2004

MISSISSIPPI: HIV Numbers Declining in State: Sun Herald (12.30.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; Jean Prescott; As of Dec. 31, 2003, Mississippi reported 7,387 people with HIV/AIDS, according to Craig Thompson, director of STD/HIV with the state Department of Health. The number of cases has been on the decline since 1996, he said. In descending order, the top 10 counties for HIV incidence were Hinds, Harrison, Rankin, Forrest, J
CHINA: Tuberculosis Claims Nearly 10,000 Lives a Year in Guangxi: Xinhua News Agency (12.28.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; TB kills 10,000 people annually in south China s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, health officials recently reported. One-third of the region s population, or about 15 million people, have been infected, and approximately 360,000 have active TB. The 2000 national TB survey found 651 active TB cases per 100,000 people
UNITED STATES: Predictors of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Antibody Positivity Among Persons With No History of Genital Herpes: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 31; No. 11; P:676-681 (11.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; Kenneth H. Fife, MD, PhD; David I. Bernstein, MD; Wanzhu Tu, PhD; Gregory D. Zimet, PhD; Rebecca Brady, MD; Jingwei Wu; J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS; Katherine M. Stone, MD; Susan L. Rosenthal, PhD; Lawrence R. Stanberry, MD, PhD; The researchers asked individuals ages 14-30 to complete a questionnaire and offered them free HSV-2 antibody testing. Factors from the questionnaire were correlated with HSV-2 antibody results. Univariate analysis found female gender to be positively associated with positive test results. Gender-specific multiple logi
UNITED STATES: Condom Use Inconsistent for High-Risk Heterosexuals: Survey Conducted in 10 States: AIDS Alert (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; A recently presented CDC analysis of the 2002 HIV Testing Survey - an anonymous, cross-sectional study in 10 states - found safe sex messages continue to be ignored by many high- risk individuals. Three at-risk populations were surveyed: injection drug users, men who have sex with men, and high-risk heterosexuals. For
UNITED STATES: Lambda Legal Files Letter for Clear HIV- Transplant Policies: AIDS Policy and Law (12.17.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; Lambda Legal is asking the nation s largest health insurance providers to release their policies on covering lifesaving organ transplants for patients with HIV. Lambda Legal s HIV Project has worked with a number of people who were denied coverage for transplants because they have HIV, despite more than a decade of sci
UNITED STATES: Abstinence-Education Backers Tout New Oversight: Washington Times (12.30.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; Cheryl Wetzstein; Abstinence-education advocates are applauding the recent move of the nation s two largest abstinence programs to a new agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. In the recent federal spending bill, oversight of the programs was moved from the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration s Maternal
RHODE ISLAND: AIDS Hot Line Goes Silent at Year's End: Providence Journal (12.27.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; Felice J. Freyer; On Dec. 31, the state s AIDS hot line, in operation for 18 years, will go dead. At its peak a decade ago, the hot line received as many as 5,000 calls annually. This year, barely 500 calls came in. The state Health department decided not to seek renewal of the federal grant that funds the hot line, operated by its foun
TENNESSEE: Family Sues over Death of Memphis Woman Killed by AIDS Treatment: Associated Press (12.30.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; On Tuesday in Shelby County Circuit Court, the family of a pregnant woman who died while taking an experimental AIDS drug regimen filed suit against the doctors, drug makers, and hospitals involved in the study. In the lawsuit, Joyce Ann Hafford s mother and sister allege that doctors continued giving Hafford the AIDS
CALIFORNIA: Needle Policy to Be Eased: Sacramento Bee (12.28.04) - Thursday, December 30, 2004; John Hill; A new California law taking effect Saturday, Jan. 1, will ease nonprescription needle sales in cities and counties that choose to participate in a five-year pilot project. Individual pharmacies can elect to participate or not in jurisdictions opting-in to the demonstration project. However, even urban districts that ar
UNITED STATES: CDC to Buy $2.3 Million of OraSure's HIV Antibody Tests: Philadelphia Inquirer (12.23.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Porus P. Cooper; Bethlehem, Pa.-based OraSure Technologies Inc. has announced that CDC will buy $2.3 million of its OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test, which can detect antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2. CDC bought $4 million of OraSure s OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 test last year. CDC distributes the tests to state health departme
CANADA: Three Cases of Tuberculosis Confirmed in Unnamed Yukon Community: Doctor: Canadian Press (12.28.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Dr. Bryce Larke, the Yukon s medical health officer, said Tuesday that three cases of TB have been confirmed in a community he would not identify. We are working closely with tuberculosis experts in British Columbia to ensure all appropriate control measures are in place and will be monitoring the situation very carefu
EUROPEAN UNION: GSK Gets EU Approval for Combination HIV Drug: Reuters (12.22.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; On Dec. 22, GlaxoSmithKline announced that European regulators have approved its drug Kivexa. The medication combines the antiretrovirals Epivir and Ziagen into a single tablet taken once daily.
UNITED STATES: Sweaty Palms at the Pharmacy: New York Times (12.21.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; A new study suggests that many young people may be hesitant to buy condoms because they are too embarrassed. Researcher Dr. Kimberly P. Brackett asked some 250 students at the University of Florida to purchase condoms and then write a paper about their experience. Brackett, who now teaches sociology at Auburn Universit
UNITED KINGDOM: The 374 Clinic: An Outreach Sexual Health Clinic for Young Men: Sexually Transmitted Infections (12.04) Vol. 80: P.480-483 - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; D.A. Lewis; A. McDonald; G. Thompson; J.S. Bingham; The investigators sought to describe the establishment of the 374 clinic, a walk-in, community-based genitourinary medicine facility targeting men under 25 in a south London area with high rates of sexually transmitted infections. The clinic was set up within a Brook advisory center, which offers free sexual health adv
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Camp Offers AIDS Orphans Desperately Needed Support: Agence France Presse (12.19.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; In Zimbabwe s remote southwestern district of Matobo, the Sikhethimpilo Center - its name means we choose life - helps children deal with losing their parents to AIDS. The center hosts weeklong camps during every school vacation; 240 volunteers spread across the district of 35,000 people to select the children most aff
ZAMBIA: Fury over Release of AIDS Prisoners: Lancet Infectious Diseases (12.04) Vol. 4; P. 718 - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Khabir Ahmad; Several nongovernmental HIV/AIDS organizations in Zambia have criticized its government for releasing, without treating, prisoners with HIV/AIDS before their sentence was completed. But one ethicist said the practice could be considered a humane solution to a problem when the nation cannot care for the ill prisoners.
JAPAN: Ministry Urges Better HIV Test Services: Daily Yomiuri (12.23.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; A Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry survey released recently said HIV tests outside business hours and tests with same-day results are not available in more than one-third of the 127 metropolitan, prefectural, and municipal governments that provide free HIV tests at public health centers. Following the survey, the mi
GLOBAL: New 20 Year Patents Threaten to End AIDS Drugs for Developing Countries: British Medical Journal (12.04.04) Vol. 329; P. 1308 - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Owen Dyer; Doctors Without Borders has warned that efforts to treat AIDS patients with antiretroviral drugs in developing countries could be threatened under new World Trade Organization rules granting 20-year patents to new drugs. The WTO agreement goes into effect Jan. 1, 2005, for most nations. Only the least developed countri
UNITED STATES: New Drug Is Approved to Treat Chronic Pain: Washington Post (12.29.2004) - Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Marc Kaufman; On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Prialt (ziconotide), a new drug for hard-to-treat pain associated with cancer, AIDS, and neuropathies that may improve pain management. The drug - as much as 1,000 times more powerful than morphine and delivered directly into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord -
CALIFORNIA: News Briefs from Southern California: Associated Press (12.24.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Redondo Beach police arrested Kang Kim-Lee, the owner of Redondo Chiropractic Health, after she was observed leaving the business to hide condoms in the wheel well of a car, Sgt. Jeff Hink said recently. The site was one of two investigated after residents complained that some massage parlors were fronts for prostituti
CANADA: Yukon Handing Out Gift Condoms After Gonorrhea Rate Spikes Upward: Canadian Press (12.24.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Stephanie Waddell; The Yukon territory s Department of Health and Social Services is distributing condoms to residents, asking them to Wrap it for someone you love to help fight the region s increase in gonorrhea cases. We haven t seen high numbers of gonorrhea for a number of years, so to have 41 cases diagnosed is quite surprising, sa
NEW YORK: Diabetes Is Gaining as a Cause of Death, City Health Data Say: New York Times (12.23.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Winnie Hu; The New York City health department released an annual summary of vital statistics recently on the leading causes of death among residents. Among other findings, the survey showed that HIV and AIDS-related deaths slipped two places to seventh in 2003. HIV/AIDS accounted for 1,656 deaths, compared to 1,713 the year befo
ARKANSAS: Fewer Teenagers Getting Married in State: Associated Press (12.23.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; State Health Department figures show 3,928 teenage girls got married in Arkansas last year, down from 5,675 in 1995, a 31 percent drop in eight years. Experts attribute the drop in Arkansas teen marriages to a decline in teen pregnancy due to birth control and abstinence education; more Arkansans attending college; and
PENNSYLVANIA: Surrendering Anonymity to Spread the Word About AIDS: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12.28.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Ervin Dyer; Clarisse Jordan , 35, Sheila Taylor, 41, and Pam Smith, 46, differ in background, personality and age. Yet they all have this in common: Each gave up her anonymity and went public with the private pain of living with HIV. All three work with the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force sharing frank messages of prevention with women
OKLAHOMA: Tuberculosis Victim's Co-Workers Checked for Disease: Daily Oklahoman (12.23.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Susan Parrott; A man working at a Cingular Wireless call center in northwest Oklahoma City died Dec. 21 after contracting TB, and co- workers are being tested for the disease. The Oklahoma City- County Health Department said the man s death was not directly from TB, but that his other health problems may have been complicated by the
CHINA: Abnormal Pap Smears Common in Women with Lupus: Reuters Health (12.10.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Will Boggs, MD; Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were more likely to have the abnormal Pap tests associated with cervical cancer than other women, a recent study found. The 85 women with SLE researchers studied had three times the abnormal Pap smear results of 2,080 healthy female peers, investigators found. Other risk fa
CANADA: AIDS Doc Risks Big Bucks: Guelph Mercury (12.23.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Joanne Shuttleworth; Anne-Marie Zajdlik, a family physician and HIV specialist, has committed $100,000 (US$82,000) of her own money to realize her goal of building a Guelph-based regional holistic HIV/AIDS clinic. For over a year, from the ground up, Zajdlik has worked on the clinic that she envisions will serve 300-400 HIV patients in Gue
CUBA: Cuba Counters Prostitution with AIDS Programs: New York Times (12.26.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; James C. McKinley Jr.; Prostitution is illegal in Cuba , but a thriving sex industry exists nonetheless. Although Cuba is a destination for sex tourists, AIDS has yet to become an uncontrollable pandemic there. The government s AIDS program provides public education, free testing and care, and promotes the use of condoms. Cuba has the lo
MARYLAND: Comptroller Delivers Meals to AIDS Patients: Associated Press (12.25.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaefer - whose comments about AIDS patients were met with anger earlier this year - on Christmas Eve delivered meals to homebound people with HIV. In October, as he tried to explain his support for a public registry of state residents with AIDS, Schaefer called AIDS patients a dang
UNITED STATES: AIDS Groups Expand Services to Other Sufferers: Washington Post (12.27.04) - Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Jacqueline L. Salmon; Nationwide, organizations that provide food, housing, legal aid, medical treatment and other assistance to HIV/AIDS patients have begun diversifying, helping people with other diseases such as Parkinson s, cancer and Alzheimer s. AIDS groups say their agencies have a moral imperative to share expertise developed during
SOUTH AFRICA: Mandela Plans New AIDS Concert: Reuters (12.22.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Nelson Mandela has announced plans to stage a second HIV/AIDS benefit concert, bringing the rock group Queen and other acts back to South Africa in March for the televised show. The concert, dubbed 46664 South Africa - a reference to Mandela s prison number - is scheduled for March 19 at the Fancourt golf resort near t
MAINE: Hallowell Man Sentenced for Stealing from AIDS Alliance: Associated Press (12.22.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; This week, Maine Superior Court sentenced the former executive director of the Maine AIDS Alliance, Randall Norcross, 65, to three years in jail, with all but six months suspended, for stealing more than $23,000 from the group. In addition, Norcross was ordered to pay $23,569 in restitution and will be on probation for
DELAWARE: AIDS Message Hits Salons: Wilmington News Journal (12.16.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Robin Brown; Do the Right Thing, 4LIFE, an outreach effort organized by AIDS Delaware, uses beauty and barber shops to reach the African-American community with messages of HIV prevention. It s one of our non-traditional ways of reaching people, said Frank Hawkins, director of education and outreach at AIDS Delaware, the state s ol
UNITED STATES: Correlates of Intent for Repeat HIV Testing Among Low-Income Women Attending an Urgent Care Clinic in the Urban South: Public Health Nursing (09.04) Vol. 21; No. 5: P. 419-424(6) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Richard Crosby; Elizabeth A. Bonney; Lydia Odenat; A critical challenge of the AIDS epidemic among African- American women is promoting routine HIV testing for those at risk, explained the authors. The current exploratory study sought to identify behavioral and psychosocial correlates of intent for repeat testing among women disenfranchised from traditional health-care
CANADA: Christmas Peak Time for Unwanted Pregnancies: Parents Urged to Talk to Teens: Canadian Press (12.21.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Kate Skye; The Christmas season is a peak time for unintended pregnancies, according to Louise Christian, project coordinator for Planned Parenthood s regional office in Trail, British Columbia. She hopes parents will use the holidays as an opportunity to talk to teens about healthy sexual choices. The choice of words that was sh
ZIMBABWE: AIDS Toll Leaves Nearly a Million Orphans in Zimbabwe: Associated Press (12.20.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Almost 1 million children in Zimbabwe are AIDS orphans, having lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, UNICEF said Monday. In its annual State of the World s Children report, UNICEF noted children as young as nine have become primary caregivers to siblings or to HIV-infected parents or relatives in Zimb
LIBYA: Libyans in HIV Case Say They're Forgotten Victims: New York Times (12.19.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Craig S. Smith; Many parents of the 428 Libyan children infected with HIV six years ago at Benghazi s Al Fateh hospital recently expressed anger that their children are forgotten. US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke out on behalf of the Bulgarian nurses Libya sentenced to death for allegedly infecting the children, but he ignored
GLOBAL: Dose of Prevention Where HIV Thrives: Washington Post (12.22.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Craig Timberg; The US-funded study to determine whether a once-daily dose of the AIDS drug tenofovir can prevent HIV infections in healthy people will enroll 5,000 volunteers in seven nations. About 125 prostitutes from several brothels in Ibadan, Nigeria , have enrolled and have been taking pills s
UNITED STATES: Ex-Sales Director at Serono Pleads Guilty to Kickback: Wall Street Journal (12.22.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Christopher Windham; Adam Stupak, a former sales director at a subsidiary of the Swiss biotechnology firm Ares-Serono SA, pleaded guilty to violating a US anti-kickback law by offering doctors free trips in exchange for writing more prescriptions of the AIDS drug Serostim . The guilty plea is the latest development in the ongoing invest
TEXAS: Syphilis Infections Rising in San Antonio, Across Nation: San Antonio Express-News (12.18.04) - Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Lisa Marie Gomez; Primary and secondary syphilis cases in Bexar County leapt from 51 cases in 2003 to 95 cases as of Dec. 1 this year, and at least half of reported cases are among men who have sex with men (MSM), a county health official said Friday. We are very concerned, said Dr. Sandra Guerra-Cantu, communicable- disease division me
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Whitman-Walker Clinic Leader Leaving: Washington Post (12.16.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; On Dec. 15, the Whitman-Walker Clinic s board announced the departure of Executive Director A. Cornelius Baker. Chairperson Billy Cox lauded Baker, 43, for his fight against HIV/AIDS and on behalf of the gay and lesbian community. A spokesperson said Roberta Geidner-Antoniotti, managing director of operations, would be
WYOMING: Wyoming AIDS Patients Must Wait for Medication: Associated Press (12.20.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Wyoming is among four states that have instituted a waiting list for HIV/AIDS patients to receive medications, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. Arkansas, Hawaii and Nebraska have also started waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
WEST VIRGINIA: Spike in Hepatitis B Cases Prompts Awareness Campaign in Mercer: Associated Press (12.20.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Pam Ramsey; Mercer County health officials have launched a hepatitis B public-awareness campaign in response to a large increase in cases this year. As of Friday, the Mercer County Health Department had reported 15 cases of hepatitis B and four or five cases of h
CALIFORNIA: Health Officials Issue Alert About Rare Sexually Transmitted Disease: San Francisco Chronicle (12.21.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Sabin Russell; On Monday, San Francisco public health officials warned that four gay men in the city have contracted a rare and potentially debilitating STD, Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), which was recently reported in the Netherlands . LGV - a form of chlamydia rarely seen outside of poor, tropical nations - can cause genital and
UNITED STATES: Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Patterns of HIV Disclosure Among HIV Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men with Recent STI Practising High Risk Behavior in Los Angeles and Seattle: Sexually Transmitted Infections (12.04) Vol. 80; No. 6: P. 512-517 - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; P.M. Gorbach; J.T. Galea; B. Amani; A. Shin; C. Celum; P. Kerndt; M.R. Golden; In industrialized nations, a high incidence of HIV persists among men who have sex with men (MSM). Research suggests that many MSM do not disclose their HIV status to sex partners. Researchers in the current study identified themes as to why MSM attending STI clinics in Los Angeles and Seattle do or do not disclose the
GLOBAL: Anti-AIDS Alliance Calls in Africa for Free Therapy: Agence France Presse (12.18.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; A worldwide alliance of health experts, institutions and nongovernmental organizations has launched a campaign for free health care and medicines for people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa and other developing regions. On Dec. 14, more than 600 individuals, including the director-general of Doctors Without Borders, Gori
AFRICA: Furor in Africa over Drug for Women with HIV: New York Times (12.21.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Many public-health experts are worried that some countries in Africa will stop using nevirapine to prevent mother-to-baby HIV transmission in the wake of a series of Associated Press articles critical of trials of the drug. AP s articles, which allege incompetence and fraud in trials of the drug, are being seen oversea
ARKANSAS: Auditors Questioning Spending in State AIDS Program: Associated Press (12.17.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Auditors investigating spending by the state Health Department s AIDS division and the agencies it deals with have identified about $350,000 in expenses deemed inappropriate, questionable or poorly documented. The federal funds are designated to prevent HIV infection and fund treatment and assistance to the approximate
GLOBAL: Drug Makers Putting Complete AIDS Treatment in One Daily Pill: Associated Press (12.20.04) - Tuesday, December 21, 2004; Linda A. Johnson; On Monday, drug firms Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Gilead Sciences Inc. announced the formation of a joint venture to manufacture and test the first once-daily pill containing three common AIDS medicines from two different drug classes. The combination pill would contain BMS s
SWAZILAND: Swaziland Army to Reject HIV-Positive Recruits: Reuters (12.16.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; On Thursday, Swaziland officials announced that the nation s armed forces will not accept HIV-positive recruits. The army is experiencing a rise in HIV/AIDS-related illnesses and deaths, and this has adverse effects on the overall mission and preparedness, and may eventually lead to insecurity in the country, the Roya
MICHIGAN: MotorCity Casino, School in TB Scare: Detroit Free Press (12.15.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Kim North Shine; Fewer than five employees of the MotorCity Casino in Detroit are being treated for TB and are scheduled to receive chest X- rays to determine whether they have an active form of the disease, said Detroit Health Department spokesperson Wende Berry. A total of 35 casino employees were tested for TB after a worker there b
WISCONSIN: AIDS Center Starts Needle Exchange: Wausau Daily Herald (12.11.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Jessica Bock; The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin in Schofield has initiated a needle-exchange program to help prevent HIV/AIDS. The Marathon County city is Wisconsin s 11th to offer needle- exchange services. It will include HIV prevention education, counseling, testing and drug treatment referrals. It s the most powerful tool in
NEW ZEALAND: Mate Aaraikore A Muri Ake Nei: Experiences of Maori New Zealanders Living with HIV: Sexual Health (09.04) Vol. 1; No. 3; P.175-180 - Monday, December 20, 2004; Jeffrey Grierson; Marian Pitts; Te Herekiekie Herewini; Geoff Rua'ine; Anthony J. Hughes; Peter J.W. Saxton; Matt Whyte; Sebastian Misson; Mark Thomas; A total of 226 HIV-positive men and women completed the anonymous HIV Futures New Zealand Survey across the country. Of those, 25 respondents were Maori, of whom 17 were male, 7 were female and 1 was transgender. Maori respondents ranged in age from 21 to 52 with average age 36.4. Of Maori respondents, 13 identified as
RWANDA: Fighting for Rwanda's Forgotten Victims: Ottawa Citizen (12.19.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Sutton Eaves; The author of a new report on sexual violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda hopes the graphic accounts included bring attention to an issue that plagues much of Africa. In the report, Burundi-native Francoise Nduwimana recommends the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda provide rep
VATICAN CITY: Vatican Sets Up AIDS Foundation While Cardinals Avoid Debate on Condoms: Associated Press (12.17.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; On Friday, the Vatican established the Good Samaritan Foundation to help fund Catholic AIDS organizations. Pope John Paul II set aside $132,000 for GSF, and he is asking all people of good will, particularly those in the economically advanced nations, to contribute, said Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan. Barragan, who i
GLOBAL: WHO Issues Guidelines to Reduce Cervical Cancer: Wall Street Journal (12.16.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Associated Press; Cervical cancer kills some 230,000 women worldwide each year, but the number of cases of the largely preventable disease could be reduced through screening and treatment, the World Health Organization said Thursday in its 255-page manual for cervical cancer program implementation. Another half-million cases are diagnos
UGANDA: Researcher Says 20 Percent of Mothers, 46 Percent of Babies Developed Resistance to Nevirapine: Associated Press (12.17.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Geoffrey Muleme; On Friday, a Ugandan health official said a country study examining a single-dose regime of nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission found that 20 percent of pregnant women and 46 percent of their babies developed resistance to the drug. Resistance does occur, but it fades after one year, said Dr. Philipp
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Ruling Party Makes Sharp Attack on US Health Officials for Promoting AIDS Drug in Africa: Associated Press (12.17.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Alexandra Zavis; On Friday, ANC Today - the online journal of South Africa s ruling party - criticized US health officials, whom it accused of lying to promote a key AIDS drug and treating Africans like guinea pigs. The article was a response to AP reports showing that prior to President Bush s 2002 launch of a plan to distribute
TEXAS: Docs See Costs in Limiting Teens' Confidentiality: Reuters (12.07.04) - Monday, December 20, 2004; Recently passed legislation in Texas that limits teenagers ability to obtain confidential reproductive health-care services could have serious economic and health consequences, according to new research. Although the law aims to curtail adolescent sexual activity, teens will likely remain sexually active but forgo usin
GLOBAL: Brits to Give UNICEF $88 Million for AIDS Orphans: Associated Press (12.16.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Emily Frendrix; Britain will give UNICEF $88 million for its work with AIDS orphans, according to a joint announcement made Thursday. British International Development Minister Gareth Thomas said most of the money will go to sub-Saharan Africa. The money is a part of a three-year, $300 million British government plan to help children
SINGAPORE: AIDS Ignorance High in Singapore: Survey: Agence France Presse (12.17.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; An associate professor of the National University of Singapore Business School who surveyed 100 young adults about HIV/AIDS said ignorance about the disease had not improved in five years. One in three people surveyed believed they could catch AIDS through a mosquito bite. People surveyed had attained at least a second
NORTH CAROLINA: Vance High Students, Staff to Be Tested for Tuberculosis: Charlotte Observer (12.14.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Karen Garloch; Mecklenburg County Health Department officials plan to test about 130 students and faculty at Vance High School for tuberculosis after a student there was diagnosed with the disease last week. People who have shared a classroom or ridden a bus with the ill student will be tested, while people who may have been in the g
CALIFORNIA: Poster Contest Bares All: Bay Area Reporter (12.02.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Tyson Gillfillan; Magnet, the San Francisco gay men s health center, recently sponsored a reception for Open Up, a community based safe- sex poster contest. Over 40 artists, community leaders, safe- sex advocates and neighbors attended the event, sponsored additionally by the sex club Eros, Bay Area Reporter, and the social marketing fi
UNITED STATES: The Association Between Gang Involvement and Sexual Behaviours Among Detained Adolescent Males: Sexually Transmitted Infections (12.04) Vol. 80; No. 6: P. 440-442 - Friday, December 17, 2004; D.R. Voisin; L.F. Salazar; R. Crosby; R.J. DiClemente; W.L Yarber; M. Staples-Horne; In the current study, the authors sought to determine the association between ever having been in a gang and a range of sexual behaviors including sexual activity, male condom use, drug use during sex and sex with multiple partners. A total of 270 detained male adolescents (ages 14-18) were surveyed using audio compute
GLOBAL: US, Other Donors Boost AIDS Fund by $98 Million: Wall Street Journal (12.17.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced that new funding from donor nations increased its income from $936 million in 2003 to an estimated $1.56 billion in 2004. Earlier this year, the US withheld $120 million of the maximum 2004 donation of $547 million allowed by Congress, because federal law states t
AFRICA: Doctors, AIDS Activists in Africa Worry Governments May Halt Drug's Use Amid Concerns About Effect on Pregnant Women: Associated Press (12.16.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Geoffrey Muleme; In the wake of AP s reports on how the Uganda testing of nevirapine failed to meet international standards, African AIDS activists and physicians are worried that governments may stop using the drug to prevent mother-to-baby HIV infection. Research has found that pregnant women who take the drug once may
UNITED STATES: Jesse Jackson Calls for Investigation into AIDS Drug: Associated Press (12.17.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Mike Colias; On Thursday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson called for a congressional investigation into reports that US health officials withheld research from the Bush administration showing that nevirapine , which has been distributed to hundreds of thousands of Africans, posed serious risks. Jackson called on the US government to immedia
ALABAMA: Alabama Has Long-Term Wait List for Public-Funded AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (12.16.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; A Kaiser Family Foundation report released Wednesday found that 18 of the 50 states had waiting lists for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs at some point between July 2002 and November 2004. Alabama, however, was the only state with a waiting list in every one of the regular survey periods: Its list ranged from a low of 89
ARKANSAS: State Sees Need to Slash Rolls for HIV Drug Help: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (12.16.04) - Friday, December 17, 2004; Nell Smith; The Arkansas Department of Health said it may have to cut the number of people in its AIDS Drug Assistance Program from 418 to as few as 184 to prevent the program from running out of money before its funding period ends on March 31. Officials said a final decision would be made after December s expenditures are review
UNITED KINGDOM: Erasure Frontman Says He Is HIV-Positive: Agence France Presse (12.16.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Following a news report printed in Finland on Wednesday, singer Andy Bell of the UK pop group Erasure announced on the band s Web site that he is HIV-positive. I found out I was HIV-positive in June 1998 when I had a bout of pneumonia in Mallorca. Since then I have been taking
SINGAPORE: Singapore Hospitals Begin HIV Testing on Pregnant Mothers: Agence France Presse (12.16.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Today, Singapore s Ministry of Health announced it has sent out a directive to both public and private practitioners to start routine HIV testing of pregnant women. Testing is not compulsory but will be included as part of routine prenatal care unless the women opt out. The directive is part of Singapore s efforts to h
CALIFORNIA: Needles Available Without Prescription: San Francisco Chronicle (12.15.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Leslie Fulbright; On Tuesday, Contra Costa supervisors voted to allow pharmacists to sell hypodermic needles without a requiring a prescription. Any pharmacy that registers with the county Health Department may sell up to 10 needles to anyone 18 or older; however, the stores must also provide education, referrals and counseling. Califor
UNITED STATES: New HIV Test Lets Officials Reach Out to the Street: New York Times (12.16.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Carol Pogash; An eight-month-old CDC demonstration project is bringing OraQuick rapid HIV tests to persistent pockets of undiagnosed HIV cases, including teen clinics, gay bars, shelters for the homeless and drug users, and to sex workers. The project is underway in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Washington an
UNITED STATES: Lack of Recent Condom Use Among Detained Adolescent Males: a Multilevel Investigation: Sexually Transmitted Infections (12.04) Vol. 80; No. 6: P. 425-429 - Thursday, December 16, 2004; R. Crosby; L.F. Salazar; R.J. DiClemente; The authors sought to examine multiple levels of influence as to the lack of recent condom use among a high-risk sample of adolescent males serving predominantly short-term detention sentences. Using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing, a cross-sectional survey of 231 adolescent males was conducted. Condom use du
PORTUGAL: HIV Infection Rate Soars in Portugal Among Those over 50: Agence France Presse (12.15.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Daniel Silva; Portugal registered a 71 percent increase in HIV infections among those over age 50, from 819 cases in 1999 to 1,402 cases at the end of 2003, according to health ministry figures. One in five new HIV infections in Portugal in 2003 were among those over 50. Elsewhere in the European Union, the sharpest increases in H
GLOBAL: Military Health Officials Confer on AIDS: Associated Press (12.15.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Military leaders from two-dozen African and South American nations are meeting their US counterparts this week at a five- day conference in San Antonio, Texas, to discuss strategies for fighting HIV/AIDS. Some sub-Saharan forces have two to four times the HIV infection rate of the general populaces, a CDC official said
NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. Health Officials See Growth in Latino AIDS Cases: Associated Press (12.13.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; HIV cases are increasing among Hispanics in North Carolina, prompting health officials to add Latino staff and partner with Latino advocacy groups to increase prevention and testing efforts. North Carolina has seen the number of Latino HIV cases more than double in recent years, from 45 reported in 1999 to 113 in 2003.
UNITED STATES: AP Exclusive: Woman Died During AIDS Study: Associated Press (12.16.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; John Solomon; Randy Herschaft; Joyce Ann Hafford - who was 33, pregnant, and HIV-positive - enrolled in a federally funded research project in hopes of preventing her newborn from becoming infected. She died last year after doctors continued to administer an experimental drug regimen despite signs of liver failure, government memos say. Family membe
UNITED STATES: Bribes Alleged in Sales Policy for AIDS Drug: USA Today (12.16.04) - Thursday, December 16, 2004; Donna Leinwand; On Tuesday, federal prosecutors filed criminal charges in the US District Court in Boston against a New York sales representative of the biotechnology firm Serono for allegedly bribing doctors to write prescriptions for an expensive AIDS drug. According to the complaint, Adam Stupak offered three New York City physicia
CALIFORNIA: $6 Million More Found for Budget: San Francisco Chronicle (12.15.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Rachel Gordon; On Tuesday, San Francisco officials uncovered $6 million to restore some city services that had been slated for cuts to help close the $97 million deficit the city faces in the next 18 months. The found money will be used to keep all funding intact for the Tom Waddell Health Center, which is used by homeless persons. C
UGANDA: Ugandan, Sudanese Ministers Exchange Ideas on Fight Against AIDS Epidemic: Xinhua News Agency (12.14.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; On Monday, Ugandan Health Minister Jim Muhwezi and his Sudanese counterpart, Ahmed Bilal Osman, met in Kampala to discuss HIV/AIDS prevention and exchange ideas. At the meeting, Osman said the number of Sudanese living with HIV/AIDS is increasing, especially among women and youth, because of the conflict in southern Su
NEW YORK: An Education in Prevention: Newsday (12.08.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; John E. Thomas; The Forum is one of a handful of New York City organizations bridging the gap between minority communities and HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and education resources. The Forum began as a volunteer group. Social workers saw that Hispanics were not being targeted and informed about the disease in their own language, sa
NEW YORK: Clean Needles - and Hope: New York Daily News (12.12.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Lisa L. Colangelo; Queens first-ever needle-exchange program, run by the AIDS Center of Queens County, opened its doors Nov. 30. The cinderblock building is indistinguishable among the industrial Long Island City landscape, save for a single sign that says Q hanging in the window to let people know the exchange is open. Center and city h
BELGIUM: Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer Development: What Do Women Think?: Sexual Health (09.04) Vol. 1; No. 3: P.145-149 - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; M.F.D. Baay; V. Verhoeven; D. Avonts; J.B. Vermorken; The authors suggest that introduction of human papillomavirus detection into the cervical-cancer screening process will make it necessary to inform the target population about the relationship between the virus and cervical cancer. They conducted a study to determine what knowledge women in Belgium have of th
CHINA: Report: Widespread Ignorance of AIDS Among Chinese Gays Threatens to Undermine Fight Against Disease: Associated Press (12.15.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Christopher Bodeen; A new report by China s Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that widespread ignorance about HIV/AIDS among Chinese gay men could hamper the country s efforts to fight the disease. Around 80 percent of male homosexuals surveyed in China either believe they cannot get AIDS or seriously underestimate their ris
ALASKA: Officials Rush to Stem Flare of Syphilis: Anchorage Daily News (12.14.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Ann Potempa; Alaska health officials are investigating a recent syphilis outbreak occurring primarily among men who have sex with men (MSM). The state Section of Epidemiology (SoE) is tracking six cases of infectious syphilis reported between Sept. 15 and Dec. 10. Five of the men reside in Anchorage and one in Southeast, a health b
UNITED STATES: AMA Revises Sex-Ed Policy: Washington Times (12.11.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Cheryl Wetzstein; The American Medical Association recently updated its sex- education policy to support evidence-based programs and oppose federal funding of unproven ones. The AMA policy change comes amid disputes between supporters of abstinence-only education and those in favor of comprehensive programs that include information on c
UNITED STATES; AFRICA: AIDS Research Chief Rewrote Safety Report: Associated Press (12.15.04) - Wednesday, December 15, 2004; John Solomon; Memos show that Dr. Edmund Tramont, chief of the AIDS Division at the National Institutes of Health, removed some negative safety conclusions from a subordinate s report on nevirapine and, over the objections of his staff, ordered the resumption of a US-funded experiment using the drug. Tramont s top deputy and oth
CHINA: Human Rights Watch Allowed to Participate in China Meeting for First Time: Agence France Presse (12.14.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; The human rights organization Human Rights Watch was allowed to make its first public talk in China today during a conference on AIDS and law in Shanghai. This is a critical moment in the movement to fight rights abuses in China. We got a very warm reception, said Meg Davis, HRW s China researcher, who gave the speech.
UGANDA: Uganda to Run Short of Condoms: BBC News (12.13.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; The condom coordinator for Uganda s Ministry of Health said her country faces a six-month-long limited supply of condoms. The supply of the government s Engabu condom has been frozen, and free condoms the ministry distributes are running out. The government has 5 million non-Engabu condoms, which is enough for two mont
ETHIOPIA: AIDS, Poverty Leave Ethiopians Orphaned: Associated Press (12.13.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; HIV/AIDS is fueling an orphan crisis in Ethiopia , where a staggering 10 percent of the country s 46 million children are orphans whose parents died of AIDS, poverty or poor health conditions, a new report said Monday. The government report, backed by UNICEF and the international aid group Save the Children, said Ethio
NEW YORK: Meth Effort Aimed at Gay African Americans: Gay City News (12.09.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Tyler Pray; PNP? Party N Play or Party N Pay, says a new community- awareness campaign aimed at fighting crystal meth in New York City s gay African-American community. Posters for the effort went up on Dec. 6 throughout Harlem, Chelsea and the West Village. Sponsoring the drive are the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Comm
ILLINOIS: Future of Belleville AIDS Shelter Looks Cloudy: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (12.12.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Kevin McDermott; A recent cash infusion should keep Bethany Place of Belleville, which provides transitional housing for people living with HIV/AIDS, operating into 2005. Its long-term survival, however, is less certain. The AIDS shelter faced the possibility of shuttering its operation at year s end - the result of a $21,000 cut in fe
UNITED STATES: Correlates of Sex Trading Among Drug-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men: American Journal of Public Health (11.04); Vol. 94; No. 11: P. 1998-2003 - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Peter A. Newman, PhD; Fen Rhodes, PhD; Robert E. Weiss, PhD; The authors examined correlates of trading sex for money, drugs, shelter or food among drug-using MSM in Long Beach, Calif. The researchers recruited 387 African-American, Latino and white MSM from public parks, beaches and street corners, through fliers posted at social service agencies, and through limited snowball s
PAKISTAN: HIV Lessons in Madrassahs: Christian Science Monitor (12.08.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Owais Tohid; Two nongovernmental groups have been working since last year to train clerics and educate students at 10 madrassahs - Islamic theology schools - in Pakistan to help destigmatize HIV/AIDS and increase awareness that the disease is not confined to drug users, prostitutes and homosexuals. Our experience with the madr
SOUTH AFRICA: South African AIDS Lobby Group Wins Costs in Case Against Government: Agence France Presse (12.14.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Today, the Pretoria High Court ordered the South African government to pay the legal costs associated with Treatment Action Campaign s latest effort to speed the rollout of free antiretrovirals. The AIDS lobby group last month asked the court to order Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to pay the costs of a case
UNITED STATES: Bush Selects EPA Head to Be Secretary of Health: New York Times (12.14.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Robert Pear; On Monday at the White House, President Bush named his choice to replace Tommy Thompson as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services: He is Michael Leavitt, the current administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and a former three-term governor of Utah. As secretary, Leavitt would be responsibl
UNITED STATES; AFRICA: Top US Officials Warned of Concerns Before AIDS Drug Sent to Africa: Associated Press (12.13.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004; John Solomon; Weeks before President Bush announced a $500 million plan to protect African babies from HIV using the AIDS drug nevirapine , the National Institutes of Health was warned that its research on the drug in Uganda was flawed and potentially underreported serious adverse events including deaths.
CALIFORNIA: Kaiser Awards AIDS Agency Grants: Sacramento Bee (12.11.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Dorsey Griffith; Four Sacramento-area nonprofits that provide services to people with HIV/AIDS received a total of $25,000 in grants from Kaiser Permanente. AIDS Housing Alliance, which works to prevent homelessness among people with HIV/AIDS; Breaking Barriers, which assists with HIV prevention and diagnoses; Harm Reduction Services,
INDIA: US State Department Plans Jazz Concerts to Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness in India: Associated Press (12.13.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; As part of a US State Department-supported campaign to fight HIV/AIDS, some popular American jazz musicians will perform in India next month, David Kennedy, US embassy spokesperson in New Delhi, said today. Jazz legend George Duke, singer Al Jarreau, guitarist Earl Klugh and saxophone player Ravi Coltrane will perform
UGANDA: Some 80,000 Ugandans Infected with TB Every Year: Xinhua News Agency (12.12.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; State-run Radio Uganda reported on Saturday that Uganda s 80,000 new TB cases per year rank the nation at 14th among the 22 nations with the world s highest incidence of the disease. The disease also causes a burden due to the six to eight months of time lost from work during treatment, according to President Yoweri Mu
CALIFORNIA: Limits Given to House for AIDS, HIV Patients: San Diego Union-Tribune (12.08.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; John Berhman; On Dec. 6, the San Marcos Planning Commission voted 7-0 to extend a conditional-use permit for Fraternity House, a home for people with HIV/AIDS. More than 200 people attended the 3.5-hour meeting, which was preceded by a candlelight vigil supporting the house. The panel overruled city staff s recommendation for a thre
CHINA: A Study of Commercial Sex and HIV/STI-Related Risk Factors Among Hospitality Girls in Entertainment Establishments in Wuhan, China: Sexual Health (09.04); Vol. 1; No. 3: P.141-144 - Monday, December 13, 2004; Shan-Bo Wei; Zhong-Dan Chen; Wang Zhou; Feng-Bo Wu; Si-Ping Li; Jian-Guo Shan; In China , hospitality girls (HGs) work at licensed entertainment establishments. Some offer sexual intercourse to their clients while others do not. The authors conducted this study to understand the proportion of sex-HGs and non-sex HGs, the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the high-ri
UNITED KINGDOM: Teen Mags 'to Help Sex Teaching': BBC News (12.06.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Some teachers criticize magazines geared to teens - like Mizz and Bliss - for publishing material that allegedly glamorizes promiscuity, but London University s Institute of Education (IoE) plans to use such media as a teaching aid in sex education materials for youths ages 12-15. We believe that using media offers tea
JAPAN: Study Suggests Sex Education Poor: Daily Yomiuri (12.10.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Keiko Katayama; Recent research finding a high percentage of chlamydia infections among sexually active Japanese high school students has highlighted the need to review sex education. The situation is very serious. We shouldn t leave the matter uncorrected, said Hirohisa Imai, an assistant professor at Asahikawa Medical College, who p
MIDDLE EAST: Arab Religious Leaders Sign AIDS Declaration in Cairo: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.13.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Today in Cairo, some 80 major Arab religious leaders signed an HIV/AIDS declaration that marks the first cornerstone for tangible response to AIDS in the region. What we have achieved today is revolutionary, said Khadija Moalla, director of the HIV/AIDS regional program in the Middle East at the UN Development Program.
NEW JERSEY: Lawmakers to Ask Court to Stop Needle Exchange Programs: Associated Press (12.10.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Tom Bell; Three New Jersey lawmakers plan to file a lawsuit in an effort to throw out an executive order signed by former Gov. James E. McGreevey that permits Camden, Atlantic City and another city not yet chosen to establish needle-exchange programs. Sens. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) and Tom Kean (R-Union) and Assemblymember Joe Penn
UNITED STATES: Fewer Teens 15 to 17 Having Sex, Study Shows: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.11.04) - Monday, December 13, 2004; Helena Oliviero; Fewer US youths ages 15-17 are having sex, and they cite religious and moral values as the number-one reason, says a new survey released by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, 30 percent of never-married females ages 15-17 have had sex, down from 38 perce
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopians to Receive Free Brand-Name HIV Drugs from Next Year: Associated Press (12.09.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Anthony Mitchell; On Thursday, Assistant US Global AIDS Coordinator Mark Dybul said thousands of HIV-infected Ethiopians will start receiving free AIDS drugs for the first time next month as part of President Bush s $15 billion global AIDS relief initiative. The $43 million program will target up to 15,000 Ethiopians in 2005, said Dybul
CANADA: New Brunswick Education Department Scraps Web Site Links Considered X-Rated by Parents: Canadian Press (12.09.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; On Thursday, New Brunswick Education Minister Madeleine Dube said the department has decided to delete a listing of Web sites that some parents considered pornographic. The Web sites were contained in resource material meant only for sex- education teachers. Some parents objected to at least two sites, including one th
OHIO: Mobile Health Van to Take Tests to Streets: Dayton Daily News (12.07.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Kevin Lamb; The mission of a new mobile health van - which begins visiting Dayton neighborhoods Friday - is to increase HIV testing among Montgomery County s racial minorities. At the van s dedication Monday, Dennis Moore, assistant professor of community health with the Wright State University School of Medicine, cited CDC data i
VIRGINIA: Two TB Cases Tied to Chesapeake Nurse Who Died: Associated Press (12.09.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Tests conducted by CDC have confirmed that two active TB cases are linked to a nurse who worked at Chesapeake General Hospital and died of the disease over the summer, Chesapeake Health Director Nancy Welch said Thursday. The tests showed the TB strand the nurse had was the same form found in a co- worker and a patient
BELGIUM: Novel Test Drug Offers New Hope for Tuberculosis Treatment: Associated Press (12.09.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Paul Recer; Studies of a new type of antibiotic to treat TB suggest the drug works better and faster than existing TB drugs and could cut in half the time required to cure the deadly disease, according to researchers in the Belgium lab of Johnson & Johnson . The candidate drug, R207910, is part of a new class of anti-TB com
CANADA: New TB Cases Found: Toronto Star (12.10.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Moira Welsh; Six cases of TB have been identified in an outbreak at Toronto homeless shelters that has killed one man. Two new shelter cases were diagnosed this week. Toronto Public Health is nearing the end of a six-week voluntary screening program of shelter users. The agency rushed to change tactics after learning that the dead
CHINA: In China, an About-Face on AIDS Prevention: Washington Post (12.08.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Edward Cody; In observation of World AIDS Day, Chinese officials and newspapers discussed HIV/AIDS, and authorities announced measures to check the disease and detect those infected. The Health Ministry said it had increased financing for AIDS prevention to $12 million, up from $1.8 million three years ago. In Beijing, where the kn
GLOBAL: Nobel Peace Laureate Seeks to Explain Remarks About AIDS: New York Times (12.10.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Walter Gibbs; On Thursday, Kenyan environmentalist and recipient of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Dr. Wangari Maathai sought to defuse a controversy over reports she said AIDS was intentionally created by evil-minded scientists in the developed world to decimate the African population. Maathai, 64, a biologist whose Green Belt Movement
TENNESSEE: Meth's Sexual Effect Explains Addictions: Associated Press (12.03.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Bill Poovey; At a recent task force meeting on the methamphetamine epidemic in Appalachia, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) cringed when a federal prosecutor bluntly explained an obvious reason people become addicted to the drug: sex. Though meth will eventually destroy a user s sex drive, its short-term boost to sexual appetite an
LOUISIANA: Louisiana Governor Defends Abstinence Program Against ACLU Charge: Associated Press (12.09.04) - Friday, December 10, 2004; Kevin McGill; On Thursday, Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) defended Louisiana s abstinence-education program from charges that it continues to promote religion in violation of a 2002 court settlement. In July 2002, US District Judge Thomas Porteous Jr. found that some grants made by the Governor s Program on Abstinence under Gov. Mike Fost
CHINA: China to Treat More AIDS Patients with Free ARV Therapy in 2005: Xinhua News Agency (12.08.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; China will provide another 20,000-30,000 AIDS patients with free antiretroviral treatment next year, Hao Yang, deputy head of the disease control department under the Chinese Ministry of Health, said Tuesday at a press conference hosted jointly with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. By end of last June,
AUSTRALIA: Screen Pregnant Women for AIDS: Researcher: Australian Associated Press (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Rosemary Desmond; Australia should adopt a population-based HIV screening program for pregnant women, Dr. Nick Graves, a senior researcher at Queensland University of Technology, told a public health conference on World AIDS Day. Graves cited a recent study that showed a small number of pregnant women in the country with undiagnosed H
GLOBAL: Report: Women Often First Casualties of War: Washington Times (12.09.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Agence France Presse; On Wednesday, an Amnesty International report charged that women often become the first victims of war, and it called for action by the International Criminal Court to protect them. In addition to falling victim to bombings and land mines, women are considered the legitimate booty of [the] victorious army, the report s
UNITED STATES: Scientists Find Gene Clue in Hunt for AIDS Vaccine: Reuters (12.08.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Patricia Reaney; On Wednesday, scientists said they have identified key genes involved in the body s response to HIV, a discovery that can help refine the search for an effective HIV vaccine. We have narrowed down the focus of which particular genes are important in determining the outcome of HIV infection, said Dr. Philip Goulder of t
INDIA: Indian Religious Leaders Join Hands to Fight HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.29.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Nirmala George; At a multi-faith meeting on HIV/AIDS in New Delhi on Nov. 29, India s religious leaders were urged to spread the message of HIV prevention and to fight the stigma associated with the disease. In this highly traditional society, religious leaders have enormous influence in shaping people s attitudes and prejudices, said
TURKEY: Oklahoma Woman Educating Turkish Workers on AIDS: Associated Press (12.05.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Oklahoma City native Kay Zahasky is working to educate oil pipeline workers and military police in Turkey on how to prevent HIV transmission. In 2001, Zahasky began managing a medical equipment sales office in Istanbul. Her work marketing HIV diagnostic tests attracted notice from oil firms building the $4 billion, 1,0
LIBYA: Libya to Lift Death Penalty for Doctor and Nurses in HIV Case: New York Times (12.09.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Craig S. Smith; According to Seif al-Islam e-Qaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libya will not execute five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who were sentenced to death earlier this year for infecting more than 400 children with HIV. He said Libya will soon pass new laws limiting capital punishment to a small n
MIDDLE EAST: UNICEF: Arab Media Should Help Knock AIDS Taboos: Reuters (12.07.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Heba Kandil; HIV/AIDS rates in North Africa and the Middle East are climbing, and the region s media must combat the epidemic by addressing cultural taboos, Mohammed Imad al-Daker, a UNICEF HIV/AIDS consultant, said Tuesday. The region currently has 540,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, compared to 430,000 in 2002. 2004 UN estimates
GLOBAL: UNICEF: Poverty, War, HIV Hurting Children: Associated Press (12.09.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Catherine McAloon; UNICEF s report The State of the World s Children 2005; Childhood Under Threat, released today, said more than half the world s children are suffering the effects of poverty, war and HIV/AIDS, denying them a safe and healthy childhood. The report noted that more than 1 billion children are growing up hungry and unhealt
UNITED STATES: Firm Develops New Test for Tuberculosis: Daily News of Los Angeles (12.04.04) - Thursday, December 09, 2004; Patricia Farrell Aidem; The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new TB test that is expected eventually to replace the century-old skin test. Valencia, Calif.-based Cellestis Inc. developed the test, QuantiFERON-TB GOLD, in its Australian research center. It is being marketed to health officials, prisons and the military. Company s
COLORADO: No More Active Cases of TB Found at Air Force Academy: Associated Press (12.07.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; At least 230 Air Force Academy cadets have tested positive for TB exposure but no new active case has been found, the academy said Tuesday. In August, a cadet was diagnosed with active TB, and 65 other cadets at the 4,200-student school were treated with preventative antibiotics after testing positive for exposure. Cad
UNITED STATES: Details of Giant Spending Bill Congress Sends to Bush: Associated Press (12.08.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Alan Fram; On Tuesday, Congress sent President Bush a $388 billion legislative package covering the spending of every federal agency except the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Bush is expected to sign the bill before midnight tonight, when a temporary measure expires. The fo
FLORIDA: Vice Mayor Criticizes Red Cross AIDS Policy: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.06.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Jean-Paul Renaud; In a Sept. 27 letter, Fort Lauderdale s Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis asked Broward County s School Superintendent Frank Till to reconsider using American Red Cross-provided guest speakers for school HIV/AIDS prevention instruction, saying that a Red Cross policy directing teachers to avoid discussions of homosexuality is
UNITED STATES: Sibling Influences on Adolescents' Attitudes Toward Safe Sex Practices: Family Relations (10.04) Vol. 53; No. 4; P.377-384 - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Amanda Kolburn Kowal; Lynn Blinn-Pike; The authors examined sibling discussion about safe sexual practices and the extent to which such discussions influence adolescents attitudes toward safe sex, their self-efficacy for refusing sex, communicating about condom use with partners, and buying and using condoms. Participants were 297 Midwestern high school stu
CHINA: Family Important for AIDS Prevention, Says Chinese Expert: Xinhua News Agency (12.08.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Families have become a conduit in the spread of HIV in China but this basic social unit can also be used to effectively curb the pandemic, professor Jing Jun of Qinghua University in Beijing told the World Family Summit, a three-day forum on family and socioeconomic development. Jing said the increasing number of women
TANZANIA: Tanzania Elderly Increasingly at HIV Risk - Report: Reuters (12.02.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Many of the 2 million Tanzanians above age 60 are increasingly at risk for HIV due to illiteracy, cultural practices, poverty and a lack of prevention knowledge, a recent report by HelpAge International found. The risk is increased by customs such as polygamy and wife inheritance, as well as by their role as caregivers
UNITED KINGDOM: Britons' 'Shocking' Ignorance on AIDS: The Guardian (London) (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Sarah Boseley; A new study reveals considerable ignorance and little sympathy in the United Kingdom regarding AIDS. Marie Stopes International commissioned the survey of 2,000 representative adults, which was conducted by Interact Worldwide. Among key findings: *One-fifth of those polled said it is people s own fault if they get HIV/
IRAN: Iran's Growing AIDS Crisis Shifts from the Needle to the Bed: Agence France Presse (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; On World AIDS Day, health experts warned that Iran s AIDS problem is shifting. The trend of transmission has changed from intravenous drug users to high-risk sexual behavior, said Minoo Mohraz, a doctor and specialist in Iran s official AIDS Association. Owing to economic issues, more people are delaying marriage, and
UNITED STATES: 'Chastity Czar' Wants Abstinence to Be Cool: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.04.04) - Wednesday, December 08, 2004; Judy Holland; Wade F. Horn, the new head of the federal program to promote sexual abstinence, said his goal is to make it socially acceptable for American teens to say no to sex. As assistant secretary for children and families in the Department of Health and Human Services, Horn - dubbed the chastity czar - believes youths who choo
SOUTH KOREA: A Condom by Any Other Name...: Reuters (12.07.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; South Korea has dropped plans to replace the English word for condom with a Korean word after people with identical or similar-sounding names complained. The Korean Anti-AIDS Federation said it will shelve the use of ae-pil, which is derived from the Chinese characters for love and necessity. Ae-pil, picked from 19,0
INDIA: India, World Food Program to Provide Food Aid to HIV/AIDS Sufferers: Agence France Presse (12.06.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; On Monday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported that India has signed an agreement with the UN World Food Program to provide food for people with HIV/AIDS. The agreement makes food and nutrition an integral part of government strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, said Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.
CALIFORNIA: Crystal Campaigns Spark Mixed Reactions: Bay Area Reporter (11.18.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Matthew Bajko; The San Francisco Department of Health s Crystal Mess advertisements - which depict harsh images of crystal methamphetamine addicts - provoked mixed reactions when recently displayed at the Castro Muni transit station. Some anonymous people wrote or plastered remarks against the campaign directly on the advertisements.
UNITED STATES: Using Patient Risk Indicator to Plan Prevention Strategies in the Clinical Care Setting: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (10.01.04) Vol. 37; Supplement 2; P.S88-S94 - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Jean L. Richardson, DrPH; Joel Milam, PhD; Susan Stoyanoff, MPH; Carol Kemper, MD; Robert Bolan, MD; Robert A. Larsen, MD; Jony M. Weiss, MPH; Harry Hollander, MD; Penny Weismuller, DrPH; Allen McCutchan, MD; CDC s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article Incorporating HIV Prevention into the Medical Care of Persons Living with HIV (July 18, 2003), recommends that health-care providers offer brief behavior risk-reduction interventions in clinic settings and provide referrals for selected HIV- positive patients for addi
GLOBAL: AIDS Experts Say Focus on Sex Industry: Associated Press (11.30.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Paul Alexander; Empowering female sex workers could help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia-Pacific, aid workers said Nov. 30 at a conference on how women and girls can be saved from the pandemic. About 400 aid workers from around the world attended the conference in Islamabad, Pakistan . The empowerment of women is the best vaccine
JAMAICA: Jamaica Says It's Considering Legislation Against HIV/AIDS Discrimination: Associated Press (12.01.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Stevenson Jacobs; After a recent Human Rights Watch report criticized Jamaica for failing to protect people with HIV/AIDS from discrimination, the government said it is working on legislation that will protect infected people at work and elsewhere. But you can t just legislate to erase the stigma, said Health Minister John Junor. We h
BULGARIA: Powell Says US Will Not Drop Case of Condemned Bulgarian Nurses in Libya: Agence France Presse (12.07.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Today in Sofia, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States will continue to pressure Libya to release the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death by a Libyan court for allegedly infecting hundreds of children with HIV. We have been pressing the Libyans on every occasion to reso
GLOBAL: Head of Global Fund for AIDS Says Disease 'Growing Rapidly' in China: Associated Press (12.07.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Stephanie Hoo; Today in Beijing, the head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria disputed official government figures showing China s HIV infection rate has remained steady for two years - even as he praised the nation s aggressive new anti-AIDS efforts. The official figures must be wrong, Richard Feachem said of China s co
NORTH CAROLINA: AIDS Up in N.C. for Third Year; Infections Rise Among Poor Women, Blacks: News & Observer (12.01.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; Sarah Avery; 2003 marked the third year in a row in which HIV/AIDS cases rose in North Carolina. A growing number of those infected were poor women and minorities. Thirty-two percent of the state s estimated 25,000 cases are female; 71 percent are black. Heterosexual transmission accounted for 83 percent of new HIV infections among
GLOBAL: Barr Says FDA Approves AIDS Drug Generic Version: Reuters (12.03.04) - Tuesday, December 07, 2004; On Friday, Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the company s generic version of Videx EC, an AIDS medicine marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb .
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh Doctors Urged to Screen Blood to Curb Spread of HIV: Agence France Presse (12.02.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; On Thursday, Bangladesh s Health Minister Khandoker Mosharraf Hossain urged all physicians to screen donated blood for HIV before using it in transfusions. About 7,500 people in the country are living with HIV/AIDS and blood transfusions are among main transmission routes, said Hossain. Whatever the estimated or report
GUYANA: Guyana to Get $20 Million from United States to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (12.04.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; On Friday, US Ambassador Roland Bullen announced Guyana will receive $20 million to help fight AIDS, and he presented the government with $200,000 in HIV testing equipment. Among other initiatives, the money will go toward preventing mother-to- child HIV transmission and improving testing capabilities, said Health Mini
SINGAPORE: Singapore Mulls HIV Testing for Couples Planning to Tie the Knot: Report: Agence France Presse (12.05.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said there have been suggestions the city-state should test for HIV all couples seeking to marry, but that public feedback would be sought before any decision is made, the Sunday Times reported. Should we do it? I don t know. But if you ask me as a parent, I think there is no h
UNITED STATES: Health Chief Resigns: Los Angeles Times (12.04.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar; Edwin Chen; On Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced his intention to resign from his cabinet- level office by Feb. 4 or earlier, once the Senate confirms his successor. It was not a surprise announcement, since Thompson had let it be known he did not intend to hold the office during a second B
PITTSBURGH: Braddock Man Empowers Peers to Battle HIV/AIDS: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12.01.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Ervin Dyer; A crumbling brick building on a blighted corner in Braddock, Pa., houses a halfway house where men are trying to repair their battered lives. This has been my calling, to try to empower others, said Cliff Maxwell. A one-time pimp, Maxwell, 54, has managed the house for four months. The facility has been in existence fo
CALIFORNIA: Panel Examines AIDS in Black Communities: Los Angeles Times (12.05.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; David Pierson; On Saturday, black health officials, social activists, religious leaders and social workers gathered at University of Southern California to call for the elimination of AIDS stigma and urge greater sexual responsibility to contain the epidemic. The event was organized by the African American Community Development Initi
UNITED STATES: Trends in HIV Prevalence Among Public Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic Attendees in the Western Region of the United States (1989-1999): Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (09.01.04) Vol. 37; No. 1: P.1206-1215 - Monday, December 06, 2004; Nina T. Harawa, MPH, PhD; John Douglas, MD; Willi McFarland, MD, PhD; Hanne Thiede, DVM, MPH; Timothy A. Kellogg, MA; Kelly Vorhees, MSPH; KaraAnn M. Donovan, MPH; Trista A. Bingham, MPH, MS; Using data from anonymous unlinked testing of routinely collected sera, the authors compared trends in HIV among sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients in 4 Western urban centers: Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Because of the relatively high HIV prevalence among certain behavioral risk groups in
ASIA: Prison Drug Use, Unprotected Sex Fueling AIDS Epidemic in Asia: Associated Press (12.01.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Michael Casey; Widespread drug use and unprotected sex in Asia s overcrowded prisons are turning the decrepit facilities into HIV factories that are contributing to the region s AIDS epidemic, activists say. We are introducing a population that we know to be infected with [HIV] into an environment where people shoot up drugs and have
JAPAN: Condom Sales Shrivel as Japan Logs Onto Cyber Porn: Agence France Presse (11.30.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Japan s Health Ministry announced recently that domestic shipments of condoms have declined from 737 million condoms in 1980 to 419 million in 2003 - a 43 percent decline. Since the advent of the broadband Internet in Japan, people can connect the entire night without having extra charges, said a spokesperson for Okamo
JAPAN: Sex-Disease Chlamydia Rife Among Japanese Teens: Reuters (12.02.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; A screening of 3,190 male and female high school students from 13 schools in Japan s main northern island of Hokkaido found an average 11.4 percent testing positive for chlamydia, the Yomiuri Shimbun recently reported. The results are considered nationally reflective of teen sexual activity, the Yomiuri said, adding to
UNITED STATES: Frist Backs Review of Abstinence Programs: Associated Press (12.05.04) - Monday, December 06, 2004; Sunday on ABC s This Week program, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said the government should review federally funded sexual abstinence programs. Last week, a report by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) found misinformation in 11 of the 13 most widely used abstinence curricula. The report said the programs under
NORTH DAKOTA: North Dakota Has Lowest Incidence of AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; North Dakota continues to have the nation s lowest AIDS incidence. During the first six months of the year, nine new cases of HIV/AIDS were diagnosed in the state; most were the result of sexual transmission. On Wednesday, the state Health Department marked World AIDS Day with a call for at-risk people to be tested. St
ECUADOR: 6,000 AIDS Cases Reported in Ecuador: Xinhua News Agency (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; On Wednesday in Quito, Health Minister Teofilo Lama said 6,000 AIDS cases have been reported in Ecuador . The most likely cases are no longer homosexuals but rather women and children, Lama said. Ecuador recorded its first HIV infection 20 years.
PANAMA: 6,372 AIDS Cases Registered in Panama: Report: Xinhua News Agency (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; A report released Wednesday by Panama s Health Ministry said the nation has registered 6,372 cases of AIDS. Of AIDS patients, 75.5 percent are male, and 24.5 percent are female. Seventy-three percent of patients have died. Official figures indicate between 21,000 and 22,000 people have tested HIV- positive. Panama will
MEXICO: As Many as 260,000 Mexicans Are Living with HIV: Associated Press (11.24.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Though the official number of HIV-infected Mexicans remains low, Jorge Saavedra, director of the National Center for the Prevention of AIDS, said on Nov. 24 the real figure could be between 78,000 and 260,000. Saavedra said the reason for the broad estimate is that many people don t know, others don t want to know and
CHINA: Many Mainland Chinese Prostitutes in Hong Kong Not Using Condoms: Survey: Agence France Presse (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; On Thursday, the sex workers rights group Teng Zi said many mainland Chinese prostitutes working in Hong Kong are not using condoms because they fear police would use the condoms as evidence. Of 108 mainland Chinese prostitutes surveyed, 43 percent said they did not use condoms because they were afraid police would vie
CALIFORNIA: Care-A-Van Drives Lessons Home: Sacramento Bee (11.22.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Gabriel Baird; The high school student who dropped by the Sacramento County Department of Health s 40-foot mobile van recently wanted to take an HIV test. What he got first behind closed curtains was a reality check, said Elvira Anguiano, who works for the county s Care-A-Van program, which offers free STD testing at shelters and tra
GEORGIA: Mayor Urges Macon to Do More in Fight Against AIDS: Macon Telegraph (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Karen Shugart; Speaking on World AIDS Day, Macon Mayor Jack Ellis said the city must do more work with local HIV/AIDS service providers if it is to effectively fight the disease. The fact of the matter is it is a drain on our economy, Ellis said of AIDS at a City Hall news conference. We have to find a way in our upcoming budget to f
MASSACHUSETTS: Soaring Syphilis Rate Ends Decades of Decline in Hub: Boston Herald (12.01.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Marie Szaniszlo; Boston s reported syphilis cases for 2003 increased by 43.8 percent over the previous year. Last year, Boston reported 69 syphilis cases - or 11.5 cases per 100,000 residents. The city now has the sixth-highest rate for the disease nationwide, after San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit and Newark. In 2001, Boston
CALIFORNIA: Anti-Syphilis TV Message Finds Few Takers: Los Angeles Times (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Jia-Rui Chong; Los Angeles County Department of Health officials were frustrated to learn a department-funded anti-syphilis public service ad targeting gay men was rejected as inappropriate by local television stations. It s distressing to hear that some important public health messages are not being aired, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding
UNITED STATES: A Case-Control Study of Syphilis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in New York City: Association with HIV Infection: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (10.04) Vol. 31; No. 10: P. 581- 587 - Friday, December 03, 2004; Gabriela Paz-Bailey, MD, MSc; Andrea Meyers, MPH; Susan Blank, MD, MPH; James Brown; Steve Rubin; Jim Braxton; Akbar Zaidi, PhD; Josh Schafzin, MD, PhD; Susan Weigl, MPH [S], Laurie E. Markowitz, MD; In the current study, researchers sought to determine factors associated with syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City. A case-control study was conducted among 88 men ages 18-55 who reported sex with men in the previous year and were diagnosed with primary or secondary syphilis during 2001. In t
GLOBAL: Human Rights Watch Says Curbs on Condoms Undermine Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.30.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; David Crary; In a report issued Tuesday ahead of World AIDS Day, Human Rights Watch said criticism of condoms and restrictions on access to them are hurting global anti-AIDS efforts. Governments should be promoting condom use, not treating condoms like contraband, said HRW researcher Jonathan Cohen. The clear result of restricting
ILLINOIS: Governor Bars Health Agency from Giving Out Flavored Condoms: Associated Press (12.02.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Christopher Wills; As dozens rallied against AIDS Wednesday in Springfield, the administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich defended his decision to stop the Illinois Public Health Department from purchasing any more flavored or colored condoms. Blagojevich said the World AIDS Day commemoration was a time to reaffirm our commitment to promoti
UNITED STATES: Antiviral Drug Used to Treat AIDS to Be Tested as Vaccine: San Francisco Chronicle (12.01.04) - Friday, December 03, 2004; Sabin Russell; The US arm of an international drug trial will enroll 400 gay men in San Francisco and Atlanta to determine whether the properties that allow tenofovir ( Viread ) to suppress HIV among infected patients might also prevent HIV among the uninfected.
NEW YORK: City Agency Gets $5 Million to Help Fight Epidemic: Newsday (12.02.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Bryan Virasami; On Wednesday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the New York City Health Department will receive $5 million a year to conduct HIV/AIDS testing in minority communities. The epidemic continues to have a profound impact on our city, Bloomberg said at a morning reception commemorating World AIDS Day. Health Commissioner Dr
SOUTH AFRICA: Five Million South Africans Are HIV Positive: Business Day (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Tamar Kahn; Five million South Africans, or 11 percent of the population, are HIV-infected, according to an Actuarial Society of South Africa report released Wednesday in conjunction with World AIDS Day. Though the figure is lower than the health department s recent estimate of 5.6 million infections, the authors of the report sai
GLOBAL: Chastity Is Safest Defense Against AIDS, Vatican Reaffirms: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; In a message marking World AIDS Day, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan said HIV transmission through sexual contact must be eliminated through responsible behavior and observance of the virtue of chastity. Barragan is the head of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, which is charged with guiding Catholic orga
GLOBAL: UN Agency Reinstates 2 AIDS Drugs: New York Times (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; On Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced that two generic drugs removed from its list of safe AIDS medicines in May have been reinstated. Lamivudine and AZT manufactured by Indian maker Cipl
TENNESSEE: AIDS Markers Back Again at Corner - Numbers Up Slightly from Last Year: Commercial Appeal (11.29.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Jody Callahan; On Sunday, about 400 volunteers hammered white stakes with red bows affixed into the lawns of Greater Lewis Missionary Baptist and First Baptist churches in Memphis to memorialize Shelby County residents who have died of AIDS since 1983 and to commemorate World AIDS Day. In 2000, the display had 2,204 markers; this yea
NEW YORK: World AIDS Day; 'A Very Real Problem Right Here': Newsday (12.02.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Cynthia Daniels; Heather Fletcher; People in Long Island marked World AIDS Day with remembrances and dedications. More than 30 people viewed a memorial quilt of 30 panels designed by Economic Opportunity Commission workers and community members of Nassau County. The quilt - which included panels that said AIDS has no Color, Pray for a Cure and Be a Frie
CALIFORNIA: Vigils, Concerts and Tears Mark Losses to AIDS: San Francisco Chronicle (12.02.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Rona Marech; On Wednesday, a midday crowd of several hundred gathered in Golden Gate Park s National AIDS Memorial Grove as part of San Francisco 11th annual commemoration of World AIDS Day. Mayor Gavin Newsom and Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) addressed the crowd; Rabbi Camille Shira Angel led a prayer. Tom Nolan, exec
UNITED STATES: Interactive Video Behavioral Intervention Reduces Adolescent Females' STD Risk: Women's Health Weekly (11.04.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Recent research by J.S. Downs and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University used a longitudinal randomized [study] design� to evaluate the impact of a theoretically based, stand-alone interactive video intervention on 300 urban adolescent girls (a) knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), (b) self-reported
GLOBAL: Anti-AIDS Campaigners Spotlight Need to Protect Women, Girls: Associated Press (12.01.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Alexander G. Higgins; From Armenia to Zambia , activists worldwide took part in World AIDS Day while the UN sought to raise awareness on how the face of AIDS is increasingly young and female. The number of women living with HIV is on the rise in every region, said UNAIDS chief Peter Piot, speaking in New
KANSAS: State AIDS Rates Rise; Complacency Can Be Deadly, Experts Warn: Wichita Eagle (11.30.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Christina M. Woods; Kansas health officials are concerned complacency is behind the recent rise of HIV/AIDS cases in the state. As of June 30, the number of state HIV/AIDS cases was 1,643 - an increase of 214 cases from 2003, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said. Renee Crist-Duxler, a Ryan White program case manager at the
UNITED STATES: Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says: Washington Post (12.02.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Ceci Connolly; A congressional staff report released Wednesday found many federally funded abstinence programs have medically inaccurate or misleading information, often contradicting the government s own scientific findings. Several million children ages 9-18 have participated in abstinence programs, which have garnered nearly $900
UNITED STATES: AIDS Rate for Gay Men Climbs: Los Angeles Times (12.02.04) - Thursday, December 02, 2004; Thomas H. Maugh II; Released on World AIDS Day, CDC s report of US HIV/AIDS diagnoses rates for 2000-2003 showed an overall 1 percent growth rate for new infections, large increases among men who have sex with men (MSM), and pervasive racial disparities. CDC maintains that about 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the
CANADA: Alicia Keys, Stephen Lewis Push for AIDS Awareness: Guelph Mercury (11.30.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Canadian Press; On Monday, singer Alicia Keys took part in Toronto s first Urban AIDS concert and awareness campaign. I ve seen it. It s changed my life completely, Keys said of the suffering she witnessed on a recent trip to visit children with AIDS in Africa. Flanked by Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, at a pre-co
CHINA: Hong Kong HIV, AIDS Cases on the Rise: Agence France Presse (11.30.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; On Tuesday, Hong Kong s government said the number of new HIV cases in the territory for the third quarter of 2004 was 73, up from 56 for the same period in 2003. Since 1984, Hong Kong has reported 2,457 HIV infections.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Prime Minister's Wife Takes Rare Public HIV Test by High Profile Figure: Associated Press (11.30.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Anthony Mitchell; On Tuesday, Azeb Mesfin, wife of Ethiopia s prime minister, became one of the nation s few high-profile figures to take a public HIV test. She was one of several women - including Mulu Ketsala, the finance and economic affairs state minister, and US Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal - who took the test at Zewbitu Memorial Hos
GLOBAL: UN Agency Says School Meal Programs Play an Important Role in the Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (11.30.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; On Tuesday, the UN World Food Program said providing meals at schools is one largely untapped yet effective retention method that could keep impoverished children in school, where they could learn about HIV/AIDS. There is growing evidence linking the level of education to a stable or lower incidence of HIV, the agency
UNITED STATES: Blacks Must Tackle AIDS on Road Toward Social Equity: USA Today (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Coretta Scott King; Today, people from around the globe commemorate World AIDS Day.... Worldwide, an unprecedented number of people - nearly 40 million men, women and children - are living with HIV, according to figures released last week by [ UNAIDS ].... As the pandemic expands, women are increasingly on the front lines.... Here in th
RUSSIA/GEORGIA/UKRAINE: High-Risk Behaviors and Beliefs and Knowledge About HIV Transmission Among School and Shelter Children in Eastern Europe: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (11.04) Vol. 31; No. 11: P. 670- 675 - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Robin Goodwin, PhD; Alexandra Kozlova, MA; George Nizharadze, PhD; Galina Polyakova, MA; The researchers conducted a study to determine sexual behavior, injection drug use, knowledge and representations of HIV transmission among adolescents in Russia , Georgia and the Ukraine . They conducted semi-structured interviews on sexual behavior and structured inventories assessing knowledge of HIV tr
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africans with AIDS See Ray of Hope: Washington Post (11.30.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Craig Timberg; Only about 11,000 South Africans are receiving antiretroviral treatment through the public health system; at least 500,000 citizens with HIV need it. More than a year after South Africa s government promised to treat its AIDS patients, the treatment rollout is stymied by shortages of clinics, doctors and nurses. It wil
AUSTRALIA: AIDS Prevention Up to Individuals, Not Government: Abbott: Australian Associated Press (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Kylie Walker; Launching World AIDS Day today in Australia , Health Minister Tony Abbott told leading AIDS activists the government would do everything it could to fight AIDS but those at risk have to take the greatest responsibility. The government won t expect too much of people or disown them when they turn out to be human, but th
CHINA: China Orders Local Officials to Learn More About AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Joe McDonald; Today, Chinese President Hu Jintao said local officials must learn about HIV/AIDS, and the government publicized its commitment to fighting the disease by broadcasting television scenes of Hu visiting AIDS patients. Long criticized for its slow response to AIDS and for harassing AIDS activists, the government marked Wo
INDIA: India Plans All-Out Fight Against AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Palash Kumar; Today, India s government marked World AIDS Day by announcing a massive media campaign designed to bring HIV/AIDS awareness to its 1 billion-plus population. In discussing the government s new approach with Parliament, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the intensive campaign would include distributing 1.5 billion
GLOBAL: World AIDS Day Marked with Parades and Stark Warnings: Agence France Presse (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Today, as new UN data painted a grim portrait of the global AIDS epidemic, activists joined religious, social and national leaders worldwide to observe World AIDS Day. On Tuesday, UNAIDS head Peter Piot warned that the potential scenario of tens of millions of new infections in China
GEORGIA: AIDS Toll on Georgia Blacks Severe: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.01.04) - Wednesday, December 01, 2004; Patricia Guthrie; Today, World AIDS Day prompted Georgia health officials and researchers to call for increased HIV intervention and education efforts aimed at minority populations. Blacks comprise 29 percent of Georgia s population, yet they account for 64 percent of the state s cumulative AIDS cases. Figures from the Georgia AIDS Coal
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Town Hall Meeting in the District: Washington Post (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; On Wednesday, the District of Columbia Health Department is sponsoring a town hall forum to discuss the growing HIV incidence among District women and girls. From 1991 to 2001, AIDS cases among females grew tripled, according to health officials. Women - nearly all African American - comprised a quarter of the city s 8
KENTUCKY: Crosses Mark World AIDS Day: Lexington Herald Leader (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; In observance of World AIDS Day, two student groups have placed 2,400 crosses in front of the William T. Young Library at the University of Kentucky. The International Federation of Medical Students Association and the Student Global AIDS Campaign said the crosses represent the more than 8,000 people worldwide who die
FLORIDA: World AIDS Day: Bradenton Herald (11.27.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; The West Coast AIDS Coalition, a collaborative effort of the Sarasota and Manatee county health departments and several community groups, has planned a variety of World AIDS Day events through Dec. 5. For information, telephone the Community AIDS Network, 941-366-0461 or the Manatee County Health Department, 941-748-07
MICHIGAN: Conference to Examine AIDS Issues: Detroit Free Press (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Cassandra Spratling; On Thursday and Friday in Ypsilanti, the Michigan Department of Community Health will conduct its 10th annual Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV Conference. Topics will include racial and ethnic health disparities, youth culture s influence on the epidemic, and HIV prevention and treatment strategies. The conference
WISCONSIN: University Hosting AIDS Day Events: Wisconsin State Journal (11.29.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; As part of World AIDS Day on Wednesday, the University of Wisconsin-Madison will host more than a dozen events exploring the issues surrounding the disease. On Tuesday, the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Beefeaters Lounge in the Memorial Union. A panel discussion will be held
FRANCE; BRAZIL: French Vaccine Fuels Hope in AIDS Treatment: San Francisco Chronicle (11.29.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Sabin Russell; A French AIDS vaccine candidate designed to treat - rather than prevent - the disease has suppressed HIV among a small set of volunteers in Brazil for up to a year, according to a preliminary report in Nature Medicine. However, the custom- made vaccine is difficult to produce, costly and impractical to deliver to large
SAUDI ARABIA: Number of AIDS Cases Increases in Saudi Arabia: Associated Press (11.24.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Abdullah Al-Shihri; Since health authorities in Saudi Arabia began monitoring HIV/AIDS in 1984, the Gulf state has diagnosed more than 7,800 Saudis and foreigners with the disease, the state-run Saudi Press Agency recently reported. Of the total, 1,743 were Saudi Arabians, 588 of whom have since died, said Nasser bin Saleh al-Khuzeim, hea
CHINA: China President Shakes Hands with AIDS Patients, Vows End to Discrimination: Agence France Presse (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Wearing a red silk ribbon, China s President Hu Jintao visited Beijing s You an Hospital Tuesday, shook hands with AIDS patients, and pledged to help end disease-related discrimination. Hu spoke face to face with 14 patients and urged them to be confident and have the courage to combat the disease, Xinhua News Agency r
GLOBAL: Abstinence Message Gets Blasted Ahead of World AIDS Day: Agence France Presse (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Richard Ingham; The ABC campaign - which advocates abstinence, being faithful to one partner, or using condoms - has come under fire from leading AIDS activists ahead of World AIDS Day. Critics of the strategy - a central component of President Bush s $15 billion, five-year commitment to fight global HIV/AIDS - say it is frequently in
EUROPE: EU Urges Action to Avert European AIDS Disaster: Reuters (11.30.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; On the eve of World AIDS Day, the European Union s Executive Commission today warned that increasing numbers of Europeans are contracting HIV through unprotected sex, and it called for urgent action to avoid a public health crisis. Since 1996, the number of newly reported HIV cases in the EU has doubled, with the Balti
DELAWARE: Delaware Lawmakers to Reconsider Needle Exchange Program: Associated Press (11.28.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Randall Chase; When the General Assembly convenes in January, Delaware Sen. Margaret Rose Henry plans to reintroduce legislation to authorize the state s first pilot needle-exchange program in Wilmington. We can t continue to have people die from [AIDS] when there is a way to stop the spread of it, said Henry. More than 4,370 new HIV
UNITED STATES: Bush Seeks Funds for Abstinence Education: Associated Press (11.26.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Mark Sherman; Congress recently included more than $131 million for abstinence programs as part of the $388 billion spending bill. That amount is an increase of $30 million but is about $100 million less than President Bush requested. Concurrently, a national evaluation of abstinence programs has been delayed until 2006. Ten state e
UNITED STATES: CDC: Gonorrhea Rate Drops to All-Time Low: Associated Press (11.29.04) - Tuesday, November 30, 2004; Daniel Yee; On Monday, CDC reported that the US gonorrhea rate has dropped to an all-time low. Between 2002 and 2003, gonorrhea cases fell nearly 5 percent, from 122 cases per 100,000 people to 116.2 per 100,000. In 1975, CDC launched a national gonorrhea-control effort. From 1975 to 1997, gonorrhea rates fell by 74 percent. Rates
TEXAS: Quilt Panels to Be on Display at Rice: Houston Chronicle (11.28.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; In conjunction with World AIDS Day, Rice University will display 80 panels of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt from Tuesday to Friday in Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center. The display will begin with an unfolding ceremony on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The quilt will be on public display 8-11 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. We
MARYLAND: Howard County Briefs: Washington Post (11.25.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; On World AIDS Day, the Howard County Health Department, AIDS Alliance of Howard County, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Howard Community College will present a program 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the campus Burrill Galleria, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. An information booth and portio
MISSISSIPPI: World AIDS Day to Focus on Women: Biloxi Sun Herald (11.26.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; Kat Bergeron; On World AIDS Day, a candlelight memorial and an interfaith HIV/AIDS program will be held at Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, 222 East Railroad St., in Pass Christian. World AIDS Day is about awareness, said Rusty Dempsey, a South Mississippi AIDS Task Force board member and chairperson of the interfaith program. T
FLORIDA: World AIDS Day Events Call Attention to Women: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (11.28.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; In recognition of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, the Children s Case Management Organization in West Palm Beach will offer free HIV testing for women and girls. The Palm Beach Community College is hosting a women s health conference on Thursday, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Local events for World AIDS Day conclude on Saturday with AIDS
UGANDA: Sexually Transmitted Disease Management in Uganda's Private-for-Profit Formal and Informal Sector and Compliance with Treatment: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (11.04) Vol. 31; No. 11; P.650- 654 - Monday, November 29, 2004; Bart Jacobs, MSc; James Whitworth, MD; Fred Kambugu, MD; Robert Pool, PhD; The authors investigated the management of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Ugandan private-sector clinics and drug shops. They interviewed men with urethral discharge who had consulted clinics (264) or drug shops (141) for treatment in 5 districts, using a precoded questionnaire 1-3 weeks after the initiation o
CHINA: China Approves Human Test of Experimental AIDS Vaccine: Associated Press (11.26.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; Joe McDonald; On Friday, China announced it has approved human testing of a domestically developed HIV vaccine, Xinhua News Agency reported. The State Food and Drug Administration also pledged to accelerate approval process of all kinds of anti-AIDS drugs to help speed up relevant clinical researches, Xinhua said. Chinese scien
CANADA: Sufferers Want Treatment for Deforming Antiretroviral Side Effects: Canadian Press (11.29.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; On Sunday, a group of 30 AIDS activists called on Quebec Health Minister Phillipe Couillard to ensure free treatment for side effects caused by antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. ARVs can trigger lipodystrophy, a condition that causes fat to collect on the back of the neck and abdomen even as the cheeks sink dramatically. [
SINGAPORE: Singapore Fights Rise in HIV Infections with Testing of Pregnant Women: Agence France Presse (11.28.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; On Saturday, Singapore health officials said voluntary HIV testing of pregnant women would begin in December and that the city-state would encourage condom use among gays and men who pay for sex, reported the Sunday Times. However, condom advocacy would be discreet so as not to encourage casual sex among youths, said t
ASIA PACIFIC: Conference to Focus on AIDS' Impact on Women, Girls: Associated Press (11.28.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; Paul Alexander; On Monday in Islamabad, Pakistan , Asian-Pacific government officials and aid workers are opening a three-day regional conference focused on HIV/AIDS prevention among women and girls - those most vulnerable to the disease. While officials praised Thailand s program, in which sex workers persuade clients to use condoms,
VIETNAM: Vietnam to Focus on Women During World AIDS Day: Associated Press (11.26.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; On Friday, UN and local officials announced that Vietnam will use World AIDS Day to focus on educating women about the alarming rise of HIV among the nation s females. Both men and women must work together to transform the relationships, social norms and structure in ways that reduce the vulnerability of women and girl
GLOBAL: Doctor Shortage Hurts Global Health Goals: Associated Press (11.26.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; Emma Ross; A critical shortage of 4 million health-care workers is hampering the global fight against diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis , malaria and polio, a consortium of more than 100 health leaders worldwide said in a new report. Though medicines, vaccines and medical technologies are now more available than ever in develo
VERMONT: Vermont CARES Foregoes Federal Money, Citing Principles: Associated Press (11.25.04) - Monday, November 29, 2004; Ross Sneyd; Saying that seeking and accepting CDC HIV-prevention funds would constitute an endorsement of policies it believes are counterproductive, Vermont CARES has decided not to apply for almost $100,000 in federal funds. Vermont CARES, the state s largest AIDS service agency, was particularly concerned about new surveys that
THAILAND: Norwegian Prince Praises Thailand's Anti-AIDS Efforts: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.24.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; On Wednesday during an official visit to Thailand , Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon lauded the work of the Population & Community Development Association (PDA), which has been successful in educating the population about HIV/AIDS and promoting safe sex. Their work on HIV/AIDS is really showing results, said Haakon.
MOZAMBIQUE: Traditional Healers in Mozambique Receive AIDS Education: Associated Press (11.23.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Emmanuel Camillo; In Maputo on Tuesday, traditional Mozambican healers began learning how to prevent HIV infection during a 10-day course organized by Mozambique s National Health Institute. The ministry hopes the effort will provide healers with a cooperative channel to mainstream ministry officials; help educate the healers patients;
OHIO: AIDS, HIV Still Taboo for Many: Cincinnati Inquirer (11.21.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Reid Forgrave; In many low-income African-American communities, people know about HIV/AIDS, but do not talk about it. One recent Saturday morning in Ohio, 100 volunteers - including two-dozen black Cincinnati police and fire officials - walked the streets of five empowerment-zone neighborhoods to distribute 10,000 donated copies of t
CHINA: Self-Reported Symptoms of Reproductive Tract Infections Among Rural Women in Hainan, China: Prevalence Rates and Risk Factors: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (11.04) Vol. 31; No. 11; P.643- 649 - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Dong-Yan Zia, MSc: Su-Su Liao, MD, PhD; Qi-Ya He, MD; Kyung- Hee Choi, PhD; Jeffrey S. Mandel, PhD, MPH; The authors studied a stratified cluster sample of 606 rural married women in Hainan province to examine the risk of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among women in rural China . The researchers examined prevalence, influence of sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, hygiene practices, attitudes and behaviors
ASIA: Religious Leaders Meet to Discuss How to Mobilize Communities in South Asia to Battle HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.19.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; On Nov. 19, religious leaders from eight South Asia countries gathered to discuss how stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS have fueled the epidemic in the region. Leaders from India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Bhutan ,
EASTERN EUROPE; CENTRAL ASIA: HIV Spreading Like Wildfire Among Young in Former Soviet States: Agence France Presse (11.23.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; In two years, Eastern Europe and Central Asia have experienced a 40 percent jump in HIV/AIDS cases, mostly among the young, UNAIDS and World Health Organization reported Tuesday ahead of World AIDS Day. By the end of this year, the former Soviet Union will have 1.4 million HIV/AIDS infections, up from 1 million in 2002
LATIN AMERICA: Latin America's HIV Rise Among Highest: Miami Herald (11.24.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Fred Tasker; In 2004, every region in the world witnessed growing numbers of people infected by HIV, the UN reported Tuesday in its annual AIDS Epidemic Update. While some Latin American countries have low HIV infection rates, these figures can mask pockets where HIV/AIDS epidemics are actually acute. New HIV cases leveled off in t
GLOBAL: Amnesty: Violence Against Women Is Spreading AIDS: Reuters (11.24.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; A report released today by the human rights group Amnesty International said that a global pandemic of violence against women is fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Amnesty report comes just one day after the annual report by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization showed that women comprise nearly half of the 37.
GLOBAL: Women's Rights in Developing World Crucial to Victory over AIDS, UN Says: Associated Press (11.23.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Emma Ross; The inequities faced by women in developing countries - from poverty and limited education, to violence and denial of inheritance and property rights - must be overcome if the world is to win the battle against HIV/AIDS, a UNAIDS report said Tuesday. The fact that the balance of power in many relationships is tilted in
GLOBAL: Broadcasters, Activists Harness TV Against AIDS: Reuters (11.23.04) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Creative and programming directors from 35 media companies - including Viacom Inc., MTV Networks International and South African Broadcasting Corp. - were among a group of about 100 broadcasters, activists, advertisers and UN officials who met Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York City to discuss using TV to stop the
VIRGINIA: Loudoun Student Treated for TB: Washington Post (11.20.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Fewer than 20 staff and students at Broad Run High School in Loudoun County were tested for TB after an infectious case of the disease was diagnosed in a student. Test results for those who might have been exposed to the infected student were not yet available, according to David Goodfriend, the county s health directo
UNITED STATES: End-of-Session Spending Bill Rewards Mars Program but Imposes Cuts Elsewhere: New York Times (11.23.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Katharine Q. Seelye; David E. Rosenbaum; Among discretionary items in the 2005 spending bill approved by Congress over the weekend, $2.3 billion was allocated for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. This amount was $99 million more than President Bush requested and $690 million more than last year. The bill also provides $105 million for abstin
UNITED STATES: Researchers Look at Repeat HIV Testing in Black US Women: Women's Health Weekly (11.11.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; A central challenge of the AIDS epidemic among African American women is promoting acceptance of repeat HIV testing among those at risk of infection, R. Crosby and colleagues at the University of Kentucky wrote in a recent report. The researchers performed an exploratory study to identify behavioral and psychosocial c
SINGAPORE: Asian Gay and Lesbian Network Slams Singapore's Gay Sex Prohibition: Associated Press (11.21.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Singapore s law prohibiting gay sex is hampering HIV prevention efforts among homosexual men, an AIDS education group said Sunday. Stuart Koe, head of the Fridae Asian gay and lesbian network, rejected recent remarks by Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan, who said advocacy groups like Action for AIDS were no
CHINA: Beijing Starts Promoting Condom Use to Fight HIV/AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.23.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; In what AIDS activists are calling a new initiative, advertisements that promote condom use and advise against risky sex are being placed in Beijing public venues and nightspots. The prominent displays appear ahead of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, and are a response to the nation s 40 percent annual increase in HIV/AIDS. Mo
GLOBAL: Expert Warns China, India on Brink of HIV/AIDS Explosions: Australian Associated Press (11.23.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Sandra O'Malley; Today via videolink, US Global AIDS Coordinator Randall Tobias told journalists in Australia that China and India are on the verge of an explosion in HIV rates. Asia-Pacific s epidemic is second only to the one in Africa, Tobias said.
ASIA: Asia at Critical Stage of AIDS Battle as Infections Top Eight Million: UN: Agence France Presse (11.23.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Asia s booming sex trade has fueled an HIV/AIDS crisis with the region now reporting more than 8 million people living with the disease, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization said today in their annual AIDS epidemic report. In the past two years, the number of HIV-infected Asians has increased by 1 million, bringing
AFRICA: Generations of Africans to Be Affected by AIDS Pandemic: UN: Agence France Presse (11.23.04) - Tuesday, November 23, 2004; Today, the annual report by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS warned that HIV/AIDS is becoming endemic in sub- Saharan Africa. Current high prevalence levels