Washington Blade - December 31, 2004

Growing numbers of black women, to their surprise, infected with HIV

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A growing number of African-American women are becoming infected with HIV. About 50 percent of those with HIV will develop AIDS within 10 years. Recent statistics reveal black women represent almost 70 percent of new HIV cases in the United States each year. The issue of rising HIV infection rates among black women gained prominence this year with mainstream media coverage of the "down-low" phenomenon - black men who have sex with men, then return to heterosexual relationships. Some health experts, however, have disputed any correlation between the "down-low" and rising HIV rates among black women.

Health officials remind those at high risk to get flu vaccines

NEW YORK - Health leaders nationwide issued a reminder to the public, particularly people with HIV and others with compromised immune systems, that it is not too late to be vaccinated for the flu, according to media reports. The American Lung Association is among health organizations that announced this week that even though media coverage of the flu vaccine shortage has waned, the peak of flu season is approaching, and people in high-risk groups should be vaccinated against the flu, a press release from the association stated. New expanded guidelines for high-risk groups, released by the Centers for Disease Control, add adults age 50 and older, children from ages 6 to 23 months, people of any age with chronic medical conditions, including HIV, and women who will be pregnant during flu season to the ranks of those most encouraged to get vaccinated, health leaders reported. People who reside in chronic care facilities, work in direct patient care and who come in contact with people in a high-risk group also are encouraged to get a flu shot, according to media reports.

Straight men care just as much as gay men about their bodies

NEW YORK - A new health study claims heterosexual men are just as likely to want an unattainable body type as gay men, according to Reuters. It concludes that both gay and straight men harbor a distorted image of their actual body, Reuters reports. The finding contradicts the myth that gay men have more "hang ups" about their appearance than straight men, study author Dr. Armand Hausmann told Reuters Health. This assumption stems from a wide range of stereotypes, Hausmann noted, including the belief that gay men are more likely to adopt a "feminine gender identity," that gay culture places a high emphasis on body image, and that gay men have generally lower self-esteem. However, no research has adequately substantiated any of these notions, the investigator noted, suggesting more research is needed. "It seems necessary to develop a scientific approach to the health of gay men in order to overcome gay prejudices," said Hausmann, who is based at the Innsbruck University Hospital in Austria.

Israeli researchers claim injection helps improves immune system

TEL AVIV - Researchers at Hadassah University in Israel claim to have developed a new injection that strengthens the body's immune system against HIV, according to the Turkish online newspaper Zaman. The latest research focused on developing a new injection that prevents the destruction of new cells that are important to the body's immune system. The studies took place between 1998 and 2002 and involved seven AIDS patients receiving the new injections, according to Zaman. Researchers discovered that infected cells were compeletely destroyed, or had been severely impaired. As a result, white cells increased for five of the seven patients.

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