Washington Blade - November 22, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO -- Kenneth A. Haller, Jr., a St. Louis pediatrician, was named president of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association last week. Haller was one of several new officers and board members also elected. "The challenges faced by gay and lesbian persons seeking health care today are greater than ever, said Haller, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "GLMA has been at the forefront of advocating for compassionate, quality health care for LGBT persons," he said. "I am thrilled to be a part of continuing and expanding that mission as GLMA faces new threats to our community in the health care environment." Past President Christopher Harris, a physician in Nashville, Tenn., remains on the executive committee for one year. Three of the new board members are non-physicians in keeping with the organization's plan to broaden its member base to include all licensed health care professionals, according to Maureen S. O'Leary, the group's executive director. Three non-physicians were appointed to the board earlier this year, bringing the total to six of 31. The GLMA, founded in 1981, advocates on behalf of gay health professionals and patients.

Vatican again rejects condoms as tool in fight against AIDS

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican repeated its opposition to using condoms as a way to fight AIDS last week, saying that sexual abstinence was the best way to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, according to the Associated Press. Monsignor Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Workers, acknowledged that to some, the Vatican position may sound "ridiculous in the society in which we live." "We say that prevention is called chastity," Barragan said. His comments were made before a three-day Vatican symposium on health care in Catholic hospitals and clinics around the world. The church has argued that condoms don't offer 100 percent protection and only contribute to what Barragan called a "pan-sexual" society in which sex has been separated into an act of pleasure rather than procreation.

Negative attitude from HIV-positive patients undermines treatment

WASHINGTON -- Patients' negative attitudes about HIV may undermine their treatment, according to the Health Behavior News Service. Perhaps the most disturbing attitude among many people with HIV is that their infection is "punishment," according to research published in the November-December issue of the journal Psychosomatics. Dr. Steven A. Safren of the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry and colleagues surveyed 84 HIV-positive patients as part of a 12-week study of HIV medication adherence. The researchers first assessed patients' level of depression, quality of life and self-esteem. The researchers also asked participants to complete surveys regarding various life events, perceived social support and coping styles. Finally, based on clinical experience with HIV-positive patients, the researchers asked participants if they thought their illness was a "punishment." Safren found that patients' belief regarding HIV as punishment was one of several variables associated with lowered self-esteem and increased depression.

Guide includes prevention techniques for same-sex domestic violence

WASHINGTON -- A new publication from the National Crime Prevention Council shows that domestic violence cuts across, race, culture, age, sexual orientation, gender and class. The 150-page document -- "50 Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crimes" -- takes examples from 36 states and highlights programs that work to prevent domestic violence, teen dating violence, child maltreatment and elder abuse. "Replication and adaptability were necessary qualities for a strategy to be included in the publication," said Jack Calhoun, President and CEO of the council. "The programs highlighted in this guide are inspirational and provide practitioners tips and strategies to use back in their own community." Call 1-800-NCPC-911 for more information about the guide.

'Global vaccine' for HIV begins human trials

NEW YORK -- Researchers reached what they hope is a milestone in AIDS research, with the launch of the first human trial of a single AIDS vaccine designed to simultaneously prevent infection with the three most common forms of HIV, according to Reuters Health. The first trial phase of the potential vaccine launched last week by the National Institutes of Health under the supervision of the Vaccine Research Center. The trial vaccine incorporates modified parts of four different HIV genes that together account for about 90 percent of infections worldwide. "The idea behind having this global vaccine candidate is to broaden the coverage of the vaccine," said Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the VRC. The trial's first phase will involve 50 HIV-negative volunteers who will receive multiple inoculations with either the test vaccine or a saline solution placebo over the course of one year. Even with a successful clinical trial, the vaccine will not become publicly available for at least five years.

From staff and wire reports

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