2007

SWEDEN: H&M to Launch 'Fashion Against AIDS': Chicago Tribune (12.30.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Wendy Donahue; In February, retailer H&M will launch a Fashion Against AIDS assortment in partnership with designers, artists, and musicians including Jade Jagger, Rufus Wainwright, Rihanna, Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance, and Timbaland. Men s and women s hoodies, t-shirts, and tank tops will show an array of safe-sex messag
NEW YORK: Upstate Workers TB-Free: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (12.29.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Delen Goldberg; On Friday, officials of State University of New York-Upstate Medical University said preliminary tests on employees show none has been infected with TB. Upstate officials previously announced they would test 140 employees for TB after a nonclincal worker was diagnosed with an active case on Dec. 20. The worker did not
CHINA: China Detains Rights Advocate: New York Times (12.30.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Last Thursday, police detained human rights advocate Hu Jia at his home in Beijing. Authorities gave Hu s wife a warrant stating he was suspected of incitement to subvert state power. Hu is known for advocating for care of HIV/AIDS patients despite China s past attempts to conceal the extent of its epidemic. Indicting
ILLINOIS: Agency Offers Healthy Path to New Start: Chicago Tribune (12.28.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Erika Slife; Vital Bridges, a Chicago nonprofit agency that serves HIV/AIDS patients, estimates that more than 26,000 people in the metro area have the virus. Vital Bridges offers free food services, nutrition counseling, housing assistance, case management, and education and vocational training to more than 2,100 HIV/AIDS patients
WEST VIRGINIA: TB Diagnosis Prompts Testing of Hospital Staff, Patients: Associated Press (12.29.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; City Hospital officials are contacting more than 800 patients and 60 staff who may have been exposed to tuberculosis. An annual screening at the Martinsburg-based hospital revealed that one employee working in the obstetrics unit had an active TB infection. Since then, officials have been tracking down people who were
UNITED STATES: Study Links Drinking with Sex: Washington Post (12.25.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Laura Sessions Stepp; Studies have shown that young adults who drink heavily are more likely to have multiple sex partners compared to non- heavy drinkers. A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis set out to determine if the number of partners increases with the intensity of drinking and whether having
CANADA: Positive HIV Tests Have Officials on Alert: Globe and Mail (Toronto) (12.25.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Susan Greer; This fall, Options Clinic in London, Ontario, saw seven positive HIV test results in 139 tests conducted since Sept. 1. Options Clinic is the only anonymous test site in the city and the only Ontario site besides Toronto s Hassle Free Clinic doing rapid HIV testing. The seven positive patients included three heterosexu
UGANDA: Food Scarcity and HIV Interwoven in Uganda: New York Times (12.25.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; David Tuller; A study that is a collaboration between the University of California-San Francisco and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology is assessing what HIV patients eat, how much food they have, whether they grow or buy it and whether medications side effects are worse if the pills are taken on an empty stomach. The
ARIZONA: Arizona Declares Syphilis Crisis Among Gay Men: East Valley-Scottsdale Tribune (12.26.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Howard Fischer; A rise in syphilis cases among Arizona gay men has prompted Gov. Janet Napolitano to authorize $100,000 from the state s Health Crisis Fund for prevention, testing, and treatment of the STD. In approving the funds, Napolitano cited the fact that the number of cases in Maricopa County in the first six months of 2007 was
UNITED STATES: Fliers Sought After Tuberculosis Scare: USA Today (12.31.07) - Monday, December 31, 2007; Steve Sternberg; On Sunday, health officials continued to track down passengers who sat near a woman with drug-resistant tuberculosis on an American Airlines flight from New Delhi to Chicago. The woman, a native of Nepal who now lives in Sunnyvale, California, was a passenger of Flight 293 from India
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Possible Case of TB Investigated: Washington Post (12.28.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; The D.C. Department of Health is looking into a suspected case of pulmonary tuberculosis in a graduate student at Georgetown University. This week, school officials notified persons who might have been in close contact with the student, who lives off campus, and recommended TB screening for some. Georgetown will hold a
TEXAS: Federal Aid to Area Homeless to Jump 20 Percent: Houston Chronicle (12.22.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Peggy O'Hare; Bill Murphy; On Dec. 21, US Housing and Urban Development officials announced a significant boost in aid to agencies that serve the homeless, including those with HIV. Among the nearly 30 recipients is the AIDS Foundation of Houston, which could receive more than $1.2 million to provide transitional housing for women and children w
CALIFORNIA: Car Smoking Ban, Minimum Wage Hike Among New California Laws: Associated Press (12.27.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Steve Lawrence; Starting Jan. 1, hundreds of changes in state law will take effect. Among these is a measure that drops California s requirement for written consent prior to an HIV test. Under the law, patients would only have to give a doctor verbal consent to add HIV to other conditions for which they are being tested. Assembly memb
FLORIDA: HIV/AIDS Nonprofit's Dealings Scrutinized: Miami Herald (12.22.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Scott Hiaasen; MOVERS Inc., a local nonprofit HIV/AIDS service agency that houses poor HIV/AIDS patients, has come under scrutiny recently. The organization has provided medical care, counseling, and housing to area patients over the past 18 years. But according to a Miami Herald investigation, MOVERS has squandered hundreds of thous
UNITED STATES: Experiences of Condom Fit and Feel Among African-American Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; No. 6: P. 454-457 (10.01.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Michael Reese; Brian Dodge; Debby Herbenick; Christopher Fisher; Andreia Alexander; Sonya Satinsky; African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) are a particularly high-risk group for HIV and other STDs in the United States . The researchers conducted the current study to offer an empirical understanding of characteristics associated with the fit and feel of condoms among this population. Data were collected
CANADA: Pregnant Women at Risk for HIV May Opt Out of Testing: Reuters Health (12.24.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Women in prenatal care who chose not to be screened for HIV were more likely to be infected than those who opted to be tested, according to a new Canadian study. In a review of more than 110,000 women in Alberta receiving prenatal infectious-disease screening from 2002 to 2004, fewer than 4 percent opted out of HIV tes
MADAGASCAR: Madagascar Makes Progress by Taking HIV Seriously: Grand Rapid Press (12.25.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Although it has the lowest HIV rate in sub-Saharan Africa, less than one percent, Madagascar is waging one of the continent s most aggressive campaigns against the virus. The island nation has been protected thus far largely by its isolation, but the government fears that a more open economy and an influx of foreign wo
CALIFORNIA: Woman Back from India Has Difficult-to-Treat Strain of TB: San Francisco Chronicle (12.28.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; John Wildermuth; On Thursday, officials with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and CDC were tracking down 44 airline passengers who sat near a woman who has multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). The woman was diagnosed and being treated in India before she returned to the United States , flying on American Airline
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Federal Bill Clears Way for D.C. to Fund Needle Exchange: Associated Press (12.27.07) - Friday, December 28, 2007; Stephen Manning; On Wednesday, President Bush signed an omnibus spending bill that also allows the District of Columbia to use its own money for needle exchange programs (NEPs). District officials welcomed the move reversing a nine-year ban, and said they will incorporate NEPs into city HIV prevention programs. Since 1998, Congress has
CALIFORNIA: Grove Board Rejects 'Living Memorial': Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Seth Hemmelgarn; Recently, the board of the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco voted down a controversial design aimed at raising more awareness about the disease. Living Memorial would have added 90 blackened steel poles, a new entrance, and a sidewalk to the grove s tranquil, tree-lined meadow. Many felt the design, descri
AFRICA: Merkel May Have Saved Millions of Lives: Bob Geldof: Agence France Presse (12.26.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; German Chancellor Angela Merkel likely saved millions of Africans during her country s presidency of the Group of Eight nations, said Bob Geldof, the Irish rock singer and activist. In September, Germany hosted a conference of donors that ended with pledges of $9.7 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Mala
CANADA: Province to Fund Crack-Pipe Program in City: Ottawa Citizen (12.23.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Despite the city s opposition, Ottawa s free crack pipe program will continue in 2008 with funding from the province, said Jack McCarthy, director of the Somerset West Community Health Center. McCarthy confirmed that in a recent conversation with a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care the provinc
ILLINOIS: Test Positive Aware Network Panel Discusses HIV Prevention in Black Community: Chicago Free Press (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Matt Simonette; A Dec. 5 meeting of the Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Charles Nelson of South Side Help Center, Michael Grego of Near North Health Services Corp., and Yaa Simpson of the Chicago Department of Public Health were panelists for Committed to Living:
CALIFORNIA: Program Offers Free Early-Detection HIV Test: San Diego Union-Tribune (12.27.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Cheryl Clark; A more accurate HIV test is now being offered for free at three San Diego-area locations thanks to a joint research effort by the University of California-San Diego s Antiviral Research Center (ARC) and San Diego County s Health and Human Services Agency. The Procleix early test, which uses technology by Gen-Probe Inc.
UNITED KINGDOM: One-to-One Interventions to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections and Under the Age of 18 Conceptions: A Systematic Review of the Economic Evaluations: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; No. 6: P. 441-446 (10.01.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; L. Barham; D. Lewis; N. Latimer; The authors set out to conduct a systematic review and critical appraisal of the economic evaluations of one-to-one interventions to reduce STDs and teenage pregnancy. Four electronic bibliographic databases from 1990 to January 2006 were searched using keywords including: teenage, pregnancy, adolescent, unplanned, unw
CANADA: Cancer Campaign Falls Short: Guelph Mercury (Ontario) (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Lisa Varano; Susan Otten, program manager of vaccine preventable diseases at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, said she expects participation rates to rise for a free vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer. So far, only one in two grade eight girls eligible have taken the vaccine, which protects against four strains of
KENYA: Charity Effort Leads Doctors to Rural Kenya: Oakland Tribune (12.25.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Barbara Grady; The Matibabu Foundation, founded in 2004 by doctors from Kaiser Permanente in Oakland and Hayward, was recently designated a new partner by President Bush s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The foundation, which works in the rural Ugenya district of Kenya , will be awarded $1.5 million to continue its work. It
WASHINGTON: State Loses Federal Sex Education Funding: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (12.24.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Chris McGann; The state Department of Health (DOH) expects its application for federal abstinence-only sex education funding will be denied due in part to a new state law. A state law requires DOH to apply for a federal abstinence- only grant. Up until this year, the state received $800,000 annually in federal abstinence money, whic
CALIFORNIA: Some AIDS Drugs Not on Medicare Site: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.13.07) - Thursday, December 27, 2007; Heather Cassell; Some HIV/AIDS patients might not find newly approved medications through Medicare s Part D drug plan finder, say Courtney Mulhern-Pearson of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Anne Donnelly of Project Inform. Because the drug finder is not always current, newly approved medicines such as Isentress (raltegravir) migh
ESTONIA: Estonia: 619 New HIV Patients Diagnosed in 2007: Baltic News Service (12.22.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Figures from the National Health Inspectorate show Estonia logged 619 new HIV cases from Jan. 1 and Dec. 21 of this year. Of these, 367 were men and 252 women. Most of the new cases were diagnosed among people ages 20-29. Sixty-one new diagnoses were made in inmates. In a breakdown by month, October had the most new ca
CANADA: Interior Health Authority Takes Time to Decide About Crack Pipe Distribution: Canadian Press (12.20.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Interior Health s senior medical health officer said the agency could take up to a year to decide whether to distribute mouth pieces for crack pipes to local users. Andrew Larder said Interior Health plans to consult with several stakeholders in the coming year on the issue. A new study from the University of Victoria,
NEW JERSEY: Providing a Comfort Zone; Children with AIDS Get Their Own Quilts: Star-Ledger (Newark) (12.21.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Robert E. Misseck; On Dec. 20, quilters from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Berkeley Heights presented personalized quilts to five children with HIV/AIDS at St. Clare s Home for Children. The home opened 20 years ago and, with two facilities added since then, it has sheltered more than 950 children with HIV/AIDS. Some of the chil
INDIANA: No New Tuberculosis Cases Found at Schools: Indianapolis Star (12.22.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; No additional TB cases were found during a recent round of screening at Southport High School after a student there was diagnosed with the disease, Marion County health officials said. More than 360 high school students and staff were tested Dec. 14. Another 70 or so Southport Middle School students and staff were scre
NEW YORK: State University of New York-Upstate to Test for TB: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (12.22.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; James T. Mulder; The State University of New York-Upstate Medical University will screen 140 employees for TB after a non-clinical staff member was diagnosed with an active case of the disease, Onondaga County s health commissioner said. The diagnosis was made Dec. 20, said Dr. Cynthia Morrow. Testing begins Wednesday and results will
ILLINOIS: University of Chicago to Close Dentistry Clinic that Treats AIDS and HIV Patients: Associated Press (12.23.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; A University of Illinois at Chicago dental clinic that serves HIV/AIDS patients will close in March, officials from the school said. According to Dean Bruce Graham, state funding for the Special Patient Care Clinic has declined in the past five years, forcing the school to make cuts to staff and teaching positions. The
VIRGINIA: Program Educates on Drugs, Diseases: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (12.23.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Christy Barritt; In 2004, Saran Bell-Day of Portsmouth started Youth Against Drugs and Diseases (YADAD). The program educates Hampton Roads youths ages 14-18 about unprotected sex and drugs. YADAD offers teens HIV/AIDS education, counseling, and testing; drug abuse prevention; domestic violence awareness; mentoring; and career planning
FLORIDA: Palm Bay Considers Leaving AIDS Effort in Hands of State: Florida Today (Brevard County) (12.20.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Linda Jump; Palm Bay officials are considering allowing the state to continue administering a federal program that helps AIDS patients find housing. The program, Housing Opportunities for People with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA), is already in effect in Brevard County. The city has the option of overseeing the $350,000 in funding from the Dep
UNITED STATES: Biological and Demographic Causes of High HIV and Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevalence in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; No. 6: P. 458-462 (10.01.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Steven M. Goodreau; Matthew R. Golden; Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. MSM and heterosexual networks are distinguished by biologically determined sexual role segregation among heterosexual individuals but not among MSM, and by anal/vaginal transmissibility differences. The authors of the current study set out to ident
JAPAN: Japan Prime Minister Says Ruling Bloc to Submit Bill to Aid Victims of Tainted Blood Products: Associated Press (12.23.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Chisaki Watanabe; On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said his ruling bloc is working on legislation that will provide aid to about 1,000 people exposed to hepatitis C through defective blood-clotting products sold by pharmaceutical companies. I hope the bill will be passed quickly and want everyone to feel relieved soon, sa
NEW JERSEY: New Jersey to Make HIV Testing Routine for Pregnant Women, Newborns: Associated Press (12.26.07) - Wednesday, December 26, 2007; Tom Hester Jr.; Today at University Hospital in Newark, Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey will sign into law a measure that will make HIV testing a routine part of prenatal care. We can significantly reduce the number of infections to newborns and help break down the stigma associated with the disease, said Codey, the Essex County Democrat
INDIA: India Gets $100 Million to Fight AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.20.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced on Thursday a major new funding appropriation for India : $100 million to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, and $53 million to fight malaria. These funds will be used to provide antiretroviral treatment, voluntary testing and to tackle stigma [against HIV], said Global
CALIFORNIA: Officials Call for More TB Testing: San Luis Obispo Tribune (12.21.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Leah Etling; Testing of more than 300 students and employees at Paso Robles High School has revealed a need for follow-up studies on some individuals, county health officials said this week. Greg Thomas, the county s public health officer, confirmed that several people will need more testing, including chest X-rays. Thomas said inv
KENTUCKY: Northern Kentucky University on Alert After Student Tests Positive for Tuberculosis: Cincinnati Enquirer (12.20.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Peggy O'Farrell; Officials at Northern Kentucky University are warning students and staff that they may have been exposed to tuberculosis following the diagnosis of an active case in a person at the school. The Northern Kentucky Health Department is working with the university to contact students, faculty, and others who may have had c
MONTANA: Report Finds Sharp Increase in Montana's Teen Birth Rate: Associated Press (12.19.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; On Wednesday, state health officials said Montana s teen birth rate rose 9 percent last year, the single largest jump since 1990. Figures show Montana s teen birth rate is 40 per 1,000 girls. Up until 1996, the rate had been hovering at around 36 per 1,000 teens. Officials said they will study reports dealing with teen
NEW YORK: Planned Parenthood Van Takes Sex Education on the Road: Journal News (White Plains) (12.19.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Candice Ferrette; On Dec. 18, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic unveiled Smart Wheels, a 24-foot, $88,000 mobile sex education van that organization officials say will help double the group s outreach among Lower Hudson Valley residents. The colorful van will make scheduled stops at community centers, high schools, colleges, residential
NEW YORK: Memorial Quilt Helps Students Learn About Impact of AIDS: Poughkeepsie Journal (12.15.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Inspired by a visit to an AIDS Memorial Quilt display last year, eighth-grade students at Dutchess Day School recently created panels and portraits portraying the impact of HIV/AIDS. Last year, the students went to a display of quilt panels in Albany with science teacher Diane Duffus and art teacher Alison MacFarlane.
KENTUCKY: Video Cautions Teens About Sex: Courier-Journal (Louisville) (12.19.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Sheryl Edelen; A group of Smoketown-area students has produced a 14-minute video warning about the dangers of unprotected sex. At the Dec. 14 premier at Meyzeek Middle School on Jackson Street, young people and staff from the Presbyterian Community Center s Harambee Health Clinic held an open discussion about the issue. The students
UNITED STATES: No Matter the Approach, Sex Ed Works: ABCNews.com (12.19.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Deborah Pan; Whether its content is abstinence-only or comprehensive, any formal sex education increases the likelihood that teens will delay intercourse until age 15, according to a new report from CDC researchers. The study is based on the responses of more than 2,000 youths (ages 15 to 19) to the 2002 National Survey of Family G
FLORIDA: HIV-Positive Florida Woman Gets Care from Navy: Associated Press (12.20.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; On Dec. 19, the Navy s surgeon general informed a woman born HIV-infected that the military will cover her medical expenses. I just broke down and started crying, said Richelle Starnes, 27, who fought two years for this outcome. This has been very stressful for me and for my family, but there have been a lot of people
WISCONSIN: Site Advises Teens with a Wink: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (12.13.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; Dani McClain; A new Web site from the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) and Serve Marketing of Milwaukee employs humor and a hip approach to encourage teens to postpone having sex. It uses humor in such a powerful way to get people s attention on a critical health issue: young people engaging in unprotected sex, said Mike Gif
UNITED STATES: Nickelodeon Mulling Post-Spears Pregnancy Show: Associated Press (12.20.07) - Friday, December 21, 2007; David Bauder; The television network Nickelodeon is in talks with Linda Ellerbee to do a special on teen sex and love following the news that the 16-year-old star of one of its top-rated shows is pregnant. Earlier this week, Jamie Lynn Spears, the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, of Zoey 101 told the celebrity magazine OK!
BRAZIL: Anti-AIDS Combo Pill Under Development in Brazil: Government: Xinhua News Agency (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; On Wednesday, Brazil s Ministry of Health announced that the country is finalizing testing of an HIV treatment that combines three drugs in one pill. The drugs - AZT , 3CT, and nevirapine - are all made in Brazil. The three-in-one treatment is being made by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.
NEW YORK: No TB Found in Workers at New Process Gear: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (12.19.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; None of the 50 New Process Gear workers tested for tuberculosis last Friday shows any sign of the infection, said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, health commissioner for Onondaga County. The testing was prompted by the discovery of active TB in a person who worked at the DeWitt plant between July and November. Morrow said the 50 e
UNITED STATES: Shortage May Force Vaccine Booster Delay: Wall Street Journal (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Jennifer Corbett Dooren; Last week, Merck & Co. recalled 1.2 million doses of the Hib vaccine after finding that some equipment used to make it had been contaminated with bacteria. Now, CDC is asking health care providers to delay giving the Hib booster shot, typically administered between 12 and 15 months, to most children. Sanofi-Pasteur
UNITED KINGDOM: Doctors Call for Free Condoms in Pubs and Taxis to Protect Against Sexual Diseases: The Guardian (London) (12.18.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Sarah Boseley; Results from a major study examining the sexual risks involved in drinking alcohol suggest that condoms should be made more accessible to young people in order to protect them against STDs and unwanted pregnancy. The study authors interviewed 520 men and women who had visited a genitourinary (GU) clinic over a two-mont
UNITED KINGDOM: Front-Line AIDS Drugs Show Staying Power: Study: Agence France Presse (12.07.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; A new study offers encouraging news about first-line HIV/AIDS treatments and the development of drug-resistant virus. British researchers examined data on 7,916 HIV patients taking the standard three-drug cocktail of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and
ZAMBIA: Human Rights Watch Slams Zambia over Violence Against Women: Agence France Presse (12.18.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Zambia s government must do more to protect women from violence and ensure their equal access to HIV treatment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday. HRW s Nada Ali told a press briefing that despite an increase in reported cases of violence against women, Zambia lacks specific legislation to address the problem. Many
EUROPE: AIDS Awareness Has Diminished, Health Commissioner Says: Inter Press Service (12.13.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; David Cronin; Many young people in the European Union lack basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS, EU Commissioner for Public Health Markos Kyprianou told members of the European Parliament on Dec. 12. Visiting a school to mark World AIDS Day was an eye-opener, he said. The students know that using condoms is the best protection but they ar
EUROPE: Syphilis Makes Comeback in Europe amid Spread of Risky Sex, Online Dating Sites: Associated Press (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Maria Cheng; Syphilis cases have skyrocketed among gay men in Europe s largest cities, prompting experts to worry the disease could rebound in the general population if stronger measures are not taken soon. Syphilis used to be a very rare disease. I m not sure we can say that anymore, said Dr. Marita van de Laar, an STD expert at t
MISSOURI: State Legislation Aims to Curb Spread of STDs: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (12.21.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Blythe Bernhard; Under newly introduced legislation, some Missouri health care providers who diagnose chlamydia or gonorrhea in a patient would be allowed to prescribe treatment for the patient s partner without examining him or her. CDC reports that at least 11 other states have already approved bills permitting expedited partner ther
NEW MEXICO: New Mexico Doesn't Apply for Abstinence-Only Funding: Associated Press (12.20.07) - Thursday, December 20, 2007; Heather Clark; New Mexico will not apply for federal money to fund abstinence-only sex education next year, Dr. Alfredo Vigil, the state health secretary, said Wednesday. Vigil does not oppose abstinence education, so long as teens receive other instruction, but he said funds were allocated for it before its effectiveness was establi
ANGOLA: Angola Intensifies Efforts to Combat HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (12.16.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Angola has amassed at least $94 million to establish a Fight HIV/AIDS Fund, the executive secretary of the Angolan Network of Organizations to Fight Against HIV/AIDS said on Sunday in Luanda. The Angolan government is providing $30 million, while the balance is coming from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malari
CANADA: Health Agency Says It's Working Hard to Contain Latest TB Outbreak: Canadian Press (12.17.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; On Monday, the Vancouver Island Health Authority said it is working hard to contain a tuberculosis outbreak in the region, particularly among the First Nations population. Since May 2006, the region has logged a total of 33 TB cases, with three reported in Port Alberni over the last month. VIHA s Dr. Lorna Medd said, T
SOUTH AFRICA: Patients with Drug-Resistant TB Escape: Associated Press (12.18.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; On Tuesday, Eastern Cape officials said 49 patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) or extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) escaped last week from the Jose Pearson Hospital near Port Elizabeth. Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the patients escaped from medical isolation through a hole cut in wire fenc
UNITED STATES; CANADA: Rural, Urban Singles Are Very Much Alike When It Comes to Sex: The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo) (12.15.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; A new study finds very little difference between rural and urban singles in terms of the number of sex partners, frequency of unprotected sex, and testing for HIV and other STDs. The first task for health educators in rural areas is to get the message out there that these infections don t discriminate based on geograph
GERMANY: Semen Protein Could Be a Key in AIDS Battle: San Francisco Chronicle (12.14.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Sabin Russell; In a new finding that both may explain how HIV spreads through sex and offer a strategy for stopping it, German scientists have identified a protein in semen that boosts the infectious potential of the virus by 100,000-fold. The discovery came about when researchers at the University of Ulm were screening molecules fro
AUSTRALIA: Territory Kids Suffer 'Terrifying' Rates of STDs: Australian Associated Press (12.18.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Tara Ravens; New figures from the Northern Territory health department s sexual health and blood-borne viruses unit show alarming STD rates among children and Aboriginal people. In the first six months of 2007, 41 children under age 10 were diagnosed with gonorrhea, 41 with chlamydia, five with syphilis, and 40 with trichomoniasis.
SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape to Target HIV Hot Spots After Survey: Business Day (Johannesburg) (12.18.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Tamar Kahn; The latest survey of the Western Cape s 25 health districts shows that while overall HIV prevalence fell slightly last year, an uptick was detected in several areas. In 2006, prevalence ranged from 3.9 percent in the Little Karoo to 32.7 percent in Khayelitsha. The findings are based on HIV test results from pregnant w
UTAH: Should Utah Revise Sex Ed?: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (12.09.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; James Thalman; The latest figures from the Utah Department of Health indicate that 18 of the 61 regions tracked by the agency have higher teen birthrates than the national average, at a time when the US average is on the rise. According to the department, the highest rates are in Rose Park, with a rate of 96.5 per 1,000 teens; downto
UNITED STATES: Democrats Lose Fight on Family Planning Aid: Associated Press (12.17.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Anne Flaherty; Over the weekend, Democrats dropped their demand that the 2008 foreign aid budget reverse President Bush s long-standing ban on assistance to overseas family planning groups that offer abortions. Bush has enforced the policy since taking office in 2001; it was first applied by President Reagan in 1984. Democrats, who s
UNITED STATES: FDA to Add HIV Warning to Contraceptive Products: Reuters (12.18.07) - Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Kim Dixon; On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) announced a rule requiring makers of over-the-counter nonoxynol 9 (N9) contraceptive products to warn consumers that the products do not protect against STDs, including HIV. FDA is issuing this final rule to correct the misconceptions that the chemical N9 in these wi
NEW YORK: New Process Gear Employees Tested for TB: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (12.15.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; James T. Mulder; On Friday, New Process Gear in DeWitt tested 50 workers who may have been exposed to a former employee diagnosed with an active case of tuberculosis. The infected individual, a temporary employee at the plant from July to November, is now being treated in another state, said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Onondaga County s health
ARIZONA: Lake Havasu City Woman with TB to Be Isolated: Associated Press (12.15.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Health officials said Friday that a Lake Havasu City woman hospitalized with active TB since Nov. 30 will be kept in isolation until she is well enough to go home. The woman s response to medication will determine how long she is isolated, said Christine Bronston, a Mohave County health department nurse who specializes
TEXAS: Waco Hospital Offers TB Testing After Worker Tests Positive: Associated Press (12.17.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Acting upon the news that a worker there has been diagnosed with active TB, Providence Health Center is advising nearly 800 patients to be tested. The free screening began Monday, and all those notified are asked to seek testing by Jan. 4. For more information, visit www.providence.net/announcement.htm.
CALIFORNIA: Once Wary County Supervisor Lauds Needle Exchange: San Luis Obispo Tribune (12.17.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Bob Cuddy; A status report on the year-old Clean Syringe Access Program in San Luis Obispo County has garnered praise from the Board of Supervisors, including a public apology from its chairperson. From November 2006 to mid-October, the program handed out 4,676 syringes and collected 5,368, public health officials told the board
UNITED STATES: HIV Partner Notification Outcomes for HIV- Infected Patients by Duration of Infection, San Francisco, 2004 to 2006: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 46; No. 4: P. 479-484 (12.01.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Katherine Ahrens, MPH; Charlotte K. Kent, PhD; Robert P. Kohn, MPH; Guiliano Nieri, BA; Andrew Reynolds, BA; Susan Philip, MD, MPH; Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH; The San Francisco Department of Public Health conducts HIV third-party partner notification in the following populations based on standard [CDC] guidelines: (1) persons with acute and non-acute incident HIV infection tested at the municipal sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and the county hospital, and (2) all
MADAGASCAR: Madagascar Fights to Keep HIV Rate Down: Associated Press (12.16.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Terry Leonard; Though its HIV infection rate is under 1 percent - the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa - Madagascar is working to improve health care, build clinics, and hire more doctors to aggressively tackle the disease. The fear is that, should HIV/AIDS take hold, it would explode. The island is one of the poorest countries in the wo
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Rape Case in UAE Highlights AIDS Taboo: Agence France Presse (12.16.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Ali Khalil; On Dec. 12, two male UAE nationals were sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old French-Swiss boy. One of the men is HIV-positive, and observers say the way the case was handled demonstrates that AIDS is still a taboo topic in the region. The youth s mother said the family was only informed six weeks af
EUROPEAN UNION: EU to Approve One-Pill-a-Day Treatment for HIV Patients: The Guardian (London) (12.17.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Marianne Barriaux; On Monday, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Gilead Sciences Inc. said European regulators have approved their HIV drug Atripla, clearing the once-daily combination treatment for sale in the 27 EU member nations. Atripla is the first one-pill, once-a-day treatment for HIV/AIDS. It combines the active ingredients of three an
AFRICA: Best-Kept Secret' for HIV-Free Africa: Washington Post (12.16.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Craig Timberg; Increasingly, researchers are looking into whether pediatric HIV prevention efforts should shift from treating mothers and their newborn babies to a cheaper and easier alternative: birth control. Despite sustained political and financial support for programs to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission, studies indicate
UNITED STATES: Abstinence Programs Face Rejection: Washington Post (12.16.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; Rob Stein; Most federal dollars for abstinence-only sex education go directly to community organizations, and Congress is considering boosting support for the overall effort by $28 million, to $204 million. Even so, the number of states choosing to apply for a portion of the $50 million allocated for state-run abstinence-only pro
NIGERIA: Organization to Launch Advocacy Campaigns Against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria: Xinhua News Agency (12.14.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; The organization Strengthening Nigeria s Response on HIV/AIDS has announced plans to spend 2.25 billion naira (US $18.75 million) in the coming five years to fight the epidemic. Nigeria is viewed as a hot spot in Africa due to its population. If properly controlled, the pervasive incidences around the continent will ha
UNITED STATES: Glaxo Cervical Cancer Vaccine Hit by US Delay: Reuters (12.17.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Ben Hirschler; Mark Potter; A US Food and Drug Administration request for more information will delay the introduction of the new human papillomavirus vaccine Cervarix, GlaxoSmithKline said today. FDA s issuance of a complete response letter signals its review of the drug is complete. However, the agency generally takes an additional six months t
NEW JERSEY: Historic HIV Bill Moves Closer to Law: Star-Ledger (Newark) (12.14.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; On Thursday, the state Assembly voted 77-3 for a bill that would make HIV testing part of routine prenatal health care. Under A-4218, HIV tests would be performed in the first and third trimesters unless the woman specifically declines. The legislation would also mandate HIV testing of the newborn if the mother s HIV s
ARIZONA: DVD Reveals Risk of Child Prostitution: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (12.17.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Cecilia Chan; A new educational DVD on the risks of child prostitution has been released. Titled Bait and Switch: The Terror and Tragedy of Child Prostitution, the DVD targets middle- and high- school students. Arizona schools will be notified in mid- February on how to order a copy of it, said Joannie Collins of the Arizona Foundat
HUNGARY: Chlamydia Prevalence and Correlates Among Female Adolescents in Hungary: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 41; No. 5: P. 513-515 (11..07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Andras Ujhazy, MD; Akos Csaba, MD; Szabolcs Mate, MD; Zoltan Papp, MD, DSc; Istvan Sziller, MD, PhD; The authors object in the current study was to evaluate the prevalence and the behavioral determinants of genital chlamydia infection among adolescent females in Hungary . Questionnaires were given to 214 consecutive, unselected, self-referred, sexually active, non-pregnant females ages 16- 20.
FRANCE: Hepatitis B Vaccination Not Tied to Multiple Sclerosis in Children: Reuters (12.03.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; A new study finds that being vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) does not increase a child s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Lead author Dr. Yann Mikaeloff - of Hopital Bicetre, Le Kremlin Bicetre - and colleagues noted that most previous studies have found no link between HBV vaccine and MS in child
SOUTH AFRICA: Concern over Corruption Threat to HIV Funds: Business Day (Johannesburg) (12.13.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Tamar Kahn; A new Institute for Security Studies (ISS) report finds that poor government oversight of HIV/AIDS funding in South Africa could lead to corruption. The country has seen massive increases in funding for the disease over the past decade, according to report author Collette Schulz-Herzenberg. HIV/AIDS money through the f
ASIA: Asia Faces Trillion Dollar TB-Fighting Bill: Agence France Presse (12.16.07):P. Parameswaran - Monday, December 17, 2007; A new World Bank study finds that 11 hard-hit Asian countries could face a trillion dollar economic burden over the next decade if they do not step-up their tuberculosis-fighting efforts. The landmark study released last week is the first to capture the economic benefits of the World Health Organization s revised DOTS
UNITED STATES: FDA: Tattoos Can Endanger Health: Newsday (New York) (12.08.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Delthia Ricks; The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to consider potential health and safety risks before getting tattoos. In a statement, the agency said it will begin investigating the possible health effects of tattoo inks. Our hope is to get a better understanding of the body s response to tattoos and their impact
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Sex-Ed Guidelines OK'd with Focus on HIV Crisis: Washington Times (12.14.07) - Monday, December 17, 2007; Gary Emerling; The D.C. State Board of Education on Thursday night voted 6-0 in favor of health guidelines that will be used to create a sex education curriculum for the District s public school system. One board member was absent. The standards were developed partly from well-received health guidelines used elsewhere in the country.
FLORIDA: St. Lucie Adopts Revised Sex Ed Plan: Palm Beach Post (12.12.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Cara Fitzpatrick; Ending months of debate, the St. Lucie County School Board voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve the Get Real About AIDS curriculum for use in fourth through 12th grades. Superintendent Michael Lannon recommended the lessons to the board in August following their endorsement by the St. Lucie Executive Roundtable. That gro
CAMBODIA: Cambodia, World Food Program Launch New Food Program: Agence France Presse (12.13.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; On Thursday, the Cambodian government and the UN s food agency kicked off a new $64 million, three-year program to feed 1.8 million poor Cambodians. The effort will provide meals to children in schools, as well as to thousands of tuberculosis patients and persons affected by HIV/AIDS, the World Food Program said. It re
AUSTRALIA: Prisoners May Get Access to Condoms for First Time: Australian Associated Press (12.14.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; In Victoria, where a 2002 study found 55 percent of male prisoners were infected with hepatitis C virus, the government is considering ending its eight-year ban on condoms in correctional institutions. There are a number of practical and security issues that would need to be resolved before condoms could be introduced
MASSACHUSETTS: Woman Misdiagnosed with HIV Gets $2.5 Million: Associated Press (12.13.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Rodrique Ngowi; On Wednesday, a Worcester Superior Court jury awarded $2.5 million in damages to a woman who was prescribed AIDS drugs for nine years before learning she never had HIV. Audrey Serrano s suit against a doctor who treated her said the medications she took led to an array of ailments, including chronic fatigue, depression
CANADA: Initiation of Methamphetamine Abuse During Interferon Treatment: American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 164; No. 9: P. 1439 (09..07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Thomas M. Lampinen, PhD; Marcus S. Greatheart; Arn J. Schilder; Kris Kowdley, MD; Interferon therapy for chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus produces clinical depression in up to one-half of patients treated, the authors wrote. In former injection drug users, the adverse effects of interferon may lead to relapse, potentially reducing the likelihood of achieving sustained virologic response
NIGERIA: AIDS on Agenda as Bush Meets Nigerian Leader: Agence France Presse (12.13.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; On Thursday, President Bush met with Nigerian President Umaru Yar Adua at the White House to discuss democracy, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. It is Yar Adua s first official visit since winning in April elections that both the United States and the European Union viewed as questionable. Speaking to reporters after their meeti
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Government Ratchets Up Fight Against AIDS: Inter Press Service (12.05.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Kevin Pamba; While experts have long warned that Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces a sub-Saharan-style AIDS epidemic if it did not do more to fight the disease s spread, only recently did the government begin heeding these calls for action. According to UNAIDS , PNG is the fourth Asia-Pacific nation
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa's Tougher Laws on Rape Go into Effect in One of World's Hardest-Hit Countries: Associated Press (12.14.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Clare Nullis; The South African Justice Ministry said today the Sexual Offenses Amendment Act, which goes into effect on Sunday, will help the country fight the scourge of sexual offenses head- on. South Africa, often called the rape capital of the world, reported more than 50,000 rapes last year, or almost 150 per day. The country
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Schools Lag amid Gains on D.C. HIV Report Card: Washington Post (12.12.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; Susan Levine; On Wednesday, the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice released a report on the District s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, its third since March 2006. The independent advocacy group found steady progress in the District, which has the country s highest rates of HIV and AIDS. Most city programs improved, reflectin
UNITED STATES: AIDS Prevention Funds Debated: Boston Globe (12.12.07) - Friday, December 14, 2007; John Donnelly; The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Tuesday heard experts debate what message the United States should be sending with its international AIDS prevention funds, and how that money should be allocated. Though there is bipartisan support for the proposed five-year, $30 billion extension of the P
MASSACHUSETTS: College Provides TB Testing After Sophomore Diagnosed: Associated Press (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; About 250 people at Smith College have been tested for tuberculosis following the diagnosis of active TB in a student on the Northampton campus last month. Twenty-four people who received the skin test were positive for latent TB, college officials said. None had symptoms, and all were given follow- up X-rays that show
NEW YORK: Casting a Wide Net: Newsday (New York) (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Ridgely Ochs; On Tuesday, the New York Department of Health said it will send about 8,500 more letters urging the patients of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein to consider being tested for blood-borne diseases. Authorities say the Dix Hills anesthesiologist s improper injection technique contaminated multidose medicine vials, resulting in a tr
UNITED STATES: Merck Recalls Childhood Vaccine: Wall Street Journal (12.13.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Jennifer Corbett Dooren; Merck & Co. is recalling about 1.2 million doses of the Hib vaccine, which is used to protect against meningitis, pneumonia, and other diseases. The recall involves 11 lots of the Hib vaccine Pedvaxhib, and two lots of a combination vaccine for both Hib and hepatitis B sold under the brand name Comvax, the drug m
SOUTH AFRICA: High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Men Attending a Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic in Durban, South Africa: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; No. 7: P. 530-533 (12.01.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; N. O'Farrell; L. Morison; P. Moodley; K. Pillay; T. Vanmali; M. Quigley; A.W. Sturm; At the outset of the local HIV epidemic in 1988-89, a study of Durban men with genital ulcer disease (GUD) found that 36 percent continued with sexual intercourse despite having symptoms. The authors undertook the present study to determine whether such high-risk behavior remained prevalent, and to enquire about simila
CANADA: British Columbia Health Officials Welcome Crack Pipe Study and Link to Hepatitis C: Canadian Press (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Scott Sutherland; A new study affirms the risk that hepatitis C can be transmitted by crack pipe sharing. We have some initial evidence that a hepatitis C-infected crack smoker can, under certain circumstances, pass on the virus on to the pipe, said Dr. Benedikt Fischer, the study s leader and the director of the University of Victoria
SLOVAKIA: Slovak Bishops Protest Against Schools Sex Education Plan: Letter: Agence France Presse (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; A government plan to introduce sex education in Slovakian schools has drawn an official protest from the Slovak Catholic Bishops Conference (KBS). While sex-related themes are mentioned in lessons on topics such as ethics and biology, dedicated sex education courses are not offered in the nation s schools. Under the He
GLOBAL: TB Treatment Pays Off, World Bank Report Finds: Reuters (12.12.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Maggie Fox; A World Bank report released Wednesday says investing in effective TB control has major economic benefits for countries hard-hit by the disease. There were already compelling reasons to fight TB, which causes massive human suffering, said World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. The report, done on
CALIFORNIA: State Meth Campaign to Include Gay, Bi Men: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.07.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Seth Hemmelgarn; On Nov. 28, California s Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs announced a $10 million ad campaign to address methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM), women of childbearing age and youths. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the date Methamphetamine Awareness Day. Lisa Fisher, a state spokesperson,
UNITED STATES: Lawmakers, Gay Rights Groups Protesting New HIV/AIDS Travel Rule: Associated Press (12.11.07) - Thursday, December 13, 2007; Erica Werner; As part of World AIDS Day observances, the Bush administration announced new rules, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to allow short-term visas for HIV-positive people to travel to the United States . Gay rights advocates have long opposed a 1993 federal law strictly restricting travel and immigrat
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: UAE to Introduce HIV Voluntary Counseling, Testing Program: Xinhua News Agency (12.10.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; The UAE Ministry of Health is working hard to plan for anonymous voluntary testing and counseling centers in the future strategy of HIV prevention planning, according to a notice on its Web site, as reported in the Gulf News. The program will provide a safe and anonymous environment to encourage people to learn their s
INDIANA: Southport Students to Be Tested for TB: Associated Press (12.11.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; The news that a student at Southport High School in Indianapolis tested positive for tuberculosis has prompted plans to test about 200 students and staff for the infection. The Marion County Health Department will conduct the testing Friday. On Monday, 69 students at Southport Middle School, who were also determined to
INDIANA: Purdue Center to Make Lilly Tuberculosis Drug: Associated Press (12.11.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Tom Murphy; The Purdue Research Foundation s Chao Center for Industrial Pharmacy and Contract Manufacturing will join the fight against multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) by making and distributing Eli Lilly and Co. s antibiotic Seromycin, according to a recent announcement. The Chao Center will employ a combination of full-time work
UTAH: Backing Seen for Abstinence Education: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (12.11.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; A telephone survey of 500 people conducted in September by the Spectrum Education Group found that nearly 80 percent of residents in Weber and Morgan counties said it is important to emphasize abstinence in sex education courses. The survey was part of a study on behalf of the Weber-Morgan Health Department to test pub
FLORIDA: Poverello Center in Wilton Manors Faces Budget Cut: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) (12.09.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Elizabeth Baier; After learning it would not receive $100,000 of its annual $666,000 grant from the Broward County HIV Health Services Planning Council, the Poverello Center recently announced it would not accept any new food bank clients for at least three months. During the past two decades, the center has fed and clothed thousands o
NEW YORK: Health Center Closing for Good: Newsday (New York) (12.11.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Collin Nash; After 12 years of providing medical and non-medical assistance for HIV/AIDS patients, Catholic Charities Adult Day Health Care program in Freeport will close at the end of January. The demand for the program s services has declined as the outlook for patients has improved, thanks chiefly to improved AIDS medications.
PERU: Internet as a Tool to Access High-Risk Men Who Have Sex with Men from a Resource-Constrained Setting: a Study from Peru: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; No. 7: P. 567-570 (12.01.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; M.M. Blas; I.E. Alva; R. Cabello; P.J. Garcia; C. Carcamo; M. Redmon; A.M. Kimball; R. Ryan; A.E. Kurth; In Peru , current interventions among high-risk men who have sex with men (MSM) rely solely on peer education and thus have a limited reach. The researchers conducted the current study to assess the use of the Internet as an alternative tool to access this population. On a gay Peruvian Web site, two nearly identica
SOUTH AFRICA: Call for Peacekeeping Forces to Be HIV-Free: Business Day (South Africa) (12.05.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Wilson Johwa; Speaking at a two-day conference on HIV/AIDS in the military, defense analyst Lindy Heinecken of Stellenbosch University said South Africa should not deploy HIV-positive soldiers on peacekeeping assignments until the troops had established a record of good behavior on such missions. Heinecken said deploying HIV-pos
GLOBAL: AIDS Day Founder Looks Back After 20 Years: Voice of America News (12.06.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Rose Hoban; In 1987, Jim Bunn, a press officer at the World Health Organization in Geneva, conceived the idea of World AIDS Day while editing a speech on AIDS for WHO s director-general. Bunn said that many world leaders avoided talking about AIDS at the time, when it was still a relatively new disease about which little was known
UNITED STATES: US Care for HIV Detainees Falls Short: Report: Reuters (12.07.07) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007; Robert MacMillan; A 71-page Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Friday charges that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has failed to follow national and international standards for providing care to HIV-positive immigrant detainees. According to HRW, the department has denied, delayed or interrupted treatment for immigran
ARIZONA: Training for HIV/AIDS Volunteers Coming Up: Tucson Citizen (12.10.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; David L. Teibel; Next month, the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network will offer a training session for program volunteers and others who want to learn more about the disease. The cost of the Jan. 10 training is $17 per person, which covers printed materials and a light meal. TIHAN will conduct the training at the First Congregational Un
GEORGIA: North Atlanta Student Has TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.11.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Parents and teachers at North Atlanta High School were informed Monday that a student there has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Fulton County health officials are offering free testing for students at the campus, said Joe Manguno, a school system spokesperson.
CALIFORNIA: Worried Parents Seek Answers: San Luis Obispo Tribune (12.11.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Leah Etling; Nick Wilson; On Monday night, some parents of students at Paso Robles High School attended an information session, one held in Spanish, the other in English, concerning an active case of TB at the school. Approximately 120 people took part, posing questions to school and county health officials. Last week, the school sent home lett
NORTH CAROLINA: New Abstinence Curriculum in Air: Charlotte Observer (12.06.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Shawn Cetrone; On Dec. 4, the Union County School Board voted to postpone its decision on a new abstinence education curriculum until January so members can have more time to review parents comments. Under the state s healthy schools initiative, teachers are required to emphasize abstinence until marriage to prevent STDs and avoid pr
FLORIDA: St. Lucie's Sex Education Forum Draws Crowd: Palm Beach Post (12.09.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Cara Fitzpatrick; On Saturday in Fort Pierce, more than 300 people turned out for the St. Lucie County School Board s public hearing on Get Real About AIDS, the new sex education curriculum proposed for the district. More than 70 people spoke during the three- hour-plus meeting. Selected after a year of research by a panel of community
UNITED STATES: Convenience Is the Key to Hepatitis A and B Vaccination Uptake Among Young Adult Injection Drug Users: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 91; Supplement 1: P. S64-S72 (11..07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Jennifer V. Campbell; Richard S. Garfein; Hanne Thiede; Holly Hagan; Larry J. Ouellet; Elizabeth T. Golub; Sharon M. Hudson; Danielle C. Ompad; Cindy Weinbaum and for the DUIT Study Team; CDC recommends that injection drug users (IDUs) be vaccinated against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Despite this recommendation, however, coverage remains low. Vaccination programs convenient for IDUs have not been widely implemented or evaluated. In the current study, the researchers assessed wh
UNITED STATES: Novel Program Aims to Prevent HIV Among Runaways: Reuters (12.03.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; A pilot program aimed at preventing HIV infection among adolescent runaways has shown encouraging results, researchers reported at the 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference on Dec. 3 in Atlanta. Strength-Based Case Management (SBCM) was initially developed for adults dealing with severe mental illness or drug abuse;
INDIA: Pfizer Gets Patent for New HIV/AIDS Drug in India, Says Report: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.11.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; According to a report on the Web site of the Business Standard, the Bombay Patent Office has granted Pfizer a patent on its new AIDS drug Selzentry (maraviroc). Quoting a spokesperson of Pfizer India , the newspaper said the patent had been issued, and the company is in the process of complying with regulations for its
UNITED STATES: Text Messaging for Health: Wall Street Journal (11.20.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Rachel Zimmerman; Text messaging is increasingly being used to send health- related information to patients cell phones. The tactic is being employed to remind British women to take their birth control pills and to encourage Australian AIDS patients to stick to their drug regimens. Rising gonorrhea rates among young African Americans la
VIRGINIA: 6,000 in State May Not Know They're Infected: Washington Post (12.06.07) - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Anita Kumar; New studies from the Virginia Department of Health show nearly 19,000 people in the state are known to be living with HIV/AIDS and an additional 6,000 may be unaware they are infected. The reports, compiled by VDH and the Virginia HIV Community Planning Committee, were released to coincide with World AIDS Day. Newly di
CALIFORNIA: Paso High May Have Tuberculosis Hazard: San Luis Obispo Tribune (12.06.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Leah Etling; TB screenings will soon get underway at Paso Robles High School, where some 200 people may have been exposed to a person with the disease. The period of possible exposure was from the beginning of the school year to mid-October, said Janelle Gorman, supervising public health nurse for the Public Health Department. Auth
CANADA: McMaster Student Being Treated for TB: Hamilton Spectator (12.07.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; John Burman; Close contacts of a McMaster University student with active TB are being notified and advised to be tested, health authorities said on Thursday. It s very important that students who receive a communication from public health contact us and make arrangements for testing, said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton s medica
URUGUAY: Uruguay Launches Anti-HIV Campaign Targeting Women, Youths: Xinhua News Agency (11.29.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Ahead of World AIDS Day, Uruguay s Health Ministry kicked-off a multi-media campaign to fight the spread of HIV. Do It Right, Use a Condom, is the theme of the effort. The goal of the outreach is to encourage young Uruguayans to use and discuss condoms, said Maria Luz Osimani, AIDS prevention director, noting that 70 p
NORTH CAROLINA: AIDS: Good News and Bad: Charlotte Observer (12.06.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Hannah Mitchell; When the AIDS Leadership Foothills Area Alliance held its first vigil in 1994 to remember those lost to the disease that year, 43 names were read. At the ALFA event this month, just one name was called. According to the agency, however, the medical advancements that have allowed so many with HIV/AIDS to live longer may
MISSOURI: For Young Prisoners, Frank Talk About STDs: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (12.06.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Blythe Bernhard; Each Tuesday, public health educators visit the St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center to bring the news that STDs are spreading among the city s young people. The educators are armed with photos, graphic depictions of STDs effects on the body, and the facts about how STDs do, and do not, spread. The youths, who are
ZAMBIA: New Drug Combo Eases Mother-Infant HIV Dilemma: Agence France Presse (11.07.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; A study of HIV-infected pregnant women given a new drug combination of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) during labor found they were about half as likely to develop resistance to that class of drugs six weeks after delivery as a second group given fewer AIDS drugs. A single dose of the NNRTI
ASIA-PACIFIC: Asia-Pacific Must Do More to Tackle Gay AIDS Crisis: Group: Reuters (11.30.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Ben Blanchard; HIV/AIDS among Asian men who have sex with men (MSM) is an almost unrecognized but ever-growing crisis that many governments in the region are only just beginning to grapple with, according to the Asia-Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health, a group composed of UN agencies, governments, and non- governmental organizat
GLOBAL: HIV Spreading Among Indigenous Communities: Survival International: Agence France Presse (11.29.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Social upheaval and growing contact with outsiders are fueling rising rates of HIV/AIDS among the world s indigenous communities, according to a report released ahead of World AIDS Day by Survival International. Based in London, Survival International advocates for the rights of the world s tribal peoples. Tribal peopl
GLOBAL: WHO Launches Campaign to Produce 'Child-Size' Medicines: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12.06.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; On Thursday, the World Health Organization kicked off a campaign to provide more pediatric drug formulations and reduce deaths among children worldwide. We have looked at all medicines for adults and looked at whether they are suitable for children and many of them are not or don t even exist, said Dr. Hans Hogerzeil,
UNITED STATES: Rape in US Prisons Under-Reported: Experts: Agence France Presse (12.07.07) - Monday, December 10, 2007; Allen Johnson; In New Orleans on Thursday, the National Commission to Eliminate Prison Rape heard testimony indicating that the crime is common, though difficult to quantify. The commission, which is charged with creating zero-tolerance national standards for sexual abuse in prisons, is drafting a report that will be ready for public
AFRICA: African Musicians Unite for AIDS Album: Agence France Presse (12.06.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; On Thursday, more than three dozen of Africa s leading musicians launched an album aimed at raising HIV awareness and creating an AIDS-free generation on the continent. The album includes 11 original titles by 37 African artists, including Cesaria Evora of Cape Verde , Cheb Mami of Alg
VIETNAM: US Backs Vietnam Drug Substitute Trials to Fight AIDS: Officials: Agence France Presse (12.06.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; A pilot methadone program aimed at decreasing the spread of HIV among injection drug users will be launched with US support in Vietnam next year, US officials said Thursday at a donors conference in Hanoi. Under the plan, the United States will prioritize rehabilitation and treatment therapy for IDUs and support six me
HAWAII: TB Case Leads to Tests at Roosevelt: Honolulu Advertiser (12.05.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Loren Moreno; Beginning Monday, about 160 pupils and staff will undergo TB testing at Honolulu s Roosevelt High School, where a student has been diagnosed with an active case of the disease. A test in October indicated possible TB, but the results of confirmatory tests were not available for another six weeks, said Janice Okubo, spo
UTAH: State Is Suing to Test Inmate for Tuberculosis: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (12.07.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; On Thursday, the Utah Department of Corrections filed civil charges in 3rd District Court against a prison inmate who has refused to be tested for tuberculosis. The prisoner was last tested in December 2006. The corrections department holds that not testing the inmate will create a health risk for other prisoners and s
CALIFORNIA: World AIDS Day in the Valley: San Jose Mercury News (12.02.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Kim Vo; Numerous events were held in Silicon Valley to mark World AIDS Day. Among them: *A civic ceremony and interfaith gathering was held in downtown San Jose, where proclamations and speeches about the epidemic s continuing impact were delivered. *The Health Trust AIDS Service in Campbell, which serves 3,000 area residents,
FLORIDA: Awareness Is Key Part of Annual Broward AIDS Event: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.02.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Elizabeth Baier; On World AIDS Day, hundreds of people joined with 26 local AIDS service providers, churches, arts organizations, and Broward County agencies in Mills Pond Park to call for more leadership in the fight against the epidemic. According to the county Department of Health, an estimated 17,053 men, women, and children were l
INDIANA: Indiana University World AIDS Day Lecture Focuses on Black Bisexual Men: University Wire (12.03.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Dae Woo Son, The Daily Student, Indiana University; The phenomenon of black men on the down low, men who self- identify as heterosexual but engage in gay sex without telling their female partners, has received much attention from the media but is under-researched. That was the message delivered in a World AIDS Day lecture at Indiana University by Dr. David Malebranche,
UNITED STATES: HIV Vaccine Trial Volunteers May Face Social Blow: Reuters (11.29.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Will Boggs, MD; A new study finds that many participants in experimental HIV vaccine trials report negative social impacts due to their involvement. Dr. Jonathan Fuchs of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and colleagues studied 5,417 mostly male volunteers in an HIV vaccine efficacy trial. Of these, almost 1,000 reported n
IRAN: Fighting AIDS in Iran Seen Tough Due to Taboos: Reuters (12.01.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Zahra Hosseinian; At a conference at Tehran University to mark World AIDS Day, Deputy Health Minister Moayed Alavian said efforts to combat the spread of HIV in Iran are being challenged by the social stigma and taboos attached to the disease. There are also social and cultural limitations in providing education on how to prevent [HIV/A
CHINA: China Launches Media Campaign to Raise AIDS Awareness: Associated Press (12.06.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; On Thursday, China kicked off a year-long campaign to promote condom use and raise AIDS awareness with videos from movie star Jackie Chan and other Chinese notables. The Life is Too Good campaign is backed by the UN Development Fund. Numerous private Chinese companies have agreed to show the clips on video screens in a
NEW MEXICO: HIV Remains High Among Hispanics: Albuquerque Journal (12.05.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Oliver Uyttebrouck; While HIV/AIDS prevalence in New Mexico remains relatively low, a new state Department of Health report finds that Hispanics have accounted for a growing proportion of new cases over the last five years. In 2005, the rate of new HIV/AIDS cases per 100,000 population was 9.7 for Hispanics, 27.7 for blacks, 5.8 for non-H
MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Urges More HIV/AIDS Testing in Minority Areas: Boston Globe (12.02.07) - Friday, December 07, 2007; Megan Woolhouse; A new state Health and Human Services (HHS) report is raising alarms about the grossly disproportionate spread of HIV/AIDS among black and Hispanic residents in Massachusetts. The study, An Added Burden: The Impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic on Communities of Color in Massachusetts, states that while blacks and Hispanics
CHINA: China Enforces HIV Tests for Returning Nationals: Reuters (12.05.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; The Beijing News has reported that quarantine authorities this month began enforcing a policy under which Chinese nationals who have been away from the country for more than a year must undergo HIV testing upon their return. The move will apply to air and ship crew members working abroad, the article said, though it di
NORTH CAROLINA: Wake Grant Funds STD Programs: News & Observer (Raleigh) (12.06.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Wake County has received a three-year grant to treat and prevent STDs and HIV. The funds include money from the state and federal governments. The county will get $440,000 from the US Department of Health and Human Services to support laboratory equipment, upgraded X-ray systems and a mobile medical unit. In addition,
ARIZONA: Man Jailed for Not Taking His Medication for Tuberculosis: Associated Press (12.06.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; On Wednesday, the Pima County Sheriff s Department confirmed that a Tucson man is being held in the county jail for failing to take his tuberculosis medication. [The patient] is now being held in isolation. The court will decide when he will be released, said Deputy Dawn Hanke, a spokesperson for the Sheriff s Departme
NEW YORK: More Hepatitis Cases Follow Long Island Needle Scare, but Relation Unclear: Associated Press (12.06.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Health authorities investigating the case of Dix Hills anesthesiologist Dr. Harvey Finkelstein have discovered more hepatitis infections among his patients; they are unsure, however, if these are the result of the improper injection technique he employed for some years. Recent tests have turned up six hepatitis B cases
TEXAS: Leaders Set HIV Example: San Antonio Express-News (12.01.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Nancy Martinez; Some local community leaders marked World AIDS Day by publicly taking oral HIV tests at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. I m here to be tested, said state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon. I didn t realize it was so easy. I can t stand needles. I was brought up in a machismo environment, said Bobby Larios, San Antonio s postm
TEXAS: HIV a Deadly Problem, Dallas Advocates Say: Dallas Morning News (12.01.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Eric Aasen; On the eve of World AIDS Day, advocates gathered in Dallas to remind the community that the disease is still very much present. People have gotten into a mode of thinking that AIDS and HIV is no longer a problem, said Raeline Nobles, executive director of Dallas-based AIDS Arms. What has happened is folks have not paid
FLORIDA: Revised Proposal for Sex Education Riles Opponents in St. Lucie County: Palm Beach Post (12.04.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Cara Fitzpatrick; The sex education curriculum Get Real About AIDS, which St. Lucie County school officials withdrew and revised after some citizens criticized it as too graphic, was re-introduced this week. But even though the revision process cut much of the material deemed offensive, opponents insist that the lessons real purpose con
UNITED KINGDOM: Rapid Test Offers New Weapon Against Chlamydia: Reuters (11.29.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Ben Hirschler; British researchers have developed a new rapid test for chlamydia, the world s most common STD. The Chlamydia Rapid Test (CRT) detects bacteria from self-collected vaginal swabs. Trials have shown it to be up to twice as accurate as existing rapid-result cervical swab tests for the infection. The CRT can detect the pre
CHINA: AIDS Cover-Up as Chinese Premier Visits Village: The Guardian (London) (12.01.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Jonathan Watts; In a World AIDS Day commemoration on Friday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Henan province, where thousands of villagers were infected with HIV through unsanitary blood- buying schemes. AIDS activists, however, charge the event was a sham. They say many AIDS patients were placed under house arrest by the 1,600 poli
NEW YORK: Spitzer Mulling Managed Care in AIDS Cases: The Sun (New York) (11.30.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; E.B. Solomont; Facing a $4 billion budget shortfall, the administration of Gov. Eliot Spitzer is considering whether to impose mandatory managed care enrollment on Medicaid patients with HIV/AIDS. Since the late 1990s, patients with certain conditions, including HIV/AIDS, have been exempt from the state s drive to enroll Medicaid pat
UNITED STATES: US Teen Births Rise for First Time in 15 Years, Renewing Debate: Associated Press (12.05.07) - Thursday, December 06, 2007; Mike Stobbe; In what some experts point to as failure of government-funded abstinence programs, new figures show the US teen birth rate has risen for the first time in 15 years. CDC statisticians said Wednesday that the teen birth rate increased 3 percent from 2005 to 2006. The birth rate had been dropping after peaking in 1991, al
ARIZONA: Lake Havasu Nursing Home Patient Had TB, Passed It to Others: Associated Press (12.01.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Mohave County health officials investigating a case of active tuberculosis at a Lake Havasu City nursing home said it is likely the patient spread the disease to others before dying this fall. Christine Bronston, a nursing manager with the county Department of Public Health, said its investigation turned up a number of
CANADA: New Drug Approved: Canadian Press (11.30.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Helen Branswell; Health Canada has approved the HIV/AIDS drug Isentress (raltegravir) for treatment-experienced patients who show evidence of viral replication and drug resistance, according to drug maker Merck Frosst. Isentress is the first in a new class of drugs called integrase inhibitors. It works by blocking the integrase enzyme
LAOS: Laos Reports More HIV/AIDS Cases: Xinhua News Agency (12.03.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; The number of people seeking HIV/AIDS treatment in Laotian hospitals climbed from 470 in 2006 to 870 so far this year, according to a report Monday in the Vientiane Times. The deputy minister of public health blamed the increase on the failure of small-scale prevention campaigns to reach people in remote areas and on t
AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan Records 266 HIV Cases, Mostly Intravenous Drug Users: Associated Press (12.01.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Rahim Faiez; Afghanistan s public health ministry reported on Saturday that the nation has logged 266 HIV cases, of whom 66 percent became infected through intravenous drug use. Men accounted for 75 percent of the cases. As part of a World AIDS Day campaign initiated by the Afghan Red Crescent Society, about 70 young people marched
NEW JERSEY: Lunchtime AIDS Workshops Give Students Food for Thought: The Record (Bergen County) (11.27.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Danielle Shapiro; Leading up to World AIDS Day, Passaic Valley High School s Teen Center held a series of lunchtime workshops to educate students on the many facets of HIV/AIDS. Dawn Cassiello, the center s program director, said sexual health and safety and HIV/AIDS in Africa were among the topics to be discussed. Other planned activit
VIRGINIA: Eastern Virginia Medical School Awarded $28.5 Million for AIDS Prevention Project: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (12.01.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Nancy Young; CONRAD, an Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) program, has received a $28.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to further its research into developing a microbicide gel to thwart HIV infection, school officials announced Friday. Henry Gabelnick, the program s executive director, said a preve
UNITED STATES: Circumcision Status and HIV Infection Among Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in Three US Cities: 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference Abstract Book Presentation number C01-4; P. 19-20 (12..07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; G.A. Millett; H. Ding; J. Lauby; S. Flores; A. Stueve; T. Bingham; A. Carballo-Dieguez; C. Murrill; K. Liu; D. Wheeler; A. Liau; G. Marks; The researchers undertook the current study to examine characteristics of circumcised and uncircumcised black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States and assess the association between circumcision and HIV infection. In New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, respondent driven sampling was
CANADA: HPV Vaccine Rates 'Disappointing': Health Officials: Hamilton Spectator (11.23.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Carmela Fragomeni; Three months after the start-up of a campaign to vaccinate Grade 8 girls against human papillomavirus, which causes most cases of cervical cancer, public health officials in Hamilton and Halton expressed disappointment that more girls had not opted to take the shots. Halton reported a 45 percent acceptance rate, though
THAILAND: Thai Drug Users Denied Access to AIDS Treatments: Rights Group: Agence France Presse (11.29.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Despite its reputation as a global leader in the fight against AIDS, Thailand continues to deny treatment to drug users who are most at risk for the disease, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a new report. According to HRW, government estimates show 40-50 percent of Thai drug injectors are HIV-positive. This figure ha
SOUTH CAROLINA: Many in S.C. with HIV Don't Get Treatment, but Organizations Can Help Them Get, Stay On Track: The State (Columbia) (12.01.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Czerne M. Reid; Many HIV-positive South Carolinians get tested late, begin treatment late, and do not follow their medical regimens, according to a new report from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Of 2,219 state residents who tested HIV-positive from 2004 to 2006, nearly three-quarters did not access ca
MAINE: State CDC Launches AIDS Web Site: Bangor Daily News (11.30.07) - Wednesday, December 05, 2007; Eric Russell; Maine is home to some 1,200 HIV/AIDS patients, and many are always indicating that they would like to be more connected, said Jamie Cotnoir, HIV prevention and care educator for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MCDC). The ruralness of the state can be a little hindering sometimes, she said. In respo
MAINE: Orono Inn to Display AIDS Memorial Quilt: Bangor Daily News (11.21.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; As part of its World AIDS Day commemorations, the HIV Prevention Education Program of the Maine Department of Education is sponsoring a display of AIDS Memorial Quilt panels in Orono on Dec. 11. The quilt panels will be on view from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Best Western Black Bear Inn & Conference Center, 4 Godfrey Dr.
NEW YORK: Lawmaker Drafts Bill to Study Syringe Use: Newsday (New York) (11.30.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Ridgely Ochs; Assembly member Andrew Raia is drafting a bill that would ask the [state] department of health to study all aspects of single-use, nonreusable syringes and make a recommendation about where they can be used, the East Northport Republican said. Raia is taking the action in response to the case of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein,
CAMBODIA: HIV Infection Rate Remains High Among Cambodian Women: Xinhua News Agency (11.30.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Cambodia s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, in decline since 1998, has hit a new low of 0.9 percent, according to a report in Cambodia Daily. Among pregnant women, however, the rate had declined only to 1.1 percent from 2.1 percent in 1999. And of the 67,200 HIV/AIDS cases documented by the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Derma
INDONESIA: Indonesia Muslims Protest Condom Campaign: Report: Agence France Presse (12.01.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Indonesia , which has Asia s fastest-growing HIV epidemic, according to the UN, launched its first national condom promotion campaign on World AIDS Day. But in Jakarta, about 100 anti-pornography activists staged a rally to protest condom distribution, which they said is another way to promote free sex, according to
SWAZILAND: 130,000 Swazi Children Orphaned and Vulnerable: Report: Agence France Presse (11.23.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; In Swaziland , where UNICEF reports that nearly 40 percent of adults are HIV-positive, a new study has outlined the epidemic s impact on children. There are currently 130,000 OVCs [orphaned and vulnerable children] in the country, which represents 31.1 percent of all children countrywide, said the study commissioned b
ARIZONA: Cancer Patients May Have Been Exposed to TB, Officials Said: Associated Press (11.28.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Some 2,400 patients at the Arizona Cancer Center at Tucson s University Medical Center North may have been exposed to tuberculosis during the past year. Pima County health officials were beginning to test patients during the week of Nov. 26-30. According to health officials, a patient with active TB was in outpatient c
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Event Blends Music, Screening: Washington Post (12.02.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Delphine Schrank; On Saturday, World AIDS Day, Metro TeenAIDS (MTA) incorporated music and HIV awareness to reach out to young people in the District. According to estimates by the nonprofit group, which provides HIV education and prevention programs to area young people, some 1,000-1,500 people under age 25 are HIV-infected in the nati
THE NETHERLANDS: Human Papillomavirus DNA Testing for the Detection of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 3 and Cancer: 5-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Implementation Trial: The Lancet Vol. 370; No. 9601: P. 1764-1772 (11.24.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; N.W.J. Bulkmans, MD; J. Berkof, PhD; L. Rozendaal, MD; et al.; The authors of this study noted that DNA tests for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) are more sensitive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) than cytological screening. However, there is debate about the necessity for such testing in cervical screening. In that context, the researchers exa
CANADA; SOUTH AFRICA: Journal Accuses Shoppers Drug Mart of Poaching South African Pharmacists: Canadian Press (11.27.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Colin Perkel; The Canadian Medical Association Journal features an online editorial on the practice of Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada s largest drugstore chain, hiring pharmacists from South Africa . For the last three years, Shoppers has sent recruiters to South Africa, promising pharmacists a $100,000 salary (US $98,760), the editoria
GLOBAL: One in Three in G-7 Ignorant About AIDS: Survey: Reuters (11.29.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Patrick Worsnip; An ISPOS poll commissioned by the Christian charity World Vision found one in three adults in Group of Seven (G-7) nations - United States , Canada , Britain, France , Germany , Italy , and Japan - say they
TENNESSEE: Tennessee STD Rate Among Highest in US, Report Says: The Tennessean (Nashville) (11.23.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Claudia Pinto; Tennessee ranks among the top ten states in rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis diagnoses, according to CDC s recent report on the STDs. In 2006, Tennessee ranked eighth in the nation for syphilis infections, ninth for chlamydia, and 10th for gonorrhea. Tennessee reported increases in diagnoses for all three ST
UNITED STATES: Gay Blacks at Highest AIDS Risk: Baltimore Sun (12.04.07) - Tuesday, December 04, 2007; Jonathan Bor; Yesterday at the 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, CDC researchers said black men who have sex with men (MSM) are more than twice as likely to be HIV-infected as their white counterparts. [MSM] account for almost half of all people estimated to be living with HIV in the United States , and African
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: AIDS Activists Arrested in Protest: Washington Times (12.01.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Around 40 protesters were arrested Friday during a demonstration outside the White House ahead of World AIDS Day, said US Park Police Lt. Scott Fear. The activists criticized the Bush administration s handling of the epidemic and called for an end to abstinence-only sex education requirements for US-funded internationa
BRAZIL: Brazil to Install Condom Dispensers in Schools to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; On Friday, the head of Brazil s National Program of Sexually Transmitted Diseases announced plans to place condom- dispensing machines in public schools in a bid to prevent HIV/AIDS. Mariangela Simao said 100 schools will receive the machines next year. The health and education ministries and the UN sponsored a nationw
GLOBAL: AIDS Activist Wants Developed World to Keep Promises: Associated Press (12.02.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Speaking at Brown University on Saturday, former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis urged students to pressure leaders in wealthy and G-8 nations to make good on their promises to fight AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Lewis called the lack of action a genocide and said we are in a race against time to stop A
UNITED STATES: Survey Finds Americans More Concerned About AIDS than Climate: Associated Press (11.30.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; An IPSOS telephone survey of 1,002 US residents in September found more were concerned with the global AIDS pandemic than with climate change. However, 30 percent said they knew little to nothing about it. In the poll, conducted for the Christian charity World Vision, Americans rated the
GLOBAL: Global Fund Has Doubled Antiretroviral Recipients in One Year: Chief: Agence France Presse (11.30.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; On Friday in Dakar, Michel Kazatchkine - chief of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria - said the number of people receiving antiretrovirals drugs (ARVs) through the fund is practically double from 2006. While 770,000 people were receiving fund-financed ARVs in December 2006, the total has now climbed to 1.4 m
TENNESSEE: Testing for STDs Offends Parents: Knoxville News Sentinel (11.26.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Don Jacobs; Since 2004, Knoxville s Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center has tested youths ages 11-18 for STDs, including gonorrhea and chlamydia. The center serves minors taken into custody in Knox and 15 other counties. However, two parents of a juvenile recently taken to the center were upset that their child was tested with
CALIFORNIA: Medical Students Demand AIDS Funds: San Francisco Chronicle (12.02.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Carolyn Jones; On Saturday, about 150 members of the American Medical Student Association, which was holding a conference in Japantown, marched to San Francisco City Hall to call attention to the global war on AIDS. The students want a $20 billion increase in US AIDS funding, $8 billion to help other nations train and retain health c
NEW YORK: Raising AIDS Awareness Among Blacks: Newsday (New York) (12.01.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Nia-Malika Henderson; The approximately 100 people who turned out Saturday for a World AIDS Day event at Union Baptist Church in Hempstead heard frank assessments of the epidemic in the black community, and they were exhorted to take action. Keynote speaker the Rev. Al Sharpton said the black community has a sick problem of denial on the to
UNITED STATES: Serosorting Sexual Partners and Risk for HIV Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol. 33; No. 6: P. 479-485 (12..07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Lisa A. Eaton, MA; Seth C. Kalichman, PhD; Demetria N. Cain, MPH; Chauncey Cherry, MA; Heidi L. Stearns, BA; Christina M. Amaral, BA; Jody A. Flanagan; Howard L. Pope, BS; The authors objective in the current study was to determine whether MSM (men who have sex with men) who limit their unprotected anal sex partners to those who are of the same HIV status (serosort) differ in their HIV transmission risk than MSM who do not serosort. In June 2006, cross-sectional surveys were administered
SOUTH AFRICA: Stop New AIDS Infections to Break the Cycle: Mandela: Agence France Presse (12.01.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Fran Blandy; Slowing new HIV infections is the key to fighting AIDS, Nelson Mandela told tens of thousands of attendees at his 46664 benefit concert in Johannesburg Saturday on World AIDS Day. The Ellis Park stadium erupted in adulation before falling silent as the Nobel laureate, ex-political prisoner, and former South African pre
GLOBAL: Global Leaders Call for Action on World AIDS Day: Agence France Presse (12.02.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Michael Smith; On Saturday, activists and leaders alike marked World AIDS Day by reflecting on the state of the global epidemic. The percentage of the world s population living with HIV/AIDS has leveled off since peaking in the late 1990s, according to UNAIDS . And efforts to bring antiretroviral treatment to sub- Saharan Africa, hom
UNITED STATES: No AIDS Estimate Available Yet: CDC: Reuters (12.03.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Maggie Fox; Some AIDS advocates and newspaper reports are saying new federal estimates show there are 55,000 new HIV infections each year in the United States , nearly 50 percent higher than CDC s longstanding estimate of 40,000 new infections annually. On Sunday, however, CDC officials said the new data on infections were incompl
UNITED STATES: Bush Seeks More Funds for AIDS Fight: Washington Post (12.01.07) - Monday, December 03, 2007; Michael Abramowitz; On Friday, President Bush marked World AIDS Day by emphasizing the role of churches in fighting the epidemic. The president visited two churches in Mount Airy, Md., to learn of their front-line efforts to prevent and treat what continues to be one of the world s most devastating diseases. At McLean Bible Church, member
TEXAS: HIV Testing on World AIDS Day: Dallas Morning News (11.28.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Norma Adams-Wade; The Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas will offer free testing for HIV and other STDs Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 5725 S. Marsalis Ave. The event will include speakers, entertainment, and a candlelight vigil. Telephone 214-915-4600.
FLORIDA: World AIDS Day Events in Sarasota: Bradenton Herald (11.29.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; On Saturday in Sarasota, free screenings for HIV and other health conditions will be available at the World AIDS Day 2007 Health and Wellness Expo from noon to 5 p.m. in the student center exhibit hall at Ringling College of Art and Design. Numerous other events are planned; for more information, telephone 941-366-0461
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Protest, Forums to Mark AIDS Day: Washington Post (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Susan Levine; Among World AIDS Day events in the nation s capital are a demonstration today across the street from the White House; free HIV testing at the Whitman-Walker Clinic and La Clinica del Pueblo; and an open discussion of the epidemic Monday among elected officials, public school representatives, and students at Duke Elling
NEW JERSEY: Atlantic City Is First to Launch New Jersey's Needle Exchange Program: Associated Press (11.29.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Twenty people signed up on the first day of Atlantic City s needle exchange program, the first such program in New Jersey. The participants had to answer questions about their age, sex, history of HIV testing, and drug treatment. Camden, Newark, and Paterson will also participate in the three-year pilot program.
INDIA: AIDS Awareness Films for India: New York Times (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Four Indian directors - Mira Nair, Santosh Sivan, Farhan Akhtar, and Vishal Bhardwaj - have produced four short AIDS awareness films to be shown in theaters prior to full-length features. The movies premiered this week at the 38th International Film Festival of India in Gao. They will be screened for lawmakers on World
CHINA: China to Stop Arresting Women for Carrying Condoms: State Press: Agence France Presse (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; An expert speaking at an AIDS conference in Beijing has called on China s police to stop the practice of arresting women for prostitution simply because they were found carrying condoms. We have investigated many education-through-labor camps, and we have found that for those sentenced for prostitution, the sole eviden
CANADA: New HIV Test Provides Results in Seconds: Edmonton Journal (11.29.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; CanWest News Service; Health Canada has approved a new test that can detect HIV in 60 seconds using a drop of blood. The INSTI test uses a chemical dye to detect HIV antibodies. Patients can get immediate, accurate results and avoid the grueling 10-day wait period, said Matthew Clayton, executive vice president of British Columbia s bioLyti
GLOBAL: World AIDS Day: Latest Figures: Agence France Presse (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; According to the latest figures from UNAIDS : An estimated 33.2 million people worldwide have HIV/AIDS (range: 30.6 million to 36.1 million). Of these, 30.8 million are ages 15-49; 15.4 million are women; and 2.5 million are children under age 15. This year, an estimated 2.5 million more people (range: 1.8 million to 4
GLOBAL: In AIDS Pandemic, 'No One Is Immune': USA Today (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Elizabeth Taylor; It is inconceivable to me that in the year 2007, there remains a need to designate an annual day to mark a health pandemic that has reached global proportions and continues to claim millions of lives each year. My memory of the crisis goes back more than 25 years, when unexplained cases of enlarged lymph nodes in gay
UNITED STATES: Routine HIV Testing May Benefit Teenagers: Reuters (11.26.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; A study of 1,222 sexually active 15- to 21-year-olds found that key HIV risk behaviors, like having unprotected sex, had no impact on whether they sought HIV testing. Instead, the single most important factor was whether they had ever been tested before. The teens and young adults in the study, who hailed from three US
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Cracks Down on Human Trafficking: Voice of America News (11.27.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Mandy Clark; Government research suggests that 4,000 women working as prostitutes may have been brought to Britain for that purpose. The real number, however, may be double that. In response, authorities say they are instituting a crackdown on traffickers, and they hope to halt the practice entirely. In raids last year, police made
AUSTRALIA: Bring Back 'Grim Reaper' to Prevent AIDS Resurgence - Campaigner: Australian Associated Press (11.30.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Ilya Gridneff; Today in Sydney, a panel of experts and activists gathered on the eve of World AIDS Day to call for renewed prevention efforts and to warn against complacency. Don Baxter, executive director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations, urged Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd to make HIV/AIDS a top priority. Common
CHINA: HIV/AIDS Discrimination Widespread in China - UN: Reuters (11.28.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Though China has done a tremendous job implementing anti- HIV/AIDS discrimination policies and laws, people living with the disease still face widespread stigmatization in the country, top UN officials said Wednesday. We all will agree, widespread stigmas and discrimination in all sections of societal life here in Chin
UNITED STATES: US Aims to Take HIV Tests to High-Risk People: Reuters (11.29.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Will Dunham; A CDC-backed HIV testing program reached out to around 24,000 high-risk individuals who otherwise might have been missed by prevention efforts, a new report by the agency finds. From 2004 to 2006, eight community-based AIDS outreach organizations in seven cities - Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, W
GLOBAL: AIDS Experts Believe They're Making a Dent: Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (11.29.07) - Friday, November 30, 2007; Kitta MacPherson; Launched in 2003, the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEFAR) is beginning to have a significant impact in the 15 target countries, a senior US official and other AIDS experts said ahead of World AIDS Day. We have to be optimistic, Ambassador Mark Dybul, the global AIDS coordinator who oversees PEPFAR, sa
SOUTH CAROLINA: World AIDS Day Events: The State (Columbia) (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Czerne M. Reid; The state Department of Health and Environmental Control will offer free HIV testing Saturday at several sites around the state; telephone 800-322-2437 or visit www.scdhec.gov/stdhiv. An HIV/AIDS candlelight vigil will be held Friday beginning at 6 p.m. at the Salvation Army chapel, 2025 Main St., Columbia; telephone 8
MARYLAND: World AIDS Day Breakfast: Washington Post (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Raising Awareness, Making a Difference is the theme of a breakfast conference being held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Reid Temple AME Church, 1400 Glenn Dale Rd., Glenn Dale. Registration is $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Free, confidential HIV testing and counseling will be offered until 4 p.m. Telephone 301-3
CONNECTICUT: Events for World AIDS Day: Hartford Courant (11.22.08) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Hartford-area events to commemorate World AIDS Day include an art exhibit called Celebration of Life at the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at the Institute for Community Research. The opening is scheduled for 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 30; the exhibit will hang until Dec. 21. On Dec. 1, the institute and the Hispanic H
FLORIDA: Fair Offers Free HIV, Hepatitis Tests: St. Petersburg Times (11.28.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Cristina Silva; On Friday, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County health officials will stage a health fair at Williams Park, 2nd Ave. N. and 3rd St. N. Free HIV and hepatitis tests will be offered; other health screenings and flu shots will also be available. The fair takes place from noon until 4 p.m.
UNITED KINGDOM: Stigma Surrounding HIV Revealed by Survey: The Guardian (London) (11.26.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; The level of anti-HIV stigma in Britain is similar to that found in South Africa , according to a new Ipsos Mori survey. Among its findings: One in seven young Britons polled would not want to remain friends with an HIV-positive person. One- fifth of youths in South Africa expressed the same sentiment. The poll was com
CHINA: Beijing Hotels Told to Stock Condoms to Combat AIDS: Report: Agence France Presse (11.24.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; All hotels in Beijing have been ordered to stock condoms in every room by the end of next year, the state-run Xinhua News Agency has reported. The Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said the hotels will be allowed to charge for the condoms. Although the bureau has been encouraging hotels to furnish condoms for several yea
AFRICA: HIV Spreading Rapidly Among African Children: UNICEF: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; While the number of HIV-positive children in Africa continues to rise, improved access to treatment has cut AIDS deaths among this population, according to UNICEF. Chewe Luo, HIV program adviser for the UN agency, delivered the assessment today at the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Treatment Forum in Swaziland . Represent
UTAH: Program Helps Men Explore Reasons for Cruising: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (11.25.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Deborah Bulkeley; The Healthy Self-Expressions program at Pride Counseling offers small groups of men a chance to understand issues surrounding why they cruise - the practice of seeking out sexual encounters with other men in public, often without condoms. The program evolved when therapists, law enforcement, and the gay community resol
CALIFORNIA: Experts Say Most People Are Still Reluctant to Get HIV Test: Contra Costa Times (11.27.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Barbara Grady; Despite the fact that early diagnosis and treatment can help HIV-positive people live longer, healthier lives, most people are still reluctant to get tested, a panel of experts said Monday during a World AIDS Day event at Highland Hospital in Oakland. The meeting also spotlighted a $716,000 CDC grant that will support
UNITED STATES: Adherence to HIV Therapy Linked to Health Literacy: Reuters (11.15.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Joene Hendry; A study by researchers at Chicago s Northwestern University found HIV patients with low literacy levels frequently do not understand their medication instructions and thus are much less likely to comply with treatment. The researchers examined the association between health literacy and racial differences in medication
CHINA: China AIDS Rate Slows, Main Transmission Now Sex: Reuters (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Ben Blanchard; Today in Beijing, Health Minister Chen Zhu said the AIDS epidemic in China continues to spread, but at a slower rate. In 2007, the country will have an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections, down from 70,000 in 2005. China s total HIV/AIDS cases will be about 700,000 this year, up from an earlier forecast of 650,000.
GEORGIA: No One Infected by TB Patient: Atlanta Journal Constitution (11.28.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Alison Young; No passengers have tested positive for exposure to TB six months after unwittingly sharing flights with a man infected with a multidrug-resistant strain of the disease, health officials said Tuesday. In May, Atlanta attorney Andrew Speaker set off a health scare when he twice took transatlantic flights while infected a
UNITED STATES: New Rules for HIV-Positive Travelers Raise Questions: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Heather Cassell; The Department of Homeland Security is proposing new travel rules for HIV-positive foreign nationals visiting the United States on a short-term basis. The proposal, released Nov. 5, is open to public comment until Dec. 6. Current policy has for 20 years barred HIV-positive non- residents from traveling to or transition
NEW YORK: After Hepatitis Case, State Acts to Speed Alerts to Patients at Risk: New York Times (11.29.07) - Thursday, November 29, 2007; Sarah Kershaw; On Wednesday, state Health Commissioner Dr. Richard F. Daines proposed a series of changes to better coordinate Health Department investigations into questionable medical practices by physicians. Daines said he was prompted by the department s nearly three-year delay in informing 628 patients of a Long Island doctor th
NORTH CAROLINA: AIDS Quilt Visits the Triangle: News & Observer (Raleigh) (11.27.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on view from noon Friday at First Baptist Church, 109 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh; telephone 919-212-9450 or 919-834-2437, or visit www.aas-c.org. At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, more than 15 organizations and the N.C. Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
MICHIGAN: Michigan State University to Display 2 AIDS Quilt Panels: Lansing State Journal (11.25.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; The Kresge Art Museum and the Michigan State University Museum will display portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on Saturday. On Friday, MSU s Olin Health Center will offer free, anonymous HIV testing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A candlelight memorial vigil will take place Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. near Fairchild Auditoriu
TEXAS: Free AIDS Screenings: Austin American-Statesman (11.26.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department s Communicable Disease Unit is offering free, confidential testing for HIV and other STDs on Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, the department invites the public to an open house with refreshments and door prizes from 1 to 3 p.m. at RBJ Health Center
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Needle Exchange Funding Urged: Washington Post (11.28.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; David Nakamura; Monday s report on the District s HIV/AIDS epidemic pays too little attention to the role of drug injecting, said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). The report does a disservice in creating headlines that the District has the highest AIDS rate without, at the very least, mentioning the possible effect of many years w
NEW YORK: Health Commissioner Vows Changes After Long Island Needle Scare: Associated Press (11.28.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Responding to criticism over the handling of an infection control scare linked to a Long Island doctor, New York state Health Commissioner Richard Daines has said he wants to improve the timeline for such investigations and ensure better communication about them. Health officials say at least one person became infected
CHINA: HIV Cases in Hong Kong Increase Sharply: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.28.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Hong Kong recorded 125 new HIV diagnoses in the third quarter of 2007 - a 30 percent increase over the same period last year, health officials announced today. Twenty-four people were diagnosed with AIDS during the same period. The city of 6.9 million has now logged 3,535 HIV cases. Since 1985, 917 AIDS cases have be
VATICAN CITY: Pope Denounces 'Disdain' Shown to AIDS Sufferers: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.28.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; In remarks made ahead of World AIDS Day, Pope Benedict XVI today advocated compassionate treatment for this living with HIV. I am spiritually close to those who suffer from this terrible disease and their families, especially those hit by the loss of a loved one, the pontiff said. I also wish to exhort all people of go
UNITED STATES: Routine HIV Screening in the Emergency Department Using the New US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines: Results from a High-Prevalence Area: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes Vol. 46; No. 4: P. 395-401 (12.01.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Jeremy Brown, MD; Robert Shesser; Gary Simon, MD; Maria Bahn; Maggie Czarnogorski; Irene Kuo, PhD; Manya Magnus, PhD; Neal Sikka, MD; CDC s latest guidelines for routine HIV testing, released in 2006, include recommendations that emergency departments (EDs) offer routine opt-out screening to their patients. The authors established a testing program implementing these recommendations at an urban university hospital ED in Washington, D.C. In the curren
CHINA: Olympics: Young Chinese Beat Taboo, Donate Blood for Games: Agence France Presse (11.27.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Charles Whelan; Young residents are heeding Beijing officials call to donate blood for next year s Olympic Games. The normal volume of blood products may not be enough to respond to emergencies during the games, said officials. If anything happens, if there are any problems we need to be ready, said Zhu Ruiquan, a department director
CANADA: Canadian Provincial Government Admits Patient Records Leaked Online: Associated Press (11.27.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Medical information on some patients in Canada , including test results for hepatitis and HIV, was accidentally leaked to the Internet last Tuesday, Newfoundland and Labrador officials said. A Health Department consultant took home a computer containing the data, and the information was vulnerable when the consultant f
KENYA: Kenyan Bosses Take HIV Tests in Awareness Campaign: Agence France Presse (11.26.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; On Monday, 26 CEOs of top Kenyan businesses took HIV tests in public as part of a disease awareness and testing promotion campaign aimed at workers and their families. The UN has set a goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support by 2010. In the area of counseling and testing, we [have] only
UNITED STATES: Television Programs Mark World AIDS Day: Fresno Bee (11.26.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Several broadcast and cable channels are presenting special movies and programs to commemorate World AIDS Day. These viewing opportunities include: * Positive Voices: Women and HIV. Gloria Reuben hosts this look at the lives of six women affected by HIV. Friday, 9 p.m., Showtime. * India s Hidden Plague. Ashley Judd, Y
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: More Testing Pledged on HIV: Washington Post (11.27.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; David Nakamura; Concurrent with the release of a report declaring HIV/AIDS a modern epidemic in the District of Columbia, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty s administration has pledged several enhancements to the city s prevention efforts. Shannon Hader, chief of the city s HIV/AIDS Administration, said she will work to facilitate the dis
UNITED STATES: Silence on HIV/AIDS Tied to Epidemic's Rise: Washington Times (11.28.07) - Wednesday, November 28, 2007; Cheryl Wetzstein; In a commentary in today s Journal of the American Medical Association , three top public health experts expressed concern over a 13 percent rise in new HIV/AIDS cases among US men who have sex with men (MSM) between 2001 and 2005. In the 33 US states and dependent areas with name-based HIV reporting systems in place d
KENTUCKY: Auction, Other Events Mark World AIDS Day: Lexington Herald-Leader (11.21.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Free, anonymous, rapid-result HIV testing will be offered on Nov. 30 at the University of Kentucky HealthCare Bluegrass Care Clinic and the UK Student Center in rooms 117 and 119; no appointment necessary. Also, the annual AIDS Volunteers Art for Life auction will take place at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Red Mile; telepho
FLORIDA: Quilting to Quell AIDS: Palm Beach Post (11.24.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Ron Hayes; Palm Beach County s gay and lesbian center Compass Inc. will host a display of AIDS Memorial Quilt panels from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Free oral HIV testing will be offered; a candlelight vigil will be held at sunset; telephone 561-533- 9699.
PENNSYLVANIA: Observances Set for World AIDS Day: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.25.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Among Bucks County World AIDS Day events are the following: *A candlelight processional will take place Saturday at 6 p.m.; assemble at Starbucks, 10 N. Main St., Doylestown. A panel discussion, Our Community Commits to Action: A Bucks County HIV/AIDS Panel will follow at the James A. Michener Museum. For information,
GEORGIA: AIDS Day Event: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.24.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; On Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., Atlanta s Central Presbyterian Church will host a World AIDS Day event entitled A Call to Worship: A Sustaining Presence, A Sustaining Promise. For more information, telephone Greg Carraway at 404-874-7926 or visit www.aidssurvivalproject.org.
GLOBAL: Tennis Star Federer Joins UN Anti-AIDS Campaign: Agence France Presse (11.27.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Tennis champion Roger Federer, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, has taped an HIV prevention message to be televised globally on World AIDS Day. Available in English, German, and French versions, the 30-second spot seeks to raise awareness about preventing mother-to-child HIV infections. I ve seen kids in
KENYA: World Bank Seeks to Accelerate Education Sector Response to HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (11.27.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Improving the education sector s response to HIV/AIDS will be the focus of a five-day, World Bank-organized meeting that gets underway Wednesday in Nairobi. More than 80 participants from 33 nations in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to take part. The meeting s overall goal is to strengthen the ability of Ministries of
CHINA: Leading Scientist to Head AIDS Research Center at Tsinghua University: Xinhua News Agency (11.27.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Today in Beijing, Dr. David Ho assumed the leadership of the newly established Comprehensive AIDS Research Center at Tsinghua University. The center will research AIDS-related epidemiology, diagnosis, pathology, treatments, and vaccine development as well as public policy, public awareness, and legal issues. We will en
COLORADO: TB Cases Linked to Student's Infection: Denver Post (11.24.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Erin Emery; Contact tracing identified 17 people with latent TB infections following the June death of a student at Colorado State University-Pueblo who had an active case of the disease. Most of the latent cases were CSU students. On June 8, a 19-year-old female student from Nepal was taken to
WISCONSIN: Increase in STDs Troubles Health Workers in Fox Cities Area: Associated Press (11.26.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Figures from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services show STD diagnoses in the four counties surrounding Appleton increased nearly 80 percent from 2000 to 2006. In 2000, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, and Waupaca counties recorded 708 STD cases. That number increased to 1,271 last year. Statewide, report
UNITED STATES: Researchers Devise New AIDS-Fighting Strategy: San Francisco Chronicle (11.09.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Sabin Russell; A newly discovered distress signal generated by cells infected with HIV could offer clues to a fresh strategy to fight the virus. Scientists seeking to create an HIV vaccine have long been frustrated by the ability of the virus to mutate rapidly, changing into forms that the vaccine-assisted immune system cannot recogn
ZAMBIA: Risky Practices in Zambia Weakening Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (11.27.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; On Monday, University of Zambia researchers at a Lusaka conference presented findings on sexual and marriage practices in Mansa District in the era of HIV/AIDS. The practice of dry sex, the use of herbs to reduce vaginal lubrication, persists despite its risk of causing ulcers through which HIV can easily pass, said re
EUROPE: More than 27,000 New HIV Infections in Europe in 2006: Report: Agence France Presse (11.27.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Today, the European Center for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS said 27,259 new HIV cases were recorded in Europe last year. More than half of those cases, 54 percent, were in France and the United Kingdom , with 5,750 and 8,925 cases respectively, the center said. The total includes reporting from
UNITED STATES: Despite HIV Fears, Few Prisons Allow Inmates Access to Condoms: Associated Press (11.20.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; David Crary; Allowing inmates access to condoms to reduce the spread of STDs is seen by AIDS activists and prison rights campaigners as a logical measure that should be implemented nationwide. Yet a proposal introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) earlier this year to allow condoms in federal prisons has made little headway. Legi
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Study Calls HIV in D.C. a 'Modern Epidemic': Washington Post (11.26.07) - Tuesday, November 27, 2007; Susan Levine; On Monday, health officials released the District of Columbia s first updated snapshot of its HIV/AIDS epidemic since 2000. According to the 120-page report, there were 3,269 HIV diagnoses between 2001 and 2006, and more than two-thirds first tested HIV-positive late in the course of the disease - within a year of prog
NORTH CAROLINA: Free HIV Tests Available at University of North Carolina: News & Observer (Raleigh) (11.26.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Rapid-result oral HIV tests will be offered Thursday in the UNC-Chapel Hill Student Union and the Student Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last year, more than 600 people learned their HIV status through testing events held at UNC.
FLORIDA: Mark World AIDS Day with Better Awareness: St. Petersburg Times (11.20.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; In Spring Hill on Dec. 1, the Hernando County Health Department and Wal-Mart will provide HIV testing and education at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 1485 Commercial Way. Telephone 352-540-6800 ext. 82173.
TEXAS: Tie on a Red Ribbon: Dallas Morning News (11.23.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Nancy Moore; Among Dallas-area activities marking World AIDS Day are the following: *A happy hour and auction Thursday at the Hotel Palomar to benefit the Dallas chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS; telephone 214-654-0402, or visit www.diffadallas.org *A display of the exhibit Step into Africa at the Potter s
NEW YORK: District Attorney Investigating Needle Scare Centered on Long Island Doctor: Associated Press (11.22.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Nassau County prosecutors have joined the investigation of a doctor whose injection technique put patients at risk of infection. Authorities say Dr. Harvey Finkelstein would use syringes more than once on a patient, possibly contaminating multidose medicine vials. The anesthesiologist said he changed his technique afte
CANADA: 100 Students Get TB Test: Hamilton Spectator (11.26.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Rachel De Lazzer; On Tuesday, about 100 students at Sir John A. Macdonald High School will be tested for TB. Earlier in November, a student at the school was hospitalized with the disease. Because tuberculosis is relatively slow-growing, we retest them again in eight to 10 weeks, said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, medical officer of health
CANADA: HIV Patients' Privacy Compromised: Edmonton Journal (11.24.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; The confidential information of some patients who were tested for diseases including HIV and hepatitis has been compromised by a security breach, authorities report. The information held by the Provincial Public Health Laboratory included each patient s name, sex, age, health card number, physician, and results of test
UNITED STATES: Development, Description, and Acceptability of Small-Group, Behavioral Intervention to Prevent HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Young Adult Injection Drug Users: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 91; Supplement 1: P. S73-S80 (11..07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; David W. Purcell; Richard S. Garfein; Mary H. Latka; Hanne Thiede; Sharon Hudson; Sebastian Bonner; Elizabeth T. Golub; Lawrence J. Ouellet and for the DUIT Study Team; Young injection drug users (IDUs) who are not infected with HIV or hepatitis C virus are at great risk of acquiring one or both of these infections through their sexual or injection behaviors, the authors wrote. In the current study, they describe the development of a behavioral intervention designed to decrease sexua
KENYA: $60 Million Will Help Indiana University Fight AIDS in Kenya: Indianapolis Star (11.20.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Shari Rudavsky; Daniel Lee; A $60 million, five-year US grant - announced in Nairobi on Nov. 19 - will help doctors from the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) treat thousands more Kenyans with HIV/AIDS. The Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS (AMPATH) - a partnership between IU and Moi University School of Medicine
CHINA: Chinese Farmers with HIV/AIDS Threatened with Tear Gas After Protest for Medical Files: Associated Press (11.21.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Anita Chang; On Nov. 21 in Beijing, authorities roughed up and detained 15 AIDS patients from Henan province - the epicenter of a state- sanctioned, blood-buying scandal in the 1990s - who were demanding better medical care and access to their medical records. Let them detain us, more will always come, said Sun Ailing, one of 13 ot
CHINA: Leading Researcher Says China's AIDS Data Probably Accurate: Associated Press (11.22.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Min Lee; China s official HIV figures are in line with a new UN report on global infections, according to AIDS expert Dr. David Ho. The globally famous researcher, who helped found New York s Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, remarked on the numbers Thursday during a speech at the University of
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa Has World's Highest Number with AIDS: UN Report: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; UNAIDS 2007 annual report shows sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the worst-affected region. South Africa is the country with the largest number of HIV infections in the world, the report said. Though UNAIDS did not provide a figure, the government estimates that some 5.5 million of South Africa s 48 million people ar
FORMER SOVIET UNION: AIDS on the Rise in Russia, Ukraine: UN Report: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; HIV infections are climbing in many countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union, according to the recent annual UNAIDS report. Ninety percent of the 150,000 new regional infections were either in Russia or Ukraine . Russia alone accounted for 66 percent, a deterioration from 2001-2003 when cases wer
GLOBAL: UN Lowers AIDS Estimate; New Look at Funds' Allocation Urged in Light of Revision: Chicago Tribune (11.21.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Laurie Goering; New UN data on global HIV infections should be used in to guide future funding decisions, several experts said recently. More accurate methodology led the agency to conclude that HIV prevalence has been falling for almost a decade, and that HIV has not jumped from high-risk groups to the general population in
UNITED STATES: Concurrent Sex Partners Not Uncommon for US Men: Reuters (10.30.07) - Monday, November 26, 2007; Amy Norton; Eleven percent of men in a federal health survey reported they had at least two concurrent sex partners during the last year, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The 2002 survey of 4,928 men ages 15-44 found these men were more likely to say their female partners had other partne
CANADA: AIDS Flag Will Be Raised in Ceremony Friday: Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick) (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; AIDS Saint John will kickoff AIDS Awareness Week by raising the World AIDS Day flag Friday at 10:30 a.m. in front of City Hall. Mayor Norm McFarlane is expected to attend the commemoration.
AUSTRALIA: Australia's Olympic Doctors Warn Team Off Getting Tattoos: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; On Tuesday, the Australian Olympic team s doctors advised athletes attending next year s games in Beijing to forego getting traditional celebratory tattoos until they are back at home. The doctors are concerned the tattoos could transmit hepatitis B, which is widespread in China . People need to be aware of the dangers
CHINA: Number of New HIV/AIDS Cases Rises More than 50 Percent in Beijing: Xinhua News Agency (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; In the first 10 months of 2007, Beijing officially registered 973 new HIV/AIDS cases, a 53.71 percent increase from a year earlier, the head of the city s Municipal Health Bureau said today. Jin Dapeng told a working conference on HIV prevention, Incidents of the disease are still on the rise in Beijing, and it is spre
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Georgetown University Health Center Cuts HPV Vaccine, Cites Cost: University Wire (11.20.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Amelia Salutz; The Hoya; Georgetown University students will have more difficulty accessing the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil now that the Student Health Center has stopped stocking it. SHC will continue to administer it, but patients must now purchase it elsewhere at their own expense, said James Marsh, the center s director. Since Oc
UNITED STATES: Some OBs Unclear on HIV Testing Requirements: Reuters (11.16.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; A survey of obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) regarding HIV knowledge found that while most recommend HIV testing to their pregnant patients, some are unaware of their state s requirements for recommending such testing. CDC recommends that all pregnant women receiving prenatal care be tested for HIV using an opt-out
CAMBODIA: Cambodia Turns to Private Sector in Fight Against AIDS: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; On Wednesday, Cambodia s first lady and president of the Cambodian Red Cross Bun Rany Hun Sen visited a garment factory to support private sector initiatives to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. On World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, Bun Rany is expected to launch a business guide on HIV and AIDS. In the coming months, she is also
SOUTH AFRICA: Message in a Bottle: Mandela Takes AIDS Awareness to Street Corners: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; In a campaign timed to raise AIDS awareness ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, a million messages enclosed in glass Coca- Cola bottles will be placed on street corners and in shopping malls, cinemas, and parks throughout Johannesburg, the city s Star newspaper reported. The message from Nelson Mandela, former South Afr
CHINA: Hong Kong Group Rolls Out Campaign to Fight HIV Stigma: Reuters (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Tan Ee Lyn; Today marks the beginning of a month-long public awareness campaign in which five famous Hong Kong residents call for compassion and understanding for those living with HIV. The ads, which will appear in print and on public transit, feature black-and-white photos of celebrities asking a question that begins, If I were
GLOBAL: UN Agency Denies Inflating Cases of HIV Deliberately: New York Times (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Following UNAIDS release of new, lower estimates of the number of global HIV infections, officials rebutted accusations the agency had inflated estimates for years to secure more funding. UNAIDS now estimates 33.2 million people worldwide have HIV, down from its previous estimate of 39.5 million. The accusation that UN
NEW YORK: Wider Net in Probe: Newsday (New York) (11.21.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Ridgely Ochs; The investigation into Dix Hill anesthesiologist Dr. Harvey Finkelstein has been expanded to include patients he treated as long ago as 1994, the state health department said Tuesday. An earlier probe determined the doctor had contaminated multidose medicine vials by reusing syringes between 2000 and 2005. The investig
MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Battles Top STD Ranking: Clarion-Ledger (11.18.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Mississippi is on track this year to reach or surpass the record 21,258 chlamydia cases detected in 2005, giving it the nation s highest incidence of the STD, according to interim State Health Officer Dr. Ed Thompson. The state also ranks first in gonorrhea cases. Thompson has used $600,000 in administrative funds to c
UNITED STATES: HIV Trial's Halt Reverberates: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.16.07) - Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Karl Stark; About five experimental trials have been postponed or altered because their vaccine candidate employed a similar design to Merck & Co. s recent unsuccessful HIV vaccine. Researchers later said the Merck product, which used a disabled adenovirus vector, could have made recipients with pre-existing exposure to cold v
NEW YORK: AIDS Quilt on Display at Canisius Nov. 28-30: Buffalo News (11.19.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; From Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, Canisius College s Student Center will display a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in conjunction with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. The quilt can be seen at the Grupp Fireside Lounge from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Composed of 3-by-6-foot panels created by loved ones and friends, the quilt is billed as th
MINNESOTA: Brooklyn Park Student with TB Leaves Tech School: St. Paul Pioneer Press (11.19.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Associated Press; Hennepin Technical College officials say a student on the Brooklyn Park campus was diagnosed with active TB and has since withdrawn from the school. Health officials are screening students, teachers, and staff members who may have had prolonged exposure to the case. So far, no one else has been found to have the diseas
UNITED STATES: Study Shows How Some AIDS Vaccines May Harm: Reuters (11.15.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Maggie Fox; Vaccines using usually harmless adeno-associated virus vectors may exhaust key immune cells, according to new research. Human vaccine trials using the vectors should be stopped until there is more research to assure their safety, the authors suggested. The news could further complicate HIV vaccine research; however, so
UNITED KINGDOM: Sperm Services May Face Court over Delivery of Samples: The Guardian (London) (11.19.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; James Randerson; Britain s Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has warned unlicensed companies delivering fresh sperm by courier that they face prosecution under the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act. They are misleading vulnerable patients, and they are offering a very, very dangerous service, said Laura Witjens,
EUROPEAN UNION: EU Adopts WTO Deal for Poor Nations to Access Generic Medicines: Agence France Presse (11.19.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; On Monday, the European Union ratified a World Trade Organization agreement to improve poor nations access to vital, cheaper generic drugs, including those for HIV and TB. In 2005, WTO modified an agreement on intellectual property rights that took into account the need for poor nations to import, under certain conditi
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Indonesia, Vietnam Face Growing HIV Epidemics: UN: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; UNAIDS figures released today show Indonesia has Asia s fastest growing HIV epidemic, while the number of cases in Vietnam rose more than twofold, to 260,000, between 2000 and 2005. Southeast Asia, the region with the continent s highest HIV prevalence, displayed wide variations among countries, UN
INDIA: India AIDS Estimates Halved in New UN Report: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Today, UNAIDS said better statistics and evidence gathering have led it to cut its estimate of India s HIV/AIDS cases to 2.5 million, down from the earlier estimate of 5.7 million cases. National adult HIV prevalence in India is now believed to be 0.36 percent, according to UNAIDS latest annual report on the disease.
GLOBAL: UN Cuts AIDS Infection Estimate: Report: Agence France Presse (11.20.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; William French; UNAIDS today changed its estimate of the global number of HIV cases for 2006 from 39.5 million to 32.7 million. The agency said the largest factor prompting the reduction was the recent revision in India after an intensive reassessment of the epidemic in that country. Improvements in data collection also led to revi
UNITED STATES: Redesigning a Condom So Women Will Use It: New York Times (11.13.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Public health experts once held high hopes that the female condom would give women worldwide the ability to protect themselves from STDs. But due to a range of problems - the device was perceived as awkward, unsightly, and noisy - it made little headway with females other than sex workers. Six billion male condoms are
UNITED STATES: Growing Focus on Reused Medicine Vials: New York Times (11.17.07) - Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Sarah Kershaw; The case of a Long Island, N.Y., anesthesiologist who used unsafe infection control practices is bringing fresh attention to the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases through multidose medicine vials. Dr. Harvey Finkelstein told health officials that while he used a new syringe on each patient, he would use the syr
SOUTH AFRICA: Migrants 'Hamper Fight Against AIDS in Gauteng': Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.16.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Sibongakonke Shoba; On Thursday, the Gauteng AIDS Council said the province is providing antiretroviral treatment to more than 70,000 people, exceeding the 2007-08 goal. However, the province faces unique difficulties with migrants in search of work, said Gift Moerane, a council member. The numbers of people coming to the province to seek
RUSSIA: Drug Users Left on Their Own, Report Says: Moscow Times (11.09.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Natalya Krainova; The effectiveness of drug treatment in Russia is so low as to be negligible, leaving users virtually to their own devices, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. This leaves [drug abusers] vulnerable to HIV infection, other drug-related health conditions, and death by overdose, Diederik Lohman, senior researcher in HRW s HI
EUROPEAN UNION: Merck & Co. Says European Regulators Recommend Approval of HIV Drug Isentress: Associated Press (11.15.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; European regulators have recommended approval of Merck & Co. s HIV drug Isentress in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) treatments, the drug maker announced on Thursday. Isentress is designed to treat HIV in adult patient who have already been receiving ARVs. The recommendation by the Committee for Medicin
EUROPEAN UNION: EU Approves Schering-Plough's Hepatitis C Combo Therapy in Previously Treated Patients: Associated Press (11.15.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; On Thursday, Schering-Plough Corp. said the European Commission had approved its combination of Pegintron and Rebetol to treat hepatitis C patients who are facing relapse or are not responding to other therapies. The combination was already EU-approved for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection in patients.
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Patient Retention in Antiretroviral Therapy Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review: Public Library of Science Medicine Vol. 4; No. 10: e298 (doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040298) (10.16.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Sydney Rosen; Matthew P. Fox; Christopher J. Gill; Retention of AIDS patients in rapidly expanding antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in sub-Saharan Africa will be critical to the programs success. However, relatively little attention has focused on the subject. In this study, the authors systematically reviewed patient retention in the region s ART programs. The au
UNITED STATES: Condom Use Reduces Risk of Bacterial Vaginosis: Reuters Health (11.12.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; A new study of a population of women at high risk of contracting an STD found that using condoms during every sexual encounter decreased their risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the changes in vaginal microflora associated with the infection. The study followed 871 women at high risk for STDs. Those who consistently
ZAMBIA: HIV Programs in Workplace Save Money, Lives: International Organization for Migration: Reuters (11.13.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; HIV programs in the workplace - including health care, testing, and counseling - make good business sense in terms of staff retention and productivity, especially in high- prevalence areas, according to a recent International Organization for Migration (IOM) report. The study analyzed HIV programs in seven of the large
FLORIDA: HIV Meds Withheld, Ex-Inmates Contend: Miami Herald (11.17.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Hannah Sampson; Two former inmates have filed a lawsuit alleging they were denied their HIV medications while incarcerated in Broward County jails. The suit, filed in federal court, names Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti and Armor Correctional Health Services, which provides health care in the county s jails, as defendants. Greg M. Lauer a
MICHIGAN: Doctor Keeps License for Now: Grand Rapids Press (11.16.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Kent County Health Department officials issued an alert on Nov. 14 that a Grand Rapids dermatologist allegedly reused sutures, syringes and needles, scalpels and gloves, and other unsterilized surgical instruments on patients. By the following day, 758 people called the department, and 132 made appointments to screen f
ILLINOIS: Attorney: Woman Who Got HIV from Donor Kidney 'Still in Shock': Associated Press (11.16.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Lindsey Tanner; One of four transplant patients who received organs from a high-risk donor infected with HIV and hepatitis C had rejected another potential donor because of his lifestyle, according to a petition filed by her attorney Thomas Demetrio. The petition, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Thursday, seeks to prevent the ho
NEW YORK: Spitzer: Delay Will Be Probed: Newsday (New York) (11.17.07) - Monday, November 19, 2007; Michael Amon; On Friday, Gov. Eliot Spitzer criticized the state Department of Health over its handling of a Long Island doctor who potentially exposed hundreds of patients to hepatitis and HIV. The governor called the almost three-year delay in notifying patients deeply troubling and unacceptably slow. The Department of Health has
ZAMBIA: Former Sub-Saharan Africa Leaders Meet to Discuss AIDS Crisis: Agence France Presse (11.16.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Next week in Zambia , more than 10 former leaders of sub- Saharan nations will confer on ways to fight the continent s AIDS epidemic. The purpose is to work with former African leaders in building a stronger regional voice and action- oriented program aimed at defeating HIV and AIDS, said Munyaradzi Hwengwere, the mee
ZIMBABWE: Global Fund Declines Zimbabwe's Request for TB, Malaria Funding: Voice of America News (11.13.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Ndimyake Mwkalyelye; Zimbabwe s latest requests for grants to fight TB and malaria have been rejected by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Nicolas Demey, the fund s communications officer, cited technical weaknesses as the reason Zimbabwe s proposals seeking $48.5 million for malaria and $25.5 million for TB were turned down.
NEW YORK: TB Was at Syosset High School: Newsday (New York) (11.16.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Susan Enriquez; About 330 students, staff members, and recent graduates of Syosset High School are being asked to undergo TB testing on Nov. 27 at the school, said Cynthia Brown, spokesperson for the Nassau County Department of Health. A person at the school was recently hospitalized with TB and is being treated; it was not revealed w
MISSOURI: St. Louis Leads Nation in Rate of Two STDs: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11.14.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Blythe Bernhard; St. Louis has the United States highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to new national surveillance figures released Tuesday by CDC. The city logged 1,330 cases of chlamydia and 821 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 residents, totaling almost 7,500 new diagnoses. Dale Wrigley of the city health department not
OHIO: Franklin County Faring Worse than US, STD Report Finds: Columbus Dispatch (11.14.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Misti Crane; While a CDC report on STDs released Tuesday showed Ohio s rates are close to the national average, Franklin County continues to fare worse than the nation in rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. In 2006, Franklin County s chlamydia rate was 471 cases per 100,000 residents, compared with the national rate of 348
PENNSYLVANIA: Chlamydia Cases Hit a Record High: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11.14.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Pohla Smith; According to Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2006, released Tuesday by CDC, cases of chlamydia hit a national record at more than 1 million last year. The national figures also indicate rising rates of gonorrhea and syphilis. In Allegheny County, however, while syphilis cases were up, chlamydia and gonorrhea
WASHINGTON: Local Numbers Reflect National Trend: Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (11.14.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Jonel Aleccia; In line with national trends, chlamydia diagnoses in Spokane jumped to 1,121 in 2006 from 1,071 a year earlier. However, Washington overall saw a drop in chlamydia reports, figures from the state Department of Health show. Statewide, chlamydia cases fell to 17,819, down from 18,617. We re not on the same steep curve as
UNITED STATES: The Effect of the Hurricane Katrina Disaster on Sexual Behavior and Access to Reproductive Care for Young Women in New Orleans: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 11: P. 883-886 (11..07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Patricia Kissinger, PhD; Norine Schmidt, MPH; Cheryl Sanders, MSN; Nicole Liddon, PhD; The Hurricane Katrina disaster caused the rapid displacement of over a million persons in metropolitan New Orleans. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in sexual behavior and access to reproductive care pre- and post-rapid displacement among a cohort of young women receiving family planning services befo
GLOBAL: Many People Don't Think AIDS Is Fatal: Survey: Reuters Health (11.13.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Anthony J. Brown, MD; While most respondents to a nine-country survey said AIDS is always a fatal illness, many incorrectly believed a cure is available. The research project involved 4,510 interviews conducted in the United States , United Kingdom , Russia , France ,
UNITED STATES: Study Debunks Theory on Teen Sex, Delinquency: Washington Post (11.11.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Rick Weiss; The link between early sexual debut and delinquency is so established a theory that federal abstinence-only programs must incorporate it. Thus, few paid attention in February to an Ohio State University (OSU) study confirming the relationship. However, according to researchers who conducted a more powerful parsing of t
COLORADO: Chlamydia Cases Fuel Colorado Increase: Denver Post (11.14.07) - Friday, November 16, 2007; Katy Human; CDC figures released Tuesday show Colorado s chlamydia case rate rose 22 percent in the past four years, to 348 per 100,000 people. The data were part of CDC s annual survey of STDs. In the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area, figures show chlamydia rates dropped slightly between 2005 and 2006, from 361 per 100,000 to 336.
NEW YORK: Sale Celebre: Shopping for a Cause: New York Times (11.15.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Eric Wilson; The three-week AIDS fundraiser 7th on Sale kicks off with a gala tonight in New York City. Approximately 37,000 items of clothing, handbags, and shoes donated by designers will be sold at prices 70 percent off retail. Tickets to the three days of public shopping at the 69th Regiment Armory, at 68 Lexington Avenue, are
ARIZONA: 2 Hired at Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network: Arizona Daily Star (11.12.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Ari Kelly has joined the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network as director of education and community relations. Her duties will include coordinating AIDS awareness programs for faith communities, training volunteers, and managing publicity. Also joining the agency is Kim Talerico, who will work on volunteer recruitment,
CALIFORNIA: Spanish Meth Site Launched: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (11.15.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Cynthia Laird; On Friday, Tweaker.org Espanol will be launched as a Web Spanish-language resource for Latino gays and bisexuals who use crystal methamphetamine. The public launch will be held at 8 p.m. at Magnet, 4122 18th St., San Francisco. Initially, the Web site will feature information including Crystal 101, Crystal and Your Bod
NEW YORK: Nassau Probes Case of TB in District: Newsday (New York) (11.15.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Stacey Altherr; A case of TB in the Syosset school district has prompted an investigation by the Nassau County Health Department, a department spokesperson said on Wednesday. Those persons who are determined to have been in close contact with the patient will be notified and tested on Nov. 27, with results available by Nov. 30. A publ
NEW YORK: Doctor Reused Dirty Needles: Newsday (New York) (11.14.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Michael Amon; On Tuesday, state and Nassau County health officials said around 630 patients of an anesthesiologist who used an unsterile injection method are at risk for contracting blood- borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis B and C. At least two patients have already been diagnosed with hepatitis C. Health officials knew ab
UNITED STATES: Using E-Mail to Notify Pseudonymous E-Mail Sexual Partners: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 11: P. 840-845 (11..07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Joshua R. Vest, MPH; Adolfo M. Valadez, MD; Andrea Hanner, BS; James H. Lee, BA; Patrick B. Harris, MPA; The objective of the current study was to quantify the factors associated with reporting sexual partners only known by, or able to be contacted by, an e-mail address (pseudonymous partners) and to assess the efforts of provider partner notification when only an e-mail address was available. Persons with pseudonymous e-
CHINA: Gates Foundation, China to Partner in HIV Prevention: Seattle Times (11.14.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Kristi Heim; On Tuesday, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it will commit an initial $50 million toward HIV prevention in China , working with both the central government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the initiative. The grants will target high-risk populations, including injection drug users (IDUs), men w
VIRGINIA: Kaine Cuts Abstinence-Only Program Funds: Washington Post (11.13.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Tim Craig; Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has closed a budget shortfall with a plan to cut, among other items, $250,000 in annual state funding to match federal grants for 14 groups providing abstinence-only programs. The plan to eliminate the funds has been public for six weeks, said Delacey Skinner, Kaine s communications d
ILLINOIS: CDC Probes HIV Cases Among Transplant Recipients: Chicago Tribune (11.13.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Jeremy Manier; CDC and local officials are investigating whether four Chicago patients who contracted HIV and hepatitis C from transplanted organs may have transmitted the diseases to others before they learned they were infected. Though the operations occurred in January, the patients were informed of their infections only in the pa
NEW MEXICO: Gonorrhea Up Again in New Mexico: Albuquerque Journal (11.14.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Olivier Uyttebrouck; CDC figures released on Tuesday show the incidence of gonorrhea rose again last year in New Mexico, with 1,733 cases recorded in 2006 compared to 1,169 in 2003. With 89.9 cases of the STD per 100,000 people, New Mexico was well below the national prevalence rate of 121 cases per 100,000, for a ranking of 26th among the
UTAH: Utah STD Rates Low, but Cases Growing: Salt Lake Tribune (11.14.07) - Thursday, November 15, 2007; Heather May; Utah s rates of STDs are among the lowest in the United States , according to new surveillance figures released Tuesday by CDC. Even so, public health officials there are alarmed at the chlamydia and gonorrhea case counts for last year, which were the highest ever recorded in the state. Utah ranked 46th among the s
TEXAS: LabNow Lands $20 Million for AIDS Work: Austin American-Statesman (11.12.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Lilly Rockwell; Austin-based LabNow Inc. has secured $20 million in investments to help the biotechnology firm establish a manufacturing line and conduct clinical trials on a device that can analyze a drop of blood. Though the technology can be used for many diagnostic purposes, the company is seeking to win Food and Drug Administrati
OREGON: State OKs Settlements for Oregon Inmates with Hepatitis C: Associated Press (11.12.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Oregon will pay more than $300,000 to settle the claims of five inmates who said they were denied adequate treatment for hepatitis C. Family members or friends of four of the inmates who have died since 2003 will receive settlements ranging from $12,000 to $150,000. A fifth is critically ill at the Snake River Correcti
UNITED STATES: Physicians' Group Recommends Using Public Cord Blood Banks: Associated Press (11.14.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; At its meeting in Hawaii this week, the American Medical Association adopted new guidelines to help doctors counsel pregnant women about donating their babies umbilical cord blood to public cord blood banks. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are useful for some therapeutic purposes and as a potential source of stem cells
MARYLAND: Targeting Link Between HIV, Prostitution and Addiction: Baltimore Sun (11.09.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Jonathan Bor; Several signs of progress have occurred since the Baltimore Sun s recent series detailing the plight of drug-addicted prostitutes and their link to the city s rate of AIDS diagnoses, which is the nation s second-highest. *Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the city s health commissioner, said health agencies will evaluate whether
UNITED KINGDOM: Cervical Cancer Risk Seen Higher When on Pill: Reuters (11.08.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; In recently published research analyzing oral contraceptive use among women, British investigators found a transient increased risk of cervical cancer among pill users compared to non-users. However, the cervical cancer risk returned to normal 10 years after quitting the pill, and the risk was offset by a reduction in
AUSTRALIA: Drug Users, Homosexuals Get Raw Deal on STI Treatment: Australian Associated Press (11.07.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Tamara McLean; In a recently published survey of 409 general practitioners in New South Wales, 72 percent reported feeling completely comfortable treating heterosexual or young patients for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). But just 40 percent feel comfortable treating STIs in sex workers, gays or lesbians, indigenous Australia
GLOBAL: Researchers to 'Unblind' AIDS Vaccine Test Subjects: Seattle Times (11.13.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Carol M. Ostrom; Participants in the failed trial of a Merck & Co. HIV vaccine will be unblinded, or told whether they received the vaccine or placebo, say researchers involved with the study. The trial was stopped in September after early data found the vaccine was ineffective. Last week, researchers said an in-depth analysis show
UNITED STATES: Glaxo Sues Abbott Labs over AIDS Drug Pricing: Wall Street Journal (11.09.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; John Carreyrou; GlaxoSmithKline PLC has joined a growing number of groups filing suit against Abbott Laboratories over its decision to raise the price of the AIDS drug Norvir fivefold. Last month, four major pharmacy chains and one pharmaceutical wholesaler filed a lawsuit against Abbott, saying
UNITED STATES: FDA OKs Lower Dose of AIDS Drug: Chicago Tribune (11.13.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Bloomberg News; On Monday, Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a lower-dose form of its AIDS drug Kaletra to treat HIV-infected children. The new formulation will be available in the United States this month.
UNITED STATES: US Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis Rates Rise: Reuters (11.13.07) - Wednesday, November 14, 2007; Will Dunham; In 2006 for the second consecutive year, the United States recorded increases of the three leading STDs, CDC officials announced on Tuesday. This is a hidden epidemic, said Dr. Stuart Berman, who tracks STDs at CDC. Most people are not aware of how many STDs are out there, the risks that they run, and the need for gett
GEORGIA: Emory Joins Elite Research: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.07.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Craig Schneider; The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a seven-year, $23.7 grant to Emory University to support vaccine development. The award designates the Atlanta university as one of eight US Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units, research centers that are focusing on finding vaccines for all infect
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's HIV/AIDS Youth Projects Get $1.9 Million Boost: Xinhua News Agency (11.07.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; A three-year, $1.9 million grant from UNICEF- Norway will be used to support sports-oriented HIV-prevention programs targeting Zimbabwe s young people, according to an article in the state-run Herald. The money will be channeled through UNICEF s Harare office to the Sports and Recreation Commission. James Elder, UNICEF
SOUTH AFRICA: Poverty Doubles in South Africa in 10 Years: Survey: Agence France Presse (11.12.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; The number of South Africans in extreme poverty, those living on less than $1 a day, grew from 1.89 million in 1996 to 4.2 million in 2005, according to a new survey from the South African Institute of Race Relations. As a proportion of the population, this represents an increase from 4.5 percent to 8.8 percent of the
TEXAS: AIDS Agency Office Is Raked by Gunfire: Dallas Morning News (11.13.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Steve Thompson; Early Monday morning, 20 or more bullets tore through the windows and walls of the AIDS Interfaith Network (AIN) in Dallas. The bullets damaged furniture, a printer, a file cabinet, and other supplies, as well as two of the agency s unmarked 2006 Dodge minivans parked out front. The agency, which has no signage outside
WASHINGTON: AIDS Trial Subjects React to News: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (11.09.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Tom Paulson; Seattle area volunteers have mixed reactions to their involvement in a recently halted international AIDS vaccine trial. Testing stopped on Merck & Co. s vaccine in September after preliminary findings showed it did not stop HIV infection or reduce viral load after infection. In Seattle on Nov. 7, experts at the HI
UNITED STATES: Sex Partner Meeting Venues and Out-of-State Sex Partners Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Early Syphilis in Connecticut: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 11: P. 887-891 (11..07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Linda M. Niccolai, PhD; Kara A. Livingston, BA; Wanda Richardson, BA; Heidi Jenkins, BA; Toward the goal of understanding transmission dynamics in the current syphilis epidemic, the researchers undertook a review of health department records to examine sex partner meeting venues and out-of-state sex partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) with syphilis in Connecticut. Syphilis prevalence in Connecti
AUSTRALIA; NEW ZEALAND: New Trial Vaccine to Block 90 Percent of Cervical Cancer: Australian Associated Press (11.12.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Tamara McLean; An experimental human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is now being tested in female New Zealand and Australian volunteers ages 18-26, and researchers are hoping it could prevent 90 percent of cancer-causing HPV strains. The drug firm CSL is testing the HPV vaccine candidate, which uses the same technology as the HPV vacci
CHINA: China to Ease Travel Restrictions on HIV Carriers: Reuters (11.08.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Lindsay Beck; Vice Minister of Health Huang Jiefu and the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced Thursday that China will rescind immigration laws that prevent HIV-positive people from traveling to the country. China has decided to change its immigrations laws, scrapping travel restrictions, s
GLOBAL: Global Fund Approves over $1 Billion in New Grants to Fight Disease: Agence France Presse (11.12.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; On Monday, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria announced it awarded 73 new grants during its recent board meeting in Kunming, China . The new two-year grants totaled more than $1.1 billion, pushing the Global Fund s budget 32 percent higher than the initial forecast of $846 million for 2007. This is the
MINNESOTA: Adoptee Hepatitis Prompts Warning: St. Paul Pioneer Press (11.05.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Jeremy Olson; An outbreak of hepatitis A linked to two children adopted from Africa is prompting state health officials to consider revising their advice to the families of international adoptees. In addition to the two children, the virus has struck two members of their new extended families and two people who came in contact with
UNITED STATES: Four Organ Patients Get HIV: Chicago Tribune (11.13.07) - Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Jeremy Manier; Four transplant recipients have contracted HIV in the first documented case of transmission via organ donation since 1985. The transplants took place in January at three Chicago hospitals: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of Chicago (UC) Medical Center. However, the pat
NEPAL: Nepal Village Women Mail Condoms for Husbands Working Abroad: Associated Press (11.06.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Women in Nepal s Pang village are taking a two-prong approach to protect their families against HIV. In addition to writing their husbands working overseas and asking them not to have sex with other women, the wives are also mailing condoms to the men in case they do have sex. Social workers have been counseling women
ILLINOIS: Better Existence with HIV Announces Illinois Department of Public Health Grant: Chicago Free Press (10.31.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV) will use a $70,000 grant from the state Department of Public Health to support its HIV- prevention programs in local schools. More than 12,000 metro Chicago students took part in the outreach in fiscal 2007. Our Education Outreach program is growing each year as more people hear about
OKLAHOMA: State Report Calls for Effective Sex Education: Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (11.08.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Jim Killackey; Warning that children are significantly influenced by poor health habits established early in life, the Oklahoma Health Department s 11th annual report on children s health highlights nine recommendations to promote healthy habits among the state s youth. First among them is effective sex education for young people. Th
OHIO: West Milton Council Bans Tattoo, Body-Piercing Shops: Dayton Daily News (11.07.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Ben Sutherly; Last month, officials in West Milton voted 4-2 to prohibit tattoo and body-piercing parlors from operating in the city, citing the potential of unsterile needles to spread hepatitis and HIV. The town of 4,700, located north of Dayton, may be the first Ohio city to ban the businesses. I just don t see how a small town c
AUSTRALIA: Predictors of Frequent Use of Amphetamine Type Stimulants Among HIV-Negative Gay Men in Sydney, Australia: Drug and Alcohol Dependence (12.01.07) Vol. 91; No.2-3: P. 260-268 (12.01.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Garrett Prestage; Louisa Degenhardt; Fengyi Jin; Andrew Grulich; John Imrie; John Kaldor; Susan Kippax; Although rates of the use of amphetamine type stimulants among gay men have raised questions about the role these drugs play in increasing risk behavior and HIV infections, the role risk behaviors play regarding drug use among this community has not been studied. Participants in the current study were 1,427 HIV-negativ
UNITED STATES: Refining Self-Reported Condom Use Among Young Men at Risk of HIV Acquisition: Sexual Health Vol. 4; No. 3: P. 211-212 (08..07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Richard Crosby; Ralph J. DiClemente; William L. Yarber; Gregory Snow; Adewale Troutman; The researchers performed this descriptive study to evaluate the validity of self-reported condom use among young African- American men. Thirty percent (n=79) of subjects reported consistent condom use. However, after the researchers took into account such errors as late application and/or early condom removal, slippag
UNITED STATES: Hepatitis B Virus and HIV Co-infection: Results of a Survey on Treatment Practices and Recommendations for Therapy: Clinical Infectious Diseases Vol. 45: P. 618-623 (09.01.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Paul J. Gaglio; Richard Sterling; Eric Daniels; Ellen Tedaldi; the Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS Hepatitis Working Group; The management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection is challenged by the selection of patients for therapy, options for antiviral medication, and inconsistency in published treatment guidelines, explained the authors of the current study, who surveyed 161 sites in a multicente
SOUTH AFRICA: Drug-Resistant TB and AIDS Are Deadly Combination: Associated Press (11.11.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Clare Nullis; The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa , which is already inundated with HIV/AIDS, has led to the highly controversial decision to enforce quarantine, particularly for patients with deadly extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). There are challenges without answers, said Simon Moeti, medical superinte
GLOBAL: Territorial Jealousy Causing Thousands of AIDS-TB Deaths: Experts: Agence France Presse (11.09.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; A lack of mutual trust among national HIV/AIDS and TB programs is threatening the lives of patients worldwide, experts said Friday at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa . In some of the countries we are working with, there is jealousy between the HIV and the TB programs, said Pau
OHIO: Ohio Changes Mind, to Seek Grants to Fight HIV in Teens: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (11.09.07) - Monday, November 12, 2007; Mark Rollenhagen; On Thursday, Ohio Department of Education officials said they will pursue a CDC grant for HIV prevention education aimed at teenagers. Two weeks ago, department officials said they did not intend to apply for the grant, believing the state was not qualified for it. Many states use their grant to fund an HIV prevention
OREGON: Oregon Awarded Grant to Help Those with HIV and Mental Illness: Associated Press (11.02.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; The Oregon Department of Human Services HIV Care and Treatment Program will oversee a new, three-year, $1.2 million grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to help residents with HIV/AIDS and mental illness. The money will be divided among the Portland area and counties along Interstate 5. It will
UTAH: India Firm and University Form Partnership: Deseret Morning News (10.31.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Under a new agreement, Mumbai, India-based Pregna International and the University of Utah will partner to develop and distribute advanced anti-HIV and contraceptive products. The manufacturer and the institution will work together to commercialize an antimicrobial molecular condom designed for internal application by
SOUTH AFRICA: Line-Up Announced for Mandela AIDS Concert: Agence France Presse (10.29.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Ludacris, and the Goo Goo Dolls will be among headliners at this year s 46664 AIDS benefit concert to be held on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, in Johannesburg. Also featured will be more than 40 South African recording stars. Being staged this year for the fifth time since 2002, the concert raise
GLOBAL: Smoking May Be Boosting Global TB Burden: Research: Agence France Presse (11.09.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Up to one-fifth of the world s TB infections and deaths could be tied to smoking, according to research presented today at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa . Karen Slama, a researcher, said three separate reviews of TB and tobacco use research produced sufficient evidence of a
MAINE: Lawsuit Threat Spurs More Input on Birth Control Policy: Portland Press Herald (11.08.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Kelly Bouchard; At the Portland School Committee s regular business meeting on Wednesday, citizens offered additional comments regarding the committee s recent 7-2 vote allowing middle school students to obtain prescription birth control. The comments were heard in response to a letter a D.C.-based legal group sent Monday demanding th
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Holmes Norton to Target Teens with HIV Town Hall Meeting: The Examiner (Washington) (11.08.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Dena Levitz; On Saturday, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will host an event to promote AIDS awareness and HIV testing for local teenagers. This is the last in a series of town hall gatherings to discuss HIV, which infects one in 20 residents in the District. One in 50 D.C. residents is believed to have AIDS. Previous town hall
UNITED STATES: Genetic Factor in AIDS Progression Is Higher than Thought: Study: Agence France Presse (10.22.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; A recent study found that two genes are important in determining the pace of HIV-infected patients progress to AIDS. The researchers say the finding challenges the notion of viral load and its effect on the immune system as being the chief drivers of an HIV-positive person s progression to AIDS. The study s authors say
RWANDA: Technology Gives Rwanda an Edge in Treating HIV/AIDS: Voice of America News (11.01.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Noel King; Doctors in Rwanda say the Tracnet electronic reporting system has dramatically improved their ability to treat HIV/AIDS patients across the nation. Using computer and mobile phone technology, the system lets doctors file patient histories and request medicines in seconds instead of months, as was the case with the old
ZAMBIA: Zambian President Urges Citizens to Accept HIV/AIDS as Reality: Xinhua News Agency (11.02.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Many Zambians are in denial about the reality of their country s HIV/AIDS epidemic, President Levy Mwanawasa recently told the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Our special challenge is that up to date, our people, especially in rural areas, have not come to accept the reality of AIDS, they think they have been
GLOBAL: Trials Underway on Quicker TB Drugs: Agence France Presse (11.08.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; On the sidelines of the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa , the nonprofit TB Alliance said clinical trials of two new treatments are currently underway. Two new promising TB drugs in our portfolio are moving forward in clinical trials, offering patients worldwide the hope of a marked
GLOBAL: WHO Warns TB Disaster Possible Without Action: Reuters (11.08.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; On Thursday at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa , a top World Health Organization official warned of the global consequences of not containing drug-resistant tuberculosis. Scenarios of apocalyptic nature are not, let s say, likely, but they might happen. They are not.
UNITED STATES: CDC Report on TB Traveler Urges More Coordination: Reuters (11.01.2007) - Friday, November 09, 2007; Maggie Fox; A CDC review of the case of a TB-infected Atlanta patient who, against health officials advice, flew to Europe and back in May suggests the agency can better respond to similar future episodes with a mix of faster communication and improved training. On Nov. 1, Reuters obtained the After Action Report, which is a stand
CALIFORNIA: Orange County College Cancels Plan to Put Free Condom in Campus Newspaper: Associated Press (11.06.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Complaints from some students have halted plans to distribute free condoms in an upcoming issue of the Daily Titan newspaper at California State University-Fullerton. The paper and the student health center had planned to put some 4,500 condoms in the Nov. 14 edition. But a poster touting the giveaway showed stick figu
DELAWARE: Planned Parenthood Offices Giving HPV Vaccine to Girls and Women: Associated Press (11.06.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Planned Parenthood clinics in Kent and New Castle counties and in Rehoboth are now administering vaccinations against human papillomavirus, the STD that causes most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. The shots are available to girls and women; Planned Parenthood said females from some low-income families will
CHINA: New China HIV Cases Grow to over 3,000 a Month: Reuters (11.06.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; China logged an average of 3,223 new HIV/AIDS cases monthly from January through October, the state-run China Daily reported on Tuesday. The proportion of new cases attributed to sexual transmission, almost 38 percent, was up by 30 percent from last year, according to Wang Ning, deputy director of China s Center for
ILLINOIS: Youth HIV/AIDS Forum on Tap: Windy City Times (Chicago) (11.07.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; The growth of HIV/AIDS among Illinois teens will be the topic of a forum presented Friday by the Children s Place Association (CPA). Also on the agenda will be a discussion of a law still on the books in Illinois, possibly the only one of its kind in the United States , requiring that the school principal be notified i
UNITED STATES: Merck Says Gardasil Vaccine Protects Older Women: Reuters (11.05.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Julie Steenhuysen; New Jersey-based Merck & Co. s Gardasil vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is highly effective in women up to age 45, researchers told the 24th International Papillomavirus Conference in Beijing this week. In the United States , the Food and Drug Administration has approved Gardasil for females ages 9-26. M
GLOBAL: WHO Chief Wants Access to Medicines for Poor Countries: Voice of America News (11.05.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Lisa Schlein; People in developing nations who need drugs for diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS should not be denied them because of cost, the director-general of the World Health Organization said on Monday. Death often results when sick people in poor countries cannot access medication, said Dr. Margaret Chan, and diseases can develop
GLOBAL: TB Clinical Drug Trials Should Be Expanded: Reuters (11.07.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Wendell Roelf; Clinical trials of new tuberculosis drugs should be expanded to include patients with drug-resistant forms of the bacteria, the top physician for Doctors Without Borders (DWB) said Wednesday ahead of an international lung health conference in Cape Town, South Africa . Researchers should drop conventional testing of new
SOUTH AFRICA: Treat TB, HIV as 'a Single Threat': Business Day (Johannesburg) (11.07.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Chris van Gass; South Africa must take a unified approach to fighting the combination of TB and HIV instead of viewing it as a new epidemic of two separate diseases, Dr. Greg Hussey of the University of Cape Town s Institute for Infectious Diseases said on Tuesday. A national forum is needed for all voices in the medical field and
UNITED STATES: Report: Abstinence not Curbing Teen Sex: Associated Press (11.07.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; H. Josef Hebert; Sex education programs that focus solely on abstinence do not affect teenage sexual behavior, according to a study released Wednesday by the nonpartisan National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. At present there does not exist any strong evidence that any abstinence program delays the initiation of sex
GLOBAL: In Tests, AIDS Vaccine Seemed to Increase Risk: New York Times (11.08.07) - Thursday, November 08, 2007; Lawrence K. Altman; Andrew Pollack; At a Seattle meeting, researchers reported Wednesday that participants who received an experimental Merck & Co. HIV vaccine might be at increased risk of HIV infection compared to those who received a placebo. The divergence was principally noted among those who had pre-existing immunity to adenovirus type 5, a com
LATVIA: Over 1,000 Patients Diagnosed with Hepatitis C in Latvia in 2007: Baltic News Service (11.06.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Statistics from the Latvian Infectious Diseases Center show hepatitis C has grown by 20 percent this year over 2006, with 1,100 new cases reported so far in 2007. Incidence of the viral infection has risen by 60 percent in Latvia over the past five years.
CENTRAL AMERICA: Central American Nations Warn Against AIDS Among Young People: Xinhua News Agency (11.07.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; A three-day regional AIDS conference concluded Tuesday in Managua, Nicaragua , with a multi-country agreement to take steps to halt the spread of the disease, particularly among young people. For Equality, Diversity, and Non- Discrimination was the theme of the fifth Central American Conference on AIDS. A statement fro
ALABAMA: Decatur Poultry Plant Awaits TB Test Results, Says Workers Legal: Associated Press (11.06.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Since one former and one active employee at the Wayne Farms chicken processing plant were diagnosed with active TB, all 849 employees have undergone exams for the disease, say state health officials. Results are pending from X-ray examinations of 165 employees who tested positive for TB, said officials. The Decatur Dai
FLORIDA: Patients Struggle as Clinic Closes: Miami Herald (11.07.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Rebecca Dellagloria; Since Project Outreach shut its doors in Florida City on Oct. 31, many of its South Dade clients face additional burdens in getting care and treatment. Operating from the Homestead Neighborhood Center, the project was run by the University of Miami s Comprehensive AIDS Program. The project opened 10 years ago to reach
AUSTRALIA: Modeling the Population-Level Impact of Vaccination on the Transmission of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 in Australia: Sexual Health Vol. 4; No. 3: P. 147-163 (08..07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; David G. Regan, David J. Philp; Jane S. Hocking; Matthew G. Law; The current study was undertaken to determine the herd immunity benefits of vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV). A mathematical model was used to estimate the expected decline in HPV incidence and prevalence resulting from vaccination; the time span over which these reductions could be achieved; and the cove
AFRICA: Interpol to Fight Sale of Fake Medicines in Africa: Agence France Presse (11.07.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; The booming trade in fake drugs for TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS is threatening the lives of thousands of African patients, and Interpol is about to fight back, the international police agency s manager of intellectual property rights said Tuesday. Interpol has had some success battling counterfeit drugs in Latin America a
INDONESIA: Indonesia to Launch First-Ever National Condom Campaign: Agence France Presse (11.06.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; On Tuesday, Indonesian officials announced a one-week condom promotion campaign to coincide with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. National Condom Week is Indonesia s first-ever campaign to promote condoms. The initiative will include condom distribution, education about the benefits of using condoms and practicing safe sex, a
GLOBAL: Thousands Gather at TB Meeting in South Africa: Associated Press (11.07.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Clare Nullis; Ahead of an international tuberculosis conference in Cape Town, experts and advocates criticized as insufficient the global community s coordination and scientific response in confronting the deadly co-epidemic of HIV and TB. The 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health is being held Nov. 8-12. Antibiotics to treat T
ALABAMA: ACLU Wants Alabama Inmates with HIV to Be Allowed in Work Release: Associated Press (11.02.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Desiree Hunter; The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Alabama s Department of Corrections to lift a ban on HIV-positive inmates participating in work release programs. The state recently removed several restrictions for its prisoners with HIV, who are housed in segregated units within the Limestone and Tutwiler prisons. Mos
UNITED STATES: AIDS Conference to Focus on Social Services: Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.) (11.06.07) - Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Some 5,000 experts, patients, and health care workers are heading to Palm Springs for the 11th annual US Conference on AIDS, which runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Chief among concerns at the event, whose theme is One Family, One Voice, One Spirit, will be how service providers can
RHODE ISLAND: Sex Education Eyed at Middle Schools: Associated Press (11.04.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; In Rhode Island, sex education at the middle school level must improve, and parents must do a better job discussing with their children topics such as abstinence, birth control, and STDs, say health and education officials. Teen pregnancy rates have been falling in the state, but the figure still ranks highest among th
MASSACHUSETTS: Tests Ordered for Students After TB Diagnosis: Associated Press (11.06.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Chelmsford school officials have notified students and parents that a student was diagnosed with TB. The state Department of Public Health informed the school Friday about the case, said Donald Yeoman, schools superintendent. He said letters were immediately mailed to the parents of other students, along with testing p
GEORGIA: Lilburn Student Does Not Have TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.06.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; George Chidi; A suspected case of TB in an elementary school student, which prompted the testing of 55 pupils and three adults at Rebecca Minor Elementary School in Lilburn, turned out to be a false alarm. After a skin test raised the alarm that the initial student might have the disease, a more sophisticated test proved this was no
WISCONSIN: Grant Awarded for Hepatitis Test: Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) (11.01.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Fitchburg-based nanotechnology company Platypus Technologies has received a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The company will use the money to develop hepatitis screening tests that can detect multiple proteins from a single sample.
MAINE: Grant to Expand Hepatitis Program: Bangor Daily News (10.31.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; The Maine Department of Health and Human Services will use a grant of $47,463 from the US Department of Health and Human Services to expand the state s hepatitis prevention program, which previously targeted hepatitis C, to include hepatitis B as well. On Dec. 4, the state DHHS will present an educational program, Unde
LESOTHO: Prince Harry Spends Day with Lesotho Orphans: Agence France Presse (11.02.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; On Friday in remote western Lesotho , Britain s Prince Harry visited with AIDS orphans under the care of a charity he founded in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana. About 100 orphans live at the facility. The Sentable project, the name means forget me not in the local seSotho language, is headed by Harry and Les
SOUTH KOREA: Foreign Spouses to Get Hepatitis B Vaccination: Korea Times (Seoul) (10.31.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Bae Ji-Sook; The Korean Medical Association has announced a series of clinics to provide hepatitis B vaccinations to immigrants who have moved to Korea to marry Koreans. We plan to offer the service every year for immigrants, whose numbers are increasing by 100,000 a year, but who suffer from a lack of medical services, said a spok
MARYLAND: Many Steps to a Fresh Start: Baltimore Sun (11.05.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Jonathan Bor; Federal, local, and state governments spend $6 million to prevent HIV in Baltimore; the federal Ryan White Program pays $20 million for treatment; the state Medicaid program contributes more than $110 million annually for the care of city residents with HIV/AIDS, a portion of which goes to treat other diseases; and tax
MARYLAND: An Epidemic's Unseen Cause; Women Trade Sex for Drugs, with AIDS the Result: Baltimore Sun (11.04.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Jonathan Bor; Experts say the sale of sex for drug money is a key reason why Baltimore s rate of new AIDS diagnoses is nearly three times that of the United States as a whole. The underground nature of the sex trade explains, in part, why health authorities have been slow to address the connection between AIDS and survival sex.
UNITED STATES: Differences in HIV Risk Behaviors Among Black and White Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 744-748 (10..07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Richard Crosby, PhD; David R. Holtgrave, PhD; Ron Stall, PhD; John L. Peterson, PhD; Luke Shouse, MD, MPH; Surveillance findings consistently show that black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately burdened by HIV/AIDS compared to white MSM. In the current study, the authors tested the hypothesis that black MSM engage in greater levels of HIV risk behaviors than white MSM and sought to assess whether self-rep
ASIA: Cervical Cancer Underestimated in Asia: Expert: Reuters (11.06.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Tan Ee Lyn; While Asia is thought to account for about half of the 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed worldwide each year, an expert from Cambridge University says an accurate count from the continent would be much higher. Not all cancers will be registered, and you are probably underestimating by 40 to 50 percent, acc
GLOBAL: International Health Officials Say Drug-Resistant TB Is Man-Made: Voice of America News (11.01.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Jessica Berman; Drug-resistant forms of TB are the result of the lack of a global response to the disease, a number of health experts said ahead of an international conference on TB in South Africa . An estimated 1.6 million people die from TB annually, according to the World Health Organization . Stephen Lewis, former UN spec
GLOBAL: Global Experts Plot Battle Against Drug-Resistant TB: Agence France Presse (11.06.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Mariette le Roux; Drug-resistant TB is threatening to push the world s already high TB mortality figure even higher, said the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, organizers of this week s 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town. The five-day conference begins Thursday, and organizers are expecting
MASSACHUSETTS: State Plans to Install 3 Needle Sites: Boston Globe (11.01.07) - Tuesday, November 06, 2007; Steven Rosenberg; By the end of November, state Department of Public Health officials say they will install kiosk needle drop-off containers at health departments in Haverhill, Lynn, and Revere. Just six disposal sites have been established in northern Massachusetts to date, and none is state-funded. More than 13 months ago, the state a
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Walk Raises More than $209,000: Desert Sun (Palm Springs) (10.31.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; The 20th anniversary Desert AIDS Walk, held on Oct. 27, attracted more than 1,200 walkers and raised more than $209,000 according to its organizers, the Desert AIDS Project. Because money typically continues to trickle in following the walk, Executive Director David Brinkman said he is confident the event will reach it
UNITED STATES: Ashley Judd Talks About Trip to India for Documentary on HIV: Associated Press (11.04.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC s This Week program, actress Ashley Judd discussed her new documentary India s Hidden Plague, which deals with the AIDS epidemic in the Asian nation. It s very real, and it s real stories and real heartache and also real opportunity to focus on a solution that is very cost-effect
JORDAN: AIDS Virus Hits 542 Victims in Jordan Since 1986: Agence France Presse (10.29.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Jordan s health ministry recently announced that 542 people, including 179 Jordanians, have been infected with HIV since 1986, when the kingdom s first case was recorded. So far this year, 50 people, including eight Jordanians, have been diagnosed with the virus, said Bassam Hijawi, chief of the ministry s HIV/AIDS con
MALAWI: Malawi AIDS Victims to Benefit from UN Food Aid: Agence France Presse (10.26.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; The UN World Food Program has announced that 1.2 million Malawians, including many with HIV/AIDS, will benefit from its $103 million commitment to supply basic food items to the landlocked, southern African nation. The operation will provide assistance throughout the country to food-insecure populations suffering from
OREGON: Oregon State University Information Session Stresses Importance of Vaccination: University Wire (10.30.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Kayla Durham, OSU Daily Barometer; Student Health Services (SHS) at Oregon State University (OSU) recently held an informational session aimed at increasing students awareness of the STD human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus has over 100 identified types, some of which are linked to cervical cancer and genital warts. Family nurse practitioner Kelley Ken
MICHIGAN: Wayne State Grant Will Help HIV/AIDS Research: Detroit Free Press (10.30.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Ese Esan; Wayne State University (WSU) will expand its research into treatments for people with HIV/AIDS, thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the national Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Mark Greenwald, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, and colleagues plan to screen 1,160 patients over five ye
NORWAY: Immigrants with TB Pose No Public Health Risk: Study: Reuters (11.01.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Michael Kahn; A 12-year study of tuberculosis cases in Norway found that immigrants from poor countries where the infection is endemic are not a public health threat. Immigrants do not threaten non-immigrants, said Ulf Dahle, a microbiologist at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the study s lead author. The research t
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia Tackles AIDS with Coffee-Flavored Condoms: The Guardian (London) (11.03.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; David Batty; About 300,000 coffee-flavored condoms were sold in one week in Ethiopia , according to the US charity DKT International, which launched the condom promotion in September to fight HIV/AIDS. Coffee is thought to have originated in Ethiopia, and the public s enthusiasm for the drink has helped the campaign. An estimat
AFRICA: South Africa AIDS Activist Urges New TB Plan: Reuters (11.05.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Wendell Roelf; Today in Cape Town, leading South African AIDS activist Zackie Achmat warned that African governments failure to manage tuberculosis could have dire consequences for the continent s AIDS control efforts. The explosion of tuberculosis on the continent is combined with the explosion and advance of the HIV epidemic, he sa
GLOBAL: TB Vaccine Sickens HIV-Infected Children: Report: Reuters (11.02.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Maggie Fox; The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine given to newborns in many developing nations to protect against TB may kill or sicken some HIV-infected infants, researchers said Friday. The findings were delivered as part of a report about the global threat of a co-epidemic of HIV and TB in sub-Saharan Africa. The report was
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Some Academic Standards Drafted: Washington Post (11.02.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Theola Labbe; The District of Columbia agency in charge of setting academic standards recently drafted proposals for all grades on world languages, physical education, and health, which includes sex education. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education released the proposed standards, which were crafted with help from the D
UNITED STATES: Poll: Most OK Birth Control for Schools: Associated Press (11.01.07) - Monday, November 05, 2007; Alan Fram; A new AP-Ipsos poll shows 67 percent of Americans support letting public schools provide contraceptives to students. Of those in favor, 37 percent would limit access to those whose parents had consented, while 30 percent support giving birth control to all who ask. The survey did not distinguish between providing contr
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa to Host World Conference on Lung Health: Xinhua News Agency (11.01.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Representatives from more than 100 nations are expected in Johannesburg next week to attend the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health. Chief among topics to be discussed will be extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), the treatment needs of millions of people co-infected with TB and HIV, and the urgent need for gr
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe AIDS Deaths, Infection Rate Dropping, Government Says: Associated Press (11.02.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Michelle Faul; On Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported that Zimbabwe s HIV prevalence rate among persons ages 15-49 had fallen from 18.1 percent last year to 15.6 percent this year. AIDS-related deaths had fallen as well, the ministry said, from 2,500 a week last year to 2,214 this year. While UNICEF hailed the decline, it noted
ALABAMA: Mountaintop Church Brings African Village to Life: Birmingham News (10.31.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Greg Garrison; The exhibit Step into Africa, sponsored by the Christian relief and development organization World Vision, is on view at Mountaintop Community Church, 1001 Vestavia Pkwy. in Vestavia Hills through Nov. 7. It will tell the stories of four different children in Africa and how their lives have been affected by AIDS, said
KAZAKHSTAN: Hepatitis A Vaccine Versus Immune Globulin for Postexposure Prophylaxis: New England Journal of Medicine Vol. 357; No. 17: P. 1685-1694 (10.25.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; John C. Victor, PhD, MPH; Arnold S. Monto, MD; Tatiyana Y. Surdina, MD; Saida Z. Suleimenova, MD; Gilberto Vaughan, PhD; Omana V. Nainan, PhD; Michael O. Favorov, MD, PhD; Harold S. Margolis, MD; Beth P. Bell, MD, MPH; Immune globulin, which is known to be highly effective in preventing hepatitis A when administered within two weeks after exposure, has not been compared directly with hepatitis A vaccine for the same purpose. Researchers in the current study randomly assigned household and daycare contacts (ages: 2-40 years) in Almaty
AUSTRALIA: Condoms a Must for School Formals, Group Says: Australian Associated Press (11.02.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; The UK-based not-for-profit sexual health group Marie Stopes International (MSI) is promoting condom use for Australian high school students, who can access free condoms by text message. The TXT 4 free condomz mobile phone campaign is part of sextxt, a broader sexual health information program. During the peak season f
INDIA: Indian Court Lets Man Divorce HIV-Positive Wife: Agence France Presse (11.02.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; The Delhi district court has granted a man permission to divorce his HIV-positive wife on the grounds that he could no longer enjoy sex with her, the Hindustan Times reported today. Judge Rajnish Bhatnagar also found the woman guilty of not disclosing her HIV status prior to marriage. In his findings, Bhatnagar said m
SIERRA LEONE: Help War-Time Sexual Abuse Victims, Sierra Leone Government Told: Agence France Presse (11.01.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Sierra Leone s government has failed to effectively address the physical, psychological, and economic needs of thousands of women and girls who were sexually assaulted during the country s brutal 1991-2001 civil war, Amnesty International said Thursday. A report by the London-based rights group estimates 250,000 female
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Deadly HIV-TB Co-Epidemic Sweeps Sub- Saharan Africa: Report: Agence France Presse (11.02.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; A report released Friday states that HIV and drug-resistant TB have combined to undermine efforts to fight the diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and ultimately threaten global eradication efforts. Health care systems overwhelmed by the diseases risk collapse, said the report by the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research.
GEORGIA: Wilson Plans to Share Prison Experiences as a Warning to Teens: Associated Press (10.29.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Shannon McCaffrey; Almost three years ago, a 17-year-old Georgia male was convicted of aggravated child molestation for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl. The 10-year prison sentence for Genarlow Wilson was condemned even by some on the jury that convicted him and the author of the 1995 law under which he was sentenced.
OHIO: Ohio Turns Away Cash to Fight HIV in Teenagers: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (10.30.07) - Friday, November 02, 2007; Mark Rollenhagen; Among the 50 states, only Utah and Ohio are not applying for a CDC grant to fund HIV/AIDS education for teens. In Ohio, education officials said they lack the personnel and a legislature-sanctioned HIV prevention program to qualify for the grant. Ohio received the HIV/AIDS prevention education grant for about 12 years,
MICHIGAN: $1 Million Grant to Expand Local HIV Testing: Detroit News (10.30.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Kim Kozlowski; Four local agencies will share a CDC grant of about $1 million to expand HIV testing, especially for African Americans, health officials announced Tuesday. African Americans account for 59 percent of the estimated 17,000 state residents who have HIV/AIDS. Promoting HIV testing in high-prevalence communities is vital in
NIGERIA: Nigerian Health Minister Raises Alarm on Local TB Infection Rate: Xinhua News Agency (10.31.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; TB newly infects 380,000 people annually in Nigeria , and 30,000 patients die of the disease, the minister of health said Tuesday at the National Annual Review Meeting of TB and leprosy control officials. Though the tuberculosis case detection rate has increased from 15 percent in 2002 to about 30 percent in 2005, this
AFRICA: Alarming Spread of HIV in Southern African Development Community Military: Mozambican Defense Official: Xinhua News Agency (10.31.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; The pace of HIV s spread is extremely worrying among military personnel in Southern African Development Community member states, Mozambique s deputy defense minister said recently at a conference on military health services. Current levels of infection in the armed forces oblige us to redouble our efforts to develop ch
KENTUCKY: Hard Truths About Teen Sex Behind the Laughter: Lexington Herald-Leader (10.29.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Julia Hunter; One recent evening at the James E. Bruce Convention Center in Hopkinsville, 13-year-old Antwan Galbreth brought his youth group for what would be his second abstinence rally that day. Galbreth, an eighth-grader at Christian County Middle School, had already attended Keith Deltano s performance earlier in the day. What
NORTH DAKOTA: University of North Dakota Medical School Receives HIV Research Grant: University Wire (10.30.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Nikki Voigt, The Dakota Student; A five-year, $2.235 million grant to study HIV dementia has been awarded to a University of North Dakota professor. Our research is looking at how proteins that are part of the HIV virus can excite and kill neurons in the brain, said Jonathan Geiger, chair of pharmacology, physiology, and therapeutics at the School of
CALIFORNIA: Speaker Advocates HPV Vaccination at University of California-Davis: University Wire (10.29.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Katy Berrey, The California Aggie; On Oct. 25, Professor Sylvia Law spoke at the University of California-Davis School of Law s annual Bridgette M. Bodenheimer Memorial Lecture on the Family. Her topic: The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV, which is sexually transmitted, is extremely common, said Law, the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of
LAOS: Reproductive Tract Infections Among Women Attending a Gynecology Outpatient Department in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 791-795 (10..06) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Amphoy Sihavong, MD, MMedSc; Traykhouane Phouthavane, DMM; Cecilia Stalsby Lundborg, PhD; Khanthanouvieng Sayabounthavong, MD, MS; Lamphone Syhakhang, PhD; Rolf Wahlstrom, MD, PhD; By clinically and microbiologically identifying reproductive tract infections (RTI), including sexually transmitted infections (STI), the researchers monitored the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae among women attending a gynecology outpatient department in Vientiane,
AFRICA: Conference on HIV, Sex Trade Opens in Mozambique: Xinhua News Agency (11.01.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; On Wednesday at the opening of a regional conference on HIV/AIDS and the sex trade in Maputo, a UN official warned that the discrimination and marginalization of prostitutes limits their access to health care, especially the detection and treatment of HIV and other STDs. Organized by Mozambique s National AIDS Council
UNITED STATES: Merck Buys License to Sell New Vaccine for Hepatitis: New York Times (11.01.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; Andrew Pollack; New Jersey-based Merck is today expected to announce it has acquired the license for exclusive worldwide rights to sell Heplisav, a new hepatitis B vaccine in the final stage of clinical trials, from California-based Dynavax Technologies. The vaccine could reach the market by 2010, Dynavax said. Most children are now r
ALABAMA: Commissioner: HIV Inmates to Get More Contact with Other Inmates: Associated Press (10.31.07) - Thursday, November 01, 2007; New policy changes will allow segregated HIV-positive inmates in Alabama s prison system to have more contact with the general inmate population, Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen said Wednesday. Alabama segregates HIV-positive inmates for safety and prevention purposes, said Allen. HIV-positive men are housed in
MISSOURI: Free HPV Shot Offered for Girls, Women: Kansas City Star (10.28.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Alan Bavley; Uninsured and underinsured girls and women ages 9-26 can receive free vaccination against human papillomavirus at Kansas City health centers and clinics. The vaccination program is made possible through the $2.5 million grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the REACH Healthcare Foundation. Fo
SOUTH CAROLINA: United Methodists to Discuss AIDS Crisis: The State (Columbia) (10.31.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; South Carolina United Methodists are gathering this week to address ways to respond to AIDS around the world. Meetings will be held Thursday at Frances Burns United Methodist Church in Columbia and Edisto Fort United Methodist Church in Orangeburg. Don Messer, executive director of the Center for the Church and Global
WISCONSIN: Elmbrook Remains Unsettled on Sex Ed: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.31.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Lisa Sink; After about two hours of small group discussions on Tuesday, the Human Growth and Development Advisory Committee of the Elmbrook School District decided more deliberation is needed regarding which sex-related topics to teach at various grade levels. The committee is focusing particularly on the middle school sex educat
AFRICA: Africa Shifts International AIDS Conference Venue over Logistics: Agence France Presse (10.31.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; The International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA), slated to take place in December in Gabon , has been rescheduled for next year in Dakar, Senegal , due to logistical problems. ICASA will now be held Dec. 8-11, 2008, said the Society for AIDS in Africa. This decision was taken
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Groups Spread Safe Sex Tips at George Washington University: University Wire (10.29.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Laura Treanor, George Washington Hatchet; On Oct. 22, George Washington University students were offered workshops on sex from two very different viewpoints. Psychiatrist Miriam Grossman, author of the book Unprotected, spoke at a program sponsored by the GWU Republican Women. An hour later, Allied in Pride sponsored a workshop featuring a guest lecturer from
CALIFORNIA: Support Program Helps Fuzeon Patients: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.25.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Raymond J. Aguilera; More than 35 people met at an Oakland restaurant last month to learn about Nurse Connections, a free nationwide home-based education and support program for HIV patients taking Fuzeon. Nurse Connections, sponsored by Roche Pharmaceuticals, aims to help patients learn how to administer the twice-daily injectable drug, w
CONNECTICUT: Program Works to Provide Jobs for People with HIV: Hartford Courant (10.26.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Carolyn Moreau; Thirteen years ago, AIDS drugs stopped working for Norman Bishop, and the Middletown man was hospitalized in bad shape. Happily, he was able to access the newly available AIDS cocktail drug therapy, and his health improved. After attending an AIDS conference and hearing a presentation entitled Employment, a Treatment O
COLORADO: Task Force Recommends Providing Contraceptives to High School Students: Associated Press (10.31.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; This week, a 43-member task force recommended that health clinics in Denver Public Schools (DPS) high schools be permitted to distribute condoms and other forms of contraception to students. The task force - composed of medical, state and city officials, and parents - was charged with examining clinic services at 12 ci
UNITED STATES: Association Between Rates of HIV Testing and Elimination of Written Consents in San Francisco: Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 297; No. 10: P. 1061-1062 (03.14.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Nicola M. Zetola, MD; Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH; Barbara Haller, MD, PhD; Patricia Nassos, PhD; Mitchell H. Katz, MD; In May 2006, the San Francisco Department of Public Health Medical Care System eliminated the requirement of separate written consent for HIV testing. The policy reflected recent CDC guidelines intending to streamline HIV testing and link those infected to care, but questions remained whether removing separate written
MYANMAR: Child Prostitutes Available at $100 a Night; the Human Cost of Junta's Repression: The Guardian (London) (10.30.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Kevin Doyle; Though prostitution, particularly involving children, is a serious crime in Myanmar , or Burma , the sex trade in this military-ruled country is thriving. One recent evening in Rangoon, girls who appeared to be 13 to 14 years old paraded in stilettos and miniskirts as part of a nightly modeling show at the Asia Enter
UNITED STATES: AIDS Study Spurs Haitian Outrage: Miami Herald (10.31.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; Fred Tasker; Jacqueline Charles; Some members of the Haitian community are angry and concerned following publication of a new study indicating that HIV first arrived in the United States by 1969 via infected Haitian immigrants. People are going crazy, said Dr. Laurinus Pierre, executive director of the Center for Haitian Studies in Miami s Little Hait
UNITED STATES: Abbott Hit with Another Norvir Lawsuit: Wall Street Journal (10.30.07) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007; John Carreyrou; On Monday, five pharmacy-related firms filed suit against Abbott Laboratories for allegedly unlawfully extending its monopoly position as the sole provider of Norvir when it raised the protease inhibitor s price by 400 percent in December 2003. Plaintiffs to the suit are Kroger Co.
GEORGIA: School to Test Dozens for TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.27.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; The news that one student is suspected to have TB prompted plans to test 62 pupils and three staff members at Rebecca Minor Elementary School in Lilburn. The Health Department will be testing only students and faculty members who were in close and continuous contact with the student suspected of having TB, said a lette
PHILIPPINES: One-Third of Philippine HIV Patients Are Overseas Filipino Workers: Report: Xinhua News Agency (10.12.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; One out of every three Filipinos with HIV is an overseas worker, according to a recent government report. The study by the Philippine Department of Health said most of these are believed to be sailors or domestic workers. Overseas workers account for 35 percent of the Philippine HIV cases reported since 1984 and 42 per
VIETNAM: 13 Percent of Vietnamese Prostitutes Under 18: Report: Xinhua News Agency (10.12.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Surveys show that 13 percent of prostitutes in Vietnam are under 18, while 42.4 percent are ages 18-25, Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan recently told an AIDS prevention meeting. Through the end of August, Vietnam had registered more than 128,367 HIV patients, including 25,219 with AIDS, of whom 14,042 had die
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Health Minister Urges Firms to Slash AIDS Drug Prices: Voice of America News (10.23.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Ndimyake Mwakayelye; The prices of HIV/AIDS drugs in Zimbabwe are too high and must come down, Health Minister Dr. David Parirenyatwa recently told the state-run Herald newspaper. The market price of one month s worth of generic antiretrovirals (ARVs) ranges from $10 million Zimbabwe (US $333) to $20 million (US $666), the paper said, whil
OKLAHOMA: Florida Atlantic University Professor Takes Students to the Cherokee Nation to Teach Health: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) (10.28.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Scott Travis; For the last four years, John Lowe has taken his senior nursing students at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) to the Cherokee Nation in northeastern Oklahoma. About 50 students went on the trip last month, teaching health classes at schools and at the Healthy Nations Summer camp. Many of the associate nursing professor
COLORADO: Haven for HIV-Positive Women: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (10.30.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Fernando Quintero; Aurora-based It Takes a Village (ITV) offers HIV counseling and support to groups hard-hit by HIV/AIDS in Colorado, particularly African-American women and African immigrants. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 20 percent of the 306 newly reported HIV cases in the fiscal year ending
CANADA: Girls Taunted by Teachers More Likely to Have Early Sex: Study: Halifax Daily News (10.09.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Andy Blatchford; In a new study, Canadian researchers found that elementary students, particularly girls, who are verbally abused by teachers in the classroom are at an increased risk of early sexual intercourse. The study also draws a link between peer rejection and girls becoming sexually active at an earlier age. Mara Brendgen, a ps
CANADA: Efforts to Reduce STDs Not Paying Dividends Yet: Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick) (10.30.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; On Monday a quarterly report released by the Atlantic Health Sciences Corp. showed no major progress in efforts to reduce the number of teen pregnancies and STDs among those under age 25 in Charlotte County. AHSC submitted the report at the health region s monthly board meeting. From July 1 to Sept. 30, 8.33 percent of
GLOBAL: AIDS Vaccine May Raise Infection Risk: Researchers: Reuters (10.25.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Maggie Fox; More than 3,000 participants in a clinical trial of a Merck & Co. HIV/AIDS vaccine are being asked to come back for additional testing, following questions about whether the vaccine may increase HIV infection risk. Researchers say they do not have enough information yet to decide whether the vaccine made recipients
ILLINOIS: Study: Latino HIV Silence a Grave Concern: Windy City Times (Chicago) (10.24.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Amy Wooten; Illinois Latinos have disproportionate HIV/AIDS rates, according to a new report that calls for immediate attention to the problem. The study was presented by the Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness (GHPCW) coalition on Oct. 15, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. It outlines several key steps for expanding adv
UNITED STATES: Haitians Brought AIDS to US: Study: Agence France Presse (10.29.07) - Tuesday, October 30, 2007; HIV likely first entered the United States from Haiti in about 1969, more than a decade before the first AIDS cases were reported in 1981, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Haiti was the stepping stone the virus took when it left central Africa and started its
BRAZIL: Brazil Launches Program to Battle Congenital Infection of HIV, Syphilis: Xinhua News Agency (10.25.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; On Wednesday, Brazil s Ministry of Health announced a major initiative to cut congenital syphilis and HIV infections. The government will spend 38.8 million reais (US $22.1 million) to buy antiretroviral drugs, lactation inhibitors, HIV and syphilis tests, and infant formula. By 2011, the government hopes to boost HIV
MALAYSIA: Malaysia's HIV Cases Drop 22 Percent in 2006: Agence France Presse (10.23.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; New government data show the number of new HIV infections in Malaysia fell 22 percent in 2006 - dropping to 5,400 from 6,900 in 2005, local media reported Wednesday. Unsafe sex has passed intravenous drug use as the leading mode of transmission, said Abdul Rasid Kasri, deputy director of the health ministry s disease c
LATVIA: More than 1,400 People Infected with Viral Hepatitis in Latvia in January-September: Baltic News Service (10.29.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; The Public Health Agency says that as many as 1,408 people in Latvia were reported with viral hepatitis in the first nine months of this year, an 11 percent increase over the same period in 2006. Eight people had acute hepatitis A; 129 had acute hepatitis B; 77 had acute hepatitis C; and 1,137 had chronic hepatitis C.
WASHINGTON: STD Programs Lose Funding: Health District Cuts Money for Education, Testing: Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (10.26.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Jonel Aleccia; Despite rising STD and HIV diagnoses locally, shortfalls in the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) budget led board members on Thursday to reduce services, including those for HIV and STDs. Overall, $200,000 in services were removed from the district s $22.5 million budget. Federal and state revenue cuts, rising e
TENNESSEE: 'Abstinence First' OK for Area's Sex Ed: Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (10.26.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Lindsay Melvin; Insiders say local Tennessee school districts are unlikely to follow the example of the school board in Portland, Maine, which recently voted to make a variety of contraceptives available to middle schoolers. Shelby County and Memphis school districts have promoted an abstinence-based curriculum for more than two decad
CALIFORNIA: Senate Deals Blow to San Francisco AIDS Funds: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.25.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Bob Roehr; On Oct. 23, the Senate passed an amendment to an appropriations bill that would reinstate more drastic cuts to San Francisco s portion of Ryan White CARE Act funding. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), passed by a 65-28 vote. If it stands, the city could lose $8.5 million rather than $2.5 million in f
UNITED STATES: Personal, Relational, and Peer-Level Risk Factors for Laboratory Confirmed STD Prevalence among Low- Income African-American Adolescent Females: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 761-766 (10..07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Laura F. Salazar, PhD; Richard A. Crosby, PhD; Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD; Gina M. Wingood, ScD, MPH; Eve Rose, MPH; Jessica McDermott Sales, PhD; Angela M. Caliendo, MD, PhD; The study authors sought to identify risk factors for laboratory confirmed STD prevalence among low-income African- American adolescent females living in a high-risk urban area of the southern United States . A total of 715 African-American adolescent females were recruited from urban clinics. Data collection occurred
JAPAN: Hepatitis Scandal Sparks Anger at Japan Government: Reuters (10.26.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Linda Sieg; Recently, the Japanese Health Ministry acknowledged it had data that would have helped to identify and warn hundreds of patients who were unknowingly infected with hepatitis C years before their illnesses worsened. The scandal has embarrassed Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda s month-old government, causing him to publicly a
SOUTH AFRICA: Number of Tuberculosis Cases Rises: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.26.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Tamar Kahn; While the number of TB patients in South Africa is up, so is the proportion of patients completing treatment and being declared cured, according to new figures from the health department. Among highlights from the data for 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available: *New cases were up by 8 percent -
UNITED STATES: Keeping Tabs on AIDS Virus Changes: Chicago Sun-Times (10.22.07) - Monday, October 29, 2007; Francine Knowles; As treatments for HIV have grown more robust over two decades, so have diagnostics to measure progress against the disease. In May, the Food and Drug Administration approved Abbott Laboratories RealTime HIV-1 viral load test, the only available molecular diagnostic test that can detect common and variant subtypes of th
GEORGIA: 'Keeping Their Memories Alive': Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.26.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Dyana Bagby; AID Atlanta reports that preliminary estimates of the response to AIDS Walk Atlanta, held on Oct. 14, indicate the event drew 650 teams and at least 10,000 individuals, raising more than $1 million.
NORTH CAROLINA: HIV/AIDS Awareness Events: Charlotte Observer (10.07.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Gina Smith; The AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance will host a convocation on HIV/AIDS at the Belk Centrum of Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory on Oct. 29, 9-10 a.m., and another at the Multipurpose Complex of Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory on Oct. 31, noon-1 p.m. For more information, telephone 828-326-2385.
ALABAMA: Second TB Case Prompts More Testing at Decatur Chicken Plant: Associated Press (10.25.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; About 600 employees at the Wayne Farms chicken processing plant in Decatur will be offered TB testing following the diagnosis of a second active case at the facility. Some 200 workers were tested after the initial active case was discovered. Family members and others who spent time with the infected workers away from t
CANADA: Calgary Officials Warn of Long Wait to Get Shot After McDonald's Worker Gets Hepatitis A: Canadian Press (10.26.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; People attending a hepatitis A vaccination clinic set up after a McDonald s worker was diagnosed with the infection should expect to wait several hours, health authorities said. About 350 people waited two hours to be vaccinated Thursday, said James Finstad, Calgary Health Region spokesperson. Health officials are urgi
AFRICA: AIDS Activist Concerned with Nurses Being Poached from Africa: Canadian Press (10.23.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; At a recent nurses conference in Canada , Stephen Lewis, the former UN special envoy on AIDS in Africa, expressed concern about Western nations taking skilled nurses away from developing ones, especially when they are needed to battle AIDS. Speaking before the 33rd annual meeting of the New Brunswick Nurses Union in Fr
UNITED KINGDOM; NETHERLANDS: HIV Spread Most by Those with Moderate Virus Level: Reuters (10.22.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Michael Kahn; People with moderate amounts of HIV in their blood are more likely to transmit the infection, UK and Dutch researchers wrote in a new study. Looking at a pre-1993 Amsterdam cohort and a Zambian cohort from a 2001 study, the researchers found that people with high viral loads in the two studies were more infectious but
SOUTH AFRICA: Fighting Drug-Resistant TB Spread from Hospitals: Agence France Presse (10.26.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Marlowe Hood; A few relatively inexpensive, simple practices in hospitals could cut the number of new extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) cases by half, suggests a new study by South African and US researchers. The study used for its model Tugela Ferry, where in 2006 XDR TB killed all but one of 53 infected patients in one of the
THAILAND: Survey Shows Worrisome AIDS Awareness and Risks Among Thai Youth: Xinhua News Agency (10.24.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; On Wednesday, a senior Ministry of Public Health (MPH) official said a recent survey shows more than 70 percent of Thai youths had little knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Deputy Permanent Secretary Paichit Varachit said the increased risk of HIV infection among youths is a concern given quickly changing social attitudes. Only
RUSSIA: Global Business Leaders Warn of Economic Consequences of Russia's HIV/AIDS Crisis: Associated Press (10.25.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Government inaction on AIDS and a lack of public awareness are putting Russia in terrible, terrible danger, Richard Holbrooke said Thursday in Moscow. I m terribly sorry to say this is not a political statement, said the former US ambassador to the UN. Holbrooke now heads the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB a
UNITED KINGDOM: British Schoolgirls to Receive Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Australian Associated Press (10.26.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Belinda Tasker; Next year, Britain will introduce a mass campaign to vaccinate schoolgirls ages 12-13 against human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. The program will begin next September for girls enrolled in their first year of high school. Girls up to age 18 will also be vaccinated under a two-year catch u
UNITED STATES: Many US TB Patients also HIV-Infected: Report: Reuters (10.26.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Will Dunham; On Thursday, CDC released a study on HIV-TB co-infection that found many US TB patients are still not being tested for HIV. Worldwide, TB is the leading opportunistic infection that kills people who have HIV. In the United States , CDC recommends routinely testing TB patients for HIV infection. Patients who are co-infe
UNITED STATES: Researchers Say HIV Testing in US Remains Low: Reuters (10.22.07) - Friday, October 26, 2007; Will Dunham; In any given year, only about one-fifth of US residents at high risk for HIV are tested for the virus, new research shows. Many high-risk individuals also say they plan to take the test but fail to follow through. The [AIDS prevention] information is getting out there, said study co-author Brian Pence, a Duke Universit
NEW YORK: AIDS, Addiction Programs Funded: Times Union (Albany) (10.23.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant to Albany-based Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Services to help expand treatment services for minority Capital Region residents with HIV/AIDS. Whitney Young will use the grant for an outreach program that will
TEXAS: Repeat Teen Births Highest in Texas at 24 Percent: USA Today (10.25.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Sharon Jayson; Twenty-four percent of Texas teens giving birth in 2004 had already had a baby, according to a report by Child Trends. The nonprofit analyzed state data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, finding Texas had the highest percentage of repeat births. The rate was lowest - 12 percent - in New Hampshire,
CANADA: Calgary Health Officials Warn of Possible Hepatitis A at Restaurant: Canadian Press (10.24.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Persons who ate at the McDonald s restaurant across the street from the Calgary Soccer Center may have been exposed to hepatitis A, the Calgary Health Region has warned. A worker at the eatery has tested positive for the virus. Anyone who ate at the restaurant in the last 14 days is being urged to get vaccinated for he
KYRGYZSTAN: Four More Toddlers Infected with HIV in Outbreak in Kyrgyzstan: Associated Press (10.24.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; The announcement that four children ages 2-3 have HIV brings to 26 the number of people diagnosed with the virus in an outbreak blamed on medical negligence. Five adults, four of whom are mothers, and 21 children are now known to be infected, said Erkin Bakiev of the regional AIDS center. Medical staff are believed to
WASHINGTON: Project HANDLE Offers Safe Place for Cambodians to Talk About AIDS: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (10.14.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Cherie Black; Each week, Cambodian refugees and Cambodian Americans gather at the nonprofit Neighborhood House in Ranier Vista, where parents and youths teach and celebrate their native language, dance, song, and other arts. Discreetly woven into these activities are HIV/AIDS and substance abuse awareness and prevention messages del
WISCONSIN: Principal Shares Views on Elmbrook Sex Ed Program: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.25.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Lisa Sink; On Wednesday, Pilgrim Park Middle School Principal Don Galster told a committee studying the Elmbrook school district s sex education curriculum that sixth-graders are too young to learn about oral sex. Galster told the Human Growth and Development Advisory Committee he felt more comfortable with seventh- and eighth-gr
UNITED STATES: Telephone Notification of HIV Test Results: Impact in King County, Washington: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 796-800 (10..07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Laura A. McKinstry, MPH; Gary M. Goldbaum, MD, MPH; Hendrika W. Meischke, PhD, MD; The researchers undertook the current study to learn whether receiving HIV test results over the telephone was associated with a change in the number of people who learned their results. Study data were collected from individuals tested for HIV between 1995 and 2002 at selected public health clinics in King County, Was
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS Stunting Southern Africa's Prospects: Malawi President: Agence France Presse (10.23.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; At Tuesday s opening of a two-day Southern African Development Committee (SADC) parliamentary forum, attendees were told that better leadership is needed to fight the AIDS epidemic that is ravaging the region. I am sad to note that statistics indicate that our region has the highest incidences of HIV infections, said M
SOUTH AFRICA: Warning Is Sent to AIDS Vaccine Volunteers: Washington Post (10.25.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Craig Timberg; On Tuesday, South African researchers began telling participants in Merck & Co. s HIV vaccine trial that the vaccine may have increased their risk of HIV infection. Last month, researchers shut down the trial of Merck s vaccine because it was proving ineffective compared to a placebo. The South African trial of Mer
CALIFORNIA: Hepatitis B, Liver Cancer Hit Asian Community: Contra Costa Times (10.23.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Kristina Peterson; Many Asians and Asian Americans are not screened for liver cancer or chronic hepatitis B, despite being at higher risk for both. On Oct. 18, Stanford University s Asian Liver Center (ALC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) California Chinese Unit launched a new outreach program to increase the region s screening of
MINNESOTA: State Says 'No Thanks' to No-Sex Funding: Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (10.20.07) - Thursday, October 25, 2007; Josephine Marcotty; Last month, Minnesota officials quietly elected not to apply for $500,000 in federal abstinence funds for a state Department of Health program that has been taught since 1998. That effort, Minnesota Education Now and Babies Later, targets 12- to 14-year-olds, emphasizing the social and psychological advantages of absti
NEW YORK: Training Session Focuses on Sexually Related Topics: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (10.22.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; On Saturday, the Communities of Color Initiative of AIDS Community Resources will present a training session for African-American congregations and parents about how to discuss sex-related issues. Breaking the Silence will feature an open dialogue with Anita Parker of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice as
FLORIDA: Youths' HIV Photo Exhibit at Dolphin Mall: Miami Herald (10.10.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Robert Samuels; For their annual project this year, members of the University of Miami s KOOL Kids program, a support group for youths born with HIV, were given Nikon point-and-shoot cameras. The young people took more than 600 photos around their communities, and the best shots are on display at Miami s Dolphin Mall. About 30 members
FLORIDA: District Just Says 'No' to Program: St. Petersburg Times (10.23.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Last week, representatives of a Hernando-based Christian mission spoke with Pasco County school officials to introduce their abstinence-only sex education program. A New Generation offers assemblies and a full curriculum in Hernando. Pasco is the sole district in the area that does not present an abstinence-only curric
NEW YORK: Condoms Passed Out by Royalty at Syracuse University: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (10.15.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Pam Lundborg; Dan Dilworth; At Syracuse University, each floor of the five dorms reserved for freshmen has a Condom King and a Condom Queen, students who volunteer to keep supplies of condoms in their rooms to distribute to their peers. Some years ago, resident advisors were in charge of distributing condoms. The resident life office, however, fe
MAINE: Plan Would Limit King Middle School Birth Control Access: Portland Press Herald (10.23.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Kelley Bouchard; On Monday, Portland School Committee member Benjamin Meiklejohn introduced a resolution that would give parents whose children are enrolled at King Middle School s Student Health Center (SHC) the option of preventing them from accessing prescription contraception. Last week, the committee voted 7-2 in favor of making K
THE NETHERLANDS: DNA Test Could Detect Cervical Cancer Early: Study: Reuters (10.03.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; A DNA test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer, helps detect potentially dangerous lesions earlier than the Pap smear procedure, according to Dutch researchers. This finding could lead to fewer screenings for women and earlier treatment for precancerous lesions. In a Pap
GLOBAL: WHO Opens Expert Meeting to Improve Injection Safety: Xinhua News Agency (10.23.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; At the Oct. 23-25 World Health Organization meeting in Geneva, health experts are exploring strategies to make the use of safety syringes more widespread in a bid to prevent HIV, hepatitis B and C infections from needle-stick injuries and syringe reuse. The agency said it will discuss how to encourage uptake of the saf
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Drug Crackdowns Spreading HIV/AIDS in Southeast Asia: Experts: Agence France Presse (10.24.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Today in Bangkok, experts said Southeast Asian countries must employ different strategies for fighting drug use or risk the continued spread of HIV/AIDS. Heavy-handed law enforcement tactics are driving addicts underground and causing users to share needles or shun treatment, they said. The harassment and arrest of dru
NEW YORK: Fight Brews over AIDS in Albany: New York Sun (10.23.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Elizabeth Solomont; On Oct. 11, the New York State AIDS Advisory Council voted 6-3 to recommend eliminating a state law that mandates written consent from patients before health care providers can test them for HIV. The council advises the state s health commissioner. It is uncertain what influence the council s recommendation to allow fo
CALIFORNIA: Condoms for Inmates Sparking Controversy: Sacramento Bee (10.22.07) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Andy Furillo; Though he recently vetoed for the second time legislation that would have allowed condoms to be distributed in California prisons, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has instructed the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to determine the risk and viability of such a program by identifying one state prison facili
NEW YORK: Dinner, Discussion Focuses on AIDS Among Blacks: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (10.21.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; On Friday, the Communities of Color Initiative of AIDS Community Resources will present a panel discussion about HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. A free dinner buffet is included. For more information about Hope for the Future, which begins at 6 p.m. at Pensabene s Casa Grande, 135 State Fair Blvd., call Chr
ILLINOIS: TB Case Hasn't Fueled Scare at High School: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) (10.23.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Kimberly Pohl; Following a student s TB diagnosis, Barrington High School officials said a Lake County Health Department official will visit the school today to perform TB testing on those potentially exposed. About 30 students and staff were thought to need testing, and results can be read in about two days. [The health department]
SINGAPORE: Singaporean Lawmakers Debate Petition to Abolish Gay Sex Ban: Associated Press (10.22.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Gillian Wong; On Monday, lawmakers in Singapore debated revisions to the city-state s penal code that would allow anal and oral sex between consenting heterosexual adults. However, the government s senior minister of state for law and home affairs argued for maintaining Section 377a, which penalizes consenting gay men for performing
UTAH: University Doctors Aid in Testing of Herpes Drug: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (10.14.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Lois M. Collins; The University of Utah is hoping to enroll 20 to 60 participants for clinical testing of a new genital herpes treatment. The drug, ASP2151, made by Astellas Pharmaceuticals, works differently than current treatments in that it inhibits a viral process called helicase-primase, which must unravel DNA as the virus replica
CALIFORNIA: Gay Men's Health Summit to Address Rise in HIV Rates: Daily News of Los Angeles (10.18.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Susan Abram; Condom use, the risks of crystal methamphetamine, and dating someone who is HIV-positive were among topics slated for discussion over the weekend at Power and Pride, the San Fernando Valley s first gay men s summit. Organizers hoped to address both rising HIV rates, particularly among Latinos, and STD infections among
UNITED STATES: Correlates of Acceptance of a Hypothetical Gonorrhea Vaccine by Incarcerated Women: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 778-782 (10..07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Loida E. Bonney, MD, MPH; Jennifer S. Rose, PhD; Jennifer G. Clarke, MD, MPH; Megan R. Hebert, MA; Cynthia Rosengard, PhD, MPH; Michael Stein, MD; The researchers identified correlates of acceptance of a hypothetical Neisseria gonorrhea (GC) vaccine in a high-risk sample of incarcerated women in order to inform efforts to promote acceptance of STD vaccines in development. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire revealed that the majority (79 per
JAPAN: Sexually Active Teens Lacking Info, Advice: Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo)( (10.20.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Noriko Sakakibara; When three students at a Tokyo high school became pregnant over the past year and decided to keep their babies, teachers and officials blamed a hit TV drama involving a 14-year-old middle school student who had a baby. Teachers arranged a lecture by an obstetrician who explained about pregnancy, STDs, and birth control
SOUTH AFRICA: More Defective Condoms Identified: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.22.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Tamar Kahn; Two months after the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) found defects in Zalatex condoms made for a government distribution program, the quality assurance body has raised a red flag on condoms made by three other firms. The health department has now quarantined condoms made by Kohrs Medical Supplies, Sekunjalo, a
UNITED STATES: 'It's Very Hard to Stop Diseases at the Border': Washington Times (10.19.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Amy Fagan; Jeffery Levi, executive director of Trust for America s Health, a public health advocacy group, said identifying and stopping infectious diseases from being brought into the United States by immigrants and travelers is a constant struggle. Levi, an associate professor at George Washington University s Department of Hea
UNITED STATES: Congress Orders Probe of TB Case: Washington Times (10.19.07) - Tuesday, October 23, 2007; Sara A. Carter; Audrey Hudson; On Thursday, the Independent chairperson and the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee called for an explanation into why federal officials did not stop a Mexican national with multidrug- resistant TB (MDR-TB) from repeatedly crossing the US- Mexico border. Sen
EUROPEAN UNION: Panel Says European Drug Agency Should Approve Combination HIV Drug Atripla: Associated Press (10.18.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Gilead Sciences Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., and Merck & Co. said Thursday the EU s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, part of the European Medicines Agency, has recommended its once-a-day HIV drug Atripla be approved for sale. The panel said Atripla should be approved for adults who have not bee
NEW YORK: NYC Mayor Receives Award from Harvard for Public Health Efforts: Associated Press (10.21.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; On Sunday, the Harvard School of Public Health announced Mayor Michael Bloomberg will receive the 2007 Julius B. Richmond Award for his efforts to improve the health of New Yorkers. Bloomberg will be honored Oct. 29 at a private ceremony and lecture at Harvard. The Richmond Award is the school s highest honor. Bloomber
GEORGIA: Parental Void Helps Fuel Problems of Teen Sex, Drug Use: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.21.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Rick Badie; A local survey conducted by the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services shows risky behavior is on the rise among county teens. The survey, completed in spring 2006, of sixth-, eighth-, 10th-, and 12th-graders found: *37 percent of high school students said they had had sexual intercourse. *8 percent of middle
KANSAS: Topeka School Stops Providing Condoms After Effort Goes Public: Associated Press (10.18.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; On Oct. 16, school district officials shut down a month-old free condom program at Topeka High School. Interim Superintendent Terry Sandlin said the district has a policy against providing contraceptives, viewing access to them as a matter between parents and their children. The school s principal had been unaware that
MAINE: Westbrook Warms to Needle Exchange: Portland Press Herald (10.17.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Ann S. Kim; A needle exchange program in Portland is seeking to open a satellite facility in nearby Westbrook, where many of its clients live. Operated by Portland s Public Health Division, the program is a regional resource funded by state money and foundation grants. Our overall goal is to make sterile equipment available to fol
MAINE: In Maine, a Complex, Emotional Issue: Portland Press Herald (10.19.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; David Hench; The Portland School Committee s decision to allow a health clinic at King Middle School to prescribe birth control to sexually active students has caused an uproar among some parents and policymakers. At a meeting Thursday to explore creating a parent-teacher organization, one parent praised the school s decision, prom
UNITED STATES: Methamphetamine Use and Risky Sexual Behaviors During Heterosexual Encounters: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 9: P. 689-694 (09..07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; William A. Zule, DrPH; Elizabeth C. Costenbader, PhD; William J. Meyer Jr., BS; Wendee M. Wechsberg, PhD; In the current study, the authors examined the association between event-level methamphetamine use and heterosexual risk behaviors. Audio-computer assisted self-interviews from 703 injecting drug users in North Carolina were used to obtain data on 1,213 heterosexual encounters. Participants were asked a series of quest
CANADA: Needle Exchange Told to Clean Up or Move Out: Victoria Times Colonist (10.16.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Cindy E. Harnett; AIDS Vancouver Island s needle exchange program has been threatened with eviction by its landlord. The clock is ticking; we need a solution quickly, said Andrea Langlois, AVI spokesperson. The solutions lie in the hands of the [Vancouver Island] Health Authority. The needle exchange, opened in 1988, has been served a n
SWAZILAND: Israeli Surgeons Helping Swaziland in Drive to Curb HIV: SWAZILAND (10.21.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Washington Post; Small teams of Israeli doctors will travel to Swaziland to perform circumcisions for two-week stints this year under a program organized by the Jerusalem AIDS Project and financed by Hadassah, a US-based Jewish organization, and other donors. The effort to circumcise Swazi men is being carried out in the hopes of curbi
UNITED STATES: Others Not Likely to Follow School's Contraception Move: USA Today (10.19.07) - Monday, October 22, 2007; Wendy Koch; While King Middle School in Portland, Maine, recently decided to provide prescription birth control to students, the general consensus is that other US schools will not likely follow suit. Proposals over the past 20 years to supply young teens with birth control have mostly foundered on parental opposition. Divya Mohan
EUROPEAN UNION: EU Has Lifted Suspension on Anti-AIDS Drug, Says Maker Roche: Agence France Presse (10.19.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Swiss drug maker Roche said today the European Commission has restored the license to market the HIV drug Viracept in the European Union after it was suspended following a contamination problem. In June, the discovery of ethyl mesylate sulphonate, which is toxic to humans, in some Viracept tablets prompted a massive re
GEORGIA: AIDS Walk Atlanta: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.19.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Zach Hudson; The 17th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta to benefit 12 Georgia HIV/AIDS service organizations takes place this Sunday at Piedmont Park. Organizers have registered 11,000 walkers and anticipate that another 4,000 or so will show up for the event. People can register at noon in the park with or without a team. A 5-kilometer run
NEW YORK: NYC High Schools to Offer 'Research-Based' Sex Education Program: Associated Press (10.18.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; On Thursday, New York City s Department of Education announced plans to standardize its sex education program by recommending all city high schools use a research-based curriculum called Reducing the Risk. The comprehensive curriculum encourages abstinence and provides information about STD prevention and contraception
CALIFORNIA: San Francisco AIDS Foundation's Van Gorder to Head Project Inform: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.18.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Seth Hemmelgarn; On Nov. 15, Dana Van Gorder will join Project Inform as its new executive director. The San Francisco-based national organization has focused on treatment information, access, and advocacy since 1985. Last year, PI split its executive director role into a three-person management team. Van Gorder has worked for the San
MAINE: Maine School to Offer Contraceptives: Associated Press (10.19.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Jerry Harkavy; On Thursday, Portland school officials defended a decision to allow children as young as 11 to obtain birth-control pills at a middle-school health center. They said the new policy is aimed at a small number of sexually active students. The decision makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a fu
CALIFORNIA: Drug Injection Center Idea Is Quickly Gaining Support: San Francisco Chronicle (10.19.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Heather Knight; In San Francisco s Mission District Thursday, about 150 people attended a forum to discuss the idea of a city-supported supervised injection center. At such a site, medical professionals would give free sterile syringes to intravenous drug users (IDUs) and supervise their injections. The site s aim would be to help sto
CHINA: Continued Spread of HIV Among Injecting Drug Users in Southern Sichuan Province, China: Harm Reduction Journal Vol. 4; No. 6: doi:10.1186/1477-7517-4- 6 (02..07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Lu Yin; Guangming Qin; Han-Zhu Qian; Yu Zhu; Wei Hu; Li Zhang; Kanglin Chen; Yunxia Wang; Shizhu Liu; Feng Zhou; Hui Xing; Yuhua Ruan; Ning Wang; Yiming Shao; In the current study, authors sought to estimate HIV prevalence among injection drug users (IDUs) in a heavily drug-trafficked city in southwest Sichuan province. Through community outreach recruitment and peer referrals, 314 IDU volunteers participated in this cross-sectional survey in 2004. A blood sample was taken f
CANADA: Sault Catholic Board Votes Against Vaccinating Girls for HPV: Canadian Press (10.18.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; On Wednesday, trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board voted 5-4 to deny access to Algoma Public Health officials to administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine free under a provincial program targeting all eighth-grade girls. HPV is the primary cause of genital warts and the leading cause of
UNITED STATES: Graphic Anti-Meth Ads Are Catching On: Chicago Sun Times (10.14.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; John Gramlich; Illinois, Arizona, and Idaho are replicating an ad campaign that began in Montana, centering on a series of shocking, graphic TV commercials that warn about the dangers of methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug linked to risky behavior and crime nationwide. The states are using the ads because last month, Montana ann
UNITED STATES: US Officials Could Not Catch a Mexican Infected with Tuberculosis: Associated Press (10.18.07) - Friday, October 19, 2007; Eileen Sullivan; In the spring, US officials were unable to stop a man infected with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) from crossing the US- Mexico border because the doctor treating the person did not have the patient s real name, according to a US official briefed on the incident who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to
ILLINOIS: Test Positive Aware Network Grant to Help Group Expand Its Recovery Program: Chicago Free Press (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Matt Simonette; Test Positive Aware Network announced recently it has received a five-year, $2.5 million federal grant to provide sexual, drug, and alcohol education, intervention, and counseling to high-risk African-American men. The holistic health recovery program, Positive Outcomes for Wellness, Education and Recovery (POWER), wil
ALABAMA: 47 Infected with TB: Decatur Daily News (10.18.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Eric Fleischauer; On Tuesday, the Morgan County Department of Health said 47 of 167 Wayne Farms employees given a TB skin test were positive for exposure to the disease. County health officials began testing on Oct. 10 after a former employee, who worked at the poultry processing plant about two months ago, was recently diagnosed with t
NORTH DAKOTA: Students Hear 'Wait Training' Message: Grand Forks Herald (10.11.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Amanda Ricker; On Oct. 10, national speaker Shelly Donahue brought the Wait Training abstinence message to Walhalla high school students. Sexually active teens are at risk for STDs, pregnancy, and depression, she told them: It s just really, really risky right now. According to CDC s 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, approximately 40
TEXAS: Churches Urge Sexual Abstinence Among Youths: Houston Chronicle (10.11.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Kimberly Pina; Sandra Roberson has taught True Love Waits, an abstinence- based curriculum, to students at St. Peter s United Methodist Church in Katy for more than 12 years. Attendance for the six- week program, offered every winter, averages 200 youths. Everybody has a plan for their life, and they talk about what they want to do,
UNITED STATES: Effective Strategies for HPV Vaccine Delivery: The Views of Pediatricians: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 41; No. 2: P. 119-125 (08..07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Abbigail M. Tissot, MA; Gregory D. Zimet, PhD; Susan L. Rosenthal, PhD; David I. Bernstein, MD, MS; Caitlin Wetzel; Jessica A. Kahn, MD, MPH; As pediatricians will play a key role in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine delivery, the current study sought to examine their views about critical issues related to HPV vaccine delivery and identify their strategies for effective delivery of the vaccine. The authors recruited a diverse sample of practicing pediatrici
CANADA; SWEDEN: DNA Test for Cervical Cancer Gains Support: Wall Street Journal (10.18.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Robert Tomsho; Results from two large-scale studies that compared conventional Pap smears to newer DNA testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) found DNA testing to be more accurate, bolstering previous findings. However, some researchers expressed concern the newer method could lead to false positives and unnecessary follow-up procedu
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe: Where AIDS, HIV Are Always Close to Hand: Edmonton Journal (Alberta) (10.16.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Paul Marck; Carmen Bellows, an Edmonton psychologist who works with Doctors Without Borders, teaches staff in Zimbabwe how to deal with mental-health issues associated with HIV/AIDS. Zimbabwe has an HIV rate of as much as 25 percent of the population. Bellows said living in a society where HIV is rampant puts the disease in a diff
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa 'Losing AIDS Battle': BBC News (10.17.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Imogen Foulkes; With infection and death rates that continue to outpace treatment, South Africa is on the brink of losing the fight against HIV/AIDS, according to the country s UNICEF representative. While 380,000 South African AIDS patients are receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, 1.2 million are not, said Macharia Kamau. So
UNITED STATES; MEXICO: Mexican Crisscrossed Border with TB: Washington Times (10.18.07) - Thursday, October 18, 2007; Sara A. Carter; Audrey Hudson; A Mexican businessman infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) crossed the US border dozens of times and took multiple flights within the United States over the past year, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) documents. MDR-TB is resistant to the two most common TB treatments, and the busines
CANADA: Manitoba Wants Your Blood: Province Looking at Some Mandatory Tests: Canadian Press (10.16.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Winnipeg Free Press; On Tuesday, Manitoba s Tory health critic, Kelvin Goertzen, introduced a bill to allow first responders, crime victims, and Good Samaritans who are accidentally splashed with someone else s blood to obtain a court-ordered test of that blood for HIV or hepatitis C. When someone is acting as a lifesaver or if they are a
TEXAS: Artists Against AIDS: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (10.13.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Terry Lee Goodrich; On Oct. 20, more than 100 local and regional artists will auction off their work at a benefit for the Tarrant County Interfaith AIDS Network. The event, 7-10 p.m. at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St., will feature silent and live auctions, food, and music. Over the past seven years, the annual auctio
NEW YORK: Upstate Medical Speaker to Explain HPV, Gardasil: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (10.16.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; On Wednesday, nurse practitioner Wendy Holtz from upstate medical university s pediatric infectious-disease and immunology clinic will discuss the human papillomavirus and how the HPV vaccine Gardasil offers protection for girls age 11 and older. The free event will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. at HealthLink OASIS in Shopp
WISCONSIN: Elmbrook Considers Sex-Ed Survey: Panel Reviewing Curriculum Might Seek Parents' Input: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.11.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Lisa Sink; When the Elmbrook School District panel reviewing the proposed sex education curriculum last met on Oct. 10, members disagreed about how to approach a survey soliciting opinions on when certain topics would be age-appropriate. The panel was tasked with reviewing the curriculum after some parents raised concerns about r
NEVADA: Risky Behavior: Las Vegas Review-Journal (10.16.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Sonya Padgett; Southern Nevada Health District officials believe the availability of anonymous sex through the Internet, coupled with an it-cannot-happen-to-me attitude, may have contributed to a local outbreak of syphilis. Since 2004, the number of reported syphilis cases has increased more than 200 percent, according to health dist
THE NETHERLANDS: Condom Use Rather Than Serosorting Explains Differences in HIV Incidence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.15.07) Vol. 45; No. 5: P. 574-580 (08.15.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Akke K. Van der Bij, MD, PhD; Marion E. Kolader, MD; Henry J.C. de Vries, MD, PhD; Maria Prins, PhD; Roel A. Coutinho, MD, PhD; Nicole H.T.M. Dukers, PhD; New HIV diagnoses have been numerous and increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM) attending the STD Outpatient Clinic in Amsterdam; however, incidence remains low among MSM in the Amsterdam Cohort Studies (ACS). Authors of the current study examined whether sexual behaviors in the cohorts were consistent with s
SOUTH AFRICA: Cellphones to Help Spread Word on HIV: Business Day (Johannesburg) (10.02.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Tamar Kahn; The Cape Town-based nonprofit Cell-Life has developed cellphone technology to help health care workers monitor HIV patients. Cell-Life has also devised an electronic tracking system for HIV medication dispensed by hospitals and clinics. Now, the organization plans to use cellphones to offer easily accessible data about
INDIA: Bank Plans Probe of HIV Tests in India: Washington Post (10.13.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Carrie Johnson; World Bank officials recently announced the agency will investigate allegations that India s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), which the bank supports, failed to alert the public about defective HIV test kits that returned high numbers of false negatives. An Ohio doctor who visited India last year on the bank
UGANDA: US Should Halt AIDS Funds for Homophobic Uganda: Human Rights Watch: Agence France Presse (10.12.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; New York-based Human Rights Watch has asked the United States to reconsider funding HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda , where it claims recipients of such money violate the rights of homosexuals. In a letter to US officials on Oct. 11, HRW said Ugandan officials and media have intensified attacks on the rights of lesbian, ga
UNITED STATES: Abstinence Approach Gets an Unlikely Ally: Los Angeles Times (10.14.07) - Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar; In the spring, advocates of federal funding for abstinence- only sex education feared allocations would be cut by the new Democratic-controlled Congress. But those fears have not been realized. Since the 1990s, federal abstinence-only funding has been supported by the Republican majority. Many Democrats have long argue
VIETNAM: Vietnam to Use Methadone as Drug Substitute in More Localities: Xinhua News Agency (10.15.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Under a pilot project funded by the US and UK departments of international development, methadone substitution therapy will be offered to intravenous drug users in two cities in Vietnam , according to the local Youth newspaper. The oral methadone therapy allows heroin users to break from injecting the drug and is less
CANADA: New Drug Approved in Canada to Treat HIV, First in 10 Years: Canadian Press (10.15.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; On Monday, Pfizer Canada Inc. announced that its CCR5 co- receptor antagonist, Celsentri (maraviroc), was approved by Health Canada for use in treatment-experienced patients with HIV resistant to existing therapies. It is not licensed for use as a first-line therapy. It is definitely an advance for people who have use
INDIA: Australian Aid to Curb HIV: The Telegraph (Calcutta) (10.14.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; G.S. Mudur; On Friday, Australia s High Commissioner to India , John McCarthy, announced his country is pledging $8.9 million (US $7.9 million) to train medical staff and provide care and support to HIV/AIDS patients in the northeast states of Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. He made the announcement in New Delhi, accomp
CALIFORNIA: Drug Injection Center Idea Gets an Airing in San Francisco: San Francisco Chronicle (10.16.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; C.W. Nevius; On Thursday, San Francisco s Department of Public Health (DPH) will co-host an all-day symposium examining the idea of supervised injection centers for the city. At the centers, IV drug users can bring their drugs and inject under the supervision of trained personnel without fear of arrest. The intent is to decrease ov
UNITED STATES: Human Papillomavirus Seroprevalence Among Young Male and Female Drug Users: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (09.07) Vol. 34; No. 9: P. 676- 680 (09..07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Sabrina S. Plitt, PhD; Susan G. Sherman, PhD; Raphael P. Viscidi, MD; Steffanie A. Strathdee, PhD; Crystal M. Fuller, PhD; Taha E. Taha, PhD; In the current study, the researchers sought to determine seroprevalence and correlates of exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, 18, and 53 among Baltimore drug users ages 15-30. Behavioral risk assessment and HPV serology testing were performed on young, newly initiated injection, and non- injection drug users. S
AFRICA: Only 60 Percent of Africa's AIDS Patients Still Being Treated Two Years Later, Report Says: Associated Press (10.16.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Maria Cheng; Just 60 percent of AIDS patients in Africa continue to take antiretrovirals (ARVs) two years after starting treatment, a new study reports. Of those no longer taking the life-saving medicines after two years, 40 percent died, and the remainder missed appointments, failed to pick up the drugs, or possibly transferred to
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Scientists Sequence Deadly TB Genome: Agence France Presse (10.11.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Fran Blandy; On Thursday, South African scientists announced that they had sequenced the genome of a deadly strain of extensively drug- resistant TB (XDR TB). Using technology purchased from the United States for 5 million rand (US $750,000), scientists working for a government-sponsored research center decoded and sequenced the st
THAILAND: Married Thais Account for 40 Percent of New HIV Infections: Survey: Agence France Presse (10.11.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; More than 40 percent of the 17,000 new HIV/AIDS cases in Thailand last year were among married couples, the health ministry s disease control department reported Thursday. Of the 7,000 married people who were diagnosed with HIV in 2006, 40 percent were wives who reported they were infected through their husbands, while
KENYA: More than Half of Kenya's 102,000 Children Need AIDS Drugs: Agence France Presse (10.15.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; On Monday, Kenya s top doctor said just 13,000 of the country s 102,000 children with HIV/AIDS have access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, while more than 60,000 are in urgent need of the medicines. Dr. James Nyikal, Director of Medical Services, acknowledged this is a major setback in Kenya s fight against AIDS.
UNITED STATES: Hallmark Joins Bono's Efforts Against AIDS in Africa: Kansas City Star (10.12.07) - Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Gene Meyer; On Thursday, Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards Inc. unveiled a line of 23 greeting cards and other products affiliated with the fundraising initiative (Product) Red, founded by Bono of U2 and Bobby Shriver, the nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of R. Sargent Shriver. Donations from product sales will go to the Global Fu
VIETNAM: Vietnam to Invest $84.5 Million in HIV/AIDS Prevention: Xinhua News Agency (10.12.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; On Friday, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper reported the country will invest 1.35 billion Vietnamese dong (US $84.5 million) in HIV/AIDS prevention between 2007 and 2010. The funds will primarily be devoted to preventing infection among high-risk groups and intensifying training for health staff and activists. As o
NEW YORK: 2 NYC Groups Receive $2.4 Million to House Those Living with HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (10.10.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded two New York City groups $2.47 million to provide rental, mortgage, and utilities assistance for people with HIV/AIDS. Of the sum, Brooklyn s Church Avenue Merchants Block Association received $1.3 million to serve low-income and homeless clients
CALIFORNIA: Schwarzenegger Signs Toxic Toy Bill, Dozens Others: Associated Press (10.15.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Samantha Young; Among other bills signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Sunday was one to allow state and local governments to use money to buy clean needles for HIV patients. The governor vetoed a bill allowing public health agencies and nonprofit groups to distribute condoms in state prisons, saying such legislation conflicts with cu
ARIZONA: Latino AIDS Cases on Rise in County: Tucson Citizen (10.13.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Heidi Rowley; The most recent figures from the Arizona Department of Health Services show that Latinos in Pima County accounted for 33.6 percent of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases in 2005. Carlos Torres of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation expressed concern that more Latinos are testing positive for the virus, but said it may be d
CALIFORNIA: 'Gay Cancer' Makes Disturbing Reappearance: San Francisco Chronicle (10.12.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Sabin Russell; San Francisco doctors have reported 15 cases among gay men of Kaposi s sarcoma (KS), a cancer-like skin disease that was prevalent among HIV patients in the 1980s. All 15 patients, most in their 40s and 50s, are long-term HIV survivors on antiretroviral drugs. The new cases are not invasive, aggressive, or lethal, but
JAMAICA: Self-Reported Condom Use Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniasis: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (10.07) Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 829- 833 (10..07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Maria F. Gallo, PhD; Markus J. Steiner, PhD; Lee Warner, PhD; Tina Hylton-Kong, MD; J. Peter Figueroa, MD; Marcia M. Hobbs, PhD; Frieda M. Behets, PhD; In this prospective study, researchers analyzed the association of self-reported condom use with prevalent and incident chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. A total of 414 male subjects attending an STD clinic in Jamaica were assessed for condom use and STD infection at enrollment and at four follow-up visits. Inc
UNITED STATES: Male Fertility at Risk from Chlamydia: The Guardian (London) (10.15.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Ian Sample; Chlamydia infection in men may cause genetic damage to their sperm, according to a team of US, Spanish, and Mexican researchers presenting a study today at the 63rd annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Washington. In the study, researchers analyzed the DNA of sperm from 143 men who were i
GLOBAL: Canadian Researcher Heads New Initiative to Hunt for AIDS Vaccine: Associated Press (10.11.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Clare Nullis; On Thursday at a conference in Cape Town, Alan Bernstein was named the first executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. GHVE, an alliance of researchers and donors trying to find an HIV/AIDS vaccine, was set up in 2003 by 24 leading vaccine researchers. To date, it has mobilized more than $750 million in
ARIZONA: Cutting-Edge Drug Therapies: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (09.27.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Ken Alltucker; More than a decade ago, the founders of the Phoenix-based nonprofit Body Positive center sought to host clinical drug trials as a way to ensure its clients could access cutting- edge HIV treatments. Today, the center operates a nationally recognized clinical trial site that has conducted more than 100 studies of AIDS d
UNITED STATES: Merck's New HIV Drug Wins Approval: Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (10.13.07) - Monday, October 15, 2007; Susan Todd; On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Merck & Co. s Isentress (raltegravir), the first drug in a new class of integrase inhibitors. FDA approved Isentress for patients with drug-resistant HIV who are failing their treatment regimen. The drug works by inhibiting the integrase enzyme HIV uses to replic
FLORIDA: AIDS Bells at Home: St. Petersburg Times (10.10.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Libby Nelson; A set of bells dedicated to those lost to AIDS was installed Sunday in the new chapel at King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church in St. Petersburg. The 26 bells - one for each year in which the disease has caused deaths, beginning in 1981 - had previously been a mobile memorial. They are representing thousands and
MAINE: Eastern Maine AIDS Network Walk to Fight AIDS Scheduled for Saturday: Bangor Daily News (10.11.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Roxanne Moore; The Maine AIDS Walk, sponsored by the Eastern Maine AIDS Network and the Wabanaki Mental Health Association, will take place Saturday, Oct. 13. Registration starts at 10 a.m. at EMAN, 370 Harlow St., and the walk is set to begin at 11 a.m. Participation is free, though pledges are welcome. For additional information, t
FLORIDA: HIV Testing Provided as Part of Latino AIDS Awareness: Pensacola News Journal (10.09.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; On Oct. 15, in recognition of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, needle-free HIV testing will be offered 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Escambia County Health Department, 1295 W. Fairfield Drive. The local newspaper La Costa Latina is sponsoring the outreach. Free HIV testing is also available at the health department on Tuesd
FLORIDA: Groups Promote HIV/AIDS Awareness for Hispanics with Family-Oriented Fair: Orlando Sentinel (10.12.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Victor Manuel Ramos; Local activists and government agencies have organized a health fair for Saturday, Oct. 13, in east Orange County to alert Hispanics to the HIV/AIDS threat. Rudy Chacin, Volunteer Coordinator of Caf� Latino, an Orange County coalition of Hispanic groups attempting to address the issue, said the fair will be family-orie
UNITED STATES: Heterosexual Behavior Patterns and the Spread of HIV/AIDS: The Interacting Effects of Rate of Partner Change and Sexual Mixing: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (10.07) Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 820- 828 (10..07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Sara Hertog, MS; In this study, the author evaluated whether the influence of sexual mixing patterns on the HIV epidemic curve is sensitive to the current rates of sexual partner change in the population. Using a biobehavioral macrosimulation model, the researcher assessed the interacting dynamics of the rates of sexual partner change
SOUTH KOREA: US Entrepreneur Has a Message for Condom Experts: Size Matters: Associated Press (10.11.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Burt Herman; At a conference in Seogwipo on South Korea s Jeju Island this week, more than 100 representatives of condom manufacturers, government standards bodies, and aid groups examined 42 pages of specifications and testing requirements for condoms. Standards are crucial because condom failure could mean the spread of diseases
CAMBODIA: Casual Sex Among Cambodia's MSM an HIV Timebomb: Agence France Presse (10.07.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Chan Soratha; Men who have sex with men (MSM), but who may not consider themselves to be homosexual or bisexual, account for just 4 percent of Cambodian men but represent a serious challenge to AIDS control efforts. Aggressive condom promotion and sex education campaigns largely targeting Cambodia s sex industry have helped lower th
AUSTRALIA: Got You Under My Skin: Sydney Morning Herald (10.11.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Anne Fawcett; Doctors are warning that genital herpes (HSV-2) - which is believed to infect an estimated one in eight Australians - can facilitate HIV infection. Dr. Darren Russell, director of Cairns Sexual Health, said people with HSV-2 are probably two to three times more likely to contract HIV. For the first two years after you
AUSTRALIA: Dramatic Upswing in Number of HIV Cases Reverses Earlier Decline: Sydney Morning Herald (10.10.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Bellinda Kontominas; A report by Australia s National Center for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR) finds that new HIV diagnoses have increased by nearly a third in recent years, from 763 cases in 2000 to 998 in 2006. According to the report, presented Wednesday at the Australasian Sexual Health Conference at the Gold Coast, N
UNITED STATES: Merck's New AIDS Drug Has Promise - If It Isn't Too Pricey: Wall Street Journal (10.11.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Sarah Rubenstein; The Food and Drug Administration is expected soon to approve Isentress (raltegravir), a new AIDS drug from Merck & Co. While the drug will be a welcome addition to the current arsenal of HIV medications, activists are watching closely to see how the company prices it. Merck has not commented on pricing while it awa
UNITED STATES: Study Sees Differences in How US Hispanics Get HIV: Reuters (10.11.07) - Friday, October 12, 2007; Will Dunham; Differing patterns of HIV transmission among US Hispanics suggest the need for more tailored prevention messages targeting this community, federal officials said Thursday. A CDC report based on data from 33 states in 2005 found an association between how Hispanics become HIV-infected and where they were born. Infection
UNITED STATES: Project Holding HIV/AIDS Writing Contest for Youth: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.19.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Young people ages 14 to 22 are invited to take part in a national story-writing contest sponsored by the Hear Me Project. Submissions may be fiction or non-fiction but must concern personal vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and involve characters affected by the disease. A panel of celebrities will judge the entries, which mus
KANSAS: Health Department Offering Free HIV Tests on Oct. 15: Wichita Eagle (10.05.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; In recognition of the fifth annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, the Sedgwick County Health Department will offer free HIV testing on Monday, Oct. 15. The tests will be performed from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the Health Department Clinic, 2716 W. Central, with results available the same day.
MAINE: AIDS Awareness Walk Slated in Machias: Bangor Daily News (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Diana Graettinger; The Down East AIDS Network is sponsoring Saturday s Walk for Life in Machias. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the parish house of the Congregational Church on Court Street. For more information, telephone Liz Mercer at 207-255-5849 or 888-991- 7400.
NORTH CAROLINA: Updating Abstinence Education: Charlotte Observer (10.07.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Shawn Cetrone; Union County has spent more than $12,000 on new abstinence education materials because the lessons now in use - copyright 1989 and 1990 - do not connect with today s students, officials said. One video had Kirk Cameron [from the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains ] and the kids were like, Who is he? said Nancy Addison, seconda
CONNECTICUT: TB Exposure Possible at Manchester Community College: Hartford Courant (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Jim Farrell; Dozens of students and staff at Manchester Community College (MCC) will undergo tuberculosis testing starting Monday, said Maryann Cherniak Lexius, director of health for the town of Manchester. Letters were sent to people who may have had exposure to a person later diagnosed with TB. The patient is no longer on campus
UNITED STATES: Changes in Sexual Behavior and STD Prevalence Among Heterosexual STD Clinic Attendees: 1993-1995 Versus 1999-2000: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (10.07) Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 815- 819 (10..07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Catherine Lindsey Satterwhite, MSPH, MPH; Mary L. Kamb, MD, MPH; Carol Metcalf, MBChB, MPH; John M. Douglas Jr., MD; Kevin C. Malotte, DrPH; Sindy Paul, MD, MPH; Thomas A. Peterman, MD, MSc; The researchers examined trends in sex behaviors and STD prevalence over time among heterosexual STD clinic populations from three urban US clinics. Using a cross-sectional analysis comparing baseline data on risk (self-reported) and STDs (laboratory defined) from two randomized controlled trials, the researchers evalu
AFRICA: Wars Cost Africa $300 Billion in 15 Years: Report: Agence France Presse (10.11.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; According to a new study, civil wars and conflicts during the 15-year period ending in 2005 cost Africa some $300 billion. This is equal to the amount of money received in international aid during the same period, said the report. Africa s Missing Billions - prepared by Oxfam International, the International Action Net
AUSTRALIA: Syphilis and Gonorrhea on Increase Among Gay Men: Australian Associated Press (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Tamara McLean; Syphilis and gonorrhea cases are on the rise in Australia , according to new figures released by the National Center in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales. The Northern Territory was especially hard- hit, as were gay men in their 20s and 30s, said a report released at the Austra
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Nutrition Key to Surviving HIV/AIDS, WHO Says: Deutsche-Presse Agentur (10.09.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; At a recent seminar on malnutrition and HIV held in Bangkok, the World Health Organization s regional director for Southeast Asia said providing a balanced, nutritious diet where malnutrition is endemic is a major challenge to combating the region s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This HIV/AIDS epidemic is being superimposed on the
GLOBAL: Bill Gates Pumps $100 Million for New Research into AIDS: Agence France Presse (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; On Tuesday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $100 million, five-year grant effort supporting research into diseases that afflict developing countries. Starting in 2008, the program will fund research into diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, said a foundation statement released after a meeting of glo
CALIFORNIA: State, County STD Rate 'a Shock': Los Angeles Times (10.10.07) - Thursday, October 11, 2007; Thomas H. Maugh, II; An estimated 1 million young Californians contracted an STD in 2005, according to a new study. We were expecting high numbers. but this was a shock even to us, said study leader Petra Jerman, an epidemiologist with the Public Health Institute in Oakland. CDC developed a computer model that its researchers used in 2004
ARIZONA: Latino AIDS Awareness at El Rio on Oct. 15: Tucson Citizen (09.28.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Sheryl Kornman; On Oct. 15, the fifth annual Latino AIDS Awareness Day will be held 4-8 p.m. at the El Rio Neighborhood Center, 1390 W. Speedway Blvd. Free HIV testing and pretest counseling will be offered, along with HIV prevention classes for teens and adults. The Pima County Health Department, Wingspan and the Tucson Interfaith HI
PHILIPPINES: Church Protest at Philippines Condom Plan: Agence France Presse (10.08.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; On Monday in Manila, Roman Catholic bishops decried a government proposal to spend $22 million on condoms and contraception for the poor. Both are against nature and God s law, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo told the Manila Standard Today. The money, he said, would be better spent on education and poverty alleviation projec
MALAWI: Malawi to Double Free AIDS Drugs Coverage by 2010: Agence France Presse (10.05.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Malawian Health Minister Marjorie Ngaunje said plans are underway to increase by more than two-fold the number of people receiving free antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in the country. With currently 115,000 people on ARVs, the government aims at increasing this number to 245,000 by the year 2010, she told a conference orga
GLOBAL: Care of Dying Is Outlined by WHO: New York Times (10.06.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; The World Health Organization has issued its first guide on end-of-life care. Everyone has the right to be treated, and die, with dignity, states the document, which is directed at national health ministers rather than individual physicians. The guide details obstacles to providing appropriate care, including laws that
PENNSYLVANIA: More Schools Cover HPV Vaccine, but University of Pennsylvania Claims Costs Too High: University Wire (10.04.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Jon Meza, Daily Pennsylvanian; The insurance plans of several Ivy League schools are offering students discounted prices on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, but officials at the University of Pennsylvania say they do not plan to do so this year. The Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee decided that the vaccine, Gardasil, will not be co
WASHINGTON: New Location, Same Demand: Needle Exchange's Move Doesn't Hinder Services: Spokesman-Review (Spokane) (10.06.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; JoNel Aleccia; Officials at the Outreach Center in Spokane say clients of the needle exchange continue to utilize its services three weeks after it relocated. Our clients are remarkably resilient, said Lynn Everson, the public health nurse who oversees the exchange. Organizers had worried that clients would not find the center s new
VIRGINIA: 25 People Test Positive for Exposure to TB at 2 Beach Schools: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (10.10.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; John-Henry Doucette; Lauren Roth; Virginia Beach s health director said Tuesday that 25 people from Salem High School and Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center have tested positive for tuberculosis exposure. The testing was undertaken following a diagnosis of active TB in someone connected to the schools. Venita Newby-Owens said 181 peop
NORWAY: Births and Ectopic Pregnancies in a Large Cohort of Women Tested for Chlamydia Trachomatis: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 10: P. 739-743 (10..07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Inger Johanne Bakken, PhD; Finn Egil Skjeldestad, MD, PhD; Stian Lydersen, PhD; Svein Arne Nordbo, MD; Previous studies have yielded contradictory results concerning the risk of ectopic pregnancy following infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). In the current study, the researchers investigated future reproductive health outcomes (births and ectopic pregnancies) among women tested for CT. The researchers used Cox re
UGANDA: Uganda Launches HIV/AIDS Drug Factory: Voice of America News (10.08.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Nick Wadhams; India-based Cipla is partnering with Uganda-based Quality Chemicals to open a factory producing generic AIDS and malaria drugs in the African nation. Actually it is long overdue, because you see these are generic drugs, said Dr. Sam Okware, spokesperson for Uganda s health ministry. I expect the quality of life of peo
UNITED STATES: Black Minister Says Fight Against HIV/AIDS About Saving Lives: Associated Press (10.10.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Deepti Hajela; On Tuesday at the conclusion of a two-day conference organized by the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, ministers called on the federal government to declare the disease a public health emergency in the black community. Church leaders also pledged to promote HIV testing and awareness among their congregants
UNITED STATES: 30-Plus States Bar Routine HIV Testing Recommended by US Health Officials: Associated Press (10.10.07) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007; Mike Stobbe; A year after CDC issued new guidelines aimed at making HIV testing a part of routine health care, a new study finds that more than 30 states still have laws on the books that prevent doctors from adopting those recommendations. CDC s guidelines would relieve doctors of the requirement that they conduct pre-test counsel
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Sustaining Awareness, a Step at a Time: Washington Post (10.07.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Michelle Boorstein; Saturday s AIDS Walk Washington drew about 7,000 participants - nearly double the number of walkers in 2006 - and raised some $800,000, the largest total for the annual event since 1999. The walk supports the Whitman-Walker Clinic.
PENNSYLVANIA: Faulty Fridge Might Mean 350 Have to Be Revaccinated in Pennsylvania: Associated Press (10.05.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; About 350 patients who received inoculations at the Smethport Family Practice in Smethport may have to be revaccinated because a faulty refrigerator could have compromised the effectiveness of the vaccines. Between January 2005 and July 2007, the unit s temperature sometimes fell to freezing, said Rhonda Chilson, Direc
CALIFORNIA: Tuberculosis Alert Issued in Downtown San Diego: San Diego Union-Tribune (10.04.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Health authorities are warning that people who spent at least 16 hours in any of four buildings downtown between May 1 and Sept. 22 may have been exposed to a case of active tuberculosis. The exposures may have occurred at: City Library, 820 E. St., first floor mystery section; Star Bar, 423 E St.; the senior center at
UNITED STATES: Teva Pharmaceutical Receives FDA Approval for Generic Version of Herpes Treatment Valtrex: Associated Press (10.05.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd. on Friday said the Food and Drug Administration had issued a tentative approval for its generic version of Valtrex. Final approval is anticipated in December 2009, after GlaxoSmithKline PLC s patent on the herpes medication expires. India-based Ranba
ARIZONA: TB Patient Locked Up in Hospital Ward Flees the Country: Associated Press (10.09.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; A Phoenix tuberculosis patient who had been held in solitary confinement in a jail ward has fled the country, his attorney said. Recently, doctors had ruled the man was no longer contagious after lung surgery in September. He had been living in a Phoenix-area motel while being monitored by Maricopa County Public Health
MISSISSIPPI: 33 Test Positive for TB at Pearl River County Jail: Associated Press (10.05.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; On Friday, the interim state epidemiologist for the Mississippi Department of Health said 28 inmates and five staff at the Pearl River County Jail in Poplarville have tested positive for tuberculosis. Dr. Mary Currier said chest X-rays of the infected inmates showed no active disease. The employees had yet to undergo X
UNITED STATES: Alcohol Consumption and HIV Disease Progression: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Vol. 46; No. 2: P. 194-199 (10..07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH; Debbie M. Cheng, ScD; Howard Libman, MD; David P. Nunes, MD; Julie K. Alperen, DrPH; Richard Saitz, MD, MPH; The authors prospectively assessed the association between HIV patients alcohol consumption and laboratory markers of HIV disease progression. Between 1997 and 2003, 595 HIV patients with alcohol problems were recruited, and researchers assessed participants CD4 cell counts, HIV RNA levels, and alcohol consumption for
SWEDEN: AIDS Cocktails Preserve Brain, Study Finds: Reuters (10.08.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; A new study shows AIDS drug cocktails appear to curb HIV- associated brain damage, researchers said Monday. In addition to damaging the immune system, HIV can attack the brain and nerves. Prior to the introduction of drug cocktails known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), around 20 percent of HIV patients
AUSTRALIA: New Syphilis Record Expected: Sydney Star Observer (10.04.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Harley Dennett; New South Wales health figures show new syphilis reports among area gay men are more than double last year s number. Half the cases are HIV co-infected, and most are men age 35 or older. Local syphilis rates had declined from the previous 2004 peak in new infections, but reports in southeast and southwest Sydney are al
GLOBAL: Program Launched to Counter TB Drug Shortfalls: Reuters (10.08.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; The World Health Organization on Monday unveiled a $26.8 million program to deliver TB drugs to about 750,000 patients in 19 countries. WHO s Stop TB Partnership (STBP) and UNITAID announced the initiative in a joint statement. This is the first line to prevent the creation of drug resistance, said Marcos Espinal, Exe
CANADA: Canada Tells World Trade Organization It Will Be First to Export Cheap, Generic AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (10.05.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Alexander G. Higgins; The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced Friday that Canada has become the first nation to authorize a manufacturer to make a generic copy of a patented AIDS drug for export. The triple combination AIDS therapy drug TriAvir can now be made and exported to Rwanda , which is unable to manufacture th
NEW YORK: Black Ministers to Tackle Issue of HIV/AIDS: USA Today (10.08.07) - Tuesday, October 09, 2007; Charisse Jones; In New York this week, a two-day conference convened by the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS is bringing together prominent pastors and representatives of the National Medical Association, Congressional Black Caucus, and other organizations to boost the fight against the epidemic in the black community. Ac
UNITED KINGDOM: Sex Issue Put to Bed: The Guardian (London) (09.26.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Matt Scott; At the recent Labor Party conference, questions arose over what organizers will do to prevent STD transmission during the 2012 Olympics in London. The most common participant sport, even though no medals will be awarded, will be sex, said Lisa Power, policy head at the Terrence Higgins Trust. One legacy of the Sydney O
LOUISIANA: Meeting to Focus on Latinos and HIV: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Ana Gershanik; A one-day roundtable meeting entitled Latinos in Louisiana and HIV/AIDS: Barriers and Responses will be held Oct. 11 at the Best Western Hotel in Alexandria. The meeting will focus on what is being done in the region and the state to fight AIDS in the Latino community. The sponsoring organizations are the Louisiana Off
DELAWARE: AIDS Walk Delaware Draws Crowd of 6,000: News Journal (Wilmington) (10.01.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Christopher Yasiejko; AIDS Walk Delaware was held Sunday in Wilmington s Rockford Park. An estimated 6,000 people took part; the $190,000 raised was 19 percent more than last year. The walk is sponsored by AIDS Delaware and the Delaware HIV Consortium.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: AIDS Walk Washington: MetroWeekly (Washington) (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Will O'Bryan; On Saturday, the Whitman-Walker Clinic is sponsoring the annual AIDS Walk Washington. The opening program starts at 9 a.m., followed by a 5k run at 9:30. The walk steps off at 9:45. To register, visit www.aidswalkwashington.org, or come to the Warner Building, 12th and E streets NW, on Saturday morning. The walk will b
FLORIDA: Testing of Kids Urged After Teacher Contracts TB: Orlando Sentinel (10.03.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Laurin Sellers; Health officials said a teacher at Discovery Elementary School in Palm Bay has tested positive for tuberculosis, and now about 50 students and staff are being advised to undergo screening. The teacher, who had not been coughing or showing other signs of active TB, was sent home to recuperate and is taking medication, s
MARYLAND: City Is Planning to Increase Awareness and Education About AIDS: Baltimore Sun (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; John Fritze; Leaders from the arts, civic, and business communities met Wednesday at City Hall to plan how to reduce Baltimore s HIV/AIDS rate. State data say there were 1,120 new HIV cases and 711 new AIDS diagnoses between mid-2004 and mid-2005, and almost 16,000 Baltimore residents were living with HIV/AIDS as of December 2006.
FLORIDA: AIDS Talk: 'It Can Happen to Anybody': Bradenton Herald (09.30.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Donna Wright; Too many people mistakenly believe HIV/AIDS is no longer a threat, Debbie Sergi-Laws recently told attendees of a kickoff luncheon for the 2007 AIDS Walk at New College of Sarasota. People think that if you get it, you just take a pill a day and it s OK, she said. But AIDS changes your life. Sergi-Laws should know. Her
TEXAS: Bexar's Rate of Hepatitis B Is 5 Times National Average: San Antonio Express-News (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Don Finley; The hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine was introduced in 1982, and the national rate of new cases fell after routine immunization of US infants began in the late 1980s. However, Bexar County still has high rates of HBV. In 2005, the county recorded 127 new cases, for a rate of 8.6 cases per 100,000 population - 2.5 times
NEW JERSEY: Paterson Steps Up AIDS Fight: Herald News (Hackensack) (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Alexander MacInnes; Paterson could launch one of four state-authorized, city-run pilot needle exchange programs (NEPs) on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day. On Tuesday, a group of nonprofit health agencies voted to appoint the Paterson Counseling Center (PCC) to oversee the project, which would run three years with private funding. There is no city
AUSTRALIA: Transgender People Attending a Sydney Sexual Health Service over a 16-Year Period: Sexual Health Vol. 4; No. 3: P. 189-193 (08..07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Victoria L. Hounsfield; Eleanor Freedman; Anna McNulty; Christopher Bourne; Previous studies have shown that transgender people are a marginalized and stigmatized group, characterized by high rates of STDs, sex work, injecting drug use, and multiple sex partners. In the current study, the authors focused on the sexual behavior and sexual health needs of transgender people attending an urban se
AUSTRALIA: Most Hepatitis C Sufferers Failing to Access Cure: Australian Associated Press (10.01.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Jane Bunce; Hepatitis Australia recently reported that fewer than 2 percent of Australians with hepatitis C virus (HCV) receive treatment for the disease. Many people, including physicians, do not know enough about the treatment, which can clear HCV from 50-80 percent of patients, or they are daunted by reports of treatment side e
CARIBBEAN: Region's Response to AIDS Still Slow: Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston) (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; On Wednesday at the sixth annual American Chiefs of Mission Conference on HIV/AIDS in New Kingston, experts said progress against the disease in the Caribbean region remains frustratingly slow. Despite encouraging signs, our programs are fragmented and uncoordinated, said Dr. Peter Figueroa, Chief of Epidemiology and A
NORTH CAROLINA: Trimeris, Roche Pull No-Needle Fuzeon Bid: News & Observer (Raleigh) (10.04.07) - Friday, October 05, 2007; Sabine Vollmer; Morrisville, N.C.-based Trimeris and its partner Roche on Wednesday said they are withdrawing an application to sell their injectable AIDS drug Fuzeon in a needle-free device. While the device has shown potential benefit for some patients, we don t believe it s the real alternative delivery option for all patients, sai
MARYLAND: 99.4 Percent of Baltimore Students Meet Vaccination Requirement: Associated Press (10.03.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Last year when new state-mandated hepatitis B and varicella vaccination rules took effect, 13,900 Baltimore students were out of compliance as of Sept. 30. This year, school officials report that 99.4 percent of students in the city have met the requirements. When schools opened in August, more than 3,500 city students
ALBANIA: Fifty Albanian Children Infected by Hepatitis C in a Clinic: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.03.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; On Wednesday, Albanian officials confirmed that around 50 children who were being treated for blood diseases at a Tirana clinic had been infected with hepatitis C. The source of the outbreak was being investigated, said Paskal Cullufi, head of the Albanian Health Institute s pediatric department. There are 50 patients.
CANADA: TB Outbreak in Port Alberni Linked to Crack: Times Colonist (Victoria) (10.04.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Vancouver Island health officials are blaming the use of crack cocaine for a tuberculosis outbreak in Port Alberni. The outbreak began in April 2006; since then, it has involved 31 active cases, four of which were highly infectious. The patients ranged in age from 15 months to 60 years.
ARIZONA: Flagstaff HIV, AIDS Support Center Revived: Associated Press (09.29.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Larry Hendricks; The HIV/AIDS service and support organization, Northland Cares, has reopened in Flagstaff, after it closed in 2006 due to a funding loss. Since then, patients in northern Arizona had to travel to Prescott to obtain the services Northland had been offering locally. Many of the remaining HIV/AIDS organizations in Flagsta
UNITED STATES: Obesity a Problem in HIV Population: Associated Press (10.04.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Alicia Chang; The weight loss and wasting syndrome long associated with AIDS has now been replaced - for some HIV-positive people who have not progressed to AIDS - by obesity, according to a new study being presented today at an infectious-disease meeting in San Diego. Doctors report there is a growing need for HIV patients to be sc
HAITI: $2.4 Million Pledged for Haitian Healthcare: Miami Herald (09.28.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Jacqueline Charles; The Miami-based Green Family Foundation recently announced it is committing an extra $2.4 million over five years to promote health care for people living in Haiti s rural Central Plateau region. More people will have access to health care, more will have access to drugs and there will be more treatment of TB, malaria
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Expected to Achieve Millennium Development Goals on HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (10.01.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; After a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on AIDS, Malaysia s deputy prime minister said the country is well on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV/AIDS, due to the success of several government programs. Najib Tun Razak said Monday the long-term impact of methadone replacement therapy, syrin
CANADA: John Letters Are Dangerous: AIDS Group: Ottawa Citizen (10.04.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Andrew Seymour; Some activists are responding angrily to an Ottawa police plan to send warning letters to the homes of men observed seeking commercial sex. The letters will put women at greater danger by making them even more invisible within our community, said Michelle Ball, coordinator of education and health promotion with the AID
INDIA: Doctor Presses Bank on HIV Tests: Washington Post (09.28.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Carrie Johnson; AIDS expert Kunal Saha is calling on World Bank officials to release a report on faulty diagnostic HIV test kits that could be putting Indians at risk for the virus. Saha, a professor at Ohio State University, also wants officials to ensure the kits, which he said produce false negative results, are removed from blood
UNITED STATES: District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Get Expansion Funds: Washington Post (10.03.07) - Thursday, October 04, 2007; Susan Levine; CDC last week announced an award of $35 million to 23 states and metropolitan areas to increase HIV testing opportunities among populations disproportionately affected by the virus - primarily African Americans. Health experts estimate that about half of the 1 million Americans believed to be HIV- positive are black.
INDIA: MedMira Attracts Order from India for 1 Million HIV Test Kits: Halifax Daily News (09.27.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; India is ordering 1 million rapid-result HIV test kits from MedMira Inc., the Canadian manufacturer has announced. The kits can test whole blood, serum and plasma. India s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization evaluated an initial shipment of the kits and found their overall accuracy to be 100 percent, MedMira
JAPAN: 415 to Be Tested After Doctor in Japan Gets TB: Reuters (10.03.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; The news that a doctor in Gifu has tuberculosis has prompted local health authorities to ask 415 of his patients to be tested for the disease. The doctor was diagnosed last month, though he had been coughing and breathing heavily since January. During the intervening months, he treated 1,695 patients; however, health o
NEW YORK: Dutchess Gets Cash to Help HIV/AIDS Patients: Poughkeepsie Journal (09.18.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; John Davis; Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus recently announced the county is receiving a $103,571 federal Ryan White Minority AIDS Initiative grant. This additional funding will help us to continue to enhance and develop necessary services to help all those impacted by HIV/AIDS, said Steinhaus. Blacks account for a dis
NEW YORK: New York City Council Speaker Starts Women's Health Campaign: Associated Press (10.01.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has launched a yearlong health initiative to educate women about a number of issues, specifying a month for each health topic. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in which the importance of mammograms will be emphasized. In November, the city will focus on di
CALIFORNIA: California State-Fullerton Nurse Spreads Safe Sex Advice: University Wire (10.01.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Elisabeth Donovan, Daily Titan; The Women s Center at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) recently presented Women and Safe Sex in the 21st Century, a discussion about safe sex and pregnancy prevention. The choices that people make when they re young affect their entire lives, said Janet Emery, a nurse practitioner at the university. People
ILLINOIS: Clinic Opens amid Cheers and Protests: Chicago Tribune (10.03.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; James Kimberly; Gary Gibula; On Tuesday, a new Planned Parenthood clinic opened in Aurora in a ceremony attended by about 50 employees and supporters and about 100 abortion protesters; around a dozen police kept watch. The complex on Oakhurst and New York Streets will provide a range of reproductive health services, including STD screening, contra
GEORGIA: Feds Help Atlanta Firm Hunt for AIDS Vaccine: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.28.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Craig Schneider; Given encouraging initial data, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded a vaccine research firm $15 million to help continue investigations in a candidate HIV vaccine s development. We ve done a significant amount of testing on humans with positive results, said Don Hildebrand, president of Atlanta- ba
UNITED STATES: Viagra, Methamphetamine, and HIV Risk: Results from a Probability Sample of MSM, San Francisco: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Aug. 2007, Vol. 34; No. 8: P. 586-591 (08..07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Hilary H. Spindler, MPH; Susan Scheer, PhD, MPH; Sanny Y. Chen, MS; Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH; Mitchell H. Katz, MD; Linda A. Valleroy, PhD; Sandra K. Schwarcz, MD, MPH; The authors undertook the current study to evaluate the prevalence and factors of Viagra use in combination with crystal methamphetamine and its relationship to HIV risk behavior in a probability sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). They conducted a cross-sectional, random-digit dial telephone survey of San Franc
GLOBAL: New AIDS Drugs Will Simplify Care of Rural Children: Inter Press Service (09.28.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Adrianne Appel; Families in rural areas in particular will benefit from new child-friendly formulations of AIDS drugs, a World Health Organization official recently told a Harvard Medical School conference. The complicated dosing requirements of current AIDS drugs are the reason so few kids are on treatment outside of capitals, said
CANADA: Vancouver Safe-Injection Site Can Operate Until June Under Six-Month Extension: Canadian Press (10.02.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Stephanie Levitz; The federal government on Tuesday granted Vancouver s supervised-injection pilot project, Insite, a six-month extension to operate free from Canada s drug laws. At the site, drug users inject heroin under the supervision of a nurse, who is to ensure the injections are safe and clean. Health Canada s announcement met a
MASSACHUSETTS: State Hears Testimony on AIDS Bills: Bay Windows (Boston) (09.27.07) - Wednesday, October 03, 2007; Ethan Jacobs; On Sept. 26, the Legislature s Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on several bills that could affect HIV testing in Massachusetts and how state health agencies use the personal information of HIV/AIDS patients. Among the bills under consideration: *HB 2209 would eliminate the requirement for written infor
SOUTH AFRICA: Top Artists to Rock Johannesburg on World AIDS Day, Says Mandela: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (10.01.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Clare Byrne; Some 50,000 people are expected to attend a World AIDS Day concert on Dec. 1 at Ellis Park stadium in central Johannesburg. Former President Nelson Mandela announced the show Monday; it will benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation s 46664 AIDS charity, which bears the number he wore during 27 years as a political prisone
CANADA: Lavigne to Headline Star-Studded AIDS Benefit: Halifax Daily News (09.30.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Bernard Perusse, CanWest News Service; UNICEF s Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign will benefit from a special concert to be held on Nov. 28 in Montreal. Organizers hope the Unite Against AIDS concert will become an annual World AIDS Day event. The show at Bell Center will star Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Angelique Kidjo, Corneille, Nikki Y
ARKANSAS: More than $800,000 Coming to 2 Arkansas Cities for Abstinence Education: Associated Press (09.26.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; A school district and a community group in Arkansas will share more than $830,000 in abstinence education funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, the state s congressional delegation announced on Sept. 26. The Earle School District will receive $300,000; Lowell-based Reality Check Inc. will get $532,509
RHODE ISLAND: Increasing Number of Brown University Students Getting Tested for STDs: University Wire (09.21.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Olivia Hoffman, Brown Daily Herald; During his 22 years at Brown University Health Services, Director Edward Wheeler has seen an increase in the number of students seeking testing for STDs. Students are advocating more for their health, and they are more aware than they were five to 10 years ago about [STDs] and screening for them, he said. During 2006,
TEXAS: Senator Asks Attorney General to Weigh In on Bexar Syringe Exchange Plan: San Antonio Express-News (09.28.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Don Finley; A state senator has asked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to rule on whether a newly authorized needle exchange program (NEP) in Bexar County can be allowed to go forward. Officials in Bexar County need to have clarification that this new law allows the newly legislated pilot program to proceed as authorized, Sen. J
UNITED STATES: Hepatitis B Vaccination of Men Who Have Sex with Men Attending an Urban STD Clinic: Impact of an Ongoing Vaccination Program, 1998-2003: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Sep. 2007); Vol. 34, No. 9: P. 663-668 (09..07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Robert A. Gunn, MD, MPH; Marjorie A. Lee, MPH; Paula J. Murray, MPH; Robert A. Gilchick, MD, MPH; Harold S. Margolis, MD; The researchers undertook the current study to determine the impact of an ongoing hepatitis B vaccination service provided at an STD clinic in an urban setting. They evaluated hepatitis B vaccine acceptance, series completion, and vaccine coverage rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other clients who presen
SOUTH AFRICA: Social Workers in Short Supply in South Africa: Christian Science Monitor (Boston) (09.26.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Scott Baldauf; From handling perhaps 60-80 child welfare cases per year 10 years ago, the Roodepoort Child Welfare Society (RCWS) now sees well over 1,000 per year. In this Johannesburg suburb just north of Soweto, some children orphaned by AIDS find homes, and foster parents seek government assistance in helping to keep the children
AUSTRALIA: Abbott Urges Parents to Vaccinate Against Cervical Cancer: Australian Associated Press (09.29.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Nikki Todd; Andrew Drummond; Up to 20 percent of schoolgirls ages 12-13 are reportedly not taking advantage of Australia s free human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) program. In response, Health Minister Tony Abbott is urging parents to ensure their daughters receive the inoculation, which is free to females ages 12-26 and protects against HPV st
CANADA: Ex-Health Officials Acquitted in Canada HIV Scandal: Agence France Presse (10.02.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; On Monday, the Ontario Superior Court in Toronto acquitted four doctors and a US-based pharmaceutical firm of negligence charges for distributing contaminated blood in the worst health scandal in Canada s history. In all, more than 20,000 people contracted HIV or hepatitis C from contaminated blood products used in the
MARYLAND: Maryland Prison AIDS Cases Doubled in 2004-2005: Baltimore Sun (09.29.07) - Tuesday, October 02, 2007; Greg Garland; A new study by the US Justice Department shows Maryland leads the nation in the percentage of confirmed AIDS cases in prison. According to the report, AIDS among Maryland inmates doubled from 204 cases in 2004 to 408 in 2005. The report, which was based on statistics reported by 41 states at the end of 2005, found appr
CALIFORNIA: Taylor Honored for AIDS Activism: Los Angeles Times (09.29.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; On Thursday night in Santa Monica at the annual Macy s Passport event she helped establish, Elizabeth Taylor received the fundraiser s first Humanitarian Award for AIDS Activism. Since 1988, Passport has raised more than $25 million for AIDS prevention, services, and research. Taylor, who is 75 and uses a wheelchair, w
WISCONSIN: Annual Walk Raises $387,682 for AIDS: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (09.30.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Saturday s AIDS Walk Wisconsin in Milwaukee attracted about 3,000 participants and raised $387,682, said its sponsor, the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. The community group provides medical, dental, mental health, and social services to more than 3,000 patients regardless of their ability to pay, according to a pre
INDIANA: Fishers School Has Second Case of Hepatitis A: Indianapolis Star (09.28.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; John Tuohy; On Thursday, for the second time in September, a student at Harrison Parkway Elementary in Fishers was diagnosed with hepatitis A. The school day continued normally, but parents were sent letters explaining the disease. The student complained Wednesday of common symptoms of the infection; test results were returned Thu
MARYLAND: Towson Student Checked for Possible Tuberculosis: Baltimore Sun (09.29.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Josh Mitchell; In a mass e-mail Friday, Towson University officials notified the campus community that a student is being evaluated for possible tuberculosis. The student is not at school and will not return until the completion of testing and any necessary treatment. Officials said they have no reason to believe anyone may have been
CALIFORNIA: HPV Vaccine Not Covered by Medical Fees for San Jose State University Students: University Wire (09.26.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Leah Bigelow, Spartan Daily; Students pay medical fees for primary care as part of tuition at San Jose State University. But while the health center offers the HPV vaccine, it is not among the primary care services provided for free. If condoms cost $100, people probably wouldn t buy them either, said Pamela Plasata, a first-year nursing student.
CALIFORNIA: Needle Plan Stings Some Neighbors: San Francisco Chronicle (09.30.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; C.W. Nevius; On Wednesday evening at Hamilton United Methodist Church, upper Haight residents heatedly discussed a needle exchange program s (NEP) proposal to operate from the site. About 200 neighbors attended the meeting about the Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA) proposal, and the event became a springboard for a host of issues rega
NEW YORK: HIV Housing Demands Escalate: Gay City News (New York) (09.27.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Paul Schindler; About 250 HIV/AIDS housing advocates rallied on Sept. 25 in front of New York City Hall to press City Council and the mayor to support HASA for All. Sponsored by Council member Annabel Palma (D-18), the measure would allow asymptomatic people with HIV to access the city s HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) for hou
UNITED STATES: Pillboxes Help HIV-Positive Stick to Drug Regimens: Reuters (09.12.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Simple plastic pillbox organizers can help HIV patients improve their adherence to antiretroviral therapy, according to a study by Dr. David R. Bangsberg of San Francisco General Hospital and colleagues. Though pillboxes are inexpensive and commonly used to help patients adhere to their drug regimens, no studies had ex
CHINA: Provinces Undermine Beijing's Goals on AIDS: Washington Post (09.19.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Maureen Fan; Since 2003, China s government has promised free HIV testing and, for the poor, antiretroviral treatment. But AIDS experts and Chinese HIV patients say control and corruption inherent in a one-party system prevent national AIDS policies from gaining much traction at the local level. Some hospitals deliberately misdiagn
CANADA: Alberta Doctors Urge Government to Vaccinate Girls Against HPV: Edmonton Journal (09.29.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Jodie Sinnema; At their annual meeting in Calgary on Friday, the 8,700 members of the Alberta Medical Association voted unanimously to call on the government to quickly implement a provincial human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program. It s a really major breakthrough in health care to have this vaccine available, Dr. Michael Bow, pr
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Condoms Being Returned, Replaced by Brand Names: Washington Post (09.29.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Susan Levine; Over the last week, community organizations in the District returned as many as 70,000 city-issued condoms as the Health Department makes plans to distribute name-brand replacements. A campaign to increase condom use in the District has been marred by highly publicized complaints about the mustard- yellow packets durab
ILLINOIS: State Expands Women's Cancer Screening: Chicago Tribune (09.28.07) - Monday, October 01, 2007; Monique Garcia; Under a new initiative announced Thursday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, all uninsured women in Illinois will qualify for free breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment. The expansion of the existing Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program will potentially cover an additional 260,000 women. Beginning Oct. 1, all
LESOTHO: AIDS Awareness-Raising Tractor Arrives in Lesotho: Xinhua News Agency (09.26.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; A tractor that had trekked 15,000 miles across 17 countries to raise awareness and funds for Lesotho s AIDS orphans arrived Wednesday in Maseru, the nation s capital. My goal was to tour the world in a farm tractor and help improve the education and living situation for children in Lesotho, said German citizen Matthias
CALIFORNIA: Ladies, Check Your Health at Desert AIDS Project Fair: Desert Sun (Palm Springs) (09.27.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Judith Salkin; On Saturday, the Desert AIDS Project will sponsor its third annual Women s Health Fair at the Greenburg-Peet Family Center in Palm Springs. We re offering free HIV, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure testing [that day], said Barry Dayton, DAP s press manager. The We Care Mammogram Program and DAP s 100 Women
MICHIGAN: Singh, Benero Leading Local AIDS Walk Sunday: Lansing State Journal (09.27.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Matthew Miller; East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh and Lansing Mayor Virg Benero will serve as grand marshals for Sunday s AIDS Walk in East Lansing. The march steps off at 1 p.m. at Valley Court Park. The walk benefits the Lansing Area AIDS Network. For information, visit www.aidswalkmichigan.org.
OHIO: AIDS Walk on Saturday: Kentucky Post (Covington) (09.26.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Peggy Kreimer; The Walk to Stop AIDS takes place Saturday in Cincinnati, stepping off from Sawyer Point at 9 a.m. The five-mile walk benefits Stop AIDS, formerly known as AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati. For information, visit www.stopaidscincinnati.org or telephone 513-421-2437.
GEORGIA: Teen Jailed over TB Care Released from Jail: Associated Press (09.28.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; A teenager who was jailed because he initially refused to take treatment for active TB and threatened to return to his native Mexico has been declared no longer contagious and allowed to return to his home in Duluth. Jail records show the boy was released Wednesday into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcemen
ALABAMA: STD Cases Rising in Tuscaloosa County: University Wire (09.26.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Wilesha Taylor, Crimson White; University of Alabama; In Alabama, reported chlamydia cases rose by 35.7 percent and gonorrhea cases grew by 7.8 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to the state Department of Public Health. Those most affected by the diseases were teens ages 15-19, followed by people ages 20-24, the state reported. Last year, people ages 15-24 accounted fo
TEXAS: Nonresidents' AIDS Treatment Hits Wallets: Dallas Morning News (09.26.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Sherry Jacobson; On Tuesday, Parkland Memorial Hospital s board of managers heard that medical services for about 350 indigent HIV/AIDS patients from other counties left Dallas County taxpayers with about $283,000 in unpaid bills last year. The hospital contracts with the federal government to provide indigent HIV/AIDS patient care to
UNITED STATES: Children of HIV-Infected Parents: Custody Status in a Nationally Representative Sample: Pediatrics Vol. 120; No. 3: P. e494-e503 (09..07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Burton O. Cowgill, MPH; Megan K. Beckett, PhD; Rosalie Corona, PhD; Marc N. Elliott, PhD; Annie J. Zhou, MS; Mark A. Schuster, MD, PhD; In the current study, the authors determined the rates and predictors of custody status for children of HIV-infected parents in the United States . Data from interviews of 538 parents with 1,017 children (ages 0-17) from a nationally representative sample of HIV-positive adults receiving health care were used in the st
AUSTRALIA: Older Men Ignoring Safe Sex: Sydney Morning Herald (09.25.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Natasha Wallace; According to a new survey, four out of 10 Australian men over age 40 do not use condoms in casual relationships. The Men in Australia Telephone Survey, conducted by Andrology Australia at Monash Institute of Medical Research, polled 5,990 men in 2003. Ninety-three percent of the men said they had a regular sex partner,
RWANDA: Rwanda to Urge Male Circumcision in AIDS Fight: Reuters (09.28.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Today, a senior Health Ministry official said Rwanda will launch a program to encourage voluntary male circumcision in a bid to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. Recent figures show Rwanda has an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 3 percent, relatively low compared to neighboring countries. Studies conducted in Africa have found circum
GLOBAL: Health Fund Falls Well Short of Pledge Goal: New York Times (09.28.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; By Thursday s close of the Berlin fund-raising conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, donors had committed $9.7 billion for the coming three years. The Global Fund had hoped for between $15 billion and $18 billion to replenish grants to support existing efforts and begin helping new disease-fighti
NORTH CAROLINA: Federal Money Boosts State AIDS Program: News & Observer (Raleigh) (09.27.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Jean P. Fisher; North Carolina s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) will be able to expand for the second time in two years thanks to new federal money. An additional 200 to 300 North Carolinians with HIV/AIDS will qualify for free medicines because of the cash infusion. Under the renewed Ryan White CARE Act, North Carolina will rece
PENNSYLVANIA: State Aims to Stem Surge in Syphilis: Morning Call (Allentown) (09.24.07) - Friday, September 28, 2007; Ann Wlazelek; To combat a dramatic rise in syphilis, Pennsylvania health officials are turning to non-traditional means of finding those most at-risk. In 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available, the state Department of Health recorded 199 cases, representing a 20-year high and more than double the 78 cases in 2000
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: RAP Inc. Anniversary: Washington Post (09.27.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP) Inc., which provides substance abuse services, mental health assistance, and HIV education and treatment services, will celebrate its 38th anniversary with a free festival Sunday. Screenings for HIV and other health problems will be offered, and the African Heritage Dancers & Dru
CALIFORNIA: Financial Help for HIV-Positive Residents: Contra Costa Times (09.26.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; The Contra Costa Health Services AIDS program has been awarded a $25,000 grant to assist local residents receiving medical care for HIV. The money will be used to help pay for dental visits, insurance partnership fees and premiums, practical support, and other forms of assistance. For more information, telephone 925-31
AUSTRALIA: Australia Commits $93 Million Extra to AIDS, TB, Malaria Fund: Australian Associated Press (09.27.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Kate Corbett; Jane Bunce; Foreign Minister Alexander Downer today announced that Australia will donate an additional $93 million (US $82 million) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2008-09. Since 2004, Australia has given $75 million (US $70 million) to the fund and pledged another $45 million (US $39 million). Australia s sup
MEXICO: Mexico Supreme Court: Unconstitutional to Expel HIV- Positive Soldiers: Associated Press (09.25.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; In a ruling issued Monday, Mexico s Supreme Court stated it was unconstitutional for the military to expel five soldiers who tested positive for HIV. Being HIV-positive does not in itself imply an inability to serve in the armed forces, the justices wrote. Therefore it will be up to the military to determine, case by c
FLORIDA: School District to Push Education on HIV/AIDS: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.25.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Akilah Johnson; Broward County public school officials say health classes, particularly those dealing with HIV/AIDS, are given less emphasis than lessons aimed at helping students pass the state s standardized tests. The state has put so much emphasis on testing, but academics can t stand alone, said William Sydnor, the district s HIV
ARIZONA: Improving Life for Arizonans with HIV/AIDS: Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (09.25.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Yvonne Wingett; Arizona s Maricopa County region is receiving more federal Ryan White CARE Act funds this year due to its increasing HIV/AIDS caseload. Maricopa and Pinal counties will receive $6.8 million in Ryan White money to provide under- and uninsured people with HIV/AIDS with medical, dental, psychological, and minority outreac
IRAN: HIV Risk Behavior Among Injection Drug Users in Tehran, Iran: Addiction Vol. 102; No. 9: P. 1472-1482 (09..07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Nooshin Razani; Minoo Mohraz; Parastoo Kheirandish; Mohsen Malekinejad; Hossein Malekafzali; Azarakhsh Mokri; Willi McFarland; George Rutherford; More than 62 percent of diagnosed HIV cases in Iran are among injection drug users according to the authors, who conducted a formative study of IDUs in Tehran to explore risk behavior in the wake of recent harm reduction outreaches. The researchers conducted interviews of 40 key informants, held nine focus groups invol
MOZAMBIQUE: Shock at Archbishop Condom Claim: BBC News (09.26.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; AIDS activists in Mozambique are expressing dismay at recent comments by the nation s Catholic archbishop, who suggested some condoms made in Europe are deliberately infected with HIV. Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose, Francis
GLOBAL: Annan Asks Donors to Quadruple Backing to Global Fund: Agence France Presse (09.27.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Audrey Kauffmann; Today in Berlin, former UN chief Kofi Annan urged donors at the Sept. 26-28 grant replenishment conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to come up with $8 billion annually for the fund. This quadrupling of assistance would allow treatment and prevention programs to keep up with the diseases, Annan s
NEW JERSEY: Merck Giving Its Cervical Cancer Vaccine to Poor Countries: Associated Press (09.26.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Linda A. Johnson; On Wednesday, New Jersey-based Merck & Co. announced it will donate at least 3 million doses of its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for women in the poorest countries over the next five years. Merck announced the donation, enough for 1 million women, at the third annual Clinton Global Initiative conference in Ne
MARYLAND: STD Cases in Maryland Rise by 57 Percent: Baltimore Sun (09.22.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Capital News Service; From 1997 to 2006, chlamydia case reports in Maryland increased by 57 percent, a significant jump but possibly just the tip of the iceberg for the often-symptomless STD, a state health official said. If there were more testing, I think we d find more of it, said Barbara Conrad, the state Department of Health and Mental
CALIFORNIA: Wider HIV Testing Sought: Bill for Routine Screening Is on Governor's Desk: Sacramento Bee (09.26.07) - Thursday, September 27, 2007; Aurelio Rojas; California could soon adopt legislation that would make HIV screening a part of standard medical care. AB 682, which calls for patients 13-64 to have such tests done routinely by physicians unless they, or their caregiver, decline, passed the Legislature just one vote shy of unanimous bipartisan support. The bill is ba
ARKANSAS: Health Department Monitors Case of TB in Johnson County: Associated Press (09.24.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; The Arkansas Health Department reports that a worker at an unidentified manufacturing plant in Johnson County has been diagnosed with active TB. The worker is receiving treatment and is not an infection risk to others. Health workers will administer skin tests to the plant s other employees on Wednesday.
MARYLAND: Unvaccinated Students Barred: Washington Post (09.25.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Nelson Hernandez; About 2,300 Prince George s County students have been barred from school for failing to receive state-mandated vaccinations against chicken pox and hepatitis B. When the students arrived at school Monday, they were required to show proof they had been vaccinated or had scheduled appointments to receive the inoculations
EUROPEAN UNION: HIV Drug OK'd: Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (09.25.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Pfizer reports the European Commission has approved its AIDS drug Celsentri (maraviroc). The drug is the first in a new class of AIDS medicines; it works by blocking the CCR5 co- receptor to prevent HIV from entering healthy immune cells. A panel of European experts had recommended Celsentri s approval in July. The o
UNITED STATES: Pregnancy May Offer Some Protection Against Full-Blown AIDS: Voice of America News (09.19.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Joe De Capua; A new study says pregnancy may help protect HIV-positive women from developing AIDS. Senior author Dr. Timothy Sterling of Vanderbilt University said the study s findings for HIV- positive women taking antiretrovirals were unexpected. We found that the women who became pregnant during the study period had a lower risk
UNITED KINGDOM: Campaigners Attack UK over AIDS Funds: The Guardian (London) (09.26.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Sarah Boseley; On Tuesday, AIDS advocates accused the British government of reneging on its pledge to triple by 2010 the amount of assistance it would contribute to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The advocates, including the charities Oxfam, Action Aid, and US groups, are concerned the lower offer announced yesterday
GLOBAL: Text of President Bush's Remarks Tuesday at UN General Assembly: Associated Press (09.25.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Following is an excerpt from the speech given Tuesday by President George W. Bush at the UN General Assembly; transcription by CQ Transcripts. Many in this hall are bringing the spirit of generosity to fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria. Five years ago in sub-Saharan Africa, an AIDS diagnosis was widely considered a death s
GLOBAL: UNICEF Calls for AIDS Prevention for Youth: Agence France Presse (09.25.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; On Wednesday and Thursday in Berlin, a major donor meeting is taking place to collect pledges for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Participants at the conference include the United Nations, G-8 nations, and non-governmental agencies. In one of the funding scenarios envisioned, the Global Fund estimates it
GLOBAL: Billions Needed for AIDS Drugs: San Francisco Chronicle (09.26.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Sabin Russell; The G-8 leaders endorsement of universal treatment for HIV/AIDS by 2010 is not on track given current levels of aid, according to a new UNAIDS report. Two years ago, leaders of the wealthy Group of Eight forum pledged in Gleneagles, Scotland, to help meet that goal. But while vast sums are being raised to fight HIV/AID
CALIFORNIA: This Is Gonna Sting a Little: San Francisco Chronicle (09.21.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Victoria Colliver; Faced with a growing number of recommended vaccines whose costs are rising, and squeezed by inadequate insurance reimbursements, one Bay Area practice told its 1,800 Blue Shield of California patients that it expects up-front payment for four immunizations: the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the rotavirus vacci
MICHIGAN: Bill May License Tattoo Parlors: Detroit News (09.21.07) - Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Gary Heinlein; The Michigan Department of Community Health would be put in charge of licensing tattoo parlors under a bill approved by the Senate Health Policy Committee and now being considered by the full Senate. The measure would also require local health departments to inspect the businesses on a yearly basis. Unsafe tattoo pract
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Make Informed Decision About HPV Vaccine: Washington Times (09.25.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Lawmakers in the District of Columbia and Virginia recently voted to require school girls to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, certain strains of which cause most cases of cervical cancer. Tonight in Washington, a forum entitled Protecting Our Girls will seek to answer parents questions about the immunization
MARYLAND: Grant for HIV Testing Spreads State's Reach: Washington Times (09.25.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; A new $2.7 million grant from CDC, announced Monday by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, will help triple the number of HIV tests performed on African Americans in the state. The money will be used to develop new testing programs for persons who do not access conventional testing and counseling prog
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Australian League Players Spread HIV/AIDS Message in PNG: Australian Associated Press (09.22.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; This past weekend, several top players from the Australian rugby league visited Papua New Guinea to compete in the prime minister s invitational match and to speak out against AIDS and violence against women. I think it s important to talk about sex, to talk about relationships, that we treat women right, said coach M
EUROPEAN UNION: GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix Gets European Approval: Wall Street Journal (09.24.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Elena Berton; Cervarix, GlaxoSmithKline PLC s human papillomavirus vaccine, has been approved for sale across the European Union, the company said Monday. In July, a panel of experts convened by the European Medicines Agency issued a favorable recommendation for the drug. The indication is based on data from clinical trials involvin
WISCONSIN: Schools Try to Balance Morals, Sex Education: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (09.24.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Lisa Sink; A survey of Milwaukee-area school districts found that several are not defining oral sex to middle-school students or explaining it is illegal for minors and can lead to STDs. According to Detective Sgt. Jeff Vahsholtz of the Cedarburg police, some youths may choose to have oral sex because they think it is safer than
UNITED STATES: Anogenital Warts Knowledge and Counseling Practices of US Clinicians: Results from a National Survey: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 9: P. 644-652 (09..07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Zsakeba Henderson, MD; Kathleen L. Irwin, MD, MPH; Daniel E. Montano, PhD; Danuta Kasprzyk, PhD; Linda Carlin, PhD; April Greek, PhD; Crystal Freeman, PhD, MPH; Rheta Barnes, MSN, MPH; Nidhi Jain, MD, MPH; The authors undertook the current study to examine the messages clinicians in the United States use when counseling patients diagnosed with anogenital warts. In mid-2004, a confidential survey was mailed to a nationally representative sample of physicians practicing internal and adolescent medicine, family/general prac
CHINA: Voluntary HIV Testing for Gay Students: China Daily (Beijing) (09.20.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Shan Juan; According to the Beijing Times, gay college students in Beijing are being offered 50 yuan ($6.50 US) and free medical treatments to undergo voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV. So far, more than 100 homosexual students at schools such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Renmin University of
CANADA: Pediatricians Group Backs HPV Vaccine for Girls: Ottawa Citizen (09.25.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Maria Kubacki; On Monday, the Canadian Pediatric Society endorsed vaccinating girls ages 9-13 against human papillomavirus (HPV). Gardasil, the HPV vaccine approved last year in Canada for females ages 9-26, is a very safe, efficacious and exciting vaccine, said Dr. Lindy Samson, lead author of the society s position paper on routine
WISCONSIN: State Initiatives Aim to Help Uninsured Patients with HIV: Wausau Daily Herald (09.23.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Amy Olson; AIDS advocates in Wisconsin are hoping the state Legislature is ready to pass a set of initiatives to provide low-income, uninsured HIV/AIDS patients with better health care for less money. The Legislature is drafting a pilot measure that would provide some HIV/AIDS patients with a health insurance plan for medical car
FLORIDA: Feds Look at Fraud in Area's Soaring HIV/AIDS Billing: Palm Beach Post (09.22.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Larry Lipman; In the last half of 2006, Medicare-eligible HIV/AIDS patients in three Florida counties accounted for 79 percent of nationwide program billing for HIV/AIDS drugs and 37 percent of services, according to a new federal report. That is despite the fact that just 10 percent of US HIV/AIDS patients on Medicare live in Palm
SOUTH CAROLINA: Wait for HIV/AIDS Drugs in South Carolina Ends: The State (Columbia) (09.22.07) - Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Czerne M. Reid; In June, South Carolina s Legislature approved $3 million annually and a one-time amount of $1 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Previously, South Carolina had given only $500,000, the lowest contribution of any state. The funds enabled hundreds of South Carolinians to get off the waiting list and ga
GEORGIA: Forum Highlights Local Clinical Trials of HIV/AIDS Treatments: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.21.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Laura Douglas-Brown; On Thursday, Sept. 27, the Atlanta-based AIDS Survival Project will present a forum at which an expert panel will discuss the latest local clinical trials for HIV/AIDS treatment or prevention. Panelists will include representatives from Emory University s HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vacc
GEORGIA: Tests Show Four Students Don't Have TB: Macon Telegraph (09.24.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; At Sprayberry High School in Marietta, where a teacher is suspected of having TB, four students who tested positive for exposure have been determined not to have the disease. The negative diagnosis was made based on chest X-rays after the four had a positive reaction to skin tests, said Jay Dillon, district spokesperso
CALIFORNIA: Maxygen Drug Program for Hepatitis C with Roche Placed on Hold Because of Preliminary Results: Associated Press (09.21.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Redwood, Calif.-based Maxygen Inc. on Friday said the development of its hepatitis C drug candidate MAXY-alpha (R7025) has been put on hold by its partner, Roche. In evaluating preliminary results from an early-stage clinical trial, researchers noted an unanticipated decline in the drug s effects among most subjects wh
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea's Seoul to Propose Inclusion of AIDS Patients in Disability Act: Xinhua News Agency (09.20.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; In November, city officials in Seoul plan to propose expanding the state s disabilities act to cover people with AIDS. Organizing and financing health care services for the AIDS patients have become important health policy concerns a city official said. As the burden of fighting the disease solely falls on the patients
UGANDA: Uganda to Begin Producing ARVs: Xinhua News Agency (09.21.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; On Friday, Uganda s Daily Monitor quoted a senior health official as saying the country would start producing generic antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) next month. ARV shipments from abroad can take six months to arrive, potentially causing shortages of the drugs for patients who must take them daily, said Sam Zaramba, direc
CANADA: Estimating the Number Needed to Vaccinate to Prevent Diseases and Death Related to Human Papillomavirus Infection: Canadian Medical Journal Vol. 177; No. 5: P. 464-468 (08.28.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Marc Brisson, PhD; Nicolas Van de Velde, MSc; Philippe De Wals, MD, PhD; Marie-Claude Boily, PhD; A vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 is now licensed for use in Canada and many other countries, explained the authors of the current study, which sought to estimate the number needed to vaccinate to prevent HPV-related diseases and death. The researchers developed a cohort model of the
CANADA: Parents, Experts Fear HPV Program Has Been Fast- Tracked: Hamilton Spectator (09.17.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Helen Branswell, Canadian Press; The decision by the governments of Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island to offer HPV vaccinations to girls has met with controversy. Some commentators have asked why HPV made it to the publicly funded list so quickly, while others wonder about side effects. In a commentary publishe
CANADA: British Columbia STD Cases Double in a Decade: Edmonton Journal (09.22.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Doug Ward; Glenn Bohn; According to the British Columbia Center for Disease Control, the province saw some 9,100 new cases of chlamydia last year, compared to 4,100 reported cases in 1997. Reported gonorrhea cases rose to more than 1,000 last year, compared to 455 cases ten years ago. Officials say the number of British Columbia residents te
AFRICA: West Africa: Rural Areas Need AIDS Services, Researchers Say: Inter Press Service (09.16.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Fulgence Zamble; According to Bonfo Bassirou, an Ivory Coast researcher for the Swiss Center for Scientific Research, rural areas of Ivory Coast have only sporadic HIV/AIDS campaigns with little follow up. By contrast, urban areas have resources for circulating prevention messages, providing testing and managing HIV/AIDS. Today, the r
ILLINOIS: Governor Grants $2.5 Million to HIV/AIDS Group: Windy City Times (Chicago) (09.19.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has announced $2.55 million in grants to 17 community-based HIV/AIDS housing organizations statewide. The funds will be used to provide lodging and meals to residents; for rehabilitation and facility repairs; and for supportive services such as case management, mental health counseling, an
NEW YORK: Law Not Affecting HIV Testing: Times Union (Albany) (09.18.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Cathleen F. Crowley; New York s law requiring the names of HIV-positive individuals to be submitted to the state is not discouraging people from getting tested, according to a study by the Department of Health s AIDS Institute. Most people didn t even know we had names-based reporting, said James Tesoriero, the institute s director of prog
UNITED STATES: Failure of Vaccine Is Setback in AIDS Fight: New York Times (09.22.07) - Monday, September 24, 2007; Lawrence K. Altman; Andrew Pollack; On Friday, Merck & Co. announced that an independent interim analysis of its HIV vaccine candidate MRKAd5 found it neither prevented nor curbed HIV infection in participants in a Phase II trial. Thus the trial, which began in 2004 and involved 3,000 uninfected volunteers mostly from the
COLORADO: Colorado State University Wins $3.7 Million for Drug Research: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (09.19.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Erika Gonzalez; On Tuesday, Colorado State University was awarded $3.7 million as part of a $280 million commitment by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the development of tuberculosis treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics. The university will use $1.1 million to identify the best drug-testing methods and conduct an e
FLORIDA: Student Has Tuberculosis: Orlando Sentinel (09.20.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; The Polk County Health Department said Wednesday that a student at Auburndale High School is being treated for TB. Those people whose prolonged exposure to the student might put them at risk of infection are being notified and will be offered free testing at the school on Oct. 9.
TEXAS: People Exposed to Sick Driver Awarded $5.25 Million: Associated Press (09.20.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; On Wednesday, a jury in the town of Alice ordered Garcia Holiday Tours to pay $5.25 million to six high school band members and a chaperone who contracted latent TB infections from an ailing bus driver. Alice High School hired the company to transport the band to San Antonio for its year-end trip in the spring of 2004.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabweans Turn to Cheaper Herbal Remedies as AIDS Drug Costs Soar: Voice of America News (09.17.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Carole Gombakomba; As Zimbabwe s out-of-control inflation drives up the price of necessities, some patients unable to afford HIV treatment are abandoning antiretrovirals in favor of the traditional Gundamiti herb. The cost of a month s worth of triple- combination ARV treatment has soared from $12 million (US $400) two months ago to $25
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Witnesses Rise in AIDS Cases: Xinhua News Agency (09.21.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; The number of AIDS cases is up sharply in Mozambique , according to Health Minister Ivo Garrido. In the central provinces of Manica and Sofala, the majority of people in hospitals are being treated for HIV-related conditions. Among those ages 15 to 49, HIV prevalence is 19.7 percent in Manica, 26.5 percent in Sofala, a
GEORGIA: Cobb School's Nurses to Meet with Parents About TB Threat: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.21.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Bill Hendrick; Diane R. Stepp; Screening conducted after a teacher was suspected of having an active TB infection has determined that four Sprayberry High School students were exposed to the disease. Cobb County health officials conducted initial skin tests on almost 180 students and staff Tuesday, and the results were read Thursday. To ensure they
WISCONSIN: Speakers at University of Wisconsin Discuss Living with AIDS: University Wire (09.20.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Pedro Oliveira Jr., Badger Herald; University of Wisconsin students recently gathered to promote safe sexual practices and raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Speakers discussed their experiences living with HIV/AIDS and stressed the importance of HIV/AIDS education and education in general. The lectures were part of a weeklong event sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha
KANSAS: University of Kansas Health Professionals Discuss HPV, Vaccine Gardasil: University Wire (09.12.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Dylan Sands, University Daily Kansan; At the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Emily Taylor Women s Resource Center and the Watkins Health Center recently presented a seminar on the prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV). Critical Conversations: What Everyone Needs to Know About the HPV Vaccine dealt with the STD and the vaccine Gardasil, which preve
FLORIDA: Teachers Mixed on Revamped Sex Ed: Florida Today (Brevard County) (09.18.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Kate Brennan; In August, the school board approved an abstinence-plus sex education curriculum for Brevard County high schools. Teachers, however, remain divided on the scope of the revised 12-lesson curriculum. On Monday, 40 health and physical education teachers met for professional development, which included training on the new
AFRICA: HIV Prevention Could Save Millions in Africa: Study: Reuters (09.18.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Maggie Fox; A new study predicts that with proper demographic targeting and counseling, a pill taken daily to prevent HIV infection could thwart 3 million new cases in southern sub-Saharan Africa over 10 years. Studies of the HIV drug tenofovir in monkeys suggest it could be used as pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrEP). If yo
THAILAND: STDs Are Spreading Fast Among School Girls: The Nation (Bangkok) (09.19.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; A survey of 13,429 students in 24 Thai provinces showed that more than 50 percent of the group did not use condoms during sex, which could put them at risk of infectious diseases. Somyot Kittimunkong, head of the AIDS Cluster Division, said most vocational school girls sampled had gonococcal urethritis. Somyot said the
EUROPEAN UNION: EU Medicine Experts Recommend Lifting Temporary Ban on Roche's HIV Drug: Associated Press (09.20.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said Thursday that it backs allowing Roche Holding AG to sell Viracept again, lifting a temporary EU ban. EMEA said the company had corrected manufacturing problems that caused some batches to be contaminated with too much ethyl mesilate, which can damage DNA and possibly trigger ca
NEW YORK: New York Just Says No to Abstinence Funding: New York Times (09.21.07) - Friday, September 21, 2007; Jennifer Medina; On Thursday, New York s health commissioner announced the state is rejecting federal abstinence-only education funding, joining at least 10 other states that have done so. Abstinence-only sex education has done little to prevent teen pregnancies in New York, part of the reason for its support being cut, said Commission
CANADA: AIDS Walk for Life Slated for Sunday: Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick) (09.20.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Sandra Davis; AIDS Saint John will hold its 14th annual AIDS Walk for Life Sunday at Market Square/Harbor Passage. Julie Dingwell, the organization s executive director, said the money raised will be used to support local AIDS services and programs. The event is part of Canada s AIDS Walk for Life, in which communities across the co
GEORGIA: How to Tell Girls 'Puberty Rocks': Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.20.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; On Sept. 28, Dr. Kay Entrekin will hold a forum on talking to pre-teen and teenage girls about sex, puberty, and peer pressure. In a discussion titled Puberty Rocks, the OB/GYN and mother of two daughters will discuss opening communication lines with teens and answer parents questions on the topic. Your children will h
WASHINGTON: Students Become Educators for AIDS Walk: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (09.19.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Mary Swift; On Sept. 29, Seattle-area residents will hold the 21st annual Seattle AIDS Walk at Volunteer Park, where individuals and teams will walk to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and funds for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. The alliance works to prevent HIV and provides food, housing and insurance assistance for people with HIV/AIDS. F
NEW YORK: NYC Report Shows More Gang Crimes and Homelessness: Associated Press (09.19.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Sara Kugler; New York City released its annual Mayor s Management Report, which tracks data from every city agency for the recently ended fiscal year, on Wednesday. The report found an increase in gang-motivated crimes (up 29 percent) and in the number of families and single adults entering city shelters for the homeless. Syphilis
GEORGIA: AIDS Survival Project in Dispute over Ryan White Funds: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.14.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Zack Hudson; An Atlanta peer counseling treatment-adherence program has been denied federal Ryan White funding for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, totaling more than $200,000, due to policy requirements governing such programs. But according to the AIDS Survival Project (ASP), its Peer 2 Adhere (P2A) program should be eligible to recei
CALIFORNIA: Chlamydia Rate in Fresno County Still High: Fresno Bee (09.16.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Farin Montanez; Fresno County had nearly 5,300 chlamydia reports in 2006, according to preliminary California Department of Health Services estimates. If the early data hold, the figures will not be finalized until next year, the county would have the state s highest chlamydia rate, at 581.9 cases per 100,000 residents compared to the
UNITED STATES: Data Show Wider Protection by Merck's Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Associated Press (09.19.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Linda A. Johnson; The vaccine that prevents infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV) strains that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts offers at least some protection against 10 more strains, researchers told the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago. Altogether, the new dat
THAILAND: Ministry Rejects Use of Vaccine: The Nation (Thailand) (09.18.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Pongphon Sarnsamak; Thailand s Public Health Ministry says it will not register the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) for its national vaccine program because it is too expensive. The HPV vaccine protects against strains of the STD that cause most cases of cervical cancer. Disease Control Department Director-General Dr. Thawat Su
CHINA: Beijing Registers Leap in New HIV/AIDS Cases: Xinhua News Agency (09.20.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; The Beijing city government today announced that the number of new HIV/AIDS cases recorded during the first six months of 2007 - 563 - is up 50 percent from the same period in 2006. Most of the new cases were among young or middle-age people, and new cases among males outnumbered those among females, said Zhao Tao, chi
CANADA: Haven from Life in Hell: Toronto Star (09.15.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Petti Fong; Insite, Vancouver s supervised injection site in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood, opened four years ago this month with support from all levels of government. Vancouver and the provincial government of British Columbia still back the project, but there are concerns that Ottawa might pull its support. The previous Li
CANADA: Toronto Catholic Trustees Approve Cancer Vaccine for Female Students: Toronto Star (09.20.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Megan Ogilvie; Last night after a two-hour debate, the Toronto Catholic District School Board voted 9-3 in favor of allowing a provincial human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program to proceed in its 168 elementary schools. Trustees also voted to lobby the federal and provincial governments to expand the program to all female students
UNITED STATES: Study: Meth Still Has Appeal: Tucson Citizen (09.19.07) - Thursday, September 20, 2007; Gannett News Service; A survey of US high school students found that many would try methamphetamine, according to data released Tuesday. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based nonprofit Meth Project commissioned the research, which was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media March 16 through June 6. Surveyors interviewed 2,602 students ages 12
NEW YORK: Mount Vernon's Annual Arts Festival this Weekend: Journal News (White Plains) (09.18.08) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Desiree Grand; This weekend s Arts on Third Festival in Mount Vernon s Third Street area will feature art, food, entertainment, and a potentially life-saving message about HIV/AIDS. Organizers have decided to use the event to highlight the growing HIV infection rates among Latinas and African-American women. Arts on Third is taking o
ARIZONA: Arizona TB Patient Released from Hospital: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (09.19.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Tillie Fong; A multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patient who refused precautionary infectious-disease control measures while in Arizona has been successfully treated at Denver s National Jewish Hospital. After lung surgery and two months of antibiotic treatment, the patient is not contagious at all, William Allstetter, a hospital spo
MALAWI: 20,000 Malawi Children Get Free AIDS Drugs: Official: Agence France Presse (09.19.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Today in Blantyre, a senior Malawian official said close to 20,000 children are now receiving antiretrovirals to fight HIV/AIDS. In addition to upping the distribution of AIDS drugs, the government has accelerated efforts to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, said Mary Shaba, permanent secretary for HIV/AIDS and
LOUISIANA: AIDS Clinic Expands Hours: Times-Picayune (09.15.08) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Valerie Faciane; New Orleans NO/AIDS Task Force has announced an expansion of operating hours for its primary care clinic. We were planning on expanding the clinic, but [Hurricane] Katrina accelerated that process, said Noel Twilbeck, executive director. After the strike from the massive Gulf hurricane, NO/AIDS received a burst of supp
UNITED STATES: Pfizer Touts Successful Tests on New Anti-AIDS Drug: Agence France Presse (09.19.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Yesterday, US-based pharmaceutical maker Pfizer reported encouraging results from a 48-week study of its HIV drug Selzentry (maraviroc). Approved in August by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), Selzentry is the first drug in a new class, CCR5 antagonists, designed to block HIV s entry into human T-cells.
UNITED STATES: Johnson & Johnson Says Prezista Matches Kaletra in HIV Trial: Reuters (09.18.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Ransdell Pierson; Johnson & Johnson s Prezista was as effective as Abbott Laboratories Inc. s Kaletra in reducing HIV to undetectable levels in a population of treatment-na�ve patients, according to a new study. The results of the late-stage trial were presented Tuesday at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and
BRAZIL: Doctors Report Breakthrough Antibiotic Treatment for TB: Agence France Presse (09.18.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Jean-Louis Santini; In a study of more than 170 TB patients in Rio de Janeiro, substituting moxifloxacin for ethambutol in combination therapy improved treatment outcomes and shortened the time to disease clearance. The Brazilian-US research team presented its data Tuesday at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Ch
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Children Infected with HIV in Public Hospitals: Agence France Presse (09.17.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; South African medical experts and activists on Monday warned that poor infection controls in public hospitals have caused dozens of babies to become infected with HIV. Treatment Action Campaign spokesperson Mark Heywood said he was aware of more than 40 such infections. The overall lack of inspection control policies,
CANADA: Catholic Schools Debate HPV Vaccine: Ottawa Citizen (09.19.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Tom Blackwell; Katie Rook; Ontario s Catholic education boards are considering whether to allow eighth-grade girls in their schools to receive the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), an STD that is the cause of most cervical cancer cases. Last night, the Halton board voted 4-3 to let public health officials administer the vaccine in boar
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Teaching Youth to Prevent HIV and AIDS in D.C.: Voice of America News (09.11.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; V�ronica LaCapra; It can be hard to make HIV/AIDS relevant to teens in the District of Columbia, says Adam Tenner, executive director of Metro TeenAIDS, a D.C.-based organization dedicated to preventing HIV among local youths. In the District, an estimated one in 50 residents has AIDS, and up to one in 20 has HIV. However, high rates of
GLOBAL: Gates Foundation Adds $280 Million to TB Fight: Seattle Times (09.18.07) - Wednesday, September 19, 2007; Sandi Doughton; On Tuesday, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced its largest package of grants ever to combat tuberculosis globally. With the new $280 million commitment, the foundation brings its total spending on TB research to $740 million. The goal is to translate promising scientific leads into tools that can save mi
MICHIGAN: AIDS Walk Focuses on Need for Funding: Detroit News (09.17.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Mike Wilkinson; Sunday s AIDS Walk Detroit was anticipated to attract 4,000 people and raise $300,000. It used to be just about raising money [for patient care], said Charlotte Paul, executive director of Steppin Out, which has produced the walk since 1991. Now we re here to educate people about [HIV/AIDS]. Organizers worry in particu
UTAH: AIDS Walk Keeps Memories Alive: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (09.16.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Natalie Hale; Nineteen years after its first such event was held, the Utah AIDS Foundation gathered supporters Saturday for its annual walkathon. In the beginning it was more about the fundraiser, said David Ferguson, the foundation s programming director. Now it s a reunion in some ways. More than 250 people took part in this year
MALAWI: AIDS-Ravaged Malawi Donates Maize to WFP to Help Sufferers: Agence France Presse (09.17.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; World Food Program said last week it had received from Malawi a donation of 10,425 metric tons of maize worth $1.8 million. The contribution will ensure that tens of thousands of vulnerable Malawians continue to receive crucial food assistance until the end of 2007, said Dom Scalpelli, WFP s director in Malawi. Food i
IDAHO: Syphilis Outbreak May Be Over Soon: Idaho Press-Tribune (Nampa) (09.09.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Sharon Strauss; Over the past few years, Southwest District Health (SDH) officials have had to contend with a syphilis outbreak that has infected seven newborns. Prior to 2003, four syphilis reports per year were typical in Adams, Washington, Payette, Owyhee, Gem, and Canyon counties. But in 2003, there were 38 cases reported, mostly
BOTSWANA: The Dynamics of Intergenerational Sexual Relationships: The Experience of Schoolgirls in Botswana: Sexual Health Vol. 4; No. 3: P. 181-187 (08..07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Josephine Nkosana; Doreen Rosenthal; Studies conducted in several sub-Saharan African countries have revealed that women and girls engage in intergenerational sexual relationships without the protection of condoms, giving cause for concern about HIV transmission. These relationships often occur against the girls will and for many reasons, including reaso
INDONESIA: Indonesia Faces Rising Tide of HIV: Voice of America News (09.12.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Trish Anderton; According to the UN, nearly 1 million Asians contract HIV each year. The virus is spreading quickly in Indonesia , mainly through prostitution. Hotline Surabaya, an organization in Indonesia s sex capital, Surabaya, helps sex workers find new employment, and it teaches about and tests for HIV. Esthi Susanti Sudiono, he
CHINA: China Hemophiliacs Face Dangerous Shortage of Drug: Reuters (09.14.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; The Beijing News recently reported that some hemophiliacs in China have died because of a severe shortage of an effective hemophilia drug - a shortage blamed on China s efforts to clean up its unsafe blood supply. The shortage of factor 8, a protein necessary for blood clotting, has endangered tens of thousands of pati
CANADA: Catholic Board May Ban Nurses from Giving HPV Shots: Hamilton Spectator (09.18.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Carmela Fragomeni; Tonight, Catholic board trustees will consider a resolution to ban Halton s public health nurses from offering or administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to young girls in its schools. The vaccine against the sexually transmitted virus is being offered to eighth-grade girls in Ontario as a way to prevent c
CANADA: Auditor General Orders HPV Ads Pulled: The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo) (09.18.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Kerry Gillespie; Auditor General Jim McCarter has pulled radio and print ads about an Ontario program to vaccinate eighth-grade girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) until after the Oct. 10 election. In his decision, McCarter said the ads violate rules about what government advertising is permitted during an election. The spots will
CALIFORNIA: Assembly, Senate Pass 962 Bills: Los Angeles Times (09.16.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Nancy Vogel; Before adjourning Sept. 12, the California Legislature passed nearly a thousand bills, among them measures to normalize HIV testing and promote human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must veto or sign the measures into law by Oct. 21. Among the measures passed is AB 1429, which would require
NEW YORK: New York to Force Quicker HIV Tests of Sex-Crime Suspects: Journal News (White Plains) (09.17.07) - Tuesday, September 18, 2007; Terence Corcoran; Beginning Nov. 1, suspects indicted for sex crimes such as rape in New York could be forced to undergo court-ordered HIV testing. Test results would be shared only with the alleged defendant and assault survivor, said Kevin Wright, Putnam County district attorney. With the HIV test results in hand, a survivor could dec
KENTUCKY: Bishops OK Anti-Viral Vaccine: Courier Journal (Louisville) (09.14.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Peter Smith; Kentucky s Roman Catholic bishops, in a recent statement released by the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, said it is morally responsible and acceptable to vaccinate girls against several strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, which is linked to cervical cancer. The bishops also called for policies to
MARYLAND: 3,300 Face Ban if Proof of Shots Not Given Soon: Washington Post (09.14.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Nelson Hernandez; About 3,300 students in the Prince George s County school system have until Sept. 20 to show proof they have received state-mandated immunizations for chickenpox and hepatitis B or that they have an appointment to receive the immunizations within 20 days. Otherwise they are barred from school, said school system spokes
ILLINOIS: Anti-Syphilis Campaign Gets Noticed: Chi-Town Daily News (09.11.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Sarah Arkin; Officials involved with a $145,000 campaign to promote syphilis awareness in Chicago say the effort is paying off as a growing number of people are visiting a Web site and phoning a hotline for more information. The campaign is a project of the Syphilis Elimination Task Force, a partnership between the Chicago Departme
UNITED STATES: Crack Addicts Settle into Long Addictions, Wright State University Study Says: Dayton Daily News (Ohio) (09.06.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Tom Beyerlein; A new study suggests that crack cocaine addicts, like abusers of alcohol or heroin, typically fall into addictive patterns that persist for years. It appears that crack cocaine pretty much unfolds along the same path [as alcoholism], said lead author Russel Falck of Wright State University s Boonshoft School of Medicin
SOUTH AFRICA: Plea for Work Security for HIV-Positive: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.13.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Linda Ensor; During a recent public hearing on workplace discrimination by Parliament s labor portfolio committee, the AIDS Law Project (ALP) proposed an amendment to the Employment Equity Act that would mandate adopting HIV workplace policies. ALP has also argued against any easing of labor laws regarding disciplinary action and d
MALAWI: Fish Versus AIDS: The Economist (London) (09.01.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; The nonprofit Malaysia-based WorldFish Center has helped 1,200 families in southern Malawi who have lost an income-earner to HIV/AIDS to dig and run fish ponds. The country relies heavily on subsistence farming but HIV/AIDS, erratic rain, overpopulation, and soil erosion have taken their toll on farmers. Malawi s main
AFRICA: Researchers Say Africa's Declining HIV/AIDS Prevalence Dangerous: Xinhua News Agency (09.17.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; On the sidelines of a reproductive health conference in Nairobi over the weekend, an expert warned that reductions in HIV/AIDS figures in some African countries are likely the result of more people dying of the disease rather than effective campaigns to reduce the number of new infections. Dr. Joachim Osur, senior repr
GLOBAL: Taiwan Asks WHO to Help Close Disease Control 'Gap': Reuters (09.14.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; On Friday, Taiwan asked for World Health Organization help to close a gap in disease control. The statement concerned poor monitoring of health risks on the island, which is not a member of WHO. Because China considers the self-ruled island a renegade province,
KENYA: HIV Loosens Tribe's Taboo on Circumcision: Washington Post (09.07.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Craig Timberg; Members of Kenya s Luo tribe are contracting HIV and dying of AIDS at a rate higher than the rest of the country. Whereas roughly one in 17 Kenyan adults has HIV, one in five Luo adults has the virus. Studies have shown that male circumcision significantly lessens the likelihood of female-to-male HIV transmission. The
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Two Council Members Urge Repeal of Law: Washington Post (09.14.07) - Monday, September 17, 2007; Nikita Stewart; Two D.C. Council members have called for repealing the law that requires girls entering sixth grade to have the human papillomavirus vaccine. The legislation, passed in April and signed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), calls for immunizations to be given by fall 2009. Council Members Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Mur
PERU: Peru's Blood Banks Under Scrutiny Following HIV Scare: Agence France Presse (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; On Thursday, Peru s Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said Peru s 240 blood banks would undergo more exhaustive evaluations than had been previously conducted. He noted that evaluations since the start of the year had led to the closing of 30 blood banks. The announcement followed a firestorm of criticism after reports t
CALIFORNIA: A World Away: Sacramento Bee (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Members of Sun River Church in Rancho Cordova have partnered with World Vision to assemble 1,000 caregiver kits for African AIDS patients. The kits cost $25 each to produce and are a way for families and communities to help those affected by the pandemic, a church spokesperson said. World Vision provides some 40,000 vo
NEW YORK: Tuberculosis Suspected in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Student: Times Union (Albany) (09.14.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; On Thursday, officials at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced that a student living off campus has a suspected case of tuberculosis infection. Rensselaer County and state health departments said tests to confirm the TB diagnosis are not yet complete. The student is in isolation, receiving treatment, and remains
WASHINGTON: 'Drug Czar' in Seattle to Kick Off Anti-Meth Media Blitz: Seattle Times (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; David Bowermaster; John Walters, the White House National Drug Control policy director, was at the central Seattle Public Library on Thursday to launch a nine-state, $10 million anti- methamphetamine campaign. We are trying to say, one, don t start [using meth], and two, if you re in trouble, get help, Walters said at the news conference
MICHIGAN: Number of Teens with HIV/AIDS On the Rise: Daily Tribune (Royal Oak) (09.14.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Catherine Kavanaugh; Young adults ages 13-19 make up an increasing proportion of Oakland County HIV/AIDS cases, from 13 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available. The increase is significant, scary, and it means youths are not getting the message to protect themselves, said Joy Schumacher, who b
PHILIPPINES: The Role of a Regular Sex Partner in Sexually Transmitted Infections and Re-infections: Results from the Study of Female Entertainment Establishment Workers in the Philippines: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 8: P. 534-540 (08..07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Chi Chiao, PhD; Donald E. Morisky, ScD; The researchers objective in the current study was to understand the association between living with a regular sex partner, risk-taking behaviors, and one s history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Using a large-scale participatory research survey, they obtained data on sexual behavior and STI history from 87
CANADA: Law Protects Emergency Workers: Edmonton Journal (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Duncan Thorne; The provincial government of Alberta has passed the Mandatory Testing and Disclosure Act, which requires compulsory testing of people who expose police, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency workers to bodily fluids. The law takes effect Oct. 1, and mandates testing for HIV and other communicable diseases. The
CONGO: AIDS Activist Accuses UN, Western Nations of Ignoring Congo Sexual Abuse: Voice of America News (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Nick Wadhams; A holocaust of horror is being inflicted upon women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the UN and Western nations are largely ignoring the crisis, according to Stephen Lewis, the former UN special envoy on AIDS in Africa. Unlike the humanitarian disaster in Sudan s Darfur province, which has attracted t
ASIA-PACIFIC: WHO Calls for Urgent Action Against Multidrug- Resistant TB: Agence France Presse (09.12.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; In South Korea on Wednesday, a senior World Health Organization official called on Asia-Pacific nations to help fight increasing outbreaks of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the region. Shigeru Omi, WHO s regional director for the Western Pacific, also said member nations must act imm
GLOBAL: TB On the Rise Among International Adoptees: Reuters (09.13.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Anne Harding; As international adoptions increase, TB diagnoses in the infants are also rising, underscoring the importance of screening this population, a new study revealed. Between 1989 and 2005, international adoptions tripled, especially from resource-constrained parts of the former Soviet Union and China . These ch
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Officials, Groups Agree to Discard District's Brand: Washington Post (09.14.07) - Friday, September 14, 2007; Susan Levine; Yesterday in a meeting, Health Department Director Gregg A. Pane and representatives of organizations participating in the District s condom giveaway campaign agreed that the unpopular D.C.-branded condom must go if their initiative is to be successful. The priority is getting a condom in people s hands that they re wi
CHINA: China to Introduce Compulsory Tests for Every Batch of Blood Products from 2008: Xinhua News Agency (09.12.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; China s State Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that every batch of blood products in the nation will be screened beginning on Jan. 1, 2008. At present, only a portion of blood and biological products are required to be tested, said SFDA spokesperson Yan Jiangying. In the future, samples from every batch o
CANADA: Donation Means Condoms for All on University of British Columbia Campus: Edmonton Journal (09.13.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; CanWest News Service; Responding to an increase in STDs on the campus since the mid- 1990s, a manufacturer has donated 25,000 condoms to the University of British Columbia as part of a one-year pilot project. The condoms will be distributed at dorms and other campus locations. Dr. Patricia Mirwaldt, director of UBC Student Health services,
UNITED STATES: Life Expectancy at a New High for Americans: Washington Times (09.13.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Jennifer Harper; Average life expectancy for Americans has hit an all-time high of almost 78 years, according to a new CDC report. From 2004 to 2005, life expectancy for blacks increased from 73.1 to 73.2; meanwhile, the figure for whites held steady at 78.3. Deaths due to HIV/AIDS fell during the period from 13,063 to 12,456. The Dist
NEBRASKA: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Health Center Sees Increases in HPV Vaccine Numbers: University Wire (09.11.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Sarah Tenorio, Daily Nebraskan, University of Nebraska; Since last year, 306 students have received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus Health Center. Fifty received Gardasil just in August, said Linda Rizijs, the center s nursing director. Each month, we see more and more patients coming in, Rizijs said. I think
NEW YORK: Pastors Asked to Tackle HIV/AIDS: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (09.12.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; James T. Mulder; An event being held this Friday night in Syracuse seeks to enlist area black pastors in the fight against AIDS. The state Health Department reports that 42 percent of newly diagnosed HIV patients in the area are black. The church is the cornerstone for the minority community, and when pastors speak they are listened to
IDAHO: Gonorrhea Cases Up 300 Percent: Bonner County Daily Bee (09.09.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Tom Greene; Recent figures from five northern Idaho counties show gonorrhea cases are up 300 percent this year. Most of those affected are people in the 18-24 age group, though we ve had a case as young as 16, said Donna Marshall-Holden, a nurse with the Panhandle Health District (PHD). Nine cases of the STD were reported in the r
ARMENIA: Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Neisseria Gonorrheae Strains in Three Regions of Armenia: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 9: P. 686-688 (09..07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Gayane Hovhannisyan, MD; Tido von Schoen-Angerer, MD; Karen Babayan, MD, PhD; Olivier Fenichiu, MD; Valeria Gaboulaud, MD; There is a lack of available data on gonococcal susceptibility in the Caucasus region, the authors of the current study noted. They aimed to determine in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrheae in Armenia in order to update the national treatment protocol. Isolates from men with urethral discharge wh
CHINA: Gay Dating on the Internet Causes Surge in HIV in Hong Kong: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (09.12.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; On Wednesday, Hong Kong s health director said Internet- facilitated sexual partnerships among gay men are partly to blame for the territory s cluster of HIV infections. Pin-Yang Lam told a World Health Organization meeting in South Korea that more gay men are utilizing the Internet to meet s
GLOBAL: Under-5 Mortality Drops to Record Low: Washington Post (09.13.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Christopher Lee; For the first time, infant mortality has dropped below 10 million deaths worldwide, according to a UNICEF report released Wednesday. There were 9.7 million infant deaths in 2006. Especially over the last half-decade, deaths of children under age five have dropped as the global community applied health strategies target
CALIFORNIA: Bill Would Allow State Money for Syringes: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.13.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Seth Hemmelgarn; On Wednesday, the California State Assembly voted 43-30 for a bill to allow state HIV/AIDS funds to be used to buy syringes for needle exchange programs (NEPs). If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs AB 110 into law, NEPs would have to match 43 cents in general funds for every dollar in state funding used to purchase syri
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Condom Shipment Expected to Aid Distribution Program: Washington Post (09.12.07) - Thursday, September 13, 2007; Susan Levine; New Jersey-based Church & Dwight Co. Inc. is donating 350,000 of its Trojan condoms to help bolster the District of Columbia s condom distribution program, which has recently been the subject of scrutiny due quality complaints. The name- brand condoms should arrive by the end of the month, said a spokesperson for M
CHINA: China Reports Leap in New HIV/AIDS Cases: Reuters (09.08.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; The number of new HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in China in the first six months of 2007, 18,543, nearly equals the total recorded during all of 2006, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Most of the infections were attributed to drug use, said Han Mengjie of the State Council s AIDS Control Work Committee. Han wa
CALIFORNIA: Free STD Seminar: Desert Sun (Palm Springs) (09.11.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Erica Solvig; A free seminar on Sept. 19 in Joshua Tree will present information on the rise in syphilis and other STDs. The Hi- Desert Medical Center and the Desert AIDS Project are hosting the event, which will be held at the hospital s Helen Gray Education Center, 6601 White Feather Rd. The seminar begins at 6 p.m. Registration i
CALIFORNIA: Suspect Exposes Officers to TB: Contra Costa Times (09.11.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Robert Salonga; The Concord Police Department reports two of its officers were exposed to TB Sunday while arresting a parolee with an active case of the disease. The officers were responding to a complaint that a man was refusing to leave a resident s apartment on Bonifacio Street. A warrant for the man s arrest was already out on cha
CALIFORNIA: Legislative Update: Los Angeles Times (09.12.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Evan Halper; Nancy Vogel; On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a measure changing a law that had banned the transfer of bodily fluids from HIV-positive donors. SB 443, by Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), will allow the wives or partners of HIV-positive men to conceive utilizing sperm-washing technology to minimize the infection ri
COLORADO: University of Colorado to Continue Dispensing Condoms Despite Cutbacks: University Wire (09.10.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Chelsea Holland, Campus Press, University of Colorado; Condoms and other health-related items continue to be distributed by the University of Colorado s Wardenburg Community Health Education Department despite a budget cut in March. Last year with the budget cut, the Community Health Center got targeted. I don t know why, said Robin Kolble, manager of the department. It se
CALIFORNIA: Local STD Infections Jump: Sacramento Bee (09.11.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Phillip Reese; Dorsey Griffith; Sacramento County is seeing a rapid increase in the number of young residents newly diagnosed with STDs, and the infections are disproportionately affecting Latinos and African Americans. The county reported 7,678 chlamydia cases last year, a 52 percent rise over 2002 cases and the state s second-highest infection rate
UNITED STATES: Racial/Ethnic and Age Disparities in HIV Prevalence and Disease Progression Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States: American Journal of Public Health Vol. 97; No. 6: P. 1060-1066 (06..07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; H. Irene Hall, PhD; Robert H. Byers, PhD; Qiang Ling, MS; Lorena Espinoza, DDS; The authors examined HIV diagnosis rates and disease progression among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to age and race/ethnicity. Data from the national HIV/AIDS surveillance system were used to examine trends in HIV diagnosis rates for 2001 through 2004 via Poisson regression. A standardized Kaplan-Meier me
KENYA: Challenge for AIDS Fighters: Circumcising Africans Safely: Wall Street Journal (09.07.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Mark Schoofs; Male circumcision can reduce female-to-male HIV infection risk by up to 60 percent, studies show, but several obstacles remain to implementing the procedure safely. With modern medical equipment and approaches, the complication rate of male circumcision is generally under 2 percent. In Kenya , more than 80 percen
CHINA: China's Blood Still Unsafe, Needs Help: Report: Reuters (09.06.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Ben Blanchard; A decade after hundreds of thousands of farmers in central Henan were infected with HIV at unsanitary, often state-run blood-buying clinics, China s blood supply is still not safe, a new report finds. Though the government has worked to improve HIV/AIDS monitoring of the country s blood supply, earlier this summer then
SOUTH AFRICA: Many Young Adults Are Playing AIDS Roulette, Study Finds: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Tamar Kahn; A new study from the Center for AIDS Development, Research & Evaluation (CADRE) finds that many South Africans ages 20-30 continue to have concurrent sexual partners despite the high risk for HIV. CADRE Executive Director Warren Parker said the study s findings have important implications for the design of HIV prev
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Council Chides Business Apathy: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.11.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; Tamar Kahn; South African National AIDS Council Deputy Chairperson Mark Heywood and Nomonde Xundu, director of HIV/AIDS programs at the Health Department, slammed the nation s business community for failing to send top-level representatives to Monday s first full meeting of SANAC since it was restructured in March. SANAC is respon
NEW YORK: NYC Health Officials Warn of Rise in HIV Infections: Associated Press (09.12.07) - Wednesday, September 12, 2007; On Tuesday, New York City health officials announced that new HIV diagnoses have increased 33 percent among gay men under age 30 over the past six years. New HIV diagnoses in this demographic increased from 374 cases in 2001 to 499 cases last year, according to the report from the Department of Health and Mental Hygien
JAPAN: Government Eyes Funds for HCV Therapy: Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (09.06.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; The Japanese government and ruling coalition recently announced they are considering allocating funds for the next fiscal year to subsidize hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. The estimated number of HCV-infected Japanese is 1.5 million. In addition, the government is weighing the inclusion of funds to help treat hepati
SOUTH AFRICA: Cricket Stars in AIDS Campaign: Agence France Presse (09.10.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Before participating in the inaugural Twenty20 cricket world championship in Johannesburg, players from South Africa and the West Indies took time Monday to bring an AIDS prevention message to local youths. It is important for us to play a role in educating these young ones on HIV/AIDS, said Graeme Smith, captain of t
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Walk Raises Funds, Awareness: Contra Costa Times (09.09.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Barbara Grady; Saturday s East Bay AIDS Walk attracted 350 participants and raised about $50,000 for local AIDS care and treatment programs. Mayor Ron Dellums implored, Get screened, Oakland, using the name of the city s new campaign that provides free HIV testing to persons ages 13 to 64. Also out to show her support was Rep. Barbar
MISSOURI: Rise in STDs Hits Teens Hard: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (09.07.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Tina Hesman Saey; In the city of St. Louis, chlamydia cases have increased from 3,206 in 2002 to 4,581 in 2006, according to health officials. And among those cases, 41 percent were ages 15-19. In St. Louis County, the number of persons diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea increased from 4,821 in 2002 to 7,100 in 2006. About 70 percent
GEORGIA: TB Patient Jailed After Failing to Wear Mask: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.08.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Rhonda Cook; On Sept. 6, Fulton Superior Court Judge Doris Downs ordered a noncompliant TB-infected man jailed in medical isolation until he can be transferred to Columbia, S.C., where he has agreed to enter a treatment facility. The patient was originally diagnosed with TB in 2003, but he has over time refused to keep clinic appoi
WEST VIRGINIA: Employees with TB Sue Pinecrest Hospital in Beckley: Associated Press (09.06.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; On Thursday, seven employees filed suit against Pinecrest Hospital in Beckley, claiming the state-run nursing home negligently allowed contaminated air from a TB isolation ward into the main areas of the hospital. According to Lewisburg attorney Barry L. Bruce, the workers were exposed after wall air conditioning units
UNITED STATES: Older Persons' Exclusion from Sexually Transmitted Disease Risk-Reduction Clinical Trials: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 34; No. 8: P. 541-544 (08..07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Becca R. Levy, PhD; Lu Ding, BA; Deepak Lakra, MPH; Julie Kosteas, MPH; Linda Niccolai, PhD; The incidence of HIV and AIDS is growing faster among individuals 50 and older compared to those under 40, the authors wrote. The majority of clinical trials concerning disease treatment have been found to exclude older persons; the researchers undertook the current study to determine whether this bias extends to sexu
ZIMBABWE: Contaminated, Fake AIDS Drugs Flood Black Market in Shortages-Stricken Zimbabwe: Associated Press (09.10.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Angus Shaw; On Monday, Zimbabwean Minister of Health David Parirenyatwa called on HIV/AIDS patients to buy their medicines only from registered pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. Drug shortages linked to the country s economic crisis have resulted in AIDS drugs - some of them contaminated, faked or diluted - being sold at flea ma
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa on Course with AIDS Plan: Deputy President: Agence France Presse (09.10.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Fran Blandy; At the first meeting of the newly formed South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) on Monday in Pretoria, the country s deputy president said plans to combat HIV/AIDS are on course. There is work in progress. up until 2011, said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Along with members of civil society, controversial Health Ministe
FLORIDA: Judge Wants AIDS-Care Job Rebid: Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) (09.07.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Urvaksh Karkaria; Florida regulators should reconsider their award of a two- year, $10 million Medicaid HIV/AIDS contract to a Jacksonville-based disease management firm, an administrative law judge said Thursday. The state s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) lacks sufficient information to assess whether Specialty Disease Ma
CALIFORNIA: Legislative Update: Los Angeles Times (09.11.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Jordan Rau; The state Assembly has given unanimous approval to a bill designed to raise the number of Californians being tested for HIV. AB 682, sponsored by Assembly member Patty Berg (D- Eureka), would remove the requirement that written consent be obtained from the patient before an HIV test is administered; instead, the test c
UNITED STATES: Pfizer Warns Health Care Professionals of Possible Carcinogen in HIV Treatment Viracept: Associated Press (09.10.07) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007; On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) announced that Pfizer Inc. has notified health care professionals that its HIV drug Viracept contains traces of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), a potential human carcinogen. FDA has asked Pfizer to limit the presence of EMS,
NIGERIA: Nigeria to Host International HIV/AIDS-Fighting Conference: Xinhua News Agency (09.10.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; More than 200 researchers and experts will gather in Abuja, Nigeria , on Tuesday for the Harvard AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria-Plus (APIN+) conference. The annual meeting will feature delegates from the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Botswana , Tan
CANADA: Grandmothers March on Hill to Fight Spread of HIV/AIDS: Ottawa Citizen (09.09.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Emily Rauhala; On Saturday, more than 500 Canadian and South African grandmothers took part in a march in Ottawa to ask Canada and other developed nations to do more to fight AIDS in Africa. We have buried our own children, and we will not raise our grandchildren for the grave, Darlina Tyawana of Cape Town told the marchers assembled
FLORIDA: AIDS Walk's Happy Ending: St. Petersburg Times (09.09.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; The 5-K AIDS Walk St. Petersburg in North Shore Park on Saturday raised $117,000, organizers reported. #### AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim , Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust,
COLORADO: AIDS Walk Draws on Strength, Love, Life: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (09.10.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Julie Poppen; The 20th annual AIDS Walk Colorado was held Sunday in Cheesman Park. Organizers expected the event to attract 7,000-8,000 people and raise $600,000. The walk s attendance peaked in 1998, when 12,000 participants raised $1.4 million. Deidre Maloney, executive director of the Colorado AIDS Project, blamed the lower numbe
UNITED STATES: Federal Appeals Court Blocks Teva from Selling Its Version of Famvir: New York Times (09.08.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Reuters; On Friday, Teva Pharmaceuticals announced that a federal appeals court had temporarily enjoined the firm from selling the generic drug famciclovir, which is used to treat herpes, cold sores, and shingles. The injunction will remain in effect until an emergency motion for a stay filed by Novartis, which contends it hold
UTAH: Utah Scientist Gets Grant for HIV Research: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) (08.31.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Lois M. Collins; The National Institutes of Health has awarded a University of Utah scientist a five-year, $19.2 million grant to establish a research center to analyze how HIV hijacks host cell features in order to replicate. The Utah center s NIH grant is one of three from the institutes; the others went to the University of Californ
NEW YORK: Hepatitis Increase Linked to Better Data: Buffalo News (09.01.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Mark Sommer; Last year, Erie County officials recorded an additional 190 hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases, an increase they attributed to better tracking. Since 2003, New York has required physicians and testing laboratories to report cases of the disease. People can be infected for years before diagnosis, which makes estimating the t
NEW YORK: A Shot of Controversy and Prevention: Post-Standard (Syracuse) (09.04.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Maureen Sieh; Back-to-school immunizations may include the human papillomavirus vaccine, should Central New York parents choose to have their young daughters inoculated. Approved for girls and women ages 9-26, the vaccine protects against four types of HPV, two of which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. Since October, the U
WISCONSIN: Hospital Workers Pass Tuberculosis Test: Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) (09.08.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; David Wahlberg; On Friday, an infectious-disease specialist at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Veterans Hospital said 42 employees tested for tuberculosis were negative for the infection. That means the initial worker whose infection prompted the testing was likely not very contagious, said Dr. Dennis Maki. Two or three additiona
AFRICA: Behavior Change in Generalized HIV Epidemics: Impact of Reducing Cross-Generational Sex and Delaying Age at Sexual Debut: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83; P. i50-i54 (08..07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; T.B. Hallett; S. Gregson; J.J.C. Lewis; B.A. Lopman; G.P. Garnett; In the current study, researchers analyze how reducing cross- generational sex (between young women and older men) and delaying sexual debut may be important in cutting HIV s spread at the population level in Africa. Statistical analysis of individual-level risk factors may be used to design interventions, investigator
AFRICA: Brutal Practice Linked to AIDS: Toronto Star (09.01.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Mary Katherine Keown; Women in sub-Saharan African who undergo female genital mutilation are increasingly at risk for HIV/AIDS, according to researchers and activists. Over the past 10 years, sporadic research data have linked FGM to rising rates of HIV transmission among women in countries where it is widely practiced. Because FGM is coupl
UNITED STATES: Report on TB Case Cites Significant Security Gaps: Associated Press (09.09.07) - Monday, September 10, 2007; Eileen Sullivan; A congressional report, set to be released Monday, finds that gaps in security measures led to the May incident in which a man with tuberculosis freely left and re-entered the United States despite public health warnings. Democratic staff prepared the report for the House Homeland Security Committee; an advance copy wa
FLORIDA: New Steps in AIDS Fight: St. Petersburg Times (09.06.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Nicole Hutcheson; Organizers of the fourth annual AIDS Walk St. Petersburg are hoping to double the turnout of last year s event, which drew 1,200 walkers and raised $90,000. This year s walk takes place Saturday, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. in North Shore Park. The money raised benefits the AIDS Service Association of Pinella
FLORIDA: Group Protests Planned Parenthood Cash: Palm Beach Post (09.06.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Jim Reeder; On Wednesday, a group of citizens asked the St. Lucie County Children s Services Council to oppose a $492,455 allocation to Planned Parenthood. The proposed funding would support four specific efforts: La Promesa, a Spanish-language outreach focusing on women s reproductive health; Teen Time After School, which seeks t
CALIFORNIA: Senate Passes Bill on Condoms: Los Angeles Times (09.07.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Patrick McGreevy; By a 21-18 vote Thursday, the California Senate approved legislation that would require prison officials to allow public health agencies and nonprofit groups to distribute condoms and dental dams to inmates. Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) said the bill would help fight the high rate of HIV infection among pris
AFRICA: New Southern African Development Community Push Against HIV/AIDS: Business Day (Johannesburg) (09.06.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Wilson Johwa; AIDS experts from the region are currently meeting in Johannesburg to finalize the Southern African Development Community s three-year anti-AIDS plan. The document is slated for review by AIDS authorities in October. It will be submitted to national health ministers in November, and if approved it will be enacted begin
ILLINOIS: AIDS Foundation Chicago Launches Push for City Housing Funds: Chicago Free Press (09.05.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Matt Simonette; More than 200 Chicagoans with HIV are at risk of becoming homeless if the city does not boost its AIDS housing subsidy by $1.5 million, AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is warning. According to John Peller, AFC s director of political action, Chicago received a one-time federal housing grant in 2004. That money has bee
UNITED STATES: Risk Factors for Methadone Outside Treatment Programs: Implications for HIV Treatment Among Injection Drug Users: Addiction Vol. 102; No. 5: P. 771-777 (05..07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; D. Vlahov; P. O'Driscoll; S.H. Mehta; D.C. Ompad; R. Gern; N. Galai; G.D. Kirk; Diversion of methadone outside treatment programs occurs, yet reasons for use of street methadone are characterized poorly. Self-medication for withdrawal symptoms is one plausible hypothesis. Among HIV-infected drug users, some antiretroviral medications can reduce potency of methadone, yet any association between su
THAILAND: AIDS Hospice at Thai Buddhist Temple Adds Free Clinic for Life-Extending Care: Associated Press (08.31.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Since 1992, thousands of Thais dying with AIDS have sought hospice care at the Buddhist temple Wat Phrabatnampo-Center of Hope in Lopburi, 70 miles north of Bangkok. On Aug. 31, the temple opened a free clinic to dispense antiretroviral drugs to treat the disease, project leaders said. The new project will extend treat
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Papua New Guinea AIDS Crisis May Mirror Africa's, UN Says: Bloomberg News (09.05.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Emma O'Brien; Tim Rwabuhemba, Papua New Guinea s coordinator for UNAIDS , said in an interview that the country s HIV/AIDS epidemic may mirror the crisis in Africa. Infections are surging, and more than 75 percent of patients are unable to access AIDS drugs. There is an urgent need for more HIV services across the board here, he sa
CANADA: Parents Face Quick Vaccine Decision: The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo) (09.06.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Anne Kelly; Parents of grade-eight girls in the Waterloo region face a decision as to whether to allow their daughters to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). Announced Aug. 2, the provincial school-based HPV vaccination program is voluntary, and public health nurses will be giving the shots to girls in local schools
SOUTH AFRICA: Three Million Defective Condoms Still At Large in South Africa: Agence France Presse (09.06.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Mariette le Roux; On Thursday, a senior South African health official warned that 3 million government-procured, Zalatex-manufactured Choice condoms have not yet been secured. Five million of the suspect condoms that were already publicly distributed have been collected, said Health Department Director-General Thami Mseleku, and another
MASSACHUSETTS: Advocates Push Patrick to Accept Federal Abstinence-Only Money: Associated Press (09.05.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Steve LeBlanc; On Wednesday, a national abstinence lobby began running a $75,000 newspaper-, radio-, and Web-based campaign urging Gov. Deval Patrick to accept federal money for abstinence-only sex education. The application deadline for $700,000 in abstinence-only federal funds is Sept. 30; Patrick has said he does not intend to app
UNITED STATES: Senate Passes Foreign Aid Bill Lifting Curbs on Family Planning Funds: Associated Press (09.07.07) - Friday, September 07, 2007; Andrew Taylor; On Thursday, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) led the charge to overturn US restrictions on family planning aid to overseas health organizations that perform or promote abortions as a method of family planning. The Senate voted 53-41 in favor of lifting the so-called Mexico City policy, named after the population conferen
AFRICA: A Two-Wheeled Campaign Against AIDS in Africa: Washington Post (09.04.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Kathleen Hom; The Mapilelo Project, begun in 2003, works to reduce HIV infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and CDC, the project pairs buddies with up to three newly diagnosed people. The volunteers provide social support and help patients stick with their antiretroviral regimens. BikeTown Africa, an
OHIO: AIDS Group Launching Weeklong Fundraiser: Akron Beacon Journal (09.04.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; On Friday, the Tri-County AIDS Coalition begins its Week of Hope fundraising event to support local HIV/AIDS organizations and risk-reduction outreach. The coalition, founded in 1992, has awarded more than $30,000 to HIV/AIDS organizations helping patients in Stark, Carroll, and Tuscarawas counties. The program focuses
MARYLAND: Montgomery County Health and Community Fair: Washington Post (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; On Saturday, some 50 vendors and exhibitors will be on hand for the Health and Community Fair in Gaithersburg. Targeting low-income residents without adequate health insurance, the fair will feature screenings for HIV, high blood pressure, oral cancer, and vision problems. The Housing Opportunities Commission is sponso
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: HPV, Cancer Conference: Washington Post (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Next Thursday, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition will hold a conference to provide attendees the latest information about human papillomavirus- and cervical cancer-related research, education, and prevention. The conference will also sponsor a debate about mandatory HPV vaccination of schoolchildren. For more info
CALIFORNIA: HPV Vaccine Bill Sent to Governor: Associated Press (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Don Thompson; Among dozens of bills taken up by state lawmakers Wednesday ahead of next week s scheduled adjournment was one that would require health insurance companies that pay for cervical cancer treatment to also pay for vaccination against human papillomavirus, the STD that causes most cases. Amendments added to the bill by th
CALIFORNIA: New Manager for Under One Roof: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.30.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Seth Hemmelgarn; Mark Burns has become general manager of Under One Roof, the Castro Street retail store that returns its proceeds to HIV/AIDS service organizations throughout the Bay Area. Since opening in 1990, Under One Roof has distributed $3.8 million and currently donates to 29 organizations. It also hosts annual fundraisers such
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Condoms in Giveaway Are Safe, Officials Say: Washington Post (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Susan Levine; The District of Columbia s Health Department has issued a statement emphasizing that condoms it has procured meet federal and industry standards for packaging and manufacturing. The assurance follows Wednesday s Washington Post report that some residents and AIDS advocates were concerned the Chinese-manufactured condom
INDONESIA: Diabetes May Impair Tuberculosis Treatment Response: Reuters (08.27.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Screening for and aggressively treating diabetes may improve the outcomes of patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis, findings from a recent study showed. Dr. Reinout van Crevel from Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegan, the Netherlands , and colleagues studied 737 Indonesian TB patients who were screene
SOUTH AFRICA: Study to Test Effectiveness of Medicinal Plants in Treating AIDS: Deutsche Presse-Agentur (08.30.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Scientists at the recent African Traditional Medicine Conference in Durban announced a study to determine whether a medicinal plant can be used to halt HIV s progression to AIDS. Some 124 HIV patients will participate in the trial of the Sutherlandia plant, also called unwele or cancer bush, at Edenvale Hospital in Pie
ASIA: Asia Must Deal Bravely with HIV/AIDS: UN Official: Reuters (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Tan Ee Lyn; UNAIDS chief Dr. Peter Piot today called for Asian leaders to face up to the AIDS epidemic on the continent, and he warned that stigma exacerbates the problem. Religion does not protect against AIDS. It s about sex and drugs, Piot said from Dalian in northeastern China , where he is attending th
MASSACHUSETTS: AIDS Test Consent at Issue in Massachusetts: Boston Globe (09.01.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Stephen Smith; Massachusetts, one of ten states that still require a patient s written consent before taking an HIV test, is resisting a year-old push by federal health authorities to make the test as easy and routine as being screened for cholesterol or diabetes. Last year, CDC described the requirement of written consent as a barri
UNITED STATES: Panel Backs AIDS Drug: Los Angeles Times (09.06.07) - Thursday, September 06, 2007; Jia-Rui Chong; Yesterday, an independent advisory panel recommended accelerated Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) approval of Merck & Co. s drug Isentress (raltegravir) for patients fighting drug-resistant strains of HIV. If approved, Isentress would be the first in a new class of AIDS drugs, integrase inhibitors, which seek t
CONNECTICUT: CT AIDS Bike Tour: Hartford Courant (09.04.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; The 6th Annual CT AIDS Bike Tour starts Sept. 5 in Hartford and travels through Litchfield, Danbury, New Haven, Groton, and Willimantic before ending Sept. 9 back in Hartford. Riders can choose to ride every day or one day. Funds raised will be used to provide food support for families and children affected by HIV/AIDS
UNITED KINGDOM: Bill Gates Joins Gordon Brown's New Global Health Plan: Associated Press (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; David Stringer; The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently gave its support to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown s new health initiative to ensure that funds pledged to poorer countries are directed toward patient treatment rather than tied up in bureaucracy. The International Health Partnership is backed by the
GLOBAL: World AIDS Milestone: Washington Times (08.31.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Andrew C. von Eschenbach; Mark Dybul; Last week, a little-noticed milestone was reached in the fight to save lives from AIDS with high-quality antiretroviral treatment. The Food and Drug Administration in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS/ FDA ) granted its 50th and 51st priority approvals for HIV/AIDS medications, making them eligible f
MARYLAND: Court Order Againt Sex-Ed Lessons Sought: Washington Post (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Daniel de Vise; On Tuesday, groups seeking to halt the new sex education curriculum in Montgomery County schools requested a stay in Montgomery Circuit Court so that the lessons will not be taught countywide this fall. Without court intervention, eighth- and 10th-grade health teachers will begin the new lessons in October, according t
GEORGIA: TB Patient On Track for Release, Deportation: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Craig Schneider; On Tuesday, Gwinnett County health officials said the day laborer jailed for refusing tuberculosis treatment could be released by the end of this week. The 17-year-old patient has been in jail since Aug. 24, after he refused treatment for active, contagious TB infection and threatened to return to his native
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Concerns Affect D.C. Condom Giveaway: Washington Post (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Susan Levine; A District project to distribute free condoms to help curb HIV/AIDS has foundered on complaints that the condoms paper packaging is easily damaged. Demand at two distribution sites in the Southeast area plummeted more than 80 percent after the condoms were introduced this year. Volunteers found out that condom packets
CANADA: Self-Testing Encouraged for Women at Risk of HPV: Daily Herald-Tribune (Grand Prairie) (08.29.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Canadian Press; Women with poor access to health care living in Vancouver s Downtown Eastside were amenable to self-testing for human papillomavirus (HPV), the major cause of cervical cancer, a new study found. Dr. Gina Ogilvie, associate director of the STD division at the British Columbia Center for Disease Control, and colleagues s
THAILAND: EU Scolds Thailand for Violating Patents on AIDS Drugs: Inter Press Service (08.28.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; David Cronin; In a July 10 letter to Thailand s minister of commerce, European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson expressed concern about Bangkok s approach to access to medicines, specifically Thailand s policy that drug companies must offer their medicines at no more than 5 percent above the cost of generic versions. This appr
UNITED STATES: Program Bolsters Abstinence Intent; But Teen Behavior No Different: Washington Times (09.05.07) - Wednesday, September 05, 2007; Cheryl Wetzstein; A US Department of Health and Human Services-sponsored study of the effects of a supplemental abstinence program found that teens who participated in the Life Skills Education program were more likely to support an abstinent lifestyle. However, the teens sexual behaviors were no different than teenagers who did not tak
BULGARIA: Bulgaria Signs Deal Formally Transferring Libya's Debt to AIDS Fund: Associated Press (09.03.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; On Monday, Bulgaria transferred Libya s decades-old debt of $56.6 million to an international relief fund set up for the more than 400 Libyan children who were infected with HIV in a hospital outbreak. The transfer was co-signed by Mark Pierini, chairperson of the Benghazi International Fund for the Libyan AIDS Victims
MALDIVES: Rising Drug Abuse Among Young in Maldives Paradise: Agence France Presse (09.04.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Mel Gunasekera; Health experts say the Maldives is experiencing a growing drug problem among its youth. Bored and restless young people, who comprise more than 40 percent of the population of 300,000 in this nation of 1,192 islands clustered into 20 atolls, are increasingly turning to drugs, health professionals report.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Coalition Offers Free HIV Tests: Charlotte Observer (09.02.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Cheney Baltz; Catawba Care Coalition, a United Way agency, is now offering free rapid HIV tests for residents of York, Chester or Lancaster counties. For more information, visit www.catawbacare.org, or to schedule an appointment for testing, telephone 803-909-6363, ext. 234.
VIRGINIA: 180 Are Tested for Tuberculosis After Possible Exposure on Bus: Washington Post (09.02.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Arianne Aryanpur; Loudoun County Health Department Director David Goodfriend said 180 people have been tested for tuberculosis following a suspected case in a man who frequently rode the county s DC25W, DS26, and LC25 commuter buses. Screenings were urged for anyone who spent at least eight hours on any combination of the buses from Apr
OHIO: Cincinnati's Sharp Increase in STDs Hasn't Spread to Dayton, Health Officials Say: Dayton Daily News (09.01.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Kevin Lamb; Rates for the most common STDs have remained stable in Dayton this year despite a rapid increase in Cincinnati, health officials said. Our numbers are pretty much where you d expect them to be in terms of annual fluctuations, said Bill Wharton of Public Health-Dayton & Montgomery County. Cincinnati s rapid increase
UNITED STATES: Sexually Transmitted Wart Virus Ups Mouth Cancers: Reuters (08.27.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Young men should be vaccinated against the STD human papillomavirus (HPV) in a bid to protect them from rising rates of oropharyngeal cancers, researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston said recently. Oropharyngeal cancers, mostly those of the tonsil and base of tongue, appear to be o
INDIA: Sex Trafficking Said to Spread AIDS: Washington Times (08.27.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Brian Blackwell; Policies that stop the demand for sex-trafficked women and girls, prevent trafficking, and protect former sex workers may significantly reduce the spread of HIV, new research suggests. Among trafficked female Nepalese sex workers in India surveyed from 1997 to 2005, 38 percent had HIV, found Dr. Jay Silverman of the Ha
CANADA: Safety Needles Protect Medical Staff: Edmonton Journal (08.30.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Jamie Hall; Capital Health has completed an $800,000 (US $754,290) initiative to replace conventional hypodermic needles with new safety ones that can protect health care workers from blood- borne diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV. The new needles have a mechanism in each syringe which, when activated, covers the tip of the nee
SOUTH AFRICA: South African AIDS Activists Dismayed over President's Praise of Much-Maligned Health Minister: Associated Press (09.01.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Clare Nullis; On Friday, South Africa s president defended his health minister in his weekly ANC Today online newsletter, following recent protests by AIDS activists demanding the minister s dismissal. Thabo Mbeki hailed Manto Tshabalala-Msimang as one of the pioneer architects of a South African public health system constructed to
VIRGINIA: Insurance Sticks Some Patients with Bill for Mandated Vaccine: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (08.29.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Elizabeth Simpson; Earlier this year, Virginia legislators voted to make the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine mandatory for girls entering sixth grade unless a parent opts them out. The requirement goes into effect in 2009. Recently, pediatric offices have been informing patients that some Optima health plans, which previously covered
UNITED STATES: FDA Cites Benefits of Merck HIV Drug for Patients Out of Options: Associated Press (08.31.07) - Tuesday, September 04, 2007; Matthew Perrone; On Friday, Food and Drug Administration officials said a review of Merck & Co. s HIV drug Isentress suggests its safety profile is superior to other options available to patients who are failing treatment. FDA posted its review ahead of a Wednesday meeting on Isentress safety and efficacy by an independent panel of
MISSISSIPPI: Saying No to Sex: Clarion-Ledger (08.25.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Jean Gordon; On Sunday, Sept. 9, some Jackson area churches are participating in White Ribbon Sunday, an event to promote abstinence organized by the Rankin County-based Communities Working to Unite Youth. CWUY is calling on churches to distribute white ribbons to congregants as a symbol of purity and to discuss the health benefits
UNITED STATES: Study Finds Few Teens Got Recommended Vaccinations: Associated Press (08.30.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Mike Stobbe; Just 11 percent of youths ages 11-12 received the federally recommended meningitis vaccine, and only 11 percent received the inoculation for tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough, found CDC researchers who conducted a national telephone survey from October through February. However, among those surveyed, 70-90 percen
CALIFORNIA: Sunnyvale, Saratoga Teens Educating Peers About Hepatitis B Virus: San Jose Mercury News (08.29.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Cynthia Law; On Aug. 12, three Valley-area teens were recognized for their hepatitis B awareness outreach by Stanford s Asian Liver Center (ALC), the only US nonprofit that addresses the virus impact among Asians and Asian-Americans. Catherine Chiu, 17, of Saratoga, and Cupertino residents Daniel Kim, 16, and Alina Wong, 16, each r
GEORGIA: Atlanta AIDS Organizations Brace for Funding Cuts: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (08.31.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Zach Hudson; The federal Human Resources and Services Administration is proposing cuts to the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) budget of Ryan White CARE Act funding, say Georgia AIDS advocates. Coupled with efforts to reclaim federal money allegedly overpaid to Georgia, the potential cuts could result in Atlanta losing nearly $1.7 mi
TEXAS: Houston Targets Syphilis Increase: Houston Chronicle (08.29.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Alexis Grant; Faced with a steady increase in syphilis cases over the past six years, Houston s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will launch a month-long awareness campaign starting Sept. 1. After seeing a nearly 50 percent jump on new cases over 2005 - bringing the 2006 total to 377 - officials say new infections this
ALABAMA: Syphilis at Epidemic Proportions in Western Jefferson County: Birmingham News (08.29.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Robert K. Gordon; The Jefferson County Health Department s director of disease control is warning of a county-wide outbreak of syphilis that is hitting western sections particularly hard. The disease is especially concentrated in western Birmingham, Fairfield, and Bessemer, according to Dr. Elizabeth Turnipseed. People are mobile and of
UNITED STATES: Low Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibody in Men Who Have Sex with Men Who Do Not Inject Drugs: Public Health Reports (2007) Supplement 2; Vol. 122: P. 63-67 (09..07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Joanna Buffington, MD, MPH; Paula J. Murray, MPH; Karen Schlanger, MPH; Linda Shih, MPH; Tracy Badsgard; Robin R. Hennessy, MPH; Robert Wood, MD; Isaac B. Weisfuse, MD, MPH; Robert A. Gunn, MD, MPH; Large or repeated percutaneous exposures to blood such as through transfusion from unscreened donors or injection drug use have been the primary sources of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the authors wrote. Sexual transmission occurs, but appears to be inefficient compared with other sexually transmitted virus
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Says Half Million on AIDS Drugs, but Official Warns of Resistance Risk: Associated Press (08.30.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Clare Nullis; On Thursday, a top health official said an estimated half million South Africans with HIV/AIDS have received antiretrovirals. Approximately 300,000 are obtaining ARVs through public hospitals and clinics, while it is likely another 200,000 are receiving them through the private sector, Thami Mseleku, Director-General o
ILLINOIS: Governor Cuts HIV Funds: Windy City Times (Chicago) (08.29.07) - Friday, August 31, 2007; Amy Wooten; HIV grants were among the $463 million Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently cut from the state budget to help fund his health care plan. His action eliminated all HIV/AIDS earmarks and cut $500,000 for HIV testing expansion. The governor s move cut $70,000 from Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV); $50,000 from Vital Bridges; $1
FLORIDA: Schools Chief Endorses AIDS Curriculum: Palm Beach Post (08.29.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Cara Fitzpatrick; About 100 people attended a Tuesday evening meeting of the St. Lucie School Board, which is considering whether to adopt a new sex education curriculum. Superintendent Michael Lannon has recommended the curriculum, Get Real About AIDS, and wants the board to vote on it in December. If approved, the instruction would be
DENMARK: Denmark Boosts Development Aid to Africa by ?67 Million: Associated Press (08.29.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Denmark announced Wednesday its plan to raise its development aid to Africa in 2008 by 500 million kroner (US $92 million). The increase will bring Denmark s total aid to 10 African nations to 14.4 billion kroner (US $2.6 billion). Foreign Aid Minister Ulla Toernaes said the money will go to address issues including
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi to Introduce Pre-Marriage HIV Test: Agence France Presse (08.29.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Beginning in 2008, HIV and hepatitis tests will be required for couples wishing to marry in Saudi Arabia . More than 20 centers will be set up to offer the tests in the conservative Muslim kingdom, said Khaled al-Zahrani, the health ministry s assistant under-secretary for preventive medicine.
WISCONSIN: Hospital Worker Tests Positive for TB: Madison State Journal (08.29.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; David Wahlberg; On Wednesday, an infectious-disease specialist at University of Wisconsin Hospital said a nurse who worked there and at Madison s Veterans Hospital was recently diagnosed with TB. Since the nurse was asymptomatic - did not cough or have other respiratory trouble - the infection is less likely to pose a risk to others,
GEORGIA: TB Patient, 17, Will Face Deportation to Mexico: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (08.30.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Craig Schneider; Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway said yesterday US Immigration and Customs officials have started the process to deport a day laborer jailed for refusing tuberculosis treatment. Conway said the 17-year-old patient has acknowledged to immigration officials that he is in the United States illegally. The boy w
UNITED KINGDOM: A Tale of Three Cities: Persisting High HIV Prevalence, Risk Behavior and Undiagnosed Infection in Community Samples of Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 83: P. 392-396 (08.01.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Julie P. Dodds; Anne M. Johnson; John V. Parry; Danielle E. Mercey; The authors set out to study geographical variations in diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV prevalence, use of sexual health services, STDs, and sexual behavior in a community sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the English cities of Brighton, Manchester, and London. Men visiting gay community venues in the three ci
ZIMBABWE: HIV Impact on Zimbabwe Less than Some Feared: Study: Reuters (08.27.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Michael Kahn; While HIV has cut life expectancy in some rural areas of Zimbabwe by as much as 19 years for men and 22 years for women, the disease has not devastated the country as thoroughly as World Health Organization epidemiologists predicted in 1989, new research shows. Under the worst-case scenario predicted, Zimbabwe s po
BOTSWANA: Saving the Babies: A Victory in Africa: Boston Globe (08.27.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; John Donnelly; Botswana has lowered its mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) rate to less than 4 percent this year, the result of political and logistics support for strong prevention policies. This is the first time a developing country has achieved an MTCT rate approaching that in Europe and the Un
OKLAHOMA: Program Promotes Teen Abstinence: Tulsa World (08.26.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Mick Hinton; During the closing days of the Oklahoma Legislature in May, a little-noticed, $500,000 abstinence education appropriation, attached to an expansion of the state children s health insurance program, was approved. SB 424 calls for the state Department of Health to contract with community- and faith-based organizations to
WISCONSIN: Democrats Blast GOP Plan to Cut Funds for Family Planning Clinics: Associated Press (08.28.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Ryan J. Foley; At a news conference on Tuesday, several Assembly Democrats slammed a Republican proposal to eliminate state funding of privately owned family planning clinics. The plan, included in the budget approved by the Republican-controlled Assembly, will limit women s access to birth control, breast and cervical cancer screeni
UNITED STATES: Black Doctors Group Wants AIDS Tackled: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (08.27.07) - Thursday, August 30, 2007; Helen Altonn; The federal government must do more to fight AIDS, according to the president of the National Medical Association. About 4,000 members of the NMA, which represents some 30,000 black physicians, gathered in Honolulu this week for the organization s annual convention and scientific assembly. We issued a call of action to
UGANDA: Ugandan Government Accused of 'State Homophobia': Reuters (08.24.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Andrew Cawthorne; New York based-Human Rights Watch has charged that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni s government is promoting state homophobia and that this in turn is hurting the nation s fight against HIV/AIDS. Homosexual acts are criminalized in Uganda under a sodomy law inherited from British colonial times, although punishments
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: British High Commission in PNG Backs Circumcision Program: Australian Associated Press (08.23.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; The British High Commission in Papua New Guinea is backing a project that aims to educate local people about the protective benefits of male circumcision and how it can be safely performed. The move comes in response to medical studies showing that the procedure can reduce the risk of female-to- male HIV transmission b
HAWAII: HIV Contract Awarded to East-West Center: Associated Press (08.23.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Family Health International has awarded Honolulu s East-West Center a $98,000 contract to provide technical support for Vietnam s HIV national estimates and projections for 2007. The FHI contract also extends an ongoing analysis and advocacy project to Haiphong. Around a decade ago, the center began developing computer
CALIFORNIA: Senate Approves HIV Bill: Contra Costa Times (08.28.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Steve Geissinger; California s Senate has approved, by a 35-1 vote, a bill that would give HIV serodiscordant couples access to safer conception technology. Under the measure, a couple in which the male is HIV-positive could use sperm-washing technology, separating the sperm from HIV, to make conception safer. By passing SB 443, sponsor
SOUTH CAROLINA: University of South Carolina Frat Brings HIV Testing Lab to Campus: University Wire (08.28.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Melanie Griffin, The Gamecock; On Monday, University of South Carolina students were offered free HIV testing and counseling in front of Russell House. The testing event, held inside a mobile unit, was organized by the Alpha Phi Alpha-Beta Nu chapter fraternity and The Tie that Binds, part of the South Carolina African-American HIV/AIDS Council. Be
CALIFORNIA: TB Tests for New Students Waived: Press-Enterprise (Riverside) (08.25.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Phil Pitchford; Earlier this month, the Riverside County Department of Public Health began notifying school districts it was dropping a 17- year-old requirement that new students be tested for tuberculosis in order to enroll in and attend county schools. Dr. Eric Frykman, the county s community health agency director and public health
MALAWI: Risk Factors for Early Monitoring in Children on Adult Fixed-Dose Combination Antiretroviral Treatment in a Central Hospital in Malawi: AIDS Vol. 21; No. 13; P. 1805-1810 (08.20.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Chin-Nam Bong; Joseph Kwong-Leung Yu; Hung-Che Chiang; Wen- Ling Huang; Tsung-Che Hsieh; Erik J. Schouten; Simon D. Makombe; Kelita Kamoto; Anthony D. Harries; In the current study, a retrospective cohort analysis was performed to determine the cumulative proportion of deaths occurring within three and six months of children under age 15 starting split-tablet adult fixed-dose combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to identify risk factors associated with early deaths.
SINGAPORE: HIV Self-Tests Ineffective in High-Risk Individuals: Reuters (08.28.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; In a recent study involving 350 HIV-positive or high-risk participants, self-testing for HIV was found to be ineffective for various reasons. At two HIV testing centers in Singapore , investigators examined the use of the Abbott Determine HIV-1/2 test among at-risk individuals. Before testing, 90 percent of the subject
INDIA: Sex Education Runs Into Trouble: BBC News (08.22.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Jyotsna Singh; The government s decision to introduce sex education in schools, primarily to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, has provoked vigorous debate in conservative India . Indeed, more than 30 percent of Indian states have rejected the government- supported program. One main source of contention is a flip chart that was prepared jo
SOUTH AFRICA: South African Health Minister Hampering AIDS Fight: Activists: Agence France Presse (08.29.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Today in Johannesburg, a chorus of nongovernmental organizations said Health Minister Tshabalala-Msimang is blocking anti-AIDS efforts and thus furthering the nation s HIV crisis. The recent firing of the deputy health minister credited with helping to create the nation s ambitious five- year AIDS plan raises fears tha
MISSISSIPPI: Syphilis Cases Jump 130 Percent This Year: Clarion-Ledger (Jackson) (08.28.07) - Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Jerry Mitchell; Mississippi cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and TB have all increased so far this year, said Dr. Ed Thompson, interim state health officer. The increase in syphilis cases was the worst, from 112 cases last year to 258 this year, a 130 percent jump. Through July, gonorrhea cases grew from 4,029 cases last year
PENNSYLVANIA: Pitt Gets $16 Million to Study HIV: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (08.28.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Joe Fahy; The National Institutes of Health announced Monday it is awarding the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a five-year, $16 million grant to establish the Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions. The center will conduct research to discover what happens when HIV proteins interact with cellular components
NEW ZEALAND: Syphilis Cases Grow in New Zealand: United Press International (08.25.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Television New Zealand on Friday reported that syphilis cases in Wellington and Auckland have tripled in the past three years. In the last half of 2006, Auckland recorded 60 new cases of infectious syphilis, while Wellington logged 15. Mirroring trends found elsewhere, the outbreak is predominantly striking young gay m
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Recalls 20 Million Condoms After Safety Scandal: Agence France Presse (08.27.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; In what it described as a precautionary measure to ensure maximum safety of the public, the South African government on Monday expanded its recall of potentially defective condoms. All 20 million condoms manufactured by Zalatex, which are among those supplied free through government programs, are being recalled. The de
CALIFORNIA: Lodi TB Patient Arrested: Lodi News-Sentinel (08.24.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Layla Bohm; A man who was refusing tuberculosis treatment at Lodi Memorial Hospital was arrested Thursday and transferred to the San Joaquin County jail. The patient, a transient who had been quarantined at the hospital since Aug. 10, was leaving his room, refusing to take his medicines, and talking about leaving the area, accordi
MICHIGAN: Ingham County Health Department Amends HIV Document: Lansing State Journal (08.24.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Derek Wallbank; Some AIDS advocates say Ingham County Health Department (ICHD) officials have not done enough to remove the legal uncertainties around a document every person who tests HIV- positive is asked to sign. The story first came to light when an HIV-positive person told Between the Lines, a Michigan newspaper for gays and les
GEORGIA: Jailed Teen Takes TB Medication: Atlanta Journal Constitution (08.28.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Craig Schneider; A teenager who has been in the Gwinnett County jail since Friday for refusing to accept treatment for active tuberculosis infection has now agreed to take the medicine, health officials said Monday at a news conference. So far he has been compliant with the treatment, and tolerating the medicine well, said Dr. Lloyd Ho
UNITED STATES: Duke-Led Team Zeroes In on HIV Vaccine Development: Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.) (07.20.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Monica Chen; Researchers conducting a genomewide analysis of HIV patients whose immune systems control the virus without treatment found a portion of the genome that could account for this rare host response. The international research team, led Bart Haynes of the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), pooled 486 untreated
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG Investigates 'Live Burials' of AIDS Victims: Agence France Presse (08.28.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Richard Kumul; Today, police and health officials in Papua New Guinea said they are investigating allegations that AIDS patients in the Southern Highlands were buried alive by relatives who could not care for them and were afraid of catching the disease. They were crying and calling out their relatives names and called for help
CANADA: Vancouver's Safe-Injection Site Adding Detox Beds and Housing: Canadian Press (08.26.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Camille Bains; In mid-September, Vancouver s supervised injection program, Insite, will open a 12-room detox and 18-room interim housing site where IV drug users (IDUs) can seek treatment and safe housing. At the second-floor detox site, each room will have a bed and personal bathroom. A doctor or nurse will assess the client and his
OHIO: On the Prowl for STDs: Cincinnati Enquirer (08.25.07) - Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Peggy O'Farrell; Hamilton County ranks 14th nationally for gonorrhea rates, CDC reports. The Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area also includes parts of Indiana and Kentucky, where new chlamydia cases rose from 570 in 2005 to more than 1,000 in 2006. In response, health authorities are calling for more testing to diagnose those inf
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Recalls Millions of Potentially Defective Condoms: Xinhua News Agency (08.23.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; The Department of Health is recalling more than 4.6 million Choice brand condoms that were manufactured in March and July of this year. However, more than 6 million of the condoms may have already reached the public through government-backed distribution campaigns. The Sowetan newspaper said the government actions foll
UNITED STATES: Teva Pharma Gets FDA Approval for Generic Version of Novartis' Famvir Herpes Treatment: Associated Press (08.24.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; On Friday, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its generic version of Novartis herpes drug Famvir. Teva, being the first company to file for a generic version of the drug, expects to receive 180 days of market exclusivity. The two companies, however, are stil
ARIZONA: Serious Syphilis Outbreak Confirmed on O'odham Reservation: Arizona Daily Star (08.24.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Lourdes Medrano; On Thursday, Tohono O odham Nation health officials confirmed a syphilis outbreak on the reservation, which is located southwest of Tucson. A sizeable majority of the cases are young people, and some sexual partners at risk of the infection have not yet been identified, said Christina Andrews, executive director of Hea
FLORIDA: St. Lucie Schools Chief Urges Adoption of Sex Ed Program: Palm Beach Post (08.24.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Cara Fitzpatrick; In a proposal sent Wednesday to St. Lucie County School Board members, the superintendent urged that the district s sex education curriculum emphasize abstinence and include information about contraception and how to prevent HIV, pregnancy and STDs. Superintendent Michael Lannon is expected to formally make the proposa
CALIFORNIA: Jamba Juice Reacts Quickly to Virus Scare: San Francisco Chronicle (08.24.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Bernadette Tansey; The fruit smoothie firm Jamba Juice quickly reacted to news that an employee at one of its San Jose stores was infected with hepatitis A. Santa Clara County Public Health Department officials found no fault with the company or the infected employee. The risk of infection from food or drinks served at the 1140 Lincoln A
GEORGIA: Teen Jailed in Gwinnett in Another Case of TB: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (08.26.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Craig Schneider; Jim Galloway; On Friday, Gwinnett County health officials jailed a teenager with an active case of tuberculosis who refused treatment and threatened to head back to his home country of Mexico . Health officials said that when they told the 17-year-old patient he had contagious TB, he refused to believe it. He then refused to submit
UNITED STATES: New Clue for HIV Drug Side Effects: Study: Reuters (07.16.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Ishani Ganguli; In a recent study, researchers found a link between a premature aging disease and lipodystrophy, or atypical fat redistribution, a side effect associated with protease inhibitors (PIs). Physicians have been puzzled by the cause of side effects seen with PIs and other AIDS drugs, including lipodystrophy, raised choleste
GLOBAL: Risk of 'New AIDS,' Health Threats, Demands Global Solidarity: WHO: Agence France Presse (08.23.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Peter Capella; A new World Health Organization report on global health security in the 21st century says it is very likely a deadly new infectious disease will emerge, and it calls on governments to work together to fight expanding health threats. According to WHO s 2007 World Health Report, new diseases have been discovered at the
NORTH CAROLINA: Testing Targets HIV in Infants: News & Observer (Raleigh) (08.25.07) - Monday, August 27, 2007; Martha Quillin; In North Carolina, where just one baby out of 127,464 delivered in 2006 was born with HIV, state officials are working to eliminate perinatal transmission of the virus altogether. The N.C. Commission for Public Health, which develops rules for medical practitioners in the state, voted Wednesday to require HIV testing o
COLORADO: 6 in Class Advised to Get Tested for TB: Rocky Mountain News (Denver) (08.24.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Erika Gonzalez; University of Colorado-Boulder officials announced Thursday that an instructor in the School of Education has recently been diagnosed with TB. During June and July, 39 students were in the class taught by the research associate, who is now under voluntary quarantine at home. Denver Health Medical Center officials have
NORTH CAROLINA: HIV Testing Urged for All Moms-to-Be: News & Observer (Raleigh) (08.24.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; The N.C. Commission for Public Health voted Wednesday to endorse a recommendation that all pregnant women in the state be required to undergo HIV testing in their third trimester unless they had been tested earlier. Testing would also be required of all newborns of unknown HIV status when they are brought to a medical
NEW YORK: Law Could Force Rape Suspects to Take HIV Test: Associated Press (08.23.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Under legislation signed into law by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, rape victims in New York state now have the option of obtaining a court order to force an indicted suspect to be tested for HIV. The results of the test would be furnished to both the victim and the suspect. The law s supporters say it will help victims decide qu
CALIFORNIA: Health Officials Fear Hepatitis A Outbreak: San Francisco Chronicle (08.24.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Marisa Lagos; On Thursday, Santa Clara County Public Health Department officials warned that an employee at Jamba Juice, 1140 Lincoln Ave. in San Jose, was infected with hepatitis A while working Aug. 1-3, 6-9, and 11-16. PHD officials say the infection risk to customers is low, because it is likely that the employee followed good h
MARYLAND: HIV/AIDS Patients Seeking Options: Washington Post (08.23.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Virgil Dickson; Since the closing of the Takoma Park Whitman-Walker Clinic two years ago due to a lack of funding, hundreds of suburban Maryland HIV/AIDS patients have struggled to access convenient treatment and support facilities. While some have found assistance at local health departments or social service programs, others, includ
UNITED STATES: Racial and Gender Differences in Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Longitudinal Associations with Coital Debut: Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 41; No. 1: P. 3-13 (07..07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Juanita J. Cuffee, BA; Denise D. Hallfors, PhD; Martha W. Waller, PhD; An important strategy in reducing the risk of negative adolescent health outcomes is delaying sexual debut. While race and gender are known to be related to sexual behavior and outcomes, little is known about how these characteristics affect sexual attitudes. The authors of the current study sought to examine the diffe
PAKISTAN: Drug Addicts Struggle to Obtain Anti-HIV Medicine: Inter Press Service (08.18.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Zofeen Ebrahim; Former drug users in Sindh are being denied AIDS treatment at government health centers, making harm-reduction more difficult, according to an expert who works with IV drug users (IDUs) at Pakistan Society. The society, a European Commission-funded project, runs two rehabilitation centers and has over 5,000 clients.
ASIA-PACIFIC: Human Trafficking Helps Spread HIV/AIDS in Asia: UN: Reuters (08.22.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Ranga Sirilal; Human trafficking victimizes some 300,000 women and children in Asia each year and is furthering the spread of HIV/AIDS, the UN Development Program said Wednesday. Both human trafficking and HIV greatly threaten human development and security, said Caitlin Wiesen-Antin, UNDP s HIV/AIDS regional coordinator for Asia and
UNITED STATES: Aging with AIDS: It's a Good Thing, but Challenging: Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (08.22.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Regina McEnery; Thanks to the efficacy and availability of antiretroviral therapy, many more Americans with HIV/AIDS are surviving into their senior years. But particular challenges confront this population - a topic on the agenda as the National Association of People with AIDS meets this weekend in Cleveland. CDC estimates that 27 pe
GLOBAL: Controlling AIDS Lies in Distant Hope of Vaccine: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (08.22.07) - Friday, August 24, 2007; Tom Paulson; Twenty years worth of research on developing an AIDS vaccine has shown that classic approaches to vaccines and immunology are not effective against HIV, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci was among more than 900 researchers, clinicians, policymak
Nigeria Probes HIV Graduate Test: BBC News (08.20.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Nigeria s National Universities Commission is questioning the leaders of a religious university to find out if it s true that students are being tested for HIV and pregnancy, said a commission spokesperson. The officials were responding to reports that Covenant University has imposed mandatory HIV testing for its gradu
GLOBAL: UN Report: Never in History Has World Needed More Cooperation to Prevent Health Crises: Associated Press (08.23.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Erica Bulman; In its annual global health report, the World Health Organization said today that infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before. With an estimated 2.1 billion airline passengers last year, governments must step up cooperative efforts to fight the international spread of diseases. In the past five years, WHO
UNITED STATES: Let's Talk About Sex - Among Seniors: Burlington Free Press (08.20.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Sarah Lemnah; .Today s seniors are staying active and that includes a healthy sex life. Recent advances in medicine, including Viagra, have allowed couples to continue a regular sex life.. .One alarming statistic: Seniors who are sexually active open themselves up to many of the same risks faced by younger people. Many seniors grew
FLORIDA: Broward, Palm Beach County Inmates' HIV Care Under Scrutiny: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (08.21.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Bob Lamendola; According to their attorneys and advocates, some HIV-positive jail inmates in Broward and Palm Beach counties are being prevented from accessing their AIDS drugs for weeks or even months. Delaying the delivery of ongoing HIV medication is completely unacceptable, said Dr. Ron Shansky, a board member of the National Com
NEW YORK: Taking On an Alarming Tide of AIDS: New York Times (08.19.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Cynthia Werthamer; The Westchester County Health Department has launched a campaign to encourage residents of Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon, Port Chester, and New Rochelle to get tested for HIV. With the tag line of Everyone Has a Reason to Get an HIV Test, the $60,000 effort is expected to last about five months. Dr. Joshua Lipsma
UNITED STATES: Survey: Seniors Have Sex into 70s, 80s: Associated Press (08.23.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Marilynn Marchione; Many Americans remain sexually active well into old age, according to the results of a new study funded by the federal government. The report is based on two-hour, in-person, in-home interviews conducted with 3,005 men and women around the country. The researchers tested participants for hormone levels and sex- related
ASIA-PACIFIC: Asian Countries Need to Strengthen Efforts to Prevent HIV Outbreak, Conference Says: Associated Press (08.23.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Ravi Nessman; Today at the close of the 8th International Congress of AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, participants said regional governments must address the underlying causes of the epidemic s spread in order to effectively combat it. Approximately 5.4 million people in the region are infected with HIV, but that figure could spike if
ASIA-PACIFIC: Instability, Conservative Social Attitudes Hamper Fight Against AIDS, UN Official Says: Associated Press (08.22.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Ravi Nessman; On Monday, UNAIDS Director for Asia and the Pacific Prasada Rao warned that regional efforts to control HIV s spread are being hampered by growing political instability, stigma, and conservative social attitudes. Every year in the region, almost a half-million people become infected with HIV and as many as 300,000 die
INDIANA: Parents of Sixth-Grade Girls Get Notice of HPV Vaccine: Associated Press (08.19.07) - Thursday, August 23, 2007; Parents of sixth-grade girls in Indiana are receiving letters informing them about the link between human papillomavirus