1996

Health Emergency 1997: The Spread of Drug-Related AIDS Among African Americans and Latinos: The Dogwood Center, Princeton, NJ (11/5/96); Day, Dawn; HIV is a serious risk for injection-drug users and could be reduced with government-supported needle-exchange programs, claims Dawn Day, director of Dogwood Center, a New Jersey- based independent research organization, in a new report. Among injection drug users (IDUs), African-Americans and Latinos are especially vu
Cambodian Blood Supply Tainted by Demand: Nature Medicine (12/96) Vol. 2, No. 12, P. 1289; Marcus, Adam; Due to an aversion among Cambodians to the practice of donating blood, donors in Phnom Penh are sometimes paid by desperate blood centers--despite a law against it. The practice concerns health officials who fear that paid donors are threatening the safety of the blood supply. A pint of blood sells for between $50 a
Health Notes: Controversial AIDS Vaccine: United Press International (12/31/96); An experimental AIDS vaccine that had been shelved merits further study, says Harvard Medical School researcher Ronald Desrosiers. A weakened live virus was used in a monkey version of the vaccine that had failed to protect newborns. The vaccine worked well in older monkeys, however, and upon closer scrutiny, was fou
With New Drugs, Hope Finally Dawns: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/29/96) P. A1; Collins, Huntly; While powerful new anti-HIV drugs have given many patients renewed health and hope, most people with HIV cannot benefit from the advanced treatment. The drugs are too costly for people in Third World countries and too complex for Americans with unstable lives. For David L. McColgin, a Philadelphia lawyer who has bee
Across the USA: Missouri, Vermont: USA Today (12/31/96) P. 6A; The first bloodless surgery program in the St. Louis, Mo. area will open next spring at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The majority of patients are expected to be Jehovah s Witnesses, who do not believe in transfusions. In Vermont, meanwhile, despite criticism of a condom distribution program for prison inmates in the stat
AIDS and Comfort: Miami Herald (12/30/96) P. 3B; Ifateyo, Ajowa; In Broward County, Fla, grandmothers who are called on to care for their grandchildren after their children die of AIDS have formed the Family CARES Network. Members meet once a month for support, as well as to share food, clothing, and medical supplies. They also organize picnics, trips to the zoo, and other events
Straight Talk for Survival: Financial Times (12/31/96) P. 8; Wrong, Michela; In Uganda , where an estimated one in 10 people are infected with HIV, a campaign of openness against the disease has led to dramatic declines in new infections. Condoms are distributed freely and testing is available at no charge. Sex and AIDS are discussed in newspapers, on bill
AIDS Alert Posted for Nicaragua: Miami Herald (12/30/96) P. A13; The relatively low rate of AIDS in Nicaragua may be increasing, as prostitution rises amid widespread ignorance about the disease, AIDS activists warn. Nobody here thinks of AIDS prevention, and that is dangerous. The numbers could rise very soon, very rapidly, said Dr. Alej
Doctors Criticize Move Against State Measures: New York Times (12/31/96) P. D18; Wren, Christopher S.; The Clinton administration s decision to target doctors who prescribe marijuana under two new state laws brought criticism from several doctors who say the action violates their right to decide what is best for their patients. Now the federal government is entering the practice of medicine, placing itself in the phy
U.S. Will Issue Warnings on Medical Marijuana Laws: Washington Post (12/31/96); Suro, Roberto; Letters warning of sanctions will be sent to doctors, federal contractors, and others who invoke new laws in California and Arizona that permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the Clinton administration announced Monday. The plan calls for publicizing federal drug laws but does not propose any new legislat
Standards for Disease Control--Part 1: EDI World (12/96) Vol. 6, No. 12, P. 14; Engel, Wilson F. III; EDI, or electronic data standards that are used for disease control, are essential in the battle against the worldwide spread of infectious diseases, according to Wilson F. Engel, III. The commercial development of EDI has recently gained momentum and has sparked conferences on electronic resources for disease contro
Piloting the Meanders of AIDS Research: Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (12/96) Vol. 2, No. 12, P. 9; Mascolini, Mark; At the 36th International Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, updates on trials of protease inhibitors were presented as well as data on even newer treatment options. Among the research topics covered were non- nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhi
Health Notes: Contraceptives and Low-Income Women: United Press International (12/30/96); Although 80 percent of sexually-active, low-income women in the United States use contraceptives, they may not fully benefit from the methods they choose, a new report says. A survey by the Alan Guttmacher Institute found that 75 percent of pregnancies in lower-income women are unplan
Women Overrepresented Among Young Persons With AIDS: Reuters (12/27/96); An analysis of the more than 37,000 AIDS cases diagnosed in New York City between 1984 and 1993 found that most of the young people diagnosed with AIDS were women and that women developed AIDS at a higher rate than young heterosexual men. Dr. Marcelo Pagano and colleagues at Harvard s School of Public Health reported
Number of People With HIV Reaches 466 in Indonesia: Xinhua News Agency (12/28/96); The number of HIV infections in Indonesia has reached 466, and 112 people have developed AIDS. A total of 128 foreigners were reported to have HIV or AIDS. Approximately 63 percent of the HIV cases were transmitted through heterosexual contact, and women were found to be more
Fighting a 'Hidden Epidemic': New York Times (12/28/96) P. 26; Citing the recent Institute of Medicine report on the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States , a New York Times editorial supports new recommendations for a public education and awareness campaign against these diseases. The panel reported that for every
U.S. Will Encourage Doctors Not to Dispense Medical Pot: Washington Times (12/30/96) P. A3; Price, Joyce; The federal plan to enforce anti-drug laws in Arizona and California, where the medical use of marijuana has been legalized, will focus on education rather than prosecution, U.S. drug chief Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey said Sunday. Under the White House s plan, to be released today, groups other than doctors, such as tran
Animals Suffer, to No Benefit: Wall Street Journal (12/30/96) P. A13; Guillermo, Kathy; Menache, Andre; Tatchell, Peter; et al.; In response to a Wall Street Journal article in which Dr. Michael DeBakey criticized animal rights groups for harming AIDS research, several animal rights supporters argue in letters to the editor of the Wall Street Journal that AIDS research does not depend on animal research. Kathy Guillermo of People for the Ethic
Marijuana for the Sick: New York Times (12/30/96) P. A14; The U.S. government s plan to fight state laws legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes is reasonable, but the value of such therapy should be considered, says the editors of the New York Times. The authors agree with the Clinton administration s plan to prosecute doctors who prescribe the drug, but they
Medicine Men: Advocate (12/24/96) No. 723, P. 31; Gallagher, John; The biotech company CytoDyn has produced a new HIV therapy called Cytolin. The company is dedicated primarily to treating HIV; financial concerns are secondary. Unlike any other HIV therapy, Cytolin is an antibody designed to bolster the immune system. Allen D. Allen, the Los Angeles physicist who developed the ide
Coping With AIDS: Together, Online: Yahoo! Internet Life (12/96) Vol. 2, No. 7, P. 24; Gensler, Howard; Internet newsgroups provide an important means for the exchange of HIV and AIDS information, on topics ranging from research and treatment advances to political movements and service organizations. On sci.med.aids, users can access daily AIDS news updates, detailed scientific information about drug therapies, and deb
California's Agouron Pharmaceuticals Applies to Produce Anti- HIV Drug: Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News (12/24/96); Aguilera, Mario C.; Agouron Pharmaceuticals has filed a new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration for its Viracept anti-HIV drug, marking the first time a company has petitioned the
Chronicle: For Steve Ross, Showtime Is Charity Time: New York Times (12/27/96) P. B6; Brozan, Nadine; In an effort to raise money for the fight against AIDS, cabaret performer Steve Ross will perform songs by request before each show and during intermission for a donation of $100. Ross, who is making his Broadway debut in Noel Coward s Present Laughter, explained that other charity work he does inspired him to giv
Russian Karelia's AIDS Toll Up From Zero to Ten: Itar Wire Service (12/26/96); Karelia, an autonomy in Russia s European north, has reported 10 new cases of HIV in two months. Until November, the Karelia region was considered free of the virus. Karelia health care minister Anatoly Artyomiyev, who revealed the HIV data at a recent news conference, noted that the region lacks funds to maintain c
87 Ohio Counties Report AIDS Cases: United Press International (12/26/96); According to a recently released report from the Ohio Department of Health, 87 of the state s 88 counties have reported at least one case of AIDS. Of the reported cases, 10 percent were among the 57 counties with fewer than 500,000 residents. Moreover, rural Ohio counties have an annual AIDS rate of 3.2 per 100,000 r
Health Aides Push Condoms for Prisons: Boston Globe (12/26/96) P. B9; Dowdy, Zachary R.; Massachusetts public health officials and correctional officers are debating the state s longtime policy of prohibiting condom distribution inside prisons, where AIDS is six times more prevalent than in society at large. Health officials say that, despite rules to the contrary, sex and rape will continue to occur ins
U.S. to Limit HMO Incentives Linked to Curbs on Medicare, Medicaid Treatment: Washington Post (12/27/96); Baker, Peter; New federal rules to be instituted next week address the health care industry s dilemma of trying to contain costs while also easing fears that patients will not receive necessary care. The new regulations from the Health Care Financing Administration will restrict the financial penalties which may be assessed against
A New Regimen: Africa's AIDS Experts Turn to Antibiotics to Slow the Epidemic: Wall Street Journal (12/27/97) P. A1; Bennett, Amanda; In Africa, where the promising protease inhibitor combinations are far out of reach, health workers are putting new faith in a stalwart medicine--the antibiotic. Scientists have found that by using antibiotics to limit the proliferation of conventional sexually transmitted bacterial diseases, they can dramatically re
Rapid HIV Testing: AIDS Clinical Care (12/96) Vol. 8, No. 12, P. 103; Sax, Paul E.; The most commonly-used HIV antibody tests are sent to laboratories and can require one to two weeks for results, even though the test can be completed in 24 hours. A rapid test offers the advantage of one-stop testing, outcome, and counseling; provides immediate results for women in labor; and can guide postexposure
Funding Renewed for JAMA HIV/AIDS Web Site: American Medical News (12/16/96) Vol. 39, No. 47, P. 8; Funding for the HIV/AIDS Information Center on the World Wide Web, produced and maintained by the editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association , has been renewed by Glaxo Wellcome . The site, which began in December 1995,
Agouron Says JT Is Partner in HIV Research: Reuters (12/24/96); Agouron Pharmaceuticals and Japan Tobacco report that they are co-developing the HIV drug Viracept , a synthetic chemical compound designed to inhibit the HIV proteas
Selenium May Reduce Risk of Some Cancers: Washington Post (12/25/96) P. A4; A new study, led by University of Arizona epidemiologist Larry Clark, shows that selenium, which is currently being trumpeted as being a treatment for everything from dandruff to AIDS, could reduce the risk for certain types of cancer, including prostate, colon, rectal, and lung. Selenium is a mineral found in seafoo
Science & Health Bulletin: Zimbabwe--Deaths [From] AIDS: PANA Wire Service (12/25/96); Amath, Mamadou; New statistics show that HIV and problems in Zimbabwe s health sector resulted in 94,352 deaths in the country between January and December 1996. The figure is about a 20 percent increase over 1995 s total, when 71,758 deaths were reported in the 11.2 million strong nation.
Iran to Impose AIDS Test on Foreign Travelers: Xinhua News Agency (12/25/96); Visitors to Iran will now be tested for HIV, according to health officials in the country. The testing, which will be conducted at clinical facilities at the ports of entry, is intended to stem the spread of the virus, Deputy Health Minister Mohammad Esma eel Akbari explained. The
A Year of Tangible Medical Advances: USA Today (12/26/96) P. 1D; Peterson, Karen S.; Health magazine reports that this year s major medical advances are already helping to increase longevity in the United States . The magazine s selections for 1996 s leading discoveries include protease inhibitors , new AIDS drugs tha
Managed Health Care in Prisons Gains Favor, but Draws Concern: New York Times (12/26/97); Petersen, Melody; Bloating U.S. prison populations and a concomitant rise in the cost of medical care for inmates are prompting more U.S. prisons to bring in private companies to manage prison health care. However, although the shift to managed care seems to be saving taxpayers money, inmate advocates fear the move may compromise hea
Celebrities Caught on Both Sides of AIDS Animal Research: Washington Times (12/26/96) P. A6; Richardson, Valerie; AIDS activists confronted numerous Hollywood stars on their way to the Animal s Ball and Humanitarian Awards gala, which was hosted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The protesters accused the celebrities of hypocrisy, saying that they cannot support both animal rights groups and AIDS research, wh
Category of Exposure to HIV and Age in the Progression to AIDS: Longitudinal Study of 1,199 People With Known Dates of Seroconversion: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/11/96) Vol. 276, No. 22, P. 1782; Pezzotti, Patrizio; Italian researchers seeking to determine whether the progression of AIDS is linked to age or the method of HIV infection evaluated the cases of 1,199 people with known dates of seroconversion. During the median study period of 5.8 years, 18.8 percent of the patients progressed to AIDS. Older subjects were more likel
Host Factors and the Pathogenesis of HIV-Induced Disease: Nature (12/12/96) Vol. 384, No. 6609, P. 529; Fauci, Anthony S.; A variety of host and viral factors effect HIV infection and disease progression. In a review of the research on these factors, Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, focuses on the balance between host factors that stimulate HIV and those that suppress the virus. Th
Cuba Starts Testing Anti-AIDS Vaccine on Humans: Reuters (12/22/96); An experimental AIDS vaccine developed by Cuban scientists is being tested on 24 volunteers, President Fidel Castro announced Saturday. Through widespread HIV testing and the isolation of many AIDS patients, Cuba has curbed the spread of HIV. Authorities are concerned, however, that the rise in tourism and an increa
AIDS Seen as Serious Problem by Most: United Press International (12/21/96); Although a new poll shows that most Americans think AIDS is a serious problem, it also found that most people are not concerned that they will become infected. The poll, which was commissioned by Time magazine and CNN, also found that less than half of the respondents have been tested.
Doctor Quit Over Blood Safety: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/20/96) P. A1; McIlroy, Anne; Dr. Bert Aye, former head of the Canadian Red Cross Society, now says he resigned in September because he believed the safety of the blood system was jeopardized by the replacement of doctors with lay people. Aye noted that nine doctors involved in the Red Cross program quit in the past year. Aye also said senior of
Man With HIV Guilty of Raping Young Boy: Miami Herald (12/21/96) P. 1B; Driscoll, Amy; A Miami man with HIV was convicted Friday in a retrial on charges of kidnapping an 11-year-old boy and raping him. Ignacio Perea was convicted in the case, and two similar attacks two years ago; but an appeals court overturned the verdicts due to improper jury selection. In the first trial, prosecutors charged Perea
Dow Ends Up 11 as Expiration Boost Volume; Gainers Ahead 5 to 3; Oil, Financial Issue Lead: Investor's Business Daily (12/23/96) P. A11; Fasciocco, Leo; In trading Friday, Bristol-Myers Squibb increased 3.25 points to 112.5, following the announcement that its anti-HIV drug Zerit will be covered by the Ontario government s drug benefit program. Bristol-Myers a
Staying On: The Cabinet: Washington Post (12/23/96) P. A19; Blustein, Paul; Chandler, Clay; Kenworthy, Tom; et al.; Among the seven members of President Clinton s cabinet who will remain in office for his second term is Donna E. Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. During the past term, Shalala was instrumental in securing additional funding for AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health. Durin
Doctors Are Focus of Plan to Fight New Drug Laws: New York Times (12/23/96) P. A10; Golden, Tim; Federal drug officials say they will restrict the impact of new state laws allowing the medical use of marijuana by prosecuting doctors who provide the drug to patients and revoking their prescription licenses. The Justice Department has decided not to take legal action against the measures, which were passed by vote
Health Journal: We May Be Living a Little Healthier Thanks to '96 Studies: Wall Street Journal (12/23/96) P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; Among the medical advances of 1996 are new treatments for HIV infection and cardiovascular disease, improved detection and treatment of cancer, greater information about the impacts of smoking, and genetic testing. Doctors are now armed with new tools for monitoring and treating HIV. Although new drugs have shown dr
Citizen Koch's Condom Campaign: New York (12/16/96) Vol. 29, No. 49, P. 13; Keil, Beth Landman; Mitchell, Deborah; New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch is promoting a plan to show public-service announcements that encourage safer sex in place of the trivia quizzes shown at city movie theaters before films. The suggestion was offered by one of the Mayor s radio listeners, and a short animated film was produced as a result by two you
Medical Education Gets Wired: Interactive Media Laboratory Targets Patients and Physicians: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/11/96) Vol. 276, No. 22, P. 1788; Stephenson, Joan; Among the multimedia programs developed at Dartmouth s Interactive Media Laboratory to help health care professionals, students, and patients deal with particular health issues, is a project on treating HIV and AIDS. HIV and AIDS: An Interactive Curriculum, developed jointly by the Columbia University School of Nur
Health Notes: AIDS Trial Starts: United Press International (12/20/96); Wasowicz, Lidia; Researchers at Neurobiological Technologies of Richmond, Calif., are initiating a trial of the drug Memantine, a potential treatment for AIDS-related dementia and nerve damage. No treatments are currently available for these conditions. About one-third of all AIDS patients develo
Across the USA: Virginia: USA Today (12/20/96) P. 20A; Margaret Anne Hunter, of Alexandria, Va., has sued a woman she met on the Internet for misrepresenting herself as a man with AIDS. Hunter and Holly Anne Groves, of Bryan, TX, were married four months before Hunter found out Groves was a woman.
Market Place: A Broad Patent Is Spurring the Shares of Protein Design Lab: Wall Street Journal (12/20/96) P. D6; Fisher, Lawrence M.; Protein Design Lab, which announced on Monday that it had received a patent covering the production of humanized antibodies in mice, saw its shares rise 25 percent this week. The patent could create royalties for the company, whose product pipeline is also promising, analysts say. Oppenheimer analyst Matthew Geller n
Adolescent Drug Use Continues to Rise: New York Times (12/20/96) P. B12; Wren, Christopher S.; A new survey has found that drug use continued to increase among adolescents this year, raising concerns about the efficacy of drug prevention programs. Marijuana was the most prevalent of the drugs used, accounting for 90 percent, but alcohol was found to be much more widely used than illegal drugs. Lloyd D. Johnst
Donor May Be Charged After Patient Is Infected With HIV: Richmond Times-Dispatch (12/20/96) P. A11; A blood donor whose HIV-tainted blood infected a transplant patient may face criminal charges, Milwaukee County officials report. Under Wisconsin s HIV confidentiality law, the name of the infected man cannot be released, though authorities hope to contact him through the hospital. Officials at the blood center wher
AIDS Advances Called Top 1996 Scientific Breakthrough: Baltimore Sun (12/20/96) P. 24A; Research into HIV, which resulted in new AIDS drugs and a greater understanding of the virus function, was named the Breakthrough of the Year for 1996 by the journal Science. The research, which identified three natural chemokines that suppress HIV, was published by scientists in Milan,
Powerful Treatments Create Growing Rift Among AIDS Groups: Wall Street Journal (12/20/96) P. A1; McGinley, Laurie; The recent successes of new AIDS drugs have driven some patient advocates to call for a shift of funding away from social services toward drugs and treatment. The providers of these services, including transportation, housing, and counseling, are now desperate to maintain funding for their programs as a result. James
NIH Director Endorses Needle Exchange Research: Washington Post (12/20/96) P. A13; A controversial needle exchange study has been approved by the director of the National Institutes of Health, despite charges from a health industry watchdog group that it is immoral and unethical. NIH Director Harold Varmus said that the $2.4 million study, which would compare the impact of two methods of needle d
I'm OK, You're Not: U.S. News & World Report (12/16/96) Vol. 121, No. 24, P. 24; Whitman, David; Americans widely believe that while their own lives and communities are successful, the rest of the country is failing. This view that we are doing well, while they are not is the most important and least comprehended aspect of public opinion, claims U.S. News & World Report pollster Ed Goeas. Such a perception
HIV Poised to Ravage Asia: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/11/96) Vol. 276, No. 22, P. 1790; HIV is spreading at a rapid rate in Asia, and the continent could have up to 10 million HIV cases by 2000, the World Health Organization reports. If the number of infections in India reaches the 5 million expected
Lymph Node Cytokine Activity in HIV-1 Infection Described: Reuters (12/18/96); The lymph nodes are a site of immune activity during very early HIV-1 infection, researchers at Stanford University report in the journal AIDS. Clive M. Gray and colleagues evaluated the B- and T-cell phenotypes found in the lymph nodes of HIV-positive patients and found that these cells were prevalent in the lymph n
Science & Health Bulletin: Zambia--AIDS Call For [Cooperation in AIDS Battle]: PANA Wire Service (12/18/96); Mulenga, Mildred; A coordinated approach to fighting AIDS is needed in Zambia , the country s deputy health minister Nkandu Luo recently announced. At a youth conference on peer education training, Luo said anti-AIDS efforts must include skills training and campaigns to fight poverty. Even if peop
Science & Health Bulletin: Zimbabwe--Mortality Rises [Among Infants]: PANA Wire Service (12/18/96); The infant mortality rate in Zimbabwe is expected to increase by five times by the year 2005, while population growth is expected to drop by about 1.5 percent due to the spread of AIDS. A new report from the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council attributed the dramatic incre
Tainted-Blood Inquiry Ends After Three Years: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/18/96) P. A12; McIlroy, Anne; The public hearings in Canada s inquiry into the country s tainted-blood tragedy ended Tuesday after three years. Many of the final submissions to the inquiry criticized the Canadian Red Cross Society, which has had nearly complete authority over the blood system since 1939. Speakers also questioned the potential ro
In N.J., People With AIDS Are Offered Free Legal Help: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/19/96) P. B5; Lowe, Herbert; For people with HIV and AIDS who live in four South New Jersey counties, free legal services will be provided by the South Jersey HIV Law Project, a new partnership of three advocacy groups. We finally will have dedicated services in New Jersey, said Ronda B. Goldfein, a staff attorney for the AIDS Law Project of P
Blood Center Provided HIV-Tainted Blood: Washington Times (12/19/96) P. A9; A Milwaukee blood center admitted Wednesday that it provided HIV-tainted blood for a transfusion, and it blamed a blood donor for not revealing his high-risk behavior. The center called the failure of its screening process a terrible tragedy.
Charities Debate Strategy of a Limited Time Span for Gifts: New York Times (12/19/96) P. B12; Tollerson, Ernest; Many U.S. charities, including New York s Aaron Diamond Foundation, plan from the beginning to reduce their assets each year for a scheduled number of years. This strategy has, in turn, spurred public debate about the most effective use of charitable spending. The Aaron Diamond Foundation will expire at the end of t
Entertainer, Denied Job Because He Had H.I.V., Settles Case: New York Times (12/19/96) P. A15; A man who was hired to entertain for a cruise line, but was rejected after he tested positive for HIV, will receive a $90,000 settlement in the case. A condition of the settlement also prevents the employer from screening for the virus. The suit, filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, argued that the
Get Married, Please: Advocate (12/10/96) No. 722, P. 18; In an effort to promote monogamy among gay inmates and prevent the spread of HIV, officials at a prison in Honduras are encouraging same-sex marriage. AIDS is the leading cause of death in the Tegucigalpa central penitentiary, where 102 of the 2,
HIV-Contaminated Blood Is Transfused: American Medical News (12/09/96) Vol. 39, No. 46, P. 22; A federal judge has ruled in favor of the United States in a negligence case brought by the estate of a patient who received a transfusion of HIV-tainted blood from a serviceman. The patient received the blood in February 1985, one month after it had been donated by a man in basic trai
Film Review: Bittersweet Lessons as a Family Reunites: New York Times (12/18/96) P. C15; Maslin, Janet; `Marvin s Room, the film version of a 1991 play by Scott McPherson, is made especially memorable because of its strong casting and history. The play opened in New York just before McPherson died of AIDS. Now I am 31 and my lover has AIDS, he wrote in the original program for the play. Our friends have AIDS. An
Trial Delayed for AIDS-Infected Suspect: United Press International (12/17/96); An HIV-positive woman charged with attempted murder in the rape of an 11-year-old boy has been found incompetent to stand trial and is being sent to a Florida mental hospital for treatment. Mental health professionals said that Renee Jacobs may be ready for trial in three to six months. The psychiatrists suggested t
Shalala Announces Ryan White Awards for HIV-Infected Individuals: Reuters (12/17/96); Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced on Friday that $227.7 million has been awarded to 49 selected cities for the care of HIV-infected patients. Under the Ryan White CARE Act, the cities will receive the funds in fiscal year 1997. Funding for the act has increased 159 percent s
Australia Targets Aborigines in Latest AIDS Fight: Reuters (12/18/96); Pullin, Richard; Australia s indigenous population and gay men will be the focus of the country s anti-AIDS strategy for the next three years, health officials said Wednesday. The vast majority of HIV infections in Australia remain among homosexually active men, although there is the potential for an emerging epidemic among aborigin
Man Who Stole HIV Files to Resign: Miami Herald (12/17/96) P. 5B; William Calvert, the Florida public health worker fired for using a government database to screen his dates for HIV, will be able to resign under an agreement reached with the state on Monday. Calvert will resign on Dec. 31 and will receive his full salary until that date. The controversy surrounding the man is base
American Home Sets $1.25 Billion Deal: Wall Street Journal (12/18/96) P. A3; Langreth, Robert; Hirsch, James S.; American Home Products has announced that it will exercise an option to purchase the 40 percent stake it does not already own of Genetics Institute for $1.25 billion. The drug maker is paying a premium of $85 a share for the smaller biotechnology firm, but it will, in turn, benefit from Genetic Institute s promising
U.S. Forces New Drug Giant to Share Genetic Research: Wall Street Journal (12/18/96) P. B4; Wilke, John R.; In an attempt to keep the new drug giant Novartis from dominating gene therapy research, the Federal Trade Commission has mandated that the merging companies Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz share research developments with rivals. Although gene therapy holds the potential to improve treat
Clinton Offers Six AIDS Goals, Topped by Cure: New York Times (12/18/96) P. A22; President Clinton announced a new national AIDS strategy on Tuesday, outlining six goals that include a cure, a vaccine, and guaranteed care for AIDS patients. Notably missing from the plan is a call to end the ban on federal spending for needle-exchange programs, which, according to ACT UP s Wayne Turner, has hinder
No Stones Unturned in Major Push to Develop Microbicides: AIDS Alert (12/96) Vol. 11, No. 12, P. 133; The U.S. government has pledged to spend $100 million over the next four years on the development of anti-HIV microbicides, which will give women more options to protect themselves from the virus that causes AIDS. The female condom is the only such product now available, and, while new alternatives are in the researc
Randomized Trial of MNrgp120 HIV-1 Vaccine in Symptomless HIV- 1 Infection: Lancet (12/07/96) Vol. 348, No. 9041, P. 1547; Eron, Joseph J., Jr.; Ashby, Mark A.; Giordano, Michael F.; et al.; Disease progression varies among HIV-infected patients, possibly because of differences in immune response. Previous research has suggested that a vaccine based on the recombinant envelope glycoprotein 120 (rgp 120) may have the potential to elicit antibodies capable of neutralizing HIV-1. Dr. Joseph J. Eron, Jr., o
Earth Week: Deep-Sea Cures: Houston Chronicle (12/16/96) P. 7C; Researchers in search of new drug candidates to treat AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer s, and other disorders have begun exploring the oceans near the Bahamas . Using a high-tech submersible from Florida s Harbor Beach Oceanographic Institute, the scientists are collecting algae and other
Beyond the Birds and Bees: New York Times (12/17/96) P. C21; O'Connor, John J.; `Sex and Other Matters of Life and Death, a documentary to be aired tonight on PBS, traces a year in the life of a group of teen-age actors who visit schools and community groups to provide sex education in the form of drama. The program, called Star Theater, was founded by Dr. Cydelle Berlin and is part of the Adol
Dave and Faye Chitty: St. Louis Post-Dispatch--St. Charles Post (12/16/96) P. 1SC; Fenning, Esther Talbot; Faye and Dave Chitty, of St. Charles, Miss., cared for Faye s brother Mike Sohn for the last three months of his life before he died of AIDS. Moved by his brother-in-law s illness and death, Dave Chitty has since become certified as a massage therapist and has so far provided free therapy to four AIDS patients. The
Across the USA: Florida: USA Today (12/17/96) P. 10A; William Calvert, the public health worker in Florida who admitted using a government database of HIV-infected people for the purpose of screening his dates, will be allowed to resign. Calvert was fired in October, but appealed his firing. Health officials note, however, that the appeal process would have been expensiv
AIDS Fears Prompt 'Sex Strike' in Brazil: Washington Times (12/17/96) P. A14; The women of Palestina, a small town in Brazil , have begun a sex strike to combat the spread of HIV. The women promised to stop having sex with their husbands and boyfriends until their partners take an HIV test. The movement was sparked after a 30-year-old man with HIV was fou
President's AIDS 'Strategy' Offers Call to Arms, Few New Weapons: Washington Post (12/17/96) P. A4; Weiss, Rick; The first national strategy against AIDS will be released by President Clinton today, calling for continued research funding and better cooperation among anti-AIDS programs. Detractors say the plan is only a restating of old ideas, and lacks dramatic proposals for change. The report does not address the controversial
Gays' Cases Help to Explain Immigration Rights: Washington Post (12/17/96) P. A1; Branigin, William; The expansion of asylum conditions to include homosexuality and HIV infection as grounds for approval has spurred controversy and debate. Since 1994, more than 60 foreigners have been given asylum based on persecution because of their homosexuality and at least two heterosexuals have also been granted asylum based on
Dr. Ho's Next Step in AIDS Research Is a Remarkable Gamble: Wall Street Journal (12/17/96) P. A1; Waldholz, Michael; As part of a study to determine whether the new AIDS drugs can rid the body of HIV, 21 subjects in a study led by Dr. David Ho are being asked to stop taking the drugs that have helped them fight off disease. Critics say the move is an attempt by Ho to generate publicity for himself and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Resear
Mending Fences: Selling AIDS Drugs to the Gay Community: American Demographics (12/96) Vol. 18, No. 12, P. 43; Kahan, Hazel; Mulryan, Dave; As the market for AIDS drugs expands, pharmaceutical companies have had to modify their marketing methods to compete successfully. Patients may prefer alternative therapies, for example, or may be disenchanted with the medical establishment and not interested in new drug therapies. The gay male population is a natur
Spain's Unwelcome Distinction: Lancet (12/07/96) Vol. 348, No. 9041, P. 1578; Spain now has a higher AIDS rate than any other European country, with 180 cases per 1 million people. Following Spain are Italy , with 101 per million; France , with 89 per million; and
Survey: More Young Filipinos Have Sex: United Press International (12/15/96); More teenage Filipinos are experimenting with sex before marriage, a survey of about 11,00 young adults revealed. One in five Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 engages in pre -marital sex, according to the survey. Officials warned that the trend could result in new record levels of unwanted pregnancies, aborti
HHS Secretary Awards $3.35 Million in Ryan White [CARE Act Awards]: U.S. Newswire (12/13/96); Nine projects designed to study programs for HIV-infected and at-risk adolescents received $3.5 million in Ryan White CARE Act awards, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced Friday. The projects, spanning six states, provide services including medical care, outreach services, case management,
Laos Faces Possible AIDS Epidemic: United Press International (12/16/96); A potential AIDS epidemic is feared in Laos , where foreign workers are being hired to work on dams, roads, and other infrastructure projects. The infiltration of workers from Thailand ,
White House Will Announce a National AIDS Strategy: Reuters (12/15/96); Shalal-Esa, Andrea; The White House s first national AIDS strategy, to be announced this week, will include goals aimed at developing an AIDS vaccine, preventing new infections, ensuring health care for infected patients, fighting AIDS discrimination, providing international support for AIDS programs, and applying new research findings.
Red Cross Defends Actions to Tainted-Blood Inquiry: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/12/96) P. A10; Grange, Michael; In its final submission to the federal inquiry into Canada s tainted blood tragedy, the Canadian Red Cross Society gave its perspective on how 3,000 people came to receive tainted blood. Earl Cherniak, who represented the agency, said that mistakes were made and much can be learned from the tragedy--but to try to pin
Baboon-Cell Transplant Failed, But AIDS Patient Is Improved: New York Times (12/16/96) P. A12; Altman, Lawrence K.; Despite the failure of last year s baboon bone marrow transplant, AIDS patient Jeff Getty has gained weight and strength and remained free of serious infections. Along with the experimental procedure, Getty received several other therapies, and doctors have not been able to determine which were responsible for his im
Lessons From Africa in AIDS Prevention: Washington Post (12/16/96) P. A4; Okie, Susan; The success of HIV prevention campaigns in several African countries could be duplicated in the United States , some public health workers say. The transmission of HIV has been reduced in those areas by increasing efforts to prevent and treat other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs),
T Cell Telomere Length in HIV-1 Infection: No Evidence for Increased CD4 T Cell Turnover: Science (11/29/96) Vol. 274, No. 5292, P. 1543; Wolthers, Katja C.; Wisman, G. Bea A.; Otto, Sigrid A.; et al.; HIV-1 infection results in the progressive loss of CD4 T cells, a gradual increase in CD8 T cells, and a decline in immune function. CD4 T-cell count starts to drops at an accelerated rate about one-and-a-half years to two years before the onset of AIDS. One theory holds that the rapid CD4 T cell turnover caused by
Spread of HIV Gains Pace: Nature (12/05/96) Vol. 384, No. 6608, P. 399; The rate of HIV infection is increasing in Africa and Asia, and the virus is appearing in Central and Eastern Europe for the first time, the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS reported. The agency said that sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest-hit area, with more than one in 20 people infected.
Cora Masters Barry's 'Gal'a For Women: Washington Times--Metropolitan Times (12/13/96) P. C14; Marshall, Toni; Cora Masters Barry, wife of Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, hosted a luncheon Thursday for nearly 100 women, including ambassadors wives and other prominent women in the city. The hostess said she held the event for the professional women involved with issues concerning your countries and dealing with struggle
The Reliable Source: Now You Know...: Washington Post (12/13/96) P. C3; Gerhart, Ann; Groer, Annie; For her 65th birthday celebration on Feb. 16, Liz Taylor will host a Hollywood benefit to raise $1 million for her AIDS foundation. Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Carol Burnett, and Michael Jackson will make appearances.
Medical Marijuana Reply Due Soon: USA Today (12/13/96) P. 3A; Nichols, Bill; President Clinton will receive recommendations by Christmas on how to handle new state laws that allow the use of marijuana for medical reasons, administration officials said Thursday. White House Drug chief Gen. Barry McCaffrey and other anti- drug policy officials met with Clinton Thursday, and encouraged him to spe
Blood Is 'Filthy,' Inquiry Told: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/11/96) P. A12; Grange, Michael; To prevent further tragedies involving the use of tainted blood, Canada s blood system should look to self-donations and directed donations, a lawyer for relatives of people who received HIV-tainted blood told the inquiry into Canada s blood system. Making her final statements to the inquiry on Tuesday, Dawna Ring sai
What Do We Want?--What Kind of Impact Do You Feel These Social Movements Have Had on Today's Values?: Wall Street Journal--American Opinion (12/13/96) P. R4; Kirkpatrick, David; A Wall Street Journal poll of 2,003 Americans on values and morals found that the country s social movements over the past 30 years have improved society. Americans agreed, by margins of four to one, that the civil-rights movement, the environmental movement, the AIDS-awareness movement, the religious or family-value
FDA Panel Recommends Hemophilia-Drug Approval: Wall Street Journal (12/13/96) P. B4; An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended for approval a treatment for hemophilia B developed by Genetics Institute. The panel also suggested that safety studies continue while the drug, called BeneFix, is marketed. Genetics Institute noted that the drug would be the first of its kind not der
Nobel Laureate to Head Panel Pushing for AIDS Vaccine: New York Times (12/13/96) P. B15; Leary, Warren E.; Nobel Laureate microbiologist David Baltimore will head the government s AIDS vaccine research effort, the National Institutes of Health announced Thursday. Baltimore will chair a committee to search for new vaccine approaches and revitalize the decade-long project. The appointment of a vaccine research leader was c
Study of Anti-AIDS 'Needle-Exchange' Programs Is Ethical, NIH Panel Concludes: Washington Post (12/13/96) P. A3; Schwartz, John; A controversial study designed to determine the benefit of needle-exchange programs is not unethical, an expert panel told the director of the National Institutes of Health on Thursday. The $2.4 million study, proposed by Dennis Fisher of the University of Alaska, calls for the random assignment of two groups of drug
Characteristics of Foreign-Born Hispanic Patients With Tuberculosis--Eight U.S. Counties Bordering Mexico, 1995: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (11/29/96) Vol. 45, No. 47, P. 1032; Moser, K.S.; Ocana, M.; Mohle-Boetani, J.; et al.; The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States increased 61 percent from 1986 to 1995, in part because of the immigration of people from areas where the TB is prevalent. In 1995, 22 percent of all foreign-born TB patients in the United Stat
HIV's Other Immune-System Targets: Macrophages: Science (11/29/96) Vol. 274, No. 5292, P. 1464; Balter, Michael; Although T lymphocytes have been the most-studied target of HIV, the virus also infects macrophages and dendritic cells, which are also critical in the immune system. Recently, at the Third International Workshop on HIV and Cells of Macrophage Lineage, researchers reported that macrophages may be an important site of
STD Prevention Education Campaign Launched by CDC: Reuters (12/11/96); A conference on sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention education, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Social Health Association, is being held this week in Tampa, Fla. CDC Director David Satcher emphasized the need for increased efforts from the private sector to comple
New Findings on How HIV Works: United Press International (12/11/96); Wasowicz, Lidia; Government researchers reported Wednesday on how certain factors influence the progression of AIDS, creating new possibilities for treatment. Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy an Infectious Diseases said the findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest new approaches to HIV treatment. Various fac
Are Gays to Be Held to Double Standard?: Wall Street Journal (12/12/96) P. A13; Turner, Richard; In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Richard Turner responds to letters by others questioning the lack of fidelity in gay relationships. Writers had cited a story by David Sanford about his survival of AIDS, criticizing him for a casual sexual encounter. Turner notes that infidelity is common in het
Banned in Boston: Guaranteed to Help Make a Show a Hit: New York Times (12/12/96) P. C15; Diesenhouse, Susan; Among the works banned from a Boston charity auction show to benefit the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts was a photograph by Herbert Ritts. The photograph, that of a naked male torso, was removed with works by nine other artists because they reportedly offended the building s owner and manager, the Chiofaro Co
Biotech Firm Wants to Test Vaccine for Papillomavirus: Wall Street Journal (12/12/96) P. B4; MedImmune has asked for FDA permission to initiate the first clinical trials in humans of a preventative vaccine against human papillomavirus. The tests will start in January, if approved. The biotechnology firm appears to have moved ahead of Merck & C
Baboon Cells Failed, But AIDS at Bay: USA Today (12/12/96) P. 4D; Jeff Getty, the AIDS patient who received a transplant of baboon bone marrow nearly one year ago, reports he is having the best year I ve had in about five years. Although the baboon cells did not take hold in his bone marrow, Getty says his improved health is probably due to the radiation phase of the treatment an
Hype and Hypocrisy on Animal Rights: Wall Street Journal (12/12/96) P. A12; DeBakey, Michael E.; Animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which opposes the use of animals for biomedical research, are responsible for delaying medical progress, claims Michael E. DeBakey, chairman of the Foundation for Biomedical Research in a commentary in the Wall Street Journal. The author claims th
AIDS Vaccine Research Leader: Washington Post (12/12/96) P. A19; Nobel Prize-winner David Baltimore has been selected to lead the AIDS vaccine research effort at the National Institute of Health. His appointment is expected to be announced today. Out of the 15 potential vaccines being tested, none are promising enough to merit efficacy trials, and pharmaceutical companies seem to l
The New AIDS Underclass: New York (12/09/96) Vol. 29, No. 48, P. 32; France, David; While the new protease inhibitors have been heralded as near miracle cures for AIDS, the patients who do not respond to the drugs face disappointment and a sense of failure. AIDS experts estimate that between 10 percent and 30 percent of people with HIV do not resp
Sisters at Greater Risk: Essence (12/96) Vol. 27, No. 8, P. 66; Kashef, Ziba; AIDS was the leading cause of death among African-American women in 1993, and the number of AIDS cases in this population increased 65 percent in the two years that followed. The rate of HIV transmission to children has slowed, meanwhile, and treatment advances have been promising. However, the high cost of care is
Howard Professor to Lead D.C. Health Panel: Washington Times (12/11/96) P. B7; Goldreich, Samuel; Howard University professor Bailus Walker was chosen to take over as chairman of Washington, D.C. s Heath Policy Council. He will oversee the city s conversion of Medicaid to a managed -care system, the reorganization of the D.C. General Hospital, and the city s public health clinics. A new D.C. Council committee wil
Baltimorean Says He Found Condom in Food: Washington Times--Metropolitan Times (12/11/96) P. C7; Fear of AIDS prompted Lawrence McNill to call a nurse s hotline on Monday after finding an unwrapped condom in the bottom of a box of Chinese food. The Baltimore, Md., resident was told the food could not have been tainted because the heat and oil used to cook the food would have likely killed any germs. McNill, who
'ER' Takes Pains to Realistically Show HIV's Impact: USA Today (12/11/96) P. 4D; Painter, Kim; Unlike previous television characters, ER s Jeanie Boulet, played by Gloria Reuben, will continue her job and her life despite her HIV infection. Advocates of AIDS patients applaud the development. What they re doing has been very true to the experience of HIV-positive healthcare workers, says Ben Schatz, executiv
Hemophilia Group's Submission Flays Ottawa, Red Cross: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/10/96) P. A3; McIlroy, Anne; The Canadian Hemophilia Society charged Monday that both the federal government and the Canadian Red Cross had more than a year s warning to protect the country s blood supply but failed to take proper precautions. In the group s final submissio
Personal Health: Sex Education Made Easier for Parent and Teen -Ager: New York Times (12/11/96) P. C13; Brody, Jane E.; Parents of teen-agers should use events in daily life, like news reports and television programs, as opportunities to talk with their children about sex, notes New York Times writer Jane E. Brody. Besides the risk of pregnancy, teen-agers are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, h
Doctors Battle Over Who Treats Chronically Ill: Wall Street Journal (12/11/96) P. B1; Jeffrey, Nancy Ann; The rise in managed care has spurred a debate between primary- care doctors and specialists over who should provide routine care to people with chronic illnesses. Visits to specialists for routine care must often be approved by a primary-care doctor, but these doctors may have a financial incentive to limit such visi
AIDS Protest Leads to Arrests: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/11/96) P. B2; Collins, Huntly; Thirteen Philadelphia-area AIDS activists were arrested Tuesday at a demonstration against HealthChoices, a state plan that will require Medicaid recipients to join HMO s. Several hundred demonstrators called on the federal Heath Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to delay the state plan until it can guarantee qual
Someone Must Speak for Suffering Children: Wall Street Journal (12/11/96) P. A23; Gottlieb, Michael S.; In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Michael Gottlieb, an AIDS physician, criticizes the Food and Drug Administration, drug companies, and AIDS activists for not responding to the need for AIDS drugs for children. He claims the FDA should urge drug companies to d
Checkmating Parasites: Economist (11/30/96) Vol. 341, No. 7994, P. 83; One theory to explain the evolutionary benefit of sexual reproduction suggests that the frequent exchange of genes helps sexual organisms resist parasitic infections. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have published a study which lends support to this theory and may influence the fight against infectious dise
Targeting a Deadly Scrap of Genetic Code: Newsweek (12/02/96) Vol. 128, No. 23, P. 68; Cowley, Geoffrey; New combinations of AIDS drug have benefitted many people this year, but the drugs are not effective for everyone and no one knows how long they will work. HIV damages the immune system by entering a white blood cell, combining its gene into the host cell s chromosomes, and replicating. A number of drugs have been d
Suicide and HIV Infection: Journal of the American Medical Association (12/04/96) Vol. 276, No. 21, P. 1743; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; McNeil, John G.; Brundage, John F.; et al.; While the onset of AIDS is known to be a significant risk factor for suicide, little is known about the impact of a positive HIV test on suicide risk. Knowing this level of risk could influence the counseling of individuals before and after they are tested for the virus. Dr. Andrew L. Dannenberg, of the Centers for
Don't Ask, Don't Treat: Time (12/09/96) Vol. 148, No. 26, P. 20; Waller, Douglas; A 10-year-old AIDS research program, in which HIV-positive soldiers volunteered to participate in drug company tests, is quietly being cut by the Pentagon. Military officials deny that they are discontinuing the program, but records show that much of the $15 million allocated to the program next year will be diverted
HIV Predominantly Infects CD45RO Cells in Neonates and Infants: Reuters (12/09/96); HIV therapy for children and neonates should target the CD45RO T cell population, researchers at the University of Florida report. John W. Sleasman and colleagues found that the number of HIV-infected cells was 10 times to 100 times higher among CD45R0 cell populations, compared to CD45RA cell populations. The finding
Foscarnet Reduces Plasma Levels of Cytomegalovirus and HIV-1: Reuters (12/09/96); Foscarnet was found to reduce the amount of cytomegalovirus and HIV-1 in the blood of patients who had previously been treated with antiretroviral drugs, researchers at the University of Minnesota say. Dr. Henry H. Balfour, Jr. and colleagues found a significant relationship betwe
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's AIDS Victims Hide Under [Fear of Discrimination]: Africa Information Afrique (12/09/96); Discrimination and mistreatment force many HIV-positive women in Africa to keep their infection secret. The International Center for Research on Women has found that, while African women understand heterosexual HIV transmission and have access to condoms, they lack control of their husbands sexual behavior. Moreover
AIDS Estimates in Eastern Europe Show Wide Disparity: Reuters (12/09/96); Large differences exist in the number of reported HIV infections in Eastern European countries. For example, while Poland s Epidemiology Department of the State Hygiene Institute reported 4,215 HIV infections, the country s health minister said there have been 450 AIDS cases and 263 deaths due to AIDS. The Polish He
Drew Barrymore Launches Female Health Foundation--Global Initiative to Educate Women About Contraception: HealthWire (12/09/96); Actress Drew Barrymore, along with public health advocates and the makers of the female condom, announced on Monday the launch of the Female Health Foundation. The nonprofit organization will be the first to be solely dedicated to heightening awareness of women s health issues, and will focus specifically on contrace
Mercy for Inmates With AIDS: Washington Post (12/08/96) P. C8; McDonough, Howard J.; HIV-positive inmates in Washington, D.C. s Department of Corrections system do not receive adequate care, and should be released if proper treatment cannot be provided, asserts Howard J. McDonough, founder of the Washington AIDS Ministry, in the Washington Post. McDonough, who served for three years as a minister to
Tuberculosis: Victorian Values?: Economist (11/30/96) Vol. 341, No. 7994, P. 58; Although tuberculosis (TB) was believed to have been eradicated in Britain 10 years ago, it has resurged to around 6,000 new cases a year. The Health Visitors Association, a British organization of nurses and health visitors, blames the resurgence on a return to Victorian social
Hardly Immune to Biz Pressures: Crain's Chicago Business (11/25/96) Vol. 19, No. 48, P. 1; Oloroso, Arsenio Jr.; A merger between two Chicago non-profit AIDS organizations to form the city s largest AIDS agency is likely to be followed by similar pairings. The Howard Brown Health Center, one of some 250 non-profit AIDS service organizations in the area, is merging with Stop AIDS Chicago to form a new group with assets totaling
AIDS in Jamaica Hits Women, Children: American Medical News (12/02/96) Vol. 39, No. 45, P. 13; The number of AIDS cases in Jamaica is rising, and the disease is increasingly affecting women and children, the country s health ministry reported. During the first nine months of 1996, 300 new AIDS cases were reported--twice as many as were reported during the same period in 19
200,000 Die of AIDS in Malawi in Decade: Xinhua News Agency (12/08/96); AIDS has claimed 200,000 lives in Malawi since the first case was reported in 1985, the Sunday Times of Zambia reported. According to the Malawian National AIDS Control Program, about 1 million of the country s 11 million people are HIV-positive
Reported Number of HIV Carriers in Mideast Doubles Over Past Two Years: Xinhua News Agency (12/09/96); The number of people in the Middle East with HIV has doubled in the past two years to 12,000, officials reported at a regional AIDS conference. The conference, sponsored by the Jerusalem AIDS Project, brought together more than 40 Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian health professionals and educators. Participants co
A Caution on AIDS Drugs: Washington Post (12/08/96) P. C6; Continued vigilance in the fight against AIDS is needed, despite optimistic news about drug treatment, according to the editors of the Washington Post. Although protease inhibitors have helped many people with AIDS regain their health and strength, the writers caut
Asylum Law Is Used in New Applications: Washington Times (12/09/96) P. A6; People seeking asylum in the United States are increasingly being accepted on the grounds that they would face persecution in their native countries due to cultural or medical conflicts. Since 1994, when homosexuality was first considered a condition for asylum in the United States, mo
Health Journal: You Can Take Steps to Close the Leaks in Your Medical Files: Wall Street Journal (12/09/96) P. B1; Chase, Marilyn; Breaches in the privacy of medical information can have a range of effects, from embarrassment to prejudice. No federal law currently protects the privacy of medical records, but the Health Insurance Accountability Act of 1996 calls for Congress to address this need. Medical information is usually used by insurance
Southern African Nations Pledge New Drive to Fight AIDS": Reuters (12/06/96); A coalition of South African countries resolved on Friday to renew the fight against AIDS. The Southern Africa Development Community said it would focus on anti-discriminatory labor laws, access to inexpensive drugs, and a better flow of information. States in the region have some of the highest HIV infection rates in
HIV and Cigarettes: AIDS Clinical Care (11/96) Vol. 8, No. 11, P. 94; HIV-positive individuals who smoke are more likely to develop certain medical conditions, but may be protected from the development of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia ( PCP ), new research has found. The study, published in the journal AIDS, assessed the incidence of AIDS-defining o
Physicians Living With HIV/AIDS: Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (11/96) Vol. 2, No. 11, P. 20; Shernoff, Michael; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines in 1991 recommending that HIV-infected doctors disclose their status to patients before performing exposure- prone procedures. The guidelines came largely in response to outcry following the much publicized case of Dr. David Acer, the Florida dentis
More Bad News on AIDS Vaccine Attempts: Reuters (12/06/96); The latest attempt to develop a vaccine against HIV has failed, researchers say. Joseph Eron and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tested their vaccine, called MNrgp120, in volunteers who were infected with HIV but had no symptoms. However, after 15 months, the researchers stopped the tri
Inside the Beltway: Marriages That Work: Washington Times (12/06/96) P. A7; McCaslin, John; AIDS activists in Washington, D.C. applauded the recent Hawaiian court decision to support homosexual marriage. ACT UP s Steve Michael compared his homosexual partnership with Wayne Turner to the Clintons marriage. Bill Clinton shouldn t be denigrating loving, committed gay relationships, he said. He should be
Parents Seek Faster Action in Getting New AIDS Drugs to Children: Houston Chronicle (12/05/96) P. 3A; Neergaard, Lauran; Because the new AIDS drugs known as protease inhibitors are not approved for use in children, physicians and parents are struggling to determine safe doses for children on their own. Drug companies note that earlier attempts at pediatric studies were stymied and tha
Lessons on AIDS Hit Home: Washington Post (12/06/96) P. C3; Frazier, Lisa; Students at Maryland s Forestville High School learned about HIV and AIDS this week through classroom experiments that simulated the spread of HIV with cups of water and a hidden formula. The students, who were each given a cup of water, were instructed to mix bodily fluids, represented by drops of water. The viru
A Federal Role Urged in the Fight on AIDS: Boston Globe (12/05/96) P. A3; Leading pharmaceutical company researchers agree that government leadership is critical to advancing the development of an AIDS vaccine, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition reported. The group found that investors and managers are reluctant to pursue an AIDS vaccine due to the scientific uncertainty and long developme
D.C. Vote Sought on the Medical Use of Marijuana: Washington Post (12/06/96) P. C8; A proposal was filed by AIDS activists in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to put a measure on the city s next ballot to legalize the medical use of marijuana. The proposal is based on a similar measure approved by California voters, members of the group ACT UP said. ACT UP spokesman Steve Michael said the group was co
Across the USA: Missouri: USA Today (12/06/96) P. 11A; The 89 people who signed up to participate in Missouri s lottery to provide protease inhibitors to poor AIDS patients will all receive the treatment because there is enough money to treat 132 people. The Health Department will still have to hold a lottery, however,
Digest: NationsBank: Washington Post (12/06/96) P. B12; An HIV discrimination case brought by a former NationsBank employee in Maryland will go to trial, an appeals court ruled this week. A lower court had ruled in favor of the bank in the case of William Runnebaum, who is HIV-positive and was fired from his job in Baltimore. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverse
HIV Risk Behaviors and Obstacles to Condom Use Among Puerto Rican Men in New York City Who Have Sex With Men: American Journal of Public Health (11/96) Vol. 86, No. 11, P. 1619; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex; Dolezal, Curtis; Little research has been conducted to determine what barriers to condom use exist for minority men, especially Latino men, who have sex with other men. To explore this area further, Alex Carballo-Dieguez and Curtis Dolezal of Columbia University interviewed 182 Puerto Rican men living in New York City who are homosex
The Role of a Mutant CCR5 Allele in HIV-1 Transmission and Disease Progression: Nature Medicine (11/96) Vol. 2, No. 11, P. 1240; Huang, Yaoxing; Paxton, William A.; Wolinksy, Steven M.; et al.; To infect CD4 cells, most sexually transmitted strains of HIV- 1 require the Beta-chemokine receptor 5 (CCR-5) to act as a co -receptor. It has been shown that individuals with a homozygous defect in the CCR-5 gene are virtually resistant to HIV-1 infection despite repeated exposures. Further study has also suggested
New Approaches Reduce Perinatal Transmission: AIDS Alert (11/96) Vol. 11, No. 11, P. 127; To further reduce the rate of perinatal HIV transmission, researchers are testing new treatment methods, including more rapid delivery, shorter courses of zidovudine ( AZT ), and the combination of AZT and other drugs. Since 1994, when AZT was
Science & Health Bulletin: Kenya Says [AIDS Rate Is Declining]: PANA Wire Service (12/04/96); Masebu, Peter; Health officials in Kenya have announced that the government s AIDS campaign has effectively slowed the spread of the disease in some parts of the country. Joshua Angatia, Kenya s health minister, reported that about 200,000 people had died from AIDS since 1994 and that an estimate
Sudan--Health: Religious Leaders Oppose AIDS [Education]: IPS Wire (12/04/96); AIDS awareness programs in Sudan have been halted by conservative religious leaders, frustrating efforts by health officials to fight the epidemic. Dr. Tajani Abdalla, head of Sudan s National Laboratory, said AIDS programs have failed and will continue to fail, not because of fun
Science & Health Bulletin: Zimbabwe--Condoms: PANA Wire Service (12/04/96); Female condoms will become available in Zimbabwe in April or May of 1997, AIDS policy officials report. The British Overseas Development Administration and the U.S. Agency for International Development will help to provide the condom at a subsidized price. The sale of the femal
HIV Donors' Names Ordered Released: Toronto Globe and Mail (12/03/96) P. A8; Downey, Donn; Despite objections by the Canadian AIDS Society, the Ontario Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the names of 13 HIV- positive men who donated blood in 1984 and 1985 should be disclosed. The judge held that the greater public interest was served by the disclosure. Although the ruling called for the release of the nam
Medicinal Marijuana Brings Legal Headache: Washington Post (12/05/96) P. A1; Claiborne, William; Suro, Roberto; New laws in California and Arizona that allow the medical use of marijuana are creating conflicts for drug officials, who have been meeting in Washington this week to determine how to enforce the measures. Advocates of the new laws are concerned that the measures could lose public support as some activists call for l
Across the USA: Florida: USA Today (12/05/96) P. 11A; Florida officials reports that the names of state residents who test positive for HIV will not be collected for at least six months, due to concerns about confidentiality.
SyStemix Therapy for HIV Is Cleared for Tests in Humans: Wall Street Journal (12/05/96) P. B6; SyStemix s gene therapy to treat HIV infection has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for human clinical trials, the company announced. The therapy involves removing a patient s stem cells, treating them with a gene engineered to resist HIV, and reinjecting the cells with the hope that they will
Bad Blood?: New York (11/25/96) Vol. 29, No. 46, P. 28; Finkelstein, Katherine Eban; The New York Blood Center, a non-profit organization that supplies 80 percent of the blood to New York City hospitals and tests samples for other blood centers nationwide, is under investigation for failing to follow government safety guidelines. New York Magazine found evidence that, in order to compete with other bl
Maternal Viral Load, Zidovudine Treatment, and the Risk of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 From Mother to Infant: New England Journal of Medicine (11/28/96) Vol. 335, No. 22, P. 1621; Sperling, Rhoda S.; Shapiro, David E.; Coombs, Robert W.; Sperling, Rhoda S.; While study results have demonstrated that zidovudine therapy significantly reduces the risk of HIV-1 transmission from mother to child, the mechanism of this treatment is not known. Researchers for the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 076 Study Group, led by Dr. Rhoda Sperling of Mount Sinai medical school, analyz
AIDS Experts Stress Basic Research: United Press International (12/03/96); Basic scientific research is needed in the fight against AIDS and should continue to receive federal funding, AIDS experts told President Clinton Tuesday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Canter for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he told Clinton that basic research played a major role in two of the
HIV Positive Not Linked to Suicides: United Press International (12/03/96); People who test positive for HIV are not significantly more likely to commit suicide upon hearing the news, researchers reported Tuesday. While previous studies have found that the onset of AIDS sharply increases suicide risk, testing positive for HIV does not have the same impact. The study, published in the Journa
Money Crisis Sinks Betak Home for AIDS Patients: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/04/96) P. B2; Collins, Huntly; Betak, the only nursing home in Philadelphia for AIDS patients, will be closed after the remaining 20 patients are moved, city officials and Mercy Health announced Tuesday. Financial problems have repeatedly burdened the facility since it opened four years ago, and Mercy said that the lack of state funding for the hom
S. Florida Events to Benefit AIDS Victims: Miami Herald (12/03/96) P. 2B; Chey, Elizabeth; Two AIDS benefits in Miami on Wednesday will help to raise money for local AIDS patients. The Food for Life Network, which supports Meals-on-Wheels, a food bank, nutritional counseling, and special holiday dinners, will hold a progressive dinner, Walk on the Avenue, in Miami Beach. In addition, the United Foundati
Criticism of Marijuana Initiatives Mean, Late: USA Today (12/04/96) P. 14A; Barrie, Jeff T.; Harris, Scott; White House drug chief Barry McCaffrey s criticism of the supporters of medical marijuana campaigns was too late and mean, contends Jeff T. Barrie in a letter to the editor of USA Today. He says that the opposition should have been presented during the campaign, and suggests that McCaffrey expected the media to offer
California Issues Marijuana Guidelines: Washington Times (12/04/96) P. A8; In an effort to enforce California s new medical marijuana law, State Attorney General Dan Lungren issued guidelines for the drug on Tuesday. Lungren noted that it is still unclear how federal officials will treat doctors or others who could be prosecuted because the state law conflicts with federal law.
Devious Efforts to Legalize Drugs: Washington Post (12/04/96) P. A25; Califano Jr., Joseph A.; In a commentary in the Washington Post, Joseph A. Califano Jr., president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, criticizes the campaigns in Arizona and California to legalize the medical use of certain drugs. Califano contends that the Arizona effort falsely led voters to beli
Leader of Black Gay Forum Favorite to be AIDS Czar: Washington Times (12/04/96) P. A1; Bedard, Paul; Phill Wilson, co-founder of Los Angeles National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, is the leading candidate for the vacant position of AIDS czar, according to White House officials and AIDS activists. Wilson, who has AIDS, is the choice of many AIDS activists who say the appointment would show President Clinto
Generation of CD4 and CD8 T-Cell Clones From PBLs of HIV-1 Infected Subjects Using Herpesvirus Saimiri: Nature Medicine (11/96) Vol. 2, No. 11, P. 1272; Saha, Kunal; Sova, Pavel; Chao, Wei; et al.; In vitro studies of HIV have revealed widespread differences in the virus ability to infect peripheral blood cells, probably a factor of individuals differences in CD4 T cells, genetic backgrounds, and virus biology. Although these differences would be best studied at the single-cell level, T cells have a short lif
Characteristics of Women 50 Years of Age or Older With Heterosexually Acquired AIDS: American Journal of Public Health (11/96) Vol. 86, No. 11, P. 1616; Schable, Barbara; Chu, Susan Y.; Diaz, Theresa; Of all the AIDS cases in women reported through December 1994, 9 percent were among women aged 50 and older, and most of these women contracted HIV through heterosexual contact. Little research has been done to determine the level of HIV risk behavior in older women. Barbara Schable and colleagues at the Centers for
Jessye Norman Enlists Churches in AIDS Fight: USA Today (12/03/96) P. 1D; Stearns, David Patrick; Opera star Jessye Norman is producing an AIDS benefit Wednesday night that will be attended by stars including Whoopi Goldberg and Elton John. It will be held at New York s Riverside Church, and will be broadcast next year at this time. The concert will benefit an organization called Balm in Gilead, which leads the
Senate Tackles State Propositions Allowing Use of Illegal Drugs: New York Times (12/03/96) P. A13; The enforcement of new laws allowing the medical use of marijuana in California and Arizona was considered Monday at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Committee chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and other senators, are seeking increased enforcement of federal antidrug laws. Federal law- enforcement officia
Book World: Science vs. Reality: Washington Post (12/03/96) P. E2; Seideman, Nancy; In his book Impure Science: AIDS, Activism, and the Politics of Knowledge, sociologist Steven Epstein uses the U.S. AIDS scene as an example of what happens when the leaders of a social movement become part of the establishment. Epstein describes the actions of activists, scientists, politicians, drug companies, an
Courage, Luck, and Message of Hope: Wall Street Journal (12/03/96) P. A23; Wagner, Russell R.; Lazarus, Sarah; Warren, Caleb; et al.; In a series of letters to the editor, readers of the Wall Street Journal respond to an article in which writer and editor David Sanford described his personal struggle with AIDS. Russell R. Wagner, of rural Iowa, empathizes with Sanford and other AIDS patients, and says the article helped him understand the challenge
Across the USA: Colorado, Alaska: USA Today (12/03/96) P. 10A; Colorado s El Paso County has reported decreasing rates of HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia since 1990. In Alaska, meanwhile, the number of women infected with HIV has increased 50 percent in the past year. The number of heterosexuals with the virus is 150 percent higher, and the HIV rate is rising in Hispani
Looking Past Fear of AIDS to See a Child: New York Times (12/03/96) P. B1; Gonzalez, David; When Wayne and Dianne traveled to New York City from rural Virginia to collect their newly adopted son, an infant born with HIV, they did not know whether he would remain HIV- positive. Three-fourths of babies born to HIV-positive mothers are not infected themselves, but test positive for HIV antibodies. The child wa
Still Needed: An AIDS Vaccine: Wall Street Journal (12/03/96) P. A22; Shepherd, H.R.; In a commentary in the Wall Street Journal, H.R. Shepherd, chairman of the Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Foundation, urges the development of vaccines to prevent, and eventually wipe out, HIV. Shepherd describes the medical costs associated with AIDS treatment, and says that vaccines are the most cost-effective medical tool
Seeking Reasons for Disease Genes: New York Times (12/03/96) P. C1; Kolata, Gina; With new information about how genes impact diseases like AIDS and cancer, researchers are seeking to understand why such genetic advantages exist. Some are searching for advantages brought by mutated genes while more skeptical scientists are asking if there is evidence for a selection effect. Dr. Stephen O Brien, a
HIV, AIDS Not Separate, Court Rules: American Medical News (11/18/96) Vol. 39, No. 43, P. 20; A federal trial court in Pennsylvania granted summary judgment to a blood products supplier and a hospital which were sued after a patient who had received an HIV-tainted blood product died from AIDS. The patient received a blood transfusion during a coronary bypass at the hospital in January of 1984. In January 1987
AIDS and HIV-1: Lancet (11/16/96) Vol. 348, No. 9038, P. 1370; The number of AIDS-related deaths in Australia was 13 percent lower in 1995 than in 1994, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Deaths due to AIDS accounted for 0.5 percent of total deaths. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom , the numb
Some Remember to Share the Bounty: Washington Post (11/29/96) P. D1; Spinner, Jackie; Among the Washington, D.C., organizations that provided Thanksgiving meals to the needy on Thursday was Food & Friends, a group that delivers meals to people with AIDS and HIV. About 200 volunteers helped cook and deliver some 1,200 turkey dinners. Executive director Craig M. Shniderman said, It s wonderful to see
Across the USA: D.C.: USA Today (11/29/96) P. 11A; Washington, D.C. s new human services procurement director, Wanda Mormon, does not approve of the needle exchange program proposed for the city. Wayne Casey, interim director of the department, says the program faces too many technical problems.
Rain Trims Crowd But Not AIDS Day Ire: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/02/96) P. B1; Yant, Monica; In Philadelphia, 125 people attended the rainy World AIDS Day rally at JFK Plaza on Sunday, compared with 500 in previous years. AIDS activist Julie Davids said that, due to promising new drugs, This year we re all supposed to be grateful or silent, but that it s no cure. The fifth annual Day Without Art, a cele
Chronicle: For Natasha Richardson, A Bigger Role in AIDS Fight: New York Times (12/02/96) P. B10; Brozan, Nadine; Natasha Richardson, who lost her father, director Tony Richardson, to AIDS in 1991, will co-host the World AIDS Day awards luncheon today at the United Nations General Assembly. Dr. Mathilde Krim, chairwoman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, will also serve as co-host, and Elizabeth Taylor will speak. Ric
A Day to Remember Those With AIDS: USA Today (12/02/96) P. 8D; Manning, Anita; Painter, Kim; Sunday s World AIDS Day marked the first time the event was observed at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco s Golden Gate Park since it became a national landmark in October. A founder and board member of the grove, Michael Boland, said the designation is significant because it shows a national commitme
Across the USA: Florida: USA Today (12/02/96) P. 11A; For the third year in a row, the number of infants born with HIV in Florida has decreased, health officials report. The number peaked at 316 in 1992, and was down to 232 in 1995. Officials note that fewer women with AIDS are having children.
AIDS-Prevention Groups to Shift Fund Targets: Wall Street Journal (12/02/96) P. B7; Sharpe, Anita; Due to increasing evidence that AIDS campaigns lack effectiveness, private foundations in the United States are planning to redistribute millions of dollars in HIV prevention funds to high-risk groups. Funders Concerned about AIDS, a group that works with some 1,800 U.S. foundations t
World AIDS Day Marked Widely: Washington Post (12/02/96) P. A18; World AIDS Day was observed around the world Sunday after a United Nations agency reported that the death rate from the disease is increasing. The Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS said that almost 25 percent of the 6.4 million AIDS-related deaths so far occurred in the past year. The total number of people who now hav
Correction to November 22, 1996, MMWR and CDC AIDS Daily Summary: (11/27/96) CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse; The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and the AIDS Daily Summary dated Friday, November 22, 1996, inadvertently listed an incorrect telephone number for the CDC National AIDS Hotline. Please disregard that number. The correct telephone numbers for the National AIDS Hotline are (800) 342-2437, (800) 344-7432 (Span
Study: Depression Affects AIDS Survival: American Medical News (11/18/96) Vol. 39, No. 43, P. 24; A new study of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men suggests that chronic depression is linked to shorter survival. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco report that, out of 405 men, those who reported being depressed throughout the eight-year study period were two-thirds more likely to die than thos
Resistance to HIV-1 Infection Among Persistently Seronegative Prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya: Lancet (11/16/96) Vol. 348, No. 9038, P. 1347; Fowke, Keith R.; Nagelkerke, Nico J.D.; Kimani, Joshua; et al.; Canadian and Kenyan researchers studied HIV-1 resistance among prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya, to determine if some individuals in a highly exposed group would be resistant to HIV-1 infection. The authors found that, among 424 prostitutes who tested negative for HIV-1 in 1985, 239 seroconverted by 1994. Forty-three of
Ukraine Mulls HIV-Positive Prisons: United Press International (11/26/96); Coumarianos, Philippe; Hoping to stop the spread of HIV in the prison system, Ukraine officials have proposed isolating HIV-infected prisoners in separate facilities. HIV has spread rapidly among inmates over the past two years, due to rape, homosexuality, and intravenous drug use. Officials say about
Treat Patients on Individual Basis: USA Today (11/27/96) P. 13A; Benjamin, Ken; In response to an editorial that appeared in USA Today approving of new liver transplant policies, Ken Benjamin, of the May Day Hepatitis Action Committee, objects to the policies on medical and ethical grounds. In a letter to the editor, Benjamin says the policy, established by the United Network for Organ Sharing,
Thailand Visit Caps Clinton Tour: USA Today (11/27/96) P. 4A; Nichols, Bill; President Clinton ended his 10-day tour of Asia in Bangkok on Tuesday, and told his Thai audience that the U.S. commitment to the Asian Pacific is stronger than ever. He also brought attention to two epidemics in the region: AIDS and drug use. These forces of destruction defy traditional defenses, just as traditio
Public Forum: Facts of Domestic Partner Benefits: Boston Globe (11/26/96) P. D4; Sherman, Andrew D.; While domestic partners are increasingly included in employee health insurance plans and benefit programs, some businesses fear higher costs due to large numbers of AIDS patients and other factors. However, the rate of HIV infection and AIDS among those enrolling in such plans is small, and the cost is not significan
Group Wants HIV Ruling Overturned: Toronto Globe and Mail (11/26/96) P. A3; Downey, Donn; Members of the Canadian AIDS Society are seeking to keep undisclosed the names of 13 HIV-positive men, claiming their identification would defeat the purpose of Ontario s Health Protection and Promotion Act and discourage others from seeking voluntary HIV tests. Madam Justice Janet Wilson of the Ontario Court s Gener
Nationline: AIDS and Abstinence: USA Today (11/27/96) P. 3A; Bacon, John; Federal funds will be denied to Idaho school districts that teach any HIV prevention methods besides sexual abstinence, Idaho Schools Superintendent Anne Fox announced. Fox said the decision is based on public demand, and denied conceding to fundamental religious interests opposed to modern sex education. The policy
Japan May Approve the Pill, but Women May Not: New York Times (11/27/96) P. A1; WuDunn, Sheryl; Although Japan s legal ban of the birth control pill may be lifted as early as next spring, many Japanese women say they will not use it. Condoms are the most popular form of birth control, followed by withdrawal, and abortions are easily available when these methods fail. The government is concerned that the pill w
Market Place: Some Analysts See a Silver Lining to Chiron's Cloud: New York Times (11/27/96) P. D6; Fisher, Lawrence M.; Despite Chiron s failed clinical trial of a new herpes vaccine, some analysts say the biotechnology company s shares remain attractive because the company is so diverse. The failure of one product is not as serious a concern at Chiron because it has so many other candidates in development. However, the failed herpes
CD4-Dependent, Antibody-Sensitive Interactions Between HIV-1 and its Co-Receptor CCR-5: Nature (11/14/96) Vol. 384, No. 6605, P. 184; Trkola, Alexandra; Dragic, Tatjana; Arthos, James; et al.; Certain strains of HIV-1 require the beta-chemokine receptor CCR-5 to infect CD4 T-cells. HIV-1 s surface glycoprotein gp120 mediates the binding of the virus to the CD4 molecule. Researchers at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Progenics Pharmaceutical
Research Issues Involving HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in Resource-Poor Countries: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/13/96) Vol. 276, No. 18, P. 1502; De Cock, Kevin M.; Binkin, Nancy J.; Zuber, Patrick L. F.; et al.; Tuberculosis (TB) infects an estimated 8 million people each year, and it kills an estimated 3 million, mostly in developing countries. About 9 percent of all TB cases are linked to HIV infection. Some TB programs in developing countries are failing to control the disease, even though effective treatment is availabl
China to Set Up AIDS Study Center: Xinhua News Agency (11/25/96); A national AIDS prevention and control center is being established in China , according to officials at the Ministry of Public Health. The estimated number of HIV cases in the country is between 50,000 and 100,000.
'Aunt' Bea Injured by Drug Needle: Washington Times (11/26/96) P. C6; Aunt Bea Gaddy, a Baltimore advocate for the homeless who prepares a Thanksgiving Day dinner for thousand s of city residents, was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital Sunday after stepping on an intravenous drug needle. Gaddy was given several shots and tested for HIV. She said she had found a man who was staying at
AIDS Researcher Dies: Richmond Times-Dispatch (11/26/96) P. B3; Dr. Kathelyn Sue Steimer, who led research into the development of an AIDS vaccine at Chiron, died recently at the age of 48. She was vice president for research in the vaccines division.
Venereal Diseases Rampant Among America's Teenagers: Washington Post--Health (11/26/96) P. 7; Russell, Cristine; The United States has the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of any developed country, and about one-fourth of the estimated 12 million new cases of STDs annually reported here occur in teenagers, a committee of the Institute of Medicine reported last week. The panel
FDA's Kessler Will Resign Early in 1997: Washington Post (11/26/96) P. A1; Schwartz, John; David A. Kessler, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration for the past six years, said Monday that he will resign early next year. Kessler said he had accomplished his major goals at the agency. Although praised by President Clinton, Kessler was criticized throughout his tenure from varying political standp
Judge Postpones Cash Payouts to HIV-Infected Hemophiliacs: Philadelphia Inquirer (11/26/96) P. A8; Shaw, Donna; The proposed $640 million settlement for HIV-infected hemophiliacs in the United States was delayed on Monday, because lawyers are still working on a plan to protect the money from federal and state government claims. U.S. District Judge John F. Grady told the claimants, who would eac
Chiron Drops Development of Vaccine for Herpes, Sending Stock Down 17 Percent: Wall Street Journal (11/26/96) P. B7; King, Ralph T., Jr.; Development of a vaccine for genital herpes will be halted due to its failure in two phase III clinical trials to prevent infection, Chiron reported. The company s stock declined 17 percent to $18.125 on the news. Chiron had spent an estimated $50 million on the vaccine s deve
With Plague's Fury, HIV Spreads in Belarus Town: Washington Post (11/26/96) P. A1; Hockstader, Lee; In the town of Svetlogorsk, Belarus , more than 1,000 people have contracted HIV since June due to the sharing of needles by drug addicts. Officials say the virus may infect 90 percent of the town s 3,000 to 4,000 addicts within two years. Factors contributing to the epidemic, suc
La. Clinic Resumes Free Medicine for HIV Patients: American Medical News (11/11/96) Vol. 39, No. 42, P. 29; Patients with HIV and AIDS continue to receive free medicine from the Louisiana State University Medical Center after a proposal to stop the distribution of about 70 drugs was reversed. The center s Viral Disease Clinic provides the medication to about 430 patients. However, officials said in September that the free
Scourge of Africa: Science (11/08/96) Vol. 274, No. 5289, P. 923; While 93 percent of the world s HIV infections occur in developing countries, the virus is especially concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. That region, with its high level of male promiscuity and low level of condom use, accounts for 68 percent of newly infected people worldwide. Life expectancy in the region was at
Book Review: A Crisis of Meaning: How Gay Men Are Making Sense of AIDS: Los Angeles Times--Book Review (11/24/96) P. 3; Mixner, David; In a review of Steven S. Schwartzberg s A Crisis of Meaning, AIDS activist David Mixner recommends the book for people who are coping with HIV themselves or for those who have loved ones who have HIV. Mixner says the author provides a structure to understand why one person with AIDS seizes his or her status as an
Break the Cycle of AIDS: Miami Herald (11/23/96) P. 28A; In an editorial in the Miami Herald, the authors, citing the high rate of HIV in gay and bisexual men in the community and the country, urge that AIDS be accepted as a public health issue. Studies show that homosexuals continue to practice high risk behaviors for a variety of reasons. Grass-roots education and suppor
Teen-Sex Survey: Houston Chronicle (11/22/96) P. 14A; According to a new survey by RAND Corp. and researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, teenagers who may not be engaging in intercourse may still be putting themselves at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through other sexual practices. The RAND corporation study, published in the American
Spermicide Study Begins: Washington Post (11/23/96) P. A2; A panel of advisors to the Food and Drug Administration reported that sufficient data is not available to conclude how well spermicides work as contraceptives. The panel s study found that women who rely on spermicides as their only contraceptive have from a 9 percent to a 57 percent chance of becoming pregnant withi
HIV-Positive Man Gets His Day in Court v. Red Cross: Washington Post (11/23/96) P. C1; Miller, Bill; A Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals has ruled that a patient who received HIV-infected blood during a transfusion can legally challenge the American Red Cross for not taking greater precautions than smaller blood banks. When Roland Ray sued the organization for negligence in 1994, after learning he was infected, a D
Across the USA: New York: USA Today (11/25/96) P. 8A; Under a proposal offered by New York Assemblyman Jules Polonetsky, hospital patients in New York would be able to bank their own blood. Polonetsky says the practice would help to reduce the potential for disease.
The Not-So-Hidden Epidemic: Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (11/25/96) P. A10; New evidence that the United States leads all other developed countries in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) should alert Americans that the problem should be handled as a public health threat affecting everyone, according to the editors of the Los Angeles Times. The ed
FDA Panel Divided on Pharmacia's Drug for Treating AIDS: Wall Street Journal (11/25/96) P. B7; Unable to decide whether Pharmacia & Upjohn s new AIDS drug delavirdine merits recommendation for accelerated approval, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration left the decision to the agency. The panel voted 4-4 after hearing c
Ribozymes Enter Clinical Trials for HIV-1 Treatment: Lancet (11/09/96) Vol. 348, No. 9032, P. 1302; Rowe, Paul M.; Diseases caused by RNA viruses may be treated by destroying specific RNA sequences with ribozymes. This strategy has proven successful in cell-culture experiments and in preclinical studies, and the first phase I trial of a ribozyme is being conducted now in patients infected with HIV-1. Previous studies have shown t
Quantitative Image Analysis of HIV-1 Infection in Lymphoid Tissue: Science (11/08/96) Vol. 274, No. 5287, P. 985; Haase, Ashley T.; Henry, Keith; Zupancic, Mary; et al.; The amount of HIV-1 in the body is considered a reliable measure of the progress of the infection, but little is known about the virus ability to replicate and reside in lymphoid tissue. Ashley T. Haase, of the University of Minnesota Medical School, and colleagues, developed a method of determining viral load in th
AIDS--Confidentiality in AIDS Cases: PANA Wire Service (11/21/96); Mulenga, Mildred; The issue of AIDS confidentiality, and the potential problems it causes, was discussed at a conference of experts in Zimbabwe Thursday. If we stick to confidentiality, what about the wife at home who doesn t know that her husband has AIDS, asked a physician who treated several
Many HIV-Positive Patients Use Alternative Therapies: Reuters (11/21/96); Physicians of AIDS patients should be aware that many HIV- infected people use alternative therapies, and do not always inform their doctors. A University of Nevada in Las Vegas survey of 127 HIV-positive patients found that 100 percent were using alternative therapies. Moreover, previous research published in the N
Access to New AIDS Drug Demanded; Not Yet Approved: U.S. Newswire (11/21/96); Clinical trials are needed to test the safety and efficacy of new AIDS drugs for children and pregnant women, claims Bonita Judon, of the AIDS Policy Center for Children, Youth and Families. Judon will testify to a committee of the Food and Drug Administration today to urge their consideration of such trials. There
111 Kenyans Died of AIDS Daily: Xinhua News Agency (11/22/96); An average of 111 Kenyans died from AIDS each day between January 1995 and June 1996, the Daily Nation reports. Assistant Minister for Health Basil Criticos said the figure represents only a third of the actual number of people suspected of having AIDS. AIDS officials have estimated that more than 1.7 million people
World AIDS Day--December 1, 1996: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (11/22/96) Vol. 45, No. 46,; This year s World AIDS Day, with the theme One World, One Hope, will be observed on December 1 in 190 countries. AIDS has claimed the lives of 5.8 million people worldwide, including 1.3 million children. In the United States , World AIDS Day activities are coordinated by the Americ
Across the USA: Kentucky: USA Today (11/22/96) P. 8A; About 50 residents of Kentucky will be subjects in a study of a vaccine designed to prevent HIV-infected individuals from developing AIDS.
AIDS-Free in 1991, Cambodia Tops HIV Rate: Washington Times (11/22/96) P. A16; Although Cambodia had virtually no AIDS cases five years ago, the country now has the highest HIV infection rate in Asia. Health officials estimate that 1 percent of the population, including 2.5 percent of pregnant women, is infected with HIV. The spread of the virus is attribut
AIDS Among Children--United States, 1996: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (11/22/96) Vol. 45, No. 46; Of the total number of AIDS cases reported by Sept. 30, 1996, 7,472, or 1 percent, were among children aged less than 13 years. Most children with HIV contracted the virus from their mothers. The number of children infected perinatally from 1986 to 1996 peaked in 1992. In 1994, research showed that treating HIV-inf
Accentuating the Positive: Entertainment (11/08/96) No. 352, P. 54; Watson, Bret; The HIV-positive character Jeanie Boulet on NBC s ER, played by Gloria Reuben, is breaking new ground for prime time television by continuing her normal routine despite her infection. While other dramatic series have introduced AIDS story lines, the infected characters have typically become ill quickly. ER coexe
AIDS Researcher Loses Libel Fight Against French Newspaper: Nature (11/07/96) Vol. 384, No. 6604, P. 10; The French Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed Robert Gallo s libel and slander lawsuit against the French newspaper Le Monde. Gallo made the charges against the paper and journalist Frank Nouchi in relation to coverage of the conflict between Gallo and French researcher Luc Montagnier over claims on the discovery o
New Health Standards Issued in Tanzania: Xinhua News Agency (11/20/96); In hopes of improving health care there, the Tanzanian government released new guidelines on Wednesday for the country s governmental hospitals. Patients will be charged for half the cost of their care, with the government paying the rest, and medical consultation fees will no longer be allowed. Health minister Zaki
140 People Found HIV-Positive in Macao: Xinhua News Agency (11/20/96); Of the 140 people in Macao found to be HIV-positive, 110 are non-Macao residents, public health officials reported. Most of the non-residents are women from Thailand working in the entertainment business. The public health department reported that it will continue regular check
FDA Conducting Inspections of New York Blood Centers: Reuters (11/20/96); Two New York City blood centers are being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration for manipulating the results of tests for HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases, New York Magazine reports. The article charges that the centers altered test results to allow them to provide more blood to area hospitals
Condom Sales Boom in Mali: Reuters (11/20/96); Condoms are being sold at an impressive rate in the West African state of Mali , according to the national committee against AIDS. A total of 2,265,926 condoms was reportedly sold in the first nine months of the year, compared to the 1,699,014 that were sold in all of 1995.
Science & Health Bulletin: Zimbabwe--AIDS Now [Declining]: PANA Wire Service (11/20/96); The rate of HIV infection in Zimbabwe s Manicaland province is declining, thanks to education programs and subsequent behavior changes, health officials reported. In addition, Diarmund McClean, medical officer of health for the Mutare city council, said the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea
Across the USA: Connecticut, Vermont: USA Today (11/21/96) P. 12A; The Board of Selectmen in Windham, Conn., is requesting that the state end a six-year-old needle-exchange program on the grounds that discarded needles are littering the streets and parks. Separately, Vermont Gov. Dean spoke in opposition to efforts to legalize the medical use of marijuana, contending that better tre
Haven for AIDS Patients: Baltimore Sun (11/21/96) P. 3B; Imhoff, Ernest F.; Baltimore s AIDS Interfaith Residential Services (AIRS) organization provides housing and services to single adults and families with AIDS. The first AIRS house opened in 1988 and has been home to 72 people, and three additional AIRS houses opened this year. Using a $1 million grant from the Department of Housing an
Seeking Assurance From a $40 Kit: New York Times (11/21/96) P. D1; Canedy, Dana; Home HIV test kits, made by Home Access Health and Johnson & Johnson , are being marketed with distinct campaigns aimed at gay men, teenagers, and heterosexual adults in publications targeting each of these populations. Despite the relatively high cost of the tests, the anony
Rural Human Immunodeficiency Virus Health Service Provision: Indications of Rural-Urban Travel for Care: Journal of the American Medical Association (11/06/96) Vol. 276, No. 17, P. 1364j; Mainous, Arch G. III; Matheny, Samuel C.; A survey of HIV-positive adults from rural areas of Kentucky reveals that 21 percent traveled to urban areas for HIV testing and care. Researchers at the University of Kentucky report in the Archives of Family Medicine that, out of 63 survey participants, 74 percent traveled outside their home county for HIV-related
Early Progression of Disease in HIV-Infected Infants With Thymus Dysfunction: New England Journal of Medicine (11/07/96) Vol. 335, No. 19, P. 1431; Kourtis, Athena P.; Ibegbu, Christian; Nahmias, Andre J.; et al.; Perinatally infected infants generally develop AIDS either very early in life or at a very slow rate. Because disease progression is signified by the depletion of CD4 cells, and CD4 cells develop in the thymus, it has been suggested that more rapid disease progression in infants may be linked to thymus dysfunction.
Combined Technique Improves HIV-1 RNA Detection: Reuters (11/19/96); Combining an HIV-1 RNA detection method, nucleic acid sequence -based amplification (NASBA), with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, German researchers report, provides a major improvement of NASBA technology. NASBA provides an alternative to the polymerase chain reaction test and is an ultrasensitive method f
Feature--Magic Johnson Sees Change in Attitudes to AIDS: Reuters (11/20/96); Croft, Adrian; After retiring from professional basketball five years ago because he learned he was infected with HIV, Earvin Magic Johnson says he is pleased that the public s acceptance of HIV has improved significantly. It s so much different now because we can hold a conversation about it anywhere now. It used to be ...ever
AIDS Rate on Increase in Cities, Study Shows: Reuters (11/19/96); Doctors in Britain announced Tuesday that the number of patients with unreported HIV infections has increased. Dr. Mark Poznansky and colleagues at St. Mary s Hospital in London reported that as many as 75 percent of HIV-positive patients coming to the emergency room for treatment did not inform the staff that they w
Brazil Launches Anti-AIDS Campaign for Indians: Reuters (11/19/96); Christie, Michael; Brazil launched a new AIDS education campaign on Tuesday, hoping to prevent the spread of HIV among the country s 320,000 Indians. Anthropologists will be trained to educate the Indians, a population that is thought to be at low risk but highly vulnerable to the spread of HIV. Th
Americas-Health: AIDS Cases in Americas Up To [Nearly 700,000]: IPS Wire (11/18/96); While almost three-fourths of the 700,000 AIDS cases in the Americas since 1979 were reported in the United States , officials from the Pan American Health Organization report that there are now more HIV infections in Latin America than in the United States. More than 411,000 people in
Briefcase: Medical Info a la Carte: Houston Chronicle (11/19/96) P. 1C; A web site called Cafe Herpes, developed by the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham, offers medical information about genital herpes in a menu-themed format. The site, located at http://www.cafe.com, is an attempt by the company to reach people with genital herpes and off
Firms Pledge Better Blood Recalls: Philadelphia Inquirer (11/20/96) P. A17; Shaw, Donna; Leaders of the blood products industry and the Food and Drug Administration announced a pact on Tuesday to protect the public better from contaminated blood products. After the meeting at the National Institutes of Health, however, it was unclear how the promise would be kept. A better product recall system was disc
U.S.'s Rate of Sexual Diseases Is Highest in Developed World: New York Times (11/20/96) P. D20; Leary, Warren E.; The rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is higher in the United States than in any other developed country, and the diseases cause thousands of deaths and serious health problems each year, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences reported Tuesday. The committee attributed
Black Up!: Village Voice (11/05/96) Vol. 41, No. 45, P. 45; Schoofs, Mark; At a recent meeting of African-American leaders convened to address the growing threat of AIDS in the black community, the absence of many leaders was noted. No members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended, for example, and the leaders of the NAACP and the National Urban League were also absent. If HIV continu
Experts Say AIDS Pain 'Dramatically Undertreated': Journal of the American Medical Association (11/06/96) Vol. 276, No. 17, P. 1369; Stephenson, Joan; Although AIDS and cancer patients experience comparable levels of pain, pain is dramatically undertreated in AIDS patients, according to Dr. William Breitbart of the Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center. The problem may be partly attributed to the rise in managed care, since many primary care physicians have lit
Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System Available at Walgreens: HealthWire (11/18/96); Walgreens, the country s largest retail drug store chain, is now selling the Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System, made by Home Access Health. The test instructs users to collect a blood sample, send it to a lab for testing, and receive results in three business days. Walgreens has nearly 2,200 stores in 34 states.
Windfall Prophets: Washington Post Magazine (11/17/96) P. 17; Due to a life insurance promotion by the federal government in 1993, employees of the federal government and the District of Columbia were able to buy large life insurance policies for relatively little money. Many employees with preexisting medical conditions, even the terminally ill, were able to take advantage of
Team in Search of the Ebola Virus: Houston Chronicle (11/18/96) P. 8D; Susman, Tina; In the Tai Forest of Cote d Ivoire , a small group of researchers are working to track the source of the Ebola virus. They catch and test rodents, searching for signs of Ebola or other diseases. The diseases emerging today in Cote d Ivoire may be the diseases emerging tomorro
Alexandria Mulls Gay 'Marriages': Washington Times--Metropolitan Times (11/19/96) P. C5; Cain, Andrew; Lonnie C. Rich (D), a member of Alexandria, Va. s City Council, is advocating that the state consider legalizing same sex marriages. Rich would like to see his proposal included in the city s wish list to state legislators, although he said he would be shocked if it passed. He explained that the measure might pro
Condoms Available: Washington Times (11/18/96) P. A14; Although food, water, and medicine may not be available to the refugees in eastern Zaire , condoms and reproductive health kits will be provided. This is the first time that reproductive-health services have been planned at the beginning of a crisis, said Hirofumi Ando, deputy e
Plan to Test Drug's Effectiveness in Bureaucratic Limbo: Washington Post--Health (11/19/96) P. 7; Okie, Susan; One prominent AIDS researcher has failed to obtain federal approval to conduct a study on the benefits and risks associated with the medical use of marijuana, despite the fact that experts say such research is needed to resolve the issue. Donald I. Abrams, of the University of California San Francisco School of Medici
Water Filters Available for D.C. AIDS Patients: Washington Post (11/19/96) P. B5; AIDS patients in Washington, D.C. are being supplied with water filters to protect them from the excessive levels of bacteria found in the city s water supply. Made available by federal and city funding, the carbon water filters will be provided to as many as 600 city residents with AIDS. The nonprofit AIDS group Fo
Md. AIDS Institute Opens With Great Fanfare, Expectations: Washington Post (11/19/96) P. B3; Goldstein, Amy; At the opening of the Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore on Monday, politicians and academics heralded the center s promise of combining the scientific study of AIDS and other viral diseases with clinical treatment. Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening said, The work that is going on here is ... of the most nobl
Document Management Keeps CDC's Data Flow Healthy: Government Computer News (11/04/96) Vol. 15, No. 28, P. 15; Jackson, William; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently began using an electronic document management system as part of a two-year plan to integrate document management, correspondence control, and workflow management at the agency. The Basis document management system, from Information Dimensions of Ohio, has been u
Full Japanese Hospital List Announced: Lancet (11/02/96) Vol. 348, No. 9036, P. 1235; Gutierrez, Ed; Japan s Council on Public Health has decided to publish a list of 2,413 hospitals where HIV-tainted blood may have been used in the 1970s and 1980s. Hiroshima officials were the first to respond, contributing 54 facilities to the list. The Health and Welfare Ministry had initially released the names of seven of the
Ottawa Denies Krever Key Data: Toronto Globe and Mail (11/15/96