Washington Blade - December 23, 2005

LOS ANGELES - Some HIV-negative gay men are using the AIDS drug tenofovir with hopes that it will protect them from the virus during unprotected sex, health officials report. The officials are concerned that the unproven practice will result in more infections, the Los Angeles Times reported. The article claims that tenofovir is being sold in packets along with Ecstasy and other party drugs, in gay dance clubs, and even some physicians prescribe it. But public health officials worry about the trend, contending there is no evidence that tenofovir blocks HIV transmission. Those who have unsafe sex while taking the drug still could become infected or suffer from its side effects, physicians said. "This is a very worrisome development," HIV experts said recreational use of AIDS drugs might increase overall resistance to them. Jeff Klausner, STD prevention director at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, noted, "If we find out this works, even in some people, we would never recommend people stop using condoms or reduce their number of sexual partners."

Calif. clinic stops use of rapid oral HIV test

LOS ANGELES - Growing concerns about the reliability of a new rapid oral HIV test prompted one clinic in Los Angeles to discontinue its use, Reuters reported. Officials at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center said 13 people who took the OraQuick oral test there in November falsely registered as HIV positive. Clinics in San Francisco and New York also have reported significant false-positives with the test by OraSure Technologies Inc. The Los Angeles facility now offers people the option of a finger prick blood test that delivers an answer in 20 minutes and is considered more reliable. OraSure President Douglas Michels said the issues with the oral test are "isolated." "We're still collecting data," he said.

Yale scientists find links between race, drugs, HIV

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale researchers have found a possible relationship between incarceration and race disparities in HIV rates among Americans, Medical News Today reported. The research is reported in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor & Underserved. Yale University's Kim Blankenship led the project, which reviewed existing studies and secondary data regarding trends of incarceration rates and HIV infection levels. Although the U.S. population of African Americans is 12 percent, they make up 40 percent of those in prison, 40 percent of all AIDS cases reported up to 2003, and 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2003. "There are clearly individual health risks for people while they are incarcerated, including unprotected sexual contact, drug use and tattooing," Blankenship said.

Gel can help stop HIV, herpes spread: study

CHICAGO - In the first study to show the activity of a microbicide after application in humans, researchers found that microbicide gel can prevent HIV and herpes infection of human cells, AIDSMap.com reported. A gel that contains the microbicide PRO 2000 can stop infections after being inserted into the vagina, according to a study printed in the Jan. 1 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Microbicides are being researched as a way for women to gain more control over their risk of contracting HIV or other infections, and they also may reduce HIV transmission during sex between men, researchers said. Developed by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, PRO 2000 is a microbicide that binds to the surface of HIV and stops it from entering human cells. Human trials have not yet been widely conducted to test its effectiveness.

Older men at risk for HIV often have low testosterone

NEW YORK - In a new study, researchers found that most older men who are at risk for HIV infection or are HIV-positive also have low testosterone levels, which are linked with symptoms of hypogonadism, Reuters Health reported. "This suggests that consideration should be given to evaluating such men for hypogonadism and considering treatment, especially if symptoms attributable to hypogonadism are present," said Dr. Robert S. Klein from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The findings were reported in the Dec. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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