Washington Blade - December 3, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Researchers at the San Francisco Department of Public Health planned to unveil three new clinical trials this week, and scientists say the developments could help prevent HIV. Researchers will test a new HIV vaccine and test a Herpes drug that might prevent HIV infection. They will also look for the effects of a common anti-HIV drug on HIV-negative men. The National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical company Merck are sponsoring the HIV vaccine trial. According to the Department of Public Health, the HIV vaccine will be the first in the United States to move into an efficacy trial phase in several years. The vaccine does not contain the HIV virus, so it can't infect people who agree to the trial, researchers say.

Caribbean AIDS conference opens as new report shows spread of disease

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) - A Caribbean HIV/AIDS conference got under way in St. Kitts as the United Nations released a new report last week saying that the number of women living with AIDS has increased in every region of the world. Prejudice against gays fuels the spread of AIDS by driving it underground, said Gareth Thomas, Britain's international development minister. Thomas also blamed rap and reggae artists from the region for producing songs that contribute to the stigmatization of homosexuality. The Caribbean continues to be the second worst affected region in the world after sub-Saharan Africa, according to a joint U.N. and World Health Organization report called AIDS Epidemic Update 2004. Women now comprise nearly half of the 37.2 million adults between ages 15-49 living with HIV worldwide, the report says.

Federal spending package boosts funding to fight AIDS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The $388 billion spending bill that White House and congressional bargainers agreed to late last month includes more funding to combat AIDS in Africa than President Bush requested. The final bill slices Bush's priorities and curbs a wide range of programs. The bill slightly boosted spending on some international hot-button issues such as aid for Sudanese refugees and combating diseases in Africa, it fell short on funds for countries embracing democratic change. Money to combat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa and other poor nations would reach $2.9 billion, $100 million more than Bush requested. About $438 million of that would go to the global AIDS fund overseen by the United Nations, hundreds of millions less than some outside groups wanted.

Okla. to cut funding to some HIV clinics

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Some AIDS activists are worried that an end of state support to as many as 28 HIV testing clinics will mean fewer people are tested for the virus that causes AIDS. The Oklahoma State Department of Health said beginning this month that it will no longer give testing supplies or laboratory services to clinics that do not have a state contract. The move is part of an effort to meet new federal guidelines and to clean up years of inconsistent record-keeping, the department said. "There are a lot of people infected (with HIV) who haven't been tested," said Janice Nichols of the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa. "By shutting down these test sites and limiting the number of places where people can get tested, I am worried we will see a decline in testing."

Foundation urges gays to participate in annual 'Smoke Out'

With research showing that up to half of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered adults smoke, the American Legacy Foundation urged gays to participate in the 10th annual Gay American Smoke Out on Nov. 18, according to a press release from the foundation. The group, a national organization that works to curb tobacco use, noted that studies show smoking rates among gay youth are significantly higher than those of all adolescents, the press statement indicated. Compared with 28 to 35 percent of all adolescents, some 38 to 59 percent of gay youth smoke, the foundation stated. Smoking also is more prevalent among gay adults, according to the foundation. "We want to help all Americans quit smoking, but there is a particular need for outreach within the LGBT community," Dr. Cheryl Healton, CEO of the foundation, said in the group's press release. "We know that more LGBT smokers recognize the increased risks of smoking, but fewer have made attempts to quit, and we need to change that. Weà ask members of the community to support friends as they go through the difficult process of trying to quit. Research has shown that support can make a big difference in quitting successfully."

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