Washington Blade - May 2, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush called on Congress Tuesday to pass in the next month a five-year, $15 billion initiative to "turn the tide" against AIDS worldwide, saying the disease threatens to destabilize whole regions of the globe. "Fighting AIDS on a global scale is a massive and complicated undertaking, but this cause is rooted in the simplest of moral duties: When we see this kind of preventable suffering, when we see a plague leaving graves and orphans across a continent, we must act," Bush told a crowd of hundreds in the East Room. His initiative would prevent seven million new HIV infections and treat at least two million people in the next decade, he said. Bush spoke as lawmakers dug into the divisive details of a bill whose broad goals enjoy widespread support. Congress is likely to vote next month on an AIDS bill, but has run into disputes over abortion and sexual abstinence language. Among the audience members was Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), who infuriated gay groups and some Democrats last week with remarks about homosexuals and a pending Supreme Court case on a Texas sodomy law.

Counseling reduces unsafe sex among people with HIV, study shows

WASHINGTON -- HIV-positive people who receive behavioral counseling about risky sexual practices are less likely to have unprotected sex, according to the Health Behavior News Service. A year after receiving the counseling, people with HIV had two-thirds fewer episodes of unprotected sex with HIV-negative individuals or those who do not know their status, according to new research. The 387 HIV-positive participants studied reported an average of 14 unprotected sex acts in the four months prior to any behavioral intervention. A year later, the average dropped to four unprotected sex acts. "Vaccines to protect against infections with HIV remain elusive, and behavioral interventions continue to be the best hope for slowing the AIDS pandemic," said. Dr. Thomas L. Patterson of the University of California, San Diego. The study utilized three counseling interventions and all produced the same average decrease in unprotected sex, Patterson said. The 387 individuals, mostly white, male and gay or bisexual, were chosen at random to receive one of three different behavioral interventions that focused on using condoms, negotiating safer sex practices and telling their partners about their HIV-positive status.

Complaint alleges Pa. man with AIDS denied admission to care facility

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A Lycoming County personal care home refused admission to a man with AIDS because his illness would make staffers "uncomfortable," according to a complaint filed last month. The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed the complaint with several federal and state agencies, alleging that the 56-year-old Williamsport man -- who also is legally blind and has heart disease -- is illegally being denied care. "Twenty years into the epidemic, we can't have people so unaware and uneducated about AIDS that they're afraid to provide care," said Ronda Goldfein, an attorney and the executive director of the Philadelphia-based public interest law firm. The man, identified in the complaint as Mr. Doe, remains at home and is struggling to care for himself, said his case manager, Stacy Mitsifer of AIDS Resource in Williamsport. A woman who answered the phone at the Williamsport facility Wednesday said no one was available to comment.

GlaxoSmithKline lowers HIV drug prices for developing countries

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline on Monday announced it dropped its not-for-profit-prices of its HIV/AIDS drug by up to 47 percent. The reduction will drop the price of Combivir, an HIV/AIDS treatment recommended by the World Health Organization, to 90 cents a day in 63 developing countries, including much of Africa. Prices for Epivir and Retrovir will also be reduced. "These price cuts demonstrate our commitment to making vital medicines more affordable through sustainable preferential pricing," said Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, whose U.S. headquarters are in Philadelphia and in Research Triangle Park, N.C. AIDS activists have pressed pharmaceutical companies to drop the price of their anti-AIDS drugs, saying they are too expensive for many patients in developing countries.

Hundreds expected in N.C. for gay men's health summit

DURHAM, N.C. -- More than 300 people are expected to attend the third national Gay Men's Health Summit May 7-11 in Raleigh, N.C., according to the Durham Herald Sun. The event is an attempt to establish a grassroots movement addressing community health concerns, organizers said. "Gay men, especially in terms of access to health care and the health challenges they face, are significantly different than heterosexually identified men," Eric Rofes, coordinator of the 11-member collective organizing the conference, told the newspaper. "We have ample studies that show health disparities for this population." Topics at the summit include major illnesses like hepatitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer; same-sex domestic violence; and the relationship between spirituality and health. Past conferences have attracted between 300 and 500 people each. For details, visit www.gmhs2003.org.

From staff and wire reports.

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