1990

"HIV Infection: Why the Long Latent Period?": Nature (11/29/90) Vol. 348, No. 6300, P. 388; Bangham, Charles R. M., and McMichael, Andrew J.; New research suggests that progression to AIDS in HIV disease may be the result of an increase in the number of immunological variants above a critical threshold, write Charles Bangham and Andrew McMichael of Oxford University. In the journal AIDS, they report, Nowak and colleagues use a simple model to explain the l
"Government Acts Against AIDS-Based Job Discrimination": United Press International (12/28/90); Bass, Janet; Washington--An HIV-infected pharmacist has won a landmark case on the New York state level protecting his right as a disabled person to be protected from employment-related discrimination. The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services said a hospital violated the pharmacist s rights when
"AIDS and the Danger of Complacency": Baltimore Sun (12/28/90), P. 15A; Power, Jonathan; There s a dangerous loss of momentum in the AIDS battle caused by complacency, writes Jonathan Power in the Baltimore Sun. AIDS is getting less press coverage and less money, as critics have charged that the disease gets a disproportionate share of funds. This dangerous lull in the battle is troubling, he writes, be
"Doctors with AIDS": Washington Post (12/28/90), P. A19; Hentoff, Nicholas; The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) should recommend mandatory HIV testing for health care workers who perform invasive procedures as an employment standard to protect the right of a helpless patient not to be subjected to any unnecessary health risks, writes Nicholas Hentoff, a Phoenix lawyer, in the Washington Pos
"AIDS in Women Rising, But Many Ignore the Threat": New York Times (12/28/90), P. B1; Navarro, Mireya; In New York City, reported AIDS cases among women are growing faster than those among men, and cases attributed to heterosexual transmission are rising faster than those attirbuted to IV drug use, according to federal officials. However, AIDS prevention workers say many women still do not perceive themselves as at ri
"Seroprevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection at Sentinel" Hospitals: New England Journal of Medicine (12/27/90) Vol. 323, No. 26, P. 1843; Shih, Deborah P., et al.; Cord blood samples from parturient women in Durham, North Carolina, showed an HIV-positive rate higher than the national average as estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and significantly higher than similar studies from New York, Massachusetts, and California, report Deborah Shih and colleagues of the Duke Uni
"AIDS Group Claims Discrimination; But Morticians Defend Extra Charges": United Press International (12/27/90); San Antonio--Some mortuaries in San Antonio may be charging more to embalm people who die of AIDS, according to a complaint filed with the Texas Division of Consumer Affairs. The San Antonio AIDS Foundation telephoned 30 area mortuaries and learned four charge extra for AIDS, which is nothing but discrimination, the
"Plaintiff in Texas AIDS Suit vs. Insurer Dies": United Press International (12/27/90); Houston--Cathy Goodwin, who filed suit in federal court to order her insurance company to reinstate her coverage, died Wednesday at age 38. Goodwin alleged the insurer, Life Insurance Co. of the Southwest, terminated her coverage when it learned she had AIDS. Her death renders her potentially groundbreaking lawsuit
"Prevention of Nosocomial HIV Infection in the Soviet Union--An" International Responsibility: New England Journal of Medicine (12/27/90) Vol 323, No. 26, P. 1844; Gellert, George; The international community must not wait for political and economic reform in the Soviet Union to decrease the risk of nosocomial HIV transmission, writes George Gellert of the Harvard Institute for International Development. Official denial of health-care problems carrying a negative stigma, the fact that homosexua
"Activists Call for Expanded Definition of AIDS in Women": Los Angeles Times (12/27/90), P. A5; Cimons, Marlene; AIDS activists are now demanding that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) widen its definition of AIDS to include severe gynecological symptoms in women. At a recent two-day conference in Washington and in a class-action suit filed against Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan on behalf of women with H
"Artist Wants Mural to Comfort AIDS Patients": Washington Post (12/27/90), P. DC1; Portner, Jessica; After Washington, D.C.,-area resident Victoria Russell, a 36-year-old graphic designer, joined a candlelight vigil for AIDS patients outside the White House in October 1989, she decided she wanted to recapture the energy of the thousands who gathered to show support and push for a nationwide effort against AIDS. She
"U.S. Rejects Higher Payments to AIDS Nursing Home": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/27/90), P. 3B; Tofani, Loretta; The Department of Health and Human Services has refused to reimburse the proposed Betak nursing home for AIDS patients at a higher rate than other homes, despite the fact that the Mount Airy, Pa., site would offer extra services. Betak cannot open to AIDS patients without additional funds, its board says, and may hav
"Side Effects are Danger in Doctors with AIDS": New York Times (12/27/90), P. A18; Klein, Mark I.; The greatest risk to a patient posed by a physician with HIV is not virus transmission but cognitive impairment and emotional problems caused by the disease, writes Dr. Mark Klein of Berkeley, Calif., in a letter to the New York Times. In response to Doctor s AIDS Death Renews Debate on Who Should Know, (12/8, P. A
"Genetic Engineering May Cut Risk of Blood Infection in Hemophilia": New York Times (12/27/90), P. A16; Recent large-scale tests of recombinant factor VIII, a genetically engineered blood-clotting agent, suggests it works as well as natural factor VIII derived from blood plasma. The finding suggests that hemophilia patients and others could be spared the risk of blood-borne diseases such as HIV. In the current New Eng
"AIDS Testing of Doctors Is Crux of Thorny Debate": New York Times (12/27/90), P. A1; Altman, Lawrence K.; Vigorous debate among health care workers, AIDS activists, and policy-makers now centers on mandatory testing of health-care workers for HIV, particularly those who perform invasive procedures, such as surgeons and dentists. Although the risk of practitioner-to-patient HIV transmission is extremely remote, the recent
"AIDS This Week: Doing the PWA-Rag": OutWeek (12/26/90) No. 78, P. 24; Coleman, Paul Rykoff; James Magner gets shuttled around between prisons quite a bit of the time--in shackles--because he has AIDS and will not be quiet about it. He calls being transported around in a bus diesel therapy --it s the federal prison system s answer to AIDS activists and other troublemakers. He says he has also endured solit
"Cofactor Question Divides Codiscoverers of HIV": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/26/90) Vol. 264, No. 24, P. 3111; Cotton, Paul; HIV codiscoverers Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier cannot agree on the role of cofactors in development of AIDS, even at a recent meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks, at which the two received a joint award for improving the safety of the blood supply. Gallo says certain viruses, such as HTLV-I and HHV-
"A Surgeon with AIDS": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/26/90) Vol. 264, No. 24, P. 3147; Fulghum, James S.; Although the July 25th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association deals with several issues surrounding the AIDS crisis, including the question of a physician s responsibilty to disclose HIV infection, nowhere is the risk of neurologically impaired physicians discus
"Legal Expert on AIDS Fights Fear, Workplace Bias": Los Angeles Times (12/26/90), P. B1; Steinbrook, Robert; David I. Schulman, perhaps the nation s first full-time AIDS anti-discrimation lawyer in government, is a self-described AIDS expert who addresses the issue of fear on a daily basis. As the supervising attorney for the AIDS/HIV discrimination unit of the Los Angeles city attorney s office, he investigates discriminat
"Metropolitan Area News in Brief: Rutgers Gets $3.5 Million from U.S. for" AIDS Program: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/26/90), P. 2B; The U.S. government has granted Rutgers University $3.5 million for a five-year project to help New Jersey colleges set up AIDS prevention education classes and policies, as well as studies to assess attitudes and behaviors, and to increase AIDS awareness in elementary and secondary schools. In the war against AIDS,
"Responding to the Crisis": New York Times (12/26/90), P. A30; Elahi, E.H.; Contrary to John Hale s statements in Imagine, 7,137,360 Condoms (Times Op-Ed, 12/18) Planned Parenthood of New York City does not sell contraceptives to organizations and would not make a tidy profit supplying condoms to high schools for distribution to teenagers, writes E.H. Elahi, medical director of Planned Par
"Orphan Drug Veto Heats up Lobbying": Washington Post (12/26/90), P. E15; Anderson, Jack, and Van Atta, Dale; Intense Congressional lobbying to water down the bill to amend the Orphan Drug Act backfired when President Bush vetoed the toothless resultant legislation, write Jack Anderson and Dale Van Atta for the Washington Post. The 1983 Orphan Drug Act encouraged the development of drugs that otherwise would not exist for ra
"AIDS Protest Disrupts Christmas Mass": Washington Post (12/26/90), P. B6; Sanchez, Carlos; About seven members of ACT UP/D.C. yesterday staged a protest during Christmas Mass at St. Mary s Catholic Church in Washington because the church recently decided to end workshops for AIDS patients. One protester said he was beaten by parishoners, but the Rev. Aldo Petrini, who conducted the Mass, denied the allegat
"What Do We Really Know About Norplant?": Washington Post (12/26/90), P. A24; El-Bayoumi, J.; Norplant may offer freedom from the responsibility of pregnancy, but it won t protect against AIDS, writes J. El-Bayoumi, assistant professor of internal medicine at the George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., in a letter to the Washington Post. As a physician who works in the District area, El
"Talking Points: Sullivan, Roskens to Tour Africa to Assess AIDS, Child" Welfare: Washington Post (12/26/90), P. A23; Lardner, George Jr., and Rich, Spencer; Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan and Agency for International Development administrator Ronald Roskens will fulfill President Bush s promise to the United Nations when they visit Africa on a 17-day fact-finding mission to study child health and the impact of AIDS in Africa. Sullivan, Roskens, and a
"Merits and Milestones": Telephony (12/24/90) Vol. 219, No. 27, P. 25; Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., which has been studying applications of its electronics technology to medicine, has used a laser magnetic immune-assay to successfully detect HIV antigen in AIDS patients blood. This laser magnetic immunity measurement is highly sensitive and can simply and accurately detect sma
"Studies Cite Patterns Patterns in Teen Sex": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/24/90), P. 6C; Kochakian, Mary Jo; Teenagers who are lonely or under stress are most likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, as are those who smoked or drank at an early age, according to two studies of teens reported at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Parents need to inform themsevles about AIDS and sex
"Around the Region: College Study Links Alcohol, Unsafe Sex": Washington Post (12/24/90), P. B5; Thirty-eight percent of students in a study at eight Virginia colleges said alcohol was linked to an unprotected sexual encounter, Randolph Canterbury and collageus of the University of Virginia substance abuse studies institute reported. The survey of 3,751 students found a direct link between alcohol consumption an
"Zambia Maintains Sense of Perspective over AIDS": Financial Times (12/24/90), P. 3; Hall, Mike; AIDS is a big topic in Zambia , as government and voluntary groups work to eradicate HIV in an atmosphere of changing attitudes and greater openness. On World AIDS Day, the Ministry of Health publicized safe sex messages in posters, on radio and television, and in condom giveaways,
"Top Regulator of AIDS Drugs Quits Her Post": Wall Street Journal (12/24/90); Chase, Marilyn; Dr. Ellen Cooper, director of the Food and Drug Administration s antiviral drug division for the past three years, has resigned her post and asked for transfer because of battle fatigue and burnout. Cooper has been the nation s top AIDS drug regulator and a major target of AIDS activists, some of whom, including Proj
"Health Problems of Inner City Poor Reach Crisis Point": New York Times (12/24/90), P. 1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; In the late 1980s and 1990, worsening urban poverty, poor sanitation, overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and poor nutrition produced epidemics of illness among residents of U.S. inner cites after decades of gradual urban health improvement. Epidemics of sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis, and HIV and the
"AIDS Vaccine: Hope and Despair": Lancet (12/22-29/90) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1545; Recent trial results from the U.K. National Institute for Biological Standards and Control and the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research indicate that a vaccine to prevent and possibly cure AIDS will be developed, write the editors of the Lancet. The researchers set up a system to detect SIV infection and moni
"HIV-1, Hepatitis (A, B, and C), and Measles in Romanian Children": Lancet (12/22-29/90) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1592; Rudin, Ch., et al.; Blood samples from 169 children of different ages from orphanages and hospitals in Pascani, Romania , reflected general trends among children in such places across the country: high HIV and hepatitis infection rates, report Ch. Rudin and colleagues of the University of Basel,
"HIV in the Theatre": Lancet (12/22-29/90) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1574; Surgeons share concern over possibility of exposure to HIV, write the editors of the Lancet. What is known about the risks is inadequate, as are available precautions. At a meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine, London, Nov. 28, surgeons disagreed on how many cases of HIV infection exist among health-care workers
"1990 Sees Advance Against AIDS": Reuter (12/21/90); Scientists failed to find a cure for AIDS in 1990, but they did see a drop in AIDS cases among homosexual men, found effective AIDS vaccines for monkeys and chimps, and saw the development of a number of new drugs. There is still an upbeat tone, said chief of federal AIDS vaccine research Dr. Wayne Koff. Scientist
"U.S. Officials to Visit Africa to Assess AIDS, Child Programs": Reuter (12/21/90); Louis Sullivan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services along with Ronald Roskens of the U.S. Agency for International Development will be travelling to eight African countries to evaluate their AIDS and children s health programs. The researchers will meet with African leaders and health care w
"Immune Response, Rhone Invest in AIDS Venture": Investor's Daily (12/21/90), P. 17; Immune Response Corp. and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc. will invest an addition $4 million in the companies joint venture to develop and test AIDS drugs, Immune Response announced yesterday. The joint venture currently sponsors tests of an immune-booster drug in 100 HIV patients nat
"IAF, Glaxo Sign Pact to Develop AIDS Drug": Investor's Daily (12/21/90), P. 33; IAF BioChem International yesterday joined with Glaxo Holdings PLC to develop and globally market BCH-189, an experimental drug for AIDS. Glaxo and BioChem will jointly market the drug in Canada , and Glaxo will be the exclusive distributor in the Unite
"Merck Develops Drug to Combat Virus Causing AIDS; Human Tests Begun": Wall Street Journal (12/21/90), P. A3; Waldholz, Michael; Merck + Co. said it has developed a new type of drug that deactivates HIV reverse transcriptase in a way different from AZT and has already begun testing the drug in humans. The drug is also different from the reverse transcriptase blocker
"World Wire: Growing Threat to World Health": Wall Street Journal (12/21/90), P. A8; Mathewson, William; The World Health Organization (WHO) said sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are epidemic in developed and developing countries around the world. Andre Meheus, chief medical officer of the WHO Program of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, said 250 million or more infections with
"Hospital Accused of Keeping 2 AIDS Patients in Hallway": New York Times (12/21/90), P. B1; Morgan, Thomas; New York University Medical Center faces charges of discrimination brought by two AIDS patients who were kept on beds in emergency room hallways because the hospital s policy did not allow them to share private rooms with patients with other illnesses. New York City s Human Rights Commission accused the hospital yest
"Petition Seeks to Speed Approval of AIDS Drugs": New York Times (12/21/90), P. A31; Kolata, Gina; AIDS activists have tried a new tactic to speed approval of experimental drugs: about 200 doctors and advocates have signed a citizen s petition urging the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to ask the drug makers of ddI and dd
"HIV Infection: Haemophiliacs Win Compensation": Nature (12/20-27/90) Vol. 348, No. 6303, P. 667; Aldhous, Peter; U.K. Prime Minister John Major recently announced that HIV-infected hemophiliacs would receive a further $42 million pounds as settlement of their negligence suit against the National Health Service. The Haemophilia Society welcomed the settlement as a tacit admission of legal responsibility, because the government h
"Drug Abuse Down? Not in Inner City, Experts Say": Associated Press (12/20/90); McShane, Larry; President Bush s statistics on decreasing drugs use ignore the inner city, where the homeless and poor continue to use drugs, according to drug-treatment experts. Directors of drug treatment centers, politicians, and prosecutors disputed the president s report yesterday, saying inner city drug treatment centers conti
"An AIDS Rally Seeks Faster Testing of Drugs": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/20/90), P. 3B; Copeland, Larry; Activists groups around the country joined yesterday in a protest to demand faster approval Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) approval of ddI and ddC , two experimental AIDS drugs shown to be effective in combination with
"Mayors Report Surge in Emergency Food, Shelter Requests": Washington Post (12/20/90), P. A17; Rich, Spencer; Requests from homeless people for food and emergency shelter have risen by an average of 24 percent in 30 major cities in the last year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors reported yesterday. Requests for emergency food aid rose 22 percent as the economy slumped, the report said. The mayors survey found that 80 percent
"Lab Notes: New Contraceptives Use Sperm-Killing Antibodies": Wall Street Journal (12/20/90), P. B1; Waldholz, Michael; Johns Hopkins University researchers have used antibodies in a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy and perhaps fight sexually transmitted diseases. Based on the finding that some couples are infertile because women produce antibodies that deactivate their partners sperm, researchers Richard Cone and Kevin Whaley prod
"New York School Board Members Clash on Plan to Distribute Condoms": New York Times (12/20/90), P. B4; Berger, Joseph; The New York City Board of Education yesterday debated the plan to distribute condoms in city high schools and a controversial AIDS education booklet that board vice president Irene Impellizzeri said would encourage students to have anal intercourse. The brochure, produced by the Hetrick-Martin Institute for Gay and
"AIDS This Week: U.S. Begins Vaccine Trial": OutWeek (12/19/90) No. 77, P. 26; Coleman, Paul Rykoff; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) recently sanctioned human trials of Immuno-Aq, an experimental AIDS vaccine made from recombinant gp160, an HIV surface molecule. The National Institutes of Health developed the vaccine and will conduct trials for safety and immune efficacy at f
"Resident Forum: Resident Disability Insurance": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/19/90) Vol. 264, No. 23, P. 3070; Kulick, Belle; The American Medical Association (AMA) discussed disability insurance policies for residents and medical students at risk for HIV and ratified several reports that recommended HIV education, prevention, and affordable disability coverage at its 1990 annual meeting. The body adop
"FTC OKs Consent Agreement Allowing Roche to Acquire Genentech": Associated Press (12/19/90); Nelson, W. Dale; Washington--The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it would allow Roche Holding Ltd. to acquire a controlling interest in Genentech Inc. if it issued U.S. licenses for its AIDS treatment patents. The acquisition of Genentech, a leading biotechnology firm, by Roche, a Swiss pharmace
"Rutgers Gets $3.5 Million Grant for AIDS Education": United Press International (12/19/90); Trenton, N.J.--The Centers for Disease Control has selected Rutgers University as one of five schools across the country to receive a grant for AIDS education. Rutgers officials said the $3.5 million federal grant would be used for a five-year effort to educate high school and college students about HIV transmission
"UNICEF Asks Leaders to 'Keep the Promise' to the World's Children": Reuter (12/19/90); Leopold, Evelyn; United Nations--UNICEF today released its State of the World s Children report, in which the U.N. organization said millions of children depend on the promises of world leaders to invest in feeding and caring for them. The report said that although hard-won gains in nutrition and child health have been made, AIDS thr
"AIDS-Related Claims Rose 37.7 Percent in 1989, Study Shows": Journal of Commerce (12/19/90), P. 9A; Goldberg, Jerry; AIDS-related insurance claims in the individual and group markets rose to $1.1 billion in 1989, a 37.7 percent increase over 1988, according to a survey of 548 insurers conducted by A.M. Best Co. One half (53.4 percent) of all life and health insurance claims were made by HIV-positive individuals in California, New Y
"Hospital, Family Doctor, and Benefactor": New York Times (12/19/90), P. B1; Stanley, Alessandra; At the Bronx- Lebanon Hospital in the South Bronx, New York, the area s residents--most of whom live in poverty--can obtain medical care regardless of ability to pay. The facility also offers a variety of other community services, i
"Court Rejects HIV-Test Ban for Insurance": New York Times (12/19/90), P. B1; Sack, Kevin; New York State s Court of Appeals yesterday unanimously struck down an Insurance Department rule that prohibited use of HIV tests by individual and small group health insurers. The ruling by the state s highest court upheld a lower court decision that the State Superintendent of Insurance did not have the power to is
"Money, Staff Woes Hit Big Los Angeles Minority AIDS Group": Advocate (12/18/90) No. 566, P. 36; Ocamb, Karen; The Los Angeles Minority AIDS Project (MAP), a prominent AIDS agency, faces debts of $150,000 to vendors and $70,000 to the Internal Revenue Service in payroll back taxes. The MAP serves a caseload of 186 poor, minority people with HIV on a budget of more than $1 million, 75 percent of which is provided by federal, s
"Blacks' Mistrust of Doctors Slows AIDS Treatment": United Press International (12/18/90); Baltimore--At a meeting of the National Commission on AIDS Monday, black doctors and AIDS activists said blacks distrust of doctors prevents them from seeking HIV tests and getting early treatment. The two-day meeting was designed to gather testimony on the effects of AIDS on the black community. Blacks are alienat
"Trojan Wars: Will the City's AIDS Education be as Good As Its Sex Ed?" You'd Better Hope Not: Village Voice (12/18/90) Vol. 35, No. 51, P. 11; Houppert, Karen; Even proponents of New York City s plan to distribute condoms in high schools want to see some kind of counseling given with the contraceptives. However, if comprehensive AIDS education in the schools is deemed enough to educate these kids, everything will not work out okay in the end, writes Karen Houppert in the Vi
"AIDS Story Is Fiction But It's Full of Facts": New York Times (12/18/90), P. C22; O'Connor, John J.; Prime-time television may finally be coming out of the closet with tonight s installment of Life Stories, NBC s compelling drama, writes John O Connor in the New York Times. Network television has been unforgivably silent about the AIDS epidemic unless the subject is children or hemophiliacs, neglecting IV drug use
"Vital Statistics: How People Find Out About Sex": Washington Post (Health) (12/18/90), P. 5; Adults are most likely to ask their physicians about sex and children will usually choose a friend first, according to a study the Roper Organization conducted last year. In 1,974 personal interviews, this survey on sexual literacy found that 40 percent of adults over 18 said they would ask a doctor or nurse for info
"Phila. AIDS Office to Replace Condoms That Were Recalled": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/18/90), P. 2B; The Philadelphia Health Department s AIDS Coordinating Office (AAC)) will replace 390,000 recalled Crown condoms with an equal number of Safetex condoms, which the office will distribute to clinics beginning at the end of the month. The AACO has also procured a large shipment of LifeStyle condoms that should be avail
"Imagine, 7,137,360 Condoms": New York Times (12/18/90), P. A25; Hale, John P.; There are certain educational, environmental, and financial problems with Schools Chancellor Joseph Fernandez s plan to distribute condoms in New York City high schools, writes John P. Hale, a lawyer who frequently does legal work for the New York Archdiocese, in an open letter to Fernandez partially reprinted in the
"AIDS Prevention Group Plans Needle-Exchange Phone Line": New York Times (12/18/90), P. A18; An AIDS-prevention program in Pierce County, Wash., would establish a telephone hotline next month that IV drug users could call when they need sterile syringes. Under the proposed plan, a van would arrive in minutes with clean needles once a user calls. David Purchase, the plan s author, says he hopes drug users wo
"Around the Nation: Restaurant Complies with New Condom Law": Washington Post (12/18/90), P. A6; Cambridge, Mass., has a new anti-HIV ordinance, set to take effect in a year, that requires all hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars to install condom vending machines. The new law may be the only one of its kind in the nation, city officials and AIDS activists say. John Clifford s Green Street Grill in Central Squ
"ACT UP Is Leery of FDA's Plan for Fraud Unit": Advocate (12/18/90) No. 566, P. 26; Harding, Rick; ACT UP opposes the Food and Drug Administration s ( FDA ) AIDS fraud project because the group thinks FDA officials will try to limit the availability of nontraditional medicine under the guise of eliminating quack remedies. ACT UP members say FDA officials should not be the ones to de
"Residents Pose As Prostitutes to Distribute AIDS Information": Associated Press (12/17/90); Chicago--In Uptown Chicago, residents wearing heavy makeup and posing as hookers have been handing out information about AIDS prevention. The neighborhood has 500 AIDS cases, the second-highest population in the city, according to the Health Department. About 25 area volunteers have joined the effort, which AIDS adv
"World Health Organization Boycotts AIDS Conference": Associated Press (12/17/90); Bangkok, Thailand--The World Health Organization (WHO) is boycotting a five-day meeting on AIDS in developing countries that opened in Bangkok yesterday because Thailand has banned HIV-infected people from entering the country to attend. Princess Chulabhorn, director of the Chulabhorn
"American Scene--New York City: A Beacon on Lonely Street": Time (12/17/90) Vol. 136, No. 26, P. 14; Levy, Daniel S.; Teen prostitutes in the South Bronx, one of the country s poorest areas, are nearly all drug addicts. Most have severe medical problems and many are regularly beaten by their customers. They stake out street corners, empty parks, and abandoned buildings and call them home. These homeless runaways-- throwaway youth
"In Brief: Donated Blood and AIDS Risk": Los Angeles Times (12/17/90), P. B3; A study of heart surgery patients designed to gauge the risk of HIV infection from donated blood has found a one-in-40,315 chance of infection from a blood transfusion. James Donahut and colleagues of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health found last year that one in every 36,282 pints of blood was con
"No Such Study": New York Times (12/17/90), P. A16; Rosoff, Jeannie I.; The Alan Guttmacher Institute has conducted no study indicating that youngsters increased sexual activity when given access to condoms, writes Jeannie Rosoff, President of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, in a letter to the New York Times. In the Times report of Joseph Fernandez s plan to distribute condoms in New York
"Surgeon Questions Link Between Operation, AIDS": Baltimore Sun (12/17/90), P. 1A; Baer, Susan; Dr. William Knapper, senior surgeon at the operation during which Dr. Rudolph Almaraz is believed to have contracted HIV, said that at no point in his surgical career was there any accident-related risk of AIDS to him or his colleagues. Knapper, in a statement to the Sun, said he did not remember the specifics of the
"Legal Beat: Cap on Health Benefits to AIDS Patients is Barred, Indiana" Official Rules: Wall Street Journal (12/17/90), P. B6; Geyelin, Milo, and Niebuhr, R. Gustav; Paul DePrez, a hearing officer of Indiana s Civil Rights Commission, ruled that a cap on insurance benefits paid out to AIDS patients under Lincoln Foodservice Products Inc. s health plan discriminates against the disabled. DePrez rejected the company s claim that the benefits cap, which restricts AIDS patients life
"Gay Life, Gay Death: The Siege of a Subculture": New Republic (12/17/90) Vol. 203, No. 25, P. 19; Sullivan, Andrew; Contrary to forging a community among gay men, AIDS has unmistakably widened the rifts, writes Andrew Sullivan of the New Republic. The already extant social, radical, and politicial divisions have been cruelly exposed as AIDS has made death less an event than an environment, dividing the sick and healthy, the HIV-
"Dying for Dollars": New Republic (12/17/90) Vol. 203, No. 25, P. 7; AIDS may get a disproportionate share of U.S. biomedical research dollars in purely numerical terms, but in real terms AIDS is one of the only areas of research that is even adequately funded, write the editors of the New Republic. Rather than criticize AIDS activists for securing sufficient monies through effective
"Extrapulmonary Pneumocystosis in Patients Taking Aerosolised Pentamidine": Lancet (12/16/89) Vol. 2, No. 8677, P. 1454; Northfelt, Donald W.; Because pentamidine received via aerosol does not result in systemic distribution, it cannot be expected to suppress extrapulmonary Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) infection, writes Donald W. Northfelt of San Francisco General Hospital. A review of patients who received prophylactic aerosolized pentamidine and d
"AMA Body Urges Increased HIV Testing": Gay Community News (12/16-22/90) Vol. 18, No. 22, P. 1; Briggs, Laura; The American Medical Association s (AMA) House of Delegates voted Dec. 5 to reclassify AIDS as a sexually-transmitted disease, which would make HIV infection eligible for contact tracing by state health departments and mandate reporting of names in many states. The resolutions, which urge contact tracing and would al
"Doctors Divided over AIDS Threat to Pakistan": United Press International (12/16/90); Barraclough, Colin; Karachi, Pakistan--Pakistan faces an epidemic of HIV infection from expatriate workers from the Persian Gulf region, but some physicians hamper the fight against AIDS by staunchly adhering to the belief that sex, drug use, and homosexuality do not threaten this Moslem country. Until the invasion of
"Extrapulmonary Pneumocystosis in Patients Taking Aerosolised Pentamidine": Lancet (12/16/89) Vol. 2, No. 8677, P. 1454; Northfelt, Donald W.; Because pentamidine received via aerosol does not result in systemic distribution, it cannot be expected to suppress extrapulmonary Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) infection, writes Donald W. Northfelt of San Francisco General Hospital. A review of patients who received prophylactic aerosolized pentamidine and d
"A Condom Too Far": Economist (12/15-21/90) Vol. 317, No. 7685, P. 27; ACT UP may go too far in its campaign for unrestricted distribution of condoms in New York City high schools, write the editors of the Economist. Their disruptive pressure tactics have proven very effective at encouraging the U.S. government to speed approval of new drugs for terminal patients, but their extremism ma
"No Evidence for HIV-2 Infection in Uganda": Lancet (12/15/90) Vol. 336, No. 8729, P. 1514; Downing, Robert G., and Biryahwaho, Benon; Serum samples from 40 sites across Uganda , as well as from the Rakai District, show no evidence of HIV-2 infection despite the high risk of acquiring HIV-1, write Robert Downing and Benon Biryahwaho of the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe. Slim disease, the manifestation
"Heterosexual Transmission of HIV-1 in Women in Austria": Lancet (12/15/90) Vol. 336, No. 8729, P. 1514; Piribauer, Franz, and Zangerle, Robert; Heterosexual transmission of HIV is increasing slowly but steadily in Austria , particularly among women, report Franz Piribauer and Robert Zangerle of Osterreichische AIDs-Hilfe (OeAH), and University of Innsbruck, Austria. Nearly 5 percent of new clients seeking HIV tests at OeA
"AIDS: Long Research Road Still Looms Ahead": Science News (12/15/90) Vol. 138, No. 24, P. 375; Weiss, R.; Three recent basic research reports in the journal Science indicate that management of HIV remains elusive, though positive strides have been made. Researchers from Repligen Corp. identified a chain of six amino acids which, when used to vaccinate guinea pigs, induced antibodies that neutralized widely divergent str
"Noticeboard: Us and Them--Reality and Fantasy with HIV": Lancet (12/15/90) Vol. 336, No. No. 8729, P. 1501; Personal testimonials and a commercial urging condom use will mark the third phase of the United Kingdom s Health Education Authority s (HEA) anti-HIV media advertising campaign, the editors of the Lancet write. Previous ads featured experts giving factual information about AIDS to show that HIV is a real public-heal
"Anthropology: Glimpses of AIDS and Male Prostitution": Science News (12/15/90) Vol. 138, No. 24, P. 380; Bower, Bruce; In-depth interviews with 14 male prostitutes and 11 of their clients over a 13-month period indicate that hustlers risk HIV infection mainly through IV drug use and unpaid same-sex encounters, D. Scott Wilson of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque reported at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological
"Parallel Track: Where Should It Intersect Science?": Science (12/14/90) Vol. 250, No. 4987, P. 1505; Skerrett, P.J.; At the Expedited Access to Unproven Pharmaceuticals: Risk, Regulation, and Personal Autonomy conference last month, activists and researchers sharply debated the parallel track and how much or how little data should be collected under a system designed to make promising therapies available to terminally ill people
"Secretion of Neurotoxins by Mononuclear Phagocytes Infected with HIV-1": Science (12/14/90) Vol. 250, No. 4987, P. 1593; Giulian, Dana, et al.; Activated mononuclear phagocytes (microglial cells, macrophages, and others), the principle targets for HIV-1 in the central nervous system (CNS), may release toxic substances that destroy neurons and cause the neurologic complications associated with AIDS, write Dana Giulian and colleagues of the Baylor College of Me
"Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Elicited by the Hypervariable" Neutralizing Determinant of HIV-1: Science (12/14/90) Vol. 250, No. 4987, P. 1590; Javaherian, Kashi, et al.; A vaccine made up of synthetic amino acid residues from the principal neutralizing determinant (PND) within the V3 loop of HIV-1 neutralized a wide array of HIV isolates, report Kashi Javaherian and colleagues of Repligen Corp. The sequence used produced cross-neutralizing antibodies for randomly selected and diverge
"Half a Decision on Health Care for the Poor": New York Times (12/14/90), P. B1; Kerr, Peter; As concern rose that legislative inaction might force New Jersey s hospital system into financial crisis, the State Senate yesterday passed a bill to extend the Uncompensated Care Trust Fund, scheduled to expire at the month s end, for 90 days. The debt-ridden fund reimburses hospitals that care for some of the 1 mill
"AIDS and a Hospital's Responsibilities": Baltimore Sun (12/14/90), P. 21A; Heyssel, Robert M., and Moses, Hamilton II; AIDS is the enemy in the story of the Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon who succumbed recently to the disease, write Robert M. Heyssel and Hamilton Moses III, the hospital s president for medical affairs and vice president, respectively. Throughout the AIDS epidemic, Heyssel and Moses write, Hopkins has worked hard to c
"On Stage, and Off: Break a Leg, Not a Pipe": New York Times (12/14/90), P. C2; Witchel, Alex; The cast of Lake No Bottom, a play at New York City s Second Stage starring Marsha Mason, had decided last Sunday s performance would benefit God s Love We Deliver, a food service for AIDS patients. However, a broken water pipe flooded the electrical system and cancelled the show. Robyn Goodman, the artistic direc
"Pharmacist Wins Case in Hospital AIDS Bias": New York Times (12/14/90), P. B4; Feron, James; The New York Division of Human Rights yesterday rejected a hospital s claim that it refused to hire an HIV-infected pharmacist because of the theoretical risk of infection. Human Rights Commissioner Margarita Rosa ruled that the Westchester County Medical Center discriminated against the pharmacist, known as John Do
"Progress Is Seen Toward Vaccine for AIDS Strains": Wall Street Journal (12/14/90), P. B9; Chase, Marilyn; Researchers have used a chain of amino acids in the V3 loop that is conserved among many strains of HIV to develop a vaccine against the virus. This part of the V3 loop, which sits on the outer coat and provokes a strong immune response, remained constant in 60 percent of 245 virus samples, researchers said. Researc
"AIDS Researchers Find Clues to How Virus Attacks Brain": New York Times (12/14/90), P. A34; Kolata, Gina; Researchers have found that HIV, which does not itself affect brain cells, may cause brain damage and dementia by infecting microglial cells and macrophages. Those immune system cells in the brain then release excitotoxins--small molecules that kill nerve cells in lab experiments.
"Origin and Spread of AIDS": Nature (12/13/90) Vol. 348, No. 6302, P. 578; Karpas, A.; Human AIDS very likely began as a lentivirus that naturally infected African monkeys until cross-species transfer occurred through sexual practices involving human inoculation with monkey blood for a supposed aphrodisiac effect, writes A. Kaspar of the University of Cambridge, United Kingd
"Transmission of HIV by Transfusion of Screened Blood": New England Journal of Medicine (12/13/90) Vol. 323, No. 24, P. 1709; Donahue, James G., et al.; Based on a single HIV infection out of 4163 cardiac patients in Baltimore and Houston who received 36,282 pints of donated blood, James Donahue and colleagues of Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health write, they previously reported the risk of HIV infection from tranfusion was 1 in 36,282. However, with t
"Study Casts a Shadow on New Virus-Fighting Drugs": United Press International (12/13/90); Washington--Genetically-engineered receptor proteins of the CD4 receptor, which HIV uses to dock onto immune system cells, may not be a promising avenue for AIDS therapy, researchers from Columbia University said yesterday. Studies with polio indicate virus mutants can evade decoy receptors--boding ill for scientists
"Ralph Gomez, 40; Led Young Dancers": New York Times (12/13/90), P. D21; Ralph Gomez, 40, who established the Inner-City Ensemble and Dance Company to train urban teens, died Friday of AIDS, his companion, James Brega, said yesterday. Gomez founded the widely-acclaimed Paterson, N.J., dance company to train urban youths in dance, improve their self-confidence, and develop self-expression
"Hopkins Hospital Replies to AIDS Suit": Baltimore Sun (12/13/90), P. 1D; Kobren, Gerri; In its first response to a lawsuit filed Monday in Baltimore Circuit Court and in the Maryland Health Claims Arbitration Office, Johns Hopkins Hospital said it had no legal obligation to inform patients of Rudolph Almaraz that the surgeon had AIDS. The hospital s attorney, Paul Rosenberg, said the law did not mandate
"Leaders Boost AIDS Education in Yunnan": Christian Science Monitor (12/13/90), P. 5; Tyson, James L.; A nationwide crackdown on heroin smuggling in the Yunnan province of China has driven up the drug s street price and encouraged former heroin smokers to inject the drug to obtain a cheaper high. Chinese officials say many are sharing needles despite the risk of HIV, inadvertently s
"British Hemophiliacs Win Compensation for AIDS": New York Times (12/13/90), P. B22; About 1,200 hemophiliacs who contracted HIV from contaminated blood products imported from the United States will obtain compensation from the British government, Prime Minister John Major announced Tuesday in the House of Commons. The government agreed in principle to proposals for c
"Tuberculosis Cases Increase 10 Percent This Year": Baltimore Sun (12/13/90), P. 3A; Tuberculosis (TB) is making a strong resurgence in this country, the American Lung Association said yesterday. Health experts expect TB infections to increase by 10 percent this year, the highest annual increase since 1953. Of particular concern are increases among children under age 5, blacks, Hispanics, and adults
"Cut Down as They Grow Up: AIDS Stalks Gay Teen-Agers": New York Times (12/13/90), P. A1; Eckholm, Erik; Studies suggest younger gay men are practicing unprotected anal intercourse and other risky behaviors, and many are becoming infected with HIV. Educators hoped widespread AIDS education and safer-sex practices among older gay men would protect teenagers from the devastation the gay communities in New York and San Fra
"Tuberculosis Cases Increase 10 Percent This Year": Baltimore Sun (12/13/90), P. 3A; Tuberculosis (TB) is making a strong resurgence in this country, the American Lung Association said yesterday. Health experts expect TB infections to increase by 10 percent this year, the highest annual increase since 1953. Of particular concern are increases among children under age 5, blacks, Hispanics, and adults
"From the Food and Drug Administration: Infection Control Information" Provided to Dentists: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/12/90) Vol. 264, No. 22, P. 2863; Nightingale, Stuart L.; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and the Centers for Disease Control have provided a dental-care Infection Control File containing information on hepatitis B and HIV, a review workbook for infection-control practices in a dental-care environment, and pamphlets for patients about
"FDA Tightens Rubber Glove Standards": United Press International (12/12/90); Washington--The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) Wednesday moved to further protect health-care workers from HIV exposure by tightening standards for testing and quality of rubber gloves. Previously, manufacturers of medical gloves performed their own testing. The FDA announced it
"AIDS This Week: AIDS Comes to Rural U.S.": OutWeek (12/12/90) No. 76, P. 24; Heath, Jena, and Labalme, Jenny; Bob Axelton, a 28-year-old gay man, has decided to open an AIDS clinic, Ask Inc., in Oxford Alabama. Gay life in Alabama is surrounded by intense homophobia, and Oxford, a rural town of 9,000, is no different. The police are openly hostile because Axelton has refused to give them a list of the clinic s clients. The
"Britain Reverses AIDS Policy": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/12/90), P. 11A; British Prime Minister John Major has reversed a Thatcherite policy and decided to compensate hemophiliacs infected with HIV through blood received from the National Health Service. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had decided that the government was not negligent and had no legal responsibility for the infect
"Health Agency Didn't Delay in Publishing AIDS Therapy Gains": New York Times (12/12/90), P. A22; Fauci, Anthony S., and Relman, Arnold S.; The New York Times front-page story (Nov. 14) alleging that a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel delayed five months in publicizing news that corticosteroids are effective adjuvant therapy for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients because of fears that publicity would jeopardize publication was comple
"Around the Region: Condoms Recalled in Md.": Washington Post (12/12/90), P. B4; The Maryland Health Department wants individuals not to use free Safetex condoms recieved through its Three for Free, Maryland Care, and other programs. The condoms are part of a nationwide voluntary recall of 2 million Safetex condoms, which failed to meet Food and Drug Administration standards for leakage. Marylan
"Will the FDA Revert to Type?": Wall Street Journal (12/12/90), P. A16; Henninger, Daniel; The fact that AIDS activists, by civil disobedience, have caused the bureacratic Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to change the regulatory process with remarkable speed, does not mean that the agency will not quietly revert to type several years down the road, writes Daniel Henninge
"Britain Reverses AIDS Policy": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/12/90), P. 11A; British Prime Minister John Major has reversed a Thatcherite policy and decided to compensate hemophiliacs infected with HIV through blood received from the National Health Service. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had decided that the government was not negligent and had no legal responsibility for the infect
"Health Agency Didn't Delay in Publishing AIDS Therapy Gains": New York Times (12/12/90), P. A22; Fauci, Anthony S., and Relman, Arnold S.; The New York Times front-page story (Nov. 14) alleging that a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel delayed five months in publicizing news that corticosteroids are effective adjuvant therapy for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients because of fears that publicity would jeopardize publication was comple
"Around the Region: Condoms Recalled in Md.": Washington Post (12/12/90), P. B4; The Maryland Health Department wants individuals not to use free Safetex condoms recieved through its Three for Free, Maryland Care, and other programs. The condoms are part of a nationwide voluntary recall of 2 million Safetex condoms, which failed to meet Food and Drug Administration standards for leakage. Marylan
"Will the FDA Revert to Type?": Wall Street Journal (12/12/90), P. A16; Henninger, Daniel; The fact that AIDS activists, by civil disobedience, have caused the bureacratic Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to change the regulatory process with remarkable speed, does not mean that the agency will not quietly revert to type several years down the road, writes Daniel Henninge
"The Age of AIDS: CDC Moves to Restrict Infected Health Workers": Village Voice (12/11/90) Vol. 35, No. 50, P. 16; Goffe, Andrew, and Massa, Robert; The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will soon issue revised guidelines for health-care workers with HIV. CDC guidelines, though not legally binding, influence state laws. Sources say the CDC has two proposals: that infected workers be barred from invasive procedures, or that local health departments institute scre
"Philip Morris Draws Protest Over Bill of Rights Exhibit": Washington Post (12/11/90), P. B7; Valentine, Paul W.; ACT UP was among the groups protesting yesterday at an exhibit of a 200-year-old copy of the Bill of Rights at Baltimore s Convention Center. The AIDS activist group, joined by anti-smoking activists, opposes manufacturer Philip Morris Cos. Inc. s sponsorship of the exhibit. A spokesperson for Group Against Smoking
"A Haven for AIDS Babies": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/11/90), P. D1; Marder, Dianna; Emery Troy, 51, and Calvin Wallsten, 41, built a home for babies with AIDS in Camden, N.J. Dooley House provides foster care for HIV-infected babies who have been abandoned by their mothers deaths, imprisonment, or disregard. Babies live in sun-filled, designer-decorated rooms and receive loving care from volunteer
"AIDS Facts and Fears": Baltimore Sun (12/11/90), P. 11A; Aoun, Hacib, and Aoun, Patricia; Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Baltimore Sun have contributed to the fear and misinformation surrounding AIDS by loudly publicizing the case of a well-known surgeon who died of AIDS, write Hacib and Patricia Aoun, Baltimore physicians. Several studies of hundreds of patients of HIV-infected surgeons have shown that t
"Former Patient Sues Hopkins, Estate over AIDS": Baltimore Sun (12/11/90), P. B1; Kobren, Gerri; A former patient of Rudolph Almaraz--the Baltimore breast-cancer surgeon who died of AIDS last month--has filed suit in Baltimore Circuit Court against Johns Hopkins Hospital and Almaraz s estate, claiming the doctor was obliged to inform patients of his illness. Perry Mahoney Rossi and her husband, Dennis T. Rossi,
"More Testing Set for Anti-Fungal Drug": Wall Street Journal (12/11/90), P. B5; McCoy, Charles; The Food and Drug Administration has approved phase II trials of Liposome Technology s amphotericin B, an anti-fungal agent used against infections in AIDS and organ-transplant patients. Phase I trials showed the drug to be far less toxic than other anti-fungal drugs, which are typi
"Opposition to Condoms Is Shortsighted, Deadly": Washington Post (Health) (12/11/90), P. 6; Markel, Howard; History has shown that preaching abstinence to fight the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will not work, writes Howard Markel, a Johns Hopkins clinical fellow in adolescent medicine. Condom distribution policies for high schools in New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, and other states face opp
"The Alarming Spread of AIDS Among Women": Washington Post (Health) (12/11/90), P. 7; Thompson, Larry; Federal researchers say HIV is now spreading more rapidly among women than men, with half of cases among women attributed to IV drug use and 20 percent to sex with male drug users. The D.C. Commission on Public Health says figures for Washington reflect national trends: the number of women testing positive for HIV i
"Philip Morris Draws Protest Over Bill of Rights Exhibit": Washington Post (12/11/90), P. B7; Valentine, Paul W.; ACT UP was among the groups protesting yesterday at an exhibit of a 200-year-old copy of the Bill of Rights at Baltimore s Convention Center. The AIDS activist group, joined by anti-smoking activists, opposes manufacturer Philip Morris Cos. Inc. s sponsorship of the exhibit. A spokesperson for Group Against Smoking
"A Haven for AIDS Babies": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/11/90), P. D1; Marder, Dianna; Emery Troy, 51, and Calvin Wallsten, 41, built a home for babies with AIDS in Camden, N.J. Dooley House provides foster care for HIV-infected babies who have been abandoned by their mothers deaths, imprisonment, or disregard. Babies live in sun-filled, designer-decorated rooms and receive loving care from volunteer
"AIDS Facts and Fears": Baltimore Sun (12/11/90), P. 11A; Aoun, Hacib, and Aoun, Patricia; Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Baltimore Sun have contributed to the fear and misinformation surrounding AIDS by loudly publicizing the case of a well-known surgeon who died of AIDS, write Hacib and Patricia Aoun, Baltimore physicians. Several studies of hundreds of patients of HIV-infected surgeons have shown that t
"Former Patient Sues Hopkins, Estate over AIDS": Baltimore Sun (12/11/90), P. B1; Kobren, Gerri; A former patient of Rudolph Almaraz--the Baltimore breast-cancer surgeon who died of AIDS last month--has filed suit in Baltimore Circuit Court against Johns Hopkins Hospital and Almaraz s estate, claiming the doctor was obliged to inform patients of his illness. Perry Mahoney Rossi and her husband, Dennis T. Rossi,
"More Testing Set for Anti-Fungal Drug": Wall Street Journal (12/11/90), P. B5; McCoy, Charles; The Food and Drug Administration has approved phase II trials of Liposome Technology s amphotericin B, an anti-fungal agent used against infections in AIDS and organ-transplant patients. Phase I trials showed the drug to be far less toxic than other anti-fungal drugs, which are typi
"Opposition to Condoms Is Shortsighted, Deadly": Washington Post (Health) (12/11/90), P. 6; Markel, Howard; History has shown that preaching abstinence to fight the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will not work, writes Howard Markel, a Johns Hopkins clinical fellow in adolescent medicine. Condom distribution policies for high schools in New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, and other states face opp
"The Alarming Spread of AIDS Among Women": Washington Post (Health) (12/11/90), P. 7; Thompson, Larry; Federal researchers say HIV is now spreading more rapidly among women than men, with half of cases among women attributed to IV drug use and 20 percent to sex with male drug users. The D.C. Commission on Public Health says figures for Washington reflect national trends: the number of women testing positive for HIV i
"Computerized Access to AIDS Information": United Press International (12/10/90); Fasbinder, Joe; Los Angeles--The Computerized AIDS Information Network, CAIN, is a serious computer bulletin board devoted to the exchange of information about AIDS. The board provides hundreds of digitized documents, as many as 31,000 articles, at prices ranging from $12 per hour on SprintNet to no charge on Tymnet during pre-dawn
"Obituaries: Reinaldo Arenas, 47, Novelist Who Fled Castro-Run Cuba": Washington Post (12/10/90), P. D6; Reinaldo Arenas, 47, was found dead Dec. 7 at his home in Manhattan, and authorities said he apparently took his own life by taking an overdose of drugs and alcohol. Arenas, a Cuban-born novelist and former revolutionary who spent several years in prison under Castro, had been suffering from AIDS for the last three y
"Another Side of Paradise": Los Angeles Times (12/10/90), P. E1; Smith, Lynn; AIDS has hit the picturesque community of Laguna Beach, Calif., harder than any other community in the United States . Last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the city s annual rate of new cases was 1.42 per thousand people. In the Orange County town, known as a gay t
"AIDS, Abortion-Rights Groups Protest Near N.Y. Cathedral": Washington Post (12/10/90), P. A6; On the anniversary of a demonstration in which ACT UP members disrupted services led by Cardinal John J. O Connor, about 350 AIDS and abortion-rights activists joined in a peaceful protest across from St. Patrick s Cathedral yesterday. Activists object to the Roman Catholic Church s stance against the dissemination o
"Obituaries: Reinaldo Arenas, 47, Novelist Who Fled Castro-Run Cuba": Washington Post (12/10/90), P. D6; Reinaldo Arenas, 47, was found dead Dec. 7 at his home in Manhattan, and authorities said he apparently took his own life by taking an overdose of drugs and alcohol. Arenas, a Cuban-born novelist and former revolutionary who spent several years in prison under Castro, had been suffering from AIDS for the last three y
"Another Side of Paradise": Los Angeles Times (12/10/90), P. E1; Smith, Lynn; AIDS has hit the picturesque community of Laguna Beach, Calif., harder than any other community in the United States . Last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the city s annual rate of new cases was 1.42 per thousand people. In the Orange County town, known as a gay t
"AIDS, Abortion-Rights Groups Protest Near N.Y. Cathedral": Washington Post (12/10/90), P. A6; On the anniversary of a demonstration in which ACT UP members disrupted services led by Cardinal John J. O Connor, about 350 AIDS and abortion-rights activists joined in a peaceful protest across from St. Patrick s Cathedral yesterday. Activists object to the Roman Catholic Church s stance against the dissemination o
"Doctors Carrying AIDS Virus Stir Ethical Debate": Los Angeles Times (12/09/90), P. A46; Bor, Jonathan; The debate over HIV testing for doctors and/or patients has intensified since media reports that dentist David Acer may have infected a patient. Ethicists disagree as to whether surgeons have an obligation to inform their patients of a serious illness, no matter how small the risk of tranmsission. Michelle Oberman o
"Expanded Services on AIDS Urged": Washington Post (12/09/90), P. B5; Gaines-Carter, Patrice; At a four-hour hearing before Mayor-Elect Sharon Pratt Dixon s transition task group on AIDS services Saturday, representatives from more than 50 Washington, D.C., area service organizations testified that the District needs to expand AIDS support services to better reach high-risk groups and target a wider cross-sect
"Doctors Carrying AIDS Virus Stir Ethical Debate": Los Angeles Times (12/09/90), P. A46; Bor, Jonathan; The debate over HIV testing for doctors and/or patients has intensified since media reports that dentist David Acer may have infected a patient. Ethicists disagree as to whether surgeons have an obligation to inform their patients of a serious illness, no matter how small the risk of tranmsission. Michelle Oberman o
"Expanded Services on AIDS Urged": Washington Post (12/09/90), P. B5; Gaines-Carter, Patrice; At a four-hour hearing before Mayor-Elect Sharon Pratt Dixon s transition task group on AIDS services Saturday, representatives from more than 50 Washington, D.C., area service organizations testified that the District needs to expand AIDS support services to better reach high-risk groups and target a wider cross-sect
"Occupational Infection Among Anaesthetists": Lancet (12/08/90) Vol. 336, No. 8728, P. 1456; Brattebo, Guttorm, and Wisborg, Torben; Many anestheticists ignore guidelines for universal precautions despite AIDS prevention education campaigns, write Guttorm Brattebo and Torben Wisborg of Hammerfest Hospital, Hammerfest, Norway . Anesthetists tend to ignore risk of HIV infection despite knowledge of modes of transm
"Inhibition of HIV-1 Replication by a Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase" Inhibitor: Science (12/07/90) Vol. 250, No. 4986, P. 1411; Merluzzi, Vincent J., et al.; Bi-RG-587, one of a series of dipyridodiazepinones, inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcriptase without interfering with any mammalian reverse transcriptase, write Vincent J. Merluzzi and colleagues of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Cytotoxicity studies in vitro showe
"More Virginians Being Tested for AIDS, Poll Shows": United Press International (12/07/90); A telephone survey of 885 adult Virginians selected at random has found that 27 percent of all respondents had been tested for HIV, and 36 percent of those between ages 18 and 24 had been tested. The younger the person, the more likely he or she had been tested for HIV, Virginia Commonwealth University reseachers rep
"Novello Calls for Coordinated Services in AIDS Fight": United Press International (12/07/90); Philadelphia--Speaking Friday at the opening of the Circle of Care, a comprehensive community-care agency for families affected by AIDS, Surgeon General Antonia Novello called for a coordinated effort for comprehensive community-based AIDS care for women, children, and families. AIDS in the U.S. is beginning to look
"More Virginians Being Tested for AIDS, Poll Shows": United Press International (12/07/90); A telephone survey of 885 adult Virginians selected at random has found that 27 percent of all respondents had been tested for HIV, and 36 percent of those between ages 18 and 24 had been tested. The younger the person, the more likely he or she had been tested for HIV, Virginia Commonwealth University reseachers rep
"Novello Calls for Coordinated Services in AIDS Fight": United Press International (12/07/90); Philadelphia--Speaking Friday at the opening of the Circle of Care, a comprehensive community-care agency for families affected by AIDS, Surgeon General Antonia Novello called for a coordinated effort for comprehensive community-based AIDS care for women, children, and families. AIDS in the U.S. is beginning to look
"The District Line: Trojan Horse": Washington City Paper (12/07/90) Vol. 10, No. 49, P. 8; Wood, Gillian Cara; Gina Harris is a one-woman crusade against AIDS in the District of Columbia. In Eastern Market, on Capitol Hill, at the HIV Prevention Project for the Homeless in Northeast D.C., the message is: Use those damn condoms. In an Eastern Market booth, Harris accosts grumpy and friendly alike with brightly-colored Trojan
"The District Line: Trojan Horse": Washington City Paper (12/07/90) Vol. 10, No. 49, P. 8; Wood, Gillian Cara; Gina Harris is a one-woman crusade against AIDS in the District of Columbia. In Eastern Market, on Capitol Hill, at the HIV Prevention Project for the Homeless in Northeast D.C., the message is: Use those damn condoms. In an Eastern Market booth, Harris accosts grumpy and friendly alike with brightly-colored Trojan
"Doctor Knew He Had AIDS, Widow Says": Baltimore Sun (12/07/90), P. 1A; Marbella, Jean; Betty Almaraz, widow of breast cancer surgeon Rudoph Almaraz who died of AIDS last month, told the Baltimore Sun that her husband continued to operate despite knowledge of his illness because he believed the risk of transmitting HIV to patients was infintesimal in comparison to the lives he could save. Betty Almaraz
"Doctors Back Mandatory AIDS Reporting": New York Times (12/07/90), P. A28; For the first time, the American Medical Association (AMA) has voted to support routine reporting of names to public health officials of persons who test positive for HIV. The AMA s governing body voted Wednesday to change its classification of HIV from a communicable disease to
"Drug Concerns Make Big Strides in AIDS Work": Wall Street Journal (12/07/90), P. B1; Waldholz, Michael; The world s largest pharmaceuticals companies, in a behind-the-scenes race to develop AIDS drugs, have made major strides in identifying and blocking pivotal HIV components. Researchers at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. have developed BI-RG-587, a compound
"Safer Blood, Fairer Policy": New York Times (12/07/90), P. A34; The new donor-screening guidelines announced Wednesday by the federal government will mean a safer blood supply, write the editors of the New York Times. The government has lifted an unfair ban on Haitian blood donors, a positive measure and one that will end a policy that has irrationally stigmatized a large group o
"AIDS Children's Foster Care: Love and Hope Conquer Fear": New York Times (12/07/90), P. A1; Navarro, Mireya; Many more foster parents are raising children with AIDS now that greater knowledge of the disease means less ignorance and fear of contagion, experts say. Governments have been far more aggressive in recruiting foster parents and offering better reimbursements and support services, meaning children who once had to wa
"A Newly Recognized Fastidious Gram-Negative Pathogen as a Cause of Fever" and Bacteremia: New England Journal of Medicine (12/06/90) Vol. 323, No. 23, P. 1587; Slater, Leonard N., et al.; An uncommon gram-negative bacillus has been isolated from five immunocompromised patients, two with HIV, report Leonard Slater and colleagues of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The pathogen may have remained unidentified because of its fastidious nature: slow growth, broad susceptibility to antimic
"No T-Cell Tyrosine Protein Kinase Signalling or Calcium Mobilization" After CD4 Association with HIV-1 or HIV-1 gp120: Nature (12/06/90) Vol. 348, No. 6301, P. 557; Horak, Ivan D., et al.; Binding of HIV gp120 to CD4+ cells, previously thought to mimic interactions that trigger T cell activation pathways, fails to elicit the specific tyrosine kinase activation and signalling and changes in intracellular calcium concentration that would be requirements for virus production, write Ivan Horak and colleague
"Clinical and Pathological Features of Bacillary Peliosis Hepatis in" Association with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (12/06/90) Vol. 323, No. 23, P. 1581; Perkocha, Luke A., et al.; Peliosis hepatis in patients with HIV, an unusual opportunistic infection, is probably caused by the agent responsible for cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis , report Luke Perkocha and colleagues of the University of California-San Francisco. Although potentially fatal, the inf
"Clinical and Pathological Features of Bacillary Peliosis Hepatis in" Association with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (12/06/90) Vol. 323, No. 23, P. 1581; Perkocha, Luke A., et al.; Peliosis hepatis in patients with HIV, an unusual opportunistic infection, is probably caused by the agent responsible for cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis , report Luke Perkocha and colleagues of the University of California-San Francisco. Although potentially fatal, the inf
"Firm Recalls Condoms at N.J. Centers": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/06/90), P. 10B; Burney, Melanie; The New Jersey Department of Health has notified 16 AIDS counselling centers that Safetex Corp. has recalled thousands of Saxon condoms. Saxon condoms were among the 32,000 distributed by the state Health Department to the centers in March as part of a safe sex program. The Department has asked the centers to immedi
"An AIDS Policy in Health Care": Philadelphi Inquirer (12/06/90), P. A1; Cimons, Marlene; Sources say Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials are considering amending federal policy and recommending routine testing of surgeons and health care workers for HIV. CDC guidelines would recommend that HIV-infected health care professionals be barred from invasive procedures, which would include most surgical
"Ex-Surgeon General Asserts Successor Lags in AIDS Fight": New York Times (12/06/90), P. B4; Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop charged Tuesday that his successor, Antonia Novello, has not been a strong enough advocate in the fight against AIDS. He fought the Reagan Administration s attempts to soft-pedal the disease for eight years, Koop said, because he strongly believes educating the public is imper
"Business Bulletin: Insurers Eye a Test That May Lead to Wider Screening" for HIV Infection: Wall Street Journal (12/06/90), P. A1; Home Office Reference Laboratory Inc. hopes life insurers will lower their test threshholds if offered Epitope Inc. s saliva-based test for HIV. Home Office, a major provider of testing services to insurers, thinks that insurers will screen more applicants because the saliva-based test is cheaper. AIDS activists wor
"A Home and a Haven for Women with AIDS": Washington Post (12/06/90), P. C5; Wheeler, Linda; Yesterday the Washington, D.C., government and the Whitman-Walker Clinic dedicated the Stewart B. McKinney Family Home, a Logan Circle apartment building for women with HIV and their families. The house is named for a U.S. representative from Connecticut who died of AIDS. The women who will move in have little or no
"U.S. to Lift Haitian Blood Donor Ban": Washington Post (12/06/90), P. A3; The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday announced changes to the blood screening process including the end of a ban against blood donations by Haitian immigrants and intensified efforts to screen out high-risk heterosexuals. The changes, which will be phased in by the Food and Drug Administation, includ
"Condom Plan for Schools Draws Criticism": New York Times (12/06/90), P. B1; Berger, Joseph; Supporters joined opponents yesterday in criticizing New York City Schools Chancellor Joseph Fernandez s condom distribution plan for its failure to require couselling. Fernandez presented the plan to the Board of Education yesterday against the background of an AIDS disaster akin to sitting on a ticking time bomb.
"From the National Institutes of Health: New Computer Technique May Lead" to New AIDS Drugs: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/05/90) Vol. 264, No. 21, P. 2731; Raub, William; University of California-San Francisco researchers have developed DOCK, a new computer program that will provide a starting point for the rational design of potential AIDS drugs using the three-dimensional structure of compounds, writes William Raub, acting director of the National Institutes of Health. Irwin Kuntz J
"The HIV-Testing Policies of U.S. Hospitals": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/05/90) Vol. 264, No. 21, P. 2764; Lewis, Charles E., and Montgomery, Kathleen; A random sample of chief administrators at 561 U.S. hospitals showed that over 83 percent have formal policies about HIV testing, two-thirds had admitted a patient with AIDS, and as many as 40 percent of rural hospitals had had at least one AIDS inpatient, report Charles Lewis and Kathleen Montgomery of the University
"The HIV-Testing Policies of U.S. Hospitals": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/05/90) Vol. 264, No. 21, P. 2764; Lewis, Charles E., and Montgomery, Kathleen; A random sample of chief administrators at 561 U.S. hospitals showed that over 83 percent have formal policies about HIV testing, two-thirds had admitted a patient with AIDS, and as many as 40 percent of rural hospitals had had at least one AIDS inpatient, report Charles Lewis and Kathleen Montgomery of the University
"Hard Times Bring Tough Choices": Associated Press (12/05/90); New York--Due to decreases in revenue, state and local governments are reducing their staffs and services. The effect of budget cuts has been detrimental to many local government health care programs. In Los Angeles and Louisville, Ky., for example, local health centers have been closed and in Vermont and Maryland p
"Michigan News Briefs": United Press International (12/05/90); Birmingham, Mich.--A Michigan woman who has the AIDS virus may sue the estate of a Stuart, Fla., dentist who died of AIDS-related cancer if tests reveal that the dentist infected her. The woman, Lisa Shoemaker, will undergo tests at the Centers for Disease Control to determine if the disease can be linked to dentist
"Guidelines on Doctors' Health Sought": Baltimore Sun (12/05/90), P. 1A; Kobren, Gerri; While the Maryland Hospital Association previously had been concerned only with the status of AIDs patients and the question of HIV testing for patients, a Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon s death from AIDs has the Hospital Association rethinking regulations concerning required health assessments for physicians. Maryla
"Strong Medicine for AIDS": New York Times (12/05/90), P. A26; Schools Chancellor Joseph Fernandez s far-reaching and sensible plan to distribute condoms in New York City high schools without parental consent or counselling deserves the support of the Board of Education, write the editors of the New York Times. Fernandez points out the high rates of AIDS, syphilis, and pregancy a
"Opposition to Condom Plan by Some Principals Is Seen": New York Times (12/05/90), P. B3; Berger, Joseph; Based on personal religious or moral beliefs and concern about hostile protests from parent leaders, some New York City high school principals are expected to oppose Schools Chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez s plan to distribute condoms in city high schools without parental consent. Fernandez will present his plan to th
"U.S to Alter Screening of Those Giving Blood": New York Times (12/05/90), P. A24; Hilts, Philip J.; Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Louis W. Sullivan will rescind the government ban on blood donations from Haitians and, in centers that test for HIV-2, sub-Saharan Africans. Sullivan s decision, expected to be announced today, comes eight months after 50,000 people marched in New York City to protest the
"Nearly 25 Percent of U.S. Hospitals Violate AIDS Test Guidelines": Washington Post (12/05/90), P. A2; Gladwell, Malcolm; A survey of 561 U.S. hospitals policies on HIV testing shows 22 percent violate recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control, the American Medical Association , and the American Hospital Association that stipulate obtaining informed written consent of patients before testin
"Stick Men and Giants: Inside the Rikers Island AIDS Ward": Village Voice (12/04/90) Vol. 35, No. 49, P. 28; Dobie, Kathy; Dorm 4, the Rikers Island AIDS Ward, is a model of humane and efficient care of prisoners with HIV. Officer Sylvester Brown, who has worked in the ward from the beginning, says the men in Dorm 4, black, white, and Hispanic get along together...because they know...it s us and them, and then don t care much. Typi
"Stick Men and Giants: Inside the Rikers Island AIDS Ward": Village Voice (12/04/90) Vol. 35, No. 49, P. 28; Dobie, Kathy; Dorm 4, the Rikers Island AIDS Ward, is a model of humane and efficient care of prisoners with HIV. Officer Sylvester Brown, who has worked in the ward from the beginning, says the men in Dorm 4, black, white, and Hispanic get along together...because they know...it s us and them, and then don t care much. Typi
"Fire Department Kept AIDS List": United Press International (12/04/90); Bradenton, Fla.--A list of people believed to be infected with HIV kept by Fire Department employees surfaced recently after a women arrested for prostitution was charged with attempted murder. Police who made the arrest contacted fire and rescue workers and learned that the woman was on the list of people suspected
"Florida News Briefs": United Press International (12/04/90); Orlando, Fla.--At the four-day meeting of the American Medical Association , more than 3,500 physicians, medical students, and medical professionals endorsed mandatory screening of patients before surgery to protect health care workers from HIV. The issue provoked intense debate,
"Doctor's Death from AIDS Creates Shock, Fear: Hospital Confirms Disease" in Letters: Baltimore Sun (12/04/90), P. 1A; Bor, Jonathan; Johns Hopkins Hospital confirmed yesterday that Rudolph Almaraz, a well-known breast surgeon, died of AIDS Nov. 16. Hospital officials began mailing 1,800 letters to former patients offering free HIV testing and counselling and reaffirming the belief that the likelihood Almaraz transmitted HIV to a patient during sur
"New York School Chief to Offer Plan for Distributing Condoms": New York Times (12/04/90), P. A1; Berger, Joseph; New York City Schools Chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez, who previously said he favors condom distribution at school health clinics, will offer a proposal to the Board of Education that suggests condoms be given out at all city high schools--even those without health clinics--without parental consent. Sources say the ne
"AIDS Program Cited": Crain's New York Business (12/03/90) Vol. 6, No. 49, P. 16; Multitasking Systems, a program that employs people with AIDS in desktop publishing, word processing, and bulk-mailing positions, recently won an award for excellence from the National Association of Counties. Physicians Linda Laubenstein and Jeffrey Greene of New York University Medical Center founded Multitasking S
"Designers Put their Egos Aside in Sale Benefiting AIDS": Associated Press (12/03/90); Hughes, Janice; New York--Fashion designers, known for their legendary egos, managed to put rivalries aside and work for a common cause over the weekend--a sale of $4 million worth of merchandise to raise money for AIDS. Clothes donated by Calvin Klein and more than 100 other U.S. designers for the three-day sale ending on Sunday br
"AIDS Cases Rise Over 300,000 Mark": United Press International (12/03/90); Geneva--The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday that the world s AIDS case total had risen to 307,379 by Dec. 1, nearly a 3 percent increase. WHO said the true global total is around 1.3 million cases, four times the officially reported total, because many developing nations l
"Judge Refuses to Order Release of AIDS Drug, Peptide T": United Press International (12/03/90); MacLean, Pamela A.; San Francisco--U.S. District Judge Charles Legge yesterday rejected a request for a temporary restraining order by AIDS patient Ron Woodruff, who seeks to receive the experimental drug Peptide T from Peninsula Laboratories of Belmont, Calif. Woodruff has been taking Peptide T for the past year to slow AIDS-related
"AIDS Activists Seek Broader Definition of Disease": United Press International (12/03/90); Atlanta--About 200 demonstrators, organized by ACT UP, gathered at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday to protest treatment of women with AIDS and to demand a broader definition of the disease, which ACT UP members say excludes symptoms that affect women, IV drug users, and minorities. About a dozen activ
"Metro Matters: Clinic Empowers Those Who Test HIV-Positive": New York Times (12/03/90), P. B1; Roberts, Sam; In New York, the Spellman Center for HIV-Related Diseases at St. Clare s Hospital and Health Center and the Partnership for the Homeless offer separate programs that each serve to empower people with HIV. The Spellman Center operates a methadone clinic that offers private-type medicine through a public-type program
"Hospital Offers Tests After Surgeon Dies of AIDS": New York Times (12/03/90), P. A20; Johns Hopkins Hospital has sent a letter to approximately 1,800 patients of Rudolph Almaraz, a Baltimore surgeon whom the Baltimore Sunday Sun reported died of AIDS two weeks ago, offering free AIDS testing and counselling. Almarez s lawyer, Marvin Ellin, told the Sun Almaraz died of AIDS. Ellin said Almaraz told hi
"Noticeboard: Women and HIV Disease": Lancet (12/01/90) Vol. 336, No. 8727, P. 1373; World AIDS Day s focus on women and AIDS was meant to help empower women to make effective choices to prevent HIV infection, such as use of condoms or changing ideas that equate sex with penetration, the editors of the Lancet write. Men traditionally are the sexual decision makers, and women s options for HIV preven
"Viewpoint: How AIDS Forces Reappraisal of Hepatitis B Virus Control in" Sub-Saharan Africa: Lancet (12/01/90) Vol. 336, No. 8727, P. 1364; Hudson, C.P.; The advent of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa and in southeast Asia, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic, mandates ongoing and planned longitudinal studies of viral epidemiology to assess risk factors for HBV, writes C.P. Hudson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Investigation
"Viewpoint: How AIDS Forces Reappraisal of Hepatitis B Virus Control in" Sub-Saharan Africa: Lancet (12/01/90) Vol. 336, No. 8727, P. 1364; Hudson, C.P.; The advent of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa and in southeast Asia, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic, mandates ongoing and planned longitudinal studies of viral epidemiology to assess risk factors for HBV, writes C.P. Hudson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Investigation
"AIDS: Myth or Panacea?": Business in the U.S.S.R. (12/90) No. 7, P. 42; Kanin, Yuri; Lazar Meckler, biologist and former lab chief of the Moscow Oncological Center, and his wife Rosalia Idlis, a mathematician, have formulated a hypothesis about a general stereochemical and genetic code that will serve as the basis for a joint Soviet-Italian research venture to develop peptide vaccines for AIDS, hepati
"A Global View of Women and HIV": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (12/90) Vol. 6, No. 1, P. 3; Schietinger, Helen; Educators and researchers need to focus on the global status of women s psychosocial health and develop appropriate prevention and care strategies, rather than view women as vectors of HIV transmission to men, writes Helen Schietinger, a former technical officer of the World Health Organiz
"The AIDS-Related Experiences and Practices of Primary Care Physicians in" Los Angeles: 1984-89: American Journal of Public Health (12/90) Vol. 80, No. 12, P. 1511; Lewis, Charles E., and Montgomery, Kathleen; Random telephone surveys of Los Angeles physicians from 1984-89 indicate a significant number have responded to the disease crisis by caring for patients with AIDS or ARC, write Charles Lewis and Kathleen Montgomery of the University of California, L.A., School of Medicine. In 1989, the number of doctors who had work
"Death in Prison: Changing Mortality Patterns among Male Prisoners in" Maryland, 1979-87: American Journal of Public Health (12/90) Vol. 80, No. 12, P. 1479; Salive, Marcel E., et al.; AIDS became the leading cause of death in Maryland state prisons in 1987, at a rate of 65 per 100,000 prisoner-years, report Marcel Salive and colleagues of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. HIV prevention must remain a top prison health priority, they write, because of the number of inmates admi
"Many Federal Health Programs Get Significant Funding Hikes: AIDS": Nation's Health (12/90) Vol. 20, No. 12, P. 8; AIDS funding under the Health Services and Resources Administration increased by 140 percent under the appropriations bill passed in October 1990. Within the Centers for Disease Control, AIDS funding increased 12 percent. Total funding for AIDS over all Public Health Service agencies increased by 18 percent, to $1,8
"HIV Seroconversion in Two Homosexual Men after Receptive Oral Intercourse" with Ejaculation: Implications for Counseling Concerning Safe Sexual Practices: American Journal of Public Health (12/90) Vol. 80, No. 12, P. 1509; Lifson, Alan R., et al.; The report of two gay men with HIV infection who claimed to have had only receptive oral sex and no anal sex for over five years means all sexually active persons should be counseled that such behaviors carry potential for HIV transmission, write Alan Lifson and colleagues of the San Francisco Department of Public Hea
"HIV Exposures High Among House Staff, Researchers Report": AIDS Alert (12/90) Vol. 5, No. 12, P. 238; At the 30th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy held in Atlanta, researchers from Cabrini Medical Center in New York reported that medical house staff are exposed to HIV at a high rate, particularly during the first year of training, and that poor light or fatigue often are major factors i
"Man at His Best: The Condom": Esquire (12/90) Vol. 114, No. 6, P. 93; Berendt, John; The 400-year history of the condom has largely been one of complaints of spoiled pleasure and little protection. Invented in the 16th century by Italian anatomist Gabriel Fallopius, the condom was a medicated linen sheath. In the 17th century, Dr. Condom, personal physician to England s Charles II, made a sheath fr
"A Storm Over Steroid Therapy": Science (11/30/90) Vol. 250, No. 4985, P. 1196; Palca, Joseph; For many researchers, the news that steroids are a successful adjuvant therapy for pneumocystis was not new, so the New York Times front-page-story that a federal panel delayed five months in publicizing it was no big deal. Federal health offiicals were infuriated, however, as the story ignited a controversy that spo
"A Storm Over Steroid Therapy": Science (11/30/90) Vol. 250, No. 4985, P. 1196; Palca, Joseph; For many researchers, the news that steroids are a successful adjuvant therapy for pneumocystis was not new, so the New York Times front-page-story that a federal panel delayed five months in publicizing it was no big deal. Federal health offiicals were infuriated, however, as the story ignited a controversy that spo
"AIDS Digest: Johns Hopkins Says Heart May Be First Organ Affected": Washington Blade (11/30/90) Vol. 21, No. 48, P. 23; Sullivan, Mark; Many HIV-positive people may suffer cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the walls of the heart that results in less efficient pumping of blood and can cause congestive heart failure, Johns Hopkins researchers said at the American Heart Association s Scientific Sessions last month. Ahvie Herskowitz, who studied 24 HIV-pos
"Bush Signs Immigration Bill": Washington Blade (11/30/90) Vol. 21, No. 48, P. 15; Keen, Lisa M.; President Bush cleared the way for the end of the ban on U.S. entry of HIV-infected travellers Thursday by signing the Family Unity and Employment Opportunity Immigration Act. The law increases the numbers of immigrants allowed into the country and repeals a number of exclusions, including gays and other groups. Bu
"Recalled Condoms Pass FDA Inspection": PRNewswire (11/30/90); Philadelphia--Philadelphia Public Health Department officials said Friday that 390,000 recalled Crown condoms had passed Food and Drug Administration tests. The city AIDS Activities Cooridnating Office (AAC)) recalled the condoms, which had been distributed to public health center and community agencies, because of a
"Roche Biosafety Expert Returns from First Sino-American Symposium on AIDS" in People's Republic; Chinese Ask to Circulate Part of 'AIDS Quilt': PRNewswire (11/30/90); Raritan, N.J.--AIDS professionals from U.S. biomedical laboratories recently retruned from the first ever Sino-American HIV symposium, which was held in Beijing, China , Nov. 9. At the Sino-American Symposium on Management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the 148-member U.S. delegat
"10 Million Children Likely to be Orphaned by AIDS in 1990s": Reuter (11/30/90); United Nations--During a meeting at the United Nations marking World AIDS Day Friday, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar said 10 million children under age 10 would likely be orphaned by AIDS in the 1990s as women are increasingly infected by HIV. By the end of the decade, he said, at least as many children wo
"Taiwan Passes Tough New AIDS Laws": Reuter (11/30/90); Taipei, Taiwan--Taiwan s parliament Friday passed stringent AIDS laws that would require a seven-year prison sentence for knowing transmission of HIV and quarantine of HIV-infected persons by health officials. HIV-carriers under quarantine would be forced to receive publicly-funded treatment, a spokerperson for the p
"AIDS Activists March on Insurance Giants": United Press International (11/30/90); Milewski, Dennis C.; Hartford, Conn.--Protesters from the new Hartford chapter of ACT UP Friday marched on three of America s largest insurance companies, Aetna Life + Casualty, ITT Hartford Insurance Group, and the Travelers Corp., demanding medical coverage and better benefits for those with AIDS and those at risk for HIV. During the m
"Snap, Sparkle, Shop": Washington Post (11/30/90), P. F1; Horyn, Cathy; Seventh on Sale, taking place at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City this weekend, is a giant clothes sale and fashion event to raise money for AIDS. David Bowie and the fashion model Iman were among the fashion plates, nabobs, and overachievers who attended the $1,000-a-ticket dinner that kicked off Seventh on
"With Art and Without, a Day for Calling Attention to the AIDS Crisis": New York Times (11/30/90), P. C12; Blau, Eleanor; The second annual Day Without Art will take place tomorrow in conjunction with the World Health Organization s third observance of World AIDS Awareness Day. To commorate Day Without Art, approximately 3,000 arts groups in the United States , Canada ,
"Casey Enacts Law on AIDS Privacy": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/30/90), P. 1B; Tofani, Loretta; Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey yesterday signed into law a new bill, the Confidentiality of HIV-Related Information Act, that would guarantee the confidentiality of HIV testing and mandate that hosptials and physicians obtain written consent before such testing. Experts say the measure, which will take effect Marc
"U.S. Bioscience Gets AIDS Drug License": Investor's Daily (11/30/90), P. 17; The U.S. government has given U.S. Bioscience Inc. exclusive license to market trimetrexate to treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients, the company announced yesterday. About 650 AIDS patients currently receive the drug under a government program similar to compassionate use. Th
"AIDS Spreads More Rapidly Among Women": Wall Street Journal (11/30/90), P. B1; Pearl, Daniel; AIDS is spreading faster among women than among other high risk groups, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported yesterday. The number of diagnosed cases of AIDS among women increased 29 percent this year compared to 18 percent in men, with IV drug use causing half the cases. Heterosexual contacts with drug us
"HIV Infection: Why the Long Latent Period?": Nature (11/29/90) Vol. 348, No. 6300, P. 388; Bangham, Charles R. M., and McMichael, Andrew J.; New research suggests that progression to AIDS in HIV disease may be the result of an increase in the number of immunological variants above a critical threshold, write Charles Bangham and Andrew McMichael of Oxford University. In the journal AIDS, they report, Nowak and colleagues use a simple model to explain the l
"AIDS Cases Soar in Europe; Large Increases in Eastern Europe": United Press International (11/29/90); Atlanta--There has been an alarming increase in AIDS cases in Eastern Europe since March 1989, caused by contaminated blood transfusion and inadequate sterilization of needles in hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported yesterday. AIDS cases in Europe increased 61.9 percent, with the largest annual p
"Health Department Warns Women on AIDS and Cancer": United Press International (11/29/90); New York--Citing a recent report that said HIV could increase a woman s risk for cervical cancer, New York City Health Commissioner Woodrow Myers yesterday urged women to come to the city clinic to have a Pap smear and an HIV test. Myers said researchers found that women with HIV were more likely to experience certai
"Prevalence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Among University Students": New England Journal of Medicine (11/29/90) Vol. 323, No. 22, P. 1538; Gayle, Helene D., et al.; A random sample of 16,863 blood specimens taken at health clinics at 19 U.S. colleges and universities indicates HIV infection exists at a 0.2 percent rate on campuses nationwide, report Helene Gayle and colleagues of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). HIV infection presents a growing problem on college campuses,
"Siege at AIDS Home Further Divides Neighborhood": Los Angeles Times (11/29/90), P. A45; Serrano, Richard A.; A siege that took place Tuesday night between police and AIDS patient Alberto Alvizuri at the Mid-City AIDS Shelter in Los Angeles has further divided the neighborhood. For three hours, tenant Alberto Alvizuri shot at police, who then evacuated the block and lobbed tear gas at Alvizuri, who finally ended the seige by
"Philadelphia AIDS Director Is Told He Has Disease": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/29/90), P. 5B; Tofani, Loretta; Jim Hymes, 40, director of the Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, said Wednesday that he learned he has AIDS on Monday. I ve devoted most of my professional life to fighting AIDS. And now I m an AIDS patient, said Hymes, who described receiving the diagnosis as painful. Unlike many people who firs
"Topics of the Times: Touched by AIDS": New York Times (11/29/90), P. A28; On World AIDS Day Saturday, New York will shut off the lights that illuminate part of Manhattan s skyline in the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings from 7:45 to 8 p.m., as part of an effort by arts institutions and AIDS organizations to commemorate lives lost to AIDS. AIDS has deeply affected so many New Yorkers tha
"Miami Firm Hopes to Take Pain Out of Going to Dentist": Wall Street Journal (11/29/90), P. B4; Pearl, Daniel; Miami s Noven Pharmaceuticals has developed an anesthetic pad that may eliminate the need for injections for deep cleanings and limited drillings at the dentist s office. The company hopes to get Food and Drug Administration approval for human trials of the pads in early 1991. The wafer-shaped pad creates a lasting
"Forum Set on Women and AIDS": Washington Post (11/29/90), P. DC7; Portner, Jessica; In commemoration of World AIDS Day, a dozen Washington, D.C., community groups are planning a forum on HIV risks for women and teenage girls Monday night at Ballou High School. The forum will attempt to educate local women with candid and specific information on the risks to themselves and the community. The D.C. De
"Study: 1-in-500 Rate at Colleges for AIDS Virus": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/29/90), P. 10A; Haney, Daniel Q.; A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study of 16,863 blood samples drawn for various purposes and randomly tested at 19 U.S. universities indicates that two-tenths of 1 percent were infected with HIV. The CDC said the findings indicate that one in 500 college students is infected with HIV, or 25,000 to 35,000 student
"Researchers Gain in Mapping How AIDS Virus Enters Cells": New York Times (11/29/90), P. A1; Angier, Natalie; Researchers have used X-ray crystallography to provide a highly-detailed three-dimensional picture of the CD4 receptor, the protein on the surface of the T4 lymphocyte to which HIV attaches when it infects white blood cells. Dozens of laboratories have raced to understand the precise interaction of CD4 and HIV gp120,
"First Conference of AIDS Activists Draws Hundreds": OutWeek (11/28/90) No. 74, P. 26; d'Adesky, Anne-Christine, and Wofford, Carrie; More than 250 AIDS activists met Nov. 10-11 in Washington, D.C., at the AIDS Treatment Activists Conference (ATAC) to exchange strategies for local and national political action, analyze existing drug regulatory mechanisms, and discuss the latest trends in AIDS treatment research. Activists say the conference was par
"Domestic Abstracts: Risks of Blood Exposure to the Cardiac Surgical Team": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/28/90) Vol. 264, No. 20, P. 2632; A study of the risk of HIV transmission from patients to cardiac surgical teams during operations reveals a high risk of glove penetrations, skin punctures, lacerations, and eye slashes, reported James Pate of the University of Tennessee in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The risk is perceived to be slight but concer
"Doctors Wary of Gays, PWAs, Study Finds": OutWeek (11/28/90) No. 74, P. 26; Clark, Joe; A survey of the attitudes of 260 physicians in Ohio, Chicago, and the province of Ontario showed that doctors may find ways to avoid contact with HIV-infected persons that go above and beyond wearing masks and gloves, reported Dr. Kathryn Taylor of the University of Toronto. More than half of doctors queried about pe
"Governor Recognizes AIDS Awareness Week in Virginia": United Press International (11/28/90); Richmond, Va.--Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, kicks off AIDS Awareness Week in Virginia, with activities planned to educate people about AIDS in public schools and libraries, doctors offices, coin laundries, day-care centers, housing projects, and other locations. The Virginia Department of Health said Gov. L. Douglas Wild
"Death Rates up for AIDS, Flu, Violence": United Press International (11/28/90); Bass, Janet; Washington--Deaths due to AIDS, homicide, and influenza rose in 1988, killing more people than in any other year on record, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported. During the one-year period, AIDS deaths rose 20 percent, according to Final Mortality Statitistics of the CDC National Center for Health Statistic
"Fighting AIDS with VCRs": New York Times (11/28/90), P. D17; After being turned down by Fox and MTV, AIDS Project Los Angeles has decided the only way to publicize candid AIDS prevention messages is through the VCR. The group has produced a 60-second public service message, produced pro bono by Hisk productions, featuring a half-dressed couple who decide not to have sex withou
"Suit Faults Exemption on Services for Catholic AIDS Nursing Homes": New York Times (11/28/90), P. B3; Verhovek, Sam Howe; Three AIDS advocacy groups--the Gay Men s Health Crisis, ACT UP, and Anger into Direct Action--filed suit in New York State Supreme Court Monday to challenge a decision to allow the Catholic Archdiocese of New York to operate nursing homes for AIDS patients without providing condoms, safe-sex counseling, and abortion
"Genentech Tests Vaccine to Fight Onset of AIDS": Wall Street Journal (11/28/90), P. B6; A genetically-engineered AIDS vaccine developed by Genentech Inc. has entered human trials, with 55 HIV-infected symptomless individuals receiving the experimental vaccine, the company said. The vaccine, a gene-spliced piece of HIV coat protein gp120, is designed to boost the immun
"Brazil Sees AIDS Epidemic with 100,000 Cases by 1994": Reuter (11/27/90); Rio De Janiero, Brazil--The Brazilian Health Ministry fears that the country faces an estimated 100,000 citizens with AIDS by 1994, fostered by a poor health-care system, an HIV-infected blood supply, widespread drug use, and a carefree and promiscuous lifestyle. Brazil, which has 13,817 reported cases of AIDS, has l
"New York City Recalls Condoms Given to AIDS Groups, Teens": Reuter (11/27/90); Schoolman, Judith; New York--After the Food and Drug Administration s announcement that several lots of the Saxon Spermicidal condoms failed to pass leakage tests, New York City Health Department has recalled more than 750,000 condoms distributed to community-based AIDS and teen-pregnancy groups. City Health Commissioner Woodrow Myer
"Women are Awakening to the Trauma of AIDS": USA Today (11/27/90), P. 4D; Painter, Kim; Social workers say women at highest risk for HIV infection typically do not realize they need to be tested, and health-care workers do not suspect it and don t recognize it when the see it. The World Health Organization has dedicated World AIDS Day, Sat., Dec. 1, to women and AIDS. I
"Our Towns: Drug Works, But Insurer Won't Pay": New York Times (11/27/90), P. B1; Winerip, Michael; The lack of a national policy on insurance reimbursement for experimental therapies creates inconsistencies among different carriers and even among regional Medicare carriers on who will pay for cancer or AIDS treatments. The National Cancer Institute gives away the cancer drug fludarabine via compassionate release,
"Lab Notes: Newest Tests for AIDS Get Away From Needles": Wall Street Journal (11/27/90), P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; The newest tests for AIDS are noninvasive, eliminating the use of needles and blood samples to extend HIV screening in developing countries, where medical technology is scarce, and to minimize the risk to health-care workers in developed countries of HIV infection from accidents while drawing blood. Calypte Biomedica
"Lab Notes: Time-Release Therapies May Have Foamy Future": Wall Street Journal (11/27/90), P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; Doctors are testing a new drug-delivery system based on a spongy lipid foam as a vehicle for the time-release of cancer chemotherapy drugs. The new delivery system could potentially be used for treatment of Kaposi s sarcoma in AIDS patients, said the system s developer, Dr. Sinil Kim of the University of California a
"World Press Briefing: Women Want to Know Who AIDS Carriers Are": Insight (11/26/90) Vol. 6, No. 48, P. 38; At a meeting of the Swaziland Council of Churches, women asked that the names of people with HIV be made public so that the people would know whom to avoid. Swaziland s health minister has already said the country will not publish the names of people with HIV/AIDS. A health ed
"Safe Sex Shop Blends Humor with Business of Education": Associated Press (11/26/90); Buelow, Michael C.; Madison, Wis.--The Safer Sex Boutique in Madison, Wis., offers condom-shaped candy, earrings and key chains that store condoms, and boxer shorts adorned with glow-in-the-dark smiling condoms in an effort to promote safe sex and educate about AIDS with humor. The boutque opened Nov. 5 and has drawn about 2,000 people
"AIDS Moving Beyond High-Risk Groups": United Press International (11/26/90); New HIV infection figures for Virginia reflect national trends: more women are becoming infected and the disease is moving from high-risk IV drug users and homosexuals to the general population. A published report by the state Health Department has determined that half of the 179 women infected since July 1989 have a
"A 'Trojan Horse' Could Fortify AIDS Patients": Business Week (11/26/90) No. 3189, P. 93; Buderi, Robert; Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI), an otherwise rare infection, may infect 30 percent to 50 percent of people with AIDS, experts say, yet the disease is difficult to treat because it hides within cells. Antibiotics, which cannot penetrate cell membranes, are ineffective. However, the
"'AIDS Quarterly' Probes Depth of Poland's Health Dilemma": Los Angeles Times (11/26/90), P. F12; Koehler, Robert; Last night s edition of The AIDS Quarterly addressed the problem of AIDS in Poland . AIDS hits the poorest countries, whose health care systems are ill-equipped to handle it, hardest. Poland has become a perfect setting for the n
"On Medicine: Information Lapse Slows Word on AIDS Treatments": Los Angeles Times (11/26/90), P. B3; Steinbrook, Robert; None of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $900 million AIDS budget--$950,000 of which goes to its communications office--gets spent on specifically informing physicians about new AIDS therapies. The institute relies on drug companies to send letters at their own expense to physicians on their
"Passage of AIDS Act Draws Applause in Pa.": Journal of Commerce (11/26/90), P. 6A; The unanimous passage last week of the Confidentiality of HIV-Related Information Act by the Pennsylvania legislature has drawn praise from AIDS service groups because the bill will encourage people to seek testing and early intervention for HIV. A spokesperson from the Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Offic
"Arts Beat: Bittersweet 'Day Without Art'": Washington Post (11/26/90), P. B7; Yasui, Todd Allan; Cultural institutions across the country will observe the second annual Day Without Art Saturday to commemorate the toll AIDS has taken on the arts community and increase AIDS awareness. Tom Sokolowski, organizer and director of the Gray Art Gallery at New York University, said the increased participation in the ev
"Less Visible but Heavier Burdens as AIDS Attacks People Over 50": New York Times (11/26/90), P. A1; Brozan, Nadine; AIDS now far more frequently affects older people--those over 50--than those under the age of 13, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported recently. The CDC s most recent figures indicate that older people account for 15,696 cases of AIDS, or 10 percent of cases reported. Experts say the disease presents a num
"Bookshelf: AIDS, Sexual Behavior, and Intravenous Drug Use": Lancet (11/24/90) Vol. 336, No. 8726, P. 1285; Pinching, Anthony J.; AIDS, Sexual Behavior, and Intravenous Drug Use, edited by C. F. Turner et al., is an impressive and useful resource for the desks (not the shelves) of social scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, politicians, and policy makers interested in the research response to AIDS and the state of knowledge about AIDS, s
"UK: HIV--Future of Social Care": Lancet (11/24/90) Vol. 336, No. 8726, P. 1308; The latest U.K. AIDS figures have added impetus to government initiatives to set up local preventive and community care services, comments an Economist correspondent. The U.K. Department of Health said heterosexual infections increased 95 percent in the last year and cases among women increased 72 percent. Chief Me
"Little Chance of Rare AIDS Virus Infecting the Blood Supply, CDC Says": Associated Press (11/23/90); Neergaard, Lauran; Atlanta--Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials said Friday that although HIV-2 could enter the U.S. blood supply, the cost of detection would not be worth efforts to screen for the rare strain of HIV. Tests for HIV-1 will usually detect HIV-2, CDC officials said. A CDC study of more than 25,000 blood samples d
"500,000 Asians Infected with AIDS Virus, U.N. Commission Says": Reuter (11/23/90); Bangkik, Thailand--The U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said Friday that an estimated 500,000 Aisans carry HIV. The agency warned that the small number of cases reported so far is no cause for optimism. Asian countries had only reported 2,000 cases as of February.
"Sexual Lifestyles Under Scrutiny": Nature (11/22/90) Vol. 348, No. 6299, P. 276; Wellings, K., et al.; Diseases such as HIV that are transmitted via sexual contact make urgent the development of methods to quantify sexual behavior patterns, write K. Wellings and colleagues of St. Mary s Hospital Medical School, London. The study of sexual behavior has received little funding and less serious attention, and is usually
"Scientific Publishing: What the Journals are Saying": Nature (11/22/90) Vol. 348, No. 6299, P. 272; Anderson, Christopher; Journals have different stances on whether or not they will allow early release of results with important public health implications. In general, the more technical the journal, the more tolerant it is of early release. The New England Journal of Medicine will consider early release and permit discussion of results
"Scientific Publishing: Pressure for Quick Release": Nature (11/22/90) Vol. 348, No. 6299, P. 272; Anderson, Christopher; The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will hold a Jan. 15 meeting to establish procedures for the immediate dissemination of critical research findings, in the wake of allegations in the New York Times that NIH delayed five months in releasing data that showed steroids to be effective in treating pneumocystis in AID
"Corticosteroids as Adjunctive Therapy for Severe Pneumocystis Carinii" Pneumonia in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: New England Journal of Medicine (11/22/90) Vol. 323, No. 21, P. 1444; Gagnon, Suzanne, et al.; Early adjunctive therapy with corticosteroids in 12 AIDS patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) improved survival and decreased the occurrence of respiratory failure, report Suzanne Gagnon and colleagues of the University of Miami School of Medicine. Twenty-three patients with marked pulmonary abnormaliti
"Special Report: Consensus Statment on the Use of Corticosteroids as" Adjunctive Therapy for Pneumocystis Pneumonia in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: New England Journal of Medicine (11/22/90) Vol. 323, No. 21, P. 1500; Masur, Henry, et al.; Five randomized trials assessing the efficacy of adjunctive therapy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) with corticosteroids showed results sufficiently compelling to warrant a consensus statement, report the members of a National Institutes of Health-University of California expert panel, who say they determined
"Research Implicates AIDS-Like Virus in Immune System Disorders": Reuter (11/22/90); Arieff, Irwin; Washington--A retrovirus cousin of HIV recently discovered in the salivary glands of patients suffering from Sjogren s disease, a rare autoimmune disorder, is implicated in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and provides new evidence that AIDS may be an autoimmune disease, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Scie
"Determination of HIV-1 Status of Discarded Sharps: Polymerase Chain" Reaction Using Minute Quantities of Blood: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/21/90) Vol. 264, No. 19, P. 2501; Raffanti, Stephen, et al.; Needle-stick injuries from discarded sharps present a special hazard if the patient source is unknown, but the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoblotting can be used to detect HIV in a minute quantity of blood from even a month-old source, write Stephen Raffanti and colleagues of Mount Sinai Medical Center, Mi
"International Abstracts: Endocrine Abnormalities in Human" Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/21/90) Vol. 264, No. 19, P. 2559; French researchers B. Verges et al. of Hopital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France , studied endocrine functions in 63 HIV patients to determine the cause of endocrine gland lesions and endocrine diseases found in pathological examination of AIDS patients. The researchers explored the a
"Spanish Church Leaders Denounce Condom Campaign": Financial Times (11/21/90), P. 3; Bruce, Peter; In Spain , Catholic priests, housewives, and fascist thugs have rallied against a candid $8 million multi-media government campaign to promote condom use among teenagers. The Socialist government initiated the campaign because of the country s growing AIDS and abortion problems. On
"FDA Clears Human Trials of Possible AIDS Vaccine": Wall Street Journal (11/21/90), P. B6; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) yesterday approved the sixth experimental AIDS vaccine for U.S. tests--a genetically engineered piece of gp160 envelope glycoprotein designed to trigger an immune reponse to HIV. The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. affiliate of Immuno
"AIDSFRONT: Media Attacks on AIDS Researchers": Advocate (11/20/90) No. 564, P. 30; Delaney, Martin; If the country s top AIDS researchers are continually subjected to a barrage of media attacks on their character and integrity, Congress may decide to ignore pleas for more AIDS research funding and bright young people needed to conduct research will be discouraged from entering the field, writes Martin Delaney of Pro
"The Age of AIDS: Stick Shift": Village Voice (11/20/90) Vol. 35, No. 47, P. 16; Szalavitz, Maia; ACT UP and the National AIDS Brigade have been illegally giving clean needles and HIV prevention kits to IV drug users in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, New York, since February. Originally, activists gave out 100 needles per week and got few back, but now they hand out about 2,000 sets of works weekly and get
"Symposium on Clinical Care of the AIDS Patient to Be Hosted by UC San" Francisco: Business Wire (11/20/90); San Francisco--The University of California San Francisco will host a two-day conference for practicing physicians Dec. 10-11 on the clinical care of AIDS patients. The conference will focus on practical issues in managing care for HIV patients in all stages including transmission, prevention, pathophysiology, and tr
"NBC Pulls AIDS-Themed 'Lifestories'": Los Angeles Times (11/20/90), P. F3; Weinstein, Steve; NBC executives have pulled an episode of the prime-time medical drama Lifestories that centers around a gay television news reporter who tests positive for HIV and watches his lover die of AIDS. Jeffrey Lewis, the series creator, said he is upset and terribly disappointed by the decision, which network executive
"Nation in Brief: AIDS Receives 10 Percent of Health Funding": Los Angeles Times (11/20/90), P. A22; The National Institutes of Health should not spend much more than the tenth of its budget it currently spends on AIDS, Anthony Fauci, head of the government s AIDS research, said. Spending any more than current levels would encroach on cancer research and other programs, he said. In fiscal 1988, the government spent
"Glenolden Man with AIDS Sues Hospital, Three Doctors": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/20/90), P. 3B; Goldman, Henry; A Glenolden, Pa., man filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court against three doctors, Episcopal Hospital, and the American Red Cross. The suit charges that the hospital and doctors failed to notify John McKnight that he had received HIV-contaminated blood plasma during a coronary bypass operation in July 1984. Mc
"Pa. Lawmakers Pass AIDS-Confidentiality Bill": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/20/90), P. 3B; Zausner, Robert, et al.; The Pennsylvania House and Senate yesterday passed a bill that guarantees confidentiality to persons getting tested for HIV. Proponents of the measure said it was meant to encourage people to come forward for testing and early intervention. The legislation mandates pre- and post-test counselling, referral services,
"Medical Necessity and Marijuana Use": Washington Post (Health) (11/20/90), P. 9; Hughes, Sallie, and Van Natta, Don Jr.; An underground network of AIDS patients across America are smoking marijuana to help suppress nausea and encourage weight gain. The case of Kenny and Barbara Jenks--a young HIV-infected couple who argued in Florida court that they should be cleared of possession and cultivation charges because of medical necessity--h
"Finally, a New Chief for the FDA": Washington Post (Health) (11/20/90), P. 11; Thompson, Larry; Dr. David A. Kessler will not be sworn in as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) until later this month, but he has already begun to tackle several major problems that plague the agency. Kessler, medical director of a teaching hospital in the Bronx, must restore pu
"Import Curbs Said to Stall Research on Abortion Pill": Wall Street Journal (11/20/90), P. A11; Noah, Timothy; Two U.S. scientists have charged that Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) import restrictions on RU-486, the French abortion pill, are impeding research into the drug s efficacy in treating diseases from breast cancer to AIDS. The FDA testified at a confessional hearing that the impor
"Virus on the Run": U.S. News + World Report (11/19/90) Vol. 109, No. 20, P. 65; Findlay, Steven; Researchers at a meeting of leading experts last month declared that a vaccine against HIV is not only possible, but may be ready for widescale human testing in three to five years. Of 30 different candidate vaccines, researchers are testing five on people in the United States and ano
"Georgia: 'AIDS' Patient to Challenge Decision Denying Him Insurance": New York Native (11/19/90) No. 396, P. 18; Richard Owens employer, Storehouse Inc. of Atlanta, cut back his insurance after he got AIDS. His company insurance plan refused to pay for an HIV-related pancreas operation in October, so he could not undergo the procedure. Owens went to court to ask for a restraining order to force Storehouse to restore his medic
"U.N. Report: AIDS Explosion Likely in Asia": Associated Press (11/19/90); Bangkok, Thailand--Poor genital health among women, malnutrition, hepatitis, intestinal parasites, and low immunity levels, all the factors that have made AIDS epidemic in Africa, are present in Asia, a United Nations report said Monday. The region can expect a dramatic increase of AIDS cases in Asia and the Pacific
"Report: City Hospitals Faltering": United Press International (11/19/90); New York--The United Hospital Fund, a watchdog group, blamed New York City hospitals overwhelming staff shortages and strained services on poor planning and management and said ambulatory care at city-run hospitals is lacking. In a report issued Monday, the group singled out AIDS care at many hospitals for criticism
"Trial Ordered in Landmark AIDS-Prostitution Case": United Press International (11/19/90); Harris, Michael D.; Los Angeles--A Municipal Court judge ordered Demitri Santangelo of Hollywood, Calif., a male prostitute charged with engaging in prostitution while knowingly carrying HIV, to stand trial after reinstating the felony charge against him Friday. The case against Santangelo is the first prosecution in Los Angeles County
"Business Law: Firms Confront Legal Risks of AIDS Coverage": Washington Post (Washington Business) (11/19/90), P. 36; Moskowitz, Daniel B.; Employers should be aware of the legal risks they run by placing a benefits exclusion or ceiling for AIDS on insurance benefits, write lawyers David Israel and Debra Scott in the latest issue of HR Magazine, the publication of the Society for Human Resource Management. Israel and
"AIDS Patient in Bronx Dies After Methadone Overdose": New York Times (11/18/90), P. 42; A 37-year-old IV drug user who had AIDS died at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York, last month, 12 hours after a per-diem nurse administered an overdose of methadone. The woman, who was undergoing methadone treatment in Lincoln s AIDS ward at the time of her death, was one of four patients who received an overdo
"A Continent's Agony: Nigeria Is Spared the Worst of AIDS. But for How" Long? the Experts Ask.: New York Times (11/18/90), P. 10; Noble, Kenneth B.; Scientists and social workers say that denial and a dangerous complacency have encouraged a false sense of security among Nigerians as AIDS creeps into the population. Nigeria has had a mysteriously low rate of HIV infection, which scientists attribute to an unusual insularity fostered by a language barrier and virtu
"Asymptomatic Disseminated Pneumocystis Carinii Infection Detected by" Ophthalmoscopy: Lancet (11/17/90) Vol. 336, No. 8725, P. 1256; Friedberg, Dorothy N., et al.; Choroidal lesions are a powerful diagnostic indication of the presence of disseminated Pneumocystis carinii infection, which may be on the rise among AIDS patients on aerosol pentamidine prophylaxis, write Dorothy Friedberg and colleagues of New York University and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centers. They present
"American Survey: Doing What Comes Naturally": Economist (11/17/90) Vol. 317, No. 7681, P. 29; In a report on a 1988 survey, the Alan Guttmacher Institute reported that 53 percent of teenage girls said they were sexually active. Sixty percent said they had two or more sex partners--almost 10 percent said they had done so within the prior three months. About 80 percent of teen boys claimed to have had sex befo
"Malaria Drugs May Boost Viral Virility": Science News (11/17/90) Vol. 138, No. 20, P. 311; Weiss, R.; Five of the most common antimalarial drugs may enhance replication of HIV and other viruses, portending ill for millions of Africans who live where AIDS and Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing protozoan, are endemic, Radha K. Maheshwari and colleagues of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
"Cuomo's Plan Draws Praise, Fire": United Press International (11/17/90); Porcari, Charles F.; Albany, N.Y.--AIDS activists were outraged by New York Gov. Mario Cuomo s plan to cut spending and reduce services to reduce the state s budget deficit. David Hansell of the Gay Men s Health Crisis (GMHC) said Cuomo s plan, which would cut or freeze aids to schools, hospitals, and local governments, would mask a seve
"Orphan Drug Compromise Bush-Whacked": Science (11/16/90) Vol. 250, No. 4983, P. 905; Gibbons, Ann; When President Bush pocket vetoed the amendments to the Orphan Drug Act, he effectively squashed a compromise among biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, and consumer groups that was three years in the making. Congress had unanimously approved the compromise bill, H.R. 4638, which had satisfied
"As Many As 100,000 South Africans May Be HIV Positive, Study Says": Associated Press (11/16/90); Johannesburg, South Africa--A Johannesburg Health Department survey of blood samples from family clinics, hospitals, and other sources has found that as many as 100,000 South Africans may have HIV. Dr. Clive Evians said the survey estimated that the number of people exposed to HIV doubles every nine months and called
"WHO Conducting [Tests of] Potential AIDS Vaccines in Humans": United Press International (11/16/90); Geneva--The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that small-scale safety testing of potential AIDS vaccines has begun in industrialized countries. If the vaccines are safe and induce an immune response against HIV, WHO said, large-scale testing will begin to attempt to prevent
"On Stage, and Off: Cooking with 'Lettice'": New York Times (11/16/90), P. C2; Witchel, Alex; The company of the Broadway play Lettice and Lovage will raise money for Equity Fights AIDS Week, which starts Monday, by selling a cookbook entitled Hedgehogs, Puffins, and Coneys. The book takes its name from one of Lettice Douffet s tour-guide speeches in the play. The book costs $10 and contains Maggie Smith
"U.S. Denies Any Delay in Announcing Treatment for AIDS Patients": New York Times (11/16/90), P. A24; Kolata, Gina; The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) yesterday released an elaborate chronology of the events that led to the announcement of the efficacy of steroids in treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. NIAID made the chronology public in response to criticism from activists and doctors that the
"CDC: AIDS Risk from Medical Waste Small, But Urges Better Management": Associated Press (11/15/90); Rice, Marc; Atlanta--The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that the risk of contracting HIV from medical waste is relatively low. The CDC based its findings on a study presented to Congress earlier this fall by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. However, the CDC recommended that hospitals attem
"Risk from Tainted Transfusion High; Low for Health Care Workers": Associated Press (11/15/90); Hostetler, A.J.; Philadelphia--Two studies that compared the HIV risk from contaminated blood transfusions to that from a needle puncture found a low risk to health-care workers exposed through cuts in skin and a very high risk to those who received tainted transfusions. Nine of 10 people who receive tainted transfusions will contrac
"Incidence of TB in City Greatly Increases": United Press International (11/15/90); New York--New York City is experiencing a pronounced increase in tuberculosis (TB) infections after two decades of decline, city Health Commissioner Woodrow Myers, Jr., said Thursday. Those at greatest risk for TB include HIV-positive people, IV drug users, others with weakened immune systems, and people with poor nu
"Woman Exposed to AIDS Risk": Los Angeles Times (11/15/90), P. A3; Granberry, Michael; A woman treated for job-related back pain at Mercy Hospital in San Diego was exposed to HIV when a health-care worker treated her with a syringe that had been used on an AIDS patient, medical officials said Wednesday. Centers for Disease Control officials confirmed that the event took place Sept. 25 and that an inves
"National Medals Are Pinned on 30 Scientists": Washington Post (11/15/90), P. A23; President Bush awarded the National Medal of Science and the National medal of Techology to 30 scientists, engineers, and mathematicians this week, singling out researchers Baruj Benacerraf, head of the Dana-Farber Institute in Boston, and E. Donnall Thomas, clinical director emeritus of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Res
"Depression Hidden in Deadly Disease": New York Times (11/15/90), P. B17; Shuchman, Miriam; Researchers say doctors often cannot distinguish symptoms of suicidal depression from symptoms of deadly or debilitating diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer s, or AIDS. Doctors often disregard or do not recognize symptoms of depression because they think it is understandable in terminal patients and therefore not wort
"Man Acquitted of AIDS Assault Is Sentenced on Related Offenses": Washington Post (11/15/90), P. B6; Weil, Martin; D.C. Superior Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina yesterday sentenced Michael A. Feaster, believed to be the first person in the country tried for assault with a dangerous weapon for having sex while knowingly carrying HIV, to 98 to 295 years in prison for 26 counts of sodomy and related charges. Feaster was previously acq
"Bishops Approve Sex Education Guidelines": Washington Post (11/15/90), P. A20; Richardson, Lynda; On the third day of a four-day fall conference, the nation s Roman Catholic bishops yesterday approved for the first time comprehensive guidelines on teaching sex education in schools and parishes. The guidelines address such controversial issues as AIDS, homosexuality, and birth control. The 185-page document, enti
"Advertising: Burroughs Wellcome Co. Criticized for AIDS Effort": New York Times (11/15/90), P. D19; Foltz, Kim; AIDS activists have lambasted a national public service campaign Burroughs Wellcome ostensibly designed to encourage people to get tested for HIV. Some health organizations and AIDS advocates say the ads may help save lives, while others say they are a thinly veiled attempt to plug Wellcome s drug,
"Foot-Dragging on AIDS Therapy Denied": Washington Post (11/15/90), P. A3; Gladwell, Malcolm; National Institute of Health (NIH) officials angrily denied a front-page report in yesterday s New York Times that the agency waited five months before notifying doctors of the efficacy of steroids in treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). AIDS researchers said the account, which said the scientists involved
"HIV Infection, Pregnant Women, and Newborns: A Policy Proposal for" Information and Testing: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/14/90) Vol. 264, No. 18, P. 2416; The Working Group on HIV Testing of Pregnant Women and Newborns proposes a policy of informing all pregnant women and new mothers about the HIV epidemic and the availability of testing. Mandatory screening is not justified, the group writes, nor is implementation of counseling or testing policies that interfere with
"HIV Infection, Pregnant Women, and Newborns": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/14/90) Vol. 264, No. 18, P. 2416; Working Group on HIV Testing of Pregnant Women and Newborns; The Working Group on HIV Testing of Pregnant Women and Newborns proposes a policy of informing all pregnant women and new mothers about the HIV epidemic and testing and voluntary screening. Mandatory screening is not justified, the group writes, based on public health criteria or other grounds, nor is implementation
"Surrogate Markers of Disease Studied as Means of Determining AIDS Drugs'" Effectiveness: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/14/90) Vol. 264, No. 18, P. 2362; Cotton, Paul; If surrogate markers are adequate predictors of HIV disease progression, then data from trials of ddC and ddI may be sufficient to result in the drugs approval for marketing. However, if surrogate endpoints lose the battle against clinical markers (such a
"Japanese Company Says It Develops Better AIDS Detection Method": Reuter (11/14/90); Tokyo--Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. announced Wednesday that it had developed a more effective method of detecting HIV in human blood using laser technology. The method uses lasers to detect a compound of magnetic particles and synthetic antibodies that have attached themselves to HIV. Magnets draw the parti
"Mayors Join in Plea for More Federal Cooperation With Cities": New York Times (11/14/90), P. B4; Lee, Felicia R.; As the mayors of 35 U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or more ended an urban summit in Manhattan yesterday, they urged the federal government to do more to help them cope with AIDS and other urban problems. The mayors issued a position paper called in the National Interest calling for tax incentives for inve
"Spotlight Fades on AIDS in Town, But the Disease and Stigma Remain": New York Times (11/14/90), P. A16; Rimer, Sara; National attention has shifted from Belle Glade, Fla., once called the AIDS Capital of the World, five years after researchers discovered the town s AIDS rate was comparable to New York s and San Francisco s. AIDS hysteria swept through this poor, isolated town, a center for migrant workers who cut sugar cane and wor
"News of AIDS Therapy Gain Delayed 5 Months by Agency": New York Times (11/14/90), P. A1; Kolata, Gina; An expert panel of AIDS specialists and statisticians convened by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to assess the effect of steroids in the treatment of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients concluded that the hormones cut the PCP death rate in half, yet the NIAID delaye
"Unions Say Workers Must Be Protected from AIDS": United Press International (11/13/90); Milwaukee--At an AFL-CIO conference on Occupational Safety and Health Monday, speakers said unions must deal with the issue of AIDS in the workplace. Janeice Fogg, an AIDS expert with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, said possible HIV exposure of workers and the rights of those who c
"Blood Supply in Many Poorer Nations Unsafe, Experts Say": Los Angeles Times (11/13/90), P. A3; Roark, Anne C.; The sophisticated screening techniques that make the blood supplies of the United States , Canada , Japan , Australia and most of Western Europe extremely safe are largely unav
"HIV-Infected Doctors Being Retrained in Related Fields": Los Angeles Times (11/13/90), P. A5; Cimons, Marlene; Professor Alvin Novick of Yale University has been instrumental in starting a program to counsel and retrain HIV-infected physicians and other health-care workers for other professions. Novick, a biology professor, received calls from people who felt stripped of their productivity because of HIV-related discriminatio
"Blue Cross Agrees to Fund Breast Cancer Experiment": Washington Post (11/13/90), P. A1; Suplee, Curt; Blue Cross Blue Shield announced that about one-fifth of its member plans have agreed to underwrite bone-marrow transplantation as an experimental treatment for breast cancer. The decision reverses a long-standing policy against covering expensive experimental treatments, and will probably provoke patient demands for
"Syphilis Fools a New Generation": New York Times (11/13/90), P. C3; Altman, Lawrence K.; A resurgence of syphilis, its strongest comeback in 40 years, is fooling a generation of specialists who have rarely seen a case, causing doctors to misdiagnose syphilitic sores as anything from cancers to hemorrhoids. Public health officials are deeply concerned about the increase because of the links between syphil
"Notebook: AIDS Funding Spurs Competition": Scientist (11/12/90) Vol. 4, No. 22, P. 4; The health research community had a hard time presenting a united front to Congress during the deficit reduction talks last month. Advocates for the $875 million AIDS emergency relief bill ran into fierce opposition from other research organizations when Senate sponsors attempted to garner more money for AIDS relief
"Activists Prod Researchers for More Effective Treatments": Associated Press (11/12/90); Mesce, Deborah; Washington--At a meeting of AIDS researchers Monday, AIDS activists gave scientists 18 months in which to find treatments for the five opportunistic infections that most commonly kill AIDS patients. Members of ACT UP released a detailed research plan that said potential therapies still have not been studied and offer
"Cetus Gains Allowance of Patent for Detection of AIDS": Business Wire (11/12/90); Emeryville, Calif.--The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Cetus Corp. a broad patent for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect HIV, Cetus officials announced Monday. The approved patent application covers a method for detcting or monitoring the nucleic acid sequence of HIV using DNA amplific
"AIDS: Women and Children First?": Futurist (11-12/90) Vol. 24, No. 6, P. 5; A United Nations Development Program (UNDP) study predicts that the number of HIV-infected women will overtake the number of infected men by the mid-1990s. The number of afflicted women is already larger than the number of affected men in sub-Saharan Africa. Men are at more risk of HIV infection through IV drug use,
"Practice of Medicine Is Changing Under Specter of the AIDS Virus": New York Times (11/11/90), P. 1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; The AIDS epidemic has irrevocably changed the medical profession, affecting the sheer amount of protective gear a surgeon dons before an operation and the delay a patient may face because of doctors fears, and causing unspoken personal risk anxiety in health-care workers. Public health experts worry that unexpressed
"HIV and Travel, No Rationale for Restrictions": Lancet (11/10/90) Vol. 336, No. 8724, P. 1197; Flahault, Antoine, and Valleron, Alain-Jacques; Control of the HIV epidemic in a country should focus on HIV prevention among residents rather than HIV-related travel restrictions, which have been statistically shown to have a minimal effect on HIV control, write Antoine Flahault and Alain-Jacques Valleron of the University of Paris VII,
"Re-use of 'HIV-Check' in Developing Countries": Lancet (11/10/90) Vol. 336, No. 8724, P. 1198; Svendsen, Jesper, et al.; Simple HIV-screening equipment should be available in every blood transfusion center in Africa to stem the spread of AIDS in rural as well as urban areas, write Jesper Svendsen and colleagues of Rigshospital in Copenhagen, Denmark ,
"Construction Projects and Spread of HIV": Lancet (11/10/90) Vol. 336, No. 8724, P. 1198; Ponnighaus, J.M., and Oxborrow, S.M.; Construction projects in rural areas of Africa may contribute to the spread of HIV infections, write J.M. Ponnighaus and S.M. Oxborrow of Chilumba, Malawi . The large numbers of young men associated with construction companies attract prostitutes, resulting in spread of HIV in the
"Thailand: Cops and Rubbers": Economist (11/10/90) Vol. 317, No. 7680, P. 40; Mechai Viravaidya s populist attempts to convince Thais to use birth control have been so successful that mechai is synonymous with condom in Thailand . His credo is if people laugh, they re more likely to be on your side and his major concerns are AIDS and rural poverty. Hi
"China Says AIDS Is Nature's Punishment, Condoms Ineffective": Reuter (11/10/90); Beijing--The New China News Agency Saturday quoted Chinese health officials at a Sino-American symposium who said promiscuity and drug addiction were the main causes of AIDS. Only health lifestyles, not condoms, would stop spread of HIV, according to the officials, who said it is i
"Immigration Bill Saves AIDS Meeting": Science (11/09/90) Vol. 250, No. 4982, P. 749; Palca, Joseph; A set of amendments to the new Immigration and Nationality Act has saved the 1992 International AIDS Conference, which the Harvard AIDS Institute had threatened to cancel unless Congress changed an immigration policy restricting entry of HIV-infected foreigners. In the hectic hours before it adjourned, Congress appro
"Meet Me in St. Louis--With Data: New HIV Infection Mechanism?": Science (11/09/90) Vol. 250, No. 4982, P. 758; Barinaga, Marcia; Although neuroscientists know HIV infects brain tissues, they do not understand how the virus affects neurons, which do not have CD4 receptors--the viral binding site on T cells and macrophages. Researchers have postulated that HIV infects brain tissues indirectly, by infecting microglial cells, which do have CD4 rec
"Bush Vetoes Orphan Drug Legislation": Associated Press (11/09/90); Beamish, Rita; Washington--President Bush Friday announced that he would exercise a pocket veto against the proposed amendments to the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 because he had serious concerns that the measure would remove incentives for companies to develop drugs for rare diseases. The legislation was drafted to restrict the exclu
"Who CDC Says Should Get Flu Vaccine": Associated Press (11/09/90); Chicago--The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends the flu vaccine for HIV/AIDS patients and others with compromised immunity. In addition, all people over age 65, anyone with chronic heart or lung problems, nursing home residents, and others, should also be vaccinated against flu, the CDC said. Heal
"Vito Russo, 44; A Historian of Film and a Gay Advocate": New York Times (11/09/90), P. B7; Holden, Stephen; Vito Russo, AIDS rights advocate and film critic, died Wednesday of AIDS at the age of 44 at New York University Medical Center in Manhattan. Russo, also a film historian, authored The Celluloid Closet, a reference on the depiction of homosexuality in film. Russo s articles on flim appeared in many publications an
"AIDS Program Hit for Excluding HealthPass": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/09/90), P. 2B; Roche, Walter F. Jr.; Members of the Delaware Valley Hospital Council, a state advisory board, alleged yesterday that the Pennsylvania Public Welfare Department was unfairly excluding recipients of HealthPass--a prepaid health program for 82,000 low-income residents of South and West Philadelphia--from a special program for AIDS patients s
"AIDS Claims to Go to Court": Financial Times (11/09/90), P. 10; Great Britain s prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, announced that the compensation claims of hundreds of hemophiliacs infected with HIV by contaminated blood products would have to be settled in court, setting back hopes that the growing dispute would be settled through an agreement with the patients lawyers. More t
"Methadone Price Rises, Forcing Cut in Aid to Addicts": Baltimore Sun (11/09/90), P. B1; A marked increase in heroin use and a corresponding increase in IV drug users with HIV infections or AIDS has public health experts alarmed that Maryland officials will not be able to expand methadone treatment programs because of the drug s skyrocketing price. County health departments pass the cost of methadone in
"Bush Is Expected to Veto Revised Orphan Drug Legislation": Washington Post (11/09/90), P. A28; Gladwell, Malcom; President Bush is almost certain to veto a bill Congress passed last month that would amend the Orphan Drug Act to close loopholes in the law that allowed price gouging when the market for a drug grew larger than originally predicted, as with the AIDS drug pentamidine, White House sources said yesterday. If Bush does
"Sounding Board: Design Considerations for AIDS Trials": New England Journal of Medicine (11/08/90) Vol. 323, No. 19, P. 1343; Byar, David P., et al.; A group of statisticians involved in AIDS trials has considered issues raised by the epidemic and drawn up valid scientific approaches to accelerate evaluation of new treatments while meeting patient needs, report David P. Byar and colleagues. Recommendations include broad eligibility requirements, streamlined data s
"Occupational Exposure to HIV Among House Staff": New England Journal of Medicine (11/08/90) Vol. 323, No. 19, P. 1356; Hauptman, Paul J., and Feinberg, Mark B.; A poll of chief medical residents at 13 Boston-area hospitals with training programs in internal medicine on issues concerning HIV exposure found widespread uncertainty and little if any medical and disability insurance coverage available to house staff, report Paul J. Hauptman and Mark B. Feinberg of Brigham and Wome
"Sounding Board: You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks--How AIDS Trials Are" Pioneering New Strategies: New England Journal of Medicine (11/08/90) Vol. 323, No. 19, P. 1341; Merigan, Thomas C.; Patients, activists, researchers, and community advocates have changed the way the government conducts AIDS clinical trials so that patients in the control group receive the most up-to-date care, writes Thomas C. Merigan of the Center for AIDS Research, Stanford University. Protocols now ensure that all arms of a cli
"Screening of Selected Male Blood Donors for p24 Antigen of Human" Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1: New England Journal of Medicine (11/08/90) Vol. 323, No. 19, P. 1308; Busch, Michael P., et al.; The p24 antigen test, often used to monitor the course of HIV infection among patients, is no more effective than the HIV antibody test in detecting HIV-positive blood samples, report Michael Busch and colleagues of the Irwin Memorial Blood Center, San Francisco. The researchers write that they therefore do not recom
"The Liposome Company Starts TLC G-65 Phase II Clinical Trials in AIDS" Patients with MAI: PRNewswire (11/08/90); Princeton, N.J.--The Liposome Co. announced yesterday that Phase II clinical trials have begun for TLC G-65, a treatment of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI) in AIDS patients that is made of an aminoglycoside antibiotic encased in liposomes. There are currently no drugs appro
"Sexual Activity of U.S. Teenage Girls Rose in 1980s": Washington Post (11/08/90), P. A1; Booth, William; In the 1980s, more teenage girls in the United States had sex and at an earlier age, across all socio-economic backgrounds, despite public health messages about the risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, a new analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth has shown.
"AIDS Drug Trials May Be Revamped": New York Times (11/08/90), P. A24; Kolata, Gina; A group of 22 of the world s leading statisticians who worked closely with AIDS advocates has released a document that calls for major changes in the way potential AIDS drugs are tested. The proposal recommends that once drugs are deemed promising in small clinical trials, they should then be tested in large, simple
"Books: Infectious Diseases": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/07/90) Vol. 264, No. 17, P. 2296; Smilack, Jerry D.; To compare Infectious Diseases: A Modern Treatise on Infectious Processes, by Paul D. Hoeprich and M. Colin Jordan , to Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (PPID), edited by Gerald L. Mandell et al., is like comparing a
"Medical News + Perspectives--Target: Sexually Transmitted Diseases": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/07/90) Vol. 264, No. 17, P. 2179; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has devised several pilot intervention programs for preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Designed by Kevin O Rielly of the CDC Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the projects try to get people to think about their choice of partners, using condoms, per
"Red Cross Taking Heat for Handling of Disasters, Blood Supply": Associated Press (11/07/90); Nelson, W. Dale; Washington--Elizabeth Dole will take on the presidency of the American Red Cross in January, in the wake of widespread criticism of the agency s handling of AIDS-related blood procedures and its response to the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Red Cross announced in August that it would substitute localized management for
"Bravo Presents 'Unfinished Stories II: Artists and AIDS' to Benefit AmFAR" and Broadway Cares; to Air on Dec. 1 (World AIDS Day) and Dec. 2: PRNewswire (11/07/90); Woodbury, N.Y.--On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, Bravo, cable television s cultural network, will air Unfinished Stories II: Artists and AIDS, a telethon to benefit AIDS research and care organizations. The telethon will include a 60-second public service message called A Moment Without Television, which is part of a
"Alternative AIDS Blood Test Is No Better, Studies Conclude": Reuter (11/07/90); Boston--Tests to detect p24 antigen, actual traces of HIV in the blood, are no better than conventional serological tests for screening blood for HIV, write Michael Busch and colleagues of the University of California at San Francisco in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers were looking for an alternative
"AIDS Victim's Sentence for Biting Officer Upheld": United Press International (11/07/90); Atlanta--The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that Gregory Scroggins, who had HIV, attempted to kill a police officer by biting him. The Appeals Court rejected unanimously the defense attorney s claim that the verdict should be thrown out because there is no e
"From the National Institutes of Health: High Probability of Lymphoma" Found After Long-term, Anti-HIV Therapy: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/07/90) Vol. 264, No. 17, P. 2191; Patients with AIDS on zidovudine who survive for long periods with profound immunosuppression and low T4 cell counts have a relatively high probability of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma, report researchers from the National Cancer Institute. Of 55 patients on long-term zidovudine therapy, 14.5 percent developed lymp
"California: Unlabeled AIDS Blood Stolen from Researcher": Baltimore Sun (11/07/90), P. 3A; An Oakland, Calif., burglar unwittingly stole a cooler containing nine vials of HIV-infected blood from a researcher s car, police say. The researcher does some of her work at home and had the blood in her car Sunday while she visited friends in east Oakland, said Police Sgt. Joe Sweeney. The thief should be alarme
"AIDS Children Get a Little Time as Just Children": New York Times (11/07/90), P. B11; Martin, Douglas; Children with AIDS get a little to time to play out of the company of doctors at parties sponsored by New York s Children s Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by 26-year-old Steven Fisch. On Nov. 4, Children s Hope sponsored a Halloween Party for more than 200 children with AIDS or HIV and their brothe
"Judge Rules Hudson's Insurer Needn't Cover Award to His Lover": Wall Street Journal (11/07/90), P. B8; U.S. District Judge A. Wallace Tashima has ruled that Aetna Casualty + Surety Co. does not have to cover a $5 million award to Marc Christian, lover of the late actor Rock Hudson, or pay for the estate s appeal. In February 1989, a jury awarded Christian $14.5 million for emotional distress suffered when he learned f
"New York Police Make an Arrest in ACT UP Fire Case": Advocate (11/06/90) No. 563, P. 17; Bull, Chris; On Oct. 5, New York City police arrested Carlos Alicia, 20, and charged him with arson and robbery in the Sept. 21 fire that destroyed ACT UP s archives and caused $100,000 worth of damage. Alicia, who had been arrested twice before on arson charges and was wanted by police for failing to meet bail conditions, was a
"Charity Moving Shelter for AIDS Patients to Pittsburgh": United Press International (11/06/90); West View, Pa.--After several months of disputes with local officials, Godspeed House, a shelter for AIDS patients, is moving to Pittsburgh. Shelter director Kathleen Coyne told the West View Planning Commission, which had argued that the charity s operation of a home for AIDS patients violated zoning laws, that Gods
"The Battle Against AIDS Intensifies for Women": Advocate (11/06/90) No. 563, P. 42; Crane, Tricia; Women in heterosexual relationships who do not know that their partners sleep with men or use IV drugs are dangerously uninformed and resistant to organization, health-care workers say. Others say everyone should have foreseen the epidemic in women because of statistics from Africa, but people were blinded because th
"The Age of AIDS: Oral Minority": Village Voice (11/06/90) Vol. 35, No. 45, P. 18; Massa, Robert; News of a recent study sent a chill through the gay community: University of California researchers found that 17 percent of 82 HIV-positive men reported no high-risk behavior other than oral sex. The alarm that ran through the gay community in conjunction with the new study failed to account for degrees of risk. Of
"Book World: Turf Battles in the AIDS War": Washington Post (11/06/90), P. E3; Gladwell, Malcolm; In Good Intentions, Bruce Nussbaum starts where Randy Shilts And the Band Played On left off, with the AIDS crisis in the middle and late 1980s, writes Malcolm Gladwell in the Washington Post. In a compelling and dramatic manner, Nussbaum chronicles the AIDS activist revolt that changed the way drugs are tested a
"30 Big-City Mayors to Hold N.Y. Summit": Washington Post (11/06/90), P. A8; Specter, Michael; More than 30 U.S. mayors will meet in New York City next week to forge a united front against the urban epidemics of AIDS, drug abuse, and homelessness, New York Mayor David N. Dinkins said yesterday. Next Monday and Tuesday, the mayors of Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, and other cities wi
"AIDS-Era Plastic Surgery: Autotransfusion Critical": Business Wire (11/05/90); Newport Beach, Calif.--Surgeons strongly recommend autologous blood transfusions--in which a patient s blood is harvested several weeks before surgery--for liposuction, hysterectomy, and other surgical procedures involving considerable potential blood loss, Dr. Mark Mandel said at the Lipoplasty Society of North Ameri
"Italian Politicians Arrested in Needle Protest": United Press International (11/05/90); Jacobson, Dan; New York--Police arrested two Italian politicians, who had joined a protest group of European and local AIDS activists, when they tried to enter City Hall Monday with bags of hypodermic needles for Mayor David Dinkins. The activists were protesting city policies that ban distribution of clean needles to IV drug users
"Doctors Want Legislature to Again Consider HIV Testing": United Press International (11/05/90); Indianapolis--Members of the Indiana State Medical Association have asked the 1991 state legislature to reconsider a program for broader HIV testing and contact tracing. A measure approved by the state Senate earlier this year that never made it to the House would have allowed physicians to conduct HIV tests without
"Books: Inside the AIDS War": Business Week (11/05/90) No. 3186, P. 18; In Good Intentions: How Big Business and the Medical Establishment Are Corrupting the Fight Against AIDS, Bruce Nussbaum, a Business Week senior writer, charges that the hunt for AIDS drugs has been driven more by pursuit of money and fame than concern for AIDS sufferers. Nussbaum aims his attack mainly at National
"U.S. Insurers Spent $1 Bil on AIDS Claims in 1989": Investor's Daily (11/05/90), P. 12; A survey by the American Council of Life Insurance, a trade group, has found that U.S. life and health insurance companies paid an estimated $1 billion in AIDS-related claims in 1989 and have spent $2.38 billion on such claims since 1986. The estimates were based on responses from 301 insurance companies. In 1989, A
"New Condom for Women Nears Market": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/05/90), P. 3A; Detjen, Jim; More than 10,000 tests of a disposable condom for women have shown that the synthetic rubber condom produces no adverse reactions in humans and is better at preventing semen from reaching the vagina than male condoms, Maryanne Leeper of Wisconsin Pharmacal in Jackson, Wis., told the 75th annual meeting of the American
"D.C. Department Weighs AIDS Patient's Complaint": Washington Post (11/05/90), P. D1; Gaines-Carter, Patrice; Kevin Dickerson, 34, is still awaiting a verdict on an AIDS discrimination suit he filed with the District of Columbia Department of Human Rights more than a year ago. Dickerson charged that Theresa Waters, a worker with the D.C. Department of Human Services, held a piece of paper to her face and asked him to move aw
"The Inside Story of the AIDS Drug": Fortune (11/05/90) Vol. 122, No. 12, P. 112; O'Reilly, Brian; Burroughs Wellcome made no colossal ethical misjudgments or business mistakes in its handling of the AIDS drugs AZT , according to company officials, medical researchers, and AIDS activists. Analysts say the company s officials played by drug industry rules
"Book Mark: Surviving AIDS Can Happen, But Only with 'Positive Coping'" Skills: Los Angeles Times (11/04/90), P. M2; Callen, Michael; In his book, Surviving AIDS, Michael Callen writes about surviving with the disease for eight years and research on how others have stayed alive. Callen says AIDS taught him the preciousness on life and forced him to take responsibility for his own choices. A preliminary, largely descriptive study by George Solomo
"Police Losing Patience over Zurich's 'Needle Park'": Los Angeles Times (11/04/90), P. A5; New, Mitya; Police are losing patience over Zurich s Platzspitzpark, claiming the open drug market encourages drug abuse and is becoming overcrowded and increasingly dangerous. Proponents of Needle Park, the Zurich Intervention Pilot Project (ZIPP), say the 8,000 clean needles and 200 condoms distributed daily are the most eff
"Tuberculosis and AIDS: Partners in Crime": Economist (11/03/90) Vol. 317, No. 7679, P. 100; AIDS is generating an avalance of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and doctors from Zambia and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Doctors studying the AIDS-TB connection in Lusak
"HIV-Associated Haemophagocytic Syndrome": Lancet (11/03/90) Vol. 336, No. 8723, P. 1128; Lortholary, Alain, et al.; A case of HIV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome independent of any other infectious agent was seen in a 31-year-old HIV-infected man, report Alain Lortholary and colleagues of the Department of Internal Medicine, Hotel-Dieu, Nantes, France . Although virus-associated hemophagocyti
"STD in Children Could Signal Presence of HIV Infection": AIDS Alert (11/13/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 216; The presence of a sexually transmitted disease STD) in a child could indicate sexual child abuse and possible HIV infection, David Di John and colleagues of the New York University Medical Center in New York reported at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. Two children admitted to the Bellevue Hospital Center
"Epidemiology of Reported Cases of AIDS in Lesbians, United States 1980-89": American Journal of Public Health (11/13/90) Vol. 80, No. 11, P. 1380; Chu, Susan Y., et al.; National surveillance data for reported cases of AIDS among lesbians indicate that efforts to prevent HIV transmission must involve efforts to reduce IV drug use, the primary mode of transmission for this group, reports Susan Y. Chu and colleagues of the Centers for Disease Control. Differences in occurrence of Kapos
"Arson Hits Gay, AIDS Facility in Tennessee": Gay Community News (11/03-09/90) Vol. 18, No. 17, P. 2; Briggs, Laura; Local police are investigating a fire at the Metropolitan Community Church and AIDS Response in Knoxville, Tenn., as arson. The gay church and AIDS center received anonymous threatening phone calls for several months before the fire that included recitations of bible verse and warnings that the KKK would burn the bui
"Drug Abusers in Prison": Lancet (11/03/90) Vol. 336, No. 8723, P. 1124; The rise of drug abuse in prison and its particular health problems, such as AIDS and suicide, are the topic of a World Health Organization regional publication, Drug Abusers in Prisons. The report looks at methods used to identify drug-abusing inmates entering prisons, prison health
"Anti-Gay U.S. Immigration Policy Nixed": Gay Community News (11/3-9/90) Vol. 18, No. 17, P. 1; Nealon, Chris; On Oct. 26, Congress passed the Family Unity and Employment Opportunity Act of 1990, which contained language that would allow the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department to remove people with HIV and AIDS, as well as lesbians and gay men, from the list of U.S. immigration exclusions. Since the HIV restriction bec
"Global Health Care for HIV Disease": Lancet (11/03/90) Vol. 336, No. 8723, P. 1123; Emphasis on short-term solutions and differences in local funding mechanisms have resulted in regional inequalities in HIV funding in England, Scotland, and Wales, write the editors of the Lancet. The rapid progression of HIV has made clear anti-HIV strategies imperative and has necessitated the development of a long
"AZT Move Presents Problems": Globe and Mail (11/02/90), P. A5; Lalonde, Michelle; Under a new Canadian policy approving the commercial marketing of AZT , any doctor or pharmacy could order the drug from Burroughs Wellcome. Until provincial governments solve the question of payment, however, AIDS patients can only get the drug through cli
"ACT UP Holding Conference for Treatment Activists": Washington Blade (11/02/90) Vol. 21, No. 44, P. 25; Sullivan, Mark; ACT UP/D.C. and ACT UP/New York will sponsor a two-day conference on AIDS activist strategies for promoting research and drug development on Nov. 10 and 11 in Washington, D.C. The meeting will give activists from around the country a chance to share ideas and information. The forum will take place just before the fo
"World AIDS Total Nears 300,000": Associated Press (11/02/90); Geneva--The World Health Organization (WHO) reported Friday that the global total of AIDS cases has risen to 298,914, with more than half of the cases in the United States . Of the more than 10,000 new cases reported in October, WHO said 5,227 were in t
"Fulton Fund for Needy Is Drying Up": United Press International (11/02/90); Atlanta--Officials in Fulton County, Ga., say a $1.75 million emergency fund for the needy has dried up, largely because of the high number of AIDS patients seeking help. Officials say the program, which helps people in emergencies and those with disabilities that keep them from working, helped 107 patients with AIDS
"Patient Confidentiality Breached in Minor Lawsuit": United Press International (11/02/90); Clearwater, Fla.--The names of more than 350 people tested for AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases became public Thursday when a minor legal squabble between two medical laboratories resulted in the opening of their medical records. Although a Pinellas County, Fla., Circuit Court judge quickly ordered the re
"Craig Russell, 42; Did Impersonations of Female Film Stars": New York Times (11/02/90), P. A20; Craig Russell, once among the best-known female impersonators in North America, died Tuesday night of a stroke resulting from AIDS at Toronto Western Hospital. Russell, who was born in Toronto, delighted and shocked audiences with impersonations of Judy Garland, Mae West, and Peggy Lee. Russell, who was 42, won accl
"James M. Foster, 55, Gay Rights Advocate": New York Times (11/02/90), P. A20; James M. Foster, the first openly gay person to speak at a national political party gathering and a member of the San Francisco Health Commission, died of complications from AIDS Wednesday in San Francisco at age 55. Foster, a prominent advocate of gay rights for 25 years, spoke at the Democratic National Convention
"World Wire: Postscripts": Wall Street Journal (11/02/90), P. A10; Mathewson, William; As part of Mali s AIDS prevention campaign, the West African country will distribute 60,000 condoms to its 7,000 soldiers. Les Echos, Mali s independent weekly newspaper, joined the fight yesterday and glued a free condom to every copy.
"Novello Expects Equality in Testing": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/02/90), P. 3B; Copeland, Larry; Women will soon no longer be excluded from critical clinical studies on AIDS, cancer, heart disease, or any other important areas of research, U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello said yesterday. Novello said she was optimistic that National Institutes of Health researchers would ensure that females would be included
"U.S. Bankers Draft Plan to Finance Soviet AIDS Hospital": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/02/90), P. 1B; Swimmer, Jeff; A group of American bankers and consultants wants the Soviet Union to sell bonds to the public to finance the country s first AIDS hospital, a 300-bed facility planned for Moscow. The Soviet government faces a public relations battle, said New York financial consultant Jeffrey Sachs, the project coordinator, because
"HIV-1 Tropism for Mononuclear Phagocytes Can Be Determined by Regions of" gp120 Outside the CD4-Binding Domain: Nature (11/01/90) Vol. 348, No. 6296, P. 69; O'Brien, William A., et al.; Target cell interactions with a region of HIV gp120 upstream from the CD4-binding domain are necessary for efficient entry of virus into mononuclear phagocytes, write William O Brien and colleagues of the University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine. Cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system are the major
"AIDS Treatment: Romanian Drug Trial Halted": Nature (11/01/90) Vol. 348, No. 6296, P. 3; Aldhous, Peter; After a World Health Organization (WHO) team concluded that the experimental AIDS drug FLV 23/A has no likely therapeutic value, the Romanian Health Ministry stopped controversial trials in HIV-infected children and adults in Bucharest. The WHO team concluded that the drug s inves
"Screening HIV-Infected Recipients of Blood Transfusions for CMV Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (11/01/90) Vol. 323, No. 18, P. 1282; DiNubile, Mark J.; To prevent dual infection in HIV-positive patients, blood transfusions should be screened for cytomegalovirus infection and only CMV-negative cellular blood products should be used, writes Mark DiNubile of Copper Hospital/University Medical Center, N.J. CMV-negative blood products
"Judge Limits Award in Marine's AIDS Lawsuit": Associated Press (11/01/90); Boston--U.S. District Judge Rya Zobel has limited to $750,000 the amount Marine Chief Warrant Officer Martin Gaffney may collect in emotional damages from the Navy, which was convicted of negligence for giving Gaffney s wife an HIV-contaminated blood transfusion in 1981. Although Gaffney sued for $55 million, Judge Z
"Oregon Man Sues Red Cross for AIDS-Tainted Blood Transfusion": United Press International (11/01/90); Rarick, Ethan; Portland, Ore.--In a suit filed this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, an Oregon man charges the regional Red Cross with negligence for failing to screen donors for HIV. The man, who recieved a blood transfusion contaminated with HIV in March 1985, is seeking $5,000 in economic damages and an unspecified amount
"Judge Delivers Blow to ACT UP": United Press International (11/01/90); Goldberg, Barbara; New York--Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jo Ann Ferdinand ruled yesterday that six members of ACT UP could not claim that actions taken last year at a demonstration at St. Patrick s Cathedral were necessary to stop people from dying of AIDS. During the Dec. 10, 1989, protest against Cardinal John O Connor s anti-cond
"Budget Has Medicaid Aid for Holocaust Survivors, Other Hidden Items": Associated Press (11/01/90); Fram, Alan; Washington--The budget package recently passed by the House and Senate contains Medicaid breaks for Holocaust survivors and hidden money for AIDS in obscure provisions that have only come to light days after the deficit-reduction bill was approved. Language in the bill would provide $30 million to Medicare for two ce
"Business Bulletin: Bloodless Policy": Wall Street Journal (11/01/90), P. A1; CNA Insurance has traded its mandatory HIV blood tests for new HIV urine tests for life insurance policies of $100,000 to $250,000. If the urine test detects HIV, CNA may then draw blood.
"Old Disease Emerges as a Factor in AIDS Spread": New York Times (11/01/90), P. B12; Eckholm, Erik; Chancroid, a sexually-transmitted disease that causes small ulcers in women and festering sores in men, greatly facilitates the spread of HIV and is largely carried by prostitutes. The disease is little known in the United States but fairly common in Africa, where it has been a major
"Community and Mental Health": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (11/90) Vol. 5, No. 12, P. 2; Dilley, James W.; Dissolution of communities by urban development or social conflict can lead to HIV-related risk behaviors by creating feelings of rejection and isolation and challenging self-esteem and self-confidence, writes James Dilley, director of the UCSF AIDS Health Project. The psychological effects of being uprooted result i
"Studying AIDS in Hidden Populations": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research + Counseling (11/90) Vol. 5, No. 12, P. 3; Bowser, Benjamin P.; Ideally, AIDS prevention education would immediately reach high-risk groups and people would change behaviors; however, we live in a mass society fragmented by race, class, gender, sexual, and other divisions, writes Benjamin Bowser, director of the Multicultural Inquiry and Research on AIDS. Survey research represen
"Studying AIDS in Hidden Populations": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research + Counseling (11/90) Vol. 5, No. 12, P. 3; Bowser, Benjamin P.; Ideally, AIDS prevention education would immediately reach high-risk groups and people would change behaviors; however, we live in a mass society fragmented by race, class, gender, sexual, and other divisions, writes Benjamin Bowser, director of the Multicultural Inquiry and Research on AIDS. Survey research represen
"Pharmacy Education about HIV and Condoms": American Journal of Public Health (11/90) Vol. 80, No. 11, P. 1395; Cleary, Paul D., et al.; A pilot study of 14 independent and 10 chain pharmacies in the Boston area to evaluate pharmacists knowledge of specifics of HIV prevention and the use of condoms indicated that many probably fail to provide accurate information, if any, write Paul Cleary and colleagues of Harvard Medical School. Pharmacies are the
"Testing the Metals of AIDS": Discover (11/90) Vol. 11, No. 11, P. 14; Researchers Neil Graham and colleagues of Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health think that a change in mineral levels in the blood may be a better predictor of HIV progression than CD4 cell counts. The researchers noticed that in frozen blood samples taken from two groups of gay men in 1984, one group of
"Journal Review: Additional Evidence for Lack of Transmission of HIV" Infection by Close Interpersonal (Casual) Contact: AIDS Alert (11/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 218; A three-year study of more than 200 household contacts of 90 AIDS patients provided further proof that HIV cannot be casually transmitted, researchers from Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y., and the Centers for Disease Control reported in the journal AIDS. From 1984 to 1987, researchers evaluated more than
"Hospital Stays for HIV Infection Twice the National Average": AIDS Alert (11/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 217; Although the average length of a hospital stay for an HIV-infected patient in 1988 was 14.1 days, down from 17.1 days in 1985, the average length of an HIV-related stay is still twice the national average for hospitalized patients, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The latest estimates, released
"Two Needle-Providers Honored": Associated Press (10/31/90); Washington--The Drug Policy Foundation yesterday gave awards of $50,000 each to two leaders of programs that provide clean needles to IV drug users to prevent the spread of HIV. Jon Parker, founder of the National AIDS Brigade, and David Purchase, founder of the Tacoma, Wash., Needle Exchange, received the grants. T
"Strength in Numbers": Los Angeles Times (10/31/90), P. B3; Cal, Anita M.; SMASH--the Santa Monica Association of Street Hustlers--unofficially unites the un-unitable, male prostitutes, for discussions of safe sex, gay bashing, and safe shelter, says SMASH leader Josh Travis. Social service agencies such as Stop AIDS L.A., Children of the Night, and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center se
"AIDS Activist Discloses Illness": Philadelphia Inquirer (10/31/90), P. 4B; Kerry Stoner, director of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, has announced to his supporters that he has been diagnosed with AIDS. Stoner, currently hospitalized for pneumonia, released a letter Oct. 26 which states that he learned he carried HIV in 1985. The letter says he is recovering and has no plans to quit his jo
"Cole Porter--in Tune with the 1990s": Philadelphia Inquirer (10/31/90), P. F1; Moon, Tom; On the 100th anniversary of Cole Porter s birth, a group of contemporary artists has produced an unusual recording project of his songs to benefit AIDS research. Pop stars U2, Sinead O Connor, Neneh Cherry, and David Byrne render, reinterpret, and in some cases radically restructure 21 of Porter s songs for Red Hot
"Talking Points: Kessler Confirmed as Head of FDA": Washington Post (10/31/90), P. A17; After a quick midnight vote Saturday, the Senate confirmed David A. Kessler as head of the Food and Drug Administration. The new commissioner is medical director of the Jack D. Weiler Hospital at the Albert Einstein Medical College of New York. Although some administration officials thought the Senate would not have
"Study Finds Many Hispanic-Americans Are Ignorant About AIDS": New York Times (10/31/90), P. B2; Navarro, Mireya; A federally-funded study of 2,541 Hispanic-Americans has found that many lack basic information about how HIV is transmitted while others have misconceptions about the disease, reported Hortensia Amaro and colleagues of the Boston University School of Public Health. The poll, which interviewed subjects from specific
"Woman Charges Red Cross Gave Her AIDS-Tainted Blood": United Press International (10/30/90); Dabney, Michael; Philadelphia--A woman, Kathleen Roberts, has filed suit against the American Red Cross and a Chester County, Pa., hospital claiming she was given an HIV-tainted blood transfusion in 1988. Roberts also charged in the suit that she passed HIV to her two children during breastfeeding before she learned the blood was con
"Florida News Briefs": United Press International (10/30/90); Tampa, Fla.--The National Institute on Drug Abuse will grant $1.6 million to the University of South Florida (USF) as part of a program to train students and professionals in the psychoneuroimmunology of AIDS. The grant will cover a study involving 81 health science professionals and students in psychoneuroimmunology
"Report Forecasts Dire Shortage of Health Workers": United Press International (10/30/90); San Francisco--A report has found that San Francisco Bay Area hospitals will face a severe shortage of health care workers in the next five years. The Bay Area s health industry is already over-burdened by AIDS, crack cocaine, and an aging population, the report said. The Bay Area Council compiled the report, Pressu
"Court: Transfusion Recipient Can Question Donor": United Press International (10/30/90); Levinson, Larry; Trenton, N.J.--A New Jersey Appellate Division of Superior Court ruled yesterday that lawyers for a man who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion could question the donor, if still alive, but that the person s name did not have to be released. The appellate court ruled the trial court must establish procedures allo
"AIDS Drug Blamed for High Rate of Pancreas Problems": United Press International (10/30/90); San Francisco--Philadelphia researchers Tuesday reported a very high rate of pancreatitis among AIDS patients on ddI to the American College of Gastroenterology s annual meeting. The researchers urged doctors to re-evaluate whether ddI s benefits justify the risks--nearly two-thirds of 51 ddI patients developed pancr
"A Concert of Unity Against an Epidemic": New York Times (10/30/90), P. C13; Holland, Bernard; Sunday at New York s Carnegie Hall, corporate big-wigs, music industry professionals, and gay people met for Music for Life, a lavish benefit for the Gay Men s Health Crisis (GMHC) to fund programs for AIDS patients. The three-hour parade of singers and musicians brought together people of every nationality and sex
"Terminally Ill Cash in on Insurance Policies": Washington Post (Health) (10/30/90), P. 9; Groves, Martha; The high cost of dying has given birth to the living benefits industry--terminally ill patients sell their life insurance policies for a portion of the value to buy medicine, pay bills, or buy some comfort. Albuquerque s Living Benefits Inc. and Miami s American Life Resources Corp. buy insurance policies in exchange
"AIDS: 1992 International Forum to Take Place at Harvard": Baltimore Sun (10/30/90), P. 4A; Harvard University officials, who had threatened to cancel the 1992 international AIDS conference if the United States did not removed travel restrictions on HIV infected persons, said yesterday it would sponsor the annual forum. The decision to sponsor the meeting came after Congress
"Red-Light Roulette": Washington Post (10/30/90), P. B3; Milloy, Courtland; Preliminary findings of a recent Washington, D.C. Commission on Public Health study has found that Washington s prostitutes and their johns have a careless attitude toward AIDS prevention. A majority of 201 prostitutes surveyed said they were married or living with a man. Only 42 agreed to be tested for HIV, of whom
"Romania Halts AIDS Drug Test": New York Times (10/30/90), P. C9; Romania s Health Ministry has banned tests of experimental AIDS drug FLV 23-A after a World Health Organization (WHO) team concluded there was insufficient proof of the drug s efficacy. The WHO team was sent to Romania to investigate experiments with the unlicensed drug on 83 children
"A Protozoan Makes Bid to Move into the Scientific Mainstream": Scientist (10/29/90) Vol. 4, No. 21, P. 4; Turner, Mark Holman; Parasitologist Charles Sterling of the University of Arizona studies Cryptosporidium, a protozoan related to the malaria parasite that causes a cholera-like infection in AIDS patients. Sterling has discovered Cryptosporidia in AIDS patients in increasing numbers and in water supplies worldwide, thanks to the monoclon
"AIDS Claims Hit $1 Billion": Business Insurance (10/29/90) Vol. 24, No. 44, P. 2; Woolsey, Christine; A new survey reports that insurers paid out an estimated $1 billion in AIDS-related life and health claims in 1989. Insufficient death certificate information and insurance company misreporting may lead to an understatement of the number and amount of AIDS-related claims, according to the survey, which the American C
"Preserving Artistic Vision Struck Down by AIDS": New York Times (10/29/90), P. C13; Dunning, Jennifer; In an attempt to preserve the life stories of choreographers and performers who are dying of AIDS, the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center has begun an oral history project that concentrates on people in the dance community who have AIDS. A similar project, Legacy, was begun in San Franc
"Two Studies Downplay AIDS Drug": Philadelphia Inquirer (10/29/90), P. 10A; Roark, Anne C.; Two Los Angeles studies have shown that Kemron, the AIDS drug touted as a miracle treatment in Kenya , is not as promising as was hoped by AIDS patients, who imported the drug via underground networks in major U.S. cities. An unpublished study of 167 patients by Search Alliance, a c
"Marijuana and AIDS: With Relief, Dilemma": Philadelphia Inquirer (10/29/90), P. A1; Shaw, Donna; Some AIDS patients and activists say smoking marijuana calms treatment-induced stomach spasms, stimulates the appetite, and helps patients gain weight, but its use is hard on weakened lungs and may cause stress because it is illegal. Marinol, a government-sanctioned drug made from THC, the psychoactive ingredient in
"World Wire: Postscripts": Wall Street Journal (10/29/90), P. A10; Mathewson, William; The European Community said it will allow German firms Bayer AG and Hoechst AG to jointly research and develop AIDS drugs, because the special circumstances of AIDS...[require] a long-term overlapping of research that do not violate competitive-policy rules.
"Judge Allows Suit Over AIDS and Dentist": New York Times (10/29/90), P. B10; Circuit Judge Robert Makemson Thursday denied approval of dentist David Acer s will, allowing Kimberly Bergalis, the patient who claims she was infected with HIV by Acer, to file a $1 million claim with his malpractice insurance company. Bergalis, 22, wants the CNA Insurance Company to pay her the maximum limit on Ac
"Talk Grows of Government Being Out to Get Blacks": New York Times (10/29/90), P. B6; DeParle, Jason; A large and possibly growing number of African Americans may be turning to conspiracy theories to explain black America s ills, including the epidemics of AIDS and drug use. Theories include that AIDS is a weapon of racial warfare and a white means of black population control, that white government leaders fuel the d
"A Continent's Agony: Toll of AIDS on Uganda's Women Puts Their Roles and" Rights in Question: New York Times (10/28/90), P. 16; Perlez, Jane; The AIDS epidemic in Uganda , although it affects equal numbers of men and women, takes a disproportionate toll on women as childbearers, main agricultural producers, caregivers, and particularly as the members of society with the lowest pay and least amount of social power. The Ug
"UK: Ayer-Vedic Medicine": Lancet (10/27/90) Vol. 336, No. 8722, P. 1060; At a recent press conference held in London to announce the formation of a new college of Ayer-Vedic medicine, researchers raised serious questions about the treatment benefits of Vedic techniques, particularly in AIDS patients. Reporters challenged the validity of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi s Vedic care system, which inc
"Prevention of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonitis in AIDS Patients with" Weekly Dapsone: Lancet (10/27/90) Vol. 336, No. 8722, P. 1066; Hughes, Walter T., et al.; Daily administration of dapsone is associated with anemia, but animal experiments have shown monthly doses of dapsone to prevent Pneumocytis in mice, write Walter Hughes and colleagues of the University of Tennessee, Memphis. A prospective study of weekly dapsone in 61 men with AIDS in Memphis showed fewer adverse ef
"AIDS May Have Been Spread by Unsanitary Malaria Tests": Reuter (10/26/90); Schwartz, Jerry; Atlanta--HIV may have existed as an isolated infection among African people until it was spread by unsanitary malaria testing, New York physician Paul Shurin suggested Friday. The conduct of malaria surveys among children in various African villages in the 60s involved bleeding people with the same scalpel blade whi
"Native American AIDS Cases Rare But Growing, Expert Says": Reuter (10/26/90); Rosen, Yereth; Anchorage, Alaska--The number of AIDS cases among Native Americans is still relatively small but growing, according to George Conway, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist. As of Dec. 31, 1989, 157 AIDS cases were reported from a population of 1.8 million Indians and Alaska Natives, Conway said. Althoug
"AIDS Study Reveals Increase in Cases in Southwestern Pennsylvania": United Press International (10/26/90); Pittsburgh--A study by the University of Pittsburgh s Health Poicy Institute to examine the health care needs of poeple with HIV found that 237 southwestern Pennsylvanians will be diagnosed with AIDS this year and the annual cost of treating patients in the region will rise from a projected $9.3 million to $17.2 milli
"D.C. Health Fair Workers Turn on the Red Light": Washington Post (10/26/90), P. D5; Castaneda, Ruben; Last night, D.C. health officials and outreach workers held a health fair at Washington s Reeves Municipal Center for the city s prostitutes and pimps to test them for exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The fair kicked off the city s Prostitute Education and Training Project, a program to
"Landmark Accord Promises to Ease Immigration Curbs": New York Times (10/26/90), P. A1; Hilts, Philip J.; In conference yesterday, members of the House and Senate voted to ease restrictions on U.S. entry for new citizens and other immigrants, Communists, homosexuals, and people with HIV/AIDS. One clause would give Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Louis Sullivan the power to remove HIV from the list of infectious
"AIDS Research: NIH Digging In": Nature (10/25/90) Vol. 347, No. 6295, P. 700; Anderson, Christopher; Evidence that the AIDS epidemic is far from over came from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcement this month of grants for postdoctoral fellows in 14 U.S. universities and research institutes to ensure that there will be a continuing supply of AIDS researchers in the coming decades. The NIH will tranfer i
"Judge Dismisses Charge Involving AIDS-Prostitution Law": Associated Press (10/25/90); Los Angeles--Municipal Judge Rand Schrader Wednesday dismissed a felony charge against Demitri Santangelo, a man who was accused of prostitution while knowingly carrying HIV. Upon a previous prostitution conviction, Santangelo had been found in a court-ordered AIDS test to be HIV-positive. Schrader ruled that Santan
"Needle Exchanges: Effective But No Panacea Against AIDS": United Press International (10/25/90); Hill, Luke; Tacoma, Wash.--At the three-day North American Syringe Exchange Convention held in Tacoma, Don Des Jarlais, director of research of the Beth Israel Chemical Dependency Institute in New York, said statistical studies had found that most beginning IV drug users show a surprising tendency to shun needle exchange programs
"City Recalls Condoms": United Press International (10/25/90); Philadelphia--Due to widespread complaints by users, Philadelphia recalled all Crown condoms, which the city had supplied to public health centers to be distributed to low-income residents. Many users recently complained that the condoms, supplied by the Japanese company Okamoto Industries Inc., were too small and br
"World Wire: Spain's Teen-Age Pregnancy": Wall Street Journal (10/25/90), P. A16; Mathewson, William; Spain s teens are poorly informed about the risks of pregancy and sexually transmitted diseases, health officials say, so the government is planning to rewrite the lyrics of several popular tunes to promote condom use by adolescents. Four Spanish pop groups will allow the government to rewrite their hit songs to conv
"School Panel Kills Plan on Condoms": Washington Post (10/25/90), P. C1; Meyer, Eugene L.; The Talbot County, Md., School Board yesterday voted down a plan that would have allowed school clinic nurses to distribute condoms to high school students without parental consent. The issue bitterly divided this rural Eastern Shore community and the board, which killed the plan by a 4-3 vote. John Ryan, the county
"Congress Clears Legislation Altering Orphan Drug Act": Wall Street Journal (10/25/90), P. B4; The House passed on voice vote a bill that would modify the Orphan Drug Act to end exclusivity rights for drugs once the patient population exceeds 200,000. The House accepted a Senate amendment to delay the effective date of the measure and effectively exempt from many of the bill s requirements several drugs for wh
"At Conference on AIDS, the Talk Is of Lobbying": New York Times (10/25/90), P. B1; Tierney, John; Nearly 500 AIDS experts and public health workers are meeting at a Lake George resort this week for the first New York State conference on AIDS, sponsored by the state Public Health Department AIDS Institute. A session on lobbying entitled Accessing Local Legislators was brought back for a second day by popular dema
"AMA Science Reporters' Conference Explores Wide Range of Clinical" Problems, Approaches: HIV Prevalence in Women: Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2050; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; Physicians will increasingly face issues surrounding counseling of HIV-infected women, Aliza Lifshitz, a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS, said at the ninth annual Science Reporters Conference. As of August 31, 1990, 25 percent of the 13,807 women with AIDS in the Unit
"AMA Science Reporters' Conference Explores Wide Range of Clinical" Problems, Approaches: Primary Practitioner's Role: Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2049; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; Because AIDS is increasing exponentially in all U.S. populations and so many of those already infected with HIV are unaware of their HIV status, primary care physicians must learn to provide objective and nonjudgmental education, counseling, and treatment of all patients in the health care system, National AIDS Commis
"The Direct Costs of Universal Precautions in a Teaching Hospital": Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2083; Doebbeling, Bradley, and Wenzel, Richard P.; Previous estimates of the costs of implementing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for universal precautions may have been significantly low, report Bradley Doebbeling and Richard Wenzel of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, who studied increased expenditures for barrier isolation against HIV an
"National AIDS Information Clearinghouse": Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2060; The National AIDS Information Clearinghouse, supported by the Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), collects and distributes up-to-date information and reference assistance on more than 12,000 HIV-related service organizations and 6,000 AIDS-related educational materials for HIV prevention p
"AMA Science Reporters' Conference Explores Wide Range of Clinical" Problems, Approaches: Diffusion Fights Disease: Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2049; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; At the ninth annual Science Reporters Conference in Boston, psychologist Leon McKusick of the University of California-San Francisco, said journalists have a great amount of influence on the complex process of diffusion by which attitudes and information about HIV reach the public. Science reporters can support beha
"Largest Collection of AIDS Tests Yet Shows Most Infection Rates Low": Associated Press (10/24/90); Byrd, Robert; Atlanta--A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study of samples of blood taken by health clinics, hospitals, the Job Corps, and the military, among other places, has shown that the nation s infection rates are highest at drug treatment clinics and lowest at blood donor centers. Separate surveys of a wide array of place
"Transmission of HIV-1 Infections From Mothers to Infants in Haiti": Journal of the American Medical Association (10/24-31/90) Vol. 264, No. 16, P. 2088; Halsey, Neal A., et al.; HIV-1 infection seriously affects infant mortality in developing countries, resulting in an 11.7 percent increase in overall infant mortality in Haiti , report Neal Halsey and colleagues of Johns Hopkins University. Of 4,588 pregnant women in a high-risk Haitian population, 9.7 perc
"City Has No Plans to Implement AIDS Condom Policy for Inmates": Los Angeles Times (10/24/90), P. B3; Wielawski, Irene; Although the Los Angeles City Council recently passed a comprehensive AIDS plan that called for condom distribution to inmates during incarceration, county and state officials who run the prisons have no intention of implementing the plan. In addition, the city itself has no immediate plansaims to handout condoms to
"Pocket-Pack Stealth": Washington Post (10/24/90), P. D1; Brown, Warren; The Northrop Corp. has taken offense at Texas entrepreneur John Hughes Stealth Condoms--these safe sex packets are shaped like the Stealth bomber and come in red, white, and blue groups of three for $5. Northrop Corp. has taken legal action opposing Hughes application for a trademark for Stealth Condoms, alleging t
"Panel Approves Large Cut in AIDS Relief Bill": New York Times (10/24/90), P. A20; Hilts, Philip J.; A House and Senate conference panel Monday voted to appropriate $221 million for the Ryan White AIDS Care Bill, considerably less than the $875 million authorized by both houses earlier this year. Of the $221 million, $110 million is new money and $110 million would continue existing programs. Under the new package,
"Lab Study Shows Cocaine Increases Growth of AIDS Virus": Associated Press (10/23/90); Byrd, Robert; Atlanta--Cocaine speeds growth of HIV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by as much as threefold, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers reported. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells are among the primary targets for HIV, prompting researchers concerns that cocaine might speed progression to AIDS in HIV
"Hospital Costs Soar to Protect Workers from AIDS": Reuter (10/23/90); Chicago--A University of Iowa College of Medicine study of the costs of protective eyewear, gloves, gowns, face masks, and needle-disposal containers found that U.S. hospitals spent approximately $336 million last year to protect health care workers from HIV exposure. Researchers Bradley Doebbeling and Richard Wenzel
"Church Leaders Denounce Condom Handouts to Teens": United Press International (10/23/90); New York--A coalition of rabbis, priests, and ministers Tuesday denounced New York City Schools Chancellor Joseph Fernandez s program to distribute condoms to students via school health clinics. The interfaith group slammed the proposal, calling it an admission that the school system is at moral rock bottom. Religi
"A Shot in the Dark: Jonas Salk and the Quest for an AIDS Vaccine": Village Voice (10/23/90) Vol. 35, No. 43, P. 24; Nobile, Philip; As other researchers attempted to develop vaccines to prevent HIV infection from bits of coat protein, maverick researcher Jonas Salk based his vaccine on core proteins to provide another period of viral dormancy to HIV-infected patients. In 1987, however, the Food and Drug Administration (
"Conn. Firm Could Cash in on AIDS Drug Hypericin": Journal of Commerce (10/23/90), P. 7A; Hypericin, an extract of the plant St. Johnswort, prevented HIV replication in laboratory studies in animals and will soon be tested in human trials, the drug s maker, VIMRx Pharmaceuticals said. The company said the mechanism used by hypericin to inactivate HIV is unique, making it exciting as a potential antiviral
"AIDS Researcher Given Sentence to Serve in Lab": Washington Post (10/23/90), P. B3; Valentine, Paul W.; Syed Zaki Salahuddin, former researcher in the AIDS lab of Robert Gallo, was sentenced yesterday to pay $12,000 in fines and serve 1,750 hours doing unpaid research as a result of conflict-of-interest charges. He pleaded guilty last month to unlawfully steering government business to Pan Data Systems, a private compa
"Light Can Unmask the Traitorous Cells of Immune Disease": New York Times (10/23/90), P. C1; Kolata, Gina; Photopheresis, a technique in which T cells are activated when exposed to ultraviolet light and a drug known as 8-MOP, may have potential use as a treatment for certain autoimmune diseases, including AIDS. Patients ingest 8-MOP--a Nile River weed known by the ancient Egyptians to cause skin sensitivity--which targets
"AIDS Infection Often Blocks Abortion Access, Study Says": New York Times (10/23/90), P. A1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; Women with HIV are being denied abortions by independent and hospital clinics in New York. Denied access is a violation of city and state laws that bar discrimination against the disabled, according to a March study by the City Commission on Human Rights. Posing as patients, investigators called 50 health centers of
"AIDSFRONT: Glowing Anecdotes Have Been Told About Every Product Sold to" Treat AIDS: Advocate (10/23/90) No. 562, P. 35; Delaney, Martin; Newspapers across the country recently proclaimed that vitamin C showed efficacy in fighting HIV after researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute reported that high concentrations of the vitamin had antiviral properties, writes Martin Delaney for the Advocate. However, vitamin C had anti-HIV effects in the test tube,
"Met Life Pays Out $323 Million in AIDS Claims": United Press International (10/22/90); New York--Payment for AIDS-related personal life insurance claims more than doubled from $3.2 in 1986 to $8.9 million in 1989, according to Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Met Life paid out more than $323 million to policy holders suffering from HIV disease in the same period, the company said Monday. For claims rel
"Charges Increasing in AIDS Assault Cases": Associated Press (10/22/90); Nelson, W. Dale; Washington, D.C.--Since 1986, 22 states have passed laws making it a crime to knowingly expose another person to HIV. Lawrence O. Gostin, AIDS Litigation Project of the U.S. Public Health Service and a professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health, notes that cases of attempted transmission of HIV are b
"Jury Awards $1.8 Million to Woman Who Acquired AIDS at Blood Bank": United Press International (10/22/90); Hill, Luke; Seattle--In a precedent-setting court victory, a King County, Wash., Superior Court awarded $1.8 million Monday to a woman with HIV known as Jane Doe who contracted the virus through a blood transfusion. The jury ruled that the Puget Sound Blood Center was negligent in supplying HIV-contaminated blood to the woman in
"Penn. AIDS Activists Score Big Victory": Gay Community News (10/21-26/90) Vol. 18, No. 15, P. 1; Nealon, Chris; Members of ACT UP in Philadelphia won a victory Oct. 14 when the state welfare department agreed to fund the Betak hospice for AIDS patients. ACT UP occupied the hospice Oct. 5 after the Lutheran Home board, which sponsors the facility, announced Sept. 21 that they would have to consider other funding options becaus
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Examiner (10/21/90), P. A7; Hilton, Bruce; During the week Zimbabwe s health minister reversed a policy of government cover-up on AIDS and announced that possibly 400,000 of the country s 4.2 million people are infected with HIV....The World Boxing Association conference in Atlantic City addressed the prevention of HIV transmission between boxers, who are ofte
"Cheating on AIDS Trials: A Critique of Pure Reason, A Passion to Survive": New York Times (10/21/90), P. E6; Kolata, Gina; AIDS researchers and advocates say patients in clinical trials sometimes use them for their own purposes, enrolling for the free medical care with no intentions of taking the drug under study or lying and falsifying records in collusion with their physicians to get into trials, possibly endangering trial results. Des
"AIDS Test Planned for Babies' Blood Without Consent": Associated Press (10/21/90); Pittsburgh--To estimate the incidence of HIV in the general population, the Pennsylvania Department of Health plans to routinely take blood from newborns without parental consent, the Pittsburgh Press reported Sunday. The federal program begins next month and will include 50,000 samples already taken from infants and
"Monoclonal CD4 Antibodies After Accidental HIV Infection": Lancet (10/20/90) Vol. 336, No. 8721, P. 1007; Rieber, E.P., et al.; High-affinity monoclonal CD4 antibodies (mAb) could block cellular CD4 receptors, remove or temporarily inactivate CD4+ cells, and neutralize free HIV by rapidly releasing endogenous CD4 glycoprotein, thus interfering with productive infection of susceptible cells by HIV after exposure, write E.P. Rieber and colleague
"New Journals: AIDS": Lancet (10/20/90) Vol. 336, No. 8721, P. 991; Levy, Jay A.; The wide range of issues surrounding AIDS has encouraged yet more new journals, writes Jay Levy of the University of California-San Francsisco. Surprisingly, however, no other journal deals with the issues in AIDS Care, which is devoted to the dynamics of attempting to live with AIDS, writes Levy. AIDS Care prov
"Noticeboard: AIDS in the UK": Lancet (10/20/90) Vol. 336, No. 8721, P. 1000; The rate of heterosexually acquired AIDS cases in the United Kingdom increased by 95 percent in the last year, according to figures released by the Department of Health. Heterosexual HIV cases rose faster than those among IV drug users, which increased by 89 percent, and more than twi
"134 New AIDS Cases Reported in China": Associated Press (10/20/90); Fu, Charlene L.; Beijing--A recent death from AIDS and 134 newly reported cases of HIV infection, mostly among IV drug users, indicate China faces a more serious health threat from HIV than was previously thought, according to Dr. Qi Xiaoqiu of the Epidemic Prevention Department of the Public Health
"AIDS Vaccine Conference: Is 'More' Better?": Science (10/19/90) Vol. 250, No. 4979, P. 369; Cohen, Jon; At the third annual International Conference on Advances in AIDS Vaccine Development held earlier this month in Clearwater Beach, Fla., a few scientists chastised the more than 300 gathered researchers for following too few leads in the AIDS vaccine search. Particularly criticized was the V3 loop approach, involving
"Which Patient Did Gallo's Virus Come From?": Science (10/19/90) Vol. 250, No. 4979, P. 368; Culliton, Barbara J.; The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has all but cleared Robert Gallo of charges he stole HIV, but will now attempt to determine the origins of isolate IIIB, which is so similar to the French BRU. The NIH Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) will collect original frozen samples from nine of the 10 viruses Gallo as
"Conference of Mayors Announces Grants Available": Washington Blade (10/19/90) Vol. 21, No. 42, P. 23; Sullivan, Mark; The U.S. Conference of Mayors announced this month that it will award 17 grants totalling $850,000 to community-based AIDS organizations. The amounts of grants will range from $20,000 to $50,000. For more information, write U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1620 I St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.
"World Vision to Help Ugandan AIDS Orphans": Business Wire (10/19/90); Monrovia, Calif.--Ugandan orphans, predicted to number in the millions as a result of the HIV epidemic and years of civil war in the north, will receive medical attention, education, and vocational training. The aid is the result of a $6.9 million program funded by World Vision, the Christian international relief and
"Haitian Demonstrators Protest FDA Blood-Giving Ban": United Press International (10/19/90); Bass, Janet; Washington, D.C.--Charging the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) with discrimination, between 1,500 and 2,000 people gathered on Capitol Hill Friday to protest the FDA s ban on blood donations from Haitians and sub-Saharan Africans. The ban was instituted last February as an anti-HI
"WHO Concern Over New Drug": Nature (10/18/90) Vol. 347, No. 6294, P. 606; Dickman, Steven, and Aldhous, Peter; The World Health Organization (WHO) will investigate claims that David Hughes, a 61-year-old Scottish inventor and researcher, is conducting tests of an untried AIDS treatment on Romanian orphans. The Romanian Health Ministry assured WHO that the drug, FLV 23/A, was harmless, but WHO
"Immunology: The Worm and the Virus": Nature (10/18/90) Vol. 347, No. 6294, P. 618; Cox, F.E.G.; One of the surface antigens of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni contains an epitope identical to the Vif regulatory protein of HIV-1, Jamal Khalife and colleagues have reported in the latest Journal of Experimental Medicine. The schistosome antigen has important implications for HIV infection in Africa, because it in
"Noticeboard: WHO on Low-Dose Oral Interferon-Alpha for AIDS": Lancet (10/13/90) Vol. 336, No. 8720, P. 935; A World Health Organization (WHO) meeting Sept. 3-4 on the effects of low-dose oral alpha interferon concluded that the benefits of the drug are unproven. WHO made recommendations for the design of studies and will circulate them to national drug regulatory authorities. WHO officials
"Gallo Inquiry Takes Puzzling New Turn": Science (10/12/90) Vol. 250, No. 4978, P. 202; Culliton, Barbara J.; The New York Times reported on Oct. 6 that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would open a full-scale investigation of possible misconduct [by Gallo s lab], while the Washington Post reported the same day that Gallo was all but cleared. Acting NIH director William Raub said the advisory panel called for a ful
"African AIDS: Whose Research Rules?": Science (10/12/90) Vol. 250, No. 4978, P. 199; Palca, Joseph; Researchers who attempt studies in developing countries are often faced with conflicting requirements: those of the sponsor country vs. those of the home government. The growing international research interest in Africa has prompted the World Health Organization and the U.S. Public He
"Book Reviews: AIDS and the Health Care System": New England Journal of Medicine (10/11/90) Vol. 323, No. 15, P. 1077; Murphy, Timothy F.; AIDS and the Health Care System, edited by Lawrence O. Gostin, considers the legal aspects of the AIDS epidemic, writes Timothy Murphy of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. The book pays particular attention to issues such as how the design of the health care system and not the nature of AIDS patients j
"HIV Mutation Rate": Nature (10/11/90) Vol. 347, No. 6293, P. 522; Nowak, Martin; Assuming that the human immune response favors mutations in parts of the HIV genome, a single point mutation in the envelope gene could create mutants that would escape destruction by neutralizing antibodies, writes Martin Nowak of Oxford University in a letter to Nature. In a process also known as antigenic drift, h
"Recent Reports: The Impact of AIDS on a Gay Community": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (10/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 4; A large New York study of the effect of AIDS on the gay community showed that AIDS-releated bereavement and knowledge of HIV antibody-positive status increased psychological stress, particularly symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but did not predict levels of sexual risk-taking. Between 1985 and 1987,
"The Homosexualization of AIDS": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (10/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 1; Odets, Walt; The homosexualization of AIDS results from the ease with which gay men s identities become entangled with HIV patients because of the epidemic s overwhelming toll on gay men, writes Walt Odets, a Berkeley, Calif., clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. This phenomenon causes serious psychological problems in un
"In Review: AIDS Prevention in Public Sex Environments": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (10/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 4; Frutchey, Chuck; Several unique environments particular to gay male culture may be ideal for AIDS prevention messages, including Public Sex Environments (PSEs), David Beckstein of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project writes in AIDS Prevention in Public Sex Environments. Beckstein writes that PSEs such as highway rest stops, public bathroom
"Gay Men and Negotiating Safer Sex": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research + Counseling (10/90) Vol. 5, No. 11, P. 3; Handler, Andy; AIDS educators have begun teaching clients techniques to help them negotiate for safer sex, including negotiation models, assertiveness training, and active listening, writes Andy Handler, education director at AIDS Project Los Angeles. Successful negotiation, which is best taught and practiced in groups using dialog
"Profiles: To Each Her Own--Mathilde Krim, AIDS Activist": Time (Special Issue) (Fall 1990) Vol. 136, No. 19, P. 47; Cole, Wendy; New York City virologist Mathilde Krim, fundraiser and lobbyist for AIDS, has not flinched at bold action since World War II, when she smuggled guns for the Zionist underground in Europe. Her AIDS work began in the lab with research into the use of alpha inteferon to treat AIDS-related cancer, and today involves enli
"Death Rates for Young Adults Increase over Several Years": Nation's Health (10/90) Vol. 20, No. 10, P. 7; HIV disease became the 11th leading cause of death in 1989, up from 15th in 1984. The death rate for 25-to-34-year-old group was 15 percent higher in 1989 than 1984, partially because of the HIV epidemic, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The rising death rate for young adults counters a drop i
"Doctors Treating AIDS Risk Malpractice": National Underwriter (09/24/90) Vol. 94, No. 39, P. 46; Now that studies have shown early intervention with HIV can significantly prolong life, patients may begin suing physicians who fail to properly diagnose and treat HIV for malpractice, according to Duncan Barr, a lawyer who specializes in defending doctors against malpractice, and Charles O Brien, legal counsel to a p
"In an Unaware India, AIDS Threat is Growing": New York Times (08/09/90), P. A13; Hazarika, Sanjoy; Medical experts say there is not enough AIDS information in India--a nation of modern lifestyles and conservative traditions that has not been able to treat millions of people with other communicable diseases. AIDS represents a special threat, health officials say, because many people are unaware of the dangers of se
"Epitope Inc.: FDA Clears Clinical Trials for Company's AIDS Test": Wall Street Journal (08/08/90), P. B4; The Food and Drug Administration has approved Epitope Inc. s application to begin human trials on its saliva-based AIDS test. Epitope, of Beaverton, Ore., said preliminary trials showed its test, which uses a saliva collection kit, is as accurate as serological HIV tests. Nine-month clinical trials of Epitope s test
"Did HIV and HTLV Originate in Africa?": Journal of the American Medical Association (08/08/90) Vol. 264, No. 6, P. 691; Tabor, Edward, et al.; Serological studies of stored serum samples from two Zambian populations from 1976 to 1981 show no evidence of antibodies to HIV-1, indicating HIV-1 had not yet been introduced into these two populations, write Edward Tabor and colleagues of the National Cancer Institute and the University of Zambia. The researchers
"AIDS Patient Dies During Blood-Heating Treatment": United Press International (08/07/90); Atlanta--The third AIDS patient to undergo a controversial blood-heating procedure called hyperthermia died in Mexico 18 hours after treatment, his doctor reported Tuesday. Dr. Kenneth Alonso of Atlanta has performed the procedure on two other patients, one of whom claims he was c
"Hospitalized AIDS Cases Up More Than 10 Percent": United Press International (08/07/90); New York--On an average day in New York in mid-July, more than 2,000 AIDS patients occupied hospital beds, according to a survey by the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). The average for the week of July 15-21 was 2,035 patients, an increase of six percent since April and 11 percent from the same time las
"Sexual Diseases on Rise in Virginia": United Press International (08/07/90); Despite public health campaigns promoting safer sex, cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS are on the rise in Virginia, according to the state Department of Health. Syphilis cases have nearly doubled since 1985, and gonorrhea is on the upswing after years of steady decline, officials said. In addition, they said, A
"For More Drugs, First Test is Abroad": New York Times (08/07/90), P. C1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; Some researchers say the fragmented U.S. health care system, bureaucratic regulations, overzealous ethical concerns, and financial constraints are increasingly forcing American researchers and pharmaceutical companies to conduct new treatment trials overseas. Experts worry that access to new drugs developed may be li
"AIDS Research Chief Awaits Key Report on Propriety Questions": New York Times (08/07/90), P. C3; Angier, Natalie; Since April, Dr. Robert C. Gallo, generally credited as the co-discoverer of the AIDS virus, has been under investigation by federal officials on a series of charges that he and co-workers at the National Cancer Institute may have mistakenly or fraudulently discovered the same virus found by French researchers. The N
"The Patient's Advocate: Rationing Care at the Bedside": Washington Post (Health) (08/07/90), P. 9; Cohn, Victor; Every day doctors must decide which patients to move out of the intensive care ward, which costs the typical patient $3,000 a day. It is not uncommon for doctors to see an AIDS patient with pneumonia who looks healthy but is getting 10 drugs trhough a myriad of tubes and catheters, and is dying--they must decide when
"AIDS Advocates Find Private Funds Declining": New York Times (08/07/90), P. A16; Kolata, Gina; AIDS advocates and local AIDS service organizations who are largely supported by private and corporate donations say they are having increasing difficulties finding funding. Part of the problem, advocates say, is the public s fixation with the crisis of the moment and part may be the public s increasing perception th
"AIDS Cases Are Rising Among Those Over 60": Washington Post (Health) (08/07/90), P. 5; Stone, Richard; By the year 1992, researchers estimate 10,000 people over age 60 will have contracted HIV, according to a report in the Journal of Gerontology. Half of elderly people who carry HIV contracted it via blood transfusions, the other half are mostly gay males. Experts say treatment is more difficult for elderly AIDS pati
"The Age of AIDS: Unsafe Shelter Is Now A Home": Village Voice (08/07/90) Vol. 35, No. 32, P. 17; Reiss, Matthew; New York City AIDS advocates say homeless people with HIV or AIDS, who face high levels of infectious disease, crowded unsanitary conditions, violence, and stress, are worse off under Mayor David Dinkins than they were under Ed Koch. Dinkins has instituted Koch policies he opposed as borough president and reduced ser
"The Nursing Home Wars: State Slips on Safe Sex": Village Voice (08/07/90) Vol. 35, No. 32, P. 18; Goldstein, Richard; New York State Health Commissioner David Axelrod last week exempted AIDS nursing homes run by the Catholic Church from the state s own counseling requirements--the state will not require such homes to offer comprehensive information on abortion and condoms, although church counselors will be required to refer patients
"AIDS Meeting Told Thai "Industry of Death" Should Be Shut": Reuters (08/06/90); Canberra, Australia--The Thai sex industry must be shut down, Mechai Viravaidya, one of the country s leading anti-AIDS campaigners, told a group of delegates from 30 nations Monday at an international conference on AIDS in the Asia/Pacific region. As a direct result of the sex industry, the industry of death, HIV
"AIDS Link to U.S. Servicemen, Prostitutes Debated": United Press International (08/06/90); Canberra, Australia--Delegates at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific debated the role U.S. military bases and prostitutes working near them have played in the area s burgeoning AIDS epidemic. Cardinal Jaime Sin, Roman Catholic Archibishop of the Philippi
"HIV-Positive Patients Face Wait for Treatment": United Press International (08/06/90); Patients in the Tampa, Fla., area who test positive for HIV are having difficulty finding health care workers willing to take their cases. The problem, say doctors, is that the number of people who test positive for HIV is increasing dramatically and most doctors refer these patients to a handful of specialists. Mea
"Pre-Recess Legislation by Congress Highlights Democratic Discipline," Differences With Bush: Health + Safety: Wall Street Journal (08/06/90), P. A14; Rogers, David, and Birnbaum, Jeffrey H.; Before Congress recessed for the summer Saturday, it sent to President Bush for signature landmark AIDS legislation that would initially authorize $880 million annually for cities and states hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. The money would provide emergency health-care relief and early-intervention services for 15 m
"AIDS: A Deadly Visit to the Family Dentist": U.S. News + World Report (08/06/90) Vol. 109, No. 6, P. 8; Last week the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the case of a woman who came down with a flu-like illness one month after having two teeth extracted by an HIV-infected dentist and, two years later, developed AIDS. Although medical experts say the risk of contracting HIV from a health-care professional is ext
"AIDS Help for Cities, States OK'd": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (08/05/90), P. A5; Although the Senate has given final approval to legislation authorizing $880 million for AIDS emergency relief, the money will not become available unless Congress passes separate appropriations bills. The measure would provide $275 million in both 1991 and 1992 for grants to states for health care and support servic
"Behavior--Pass It On: The Power of Persuasion": Science News (08/04/90) Vol. 138, No. 5, P. 77; People who read or receive a persuasive message and expect to discuss it with others may inadvertently promote more positive attitudes about the subject, report David S. Boninger of Ohio State University and colleagues in the journal Psychological Science. Thus, mass media campaigns that encourage readers to talk wit
"Homosexuality: Coming Out, or Pushed?": Economist (08/04/90) Vol. 316, No. 7666, P. 20; Some leading gay rights advocates think the AIDS epidemic brought homosexuality out of the closet, making it possible for an unprecedented number of public officials to be open about their sexuality. AIDS spurred the drive for gay and lesbian legitimacy in the mainstream and paved the way for recent hate-crimes legis
"Australia Hosting AIDS Meeting": Associated Press (08/04/90); Sydney, Australia--Roughly 600 delegates from 30 countries converged on Canberra, Australia, Sunday for a four-day conference on AIDS in Asia and the South Pacific sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Australian government. The topics include prostitution, religion, educ
"Mikulski Medical Bill Advances in Senate": United Press International (08/04/90); Washington--The Senate adopted legislation Saturday that included grants for expanded health care, detection, and treatment for women with AIDS, preventive health-care and screening for breast and cervical cancer, and money for infant mortality and problems unique to women. The Mikulski bill would provide basic medi
"Romania Reports New Cases as World Tally Rises by 7,000": Reuters (08/03/90); Geneva--The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that the global AIDS case total rose by 7,000 in July, bringing the total to 273,425 in 156 countries. Romania reported 667 new cases, but it is believed to be a gross underestimate of the ac
"Activists Denounce City Plans for Homeless With AIDS": United Press International (08/03/90); New York--Activists from 24 groups, including the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, issued a joint statement Friday denouncing the Dinkins administration s plans for expanding health care and housing for homeless people with AIDS, which includes continuing to house homeless HIV-infected people in city shelters. The AI
"Convicted Prostitute Won't Face Charges over AIDS Virus": Baltimore Sun (08/03/90), P. 4D; Thompson, M. Dion; Baltimore city prosecutors, citing lack of evidence, dropped charges of reckless endangerment against an HIV-infected prostitute. Romaine Thomas received a one-year suspended sentence and three years probation for solicitation for prostitution in Baltimore District Court. The 29-year-old Thomas was arrested by under
"Cockeysville Home for AIDS-Stricken Children Protested": Baltimore Sun (08/03/90), P. 4D; Greene, Deborah I.; More than 300 Cockeysville residents congregated last night to protest a proposal by a nonprofit corporation to open A Child s Kingdom, a home for nine children with AIDS. The corporation had hoped to have community support for the home, but residents at the meeting, arguing that the home would endanger the community
"Debate on AIDS Research Spending Should Focus on Broader Benefits": Washington Post (08/03/90), P. F3; Schrage, Michael; It is tragic that the question of whether the government is spending too much on AIDS research is even part of the AIDS debate, writes Michael Schrage, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, who notes that the question is causing an incipient funding backlash. HIV and AIDS are not wholly distinct from other diseases,
"World Wire: AIDS in Uganda": Wall Street Journal (08/03/90), P. A6; Mathewson, William; The number of reported AIDS cases in Uganda has increased 50 percent since December, according to Samuel Okware, head of AIDS Control in Uganda. At least 1 million Ugandans out of a population of 17 million carry HIV, he said, and 17,000 have full-blown AIDS. The disease is sprea
"Abbott Says Compound It Developed Can Block Replication of AIDS Virus": Wall Street Journal (08/03/90), P. B2; Waldholz, Michael; Researchers at Abbott Laboratories say they have blocked replication of HIV using a compound that differs in important ways from similar drugs. The team, led by John Ericson, has devised a molecule, A-74704, that blocks protease, an enzyme crucial to the assembly of HIV virions
"Book Reviews: Skin Manifestations of AIDS": New England Journal of Medicine (08/02/90) Vol. 323, No. 5, P. 353; Schwartz, Robert A.; Skin Manifestations of AIDS, by Neal S. Penneys, a professor of dermatology and cutaneous surgery and of pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, is a pleasure to read and makes splendid use of color to capture the clinical and histologic character of cutaneous alterations in [AIDS], writes Robert
"Deaths: Hans Paul Verhoef": Associated Press (08/02/90); Minneapolis--Hans Paul Verhoef, an HIV-infected Dutchman who sparked international controversy over U.S. immigration policy, died of AIDS at age 33 in his native country. He died July 23 after several months in the hospital. Verhoef was arrested last year at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport en route to a g
"City Readies Plan for Homeless with AIDS": United Press International (08/02/90); Jacobson, Dan; New York--New York City s Dinkins administration prepared Thursday to meet with homeless and gay rights activists to announce plans to expand housing and health care for homeless people infected with HIV. However, the city still plans to place some HIV-infected homeless in barracks-style shelters, a move opposed by t
"New Programs on AIDS to Focus on Infections": New York Times (08/02/90), P. A18; Six teams of scientists will receive $2.8 million in federal funds to research drugs to fight the infections that kill people with AIDS, the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced yesterday. NIAID is already sponsoring one version of the program in which scientists are developing dru
"3 Evangelists' AIDS Tests Are Negative": Washington Post (08/02/90), P. B10; U.S. District Judge James Turk said Tuesday that the AIDS tests he had ordered for Mario Tony Leyva, Rias Edward Morris, and Freddie M. Herring, Georgia evangelists who lured hundreds of Southern boys into male prostitution, were HIV-negative. Judge Turk said he ordered the tes
"Housing Bill Passed with Help for AIDS Sufferers": New York Times (08/02/90), P. A16; Hershey, Robert D., Jr.; The House yesterday approved the first comprehensive set of new government housing initiatives in 10 years with a provision of $150 million to help people with AIDS. The bill would allot $27.9 billion to revamp federal housing programs and would help people with AIDS via money for rent subsidies, grants for community
"Insurance Rules Hinder Experimental AIDS Treatments": Associated Press (08/01/90); Greene, Robert; Washington--Insurers do not regularly pay for experimental treatments for thousands of HIV patients who could benefit from them, which hinders efforts to develop drugs for opportunistic infections, Anthony Fauci and other witnesses told a House Government Operations subcommittee Wednesday. Federal rules bar hospital
"The Race for Anti-Infection Drugs": New York Times (08/01/90), P. D1; Fisher, Lawrence M.; Colony stimulating factors, a class of drugs that stimulate the body s immune defenses against disease, may be the most important product of genetic engineering yet, according to biotechnology experts. These drugs should find widespread use as supplements to chemotherapy for cancer and AIDS and in conjunction with an
"Legal Beat: Cap on AIDS Benefits Wins Legal Round": Wall Street Journal (08/01/90), P. B2; Marcus, Amy Dockser, and Swasy, Alecia; Employers can cap benefits for employees with AIDS under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), U.S. District Judge Norman W. Black ruled. The case involved John McGann, who notified his employer, H + H Music Co. in Houston, that he had AIDS in December 1987. When the company became self-insur
"Court Orders Blue Cross to Pay for Transplant in an AIDS Case": New York Times (08/01/90), P. B2; Lambert, Bruce; New York State Supreme Court Justice Elliot Wilk yesterday issued a preliminary injunction requiring Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield to pay for a bone-marrow transplant for a patient with AIDS. Doctors for Thomas J. Bradley say the $150,000 transplant is his only hope for survival. In the procedure, doctors from Johns
"AIDS Spreading 'Dramatically' Worldwide": Washington Post (08/01/90), P. A1; Gladwell, Malcolm; The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday reported that it has increased its estimates of world AIDS cases by 2 million because of the worsening of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and the exploding rates of HIV infection in Asia. The epidemic is accelerating dramatically, the
"The Present and the Future of AIDS and Tuberculosis in Illinois": American Journal of Public Health (08/90) Vol. 80, No. 8, P. 950; Cote, Timothy R., et al.; In Illinois, 4.1 percent of AIDS patients develop active tuberculosis (TB) and without intensifed control measures, a rise in TB incidence in the heartland will mirror the resurgence seen in New York and Florida, write Timothy R. Cote and colleagues of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The researchers used fi
"Sexual Histories of Heterosexual Couples with One HIV-Infected Partner": American Journal of Public Health (08/90) Vol. 80, No. 8, P. 990; Padian, Nancy S.; Researchers question the reliability and validity of relying almost exclusively on interviewing techniques to assess behavioral practices for HIV prevention, notes Nancy Padian of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco General Hospital. Interviews with 98 heterosexual couples enrolled in an H
"AIDS Watch: The Kaposi's Connection": Discover (08/90) Vol. 11, No. 8, P. 28; Oliwenstein, Lori; New evidence suggests that Kaposi s sarcoma s (KS) connection with HIV was purely coincidental. Epidemiological studies indicate KS is caused by a sexually-transmitted infectious agent that became epidemic among gay and bisexual men at the same time as HIV. Alvin Friedman-Kien, a New York microbiologist, has treated
"AIDS-Related Infections": Scientific American (08/90) Vol. 263, No. 2, P. 50; Mills, John and Masur, Henry; Researchers are furiously seeking new drugs that are less toxic, more effective, and easier to take than current therapies for AIDS-related opportunistic infections, write researchers John Mills and Henry Masur. For Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, investigators are studying DHFR and DHPS inhibitors, substances that i
"News in Brief: Illinois": Advocate (07/31/90) No. 556, P. 18; Caroline Jo Newlin, a Coles County nurse, had her nursing license revoked by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation after she was convicted of falsely telling her boyfriend and two other people they had tested positive for HIV. Newlin allegedly thought her boyfriend was having an affair with a married wom
"Senators Introduce Bills to Improve Medical Research on Women": Associated Press (07/31/90); Washington--Several Democratic senators yesterday introduced a group of bills to improve medical research on women, including legislation that would broaden research on AIDS in women, contraception, infertility, and breast cancer. Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), leader of the effort, pointed to a medical system domina
"Scientists Get Federal Aid to Develop AIDS-Infection Drugs": Associated Press (07/31/90); Washington--The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced yesterday it will grant $2.8 million to six teams of scientists to develop drugs for AIDS-related opportunistic infections. NIAID is starting the program to provide a way for basic researchers and companies to collaborate on the d
"Letters: Use Pentagon Cut for AIDS Vaccine": New York Times (07/31/90), P. A18; Meyers, Alan; The U.S. government should cut its military budget by 5 percent and use the money for AIDS care and vaccine research, writes Alan Meyers, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, in a letter to the New York Times. Meyers adds his voice to Larry Kramer s call for a Manhattan Proje
"Easing Fears of AIDS from Dentist": Baltimore Sun (To Your Health) (07/31/90), P. 6; Marbella, Jean; Experts say people should not be unduly alarmed by reports of a woman who allegedly contracted HIV from her dentist, because there is not enough information available about the case yet. Roger Eldridge, a University of Maryland dentist, said the news shouldn t change anything that responsible practitioners are alrea
"AIDS Spurs Novel Approach to Drug Trials": Investor's Daily (07/31/90), P. 1; Stroud, Michael; Grass-roots community trials of AIDS drugs run independently of big academic institutions may be the key to speeding up the laborious process of bringing AIDS drugs to market and finding treatments for opportunistic infections. These unconventional trials, run in poorer communities, will include fewer restrictions on
"World Wire: Death in Australia": Wall Street Journal (07/31/90), P. A10; Mathewson, William; The Australian state of New South Wales is planning to change the law governing murder charges because of a series of robberies by criminals allegedly brandishing syringes filled with HIV-infected blood. There is a common-law rule that the death must occur within a year and a day, said John Dowd, the attorney gener
"House Votes to Tighten 1983 Orphan Drug Law": Wall Street Journal (07/31/90), P. B4; The House of Representatives yesterday approved legislation to revamp the 1983 orphan drug law that allows the Food and Drug Administration to grant seven-year monopolies to firms to develop drugs for rare diseases. The bill would withdraw orphan-drug status when the patient population exceeds 200,000 and would all
"British AIDS Carrier in Deportation Fight in Caribbean": Reuters (07/30/90); Kenen, Joanne; Miami-- Virgin Islands immigration officials have attempted to deport and allegedly harassed and threatened Malcolm Cooke, a British citizen who is infected with HIV. Cooke s case has focused attention on immigration and travel restrictions against people with HIV, as did a
"Imagining Other Lives": Time (07/30/90) Vol. 136, No. 5, P. 58; Schulman, Leonard; Edmund White, America s most influential gay writer, has been living with the specter of AIDS since he received an HIV-positive test result in 1985. He now hopes to live long enough to complete a planned tetralogy on gay life in modern America. White has completed A Boy s Own Story and The Beautiful Room is Empty; t
"Dental Patient's AIDS Revives Debate": Baltimore Sun (07/30/90), P. A1; Colen, B.D.; The Centers for Disease Control s (CDC) report last week of an alleged case of HIV transmission from dentist to patient has revived a political and ethical debate on the conflict between the right of infected health-care professionals to treat and the public s right to protection from risk of infection. Federal offic
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/29/90), P. A6; Hilton, Bruce; Two conflicting reports last week confused the issue of patients HIV risk from health-care workers when the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that a woman may have contracted HIV from her dentist and Minnesota researchers reported that none of 2,160 patients of an HIV-infected surgeon studied had contracted
"Fears Bar the Door to a Haven": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/29/90), P. B1; Fernandez, Elizabeth; Bethany House in Oakland, the first home in the country for Catholic priests with AIDS, failed because of fear, according to Jim Mansmann, the erstwhile director of the residence. After the three-bedroom home opened in January, several priests called surreptiously, Mansmann says, but no one came to Bethany House. So
"Henry Ford Hospital to Launch AIDS Study": United Press International (07/29/90); Detroit--Henry Ford Hospital will launch the world s first drug studies dedicated to prevention of toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients this fall, hospital officials reported. The hospital will test two antibiotics as part of the Community Program in Clinical Research in AIDS. Toxoplasmosis, a usually fatal opportunistic
"Barry Kills AIDS Clinic Insurance Subsidy": Washington Post (07/29/90), P. B3; Abramowitz, Michael; District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry failed by midnight Friday to sign legislation that would have required the city to subsidize health insurance premiums for Whitman-Walker AIDS Clinic and other free clinics. Barry killed the legislation by pocket veto because he said the bill would set a bad precedent for t
"Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Kaposi's Sarcoma in Homosexual Men": Lancet (07/28/90) Vol. 336, No. 8709, P. 248; Rabkin, Charles S., and Goedert, James J.; The incidence of initial AIDS case diagnoses of non-Hodgkin s lymphoma , which is associated directly with degree of immunosuppression in people with HIV, and Kaposi s sarcoma (KS), which can occur with less severe immunodeficiency, increased in a cohort of 130 gay men from New York
"Current and Future Dimensions of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Women and" Children: Lancet (07/28/90) Vol. 336, No. 8709, P. 221; Chin, James; The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that the AIDS pandemic, which affected 500,000 women and children worldwide in the 1980s, will kill at least 3 million more in the 1990s, writes James Chin of the WHO Global Programme on AIDS. In major cities in the Americas, Western Europe
"AIDS Services for Women Still Lacking": Gay Community News (07/28/90) Vol. 18, No. 3, P. 1; Briggs, Laura; Services for women, the fastest-growing group of people with AIDS, are just becoming available at a time when Boston s AIDS Action Committee is predicting that one-third of the AIDS service organizations in the United States will have to close because of funding cuts. Next year, the C
"Archdiocese and State Reach Agreement on AIDS Housing": United Press International (07/27/90); Kilkelly, Ned; New York--The New York state Health Department agreed Friday to allow the Catholic Archdiocese to provide beds for homeless AIDS patients without mandatory on-site AIDS prevention services. The archdiocese has come under severe criticism from AIDS activists for its unwillingness to provide prevention education AIDS a
"AIDS Toll Expected to Rise Among Women, Children": United Press International (07/27/90); Stein, Rob; Washington--Three million women and children will die of AIDS worldwide in the 1990s, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report published in Friday s Lancet magazine. The toll of HIV on women and children will increase, cutting the life expectancy of children in some countr
"AIDS Vaccine Tests Called 'Encouraging'": Investor's Daily (07/27/90), P. 30; Researchers from CEL-SCI Corp. and Alpha 1 Biomedicals Inc. call results from human tests of an AIDS vaccine very encouraging. Researchers said the tests were the first human studies of a core-based AIDS vaccine known as HGP-30. The vaccine should protect against all strains of HIV. Researchers say there have been
"In Emotion-Filled Ceremony, Bush Signs Rights Law for America's Disabled": Washington Post (07/27/90), P. A18; Devroy, Ann; Some 2,000 people with disabilities and their families gathered on the South Lawn of the White House yesterday to watch President Bush sign into law legislation banning discrimination against the disabled. The law, which defines disability as any physical or mental impairment, including AIDS, that limits a major lif
"Drugmaker on the Mend": Washington Post (07/27/90), P. F1; Silver, Lori; HEM Research Inc., which scored a court victory over Du Pont Co. last week, may get a second chance for its experimental AIDS drug, Ampligen. After triumphantly announcing positive results in a small study of the drug in 1987, HEM entered a joint venture agreement with Du Pont. A large-scale trial of the drug ended
"The Cardinal, Comity, and AIDS": New York Times (07/27/90), P. A26; In New York, which needs 3,000 nursing home beds for people with AIDS, the state s Public Health Council can help provide hundreds of beds by accepting a compromise the Catholic Archdiocese of New York has offered, write the editors of the New York Times. The archdiocese has promised to provide 400 beds, including 42
"Woman Apparently Got AIDS During Tooth Extraction": Washington Post (07/27/90), P. A4; A woman apparently contracted HIV from her dentist during a tooth extraction, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers announced yesterday. Although the researchers cautioned that the possibility of another source of infection cannot be entirely excluded, they said all evidence was consistent with the infect
"Hodgkin's Disease in HIV-Infected Intravenous Drug Abusers": New England Journal of Medicine (07/26/90) Vol. 323, No. 4, P. 275; Roithmann, Sergio, et al.; Hodgkin s disease occurs preferentially in IV drug users, according to studies conducted by Sergio Roithmann and colleagues of Laennec Hospital, Paris, France . Their data indicate the ratio of Hodgkin s disease to non-Hodgkin s lymphoma is sign
"Clinical Response to Dideoxyinosine in Patients with HIV Infection" Resistant to Zidovudine: New England Journal of Medicine (07/26/90) Vol. 323, No. 4, P. 275; Bach, Michael C.; AZT-resistant HIV infections can be successfully treated with ddI (dideoxyinosine) in some cases, reports Michael Bach of the Maine Medical Center in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine. Zidovudine resistance correlated with clinical deterioration in six HIV-infected patients, they report, and therapy wit
"First UK Trial of AIDS Vaccine Approved": Nature (07/26/90) Vol. 346, No. 6282, P. 303; Concar, David; Last week Britain s Medical Research Council aaproved the first trial of a prototype AIDS vaccine known as p24-VLP in 20 healthy HIV-negative volunteers. The trial, to begin in September, differs from U.S. vaccine trials in several respects. The British trial will test the feasibility of using VLPs (virus-like partic
"Seroprevalence Rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection at" Sentinel Hospitals in the United States: New England Journal of Medicine (07/26/90) Vol. 323, No. 4, P. 214; St. Louis, Michael E., et al.; An epidemiological study of 26 sentinel hospitals in 21 cities across the United States from January 1988 to June 1989 has found an overall HIV-1 seroprevalence rate of 1.3 percent for admissions, excluding patients with HIV-related diagnoses, report Michael St. Louis and colleagues of
"Ads Dramatize AIDS, Drug Dangers": USA Today (07/26/90), P. 1D; Painter, Kim; A new series of government-sponsored advertisements are warning teens that the dangers of smoking pot and doing crack might include getting AIDS. Martin Scorsese directs the intense, movie-quality spots, which will be shown on television and in theaters. Spike Lee will provide narration for the ads, which warn teens
"The Physician on the Pulse of the White House": Washington Post (07/26/90), P. C1; Radcliffe, Donnie; Burton J. Lee III, physician to the president, is outspoken on issues such as health care financing, abortion, and the AIDS epidemic. Some people think I m a big pain in the ass, he says. Lee s service on the AIDS commission during the Reagan era was marked by his compassion for those infected with the virus. AID
"World Sales in Condoms Ease After Fast Growth": Journal of Commerce (07/26/90), P. 1A; Magnier, Mark; The tremendous international growth in condom and rubber glove sales in the latter part of the 1980s, spurred by the AIDS epidemic, has moderated. This year, manufacturers project an above-average growth rate of 5 percent to 7 percent. From 1986-1988, when condom sales in North America and Europe grew 20 percent ann
"More AIDS Testing Recommended": New York Times (07/26/90), P. B5; Lambert, Bruce; Hospitals in areas with a high incidence of AIDS should offer HIV testing to all their other patients, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control recommend in today s New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Michael E. St. Louis and colleagues, who report on their survey of 26 hospitals in 21 cities, note that in ea
"The HIV-Infected Surgeon": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/25/90) Vol. 264, No. 4, P. 507; Rhame, Frank S.; The probability that a surgeon will transmit HIV to a patient is too small to justify expending resources simply to relieve patient anxiety, but hospitals and health care workers need an unambiguous policy, writes Frank Rhame of the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. The patient exposure rate is probab
"As AIDS Epidemic Approaches Second Decade, Report Examines What Has Been" Learned: Journal of the American Medical Association (07/25/90) Vol. 264, No. 4, P. 431; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; AIDS: The Second Decade is a 475-page report in book form produced by the National Research Council. Heather G. Miller and colleagues introduced the report, which covers the evolving AIDS epidemic and the lessons learned so far, at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. The report addresses prevention, behavi
"A Surgeon with AIDS: Lack of Evidence of Transmission to Patients": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/25/90) Vol. 264, No. 4, P. 467; Mishu, Ban, et al.; Because of concerns of surgeon-to-patient transmission that persisted after the media reported the identity of an HIV-positive Nashville surgeon in 1988, Ban Mishu and colleagues of the Centers for Disease Control report, they offered HIV tests to the man s patients. Of 1896 patients still alive, 616 agreed to be tes
"Praunheim Trilogy Takes on the AIDS Crisis": Los Angeles Times (07/25/90), P. F8; Thomas, Kevin; German filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim is the ideal man for the job he has taken on in Silence=Death and Positive, two-thirds of new trilogy about AIDS, writes the Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas, who says Praunheim has the breadth of vision, compassion, militance, and sense of humor to deal with the AIDS epidemic in
"Former Top AIDS Researcher at NCI Charged with Conflict, Illegally Taking" Gift: Baltimore Sun (07/25/90), P. 7A; Warmkessel, Karen E.; Federal prosecutors in Baltimore yesterday charged Syed Zaki Salahuddin, 49, a former top AIDS research at the National Cancer Institute, with conflict of interest and illegally accepting a gift, felony charges that carry a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Salahuddin, an AIDS researcher
"Patient's Risk of AIDS from Doctor 'Low'": Washington Post (07/25/90), P. A12; Marcus, Erin; The largest survey of its kind to date has shown that a patient s risk of contracting HIV from an HIV-positive general surgeon is extremely low, according to a report in today s Journal of the American Medical Association . William Schaffner and colleagues of Vanderbilt School of
"AIDS Prisoner Charged with Wounding after Needle Attack": Reuters (07/24/90); Sydney, Australia--Officers at Sydney s Long Bay Jail began a 48-hour strike after an HIV-infected prisoner stabbed a guard with a hypodermic needle believed to contain HIV-infected blood. The inmate was charged with malicious wounding after he stabbed a 21-year-old guard who had opened a security gate for him. Grah
"Federal Funding Change May Scuttle N.E. AIDS Programs in 1991": United Press International (07/24/90); Ghioto, Gary; Concord, N.H.--The Health Omnibus Program Extension Act (HOPE) would drastically shrink funds for AIDS prevention and education programs in the Northeast, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta (CDC). States such as New Hampshire and Vermont would see a 60 percent cut in funds, and Massachusetts, Con
"Seminars for People Living with AIDS": Washington Post (Health) (07/24/90), P. 19; O'Neil, L. Peat; The Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS (ECRA) and Damien Ministries sponsor interfaith retreats to address the spiritual and emotional well-being of people with AIDS. The retreats include ecumenical prayer, meditation, nonsectarian discussion groups, creative sessions, and counseling for people from all over the count
"India to Boost Funds to Combat AIDS": Journal of Commerce (07/24/90), P. 5A; A Health Ministry spokesperson said Monday that India would boost its AIDS funds significantly over the next five years. The country, which faces a large increase in AIDS cases, has pledged to spend $18 million in the next three years. Last year, India s government spent less than
"Transfusion-Related AIDS Cases Plague Blood Banks": Washington Post (Health) (07/24/90), P. 5; Thompson, Larry; A Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) investigation into procedural deficiencies in American Red Cross blood services has found at least two cases of HIV contracted from transfusions of blood screened in the Washington area. Two of 75 cases reviewed were shown to be associated with do
"Puzzle of Sailor's Death Solved After 31 Years: The Answer Is AIDS": New York Times (07/24/90), P. C3; Altman, Lawrence K.; In 1959, Sir Roger Platt of England s Royal College of Physicians, called in as a consultant on an unusual case, speculated that a Manchester sailor might have a previously unknown viral disease. Now, 31 years later, Drs. George Williams, Trevor Stretton, and Gerald Corbitt have identified the cause of the sailor s d
"N.Y. Court to Review Insurers' Use of HIV Data": Business Insurance (07/23/90) Vol. 24, No. 30, P. 54; Cristy, Sam; New York s Court of Appeals, the state s highest court, has agreed to hear a case involving a 1987 state regulation that bars insurers from requesting HIV data. In 1988, a state supreme court agreed with a group of insurers and their trade associations that the rule, which has never been enforced, exceeded the author
"Hawaii: Sun, Sand, Sea--and Syringes": Time (07/23/90) Vol. 136, No. 4, P. 29; Honolulu has implemented Hawaii s first program to give IV drug users clean needles in exchange for used ones. The nonprofit Life Foundation admisters the state-approved two-year pilot program, which gives addicts clean needles as many as five times a day, five days a week. Opponents of the project said it would pro
"Grapevine: Who's the Boss?": Time (07/23/90) Vol. 136, No. 4, P. 21; Gray, Paul; Louis Sullivan, the secretary of health and human services, who has been criticized for being an ineffective spokesman at the White House, apparently cannot make his subordinates listen to him either. After members of ACT UP heckled Sullivan at the recent international AIDS conference, Sullivan ordered his underlings
"Man Arrested for Concealing AIDS Test": United Press International (07/23/90); Lincoln, Neb.--Nebraska police arrested a man for planning to have sex with an undercover detective without disclosing he had tested positive for HIV. A police detective called a number on the wall of the Cinema X Theater that advertised for someone interested in sex and drugs. The detective set up a rendezvous with
"Test Kit for HIV Uses Recombinant Antigen": Insight (07/23/90) Vol. 6, No. 30, P. 58; Van Pelt, Dina; Calypte Biomedical Corp. of Berkeley, Calif., has developed what may be the first reliable urine test for HIV. The HIV-1 Urine test is based on a recombinant antigen, a toxin or enzyme that can generate an immune response. The test also boasts a screening method that removes many of the factors that can cause false
"A Frightening Aftermath": Newsweek (07/23/90) Vol. 116, No. 4, P. 53; Salholz, Eloise; The fear of AIDS makes rape an even more frightening and traumatic experience, says Carolyn Holmes, a psychologist at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. The growing debate over the competing rights of victim and defendant intensified recently when a rape defendant, in exchange for a lighter sentence
"AIDS Center is Saved by Donations": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/23/90), P. A1; Tofani, Loretta; Donations from 400 people and the efforts of a dozen new volunteers have saved Calcutta Hospice, a West Philadelphia home for AIDS patients. Unable to pay its bills, the hospice was on the verge of closing last month. However, Calcutta received $21,000 in donations ranging from $5 to an AFL-CIO gift of $3,000. In a
"Couple Planning Haven for Children with AIDS": Baltimore Sun (07/23/90), P. B1; Greene, Deborah I.; Sandy and Rocco Guarino, who already have five children, are planning to open a home for children with AIDS in Cockeysville, Md. When the couple read about children dying of AIDS alone in hospital beds, they decided to raise as many as they could in a family environment as foster children. The home, a tenant farm in
"With Court Leading the Way, Living Will Gaining New Life": New York Times (07/23/90), P. A1; Lewin, Tamar; In the wake of the Supreme Court s ruling that Missouri officials could keep Nancy Cruzan on life support against the wishes of her family, many hospitals around the nation are becoming more aggressive about allowing patients to sign living wills, which would explicitly state their treatment wishes should they become
"Around the Nation: Addenda": Washington Post (07/23/90), P. A4; In what may be the first use of a Florida law that allows a rape victim to demand an HIV test from the accused, four defendants in a New Port Richey rape and beating case will be tested for HIV. The results will be disclosed privately to the victim, a 79-year-old woman, but will not be admissible in court.
"Springfield Journal: A Rumor of AIDS, a Slander Award": New York Times (07/23/90), P. A8; Robbins, William; In the case of Robert L. McCune, a Springfield, Neb., native, the state supreme court on July 13 upheld a $25,350 damage award by a lower court, which a member of a prominent family slandered McCune by spreading a rumor that he had AIDS. Experts say the case is the first in which a false assertion that someone has AI
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/22/90), P. A4; Hilton, Bruce; Every 24 hours a Honduran is discovered to have AIDS, which makes ours the Central American country with the most AIDS cases, the government of Honduras announced....Blood banks failed to screen donors for HIV until 1985, said Dr.
"Federal Plan Could Cost Illinois AIDS Funding": United Press International (07/22/90); Chicago--Included in the Centers for Disease Control fiscal 1991 budget proposal for AIDS education and prevention is a Senate plan to rely on block grants to states for funding and eliminate grants to local health departments and private agencies. Officials at Illinois AIDS outreach programs said Sunday that this di
"AIDS Vaccine Therapy: Phase I Trial": Lancet (07/21/90) Vol. 336, No. 8708, P. 179; Picard, O., et al.; A vaccine made from autologous cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus containing some HIV-1 genes and gene products boosted the natural defenses, but not specific anti-HIV immunity, of 14 patients with AIDS or ARC in a randomized clinical trial, report O. Picard and an international team of researchers. There
"Intermittent Co-trimoxazole Prophylaxis Against Pneumocystis Carinii" Pneumonia: Lancet (07/21/90) Vol. 336, No. 8708, P. 180; Raviglione, Mario C., et al.; Intermittent Pneumocystis prophylaxis with co-trimoxazole appears to prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in HIV-infected patients, report Mario Raviglione and colleagues of Cabrini Medical Center, New York. The researchers gave co-trimoxazole twice daily for three consecutive days a week as primary prophylax
"Increase in Unsafe Homosexual Behaviour": Lancet (07/21/90) Vol. 336, No. 8708, P. 179; Van Den Hoek, J.A.R., et al.; A decline in the number of new cases of syphilis and gonorrhea in gay and bisexual men coincided with a decrease in new HIV infections at Amsterdam s sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics from 1984 to 1988, report J.A.R. Van Den Hoek and colleagues of the Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam. The researchers inte
"Long HIV-1 Incubation Periods and Dynamics of Transmission Within a" Family: Lancet (07/21/90) Vol. 336, No. 8708, P. 134; Burger, Harold, et al.; The case of a mother and her daughter who have documented HIV-1 incubation periods of longer than 12 years confirms the predictions of incubation periods longer than a decade in a small proportion of infected individuals, write Harold Burger and colleagues of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Ins
"Blacks at Serious Risk to Get AIDS, Officials Say": United Press International (07/21/90); Fort Worth, Texas--Officials at a health conference in Fort Worth last weekend said that the black community is experiencing denial of the HIV epidemic in its midst. Officials at the AIDS is a Black Problem, Too conference said the community s churches and social organizations would already have addressed any other
"State Nixes Condom Ad Endorsement": Gay Community News (07/21/90) Vol. 18, No. 2, P. 3; Briggs, Laura; The administration of Gov. Michael Dukakis has withdrawn the Massachusetts Department of Public Health s authorization to use an advertising campaign that promotes condom use to prevent the spread of HIV. AIDS Action Committee Director Larry Kessler says the Dukakis administration has asked for and received informati
"Prevention of HIV-1 Infection and Preservation of CD4 Function by the" Binding of CPFs to gp120: Science (07/20/90) Vol. 249, No. 4966, P. 287; Finberg, Robert W., et al.; Small molecules called CPFs appear to block the binding of HIV-1 gp120 to its receptor, the cell surface glycoprotein CD4, report Robert Finberg and colleagues from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. CPFs bound to gp120 did not interfere with normal CD4 cell functioning. One CPF isomer pres
"Briefings: Fauci Gets Softer on Activists": Science (07/20/90) Vol. 249, No. 4966, P. 244; Holden, Constance; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), last week welcomed AIDS activists to the ninth meeting of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) to listen in and participate in a limited fashion in discussions of the status and direction of federal clinical trials. Fauci t
"Helms Subject of Beer Boycott by Gays": United Press International (07/20/90); Raleigh, N.C.--Gays and AIDS activists, angry at Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) for his lack of compassion for AIDS patients and his stand on AIDS issues, will now boycott Miller beer, because the company s owner, Philip Morris, is a major contributor to Helms reelection campaign. Gay groups are already boycotting Marlb
"Letters to the Editor: Enlisting Orphan Act in War Against AIDS": Wall Street Journal (07/20/90), P. A13; Lavelle, James, et al.; The recent proposal to amend the Orphan Drug Act would certainly help people with AIDS, James Lavelle, Director of Clinical Research, Phillip Pierce, Director of the HIV Clinical Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Robert Murphy of Northwestern University Medical School write in a letter to the Wall
"A Simple Compound Is Shown in Tests to Block AIDS Infection of Immune" Cells: Wall Street Journal (07/20/90), P. B6; Stipp, David; A simple compound, called CPF, attaches to the outer protein coat of HIV and blocks the virus ability to infect T cells in much the same way as soluble CD4, researchers say. The compound is made of small molecules and can be produced more easily and inexpensively than CD4, which has proven difficult and expensive to
"HIV Requires Multiple gp120 Molecules for CD4-mediated Infection": Nature (07/19/90) Vol. 346, No. 6281, P. 277; Layne, Scott P., et al.; Positive synergy occurs in the blocking of HIV infection of CD4 cells after roughly half of the virus gp120s are occupied in three strains of HIV despite wide variations in infectivity between strains, report Scott P. Layne and colleagues of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Cancer Institute. The resea
"Public Health: Bad Blood Between Red Cross and FDA": Nature (07/19/90) Vol. 346, No. 6281, P. 210; Gershon, Diane; Last week the House subcommittee on oversight and investigations, led by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), heard allegations by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) that the Red Cross allowed reports of several hundred instances of errors or accidents in blood collection and distribution
"Salmonella Arizonae in Patients with AIDS Along the U.S.-Mexican Border": New England Journal of Medicine (07/19/90) Vol. 323, No. 3, P. 198; Casner, Paul R., and Zuckerman, Marc J.; Physicians who treat Hispanic HIV patients, particularly those who live along the U.S.- Mexico border, should warn them against rattlesnake-meat preparations, which may be contaminated with Salmonella arizonae, report Paul Casner and Marc Zuckerman of Texas Tech University. Doctors
"New Program for Low-Income Residents with HIV Virus": United Press International (07/19/90); Olympia, Wash.--Washington State has implemented a $1.2 million HIV intervention program for low-income residents who have HIV but have not developed symptoms. The program offers early AZT intervention, monitoring, and education for those with a monthly in
"Some AIDS-Infected Children may Avoid Disease Longer": United Press International (07/19/90); Kolberg, Rebecca; Washington--Researchers from the State University of New York-Stony Brook said a 12-year-old girl, infected with HIV as an infant, has yet to develop AIDS, leading them to believe some afflicted children may survive far longer than was previously thought. The girl s only AIDS-related ailment has been a yeast infectio
"Funds Run Out for 2 AIDS Programs": Washington Post (07/19/90), P. DC1; Epperson, Sharon; Two of the District of Columbia s largest AIDS outreach centers, Project CLEAN of Southeast Washington and Project S.A.F.E. of Northwest Washington, will have to close by fall if the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) decides not to renew their grants. NIDA said the programs were funded for a limited period, whi
"FDA Advisory Panel Opposes Sale of Home AIDS Test Kit": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/19/90), P. 9A; A Food and Drug Administration committee voted yesterday to oppose the sale of University Hospital Laboratories Corp. s home AIDS test kit. The advisory panel voted 3-1 against the sale of AIDS CHECK because of concerns over the home diagnostic kit s accuracy, panel members said.
"HIV-Related Knowledge and Behaviors Among High School Students-- Selected" US Sites, 1989: Journal of the American Medical Association (07/18/90) Vol. 264, No. 3, P. 318; The number of state, territorial, and local departments of education that conducted surveys about HIV-related knowledge and behaviors among high school students nearly tripled from 1988 to 1989, according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) editorial comment on a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on the surveys
"AIDS Dementia may be Linked to Metabolite of Tryptophan": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/18/90) Vol. 264, No. 3, P. 305; Cotton, Paul; Quinolinic acid, a neurotoxic convulsant metabolite of tryptophan activated by interferon gamma, is a possible cause and marker of neurological disease in HIV disease, researchers say. Any infection elevates quinolinic acid, but with HIV disease, it remains elevated for extended periods and increases as much as a tho
"San Francisco Enforcing AIDS Law Despite Confidentiality Concerns": Associated Press (07/18/90); San Francisco--Under a 1989 law, San Francisco can test convicted prostitutes for HIV and started doing so Tuesday, despite concerns of many judges and health officials that the law violates confidentiality. Legal experts say the requirements could lead to discrimination against anyone found to be infected. The law
"AIDS Increases in St. Louis Women": United Press International (07/18/90); Jefferson City, Mo.--The Missouri Department of Health said surveys from health clinics in the St. Louis area show a sixfold increase in the HIV-infection rate of women of childbearing age in the past two years. One in every 1,000 women who gave birth in the last six months had HIV, officials said. The statistics re
"Drug Limits AIDS Weight Loss": United Press International (07/18/90); San Francisco--Marinol, a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana, stimulated the appetites of 10 AIDS patients who had been steadily losing weight before treatment, Robert Gorter of the University of California-San Francisco has reported. Seven of 10 AIDS or ARC patients gained weight and two experie
"Freedom for Prostitute Featured in Newsweek": New York Times (07/18/90), P. A14; Linda Kean, an Oakland, Calif., prostitute who was jailed after she appeared in a Newsweek article, was released yesterday. She was arrested for violating parole after police officers spotted her photograph in the magazine. The police sought to charge her with attempted murder after Newsweek quoted her as saying she
"Health Costs: Home Intravenous Care Catches on Rapidly": Wall Street Journal (07/18/90), P. B1; Podger, Pamela J.; The demand for home intravenous care has grown rapidly in the past decade, particularly for antibiotic and antiviral treatments for AIDS, health insurers say. Home intravenous treatments cost 25 to 50 percent less than the same treatment in hospitals, according to analysts. More patients are opting for chemotherapy
"D.C.'s 2 Main AIDS Centers may Close as Funds Run Out": Washington Post (07/18/90), P. B6; Project S.A.F.E and Project CLEAN, two of Washington, D.C. s largest AIDS street outreach programs, will be forced to close when their funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) runs out, AIDS education groups said yesterday. NIDA gave the projects two-year research grants to study IV drug users and the
"Media Watch: The Bashing of an AIDS Reporter": Advocate (07/17/90) No. 555, P. 47; Byron, Stuart; Gina Kolata, the chief AIDS medical reporter for the New York Times, is not the worst AIDS reporter in America, as ACT UP and some other AIDS activists believe, writes Stuart Byron of the Advocate. Kolata has her ups and downs, he writes, but she created the experimental AIDS treatment beat, a subject no dailies wo
"No Carnival in Costa Rica": Advocate (07/17/90) No. 555, P. 41; Stern, Richard; Dr. Jacobo Schifter, who is heading a World Health Organization (WHO) study on AIDS in Costa Rica s gay community, says the his Latin American country has had perhaps 150 cases of AIDS. Although no study has been completed yet, Schifter estimates that 10 percent to 15 percent of the c
"Ninety-One More Drug Addicts Found Infected With AIDS": Associated Press (07/17/90); Beijing--The China Daily newspaper reported yesterday that 91 more IV drug users living in the southwest Yunnan province near the Burma border have been found to carry HIV, bringing the total to 305. Minister of Public Health He Jiesheng said t
"Study Finds Why Prostitutes May Be Spreading AIDS": Reuters (07/17/90); Chicago--Scottish researchers have found that female prostitutes continue to work while they are menstruating, a practice that puts customers in direct contact with blood that could carry HIV. Ninety-five percent of 62 Glasgow streetwalkers said clients frequently request vaginal sex without a condom and many offer m
"Help Wanted: NIH Director": Washington Post (Health) (07/17/90), P. 9; Thompson, Larry; The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been without a director for almost a year, the longest it has gone without a leader in its 100-year history. A comparatively low salary, President Bush s opposition to abortion and fetal tissue research, the embarrassing public withdrawals of a number of candidates, and the
"New Rules and Incinerator Jitters Mean Hospital Waste Piles Up": New York Times (07/17/90), P. B1; Gold, Allan R.; Medical waste, which accounts for only about 2 percent of the nation s garbage, is a growing problem, as state laws more strictly regulate the disposal of such waste and limit the use of incinerators to burn it. New York and other states passed stricter rules following several widely reported incidents of medical was
"Breaking Bureaucratic Grip on FDA: Is Independence the Answer?": Washington Post (07/17/90), P. A17; Gladwell, Malcolm; The subject of making the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) independent of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) has been a constant theme of congressional hearings and House Energy and Commerce oversight investigations. Growing frustration over regulatory delays caused by
"Du Pont, HEM Settle Suits Over Drug Venture": Wall Street Journal (07/17/90), P. B4; Koenig, Richard; Du Pont Co. will pay HEM Research Inc. $2.8 million and give up a 5 percent stake in HEM under a settlement agreement reached after the collapse of their joint venture to develop and market Ampligen, an experimental AIDS drug. Lawsuits ensued after a big clinical trial of Ampligen failed to show that the drug slowed
"AIDS Patient Sues Red Cross for Negligence": Washington Post (07/17/90), P. A4; The Washington law firm Ashcraft + Gerel has filed a class-action lawsuit against the American Red Cross in Superior Court on behalf of Roland Ray, a District of Columbia grocer who allegedly received HIV-infected blood in 1984. The suit claims negligence on the part of the Red Cross for failing to adopt blood screen
"10 Years Later, Hepatitis Study Still Yields Critical Data on AIDS": New York Times (07/17/90), P. C3; Lambert, Bruce; More than 10 years after 6,705 gay men volunteered for the San Francisco City Clinic Cohort Study to help researchers track the spread of hepatitis B, their blood samples and questionnaires are still yielding priceless data on the extent and rates of infection and death from HIV and AIDS. Of these men, 345 have had H
"Benefit Beat: Pilot AIDS Coverage": Business Insurance (07/16/90) Vol. 24, No. 29, P. 6; Schachner, Michael, and Locke, Adrienne C.; The AIDS Insurance Assistance Program, a Maryland pilot project, will begin paying premiums for extended health-care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconcilliation Act (COBRA) for state residents with HIV who are poor and too sick to work. State officials estimate individual premiums will cost about $
"AIDS: Salon Advice": Newsweek (07/16/90) Vol. 116, No. 3, P. 8; Zeman, Ned, and Howard, Lucy; The Boston Women s AIDS Information Project has trained more than 50 hairstylists from inner-city salons to talk to their clients about AIDS. Many women confide in their hairdressers, and three-quarters of women with AIDS are black and Hispanics. Along with the AIDS prevention advice, these salons will hand out cond
"Fears About Blood Safety Could Damage Supply, Red Cross Says": United Press International (07/16/90); Philadelphia--The already marginal blood supply of the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region could be threatened by recent reports of lax HIV screening by the Red Cross, Red Cross regional director Willaim Sherwood said Monday. The reports, which undermine public confidence, could jeopardize donations and interfere with sou
"Administration Raises Fiscal 1991 Deficit Estimate Again": United Press International (07/16/90); Newman, Bud; The Bush administration has revised its estimates of the 1991 budget deficit to $168.8 billion. Office of Management and Budget Director Richard Darman has warned that mandatory spending cuts under the Gramm-Rudman balanced budget law would mean air traffic control cutbacks, the closing of national parks, firing of f
"Compassion Rules Hospital AIDS Unit for Mothers, Tots": Richmond Times-Dispatch (07/16/90), P. A1; Farmer, Robin; Dr. Thomas Kerkering, an infectious disease specialist at Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, started the hospital s Family Clinic, the only AIDS clinic of its kind in the state, in 1986. The clinic, which meets once a week, treats mothers and children with HIV, who appear in AIDS clinics in ever-increasing number
"Senate Clears Bill to Ensure Access by Disabled People": Wall Street Journal (07/16/90), P. A14; The Senate has passed the Americans with Disabilities Act by a 91-6 vote and President Bush is expected to sign the bill. The Senate bill prohibits employers from transferring food-handlers with AIDS to other jobs, a compromise worked a House-Senate conference worked out and the House approved last Thursday. The leg
"A 'Manhattan Project' for AIDS": New York Times (07/16/90), P. A15; Kramer, Larry; The federal government must take up Rockefeller University President David Baltimore s call for a Manhattan Project for AIDS, an effort akin to that which produced the atomic bomb, writes Larry Kramer, AIDS activist and founder of ACT UP and the Gay Men s Health Crisis. The numbers of those infected with HIV and dy
"AIDS Patient Invites Death": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/15/90), P. A1; Krieger, Lisa M.; Jeff Bucholtz, a 33-year-old architect who has battled AIDS for three years, has decided it is time to let go. He says he reached a turning point at which he decided to die with dignity, that there would be no miracle cure and the virus would only continue its course of destruction. His decision is not unique, accor
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/15/90), P. A4; Hilton, Bruce; California reported last week that Medi-Cal pays an average of $40,692 per patient per year for AIDS care. The state program also is paying for care for 43 percent of residents with AIDS, as opposed to 29 percent in 1982....The Food and Drug Administration said it may widen its bans on certain blood donations to bar
"Prostitute in Jail After AIDS Report": New York Times (07/15/90), P. 12; Bishop, Katherine; Oakland, Calif., police arrested Linda Kean, a prostitute, after she appeared in a Newsweek article saying she worked while infected with HIV. Although Kean now denies her infection, police will try to have her charged with attempted murder. Kean is now in Alameda County jail. A recent state law requires health dep
"The Public Health Is Imperiled Again by Tuberculosis": New York Times (07/15/90), P. A1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; Federal health officials say tuberculosis (TB) is spreading through U.S. inner cities at an alarming rate because of AIDS, homelessness, and substance abuse. Public health experts say there were 9,000 more cases of TB in 1989 than they had projected early in the 80s. In New York City and Newark, N.J., TB cases incr
"Briefings: Testing for HIV in Urine": Science (07/13/90) Vol. 249, No. 4965, P. 121; Holden, Constance; Several companies, including Abbott Laboratories , DuPont, Wellcome Diagnostics, and Calypte Biomedical, have produced new tests to screen for HIV in urine that would make the procedure much easier, especially for developing countries with scarce medical facilities. The tests scre
"Honduras Says It Leads Central America in AIDS Cases": Reuters (07/13/90); Tegucigalpa, Honduras--The Honduran government says the country has the highest AIDS rate in Central America, with at least one person diagnosed every 24 hours. The government cited a PanAmerican Health Organization survey that found 736 cases. Leftists opposition groups claim the high HIV infection rate is due to t
"Scientists Test Egyptian Mummies for Signs of AIDS": Reuters (07/13/90); Amsterdam, The Netherlands--Because of a hypothesis that AIDS is much older than was previously thought, Dutch researchers Rutger Perizonius and Jaap Goudsmit are analyzing the remains of Egyptian mummies and their pets for signs of HIV infection. The researchers hope their work on 5,000-year-old mummies and 2,500-ye
"United Resolve Marked Conference on AIDS": New York Times (07/13/90), P. A26; Fein, Alan, and Makadon, Harvey; The editors of the New York Times were wrong in stating that ACT UP turned the Sixth International Conference on AIDS into a political circus ( AIDS and Misdirected Rage, 06/26), write Alan Fein and Harvey Makadon, directors of the the Harvard AIDS Institute and the Boston AIDS Consortium, respectively. The conferen
"Justice Plea Gains A Life of Its Own": Washington Post (07/13/90), P. B1; Howe, Robert F.; The Alexandria, Va., Human Rights Commission will decide whether the Steven-Windsor Inc. chain of clothing stores fired Roger A. Nickles, a window dresser, because he had AIDS. Nickles had to testify on videotape, because he was afraid he would die before his case came to trial. In fact, he did die two weeks ago, bu
"FDA May Alter Policy on Blood: Immigrant Donors Would Be Barred": Washington Post (07/13/90), P. A8; Okie, Susan; In response to charges of discrimination by Haitians and sub-Saharan Africans, the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) is considering prohibiting all recent U.S. immigrants from donating blood. Agency officials said a policy of banning donations from all recent immigrants for a period
"House Approves Measure to Bar Discrimination Against Disabled": Wall Street Journal (07/13/90), P. A3; Karr, Albert R.; The House yesterday, on a 377-28 vote, approved the Americans with Disabilities Act, which would prohibit discrimination against the disabled, including people with HIV and AIDS, in employment and public accommodations. The House barred a Republican effort to revive an amendment that would allow employers to transfer
"AIDS Policy: Slanging Match with Sullivan": Nature (07/12/90) Vol. 346, No. 6280, P. 95; Concar, David; In response to a noisy demonstration by ACT UP that drowned out his closing speech at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan last week released a statement calling on health officials to avoid all dealings with ACT UP except those that are necessary and produ
"How Did AIDS Begin?": Nature (07/12/90) Vol. 346, No. 6280, P. 92; In a recent issue of the Lancet, researchers described the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to prove that a 1959 death from pneumonia was AIDS, according to the editors of Nature, who write that PCR brought this Manchester sailor s HIV infection to light by identifying nucleotide sequences from long-dead tis
"Fatal Infection with a Novel Unidentified Mycobacterium in a Man with the" Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: New England Journal of Medicine (07/12/90) Vol. 323, No. 2, P. 109; Hirschel, Bernard, et al.; A severely immunodeficient patient has died of an unidentified mycobacterium associated with HIV infection and AIDS, report Bernard Hirschel and colleagues of the Hopital Cantonal Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland . Although the infectious agent resembles Mycobacterium tuberc
"A Strong Case for AIDS Funds": Los Angeles Times (07/12/90), P. B2; Boyarsky, Bill; Los Angeles County health officials have asked the Board of Supervisors for a $9 million increase in funds for AIDS care, but the board s three-man conservative majority is not listening, writes Bill Boyarsky for the Los Angeles Times. The money would go to fund local treatment clinics sorely in need of funds, such a
"Prepare for AIDS Vaccine": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/12/90), P. 23A; Power, Jonathan; Drug companies will scramble to make as much money as they can on an AIDS vaccine, which will likely be developed in the next 10 years, writes Jonathan Power, a reporter on international affairs. The great majority of future AIDS sufferers, the poor and disenfranchised of America, Hait
"Delaware Chief Justice Bars AIDS Bias in Court System": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/12/90), P. 2B; Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Andrew Christie has instituted a policy to protect the rights of people with HIV or AIDS. Christie signed a directive that would prevent discrimination against the HIV-infected by lawyers and employees of the state court system. Although the mandate does not provide for enforceme
"Update: Serologic Testing for HIV-1 Antibody--United States, 1988 and" 1989: Journal of the American Medical Association (07/11/90) Vol. 264, No. 2, P. 171; In 1988, the overall analytic performance of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for HIV-1 antibody was 99.7 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 1988, the overall sensitivity of the Western blot was 97.8 percent. The CDC assessed the laboratory technology us
"This Month Brings New Information About AIDS to Profession, Public": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/11/90) Vol. 264, No. 2, P. 161; America Responds to AIDS: Phase V, the Centers for Disease Control s public education campaign, will continue this month with three new dramatic vignettes aimed at making all Americans aware of the prevalence of HIV infection. The public service announcements will air on more than 850 television and radio stations
"Impact of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic on Mortality in Women" of Reproductive Age, United States: Journal of the American Medical Association (07/11/90) Vol. 264, No. 2, P. 225; Chu, Susan Y., et al.; National mortality statistics indicate HIV was one of the 10 leading causes of death for women 15-44 in the United States in 1987 and is now a primary cause of death among women of reproductive age in the Northeast and among black women, report Susan Chu and colleagues of the Centers f
"Sexual Transmission Efficiency of Hepatitis B Virus and Human" Immunodeficiency Virus Among Homosexual Men: Journal of the American Medical Association (07/11/90) Vol. 264, No. 2, P. 230; Kingsley, Lawrence A., et al.; Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted 8.6 times as efficiently as HIV and is a better indicator of nonadherence to safe sex practices among gay men, write Lawrence Kingsley and colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh. Of men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a significantly higher percentage seroconverted t
"South Bay Hotels Helping Families of AIDS Patients": Los Angeles Times (07/11/90), P. D2; Krensavage, Mike; Entrepreneur Lori Angeleri scored a victory for AIDS fund-raisers when she convinced four of 22 hotels she contacted to make extra rooms available at cut rates to the families of people with AIDS. Angeleri, who is working on behalf of St. Paul s United Methodist Church in Redondo Beach, Calif., was inspired to help a
"AIDS Funds Taken From Research, Given to Clinics": Los Angeles Times (07/11/90), P. A17; Boot, Max; A decision by the California legislature to divert funds from research laboratories to treatment clinics has pitted activists against researchers in a fierce debate. The legislature cut back $1.8 million from the University of California s (UC) AIDS research budget to divert it to early intervention and treatment for
"New Disease Complicates AIDS Treatment": Reuters (07/11/90); Boston--The treatment of a Swiss man who died of AIDS was complicated by a puzzling form of mycobacterium that was impossible to identify, Bernard Hirschel of the Hopital Cantonal Universitaire in Geneva reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers said that the unidentified organism was very like
"Senate Narrows Curb on AIDS Food Handlers": United Press International (07/11/90); Gerstel, Steve; Washington--The Senate yesterday voted 99 to one to leave the decision of whether people with AIDS should be permitted to handle food to the Department of Health and Human Services. The Senate backed off from strict curbs against food-handling by people with AIDS and opted to let scientific experts at HHS devise a li
"AIDS Researchers Open Door to Activists": United Press International (07/11/90); Bethesda, Md.--For the first time, the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the group conducting government-sponsored AIDS trials nationwide, yesterday opened its doors to AIDS activists and patients. Activists from the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP
"Legal Beat: Insurance Regulation Rejecting HIV Test Requirement Gets a" Hearing: Wall Street Journal (07/11/90), P. B6; Hagedorn, Ann, and Lambert, Wade; New York s highest court agreed to review a lower court s decision that rejected a regulation prohibiting insurers from using HIV tests on applicants. New York insurance regulators, who believe the HIV test is a diagnostic indicator only of exposure to the virus and not of AIDS, adopted regulations in 1987 prohibitin
"D.C. Stalls Furlough Plan, Backs AIDS Clinic Subsidy": Washington Post (07/11/90), P. D1; Abramowitz, Michael, and Sinclair, Molly; The D.C. Council yesterday approved legislation that would bail Washington s Whitman-Walker Clinic out of its insurance jam with a $250,000 subsidy. The city would pay medical insurance premiums for Whitman-Walker employees, whose premium costs have risen higher and faster than employees or the clinic can afford. Th
"AIDS in Black Women Seen as Leading Killer": New York Times (07/11/90), P. B3; Lambert, Bruce; In New York and New Jersey, AIDS is the number one cause of death among black women aged 15-44 and the number three killer of women of all races in this age group, the Centers for Disease Control reported today in the journal of the American Medical Association . Nationally, AIDS
"Red Cross Faulted on Tainted-Blood Reports": New York Times (07/11/90), P. B6; Hilts, Philip J.; An investigation released yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer found that the Red Cross delayed or failed to report 380 error cases sent to its Washington regulatory branch. The FDA report did not suggest that the errors caused
"The Age of AIDS: Turf Wars": Village Voice (07/10/90) Vol. 35, No. 28, P. 17; Browning, Frank; The Sixth International Conference on AIDS was more high-style performance art than science, with activists center-stage, Third World delegates barely visible, and with most international service and activists groups absent because of the boycott, writes Frank Browning for the Village Voice. The researchers, policyma
"Red Cross Says Report Wrong, Blood Supply Safe": Associated Press (07/10/90); Washington--A report that the American Red Cross failed to report AIDS cases possibly caused by blood transfusions is incorrect, Red Cross spokesman Bud Good said Tuesday. In a report on about 228 cases in which patients may have gotten AIDS through contaminated blood transfusions, the Food and Drug Administration (
"Woman Awarded $121,000 in AIDS Death of Baby": United Press International (07/10/90); Fort Worth, Texas--Texas State District Judge William Hughes awarded more than $121,000 to a woman whose two-year-old daughter died after receiving an HIV-tainted blood transfusion at John Peter Smith Hospital. Although no HIV antibody test was available when the child was infected in 1983, the judge found that hospi
"AIDS: Several Omissions": Washington Post (Health) (07/10/90), P. 4; Kenner, Robert K.; The Washington Post Health magazine s retrospective on AIDS surprisingly omitted a discussion of people with transfusion-associated AIDS, writes Robert K. Jenner of Freeman + Richardson, P.A., Bethesda, Md. These people, Jenner writes, are in many ways victims of the same discrimination and ostracism as those who pra
"Bush AIDS Policy Earned Rudeness": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/10/90), P. 8A; Terrell, Coleman; President Bush and Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis W. Sullivan have continued the Reagan policy of not caring about those who are dying of AIDS, of not showing leadership in the fight against AIDS, and of cozying up to people who use the epidemic to further bigotry and hatred, according to Coleman Te
"Communicable Diseases Masked Behind Doctors' Erratic Reporting": New York Times (07/10/90), P. C3; Altman, Lawrence K.; The collection of statistics that are essential to detect, control, and track outbreaks of communicable diseases such as AIDS, toxic shock syndrome, measles, or hepatitis often depends on practicing physicians, who tend to be slow and haphazard in notifying public health officials. Although health officials urge prom
"Romania Lacks Means to Fight Growing Outbreak of AIDS in Children": Washington Post (07/10/90), P. A13; Battiata, Mary; Romanian health officials and private doctors accuse the Romanian government of a slow and business-as-usual response to AIDS. Attempts to hold back a growing epidemic of AIDS in children have been hobbled by a shortage of funds and medical equipment. Only 20 percent of donated blood is being screened for AIDS, offi
"AIDS from Red Cross Blood Unreported, Study Says": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/10/90), P. A1; Gaul, Gilbert M.; A report the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has not yet made public says the Red Cross failed to disclose 230 cases of possible transfusion-related HIV infection in the Washington, D.C., area to federal regulators. Furthermore, an FDA inspection of the Red Cross national headqua
"Support for AIDS Research": Scientist (07/09/90) Vol. 4, No. 14, P. 24; The American Foundation for AIDS Research ( AmFAR ) offers grants of up to $50,000 for one year for AIDS-related biomedical and social science research, up to $5,000 to postdoctoral fellows for travel, and up to $102,000 for three years for nontenured post-doctoral researchers. The de
"A Different Design for a Stronger Condom": Insight (07/09/90) Vol. 6, No. 28, P. 57; Van Pelt, Dina; Family Health International, a nonprofit company that develops contraceptives, has designed a new, reshaped condom made of a special plastic that is stronger and more puncture-resistant than latex. The condom is slightly offbeat in design, with a novel attachment mechanism about which manufacturers are keeping quie
"Lawyer Denounces Sexual Custom": Insight (07/09/90) Vol. 6, No. 28, P. 37; The Tonga custom in which a bereaved person has sex with an in-law as a rite of cleansing must be abandoned if the nation is to survive the AIDS epidemic, according to Lusaka, Zambia , lawyer Martin Banda. Such customs are barbaric, against publi
"Insurer Denies Aids Claim, Saying Blood Was Switched": Washington Times (07/09/90), P. B6; Massachusetts General Life Insurance Co. is refusing to pay a $2 million life insurance claim to the survivor of a man who died from AIDS, asserting that the man did not use his own blood to qualify for the coverage. Lawyers say that the policyholder, Anthony C. Fioretti, tested positive for HIV and was rejected by a
"Calmly and Constantly, an Activist Prods the Search for AIDS Drugs": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/09/90), P. A1; Tofani, Loretta; Martin Delaney, San Francisco AIDS activist and head of Project Inform, now has the clout to have dinner with Robert Gallo to ask for release of his experimental Kaposi s sarcoma treatment, and to ask Anthony Fauci for a conference on thymus gland transplants, which could be the key to restoring the immune system in
"Insurers Use New AIDS Test": Journal of Commerce (07/09/90), P. 9A; AIDS activists have criticized the insurance industry for using new urine screening procedures to test for HIV infection in applicants. Some of the nation s largest insurers, including Prudential and Aetna, have started ordering the AIDS urine tests. Insurance companies have been using HIV blood tests to screen appl
"Carrington Labs May Have Overstated Case for Experimental AIDS and Cancer" Drug: Wall Street Journal (07/09/90), P. C2; Lowenstein, Roger; Carrington Laboratories has claimed publicly that Carrisyn, its experimental AIDS drug made from an extract of the aloe vera plant, significantly improved the effectiveness of AZT in a six-month trial of 47 patients infected with the AIDS virus. However,
"Fear of AIDS With Rape: How a Case Was Affected": New York Times (07/09/90), P. B1; Glaberson, William; In an unusual plea bargain, former Columbia University security guard Reginald W. Darby, a defendant in a rape case, will get a reduced sentence from Manhattan prosecutors in exchange for his promise to take an HIV test and disclose the results to the victim. Recent courtroom debates involving rape cases have focused
"The Test You Can't Get Ready For": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (This World) (07/08/90), P. 20; Groff, David; Writer David Groff, a gay man, describes the feelings he experienced after deciding that it was time to take the HIV antibody test. Although he had avoided being tsted for five years, Groff says, the prospect of early AZT intervention destroyed his belief
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (07/08/90), P. A6; Hilton, Bruce; Cuba s Deputy Health Minister Hector Terry last week gave a frank report on the country s AIDS policies, which are the most restrictive in the world. Cuba s 423 HIV carriers live as paid workers in a fenced-in community, and 8 million of the country s 10 million people have been tested. However, a man with AIDS on t
"Burma Has 324 AIDS Virus Carriers": Associated Press (07/08/90); Bangkok, Thailand--The Burmese government has just released its first report on AIDS, revealing 324 HIV infections among 25,701 people it randomly tested. The Health Department, which reported its first HIV carrier in 1988 after initiating blood screening in 1985, said most of the carriers were IV drug users and that
"HIV and Conjunctival Malignancies": Lancet (07/07/90) Vol. 336, No. 8706, P. 51; Kestelyn, Ph., et al.; HIV infection seems to be a risk factor for conjunctival neoplasia among patients in Rwanda , report Ph. Kestelyn and colleagues of Rwanda and Belgium . Although squamous cell carcinomas of the skin and other areas have been associated with HIV,
"HIV Infection in Manchester, 1959": Lancet (07/07/90) Vol. 336, No. 8706, P. 51; Corbitt, Gerald, etal.; A Manchester seaman who died in 1959 at age 25 of unexplained immunodeficiency and fatal pulmonary infections with pneumocystis and cytomegalovirus was infected with HIV, Gerald Corbitt and colleagues of the University of Manchester report in a letter to the Lancet. The researcher
"Some HIV-Infected People Forgo AZT": Science News (07/07/90) Vol. 138, No. 1, P. 15; Fackelmann, Kathy A.; Of 1,195 HIV-infected men Neil M.H. Graham and his Johns Hopkins School of Public Health research team studied, only about half were taking AZT . All of the men, some of whom had ARC and some of whom had no symptoms, knew they were HIV positive. The resear
"Passive Risk: EPA Loads Anti-Smoking Gun": Science News (07/07/90) Vol. 138, No. 1, P. 4; Weiss, P.L.; The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may soon add passive smoke to the list of known human carcinogens, which includes asbestos and arsenic. The EPA recently released two draft reports that cite passive smoking as the cause of an estimated 3,800 lung cancer deaths annually and recommend that employers prohibit
"AID Aids AIDS Efforts with New Syringes": Science (07/06/90) Vol. 249, No. 4964, P. 20; The Agency for International Development (AID), in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV via reused needles in developing countries, has decided that within the next year or two it will distribute needles that can only be used once. Health-care workers in the AID s immunization programs often reuse disposable syring
"Study Reveals 'Silent Segregation' Among Gays": Washington Blade (07/06/90) Vol. 21, No. 27, P. 7; Keen, Lisa M.; A San Francisco study presented at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS has revealed that silent segregation in the gay community may discourage men from taking HIV tests. Annual surveys conducted on 540 gay and bisexual men from 1984-90 showed that 83 percent of men who knew they were HIV-negative would pref
"AIDS Briefs": Washington Blade (07/06/90) Vol. 21, No. 27, P. 7; Keen, Lisa M.; Reports from the Sixth International AIDS Conference focused on the importance of good nutrition to people with HIV disease. To maintain weight and forestall the onset of AIDS, studies indicated that patients should take nutritional supplements that add calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals to their diet at the f
"Abnormal Eye Movement May Give Early Warning": Washington Blade (07/06/90) Vol. 21, No. 27, P. 19; Sullivan, Mark; Certain subtle abnormalities in eye movement detectable only with sophisticated infrared equipment indicate adverse effects of HIV on the central nervous system earlier than any other available test, report researchers at the University of Southern California. These abnormalities, including slower eye movement and in
"Update on HIV-Related Therapies: Antivirals and Immune Boosters": Washington Blade (07/06/90) Vol. 21, No. 27, P. 6; Keen, Lisa M.; Two recent studies suggest that AZT can be as effective in 300-mg-per-day doses as in the recommended 500-mg dose. In test-tube studies, CD4-PE40, which combines CD4 cells and a common soil bacteria, is reportedly highly selective in its ability to kill HI
"Program Targets Health for Minority Women": United Press International (07/06/90); Shearman, J. Craig; Trenton, N.J.--The New Jersey Health Department plans to institute Friday Outreach Day, a new program to fight AIDS, infant mortality, and other health problems plaguing minority women. The program will involve hundreds of street outreach and health care workers who will seek out black, Hispanic, and other minority
"Report: AIDS Virus Linked to 1959 Death": Associated Press (07/06/90); London--University of Manchester researchers have discovered an HIV infection in a British sailor who died in 1959, which would mean the virus was present in Britain decades earlier than researchers previously thought. Reporting in the Lancet, pathologist George Williams and colleagues explained that tissue samples p
"Paul Wynne, Who Aired Diary on AIDS, Dies at 47": New York Times (07/06/90), P. A14; Gross, Jane; Paul Wynne, 47, KGO-TV journalist who starred in a one-of-a-kind weekly diary about living and dying with AIDS, died yesterday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. Paul Wynne s Journal chronicled the former entertainment reporter s fears and triumphs as his health deteriorated. The program was
"New York Streetwalkers May Be 'Safer' Than Thought": Reuters (07/05/90); Reinholz, Mary; New York--A nine-month study of New York prostitutes has found that although the rate of HIV infection among them is high, they are not necessarily spreading HIV to their clients. Joyce Wallace, who has a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, has found that one-third of 950 prostitutes she has studied have HIV,
"Tattered Iron Curtain Lets AIDS Slip Through": Philadelphia Inquirer (07/05/90), P. A1; Drake, Donald C.; Relaxed travel restrictions between former Iron Curtain countries have meant increasing HIV infection rates for Eastern Europe. Outbreaks in the Soviet Union and Romania highlight a situation in which HIV is spread by poor medical facilities, unsterilized equipment, and contamina
"New Viral Diseases: A Real and Potential Problem Without Boundaries": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/04/90) Vol. 264, No. 1, P. 68; Kilbourne, Edwin D.; The high mutation rates of viruses mean that they evolve more rapidly under natural selection than their hosts, writes Edwin Kilbourne of the Department of Microbiology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Because mutant viruses arise every minute, new viruses and viral diseases such as HIV and hemorrhagic fevers emerge.
"Injuries Associated with Horseback Riding--United States, 1987 and 1988": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/04/90) Vol. 264, No. 1, P. 18; Eash year, an estimated 30 million people ride horses. In 1987 and 1988, an estimated 92,763 of those riders made emergency room visits. The highest rate of injury occurred among those in the 5-24 age group, particularly females. Almost half of the injuries occurred at home or on a farm. The most common diagnosis w
"New Viral Diseases: A Real and Potential Problem Without Boundaries": Journal of the American Medical Association (07/04/90) Vol. 264, No. 1, P. 68; Kilbourne, Edwin D.; The high mutation rates of viruses mean that they evolve more rapidly under natural selection than their hosts, writes Edwin Kilbourne of the Department of Microbiology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Because mutant viruses arise every minute, new viruses and viral diseases such as HIV and hemorrhagic fevers emerge.
"Director of Canadian AIDS Group Says He Helped Eight Commit Suicide": Associated Press (07/04/90); Vancouver, British Columbia--David Lewis, director of the Vancouver Persons with AIDS Society, says he has helped eight AIDS patients commit suicide by leaving fatal doses of prescription drugs at their bedsides. I think it s immoral and unethical to not help someone die if that s what they want, Lewis said. He sa
"Depression May Be Cause of Yuppie Flu": United Press International (07/03/90); Klinger, Karen; Boston--Researchers believe that depression and not Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may cause chronic fatigue syndrome, the yuppie flu that frequently affects young professionals. Lawrence Corey and colleagues of the University of Washington recently reported that comparisons of chronic fatigue sufferers to healthy contro
"Inhalant Abuse: A 'Hidden Epidemic'": United Press International (07/03/90); Dallas--In Dallas, 30 percent of seventh-graders abuse inhalants, often common household products such as hair spray and paint, according to studies by the state legislature s Special Committee on Inhalant Abuse. In 1987, Dallas hospital emergency rooms reported the highest number of cases of inhalant abuse in the na
"Stressed-Out Hearts": Washington Post (Health) (07/03/90), P. 8; Alper, Joseph; Researchers now believe that certain warning signals may precede sudden heart attacks. Routine stress tests often detect silent myocardial ischemia, which shows up as an abnormal electrical signal on an electrocardiogram and often occurs with angina, the chest pain that is the main symptom of a heart attack. Researc
"Genetic Factor Emerges as Key to Onset of Lyme Arthritis": New York Times (07/03/90), P. C1; Altman, Lawrence K.; Researchers have found a genetic factor that may be responsible for the chronic arthritis seen in 10 percent of untreated cases of Lyme disease. Almost all people who develop the disabling ailment have certain HLA antigens on the surface of their white blood cells, Robert Winchester and colleagues from Tufts and New
"A Duel in the Sun: Getting a Suntan Can Be More Dangerous Than Anyone" Thought: Washington Post (Health) (07/03/90), P. 10; Squires, Sally; Whether the cause is the depletion of the ozone layer or the popularity of sunbathing, the incidence of skin cancer is on the rise. This year an estimated 600,000 Americans will develop some type of skin cancer, and 5 percent of these cases will be malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer. Most cases of skin ca
"Tests Reveal a Benign Infection With Unusual Virus": Washington Post (Health) (07/03/90), P. 5; Cohn, D'Vera; Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers have found that 2.7 percent of 449 randomly tested adults who visited outpatient medical clinics carried a benign filovirus infection, which is related to the fatal Ebola virus that turned up last year in a shipment of dying monkeys at Hazelton Research Products of Reston,
"Want to Stop Smoking? Try Going Cold Turkey": Washington Post (Health) (07/03/90), P. 5; Spolar, Chris; According to a recent study of 13,000 smokers by the Department of Health and Human Services, people who go cold turkey have better luck quitting than those who join stop-smoking programs. The 1986 survey found that people who toughed out quitting on their own were almost twice as successful as those who joined progr
"Label to Cite Aspirin Risks in Pregnancy": Washington Post (07/03/90), P. A4; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) will require specific warnings directed at pregnant women on all over-the-counter aspirin products. The new warning will state that it is especially important not to use aspirin during the last three months of pregnancy unless specifically dire
"Sullivan Tells Aides to Curtail Dealings with Activist AIDS Group": Associated Press (07/03/90); Mesce, Deborah; Washington--After members of ACT UP drowned out Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Louis Sullivan s speech at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, Sullivan has asked aides to avoid all but necessary and productive dealings with the group. He said he will not let his department be ACT UP s punching ba
"Expert Praises Cuban AIDS Policy, Warns Against Promiscuity": Reuters (07/03/90); Fletcher, Pascal; Havana--Deputy Health Minister Hector Terry appeared on television Monday night to defend Cuba s policy of quarantining HIV carriers, saying that the county s tough testing and isolation policies have kept the infection rates low. Terry told the current affairs program Agenda Abierta (Open Agenda), however, that Cuba
"AIDS Cases Among Children in Brazil Double U.S. Rate": Reuters (07/03/90); Rio De Janeiro, Brazil--The rate of AIDS cases in Brazilian children has more than doubled the U.S. rate, Brazil s Minister of Health reported Tuesday. Of 11,897 cases of AIDS, 3.5 percent are among children under 15, said Eduardo Cortes, director of the Ministry s National Division of AIDS. Brazil has the fourth hi
"The Helquist Report: Take Control of the Pain": Advocate (07/03/90) No. 554, P. 24; Helquist, Michael; A growing number of health care facilities offer patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), which allows patients to dispense their own medication and determine acceptable levels of pain for themselves. PCA has been used to give women in labor, AIDS patients, cancer patients, and post-surgical patients an increased sense of
"The Right to Die: Signing Two Documents Can Help Ensure That Your Wishes" Will Be Followed: Washington Post (Health) (07/03/90), P. 6; Spolar, Chris; Last week s right-to-die decision by the Supreme Court means that if a person does not want to be kept on life support, he has to decide early and get it in writing. Two documents, a living will and a power of attorney for health care or medical treatment, can help exercise a patient s right to refuse life-sustai
"Attacks Rebuffed as House Committee Passes 'AIDS' and Homelessness Bill": New York Native (07/02/90) No. 376, P. 7; Robinson, Hank; The House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs approved a bill June 13 to address the problem of homelessness. The committee first defeated an attempt to delete funds for people with AIDS from the bill. The Housing and Community Development Act, HR 1180, would authorize $150 million annually to expand hou
"AIDS in the Age of Reason": U.S. News + World Report (07/02/90) Vol. 109, No. 1, P. 52; Findlay, Steven, and Silberner, Joanne; Important findings announced at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS included work by researchers to harness the body s own defenses as weapons against HIV. Immune-system regulators known as cytokines can turn HIV production on and off, reported Anthony Fauci and colleagues of the National Institute of Allergy
"The Body at War: Baring the Secrets of the Immune System": U.S. News + World Report (07/02/90) Vol. 109, No. 1, P. 48; Brownlee, Shannon; AIDS has provided unexpected insight to the workings of the immune system, researchers say. Scientists have finally solved the mystery of how antibodies and immune cells can recognize any toxin, bacterium, or virus that exists in nature. Antibodies, immune system proteins, rove the bloodstream and latch onto invader
"Sexual Revolution Reaches India, But Slowly": Associated Press (07/02/90); Pomfret, John; A budding sexual revolution in India brought about by a Westernized middle class has resulted in relaxed taboos and more explicit media and literature, as well as the rapid spread of HIV among prostitutes, particularly in Bombay. The number of HIV-infected Bombay prostitutes has ju
"Mexican Health Officials Want to Test Tourists for AIDS": Reuter (07/02/90); Mexico City--Mexico s Congress has proposed a bill that would give the Health Ministry the right to conduct random tests on tourists suspected of carrying HIV. The government news agency Notimex reported Monday that the tests would only be carried out in extreme cases, for fear
"Global Reported AIDS Cases Rise by 3,047 in June": United Press International (07/02/90); Geneva--Although the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 266,098 AIDS cases globally as of July 1, the agency estimates the true figure is two to three times higher because of difficulties in diagnosing and tracing cases in Africa and other developing countries. In addition, the
"AIDS Spurring Tuberculosis Rise in Florida, Experts Say": United Press International (07/02/90); Tampa, Fla.--State health officials say HIV is causing an unexpected increase in tuberculosis (TB) infections, especially in Miami, which has had the highest TB rate in the nation for several years. Don Kopanoff of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta says four percent of all AIDS patients have TB and the
"Judge Clears SP in Drug-Testing Case": Journal of Commerce (07/02/90), P. 2B; Southern Pacific Transportation Co., under fire for allegedly video taping railroad employees while they gave urine samples, was cleared of wrong-doing by a federal judge on Thursday, June 28. Judge A.J. McNamara ruled that video taping by a drug testing laboratory was not confrontational, but inadvertant, isolated,
"Court Decisions on Drug Testing Lack Guidance for Firms": Washington Post (Washington Business) (07/02/90), P. 28; Moskowitz, Daniel; Corporate managers will have to face the issue of employee drug testing in the near future, according to a recent report in HRMagazine. Three factors that will force employers to favor drug testing include society s increased drug use, unreliability of past employer reports on a worker s drug use, and the increase of
"Right-to-Die is Approved in Legislature": New York Times (07/02/90), P. B1; Sack, Kevin; New York State legislators yesterday overwhelmingly passed the health-care proxy bill, which will let people designate surrogates to make health-care decisions if they become unable to do so themselves. Surrogates would have the ability to make life and death decisions, but not the ability to withdraw life support un
"AIDSWEEK": Sunday San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle (07/01/90), P. A5; Hilton, Bruce; Proposed legislation in the House would force the United States to repeal its discriminatory immigration policy on HIV-infected travellers, which is particularly anomalous and inflammatory because it is directed to parts of the world with far lower rates of HIV infection, said Nation
"News of the Week from the Science World: AIDS Patient Care, 6/90": San Francisco Examiner (07/01/90), P. D15; Davidson, Keay; The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recommends inception of AZT treatment within 24 hours after needle-stick injury or other incident for health care workers accidentally exposed to HIV-contaminated blood on the job. Although the chance of developing HIV
"Managing HIV Exposure in Health Care Settings": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 8, P. 1; Gerberding, Julie Louise; San Francisco General Hospital instituted the HIV Counseling and Testing Service (CTS), reports Julie Louise Gerberding, director of CTS and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, to improve reporting of occupational exposures; optimize post-exposure counseling, education, treat
"AIDS Fighters at Risk": Risk + Insurance (07/90) Vol. 1, No. 1, P. 16; Norris, Eileen; Increasing numbers of AIDS-related liability lawsuits have driven home the importance of workplace safety and complete liability coverage for hospitals and pharmeceutical companies. Risk managers for these entities increasingly fear that more health-care workers might contract HIV, and are therefore implementing prev
"Physician Breach of Patient Confidentiality Among Individuals With Human" Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Patterns of Decision: American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 829; Schwartzbaum, Judith A.; The results of a survey of 199 white male primary care physicians in Tennessee suggest that when a physician decides to protect a third party by breaching an HIV-infected patient s confidentiality, their decision may be influenced in some cases by the race, sex, and sexual preference of the patient, write Judith A. Sc
"Effect of Changing Patterns of Care and Duration of Survival on the Cost" of Treating the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS): American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 835 (Seage, George R. III; In a two-year cost of illness study of 240 AIDS patients, the yearly inpatient cost per patient decreased by 28 percent from $38,369 in the first year to $27,714 in the second year, according to George R. Seage III and colleagues of the Boston Department of Health and Hospitals. The patients, who accounted for 55 per
"Hospitals Confronting Question of Compensation for Workers": AIDS Alert (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 128; California state Sen. Bill Lockyer has introduced a bill to make it easier for health-care workers who are exposed to HIV on the job to receive workers compensation. The bill would shift the responsiblity of proof that exposure occured on the job from the worker to the employer, who would then have to prove that an
"Counseling Health Workers after Accidental Exposure": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 8, P. 3; Dilley, James W.; Counselors who deal with occupational exposures of health-care workers to HIV must take into consideration typical concerns and uncertainties as well as decisions about taking AZT and possible feelings of stupidity about the accident, writes James Dilley, t
"Government Proposes DRGs for HIV-related Conditions": AIDS Alert (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 136; Because more AIDS patients are living long enough to qualify for Medicare, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has proposed revising the Medicare inpatient hospital prospect payment system to include coding for HIV infection. The proposal, outlined in the May 9, 1990 issue of the Federal Register, would m
"Survey Shows Providers may be Biased Against AIDS Patients": AIDS Alert (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 137; Bias against AIDS patients may be widespread in the medical profession, according to the results of an AIDS Alert National Reader Survey. Of 232 respondents, 174 said they knew of colleagues or coworkers who are biased against gays and IV drug users who carry HIV. The bias affects the treatment those patients receiv
"Strength in Numbers": Scientific American (07/90) Vol. 263, No., 1, P. 20; Horgan, John; Combination therapies will be the future of AIDS treatments, according to Robert Yarchoan of the National Cancer Institute. AZT causes severe anemia and engenders HIV resistance in six months--even more rapidly in more advanced cases of disease, according
"Journal Review: Pharmacokinetics of Oral Zidovudine (Azidothymidine) in" Patients with AIDS When Administered With and Without a High-Fat Meal: AIDS Alert (07/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 139; AZT should be taken on an empty stomach to achieve optimal concentrations in the blood, researchers J.D. Unadkat and colleagues of the University of Washington, Seattle, reported in the journal AIDS. The drug took three times longer to reach peak serum con
"The Increasing Frequency of Heterosexually Acquired AIDS in the United" States, 1983-88: American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 858; Holmes, King K., et al.; The incidence of heterosexually acquired HIV has increased from 0.9 percent in 1983 to 4.0 percent by the end of 1988, according to King Holmes and colleagues of the Univesity of Washington and the Centers for Disease Control. The pattern of distribution of heterosexually-acquired AIDS parallels the pattern for sexua
"Serious Poisonings Among Older Adults: A Study of Hospitalization and" Mortality Rates in Massachusetts 1983-85: American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 867; Woolf, Alan, et al.; Incidence of serious poisonings among older adults, as determined by hospitalization and death rates from 1983-1985, indicate that this population is more vulnerable than younger age groups, report Alan Woolf and colleagues of the Massachusetts Poison Control System, Tufts University, and the Massachusetts Department
"Risk Factors for Syphilis: Cocaine Use and Prostitution": American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 853; Rolfs, Robert T., et al.; Increased cocaine use may be partially responsible for increased syphilis incidence in the United States , report researchers Robert Rolfs and others of the Centers for Disease Control, who studied risk factors for syphilis in a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Philadelphia. Coca
"Educational Infant Care and the Public Health": American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 790; Leviton, Michael, et al.; A randomized clinical study by Martin and colleagues in this issue of the American Journal of Public Health shows that children of impoverished families who receive early group educational care have IQ scores 7.9 to 20.1 points higher than children cared for at home, write Michael Leviton and colleagues of Children s
"Cats and AIDS": Discover (07/90) Vol. 11, No. 7, P. 16; Cats may provide a perfect animal model for HIV disease. FIV, feline immunodeficiency virus, exactly parallels HIV infection in humans. The ailment first appeared in California in the early eighties in three cats that had numerous opportunistic infections including respiratory infections and lesions of the mouth and
"Assessment of AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Risk Level of" Northwestern American Indians: American Journal of Public Health (07/90) Vol. 80, No. 7, P. 875; Hall, Roberta L.; Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest are at a higher risk of contracting HIV than the general population because of the large numbers of youths using illicit drugs and the relatively small tribe-size, report Roberta Hall and colleagues of Oregon State University. The researchers surveyed 710 American Indians of
"New Technologies for a Safer Blood Supply": Technology Review (07/90) Vol. 93, No. 5, P. 22; Sandler, S. Gerald, and Popovsky, Mark A.; Although tests for infectious diseases, blood donor screening, and autologous blood donations have made blood transfusions safer today than in the past, scientists say that new technologies hold the key to a completely safe blood supply in the future. Blood donor screening and blood tests have made infection by HIV a
"HIV-1 DNA Proviral Sequences in Fresh Urine Pellets From HIV-1" Seropositive Persons: Lancet (06/30/90) Vol. 335, No. 8705, P. 1590; Li, Jian Jun, et al.; HIV antibodies have already been found in urine from HIV-positive individuals, and now HIV-1 DNA has been isolated from urine pellets by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), report Jian Jun Li and colleagues from New York University Medical Center, who say PCR of urine samples could be used for early detection of HIV infe
"MHC Genes and HIV Infection": Lancet (06/30/90) Vol. 335, No. 8705, P. 1591; Mallal, S., et al.; Certain genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) appear to influence the outcome of HIV infection associated with diverse HLA alleles, write S. Mallal and colleagues of Royal Perth Hospital, Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, and the University of Western Australia . Thes
"Conference: AIDS, San Francisco": Lancet (06/30/90) Vol. 335, No. 8705, P. 1581; Gelmon, Karen; Reports from the Sixth International Conference included high HIV incidence rates in Asian prostitutes, high rates of hospital-acquired infections in Eastern Europe, and unconfirmed reports from the USSR of infants with stomatitis infecting their mothers during breastfeeding. Studies from Africa indicated hospital-ac
"Thalidomide in Hyperalgic Pharyngeal Ulceration of AIDS": Lancet (06/30/90) Vol. 335, No. 8705, P. 1591; Youle, Mike, et al.; Thalidomide should be a secondary treatment choice in ulcerations seen in AIDS patients, write Mike Youle and colleagues of the AIDS Unit, Kobler Centre, London, because it is hard to obtain and may cause peripheral neuropathy . Short courses of oral steroids seem to
"Environment: What Home Radon Monitors Don't Monitor": Science News (06/30/90) Vol. 137, No. 26, P. 410; Two reports in a recent issue of the journal Health Physics describe two aspects of radon-222 decay that home monitors miss: the presence of decay product radon-220 and the fraction of decay products, or daughters, that do not cling to particles of dust. These daughters account for 55 percent of human radiation e
"Glimpses of the Holocaust": Economist (06/30/90) Vol. 315, No. 7661, P. 80; Third World AIDS budgets allow for some education and very little else, said Jonathan Mann, former head of the World Health Organization s Global AIDS Program. The cost of care of 15 U.S. AIDS patients equals the whole AIDS budget of the average developing country, he said. Mann warned of increases in heterosexual
"On the AIDS Barricades": Economist (06/30/90) Vol. 315, No. 7661, P. 79; At this year s international AIDS conference, the editors of the Economist write, people with AIDS showed restraint and gave scientists a rare chance to respond to life-and-death questions and well-informed opinions from the guinea pigs who take part in their clinical trials. These well-informed consumers heard about
"EPA Suspects ELF Fields can Cause Cancer": Science News (06/30/90); Raloff, J.; The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded, in a draft report released last week, that existing studies of the connection between extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagentic fields suggests, but does not prove, a causal link. The eight strongest epidiemiologic studies, which involve children, found elevated
"NEA Denies Grants to Four Artists": Associated Press (06/30/90); Dreyfous, Leslie; The National Endowment of the Arts has denied grants to four artists on the basis of strong sexual content. John Fleck, one of the artists whose grant was rejected, claimed the move was the latest in an attempt to wipe out different voices. Fleck s work touches on topics such as AIDS, the environment, religion, and
"Children's Hospital Receives $1.3 Million Grant for Pediatric AIDS Center": Associated Press (06/30/90); Newark, N.J.--The federal government will grant $1.3 million to Children s Hospital of New Jersey to act as a national clearinghouse for pediatric AIDS information. The grant will aid the establishment of a national children s AIDS resource center for physicians and other health care professionals seeking the latest
"Health Fraud Council Formed to Warn of Scams": United Press International (06/29/90); Albany, N.Y.--The New York Health Department has formed a Health Fraud Advisory Council to investigate products that play on public fears and to warn the public of sham treatments and health practices. The members of local, state, and federal medical and health agencies who will form the council will be unpaid and wi
"AIDS Meeting: Unexpected Progress": Science (06/29/90) Vol. 248, No. 4963, P. 1596; Barinaga, Marcia; The most promising advances presented at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS involved HIV at the molecular level. William Haseltine and colleagues of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reported that the nef protein, once thought to down-regulate replication and play a role in HIV latency, instead could be respon
"Global AIDS Total Increases, American Increase Cited": Associated Press (06/29/90); Geneva--The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 266,098 cases of AIDS worldwide, with more than 3,000 new cases reported this month. WHO said reports from North and South America were largely responsible for the increase, with 1,453 U.S. cases in June. The
"Charges Dropped in Alleged Plot to Inject AIDS Virus": United Press International (06/29/90); Springfield, Mo.--Murder conspiracy charges against Charles Crewse, a man who allegedly tried to have his former girlfriend injected with HIV, were dropped Thursday after a key witness changed his testimony. Vonda Taylor, chief clerk of the Greene County prosecutor s office, said key witness Joseph Hopkins, who had t
"AIDS Article Gets Prostitute Arrested": United Press International (06/29/90); Oakland, Calif.--Linda Kean, 36, a prostitute who appeared in the June 25 issue of Newsweek, was arrested minutes after police Sgt. Mike Martin saw her picture in the magazine. She was arrested on charges of violating probation, but police say they will seek charges of attempted murder if a judge agrees to have her
"VA Patient Mistakenly Receives AIDS Victim's Blood": Associated Press (06/29/90); Albuquerque, N.M.--A seriously ill patient with the same surname as an AIDS patient in the same ward at the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center accidentally received the blood of the AIDS patient after both men underwent a rare blood test in a 24-hour period. Although the mistake was discovered within an hour
"What Has AIDS Done to Land of 'Falsettos?'": New York Times (06/29/90), P. C3; Rich, Frank; Falsettoland, William Finn s sequel to March of the Falsettos, is a jubilant musical of courage and humor that, because it takes place in 1981-82, cannot help but deal with AIDS, writes Frank Rich for the New York Times. Now men in their prime must face their own mortality, Rich observes, which makes the play dev
"Albany Leaders Agree on Big Increase in Hospital Aid": New York Times (06/29/90), P. B1; Sack, Kevin; The New York Assembly and Senate have agreed to pump $420 million into the state s ailing health-care system. The agreement also revises the system s financing, bails out distressed hospitals, and provides incentives for expanding the availability of primary care. The state will provide $52 million through increased
"Sounding Board: Euthanasia--A Crtique": New England Journal of Medicine (06/28/90) Vol. 322, No. 26, P. 1881; Singer Peter A., and Siegler, Mark; The medical community should resist euthanasia, according to Peter Singer, a physician at the University of Toronto, and Mark Siegler, a physician at the University of Chicago, who describe the practice as deliberate action by physicians to terminate the life of patients. Proponents of euthanasia base their beliefs o
"FDA Approves Device for Deaf Children": United Press International (06/28/90); Kolberg, Rebecca; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) approved a device, the cochlear implant, for use in children who are deaf. The surgically-implanted device has been used in adults for years, but the manufacturer may now market the cochlear implant to children aged 2-17 with total hearing loss.
"Venereal Diseases on Rise in Northern Virginia": United Press International (06/28/90); Higher incidence rates of syphilis, HIV, herpes, chlamydia, and a treatment-resistant strain of gonorrhea have northern Virginia public health officials worried that people are not practicing safe sex and are trading sex for drugs. Cases of syphilis increased in six counties and nearly tripled in one county. Public
"Clinical Trials--It's Still A Man's World": Nature (06/28/90) Vol. 345, No. 6278, P. 754; Segawa, Shigeko; National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical studies are biased toward men, according to a recent General Accounting Office (GAO) study, despite a 1986 policy promoting balanced inclusion of women in such trials. At the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, women blocked traffic to protest the lack of clinical rese
"Infection with HIV-2 in a Resident of the United States": New England Journal of Medicine (06/28/90) Vol. 322, No. 26, P. 1887; Popovsky, Mark A., et al.; A 45-year-old asymptomatic woman from Cape Verde who had lived in the United States since 1985 tested positive for HIV-2 on enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot tests, report Mark A. Popovsky of the American Red Cross and fellow researchers.
"A Second Agent?": Nature (06/28/90) Vol. 345, No. 6278, P. 753; Concar, David; Luc Montagnier, leader of the French team that co-discovered HIV, announced at the Sixth International AIDS Conference that a mycoplasma enhances the infectivity of HIV and thus speeds progression to AIDS. Montagnier isolated mycoplasmas from AIDS patients blood and showed that coinfection with HIV increased viral p
"Protests Oust Science at AIDS Conference": Nature (06/28/90) Vol. 345, No. 6278, P. 753; Concar, David; The AIDS activist group ACT UP released a new list of demands at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, including ideas for speeding up clinical drug trials even further. ACT UP s middle track would enable drug companies to gather efficacy and toxicity data by monitoring AIDS patients not enrolled in clinical
"Organ Transplantation in HIV-Positive Patients with Hemophilia": New England Journal of Medicine (06/28/90) Vol. 322, No. 26, P. 1886; Ragni, Margaret V., et al.; Transplantation can prolong the lives of HIV-infected patients, report Margaret Ragni and colleagues of the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania. Three of four patients with HIV and hemophilia had symptom-free survival of transplantation even with immunosuppressive drugs, they report. These patients experienced
"Markers of Risk in HIV-1": New England Journal of Medicine (06/28/90) Vol. 322, No. 26, P. 1886; Kramer, Alexander, et al.; Serum beta-2-microglobulin levels or neopterin levels with CD4+ count better predicted AIDS risk than CD4+ lymphocyte levels alone in a cohort of 131 HIV-positive gay men evaluate between 1982 and 1988, report Alexander Kramer of the Institute of Medical Biometry, Federal Republic of
"Half a Million Nigerians Could Be AIDS Carriers--Minister": Reuters (06/28/90); Lagos, Nigeria--Blood donor tests over the past three years indicate that 0.4 percent of Nigerians, or almost half a million people, may carry HIV, according to Health Minister Olikoye Ransome-Kuti. Ransome-Kuti said that 480,000 of a population of 100 million people could carry the virus. He launched a national blo
"L.A. Files Suit to Shut Down Gay Bathhouses": United Press International (06/28/90); Harris, Michael D.; Los Angeles--The Los Angeles District Attorney s office has filed civil suits against three bathhouses, The Corral Club in Studio City, The Compound in North Hollywood, and the Hollywood Spa in Hollywood, in an attempt to shut them down and stem the spread of HIV. District Attorney Ira Reiner said the bathhouses enco
"Books: AIDS, Epidemiology": Journal of the American Medical Association (06/27/90) Vol. 263, No. 24, P. 3338; Altman, Ronald; The Epidemiology of AIDS: Expression, Occurrence, and Control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I Infection, edited by Richard A. Kasslow and Donald P. Francis, is a compilation of chapters on various aspects of the AIDS epidemic, each by an expert in a particular field, writes Ronald Altman of the New Jersey Depar
"Abstracts: Perinatal Transmission of HIV-1 in Zambia": Journal of the American Medical Association (06/27/90) Vol. 263, No. 24, P. 3266; Olson, Carin M.; The overall rate of perinatal transmission of HIV from infected mothers to children in a study of Zambian women was 42 percent, report S.K. Hira and others from the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. The researchers report that vertical transmission rates in Zambia are high, with poor prognosis. Of 109 in
"Stick AIDS in Your Head--Slogan Puzzles English Canadians": Reuters (06/26/90); Toronto--Unusual billboard advertisements that say AIDS. Stick it in your head instead! have Toronto residents and English speakers wondering if the message is a mistranslation from the French. Anne Moon, a spokeswoman for the Toronto Health Department, said many people had called in disturbed by the message. Moon
"Mann Proposes Radical Incentive for Making Future AIDS Vaccine Available" Worldwide: PR Newswire (06/26/90); San Francisco--Jonathan Mann, former director of the World Health Organization s (WHO) Global Program on AIDS, speaking at the AIDS + Ethics Conference in San Francisco, proposed a radical plan to get a future AIDS vaccine to the Third World. Mann has said that developing countries will not be able to afford the proh
"AIDS Patient Released from Hospital": United Press International (06/26/90); Sugar, Ken; Atlanta--Tony Mascio, the second patient to undergo a controversial AIDS treatment that involves heating the blood, was discharged from the Atlanta Hospital and Medical Center in good condition Monday. The experimental hyperthermia procedure has been previously used only as a cancer treatment. Although his doctors,
"AIDS Study Says Not All Patients Obtain Treatment": United Press International (06/26/90); Baltimore--A study of Maryland AIDS patients presented at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS has shown that white gay men are much more likely than women and minorities to have access to AZT and other drugs, and IV drug users are least likely to rec
"D.C. Considers Paying Insurance Costs Threatening AIDS Clinic": United Press International (06/26/90); Sardella, Sandra; Washington--District of Columbia City Councilmember Betty Ann Kane yesterday introduced emergency legislation that would effectively bail Whitman-Walker Clinic out of its insurance jam. The clinic faces curtailment of services because its insurer, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, raised the clinic s premiums to $600 per month
"AIDS and Misdirected Rage": New York Times (06/26/90), P. A22; ACT-UP was correct in its complaints at the San Francisco AIDS conference, but those complaints were secondary to the point of the conference, say the editors of the New York Times, who write that the group had no justification for interrupting Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan s speech and turning th
"AIDS Epidemic Puts an Unusual Microbe Under New Scrutiny": New York Times (06/26/90), P. C3; Altman, Lawrence K.; Scientists have linked mycoplasmas, the smallest free-living organisms, with HIV infection, but they are still struggling to determine how they cause such widespread disease througout the plant and animal kingdom. Last week in San Francisco, Dr. Luc Montagnier, a co-discoverer of HIV, said he was intensifying investi
"The Struggle to Revise Hospital Reimbursements": New York Times (06/26/90), P. B3; Sack, Kevin; New York legislators are struggling to use state regulatory powers to devise a new hospital reimbursement formula. The current formula, which controls the rates hospitals receive from insurers, has resulted in more than $1 billion in deficits for 1989 alone, and has done little to stem the fiscal burdens presented by
"Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Defies Easy Treatment": Washington Post (Health) (06/26/90), P. 5; Stone, Richard; Public health officials in Texas, California, and Pennsylvania are reporting an outbreak of tuberculosis resistant to drug treatment. The findings were reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers for Disease Control, which found that all nine patients were relatives or friends of a 41-year-ol
"Provision on AIDS Workers Scrapped": Washington Post (06/26/90), P. A13; Dewar, Helen; Yesterday, a joint panel of the House and Senate convened to rework the Americans with Disabilities Act killed an amendment that would allow employers to transfer food handlers with AIDS to other jobs. The conferees defied the majority votes of both houses in defeating the amendment, which could lead to further argum
"3,000 Papers at AIDS Gathering Point to Gains and Frustration": New York Times (06/26/90), P. C11; Hilts, Philip J.; At the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, scientists heard reports of much progress mixed with a sense that the epidemic will continue to spread faster than understanding of the disease. Delegates learned of several successes in vaccine development, of the efficacy of early intervention with
"More Theatrics Than Science": Washington Post (Health) (06/26/90), P. 7; Specter, Michael; Most of the delegates expected much theatrics and little science from the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, but many felt that ACT UP s final demonstration--drowning out Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan s closing address--went too far. Many researchers now question the value of international A
"When Illness Strikes and Health Insurance Won't Pay": Washington Post (Health) (06/26/90), P. 12; Matthiessen, Constance; Current estimates indicate that 37 million Americans are uninsured, many of whom are children whose parents jobs do not provide health insurance benefits or do not provide plans that cover their families. Other uninsured Americans make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance
"Unpublished Study Pegs Cost of New Drug at $231 Million": Scientist (06/25/90) Vol. 4, No. 13, P. 5; Jackson, Jack; In a just-completed, unpublished study of the cost of bringing a new prescription drug to market, the Tufts University Center for the Study of Drug Development has cited a figure nearly twice as high as previous estimates and revived the debate over whether data should be released to the public prior to publication an
"West Virginia Supreme Court Accepts Case of Security Officer Bitten by" AIDS Patient: Corporate Security Digest (06/25/90) Vol. 4, No. 25, P. 7; The West Virginia Supreme Court will hear the appeal of a case in which a West Virginia University Hospital security guard won a $2 million award after an AIDS patient bit him. WVU challenged the award on the grounds that it should not be held liable. The university also said the guard, Lofton Johnson, suffered no h
"Ethics: Medical Progress--Live! On CNN!": Time (06/25/90) Vol. 135, No. 26, P. 50; Alexander, Charles P.; Cable News Network last Thursday hyped an experimental and controversial new treatment for AIDS, hyperthermia, which had never been reviewed by experts or published in a medical journal. A CNN correspondent reporting live from Atlanta reported that a man named Tony was undergoing treatment to rid his body of AIDS
"AIDS: The Next Ten Years": Newsweek (06/25/90) Vol. 115, No. 26, P. 20; Cowley, Geoffrey; AIDS in the next decade will be worse than in the previous one, according to experts such as Jonathan Mann, former director of the World Health Organization s (WHO) Global Program on AIDS. An estimated 20 million people may be infected with HIV worldwide by the year 2000, with 5 million to 6 million sick. The world
"The Brave Souls Who Test AIDS Vaccines": Business Week (06/25/90) No. 3166, P. 23; Carey, John; Volunteers who test AIDS vaccines face the public s fear of HIV and possible stigma. Most people do not know that one cannot get AIDS from a protein from the virus outer coat, said Carol Hilton, coordinator of vaccine trials at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Volunteers will very likely produce enou
"World Wire: Postscripts": Wall Street Journal (06/25/90), P. A10; Mathewson, William; Travellers around Europe who buy Danish Inter-rail tickets now receive two free condoms and an AIDS prevention brochure.
"Protesters Take Over AIDS Event": Washington Post (06/25/90), P. A1; Specter, Michael, and Gladwell, Malcolm; Chanting Shame, Shame, Shame and armed with whistles and horns, hundreds of protesters almost completely drowned out Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan s closing speech yesterday at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. Angry at the U.S. policy restricting HIV-infected travelers, protesters pe
"AIDS: Getting More Than Its Share?": Time (06/25/90) Vol. 135, No. 26, P. 80; Krauthammer, Charles; AIDS patients deserve America s resources and compassion, but not a disproportionate share of the funding for deadly diseases, writes Charles Krauthammer for Time. ACT UP s demonstration at the National Institutes of Health last month, in which activists charged government and science with neglect, was misdirected, h
"Bioethics--ACT UP: Keeping the Pressure On": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. D15; Hilton, Bruce; Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, and the Sons of Liberty all knew the conventional wisdom that radical protest gets the other side angry and hurts the cause, but they found out from experience that movement comes only when the establishment is pushed, writes Bruce Hilton in his Bioethics co
"AIDS Watch": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. A13; Hilton, Bruce; Delegates to the AIDS conference were confused by the presence of protesters. The protesters drew attention to some problems people with HIV still face, including the government s refusal to coordinate research efforts, which leads to duplicate efforts around the country, the excessive role played by pharmaceutical f
"Kids' AIDS Movie": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. A17; Figueroa, Angelo; Between Friends, a film that makes its debut in San Francisco schools in the fall, focuses on Latinos and aims to get kids to use condoms early, writes Angelo Figueroa of the San Francisco Examiner. Buffy Bunting, a San Francisco city health educator and the film s executive producer, met with hundreds of Californi
"Medicine, Politics Merge on the Main Street of S.F.": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. A13; Cooper, Candy J., and Seligman, Katherine; Medicine and politics mingled Saturday as scientists and activists marched together in an AIDS unity march. Celebrating a new era of cooperation, delegates from the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, gray-suited scientists, and AIDS activists marched down Market Street to a rally in Justin Herman Plaza. Police
"Mushroom Extract May Be AIDS Fighter": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. A13; Lentinan, an extract of the shiitake mushroom used to treat cancer in Japan for two decades, appears to boost the immune systems of poeple with HIV, Donald Abrams of the University of California, San Francisco, reported at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. A significant n
"The AIDS Conference: Critics Say Cuba Hiding HIV Epidemic": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/24/90), P. D14; Krieger, Lisa M.; The Cuban government claims that only 434 Cubans are infected with HIV, but a group of Cuban-American doctors at the Sixth International AIDS Conference said that the numbers must be much higher. Doctors from Miami s Finlay Medical Group in Miami ran tests on blood samples from Cubans who fled in the 1980 Mariel boat
"Survey: MDs Fear AIDS Patients": Associated Press (06/24/90); San Francisco--Many medical residents across the nation want nothing to do with AIDS patients because of fear of infection and prejudice against infected groups, reported Molly Cooke and colleagues Saturday at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. Cooke and fellow researchers interviewed 1,045 doctors in 41 int
"AIDS Experts Tell of Work on Possible Vaccines": New York Times (06/24/90), P. 23; Hilts, Philip J.; Scientists reviewed vaccine work Saturday at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, at sessions so crowded some people had to be turned away. Within a year, researchers reported, they may begin preliminary tests on a vaccine to prevent vertical transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their fetuses. Tests of
"BCG Vaccination and Nutrition": Lancet (06/23/90) Vol. 335, No. 8704, P. 1536; Epstein, Paul R.; Malnutrition is known to adversely affect complement levels and T helper cell counts, which adversely affects immune response, writes Paul Epstein of Harvard Medical School, yet discourse on the subject of tuberculosis vaccine efficacy ignores the importance of nutrition. Studies have shown, Epstein writes, that as m
"HIV Disease and Sport": Lancet (06/23/90) Vol. 335, No. 8704, P. 1532; Quinn, Niall; Although Torre et al. (Lancet, May 4) report HIV transmission via a football injury in a man who claimed no other risk factors for HIV, Niall Quinn of the Institute of Neurology, London, expresses skepticism that the subject was not previously HIV-infected. Quinn asks if blood had been removed previously, stored, and
"HIV Disease and Sport": Lancet (06/23/90) Vol. 335, No. 8704, P. 1532; Hoffman, P.N., and Cookson, B.D.; HIV transmission via sports injury during a brief collision between players, of which Torre et al. report a possible case (Lancet, May 4), is unlikely, suggest P.N. Hoffman and B.D. Cookson of the Central Public Health Laboratory, London. They argue that during the brief moment of impact and direct contact, it is im
"Computers Shape AIDS-Drug Search": Science News (06/23/90) Vol. 137, No. 25, P. 390; Cowen, R.; Researchers have turned to viral geometry and computers to develop new weapons against HIV. Irwin D. Kuntz Jr. and colleagues of the University of California-San Francisco used a special computer program to probe a database of 10,000 drug chemistries and find molecules with the right shape to block HIV protease, a cr
"New Genes for Ailing Hearts?": Science (06/22/90) Vol. 248, No. 4962, P. 1492; Marx, Jean; Molecular biologists have been making strides toward gene therapy for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The first attempt at gene therapy on a human patient will be performed later this year on children with severe immunodeficiency, but it may be many years before gene therapy will be available to help millions
"News Report: Inside the Gallo Probe": Science (06/22/90) Vol. 248, No. 4962, P. 1494; Culliton, Barbara J.; Science magazine has examined documents and lab notebooks submitted as evidence in the National of Institutes of Health investigation into the discovery of HIV. An independent query of senior scientists by Science magazine concerning the evidence has produced the opinion that Robert Gallo did not commit fraud, and th
"AIDS and the Future": Science (06/22/90) Vol. 248, No. 4962, P. 1484; Palca, Joseph; The second decade of the AIDS epidemic will severely affect women, according to a report by the National Research Council released at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. There is a large and diverse population of women who use IV drugs or whose sexual partners do, according to Heather G. Miller, who headed th
"Study Indicates Heterosexual AIDS Risk Higher for Women than Men": Associated Press (06/22/90); Researchers have found that men infected with AIDS are 14 times more likely to pass the virus to women during sexual intercourse than the other way around. The study investigated 58 male sex partners of infected women in the United States , and found only one man to have become infecte
"Smoking may Speed Onset of AIDS in Those with Virus": United Press International (06/22/90); A University of California, Berkeley, study of men infected with HIV indicated that smokers were almost twice as likely to develop thrush or AIDS, or to die during the 56-month period considered. Presented at the Sixth annual Conference on AIDS in San Francisco, the study said
"Judge Dismisses Charges of AIDS as Weapon": Washington Post (06/22/90), P. D5; Escobar, Gabriel; Superior Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbino dismissed charges of assault with a deadly weapon--the AIDS virus--in the case of Michael Feaster, an HIV-infected Washington, D.C., man who stands accused of sexually abusing six children. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, prosecutors defined the deadly weap
"House Panel Clears Measure Amending Orphan Drug Law": Wall Street Journal (06/22/90), P. B4; Noah, Timothy; A House subcommittee approved a bill that would modify the Orphan Drug Act to deny orphan drug status for rare diseases when the number of people with the disease the drug treats grows beyond the 200,000 mark. The bill would deny the manufacturers of drugs for diseases such as AIDS large monopoly profits when the pat
"Genentech Drug to Combat AIDS Gets Mixed Review": Wall Street Journal (06/22/90), P. B4; Chase, Marilyn; CD4-IgG, Genentech s soluble antibody designed as an HIV-decoy therapy for AIDS patients, is non-toxic but has yet to prove effective, Lawrence Corey and colleagues of the University of Washington, Seattle, reported at the Sixth International AIDS Conference. Scientists hoped the combination decoy and antibody would
"Relapses Into Risky Sex Seen by AIDS Experts": New York Times (06/22/90), P. A18; Lambert, Bruce; Researchers at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS reported worrying relapses into unsafe sex among some gays, particularly younger men who have not experienced the horrors of AIDS. Ron Stall and colleagues of the University of California, San Francisco, reported on a survey of 389 gay San Francisco men that s
"Evidence Is Said to Increase on Microbe's Role in AIDS": New York Times (06/22/90), P. A18; Hilts, Philip J.; Luc Montagnier, co-discoverer of HIV, said at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS that he believes a mycoplasma works with HIV to cause AIDS. Montanier s announcement supports an unpopular hypothesis long held by researcher Shyh-Ching Lo. Many scientists, however, said that they did not believe the mycoplasma
"Duesberg, HIV, and AIDS": Nature (06/21/90) Vol. 345, No. 6277, P. 659; Weiss, Robin A., and Jaffe, Harold W.; Peter Duesberg s claim that HIV is not the cause of AIDS, based on Koch s 100-year-old postulates, is as absurd as the ideas that HIV comes from outer space, germ warfare, or evil vapors, write Robin A. Weiss and Harold W. Jaffe in Nature. Duesberg argues that HIV fails each of Koch s three postulates, but Koch aband
"Inosine Pranobex--Is a Single Positive Trial Enough?": New England Journal of Medicine (06/21/90) Vol. 322, No. 25, P. 1807; Kweder, Sandra L., et al.; The Pedersen study of inosine pranobex is interesting and provocative, but several questions remain before the scientific community can accept their claims of efficacy for the drug, write Sandra Kweder and colleagues of the Food and Drug Administration. Previous studies of inosine pranobex in HIV-infected patients
"The Efficacy of Inosine Pranobex in Preventing the Acquired" Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (06/21/90) Vol. 322, No. 25, P. 1757; Pedersen, Court, et al.; Treatment with inosine pranobex, or isoprinosine, delayed onset of AIDS in HIV-infected patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, report Court Pedersen and colleagues from Sweden and
"The Role of Physicians in Educating Patients About AIDS": New England Journal of Medicine (06/21/90) Vol. 322, No. 25, P. 1822; Warshaw, Leon J., and Barr, Judith K.; Patients are less likely to get AIDS information from their physicians than from the media, personal contacts, government, or the workplace, report Leon Warshaw and Judith Barr of the New York Business Group on Health, which conducted a survey of 3460 employees at 12 work sites. Furthermore, they write, when patients
"Risk of Exposure of Surgical Personnel to Patients' Blood During Surgery" at San Francisco General Hospital: New England Journal of Medicine (06/21/90) Vol. 322, No. 25, P. 1788; Gerberding, Julie L., et al.; All surgical personnel are at risk for exposure to patient blood during operations, report Julie Gerberding and colleagues of San Francisco General Hospital, who report on a study of 1307 consecutive surgical procedures and 960 gloves used by surgical personnel. Accidental parenteral or cutaneous exposure to blood oc
"Fatal Inertia": Far Eastern Economic Review (06/21/90) Vol. 148, No. 25, P. 28; Handley, Paul; Despite booming HIV infection rates, Thai authorities have been slow to implement needed prevention and health care programs. The country s sentinel surveillance program is one of the first in the region, but experts say much more needs to be done. The World Health Organization estim
"Dangerous Liaisons": Far Eastern Economic Review (06/21/90) Vol. 148, No. 25, P. 25; Handley, Paul; In Thailand , HIV is moving from the IV drug-using population into the population of low-charging female prostitutes, their clients, and their clients wives and babies. Surveys by the Ministry of Public Health show the disease is spreading rapidly into the general population, but
"When Young Love is Soiled by the Agony of the Drug World": New York Times (06/21/90), P. B1; Treaster, Joseph B.; Angelo B. and Jacqueline S., teenager drug users who wanted to enter treatment programs, encountered many of the roadblocks that stand between New York City drug addicts and help. They were lucky, however, as persistent social workers got them into programs. New York City has half a million addicts, of whom 140,000
"Reporter's Notebook: Protest, Not Poignancy, Marks AIDS Gathering": New York Times (06/21/90), P. B5; Gross, Jane; As protests threaten to overwhelm science at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, researchers are being persuaded to meet in smaller and more dispersed gatherings to avoid the storm of discontent over U.S. research progress and immigration policies. Protesters, no longer content to merely hold candlelight vigi
"Surgeons' AIDS Risk Tallied": New York Times (06/21/90), P. B5; Altman, Lawrence K.; One surgeon or operating nurse every eight years will become infected with HIV, according to researchers who studied surgical procedures at San Francisco General, which treats a high-risk AIDs population. At hospitals with lower-risk patients, the chance of occupational exposure is about one infection every 80 years,
"Federal Researchers Report AIDS Is Moving to New Groups in U.S.": New York Times (06/21/90), P. B5; Hilts, Philip J.; AIDS is moving to new groups in society, specifically women, adolescents, and non-IV drug users, the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences research arm, reported at the Sxith International Conference on AIDS. The Academy appealed for funds to support new education and prevention campaigns, incl
"Higher Lymph-Cancer Risk Is Noted In AIDS Survivors": Wall Street Journal (06/21/90), P. B4; People who live with AIDS or ARC for three or more years and take AZT have a 46 percent chance of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma, according to Robert Yarchoan of the National Cancer Institute. AIDS researchers around the country have reported rates of 10
"AIDS Talks Open Amid Protests of Immigration, Health Policies": Wall Street Journal (06/21/90), P. B4; Chase, Marilyn; On the first day of the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, protesters forced their way into San Francisco s Moscone Center as 12,000 delegates filed in for the opening ceremonies. Police arrested 90 demonstrators from ACT UP, four of whom made it into the convention center before they were apprehended. June Osb
"Tumors of Smooth-Muscle Origin in HIV-Infected Children": Journal of the American Medical Association (06/20/90) Vol. 263, No. 23, P. 3182; Chadwick, Ellen Gould, et al.; HIV may play a role in tumor formation, write Ellen Gould Chadwick and colleagues from the Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School. The researchers report finding tumors that originated in the smooth muscle in three children ages 4, 5, and 8, who were infected with HIV as infants and who had
"High-Risk STD/HIV Behavior Among College Students": Journal of the American Medical Association (06/20/90) Vol. 263, No. 23, P. 3155; Mac Donald, Noni E., et al.; Effective AIDS education programs are needed to change the behavior of high school and college students to increase condom use and decrease the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD), report Noni MacDonald and colleagues of Canada . The scientists assessed STD/HIV risk
"The Helquist Report: Good News on ddI--for Some": Advocate (06/19/90) No. 553, P. 32; Helquist, Michael; The New York Times and the Washington Post carried the same story about two studies of ddI on the same day (May 10, 1990), but the Post hailed the drug for raising hope while the Times reported mixed results in ddI studies, writes Michael Helquist of the Advocate. The difference in reports results from the import
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle (06/17/90), P. A18; Hilton, Bruce; An Egyptian doctor caused a stir last week in Cairo by suggesting that smoking a hookah or water pipe could lead to AIDS, although the idea that HIV can be spread through saliva has been discredited....San Francisco began the first name-brand outdoor advertising campaign for condoms--other condom campaigns have been p
"USA: Trouble at the EPA": Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1451; Sibbison, J.B.; An investigation by EPA inspector general John Martin into allegations that Robie Russell, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency s Seattle office, cared more about industry than the environment, has uncovered low employee morale and fear of retaliation for criticizing Russell. Martin found that Russell t
"Impact of Waterborne Outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis on AIDS and Renal" Transplant Patients: Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1455; Clifford, C. P.; During a recent waterborne outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Oxford, 5 of 23 AIDS patients acquired cryptosporidium and had severe, persistent symptoms, write C.P. Clifford of Churchill Hospital and fellow researchers from John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. However, although renal transplant patients on immunos
"Clinical Case Definition for AIDS in Africa": Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1456; Jackman, J., and Hedderwick, S.; People who are not expert in HIV disease have much difficulty applying the World Health Organization s (WHO) clinical pediatric AIDS case definition for Africa, write J. Jackman and S. Hedderwick of St. Bartholomew s Hospital Medical College, London. For this reason, the researchers write, the definition is inaccurat
"Conference: Health in Southern Africa": Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1451; Zwi, Anthony; Anti-apartheid activists, health care workers, members of the African National Congress, and many others met in Maputo, Mozambique , for the Fourth International Conference on Health in Southern Africa from April 9 to 15 to agree on health and social service reforms for an acces
"Noticeboard: Sharps Practice": Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1454; Resheathing a needle before disposal is not a safe practice, according to the British Medical Association (BMA) code of practice for safe disposal of sharps. Reports cited in the BMA booklet hold that 70 percent of sharps injuries in an American teaching hospital occurred during preparation for needle disposal, and 3
"HTLV-I/II Seropositivity and Death From AIDS Among HIV-1 Seropositive" Intravenous Drug Users: Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1439; Page, J. Bryan, et al.; Infection with HTLV-1 or HTLV-II appears to adversely affect the outcome of HIV infection, report J. Bryan Page and colleages of the University of Miami School of Medicine. In a study of 230 IV drug users in Miami, 46.5 percent carried HIV and 23 carried HIV and HTLV-I/II. The researchers found that the patients wit
"Bookshelf: The AIDS Knowledge Base: A Textbook on HIV Disease From the" University of California, San Francisco, and he San Francisco General Hospital: Lancet (06/16/90) Vol. 335, No. 8703, P. 1429; Lipsky, James J.; The AIDS Knowledge Base is a text version of information now available on database, writes James J. Lifsky of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md. Unfortunately, Lifsky writes, the book s index is inadequate, especially in comparison with the database index. Because of the nature of the book, he comments, cove
"Harvard May Drop 1992 AIDS Meeting Over Travel Limits": New York Times (06/15/90), P. B4; If the United States does not remove travel restrictions on people with AIDS, Harvard University announced Thursday, the school will not host the annual international AIDS conference in 1992. If Harvard decides not to hold the meeting, said Alan Fein, director of the conference, it wi
"AIDS Travels New York-Puerto Rico 'Air Bridge'": New York Times (06/15/90), P. B1; Lambert, Bruce; The air bridge between New York and Puerto Rico , which millions of Puerto Ricans have crossed over the last 50 years, is now linking the city and its southern-most suburb in the AIDS epidemic. Puerto Rico has the nation s highest per capita rate of new cases, more than thr
"The Best AIDS Programs Are Too Few for Too Many": New York Times (06/15/90), P. B4; Lambert, Bruce; In Puerto Rico , there are many more people with AIDS than there are clinics, medicine, and treatment resources. In San Juan, Children s Hospital has a pediatric AIDS clinic that serves only a small number of the 350 HIV-infected babies born each year, and the AIDS Institute ha
"An Exclusion That Makes No Sense": Washington Post (06/15/90), P. A25; Gostin, Larry and Cleary, Paul; The Immigration and Naturalization Service s (INS) policy restricting travel of HIV-infected persons is specious public health policy, write Larry Gostin of the American Society of Law and Medicine and Paul Cleary of Harvard Medical School. From a global perspective, they write, it is ironic that a country with one
"Many Students Remain at Risk of AIDS Despite Education Efforts, Study" Finds: Wall Street Journal (06/15/90), P. B4; Ruffenach, Glenn; A nationwide study of high school students compiled from departments of education in 30 states and 10 cities has found that many high school students are at high risk for HIV despite AIDS prevention education efforts. The Centers for Disease Control study found that many students have many sex partners, use IV drugs,
"AIDS: Blocks on the Viral Exit": Nature (06/14/90) Vol. 345, No. 6276, P. 573; Weber, Jonathan; Buonocore and Rose have described a novel approach to intracellular immunization, a process described by David Baltimore two years ago in the journal Nature to mean the interruption of viral replication with dominant negative mutant viral genes, writes Jonathan Weber of Hammersmith Hospital, London. The researchers
"News and Views--AIDS: Soviets Enact New Law": Nature (06/14/90) Vol. 345, No. 6276, P. 564; Kanin, Yuri; The Supreme Soviet unanimously approved a new law on AIDS which will take effect at the beginning of next year, writes Yuri Kanin of Novosti. The law would mandate treatment by health-care providers, prohibit disclosure of HIV infection, and guarantee a pension for patients infected with HIV through poor practice at
"Sounding Board: Screening Immigrants and International Travelers for the" Human Immunodeficiency Virus: New England Journal of Medicine (06/14/90) Vol. 322, No. 24, P. 1743; Gostin, Larry O., et al.; Travel restrictions against HIV-infected people have traditionally been used to protect regions where seroprevalence is low, but the United States has one of the highest infection rates and the broadest testing and exclusion policy, write Larry Gostin and colleagues from Harvard Medica
"Protection of Chimpanzees from Infection by HIV-1 After Vaccination with" Recombinant Glycoprotein gp120 but not gp160: Nature (06/14/90) Vol. 345, No. 6276, P. 622; Berman, Phillip W., et al.; In chimpanzees immunized with subunit vaccines made from HIV proteins gp120 and gp160, gp120 appeared to effectively immunize two chimps against infection for more than six months, report Phillip W. Berman and colleagues of Genentech Inc. The control chimp and two vaccinated with a
"Prevention of HIV-1 Glycoprotein Transport By Soluble CD4 Retained in the" Endoplasmic Reticulum: Nature (06/14/90) Vol. 345, No. 6276, P. 625; Buonocore, Linda, and Rose, John K.; The soluble CD4 molecule, retained in the endoplasmic reticulum of human T cells, could provide a means of intracellular immunization, in which genes encoding proteins that block HIV growth are introduced into a patient s cells, as researcher David Baltimore suggested, report Linda Buonocore and John Rose of Yale Un
"Court-Ordered AIDS Test Upheld": United Press International (06/14/90); Cross, Jeannie H.; Albany, N.Y.--New York State s Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling Thursday that will force a defendant who bit three law enforcement officers to be tested for HIV. The decision angered civil rights advocates who say the test violates the defendant s rights. Furthermore, the test provides no guarantee that
"AIDS Cases in Indiana Expected to Double by 1992": United Press International (06/14/90); Indianapolis--An epidemiologist with the Indiana Board of Health has predicted that the number of AIDS cases in the state may double by 1992, with many new infections in black women aged 20 to 29. The number of infected children would then increase, said Mary Lou Fleissner, state epidemiologist, as these women passed
"Steven A. Martindale, 46, Well-Known Socialite, Dies": Washington Post (06/14/90), P. B10; Smith, J.Y.; Steven Martindale, a Washington socialite, died yesterday of AIDS at George Washington University Hospital. Martindale, who was 46, worked for former senator Charles Goodell (R-N.Y.), and as a lawyer, consultant, literary agent, and lobbyist for various causes. He was influential in making John Lennon s stay in the
"World Wire: Postscripts": Wall Street Journal (06/14/90), P. A10; Mathewson, William; Upperclassmen at Khon Kaen University in Thailand abandoned a tradition of taking freshmen to brothels because of fears of AIDS, a Thai newspaper said. Instead of the trip to the brothel, the students got a lecture about AIDS.
"Legal Beat: Physicians in AIDS Case Hit with $26.9 Million Judgment": Wall Street Journal (06/14/90), P. B8; Hayes, Arthur S., and Green, Wayne E.; Arizona State District Judge David R. Cole passed judgment formalizing a $28.8 million award for Alexander Edwards, a five-year-old who contracted HIV through unauthorized blood transfusions, and his family. The lawsuit held Phoenix physician Abraham Kuruvilla and Neonatology Associates Ltd. liable for negligence in
"District Expected to Help Clinic": Washington Post (06/14/90), P. B8; Barker, Karlyn; Employee health insurance costs for the Whitman-Walker Clinic, a major AIDS service organization in Washington, D.C., have increased so much in the last year that the clinic could face a curtailment of services. The clinic s insurance premiums have risen from $142 per employee per month in January 1989 to $600 per em
"Many Black Gays Missing Message on 'Safe Sex'": Washington Post (06/14/90), P. A17; Gladwell, Malcolm; Almost half of black gay men continue to engage in unprotected anal sex despite knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, according to a study by the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention funded by the Centers for Disease Control. In addition, a third of the men reported having sex with women, but less than 20 percent sa
"Fast-Killing Simian AIDS Found": New York Times (06/14/90), P. B9; Researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University said they have found a stain of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) that killed two monkeys in six days, in contrast to the usual eight months or more that monkeys can survive with the strain o
"House Approves $4 Billion in Relief for AIDS": New York Times (06/14/90), P. B9; Hilts, Philip J.; The House of Representatives yesterday approved by a 408 to 14 vote its version of a disaster relief bill for AIDS. The bill authorizes $4 billion over five years to all states and to 16 cities hit hardest by AIDS. The Senate approved a similar bill May 16 to provide $2.9 billion. A conference committee will be ask
"Poorer Countries Are Hit Hardest By Spread of AIDS, U.N. Reports": New York Times (06/13/90), P. A8; Hilts, Philip J.; AIDS is rapidly switching from a disease of developed countries to a disease of Third World countries, Michael Merson, director of the World Health Organization s (WHO) Global Program on AIDS, said Monday. Five years ago, half the world s known HIV infections occurred in developed countries, Merson said, while today
"Rape Victim Suggests Attacker Should Be Told of AIDS Risk": United Press International (06/12/90); Tulsa, Okla.--A 22-year-old Tulsa woman has said that she was raped April 19, and that her attacker should be told she has tested HIV-positive. She said Monday that she told police the name of her alleged attacker, but that no arrest has been made. Police officials say they cannot legally tell the man he may have be
"Tainted Blood-Throwing Threat Denied": United Press International (06/12/90); Bridegam, Martha; San Francisco--Members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) yesterday angrily denied rumors that they would throw HIV-infected blood at police during demonstrations against the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. The rumor started in a local television interview with a San Francisco police officer who
"More Kids with AIDS; More Day Care Resistance": United Press International (06/12/90); Cincinnati--A new study Tueday found that as the need grows for preschool care for children with AIDS, kids will face a high level of fear and resistance from day care directors and staff. The University of Cincinnati study found that two-thirds of all day care workers would be fearful of working with children with
"AIDS Coalition Calls for Passage of Housing Subsidy Bill": United Press Internationl (06/12/90); Hmieleski, Lou; Albany, N.Y.--AIDS coalitions across New York called for passage of part of Gov. Mario Cuomo s budget that would provide subsidies for nonmedical housing for homeless AIDS patients, saying the bill would help empty hospital beds occupied by HIV-infected people who are well enough to leave but have nowhere else to go.
"Effort to Teach Teens About Homosexuality Advances in Schools": Wall Street Journal (06/12/90), P. A1; Putka, Gary; AIDS has helped bring discussions about homosexuality into the classrooms of 33 states and 80 percent of large school districts in the United States . Anne Thompson Cook, a consultant to the National Education Association, says, You can t do AIDS prevention if you can t talk about peo
"New York AIDS Cases Are Found to Level Off": New York Times (06/12/90), P. C10; The New York State Health Department s annual statistical summary of AIDS research showed that the number of AIDS cases appeared to level off in 1989. In addition, survival rates for the HIV-infected rose sharply, health officials said yesterday. There were 6,720 new AIDS cases reported last year, far under the depa
"Advances in Treatment Change Face of AIDS": New York Times (06/12/90), P. C1; Altman, Lawrence K.; As drug treatment gradually controls and prevents Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), the most common killer of AIDS patients, a wider array of infections and cancers has arisen. These complications include cancers, secondary infections that attack weakened immune systems, muscle weakness, wasting disease, and nerv
"Urine Testing for AIDS": Scientist (06/11/90) Vol. 4, No. 12, P. 8; Calypte Biomedical Corp. of Berkeley, Calif., claims to have developed a urine test for AIDS as accurate as conventional blood tests. The Food and Drug Administration s recent decision to allow applications for AIDS home test kits may eventually provide a market for Calypte s urine test kits. Howard B. Urnovitz, a f
"Couple Dedicates Professional Life to AIDS": Associated Press (06/11/90); Ryckman, Lisa Levitt; New York--Ellen Altmann, a nurse, quit her job at LaGuardia Hospital after doctors told her she was spending too much time with an AIDS patient. That was 1984, when doctors thought she would catch the disease just by being in the patient s room too often. Now Ellen and her husband, Ed, have built their nursing caree
"Survival Rate Lower for Black AIDS Victim": United Press International (06/11/90); Nashville, Tenn.--AIDS has killed 60 percent of blacks diagnosed with AIDS in Tennessee since 1982, compared with 53 percent of whites, state health officials said. In addition, 26 percent of new HIV infections occured among blacks in 1989, up from 22 percent in 1987. The percentage of whites among new infections de
"AIDS Home Care May Be Due For Some Housecleaning": Business Week (06/11/90) No. 3161, P. 20; Bremner, Brian; Home health care services can sometimes offer up to 30 percent savings over hospitals costs for patients with AIDS-related illnesses and other serious conditions. However, many industry followers and legislators suggest that the $10 billion industry needs better regulation and oversight. Private insurers, AIDS group
"Increasing Incidence of a Lymph Cancer Seen Among Long-Term AIDS" Survivors: Wall Street Journal (06/11/90), P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; Doctors at major AIDS centers report that as people are living longer on AZT , the erosion of their immune systems leaves them vulnerable to non-Hodgkin s lymphoma , an aggressive cancer of B-cells produced in the body s l
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Examiner (06/10/90), P. A6; Hilton, Bruce; Last week, San Francisco s religious leaders met with Mayor Agnos to begin recruiting the 1,500 new AIDS volunteers the city needs by the end of the year, encouraging churches and synagogues to adopt an agency. ...The Immigration and Naturalization Service reportedly plans to invoke a rarely enforced law barring homo
"In AIDS-Stricken Uganda Area, the Orphans Struggle to Survive": New York Times (06/10/90), P. 1; Perlez, Jane; In Rakai County, Uganda , as many as 40,000 children have been orphaned by the deaths of their mothers and fathers from AIDS. It is not uncommon that a 70-year-old grandparent is left to care for 12 surviving grandchildren. In a 30-mile stretch from Rakai County to Lake Victoria,
"Folate, Vitamin B12, and HIV Infection": Lancet (06/09/90) Vol. 335, No. 8702, P. 1401; Boudes, Pol, et al.; Decreased folate levels in HIV-infected individuals may have important implications for treatment, report Pol Boudes and colleagues of France . The researchers found decreased folate levels in a significant number of 74 HIV-infected people not receiving folic acid supplements. Dec
"Trends in HIV Transmission in Pregnancy": Lancet (06/09/90) Vol. 335, No. 8702, P. 1401; Henrion, R., et al.; Increasingly, European women are becoming infected with HIV through heterosexual transmission, especially in France , report French researchers R. Henrion and colleagues of the Clinique Universitaire Port Royal and Inserm-U 149, Paris, France. Between 1984 and 1989, heterosexual tr
"Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing of HIV-1 Seronegative At-Risk" Individuals: Lancet (06/09/90) Vol. 335, No. 8702, P. 1400; Lefrere, Jean-Jacques, et al.; An international quality control system is needed to standardize usage of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before it is used widely as a diagnostic tool to detect HIV-1 infection, write Jean-Jacques Lefrere of the Institut National de Transfusion Sanguine, Paris, France , an
"Preliminary Report: Accurate Assays for Anti-HIV in Urine": Lancet (06/09/90) Vol. 335, No. 8702, P. 1366; Connell, J.A. et al.; Urine tests based on modified ELISA and Western blot, as well as an IgG-capture particle adherence test, may be able to detect HIV infection when blood sampling is inconvenient, difficult, or unacceptable, report British researchers J.A. Connell and others. Commerical ELISA tests were inaccurate, they observe, but a
"Gravediggers Refuse to Bury AIDS Children in Romania": Reuters (06/09/90); Tucker, David; Bucharest, Romania--Fear of AIDS is causing gravediggers to refuse to bury bodies and parents to refuse to claim them from mortuaries, Romanian Health Ministry officials said. More than 70 children have died of AIDS this year in Romania, which still suffers from lack of understanding of the disease--AIDS officially d
"Homeowner Policy Covers Sex Disease Damages": United Press International (06/08/90); San Francisco--The California Supreme Court let stand an appeals court decision that held an insurer responsible to defend a policyholder who passed on a sexually transmitted disease to his girlfriend. The ruling, the first of its kind in the state, could hold insurers liable for a wide range of sexually transmitted
"New York City Approves Restriction on Deceptive AIDS Ads": United Press International (06/08/90); New York--New York City has approved a ban on deceptive ads for unproven AIDS treatments, the first such law in the country, the city s Consumer Affairs Commissioner said Friday. National magazines such as Cosmopolitan and the Advocate, as well as weeklies such as the Village Voice, have run ads touting expensive vit
"World Wire: Postscripts...": Wall Street Journal (06/08/90), P. A6; Mathewson, William; Former French Health Minister Michele Barzach said France should legalize brothels as part of an effort to stem the spread of HIV. She said that since brothels were banned in 1946, prostitutes have not been forced to undergo medical tests as they had in the past. The lack of such
"AIDS Vaccine Is Promising in Test Tube": Wall Street Journal (06/08/90), P. B4; Bishop, Jerry E.; Scientists at Johns Hopkins University Medical School report in Science magazine that lymphocytes taken from volunteers immunized with an experimental HIV subunit vaccine showed an unexpected ability to kill only HIV-infected cells in the test tube. Researchers Robert Siliciano and colleagues said the killer lymphocy
"The Meaning of AIDS: Implications for Medical Science, Clinical Practice," and Public Health Policy: New England Journal of Medicine (06/07/90) Vol. 322, No. 23, P. 1678; Gold, Ronald; The Meaning of AIDS: Implications for Medical Science, Clinical Practice, and Public Health Policy, edited by Eric T. Juengst and Barbara A. Koenig, is a must for anyone interested in AIDS or in the ethics of medical care and public health, writes Ronald Gold of the Vaccine Evaluation Centre, Vancouver, British Colum
"Induction of AIDS in Rhesus Monkeys by Molecularly Cloned Simian" Immunodeficiency Virus: Science (06/01/90) Vol. 248, No. 4959, P. 1109; Kestler, Harry, et al.; Cloned simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the closest known relative of the HIV lentiviruses, has been used to induce AIDS in common rhesus monkeys, providing a useful animal model for the study of human AIDS, report Harry Kestler and colleagues of the New England Regional Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical Sc
"Briefs: AIDS Kids Risks": Washington Technology (06/07/90) Vol. 5, No. 5, P. 15; A study by Johns Hopkins University cardiologist Ann Kavanaugh-McHugh has shown that children with AIDS are more likely to develop heart problems. The children are usually born with normal hearts, she said, but develop pumping problems and the hearts enlarge and collect fluid. This condition is also found in 58 perc
"Racial Differences and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (06/07/90) Vol. 322, No. 23, P. 1672; Davies, P.D.O. and Nisar, M.; Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in immune deficiency, partially explaining racial differences in observed patterns of tuberculosis (TB) infection and potentially having consequences for treatment of AIDS, write P.D.O. Davies and M. Nisar of Sefton General Hospital, Liverpool, England. The researchers write that
"Book Reviews: Public and Professional Attitudes Toward AIDS Patients;" AIDS and the Allied Health Professions: New England Journal of Medicine (06/07/90) Vol. 322, No. 23, P. 1677; Aiken, Linda H.; With Public and Professional Attitudes Toward AIDS Patients, David E. Rogers and Eli Ginzberg have assembled an informative, provocative, and timely book that examines the response of health care professionals to HIV-infected patients, particularly fear of exposure, attitudes and behaviors, and methods to ensure a
"Collection and Transfusion of Blood in the United States, 1982-1988": New England Journal of Medicine (06/07/90) Vol.322, No. 23, P. 1646; Surgenor, Douglas, et al.; Widespread fear of HIV caused an unprecedented decline in homologous blood donations between 1982 and 1988 that could have meant serious shortages in the U.S. blood supply, report Douglas Surgenor of the Center for Blood Research and Harvard Medical School and his colleagues. Importation of packed red cells from Euro
"San Francisco Police Sued Over Conduct at AIDS Protest": United Press International (06/07/90); San Francisco--In a $5 million suit filed yesterday, San Francisco police have been charged with beating and insulting demonstrators at an AIDS demonstration last Oct. 6 and trapping passers-by inside homes and businesses on Castro Street for over half an hour. The protest resulted in more than 50 arrests, mostly of
"Health Board: Publicize Arrested "Johns" Names": United Press International (06/07/90); Tacoma, Wash.--To help stem the spread of HIV, syphilis, and other sexually transmitted diseases, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Board wants to publicize the names of men arrested for soliciting prostitution. The board voted in favor of asking newspaper and broadcast editors to publish the names of johns --men arre
"AIDS Activists Arrested": United Press International (06/07/90); Wilmington, Del.--Activists from ACT UP and AIDS Brigade were arrested yesterday on felony and misdemeanor counts for distributing needles to IV drug users to protest Delaware laws prohibiting such practices. The activists, from New York and Boston, had set up a needle-exchange program in an area of Wilmington known
"AIDS Testing at Least 97.8 Percent Accurate": United Press International (06/07/90); Sugar, Ken; Atlanta--A four-year study of the efficacy of U.S. blood screening efforts has determined that the overall accuracy of the ELISA and Western blot tests is 97.8 percent, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The CDC study found that 99.3 percent of ELISA tests correctly identified HIV-positive blood sa
"Blood Tests Used More Extensively for Life Insurance": Wall Street Journal (06/07/90), P. C8; Slater, Karen; Life insurance companies are now requiring blood samples from more applicants because of AIDS. Although most insurers require blood samples from applicants for more than $100,000 worth of life insurance coverage, some companies in areas where there is a high incidence of HIV have lowered the limit to $50,000. The pr
"Group Predicts Big Rise in AIDS for New York": New York Times (06/07/90), P. B2; A report by the American Council on Science and Health warned yesterday that one in 25 New Yorkers would develop HIV disease in the next decade, creating enormous problems for the local economy and the health-care system. The report said that every New Yorker will face reduced health care and quality of life if servi
"Senate Backs Shift of AIDS Workers": Washington Post (06/07/90), P. A19; Dewar, Helen; The Senate yesterday voted to support a proposal from Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) that would amend the Americans with Disabilities Act to allow the transfer of people with AIDS from jobs involving food handling. The provision would require employers to make reasonable accommodation for alternative employment for foo
"A Ceausescu Legacy: Warehouses for Children": Washington Post (06/07/90), P. A1; Battiata, Mary; Romania s orphanages are human warehouses where abandoned children who resemble pale skeletons lie in dirty blankets in closed, stuffy rooms suffering from malnutrition and disease, particularly AIDS. Thousands of families, forced by Nicolae Ceausescu s regime to have babies, deposited their children in institutions
"Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Anal Papillomarvirus Infection Among" Homosexual Males With Group IV HIV Disease: Journal of the American Medical Association (06/06/90) Vol. 263, No. 21, P. 2911; Palefsky, Joel M., et al.; Immunosuppressed gay males have a high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and anal intraepithelial neoplasia, possibly predicting a high risk of developing anal cancer, report Joel Palefsky and colleagues of the University of California, San Francisco. HPV infection has been associated with cancers of
"AIDS Triggers Drop in Blood Transfusions": United Press International (06/06/90); Klinger, Karen; Boston--AIDS has spawned a remarkable change in blood collection and use, said Douglas Surgenor of Harvard University s Center for Blood Research. According to a study of blood use at 5,000 hospitals between 1982 and 1988, Surgenor said, transfusions peaked in 1986 and then dropped, indicating that safety concerns
"A Stronger Glove for Hospital Staffs": New York Times (06/06/90), P. D6; Spectra, a tough fiber used in bulletproof vests, will be used in surgical gloves to protect operating room staffs from cuts and scrapes. The Allied-Signal Inc. fiber, already used in body armor, is polyethelene with an extremely high molecular weight. It is 10 times as strong as steel and 35 percent stronger than K
"Immunex's GM-CSF Clears FDA Hurdle for Orpan Rights": Wall Street Journal (06/06/90), P. B4; The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has granted Immunex Corp. an orphan drug designation for granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an experimental drug that stimulates growth of infection-fighting white blood cells. The biotech company gets exclusive rights t
"Biotech Firms Get AIDS Vaccine Patent": Washington Times (06/06/90), P. C3; Viral Technologies Inc. has received the first U.S. patent for a component of a potential AIDS vaccine. The patent covers exclusive production, use and sale of HGP-30, a synthetic protein designed to induce antibody production against an HIV core protein. The patent will be issued later this summer to Viral Technolo
"Buwunga Journal: For the Oppressed Sex, Brave Words to Live By": New York Times (06/06/90), P. A4; Perlez, Jane; Women are afraid of AIDS in rural Uganda , where traditionally women s rights is an oxymoron. Submissiveness is common in this culture, where women are often married off at 14, are expected do the back-breaking physical labor, and must kneel when meeting men. There are signs of ne
"Stein Needles Myers on Bleach Program": United Press International (06/05/90); Jacobson, Dan; New York--New York City Health Commissioner Woodrow Myers is condemning people to death by cutting a program to teach IV drug users to kill HIV by cleaning their needles with bleach, City Council President Andrew Stein said Tuesday. Several recovering addicts and officials from the Association for Drug Abuse Preven
"Help is Hard to Find for AIDS-Endangered Addicts": United Press International (06/05/90); Byron, Peg; New York--Despite rising numbers of HIV-infected IV drug users, the federal government has eliminated the largest AIDS prevention program for addicts. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will start closing the 63 experimental counseling projects in September. Next year, officials said, none of the sites will
"Longtime AIDS Sufferer Dies": United Press International (06/05/90); San Francisco--One of the longest survivors of AIDS died after an eight-year fight against the disease. Dan Turner was diagnosed with Kaposi s sarcoma when the life expectancy for people with AIDS was about a year. However, he went on to give hundreds of speeches on how to live productively with AIDS. Turner served
"AIDS Experts Fear Backlash": Washington Times (06/05/90), P. A1; Price, Joyce; That Living with AIDS columnist Clifford Moyers of Columbia, Mo., was thrown through a restaurant window is considered brutal evidence by some experts that the public s hostility toward AIDS patients is growing. C. Everett Koop, the former surgeon general, worries about increasing intolerance and resentment against
"Failure of AIDS Drug Taints ICN": New York Times (06/05/90), P. D1; Lev, Michael; The failure of ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. to market the drug ribavirin as an experimental AIDS drug has severely damaged the company s credibility in the medical and business communities. In January 1987, ICN called a news conference to announce that ribavirin had prevented the onset of AIDS in clinical trials, despite
"Best-Selling Author/Doctor to Review how India's Ancient Medicine," Ayur-Veda, Offers Help for AIDS Patients: Business Wire (06/04/90); In San Francisco s Mission District, the Ayurveda Health and Education Resources of San Francisco offers comprehensive holistic care and counseling for those infected with HIV. Ayur-Veda is a 6,000-year-old Indian health regimen that involves nutrition, traditional herbal therapies, exercise, and meditation. Clients
"U.S. to Sell Condoms to Ukraine": Reuters (06/04/90); Nakaso, Pam; San Francisco--To make sex safer in the Soviet Union, Mayer Laboratories Inc. and Soviet-American Business Opportunities Inc. has contracted with the Ukrainian Health Ministry to make, market, and distribute condoms in the U.S.S.R. Soviet health officials, concerned about a possible AIDS epidemic, say the need for co
"Surgeon General Broadens Public Health Agenda": United Press International (06/04/90); Berliner, Jeff; Anchorage, Alaska--Surgeon General Antonia Novello has added teen alcohol use, mental health, and women s needs to a national agenda of health priorities topped by AIDS and smoking. In her first major address as surgeon general Monday, Novello warned that an aggressive plan of action against AIDS must be maintained as
"For Case Management": New York Times (06/04/90), P. A22; Silverman, Mervyn; Case management, the coordination of medical and social services, is what has made the San Francisco model for AIDS care work, according to Mervyn Silverman, director of San Francisco s AIDS Health Services Program, who writes in response to a New York Times article that AIDS care is more than just special nursing
"Troop Cutback Would Limit Spread of AIDS": New York Times (06/04/90), P. A22; Epstein, Paul R.; The U.S. military presence in the Philippines , South Korea , and other parts of the world contributes to the spread of HIV, writes Dr. Paul R. Epstein, chairman of the AIDS Task Force in Camb
"Boy Awarded $26.7 Million in AIDS-Tainted Transfusion": New York Times (06/04/90), P. A20; In Arizona, a Maricopa County Court jury awarded $26.7 million to Alex Edwards, a five-year-old boy who contracted HIV from an unauthorized blood transfusion after his birth in 1985. The court also awarded $1 million to each of his parents. On May 23, the jury found Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla and Neonatology Associates L
"World Wire: World's AIDS Cases Rise": Wall Street Journal (06/04/90), P. A8; Mathewson, William; The global AIDS case total reached 263,051 in 156 countries in May, an increase of almost 9,000 cases. Most of the increases occurred in the United States and Africa, according to reports to the World Health Organization . The U.S. reported 6,309 new c
"Genentech Test of AIDS Vaccine Protects Two Chimps from Virus": Wall Street Journal (06/04/90), P. B4; Chase, Marilyn; Genentech Inc. announced that it has protected two chimps for six months from one strain of HIV using a vaccine made from genetically-engineered gp120. The researchers broke the tradition of silence before publication of results, which are not scheduled to appear until later this mo
"American Notes: Safe Sex and the Flag": Time (06/04/90) Vol. 135, No. 23, P. 57; The San Francisco AIDS Foundation spent $10,000 for an eye-popping safe sex poster campaign: two naked young men partially draped by the American flag. The posters, which will appear in 30 bus shelters around San Francisco, carry the caption: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, with a picture of one man ho
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Examiner (06/03/90), P. A4; Hilton, Bruce; AIDS groups demonstrating in Lafayette Park across from the White House during the Bush-Gorbachev summit demanded that AIDS be added to the summit agenda. The Soviet Union is expected to report 6,000 AIDS cases in 1991 and 24,000 in 1992....American delegates to an AIDS conference in Madrid declared that the Statue o
"Campus Life: UMASS--Using the Stage to Teach Students About Safe Sex": New York Times (06/03/90), P. 44; To inform University of Massachusetts students about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, 13 students perform skits in the dormitories. The students formed the Not Ready for Bedtime Players two years ago in response to increased campus demand for an information forum about subjects from AIDS to communicatio
"Biomedicine: The Double Whammy of TB and AIDS": Science News (06/02/90) Vol. 137, No. 22, P. 348; Fackelmann, Kathy A.; The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that physicians routinely test for HIV when confronted with tuberculosis (TB), because of the recent surge in TB cases in the United States associated with HIV infection. Saundra Carmichael and colleagues of the Waccamaw Public Health D
"Biomedicine: Drug Spray Strikes Out in Severe Pneumonia": Science News (06/02/90) Vol. 137, No. 22, P. 348; Fackelmann, Kathy A.; Pentamidine in aerosol form may be ineffective as a treatment for advanced Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), according to a study by Guy Soo Hoo and colleagues of the University of California Los Angeles. While the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has approved inhaled pentamidi
"Port-au-Prince Journal: A Hospice Gives Testimony to AIDS' Rising Toll": New York Times (06/02/90), P. 2; French, Howard W.; Almost as many women as men come to the Missionaries of Charity hospice in Port-au-Prince, Haiti , to die of AIDS these days. Researchers in the city say HIV has infected as many as 6 percent of the city s 700,000 residents. In the hospice, 80 percent of those with HIV have tubercu
"A Reliable Animal Model for AIDS": Science (06/01/90) Vol. 248, No. 4959, P. 1078; Palca, Joseph; Ronald Desrosier and colleagues of the New England Regional Primate Center have identified a clone of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) that infects rhesus monkeys, causing an AIDS-like disease and death. Their work is significant because the researchers know the sequence of the virus and that it consistently c
"Clinic Services 'Strained to Breaking Point'": Washington Blade (06/01/90) Vol. 21, No. 22, P. 1; Chibbaro, Lou Jr.; An internal report by Whitman-Walker Clinic volunteers says the Washington, D.C., clinic s AIDS services are strained to the breaking point. The clinic may no longer be able to provide quality assistance to all those who apply, because of an increased caseload and changing demographics, according to the report. Whi
"Targeted Discovery Studies AIDS Virus, Cell Interaction": Washington Times (06/01/90), P. C13; Mallin, Jay; Targeted drug discovery is a relatively new method researchers are using to find drugs to fight AIDS. Traditionally, scientists have used random drug-screening, a more hit-or-miss effort in which they test as many natural and synthetic compounds as possible on tissue cultures infected with a target disease. The Nati
"In a Research Advance, Scientists Infect Monkeys with a Cloned Simian" AIDS Virus: New York Times (06/01/90), P. B5; For the first time, scientists have infected monkeys with a cloned version of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the closest relative of the human AIDS virus. Because a clone is an exact copy of the virus made in the laboratory, scientists know all of its characteristics. Researchers will now be able to make p
"More Eligible for AIDS Drug": New York Times (06/01/90), P. B5; Hilts, Philip J.; The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it has approved a plan to give AIDS patients wider access to dideoxycytidine ( ddC ), an experimental antiviral drug from the same chemical family as ddI and
"Altering the AIDS Virus": Discover (06/90) Vol. 11, No. 6, P. 14; A recent article in the journal Science contained a note of caution concerning...biosafety measures when culturing HIV. The note, from Robert Gallo, suggested that lab experiments might create airborne viral variants. The note caused widespread concern because it described an AIDS virus altered by coinfection with
"Africa's Struggle to Slow Population Growth": Futurist (06/90) Vol. 24, No. 3, P. 7; Rapid population growth in countries in sub-Saharan Africa is hindering their socioeconomic development, prompting several to adopt official policies to slow growth, according to a recent report by the Population Reference Bureau. However, tribal culture promotes high fertility and funds for family-planning programs
"California Expands Model Program for Early Intervention": AIDS Alert (06/90) Vol. 5, No. 6, P. 117; California s early intervention programs for care of HIV-infected patients serve as models for the entire country for early medical care, counseling, and education. The state funded eight centers last year and three this year using mostly state money. Because most of the centers were set up in existing health clinic
"The Dangers of Doing It": Newsweek Special Issue (Summer/Fall 1990) Vol. 115, No. 27, P. 56; Kantrowitz, Barbara; A group of Washington, D.C., high-school students, members of the Center for Population Options Teen Council, are assembling a pamphlet on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) for distribution to students nationwide. Experts believe 15-to-19-year-olds are the age group most at risk because of their ignorance. Many s
"Update on HIV Transmission": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research + Counseling (06/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 1; Lifson, Alan R.; Updated knowledge of how HIV is tranmsitted will help prevent new infections, writes Alan R. Lifson of the San Francisco Department of Public Health AIDS Office. Receptive anal intercourse carries the greatest risk, Lifson writes, but researchers have described infections in men who reported only insertive anal inter
"Routine Assessment of HIV Risk Now a Must for Physicians": AIDS Alert (06/90) Vol. 5, No. 6, P. 113; Now that the benefits of early treatment and intervention with AZT have been documented, experts say that physicians and other health care providers must begin to assess patients for HIV risk. At a recent panel discussion in New York City, Marcus Conant, c
"Journal Review: AIDS and the Urinary Tract...": AIDS Alert (06/90) Vol. 5, No. 6, P. 120; Renal failure, ranging from lethal nephropathy to electrolyte abnormalities, may be the earliest manifestation of HIV infection, S. O Regan and colleagues of the University of Montreal reported in the Journal of AIDS. The researchers suggest that the urinary tract is susceptible to HIV-related complications, and that
"Refining Safer Sex": Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling (06/90) Vol. 5, No. 7, P. 3; Schram, Neil R.; The American Association of Physicians for Human Rights (AAPHR) 1983 guidelines for safer sex should be refined in light of increased knowledge about HIV, writes Neil R. Schram, chair of the AAPHR s AIDS Task Force. Updated guidelines will help people set limits on their behaviors to minimize risk, he writes. The r
"Too Big to Treat Fully--'AIDS: The Women'": American Book Review (06/90) Vol. 12, No. 2, P. 8; Schott, Penelope Scambly; AIDS: The Women, edited by Ines Rieder and Patricia Ruppelt, contains 40 essays and two poems from women ranging from highly educated to underclass, uninfected to dying, layperson to activist to social worker, observes Penelope Scambly Schott. The book s many perspectives--essays from foreign nationals, the sick, c
"Altering the AIDS Virus": Discover (06/90) Vol. 11, No. 6, P. 14; A recent article in the journal Science contained a note of caution concerning...biosafety measures when culturing HIV. The note, from Robert Gallo, suggested that lab experiments might create airborne viral variants. The note caused widespread concern because it described an AIDS virus altered by coinfection with
"Africa's Struggle to Slow Population Growth": Futurist (06/90) Vol. 24, No. 3, P. 7; Rapid population growth in countries in sub-Saharan Africa is hindering their socioeconomic development, prompting several to adopt official policies to slow growth, according to a recent report by the Population Reference Bureau. However, tribal culture promotes high fertility and funds for family-planning programs
"Alioto Targets 'Twin Peaks'": Bay Area Reporter (05/31/90) Vol. 20, No. 22, P. 10; Friday, Wayne; San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto has denounced the season finale of ABC s Twin Peaks because of a scene in which two characters cut their fingers and rub them together in a blood-brother ritual, writes Wayne Friday of the Bay Area Reporter. Alioto said the scene outraged many in the AIDS community because it
"AIDS: One Finger in the Romanian Dike": Nature (05/31/90) Vol. 345, No. 6274, P. 379; Dickman, Steven; A new report from the Romanian government indicates that intense efforts to stop the spread of HIV are failing. The official figure of 478 Romanians with clinical AIDS may be severely underestimated and the number of HIV-infected people is unknown. Because of disorganization in the Health Ministry and a shortage of
"The Risk of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia": New England Journal of Medicine (05/31/90) Vol. 322, No. 22, P. 1607; Felser, James M. and Labriola, Ann M.; How does the presence of HIV-related symptoms such as thrush and fever enhance the risk of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with CD4+ counts above 200, James Felser and Ann Labriola of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C., ask in response to an
"AIDS Research: Protesters Ask for More": Nature (05/31/90) Vol. 345, No. 6274, P. 376; Concar, David; A recent demonstration by the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) represents the latest struggle in an escalating battle by the activist group to influence the way AIDS research is conducted. ACT UP s increasingly emotional campaign focuses on several key criticisms of
"Government Restrictions and Fear Hamper AIDS Control, Says Report": Associated Press (05/31/90); Johnson, Maureen; London--A separate epidemic of discrimination has hampered efforts to fight AIDS, sending high risk individuals underground, according to a report the Panos Institute and the Norwegian Red Cross issued yesterday. Public fears, harsh government controls, stigma, and job and housing discrimination represent the Third
"Product Liability Sought in AIDS Case": United Press International (05/31/90); McDaniel, Robert; Olympia, Wash.--Baxter Healthcare Corp. and Miles Laboratories may face strict liability for using tainted plasma in coagulant medicine for hemophiliacs. Julia Langley, an attorney for 10-year-old Jeremy Rogers, who has HIV disease, said the companies knew they were taking chances paying people for plasma and that th
"State Investigating AIDS Discrimination by Ambulance Company": United Press International (05/31/90); Indianapolis--The Indiana Civil Rights Commission is investigating charges that one of the largest ambulance companies in the state, Parr Lance Ambulance Service, discriminated against AIDS patients. Allegations against the ambulance service include charging AIDS patients more by requiring that they travel in more ex
"Doctors Say Blood Heating may Have Eliminated AIDS Virus": United Press International (05/31/90); Sugar, Ken; Atlanta--Researchers are cautiously optimistic about a blood-heating procedure that appears to have eliminated HIV from the body of a patient with AIDS. Drs. Kenneth Alosno and William Logan of Atlanta Hospital used an apparatus similar to a dialysis machine to heat the blood of Carl Crawford. With Crawford under ge
"Gay and Lesbian Festival Widens Its Film Horizons": New York Times (05/31/90), P. C18; Holden, Stephen; The New York International Festival of Lesbian and Gay Film opens tonight at the Biograph in Manhattan. Three series within the festival, which will likely be the largest of its kind yet held in the United States , will focus on Asia, AIDS, and films directed by women. The fourth seri
"Last Days of 3 Gay Men with AIDS": New York Times (05/31/90), P. C16; Holden, Stephen; A Quiet End, a play by Robin Swados, deals with the inner lives of three gay men in the final stages of AIDS, writes the New York Times Stephen Holden. The play differs from recent works about the lives of gay New Yorkers, Holden writes, because it ignores the history and politics of the epidemic to confront the fe
"AIDS Epidemic Fueling Surge in Tuberculosis": Washington Post (05/31/90), P. A4; Gladwell, Malcolm; AIDS has fueled a sudden resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) that has complicated the efforts of health care workers in Africa and in U.S. inner cities. The sudden increase in TB threatens hundreds of thousands of people in Africa and high numbers of HIV-infected people in Los Angeles, Newark, and New York. After years
"AIDS Columnist Assaulted in Restaurant": Associated Press (05/30/90); Columbia, Mo.--Clifford Moyers, who writes a Living with AIDS column Sundays for the Columbia Tribune about his daily struggles with the disease, was thrown through a restaurant window last Sunday. Police said Moyers was discussing gay rights with friends when men at a neighboring table began to harass them and the
"Police Ready But Few Demonstrators at White House": Associated Press (05/30/90); Skorneck, Carolyn; Washington--Dozens of police showed up at Lafayette Park across from the White House Wednesday to deal with an expected crowd of 2,000 U.S.-Soviet summit protesters, but the only people on hand were Cure AIDS Now, an activist group, and a Soviet rock band, Gaza, promoting AIDS research. Police expected thousands of p
"Boise Man Pleads Innocent to Spreading AIDS Virus": United Press International (05/30/90); Boise, Idaho--Kerry Stephen Thomas, 25, accused of willfully exposing five sex partners to HIV, pleaded innocent Tuesday to those charges and to counts of statutory rape. Thomas, the second person in Idaho charged with knowingly spreading HIV, is being held on $1 million bond in Ada County Jail and faces up to 75 yea
"AIDS Group to Send White Roses to Bush": Washington Times (05/30/90), P. B2; Reddick, Tracie; The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) began a War of the Roses campaign on Memorial Day to urge the Bush administration to take a stronger leadership role in the fight against AIDS. In the first part of its campaign, NAPWA has asked each American to send the White House a white rose, symbolizing compas
"World Wire: Postscripts...": Wall Street Journal (05/30/90), P. A9; In Vancouver, Canada , a school-board committee has approved a new plan to help students protect themselves from AIDS. The board has authorized the installation of condom-dispensing machines in the bathrooms of the city s 18 high schools beginning in September.
"Ilondola Journal: Old Rites Bring New Hopes to Zambian Marriages": New York Times (05/30/90), P. A4; Perlez, Jane; In Ilondola, Zambia , the women of the Bemba people have brought back traditional initiation ceremonies to fight promiscuity and AIDS, which has seeped into the northern villages from the urban areas. The women perform rhythmic dances with sacred clay emblems called Mbusa each nigh
"AIDS Warning on X-Rated Videos": Associated Press (05/29/90); Canberra, Australia--The Adult Video Industry Association said that anti-AIDS messages will appear at the beginning of all X-rated videos distributed in Australia. The messages will feature actor Jack Thompson, who starred in the film Breaker Morant, and a computer graphics sequence showing how HIV is transmitted.
"Early Release Effort Attempted in Baltimore": United Press International (05/29/90); Baltimore--City officials have decided to release at least 14 inmates from jail this year to try to save Baltimore money on medical bills for costly treatments. Most of those released have AIDS. Parole officials will attempt to funnel the inmates into other government-assisted programs--hospitals, convalescent homes
"AIDS Tests Draw Fines": United Press International (05/29/90); Augusta, Maine--New England Insurance Co. and New England Variable Life Insurance Co. must pay a total of $7,900 in fines for testing applicants for HIV in violation of state law, Insurance Superintendent Joseph Edwards said yesterday. An investigation by the Bureau of Insurance found that the insurers had tested 79
"AIDS Funding Yields Multiple Side Benefits": Washington Times (05/29/90), P. H3; Cooper, Stephen K.; Senate and House appropriations committees will use the results of a recent survey by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) ordered by the House Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations that found that scientists from a broad range of specialties thought AIDS research benefited other fields
"Pinching Blood Supply to AIDS-Linked Cancer": Wall Street Journal (05/29/90), P. B1; Scientists working with human platelet factor 4 (PF4), a human protein that inhibits formation of blood vessels in the body, say it looks promising as a treatment against Kaposi s sarcoma (KS). PF4, by inhibiting angiogenesis, may cut off nutrients to KS tumors and prevent the cancer s growth and spread in AIDS patie
"Gravestone Dedicated During Memorial Day Service": Associated Press (05/28/90); Fulford, Jennifer M.; Cicero, Ind.--Ryan White s grave received a granite headstone Monday with the epitaph Kid of Courage, which his mother composed, etched at the top. The Indiana youth spent the last five years of his life educating the public about AIDS. Ryan was remembered on Memorial Day for his arduous battle against the disease
"South African Disputes Report on Infant AIDS": Insight (05/28/90) Vol. 6, No. 22, P. 34; A report in the Times of London that one in six children born in Soweto are infected with HIV is absolute nonsense, according to South African AIDS expert Ruben Sher. In all of South Africa, only 1 in 300 to 400 pregnant black women carry HIV, Sher claimed.
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Examiner (05/27/90), P. A8; Hilton, Bruce; The California Assembly passed a bill last week that would add sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, to the list of mandatory subjects for school health education courses....The World Conference on Lung Health, held in Boston, heard reports that aerosol pentamidine is very effective for pneumocystis prophylaxi
"Borough to Pay for Disclosing Man Had AIDS": New York Times (05/27/90), P. 34; The borough of Runnemede, N.J., must pay $55,000 to the family of a resident who had AIDS, a borough lawyer said Friday. A U.S. District Court found the borough liable because a police officer disclosed to a neighbor that the man had AIDS. The neighbor then spread the word throughout the community. The suit claimed
"HIV and Needlestick Injuries": Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1280; Morgan, David R.; A comprehensive sharps injury control program is the most important component of HIV risk reduction for health care workers, writes David R. Morgan of the British Medical Association. In his work with an American risk assessment project, Morgan writes, he learned that the prevention of sharps injury remains difficu
"Zidovudine Concentrations in Human Fetal Tissue: Implications for" Perinatal AIDS: Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1280; Lyman, William D., et al.; AZT may not reach effective viral concentrations in the central nervous system (CNS) fluid of fetuses whose mothers take the drug during pregnancy, meaning neurological dysfunction, a potentially devastating aspect of perinatal HIV-infection, will not be am
"Round the World--Ireland: Murphy's Law": Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1268; On May 15, the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) was fined in Dublin District Court for selling condoms in Dublin s Virgin Megastore, the first time in recent decades that a reputable institution has been fined for promoting preventive medicine. Under a 1979 law, the Health (Family Planning) Act, contraceptive
"Africa's Tuberculosis Burden and Chemoprophylaxis": Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1249; African countries, faced with increasing rates of tuberculosis-HIV dual infections, need studies to determine the efficacy of tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis, write the editors of the Lancet. The United States , which recommends chemoprophylaxis for dual infection, may be able to support
"Suppression of HIV Antigenaemia by AL721": Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1281; Shinitzky, Meir, and Skornick, Yehuda; In a study of 16 HIV-infected patients at different clinical stages who received AL721 daily, the drug reduced antigenemia to limits below the level of detection without toxic effects in five of nine patients, report Meir Shinitzky and Yehuda Skornick, Israeli physicians. Previous reports in the Lancet by Peters et a
"Failed Prophylactic Zidovudine After Needlestick Injury": Lancet (05/26/90) Vol. 335, No. 8700, P. 1280; Looke, D. F. M., and D. I. Grove; Australian physicians D. F. M. Looke and D. I. Grove report a case of ineffective AZT prophylaxis after a deep needlestick injury. A health-care worker, they write, began AZT prophylaxis within six hours of a puncture with a needle used to draw blood from
"Antiviral Drug Helps AIDS Patients": United Press International (05/26/90); San Francisco--Foscarnet, an antiviral drug, successfully controlled herpes simplex virus infection, a common and often painful disorder in AIDS patients, University of California-San Francisco researchers reported Saturday. Foscarnet effectively treated 26 AIDS patients who failed to improve after a course of
"AIDS Drug Ineffective, Researchers Report": United Press International (05/26/90); Tampa, Fla.--Beta interferon, an immune modulator researchers hoped would boost the immune systems of AIDS patients, is ineffective, scientists at teh University of South Florida report. Thirty patients received beta interferon in conjunction with AZT for
"The Playwright as Witness: Craig Lucas, Bringing AIDS Into Focus": Washington Post (05/25/90), P. D1; Span, Paula; Craig Lucas, 39-year-old playwright and author of Longtime Companion, a film about AIDS, says he witnessed the events in the film himself. The film is a chronicle of something I know about, he says. In one scene, a man visits a friend who is dying of AIDS and tries to wash the microbes off his body after he leav
"Recombinant Human Erythropoietin for Patients with AIDS Treated with" Zidovudine: New England Journal of Medicine (05/24/90) Vol. 322, No. 21, P. 1488; Fischl, Margaret, et al.; Human erythropoietin (EPO) may be useful for AIDS patients who suffer AZT-induced anemia, report Margaret Fischl and colleagues from the University of Miami. In a controlled study of EPO in AIDS patients on AZT, the researchers found that 29 patients on EPO needed fewer transfusions than 34 patients on placebo after
"News and Views: HIV-1 Origins--A Finger on the Missing Link": Nature (05/24/90) Vol. 345, No. 6273, P. 288; Desrosiers, RonaldC.; The discovery by Thierry Huet and French colleagues of the closest simian relative to HIV-1 to date does not solve the mystery of HIV-1 s origin, but does provide the most significant clues thus far, writes Ronald C. Desrosiers of the New England Regional Primate Research Center. The primate lentivirus SIV-cpz relate
"Genetic Organization of a Chimpanzee Lentivirus Related to HIV-1": Nature (05/24/90) Vol. 345, No. 6273, P. 356; Huet, Thierry, et al.; A lentivirus found in two wild chimpanzees in Gabon in west equatorial Africa is the closest relative yet to HIV-1 found in simians, report Thierry Huet and colleagues of the Institut Pasteur, Paris. The virus, referred to as SIV-cpz, cross reacted with all HIV-1 proteins and envel
"AIDS Rumor Victim Perpetrated Hoax, Prosecutor Says": Associated Press (05/24/90); Gallagher, A.V.; Charleston, W.Va.--A county prosecutor announced Thursday that Bill Grealis, a florist in a rural community who claimed he was beaten and harassed because people mistakenly thought he has AIDS, apparently made up the story. Grealis checked himself into a psychiatric unit of Thomas Memorial Hospital yesterday after he
"AIDS Sufferers Condemn U.S. Visa Ban on Carriers": Reuters (05/24/90); Madrid, Spain--Five hundred people with HIV from 40 countries condemned the U.S. government s ban on visas for HIV-infected travellers and called for a total European boycott of the Sixth International Conference on AIDS at a closed-door conference in Madrid yesterday. One of the aims of the four-day conference was t
"Half of Soviet AIDS Cases are Children": United Press International (05/24/90); Moscow--The Soviet Union currently has 482 known cases of AIDS, half of which are among children, Mikhail Narkevich, chief of the Soviet Health Ministry s epidemiological department, told the official news agency Tass Thursday. Many of the children contracted HIV from contaminated needles at hospitals that did not fo
"Doonesbury Character Dies of AIDS": United Press International (05/24/90); Byron, Peg; New York--Andy Lippincott, the gay character in the Doonesbury cartoon strip, died of AIDS this week. Some members of the gay community criticized Garry Trudeau when Lippincott was diagnosed with AIDS in a series of strips last year, calling the cartoonist s portrayal of the gallows humor with which the character tri
"AIDS Activists Arrested": Washington Post (05/24/90), P. C4; Police arrested seven members of the AIDS activist organization ACT-UP yesterday and charged them with trespassing after they chained themselves to the front door of the offices of the Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in Bethesda, Md. The protesters charged the company with exploiting people with AIDS by quadruplin
"Fired Ill Controllers Rap FAA Rule": Washington Times (05/24/90), P. A4; Moss, J. Jennings; The House Post Office and Civil Service subcommittee on the civil service will hold a hearing today on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy that has removed air traffic controllers who have AIDS or diabetes from their positions. Last December, the FAA told about 30 controllers who take insulin and one who w
"Hearts + the Art of Influence: Liza Fills in for Liz at AIDS Fund-Raiser": Washington Post (05/24/90), P. B4; Sherrill, Martha; About 450 people showed up at Tuesday night s gala AIDS fundraiser for Art Against AIDS in Washington, D.C., including Sens. Lloyd Bentsen and Howard Metzenbaum, loud comedienne Sandra Bernhard, and Liza Minnelli, who filled in as hostess for ailing Liz Taylor. WJLA-TV anchor Renee Poussaint announced that half of th
"Anemia is Stemmed in AIDS Patients": New York Times (05/24/90), P. B9; Kolata, Gina; Erythropoietin (EPO) can reverse the effects of anemia in AIDS patients on AZT and in cancer patients, Margaret Fischl and colleagues of the University of Miami report today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The new study showed that EPO, a synthesiz
"World Wire: Too Risque for the French": Wall Street Journal (05/24/90), P. A10; A French government agency says it has dropped a poster campaign to fight AIDS because the prime minister s office found it too shocking. The $1.4 million campaign, designed to persuade the French to use more condoms, was scheduled to appear on television, in magazines and newspapers, and on posters and billboards.
"New Haven Plans to Give Drug Addicts New Needles": New York Times (05/24/90), P. B1; Johnson, Kirk; New Haven will begin a one-year clean needle exchange program for IV drug users July 1 to help prevent the spread of AIDS. Whether or not bans on needle distribution fight drug abuse or help spread HIV is one of the most tangled urban policy questions today. New Haven Mayor John C. Daniels argues that distributing n
"Variant of AIDS Virus Found in Chimps": Washington Post (05/24/90), P. A20; Gladwell, Malcolm; Scientists have discovered a virus in chimpanzees that possesses all the key characteristics of HIV in humans, indicating that the virus may have evolved from an ancestor that infected animals. Until now, SIV, simian immunodeficiency virus, was the closest relative to HIV found in animals. SIV, however, lacked certa
"Panel Says Study Needed Before Antibody Therapy Approved for AIDS Babies": Associated Press (05/23/90); Recer, Paul; Washington--A National Institutes of Health committee recommended Wednesday that more research is needed before intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG) is used generally to treat babies with AIDS. The panel was formed to evaluate IVIG, which is widely used to boost the immune systems of sufferers of a variety of il
"Multi-million Dollar Initiative to Help Kids with AIDS": United Press International (05/23/90); Philadelphia--The Pediatric AIDS Comprehensive Program, a program to provide medical care, case management, and centralized services for children with HIV disease and their families, will receive grants from Philadelphia hospitals, a pharmaceutical company, a charitable foundation, and state and local agencies. The R
"Nursing Mother Sues Dental School Over AIDS Program": United Press International (05/23/90); Indianapolis--Dr. Margaret Kirkland has sued the Indiana University School of Dentistry, which kicked her out of an advanced dentistry program after she refused to work on AIDS patients on the grounds that she was a nursing mother. Her complaint states that a school official exempted her from working at the AIDS clin
"HHS Can Lift AIDS-Virus Immigration Barrier, Opinion Says": Washington Post (05/23/90), P. A9; Gladwell, Malcolm; The U.S. comptroller general, who heads the General Accounting Office (GAO), yesterday released an opinion that the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Louis Sullivan, could nullify the 1987 law that prevents HIV-infected travellers from entering the country. The immigration restrictions have been widely cr
"House Approves Bill Establishing Broad Rights for Disabled People": New York Times (05/23/90), P. A1; Holmes, Steven A.; The House of Representatives yesterday approved the Americans with Disabilities Act by an overwhelming 403-20 vote. The bill would guarantee access to employment, transportation, public accommodations, and communications services for millions of disabled Americans, including people with HIV/AIDS. Supporters failed t
"Medical Data: Who Should Hear It First?": New York Times (05/22/90), P. C1; Kolata, Gina; In a shift of policy, National Institute of Health officials have released data from five important studies in the past two years before publication of the studies in medical journals, a trend that critics say threatens the peer review process. The trend began as a result of pressure from AIDS activists, who closely
"Harassing NIH": Washington Post (05/22/90), P. A22; Harassing the very scientists who are working to find new AIDS drugs, test them, and provide them to patients is not the way to improve the process, write the editors of the Washington Post. NIH has responded to ACT-UP and the demands of AIDS patients and advocates by speeding the drug approval process, increasing fu
"1,000 Rally for More Vigorous AIDS Effort": Washington Post (05/22/90), P. B1; Jennings, Veronica T., and Gladwell, Malcolm; Nearly 1,000 people demonstrated yesterday at a rally at the National Institutes of Health organized by ACT-UP to demand faster testing of AIDS drugs and wider availability for minorities, women, and children. Police wearing riot masks and rubber gloves arrested 82 demonstrators, 21 for invading the Rockville office
"The Helquist Report: Counselor's Guide to AIDS Law": Advocate (05/22/90) No. 551, P. 30; Helquist, Michael; A new book, AIDS Law for Mental Health Professionals: A Handbook for Judicious Practice, should be of interest to mental health professionals, AIDS advocates, and peer counselors, writes the Advocate s Michael Helquist. Published by the AIDS Health Project of San Francisco, the guide discusses mental health profess
"The Helquist Report: Take Caution at the Hospital": Advocate (05/22/90) No. 551, P. 30; Helquist, Michael; AIDS patients should beware of the potential for catching new infections during any hospital stay. One study found a one in 20 chance of contracting an infection such as blood poisoning, urinary infections, pneumonia, or infections from surgical complications. The Centers for Disease Control says that most of these
"The Helquist Report: Canadian HIV Network": Advocate (05/22/90) No. 551, P. 30; Helquist, Michael; Canadians with HIV, who face many of the same problems with their government as do HIV-infected U.S. citizens, have formed the National Network to demand services, treatments, and protection from discrimination. The network includes several AIDS service groups who wanted to present a formidable national voice for peo
"Police Say Participant in Gay Sex Ring Has AIDS": United Press International (05/22/90); Indianapolis--Police say at least one prostitute who was part of a ring that matched young men with businessmen has AIDS. Authorities recommend that anyone involved with the ring--known as Muscle Midwest and Muscles USA--get tested for HIV, said Sgt. Deana McGivern of the Indianapolis Police Department vice squad.
"State to Pay for AIDS Drugs for Needy": United Press International (05/22/90); Springfield, Ill.--Gov. James R. Thompson announced Tuesday that Illinois will buy AZT , aerosolized pentamidine, and alpha interferon for about 500 AIDS patients. The state will provide about $600,000 until Sept. 30 to supplement an $886,477 federal grant
"McDonald's Gives Grant to Study Childhood AIDS Fears": United Press International (05/22/90); Normal, Ill.--A $117,123 grant from the Ronald McDonald Children s Charities will enable Illinois State University researchers to study children s reactions to HIV-infected people. John Pryor and Steve Landau of the school s psychology department will conduct the study, which will include 150 interviews with children
"Baxter Unveils New "Needle" System": United Press International (05/22/90); Deerfield, Ill.--Baxter Healthcare Corp. Tuesday introduced a blunt plastic instrument, called InterLink, that it said can be used to replace 80 percent of conventional needle use in hospitals to help prevent needlestick injuries that can transmit HIV and hepatitis B. The new system can replace needles used for introd
"Cancer-Causing Virus Common in Brooklyn": United Press International (05/22/90); New York--HTLV-1, a relative of HIV that is also spread by exchange of bodily fluids, is unusually common among southern and Caribbean blacks living in central Brooklyn, Harvey Dosik, director of medicine at Interfaith Medical Center, said yesterday. HTLV-1 infects T lymphocytes and can cause adult T-cell leukemia, a
"Medical Data: Who Should Hear It First?": New York Times (05/22/90), P. C1; Kolata, Gina; In a shift of policy, National Institute of Health officials have released data from five important studies in the past two years before publication of the studies in medical journals, a trend that critics say threatens the peer review process. The trend began as a result of pressure from AIDS activists, who closely
"Harassing NIH": Washington Post (05/22/90), P. A22; Harassing the very scientists who are working to find new AIDS drugs, test them, and provide them to patients is not the way to improve the process, write the editors of the Washington Post. NIH has responded to ACT-UP and the demands of AIDS patients and advocates by speeding the drug approval process, increasing fu
"1,000 Rally for More Vigorous AIDS Effort": Washington Post (05/22/90), P. B1; Jennings, Veronica T., and Gladwell, Malcolm; Nearly 1,000 people demonstrated yesterday at a rally at the National Institutes of Health organized by ACT-UP to demand faster testing of AIDS drugs and wider availability for minorities, women, and children. Police wearing riot masks and rubber gloves arrested 82 demonstrators, 21 for invading the Rockville office
"The Helquist Report: Counselor's Guide to AIDS Law": Advocate (05/22/90) No. 551, P. 30; Helquist, Michael; A new book, AIDS Law for Mental Health Professionals: A Handbook for Judicious Practice, should be of interest to mental health professionals, AIDS advocates, and peer counselors, writes the Advocate s Michael Helquist. Published by the AIDS Health Project of San Francisco, the guide discusses mental health profess
"The Helquist Report: Take Caution at the Hospital": Advocate (05/22/90) No. 551, P. 30; Helquist, Michael; AIDS patients should beware of the potential for catching new infections during any hospital stay. One study found a one in 20 chance of contracting an infection such as blood poisoning, urinary infections, pneumonia, or infections from surgical complications. The Centers for Disease Control says that most of these
"Remembering the Victims of AIDS": Washington Post (05/21/90), P. E3; Buckley, Stephen; About 2,000 people met in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington last night as part of the seventh annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. People held ceremonies to remember those who have died of AIDS in 230 countries and in many major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Franc
"New Hope Emerges for AIDS Vaccine": Washington Post (05/21/90), P. A3; Gladwell, Malcolm; Scientists are reasonably confident that an AIDS vaccine will be developed in the 1990s, Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a meeting of AIDS researchers in Washington last week. How they will make the vaccine is unclear, because of the complexity of HIV. About 67 differe
"Quality Home Care for Victims of AIDS": Business Week (05/21/90) No. 3160, P. 105; Bremner, Brian; Ann Mittasch, 60, has little time to travel as chairman of Care Group Inc. The agency offers home health care to AIDS patients, sending nurses and medical equipment and providing everything from IV feeding to counselling. Home care is often much more affordable than hospital care and is not as depressing, Mittasch s
"AIDS Campaign Goes to the Personals": United Press International (05/21/90); Hartford, Conn.--The Urban League of Greater Hartford will publish AIDS prevention messages in the personals sections of weekly papers and a gay magazine in an effort to reach the people when they re thinking about relationships and thinking about sex, said Esther Bush, league president. League officials said adver
"Thousands Walk in AIDS Fund-Raiser": United Press International (05/21/90); New York--The Fifth Annual AIDS Walk New York, sponsored by the Gay Men s Health Crisis (GMHC), netted $3.82 million for AIDS research. About 25,000 people, including Mayor David Dinkins and actor Tony Randall, trekked 6 miles around upper Manhattan Sunday in what organizers said was the world s largest and most succ
"Vanderbilt Scientists Make Research Discovery": United Press International (05/21/90); Nashville, Tenn.--Erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone produced by the kidney, may help cancer and AIDS patients by boosting red blood cell counts, scientists from Vanderbilt University reported Monday. Mark Koury and Maurice Bondurant said EPO turns off signals that tell red blood cells to die, so that the drug could eas
"TB on the Rise in Texas' Black Population": United Press International (05/21/90); Austin--Texas health officials say tuberculosis in increasing in the state because of homelessness and the AIDS epidemic, but they are unsure why the disease is targeting blacks. Last year Texas had the third highest total of TB cases in the nation, with 2,000. Michael Kelly of the health department s bureau of dise
"The Pharmacy of the Seas": Newsweek (05/21/90) Vol. 115, No. 21, P. 77; Begley, Sharon; Primitive sea creatures, sponges, soft coral, and other marine organisms have medical potential. Last week, 50 scientists met at the University of California Santa Barbara to discuss possible treatments for diseases from asthma to AIDS that the sea may yield. Many creatures have evolved potent toxins to protect them
"Remembering the Victims of AIDS": Washington Post (05/21/90), P. E3; Buckley, Stephen; About 2,000 people met in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington last night as part of the seventh annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. People held ceremonies to remember those who have died of AIDS in 230 countries and in many major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Franc
"New Hope Emerges for AIDS Vaccine": Washington Post (05/21/90), P. A3; Gladwell, Malcolm; Scientists are reasonably confident that an AIDS vaccine will be developed in the 1990s, Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a meeting of AIDS researchers in Washington last week. How they will make the vaccine is unclear, because of the complexity of HIV. About 67 differe
"Quality Home Care for Victims of AIDS": Business Week (05/21/90) No. 3160, P. 105; Bremner, Brian; Ann Mittasch, 60, has little time to travel as chairman of Care Group Inc. The agency offers home health care to AIDS patients, sending nurses and medical equipment and providing everything from IV feeding to counselling. Home care is often much more affordable than hospital care and is not as depressing, Mittasch s
"Fear and Fury: AIDS in the Arts; The Content: Political Paintings, Plays" that Plead: Washington Post (05/20/90), P. G1; Kastor, Elizabeth; Los Angeles author Paul Monette, who says, Art is a sword, used his art to express his pain and memory of his lover s death in Borrowed Time. Monette is one of many authors, painters, and dancers who have responded to AIDS with pain, rage, and a diversity of styles and beliefs. Artists create with a shocking urge
"Fear and Fury: AIDS in the Arts; The Context: Living Through the Losses": Washington Post (05/20/90), P. G1; Span, Paula; Simon Watson, owner of an art gallery in New York City s SoHo neighborhood, says he began the Witness Project--collecting the names of those in the arts who have died of AIDS--because no one else was keeping track. Every day he gets rectangular slips of paper in his mail with the names of poets, sculptors, dancers, m
"How the Politics Shifted on AIDS Funds": New York Times (05/20/90), P. 22; Rasky, Susan F.; The most powerful factor influencing the political turnaround on AIDS funding has been personal experience, according to lawmakers and AIDS lobbyists. Constituent pressures, intense lobbying efforts, and the overwhelming health care crisis have also contributed to the dramatic shift on AIDS funding demonstrated by la
"AIDSWEEK": San Francisco Examiner (05/20/90), P. A6; Hilton, Bruce; Contra Costa County does not have to suspend its ban on job and housing bias against people with AIDS while it awaits an August trial on a challenge to the law, California Supreme Court ruled.....In San Francisco, a gay physician charged in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the FBI unfairly discriminated aga
"Fear and Fury: AIDS in the Arts; The Content: Political Paintings, Plays" that Plead: Washington Post (05/20/90), P. G1; Kastor, Elizabeth; Los Angeles author Paul Monette, who says, Art is a sword, used his art to express his pain and memory of his lover s death in Borrowed Time. Monette is one of many authors, painters, and dancers who have responded to AIDS with pain, rage, and a diversity of styles and beliefs. Artists create with a shocking urge
"Fear and Fury: AIDS in the Arts; The Context: Living Through the Losses": Washington Post (05/20/90), P. G1; Span, Paula; Simon Watson, owner of an art gallery in New York City s SoHo neighborhood, says he began the Witness Project--collecting the names of those in the arts who have died of AIDS--because no one else was keeping track. Every day he gets rectangular slips of paper in his mail with the names of poets, sculptors, dancers, m
"How the Politics Shifted on AIDS Funds": New York Times (05/20/90), P. 22; Rasky, Susan F.; The most powerful factor influencing the political turnaround on AIDS funding has been personal experience, according to lawmakers and AIDS lobbyists. Constituent pressures, intense lobbying efforts, and the overwhelming health care crisis have also contributed to the dramatic shift on AIDS funding demonstrated by la
"AIDS-Infected Prisoner Receives 25 Years for Biting a Jail Guard": New York Times (05/19/90), P. 25; Sullivan, Joseph F.; Judge John B. Mariano of New York s Superior Court Friday sentenced Gregory Dean Smith, an HIV-infected inmate, to 25 years in prison for trying to murder a prison guard by biting him. AIDS and prisoners rights advocates protested outside the Camden County Courthouse, saying there is no evidence that HIV can be tran
"U.S. to Expand Use of AIDS Medicines": New York Times (05/19/90), P. 8; Kolata, Gina; The Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that the details of its proposed parallel track program for experimental drugs will be published today in the Federal Register. The program would allow pharmaceutical companies to make new drugs available for AIDS patients who have exhausted conventional tr
"AIDS-Infected Prisoner Receives 25 Years for Biting a Jail Guard": New York Times (05/19/90), P. 25; Sullivan, Joseph F.; Judge John B. Mariano of New York s Superior Court Friday sentenced Gregory Dean Smith, an HIV-infected inmate, to 25 years in prison for trying to murder a prison guard by biting him. AIDS and prisoners rights advocates protested outside the Camden County Courthouse, saying there is no evidence that HIV can be tran
"U.S. to Expand Use of AIDS Medicines": New York Times (05/19/90), P. 8; Kolata, Gina; The Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that the details of its proposed parallel track program for experimental drugs will be published today in the Federal Register. The program would allow pharmaceutical companies to make new drugs available for AIDS patients who have exhausted conventional tr
"Houston Study Links TB, HIV Infections": United Press International (05/18/90); Houston--A study by the Houston Health and Human Services Department has found a correlation between tuberculosis patients and HIV infection. Ann Phelps, an epidemiologist with the department, said TB patients appear to have a high risk for HIV infection because of IV drug use and other behaviors that also put them a
"House Adds AIDS Amendment to Measure for Disabled": Washington Post (05/18/90), P. A12; Kenworthy, Tom; The House of Representatives yesterday dealt a blow to supporters of the Americans for Disabilities Act by amending the bill to permit food-service industry employers to transfer workers with HIV out of food-handling jobs. The amendment passed by a 199-187 vote--despite unequivocal statements from the
"Houston Study Links TB, HIV Infections": United Press International (05/18/90); Houston--A study by the Houston Health and Human Services Department has found a correlation between tuberculosis patients and HIV infection. Ann Phelps, an epidemiologist with the department, said TB patients appear to have a high risk for HIV infection because of IV drug use and other behaviors that also put them a
"House Adds AIDS Amendment to Measure for Disabled": Washington Post (05/18/90), P. A12; Kenworthy, Tom; The House of Representatives yesterday dealt a blow to supporters of the Americans for Disabilities Act by amending the bill to permit food-service industry employers to transfer workers with HIV out of food-handling jobs. The amendment passed by a 199-187 vote--despite unequivocal statements from the
"Tribal Custom Banned to Help Prevent AIDS": Associated Press (05/17/90); Lusaka, Zambia--Tribal chiefs in the Chikankata and Monze districts banned an ancient custom after AIDS educators visited and warned them that the practices contributed to the spread of HIV, according to the health ministry. The practice involves the cleansing of widows and widowers through sex with a relative of t
"Texas Jury Awards $60,000 in AIDS Discrimination Case": Reuters (05/17/90); Houston--A Texas federal jury agreed with Ronald Gardner that the Rainbow Lodge fired him for having contracted HIV and awarded the waiter $60,000 in back pay Thursday in the state s first AIDS discrimination lawsuit. The Lodge contended Gardner was fired in April 1987 for doing a bad job. U.S. District Judge John S
"AIDS Protesters Greet Reagan at Penn's Anniversary Fete": United Press International (05/17/90); Baker, Paul; Philadelphia--Roughly 200 AIDS activists and other protesters greeted Ronald Reagan yesterday at the University of Pennsylvania s 250th anniversary celebration. Protesters demonstrated outside as Reagan spoke because they said he did virtually nothing for AIDS research during his presidency. We are here to condemn
"Condoms for Goodwill Games Athletes": United Press International (05/17/90); McFarland, Marc; Seattle--This summer, free condoms will be available to all Goodwill Games athletes because the Soviet Union fears HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms will be available at venues throughout the state and at a 24-hour clinic at the University of Washington for the 2,500 athletes taking part in the gam
"Activists Criticize AIDS Research Effort": United Press International (05/17/90); Kolberg, Rebecca; Washington--In a document sent to the National Institutes of Health, a coalition of AIDS activists including ACT UP, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Project Inform, and more than 20 other groups criticized the federal AIDS research effort. The coalition, which proposed major changes in the federal program,
"Union: Nursing Shortage Harming Patient Care": United Press International (05/17/90); Bass, Janet; Washington--The Federation of Nurses and Health Professions, a division of the AFL-CIO, said today that the nursing shortage is reaching epidemic proportions and is harming the quality of patient care. Federation spokesperson Scott Triebitz said an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 additional nurses will be needed annually
"House to Debate Bill on Disabled": New York Times (05/17/90), P. A26; Holmes, Steven A.; The House of Representatives is expected to begin debate on the Americans with Disabilities Act today. The bill would prevent discrimination in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telephone services against anyone with a disability, including people with HIV/AIDS. Critics and advocates agree that
"Tests May Fail to Detect AIDS Virus in Some Cases": Wall Street Journal (05/17/90), P. B4; HIV may escape detection in some individuals, according to researchers A. Ahmed-Ansari and colleagues at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control. The researchers tested 165 people at high risk for HIV who had tested seronegative with conventional AIDS tests. Using a new test that stimulates production o
"$2.9 Billion AIDS Bill Passes Senate": Washington Post (05/17/90), P. A13; The Senate yesterday passed, by a 95-4 vote, a bill authorizing an estimated $2.9 billion for emergency relief to cities and states overwhelmed by AIDS. The Senate also accepted amendments sponsored by Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) that would prevent local governments from using the money for needle distribution programs and
"Quantitation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Blood": New England Journal of Medicine (05/17/90) Vol. 322, No. 20, P. 1467; Coombs, Robert W., et al.; Although Peter Duesberg points out gaps in our understanding of HIV, the virus fulfills Koch s modifi