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 Foundati
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 Tes