was at Central Jail from Aug. 22 to Aug. 26, when he was transferred to the Chula Vista Jail. The inmate was transported via prisoner bus to several court hearings in El Cajon through mid-October.
FLORIDA: 219 People from Nolan Tested, Referred: Bradenton Herald (11.18.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; In Manatee County, health officials say 217 of 219 people who may have been exposed to TB at Nolan Middle School last month have been tested or referred to their primary care physicians. The testing was recommended after a person at the school was confirmed to have an active case of the disease. Two of the 219 were fou
CALIFORNIA: Possible Presidential Contenders to Get HIV Tests to Fight Stigma: Associated Press (11.17.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Michael R. Blood; Sens. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) will be tested for HIV as part of the Global AIDS Summit to be held on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. The senators, who are potential contenders for the US presidency in 2008, will also take part in a panel discussion during the
ARIZONA: El Rio Gets $2.5 Million for Minority AIDS Care: Tucson Citizen (11.16.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Sheryl Kornman; The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMSHA) is giving the El Rio Community Health Center a five- year, $2.5 million grant to provide culturally appropriate mental health care to minorities living with HIV/AIDS. El Rio is the only Arizona nonprofit to share in the $42 million in federal money t
SOUTH AFRICA: Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis as a Cause of Death in Patients Co-Infected with Tuberculosis and HIV in a Rural Area of South Africa: The Lancet Vol. 368; No. 9547: P. 1575-1580 (11.04.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Neel R. Gandhi; Anthony Moll; A. Willem Sturm; Robert Pawinski; Thiloshini Govender; Umesh Lalloo; Kimberly Zeller; Jason Andrews; Gerald Friedland; The authors of the current study noted the close association between HIV-1 and TB in South Africa . In the sub-Saharan Africa, TB is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality for people infected with HIV-1. In South Africa, while antiretroviral therapy has helped to decrease AIDS mortality among patients who are
ARGENTINA: Free Sexual-Health Plan Still Isn't Reaching Teens: Inter Press Service (11.16.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Marcela Valente; Since 2003, when Argentina began requiring the public provision of sexual health information and contraceptives, including to unaccompanied teens, the program has grown from serving 124,000 people to 2.3 million. But a coalition of 570 organizations and individuals dedicated to reviewing the program s implementation sa
ASIA: UN Highlights Asians' Risky Behavior with HIV/AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.21.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Peter Capella; Asia had an estimated 960,000 new HIV infections and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths over the past year, bringing the total number of HIV/AIDS cases in the region to around 8.6 million, UNAIDS said today. The disease, the agency warned, is thriving on risky behavior in Southeast Asia and is slowly taking root in
EASTERN EUROPE; CENTRAL ASIA: HIV Up 20-Fold in Less than 10 Years in Eastern Europe, Central Asia: Agence France Presse (11.21.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; HIV/AIDS infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have increased 20-fold to 1.7 million cases in less than a decade, UNAIDS said today. In 2006, the region saw an estimated 270,000 new infections, of which nearly one-third were diagnosed in people ages 15-24, according to the agency s survey of the epidemic. T
AFRICA: Africa Still Hardest Hit by HIV-AIDS, Women in Frontline: Agence France Presse (11.21.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Africa remains the global AIDS epicenter, accounting for almost two-thirds of HIV cases and 72 percent of AIDS deaths, UNAIDS reported today. In 2006, Africa had 2.8 million new infections and 2.1 million of the 2.9 million global AIDS deaths. Worst-hit remains Southern Africa, accounting for 32 percent of people with
GLOBAL: No Let Up in AIDS Spread: UN Report: Agence France Presse (11.21.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; Patrick Baert; In 2006, new HIV infections rose by 4.3 million globally, and 39.5 million people now live with HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS announced today in its annual epidemic report. Forty percent of new cases were ages 15-24. The total number of cases continues to rise; more women are becoming infected; and the epidemic is spreading to new
UNITED STATES: Most Women in the Dark About HPV: Reuters (11.14.06) - Tuesday, November 21, 2006; The 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey revealed just 40 percent of US women had ever heard of human papillomavirus and, of those, less than 20 percent knew that HPV infection can sometimes lead to cervical cancer. The survey of 3,076 women ages 18-75 showed 64 percent of those familiar with HPV knew it is a
ALABAMA: University of North Alabama Issues TB Alert: Associated Press (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; A student at the University of North Alabama-Florence is being tested for possible TB and is being held in quarantine. The student, who lives off-campus, presented to the campus health center on Thursday with a dry cough, drainage, and fever, said Bill Jarnigan, a university spokesperson. Upon X-ray, one lung was found
VIETNAM: Bush Keeps Bird Flu a Top Priority, Visits Lab in Vietnam: Associated Press (11.20.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Margie Mason; On his visit to Asia, President George W. Bush today toured the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City and vowed to continue supporting Vietnam s work against avian flu and HIV/AIDS. Regional leaders meeting on Sunday committed to achieving the UN s goal of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment by 2010.
NEW MEXICO: Teen-Driven Site Promotes Abstinence: Albuquerque Journal (11.15.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Leann Holt; In Albuquerque, a group of teens participating in the Socorro General Hospital (SGH) abstinence education program has developed a peer-based Web site promoting abstinence and healthy lifestyle choices to young people across New Mexico and the nation. The site s name, www.wakeupanddrive.net, serves to remind teens to ta
ILLINOIS: Chicago Increases its HIV Prevention Fund for 2007: The Advocate (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council voted for a $500,000 increase in its 2007 HIV prevention budget. Chicago will issue $4,229,500 in city HIV prevention funds in 2007, compared to $3,729,500 in 2006. The city will also allocate $500,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for HIV prevention, a step i
CALIFORNIA: Sex Worker Health: San Francisco Style: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82: P. 418-422 (10..06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; D. Cohan; A. Lutnick; P. Davidson; C. Cloniger; A. Herlyn; J. Breyer; C. Cobaugh; D. Wilson; J. Klausner; The authors sought to describe the characteristics of sex workers accessing care at a peer-based clinic in San Francisco and to evaluate predictors of sexually transmitted infections (STI). They conducted an observational study of 783 sex workers at St. James Infirmary. Participants answered an initial questionnaire an
NIGERIA: Nigerian Military Gets Free HIV/AIDS Treatment: Voice of America News (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Gilbert de Costa; Under a $10 million initiative funded by the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, more than 400 Nigerian military personnel are receiving free AIDS treatment and related services through the US Department of Defense s HIV program. At the Defense Headquarters Medical Center in Abuja, Capt. Chris Ugwaudu recent
CANADA: Safer-Needles Bill Closer to Becoming Law: The Record (Ontario) (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Canadian Press; On Thursday, Ontario s Legislature sent a bill to committee that would require the province to use safety-engineered syringes to prevent needle-stick injuries, which can transmit blood-borne infections. Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan already use the needles; Nova Scotia will mandate them in 2007; and British Colum
AUSTRALIA: Cervical Cancer Vaccine Could Be Listed by Week's End: Australian Associated Press (11.20.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Jane Bunce; Australian drug firm CSL said today its new offer to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) could lead to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil s inclusion on the national immunization list by week s end. PBAC rejected CSL s initial proposal earlier this month, saying the $150 million Australia
AFRICA: WHO: Better Health Systems the Key to Better African Health: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.20.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Weak and dysfunctional health systems have impeded Africa s ability to respond effectively to the triple threat of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the World Health Organization said today. In its African Regional Health Report, WHO said the region shoulders 90 percent of the global burden for the diseases, with 3
GLOBAL: US AIDS Chief Calls for Partnerships to Fight Pandemic: Voice of America News (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Joe De Capua; In a recent interview with Voice of America News, US Global AIDS Coordinator Dr. Mark Dybul discussed World AIDS Day 2006 and its theme, The Promise of Partnerships. I really think on the World AIDS Day we want to emphasize that promise of partnership, Dybul said. We are not going to solve the AIDS epidemic, we re not
MICHIGAN: Cervical Cancer Vaccine Bill Goes Before House: Detroit News (11.17.06) - Monday, November 20, 2006; Gary Heinlein; The Michigan House Health Policy Committee has sent to the full House one bill of a two-bill package that would require human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations for sixth-grade girls. An opt-out provision for medical, religious or philosophical reasons would apply to the HPV vaccine, which would join state-required vacc
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakh Official: Illegal Use of Donated Blood Uncovered in Capital: International Herald Tribune (Paris) (11.16.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Associated Press; Eleven medical officials in Astana, Kazakhstan s capital, are being investigated over numerous cases of illegal storage and use of donated blood, an official said Wednesday. The investigation is part of a nationwide effort to test thousands of mothers and children who may have been at risk of contracting HIV while bein
GREECE: Greek HIV Cases Leap in 2006: Agence France Presse (11.16.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; On Thursday in Athens, the Greek illness and control center, KEELPNO, announced the nation s HIV rate had jumped by more than 25 percent for the second consecutive year. The tally of 485 new cases through Oct. 31 reflects a noticeable rise in infections contracted through male homosexual relations, the agency said. Of
SOUTHEAST ASIA: US to Help Association of Southeast Asian Nations Fight Bird Flu, AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.17.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Today in Hanoi, the United States pledged to support Southeast Asia s efforts against AIDS and avian flu and to build the region s capacity to respond to natural disasters. A joint statement established priorities for improving cooperation between Washington and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nati
AUSTRALIA: Virginal Women May Pick Up 'Bad' Vaginal Bacteria: Reuters (11.09.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Dr. Sepehr N. Tabrizi and colleagues at the Royal Women s Hospital in Victoria found that women can acquire bacteria linked to a dangerous vaginal infection through oral sex or petting even if they have not had sexual intercourse. The investigators asked the 44 participants to collect vaginal specimens, then tested tho
AFRICA: Increased Condom Use Among African Women Provides Hope in Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (11.17.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Marcia Cheng; In an analysis of data including 132,800 African women from 18 countries published today, British and World Health Organization (WHO) researchers found increasing condom use among populations where AIDS incidence has historically been highest. While abstinence rates changed little from 1993-2001, condom use more than t
UNITED STATES: Prime Time to Learn: Los Angeles Times (11.13.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Susan Brink; From television and radio in India , China , and Africa, people are learning about health issues more often. In the United States , too, as reliance on traditional news media has slipped, prime-time television has become an important vehicle for health information. Behind the scenes, experts are ensuring the scienc
HAWAII: Lingle Vows to Push for Faster HIV Test: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (11.12.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; At the recent open house of Life Foundation, Hawaii s oldest and largest AIDS organization, Gov. Linda Lingle pledged to work on efforts to implement rapid HIV testing in the state. Peter Whiticar, chief of the STD/AIDS Prevention Branch in the state health department, said in June his division wanted to make the 20-mi
SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina Seeks HIV/AIDS Funding: The State (Columbia) (11.16.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; HIV/AIDS advocates in South Carolina and other Southern states remain hopeful Congress will reauthorize the $2.1 billion Ryan White Care Act in the current session, putting an end to the fight over how the money for HIV treatment and care will be divided nationally. In September, the US House voted to reauthorize the a
UNITED STATES: Watchdog Finds Efforts Lacking to Assess Accuracy and Effectiveness of Abstinence Programs: Associated Press (11.16.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Andrew Bridges; The government does not evaluate most taxpayer-funded abstinence-until-marriage programs to see whether they are effective and provide accurate information, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported Thursday. Abstinence education programs receive about $158 million a year from the federal Department of Health
UNITED STATES: Black Leaders Tout New Plan to Combat AIDS: Newsday (New York) (11.17.06) - Friday, November 17, 2006; Curtis L. Taylor; On Thursday, a group of African-American leaders announced a new five-point plan to address skyrocketing HIV rates in the black community. The 27-page report, African Americans, Health Disparities and HIV/AIDS: Recommendations for Confronting the Epidemic in Black Americans, was released by the National Minority AIDS C
SOUTH CAROLINA: S.C. Leaders Discuss HIV Testing: The State (Columbia) (11.15.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; On Tuesday, state health officials, physicians, and AIDS advocates discussed CDC s latest efforts to expand HIV testing. Of the almost 14,000 HIV-positive South Carolinians, 60 percent were diagnosed when their infection had progressed to the point at which medication was necessary. As of Nov. 8, 293 people with little
VIETNAM: US President to Tour Bird Flu, AIDS Lab in Vietnam: Associated Press (11.16.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Margie Mason; In his first trip to communist Vietnam , President Bush is expected to visit the Pasteur Institute for communicable diseases in Ho Chi Minh City after attending the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi. While touring the Pasteur lab, Bush will learn about Vietnam s stepped-up HIV/AIDS prevention
FLORIDA: County Inmates Get Lesson in Health: Palm Beach Post (11.14.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; On Monday, the Palm Beach County Jail presented a daylong health fair for inmates. Armor Correctional Health Services, the jail s medical provider, sponsored the event. Many people who find themselves in jail have in common poor health and a lack of access to care, said John May, Armor s medical director. Health is one
UNITED STATES: Many STD Patients Re-infected Within Months: Reuters Health (10.17.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Amy Norton; A new report suggests that many patients treated for STDs soon become re-infected. These infections are often asymptomatic, and that s why we need to do re-screening, said Dr. Thomas A. Peterman, a CDC researcher and the lead author of the study. Peterman and colleagues based their study on an evaluation of 2,419 patie
UNITED KINGDOM: Immigrants Account for 70 Percent of HIV and TB Cases: The Times (London) (11.16.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Nigel Hawkes; While most migrants to Britain are healthy, persons born outside of the United Kingdom represent more than two-thirds of the country s HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria cases, a Health Protection Agency (HPA) report titled Migrant Health found. However, screening migrants before they are issued a visa or when they arrive
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Launches Drive Against Surge in Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Agence France Presse (11.11.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Saturday marked the launch of new �4 million ($7.6 million US) campaign aimed at fighting an increase in STDs among young people in Britain, particularly those ages 18-24. The campaign on TV, Internet, radio, and newspapers seeks to highlight the fact that people cannot easily tell if someone is infected with an STD an
RUSSIA: AIDS Spending Will Jump to $289 Million: Moscow Times (11.15.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; David Nowak; In 2007, Russia will spend 7.7 billion rubles ($289 million US) to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, more than double the 3.1 billion rubles ($116 million US) it spent against the disease this year, Vladimir Fridlyanov, deputy education and science minister, said Tuesday. Next year s allocation will be spent to build additio
SOUTH AFRICA: Survey Starts on Killer TB Strain: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.16.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; South African Press Association; This week, health officials in KwaZulu-Natal province began surveying the prevalence of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Collections of specimens started Monday at the Mosvold Hospital in Ingwavuma, a 246-bed facility serving 110,000 people in an area hard-hit by HIV/AIDS and TB, said Dr. Sibongile Zungu
MASSACHUSETTS: Reporting Names in HIV Testing Debated: Cape Cod Times (Hyannis) (11.16.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; David Kibbe; On Wednesday, the chief of the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod (ASGCC) said state health officials decision to require doctors to report the names of HIV patients could dissuade some people from testing. To prevent the potential loss of some $15 million annually in federal AIDS funds, the state Public Health Council on
NEW MEXICO: Spread of Syphilis Slowing in New Mexico: Cases May Soar in Northwestern Region: Albuquerque Journal (11.13.06) - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Jackie Jadrnak; While syphilis cases are declining in the Albuquerque region, areas of northwestern New Mexico could see diagnoses reach a new decade high, the state Department of Health (DOH) recently said in a legislative committee report. After the state recorded just 15 cases in 1996, syphilis in New Mexico, mirroring a national t
ARIZONA: HIV's Impact on Blacks Topic of Public Forum: Tucson Citizen (11.14.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Sheryl Kornman; Several local groups, including the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, are sponsoring a public forum Wednesday night on HIV/AIDS and the black community. Speakers will include an HIV/AIDS specialist from the state health department and Dr. Yvette Miller, regional medical director for the American Red Cross Arizona. Th
SOUTH AFRICA: Fast Condoms on Sale in South Africa: BBC News (11.06.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; The new Pronto condom, whose promoters say can be put on in just one second thanks to special packaging, is now on sale in South Africa . The condom s designer, Willem van Rensburg, noted that low condom use is a major factor in the nation s AIDS epidemic and that many people report condoms are difficult to use. Peopl
TAIWAN: Taiwan Says HIV Cases Coming from China: Reuters (11.10.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; A sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Taiwan derives from China and is being spread by drug users, Chen Yi-ming, a professor at the Institute of Public Health at Yangming University- Taipei, recently said. The HIV strain among Taiwan s IV drug users is identical to one circulating in western China,
UNITED STATES: Discordance in Monogamy Beliefs, Sexual Concurrency, and Condom Use Among Young Adult Substance- Involved Couples: Implications for Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 11:P. 677-682 (11..06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Kara S. Riehman, PhD; Wendee M. Wechsberg, PhD; Shelley A. Francis, DrPH; Melvin Moore; Antonio Morgan-Lopez, PhD; The researchers studied a group of out-of-treatment, drug- involved young adult couples to examine the association between individual and partnership characteristics with condom use, sexual concurrency, and discordance in perceptions of monogamy. Their goal was to gain a better understanding of how discordance in monog
CHILE: Condom Drive Riles Conservative Chile: Miami Herald (11.10.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Nathan Crooks; Ten years ago, debate about condom use to prevent HIV s spread would have been taboo in Chile , even in the post-junta era. But earlier this month, Chile s Ministry of Health launched its eighth annual AIDS awareness campaign, whose slogan is I take care of my life; condoms always. It has been condemned by some in the
CAMEROON: African Children Often Lack Available AIDS Treatment: New York Times (11.15.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Elisabeth Rosenthal; While more and cheaper AIDS drugs are becoming available for poor patients in Africa, the continent s system to treat children and pregnant women is weak and burdened with other diseases, say experts. Worldwide, an estimated 2.3 million children age 15 and under have HIV - most of them live in Africa. While an estimate
AFRICA: Ex-President of Zambia Links Poverty to Woes: San Diego Union-Tribune (11.05.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; David E. Graham; During a recent visit to San Diego, former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda said that tackling poverty in Africa would help to ease many other problems the continent faces. Poverty is the most difficult problem we must confront and defeat, said Kaunda, whose political work and efforts to fight AIDS were being honored b
GLOBAL: Hunger Seen as Big Enemy in War on AIDS: Associated Press (11.11.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Stevenson Jacobs; Starvation and malnutrition are quickly becoming a menace to poor AIDS patients worldwide, second only to a lack of access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, said doctors and health experts. Without sufficient nutrition, many people with AIDS cannot absorb ARVs, whose side effects become worse on an empty stomach and c
NEW MEXICO: New Mexico Boosts Hepatitis C Care: Model Means Quicker Access: Albuquerque Journal (11.06.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Jackie Jadrnak; The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes is a University of New Mexico (UNM) telemedicine program that educates practitioners in rural areas of the state on best practices for hepatitis C treatment. Every patient with hepatitis C who wants to be treated in New Mexico can see a world-class expert in three weeks,
MASSACHUSETTS: State Requires Doctors to Identify HIV Patients: Boston Globe (11.15.06) - Wednesday, November 15, 2006; Stephen Smith; On Tuesday, the state Public Health Council voted unanimously to require Massachusetts doctors to begin reporting, as of Jan. 1., the names of all patients who test positive for HIV. The doctors now use codes, rather than patient names, to identify cases. Information about HIV cases will be stored on a closed computer
AFRICA: Half of All Preventable Child Deaths Occurring in Africa: UNICEF: Agence France Presse (11.10.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; On Friday in Senegal , UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said that half the world s 10 million preventable childhood deaths each year take place in Africa. While in Senegal, Veneman met with UNICEF representatives from across Africa to assess progress toward achieving the UN s Millennium Development Goals; these in
RUSSIA: HIV Incidence on Rise in Russia: ITAR-TASS News Agency (11.13.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; The number of registered HIV cases in Russia has risen by 26,000 this year to 353,000, according to an official of the health and consumer rights authority Rospotrebnadzor. New cases totaled 33,000 in 2005 and 35,000 in 2004, the official said. Russia has allocated 200 million rubles ($7.5 million US) for HIV preventio
NEW JERSEY: News in Brief from Around the Statehouse: Associated Press (11.13.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; State Sen. Ronald Rice (D), the leading opponent of needle exchange in New Jersey, wants the state to provide $100 million for outpatient drug abuse treatment centers and residential care facilities for people with HIV/AIDS. Rice s bill, which is co-sponsored by state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R) calls for $10 million in init
UNITED STATES: CDC Broadcast Targets AIDS Crisis: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.13.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; On Thursday from 1-3 p.m., CDC will present a satellite broadcast entitled Mobilizing Against the HIV/AIDS Crisis Among African-Americans. AIDGwinnett, 3075 Breckinridge Blvd., Ste. 414, Duluth, is among Georgia locations airing the broadcast. For more information or to register online, visit www.aidgwinnett.org. [Edit
WISCONSIN: More than a Roof over Their Heads: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11.12.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Felicia Thomas-Lynn; The Wisconsin House in Milwaukee is the state s oldest and largest residential facility for people with HIV, serving about 60 people each year. Open since 1994, the 27-bed facility is a partnership between the AIDS Resource Center (ARC) of Wisconsin and Blessed Trinity Parish, an area Catholic church. Residents of Wisc
NEW HAMPSHIRE: AIDS Programs Brace for Budget Disaster: Portsmouth Herald (11.07.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Anne Rugg, director of AIDS Response Seacoast, warns that her agency and others face a fiscal crisis due to the impending loss of $1.4 million per year in federal aid, a 43 percent cut. Rugg said neither Gov. John Lynch nor Health and Human Services chief John Stephen had yet addressed the problem in their proposed bud
PENNSYLVANIA: City Settles with AIDS Patient: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.14.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Joseph A. Slobodzian; The City of Philadelphia has settled a federal lawsuit filed by a man who alleged emergency paramedics in 2001 refused to provide him appropriate care after learning he had AIDS. In his civil rights suit filed in 2003, John Gill Smith described how paramedics responded to a call when he was having chest pains. When his
UNITED STATES: Radioactive Antibody 'Missiles' Home In on HIV: Scientific American (11.06.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Taking their cue from cancer therapies, US and German researchers attached radioactive isotopes to HIV-specific antibodies in a proof-of-principle study attempting to show HIV-infected cells can be selectively destroyed during acute or chronic infection. The technique was employed in mice; researchers hope someday the
SOUTH AFRICA: Quarter Million South Africans Getting Free AIDS Drugs: Voice of America News (11.13.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Catherine Maddux; At the end of September, a total of 235,378 HIV-infected South Africans were receiving free AIDS medicines through the public health system, an increase of about 60,000 from the 178,000 patients who were enrolled in the program at the end of June, according to the Health Ministry. Sibani Mngadi, a spokesperson for the
GLOBAL: Patents Still Blocking Drugs for Poor: Activists: Reuters (11.14.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Ben Hirschler; In 2001, World Trade Organization (WTO) members agreed to relax Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights for public health reasons. Yet in 2006, millions of poor patients still have little access to patented, vital drugs, treatment-access campaigners said Tuesday. Under the Doha Declaration, WTO members we
GLOBAL: US Buying More Generic AIDS Drugs: Boston Globe (11.12.06) - Tuesday, November 14, 2006; John Donnelly; The President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has dramatically increased its purchases of generic drugs this year, according to officials. Data from the first three months of the fiscal year show that 70 percent of PEPFAR-purchased antiretrovirals (ARVs) in Nigeria , Haiti ,
ARKANSAS: Free University of Arkansas for Medical Services Tests Target Hepatitis C: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock) (11.08.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; On Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., free hepatitis C screenings will be offered by the University of Arkansas for Medical Services College of Public Health in Little Rock. No registration is required, though testing is limited to the first 500 people. Breakfast and lunch will be provided as long as supplies last, and
MARYLAND: TB Tests Urged for 200 Students: Baltimore Sun (11.10.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Dennis O'Brien; The news that a student attending classes at Baltimore City Community College last summer had TB prompted city health officials to ask about 200 students to be tested for the disease. Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, city health commissioner, said officials have sent letters to students who may have had contact with the infec
MISSISSIPPI: Tuberculosis Testing Monday for Moss Point Students: Associated Press (11.10.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; State health officials announced plans to offer TB testing to Moss Point High School students Monday in response to the news that one or more persons associated with the school may have the disease. We were informed that a person had a possible case. that person is not at the school, said Myya Robinson, spokesperson fo
ZAMBIA: Zambia Has over 600,000 Orphans: Xinhua New Agency (11.13.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Today in Lusaka, the Zambia Daily Mail reported the nation has more than 600,000 orphans younger than 15 years, and as many as two-thirds of them were orphaned as a direct result of HIV/AIDS. Despite an increasing response to the problem in recent years, most of the orphans and vulnerable children are receiving inadequ
CALIFORNIA: HIV Campaigns Spark Debate: Bay Area Reporter (11.09.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Zak Szymanski; On Nov. 6, San Francisco s Department of Public Health launched its Disclosure Initiative, beginning with bus stop and billboard advertisements that advocate the community-led prevention method of serostatus disclosure. The wider campaign involves prevention and care professionals and community leaders in an effort to
UNITED STATES: Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy Sometimes Sub Par: Reuters Health (11.08.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Megan Rauscher; Syphilis screening during the first trimester of pregnancy is recommended for all women. Additional screening during the third trimester and at delivery is recommended for women at high risk or those living where syphilis is prevalent. But a review of the medical records of some 1,900 women from four Miami-Dade County,
CANADA: Syphilis Outbreak in Chilliwack Traced to Vancouver Sex Trade: Globe and Mail (Toronto) (11.09.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Petti Fong; The number of syphilis cases in Chilliwack has more than doubled in the last year, from five in 2005 to 12 in 2006, a trend experts attribute to the migration of sex workers from Vancouver s Downtown Eastside. Chilliwack did not have much syphilis until recently, said Dr. Perry Kendall, provincial health officer. Up un
CHINA: China Gets First Free AIDS Clinic: Agence France Presse (11.09.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; On Thursday, state media reported the opening of China s first free AIDS clinic. The clinic in western Beijing offers confidential and free screenings and treatment for HIV/AIDS and other STDS such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes, the China Daily newspaper said. The opening is the latest indication of an increasing
CHINA: China's Muslims Awake to Nexus of Needles and AIDS: New York Times (11.12.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Howard W. French; Chinese health authorities are struggling to slow an increase in injection drug use and a concurrent rise in HIV/AIDS in the far western Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. With a population of 20 million and 60,000 registered infections, the predominantly Muslim region - close to the rich poppy fields of
AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Overrules on Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Australian Associated Press (11.10.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Early Friday, Australia s Health Minister Tony Abbott estimated 2008 as the earliest time when the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil would be available free to females ages 12-16 as part of the national immunization program. Later that same day, however, Prime Minister John Howard rejected that estimate and s
UNITED STATES: HPV Shot for Girls Can Be a Tough Call: Dallas Morning News (11.02.06) - Monday, November 13, 2006; Leslie Garcia; Gardasil, the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), is being hailed as a breakthrough in women s health. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration this summer, the vaccine is expected to cut the cervical cancer rate by 70 percent and to prevent 90 percent of genital warts. Gardasil was tested for females ages 9-26
ESTONIA: Estonia: 52 New HIV-Positive Registered in October: Baltic News Service (11.02.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Since January, Estonia has recorded 527 HIV cases, including 52 new cases in October, according to Health Care Inspectorate data. The October cases were 37 men and 15 women. Most of the new cases for October were in northeastern Ida-Viru County (29 cases), followed by the capital Tallinn (16 cases), and eastern Tartu C
INDIA: India's HIV/AIDS Campaigners to Target Holymen: Reuters (11.04.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; HIV/AIDS advocates in India said they are planning outreach and awareness activities in January at one of the Hindu religion s largest gatherings. More than 60 million pilgrims are anticipated to attend the Ardh Kumbh fair along the Ganges river in the northern city of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Organizers said about
GLOBAL: China's Chan Elected Head of UN Health Agency: Agence France Presse (11.09.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Patrick Baert; On Thursday, the World Health Organization s World Health Assembly of member nations overwhelmingly voted to approve Dr. Margaret Chan as WHO s next director-general, the assembly s President Ivo Garrido announced. Garrido, who is also Mozambique s Health Minister, said Chan s tenure will be from Jan. 4, 2007 to June 3
TEXAS: Fewer Die, but HIV Warrants Concern: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (11.06.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; John Gutierrez-Mier; Fort Worth s AIDS Outreach Center (AOC), a nonprofit agency, opened in 1986 as a counseling center to help people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS deal with their prognosis. HIV infection, originally thought of as a death sentence, is now often manageable with medication. We have clients that have been living with HIV for more
UNITED STATES: The Association Between Self-Reported Lifetime History of Forced Sexual Intercourse and Recent Health-Risk Behaviors: Findings from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 5: P. 752.e1-752.e7 (11..06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Kathleen C. Basile, PhD; Michele C. Black, PhD; Thomas R. Simon, PhD; Ileana Arias, PhD; Nancy D. Brener, PhD; Linda E. Saltzman, PhD; The researchers studied data from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial, nationally representative survey of high school students in the United States , to expand the understanding of the association between recent health-risk behaviors and a history of forced sexual intercourse. Factors assesse
CHINA: China to Conduct TB Drug Resistance Survey in Next Two Years: Xinhua News Agency (11.04.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; A report on China s Ministry of Health Web site said the ministry will conduct a two-year nationwide survey on the spread of TB and the effectiveness of drugs being used to combat it. Health officials hope the survey will help control TB and its treatment by analyzing factors that lead to drug resistance. National data
WEST AFRICA: West African Nations Fight AIDS by Easing Border Restrictions: Voice of America News (11.08.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Efam Dovi; Along the 1,022-kilometer (635-mile) road between Abidjan and Nigeria , travelers must navigate several border crossings and checkpoints, where many complain of long lines and mistreatment by officials. Now, in a move to fight the spread of HIV, five neighboring West African nations -
INDIA: Grant Propels University of Manitoba's AIDS Work: Globe and Mail (Toronto) (11.06.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Joe Friesen; A team of University of Manitoba HIV/AIDS researchers recently received a $22 million (US), five-year US Agency for International Development grant to fight HIV in India . The grant will help the Bangalore-based researchers target the epidemic in the southern state of Karnataka, where 500,000 people have HIV, and coast
MISSISSIPPI: Blacks Represent 68 Percent of Cases in the State: Clarion-Ledger (Jackson) (11.05.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Gary Pettus; HIV/AIDS in Mississippi is overwhelmingly an African-American disease, with women and children particularly affected. Blacks of all ages comprise 68 percent of the state s AIDS cases, compared with 40 percent nationwide, according to CDC. Increasingly, those who are becoming infected are African- American women, said J
SOUTH CAROLINA: Funding Crisis Delays Drugs for HIV Patients: The State (Columbia) (11.10.06) - Friday, November 10, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; As of Nov. 8, 293 low-income HIV/AIDS patients were still waiting to receive treatment through South Carolina s AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which hit a $3 million shortfall in July. Since that time, when ADAP s administrators were compelled to create the list, three patients waiting to get on the program have died. H
NEW YORK: Series to Focus on Women's Health: Buffalo News (11.06.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Pam Kowalik; Thursday is the launch date of an 11-part series on women s health sponsored by Mount St. Mary s Hospital. The initial session will feature Dr. Renee Baughman discussing the STD human papillomavirus (HPV), its link to cervical cancer, and the new vaccine against HPV. The presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Roo
NEW YORK: HIV Staff Layoffs at Rikers: New York Post (11.08.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Prison Health Services announced Wednesday it is eliminating the positions of 12 HIV counselors at New York City s Rikers Island correctional facilities. The for-profit firm said it took the step as part of a restructuring with the city Department of Health. Although DOH confirmed the job cuts, it said 25 other staffer
RUSSIA: Few Russian HIV-Positives Treated with Antiretrovirals in 2005: Agence France Presse (11.08.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Only about 10 percent of the estimated 341,000 HIV-positive Russians received antiretroviral treatment last year, according to Vadim Pokrovsky, director of the federal AIDS center. Russia s official estimate of cases has now risen to 357,918; Pokrovsky, however, believes an accurate count would be three times higher. I
GLOBAL: Bird Flu Expert Wins WHO Nomination: Associated Press (11.08.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Eliane Engeler; Dr. Margaret Chan was selected Wednesday to head the World Health Organization and lead the global charge against HIV/AIDS, polio, and other diseases. Chan, the first Chinese to win such a high-profile UN post, came to WHO in 2003 and ran the agency s flu pandemic efforts in 2005. As an assistant director-general, she
GEORGIA: Confessions of a Tina Queen: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (11.03.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Jay Barry; In the documentary Meth, which will screen on Nov. 12 during Atlanta s gay Out On Film festival, former AID Atlanta Education Director Mark King talks about his involvement with the drug. I was a public health educator by day, and a drug- addicted barebacking pig at night, King said. King, who began his career as an ac
UNITED STATES: US Experiment Uses AIDS to Fight AIDS: Reuters (11.06.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Maggie Fox; A phase I safety and feasibility study using five HIV-positive patients who were beginning to fail treatment found a promising patient-specific genetic approach to fighting the virus. Dr. Carl June, lead author from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and colleagues first crippled HIV. The virus is gutte
NEW ZEALAND; UNITED STATES: Routine Circumcision Could Reduce STD Rate: USA Today (11.06.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Marilyn Elias; A new study in Pediatrics suggests routine male circumcision could reduce the rate of STDs by around half. The report adds to growing scientific evidence that runs contrary to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy against the practice. Researcher David Fergusson of New Zealand s Christchurch School of Medicine
MALAYSIA: More AIDS Cases in Heterosexual Relationships: New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur) (11.07.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Annie Freeda Cruez; Heterosexually transmitted HIV cases have increased in Malaysia from 4.9 percent in 1990 to 22.2 percent in 2005, Health Minister Dr. Chua Soi Lek said recently. In the same timeframe, female cases increased from 1.2 percent to 12 percent of reported cases. Mother-to-child HIV transmissions have also increased. A total
SOUTH AFRICA: Activists Praise New Government Policy as New Dawn of Unity: Associated Press (11.08.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Clare Nullis; At a press conference in Cape Town Wednesday, South African AIDS activists paid tribute to the recent and significant changes in the government s stance on HIV/AIDS, expressing hope that unity and action would replace the rancor and paralysis of the past. Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which has had an antagonistic r
AUSTRALIA: Cervical Cancer Vaccine to Be Funded When Price Is Right: Prime Minister: Australian Associated Press (11.09.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Jane Bunce; Following widespread criticism of the government s decision not to make the vaccine Gardasil available free for all females ages 12-26, Prime Minister John Howard has assured Australians the drug will be added to the national immunization program, as soon the manufacturer offers a cheaper price. Let me make it clear th
UNITED STATES: Vaccine for Girls Raises Thorny Issues: Washington Post (11.07.06) - Thursday, November 09, 2006; Rob Stein; While many parents are seeking out Gardasil, a new vaccine that protects against the STD human papillomavirus (HPV), others are worried about its safety or are uncomfortable at the thought of their children eventually becoming sexually active. Gardasil was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June for female
NEW YORK: Chembio Gets Large Mexican Order for Rapid HIV Tests: Newsday (New York) (11.06.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; James Bernstein; Medford, N.Y.-based Chembio Diagnostics Inc. has announced it has received an order for 990,000 of its Sure Check HIV 1/2 rapid-result tests to screen pregnant women in Mexico . The company says it is quickly becoming one of the largest distributors of such tests in Latin America. In May, Chembio announced the US Food
BANGLADESH: Bangladeshi Celebrity Couple Joins UNAIDS Campaign Against HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.08.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Julhas Alam; Today in Dhaka, a famous husband-and-wife team signed on to work as spokespeople for UNAIDS in Bangladesh . I am extremely happy to have this opportunity, said Runa Laila, a noted vocalist who performs in several regional languages. This society has given me so much, now it s my turn. Her husband, the film actor Alamg
SERBIA: Global Fund Approves $12.2 Million Donation for Serbia to Combat HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (11.08.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; As part of its sixth round of grants, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is donating $12.2 million to a five-year effort to help fight HIV/AIDS in Serbia . In announcing the new funding, the Serbian Health Ministry said the program will seek to reduce and halt the spread of HIV among the specially vulnerabl
MIDDLE EAST: Leaders Stress Need to Break the Silence over HIV/AIDS in the Arab World: Associated Press (11.08.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Omar Sinan; International Muslim and Christian leaders meeting at the Arab League in Cairo have called for the Arab world to break the silence about HIV/AIDS. The epidemic is still new to our countries, but the continual increase in the number of new cases and the weakness of the fundamental developmental structure to prevent HIV
CALIFORNIA: Using Machismo to Reduce HIV/AIDS: Orange County Register (11.07.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Yvette Cabrera; While many Latinos are aware of HIV/AIDS, their actual knowledge about how the disease is transmitted or how they can protect themselves is often limited, advocates say. Redefining HIV/AIDS for Latinos: A Promising New Paradigm for Addressing HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic Community, a report produced by the Center for Latin
ILLINOIS: $1.7 Million More Sought to Prevent HIV in Chicago: Chicago Tribune (11.08.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Johnathon E. Briggs; Chicago Mayor Richard Daley s proposed 2007 budget includes no new HIV-prevention funding, so Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) is seeking an amendment to add $1.7 million to address the city s rise in infections. Since 2004, Chicago s City Council has allocated $4.2 million for HIV prevention. The council is scheduled to vote on
GLOBAL: Study Dispels Some Sexual Behavior Myths: Associated Press (11.01.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Maria Cheng; The first comprehensive global study of sexual behavior will not only help dispel popular myths but also help shape policies to improve sexual health around the world, experts say. Professor Kaye Wellings of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues studied sexual behavior data from 59 countries
SOUTH AFRICA: TV and Radio Shows on AIDS 'Have Profound Effect': Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) (11.06.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Thomas Hartleb; Fourteen television and radio programs and four print media campaigns to raise AIDS awareness in South Africa have had very profound effects on people s attitudes and behavior, found a survey released Monday. A youth drama series aired on the South African Broadcasting Network (SABC), Tsha Tsha, had significant impa
GLOBAL: World Catholic and Jewish Leaders Meeting in South Africa Unite Against AIDS: Associated Press (11.07.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Celean Jacobson; At the end of the four-day International Jewish Catholic Liaison Committee conference in Cape Town on Tuesday, leading cardinals and rabbis addressed the plight of AIDS orphans and the role of religious leaders in fighting HIV/AIDS. The committee, meeting for the first time in Africa, was established by the Vatican thr
AUSTRALIA: Young Women Will Have to Pay $500 for Cervical Cancer Drug: Australian Associated Press (11.08.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Jane Bunce; Tamara McLean; Australia s Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has decided against adding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil to the national immunization program, which would have made the vaccine free to females ages 12-26. PBAC found the benefits of Gardasil were not cost-effective for taxpayers at the pr
UNITED STATES: Few Americans Favor Abstinence-Only Sex Education: Reuters (11.06.06) - Wednesday, November 08, 2006; Amy Norton; The federal government s $170 million annual commitment to abstinence-only sex education is out of touch not only with research but also with public opinion, a new study suggests. Lead author Dr. Amy Bleakley of the University of Pennsylvania-Philadelphia and colleagues surveyed almost 1,100 US adults on the topic of s
NEW YORK: World AIDS Day Symposium, Nov. 27 in NYC: The Advocate (11.07.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; In commemoration of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health will conduct a Nov. 27 symposium examining the AIDS epidemic among men who have sex with men and the challenges of HIV prevention for this population. An international pane
UNITED STATES: More Fears, but Blacks Will Do Research: United Press International (11.03.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; In a new study, African Americans were 1.8 times as likely as whites to express fears about participating in medical research. Nevertheless, blacks were almost as likely as whites to take part. The study is part of a project documenting the legacy of the Tuskegee, Ala., experiment in which black men with syphilis were
JORDAN: Jordan Gets Grant to Combat AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (11.05.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has awarded Jordan s national AIDS program a $6.8 million grant, according to the ministry of health. In the past three years, Jordan has received $2.4 million in Global Fund support to fight AIDS and spread awareness about the disease, the ministry said.
FLORIDA: US Grant Spurs Abstinence Classes: Orlando Sentinel (11.02.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; Rosalind Jennings; A five-year, $2 million federal grant will help the Christian Care Center, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Leesburg, offer an abstinence curriculum in Lake, Sumter, Citrus and Hernando counties. Geared for students in the sixth grade through high school, the curriculum includes information about STDs, teen pregna
UNITED STATES: Cessation of Injection Drug Use and Change in Injection Frequency: The Chicago Needle Exchange Evaluation Study: Addiction Vol. 101; No. 11: P. 1606 (11..06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; Dezheng Huo; Susan L. Bailey; Lawrence J. Ouellet; The researchers designed the current study to assess the effect of a needle exchange program (NEP) on the incidence of injection cessation and change in injection frequency by injection drug users (IDUs), to explore predictors for cessation and change in frequency, and to learn whether IDUs who stopped injecting switch
JAPAN: HCV Tests Shunned by Tokyoites: Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (10.27.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; Only half of Tokyo residents targeted by a government campaign to promote hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening have actually received the test, a recent city government survey showed. Since the beginning of fiscal 2007, the metropolitan government has tried to make screening easier by offering subsidized treatment and mor
KENYA: Kenya Gets $70 Million HIV Grant from Global Fund: Reuters (11.06.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria on Monday awarded Kenya a three-year, $70 million grant to bolster the country s antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program. Though Kenya s AIDS prevalence dropped from 14 percent in 2000 to 6.9 percent this year, government statistics show an estimated 1.3 million Kenyans are
UGANDA: Global Fund Cuts Uganda's HIV/AIDS Funding: New Vision (Kampala) (11.06.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; Cyprian Musoke; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria cut HIV program funds for Uganda during the agency s sixth round of grant announcements Friday. However, the country will receive TB program funding, according to the fund s Web site. As you will see, Uganda s TB proposal has been approved with a two-year amount of $10.7 mi
UNITED STATES: Magic Keeps Up HIV Fight: Detroit News (11.07.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; Fred Girard; Fifteen years ago today, basketball star Earvin Magic Johnson faced the television cameras and made an admission that shocked the nation. Because of the HIV virus that I have obtained, I will have to retire from the Lakers, Johnson said on Nov. 7, 1991. I think sometimes we think, Well, only gay people can get it, only
UNITED STATES: New US HIV Cases to Cost $12 Billion a Year: Reuters (11.02.06) - Tuesday, November 07, 2006; A new study shows that treatment for the 40,000 US residents newly infected with HIV each year will cost $12.1 billion annually. According to its authors, the study is intended to provide guidance for policy makers and to ensure that appropriate funds are allocated for HIV prevention and treatment. If they rely on outd
ALABAMA: Teen Forum in Dothan on HIV/AIDS Awareness: Associated Press (11.04.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; The Dothan Opera House will host the Rap-It-Up AIDS- prevention forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Dothan. The event s sponsors are the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Black Entertainment Television network. A BET representative will moderate a panel discussion featuring students, AIDS activists, celebrities,
TAIWAN: Taiwan to Bar Tuberculosis Patients from International Flights: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.02.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; As a disease-control measure, Taiwanese health officials on Thursday said they plan to start prohibiting TB-infected patients from boarding long flights. In response to the World Health Organization s call urging TB patients not to take long flights, we plan to bar TB-infected people from boarding international flights
GLOBAL: Netherlands to Invest 30 Million euros to Fight Tuberculosis: Associated Press (11.02.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; On Thursday, the Netherlands announced a four-year, 30 million euros ($38 million US) commitment to fight TB. The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development said the investment is the largest any one nation has made toward TB research. The alliance will receive 8 million euros ($10 million US) for drug research. The Aeras
LIBYA: Libya AIDS Verdict to Be Issued Dec. 19: Associated Press (11.05.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Khaled el-Deeb; On Saturday, the judge in the Tripoli trial of six medical workers accused of infecting 426 hospitalized children with HIV set Dec. 19 as the date a verdict will be issued. The six, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, addressed the court and continued to maintain their innocence. In custody since 1999, they
ARIZONA: Church Gives Aid to Africa Women: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (10.25.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Cecilia Chan; The 11,000-member Christ s Church of the Valley in northern Peoria wants to answer U2 singer Bono s challenge to churches to help fight HIV/AIDS globally. The church has adopted the Swazi community of Bulembu to help villagers there prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. If there s proper prenatal care, the right dr
PERU: New Test for TB Speeds Detection: Baltimore Sun (10.12.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Jonathan Bor; A new tuberculosis test, microscopic-observation drug- susceptibility (MODS), provides results in 10 to 14 days, compared to the three to four weeks for the test currently used in developing countries, according to a new study by researchers at a Johns Hopkins University (JHU)-run laboratory in Lima,
UNITED KINGDOM: Biggest Rise in TB Since 1999 Concerns Doctors: The Guardian (London) (11.03.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Sarah Boseley; On Thursday, the Health Protection Agency reported UK tuberculosis cases had increased 10.8 percent, from 7,321 cases in 2004 to 8,113 cases in 2005, the largest annual increase since 1999. While most cases were reported in London (3,479), new cases rose fastest in the northeast, east Midlands, and eastern England. T
SOUTH AFRICA: State Plaudits for AIDS Activist Achmat: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.02.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Tamar Kahn; On Wednesday, South Africa s Health Ministry signaled its recognition that it can better fight HIV/AIDS by joining forces with civil society activists than by sidelining them. We were embarrassed, severely embarrassed as a country, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, deputy health minister, said in reference to widespread criti
ASIA-PACIFIC: UN Calls for Integration of HIV Care into Maternal Health Industry: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.06.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; Today in Kuala Lumpur, several UN health agencies said Asia- Pacific nations must improve HIV care for women and infants if they are to slow the disease s spread across the region. At the start of a five-day conference organized the World Health Organization , UNAIDS , UNICEF, and the UN Population Fund, d
MIDDLE EAST: Arab Religious Leaders in Egypt to Combat HIV/AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.06.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; More than 300 religious leaders from 20 Arab countries are in Cairo today for a three-day conference to discuss HIV/AIDS and fight the region s epidemic. Taboos surrounding the STD have hampered prevention efforts, participants heard. It s time to stop what happens in some Arab countries, like expelling [HIV-positive p
UNITED STATES: Congress Adjourns Without Passing Ryan White CARE Act: AIDS Weekly & Law (11.02.06) - Monday, November 06, 2006; While disappointed by the Senate s failure to pass the Ryan White CARE Act, AIDS Action Council s leaders say they remain confident the act will be reauthorized when Congress reconvenes on Nov. 9. We have been meeting for two-and-a-half years about this, said AAC Executive Director Rebecca Haag. Most of the difficult i
NEW YORK: Supermodel Maggie Rizer Returns to Watertown, N.Y., Hometown to Film AIDS Documentary: Associated Press (11.01.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Maggie Rizer - who has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Mademoiselle, Harper s Bazaar, and Allure magazines - this week came back to hometown, Watertown, N.Y., to begin work on an AIDS documentary. AIDS activist Suzanne Engo, whose father is a former UN ambassador from Cameroon , is producing Maggie and Me. Engo foun
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Campaigner Against Sex Trade Honored: Associated Press (10.31.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Karen Matthews; At a ceremony in Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday, a Cambodian human rights activist who has dedicated her life to fighting against the sex trade was honored as one of Glamour magazine s women on the year. Somaly Mam is president of AFESIP, the French acronym for Acting for Women in Distressing Situations, whic
LIBYA: 114 Nobel Laureates Voice Concern over Libyan AIDS Trial: Agence France Presse (11.03.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; In an open letter to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi published today in the online edition of Nature, 114 Nobel prize winners demanded a fair trial for six medical workers accused of infecting 426 hospitalized Libyan children with HIV. The accused, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, all maintain their innocen
UNITED STATES: US Needs 'Sexual Literacy,' Ex-Surgeons General Say: Reuters (11.02.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; In San Francisco Thursday, two former surgeons general of the United States said a broad effort to promote sexuality literacy is needed to combat high levels of STDs and unplanned pregnancy, especially among the young. Abstinence- only education is not working to solve the problems, said Dr. David Satcher and Dr. Joyce
MASSACHUSETTS: $2.5 Million Grant Lets Boston University Explore Hispanic HIV: University Wire (11.01.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Sam Kuttner, Daily Free Press; Boston University; Boston University School of Social Work (SSW) researchers will join Tapestry Health Services in using a $2.5 million federal grant to study HIV services and prevention for Hispanics in western Massachusetts. According to 2006 state data, Hispanics have nine times the infection rate of whites, and Latinos and Latinas ar
PENNSYLVANIA: City Considering Greater Condom Access in Prisons: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.03.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Mitch Lipka; Philadelphia officials are considering a policy to increase condom access in prison by allowing inmates to purchase them through the commissary list. Since Mayor W. Wilson Goode instituted the policy in 1988, condoms have been available to inmates through workers from the city s AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AAC
UNITED STATES; UNITED KINGDOM: Green Tea Shows Promise in HIV Fight: Houston Chronicle (10.28.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Leigh Hopper; In a new study, scientists report that test-tube experiments show a component in green tea blocks the ability of HIV to invade and destroy cells of the immune system. That component is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The flavonoid has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, and cancer drugs based on it are no
INDIA: Indian Censors Criticize Commercial for Flavored Condoms: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.03.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; A commercial for DKT India s XXX brand of flavored condoms is not meant for unrestricted viewing and should not be shown during daytime hours, said the Advertising Standards Council of India and the Censor Board. The ad for the strawberry-, banana-, and chocolate-flavored condoms features the tagline, What is your flav
AFRICA: Red Cross Launches $300 Million AIDS Appeal for Southern Africa: Associated Press (11.01.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Celean Jacobson; On Wednesday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched a campaign to raise $300 million for its HIV/AIDS programs in southern Africa. The five-year effort, part of the new International Federation Global HIV and AIDS Alliance, seeks to prevent new infections and reinforce treatment
GLOBAL: AIDS Group Passes Over Kolbe in Search for Executive Director: Associated Press (11.03.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Jennifer Talhelm; Board members for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced Thursday that they could not decide on a consensus candidate to succeed Richard Feachem, executive director since the fund s 2002 launch. The Global Fund s board members planned to announce their choice during this week s meeting in
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Plan Ready, but No Targets Set Yet: Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.01.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; Amy Musgrave; The South African government and civil society groups continue to work on hammering out targets for the nation s updated strategic plan on HIV/AIDS, including how to drastically reduce the number of new HIV infections. The government aims to unveil its 2007-2011 plan on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Deputy Health Minister No
UNITED STATES: The Economic Cost of HIV/AIDS Is Greater than Previously Estimated, Particularly for Minorities: AIDS Weekly (10.16.06) - Friday, November 03, 2006; The direct and indirect costs of HIV/AIDS are higher than previously estimated and are particularly high for minorities, according to joint study conducted by researchers from CDC, the Emory University Center for AIDS Research, and Georgia State University s (GSU) Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In 2002, the
GEORGIA: AID Atlanta Men's STD Clinic Now Open: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.27.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Zack Hudson; AID Atlanta, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Resources, finally opened the new Men s STD Clinic on Oct. 7 after months of delays due to funding shortfalls. The clinic provides patients with free screening and treatment for STDs including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Same day results will
NORTH CAROLINA: AIDS Vaccine Contract Awarded: News & Observer (Raleigh) (10.28.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Durham-based Argos Therapeutics has been awarded a $21.3 million National Institutes of Health contract to develop an AIDS vaccine. Argos is researching vaccines that provoke patient-specific immune responses to infectious diseases and cancer. The five-year contract is to determine the potency of the Argos vaccine and
UNITED STATES: Having Sex and Condom Use: Potential Risks and Benefits Reported by Young, Sexually Inexperienced Adolescents: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 4: P. 588-595 (10..06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Lea E. Widdice, MD; Jodi L. Cornell, MSW, MA; Wendra Liang; Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher, PhD; What do young adolescents identify as the potential positive and negative outcomes of having sex, using a condom or not using a condom? The researchers in the current study set out to answer this question. The subjects of the study were 418 ethnically diverse ninth- graders, 86 percent of whom reported never having had
SOUTH AFRICA: Levi's Uses Music to Rage Against HIV/AIDS: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.28.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; On Saturday, Levi Strauss- South Africa hosted Rage for the Revolution, an all-day concert for its Red for Life program to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among South African youths. Held on the Newtown Precinct Lawn and Bassline, the event was co- hosted by 5FM, Metro, and SABC 1. By appearing in the line-up, all the perform
INDIA: Two Accused over 'Fake' HIV Tests: BBC News (10.30.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; The owners of Andhra Pradesh-based Monozyme India were denied bail Monday in a West Bengal court for allegedly selling hundreds of thousands of pregnancy and other diagnostic tests under the pretense they were HIV or hepatitis test kits. The kits were supplied between April, when Monozyme s government contract began, a
INDIA: Clients Give Lessons on AIDS in India's Brothels: Reuters (10.25.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Bappa Majumdar; In Kolkata, in eastern India , AIDS activists have enlisted nearly 200 regular clients of brothels in the Sonagachhi red- light district to teach fellow visitors about using condoms and having frequent blood tests. Sonagachhi is home to about 10,000 sex workers who serve more than 25,000 clients every day. We spen
BOTSWANA: AIDS-Hit Botswana to Start HIV Tests on Infants: Agence France Presse (11.02.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Botswana , where government figures show 38.5 percent of adults have HIV/AIDS, will this month begin testing infants age 16 weeks and older for HIV. The initiative is being funded by the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a five-year, $15 billion effort to combat global AIDS. This program is a result of
MARYLAND: Baltimore Region Fears Big Slash in AIDS Funds: Baltimore Sun (10.31.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Jonathan Bor; On Monday, Baltimore area health officials and advocates joined their city and federal representatives at a news conference to press Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act when it reconvenes after the November elections. This year, the region is receiving about $20 million in Ryan White care and service funds
UNITED STATES: Ex-Surgeons General Join to Fight STDs: San Francisco Chronicle (11.02.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; Erin Allday; Today in San Francisco, two former surgeons general of the United States will meet with local sexuality teachers and researchers to discuss how to end the nation s abstinence-only curriculum and fight rising STD rates. Young people have problems with sexuality, said Dr. David Satcher, who served as surgeon general unti
UNITED STATES: CDC to Subsidize Merck's Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Reuters (11.01.06) - Thursday, November 02, 2006; On Wednesday, Merck & Co. announced CDC has added the vaccine Gardasil to its Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, through which the government buys vaccines for uninsured or poor children. Merck said the move will expand the availability of the vaccine and ensure equitable access to it. Some private insurers are a
ZIMBABWE: Burial Space Running Out: New York Times (11.01.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Michael Wines; A dire shortage of burial space in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare has prompted citizens to look elsewhere for places to bury their dead, the government-run Herald newspaper reported. Harare s six government cemeteries are either full or nearing capacity, the paper said. City officials are urging people to cremate the
OHIO: HIV Testing, Counseling Offered: Beacon Journal (Akron) (10.31.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; The East Akron Community House has begun offering free HIV testing and counseling clinics at its office, 550 S. Arlington St., Akron. Testing is available by appointment or on a walk- in basis with results available the same day. For more information on the anonymous and confidential tests or to make an appointment, te
NEW YORK: New Study Tracks City Wellness by Its Neighborhoods: New York Post (10.27.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Carl Campanile; A new Health Department study tracked more than a dozen health indicators in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden said that while the report found falling numbers of AIDS deaths and teen pregnancies, the HIV death rate in the High Bridge and Morrisania neighborhoods in the Bron
UNITED STATES: Bradley Partner Gets FDA Approval: Associated Press (10.31.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; On Tuesday, New Jersey-based Bradley Pharmaceuticals announced the Food and Drug Administration had approved Polyphenon E Ointment for treating external genital and perianal warts caused by human papillomavirus infection. The ointment, a mixture of green tea-extracted catechins made by Germany s MediGene AG, will have
UNITED STATES: The Role of Parent Religiosity in Teens' Transitions to Sex and Contraception: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 4: P. 578-587 (10..06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Jennifer S. Manlove, PhD; Elizabeth Terry-Humen, MPP; Erum N. Ikramullah, BA; Kristin A. Moore, PhD; The researchers undertook the current study to learn whether multiple dimensions of parent and family religiosity, including parents attendance at religious services, beliefs, denominations and family religious activities, have an association with timing of sexual initiation or use of contraceptive at first sex. To te
UNITED KINGDOM: Chlamydia Awareness on the Rise: BBC News (10.24.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; An Office of National Statistics (ONS) survey of 3,000 people in the United Kingdom showed 91 percent of women and 79 percent of men knew that chlamydia is an STD, compared with just 65 percent and 35 percent, respectively, five years ago. Among respondents who knew the disease was sexually transmitted, women were twic
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Fights Looming AIDS Epidemic: Reuters (10.25.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Liau Y-Sing; Though it has some of the world s toughest anti-drug laws, Malaysia is on the brink of an HIV epidemic spread by illegal drug use and a lack of sex education. Health officials in the conservative, mainly Muslim country are concerned about the exponential rise in HIV/AIDS cases: In 2005, new AIDS cases in the country to
CHINA: China Wrestles with TB Among Migrant Workers: Wall Street Journal (11.01.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Nicholas Zamiska; While Beijing began a national free TB treatment program a few years ago, coordination with local health officials is proving an obstacle, especially for 150 million Chinese migrants. China has no system for tracking patients that start treatment in one city and continue in another city, said Dr. Daniel Chin, a TB exp
SWAZILAND: In Swaziland, 'Secret Lovers' Confronted in Fight Against AIDS: Washington Post (10.29.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Craig Timberg; Reaction was swift to a July AIDS campaign whose cellphone text-styled message, Makhwapheni Uyabulala (Your secret lover can kill you), was an abrupt switch from Swaziland s usual condom-promotion and anti-stigma campaigns. The Makhwapheni campaign was a desperate bid by Derek von Wissell, a former cabinet minister and
MALAWI: UN Concerned About Malawi's Rising Deaths of AIDS Patients on ARVs: Xinhua News Service (10.31.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; On Tuesday at the end of a three-day assessment of HIV programs in Malawi , UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis expressed concern over the number of HIV patients dying while in treatment. In the past two years, impoverished Malawi has increased free antiretroviral (ARV) therapy access from about 4,000
NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. Expanding Access to HIV Drugs; Income Cap Is Raised to $19,600: News & Observer (Raleigh) (11.01.06) - Wednesday, November 01, 2006; Jean P. Fisher; Up until today, North Carolina s income cut-off for participation in its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) was $12,250 annually, the strictest limit of any state. Effective today, the limit is $19,600. While this remains among the lowest limits in the nation, some state ADAPs provide free drugs to people making more
CALIFORNIA: Legion of Supporters Turns Out for AIDS Walk: Desert Sun (Palm Springs) (10.29.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Jehan Seirafi; Some 1,500 people came out for Saturday s 19th annual Desert AIDS Walk in Palm Springs. The event s goals were to raise AIDS awareness and money for the Desert AIDS Project. These people walk for those who have passed on, for those who aren t able to walk for themselves, and for the 40,000 who will contract HIV this ye
WISCONSIN: AIDS Center Wins Grant: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.30.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant to the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin to assist HIV-positive people transitioning from correctional facilities back to the community. Using the grant, ARCW will provide housing and employment counseling, residential housi
SOUTH CAROLINA: University of South Carolina Researchers Land $173 Million in Grants: The State (Columbia) (10.27.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; James T. Hammond; On Thursday, the University of South Carolina announced its researchers had received a record-setting $173.3 million in grants in the past year. Included in the total was $7.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to eliminate health disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer in the state. The project is a partnership
SOUTH AFRICA: One in Five South African Men Has Committed Rape, Study Finds: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.24.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; According to a new study, one in five South African men admits committing rape at least once. The figures were compiled by the Gender Health Research unit of South Africa s Medical Research Council. Of 1,370 males ages 15-26 who were interviewed, around 8 percent acknowledged sexually violent behavior toward their inti
LIBYA: Bulgarian Nurses AIDS Trial Resumes in Libya: Agence France Presse (10.31.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Afa Geblawi; After a five-week break, the trial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of deliberately infecting 426 hospitalized children with HIV resumed today in Tripoli. The six, who maintain their innocence, were convicted and sentenced to death in May 2004. Last year, an appeal of their sentence resulted in
GEORGIA: AIDS Service Organization Loses Funding: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.27.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Eric Ervin; On Sept. 25, the Atlanta AIDS organization Positive Impact learned it had been denied a federal grant to continue its counseling program for HIV/AIDS patients. The funding, which expired on Sept. 30, was a $2 million, five-year Mental Health Services grant provided through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adm
NEW YORK: Court Holds Off Rent Rise in NYC Housing for People with HIV: Associated Press (10.31.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Jennifer Peltz; A federal court in Brooklyn last night blocked a rent increase that would have affected 2,200 New York City residents with HIV/AIDS living in government-subsidized housing. The court delayed the increase for 45 days to study the legal details, said attorneys for the city and Housing Works, which filed the suit on behal
CHINA: HIV Prevalence Among Injection Drug Users in Rural Guangxi China: Addiction Vol. 101; No. 10: P. 1493 (10..06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Wei Liu; Jie Chen; Michelle Rodolph; Geetha Beauchamp; Benoit Masse; Shaoping Wang; Rongjian Li; Yuhua Ruan; Feng Zhou; Man- kit Leung; Shenghan Lai; Yiming Shao; J. Brooks Jackson; In the current study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine joined local and state health officials to determine HIV-1 seroprevalence, incidence, risk factors, and demographic characteristics among injecting drug users (IDUs) in rural Guangxi, China . Between July and November 2002, researchers c
JAPAN: AIDS Awareness Falling by the Wayside: Japan Times (10.26.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Jun Hongo; Kids must be told repeatedly about how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, said Chizuko Ikegami, executive director of PLACE Tokyo, a community-based organization supporting HIV/AIDS patients. But currently there isn t sufficient education or backup from the government. According to Japan s Health, Labor and Welfare
GLOBAL: Deadly New TB Strains Expose the Need for New Drugs, Diagnostics: Associated Press (10.30.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Angela Doland; This week, global TB experts are meeting to discuss how to combat a deadly new strain of tuberculosis, extremely drug- resistant TB (XDR-TB). On Monday, doctors, scientists, and public health specialists met in Paris to address the urgent need for better diagnostics, new medicines, and an effective vaccine. These issue
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Federal Funding Cut Threatens Southern N.H. AIDS Program: Associated Press (10.30.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Low-income HIV/AIDS patients in southeastern New Hampshire who receive their medicines under the state s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) could soon be placed on a waiting list due to a looming $1 million federal funding cut in the next fiscal year. According to the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), which dist
UNITED STATES: Abstinence Message Goes Beyond Teens: USA Today (10.31.06) - Tuesday, October 31, 2006; Sharon Jayson; The federal guidelines governing abstinence-only programs have expanded those targeted to include unmarried adults up to age 29. The programs, previously directed mainly toward minors, teach that abstaining from sex is the only effective or acceptable method to prevent pregnancy or disease, and they give no instruction
MASSACHUSETTS: Vertex Study Shows Good Hepatitis Results: Associated Press (10.27.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Friday that its drug VX-950 (telaprevir) had reduced hepatitis C virus to undetectable levels in most patients in early-stage clinical trials. Researchers said the drug in combination with pegylated interferon suppressed both resistant and wild-type HCV. After 24 weeks
MASSACHUSETTS: Idenix Sees Positive Hepatitis C Virus Study Results: Associated Press (10.27.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Cambridge-based Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced interim data from a study of its hepatitis C drug valopicitabine. After 24 weeks, 68 percent of patients receiving the drug in combination with pegylated interferon achieved viral clearance. The study will continue for another 24 weeks. The Phase IIb trial was a
NEW JERSEY: Schering-Plough Touts Ongoing Hepatitis C Data: Associated Press (10.27.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Kenilworth-based Schering-Plough Corp. says after nearly one year on its hepatitis C treatment, 56 percent of patients have achieved sustained viral suppression. In the 48-week study, more than 2,200 patients who had failed on other combination therapies received Peg-Intron and Rebetol. Both drugs have been previously
MISSOURI: Tests Find 11 University Students Exposed to TB Bacteria: Associated Press (10.27.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Officials report that 11 Missouri Southern State University students have tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis, though none have signs of active disease. The 11 were among some 200 students and staff tested after TB was confirmed in a student who lived in a university dorm in the spring. That student is respond
NEW YORK: Rent Decision Challenged: New York Times (09.30.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Sewell Chan; The AIDS advocacy group Housing Works plans to file a lawsuit today in Federal District Court in Brooklyn challenging the city s decision to hike the rent contribution required from some 2,200 poor adults with HIV/AIDS living in government- subsidized apartments. The city s Human Resources Administration says it was or
INDIA: India Flawed by Focus on Sex in Campaign Against AIDS: Study: Agence France Presse (10.26.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; A new study warns that India s AIDS control effort is seriously off-track due to its assumption that sex, especially with sex workers, is the principal source of new HIV infections. That assumption, wrote US researchers David Gisselquist and Mariette Corea, is inconsistent with evidence and very likely wrong. The offic
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Papua Police Rapes Undermine AIDS Fight: Reuters (10.30.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Michael Perry; In a 50-page report released today, New York-based Human Rights Watch said efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea are being undermined by police brutality, including the rape, torture, and beating of children. Still Making Their Own Rules: Ongoing Impunity for Police Beatings, Rape and Torture in Papua New Guin
AUSTRALIA: State Seeks Funding to Tackle STDS: Australian Associated Press (10.23.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Paul Osborne; The Queensland government says more federal money is needed to fight sexually transmitted diseases. New figures show the state recorded 150 new HIV cases last year, a 55 percent increase since 2001. Most cases were homosexual men. Government-funded agencies currently provide treatment and support for 1,556 Queenslander
CHINA: Beijing Opens First Clinic for Gays: Xinhua News Service (10.28.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; On Thursday, Beijing opened its first STD clinic targeting gays for free screening of STDs and HIV and free STD treatment. The clinic is a joint undertaking by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Chaoyang Chinese AIDS Volunteer Group and the Chaoyang District s Disease Prevention and Control Center. Funding through
SOUTH ASIA; ASIA-PACIFIC: WHO Reports Progress in Fight Against Tuberculosis in Worst-Affected Asian Countries: Voice of America News (10.22.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Anjana Pasricha; World Health Organization officials are cautiously optimistic that TB programs in the South Asia and the Asia-Pacific regions are making progress against the disease. In India , which has the world s highest TB caseload with 2 million new infections annually, nearly 1,000 people die from TB each day.
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Could Have Bigger Growth Effect: USA Today (10.27.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; David J. Lynch; Christo Luus, chief economist for Absa, South Africa s largest bank, said by 2010 AIDS will cut the country s annual economic growth rate by 1.5 percent. Luus is a member of a financial industry group studying the epidemic s effect on productivity, health care and training costs. Other analyses have predicted smaller i
GLOBAL: Lax Drug Care Fortifying HIV, TB?: Deseret Morning News (10.25.06) - Monday, October 30, 2006; Lois M. Collins; At the recent annual conference of the American College of Chest Physicians in Salt Lake City, an infectious-disease expert warned that greater global access to HIV and tuberculosis medicines must be accompanied by treatment plans that ensure strict compliance. If we continue to make antiretrovirals available in an unc
JAPAN: Japanese Group Launches Appeal for African Soccer Program for AIDS Orphans: Associated Press (10.26.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Sarah DiLorenzo; On Wednesday, the Japan-based Stop AIDS Organization announced a new program to help the 12 million African AIDS orphans by getting them involving in playing soccer. Tomiko Abe, the group s director, said she was inspired to use soccer to heal the wounds on [the orphans ] heart when, on a mission to
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's Hairdressers Join HIV Fight: The Guardian (London) (10.13.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Andrew Meldrum; As part of a �20 million ($38 million US) grant from the British government, a five-year campaign is training more than 1,000 hairdressers in Zimbabwe to offer HIV counseling and condoms to their clients. The campaign, run by the nongovernmental group Population Services International, aims to reduce new infections by
ZIMBABWE: Child Mortality Rate Increases in Zimbabwe: Voice of America News (10.25.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Tendai Maphosa; Child mortality is rising in Zimbabwe , the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported Health Minister David Parinrenyatwa as saying. Citing the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey, Parirenyatwa said one in 15 children in the country will die before his or her first birthday, and one in 10 will die before turning five.
NEW MEXICO: Teen Sex Survey Shows Problem: Albuquerque Journal (10.19.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Juan-Carlos Rodriguez; A survey of almost 500 South Valley district residents in Albuquerque found few teens know where to go to obtain contraception. Hablando Claro (Plain Talk) conducted the survey. Founded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Hablando Claro is a pregnancy and STD prevention program targeting the Latino community. The survey
CALIFORNIA: UC Berkeley-Area Clean Needle Program Continues: University Wire (10.20.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Sarah Kamshoshy, Daily Californian; University of California- Berkeley; On Dec. 6, the Berkeley City Council is set to consider whether to renew the health state of emergency that has allowed the city to conduct a legal needle exchange for the past 13 years. The spread of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C, provides the basis for issuing the state of emergency. State law, wh
UNITED STATES: Prevalence and Incidence of Pharyngeal Gonorrhea in a Longitudinal Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men: The EXPLORE Study: Clinical Infectious Diseases Vol. 43; No. 10: P. 1284-1289 (11.15.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Sheldon R. Morris; Jeffrey D. Klausner; Susan P. Buchbinder; Sarah L. Wheeler; Beryl Koblin; Thomas Coates; Margaret Chesney; Grant N. Colfax; In this prospective study, the researchers tracked the prevalence, incidence, sociodemographic and behavioral predictors of pharyngeal gonorrhea in an ancillary cohort of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) enrolled in Project EXPLORE, a behavioral HIV prevention intervention, from March 2001 to July 2003. A
ISRAEL; ETHIOPIA: Israeli Bedside Manner Helps Ethiopian AIDS Doctors: Reuters (10.26.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Corinne Heller; A training program based on Israeli physicians experiences in caring for HIV-positive Ethiopian migrants to the Jewish state is helping doctors in Ethiopia improve treatment. Now in its fourth year, the program is part of a multi-million dollar commitment on behalf of President Bush s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to
LIBYA: Libyan Evidence Against Health Workers Is Worthless: Nature: Agence France Presse (10.26.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; After investigating the case against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of deliberately infecting 426 hospitalized Libyan children with HIV, the British journal Nature has declared the evidence against them worthless. The journal said it acquired a copy of a 2003 document, written by five Libyan phy
SOUTH AFRICA: In South Africa, a Dramatic Shift on AIDS: Washington Post (10.27.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Craig Timberg; After years of international criticism over its handling of the AIDS epidemic, the South African government is taking steps to turn its HIV/AIDS program around by expanding prevention, treatment and testing, observers say. Driving the change is the government s growing realization of the severity of the problem, an est
UNITED STATES: Oak Park 22-Year-Old Putting a Face on HIV; He's on Tour to Warn Teens: Detroit Free Press (10.22.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Sharon Gittleman; Oak Park, Mich., resident D Jaun Black, 22, is one of six HIV- positive youths from across the United States participating in Operation Get Tested. Beginning Oct. 15 and continuing through Dec. 1, the young people are riding a tour bus from New York through the South and on to California. The bus stops at colleges and
UNITED STATES: Coalition Urges AIDS Awareness; Group Chairwoman Speaks at STD/HIV Conference: The State (Columbia, S.C.) (10.26.06) - Friday, October 27, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; Speaking at the three-day South Carolina HIV/AIDS Conference in Myrtle Beach, Kathie Hiers, co-chairperson of the Southern AIDS Coalition, said several Southern members of Congress have worked to increase federal HIV/AIDS funds for the region. I m extremely pleased at the level of understanding these guys have achieved
MASSACHUSETTS: HIV/AIDS Exhibit at State House: Bay Windows (Boston) (10.26.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Laura Kiritsy; Today and tomorrow, an exhibit on view at the Doric Hall of the Massachusetts State House chronicles the response of the state s gay community in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Above and Beyond: Our Community Responds to HIV/AIDS presents a timeline of the epidemic s history and the community s reaction. The exh
CALIFORNIA: NAACP Convention to Focus on AIDS and Media Issues: Contra Costa Times (10.26.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Kamika Dunlap; The 19th annual state conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will kick off 7 p.m. tonight with the president s dinner at the downtown Oakland Marriott Hotel. HIV/AIDS will figure prominently among the issues to be addressed during the meeting. Though they comprise 12 percent of the
FLORIDA: TB Testing: Palm Beach Post (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; The Palm Beach County Health Department will test around 200 students at Suncoast High School for tuberculosis beginning Monday after a classmate was hospitalized with the disease. The department has already tested family members, close friends and staff at Suncoast after learning of the student s diagnosis on Oct. 5.
UNITED STATES: FDA Approves Another Drug to Treat Chronic Hepatitis B: Associated Press (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of Tyzeka for use in treating adults with chronic hepatitis B. The agency said the drug, while not a cure, can suppress the virus and reduce liver inflammation in those infected. FDA said Tyzeka s side effects include upper respiratory tract infectio
MICHIGAN: Funding Cut Threatens AIDS Shelter: Detroit News (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Amy Lee; One of Detroit s two homeless shelters for men with HIV/AIDS, Off The Streets East Jefferson (OTS), was notified by the city on Oct. 3 that its federal housing subsidy will be cut, effective Nov. 30. Detroit s Department of Health and Wellness Promotions has channeled an annual $125,000 federal Housing Opportunities fo
OHIO: Family Physicians Deciding How to Handle CDC's HIV Guidelines: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Regina McEnery; Adolescents are seen as a key target of CDC s new HIV testing recommendations, since young people tend to be secretive about their sexual activity and may not use contraceptives. This is a health matter, not a sexual matter, said Dr. Arthur Lavin, a Beachwood pediatrician who plans to begin offering universal HIV testi
UNITED STATES: University of Iowa Scientists Study Virus' Effect on AIDS: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Researchers at the University of Iowa announced recently that, by isolating a small section of GBV-C in cell cultures, they are one step closer to understanding how the benign virus slows HIV. In 2001, the investigators found that HIV-positive people stay healthy longer if they also happen to be infected with GBV-C, a
ZAMBIA: Zambian Leader Says AIDS Threatens Economy: Reuters (10.23.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Shapi Shancinda; In a speech delivered on state television ahead of Zambia s 42nd independence anniversary, President Levy Mwanawasa said AIDS and poverty threaten the economic gains the country has achieved since becoming independent from Britain in 1964. We must be aware that the [AIDS] pandemic is capable of reversing all the gains
SOUTH AFRICA: Quarantine Orders for XDR-TB Patients: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Tamar Kahn; Doctors will obtain court orders to quarantine patients infected with extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in the interest of public health, though this would be considered a measure of last resort, Health Department Director-General Thami Mseleku told South Africa s Parliament on Tuesday. Patients who refuse
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Drafting Revised AIDS Battle Plan: Reuters (10.26.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Wendell Roelf; South Africa s cabinet today endorsed revisions to its national HIV/AIDS program, which has come under fire for failing to meet its treatment goals while the disease continues unabated. The country already has an estimated 5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and 500,000 more are infected annually. We continue to imp
NEW JERSEY: State Spurns Federal Sex Ed Money: Star-Ledger (Newark) (10.25.06) - Thursday, October 26, 2006; Carol Ann Campbell; On Tuesday, New Jersey health and education officials declined to accept about $800,000 in federal abstinence education money, saying its new funding requirements contradict the state s sex education and AIDS education programs. Though the state has received abstinence funds annually since 1997, state officials said th
PHILIPPINES: Expert Warns AIDS on Rise: Philippine Daily Inquirer (10.23.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; A steady increase in new HIV cases in the Philippines could foreshadow a second stage of the epidemic in the region, an AIDS expert told a Silliman University Church-organized forum Sunday in Dumaguete City. The number of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases has jumped by 150 percent, to 190 cases this year, said Gladys Rio-M
CHINA: Shanghai's Up-Market Hotels Reject Free Condoms, Vending Machines: Xinhua News Agency (10.19.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Most luxury hotels in the Pudong district of Shanghai are refusing to provide condoms or condom vending machines for their guests, said an official with the Pudong branch of the Shanghai Population and Planning Commission. In January, the State Council issued AIDS control guidelines stating that all public places desig
CHINA: Expert Calls for More Hepatitis Awareness in China: Xinhua News Agency (10.25.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Warning that hepatitis C is both chronic and asymptomatic and that no vaccine for it exists, an expert in China today called the disease a major threat to public health and said health departments must do more to raise awareness of it. Zhuang Hui, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the director of the S
LIBYA: Scientists Press for Release of Health Workers Accused by Libya of Infecting Children with HIV: Associated Press (10.24.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; In a letter to be published in Science magazine, a group of scientists is calling on the United States and other nations to press Libya to release five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of intentionally infecting more than 400 hospitalized children with HIV. The signatories, who include Sunil K.
INDIA: Gates Foundation to Help Health Authorities in India in Battle Against HIV: Associated Press (10.24.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will give $23 million to enhance the capacity of the government of India s HIV prevention response over the next three years, Tadataka Yamada of the foundation s Global Health Program announced Tuesday in New Delhi. The grant will help train government health workers in HIV/AIDS pr
CALIFORNIA: Summit Aims to Teach Teens About Sex, Drugs: Contra Costa Times (10.25.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Brett Wilkison; Drugs, sex, STDs, and pregnancy were among topics discussed on Saturday at the first Focus on Youth summit at St. Mark s Catholic Church in Richmond. Summit organizers had the cooperation of the parish priest, the Rev. Ramiro Flores. Casa de Esperanza, a nonprofit affiliated with the church, presented the event, and so
GEORGIA: 'Direct Threat' to Spread HIV?: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.20.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Ryan Lee; The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia (ACLU) is asking Atlanta, on behalf of an HIV-positive massage therapist, to revise a 1984 ordinance requiring a health certificate stating massage therapy practitioners are free of communicable diseases, including HIV. ACLU sent a letter to Mayor Shirley Franklin on Aug. 2
UNITED STATES: Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Associated with Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Adult Men: American Journal of Public Health Vol. 96; No. 10: P. 1873- 1878 (10..06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Anita Raj, PhD; M. Christina Santana, MPH; Ana La Marche, BA; Hortensia Amaro, PhD; Kevin Cranston, MDiv; Jay G. Silverman, PhD; In the current study, researchers assessed the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and sexual risk behaviors and fatherhood (having fathered children) among young men. Two hundred eighty-three sexually active men ages 18-35 who attended an urban community health center and reported having s
AFRICA: AIDS May Orphan 18 Million African Children by 2010: UN: Reuters (10.19.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Nick Tattersall; In a report distributed after a recent AIDS conference in Dakar, Senegal , the UN said more than 18 million African children will be orphaned by AIDS at the end of the decade unless more is done to combat the pandemic. The number of orphans will continue to rise for at least the next decade, and progress in education,
GLOBAL: Wasteful Diagnoses Fail to Trace TB in Worst-Affected Areas: WHO: Agence France Presse (10.25.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; The World Health Organization reported today that ineffective diagnostic tools are being used for tuberculosis in areas worst-hit by the disease. Worldwide, about $1 billion is spent annually on TB diagnoses and evaluations, while most of the estimated 9 million people who develop active TB each year do not receive a l
GLOBAL: Worrisome New Link: AIDS Drugs and Leprosy: New York Times (10.24.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Experts are concerned that in some HIV-positive patients in developing countries, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) are making hidden leprosy infections symptomatic. The problem develops when AIDS drugs revive the immune system and newly generated white blood cells carry the bacteria from long-dormant leprosy infections to t
ARIZONA: Anti-Wart Vaccine Covered by Insurer: Tucson Citizen (10.13.06) - Wednesday, October 25, 2006; Sheryl Kornman; Approved by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) in June, Merck & Co. s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil is now covered by the largest health insurer in the state, BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Arizona. BCBS insures 1.1 million state residents. Gardasil contains no live virus and is approved to prot
SOUTH CAROLINA: HIV/STD Conference to Be Held This Week: The State (Columbia) (10.24.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; The 2006 South Carolina HIV/STD Conference runs this Wednesday through Sunday in Myrtle Beach. Speakers at the event will include Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC s National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, and Kathie Hiers of the Southern AIDS Coalition. The registration fee is $400; $200 for students; or $175
LOUISIANA: Prostitutes Follow Workers' Dollars: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (10.08.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Trymaine Lee; Police in New Orleans say the post-Katrina construction boom has led to a concurrent increase in the number of sex workers in the city. With 40,000-50,000 out-of-towners separated from their families and flush with cash, it is like the Super Bowl for sex workers, said Deputy Chief James Scott, commander of the Police D
UNITED STATES: MedMira Gets US FDA Approval on Fast HIV Test: Canadian Press (10.19.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; On Thursday, Canada-based MedMira Inc. announced its Reveal rapid HIV-1 antibody test had received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Previous versions of the test received FDA approval in 2003 and 2004; the latest version of the test, Reveal G3, delivers results in less than three minutes, the company
CANADA: Health Canada Introduces Trial Rules in Wake of Tuberculosis Scare: Canadian Press (10.15.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Dene Moore; Health Canada introduced new clinical drug trial rules intended to screen out TB-infected participants after a study last year in Montreal included a man with the disease, thus exposing dozens. The binding rules require Phase I trials to screen all potential participants for TB symptoms and to ask if they use IV drugs
SOUTH CAROLINA: Free Dental Clinic Helping AIDS Patients Smile: The State (Columbia) (10.18.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; The Columbia Oral Health Clinic (COHC), which provides free dental services for low-income Midlands residents living with HIV/AIDS, recently won one of four excellence awards given annually by the federal National Health Service Corps to organizations that serve the primary care needs of underserved communities. COHC w
WISCONSIN: Day Care Worker Infected with TB: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.20.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Kawanza Newson; On Thursday, Milwaukee health officials reported that almost 100 children and staff at a West Allis day care center may have come in contact with an employee who had active tuberculosis. Paul Biedrzycki, the city s manager of disease control and prevention, called on those contacted by the department to visit their loc
FLORIDA: 46 More TB Tests for Nolan: Bradenton Herald (10.24.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; John Simpson; Manatee County Health Department officials have identified an additional 46 people at Nolan Middle School for TB skin testing, school and health officials said Monday. Altogether, 214 people have been identified for testing since a person there was diagnosed with TB on Oct. 16. The school has sent letters home to the p
UNITED STATES: Bathhouse-Based Voluntary Counseling and Testing Is Feasible and Shows Preliminary Evidence of Effectiveness: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 43; No. 2: P. 239-246 (10.01.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; David M. Huebner, PhD, MPH; Diane Binson, PhD; William J. Woods, PhD; Samantha E. Dilworth, MS; Torsten B. Neilands, PhD; Olga Grinstead, PhD; The authors conducted the current study to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV in a bathhouse environment. At a single venue over 13 months, 492 men took part in bathhouse-based VCT. A convenience sample of 133 participants was assessed immediately before and thr
UNITED KINGDOM: UK Teens Get Action, but Not Protection: Poll: Edmonton Journal (10.24.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; CanWest News Service; On Monday, the liberal-tilting, London-based Institute for Public Policy Research released a study that found British teenagers are the most sexually active among their European peers, but the teens are not protecting their sexual health. In 2001-2002, 38 percent of 15-year-old UK teens surveyed said they had experienc
CANADA: Western University Researcher Finds Backer to Finance Clinical Trials of HIV/AIDS Vaccine: Canadian Press (10.17.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Helen Branswell; The University of Western Ontario announced recently that Korea-based Curocom Co. Ltd. will put up the $15 million Canadian ($13.3 million US) needed to take an HIV/AIDS vaccine in development through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. The vaccine was developed by virologist Dr. Yong Kang, who is hopeful but cautiou
SOUTH AFRICA: Top Medical Man Calls for Mandatory HIV Testing: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.20.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Tamar Kahn; Medical plans in South Africa should consider mandatory HIV testing of members on an annual basis, HIV Clinicians Society President Dr. Francois Venter said Thursday. While many plans offer incentives to encourage members to get tested and enroll in disease-management programs, uptake has been disappointing. Medical s
OHIO: Patients Wait to Verify Health Coverage Before Getting Cancer Vaccine: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (10.12.06) - Tuesday, October 24, 2006; Susan Glaser; Doctors in Northeast Ohio report that parents and patients are asking about the new human papillomavirus vaccine, Merck & Co. s Gardasil. However, confusion about health insurance coverage is making doctors and patients alike wary about the $360-$500 three-shot series. Everybody s interested, said Dr. Scot Occhione
CHINA: China Opens 206 Methadone Clinics in Anti-Heroin Campaign: Associated Press (10.20.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; On Friday, the official Xinhua News Agency said China has opened 206 methadone clinics in the past four months, bringing the country s total number of such facilities to 307. The openings are part of a campaign to combat heroin addiction and control the spread of HIV among IV drug users, Xinhua said. Though clinic loca
CHINA: AIDS Class for China Sex Workers Angers Police: Reuters (10.16.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Local police criticized as unacceptable an AIDS prevention class conducted by the disease control center of northeastern Harbin for more than 50 female sex workers, the Beijing News reported. Most new HIV infections are sexually transmitted in China , where it used to be associated more with intravenous transmission.
FLORIDA: Palmetto School Had Four Cases of Hepatitis A; Some Shots to Be Recommended: Bradenton Herald (10.20.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Carl Mario Nudi; On Friday, the Manatee County Health Department reported that four people at Tillman Elementary School in Palmetto have had hepatitis A in recent months. Though the four have recovered and are no longer infectious, the department is asking some people at the school to get injections of immune globulin to prevent their
UNITED STATES: Bristol-Myers Gets New Reyataz Approval: Associated Press (10.20.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; On Friday, New Jersey-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said the Food and Drug Administration has approved its single-capsule formulation of Reyataz as part of combination therapy for HIV infection. The approval means the 300-milligram capsule eliminates the need to take two 150-milligram capsules. Reyataz is meant to be
MAINE: Ellsworth AIDS Agency Starts Needle Exchange: Bangor Daily News (10.21.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Eric Russell; The nonprofit Down East AIDS Agency said Friday its office in Ellsworth will offer a needle exchange, becoming one of only three communities in eastern Maine to participate in such a program. DEAN s sister site in Washington County has had an exchange running for the last 10 months, while the Eastern Maine AIDS Network
NORTH CAROLINA: Video Encourages Testing of Latinos for HIV: Charlotte Observer (10.18.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; DaNica Coto; The growing number of HIV diagnoses, many late in the course of infection, among Latinos in Mecklenburg County is worrying area advocates. Late diagnoses are partly due to medical providers not screening Latinos for HIV even when they present with early symptoms, said Gina Esquivel, a program coordinator for Metrolina
UNITED STATES: Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women: A Unique Risk Group for HIV Transmission on North Carolina College Campuses: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 10: P. 585-593 (10..06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Lisa B. Hightow, MD, MPH; Peter A. Leone, MD; Pia D.M. MacDonald, PhD, MPH; Sandra I. McCoy, MPH; Lynne A. Sampson, MPH; Andrew H. Kaplan, MD; To better understand the role that men who have sex with men and women (MSM/W) play in the spread of HIV in young adults in North Carolina, we determined the prevalence of MSM/W among newly diagnosed HIV-infected men, compared social and behavioral characteristics of this group with MSM and MSW, and examined the sexua
CANADA: Doctor Who Lost Child in Africa Asking Canadians to Give a Day's Pay for AIDS: Canadian Press (10.17.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Colin Perkel; Dr. Jane Philpott, whose daughter died from meningitis in West Africa, has challenged Canadians to give up a day s pay to help fight Africa s AIDS pandemic. Founder of the Give A Day to World AIDS Campaign, Philpott said her daughter s death gave her insight into the suffering of Africans and impressed on her what a pr
CHINA: Expert Warns of Higher HIV Infection Rate Among Gay Men: Xinhua News Agency (10.21.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Speaking recently at an anti-HIV forum in Yichang, a Qingdao University Medical School professor said ignorance of HIV/AIDS is fueling an alarming increase in infections among gay men in China . The health authorities have to do something to curb the rising infection rate among gay men, who account for 2-4 percent of t
TANZANIA: Zanzibar Adopts First-Ever Anti-HIV/AIDS Policy but Rejects Muslim Amendments: Agence France Presse (10.20.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; On Friday, legislators for the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar voted 40-0 to adopt the first-ever Zanzibar National HIV/AIDS Policy. Twenty abstentions were entered by opposition members for political reasons. The plan calls for a household-targeted HIV/AIDS education and prevention campaign, including condom promo
NEW JERSEY: Two AIDS Roadblocks Advance in Trenton: Star-Ledger (Trenton) (10.20.06) - Monday, October 23, 2006; Susan K. Livio; On Friday, a legislative panel approved two bills aimed at stemming the spread of HIV from intravenous drug use. Bill A2839 would permit over-the-counter sales of up to 10 syringes at pharmacies. Bill A1852 would allow up to six communities to launch experimental needle exchange programs linking IV drug users with reha
ILLINOIS: Teens to Raise AIDS Awareness with Bike Ride: Chicago Daily Herald (10.14.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Victoria Pierce; On Oct. 21, Wheaton-area teens will participate in a bike ride to raise HIV awareness and funds for CHOIR, Creating Hope and Opportunity Interfaith Ride. The event, hosted by the St. Paul high school group Connections, and organized by the Wheaton- based HIV prevention awareness group Mosaic Initiative, will fund local
CHINA: Gay Film Festival Gets Official Backing in Hong Kong: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.10.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; On Friday, the Hong Kong Health Department s Red Ribbon Center said it is co-sponsoring the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, where it will promote AIDS awareness and condom use. At the two-week event beginning Nov. 2, a 30-second condom promotion advertisement will be shown before each feature film, and the center will d
GLOBAL: It's Time to Deliver on AIDS: Hamilton Spectator (Ontario) (10.18.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; [The following are excerpts from UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis s keynote address at the closing session of the August 2006 XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, his last speech as envoy.] ...Join with me in giving force to the oft-repeated mantra: Time to Deliver. Of what would that meaning consist? Allow me t
FLORIDA: Three Groups Get Money to Promote Abstinence: St. Petersburg Times (10.17.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Elena Lesley; Three organizations in central Florida recently received a federal abstinence grant dividing $423,000 annually for five years. The grant, issued through the Health and Human Services Youth Services Bureau, will fund abstinence-education efforts for Life Choice Care Center in Citrus County, A New Generation in Hernando
OHIO: Cleveland Schools Revising Sex Education: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (10.20.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Regina McEnery; Prompted by high rates of STDs and teen pregnancy, Cleveland is instituting a sweeping sex education curriculum change that will address both abstinence and contraception. City schools already offer sex education to middle- and high- school students, and are required to teach HIV prevention. The new program is designed
OHIO: HIV-Prevention Drive Targets Black Women: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (10.19.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Regina McEnery; CDC is funding a citywide campaign Cleveland rolled out this week to encourage black women to be tested for HIV. The $750,000 campaign, and a similar one in Philadelphia, aim to cut down on the number of black women contracting HIV through unprotected sex. With black women accounting for two of every three new female H
UNITED STATES: AIDS Virus May Hide in the Gut, Study Finds: Reuters (07.31.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; HIV replicates in the lining of the gut and wreaks havoc on the immune system there, Satya Dandekar, chairperson of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California-Davis Health System, and colleagues recently reported. According to Dandekar, the study is the first to explain why hi
SOUTH AFRICA: Deadly TB Found in All Nine Provinces of South Africa: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.18.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Tamar Kahn; A deadly new strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) first identified in KwaZulu-Natal has spread to all nine provinces in South Africa , the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) confirmed Wednesday. Public health experts are deeply concerned about XDR-TB, since it poses a huge risk to people inf
SOUTH AFRICA: South African AIDS Doctor Urges Universal Testing: Washington Post (10.20.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Craig Timberg; Francois Venter, head of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, said Thursday at a news conference in Cape Town that all South Africans should be required to take a confidential HIV test. Venter said only a small percentage of the estimated 5 million South Africans with HIV know they have it, hindering efforts to
UNITED STATES: Government Accountability Office Advises Agency on Condom Information: Associated Press (10.19.06) - Friday, October 20, 2006; Kevin Freking; On Thursday, the Government Accountability Office reminded the Department of Health and Human Services that STD prevention materials distributed by federally funded abstinence programs must contain medically accurate information on condom effectiveness. The GAO, a watchdog agency, did not make any judgment regarding th
TEXAS: Hereford Restaurant Employee Diagnosed with Hepatitis A: Clovis News Journal (Clovis, N.M.) (10.18.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Marlena Hartz; More than 2,600 shots to prevent hepatitis A have been given in Hereford, Texas, this week, following the diagnosis of an employee at the Hereford Sonic Drive-In, health officials said. The Texas Department of State Health Services began administering the free shots Monday afternoon to anyone who ate at the restaurant
TANZANIA: Sweden to Give $160 Million in Aid to Tanzania: Associated Press (10.17.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; The Swedish government s aid agency, SIDA, announced Tuesday it will give 1.2 billion kronor ($160 million US) in financial support to Tanzania over the next three years to help the country fight poverty. The money will be targeted for improving economic growth, education, and health care, as well as fighting the sprea
ZAMBIA: Help for Zambia: Washington Times (10.17.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; James Morrison; In Lusaka on Monday, the US Ambassador to Zambia announced that the United States will disburse $149 million to help the country distribute free AIDS drugs. That will go towards the treatment of approximately 70,000 people with HIV, said the embassy. Of Zambia s 11 million population, 16 percent have the virus.
WEST, CENTRAL AFRICA: 4.2 Million Children Are AIDS Orphans in West, Central Africa: Agence France Presse (10.18.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; In West and Central Africa, more than 4.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, Esther Guluma, UNICEF director for the region, said at the end of a conference in Dakar on HIV and children. At the end of last year, an estimated 1.3 percent of pregnant HIV-positive women were receiving antiretroviral therapy to pr
KENTUCKY: Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters Educate Boys About Choices, Sexual Responsibility: Lexington Herald-Leader (10.15.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Sarah Vos; The differences between a man, a boy, and a father, and how you know when you are ready for sex were just some of the questions that 43 young African-American males explored recently in Project Alpha, a program sponsored locally by the University of Kentucky s Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the March of Dimes. One part
KENYA: Anal and Dry Sex in Commercial Sex Work, and Relation to Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV in Meru, Kenya: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82: P. 392-396 (10..06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; M. Schwandt; C. Morris; A. Ferguson; E. Ngugi; S. Moses; The aim of the current study was to examine the practice of anal and dry sex within a cohort of female sex workers (FSWs) in Meru, Kenya . A survey was conducted among FSWs: 147 participants were randomly sampled from an existing cohort of self-identified FSWs. In collecting data, the researchers focused on the prevale
UNITED KINGDOM: Cervical Cancer Vaccine Arrives in UK, but Only for Private Clinics: The Guardian (London) (10.18.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Sarah Boseley; More than 100,000 doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil have arrived in the United Kingdom , but they are currently only available through private clinics, manufacturers Merck & Co. and Sanofi-Aventis announced Tuesday. That will likely increase pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) to de
CHINA: China Closes Down HIV/AIDS Group: Agence France Presse (10.19.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Today, a non-governmental organization to address HIV/AIDS and other health issues in China said it was shut down by local authorities in an attempt to silence the NGO. The Xuelianhua AIDS project is based in the western area of Xinjiang. Volunteer and organizer Chang Kun said police summoned him to their office Wednes
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV Treatment Waiting List a 'Fraction' of Those in Need: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.17.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Tamar Kahn; On Monday, South Africa s Department of Health announced that, at the end of June, an estimated 31,255 HIV patients were on a waiting list to receive antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through the public health system. The department stressed that the figure, a response to an anticipated parliamentary question, was much sm
AFRICA: US Says Blood Safety New Africa AIDS Challenge: Reuters (10.18.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Shapi Shancinda; On Wednesday, US Global AIDS Coordinator Mark Dybul said evidence suggests that rates of sexual transmission of HIV are stabilizing in Africa due to educational programming. But more attention should also be paid to non-sexual transmission, including from mother-to-child infections, unsafe blood transfusions, and unste
NEW JERSEY; UGANDA: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Tackles TB a World Away; Research Could Help Avert Crisis Close to Home: The Record (Bergen County) (10.13.06) - Thursday, October 19, 2006; Mary Jo Layton; A $2 million, four-year grant, along with access to 5,000 patients in Uganda , is providing researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey the opportunity to study the rise of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) at home and abroad. Through a partnership with physicians in one of the world
FLORIDA: Manatee School IDs Case of Tuberculosis: Bradenton Herald (10.18.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Donna Wright; Officials from the Manatee County Health Department and Nolan Middle School have identified a case of tuberculosis at the school and are now working to find those who had prolonged exposure to the patient. School officials will notify those persons by letter to get a TB skin test 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 24 at the school. T
UNITED STATES: FDA Cites Qiagen with Warning Letter: Associated Press (10.17.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Matthew Perrone; In an Oct. 2 letter posted to the Food and Drug Administration s Web site on Monday, the agency warned Dutch biotechnology company Qiagen NV that it does not have regulatory approval to market six diagnostic products in the United States . The company s Web site claims the products - tests for herpes, lime disease, par
INDIANA: Indiana University Speaker Discusses Experience with HIV/AIDS: University Wire (10.12.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Annysa Lamantia, Indiana Daily Student; Indiana University; William Brawner, who was diagnosed with HIV at age 3, was the keynote speaker at RedVolution, a recent benefit for the Bloomington Hospital s Positive Link Emergency Care Fund, which provides free services for HIV/AIDS patients. Brawner, age 27, contracted the virus at 18 months from a blood transfusion. When he was 5,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Forum Seeks to Combat AIDS Rate: Washington Times (10.15.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Tarron Lively; Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country, 179.2 per 100,000 residents, according to city officials. Nearly 10,000 people in the city have AIDS, with blacks disproportionately affected. The District s first public estimate, released in June, said as many as 25,000 people may have HIV, more
OREGON: HIV Alliance Given Dental Care Grant: Register-Guard (Eugene) (10.14.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Andrea Damewood; The HIV Alliance of Eugene has received a $2 million federal grant to create a model low-cost dental clinic for HIV patients, said Rene Yandel, director of client services. Studies have shown that oral health has been linked with overall health, and that s just in the general population, Yandel said. If you extrapolate
UNITED STATES: Intervention Curbs Risky Sex in Ex-Cons: Reuters (10.11.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Will Boggs, MD; Dr. Richard J. Wolitski of CDC and colleagues determined the effectiveness of Project START, an enhanced sexual risk- reduction intervention program, among 522 young men scheduled for release from prison. Because most men who are incarcerated return to their communities, the health of these men is an important public h
UKRAINE: Bill Clinton Joins Ukrainian Foundations in Fight Against AIDS in Ukraine: AIDS Weekly (10.16.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; The Elena Franchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation have signed a five-year agreement with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative implementing projects aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS and providing care and support for HIV/AIDS patients in Ukraine . Elena Franchuk and Victor Pinchuk are contributing $2.5 milli
CHINA: AIDS Spreading Beyond China High Risk Groups: Reuters (10.17.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Tan Ee Lyn; China is becoming like Africa in terms of the spread of HIV beyond high-risk groups, said a Ministry of Health official. Last year, we found that 48 percent of those who were newly infected contracted the disease from sex, so it s not a disease that afflicts only high-risk groups, said Hao Yang, deputy director gene
AFRICA: Africa Needs to Wake Up on Killer TB Strains: UN: Agence France Presse (10.17.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; On Tuesday, the World Health Organization warned African governments against inaction in tackling drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis. Recently, 78 people have died from either multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) or extremely-drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) in South Africa , which is hosting a two-day conference to di
UTAH: Utah Kicks Off New Campaign to Snuff Out Cervical Cancer: Salt Lake Tribune (10.13.06) - Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Carey Hamilton; Utah Lieutenant Gov. Gary Herbert recently announced that his state is one of ten chosen by the National Lieutenant Governors Association to participate in the End Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime campaign. The American Cancer Society (ACS) plans to ask the legislature for $600,000 to help fund the project. The goals of
OHIO: TB Tests at Stark School: Akron Beacon Journal (10.17.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Bob Downing; The Stark County Health Department is expected to screen about 1,400 students, teachers, and staff for tuberculosis today at Jackson Middle School following last week s confirmation that a student has active TB. The department will return Thursday for results, County Health Commissioner William Franks said yesterday. T
INDIANA: Hundreds Walk to Help AIDS Cause: Indianapolis Star (10.16.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Amy Bartner; More than $104,000 was raised during Sunday s 16th annual Indiana AIDS Walk & Ride at University Park in downtown Indianapolis. The money will help the Indiana AIDS Fund provide services for the more than 10,000 state residents living with HIV/AIDS.
TEXAS: March Against AIDS Goes On: Austin American-Statesman (10.16.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Claire Osborn; On Sunday, hundreds of people braved high humidity and intermittent drizzle to participate in the 19th annual walk to benefit AIDS Services of Austin and other local service organizations. At least $109,000 had been pledged by the start of the walk, said ASA Executive Director Lee Manford. The event also marked the fou
MEXICO: AIDS Aid for Mexico: Washington Times (10.16.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; James Morrison; The US Embassy in Mexico has announced a $1.2 million medical assistance package to combat HIV and tuberculosis. The money will fund mobile screening and diagnosis for high-risk Mexicans in Tijuana; develop a US-Mexican partnership for prevention of the two diseases; increase preventive measures among male migrant popu
UNITED STATES: FDA Capsules: Newsday (New York) (10.17.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Aptima HIV-1 RNA Qualitative Assay as the first for detecting genetic material in HIV. The HIV-1 test can be used as an alternative to the confirmatory Western blot. For more information, visit: www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2006/new01479.html.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: To Curb the Trend, Magic Tells His Story: Washington Post (10.13.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Robert E. Pierre; On Thursday, Earvin Johnson Jr., aka Magic Johnson, spoke at a high school and a Baptist church in Washington, D.C. His mission: HIV prevention and the need to get tested. In real life, I m not supposed to be here, Johnson, whose basketball career ended in 1991 when a routine blood test revealed he had HIV, told an aud
UNITED STATES: Perceptions of Sexual Abstinence Among High- Risk Early and Middle Adolescents: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 192-198 (08..06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Mary A. Ott, MD; Elizabeth J. Pfeiffer, MA; J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS; Sexual abstinence has become the primary response to adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection [STI) prevention, the authors noted. However, most abstinence programs are based on adult ideas of abstinence, and little is known about how adolescents themselves conceptualize sexual abstinence. The researche
ARGENTINA: Classrooms Will Be New Place to Learn About Sex: Inter Press Service (10.11.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Marcela Valente; Recently, the Argentine Senate passed the National Program of Comprehensive Sex Education, which requires the Ministry of Education to draw up guidelines for the first sex education program to be taught in public and private schools throughout the country. The ministry will work with a multidisciplinary committee of ex
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: DRC Patients Die Before Drugs Arrive: Agence France Presse (10.11.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Isabelle Ligner; Access to health care is a problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo, scarred by years of ethnic strife and civil war. In the western part of the country, where fighting between Congolese forces and the Mai Mai militia forced 200,000 villagers from their homes last year, health care is delivered by one rural clinic f
MINNESOTA: Pawlenty Announces Latino AIDS Awareness Day: Minnesota Daily (Minneapolis) (10.16.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Ashley Wong, University of Minnesota; Gov. Tim Pawlenty declared Sunday Latino AIDS Awareness Day in Minnesota, part of a month-long national testing and awareness campaign. Latinos are disproportionately infected by HIV, said Roy Nelson, state Department of Health s information and media specialist. National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is to call attention
GEORGIA: Macon Youths to Participate in National HIV Prevention Study: Macon Telegraph (10.16.06) - Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Julie Hubbard; Macon youths considered at high risk for HIV or STDs will take part in a National Institutes of Health-funded HIV/STD study enrolling 1,600 participants ages 12-16, say Emory University researchers involved in the investigation. The 400 Macon youths, mostly African-American, will join the 18-month study next month. The
FLORIDA: AIDS Walk Strides for Cure, Help: Bradenton Herald (10.15.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Melissa Followell; About 425 people participated in the first Sarasota-Manatee AIDS Walk on Saturday, helping to raise more than $40,000 for services provided by Trinity Charities. In addition to providing clients with medical and housing assistance, the agency promotes HIV prevention in the community.
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Walk Breaks Records: Los Angeles Times (10.16.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; David Haldane; A record 30,000 people turned out for Sunday s 10th annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, raising an estimated $3.8 million, said organizers. Americans are waking up to the scope and depth of this epidemic, said Craig Thompson, executive director of AIDS Project Los Angeles, which receives money from the event. The 6.2-mile wa
BOTSWANA; TANZANIA: Durham Group Plans AIDS Project: News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (10.11.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Durham-based Family Health International, a nonprofit group targeting STDs, received grants of $31.6 million from the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to fund two projects in Africa. Aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS infections among African youth, the group will receive $25 million for work in Tanzani
CALIFORNIA: Jeff Getty: 1957-2006: San Francisco Chronicle (10.15.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Sabin Russell; Jeff Getty, an AIDS treatment activist who underwent an unprecedented bone marrow transplant from a baboon in the days before antiretroviral therapy, died Oct. 9 at age 49 after a long struggle with the disease. In December 1995, Getty garnered international attention for undergoing an experimental bone marrow transpla
New York: Debacle Threatens AIDS Housing: Gay City News (New York City) (10.12.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Paul Schindler; Elected officials and advocates gathered in New York City Oct. 10 to protest a provision of state law that will adjust the way rent is calculated for HIV/AIDS patients in government- subsidized housing. Their monthly payment will no longer be limited to 30 percent of their income but could exceed 50 percent. Such an ad
GEORGIA: New Group Plans Protests to Fight AIDS Among Blacks: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.06.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Ryan Lee; On Oct. 2, Atlanta s AIDS Survival Project organized a meeting of activists to devise strategies to foster HIV awareness among African Americans. According to Georgia Department of Human Resources statistics, African Americans, who make up 29 percent of the population of Georgia, account for 76 percent of all new AIDS
KENYA: Risk Factors for HIV Infection in a National Adult Population: Evidence from the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 42; No. 5: P. 627-636 (08.15.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Kiersten Johnson, PhD; Ann Way, PhD; The authors of the current study sought to examine demographic, social, and behavioral variables as HIV risk factors among men and women in Kenya . Data from the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, a cross-sectional, population-based survey, were used. Survey fieldwork produced 3,273 women ages 15-49 and 2,941 me
AUSTRALIA: Sex Health Advice Now Available by Text Message: Australian Associated Press (10.12.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Katelyn John; Marie Stopes International (MSI, which provides sexual and reproductive health care services worldwide, recently launched sextxt, a messaging service targeted to 16- to 25-year-olds that will send advice on pregnancies, unprotected sex, emergency contraception, and STDs directly to mobile phones in text young people un
GLOBAL: Report: Nations Are Not Sufficiently Preventing Widespread Violence Against Women: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Sarah DiLorenzo; A recent report from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said violence against women persists at high rates around the world, and governments are not doing enough to prevent it. At a news conference launching the report, Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo called violence against wome
UNITED STATES: Doctor and Advocacy Groups Work to Deliver Cervical Cancer Vaccinations: Women's Health Weekly (10.05.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; The Partnership to End Cervical Cancer (PECC) is a group of more than 20 member organizations dedicated to ensuring the immediate inclusion of cervical cancer vaccines as part of routine preventive health care for American women. Cervical cancer, mostly caused by persistent infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus
NEW JERSEY: Panel Acts on Needle Exchange: Asbury Park Press (10.13.06) - Monday, October 16, 2006; Michael Rispoli; On Thursday, the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 9-5 to release a bill allowing six New Jersey communities to start pilot needle exchange programs. However, the Bloodborne Disease Harm Reduction Act was not passed with a recommendation that the full Senate pass it. Lawmakers serving on the commit
GEORGIA: Warner Robins CME Church Hosts HIV Awareness Day: Macon Telegraph (10.13.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; On Saturday, the Warner Robins CME Church will host an HIV/AIDS Awareness Day at its family life center at 200 Othal H. Lakey Circle. The event will offer free HIV testing conducted by the Rainbow Center of Macon and as well as free food and door prizes, said Teresa Brooks, coordinator. Pastor Lindsey Napier said the e
ILLINOIS: Howard Brown and South Side Center Enter Partnership; CDC Funds Project: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.04.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; CDC has awarded a three-year, $950,000 grant for Howard Brown Health Center to develop and test a culturally tailored HIV intervention for African-American men who have sex with men. Principal investigator David McKirnan, PhD, of the University of Illinois-Chicago, and HBHC will team with HIV experts at the South Side
VIRGINIA: Clinic Serving HIV/AIDS Patients to Stay Open: Washington Post (10.12.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Susan Levine; Thanks to an improved financial outlook, the Whitman-Walker Clinic will maintain its Northern Virginia satellite facility beyond 2006, CEO Donald Blanchon announced Wednesday. When the nonprofit ran into severe budget problems around 18 months ago, its clinic at Lee Highway and George Mason Drive remained open thanks t
EUROPEAN UNION: Three Drugmakers Seek EU OK for HIV Drug: Associated Press (10.09.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; On Monday, drug companies Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Gilead Sciences Inc., and Merck & Co. said they have filed a marketing application with European regulators to get the HIV drug Atripla approved. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Atripla in July. Taken once a day in a single tablet, the drug combine
NORTH CAROLINA: Group Offers Free AIDS Testing: Charlotte Observer (10.08.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Chanda Blitch; The Hickory-based AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance will conduct free HIV testing and education events in conjunction with October s HIV/AIDS Awareness Month. A nonprofit United Way member agency, ALFA serves 186 clients in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Watauga, and Wilkes counties. ALFA w
SOUTH AFRICA; KENYA: Male Genital Hygiene Affects Risk of HIV Infection: Reuters (09.22.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Two new reports suggest regularly washing the penis lowers the risk of HIV infection in both circumcised and uncircumcised men. Male circumcision is associated with reduced HIV prevalence, Dr. Nigel O Farrell of Ealing Hospital in London and colleagues noted in their study. They theorized that subpreputial penile wetne
IVORY COAST: 7 in 10 Women Sexually Abused, Researcher Says: Inter Press Service (10.08.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Fulgence Zamble; In Abidjan recently, Ethel Higonnet of New York-based Human Rights Watch presented the initial findings from her research into sexual violence in Ivory Coast since 2002. She said she found widespread sexual slavery, incest, and rape with 70 percent of women being regular victims of sexual violence. Although Ivorian
MYANMAR: Hopes in Myanmar for New Fund to Fight Deadly Diseases: Agence France Presse (10.11.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Charlotte McDonald-Gibson; Thursday was set as the launch date of the Three Diseases Fund (3D Fund), a UN-managed effort to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in impoverished Myanmar . The $100 million fund takes the place of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which pulled out of Myanmar last year over claims the ruling junta
SWAZILAND: US to End Funding of Anti-AIDS Program in Swaziland: Washington Post (10.13.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Craig Timberg; The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced Thursday night that it has ended funding to a program offering subsidized circumcisions to men in Swaziland . The statement said the agency had only recently learned of the program, which violates government policy supporting the study of circumcision but no
UNITED STATES: Bono Makes Fighting AIDS a Win All Around: USA Today (10.12.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Steve Sternberg; Friday marks the US launch of Product RED, a consumer-driven initiative designed to help fund the war on HIV/AIDS. Up to 50 percent of sales revenues from special Converse Chuck Taylor shoes, RED clothing from Gap, select Motorola cell phones, and certain items from a special Giorgio Armani collection will be donated t
UNITED STATES: Few Pediatricians Have First Cancer Vaccine: News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (10.07.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Sabine Vollmer; A large number of young women are still waiting to gain access to Gardasil - four months after the vaccine against human papillomavirus was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. That is because many health care providers are waiting until federal funding for Gardasil is in place before they order it. In a surve
UNITED STATES: HIV Rising Among Hispanics: Increasing Infection Rate Spurs Efforts to Reach Silent Community: Detroit Free Press (10.08.06) - Friday, October 13, 2006; Ruby L. Bailey; National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is Sunday, Oct. 15. Health experts say an HIV crisis is underway in the Hispanic community, where social stigma, poverty, language barriers, and fear of deportation deter testing and increase the infection rate. After African Americans, Hispanics have the second-highest HIV infection
MARYLAND: GenVec to Get $3.6 Million HIV Funds: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; On Tuesday, Gaithersburg-based GenVec Inc. said it has been awarded an additional $3.6 million from the National Institutes of Health for HIV vaccine research. The new money raises funding for the program, which runs through the end of fiscal 2008, to $53 million. The terms of the subcontract call for the development a
CHINA: Three-Fifths of Officials Show Little Knowledge of AIDS: Survey: Xinhua News Agency (10.12.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; More than 60 percent of Chinese local government officials have little awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, according to a survey conducted by the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. More than 3,000 officials were polled, of whom 38.1 percent thought China had already developed an AIDS vaccine, while 24
CHINA: Chinese Schools Ban Hepatitis B Carriers: Report: Agence France Presse (10.11.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; The China Daily newspaper has reported that central government authorities are expressing outrage over the expulsion of 19 middle school students with hepatitis B in the city of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. We made the decision when considering a safe environment for our other 900-plus students, said an official from
GLOBAL: Airline Tax to Help 250,000 Children with AIDS, TB: French Foreign Minister: Agence France Presse (10.09.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; On Monday, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said the first people to benefit from an international tax on air travel will be some 250,000 children infected with HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis. UNITAID, the agency formed by the 19 countries implementing the tax, expects to raise 50 million euros ($63 million US)
MISSOURI: Three AIDS Groups in Talks to Join Together: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (10.10.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Deborah L. Shelton; Three St. Louis AIDS service organizations have formed a committee to discuss whether they should unite into one larger organization. Informal consolidation talks began over a year ago between Doorways, St. Louis Effort for AIDS, and the AIDS Foundation of St. Louis. Doorways is a housing agency for people with HIV/AID
MISSOURI: Condom Program? University of Missouri-Columbia Decides It Will Just Say No: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (10.11.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Kavita Kumar; On Tuesday, officials at the University of Missouri-Columbia said the school will not put condoms in residence hall restrooms, as had been reported in the media previously. University spokesperson Mary Jo Banken said Chancellor Brady Deaton had decided not to move forward with the initiative, which was suggested by a s
NEW YORK: Area Latinos Targeted for AIDS/HIV Education: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (10.11.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Delen Goldberg; Hispanics are the fastest-growing population in the nation, and HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly among them. In New York state, more than 28 percent of HIV infections and 31 percent of AIDS cases are Hispanic. But while the Latino population in the central part of the state is booming, CDC attributes only around 10 percen
MADAGASCAR: Prostate-Specific Antigen to Ascertain Reliability of Self-Reported Coital Exposure to Semen: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 8: P. 476-479 (08..06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Maria F. Gallo, PhD; Frieda M. Behets, PhD; Markus J. Steiner, PhD; Marcia M. Hobbs, PhD; Theresa Hatzell Hoke, PhD; Kathleen Van Damme, MD; Louisette Ralimamonjy, MD; Leonardine Raharimalala, MD; Myron S. Cohen, MD; The current study set out to assess the validity of women s reports of recent unprotected sex by testing for prostate- specific antigen (PSA) in vaginal samples. The authors conducted prospective research with 332 female sex workers attending two public dispensaries in Madagascar . The researchers found that among
LESOTHO: Sacrificing Youth for Adult Duties: Baltimore Sun (10.08.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Scott Calvert; In Lesotho , 15-year-old Rapelang Ntsane is one of an estimated 1,860 teenagers orphaned by AIDS who now function as the head of their household. When Rapelang was born in April 1991, 2 percent of women tested at Lesotho s prenatal clinics were HIV-positive. That figure climbed to 20 percent five years later. By 2003,
AUSTRALIA: New HIV Infections in Australia Up 41 Percent from 2000, Study Finds: Associated Press (10.12.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Meraiah Foley; A report released today shows new HIV diagnoses in Australia jumped by 41 percent in five years, from 656 cases in 2000 to 930 in 2005. The annual survey, issued by the National Center in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR), is fueling concerns that advances in treatment are giving people a false sense of n
GLOBAL: Retiring US Congressman Up to Lead World AIDS Prevention Group; Says He Sees No Conflict: Associated Press (10.11.06) - Thursday, October 12, 2006; Jennifer Talhelm; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has confirmed that Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) is one of five candidates under consideration to become its new executive director. Kolbe is set to retire at the end of the year after 22 years in Congress. As chairperson of the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign opera
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: AIDS Walk at 20: Washington Post (10.08.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Elissa Silverman; While some 4,000 people had signed up to participate in Sunday s 20th annual AIDS Walk Washington, fewer than that showed up. The event s sponsors, the Whitman-Walker Clinic, blamed rainy, chilly weather for lower attendance. The walk was expected to raise about $500,000. I think the turnout s wonderful, given how nast
ARIZONA: Thousands Participate in AIDSWalk: Arizona Daily Star (10.09.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Sunday s 18th annual Tucson AIDSWalk drew a record crowd of almost 6,000, according to Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation officials. Though still being calculated, the amount of money raised for the foundation exceeded last year s total of $220,000, when about 3,500 took part. Officials credited the event s move to the U
FLORIDA: AIDS Walk Planned Saturday at New College: Bradenton Herald (10.10.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; On Saturday, New College of Florida will host the Sarasota- Manatee AIDS Walk. The event helps raise funds for Trinity Charities support services. The two-mile walk steps off from Sudakoff Center on the campus at 9 a.m.; registration begins at 8 a.m. More than 500 participants are expected. For more information, contac
TEXAS: How Out and About Are You?: Dallas Morning News (10.10.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Ian McCann; Brandon Formby; Sunday is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. In Dallas, the gay Latino group Valiente will mark the day with free HIV testing at Bachman Lake from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
NEW YORK: Rent Increase Is Criticized: New York Times (10.11.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Sewell Chan; At a news conference Tuesday, state Sen. Thomas K. Duane and Assembly member Richard N. Gottfried (both of Manhattan) and New York City Council member Bill de Blasio (Brooklyn) criticized as heartless and shortsighted the recent state- mandated rent increase for HIV/AIDS patients in government- subsidized housing. The
AUSTRALIA: Push for HIV Test During Pregnancy: The Age (Melbourne) (10.10.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Carol Nader; A policy drafted by the Australian government says all women should be offered HIV testing, and pregnant women should be tested routinely. Currently, testing is offered to women only if they are deemed to be at risk of infection. The draft policy has the support of the government of Victoria.
NEBRASKA: An Ounce of Prevention: Omaha World-Herald (10.02.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Julie Anderson; Merck & Co. s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil is slowly becoming available in the Omaha region, after being approved recently by the Food and Drug Administration. Omaha OB/GYN Associates has a standing order for Gardasil at Kohll s Pharmacy and Homecare, said Marty Feltner, a pharmacist. It s going to t
UNITED STATES: Delayed Diagnosis and Elevated Mortality in an Urban Population with HIV and Lung Cancer: Implications for Patient Care: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 43; No. 1: P. 47-55 (09..06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Malcolm V. Brock, MD; Craig M. Hooker, MPH; Eric A. Engels, MD, MPH; Richard D. Moore, MD; Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD; Anthony J. Alberg, PhD; Jeanne C. Keruly, RN; Stephen C. Yang, MD; Richard F. Heitmiller, MD; Stephen B. Baylin, MD; James G. Herman, MD; Julie R. Brahmer, MD; Lung cancer is more common in HIV patients than in the general population, observed the authors. They conducted a retrospective analysis of lung cancer diagnoses in HIV patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1986 and 2004 to determine how effectively the cancer was being diagnosed in these patients. In comparison t
THAILAND: Kingdom to Trial New HIV Gel: The Nation (Thailand) (10.09.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Arthit Khwankhom; HIV-positive Thai women will be among participants in a safety and efficacy trial of a vaginal gel designed to block HIV transmission. The Viva Gel microbicide, made by the Australian firm Starpharma, proved safe in a trial among 24 HIV-negative Australian women more than a year ago, said Professor Praphan Phanuphak, d
SOUTH AFRICA: Warning of Growing Resistance to Gonorrhea Drug Therapy: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.04.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Tamar Kahn; South Africa s National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD) has warned of a rise in the number of gonorrhea patients who do not respond to ciprofloxacin, the antibiotic the government recommends as the primary drug to fight the STD. The increasing drug resistance has implications for the health department, as the
CANADA: Injection Site Could Save Millions: Report: Victoria Times-Colonist (10.07.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Cindy E. Harnett; Rob Shaw; A supervised injection site for IV drug users (IDUs) in Victoria would cost $1.2 million Canadian ($1.1 million US) to operate but could save $3 million Canadian ($2.7 million US) in health care costs and hospital visits each year, according to a business estimate by the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). Accord
GLOBAL: Physician Expresses Optimism on Taking Post to Counter HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; Barry Schweid; After serving as acting coordinator of the program since March, Dr. Mark R. Dybul was sworn in Tuesday as the US Global AIDS coordinator for President Bush s $15 billion, five-year prevention and treatment initiative. We are beginning to turn the tide against the epidemic, Dybul said at the State Department ceremony.
GLOBAL: Bush Administration Seeks Approval of Social Conditions for Recipients of AIDS Money: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Wednesday, October 11, 2006; On Tuesday, the Justice Department appealed a court decision that allows nonprofit AIDS groups to seek federal funding without signing pledges to oppose prostitution and sex trafficking. Calling the condition highly germane to the main goal of fighting HIV/AIDS globally, the government said, Congress could reasonably d
UTAH: $3 Million US Grant to Promote Abstinence: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (10.08.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; The federal government has awarded a five-year, $3 million grant to the Weber-Morgan Health Department to teach sixth- through eighth-graders the benefits of sexual abstinence. About 9 percent of downtown Ogden girls ages 15-19 gave birth to a child between 2002 and 2004, compared to 3.4 percent for Utah and a 4.1 perc
PENNSYLVANIA: Montgomery County Offering TB Testing as Precaution: Philadelphia Inquirer (10.07.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; On Thursday, the Montgomery County Health Department announced plans to offer TB testing to more than 100 students and staffers who had contact with an Upper Moreland High School student with TB. Harriet Morton, department spokesperson, said the student did not show signs of the infection while attending school last sp
GLOBAL: AIDS Envoy Attacks Condom Ban: Edmonton Journal (10.07.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; In Switzerland Friday, Princess Stephanie of Monaco used the occasion of her first speech as UNAIDS goodwill ambassador to criticize the Roman Catholic Church s ban on condoms. Noting there is no alternative to the use of condoms in fighting AIDS, Prin
NIGERIA: Bill Gates Pledges Aid to Fight HIV/AIDS in Talks with Nigerian Leader: Agence France Presse (10.08.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; In talks on Saturday, US billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates gave Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo a promise of additional assistance in fighting poverty and diseases including HIV/AIDS, TB and polio. Gates and his wife, who together head the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited Obasanjo at his farm in Ot
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Main Killer of Men in San Francisco: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.05.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Matthew S. Bajko; Despite the 1996 advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, 2003 data from the San Francisco Department of Public Health show that AIDS remained the number-one cause of death for men ages 15-54 in the city. A DPH epidemiologist believes it is most likely also the leading cause of mortality among gay men ages 15-64
UNITED STATES: Improved Adherence and Less Toxicity with Rifampin vs Isoniazid for Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis: Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 166; No. 17: P. 1863-1870 (09.25.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Kathleen R. Page, MD; Frangiscos Sifakis, PhD; Ruben Montes de Oca, PhD; Wendy A. Cronin, PhD; Meg C. Doherty, MD, PhD; Lynn Federline, RN; Sarah Bur, RN; Thomas Walsh, MD; Walter Karney, MD; James Milman, MD; Nancy Baruch, RN; Akintoye Adelakun, MD; Susan E. Dorman, MD; While treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is key component of TB control in the United States , the effectiveness of this strategy is compromised by poor adherence to the recommended nine-month isoniazid regimen. In this study, the authors compared treatment completion and clinically recognized adverse dr
SOUTH AFRICA: Mother's Milk Shipped to South Africa to Feed Starving Orphans: ABC News (10.04.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Martin Seemungal; At the Itembu Luthu orphanage in Durban, children orphaned by AIDS often arrive too sick and malnourished to cry, say workers. What they need, besides love and care, is breast milk to help build up their health, said Perry Reimers, who runs the orphanage and helps find breast milk donors. Because they are immune compro
EUROPEAN UNION: Health Agencies Urge EU to Tackle TB in Eastern Europe: Agence France Presse (10.09.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; The World Health Organization , Red Cross and 20 other agencies, and nongovernmental organizations announced Tuesday they are forming an alliance to press European Union governments to tackle dangerous levels of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Eastern Europe. The drug resistance that we are seeing now is without doubt t
ASIA-PACIFIC: Asia-Pacific Must Strengthen HIV Prevention Among Vulnerable Groups: WHO Official: Associated Press (10.10.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Margie Mason; On Monday, the head of the World Health Organization s HIV/AIDS division called on Asia-Pacific nations to focus more prevention efforts on injecting drug users (IDUs) and men who have sex with men (MSM). HIV could spread quickly, even in countries with very low rates like the Philippines , if there is a rise in dru
UNITED STATES: Bold New Effort at Routine HIV Testing May Take Years to Carry Out in Some Parts of the US: Associated Press (10.06.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Mike Stobbe; CDC s new guidelines are intended to make HIV testing in health care settings more routine. But their implementation may take a year or longer in some parts of the country, public health experts say, due to state laws and the reluctance of some family doctors to take part. The recommendations would save time for doctor
UNITED STATES: Electronic Network to Pool Information About HIV: New York Times (10.10.06) - Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Lawrence K. Altman; A $2.45 million federal grant will help seven US centers monitor clinical HIV/AIDS therapies among 15,000 patients within a shared data framework, allowing longer-term research and comparison of treatment benefits and dangers. The grant, awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Natio
UTAH: Applications Still Being Accepted for Gay Men's Health Summit: Salt Lake Tribune (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Michael N. Westley; The Invenio-Utah Gay Men s Health Summit, hosted by the Utah AIDS Foundation, continues to accept applications for those wishing to attend the forum-style event. While the conference begins Friday, most activities are scheduled for Saturday. Speakers include foundation Program Director David Ferguson, Capt. Tracey Ting
ALABAMA: AIDS Fight Subject of Tuskegee 'Teach-In: Associated Press (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; At Tuskegee University this weekend, LIFE AIDS, a group founded by college students to stop HIV/AIDS in the black community, will host its third annual Historically Black College and University Teach-In and Town Hall Meeting. With the theme AIDS in Blackface: 25 Years of an Epidemic, the conference aims to raise awaren
CAMBODIA: France Gives Cambodia $2.5 Million for AIDS Research: Xinhua News Agency (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; France s National Agency for AIDS Research has given ?2 million (about $2.5 million US) to Cambodia for AIDS research. Mean Chai Vung, director of the Center for Combating AIDS and Dermatology, said on Thursday that the money is earmarked for five research projects and for AIDS education. The funds will enable Cambodia
UNITED KINGDOM: Many Men Who Pay for Sex Have Partners: UK Study: Reuters (10.02.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; In a new study, Dr. Tamsin Groom of Glasgow s Sandyford Initiative reported that almost 50 percent of men in Scotland who pay for sex were in concurrent relationships. Groom and another Sandyford researcher interviewed 2,500 men attending a sexual health clinic from October 2002 to February 2004. While none was HIV-pos
SOUTH AFRICA: Get Your Jeans and AIDS Test Down at the Mall: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Tamar Kahn; Under its Red for Life HIV campaign, Levi Strauss SA has partnered with the nongovernmental organization New Start and media outlets to promote HIV testing for youth in South Africa . The Work it Out for Yourself initiative will sponsor mobile HIV testing units in places where young people congregate, such as shopping
PHILIPPINES: Philippines Urged to Promote Condom Use More Aggressively: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; On Thursday at the end of a three-day meeting in Manila, the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund urged the Philippines to take a more aggressively stance in promoting condom use. The two agencies, citing a 2005 health department survey, said a 57 percent condom use rate among Filipino sex workers is to
AUSTRALIA: Alarming Increase in HIV Notifications: Australian Associated Press (10.06.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Shelley Markham; The Australian state of Victoria is reporting new HIV diagnoses at levels not seen since the early 1990s, state Health Minister Bronwyn Pike warned recently. In 2005, there were 286 diagnoses, and Victoria reported 198 notifications for the first six months of this year. In 1991, Victoria reported 317 diagnoses. Clearl
SOUTH CAROLINA: $1 Million to Help Churches Fight AIDS: The State (Columbia) (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; The South Carolina Legislature has allocated $1 million to Project FAITH, a program designed to fight HIV/AIDS in the black community. African Americans represent nearly three- quarters of HIV cases statewide. Led by the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council, Project FAITH will target 11 churches in the Midlands and 13 other
NEW JERSEY: Study Finds Rape of Inmates Relatively Rare in New Jersey: Star-Ledger (Newark) (10.05.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Robert Schwaneberg; A survey of adult inmates in every New Jersey prison has found that 3.2 percent of women and 1.5 percent of men reported being sexually assaulted by other inmates during a six-month period. Rutgers University professor Nancy Wolff, the study s lead author, said that this rate is considerably lower than that reported in
UNITED STATES: Scientists Test Drugs for HIV Dementia: Associated Press (10.02.06) - Friday, October 06, 2006; Lauran Neergaard; The National Institutes of Health s National Institute of Mental Health is funding a $60 million effort to find treatments to counteract HIV s effects on the human brain. In the early years of the epidemic, AIDS dementia caused some with the disease to degenerate to the level of end-stage Alzheimer s patients; death ty
CALIFORNIA: Walk Keeps Focus on AIDS Research: San Diego Union-Tribune (10.02.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; James Steinberg; Around 12,000 people, including Mayor Jerry Sanders, participated in Sunday s 17th annual AIDS Walk San Diego. The 5K walk and 10K run through Balboa Park and Hillcrest was expected to raise more than $300,000 for two dozen HIV/AIDS service organizations in San Diego County, said Jennifer Jones of the Lesbian Gay Bisex
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The Great Outdoors: Washington Post (10.05.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; This Saturday, the 5K AIDS Walk Washington will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Freedom Plaza (14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). The annual fundraiser for Whitman-Walker Clinic s HIV/AIDS services will feature the Gay Men s Chorus of Washington singing the national anthem. Walkers can register at www.aidswalkwashington.o
NEW YORK: Free HIV, STD Tests Offered: Times Union (Albany) (10.04.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Azra Haqqie; Starting Oct. 12, the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York will offer free confidential HIV testing and STD screening in the evening at its Albany office once a month. Testing will be held 5-6:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis to accommodate those who cannot access services during the workday. Case managemen
SWITZERLAND: Fuzeon Shows Benefits When Combined, Roche Says: Reuters (10.05.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Up to 95 percent of patients treated with the fusion inhibitor Fuzeon in combination with an antiretroviral can achieve undetectable HIV levels, Swiss drugmaker Roche AG said today. Without Fuzeon, 60-70 percent of patients achieved undetectable HIV levels taking Merck & Co. Inc. s MK-0518, an integrase inhibitor d
FLORIDA: HIV Caregivers Glad to Recoup $560,000: Palm Beach Post (10.04.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Antigone Barton; HIV/AIDS caregivers in Palm Beach County, who were earlier this year hit by a 13 percent reduction in Ryan White CARE Act funds, have now learned more than $560,000 that was unspent in the previous year s allotment will be returned to the county. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) distribut
NEW YORK: Adults on Welfare with HIV or AIDS Hit with Rent Increase: New York Times (10.05.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Sewell Chan; The state s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance has ordered New York City s welfare agency to sharply increase the rent contribution required of about 2,200 adults with HIV/AIDS who live in government-subsidized apartments. City officials told advocates about the change on Wednesday. People in the program alr
UNITED STATES: A Brief Individualized Computer-Delivered Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention Increases HIV/AIDS Preventive Behavior: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 3: P. 404-410 (09..06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Susan M. Kiene, MA; William D. Barta, PhD; The current study reports the development and evaluation of a computer-delivered, theory-based, individually tailored HIV risk-reduction intervention. The investigators evaluated a custom computerized HIV/AIDS risk-reduction intervention to determine its effectiveness at increasing HIV/AIDS preventive behaviors in a ra
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Tests for Prisoners, Warders: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.03.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Ernest Mabuza; South Africa s Correctional Services Department said Monday it will conduct voluntary HIV testing on approximately 12,500 prisoners and staff to determine the prevalence of HIV and syphilis in the country s prisons. The department said it will use the survey to design a comprehensive program to stop the diseases from s
AUSTRALIA: Liver Disease to Skyrocket if Hepatitis C Patients Not Treated: Australian Associated Press (10.03.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Tamara McLean; Untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection will cause a 38 percent rise in liver disease in Australia over the next decade, according to a quadrennial study conducted by the University of New South Wales and the federal government. The study was released Tuesday to coincide with national Hepatitis C Awareness Week.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Death Toll Rises to 74 in Deadly TB Outbreak: Reuters (10.04.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Sarah McGregor; On Wednesday, the physician who first discovered a fatal, highly drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis in South Africa said the resulting death toll has risen to 74 people, up from a previous count of 62, since January 2005. Dr. Tony Moll first identified extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) at King George Hospital in
CALIFORNIA: Funding for Patients with AIDS/HIV Revised: Press Enterprise (Riverside) (09.29.06) - Thursday, October 05, 2006; Claire Vitucci; Under legislation passed by the US House of Representatives, and pending a Senate vote after the November elections, rural parts of the state including Riverside and San Bernardino counties would receive more funding through revisions to the Ryan White CARE Act. The measure would include HIV diagnoses in addition to AI
MICHIGAN: Sistahs, Talking About AIDS Is Long Overdue: Detroit Free Press (10.03.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Desiree Cooper; Linda Villarosa, an AIDS advocate and an editor-at-large of Essence magazine, will deliver the keynote address at AIDS Partnership Michigan s conference, Between Sistahs: Black Women Facing the Challenge of HIV, this Saturday. The black community didn t get involved because they thought [AIDS] was a disease of sinners:
PENNSYLVANIA: Experts Tackle Global Health Game Plan: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10.04.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Joe Fahy; A two-day conference entitled Global Problems, Global Solutions: Health, Dignity and Human Rights opens Friday at the University of Pittsburgh. Workshops will cover a variety of topics, including communicable diseases, natural disaster response, sex trafficking, and child soldiers. Registration is recommended for the e
NEW JERSEY: Study: Risky Behavior in N.J. Teens Down: Associated Press (10.04.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Geoff Mulvihill; New data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey released by the state Education Department show the incidence of smoking, drinking, drug use, and sex among New Jersey high school students all declined from 2001 to 2005. The percentage of students who reported ever having sex fell from 47 percent to 44 percent. Among those
GHANA: Human Rights, HIV/AIDS Experts to Meet in Accra: Xinhua News Agency (09.30.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; A conference entitled Working Actively and in Partnership to Combat HIV/AIDS: The Human Rights Perspective will take place in Accra Oct. 18-20. According to the Ghana News Agency, the meeting will address the role of human rights in the struggle against the epidemic. It will also seek to promote dialogue on the topic a
EUROPEAN UNION: HIV Infections in EU Rise Nearly 40 Percent: Financial Times (London) (10.03.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Andrew Jack; Statistics released Monday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control indicate that the number of new HIV infections in the European Union has risen by 39 percent in the past five years, and nearly one-third of cases do not know they are infected. The 23 EU nations reported 23,620 new HIV cases in 2005,
OKLAHOMA: Tulsa Hepatitis Treatment Program in Peril: Associated Press (10.02.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; With demand for its services outstripping financial resources, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa s Bedlam Alliance for Community Health can no longer treat new hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients who lack medical insurance. The clinic s program is often the only one in the area where patients without insurance can receive HCV
NEW YORK: HIV Testing Increases in City Jails and Hospitals: New York Times (10.03.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Richard Perez-Pena; New York City officials announced Tuesday that a campaign by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg s administration to make HIV testing a routine part of health care in city-owned clinics, hospitals, and jails resulted in a nearly 50 percent increase in testing in a single year. The sharp rise in HIV testing began around two year
AUSTRALIA: Transmission of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 in a Prospective Cohort of HIV-Negative Gay Men: The Health in Men Study: Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol. 194; No. 5: P. 561-570 (09.01.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Fengyi Jin; Garrett P. Prestage; Limin Mao; Susan C. Kippax; Catherine M. Pell; Basil Donovan; David J. Templeton; Janette Taylor; Adrian Mindel; John M. Kaldor; Andrew E. Grulich; There are few studies comparing risk factors for infection by herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), the authors of the current study wrote, despite an increase in HSV-1-associated anogenital herpes reports. In that context, researchers examined the risk factors for prevalent and incident HSV-1 and HSV-2 i
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Coalition to Focus on Small Firms: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.02.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Tamar Kahn; The CEO of the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) announced recently his organization will launch a campaign to encourage smaller businesses to proactively fight HIV/AIDS. South African companies that have implemented HIV/AIDS programs, including counseling and treatment, have tended to be large cor
INDIA: Shunned Indian HIV Victims Seek Infected Spouses: Reuters (10.02.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Rupam Jain Nair; People with HIV in India often face stigma due to lack of HIV/AIDS awareness and disease myths. To battle social isolation, the volunteer Network of Surat People Living with HIV+ recently organized a session where HIV-positive men and women could meet and perhaps find a partner to marry. About 30 people from across
KENTUCKY: AIDS Has Grip on Blacks: Courier-Journal (Louisville) (09.30.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Laura Ungar; Activists, health care professionals, patients, and others came together in Louisville over the weekend for the state s 11th annual African American and Hispanic Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS. The epidemic s disproportionate impact on blacks and Hispanics in Kentucky was a key topic. Odalys Martin, a Detroit-based
NEW JERSEY: N.J. Moves to End Ban on Over-the-Counter Syringes: USA Today (10.03.06) - Wednesday, October 04, 2006; Martha T. Moore; Every US state except New Jersey allows non-prescription syringe sales in pharmacies or permits the operation of needle exchanges. Now, New Jersey may be on the verge of changing that. Legislation to allow six cities to introduce needle exchange programs passed the Senate health committee last month. The first such mea
UNITED STATES: Stars Align in Campaign to Fight AIDS: Chicago Sun Times (09.14.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Lewis Lazare; An ad campaign timed to coincide with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 will call attention to the epidemic in Africa in this, the 25th year since the first reports of the disease. A number of glossy national magazines are expected to run the ads, whose theme is I Am African. Supermodel Iman lined up a host of celebrities - inc
KAZAKHSTAN: Number of HIV-Infected Toddlers in Kazakhstan Rises to 72: Associated Press (10.03.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; The regional health department today said the number of toddlers infected with HIV through alleged medical negligence at hospitals in Shymkent has risen to 72, while the number of infected mothers has climbed from three to eight. Authorities continue to test thousands of mothers and toddlers who may have contracted HIV
SIERRA LEONE: Sierra Leone AIDS Agency Sacks 30 NGOs over Funds Abuse: Agence France Presse (10.02.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Citing poor management of project funds, Sierra Leone s National AIDS Secretariat has terminated the contracts of 30 local nongovernmental organizations. Abdul Rahman Sesay, deputy director of NAS, said the NGOs had failed to account for the use of some 600,000 US dollars (?470,000) allocated to projects between 2002 a
CALIFORNIA: A Rare Kind of Food Bank, and Just Maybe the Hippest, Flourishes: New York Times (09.26.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Patricia Leigh Brown; Founded in 1999, the nonprofit Food for Thought operates an organic garden-supported food bank for people with HIV/AIDS in Sonoma County. The garden is overseen by horticulturalists from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and many of the volunteer gardeners are also clients. It s important to get the nutrition, s
UNITED KINGDOM: Virological and Immunological Outcomes at 3 Years After Starting Antiretroviral Therapy with Regimens Containing Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor, Protease Inhibitor, or Both in INITIO: Open-Label Randomized Trial: The Lancet Vol. 368; No. 9532: P. 287-298 (07.22.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; INITIO Trial International Co-ordinating Committee; HIV morbidity and mortality have been greatly reduced by antiretroviral therapy, yet the best sequence of regimens and implications of initial regimen for long-term therapeutic success are not well defined. In INITIO, a large international randomized trial, the study authors compared antiretroviral therapy with two nuc
AFRICA: Millions of Africans at Risk Due to Misspent Aid, Group Warns: Agence France Presse (10.03.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; International aid for African emergencies is in need of a drastic overhaul, a CARE International UK report warned today. Millions of Africans are at risk of starvation due to erratic funding that, while saving lives, nevertheless sometimes leaves people worse off than they were before. According to the report, 120 mill
THAILAND: Gaps Arise for Thais in AIDS Drug Access Program: Washington Post (10.01.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Darren Schuettler, Reuters; Since launching the region s most extensive public antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program last October, Thailand has earned international praise and is now treating 80,000 citizens with HIV/AIDS. Under the national health care system, Thais pay 80 US cents for government-subsidized ARVs. But the quickly extended progra
EUROPEAN UNION: Over 40 Percent in European Union Take No AIDS Precautions: Poll: Reuters (10.02.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; A poll released Monday shows that more than 40 percent of some 25,000 EU citizens surveyed take no precautions against HIV during intercourse. The Eurobarometer poll, conducted in September and October of 2005, found fewer people ages 16 and older in the 15 old member states said they practice safe sex than in a simila
CANADA: A Disease of the Past Still Lingers in Canada: Toronto Star (09.30.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Megan Ogilvie; In North America and Western Europe, TB is considered a disease of the past that is susceptible to antibiotic treatment. Over the last 50 years, TB programs have been dismantled, said Michael Gardam, director of infection control at University Health Network in Toronto. And the lack of physician training and experience
NEW MEXICO: Lieutenant Governor Promotes Cancer Testing: Albuquerque Journal (09.23.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Isabel Sanchez; In a project launched by the National Lieutenant Governor s Association, New Mexico s Diane Denish and other lieutenant governors are urging prevention against cervical cancer, which kills about 3,700 US women annually. We know that we can end cervical cancer in our lifetime, Denish said recently at a state fair celebr
NEW YORK: New Federal Policy on HIV Testing Poses Unique Local Challenge: New York Times (10.02.06) - Tuesday, October 03, 2006; Richard Perez-Pena; New York has the nation s highest HIV infection and AIDS rates and a variety of public and private HIV/AIDS services, and it hosts some of the largest and best-organized advocacy groups. Nonetheless, one in four HIV diagnoses is made when the patient already has AIDS. To link those infected to earlier care, and counsel
CALIFORNIA: Hepatitis C Virus Testing Available at Health Clinics: Sacramento Bee (09.28.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Cathy Locke; The El Dorado County Public Health Department is offering hepatitis C virus testing at Placerville and South Lake Tahoe clinics. Screening and follow-up counseling cost $50, and low- income residents are offered a sliding-scale fee. Placerville testing is available 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each mon
CANADA: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead to Sell Atripla in Canada: Associated Press (09.29.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Expanding on their US joint venture launched in December 2004, drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Gilead Sciences have agreed to market their once-daily HIV treatment Atripla in Canada , pending approval by Health Canada. The companies will jointly file paperwork with Canadian regulators, and they will con
ALASKA: TB Screening Requirements Relaxed: Associated Press (10.01.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has announced new TB screening regulations taking effect with the current school term. Teachers and other school employees will no longer be required to undergo yearly TB screening, because the department has determined that they have the same risk of contracting TB a
AFRICA: Ireland Commits 70 Million euros to Bill Clinton for HIV Programs in Mozambique, Lesotho: Associated Press (09.29.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; On Friday, Ireland announced a 70 million euros ($89.2 million US) commitment to the William J. Clinton Foundation, thus becoming the single largest national donor to the foundation s AIDS-fighting effort. The agreement, signed by Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and former President Bill Clinton, commits Ireland to p
ILLINOIS: Columbia Puts Art in Action Against AIDS/HIV: Chicago Tribune (09.24.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; William Hageman; This fall, Columbia College Chicago is introducing Critical Encounters, a three-year civic engagement project where students can address HIV/AIDS in classes, art projects, and public events. The first year focuses directly on HIV/AIDS issues; the second on complicating factors such as poverty; and in the third year, st
MICHIGAN: HIV Testing Set to Expand in Detroit: Detroit Free Press (09.29.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Patricia Anstett; A five-year, $1.9 million CDC grant is allowing two Detroit health and social service agencies to expand HIV testing and education programs aimed at black males ages 13-24. AIDS Partnership Michigan (APM) and the Ruth Ellis Center, which provides the state s only street outreach and transitional housing program for hom
CALIFORNIA: San Francisco AIDS Czar Resigns: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.28.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Matthew S. Bajko; On Sept. 22, San Francisco AIDS czar Jeff Sheehy resigned effective immediately his unpaid, volunteer post as Mayor Gavin Newsom s HIV/AIDS policy advisor. He had held the position since April 2004. In his resignation letter, Sheehy said his decision was influenced by the fact that AIDS activist Michael Petrelis has re
CALIFORNIA: HIV Ads Embrace, and Stun, Audience: Los Angeles Times (09.30.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Sharon Bernstein; Gay men have long resisted the characterization of HIV/AIDS as a gay disease. Now however, one of Southern California s most influential gay organizations has launched an ad campaign that declares: HIV is a gay disease. Own It. End It. The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center said the campaign specifically targets area gay me
UNITED KINGDOM: Is Smoking Tobacco an Independent Risk Factor for HIV Infection and Progression to AIDS?: Sexually Transmitted Infections doi: 10.1136/sti.2005.019505 (08.21.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Andrew S. Furber; Ravi Maheswaran; Chris J. Carroll; James N. Newell; The authors undertook a systematic review of studies examining tobacco smoking as a risk factor for HIV seroconversion or progress to AIDS. They identified six studies in which HIV seroconversion was an outcome measure. In five of these, smoking tobacco was determined to be an independent risk factor for seroconversion
INDIA: Official: India to Double AIDS Treatment Centers Providing Free Drugs by Year's End: Associated Press (09.29.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Nirmala George; India s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) said Friday it will almost double the number of centers providing antiretroviral treatment to HIV/AIDS patients. This year, NACO has already raised the number of ARV centers from 54 to 91, and nine more are set to become operational by the end of October, said NACO head
MASSACHUSETTS: Advocates Critique New HIV Testing Guidelines: Bay Windows (Boston) (09.28.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Ethan Jacobs; On Sept. 21, CDC announced revised recommendations that call for providers to offer voluntary HIV testing to all patients ages 13-64 in health care settings. CDC also suggested doing away with special written consent currently required for HIV testing to make the procedure more routine and less stigmatized. In a teleph
UNITED STATES: Fate of US AIDS Funding Bill Uncertain in Senate: Associated Press (09.30.06) - Monday, October 02, 2006; Erica Werner; On Friday, senators failed in their attempts to pass legislation revising the $2.1 billion Ryan White CARE Act prior to breaking for the November elections. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), chairperson of the health committee, tried Friday to force the Senate to vote on the measure, which contains revisions to count HIV diagno
NEW YORK: AIDS Walk Spreads Knowledge: Poughkeepsie Journal (09.29.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Lindsey Siegriest; The Hudson Valley AIDS Walk will take place tomorrow at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie beginning at 9 a.m. Event sponsor AIDS- Related Community Services will share the proceeds with other agencies serving HIV patients and their families. In addition to HIV testing, a flea market, and a raffle, the walk will feature a per
GEORGIA: Annual AIDS Walk Will Begin at Park: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.28.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; The 16th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta will take place on Oct. 15 beginning at 12:30 p.m. in Piedmont Park. Last year, some 14,000 event participants helped raise nearly $1 million to support the work of AID Atlanta and 12 other agencies. For more information, visit www.aidswalkatlanta.com or telephone 404-876-9255.
FLORIDA: AIDS Activist Kicks Off Walk: Bradenton Herald (09.12.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Donna Wright; Hydeia Broadbent, who has told the story of her life with HIV on TV shows and in many press articles, was recently on hand to kick off fundraising efforts for the 2006 AIDS Walk Sarasota/Manatee. Broadbent, who was born with the virus, told the audience of about 100 people that doctors initially told her adopted parent
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Aussie League Stars Promote AIDS Message in PNG: Australian Associated Press (09.29.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Today in Port Moresby, Australian rugby league stars, who are in Papua New Guinea for Saturday s match against the local Kumuls team, visited the Horse Camp squatters settlement and delivered messages on preventing HIV and violence against women. The crowd cheered as Kurt Gidley of the Newcastle Knights read messages i
CHINA: China to Open 300 Needle Exchange Centers in AIDS Fight: Agence France Presse (09.29.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; According to a report today from Xinhua News Agency, China will open 300 additional needle exchange centers in the next three months. Health Ministry statistics show just 91 needle exchange centers were operating in China at the end of 2005. The expansion is necessary, the ministry said, because 44.3 percent of the nat
FLORIDA: Group Grows to Help Residents: Miami Herald (09.24.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Paul Gorse; The Shelbourne House in Miami Beach s Art Deco District, which provides 24 studio and one-bedroom units for low-income people with HIV/AIDS, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. When the People with AIDS Coalition first approached the Miami Beach Community Development Corp. to help coordinate an HIV/AIDS housing e
MAINE: Jail Sends TB Patient to Hospital in Boston: Portland Press Herald (09.28.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; David Hench; Maine officials on Wednesday moved a homeless Portland man who refused to take his tuberculosis medicines to a secured ward in a Boston hospital. Last month, Maine officials took the unusual step of requesting an arrest warrant for the man. Although his symptoms are gone and he is no longer contagious, the man had stop
ARKANSAS: TB Testing Turns Up No Active Cases: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (09.27.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; John Krupa; Tuberculosis screening of more than 1,000 students and staff at Springdale School District has revealed no active cases of the disease, said Arkansas Health Department officials. However, officials are extending testing to another 75 or so students who transferred from Hellstern Middle School, where the initial TB case
UNITED STATES: HIV Test Put to the Test; Researchers Find Viral Load Measure in a Patient's Blood Cannot Indicate Rate AIDS Will Develop: Newsday (New York) (09.28.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Jamie Talan; A new study by Case Western Reserve University AIDS researchers has found that a low viral load does not predict how rapidly AIDS will develop. Working with four other AIDS centers, Dr. Benigno Rodriguez and colleagues identified 2,800 HIV-positive patients who had not been placed on treatment because their viral loads
ARIZONA: Federal Government's New Guidelines Call for Widespread HIV Tests: Tucson Citizen (09.25.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Sheryl Kornman; To reach the one in four Americans with HIV who are not aware they are infected, CDC now recommends routine opt-out testing for people ages 13-64 in clinical settings. Between 2000 and 2004, 72 percent of Arizona HIV/AIDS diagnoses were in Maricopa County, and 15 percent were in Pima County. Local and state data show m
UNITED STATES: Here's Your Syllabus, and Your Condom: New York Times (09.24.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Stephanie Rosenbloom; College administrators who endorse condom use agree back-to- school season is a significant time to promote them to students. Students are, for the first time, out on their own, said Dr. Lora L. Jasman, director of student health services at Oregon State University-Corvallis. And they have to make decisions on their ow
UNITED STATES: Disputed AIDS Funding Bill Passes House: Associated Press (09.29.06) - Friday, September 29, 2006; Erica Werner; On Thursday evening, the House of Representatives passed by a 325-98 vote a bill to revise the $2.1 billion Ryan White CARE Act, which provides HIV/AIDS care funds to US cities and states. By some measures, large states including California, New York, and New Jersey receive more money per HIV/AIDS patient than Alabama,
AUSTRALIA: Many Australians Living with Undiagnosed Hepatitis B: Australian Associated Press (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Ahead of World Hepatitis Awareness Day on Sunday, the Australian Hepatitis Council has revealed new data indicating that more than 30 percent of the estimated 90,000 Australians with hepatitis B do not know they are infected. Helen Tyrrell, the council s CEO, said she welcomes the government s decision to include the h
ASIA-PACIFIC: Methamphetamine, Ecstasy Dominate Southeast Asia Drug Worries: Australian Associated Press (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Two new reports document the drug threats facing the Asia- Pacific Region, including Australia . Most of the 13 countries studied by the Australian National Council on Drugs indicated growing abuse of methamphetamine and ecstasy. And a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime warns more potent forms of meth are showi
WISCONSIN: HPV Vaccine Now at University of Wisconsin Health Services: University Wire (09.21.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Amanda Hoffstrom, Daily Cardinal; On Sept. 20, University of Wisconsin-Madison s Health Services department became one of the few area clinics to offer the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil. The three-series vaccine, administered over six months, protects against four high-risk HPV types that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts, s
PENNSYLVANIA: OraSure Begins Studies for its Home HIV Test: Linda Loyd (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Philadelphia Inquirer; OraSure Technologies announced Wednesday it has launched studies of its rapid-result HIV test for in-home use by consumers. The company is conducting lab-based research and plans further clinical studies under an investigational device exemption filed with the Food and Drug Administration to use the device in safety an
UNITED STATES: Black Doctors Endorse Routine HIV Testing: United Press International (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; The National Medical Association, the nation s largest association of African-American physicians, has announced its endorsement of CDC s call for routine voluntary HIV testing in medical settings. One of the reasons for such high HIV mortality in the African-American community is the disease is diagnosed so late in th
MISSOURI: University to Distribute Free Condoms in Campus Bathrooms: Associated Press (09.23.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; On Sept. 22, officials of the University of Missouri-Columbia announced the school would become the first in the Big 12 Conference to offer free condoms in residence hall bathrooms. The condoms will be placed in baskets with wallet-sized educational packets, according the Residential Life officials. Since we are sexual
FLORIDA: Housing Worries Hit Some with HIV: Palm Beach Post (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Thomas R. Collins; Palm Beach City officials say most landlords of 60 former Hope House clients are allowing the tenants to stay. In August, the city cut federal grant funding to the rent and utility assistance organization for HIV/AIDS patients. City officials say all former Hope House clients now have case managers with the nonprofit C
IVORY COAST: Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Treatment in Resource- Poor Settings: The Case of Cote d'Ivoire: New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 355; No. 11: P. 1141-1153 (09.14.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Sue J. Goldie, MD, MPH; Yazdan Yazdanpanah, MD, PhD; Elena Losina, PhD; Milton C. Weinstein, PhD; Xavier Anglaret, MD, PhD; Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH; Heather E. Hsu, AB; April Kimmel, MS; Charles Holmes, MD, MPH; Jonathan E. Kaplan, MD; Kenneth A. Freedberg, MD; As antiretroviral therapy is increasingly used in settings with limited resources, key questions about the timing of treatment and use of diagnostic tests to guide clinical decisions must be addressed, the authors wrote. In the current study, they addressed the cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies for a cohort o
INDIA: Hateful' Anti-Gay Law Must Go: Indian Government Agency: Reuters (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Kamil Zaheer; On Tuesday, the chief of India s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) said India s law against homosexuality is not acceptable and abolishing it is fundamental to the nation s AIDS fight. The British colonial-era law, Section 377 of the Penal Code, punishes men with up to 10 years in jail for having sex with men.
OHIO, MICHIGAN: Jails, Prisons Test to Prevent Outbreak of Tuberculosis: The Blade (Toledo) (09.25.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Christina Hall; In 2003, a disproportionate 3.2 percent of US TB cases were among inmates in correctional facilities, according to CDC. A 2006 CDC report cited as reasons close, overcrowded living quarters; inadequate ventilation systems; and the high number of incarcerated people who do not access standard public or nonemergency medi
ILLINOIS: Local Responses to the HIV Testing Guidelines: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.27.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Andrew Davis; Local HIV/AIDS leaders offered a mixed response to CDC s new HIV testing recommendations calling for routine voluntary, opt-out screening of people ages 13-64 in health care settings. Generally, HIV agencies are in favor of expanded testing, but they are concerned the recommendations may jeopardize patient consent and
OHIO: Experts Agree that Routine HIV Testing Is Positive, but Not Sure of Practicality: Dayton Daily News (09.22.06) - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Anthony Gottschlich; Ohio health officials welcomed CDC s recommendations for routine HIV testing, but they expressed reservations about funding. I understand the philosophy of it, said Bill Hardy, executive director of AIDS Resource Center (ARC) Ohio in Dayton. But is it practical, will there be sufficient funds to pay for it, and how wil
INDIA: India to Ask Young Villagers to Encourage Safe Sex: Reuters (09.13.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; An official with India s National AIDS Control Organization said at a recent conference on sexual equality that the organization will over the next five years train young adults to become peer educators about safe sex and HIV. They could be weavers, or agricultural laborers or just be hanging around the village market
UNITED KINGDOM: Bob Geldolf Hails US Abstinence Initiative to Combat AIDS: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (09.27.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Today at the Labor Party conference in Manchester, guest speaker and Live Aid founder and anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldolf praised as highly effective US President George W. Bush s five-year, $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Geldolf said PEPFAR, which began in 2003, has given women a weapon for p
UNITED STATES: Former Chargers Kicker Helps Launch Hepatitis Program: Associated Press (09.27.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Former San Diego Chargers star Rolf Benirschke is helping launch the Hep C STAT! campaign to raise hepatitis C awareness and promote testing. Benirschke was diagnosed with the virus during a routine blood test in 1998. The infection stemmed from blood transfusions he received in 1979 while being treating for ulcerative
UNITED STATES: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Reveals He Has Hepatitis C, Says Treatment Was 'Like a Complete Cure': Associated Press (09.26.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; In an interview on Access Hollywood this week, rock star Steven Tyler of Aerosmith revealed he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago. I ve had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic. And I talked to my doctor. and he said now is the time and it s 11 months of chemotherapy. So I went on that and it about kil
UNITED STATES: Depressive Symptoms as a Predictor of Sexual Risk Among African-American Adolescents and Young Adults: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 3: P. 444.e1-444.e8 (09..06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Larry K. Brown, MD; Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD; Celia Lescano, PhD; Christopher Houck, PhD; Jessica Zeidman, BA; David Pugatch, MD; Kevin J. Lourie, PhD; Project SHIELD Study Group; The authors conducted the current study to understand the prospective relationship between depressive symptoms and sexual risk behavior among a community sample of African- American adolescents. Four-hundred fifteen African-American adolescents who participated in a larger multi-site HIV prevention program provided bas
SOUTH KOREA: Korea to Root Out Tuberculosis by 2030: Korea Times (09.27.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Park Chung-a; The Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC) on Tuesday announced a comprehensive plan to eliminate TB in the nation by 2030. The effort calls for providing financial aid to patients and increasing personnel and treatment resources. Among the 30 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Korea
SOUTH AFRICA: New South African TB Cases Raise Fears of Wider Outbreak: Reuters (09.27.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Sarah McGregor; With the diagnosis of more cases of extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in South Africa , authorities are alarmed that multiple strains of the deadly infection may be circulating. Health officials today announced that five new cases have been found in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria. The str
ILLINOIS: Lawmaker Champions Cancer Vaccine, Reveals Her Story: Chicago Sun Times (09.22.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Leslie Baldacci; State Sen. Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete), who recently revealed she was treated for precancerous cells on her cervix, is writing legislation that would require all Illinois girls to be inoculated against human papillomavirus (HPV) at age 11 or 12, as recommended by CDC. The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against the four HPV
WASHINGTON: Call for Wider HIV Testing Gets Mixed Reception in Region: Critics Fear Government Intrusion into Privacy: Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (09.22.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Jonel Aleccia; In Washington s Inland Northwest, health experts, AIDS advocates, and residents mostly praised CDC s revised HIV testing recommendations. Released Sept. 21, the recommendations urge that HIV testing be routinely offered to any person ages 13-64 in clinical settings. This is a kind of movement in public health in genera
GLOBAL: Microbial Resistance, AIDS Hot Topics at Disease Conference: Agence France Presse (09.26.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Jean-Louis Santini; The growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and strategies to fight AIDS will be among the top agenda items for the 46th annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, which meets Sept. 27-30 in San Francisco. Approximately 20,000 physicians and researchers, about 80 percent from the
UNITED STATES: Money Fight Stalls AIDS Bill in Senate: Associated Press (09.27.06) - Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Erica Werner; Yesterday evening, a full Senate hearing of the Ryan White CARE Act was stopped by Democratic senators representing states likely to lose HIV/AIDS care funding under the bill s revised allocation criteria. In allocating $2.1 billion for HIV/AIDS care to states and cities, the revised act would shift more resources to r
KAZAKHSTAN: 5 Toddlers Die of AIDS in Kazakhstan After 61 Contract HIV in Medical Treatment: Associated Press (09.25.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; On Monday, a regional health official said five of at least 61 toddlers who contracted HIV during medical treatment in southern Kazakhstan have died of AIDS-related illnesses. Of about 13,000 children who received treatments including blood transfusions, some 7,000 have been tested so far. Authorities warned that the n
MINNESOTA: HPV Vaccine Now on Hand at University of Minnesota: University Wire (09.25.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Elizabeth Cook, Minnesota Daily; University of Minnesota; At the University of Minnesota, the Gardasil vaccine against human papillomavirus is now available at Boynton Health Service. The three-injection vaccination s $435 cost is not covered by Student Services Fees, but most insurance companies are paying for it, said Dave Golden, Boynton public health and marketing directo
SINGAPORE: Sexually Transmitted Diseases on Rise Among Singapore's Teens: Agence France Presse (09.23.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; The number of patients ages 10-19 who sought medical attention for STDs more than doubled, from 256 to 678, between 2001 and 2005, according to a report in the Straits Times newspaper. This age group s proportion of all such diseases rose from 3.8 percent in 2001 to 6.1 percent in 2005. Between 1985 and 2004, 18 teens
PHILIPPINES: US to Provide $125 Million to Help Philippines Fight HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (09.26.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Today in Manila, the US Embassy announced the United States will provide $125 million to the Philippines in the next five years to improve public health and fight diseases, including HIV/AIDS, TB, and bird flu. The money will be channeled through the US Agency for International Development, which will fund projects to
ARIZONA: Kyrene Parents Will Get More Input; Sex Education Lesson Changes, Other Topics to Be Vetted: Arizona Republic (09.22.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Colleen Sparks; Kyrene School District officials met with a parents association recently to gather input on proposed changes to the sex education curriculum. About 20 members of the Kyrene Parent Network - comprising both Kyrene, Tempe Union High, and Elementary district parents - spoke with Kyrene s Elementary School District Superin
OKLAHOMA: Fifteen People Test Positive for Exposure to Tuberculosis: Associated Press (09.26.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Fifteen of about 1,200 people recently screened for TB tested positive for exposure at Integris Southwest Community Hospital, said Oklahoma City-County health officials. However, none of the 15 employees, patients or visitors show TB symptoms or are considered infectious, officials noted. The 15 may have been exposed t
UNITED STATES: AIDS No Longer Killing All Patients, Study Finds: Reuters (09.19.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; A recent study of 68,669 New York City residents with HIV found that of those who died between 1999-2004, 26.3 percent died of causes other than the virus. That constitutes a 32 percent increase from 1999, when slightly less than 20 percent of HIV patients died of other causes. Judith Sackoff and colleagues at the New
INDIA: US, WHO Sign Pact to Fight Tuberculosis in India: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (09.26.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Today in New Delhi, US Ambassador David C. Mulford and World Health Organization Representative to India Salim Habayeb announced a joint agreement to fight tuberculosis in India. The United States will provide WHO with $4.17 million to go toward research and state-level implementation of the country s national
UNITED STATES: HIV/AIDS Medicare Fraud Is Rampant, Panelists Say: Miami Herald (09.25.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; John Dorschner; Experts attending a roundtable at the 2006 US Conference on AIDS in Hollywood, Fla., concurred that fraudulent Medicare billing for HIV/AIDS treatments is a huge problem. Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Medicare, the Florida Department of Health, and First Coast Service Options participated in t
UNITED STATES: AIDS Groups Divided over Revisions to Ryan White Act: Washington Blade (09.22.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Lou Chibbaro Jr.; While AIDS advocacy groups may disagree about the proposed congressional appropriation formula for reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act, through which more than $2 billion is allocated to cities and state for HIV/AIDS treatment and care, they agree that not enough funding is available to meet everyone s needs. The exi
IOWA: Routine HIV Tests Have Support in Iowa: Des Moines Register (09.22.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Tony Leys; Howard Brown, health chairperson of the NAACP for Iowa and Nebraska, supports CDC s recommendation for routine HIV screening. Brown helped organize a testing drive recently in Des Moines. His group is involved because blacks are particularly hard-hit by HIV. He said if doctors test all their patients, the stigma of get
SOUTH CAROLINA: S.C. Officials Support CDC Policy; But They Worry There Is Not Enough Funding for New HIV Patients: The State (Columbia) (09.22.06) - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Czerne M. Reid; While welcoming CDC s recommendations for increased HIV testing, South Carolina health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates voiced concern over funding for tests and treatments and ways to help patients deal with unexpected positive diagnoses. Yes, routine testing is welcome ., said Dr. Wayne Duffus, director of HIV and ST
SOUTH AFRICA: Health Staff Negligence Cited as Reason for Deaths of Mothers: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.20.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Tamar Khan; A new health department report, Saving Mothers, says half the deaths of new mothers in South African primary and district hospitals between 2002 and 2004 were due to staff negligence. Problems cited in the document include incorrect diagnosis, delays in referring patients to specialty care, irregular monitoring, and in
ZIMBABWE: Brain Drain Cripples Zimbabwe's Ailing Health Sector: Agence France Presse (09.24.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Zimbabwe is the country hardest hit by brain drain on the continent, resulting in the loss of over 50 percent of key professionals within the country s public health institutions, the nation s state-run Daily Mail reported Sunday. Quoting a government-commissioned report, the paper said the country has been hit by an
AFRICA: Roche Allows Three African Companies to Produce Anti- HIV Drug: Associated Press (09.22.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; On Friday, Switzerland-based Roche Holding AG announced it will provide three African companies with the technical assistance necessary to produce saquinavir, the active ingredient in its HIV drug Invirase . The companies - Aspen Pharmacare in South Africa , and Cosmos Ltd. and Universal Corp. Ltd.
INDIA: Gilead Grants Generic HIV Drug Licenses: Associated Press (09.22.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; On Friday, California-based Gilead Sciences announced it has signed eight non-exclusive licensing agreements to allow Indian generic drug companies to manufacture versions of its HIV drug Viread . Under the licenses, the companies - Alkem Laboratories Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.
HAITI: The Use of an Educational Video During Informed Consent in an HIV Clinical Trial in Haiti: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes ; Vol. 42; No. 5: P. 588-591 (08.15.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Joseph Patrice, MD; Bruce R. Schackman, PhD; Russel Horwitz, BS; Sandy Nerette, MD; Rose Irene Verdier, MD; Dominique Dorsainvil, MD; Harry Theodore, MD; Maxi Ascensio, MS; Katia Henrys, MS; Peter F. Wright, MD: Warren Johnson, MD; Jean W. Pape, MD;; In developing countries, volunteers in HIV clinical trials may be illiterate and unfamiliar with the conduct of medical research, the authors began, noting that explaining the contents of the consent form is essential but can be difficult and time consuming. The researchers conducted the current study to evaluate the f
EUROPE: Europe Agrees on Sale of Cervical Cancer Vaccine: The Guardian (London) (09.23.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; On Friday, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, approved the sale of the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil in EU member states. Manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and Merck & Co. , Gardasil protects against four HPV types that cause most genital warts and cervical cancers. In the
GLOBAL: AIDS Treatment Resolution Withdrawn at WHO Meeting Because of US Opposition: Associated Press (09.22.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Margie Mason; World Health Organization members meeting in New Zealand at the weeklong annual Asia-Pacific conference decided to adjourn without a resolution on universal HIV/AIDS treatment and care by 2010 rather than incorporate several last-minute US amendments, WHO officials said Friday. US amendments would have removed su
UNITED STATES: HIV Discoverers Envision Vaccines: Scientists Visit Conference in Hollywood: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.24.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Bob Lamendola; At the United States AIDS Conference in Hollywood, Fla., Dr. Robert Gallo, director of the Human Virology Institute at the University of Maryland, said his team is working on a vaccine that would prevent HIV from getting inside human cells. Since HIV invades immune cells, injects genetic material, and causes cells to r
UNITED STATES: Activists Urge More Funds for Treatment: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.23.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Bob Lamendola; At the United States Conference on AIDS in Hollywood, Fla., minority AIDS activists reacted to CDC s recommendation that HIV tests be made a routine part of medical checkups. Advocates at the conference praised CDC s call for routine testing because African Americans and Latinos are less likely than others to know thei
WYOMING: HIV Testing Plan Draws Mixed Reviews: Casper Star-Tribune (09.23.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Allison Rupp; CDC s announcement on Thursday recommending HIV testing of people ages 13-64 in routine clinical settings is getting a mixed reception in Wyoming, said Anna Lander, director of the AIDS Education and Training Center in Casper. Lander does not work directly with patient HIV testing but informs physicians, nurses, and ot
CALIFORNIA: US Authorities Call for Wider Testing for HIV: San Francisco Chronicle (09.22.06) - Monday, September 25, 2006; Sabin Russell; CDC has revised HIV testing recommendations to universally offer people ages 13-64 voluntary opt-out HIV testing with other health screenings during routine medical encounters. CDC officials say earlier testing and treatment make it a wise investment. However, Congress reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act could c
KENTUCKY: Louisville AIDS Walk Is Sunday: Courier-Journal (Louisville) (09.20.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Louisville s 14th annual AIDS Walk takes place Sunday, Sept. 24. Registration and activities begin at 1 p.m. The walk steps off at 3 p.m. at the Belvedere, crosses the Ohio River on the Clark Memorial Bridge to Jeffersonville, then returns to the Belvedere. Participation is free; individuals and teams raise funds throu
ILLINOIS: Nearly 5,000 at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.20.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; On Sept. 16, some 5,000 people took part in the 2006 AIDS Walk & Run Chicago. The event included a health expo sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Proceeds benefit the grant-making program of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. As of press time, $305,000 had been raised.
INDIA: India Takes Condom Campaign to the Skies: Agence France Presse (09.19.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; On Tuesday, Sibaji Bose of Population Services International said health activists would try to boost condom usage in India through colorful messages on kites during the kite-flying season. Bose, whose nongovernmental agency works with authorities in West Bengal, said the colorful kites communicate the message of condo
IOWA: Tattoo Parlor's Customers Urged to Get Blood Tests: Globe Gazette (Mason City) (09.19.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Kristin Buehner; Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is urging persons who received a tattoo or body piercing at an unlicensed Clear Lake tattoo parlor to be tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C. The business, which operated out of a residence at 715 N. Fourth St., was closed down on Sept. 14. Department officials warn there
ARKANSAS: Springdale TB Testing Reveals No New Cases: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (09.20.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Carolyne Park; Rick Schaeffer, spokesperson for the Springdale School District, said recently that of 1,062 faculty, staff, and students tested for TB after one case was diagnosed in June, skin tests on 57 were positive. Eleven people showed at least one TB symptom; nine of those 11 had chest X-rays that determined they are not infec
FRANCE: Tuberculosis Cases Detected Among Hundreds of People Camped Out in Gym Outside Paris: Associated Press (09.09.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; On Tuesday, health officials said they have detected a case of TB among hundreds of people camped out in a gym in the Paris suburb of Cachan. Those at the gym were among more than 500 people, mostly Africans, whom police evicted from a squat on Aug. 17. Regional leader Bernard Tomasini told a news conference in Creteil
RUSSIA: Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis C and Syphilis Among Injecting Drug Users in Russia: A Multi-City Study: Addiction Vol. 101; No. 2: P. 252-266 (02..06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Tim Rhodes; Lucy Platt; Svetlana Maximova; Evgeniya Koshkina; Natalia Latishevskaya; Matthew Hickman; Adrian Renton; Natalia Bobrova; Tamara McDonald; John V. Parry; The authors of the current study sought to estimate prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), and syphilis in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Russia . IDUs were recruited from non-treatment settings in three Russian cities: Moscow, Volgograd, and Barnaul (Siberia). An unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey of 1,473 IDUs
UNITED STATES: Cannabis Use Improves Retention and Virological Outcomes in Patients Treated for Hepatitis C: European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Vol. 18; No. 10: P. 1057-1063 (10..06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Diana L. Sylvestre; Barry Clements; Yvonne Malibu; Despite the widespread use of polypharmacy, the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment-related side-effects is incomplete, and many patients turn to cannabis for symptom relief, the authors wrote. Unfortunately, there are few data about cannabis use on treatment outcomes, leaving clinicians without the data n
UNITED KINGDOM: Inmates May Get Drug-Taking Kits: BBC News (09.20.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is deliberating a plan to introduce the United Kingdom s first prison-based needle exchange program (NEP) early next year. An NEP would be an effort to prevent blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C from spreading among injection drug users (IDUs) in prison. It could be pilot
UNITED STATES: Depression, Sex Addiction Linked in Gay Men: Report: Washington Blade (09.15.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; Ryan Lee; An analysis of depression among gay men and other populations found gay men are more likely to experience depression and milder mood disorders, which were associated with HIV risk. The New York-based Medius Institute for Gay Men s Health survey, authored by founder and Executive Director Spencer Cox, found depressed ga
MICHIGAN: Senate Requires Girls to Get Vaccine for Cervical Cancer: Associated Press (09.20.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; On Wednesday, Michigan s Senate passed a bill that would require girls entering sixth grade next year to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer. The bill, the first of its kind in the United States , passed on a 36-1 vote. It now heads to the state House. The Am
UNITED STATES: US Recommends Routine Testing for the AIDS Virus: Washington Post (09.22.06) - Friday, September 22, 2006; David Brown; Everyone ages 13-64 should be offered HIV testing in routine medical encounters, and annual HIV testing is advised for those with high-risk behavior, CDC said Thursday in its revised HIV testing recommendations. Under the new guidelines, hospitals, clinics and physicians offices can drop two major HIV testing requireme
ALABAMA: Prison Officials Confirm, Investigate Kilby Tuberculosis Case: Associated Press (09.20.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; On Wednesday, health officials said an inmate at Kilby Correctional Facility in Mt. Meigs has a confirmed case of TB and was been placed in respiratory isolation on Tuesday. The prisoner has been at the institution since Aug. 11. Any inmates who have been in contact with the infected man will be tested and monitored fo
CAMBODIA: Cambodia Secures $32 Million Grant from US for Health: Agence France Presse (09.18.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; On Monday, officials in Phnom Penh announced that Cambodia has received $32 million in health and education grants from the United States . We consider the improvement of maternal and child health services in Cambodia to be a major priority, said Erin Soto, director of the US Agency for International Development in Cam
SOUTH AFRICA: Mlambo-Ngcuka Gives Moribund AIDS Council Shot in the Arm: Business Day (09.18.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Amy Musgrave; Last week, South Africa s interministerial committee on HIV/AIDS discussed ways to reinvigorate the National AIDS Council (SANAC), said Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the council s chairperson. The secretariat of SANAC would be strengthened to more effectively manage and coordinate the government s HIV/AIDS o
GLOBAL: More Effort Should Be Dedicated to Prevention of AIDS: Gates: Agence France Presse (09.21.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Progress against the AIDS pandemic will depend more on preventing HIV s spread than on treatment improvements, Bill Gates, chairperson of Microsoft, wrote today in The Independent. Gates noted that for each person who starts getting treatment today, 10 more people will need treatment tomorrow. .There is simply no feasi
HAWAII: University of Hawaii Discontinues Free HIV Testing: University Wire (09.19.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Ting-Cheng Wen, Ka Leo O Hawaii; Since Sept. 7, the State of Hawaii Department of Health (HDH) has temporarily frozen a free biweekly HIV testing and counseling program for University of Hawaii-Manoa students. The program was offered at University Health Services (UHS), which still offers students HIV testing from private labs for $22, a 50 percent di
UNITED STATES: Incidence of Opportunistic and Other Infections in HIV-Infected Children in the HAART Era: Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 296; No. 3: P. 292-300 (07.19.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Philimon Gona, PhD; Russell B. Van Dyke, MD; Paige L. Williams, PhD; Wayne M. Dankner, MD; Miriam C. Chernoff, PhD; Sharon A. Nachman, MD; George R. Seage III, DSc, MPH; Combination anti-retroviral therapy or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has resulted in a dramatic decline in the incidence of opportunistic and other infections in HIV-infected children and adults, the authors wrote. They undertook the current study to estimate the incidence of 29 targeted opportunistic a
INDIA: Exclusive School for HIV/AIDS Children in India: Agence France Presse (09.21.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; A school for children with HIV/AIDS opened last week in the southern Warrangal district of India s Andhra Pradesh state, according to Jyotish Joseph, director of the nonprofit Karunalayum. The school - a necessity for infected children banned from other educational institutions - is staffed by a teacher, nurse and HIV/
SOUTH AFRICA: Tests Showing South Africa Miners with Super TB May Be Wrong: Reuters (09.21.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Eric Onstad; A report from Free State health officials indicating that six gold miners had contracted extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR- TB) may be inaccurate, health and mining officials said today. The miners are responding to conventional treatment, which is bizarre and suggests that maybe it s not XDR, said Gold Fields mining fi
NEW JERSEY: Lawmakers Urged to Help Slow AIDS: Panel OKs Needle Exchange in Six Towns: The Record (Bergen County) (09.19.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Bob Groves; On Monday at a state Senate hearing, New Jersey Health Commissioner Fred M. Jacobs told lawmakers that proposed legislation to legalize needle exchange programs in the state would help control the spread of HIV. The burden of HIV/AIDS on the residents of New Jersey is great, and the cost is high, especially among those
GLOBAL: US Scientific Group Says Access to Clean Needles Key to Reducing HIV in Drug Users: Canadian Press (09.19.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Helen Braswell; Scientific evidence shows strategies that include access to clean needles and methadone are effective at reducing HIV transmission risk among injecting drug users (IDUs), according to a new Institute of Medicine report. UNAIDS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the report, charging IOM with assess
UNITED STATES: California Could Lose $50 Million in AIDS Money over 5 Years: Associated Press (09.20.06) - Thursday, September 21, 2006; Erica Werner; On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 38-10 in favor of a spending bill that would direct more Ryan White CARE Act funds to Southern states. Lawmakers from Southern and rural areas said revisions to the original 1990 act are necessary to keep up with the AIDS epidemic s changing track. But represe
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma Narrows Focus of TB Exposure Probe: Associated Press (09.20.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department said it is narrowing the focus of its investigation of persons potentially exposed to TB through contact with a health care worker with the disease. The agency is seeking to contact patients and others who spent prolonged periods of time on the sixth, eighth or 10t
MICHIGAN: Six Workers Are Tested for Tuberculosis Infection: Detroit News (09.20.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Mark Hicks; Additional testing will determine whether six workers at the downtown Detroit AT&T building who tested positive for TB are actually infected, officials said Tuesday. Skin tests confirmed the six had been exposed through contact with one employee suspected to be infected, but X-rays found that five of them have no s
SOUTH AFRICA: Resistant TB Spreads to South African Gold Mines: Reuters (09.19.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; On Tuesday, provincial health department spokesperson Gela Naude said six Free State gold miners have been found to have extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). The workers, from the Harmony and Gold Fields mines, have been placed in isolation units at hospitals, and those in close contact with them will be tes
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakh Health Minister, Regional Governor Fired After 55 Children Contract HIV: Associated Press (09.20.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Citing serious shortcomings in their work, Kazakhstan s president on Wednesday fired Health Minister Erbolat Dosayez and South Kazakhstan regional governor Bolat Zhylkyshiyev. Deputy Security Council chief Nurlan Abdirov said President Nursultan Nazarbayev s action was in response to reports that 55 children had contra
MASSACHUSETTS: Fenway Center Plans $55 Million Expansion; Facility to Be Largest in Nation with Focus on Gay Health Issues: Boston Globe (09.19.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Christopher Rowland; Boston s Fenway Community Health Center (FCHC) - known for its outreach to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities and for its role in HIV/AIDS research and clinical trials - has launched a fundraising campaign to support a $55 million expansion. Since 1992, FCHC has occupied an 18,000-square foot space
PENNSYLVANIA: Success in Philly Could Spread Here: New York Post (09.18.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Carl Campanile; New York City s high school STD testing program is modeled after an initiative launched in Philadelphia in response to an upsurge in chlamydia among teenage girls. In 2003, Philadelphia recorded over 17,000 chlamydia cases, more than twice the caseload of a decade earlier. The highest rates were seen in females ages 15
NEW YORK: Sex Diseases Raging in City High Schools: New York Post (09.18.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Carl Campanile; An unprecedented mayoral STD screening initiative in selected New York City public high schools found that 9 percent of females and 2 percent of males tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea. The confidential, voluntary urine-based STD tests by the city Health Department targeted two schools in the Bronx and three i
UNITED STATES: Almost One in 10 Straight Men on the 'Down- Low,' Study Finds: Philadelphia Inquirer (09.19.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Dawn Fallik; A 2003 random telephone survey sample of 4,193 male New York City residents found a high proportion of men self-identifying as heterosexual nevertheless also reporting sex with men. The study is a wake-up call for doctors not to make assumptions about their patients sexual behavior, or rely upon self- reported identiti
GLOBAL: Five Nations to Tax Airfare to Raise Funds for AIDS Drugs: New York Times (09.19.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Unitaid, a newly formed Geneva-based coalition of five countries, will levy taxes on airline tickets toward the goal of raising at least $300 million next year for pediatric AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria treatment. The countries - France , Britain, Brazil , Norway and
ALABAMA: Limestone Prison AIDS Inmates Cite Improvements Since Suit: Associated Press (09.16.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Inmates in the Limestone Prison AIDS unit report conditions there have improved since 2002, when the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) sued the Alabama prison system and prison health care provider NaphCare alleging poor medical care. Under the settlement, NaphCare was replaced by Prison Health Services (PHS) as
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Tests Reveal HIV in D.C. Is Double US Average: Washington Post (09.20.06) - Wednesday, September 20, 2006; Susan Levine; Yesterday, Washington s Administration for HIV Policy and Programs (AHPP) reported that its three-month-old Get Screened for HIV testing campaign has found an almost 3 percent HIV infection rate among the more than 7,000 people screened at community health sites. The findings, presented to the Mayor s Task Force on HIV
WYOMING: Hepatitis C Support Group Forms: Billings Gazette (09.14.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Gazette News Services; Greg Welch, hepatitis specialist with the Wyoming Department of Health, estimates that hepatitis C infections have been increasing in the state at a rate of 8-10 percent a year. It s a very prevalent disease, and about the time people find out about it, it s years after the fact, he said. Most people who are infected d
OHIO: Anti-AIDS Efforts Reach Full Stride in Annual Fundraiser: Columbus Dispatch (09.17.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Bill Bush; Hundreds of people took part in Sunday s Dr. Robert J. Fass Memorial Central Ohio AIDSWalk in Columbus. Past events have typically raised between $40,000 and $60,000, said Aaron Riley, executive director of the Columbus AIDS Task Force, but this year online donations totaled $80,000 before the walk stepped off. Ten non
CANADA: 6,000-Plus Supporters 'Overwhelm' Organizers: Toronto Star (09.18.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Josh Wingrove; Awareness generated by last month s 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto is credited with a 50 percent jump in participation in the city s 18th annual Walk for Life AIDS fundraiser on Sunday. More than 6,000 people took part, and the event raised $432,601 Canadian ($383,435 US), almost 10 percent above the goa
CHINA: China to Survey Hepatitis B Infection: Xinhua News Agency (09.15.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; China s Ministry of Health is rolling out a year-long national survey to determine hepatitis B prevalence in order to update surveillance data and prevention guidelines. The survey runs from this month through September 2007. Blood serum samples will be obtained from 79,000 people ages one to 59. The Chinese Foundation
INDIANA: Hepatitis Clinics Cost $150,000: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (09.19.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Michael Schroeder; The eight hepatitis A immunization clinics conducted recently after a local restaurant worker was diagnosed with the disease cost more than $150,000, county Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan told the health board Monday night. The immune globulin shots, which were provided by the Indiana State Department of Healt
IOWA: Des Moines Church Offers HIV Test with Sermon: Des Moines Register (09.18.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Tony Leys; During Sunday s service at the largely African-American Maple Street Baptist Church, the Rev. Keith Ratliff Sr. delivered a half-hour sermon about how life s imperfections are helping spread HIV/AIDS, especially in the black community. I m not out to hurt anyone s feelings, he said. But, honey, in today s world, you do
OKLAHOMA: Washington, Tulsa Counties: Syphilis Outbreak Seen: Tulsa World (09.16.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Nicole Nascenzi; A Washington County syphilis outbreak has spread to Tulsa County, public health authorities said recently. So far this year, Washington County has reported 13 syphilis cases to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, compared to just one case during the previous five years, said Mark Turner, SDH s program manager for
OKLAHOMA: Sick Health Care Worker May Have Exposed Hundreds to Tuberculosis: Associated Press (09.18.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Tim Talley; Oklahoma City-County Health Department officials are urging more people who may have come in contact with a TB-infected employee of Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City to seek testing. Testing of 600 people so far, including all hospital employees, has identified 10 TB infections, said Mary Spinner, admi
UNITED KINGDOM: First Sexual Partnerships: Age Differences and Their Significance; Empirical Evidence from the 2000 British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles ('Natsal 2000'): Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 1: P. 87-95 (07..06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Catherine H. Mercer, PhD; Kaye Wellings, PhD; Wendy Macdowall, MSc; Andrew J. Copas, PhD; Sally McManus, MSc; Bob Erens, MA; Kevin A. Fenton, PhD; Anne M. Johnson, MD; The purpose of the current study was to describe variations in age differences (ADs) between partners at first heterosexual intercourse and to examine associations between AD, sociodemographic characteristics, and circumstances of first heterosexual intercourse by gender. The researchers used a probability survey of 3,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Health Minister: Up to 30 Percent Have HIV Infection in Remote Papua New Guinea: Associated Press (09.18.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Ray Lilley; Papua New Guinea has one the highest rates of HIV in Asia, 1-3 percent nationally, and some areas have HIV rates of up to 30 percent, Health Minister Peter Barter told the World Health Organization s annual Asia-Pacific conference meeting in New Zealand on Monday.
INDIA: Indians Urge Repeal of Gay Sex Ban: Financial Times (London) (09.18.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Amy Yee; In October, the Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear a case seeking to overturn, on grounds that it violates human rights and hampers HIV/AIDS prevention, India s 1861 colonial-era law criminalizing consensual same-sex acts between adults. Over the weekend, more than 150 Indian luminaries signed an open letter publicl
UNITED STATES: Lee Moves to Provide Condoms for Prisoners: San Francisco Chronicle (09.17.06) - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Christopher Heredia; On Saturday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) promoted a bill that would give federal inmates access to condoms. It is necessary to break the silence about sex in prisons, said Lee, because 90 percent of inmates are released eventually and resume relationships with spouses and partners. When an inmate gets infected, we re a
UTAH: Health Department Offering Free STD Tests: Deseret Morning News (09.17.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Responding to rising rates of gonorrhea, up 222 percent since 2001, and chlamydia, up 51 percent since 2001, the Utah Department of Health s Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Program is sponsoring free testing for the two diseases this week. Clinics will be held throughout the state. For information, telephone 801-5
HAITI: US Announces $492 Million in Aid to Haiti: Associated Press (09.15.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Stevenson Jacobs; On Friday, the United States announced a three-year, $492 million aid package aimed at reviving Haiti s stagnant economy and putting the nation on the path to stability. According to US Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson, the money will be used to tackle Haiti s enormous economic challenges by increasing access to educatio
RUSSIA: GlaxoSmithKline Offers Cheap HIV Drugs to Russia: Agence France Presse (09.15.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; On Friday, GlaxoSmithKline announced it had agreed to supply the Russian government with discounted HIV drugs in order to help it reach a treatment target of 15,000 patients by the end of 2006. Under the terms of the agreement, GSK will supply over 90,000 treatment packs to the Russian government of its HIV medicines:
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Lobby Campaign to Axe Minister Doomed: South Africa: Agence France Presse (09.17.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; The Treatment Action Campaign has launched an appeal for 4 million rand ($550,000 US) to fund a campaign that will include holding rallies and petitioning the government to fire Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. The controversial health minister has angered many by her insistence that AIDS can be treated with a particular diet
UNITED KINGDOM: Hope for Tuberculosis Blood Test: BBC News (09.14.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; In a new Lancet study, UK researchers report they have developed a blood test to detect TB that could be cost- effective for developing countries. Current TB diagnosis involves examining sputum from the lungs through a microscope. In rural clinics in developing countries, such testing can be just 40-60 percent accurate
CANADA: HIV and Hepatitis C on the Rise Among Montreal Drug Users: CBC News (09.08.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Montreal public health authorities reported recently what they said is an alarming increase in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases among injection drug users (IDUs). A greater supply of clean needles is needed to combat these blood-borne infections, they said. HCV and HIV cases among the hundreds of IDUs Montreal scr
RWANDA: Rwanda Warns Against HIV/AIDS Complacency After Prevalence Drops: Agence France Press (09.14.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; New figures showing a sharp decline in HIV/AIDS prevalence in Rwanda should not prompt citizens to become complacent about the disease, according to officials. The survey found that 3 percent of Rwandans are HIV-positive, down from a previous figure of 13.5 percent. Some people are celebrating the figures and loosening
UGANDA: Uganda Drafts Bill to Execute HIV Infectors: Inter Press Service (09.13.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Evelyn Kiapi Matsamura; The incidence of HIV-positive adults sexually abusing Ugandan children is rising, prompting lawmakers to draft a bill calling for offenders who knowingly infect minors with HIV to be executed. The bill is one of many under discussion by Parliament in a bid to curb the country s widening AIDS epidemic. Already one in 10
AFRICA: Commonwealth AIDS Project to Target Teachers in Africa: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.15.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Sue Blaine; On Thursday at a three-day Commonwealth workshop on HIV/AIDS in Africa, the intergovernmental Commonwealth Secretariat agency emphasized the important role teachers can play in fighting the epidemic. South Africa and other African countries need to train teachers to instruct students in HIV/AIDS prevention, said the se
ASIA-PACIFIC: Experts Call for Making Cervical Cancer Vaccine Available to Asian Women: Associated Press (09.10.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Teresa Cerojano; The vaccine against the four human papillomavirus (HPV) types responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases is especially needed in Asia, experts told a meeting of the Asia- Oceania Research Organization in Genital Infection and Neoplasia on Sept. 9 in the Philippines . About 266,000 women in the region d
LOUISIANA: Badon Presses for HIV Tests in Prisons: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (09.15.06) - Monday, September 18, 2006; Ed Anderson; At a meeting of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice in Baton Rouge on Thursday, Rep. Austin Badon (D-New Orleans) said he plans to introduce a bill requiring HIV and hepatitis testing for all Louisiana prisoners. The measure, which would affect 38,000 state inmates in custody and 15,000 who pa
FLORIDA: Donations Add Up: $90,000 Raised: St. Petersburg Times (09.13.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; At least 1,200 people turned out for the third annual AIDS Walk St. Petersburg, held Sept. 9. The event helped raise more than $90,000 for FACT (For AIDS Care Today). More than 53 teams and 29 corporate sponsors participated in the 5K walk.
FLORIDA: University of Florida Infirmary Offers STD Shot: University Wire (09.08.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Christina Kaliher, Independent Florida Alligator; Starting this semester, the University of Florida s Women s Clinic is offering Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against the four types of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts. Gardasil is administered in three doses by clini
WASHINGTON: Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Available at Washington State University: University Wire (09.13.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Allison Doty, Daily Evergreen; Washington State University s Health and Wellness Services is now offering Merck & Co. s Gardasil vaccine to protect students from the four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that CDC says cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers and nearly 90 percent of genital warts. Health and Wellness recorded 80 HPV infec
NEW YORK: New York's Gay Baths Become Sex Clubs of Last Resort: Reuters (09.11.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Matthew Verrinder; During the 1970s, before the AIDS epidemic, New York City s gay bathhouses were many in number and an accepted part of the gay lifestyle. People would talk to each other and socialize in lounges and snack bars, and sex was part of the agenda instead of the whole agenda like now, said Bill Stackhouse, director of the In
NEW JERSEY: FAITH Services Assists Hudson County's HIV/AIDS Population: Union City Reporter (09.03.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Michael D. Mullins; For the last 18 years, Hoboken-based Franciscan AIDS Initiative to Help (FAITH) Services has provided support services to HIV/AIDS patients in Hudson County. The agency was founded in 1988 by Brother Bob Reinke, who began visiting AIDS patients at St. Mary Hospital when little was known about the disease. I would just
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV Drugs Best Given to South African Cities: Reuters (09.12.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Maggie Fox; Favoring South African cities over the countryside in the allocation antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) would be the most effective way to reduce the incidence of HIV, according to a new study. Ethically, however, that strategy would also be the worst among the three models analyzed in terms of creating and exacerbating healt
FRANCE: Unsafe Sex with Casual Partners and Quality of Life Among HIV-Infected Gay Men: Evidence from a Large Representative Sample of Outpatients Attending French Hospitals (ANRS-EN12-VESPA): Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 42; No. 5: P. 597-603 (08.15.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Anne-Deborah Bouhnik, MSc; Marie Preau, PhD; Marie-Ange Schiltz, MSc; Patrick Peretti-Watel, PhD; Yolande Obadia, MD; France Lert, PhD; Bruno Spire, PhD; MD; VESPA Group; According to researchers in the current study, the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has relaunched the debate on risky sexual behavior among HIV- infected gay men. They sought to examine the influences of lifestyle characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQL) on unsafe sex with casual p
UGANDA: United States Gives Millions to Controversial Faith- Based AIDS Fight in Uganda: Agence France Presse (09.14.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; On Thursday, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) gave a three-year, $15 million grant to a coalition of five Ugandan religious groups that provide faith-based approaches to fighting HIV/AIDS. The funding was disbursed under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, according to th
NEW JERSEY: AIDS Advocates Facing Threat of Funding Cuts: The Record (Bergen County) (09.14.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Alexander MacInnes; State and local AIDS advocates lobbied Congress this week not to cut New Jersey s portion of Ryan White funding for low- income HIV/AIDS patient services when the act is reauthorized. Ryan White s congressional reauthorization process is so multifaceted that it is too early to determine exactly how New Jersey and local
UNITED STATES: Southerners Urge Swift Action on AIDS Legislation: Associated Press (09.15.06) - Friday, September 15, 2006; Ben Evans; Thursday on Capitol Hill, several Republican senators joined health officials from Southern states in urging Congress to quickly reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act. Congressional leaders had hoped to renew the act months ago. But regional disagreements, particularly the question of whether the South should receive a g
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Officials Isolate Woman with Deadly TB Strain: Voice of America News (09.13.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; A Gauteng province woman who was recently diagnosed with extreme drug-resistant TB has been placed in isolation by health authorities. According to the provincial health department, the woman was informed of the seriousness of her infection while she was a patient at a Johannesburg hospital but refused further hospital
NEW YORK: AIDS Ride Generates $190,000: Ithaca Journal (09.11.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Tiffany Edwards; More than 300 cyclists rode all or part of the 100-mile, eighth annual AIDS Ride for Life on Saturday. The Southern Tier AIDS Program-sponsored event generated around $190,000 for local HIV/AIDS education and services. Since its founding in 1999, the ride has raised $812,000. STAP serves an eight- county area in southe
CALIFORNIA: Lee Schedules AIDS Forum: Contra Costa Times (09.13.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Lisa Vorderbrueggen; This Saturday, US Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) will host Getting Real: A Forum About HIV/AIDS, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Merritt College gymnasium, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. The forum will address HIV/AIDS in the black community and discuss vulnerable populations, high-risk sexual behaviors, and the role of churche
HAWAII: Teen Drug Use Falls, Survey Shows: Honolulu Advertiser (09.12.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Beverly Creamer; Middle and high school students in Hawaii have the nation s lowest incidence of sexual intercourse, according to the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Among those youths who are sexually active, however, the state had the nation s lowest rate of condom use: Only 47.6 percent of students who reported intercourse said the
NEW JERSEY: Needle Exchange May Be Headed to Senate: Asbury Park Press (09.13.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Gregory J. Volpe; On Monday, the state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee is scheduled to take up a pair of bills that would allow the non-prescription sale of needles and permit municipalities to set up needle exchange programs. Despite the efforts of some state lawmakers for more than a decade, the measure has
IOWA: Linn County Continues TB Tests amid Reports of Death: Associated Press (09.14.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; TB testing in eastern Iowa continued Wednesday amid reports that a woman has died of the disease. Health officials in Linn County tested 84 people last week and are now in the process of testing up to 150 children, who are age 15 and under, said Vicky Smith, the county health department s nursing supervisor. In the two
SOUTH AFRICA: Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Assessed by Pharmacy Claims Predicts Survival in HIV- Infected South African Adults: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 43; No. 1: P. 78-84 (09..06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Jean B. Nachega, MD, MPH; Michael Hislop, MSc; David W. Dowdy, ScM; Melanie Lo, MHS; Saad B. Omer, MBBS, MPH; Leon Regensberg, MBChB, MRCP; Richard E. Chaisson, MD; Gary Maartens, MBChB, FCP; It is not clear how adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may best be monitored in large HIV programs in sub-Saharan Africa where it is being scaled up, wrote the authors of the current study. They sought to evaluate the association between adherence to HAART, as estimated by pharmacy claims, and su
SOUTH AFRICA: State Finally Outlines Prison HIV/AIDS Plan: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.11.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Ernest Mabuza; On Sept. 8, South Africa s Department of Correctional Services (DCS) finally filed an affidavit with the Durban High Court outlining its plan to treat HIV-positive prisoners at the Westville Prison. The filing follows a stern rebuke by Judge Chris Nicholson late last month for failing to respect a June decision in whic
SOUTH AFRICA: All Babies Should Have HIV Tests, Says Expert: Independent Online (South Africa) (09.11.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Baldwin Ndaba, The Mercury; Compulsory HIV testing for six-week-old infants would help the South African government assess whether giving nevirapine to stop mother-to-child transmission is working, an AIDS expert said at the International All 4 Children Congress in Sun City over the weekend. To determine the efficacy of nevirapine, said Profe
INDIA: India Faces Hard Fight to Beat AIDS in Populous State: Reuters (09.12.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Kamil Zaheer; The northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 170 million people, is a key battleground in India s fight against AIDS, according to activists. But the state is challenged by widespread ignorance about the disease, a health care system that is overburdened and badly run, bureaucracy, apathy, and crippling poverty. Indeed
SOUTH CAROLINA: Vaccine Adds Another Angle to 'The Talk': The State (Columbia) (09.05.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; The availability of a vaccine against four types of the STD human papillomavirus has South Carolina parents of daughters wondering whether to approach the issue of vaccination from the standpoint of sexuality, cancer prevention or both. HPV vaccination could be a good time to initiate a discussion about sexual health i
MICHIGAN: Bill Calls for Cancer Vaccine for Sixth-Grade Girls: Grand Rapids Press (09.13.06) - Thursday, September 14, 2006; Judy Putnam; The sponsor of legislation that would require all Michigan girls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) has said her measure is supported by all the female members of the state Senate: six Democrats and six Republicans. The vaccine targets four HPV types responsible for about 70 percen
SOUTH KOREA: AIDS Concert Warms Up Chilly Evening: Korea Times (09.13.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Toney MacGregor; On a chilly Saturday evening at I Parkmall s outdoor auditorium, about 700 people showed up at the AIDS benefit NJ Music Festival to help raise money and awareness about the disease. AIDS is preventable, said chief organizer Ainsley Ji, CEO of NJ Enterprises. So education about AIDS is vitally important. The funds rais
IOWA: Children Show Up for TB Testing: Associated Press (09.12.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Linn County health authorities last week asked the parents of about 150 children to have them tested for TB because they may have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the disease. Testing of the children, who are age 15 and younger, began on Monday. The letters to parents followed an earlier round of te
NEVADA: Huntridge Teen Clinic Offers Affordable Medical and Dental Care: Las Vegas Review-Journal (09.03.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; John Przybys; During the recently ended fiscal year, the Las Vegas-based nonprofit Huntridge Teen Clinic provided medical care to about 2,000 youths and dental services to almost 1,000 patients, according to Steve Williams, executive director. The facility serves uninsured and at-risk youths ages 12-18 at no or extremely low cost. W
TEXAS: County Budget Cuts Allow Tax Rate to Fall More than Expected: San Antonio Express-News (09.12.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Tracy Idell Hamilton; On Monday, Bexar County Commissioners cut almost $1.6 million from a proposed budget, which lowered the tax rate slightly but also cut $284,341 requested by San Antonio AIDS Foundation. The foundation, the only area agency to offer hospice and skilled nursing care for late-stage indigent patients, had recently lost a s
TEXAS: Grant to Fund Dental Care for People with HIV/AIDS: Texarkana Gazette (09.10.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Ashley Gardner; Thanks to an annual $400,000, five-year US Department of Health and Human Services grant, people with HIV/AIDS in a 23- county area of Northeast Texas will now be able to receive specialized dental care closer to home. Awarded by the division s Health Resources and Services Administration, the grant will go to Special
MARYLAND: Opponents of Sex-Ed Plan Lauds Revision: Washington Post (09.12.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Lori Aratani; Members of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC), which last year joined Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFEG) to sue the Montgomery County public school system over its sex education program, say they are pleased with a new version of a condom demonstration video for 10th-graders. The video under consid
UNITED STATES: Associations Among Body Composition, Androgen Levels, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status in Adolescents: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 164-173 (08..06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD; Jonas H. Ellenberg, PhD; Debra A. Murphy, PhD; Xu Jiahong, MPH; The researchers conducted the current study to investigate whether factors influencing body composition may be unique for male and female adolescents with horizontal transmission of HIV. At baseline, researchers conducted anthropomorphic measurements on HIV-infected and -uninfected youth, ages 13- 18, participating in
MEXICO: From Despair of Sisters, a House of Hope Is Built: San Diego Union-Tribune (09.04.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Sandra Dibble; Eunime Por Tijuana (EPT), housed in a small white bungalow near the city s downtown bullring, offers support groups, counseling, emergency financial assistance, and clothing to those coping with HIV/AIDS. Staffed by volunteers and run on a shoestring budget, the organization aims to create a homey setting where familie
CHINA: Report: China to Open Another 200 Methadone Clinics This Year in Anti-Heroin Effort: Associated Press (09.11.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Joe McDonald; On Monday, China s Xinhua News Agency reported the government will open more than 200 methadone clinics to help heroin users taper off their use of the drug. The methadone substitution campaign is also geared to help prevent the spread of HIV transmitted by equipment-sharing among injection drug users (IDUs). According
AFRICA: More Financing Is Urged to Fight TB in Africa: New York Times (09.13.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Celia W. Dugger; Yesterday, the nonprofit Results International issued a report critical of the World Bank s funding of TB programs in Africa, especially in comparison with its spending in India , China , and Russia . One-third of TB deaths occur in Africa, though just 5 percent of the bank s zero-interest loans have gone to fi
UNITED STATES: Waters Seeks to Sway AIDS Groups on Prisoner Testing: The Hill (Washington) (09.12.06) - Wednesday, September 13, 2006; Jeffrey Young; Federal prisons would be required to offer HIV testing to all inmates at intake and prior to release under a bill introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). Mandatory testing has long raised concerns among civil libertarians and other activists. Although Waters bill would allow prisoners to refuse to undergo testing,
COLORADO: Making Strides for AIDS Awareness: Denver Post (09.11.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; John Ingold; As many as 7,500 people attended the 19th annual AIDS Walk Colorado at Denver s Cheesman Park on Sunday. The event expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Colorado AIDS Project and 30 other HIV/AIDS organizations. According to walk spokesperson Michael Lee, an estimated 10,000 Coloradoans are living with
UGANDA: Uganda Lets HIV/AIDS Medicine Worth $697,000 Go Out of Date: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (09.11.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Ugandan authorities said logistical problems caused them to allow $697,000 worth of HIV/AIDS drugs to expire, the Kenya- based East African newspaper reported Monday. The 78,000 tablets, which were reportedly financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, were allocated along with drugs that had longer expi
PENNSYLVANIA: Erie County Testing for TB: Associated Press (09.09.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; The Erie County Health Department is testing all employees at a Verizon call center for TB after two workers there tested positive for the disease, health officials said. The first worker tested positive for active TB in July, after which the department initially tested 42 co-workers. However, a second employee tested
EUROPE: WHO Urges Action on HIV/AIDS Treatment Goals: Agence France Presse (09.11.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; At the four-day, 56th annual World Health Organization Regional Committee for Europe meeting in Copenhagen on Monday, regional Director Marc Danzon praised the increasing availability of HIV/AIDS treatment but deplored disparities in treatment access and the generally increasing infection rates. The situation in the r
FLORIDA: Minorities Hard-Hit as AIDS Cases Continue to Climb: Daytona Beach News-Journal (09.09.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Ray Weiss; According to a new report by the Florida Department of Health, Volusia County has the state s 14th-highest rate of HIV/AIDS among African Americans: one infection out of every 104 people. I would have thought things would have gotten better, said Anthony Chester, who is African-American and oversees HIV/AIDS testing an
UNITED KINGDOM: Behavioural Predictors of Subsequent Hepatitis C Diagnosis in a UK Clinic Sample of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82: P. 298-300 (08..06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; J.M. Turner; A.T. Rider; J. Imrie; A.J. Copas; S.G. Edwards; J.P. Dodds; J.M. Stephenson on behalf of the SHARP Study Group; The authors of the current study sought to examine the associations between self-reported high-risk sexual behaviors and subsequent diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The Sex, Health and Anti-Retrovirals Project (SHARP) was a cross-sectional study of sexual behavior in HIV-infected men who have sex with me
GLOBAL: Church Leaders Advocate Improved Acceptance for HIV/AIDS Victims, Access to Medicines: Associated Press (09.06.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Bradley S. Klapper; World Council of Churches (WCC) representatives meeting in Geneva on Sept. 6 called for an accelerated battle against HIV/AIDS and for Christian groups to demonstrate greater acceptance of those precious members of the community who are living with the disease. Members have yet to reach agreement, however, on contentio
CHINA: Chinese, US Agencies Help Hepatitis B Prevention in Northwest China: Xinhua News Agency (09.11.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; In a bid to stop the spread of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in northwest China s Qinghai province, the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) and Stanford University s Asian Liver Center are offering free vaccines to the province s 60,000 children. The joint venture will also train local medical sta
THAILAND: Pharma Majors Promise Cheaper HIV/AIDS Drugs: Inter Press Service (09.06.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Marwaan Macan-markar; US drug manufacturer Gilead announced last month that it will sell Tenofovir in Thailand at 90 percent less than it charges for the patent-protected drug in Europe and the United States . The drug will be available at one US dollar per day, said Paul Cawthorne of Doctors Without
AUSTRALIA: Venereal Disease on the Rise Via Unsafe Gay Oral Sex: Sydney Morning Herald (09.08.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Jill Stark; Recent dramatic increases in gonorrhea and syphilis infections among men, rates not seen since the early 1980s, indicate gay Australians are unaware of the STD risks of oral sex, sexual health experts say. There were 405 gonorrhea cases in the first quarter of 2006, according to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Bullet
FLORIDA: Decision to Drop Mandatory Health Class May Harm Students, Teachers Say: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) (09.10.06) - Tuesday, September 12, 2006; Douane D. James; Effective next school year, Florida is no longer requiring a half-year health class for high school students. The half- credit course, also known as life management skills, includes information about nutrition, weight management, consumer finance, STDs, and the risks of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use. Cutting the healt
IOWA: Linn County Taps 150 Kids for TB Tests: Associated Press (09.08.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Responding to two confirmed cases, Linn County health officials are asking the parents of about 150 children to have them tested for tuberculosis. We think their exposure is minimal, said Vicki Smith, nursing supervisor for the Linn County Health Department. This is not a medical emergency. It s to check if an infectio
FINLAND: Rising Number of Finns Contract AIDS in Thailand: Agence France Presse (09.04.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; A recent report by the Finnish ministry of health warns of a doubling of HIV cases in five years, driven in part by men who contract the virus while vacationing in Thailand . The Southeast Asian nation is a favorite destination for Finns on holiday. The government expects to log more than 100 new HIV cases this year, u
THAILAND: HIV Infections Among Thai Wives Rising: Report: Agence France Presse (09.09.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; The news that married women now comprise the largest group of newly infected HIV patients in Thailand is prompting health authorities to re-examine their prevention strategies, the Bangkok Post reported Saturday. According to the Public Health Ministry, more than 30 percent of the estimated 17,000 new HIV infections in
EUROPE: Health Ministers Gather in Denmark for WHO Summit: Agence France Presse (09.10.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Today in Copenhagen, Denmark , health ministers from Europe s 53 World Health Organization members are beginning a four-day summit that will focus on health crises and chronic disease. Member states will be encouraged to modernize and adapt their health systems to be prepared to react quickly
OHIO: Speaker Urges Blacks to Mobilize Against AIDS: Cincinnati Enquirer (09.08.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Peggy O'Farrell; In Cincinnati on Thursday, the keynote speaker of the seminar Evolution of an Epidemic: Faith in Action urged African Americans to take ownership of HIV/AIDS, which continues to ravage their community. In 2006, AIDS in America is a black disease, said Black AIDS Institute (BAI) Executive Director Phill Wilson, noting t
UNITED STATES: Adolescent Adjustment over Six Years in HIV- Affected Families: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 174-182 (08..06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus, PhD; Judith A. Stein, PhD; Patricia Lester, MD; The current study was conducted to assess predictors of adjustment of adolescents of parents with HIV (PWH) at three and six years after the delivery of either a coping-skills intervention or a standard-care condition. The investigators conducted a randomized controlled intervention trial with 288 parents with HIV and
CHINA: UNAIDS Chief Presses China: Agence France Presse (09.11.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Cindy Sui; The head of UNAIDS said today that while he is impressed with China s HIV/AIDS policies, officials security concerns are silencing patient and nongovernmental groups that could play key roles. There should be better space for civil society groups to work, said Peter Piot, who began his six-day visit to China Thursday.
SOUTH AFRICA: Drug-Resistant TB Draws Global Health Response: Wall Street Journal (09.09.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Betsy McKay; Marilyn Chase; At a two-day meeting in Johannesburg, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC, and the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) agreed to implement quicker TB testing and surveillance for extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). While XDR-TB s extent is unknown, a recent report documented that the near
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Cited in the Climb in South Africa's Death Rates: New York Times (08.08.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Michael Wines; Mortality figures released Thursday by Statistics South Africa showed increased death rates for adults of nearly all ages, for both sexes, from 1997 to 2004. Reported causes and ages of deaths, while not mentioning AIDS, were consistent with a massive AIDS pandemic, the report said. Many deaths were caused by parasitic
SOUTH AFRICA: Cabinet Moves to Sideline South Africa's Health Minister on AIDS Program: Associated Press (09.09.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; Terry Leonard; On Friday, South Africa s Cabinet announced it has appointed a committee to help strengthen the country s AIDS program, effectively minimizing the influence of embattled Health Minister Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko said the new committee will be headed by Deputy President Phumzilie M
UNITED STATES: Having HIV Test May Soon Be Norm: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (09.07.06) - Monday, September 11, 2006; K.O. Jackson; CDC is considering guidelines recommending HIV/AIDS testing as part of an annual physical for most people, not just for at- risk patients. According to CDC spokesperson Tammy Nunnally, nothing has been finalized, but CDC s potential change will make HIV testing a standard part of medical care. The changes call for scre
INDIANA: AIDS Event Hopes to Educate, Get Past Stigma: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; K. O. Jackson; This Sunday s 10th annual AIDS Walk and Festival will take place at Lawton Park, 1900 S. Clinton St. The 5k walk lasts from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year s theme is The Power of One: The Fight to End HIV/AIDS Begins with You! In 2005, 11,689 Indiana residents had HIV/AIDS, according to state Department of Health stati
NEW YORK: Hundreds Will Ride Saturday to Combat AIDS, HIV: Ithaca Journal (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Raymond Drumsta; On Saturday, more than 300 riders will participate in the eighth annual AIDS Ride for Life, which benefits the Southern Tier AIDS Program, the area s primary HIV/AIDS and hepatitis service provider. Founded in 1984, STAP is a nonprofit providing case management, general support, advocacy, referrals, housing placement a
MARYLAND: Second Round of TB Tests Set for Hagerstown High School: Associated Press (09.08.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; David Dishneau; Washington County public health officials said Thursday they will retest 92 students and staff at South Hagerstown High School for tuberculosis in hopes of closing an investigation prompted by a case diagnosed at the school in May. Testing conducted in late May and early June produced four positive results, but officia
ALASKA: Bethel Organizes as the Rate of Chlamydia Infection Climbs: Associated Press (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Dustin Solberg; For the last 10 years, Alaska has reported some of the highest numbers of chlamydia cases in the nation, and state health officials are organizing against its numerous causes. The greatest increase in cases occurred in Alaska s southwest region, where Bethel, with a population of 5,609 people, is the largest village. A
PENNSYLVANIA: Health Board OKs Needle Exchange: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Anita Srikameswaran; On Sept. 6, the Allegheny County Board of Health approved a regulation that allows the continued operation of a needle- exchange program operated by Prevention Point Pittsburgh (PPP). The regulation must go to the county chief executive and County Council for final approval. Six months ago, some council members questio
UNITED STATES: Study IDs Protein That Helps HIV: United Press International (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Astara March; US scientists have identified a protein HIV uses to attach itself to chromosomes, presenting a possible target for new HIV drugs. HIV enters a chromosome using the integrase protein, said Dr. Eric Poeschla, who led the Mayo Clinic researchers involved in the study. Connected to integrase is protein LEDGF/p75 (p75), whi
CANADA: Teens Need a Chance to Talk About AIDS, Activists Say: Guelph Mercury (09.01.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Canadian Press; Emily Cordeaux, a 17-year-old Toronto resident, said some teens still thinks HIV/AIDS is an issue only for gay men, and that others are lulled into a false sense of security by thinking there will be a cure within their lifetime. She said schools offer the basics about HIV/AIDS in grade nine, but teens learn much more
CHILE: HIV Hitting Chile's Youth Hard: Santiago Times (09.04.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Last month, Chile s Ministry of Health reported that heterosexuals represented 35 percent of new HIV infections reported in 2004, up from 20 percent in 1984. Young adult Chileans ages 19-24 accounted for 60 percent of STDs and 50 percent of new HIV infections. Experts cited low condom use and a high number of sexual pa
SOUTH AFRICA: Expert: Killer TB Strain, Found in 28 South African Hospitals, Must Have Crossed Borders: Associated Press (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Michelle Faul; At a meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday, a TB specialist reported that at least one case of a new strain of extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) has been reported in 28 South African hospitals. The conference, convened by officials from the UN, CDC, and 14 southern and central African nations, is developing strategies
FLORIDA: HIV Among Blacks Still High: Miami Herald (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006; Jacob Goldstein; A new report by the Florida Department of Health shows that in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and throughout Florida, blacks are much more likely than whites to have HIV. Although the rate of HIV among blacks has declined in recent years, the disparity persists. Statewide, the rate of HIV is six times as high among bl
SOUTH AFRICA: Gag on Health Officials Is Illegal: Independent Online (South Africa) (09.05.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; South African Press Association; The Public Service Accountability Monitor issued a ruling Tuesday that a media gag recently issued by a Health Ministry official is unconstitutional. The Health Ministry official s instruction reportedly forbade provincial senior health officials from speaking to the media about HIV/AIDS or a proposed visit by UN Speci
CHINA: Prominent Chinese AIDS Dissident Taken from Home by Police: Associated Press (09.07.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Audra Ang; At least 20 plainclothes police took Chinese AIDS activist Hu Jia from his home at 8:30 a.m. today, his wife, Zeng Jinyan, reported by mobile phone. The men refused to show a police summons or explain why they demanded that Hu go to the local police station, she said. Hu was held for 41 days by security forces earlier
IOWA: Health Officials Test 100 for TB in Cedar Rapids: Associated Press (09.06.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; On Wednesday, state and Linn County health officials were to test about 100 people who may have had close, prolonged exposure to two people recently diagnosed with active TB. Iowa has one of the lowest TB rates in the nation, reporting 30-50 active cases a year, said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, state epidemiologist. Citing
UNITED STATES: Cancer Death Rate Is Down, Report Finds: USA Today (09.07.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Liz Szabo; Yesterday, four leading US organizations fighting cancer issued a report that found cancer mortality rates were falling and that new cases were leveling off. Among its findings, however, the report also noted Hispanics had higher rates of infection-related cancers, including cervical cancer, often linked to the STD hum
UNITED STATES: Predictors of Timely Initiation of Gynecologic Care Among Urban Adolescent Girls: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 183-191 (08..06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; M. Diane McKee, MD, MS; Jason Fletcher, MA, MS; Clyde B. Schechter, MA, MD; The authors conducted the current study to determine whether or not critical sexual health services are delivered to low- income girls, and to identify predictors of timely gynecologic care for sexually active adolescent girls. They noted that few studies have addressed the interval between sexual debut and risk-approp
CHINA: Chinese Prostitutes Raise AIDS Risk: Reuters (08.15.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Tan Ee Lyn; Police who use condoms as an excuse to arrest Chinese prostitutes who flock to Hong Kong in large numbers risk fueling a rise in STDs including HIV/AIDS, social workers warned. Sex workers in Hong Kong are frequently questioned by police, searched, detained, and expelled if condoms are found on them, groups that counse
INDIA: India's HIV/AIDS Infected Seek Law to Battle Bias: Reuters (09.06.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Kamil Zaheer; Lawyers Collective, a group advocating rights for the poor, abused women, and HIV patients, said Wednesday that the lack of a specific law to protect Indian HIV patients from bias hurts efforts to seek justice against discrimination. We are handicapped by the lack of an anti-HIV discrimination law, said Anand Grover, h
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Defends Its AIDS Approach: Agence France Presse (09.07.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Today in Cape Town, a spokesperson for South Africa s government defended its approach to HIV/AIDS and ignored calls for Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to step down over her handling of the epidemic. Themba Maseko said a cabinet meeting on Wednesday rejected, unreservedly, all the unfounded claims that we don
SOUTH AFRICA: Fatal TB Likely Widespread: Associated Press (09.07.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Michelle Faul; The physician responsible for identifying a deadly new strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in rural South Africa said there is a high likelihood that it has spread beyond the initial outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal province. Dr. Tony Moll discovered the strain after conducting tests at King George V Hosp
GLOBAL: Global Fund Draws Fire over Selection Process: Financial Times (London) (09.04.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Andrew Jack; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has come under pressure to be more open in the selection process for its executive director. The appointment of that executive is being closely watched because the fund is at the center of attempts to offer universal access to HIV/AIDS medications. A committee of the fund d
GLOBAL: Men's Behavior a Key Goal in AIDS Fight : Hearing: Reuters (09.06.06) - Thursday, September 07, 2006; Maggie Fox; The controversial US policy of promoting abstinence in the global fight against HIV/AIDS is helping to alleviate gender inequities, US Global AIDS Coordinator Dr. Mark Dybul told a congressional hearing on Wednesday. We are teaching young men a lot of important lessons about respecting women, he said to the House Subco
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Workers Plan Sept. 13 Demonstration over Salaries: Reuters (09.03.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Stella Mapenzauswa; The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the country s main labor organization, said Sunday it will hold demonstrations on Sept. 13 to protest poor wages and workers lack of access to HIV/AIDS drugs. Health officials estimate at least 3,000 people die of AIDS each week in Zimbabwe, but a chronic shortage of foreign curre
SOUTH KOREA: South Korean Cabinet Moves to Ban HIV Discrimination: Agence France Presse (09.05.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; On Tuesday, South Korean cabinet officials announced the approval of a draft law barring any kind of HIV discrimination in the workplace. The bill also bans employers from laying off HIV-infected employees for health reasons. Though the bill does not specify punishment, cabinet officials said offenders could be punishe
OHIO: Hundreds Immunized Against Hepatitis at Kent State: Associated Press (09.05.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Kent State University is immunizing hundreds of people after a student at the school was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Around 380 people have been immunized since Saturday, said Ron Kirksey, a Kent State spokesperson. University and local health officials are monitoring people who ate catered meals at the school s Studen
CALIFORNIA: Needle Program Is OK'd: Sacramento Bee (09.06.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Eric Stern; Yesterday, the Sacramento City Council authorized area pharmacies to sell up to 10 syringes to adults without a prescription. A 2004 state law allows local jurisdictions to approve pharmacy-based nonprescription needle sales. The measure passed by a 6-2 vote over the objections of law enforcement officials and Councilo
UNITED STATES: Condom Use with 'Casual' and 'Main' Partners: What's in a Name?: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 3: P. 443.e1-443.e7 (09..06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Celia M. Lescano, PhD; Elizabeth A. Vazquez, PhD; Larry K. Brown, MD; Erika B. Litvin, BA; David Pugatch, MD; Project SHIELD Study Group; The authors of the current study examined how adolescents attitudes and behaviors regarding condom use differed with main as opposed to casual partners. At primary care clinics and outreach activities in three major US cities, sexually active persons ages 15-21 were recruited. An audio computer-assisted self-interview
BOTSWANA: Cancer Surge Overwhelming AIDS Crisis in Botswana: Agence France Presse (09.01.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Tshepo Moipolai; Botswana , with one of the highest HIV levels per capita in the world, is battling a rise in cancer due to the epidemic. We have a cancer crisis in this country caused by HIV, which weakens the body s immune system, said Alexander von Paleske, head of oncology at Princess Marina, the largest state-owned hospital.
AFRICA: Traditional Doctors Can Help Fight AIDS in Africa: WHO: Agence France Presse (08.31.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Traditional healers need to be recruited in Africa s HIV/AIDS fight in order to reach those with little access to health care or HIV/AIDS prevention services, Luis Gomes Sambo, the World Health Organization s regional director for Africa, said recently. Studies in some countries show improved health delivery and earli
SOUTH AFRICA: Drug-Resistant TB in South Africa Draws Attention from UN: New York Times (09.06.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Lawrence K. Altman; In Johannesburg, officials from the World Health Organization , African countries, and CDC will meet Thursday and Friday to develop a best practices strategy for controlling extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). The meeting follows the report of an XDR-TB outbreak that killed 52 of 53 patients, within an average 25 day
SOUTH AFRICA: Scientists Call for Manto's Dismissal: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) (09.06.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Fran Blandy; In a letter to South African President Thabo Mbeki, 81 scientists and academics called for the immediate removal of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the Treatment Action Campaign announced today. The letter said the minister s health policies are ineffective and immoral. We therefore call for the immediate rem
UNITED STATES: Cervical Cancer Vaccine Costly: Columbus Dispatch (09.03.06) - Wednesday, September 06, 2006; Kathy Lynn Gray; University health officials are concerned that female students may not be able to afford the $400 cost of the new vaccine that protects against four types of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). Dr. Ted Grace, director of Ohio State University s student-health services, said the vaccine, Gardasil, has poten
CANADA: AIDS Conference Delegates Claim Refugee Status: 137 Submit Applications to Stay in Canada: Edmonton Journal (09.02.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Siri Agrell, National Post; An Eritrean seeking refugee status after attending last month s 16th International AIDS Conference is basing his claim to stay in Canada on persecution by Eritrean authorities, Francisco Rico, spokesperson for the FCJ Refugee Center representing the man, said recently. A. T., 32, is one of 137 conference delegates fili
JAPAN: First HIV-2 Infection of a Japanese Confirmed: Japan Times (09.05.05) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Japan s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has notified prefectures, hospitals and health centers to be aware of the possible spread of HIV-2 following the first such case report involving a Japanese man. The ministry, which received the report last week, said it believes the man acquired HIV-2 in West Africa. A minist
INDIA: Court Asks Why India Missed 2005 AIDS Drug Target: Reuters (08.31.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Samanwaya Routray; On Thursday, India s top court asked the federal government to explain by the end of the month why it had failed to meet AIDS treatment target for 2005. The suit was filed by several Indian HIV/AIDS non-governmental organizations. India s National AIDS Control Organization said a major hurdle to treating 100,000 HIV/AI
BULGARIA: HIV Risk Behavior Patterns, Predictors, and Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevalence in the Social Networks of Young Roma (Gypsy) Men in Sofia, Bulgaria: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 8 P. 485-490 (08..06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Elena Kabakchieva, MD; Sylvia Vassileva, MS; Jeffrey A. Kelly, PhD; Yuri A. Amirkhanian, PhD; Wayne J. DiFranceisco, MS; Timothy L. McAuliffe, PhD; Radostina Antonova, MS; Milena Mihaylova, MS; Boyan Vassilev, MS; Roman Khoursine, MS; Elena Petrova,; The authors studied predictors of high-risk sexual practices and sexually transmitted disease prevalence among Roma men s social networks in Sofia, Bulgaria . Fifty-four socially active individuals, approached in Roma neighborhood venues, recruited members of their own networks (n=296) into the study. Study participant
AUSTRALIA: Are Patient Responses to Sensitive Sexual Health Questions Influenced by the Sex of the Practitioner?: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82; No. 4: P. 321-322 (08..06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; S. Ginige; M.Y. Chen; C.K. Fairley; The authors conducted the current study to determine whether a patient s responses to sensitive questions about sexual behavior are influenced by the sex of the practitioner treating them. Investigators conducted an audit of the computerized medical records of all patients visiting the Melbourne Sexual Health Center wa
UNITED STATES: Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 156-163 (08..06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Mar�a C. Rangel, MD, PhD; Loretta Gavin, MPH, PhD: Christie Reed, MD, MPH, FAAP; Mary G. Fowler, MD; Lisa M. Lee, PhD; The study authors proposed to describe the current status of the HIV epidemic among adolescents and young adults in the United States . Despite reported declines in sexual risk behaviors among adolescents in the past decade, little has been published about HIV/AIDS epidemiology among US adolescents and young adults, th
UNITED KINGDOM: It's Not Just a Case of Getting a Cream: BBC News (08.13.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Helen Neill; In an online survey of 30,000 UK teens and young adults, one- third of those ages 16-24 reported having sex before age 16, according to BareAll06, a joint teen sexual health campaign of BBC Radio 1, 1xtra, MTV, and Durex. The campaign is also supported by the Department of Health, where ministers said they would use fi
CANADA: Safe Injection Site Stays Open: For Now: Guelph Mercury (09.02.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Canadian Press; Citing the need for more research, Health Canada announced Friday it has postponed a final decision on Vancouver s safe injection site. Insite, a pilot project that permits addicts to inject their own drugs under the supervision of a nurse to prevent overdoses, was slated to close Sept. 12 if the Conservative governmen
SOUTH AFRICA: New Deadly TB Strain Detected in South Africa: Associated Press (09.01.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Maria Cheng; A new, extremely drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis has emerged from the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa , killing 52 of the 53 people infected in the last year, the World Health Organization said Friday. Two of the six second-line medicines used as a last line of defense against TB proved ineffective against t
UNITED STATES: Congress Poised to Renew Ryan White Act: Washington Blade (09.01.06) - Tuesday, September 05, 2006; Joshua Lynsen; A revised formula for the Ryan White CARE Act is expected to be unveiled in the House in the next week, one year after the act that provides more than $2 billion in federal funding for people living with HIV/AIDS expired. Renewal of Ryan White has been hampered by political infighting and bureaucratic procedures. Revis
ILLINOIS: AIDS Run & Walk Chicago Sept. 16: Windy City Times (Chicago) (08.02.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; AIDS Run & Walk Chicago will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Columbus and Balbo in Grant Park. The event will include exhibits by local HIV/AIDS organizations and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Proceeds will benefit the grant-making program of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Registration
ILLINOIS: Tuberculosis Patient Quarantined: Chicago Tribune (08.31.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; On Tuesday, McHenry County Judge Michael Caldwell signed a quarantine order for a woman who has refused TB treatment. The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, received a positive TB test during an investigation after her five-month- old great-grandson tested positive for TB in May. Under the order, the pat
CANADA: Up to 150 International AIDS Conference Delegates Filing Refugee Claims: Canadian Press (09.01.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; The Toronto Sun reported today that up to 150 of the 24,000 delegates to the 16th International AIDS Conference have filed claims for refugee status to remain in Canada . The 150 refugee claims figure was confirmed Thursday by Canadian immigration spokesperson Karen Shadd-Evelyn. Most claimants have HIV/AIDS; they incl
ARIZONA: Planned Parenthood Plans 8 New Centers, Expansions: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (08.29.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Susie Steckner; In response to a booming population and growing demand for services, Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona is undertaking a $2.4 million project to add or upgrade eight health centers around the greater Phoenix area and elsewhere in the state. Statewide, Planned Parenthood has 17 full-service centers, with
INDIANA: Hepatitis A Scare, Shots Drain Red Cross Donor Pool: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (08.31.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Michael Schroeder; Officials of the American Red Cross Blood Services Indiana- Ohio Region said the recent hepatitis A diagnosis of a server at a Fort Wayne restaurant has resulted in the further depletion of their already slim blood supply. Rebecca Fuller of ARC s regional headquarters said it has an overall 48-hour blood supply. The mi
NEW YORK: Ads Target Homophobia; Billboards, Posters Aimed at HIV/AIDS Prevention in Black Community: New York Blade (08.28.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Kerry Eleveld; I am gay, and this is where I stay, proclaims a large billboard at the corner of 125th St. and Broadway in New York City s Harlem. The ad, which depicts a young black man with his family, was unveiled recently by the New York State Black Gay Network (NYSBGN), a coalition of 16 community organizations serving black gay
SOUTH AMERICA: Seroprevalence of and Risk Factors for HIV-1 Infection Among Female Commercial Sex Workers in South America: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 82: P. 311-316 (08..06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; C.T. Bautista; J.L. Sanchez; S.M. Montano; A. Laguna-Torres; L. Suarez; J. Sanchez; P. Campos; C. Gallardo; C. Mosquera; M. Villafane; N. Aguayo; M.M. Avila; M. Weissenbacher; E. Ramirez; R. Child; M. Serra; C. Aponte; A. Mejia; N. Velazques; A. Gia; The authors conducted the current study to assess HIV prevalence and associated risk behaviors among female commercial sex workers (FCSW) across major cities in nine countries in South America from 1999-2002. They performed seroepidemiological, cross-sectional studies of 13,600 FCSW, recruiting participants in brothels
SOUTH AFRICA: Female Condoms Slowly Rise in Popularity: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) (08.30.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Wendell Roelf; Distribution of the UK-manufactured polyurethane FC1 female condom in South Africa has increased from 1.3 million in 2001- 2002 to 2.6 million in 2004-2005. A latex FC2 could be available by next year. But there are still barriers for FC1, as the condoms cost about five rand (69 US cents) each and are not widely availa
UNITED STATES: Refocusing on AIDS: Gay City News (New York) (08.31.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Doug Ireland; In the run-up to the November elections and the 2008 presidential campaign, US AIDS activists are hoping to persuade state and national political candidates to endorse policies that will help end global HIV/AIDS. Launched by the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA), the nonpartisan AIDSVote 2006 effort is calling for universal
UNITED STATES: "Biotech Company Gets Grant for Rapid TB Test: San Jose Mercury News (09.01.06) - Friday, September 01, 2006; Steve Johnson; Cepheid, a biotech company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., has won a $3.3 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop a device to diagnose TB within thirty minutes. Combined with a $3.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the funds are earmarked to
NORTH CAROLINA: Duke Students Can Receive HPV Vaccine: University Wire (08.30.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Saidi Chen, The Chronicle, Duke University; Duke University s Student Health Center has begun administering Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against the four strains of the STD human papillomavirus that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts. The three shots will cost $140 each with a full course treatment of $420. Lindsey B
CHINA: Rise in HIV Cases Three Times Faster than 20 Years Ago: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) (08.30.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; In a trend called worrying by a consultant with the Center for Health Protection, HIV infections in Hong Kong are increasing at a rate three times that of 20 years ago. After the city s first HIV infection was reported in 1984, it took 13 years for cases to top 1,000. Infections stood at 2,000 by the end of 2002, and b
UNITED STATES: More Americans Left Uninsured: Chicago Tribune (08.30.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Judith Graham; The number of Americans without medical insurance coverage grew last year by 1.3 million people, according to Census Bureau data released Tuesday. Of the 1.3 million additional uninsured people, 961,000 reported working full-time, reflecting the growing number of companies dropping coverage for their workers. Seventeen
FLORIDA: St. Lucie Blacks' HIV/AIDS Rate Tops in State: Palm Beach Post (08.26.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Allyson Bird; According to unpublished Florida Department of Health figures for 2005, proportionally more African Americans had HIV in St. Lucie County than in any other Florida county. That year, there were about 29 infections per 1,000 black residents in St. Lucie County, compared with 24 infections per 1,000 black Palm Beach Coun
NETHERLANDS: Decline in HIV Incidence and Injecting, but Not in Sexual Risk Behaviour, Seen in Drug Users in Amsterdam: a 19-Year Prospective Cohort Study: AIDS Vol. 20; No. 13: P. 1771-1775 (08.22.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Catharina E.A. Lindenburg; Anneke Krol; Colette Smit; Marcel C.A. Buster; Roel A. Coutinho; Maria Prins; The researchers set out to examine temporal changes in HIV incidence, transmission routes, and sexual and injecting risk behavior in the open Amsterdam Cohort Study (ACS) among drug users. ACS, which was initiated in 1985, allows the study of changes in trends since 1996, when the use of highly active antiretroviral th
NEW ZEALAND: Government Offers HIV Amnesty for Zimbabweans: New Zealand Herald (08.31.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Anne Beston; On Wednesday, the New Zealand government urged Zimbabwean expatriates in the country who may be HIV-positive to apply for permanent residency. HIV testing is part of the compulsory health screenings migrants must undergo in order to apply for residency in New Zealand. A special residency plan, which went into effect la
CANADA: Canada's Homegrown Epidemic: Ottawa Citizen (08.14.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Andrew Duffy; Public Health Agency of Canada figures released this month show the HIV infection rate among natives is three times that of the overall population. Last year, aboriginals represented 9 percent of new HIV infections, though natives are only 3.3 percent of Canada s population. Needle sharing was the infection route for 5
MASSACHUSETTS: Local HIV/AIDS Advocates Support Sen. Clinton's Efforts to Change Ryan White Funding: Bay Windows (Boston) (08.31.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Ethan Jacobs; An Aug. 23 Washington Post cover story on the Ryan White CARE Act, which indicated that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was holding up its reauthorization because the proposed funding formula would favor Republican-leaning Southern states at the expense of larger, more urban ones, prompted a letter from the execut
UNITED STATES: Black Gay Coalition Recruits New Members: Bay Windows (Boston) (08.31.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Ethan Jacobs; The National Black Gay Men s Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC) will hold its annual meeting in Washington Sept. 5-6 to create a legislative agenda advocating increased federal funding for HIV services, programs, and research targeting the US black gay male population. The coalition, which was officially formed in January, ha
MASSACHUSETTS: Site to Air Gay Men's Issues; Blogs Will Provide Sexual Health Forum: Boston Herald (08.29.06) - Thursday, August 31, 2006; Donna Goodison; This fall, a new Web site designed to improve the sexual health of gay and bisexual men will debut in Massachusetts. MassMen.net, a joint research project of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at the University of California-San Francisco and the nonprofit Internet Sexuality Information Services Inc. in San
INDIANA: Hepatitis A Shot Clinics Extended to Saturday for Those Who Might Have Been Exposed at Local Restaurant: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (08.30.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Michael Schroeder; Four additional clinics have been scheduled to immunize people who may have been exposed to hepatitis A at the Pizza Hut restaurant at 5735 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne. The additional clinics will be held Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. All clinics will be held at M
THAILAND: UNHCR Chief Asks Thailand to Tackle AIDS in Refugee Camps: Agence France Presse (08.30.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterrez urged Thailand to work to fight AIDS in the refugee camps on its border with Myanmar . Guterrez, on a four-day official trip to Thailand, visited the Than Him refugee camp in the western Ratchaburi province, where some 10,000 ethnic Karen people have sought
LIBYA: Libyan Prosecutors in AIDS Trial Demand Death Sentence: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; On Tuesday in Tripoli, prosecutors called for the death penalty for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting more than 400 hospitalized Libyan children with HIV. The six have been imprisoned since 1999. In 2004, they were convicted of the same charges and sentenced to death. In December 2005,
NEW YORK: Giveaway Spurs Condom Mania: New York Post (08.28.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Frankie Edozien; The number of condoms distributed by New York City health officials has grown from 5.8 million in 2004 to 12.2 million in 2005. In June 2005, city officials began using a Web site that lets community groups order condoms and receive them in 10 days. Prior to this development, condoms were given only to clinics treating
UNITED STATES: Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Sexually Active Young Women in the United States: Implications for Developing a Vaccination Strategy: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 8: P. 502-508 (08..06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Lisa E. Manhart, PhD; King K. Holmes, MD, PhD; Laura A. Koutsky, PhD; Troy R. Wood, BS; Donna L. Kenney, BA; Qinghua Feng, PhD; Nancy B. Kiviat, MD; Noting that population-level data on prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in the United States are necessary to guide optimal vaccination strategies, the researchers tested and typed urine specimens for HPV from 3,262 women ages 18-25 in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (W
GHANA: Ghana's Gays Battle AIDS Underground: Toronto Star (08.21.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Karen Palmer; Unlike in the West, where AIDS campaigns have always targeted the gay community, gays and lesbians in Africa have been generally overlooked in the fight against the disease. That s because the population is largely invisible on a continent where homosexuality is widely criminalized. Media reports and outreach efforts m
SOUTH AFRICA: Medical Council in South Africa Says 336,000 Dead of AIDS in Past Year: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; An estimated 336,000 South Africans died of AIDS-related causes from mid-2005 to mid-2006, the president of the nation s Medical Research Council told a parliamentary committee Tuesday. Current data... estimate that round about the midpoint of 2006, something like 336,000 deaths in the preceding 12 months were AIDS-rel
AUSTRALIA: World's First Cervical Cancer Vaccine Available from General Practitioners: Australian Associated Press (08.28.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Tamara McLean; On Monday, general practitioners in Australia began administering Gardasil to girls and women ages 12-26. The vaccine prevents four HPV types that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and many genital warts. The three doses required will cost $450 Australian ($342 US), unless the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Commit
MASSACHUSETTS: E-Cards Let Partners in on STD Info: Boston Herald (08.25.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Donna Goodison; Massachusetts residents can now use a Web site to inform former sex partners they may be infected with an STD. On the site, www.inSPOT.org, users can send e-cards with or without their own personal information to urge the recipient to be checked for STDs. The nonprofit Internet Sexuality Information Services Inc. (ISIS
UNITED STATES: Back-to-School Checkup May Be Too Soon for New Cervical Cancer Shots: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Lindsey Tanner; Parents expecting to have their daughters immunized with Merck & Co. s new $360 HPV vaccine Gardasil before the school year are facing tough billing choices and scarcity issues. Gardasil protects against four HPV strains that cause most cervical cancer, genital lesions, and warts. In June, the federal Advisory Comm
INDIANA: Hepatitis A Shot Clinics Extended to Saturday for Those Who Might Have Been Exposed at Local Restaurant: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (08.30.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Michael Schroeder; Four additional clinics have been scheduled to immunize people who may have been exposed to hepatitis A at the Pizza Hut restaurant at 5735 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne. The additional clinics will be held Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. All clinics will be held at M
THAILAND: UNHCR Chief Asks Thailand to Tackle AIDS in Refugee Camps: Agence France Presse (08.30.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterrez urged Thailand to work to fight AIDS in the refugee camps on its border with Myanmar . Guterrez, on a four-day official trip to Thailand, visited the Than Him refugee camp in the western Ratchaburi province, where some 10,000 ethnic Karen people have sought
LIBYA: Libyan Prosecutors in AIDS Trial Demand Death Sentence: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; On Tuesday in Tripoli, prosecutors called for the death penalty for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting more than 400 hospitalized Libyan children with HIV. The six have been imprisoned since 1999. In 2004, they were convicted of the same charges and sentenced to death. In December 2005,
NEW YORK: Giveaway Spurs Condom Mania: New York Post (08.28.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Frankie Edozien; The number of condoms distributed by New York City health officials has grown from 5.8 million in 2004 to 12.2 million in 2005. In June 2005, city officials began using a Web site that lets community groups order condoms and receive them in 10 days. Prior to this development, condoms were given only to clinics treating
UNITED STATES: Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Sexually Active Young Women in the United States: Implications for Developing a Vaccination Strategy: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 8: P. 502-508 (08..06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Lisa E. Manhart, PhD; King K. Holmes, MD, PhD; Laura A. Koutsky, PhD; Troy R. Wood, BS; Donna L. Kenney, BA; Qinghua Feng, PhD; Nancy B. Kiviat, MD; Noting that population-level data on prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in the United States are necessary to guide optimal vaccination strategies, the researchers tested and typed urine specimens for HPV from 3,262 women ages 18-25 in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (W
GHANA: Ghana's Gays Battle AIDS Underground: Toronto Star (08.21.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Karen Palmer; Unlike in the West, where AIDS campaigns have always targeted the gay community, gays and lesbians in Africa have been generally overlooked in the fight against the disease. That s because the population is largely invisible on a continent where homosexuality is widely criminalized. Media reports and outreach efforts m
SOUTH AFRICA: Medical Council in South Africa Says 336,000 Dead of AIDS in Past Year: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; An estimated 336,000 South Africans died of AIDS-related causes from mid-2005 to mid-2006, the president of the nation s Medical Research Council told a parliamentary committee Tuesday. Current data... estimate that round about the midpoint of 2006, something like 336,000 deaths in the preceding 12 months were AIDS-rel
AUSTRALIA: World's First Cervical Cancer Vaccine Available from General Practitioners: Australian Associated Press (08.28.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Tamara McLean; On Monday, general practitioners in Australia began administering Gardasil to girls and women ages 12-26. The vaccine prevents four HPV types that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and many genital warts. The three doses required will cost $450 Australian ($342 US), unless the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Commit
MASSACHUSETTS: E-Cards Let Partners in on STD Info: Boston Herald (08.25.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Donna Goodison; Massachusetts residents can now use a Web site to inform former sex partners they may be infected with an STD. On the site, www.inSPOT.org, users can send e-cards with or without their own personal information to urge the recipient to be checked for STDs. The nonprofit Internet Sexuality Information Services Inc. (ISIS
UNITED STATES: Back-to-School Checkup May Be Too Soon for New Cervical Cancer Shots: Associated Press (08.29.06) - Wednesday, August 30, 2006; Lindsey Tanner; Parents expecting to have their daughters immunized with Merck & Co. s new $360 HPV vaccine Gardasil before the school year are facing tough billing choices and scarcity issues. Gardasil protects against four HPV strains that cause most cervical cancer, genital lesions, and warts. In June, the federal Advisory Comm
OHIO: Walk for AIDS: Cincinnati Enquirer (08.27.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Registration is now underway for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati s Red Ribbon Walk for AIDS, which will take place on Sept. 16. The five-mile walk will begin at 8 a.m. at the Schott Amphitheatre at Sawyer Point. AVOC will provide services this year for about 1,000 clients. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more i
THAILAND: US Firm to Sell AIDS Drug to Thai Patients at Drastically Reduced Price: Associated Press (08.26.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; The head of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center said Saturday that US-based Gilead Sciences Inc. has offered to sell its HIV/AIDS drug Tenofovir to patients in Thailand at $1 per pill, 15 times cheaper than its price in the United States .
INDIANA: 2,600 Get Hepatitis Shots After Eating at Pizzeria: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (08.28.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Ashley Rhodebeck; The news that a Fort Wayne Pizza Hut employee had been diagnosed with hepatitis A prompted more than 2,600 people to receive preventative treatment this weekend. According to the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health, anyone who dined in, carried out or ordered food from the Pizza Hut at 5735 Coventry Lane Aug.
ISRAEL: Pharyngeal Gonorrhea in Female Sex Workers: Response to a Single 2-g Dose of Azithromycin: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 33; No. 8: P. 512-515 (08..06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Michael Dan, MD; Francesca Poch, MSc; Ziva Amitai, MD; Dana Gefen, MD: Tamy Shohat, MD; Citing a sharp increase in the incidence of gonorrhea in Tel Aviv, Israel , since 1999, the authors noted that nearly one- half of interviewed patients admitted contracting the infection from a sex worker. In two-thirds of cases, oral sex (fellatio) was the most probable route of acquiring the disease. In this study, t
VIETNAM: Vietnam Highlands Face Drug Abuse, HIV Threats: Officials: Agence France Presse (08.22.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; At a recent one-day conference in Hanoi, the Vietnam representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime warned that the twin epidemics of drugs and HIV should no longer be viewed only as a threat to the public security and public health of Vietnam. They must be viewed as potential threats to sustainable human developme
INDIA: Transient India Sex Trade Threatens Faster HIV Pace: Reuters (08.14.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Gilbert Le Gras; Highly mobile female sex workers in India present a challenge to HIV-control efforts, according to a World Bank report prepared for the 16th International AIDS Conference. India has 40 percent of Asia s population but accounts for 60 percent of its HIV infections, according to a 2004 UN
UNITED KINGDOM: Teenagers 'Using Condoms Wrongly': BBC News (08.09.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Many sexually active English teens do not use condoms properly, according to new research led by Roger Ingham and colleagues at University of Southampton s Center for Public Health Research. Of almost 1,400 teens ages 16-18 surveyed by researchers, about half had had sex. On the most recent occasion, 373 had used a con
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Ordered to Offer AIDS Care: Associated Press (08.28.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; On Monday, a South African judge rejected the health and prison ministries appeal of an earlier ruling ordering that they provide antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to inmates with HIV/AIDS at Durban s Westville Prison. In May, the AIDS Law Project (ALP) filed an urgent application to compel the government to expedite ARV tre
UNITED STATES: Statistics Suggest that Young People in Some US States Are Avoiding Unsafe Sex: But It May Not Be for the Best Reasons: Financial Times (London) (08.26.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Tim Harford; The topic of oral sex among US teens has been publicized from Oprah s talk show to the Atlantic Monthly. Male adult and teen oral sex recipients have risen from about 25 percent of patients in 1990 to 75-80 percent at the clinic of Jonathan Zenilman, professor at Baltimore s Johns Hopkins University. Among his female p
PENNSYLVANIA: Cellegy Drops HIV Trial: Philadelphia Inquirer (08.29.06) - Tuesday, August 29, 2006; Linda Loyd; Pennsylvania-based Cellegy Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that it has stopped a phase III trial of its candidate HIV microbicide gel, the Savvy vaginal lubricant, involving 2,152 at-risk women in Nigeria . An independent research review committee concluded that continuing the study, sponsored by the US Agency for Int
AUSTRALIA: Funding Targets Nation's Most Common STD: Australian Associated Press (08.08.06) - Monday, August 28, 2006; Noting that the rate of notification of new chlamydia infections has nearly tripled over the past decade, Health Minister Tony Abbott has announced a $3.5 million Australian ($2.6 million US) program to fight the disease among high-risk groups, including people ages 16-25, Aboriginals, Torres Strait Islander