Washington Blade - June 14, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Republicans decided to seek less money for fighting AIDS in Africa and elsewhere after White House officials said they would unveil a new plan to combat the disease abroad, a GOP lawmaker said. In the coming days, President Bush is expected to propose spending about $500 million to prevent transmission of the disease from mothers to their children, said Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn). The Senate approved an anti-terrorism bill last week that contained $200 million to help overseas AIDS victims this year. Until the final hours of debate, Frist and Sen. Jesse Helms (R0N.C.), had planned to try raising the AIDS assistance total to $500 million, but they lowered their target following administration lobbying. "I'm comfortable with the president's initiative to spend a comparable amount, on the order of $500 million," Frist said. Bush has already requested nearly $900 million for the worldwide AIDS fight for the federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Brazil targets young gays in news prevention campaign

BRASILIA, Brazil -- Brazil recently launched its first AIDS prevention campaign targeted to young, gay men -- a group that has experienced an increase in HIV infection rates in recent years, Reuters reported. The $1.2 million campaign includes a primetime television commercial, magazine ads, posters and pamphlets. One of the magazine ads reads: "Use a condom with your boyfriend ... that's something a father should say to his son." "We have never wanted to reinforce that old stigma, that link between AIDS and homosexuality," said Paulo Teixeira, coordinator of Brazil's AIDS program. "But now is the time to act." The government developed the campaign with help from gay rights activists to raise awareness about the disease among young, gay men.

AIDS debate in Cambodian legislature frays tempers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- An opposition leader caused an uproar in Parliament on Monday when he said that the failure of Cambodia's government to make available cheap drugs had allowed AIDS "to kill more people than during the Pol Pot regime." The comments from Sam Rainsy, the leader of Cambodia's main opposition party, were a reference to the radical communist leader whose Khmer Rouge regime was estimated to have caused the deaths of 1.7 million people. Rainsy was speaking to national lawmakers during a stormy debate on AIDS prevention in a country in which the HIV infection rate is among the highest in Asia. Security guards were summoned to the National Assembly after the debate degenerated into a shouting match, and the president of the legislative body criticized the blowup as "anarchy." Rainsy argued that the main cause of the spread of HIV was corruption and state negligence that he said pushes many people into poverty and prostitution. Lawmakers of the ruling Cambodian People's Party responded to Rainsy's remarks by showering him with abuse. Lawmaker Ek Sam Ol called the opposition leader "disgraceful."

Laser hair removal can be costly, risky, newspaper says

NEW YORK -- Just seven years after the Food & Drug Administration approved the first hair-removing laser, a popular treatment among some gay men, consumers are spending more than $1 billion annually for the treatment, making it one of the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures, the Wall Street Journal reported. While laser treatment is by far the most effective option, it won't get rid of unwanted body hair entirely, according to the newspaper. The best and barest results require numerous treatments and can end up costing thousands of dollars, as well as carrying risks. According to the Journal, laser hair removal permanently removes 30 percent to 75 percent of hair. Most people need at least four to six treatments over about three months for noticeable improvement. Lasers do not work for everyone because lasers target pigment and often don't work well on people with dark or tanned skin. Most experts say patients should avoid spas and seek treatment in a doctor's office. The cost ranges from $300 to $700 a session; a man's back can cost $1,000 or more per treatment. Some patients need as many as eight or 10 sessions, according to the newspaper.

AIDS infection rate drops slightly in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- The AIDS infection rate among young South Africans appears to have dipped slightly, according to figures released by the health ministry earlier this month. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said a report showed that the infection rate of pregnant mothers under the age of 20 had decreased between 1998 and 2000 from to 15.4 percent from 18 percent. But stigma against the disease runs high in South Africa and many people refuse to take HIV tests, making an accurate count difficult. Researchers have also said they were about seven to 10 years away from developing an AIDS vaccine in Africa. "There is light now in the dark continent," said Malegapru Makgoba, chair of the Medical Research Council, according to the South Africa Press Association.

From staff and wire reports
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