1991

"Malaysia Poised to Become World's Leading Condom Manufacturer": United Press International (12/30/91); Kuala Lumpur-- Malaysia may become the world s leading condom producer next year as a result of increased demand for prophylactics in Eastern Europe and the United States , manufacturers said today. As a response to the public s growing fear of con
"One `False Positive' Points Up Pitfalls of AIDS Screening": Boston Globe (12/30/91), P. 1; Kong, Dolores; The recent surge of Americans desiring an HIV test has raised the question of just how reliable these tests are. The public has to realize that there is no such thing as a perfect test, says Dr. Paul Bachner, chairman of the AIDS committee for College of American Pathologists, and he adds that there never will be,
"AIDS Risk to Health Workers Low": Los Angeles Times (12/30/91), P. B3; Greenberg, Joel; A new study published in this week s Journal of the American Medical Association reports that health-care workers are not becoming infected with HIV at unusually high rates, despite the risk inherent in their profession. By June of 1990, health-care workers made up 4.8 percent o
"AIDS Test for Newborns Developed": Los Angeles Times (12/30/91), P. B3; Greenberg, Joel; A new and inexpensive blood test can detect HIV in newborns earlier, thus assisting in the diagnosis of the infection, according to a report published in last week s Journal of the American Medical Association . The more recent blood test uses a different type of HIV antibody tha
"Hospital's Doctors Must Get AIDS Tests": Los Angeles Times (12/30/91), P. B11; An Aspen, Colo., hospital will soon mandate HIV testing for its staff doctors, a move which contradicts the mainstream medical philosophy opposing mandatory testing. Officials at Aspen Valley Hospital said that it is attempting to build public confidence with the decision, which was unanimously agreed upon by the hos
"Herpes Drug Displays Role Against AIDS": Wall Street Journal (12/30/91), P. A3; Horwitz, Tony; A combination of drugs including a herpes treatment has been found effective in prolonging life for people with AIDS, according to British doctors and the drug s manufacturer. The drug, acyclovir, is manufactureed by Wellcome PLC s Wellcome Foundation Ltd. unit, a London-based pharmaceuticals company, but marketed un
"Johnson No Longer Holds the Magic for Advertisers": United Press International (12/28/91); Los Angeles--Advertisers have quietly shied away from Magic Johnson since his announcement seven weeks ago that he is HIV-positive. David Burns, president of Burns Sports Celebrity Service, a Chicago consulting firm, said, You don t put a sick person in an ad, particularly a fatally ill one. It s a fundamental rule
"AIDS Spells Disaster for Africa": Los Angeles Times (12/28/91), P. A14; Hiltzik, Michael A.; Even if population growth reverses in Africa, the increased number of deaths as a result of AIDS will spell further disaster for the continent, according to researchers who convened at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS in Africa earlier this month. New predictions suggest that AIDS is hitting the country s m
"British AIDS Case Opens Up Discussion": Christian Science Monitor (12/27/91), P. 13; Joffee, Linda; The death of British rock star Freddie Mercury has heightened awareness of AIDS in Great Britain just as Magic Johnson s situation has increased awareness in the United States . Currently, Mercury is the most famous person to die from AIDS in Great Britain. The Terrence Higgins Trust,
"HIV Testing Bans Won't End `Testing'": Wall Street Journal (12/27/91), P. A10; Clark, Lindley H.; HIV testing will most likely continue even though the Americans With Disabilities Act will be implemented next July, writes Lindley H. Clark Jr. of the Wall Street Journal. The act bans employers with 25 or more people from discriminating against an individual with a disability or a perceived one. The Americans with
"Path From `Prairie' to AIDS Activist": USA Today (12/26/91), P. 2D; Jacobs, Michael; Actress Alison Arngrim, also known as Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie, has devoted her life to becoming an AIDS activist. Arngrim said that if there were a contest she would be voted the least likely person to get involved in any of the things that I ve gotten involved in. Arngrim is not simply a c
"Health Workers' Risk": USA Today (12/26/91), P. 1D; Landis, David; Health-care workers are not being infected with HIV at an unusually high rate, even though their profession carries some risks, according to a report in this week s Journal of The American Medical Association . Health-care workers comprise six percent of the U.S. labor force, but
"Tuberculosis and HIV Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (12/26/91) Vol. 325, No. 26, P. 1883; Nolan, Charles M.; Goldbaum, Gary M.; and Wood, Robert W.; Tuberculin reactivity differs both geographically and by risk groups for HIV infection. Each community should therefore address the issue of testing for delayed-type hypersensitivity anergy even to its own population at risk for both HIV infection and
"Tuberculosis and HIV Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (12/26/91) Vol. 325, No. 26, P. 1883; Cathebras, P.J.; The hypothesis that M. tuberculosis accelerates HIV infection should be further investigated, writes P.J. Cathebras of the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Montreal, Canada . In the June 6 issue o
"Tuberculosis and HIV Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (12/26/91) Vol. 325, No. 26, P. 1882; Di Perri, Giovanni; Chemoprophylaxis should be continued past the usual 12 months for treating tuberculosis , write Giovanni Di Perri and colleagues of the Universities of Verona and Trento, Italy . In the June 6 edition of The New
"Tuberculosis and HIV Infection": New England Journal of Medicine (12/26/91) Vol. 325, No. 26, P. 1882; Stead, William W. and Lofgren, John P.; Barnes et al. (New England Journal of Medicine--June 6) failed to recognize in their article on tuberculosis patients with HIV the manner in which HIV infection accelerates the development of tuberculosis when tuberculin-negative HIV-positive ind
"Antibody Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccines in Men With" Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (12/26/91) Vol. 325, No. 26, P. 1837; Steinhoff, Mark C. et al.; Individuals with HIV infection that are immunized with the PRP-CRM conjugate vaccine early in the course of infection are inclined to protect against disease resulting from H. influenzae type b, write Mark C. Steinhoff et al. of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. Steinhoff et al. studied respones in 248 m
"Advances in Early Diagnosis of Perinatal HIV Infection": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3474; Connor, Edward; The HIV culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and IgA antibody detection have proven significant advances in HIV diagnosis in children who acquire the virus perinatally, writes Edward Connor of the Journal of the American Medical Association . HIV culture and PCR have proven
"Health Care Workers With AIDS": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3459; Chamberland, Mary E. et al.; The majority of health-care workers with AIDS have acquired HIV by an nonoccupational role, write Mary E. Chamberland, MD, et al. of the Centers for Disease Control. AIDS surveillance is conducted among health care workers to evaluate the risk of HIV infection after exposure to the blood or body fluids of an HIV-pos
"Clinical Utility of HIV-IgA Immunoblot Assay in the Early Diagnosis of" Perinatal HIV Infection: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3443; Landesman, Sheldon et al.; Dr. Sheldon Landesman of State University of New York Health Science Center and his associates conducted a study to assess the benefit of testing asymptomatic HIV-infected infants with the HIV-IgA Immunoblot assay. Children born to HIV-infected women and noninfected women were examined with HIV-IgA immunoblot assays
"Early Diagnosis of Perinatal HIV Infection by Detection of Viral-Specific" IgA Antibodies: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3439; Quinn, Thomas C. et al.; The HIV-IgA assay is relatively simple and inexpensive to perform and should assist in the implementaion of anti-viral therapy, write Thomas C. Quinn, MD, et al. of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Serum samples were taken from 539 children born to HIV-infected women and from 42 control chil
"Patterns of Sexual Behavior Change": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3406; In August of 1990, 3,800 homosexual/bisexual men entered a study to assess the change in sexual behavior after HIV testing and counseling, writes the Centers for Disease Control. The men came from four cities: Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Long Beach, Calif.; and Seattle, Wash. It was found that positive changes in
"Financing Care for Patients With AIDS": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3404; Wilensky, Gail R.; Medicaid is already the largest provider of funding for AIDS patient care. The Health Care Financing Administration is working to help states develop Medicaid services to meet the needs of HIV-infected individuals, writes HCFA Administrator Gail R. Wilensky. Presently, both federal- and state-funded Medicaid makes h
"Wedding Plans Are on Hold for Teen With AIDS Virus": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/25/91), P. 9B; Donnelly, John; A hemophiliac teenager with AIDS has postponed his wedding plans because of too much publicity. Ricky Ray, 14, of Sarasota, Fla., announced his engagement last spring to Wenonah Lindberg, but because of the overwhelming publicity Ray received after appearing on Geraldo, Oprah Winfrey, and Larry King Live!, he h
"Blood, Money, and Hemophiliacs--the Fatal Story of France's `AIDSgate'": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/25/91) Vol. 266, No. 24, P. 3477; Breo, Dennis L.; Because of the French government s reluctance to screen blood from 1983 to 1985, nearly 1,200 hemophiliacs and as many as 5,000 recipients of blood transfusions contracted HIV. The French government could have administered a U.S. test for HIV antibodies that detected both HIV in the blood and in the carrier. But the
"Gay Rights Activists Say Police Should Be More Sensitive": United Press International (12/24/91); Cincinnati--Gay rights activists are unhappy with the misdemeanor assualt conviction of Steven O Banion, an HIV-positive Hamilton County man who spit blood and saliva at his jailers after being arrested for jaywalking and disorderly conduct. Although O Banion s charge was reduced from felonious assault, and attempted
"Dating Service Seeks to Heal Loneliness of HIV Infected": Los Angeles Times (12/24/91), P. B1; Meyer, Josh; A Los Angeles organization has implemented a dating service for people infected with HIV or AIDS. The group, Being Alive, sent out its first mailer to its confidential newsletter s 9,000 subscribers last week. Since then, the news of the dating service has become known among hundreds of people across the country who
"Prejudice, Poverty Mark AIDS in Tijuana": Los Angeles Times (12/24/91), P. A3; Rotella, Sebastian; In Tijuana, AIDS descrimination abounds and leaves those who have the disease without proper health care. Approximately 174 people have been reported with AIDS in Tijuana, a city of more than 1 million, according to Mexican federal health officials, and some believe that the actual figure could be five times what has
"Blacks and AIDS: No Magic Cure": Los Angeles Times (12/24/91), P. A1; Fulwood, Sam and Cimons, Marlene; Magic Johnson s recent disclosure that he has contracted HIV was believed by many to heavily impact the black community and make them more aware of the implications of the disease. However, while many blacks now fear the disease, they also still deny that it could happen to them. While Blacks make up approximately 1
"Man With AIDS Guilty of Assault for Spitting": Washington Times (12/24/91), P. A4; A man with AIDS was convicted yesterday for allegedly spitting blood at sheriff s officers and a jail nurse in an attempt to infect them with HIV. Steven O Banion was initially indicted for jaywalking and disorderly conduct. Common Pleas Judge Gilbert Bettman said the officers who arrested O Banion were probably too
"Business + Race: Retail Plans Are Speeded for `Afrocentric' Condom": Wall Street Journal (12/24/91), P. B1; Wynter, Leon E.; Umoja Sasa Products, of Baltimore, Md., the manufacturer of the only Afrocentric condom, has largely benefitted from the heightened concern of HIV transmission. On the back of the company s black, red, and green package is an outline of the African continent and an explanation that Umoja Sasa means unity now in S
"Biologists Advise Doctors to Think Like Darwin: H.I.V. Could Become Tamer": New York Times (12/24/91), P. C1; Angier, Natalie; HIV may become less infectious in the future as people adhere to safe-sex practices such as condom use and a reasonable limit on sexual contacts, according to Dr. Paul Ewald, a theoretical biologist at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Dr. Ewald asserts that these prevention methods will not only decrease the new num
"Alarming Spread of AIDS Virus in Thailand May Threaten Country's Recent" Economic Gains: Asian Wall Street Journal (12/23/91) Vol. 13, No. 51, P. 4; Owens, Cynthia; Thailand s high AIDS case rate is damaging the country s recent economic growth and continues to increase by 500 new HIV infections a day. The first local AIDS case in Thailand was diagnosed in 1987. Since then the country has experienced an escalation to between 200,000 and 400,000 cases, according to government es
"Numbers Fail to Tell Story of AIDS Threat in Japan": Asian Wall Street Journal (12/23/91) Vol. 13, No. 51, P. 3; Ono, Yumiko; Although Japan has a relatively low AIDS case rate, the country may soon experience a large influx of AIDS cases, health experts say. Presently, only 415 Japanese have developed AIDS out of a population of 124 million. However, Tsunetsugu Munakata, associate professor of public he
"Deadly Specter of AIDS Virus Is Stalking Asia, Bringing Human Tragedy," Huge Health Costs: Asian Wall Street Journal (12/23/91) Vol. 13, No. 51, P. 1; Pura, Raphael; Asia once had the least number of AIDS cases, but now has more than a million people infected with HIV. Presently, Asia has the second highest HIV prevalence after Africa. Dr. M.H. Merson, director of the World Health Organization s Global Program on AIDS, said that because of the continent s size the annual number
"Chemical Briefs: New Compound Said to Slow AIDS Virus": Journal of Commerce (12/23/91), P. 7A; A new compound has been formed that slows the reproduction of HIV, according to a report in Science magazine. Researchers at Hoffman-LaRoche Inc., along with others from the University of California and Columbia University, said the compound inhibited the growth of HIV in cells which were already infected with the vi
"The Way AIDS Harms Not Only the Afflicted": New York Times (12/23/91), P. C15; Gussow, Mel; The Raft of the Medusa, a play depicting people with AIDS, was modeled after the Theodore Gericault painting showing shipwreck survivors clinging to a raft crowded with dead or dying people. However, the difference between the painting and Joe Pintauro s play is that, with AIDS, the survivors will also succumb, writ
"Being Blunt About the Birds and Bees": Washington Post (12/23/91), P. A1; Stepp, Laura Sessions; As a response to the growing concern of HIV transmission, the Washington Post interviewed approximately 20 middle-class parents and their teenage children to dicover how sex is discussed within the family. Parents said that they cannot avoid discussing sex with their children, and must address the topic more often as
"Keeping the Navy Straight": Time (12/23/91) Vol. 138, No. 25, P. 42; Homosexuals have been banned from the military in the past for undermining morale and possibly being vulnerabile to blackmail. However, last week a U.S. District Judge Oliver Gasch devised a new reason for eliminating gays in a ruling that confirms the U.S. Naval Academy s treatment of a midshipman. The judge assert
"A Magical Mystery Tour": Newsweek (12/23/91) Vol. 118, No. 26, P. 59; Deford, Frank; Magic Johnson has been regarded as a hero because of the way he is handling his bout with HIV infection, writes Frank Deford of Newsweek. Johson has taken the attitude that his infection was his fault, and claims that he prays more: I ask God to give me more strength because I see he s got a mission for me, to help
"Cerebral Pneumocystis Carinii Infection in AIDS": Lancet (12/22-29/91) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1592; Mayayo, E., et al.; A 30-year-old IV drug user with AIDS had cerebral Pneumocystis carinii infection, a previously unrecorded condition, write E. Mayayo and colleagues of the University of Barcelona, Spain . Although extrapulmonary pneumocystis has been reported in the retina, bone marrow, small intest
"AIDS and Migrant Populations in Nicaragua": Lancet (12/22-29/90) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1593; Low, Nicola, et al.; Researchers have suggested that the return of Contra troops from Honduras would boost the HIV rate in Nicaragua , but the prevalence remains low and extant education programs may impede the progress of the ep
"World Summit for Children": Lancet (12/22-29/90) Vol. 336, No. 8730, P. 1586; Black, Maggie; The UNICEF publication Children and AIDS: an Impending Calamity, cites lack of family planning services as a reason for women s poor health and efficacy of condoms for HIV prophylaxis, writes Maggie Black. The guide also discusses the limitations of barrier contraceptives as HIV preventives in countries where AIDS
"Together in a Life With AIDS": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/21/91), P. A1; Sarick, Lila; Members of the Newman family of London, Ontario plan to keep their spirits high this Christmas, the last one they may be spending together. Kim and Rob Newman, who have AIDS along with two of their three children, believe they were exposed to the virus through unprotected sex before they met. Since they began openly
"Santa With AIDS Spreads Cheer": New York Times (12/21/91), P. 22; Martin, Douglas; Mark Woodley, the Santa Claus impersonator whom Macy s refused to rehire because he has AIDS, has returned to the role. Woodley has not been reinstated, but instead has been attending a variety of functions voluntarily, most of which are for children with AIDS. Currently, he is involved in a lawsuit against Macy s t
"Survey Finds Anti-Minority AIDS Care Bias": Los Angeles Times (12/21/91), P. B1; Harris, Scott; Physicians who treat patients in minority communities in Los Angeles County are basically less educated on HIV and more apt to turn away patients who are infected with the deadly virus, according to a study sponsored by the Southern California AIDS Education and Training Center. The discovery was discussed Friday at
"Slow Going for Blood Substitutes": Science (12/21/90) Vol. 250, No. 4988, P. 1655; Pool, Robert; Researchers have been attempting to develop blood substitutes for years. However, hemoglobin derivatives have produced unexpected side effects, setting back hopes of having blood that would pose no threat of HIV, would not have to be matched for type, and could be stored longer at lower cost. Toxic effects such as k
"Origin of AIDS": Lancet (12/21-28/91) Vol. 338, No. 8782/8783, P. 1604; Gebhardt, D.O.E; The November 28 edition of Nature s commentary entitled AIDS, monkeys, and malaria indicated that primate retroviruses may have been transmitted to a man or other monkeys as an outcome fo experiments with primate malarias, writes D.O.E. Gebhardt of the Department fo Clinical Chemistry at the University Hosptial in L
"Inhibition of HIV Replication in Acute and Chronic Infections in Vitro by" a Tat Antagonist: Science (12/20/91) Vol. 254, No. 5039, P. 1799; Hsu, Ming-Chu et al.; Antiviral drugs directed at attacking transactivator Tat are an effective means of inhibiting the virus at an early stage, write Ming-Chu Hsu et al. of the Department of Virology at Hoffman-La Roche in Nutley, N.J. Tat increases gene expression directed by the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter. The drug Ro 5
"New AIDS Drug Poised to Move Into Development": Science (12/20/91) Vol. 254, No. 5039, P. 1715; Hamilton, David P.; A drug set aside last summer by its manufacturer, Hoffman-La Roche, is about to return to clinical trials. Hoffman-La Roche s final decision on a licensing partner for Ro 24-7429, the antiviral compund that uniquely attacks HIV, was immenent, according to insiders. The comany decided last May to discontinue developi
"Prescription Barriers Absurd, Doctors Contend": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/20/91), P. A7; Mickleburgh, Rod; The Ontario Health Ministry s new policy for AIDS patients wishing to obtain drugs has been chastised by doctors for being too bureaucratic. The debate follows the ministry s decision to remove a number of drugs from the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan because manufacturers failed to meet a deadline for filing detailed inf
"Roche Holding Ltd.: U.S. Unit Reverses Course on Developing AIDS Drug": Wall Street Journal (12/20/91), P. B4; Hoffman-La Roche Inc., which last May announced that it would seek a co-developer for its experimental AIDS drug, has now announced that it will keep the drug for itself and begin a second phase of human tests shortly. The drug, a TAT inhibitor, appears to block replication of HIV in cells already infected with the v
"Sweat Can't Transmit the AIDS Virus": USA Today (12/20/91), P. D1; Snider, Mike; A new study conducted by Dr. Gary Wormser of New York Medical College has confirmed what experts have long believed: that HIV cannot be transmitted through sweat. Wormser s two-year study found no traces of the virus in the sweat of 50 infected individuals. Athletes, Wormser says, may be particularly interested in h
"Mrs. Bush, Mending Bridges": Washington Post (12/20/91), P. D1; Radcliffe, Donnie; Barbara Bush yesterday attended the dedication of the Bill Austin Day Treatment and Care Center, a new center in Washington, D.C., that will provide day care to AIDS patients as a part of the Whitman-Walker Clinic. The center will offer outpatient programs providing medical care and psychological services. Mrs. Bush
"AIDS Condom Campaign Runs Into Obstacles in Africa": Los Angeles Times (12/20/91), P. A8; Hiltzik, Michael A.; African males have an ingrained aversion to using condoms, making AIDS prevention an arduous task there, according to a multitude of surveys discussed at the Sixth International Conference on AIDS in Africa held in Dakar, Senegal . Another problem with condoms discussed at the con
"Top F.D.A. Staff Members Oppose Looser Drug Approval System": New York Times (12/20/91), P. A29; Hilts, Philip J.; The Food and Drug Administration s new policy to hasten drug approval by allowing private groups to review the testing of new drugs has faced severe opposition by a majority of the leading F.D.A. staff members. The proposal is one of many that the White House has recommended and that the Commissioner of the F.D.A. ha
"IV Cocaine Use Linked to AIDS Risk": Boston Globe (12/19/91), P. 3; Cocaine use by intravenous means may substantially increase the risk of becoming infected with HIV, even more than the risk associated with using heroin and other IV drugs, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. The scientists studied 2,597 active IV drug users in Baltimore and disco
"Insurance Plays Role in Magic Johnson Status": Journal of Commerce (12/19/91), P. 8A; Carter, Kelly; Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Jerry West has announced that Magic Johnson will be removed from the team s injured list. Johnson was placed on the list under instructions from the league for insurance purposes, and will be placed on either a suspended list or a voluntary retirement list, giving the Lakers the opt
"Personalities: Magic's Mate Passes Test": Washington Post (12/19/91), P. C3; Earvin Magic Johnson s pregnant wife has tested negative for HIV for the second time, despite her husband s infection with the virus. Earletha Cookie Johnson is three months pregnant and was administered the second test two weeks ago. Earvin and Cookie are very happy with the results, said Johnson s agent, Lon
"Disability Benefits and AIDS": Washington Post (12/19/91), P. A20; The Social Security Administration s recent change in policy for disability payments to AIDS patients may not be completely satisfactory, but anything to speed up the usual bureaucratic process and provide patients with financial and medical assistance is good, write the editors of the Washington Post. The policy wil
"AIDS Rips at Fabric of African Society": Washington Times (12/19/91), P. A10; Hamdan, Fouad; Africa s economy and work force is being weakened as a result of AIDS, according to scientists and representatives attending the sixth International Conference on AIDS in Africa. Professor I.B. Mutembei, a member of the Medical Aid Foundation in Dar es-Salaam, said 70 percent of AIDS-related deaths in three district
"Becton Dickinson Unveils New AIDS Test": Investor's Business Daily (12/19/91), P. 11; A new product that will test the progression of AIDS, and will cost about one-third of existing products, was introduced by the Becton Dickinson + Co. yesterday at the sixth international AIDS in Africa conference. The self-contained system is called FACScount, and will be promoted to Third World countries. The devi
"AIDS Center Reflects Change in the Disease": Washington Post (12/19/91), P. D1; Goldstein, Amy; The Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., will open its first daytime treatment center today to provide medical care and companionship to the increasing number of AIDS patients. The Bill Austin Day Treatment and Care Center will make haircuts, blood transfusions, and massages available to people with AIDS. The
"Flu Shots Tied to AIDS Test Results": New York Times (12/19/91), P. B21; Altman, Lawrence K.; Approximately 90 Americans who donated blood have tested false positive for HIV and two other viruses, according to federal health officials. Among 60 percent of the donors, an influenza shot was administered prior to donating blood. It is unknown how a flu shot would cause false positive reactions in the laboratory
"Madonna Pens an AIDS Plea": USA Today (12/18/91), P. 2D; Thomas, Karen; Madonna has taken out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine s year-end issue urging those in her industry to promote AIDS awareness. The ad is in the form of a letter in the singer s own handwriting and appears on the back page. It reads, in part, Aids [sic] is not about being a celebrity. It s about being a human
"Guilt, Innocence and AIDS": USA Today (12/18/91), P. 1D; Painter, Kim; Many of those campaigning for AIDS-related causes see a dichotomy in the American people s view of AIDS. While gay men and drug users are seen as deserving of the disease, others, such as Kimberly Bergalis, are seen as innocent victims of the irresponsibility of these homosexuals and drug addicts. Magic Johnson, who
"Aids Case: Attempted Murder by Spitting Dismissed": Baltimore Sun (12/18/91), P. 15A; Attempted murder charges against an Ohio man with AIDS who allegedly spit blood at three sheriff s officers and a nurse were dismissed yesterday. Judge Gilbert Bettman ruled in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to support the charges against Steven O Banion. Bettman lef
"Bush Criticizes TV Trials, Condom Giveaways": Washington Post (12/18/91), P. A19; President Bush yesterday condemned televised TV court trials, condom distributions, and clean needle exchanges in a series of television interviews via satellite with ABC affiliates in major cities. Bush criticized programs geared at fighting the spread of HIV by distributing condoms to high school students, saying,
"13 Seek Counseling and Condoms as Phila. School Program Begins": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/18/91), P. 1B; Mezzacappa, Dale; Philadelphia s condom distribution program began yesterday in three area high schools, and 13 students from John Bartram and Simon Gratz High Schools, came to obtain condoms and get counseling. The program was condemned by Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua and called reckless, tragic and morally irresponsible. He prom
"Rules on Disability Benefits Eased for HIV-Infected People": Washington Post (12/18/91), P. A2; Rich, Spencer; New rules were released yesterday by the federal government allowing more people who are infected with HIV, but do not have full-blown AIDS, to be considered for disability benefits. The new policy will immediately cover people who have not reached retirement age and apply for disability benefits under the Social Sec
"African AIDS Victims to More Than Double in `90s": Washington Post (12/18/91), P. A1; Okie, Susan; The number of people with AIDS in Africa is expected to increase twofold by the year 2000, according to health officials at the World Health Organization s Sixth International Conference on AIDS in Africa in Dakar, Senegal . Michael H. Merson, director of WHO s Global Program on A
"AIDS Risks in Black and White": Wall Street Journal (12/17/91), P. A20; Bunzel, John H.; Magic Johnson s statement that we are all at risk of contracting HIV is incomplete, writes researcher John H. Bunzel. The black and inner-city community is more at risk from the disease, and it is these people that Johnson must reach. AIDS, which used to be a homosexual disease, has now spread to the heterosexual
"Genelabs AIDS Drug Safe in Clinical Tests": Investor's Business Daily (12/17/91), P. 30; Genelabs Technologies Inc. said yesterday that its treatment for AIDS, GLQ223, has proven safe and clinically well-tolerated in its Phase I results. Genelabs said the clinical study showed that GLQ223, or alpha-trichosanthin, was effective when given to AIDS patients or those with AIDS-related complex. The drug was
"Specific Antibodies Made in Test Tube Without Animal Cells": New York Times (12/17/91), P. C3; Waite, Teresa L.; Scientists have discovered a way to make specific human antibodies without using cells from immunized animals. According to the researchers, the discovery marks a substantial advance in attempts to design more effective means to call on immune responses to fend off disease. The report is published in the current iss
"Still an Issue, Condom Plan Proceeds": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/17/91), P. 1A; Mezzacappa, Dale; Three high schools in the Philadelphia area will implement a condom distribution program today. Students at John Bartram, Benjamin Franklin and Simon Gratz high schools will be permitted to receive counseling and obtain condoms at drop-in centers staffed by health organizations. Letters were sent to parents two we
"AIDS Likely to Claim 6 Million Africans in `90s, Becoming Top Killer": Baltimore Sun (12/17/91), P. 6A; AIDS is expected to kill more than 6 million Africans within the next decade and will dominate as the continent s number one killer, according to President Abdou Diouf of Senegal , who spoke at the World Health Organization s Sixth International Conference on AIDS in Africa yesterd
"Donated Blood Tainted With AIDS": Washington Times (12/17/91), P. A6; Approximately 1,400 units of donated blood given over a recent two-year period was contaminated with HIV despite testing procedures meant to screen out those who are at risk of having the virus, according to a recent government study. The study covered a total of more than 7 million units of blood. Dr. Lyle Peterson
"U.S. Alters Rules on People With H.I.V.": New York Times (12/17/91), P. A16; Pear, Robert; The Bush Administration has developed new rules that are meant to speed Social Security benefits to people who are disabled with HIV-infections even if they don t show signs of full-blown AIDS. However, lawyers for HIV-infected individuals contend that the proposed rules will not significantly increase the number of
"A Holocaust in Slow Motion": Advocate (12/17/91) No. 592, P. 60; Mirken, Bruce; Drug treatment and prevention programs for the 1.5 million injection drug users (IDU) is virtually nonexistant, especially among lesbian and gay drug users. In September, the first federally sponsored national conference targeting the problems of drug use and AIDS in the Latino community was held in Los Angeles. The
"States Move to Restrict PWA's Sex Lives": Advocate (12/17/91) No. 592, P. 54; Bull, Chris; A New York man arrested and jailed for failing to disclose his HIV infection to his partner is awaiting a January trial. Jeffrey Hanlon is presently in prison in Michigan, but has been confined to medical wards of New York. However, the prosecution was told by a Lake County, Mich. criminal-court judge that Hanlon s
"Australia Teaches Travelers About AIDS": Advocate (12/17/91) No. 592, P. 53; Kwasniewska, Margaret; The Australian government has introduced a new campaign to instruct travelers to bring their safe-sex items along with them when going abroad. The Travel Safe program will be the world s first national AIDS-information campaign that warns travelers within Australia of the need to protect themselves from HIV. The pla
"Calls for Testing of Pro Athletes Jump Dramatically": Advocate (12/17/91) No. 592, P. 18; Bull, Chris; The country s largest boxing promoter announced Nov. 14 that it will institute mandatory HIV testing for boxers who fight on its cards, a response to Magic Johnson s announcement that he tested postive for HIV. Bob Arum, owner of Las Vegas-based Top Rank Inc., said that he decided to exclude HIV-positive boxers from
"Magic's Moments": Washington Post (Health) (12/17-24/91), P. 6; Herman, Robin; In the November issue of Sports Illustrated, HIV-positive basketball player Magic Johnson told his fellow players, I know that we are pursued by women so much that it is easy to be weak. Maybe by getting the virus, I ll make it easier for you guys to be strong. Johnson s comment, writes Washington Post staff writer
"PC Virus Blackmail": Information Week (12/16/91) No. 351, P. 40; Hunter, Philip; A British court is considering claims made by the lawyers of U.S. scientist Joseph Popp, suspected of spreading a computer virus that damaged they systems of scientists around Britain, that their client is mentally ill. Popp allegedly sent out more than 20,000 copies of a disk purportedly containing information abou
"A National Scare": MacLean's (12/16/91) Vol. 104, No. 50, P. 62; McLaughlin, Ann; A Montreal doctor s comment last week that one of his female patients had died of AIDS two years ago and allegedly had sex with at least 50 National Hockey League players aroused fear in many Canadians. Dr. Clement Oliveir had casually mentioned it to a reporter, who then made the comment public. Olivier said, I ha
"AIDS: No Magic Cure": Barron's (12/16/91) Vol. 71, No. 50, P. 10; Savitz, Eric J.; Recently, Merck + Co. announced that it would discontine research on a potential AIDS drug because it was found to become ineffective after six to 12 weeks. Merck s decision followed the discover that HIV quickly develop resistance to the compound, which may mean that the virus will produce the same reaction to all o
"New York Schoolchildren Need TB Tests": New York Times (12/16/91), P. A18; Holtzman, Elizabeth; New York state and city officials concerned over the tuberculosis epidemic in New York prisons are overlooking the TB epidemic among the state s young children, writes New York Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman in a letter to the New York Times. In
"Schaefer's AIDS Crusade": Baltimore Sun (12/16/91), P. 6A; Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer is stubbornly supporting mandatory AIDS testing of all state health care workers, despite almost unanimous expert testimony that the plan would be expensive and foolish, write the editors of the Baltimore Sun. Both of the governor s AIDS task forces have told him that mandato
"Around the Region: Letter Says Woman is Spreading AIDS": Washington Post (12/16/91), P. C4; A woman who supposedly infected as many as 150 men with HIV has written a letter disclosing the incident. The letter was received by The Progress-Index and was seemingly written by a woman living in the Petersburg area who acquired HIV through sex with multiple partners. The woman known as Lady X says she is angry
"Advertising: McAdams Forms Division to Focus on Latest Drugs": New York Times (12/16/91), P. D9; Elliott, Stuart; A health-care advertising firm is developing a new division to promote some of the newest high-technology drugs. The Helix division of William Douglas McAdams Inc., a New York agency that is designated to promote health-care, will specialize in biotechnology drug treatments. Helix is beginning with five clients:
"Underground Press Leads Way on AIDS Advice": New York Times (12/16/91), P. A16; Bishop, Katherine; Underground AIDS newsletters have evolved as the most informative source of information on the disease and have helped bring about radical changes in the United States health-care system. The newsletters help people with AIDS stay on top of what is happening in research and medicine. Doctors and researchers have co
"Teenage Sex, After Magic": U.S. News + World Report (12/16/91) Vol. 111, No. 25, P. 90; Silver, Marc; A month after Magic Johnson s disclosure that he tested positive for HIV teenagers who were momentarily frightened have returned to their regular risky sexual practices. Richard Keeling, a physician and director of the Student Health Service at the University of Virginia, said that after Johnson s disclosure requests
"AMA Backs Off on an AIDS Risk List": New York Times (12/15/91), P. 38; Leary, Warren E.; The American Medical Association agreed with the Centers for Disease Control on Saturday that the list of exposure-prone procedures that doctors and other health-care workers should not perform on an HIV-positive patient are unnecessary. The 424 members of the AMA s House of D
"Citing AIDS, Officials Propose Tracking Transplants": New York Times (12/15/91), P. 38; Altman, Lawrence K.; The Centers for Disease Control decided Friday to develop a national system to track donated organs and tissues for HIV. Federal officials met in Atlanta for a two-day meeting and said that the new system was imperative to make transplant surgery safer. The CDC expects to turn the recommendations into guidelines and
"Seeing the Way Forward for Treatment of CMV Retinitis": Lancet (12/14/91) Vol. 338, No. 8781, P. 1494; Trials for foscarnet and ganciclovir were halted because it was assumed that foscarnet was more effective in treating CMV retinitis in AIDS patients, a decision with negative implications to clinical practitioners, write the editors of The Lancet. One group of
"High Risk of HIV-1 Infection for First-Born Twins": Lancet (12/14/91) Vol. 338, No. 8781, P. 1471; Goedert, James J. et al.; HIV-1 infection is more prevalent in first-born twins than in second-born twins, write James J. Goedert and colleagues of the Viral Epidemiology Section and National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md. In Goedert et al. s study, 40 investigators from nine countries contributed a variety of data on 100 sets of twins an
"AIDS Advisor Appointed in Boston": Gay Community News (12/14/91) Vol. 19, No. 21, P. 3; Schmitz, Dawn; Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn on Nov. 25 appointed Dr. Lawrence Barat as AIDS Policy Advisor, a position vacant for a year. Barat,, a physician and director of Inpatient Services for Clinical AIDS Programs at Boston City Hospital, is widely accepted by community AIDS advocates. In addition to being HIV positive Barat i
"Macy's, `The Store With a Heart,' Sacks HIV-Positive Santa": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/14/91), P. D1; Lynch, Colum; R.H. Macy s is facing a $3.25-million lawsuit from Mark Woodley, one of its former Santa Claus impersonators, who was fired after the company learned he was HIV-positive. The court case has sparked a bitter feud between the department store and Woodley s supporters. On November 29, more than 20 activists dressed in
"Many Clinics Out of AIDS Tests Funds": Los Angeles Times (12/14/91), P. A1; Harris, Scott; An increase in free HIV tests administered in California health clinics since Magic Johnson s Nov. 7 announcement that he is HIV-positive has strained the budgets at clinics throughout the state. The fiscal year is only halfway over, but several health districts in Los Angeles County and elsewhere have used almost al
"Boston Parents Favor Condoms in Schools": Gay Community News (12/14/91) Vol. 19, No. 21, P. 2; Schmitz, Dawn; Boston-area parents support condom distribution in high schools as a part of AIDS education, according to a study by the AIDS Action Council. The study, conducted by a private research firm, discovered that 61 percent of the parents believed their children were currently receiving unsatisfactory AIDS education. Larr
"Is World AIDS Day Losing Its Punch?": Gay Community News (12/14/91) Vol. 19, No. 21, P. 1; Yang, Jacob Smith; World AIDS Days in the past have been known for radical AIDS activism, but this year s was commemorated by people worldwide, causing some activists to wonder whether the event has lost some of its activist impact. In 1989, executive directors of AIDS organizations nationwide and 200 protestors gathered at a rally in
"`Invasive Procedures' Dropped?": Gay Community News (12/14/91) Vol. 19, No. 21, P. 1; Yang, Jacob Smith; The Centers for Disease Control will drop its plan to complile a list of procedures that health-care workers should not perform if HIV positive, according to a Dec. 3 New York Times article. However, the CDC would not say if the revised draft of guidelines for preventing HIV transmission among health-care workers had
"Low Rate of Condom Use Found": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/13/91), P. 10A; Byrd, Robert; The majority of sex partners of IV drug users do not use condoms, even though they are at a high risk of contracting HIV, according to a survey issued yestarday by the Centers for Disease Control. The survey, conducted on 6,104 sex partners of IV drug users, revealed that 58 percent of the male partners and 63 percen
"Condom Boutique Loses Its Space": Washington Post (12/13/91), P. B3; Barker, Karlyn; The District of Columbia s first prospective condom shop will not be established because the landlord has decided that it is too controversial, according to Glenn McKinney, one of its co-owners. McKinney, a partner in the shop, Condom-rageous, yesterday was told by the landlord s rental agent to leave and clear eve
"Straight and Scared: Taking the HIV Test": Washington Post (12/13/91), P. C1; Masters, Kim; Many more heterosexuals have been requesting HIV tests nationwide since Magic Johnson s announcement that he tested HIV-positive. In Washington, D.C., in order to obtain counseling along with testing, patients must go to clinics such as the Washington Free Clinic or the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Counselors don t offer
"The Risk of HIV-1 in Screened Blood Donations": New England Journal of Medicine (12/12/91) Vol. 325, No. 24, P. 1747; Busch, Michael P. et al.; Dr. Tessman s response to the article concerning donations of HIV-positive blood is appreciated, but he loses site of the fact that the point estimate of the risk of silent infection (1 in 61,171) is emphasized rather than the 95 percent upper confidence bound (1 in 10,695), write Michael P. Busch, MD, PhD, et al. of
"The Risk of HIV-1 in Screened Blood Donations": New England Journal of Medicine (12/12/91) Vol. 325, No. 24, P. 1746; Tessman, Irwin; Busch et al. s claim (New England Journal of Medicine--July 4) that there is an extremely low chance of HIV-1 being present in donated blood, even in high-prevalence metropolitan areas, is not accurate, writes Irwin Tressman of Purdue University. Busch et al. predict that the probability of a single donor s being pos
"`Just Like the Old Days'": New York Times (12/12/91), P. B23; Curry, Jack; Yesterday afternoon, Magic Johnson attempted to dispel rumours that he is feeling ill by taking part in a 45-minute basketball practice session in Madison Square Garden. The appearance was Johnson s first in New York City since disclosing his HIV-positive condition six weeks ago. Though he looked 10 pounds thinner t
"Genelabs, Enzon in Pact to Develop AIDS Drug": Investor's Business Daily (12/12/91), P. 30; Genelabs Technologies Inc. and Enzon Inc. announced yesterday that they have joined togther to analyze the application of Enzon s proprietary drug delivery system in designing modified forms of Genelabs drug to treat AIDS. The drug, GLQ223 or trichosanthin, is protein-based and extracted from plants. According to Ge
"Researchers Learn How AIDS Virus Avoids Attack": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/12/91), P. 1A; Garrett, Laurie; The mechanism that allows HIV to escape the immune system has been discovered by two teams of researchers at Oxford University, according to the report in today s issue of the British science journal Nature. The virus was found to mutate constantly, thus evading attack from cells of the human immune system. The scie
"AIDS Response: Maddox's Otherwise Helpful Article...": Nature (12/12/92) Vol. 354, No. 6353, P. 440; Whipple, Andrew P.; In a letter to the journal Nature, Taylor University biologist Andrew P. Whipple takes issue with an article by J. Maddox in a previous issue of the magazine. Whipple feels that the structure of the article s assessment of Stott s and Hoffmann s work will lead to erroneous press accounts and confusion among the gener
"AIDS Response: Stott et al. Present Evidence...": Nature (12/12/91) Vol. 354 No. 6353, P. 439; Montefiori, David C.; Hirsch, Vanessa M.; and Johnson, Philp R.; In a letter to the journal Nature, David C. Montefiori et al. respond to evidence presented by Stott et al. suggesting that antibodies against proteins of human lymphoblastoid cells in sera from macaques immunized with fixed, uninfected cells or partially purified, inactivated whole SIV may correlate with protection
"Human Immunodeficiency Virus Genetic Variation That Can Escape Cytotoxic" T Cell Recognition: Nature (12/12/91) Vol. 354, No. 6353, P. 453; Phillips, Rodney E. et al.; Variant viral sequences are not recognized by CTL, as once thought by hypothetical and experimental models of T-cell selection of virus and theoretical predicitons of HIV evolution and immune evasion, write Rodney E. Phillips et al. of the University of Oxford. These data found by Phillips et al. indicate a protecti
"AIDS Response": Nature (12/12/91) Vol. 354, No. 6353, P. 439; Schwartz, David H.; Maddox and Anderson, discussing Stott et al. s results, seem to differ on the key issue of whether or not the xenoreactive monkey sera bound SIV-encoded proteins, although Stott et al. did not report reactivituy was detected with purified envelope proteins, writes David H. Schwartz of the AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Unit
"Games That Viruses Play": Nature (12/12/91) Vol. 354, No. 6353, P. 433; Zinkernagle, Rolf M. and Hengartner, Hans; Cytotoxic T-cells epitope escape mutants use tricks to persist in an immunocompetent host. They were previously believed in 1991 by Meyerhans et al. to be found in HIV-positive patients, write Rolf M. Zinkernagle and Hans Hengartner of the University of Zurich s Institute of Pathology. However, Philips et al., in th
"France Will Compensate": Nature (12/12/91) Vol. 354, No. 6353, P. 425; Aldhous, Peter; The French government, succumbing to public and media pressure, will compensate some 7,000 French citizens who have contracted HIV through blood products and transfusions. A bill now passing through Parliament will free claimants from the need to prove in court that the transfusion service was at fault, according to
"Requests for AIDS Tests Skyrocketing, Clinics Say": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/11/91), P. A1; Mickleburgh, Rod; Since Magic Johsnon s Nov. 7 announcement that he has tested positive for HIV, there has been a substantial increase in requests for HIV tests in Canada . The increase has caused Ontario s main HIV testing laboratory to stay open seven-days-a-week, rather than just five. British C
"Magic Johnson Urges Abstinence": Boston Globe (12/11/91), P. 38; Magic Johnson is now relaying a message that abstinence is the best means to prevent contracting HIV, according to an interview on Face to Face with Connie Chung. Johnson admits that People are not going to listen to me, because when he first disclosed his infection on Nov. 7, he said that safe sex was the only wa
"Nurses Picket Over Concern About HIV, Health Care Cost": Boston Globe (12/11/91), P. 78; Lewis, Dianne E.; Approximately 500 members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association picketed Brigham and Women s Hospital Tuesday to protest about possible HIV-infection risks and a plan to increase their health care costs. Jim Potts, an angiography nurse at the hospital, said, All of us are at high risk for exposure to AIDS. We wan
"Judge Revokes Doctor's License in AIDS Quackery Case": Los Angeles Times (12/11/91), P. B3; Cheevers, Jack; Dr. Valentine Birds, a North Hollywood doctor, has had his medical license revoked as a result of administering an unapproved homemade chemical to AIDS patients. Although the action occurred last month, it was not publicized until last week in a 56-page ruling. Birds license was cancelled following an investigation
"Testing Employees for AIDS": Journal of Commerce (12/11/91), P. 8A; Slack, James D.; Mandatory AIDS testing of all a company s employees would provide data that could help an employer plan its responses to the disease, and is thus a crucial element for a productive and healthy work force, writes Cleveland State University Professor James D. Slack. While Mandatory testing for HIV has been proposed in
"Working With AIDS: Businesses Break Through Some Barriers": USA Today (12/11/91), P. 1B; Lawlor, Julia; Written policies or programs on AIDS now exist at only one-fifth of the nation s large corporations, yet AIDS is one of the only life-threatening diseases that primarily afflict those of working age. So far, the only major corporation to have a full-time office devoted to AIDS issues is Digital Equipment Corp. We r
"Many Firms Lack Clear Policies": USA Today (12/11/91), P. 8B; Lawlor, Julia; Wile some of the nation s corporations are very devoted to helping employees with AIDS, others do not have sufficient knowledge about the disease and are unsure what the law mandates. Alan Emery, a management consultant, says firing someone with AIDS is a perfectly human response if an individual is not trained or i
"3 Patients of HIV-Infected Surgeon Have AIDS Virus; Source Uncertain": (12/11/91), P. 4B; Tofani, Loretta; Three patients of an HIV-infected surgeon at a Philadelphia area hospital have tested HIV-positive. But, there is no evidence they acquired the virus from the physician because all three patients have been involved in high-risk behavior, said Lisa Cianciulli, a Mercy Catholic Medical Center spokeswoman. The transmis
"HIV Infection Rate Explodes Among Virginia Heterosexuals": (12/11/91); Wolfe, Frank; Northern Virginia is experiencing a vast increase in heterosexual AIDS cases to four times the national rate, according to health officials. Approximately 25 percent of HIV cases reported from July 1, 1989, through November 1991 in Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County were transmitted via heterosexual intercours
"D.C. Health Officials See No Need for AIDS Tests": Washington Times (12/11/91), P. D5; Snider, Rick; The D.C. Boxing Commission was told last night by District health care and legal officials that mandatory HIV testing was unnecessary because boxers are at a low risk of infecting each other. Commission Chairman Jeffrey Gildenhorn is contemplating mandating that any boxer who tests positive for HIV will be ineligible
"Change in AIDS Definition May Be Delayed": Washington Post (12/11/91), P. A9; The National Commission on AIDS requested yesterday that the Centers for Disease Control postpone the new definition of AIDS to allow more women who are infected to be included. The CDC said it expected to issue a final regulation in January that would broaden the definition of AIDS to include people who are HIV-posi
"AIDS Tests Can Be Powerful Motivator for Safer Sex, Study Finds": Los Angeles Times (12/10/91), P. A3; Scott, Janny; HIV tests can serve as a strong motivator toward safer sex, according to a UCLA report that studied whether HIV testing can alter the behavior of people at low risk of being infected. The scientists discovered that heterosexuals randomly chosen to get tested and counseled were more likely than those who got only coun
"Good AIDS, Bad AIDS": New York Times (12/10/91), P. A31; Shilts, Randy; There is no denying that Kimberly Bergalis story is a tragic one, writes author Randy Shilts in the New York Times. However, it should be pointed out that Bergalis message was largely one of anger and uninformed logic. Bergalis and her family seemed to be angry only at the politicians who did not move quickly enou
"Agreement Reached in France on Hemophiliac Compensation": Journal of Commerce (12/10/91), P. 13A; Casassus, Barbara; An agreement over the compensation of hemophiliacs and other recipients of HIV-infected blood has been reached between French insurers and their government. Under the agreement, which was announced Sunday by French Prime Minister Edith Cresson, insurers will pay a total of $218 million to the recipients, with the gov
"What Mr. Bush Can Do on AIDS": New York Times (12/10/91), P. A30; President Bush should abandon conservative views concerning the AIDS epidemic, write the editors of the New York Times. Magic Johnson s recent announcement that he is HIV-positive is as good a time as any for Bush to take charge of the issue of AIDS because, since the announcement, requests for HIV tests have increas
"Citing AIDS, Judge Backs Service Ban on Gays": New York Times (12/10/91), P. B17; Schmitt, Eric; A Federal District judge upheld a ban on homosexuals in the armed forces yesterday, claiming that it was a valid way to prevent the spread of HIV. Judge Oliver Gasch of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia released a 35-page ruling that seemed unusual compared
"`Bad Decade' on AIDS Looms, Bush is Told": Washington Post (12/10/91), P. A8; President Bush met with the National Commission on AIDS yesterday and was warned there is a bad decade coming even though some progress in anti-AIDS efforts has been made. June Osborn, chairwoman of the commission, said that the disease has been causing problems among social structures, including the lack of health
"Judge Rules H.I.V. Bias at Shelters": New York Times (12/10/91), P. B13; Navarro, Mireya; New York City s Partnership for the Homeless has for two years discriminated against HIV-infected individuals who show no signs of AIDS, according to an administrative law judge for the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The nonprofit group operates the country s largest network of private shelters and the onl
"H.I.V. Infection Foiling Tests That Detect Deadly TB Germ": New York Times (12/10/91), P. A1; Rosenthal, Elisabeth; The spread of tuberculosis is becoming rampant throughout prisons, shelters, drug treatment programs, and inner-city hospitals and is extremely difficult to detect among AIDS patients--the group where most new cases of TB have appeared. The skin
"AIDS in the Comics": MacLean's (12/09/91) Vol. 104, No. 49, P. 46; McLaughlin, Ann; A comic book designed to create awareness of AIDS among Montreal street youth has been discontinued. The 28-page comic book was developed by a group at the Montreal General Hospital and was funded by a $41,000 federal grant. However, Tete a queue ( Head to Tail, French slang for penis) was suspended for its sexua
"Clinicians Wary of FDA's Early Approval": The Scientist (12/09/91) Vol. 5, No. 24, P. 1; Clemmitt, Marcia; A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently approved the anti-AIDS drug ddI before all data was collected, potentially changing the way researchers conduct their work. The FDA and its advisory panels usually do not review trial data until trials come to a particular clinic
"The Bergalis Legacy": USA Today (12/09/91), P. 10A; Kimberly Bergalis, who died of AIDS on Sunday, was a highly recognized face throughout the nation. After contracting the disease from her dentist, Dr. David Acer, Bergalis angrily lobbied for mandatory testing of health care workers. Because the five known cases of transmission from worker to patient were linked to
"MedImmune, Merck Conduct AIDS Research": Journal of Commerce (12/09/91), P. 11A; In conjunction with Merck + Co., MedImmune Inc. of Gaithersburg, Md., has agreed to develop and market monoclonal antibodies, which are naturally occurring immune molecules, to help prevent HIV. Merck of Rathway, N.J., will pay MedImmune about $13 million for developmental work to take place over the next three years
"Just Say No to Sex, Say Condom Foes": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/09/91), P. 4B; Ordine, Bill; A protest was conducted in front of the Board of Education in Philadelphia last night by about 80 people in opposition to the condom distribution program about to be implemented in four city high schools. The program was approved by the school board in June. The first high schools to participate are Benjamin Frankli
"Kimberly Bergalis is Dead at 23; Symbol of Debate Over AIDS Tests": New York Times (12/09/91), P. D9; Lambert, Bruce; Kimberly Bergalis, who contracted HIV from her dentist, died of AIDS Sunday at age 23. She was the first reported case of doctor-to-patient transmission of HIV, and her case stirred a national debate of whether health-care workers should be tested for HIV because she claimed she was a virgin and never used IV drugs.
"Condoms in the Classroom": Newsweek (12/09/91) Vol. 118, No. 24, P. 61; Seligmann, Jean; Condom distribution programs have already been implemented in the New York City school system, and other cities like Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco are planning similar programs of counseling and instruction by trained volunteers. AIDS and sex education is being introduced to some students in many ci
"Safer Sex": Newsweek (12/09/91) Vol. 118, No. 24, P. 52; Adler, Jerry; AIDS education has been around for nearly ten years, but the message is still not effectively getting across to the public. The effort was mostly focused on getting people to use condoms, but most people do not use condoms as protection from diseases. According to a study by Janice and John Baldwin, sociologists at
"Condom Cornucopia": Time (12/09/91) Vol. 138, No. 23, P. 33; The New York City school system began its condom distribution program to two area high schools last week despite the protest the plan recieved from parents when it was first introduced last December. School chancellor Joseph Fernandez maintained that the program would prevent HIV transmission, outweighing complaints
"Science + Society: Kids These Days": U.S. News + World Report (12/09/91) Vol. 111, No. 24, P. 23; Wagner, Betsy; Teenagers are increasingly at risk of contracting HIV and are finally receiving the attention they deserve on the issue. The New York City public school system has implemented a condom distribution program for its 261,000 high-school students. Meanwhile, teenagers in Connecticut are protesting against the states po
"Cuba's Quarantine of Victims Typifies Aggressive Campaign on AIDS": Los Angeles Times (12/08/91), P. A3; McConahay, Mary Jo; Cuba has implemented one of the world s most aggressive anti-AIDS campaigns by quarantining anyone who is infected with HIV to sanitariums. In other bordering Latin American countries, AIDS cases are doubling each year, but Cuba s strict policy has limited the increase of AIDS cases
"HIV Tests Up 60 Percent Since the Disclosure From Magic Johnson": New York Times (12/07/91), P. 1; Sims, Calvin; Approximately 60 percent more people are seeking HIV tests in New York City, in addition to an increased rate of tests being administered around the country, since Magic Johnson s Nov. 7 announcement that he tested HIV-positive. The large influx of people seeking HIV tests has strained New York City s health departme
"Surgeon General Confers With ACT-UP": Gay Community News (12/07/91) Vol. 19, No. 20, P. 2; Yang, Jacob Smith; Surgeon General Antonia Novello met with members of the Washington, D.C. chapter of ACT-UP on Nov. 14 to discuss the group s problems with the government s lack of sufficient attention to AIDS. Novello told ACT-UP/DC that if she were HIV-positive she would also become an activist. She also said that no person is in
"Madonna's Reps Deny AIDS Rumour": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/06/91), P. C6; Madonna s representatives released a statement Thursday adamantly denying rumours that she has contracted HIV. Madonna s management is attempting to find the origin of the rumors and claims it will take legal action against the source, said Bob Merlis, Warner Brothers national publicity director. Merlis believes the
"French Government Reneges on Plan for AIDS Scandal Compensation": Journal of Commerce (12/06/91), P. 12A; Casassus, Barbara; Following a storm of criticism, the French government has decided to retract a bill forcing property and casualty insurance policyholders to compensate hemophiliacs and other recipients of AIDS-infected blood from a government transfusion center. The government supplanted its plan to impose a 6 percent surcharge on i
"In New York, the Doctor Is Out": New York Times (12/06/91), P. A34; The vacant positions of the New York State Health Commissioner, New York City Health Commissioner, and president of the city s Health and Hospitals Corporation should be filled right away, write the editors of the New York Times. Mayor David Dinkins has let the Health and Hospital s position slide because Dr. J. Emil
"Magic Courts Readers: Autobiography, Safe-Sex Book": USA Today (12/06/91), P. 1A; Donahue, Dierdre; Magic Johnson has signed a contract with Random House to publish three books: a safe-sex guide, an autobiography, an one on an undisclosed topic. The paperback safe-sex book will sell in the spring and is a collaboration between Johnson and former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Publisher Harold Evans said the guid
"In AIDS Quilt Panel, Tribute and Catharsis": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/06/91), P. 9B; Vigoda, Ralph; About 800 panels from the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed at Haverford College in Philadelphia, Pa this weekend. Twenty-six countries are represented in the quilt and approximately $1 million has been donated by people who have seen the quilt, says Michele Cinq-Mars, spokeswoman for the San Franci
"Montreal Coach, an Ex-Cop, Deals With AIDS Threat": New York Times (12/06/91), P. B15; Lapointe, Joe; Former police officer and present minor league hockey coach Patrick Burns has used his status to inform his players of dangerous situations, including AIDS. Burns also encourages AIDS awareness by providing condoms to players in the trainers room of the Montreal Canadiens. He realizes that players have a macho imag
"Public Gets More Comfortable With Condoms": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/05/91), P. B4; Strauss, Marina; Advertising for condoms on television has been occurring in Canada since 1987, whereas only one television station in the United States , Fox Broadcasting Co., will permit the advertising. CTV Television Network Ltd. was the first in Canada to allow
"Ziegler Rules Out NHL AIDS Tests": Toronto Globe and Mail (12/05/91), P. C7; HIV testing for National Hockey League Players should not be mandatory, but it should be available confidentially for players who wish to be tested, announced NHL president John Ziegler Wednesday at a league board of governors meeting in Florida. Ziegler said to governors and general managers of the 22 NHL teams, Yo
"American Express Co. Is Negotiating Sale of One of Its Insurance" Subsidiaries: Wall Street Journal (12/05/91), P. A3; Pulliam, Susan; In an effort to boost its capital, American Express Co. is discussing the sale of Amex Life, one of its life insurance subsidiaries, for as much as $500 million. Potential buyers reportedly include Maine insurer Unum Corp. and Aegon U.S.A., a unit of Dutch insurer Aegon N.V. The sale of Amex Life, which showed profi
"AIDS: Bush to Discuss Efforts to Combat Disease": Baltimore Sun (12/05/91), P. 17A; President Bush is expected to meet Monday with the National Commission on AIDS to discuss ways to fight the epidemic, according to the White House. However, new commission member Earvin Magic Johnson will not attend the meeting because of a prior engagement. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said, The presid
"Canada's Time of Reckoning on AIDS": New York Times (12/05/91), P. B21; Burns, John F.; A Montreal woman who died of AIDS and was said to have had sex with between 30 and 70 National Hockey League players, left many players, coaches, and fans feeling uneasy yesterday following the announcement from two of her former physicians. The doctors would not reveal her name or the players she slept with on accou
"Ocular Manifestations of AIDS": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/04/91) Vol. 266, No. 21, P. 3019; de Smet, Marc D. and Nussenbatt, Robert B.; As the AIDS epidemic continues to grow and patients live longer, it will be increasingly challanging for physicians to treat the many opportunistic infections that accompany AIDS. Opthalmologists must sometimes make initial diagnoses of AIDS, but most of the time they are asked to treat the ocular manifestations of A
"Gas, Dye, and Viral Transport Through Polyurethane Condoms": Journal of the American Medical Association (12/04/91) Vol. 266, No. 21, P. 2986; Voeller, Bruce et al.; Polyurethane condoms are extremely effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies, write Bruce Voeller, et al. of The Mariposa Education and Research Foundation in Toponga, Calif. and Baxter Healthcare Corporation s Technology and Ventures Division in Irvine, Calif. Although latex condoms provi
"Japan's Condom Furor": Boston Globe (12/04/91), P. 2; Nickerson, Colin; Women s groups in Japan are outraged by two posters that were designed to raise public awareness about AIDS. One of the posters was printed by the quasi-governmental Japanese Foundation for AIDS and shows a naked woman hidden in a giant condom. Part of the caption says, Protect y
"MedImmune, Merck Ink AIDS Venture": Washington Times (12/04/91), P. C3; Goldstein, Stephen; Definitive agreements have been signed between MedImmune Inc. and Merck + Co. to collaborate on developing and marketing antibodies that prevent AIDS infection. Under the agreements, MedImmune will receive approximately $13 million from Merck over the next three years. Medimmune will also retain worldwide promotion
"The Tuberculosis Counterattack": New York Times (12/04/91), P. A26; The tuberculosis epidemic must be controlled, or else more expenses will be incurred to treat individual patients, write the editors of the New York Times. Tuberculosis cases decreased in New York state between 1950 and 1978 from more than 12,00
"Warning on AIDS Surprises N.H.L.": New York Times (12/04/91), P. B19; Thomas, Robert McG.; Approximately 50 National Hockey League players have been exposed to HIV from a woman who died of AIDS two years ago, announced a Montreal AIDS specialist at an AIDS seminar held in Montreal on Monday. Dr. Clement Olivier said one of his HIV-positive female patients told him that she had had sex with the players. He
"Taxpayers Vote for AIDS Funding": Boston Globe (12/04/91), P. 26; Hanafin, Teresa M.; A voluntary check-off box on Massachussets state income tax forms has netted approximately $350,000 for AIDS research over the last year, according to Lt. Gov. Paul Cellucci. About $190,000 of the funds will be donated to Community Research Initiative of New England, a Boston organization that monitors community-base
"In N.J., an Outreach Van Drives Home AIDS Education": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/04/91), P. 6B; McNulty, Ruth M.; A South Jersey AIDS-education pilot program was begun in October to educate those who would not otherwise seek health care via traditional approaches. The program consists of volunteer doctors, nurses, social workers, and AIDS educators who travel in a van to communities and offer education, free testing, counseling,
"Registry of AIDS-Virus Carriers is Begun": New York Times (12/04/91), P. B6; King, Wayne; In an effort to insure proper treatment of HIV-infected individuals, the New Jersey Health Department has implemented rules which require those who test positive for the virus to be identified and their names and addresses reported to a central registry. Those who wish to remain anonymous may be tested at 17 alternat
"U.S. Backs Off on Plan to Restrict Health Workers With AIDS Virus": New York Times (12/04/91), P. A1; Altman, Lawrence K.; The Centers for Disease Control has announced that it will drop its previous guidelines which list procedures that HIV-infected health-care workers should not perform, due to overwhelming opposition from medical groups. The change was made because there is no scientific validity to listing procedures that should not
"Doing Without": Advocate (12/03/91) No. 591, P. 80; Latzky, Eric; A Day Without Art occured on Dec. 1, concurrent with World AIDS Day. A Day Without Art, sponsored by Visual AIDS, occured for the second consecutive year and was designed to increase awareness about AIDS and promote action to stop the epidemic. Visual AIDS project director Patrick O Connell said the action was mode
"For the Record": Washington Post (12/03/91), P. A20; Don t condemn a person with AIDS, but rather support them in their time of crisis and give them hope, said Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan yesterday to the employees of his department. More than one million Americans are already HIV-positive, and an additional 40,000 to 80,000 are predicted to b
"Clinic Offers Counseling": Baltimore Sun (12/03/91), P. 4D; The Chase-Brexton Clinic in Mount Vernon, Md., will soon offer counseling to HIV-positive individuals before they progress into more serious depression or anxiety. The program, which is expected to begin in mid-December, has been funded by a federal grant of $675,000. The money will be expanded over three years to p
"AIDS Clinics Mark Surge in Testing Since Johnson's Announcement": Baltimore Sun (12/03/91), P. 1D; Bor, Jonathan; Since Magic Johnson s public disclosure that he is HIV-positive, Baltimore has witnessed a large influx of people wanting to be tested for the virus. Even those who took the test months ago, but were too fearful to obtain their results, have now done so. The Chase-Brexton Clinic, a non-profit agency in Mount Vernon,
"Health Official Endorses Needle Swap Program": Philadelphia Inquirer (12/03/91), P. 1-B; Copeland, Larry; In order to curb the spread of HIV among IV drug users, Philadelphia s acting public health commissioner endorsed a clean needle-exchange program yesterday. Barry Savitz announced his position after AIDS activists brought approximately 100 used needles to the city s sexually transmitted diseases clinic. Savitz said,
"Red Cross Clears Its Files--and Raises AIDS Fears": Washington Post (12/03/91), P. D1; Sullivan, Kevin; The American Red Cross has notified 300 Washington area residents that the blood they once donated may be infected with HIV. The blood that was donated as far back as six years ago may not actually be HIV-positive, but the Red Cross wanted to inform those who might possibly be infected. Kathy Houlihan, a Red Cross s
"OSHA Mandates AIDS Protection": Washington Post (12/03/91), P. A1; Swoboda, Frank; The Occupational Safety and Health Administration released new regulations yesterday to protect millions of workers across the nation from HIV or hepatitis infection. The new restrictions will mandate that employers provide workers with training and protective clothing, puncture-proof receptacles for tainted needles
"Court's AIDS Ruling May Be Mixed Bag": Journal of Commerce (12/03/91), P. 11A; Beller, Margo D.; A recent court ruling affirming self-insured corporations rights to alter health insurance policies as they see fit, including cutting back on coverage for AIDS and other long-term illnesses, may ultimately result in increased federal regulation for such companies, observers say. In the related case, the U.S. Court
"The Shadow of AIDS: An HIV-Positive Man Remakes His Life": Boston Globe (12/02/91), P. 30; Muro, Mark; When Eric Arundel tested positive for HIV two years ago, he sat down in his apartment and simply waited to die. Now, he says, I figure: I m still around, and I m going to take every day for what it is. Arundel s story is typical of this deadly disease s ability to remake the lives of those stricken with it. With
"The Shadow of AIDS: Singles Turn Cautious": Boston Globe (12/02/91), P. 30; Muro, Mark; The AIDS epidemic s spread amongst heterosexuals is changing the way singles such as Alice Dube, 24, and John McCourtney, 46, are dating. Both Dube and McCourtney say they are worried about AIDS, yet they refuse to become paranoid about contracting it. Magic Johnson, they say, contracted the disease from extremely p
"The Shadow of AIDS: Parents Worry About Kids": Boston Globe (12/02/91), P. 30; Doten, Patti; Andrew and Tina Girdwood have two college-age daughters, and worry about their children s lives in this age of AIDS. Tina says that the most difficult thing for her daughters is dealing with the sexual freedom brought about by the late sixties and early seventies. Now they have to reshuffle the information they ve
"Where a Dentist Died of AIDS, Wariness Remains": New York Times (12/02/91), P. A12; Smothers, Ronald; It is still undetermined how Dr. David Acer of Stuart, Fla. infected five of his patients with HIV, but many theories have so far evolved. The Centers for Disease Control and Florida health officials are currently interviewing his former patients and former employees in order to learn all they can about the infectio
"On World AIDS Day, Glimmers of Hope": Washington Post (12/02/91), P. A6; Castaneda, Ruben; A Washington D.C. AIDS Clinic held a ceremony yesterday in honor of World AIDS Day. The Whitman-Walker Clinic displayed 2,200 white and gold holiday lights outside the clinic in remembrance of those who have died of AIDS. Speakers at the memorial read excerpts from the Bible and sang songs that were aimed at promoti
"Long Shot": New Republic (12/02/91) Vol. 205, No. 23, P. 16; Bazell, Robert; Heterosexual transmission of HIV cannot be ignored, but most likely will not affect the general population of the United States , writes NBC News science correspondent Robert Bazell. Tens of thousands of Americans have acquired HIV through heterosexual contact, but most sexually active
"Women With AIDS Excluded from New CDC AIDS Definition": Gay Community News (12/1-7/91) Vol. 19, No. 20, P. 3; Wofford, Jennifer; Many AIDS activists and community groups are upset with The U.S. Centers for Disease Control s proposal to revise its definition of AIDS because the new definition does not include opportunistic infections that are specific to females and IV drug users. A person is diagnosed as having AIDS only if he or she develops
"Government Lip Service to Women With AIDS?": Gay Community News (12/1-7/91) Vol. 19, No. 20, P. 3; Schmitz, Dawn, and Wofford, Carrie; Bowing to longtime pressure from AIDS groups, the federal government has formed a committee on women at the National Institute s of Allergy and Infectious Diseases AIDS research branch in order to include women in AIDS clinical trials. Many AIDS activists are still unhappy, however, and claim that the government bar
"AIDS Victims Find Strength in Magic Johnson": Los Angeles Times (12/01/91), P. A5; Sullivan, Christopher, et al.; Magic Johnson s disclosure that he is HIV-positive has proven a source of strength and encouragement to many victims of the disease. After Johnson s status was well-known, Mike, a 35-year-old bisexual nightclub entrepreneur, was finally able to tell his father that he is HIV-positive without the embarrassment of divu
"Strategies to Prevent HIV Infection in the United States": American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1557; Hinman, Alan R.; Different HIV prevention approaches should be implemented among specific groups, writes Alan R. Hinman, Assistant Surgeon General and Director for the National Center for Prevention Services at the Centers for Disease Control. Education to prevent risky practices takes place at the societal, group, and individual lev
"Changes in AIDS Case Reporting After Hospital Site Visits": American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1648; Fife, Daniel et al.; Hospital site visits can increase the number of AIDS cases reported in an urban area with high AIDS prevalence, write Daniel Fife et al. of the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office and the Philadlphia Department of Health. All of Philadelphia s 46 hospitals were notified by the commissioner of health that each adminis
"Frequency and Thoroughness of STD/HIV Risk Assessment by Physicians in a" High-Risk Metropolitan Area: American Joruanl of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1645; Boekeloo, Bradley O.; Experiential training for physicans asking sexual questions to patients may be significant in increasing physician s STD/HIV risk assessment of all patients, write Bradley O. Boekeloo et al. of the Georgetown University School of Medicine. A study of primary care physicans was conducted to determine whether factors
"HIV Infection and Risk Behaviors Among Intravenous Drug Users in Low" Seroprevalence Areas in the Midwest: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1642; Siegal, Harvey A. et al.; Homosexual and bisexual male IVDUs are a potential route for transmission of HIV from non-drug-using gay males to heterosexual IVDUs in low seroprevalence areas, write Harvey A. Siegal et al. of the Wright State University and School of Medicine, Substance Abuse Intervention Program, Dayton, Ohio. Siegal et al. stud
"Knowledge About HIV and Behavioral Risks of Foreign-Born Boston Public" School Students: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1638; Hingson, Ralph W. et al.; AIDS education should be offered in many different languages in school systems that serve large immigrant populations, write Ralph W. Hingson et al. of the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine. In May of 1990, 3049 students from a random sample of Boston public schools were surveyed anonymously in
"Overcoming Denial and Increasing the Intention to Use Condoms Through the" Induction of Hypocrisy: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1636; Aronson, Elliot et al.; Using a hypocrisy technique among sexually active young adults could be very effective in promoting safe sex behavior, write Elliot Aronson et al. of the Unviersity of California--Santa Cruz. Aronson et al. separated sexually active young adults into two groups and told them they were going to help develop an AIDS pr
"Needle Sharing in the Netherlands: an Ethnographic Analysis": American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1602; Grund, Jean-Paul C. et al.; Observation of injecting drug users and their information and exhange networks to promote HIV risk reduction through peer education and peer support might provide more insight on continuous behavior change than any other effort, write Jean-Paul C. Grund et al. of the Erasmus University Rotterdam Addiction Research Ins
"HIV Infection, Genital Ulcer Disease and Crack Cocaine Use Among Patients" Attending a Clinic for Sexually Transmitted Diseases: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1576; Chirgwin, Keith et al.; The increased coincidence of genital ulcer disease (GUD) and HIV infection in U.S. urban minority heterosexuals requires that more advanced efforts to promote risk behavior be implemented, write Keith Chirgwin, MD, et al. of the State University of New York and Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, New York. Chirgwin e
"HIV Instruction, HIV Knowlege, and Drug Injection Among High School" Students in the United States: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1596; Holtzman, Deborah et al.; The spread of HIV may be curbed among adolescents through comprehensive school health instruction, which increases knowledge, as well as specific skills that may affect HIV-associated behavior, write Deborah Holtzman et al. of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention. Holtzman et al. conducted a study amon
"Knowledge About AIDS and HIV in the US Adult Population: Influence of the" Local Incidence of AIDS: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1591; McCaig, Linda F. et al.; AIDS education should be constantly updated and implemented among older persons, minorities, and the less educated nationwide, write Linda F. McCaig et al. of the Divison of Health Interview Statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Md. The National Health Intervew Survey of AIDS Knowled
"Behavior Changes After Notification of HIV Infection": American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1586; Cleary, Paul D. et al.; More must be learned about helping people alter high-risk behaviors to make nonvolunteer HIV screening programs more effective, write Paul D. Cleary, et al. of the Harvard Medical School and the Columbia School of Public Health. Blood donors who were unaware of their HIV-positive status were screened and notified by
"Reduction of High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Heterosexuals Undergoing HIV" Antibody Testing: A Randomized Clinical Trial: American Journal of Public Health (12/91) Vol. 81, No. 12, P. 1580; Wenger, Neil S. et al.; HIV antibody testing may prove an effective way to curb the spread of the virus among heterosexuals, write Neil S. Wenger, MD, MPH et al. of the University of California--Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Heterosexual adult subjects at a Los Angeles clinic for sexually transmitted
"DDI Approval Should Releive Physicians of Added Paperwork": AIDS Alert (12/91) Vol. 6, No. 12, P. 241; The Food and Drug Administration s early approval of ddI will significantly reduce the amount of paperwork physicians need to prescribe the drug. Now patients of physicians who were reluctant to deal with the paperwork will have access to the drug. The drug has been provided to patients who were not eligible for cli
"When Should Physicians Offer Zidovudine to Workers?": AIDS Alert (12/91) Vol. 6, No. 12, P. 232; When health-care workers are massively exposed to HIV, zidovudine ( AZT ) should be administered, according to a guide developed by San Francisco General Hospital. The staff at San Francisco General have labeled four different kinds of exposure
"Side Effects From AZT Common in Workers": AIDS Alert (12/91) Vol. 6, No. 12, P. 229; Health-care workers who were administered AZT as a postexposure prophylaxis have experienced side effects during the course of therapy. David Henderson, associate director of the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center at the National Institutes o
"Zidovudine Fails to Block Infection in Latest Study": AIDS Alert (12/91) Vol. 6, No. 12, P. 225; Zidovudine ( AZT ) has been proven to be ineffective in blocking HIV infection in animals and humans, but researchers claim there still is no concrete evidence that it is not effective in inhibiting infection in health-care workers. A study was
"Intimate Enemies": Discover (12/91) Vol. 12, No. 10, P. 16; Baskin, Yvonne; A prominent female scientist has organized a research team to take a multiprong approach to HIV vaccines. Flossie Wong-Staal once worked with Dr. Robert Gallo, a discoverer of HIV, at the National Cancer Institute where she became one of the ten women superstars of science, according to The Scienist. After leaving
"Health: AIDS and GTV: A Geographic Perspective on American History": MacUser (12/91) Vol. 12, No. 7, P. 85; Landau, Ted; Macintosh computers that use a videodisc player and a TV are being used to educate students, thanks to such programs as Health: AIDS, an interactive videodisc for junior and senior high students produced by ABC News Interactive. Students obtain valuable educational experience by being directly involved in the interac
"FDA's Kessler: A Prescription for Change": American Pharmacy (12/91) Vol. NS31, No. 12, P. 34; Bloom, Marlene Z.; New Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David A. Kessler hopes to expand the activities of the agency so that the FDA not only works as a regulatory body to keep unsafe products from going to market, but also actively promotes the development of effective and safe drugs. Kessle
"Editorial: Avoiding Women": Focus (12/91) Vol. 7, No. 1, P. 2; Marks, Robert; Because women comprise only 10 percent of reported U.S. AIDS cases, they are not recognized as the fastest growing group of HIV cases, writes Robert Marks, editor of Focus. Tens of thousands of women would be alive if there was foresight in the epidemic s early years. If all those infected with the virus were equall
"HIV-Related Gynecologic Conditions: Overlooked Complications": Focus (12/91) Vol. 7, No. 1, P. 1; Marte, Carola and Allen, Machelle; HIV-infected women should make gynecolocic examinations a regular part of the health care regimen, write Carola Marte and Machelle Allen in Focus. HIV-infected women have been considered to be the vectors from which men and infants contract HIV, in addition to being ignored in most protocols of infectious disease cli
"Reducing Risk Among Female Partners of Injection Drug Users": Focus (12/91) Vol. 7, No. 1, P. 5; Miller, Christine; More interventions targeted at ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity should be implemented to induce long-term behavor in heterosexual partners of injection drug users, writes Christine Miller of Focus. Women consistently find themselves lacking control in their sexual relationships, which could mean there is
"Can Magic Johnson Fill Belinda Mason's Shoes?": Gay Community News (11/30/91) Vol. 19, No. 19, P. 5; Rose, Steve; Magic Johnson may be black, heterosexual, male, and exactly who President Bush would want to serve on the National Commission on AIDS, but he may not be able to compare to Belinda Mason, writes Steve Rose. Belinda Mason was unique because, although heterosexual, she did not separate herself from the rest of the AIDS
"The World Pauses...": Lancet (11/30/91) Vol. 338, No. 8779, P. 1387; The primary message of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 was that each person has a responsibility to prevent the spread of HIV. There is an immediate need to eliminate the stigma and discrimination experienced by HIV-infected individuals and others whose lifestyles might make them more succeptible to acquiring HIV. As a mea
"Cost of Treating AIDS Set at $5.8 Billion": Baltimore Sun (11/29/91), P. 11A; The United States will pay $5.8 billion for treatment of people with AIDS or HIV this year, and that figure is expected to almost double to $10.4 billion in 1994, according to a study by Fred Hellinger, the director of the division of cost and financing at the federal Agency for Health
"France Levies Tax to Help Victims of AIDS Scandal": Wall Street Journal (11/29/91), P. A4; Fleming, Charles; The French government has announced that it will levy a tax to compensate those who have become HIV-infected through tainted blood transfusions. The plan must be endorsed by the National Assembly and would require a 6 percent tax, up to a maximum of 500 francs ($92), levied on every new nonlife insurance contract iss
"A Preliminary Evaluation of 566C80 for the Treatment of Pneumocystis" Pneumonia in Patients With the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: New England Journal of Medicine (11/28/91) Vol. 325, No. 22, P. 1534; Falloon, Judith et al.; The compound 566C80 has proven effective in treating Pneumocystis Pneumonia in AIDS patients, write Judith Falloon et al. of the Departments of Critical Care Medicine and Radiology, the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Previously, the drug 566C80 was s
"Global Full-Court Press Against HIV. AIDS Spurred by Player's Infection": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/27/91) Vol. 266, No. 20, P. 2801; Goldsmith, Marsha F.; AIDS awareness is increasing among Americans as a result of Magic Johnson s disclosure that he tested positive for HIV. Awareness is also being spread by the World Health Organization s World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 1988. That tradition continues this year with the theme Sharing the Challange. In addition, the U.S. Pub
"HIV Testing: State of the Art": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/27/91) Vol. 266, No. 20, P. 2861; Sloand, Elaine M. et al.; Primary care physicians should familiarize themselves with the strengths and weaknesses of current HIV testing procedures because there will be more and more people who will need counseling after they have an undetermined or positive result, write Elaine M. Sloand et al. of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
"House Staff Recruitment to Municipal and Voluntary New York City" Residency Programs During the AIDS Epidemic: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/27/91) Vol. 266, No. 20, P. 2843; Ness, Roberta B.; Kelly, Joyce V.; and Killian, Charles D.; New York City has attracted fewer residents to its municipal residency programs, all with many AIDS patients, than four other cities with low AIDS prevalence, write Joyce Kelly, Roberta Ness, Charles Killian of the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Association of American Medical College
"Thromboembolism in AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/27/91) Vol. 266, No. 20, P. 2834; Kaufmann, Thomas et al.; AIDS patients with Kaposi s Sarcoma (KS) in a lower extremity, leg pain and lymphedema should be immediately analyzed, write Thomas Kaufmann et al. of The New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center and St. Luke s--Roosevelt Medical Center in New York. KS follows an aggressive clini
"Primary Care Physicians and AIDS": Journal of the American Medical Association (11/27/91) Vol. 266, No. 20, P. 2837; Gerbert, Barbara et al.; Approximately 50 percent of physicians surveyed would not treat patients with AIDS if given a choice, according to Barbara Gerbert et al. of the School of Dentistry, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, and School of Medicine at the University of California--San Francisco. A survey was conducted in 1990 of a random sa
"Double Standard on AIDS Shouldn't Dilute the Message": Chicago Tribune (11/27/91), P. 1-11; Page, Clarence; Martina Navratilova, the openly gay tennis star, has recently called attention to the double standard that pardons a male heterosexual such as Magic Johnson who has contracted HIV through scores of unprotected sexual encounters, but would condemn a female or a male homosexual who suffered the same fate. If it happen
"Court Approves Cuts in Benefits in Costly Illness": New York Times (11/27/91), P. A1; Pear, Robert; The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, La., has ruled that self-insured employers in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi may alter their health insurance policies and steeply limit coverage for employees with AIDS and other costly illnesses. In the rela
"32 Percent of Physicians Polled Don't Feel Obliged to Treat AIDS Patients": Baltimore Sun (11/27/91), P. 1A; Approximatley one-third of all physicians feel reluctance to treating AIDS patients, according to a study published in today s Journal of the American Medical Association . The survey was conducted by researchers at the University of California--San Francisco, and concentrated on
"Man Loses Ruling Over AIDS Testing": New York Times (11/27/91), P. B7; An insurance company Monday was found not guilty of breaking the law when it tested an applicant for HIV without his consent during a physical examination. John M. Mele of Washington, D.C. said First Colony Life Insurance denied him insurance once he tested positive for HIV. Mele attempted to sue for $25 million in
"Merck Shares Fall as AIDS Drug Falters": Investor's Business Daily (11/27/91), P. 9; Stock at Merck + Co. dropped 2 points yesterday to 14.75 following the company s announcement that its promising AIDS drug, L 661, had developed resistance to HIV. The drug developed resistance in all seven trial patients in less than 12 weeks of treatment. The AIDS virus mutates and becomes resistant to the treatme
"Boehringer is Seen Scaling Back Testing on AIDS Drug Facing Viral" Resistance: Wall Street Journal (11/27/91), P. B2; Chase, Marilyn; Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. may announce today that it is discontinuing its development of an AIDS drug because it has not been effective in preventing resistance to the virus. Resistance is an major problem in the development of AIDS treatments because HIV can mutate
"New York City Begins to Provide Condoms to High School Students": New York Times (11/27/91), P. A1; Berger, Joseph; New York City began its controversial high school condom distribution program yesterday. John Dewey High School and City-As-School, a small alternative high school, were the first two schools to begin the program. Fourteen more schools are expected to participate in the program over the next month, and Schools Chanc
"Flynn Appoints Adviser on AIDS": Boston Globe (11/26/91), P. 21; Boston s Mayor Ray Flynn announced yesterday that he has chosen a Boston City Hospital doctor who is HIV-positive to advise him on AIDS policies and coordinate the city s AIDS services. Dr. Lawrence Barat, director of inpatient services for clinical AIDS programs at the hospital, will fill the position left by Dr.
"Condom-on-Demand Program Begins in N.Y. Schools": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/26/91), P. 4-A; Armstrong, Kiley; A condom-on-demand program is being phased into New York s public school system, following heated debate between the schools, parents, and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. Today, in at least one school, specially trained counselors will make condoms available to students without requiring a parent s perm
"Europe: Heterosexual Transmission Showing a Steady Rise": Boston Globe (11/26/91), P. 34; Catchpole, Sarah; Heterosexual transmission of HIV is rapidly increasing across Europe and health officials predict that about 500,000 people there are infected with HIV. Catherine Dasen, a World Health Organization spokeswoman, said, In six years in Europe, there has been a nine-fold increase in AIDS
"Merck Setback Shows Problems of AIDS Drugs": Wall Street Journal (11/26/91), P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; Merck + Co. has abandoned its AIDS drug, L 661, which was speeded into clinical trials 11 months ago. L 661 has experienced the same problems found with AZT : HIV eventually mutates and becomes resistant to it. Merck found in recent weeks tha
"Gambling on Scientific Uncertainty": Washington Post (11/26/91), P. D1; Sugawara, Sandra; Biotechnology stocks have been increasingly volatile over the past six months. MedImmune Inc., a Gaithersburg, Md., company that is working on an AIDS vaccine, had increased from $115 million to $654 million before it recently plunged. Wall Street analysts noted the value of the company yesterday, which is based on
"Managing When the Company Gets AIDS": Air Conditioning, Heating + Refrigeration News (11/25/91) Vol. 184, No. 13, P. 20; AIDS is a growing concern among businesses that provide employee insurance, and it is necessary for them to acknowlege that the disease should not be treated differently than other chronic diseases. Lifetime medical costs to treat AIDS are estimated at about $75,000, but can be much more in some cases and can affect
"A Triumph of Love": Los Angeles Times (11/25/91), P. E1; Levine, Bettijane; When one partner of a romantically involved couple learns that he or she is HIV-positive, everything changes. Kissing, having sex, planning meals, treating their own and other s injuries, and cuddling their children are all normal everyday acts that subsequently have to change in some way. Because their immune syste
"China: Country Still Groping to Provide Care": Boston Globe (11/25/91), P. 34; Kohut, John; Chinese health officials do not want HIV-infected citizens to be aware of their condition. Yang Wenqiao, a health official, said, Of course we don t tell the AIDS-virus carrier himself, because he d be afraid. Early last year, China acknowledged that AIDS is not just a foreigner
"Soviet Union: No Money Available for Treatment or Research": Boston Globe (11/25/91), P. 35; Quinn-Judge, Paul; The Soviet Union does not have the funds to provide AIDS treatment or research, which means that AIDS patients there may have a murky future. AIDS is not a high priority in the Soviet Union because of the country s economic crisis and disintegrating political system. In addition, AIDS cases frequently go unreported
"Brazil: 700,000 May Carry Lethal Virus": Boston Globe (11/25/91), P. 35; Pereira, Alvaro; Heterosexuals and women presently account for the highest prevalence of HIV infection in Brazil , which indicates a shift in the pattern of transmission. Brazil has the fourth-highest rates of AIDS cases in the world. The Ministry of Health projects that 700,000 Brazilians are HIV
"TV Fiddles as AIDS Scare Beats the `Band'": Washington Times (11/25/91), P. D1; Hastings, Deborah; A book describing the horrors of AIDS has been causing controversy in Hollywood recently. And the Band Played On, written by Randy Shilts, argues that the Reagan administration was homophobic and did not do enough to thwart the spread of a disease that has killed more people than the
"Rock Singer Freddie Mercury Dies": Washington Post (11/25/91), P. B4; Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen, died of AIDS-related pneumonia on Sunday. Mercury, 45, released a statement a day before his death indicating that he had the disease. In the statement Mercury said, I felt it correct to keep this information private to date in order to protect the privacy of tho
"Dack Rambo, in Real Life": Washington Post (11/25/91), P. D1; Hall, Carla; Last September, actor Dack Rambo learned of his HIV-positive status and decided that he should resign from his career, publicly disclose his condition, and work for the cause of AIDS education and research. His public statement, the first such announcement by a well-known actor, came one month before that of Magic Jo
"Coming to Terms With the Magic News": U.S. News + World Report (11/25/91) Vol. 111, No. 22, P. 15; Awareness is growing after Magic Johnson disclosed his HIV-infected status. Fox Broadcasting Co. has responed to the problem by deciding to air condom ads, even though ABC, CBS, and NBC have rejected the idea. Condom manufacturers have also seen an increase in their stock. London International, parent company of th
"How Safe Is Sex?": Time (11/25/91) Vol. 138, No. 21, P. 72; Elmer-Dewitt, Philip; Magic Johnson s contraction of HIV heterosexually opened more people s eyes to the epidemic. AIDS is no longer considered someone else s problem. The Centers for Disease Control report that less than 6 percent of the AIDS cases result from heterosexual contact, but the case rate increased 40 percent among heterosexu
"Risk of Transmission of HIV by Seronegative Blood": Lancet (11/23/91) Vol. 338, No. 8778, P. 1341; Chiewsilp, Pimol et al.; When screening a high-risk population s blood for HIV, more extensive programs should be implemented to eliminate donors who initially tested negative from providing HIV-infected blood, write Pimol Chiewsilp et al. of Ramathibodi Hospital at the Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailan
"Enzyme Study Suggests Anti-AIDS Strategy": Science News (11/23/91) Vol. 140, No. 21, P. 326; Pennisi, E.; A group of researchers have detected the site where a significant HIV enzyme links to RNA belonging to the infected cell before it actually starts to replicate. The scientists, from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. and Temple University, Philadelphia have also developed small molecules that can exist on t
"Epidemic Pneumocystis Pneumonia in Children Before the AIDS Era": Lancet (11/23/91) Vol. 338, No. 8778, P. 1340; Lange, Michael and Klein, E.B.; The presence of Pneumocystis pneumonia in adults who are not immunocompromised is very rare, and PCP in children has not been adequately addressed in the past, write Michael Lange and E.B. Klein of the Division of Infectious Diseases
"Suicidal Ideas and Coping in HIV-Positives": Science News (11/23/91) Vol. 140, No. 21, P. 325; Bower, B.; Suicidal thoughts among HIV-positive homosexual men may indicate a coping strategy rather than anguish and depression, according to a report published in the November Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The study, conducted by Stephen G. Schneider and colleagues of the University of California--Los Angeles,
"FDA Committee Raises AIDS Vaccine Hurdles": Science (11/22/91) Vol. 254, No. 5035, P. 1105; Cohen, Jon; The outcome of the Food and Drug Administration s Nov. 12 meeting disappointed many companies producing therapeutic AIDS vaccines. The agency s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee ruled that therapeutic vaccines must be investigated more extensively before they are approved. Several companies
"Students Hand Out Condoms at Chelsea High": Boston Globe (11/22/91), P. 70; Sessler, Amy; Students at Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Mass., and representatives from a city youth advocacy agency distributed condoms after school Thursday and prodded the Boston University management team to change its position on forbidding condom distribution in the high school health clinic. Students handed out 100 packag
"Should Doctors Know Everything?": Toronto Globe and Mail (11/22/91), P. A1; Taylor, Paul; A Canadian woman who contracted HIV in 1985 from artificial insemination was this week awarded $883,000 because her doctor failed to let her know that the virus can be transmitted this way. This incident has raised the question of whether a doctor is legally obliged to know of recent scientific developments. Dr. Ger
"N.Y. First in AIDS Spending": Washington Times (11/22/91), P. A1; Recer, Paul; The state of New York is spending the most to fight AIDS, according to a study released Tuesday by the George Washington University AIDS Policy Center. The center report indicates that the United States spending on AIDS education, testing, counseling, research adminstration and patient care has grown from $26.3 mill
"Lancaster Hospital is Deluged by Calls About Tainted Blood": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/22/91), P. 5-B; Burling, Stacey; Lancaster General Hospital was flooded with calls yesterday morning after an announcement on Wednesday that six people had received tainted blood from a blood donor who tested positive for HIV. According to a nurse who answered the calls, most of the people wanted to know if they had received the contaminated blood.
"New Jersey Health Commissioner Calls For Widespread AIDS Testing": United Press International (11/21/91); Trenton, N.J.--All sexually active people should get tested for HIV in the state and all of the names who test positve should be reported to the central registry unless they prefer being anonymous, New Jersey state health officials suggested Thursday. Dr. Frances Dunston said that voluntary testing would be beneficia
"Veteran Lawmaker Won't Back Johnson Tribute": United Press International (11/21/91); Lansing, Mich.--The dean of the Michigan Legislature said he opposes tributing Magic Johnson, a former resident of the state. The tribute was passed by the House on Tuesday and honors Johnson for his contributions to basketball and community service. The dean, Rep. Dominic Jacobetti, said, I don t honor anyone--whe
"Navratilova Slams AIDS Double Standard": United Press International (11/21/91); New York--Martina Navratilova is upset about the wide acceptance of Magic Johnson s means of contracting HIV through heterosexual contact. She said that if she had AIDS, because she is gas, the public would not be as understanding. There have been other athletes who died from AIDS and they were pushed aside because
"Court Awards $883,000 to HIV-Infected Woman": Toronto Globe and Mail (11/21/91), P. A1; A Canadian woman who contracted HIV as a result of her attempts to become pregnant through artificial insemination has been awarded $883,000 in damages. A British Columbia Supreme Court decided after 10 hours of deliberations that Dr. Gerald Korn of Vancouver be sued for damages by Kobe ter Neuzen. Ter Neuzen sued D
"AIDS Screening Procedures Have Become Error Free": Boston Globe (11/21/91), P. 58; Lipson, Benjamin; Magic Johnson, who tested HIV-positive during tests conducted for insurance purposes, has prompted thousands of heterosexuals to receive tests for the virus. Testing laboratories make it possible to allow comunication of positive and questionable outcomes of tests to insurance company medical directors. The insuranc
"AIDS Drug 5 Years Away, Official Says": Chicago Tribune (11/21/91), P. 1-5; Griffin, Jean Latz; An AIDS drug that will inhibit the spread of HIV may available in five years, according to Mathilde Krim, scientific diretor for the American Foundation for AIDs Research. There may never be a cure for HIV infection, but there has been progress made for drugs that will prevent further spread of HIV in infected indi
"Godsend for Many, Home-Care Industry Also Has Potential for Fraud and" Abuse: Wall Street Journal (11/21/91), P. B1; Stout, Hilary; The home health-care industry, currently the fastest growing segment of the health care sector of the U.S. economy, also carries a huge potential for fraud and abuse. The National Association for Home Care estimates that in 1990 there were over 1,500 new companies offering nursing and personal care in the home. Also
"Not So `Safe' Sex": Washington Post (11/21/91), P. A22; Davis, Alan; Magic Johnson failed to tell children that condoms can fail in preventing pregnancies, and might also fail at protecting from HIV, writes Alan Davis of Sterling, Va. According to Planned Parenthood, condoms have a failure rate of 14 percent in preventing pregnancy. One in seven times when teenagers use condoms, the
"Syringe Swaps: Defying AIDS and the Law": Philadelphia Inquirer (11/21/91), P. 1-A; Maykuth, Andrew; Members of ACT-Up have distributed clean needles and bleach kits to drug addicts for two years in some New York City neighborhoods. However, in the state of New York it is illegal to possess syringes without a prescription. Recently, judges have cleared needle excahangers from any charges of wrongdoing in New York,
"AIDS Experiment is Retracted After Inquiry": New York Times (11/21/91), P. D22; A head researcher of an A