May, 2009 |
| (05/11) Victory! Colombian Government Cuts Price Of Abbott's Lifesaving AIDS Drug Kaletra 55% |
Advocates Claim Victory as Government Cuts & Freezes Price at $1,067 USD for Public Institutions and $1,591 USD for Hospitals, Clinics & Private Sector—55% Less than Abbott’s Previous Colombian Price: Since January, Colombian, Mexican & US AIDS Advocates Protested Steep Price of Drug in Developing Countries; Compulsory License in Colombia Would Further Cut Price to Less Than $600/Patient/Yearly ...(continued)
~AIDS Healthcare Foundation - 05/11/2009 |
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| (05/05) New Jersey Lawmakers Lobby Against Plan To Close No-Cost HIV Testing Clinic |
Three New Jersey lawmakers last week sent a letter to Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney and the county's Board of Freeholders urging them to reconsider plans to close the Bergen County Counseling Center in Hackensack, which is the only clinic in the county that provides no-cost HIV testing, NorthJersey.com reports. In the letter, Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D) and Democratic assembly members Valerie Huttle and Gordon Johnson questioned why the county would close the center, saying that doing so could jeopardize the $4 million in federal funding that Bergen and Passaic counties receive through Ryan White Program grants ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/05/2009 |
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| (05/05) Iran's Health Ministry Releases Figures on HIV/AIDS Cases |
At least 19,435 HIV cases have been reported in Iran, with more than 1,000 cases recorded since December 2008, according to a report recently released by the country's Ministry of Health, AFP/Google.com reports. Of the 19,435 cases, 1,875 cases have progressed to AIDS. The health ministry estimates that about 80,000 people are living with HIV in the country -- or four times the number of reported cases -- and that limited testing facilities and stigma are preventing people from accessing testing or reporting their status ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/05/2009 |
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| (05/04) Congressional Quarterly: AIDS Group Shows Impatience |
Most advocacy groups that consider President Obama to be a likely friend in the White House have been patient as he finds his footing. Not so the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a Los Angeles group that runs pharmacies and treatment centers and relies on government contracts and other health care spending. Late last month, the foundation began running TV ads in New York and Washington accusing Obama of “silence on AIDS.” In fact, according to foundation president Michael Weinstein, as president Obama has yet to mention the term “AIDS" ...(continued)
~AIDS Healthcare Foundation - 05/04/2009 |
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| (05/04) AHF Lauds Obama’s Appointment of Dr. Eric Goosby at PEPFAR |
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today lauded President Obama’s choice of Dr. Eric Goosby as Global AIDS Coordinator for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the lifesaving US global AIDS program first spearheaded by President George W. Bush six years ago ...(continued)
~AIDS Healthcare Foundation - 05/04/2009 |
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| (05/01) Dramatic Increase in U.S. Liver Cancer Rates |
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer) in the United States has seen a dramatic increase between 1975 and 2005, according to a recent study. However, as the rates of HCC have been rising, the same study found that people with HCC are living longer. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide with the highest incidence reported in East Asia. In the United States the incidence of HCC has been historically lower, but it is now increasing dramatically ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) New Insights into HBV/HCV Coinfection |
Due to similar transmission routes, many people are exposed to both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Some people acquire both viruses at the same time, while others become infected sequentially (superinfection). While about 75% of people with acute hepatitis C go on to develop chronic infection, most adults with acute hepatitis B (unlike children) spontaneously clear the virus. It is estimated that as many as 20% of people with chronic hepatitis B may be coinfected with HCV and up to 10% of individuals with hepatitis C also have hepatitis B, though the latter figure is likely considerably higher if “occult” HBV (low-level HBV DNA despite undetectable hepatitis B antigens) is included ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Treatment Duration for Coinfected Patients |
As noted above, the standard of care for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HCV monoinfected individuals is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for 24 weeks for people with genotype 2 or 3 and 48 weeks for those with genotype 1 or 4, but guidelines recommend that HIV/HCV coinfected patients should be treated for 48 weeks regardless of genotype. Prior research in HCV monoinfected people has shown that those who experience RVR may be able to safely shorten the duration of treatment, while slow responders may benefit from prolonged therapy. In a pilot study described in the April 15, 2009 Clinical Infectious Diseases, E. van den Eynde and colleagues from Spain assessed whether treatment duration for HIV/HCV coinfected patients could be similarly tailored based on early response ...(continued)
~HCV Advocate - 05/01/2009 |
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| (05/01) Settlers Life Insurance Denies Claim For Widow Of Gunshot Victim Due To Pre-Existing Medical Condition |
At Settlers Life Insurance, being shot in the back by unknown assailants is trumped by Hepatitis C, and they won't pay your benefits. According to the lawsuit filed last week (pdf), Curtis McCraw held a life insurance policy with Settlers Life Insurance at the time of his murder in April 2008. When his wife Stephanie McCraw attempted to claim the Accidental Death Benefit, Settlers denied her claim because her husband had "a pre-existing liver condition." We knew Hepatitis was bad, but we didn't know it could pull out a gun and shoot you. We wonder if Hepatitis C is what really killed Kennedy.
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) NJ authorities looking for source of hepatitis C |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Health officials are trying to determine the source of 15 cases of hepatitis C reported by an Atlantic City hospital. The cases at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center date back as far as 2005. Those stricken are patients at the hospital's dialysis unit. But health officials say they do not know whether the cases are linked to the hospital. Hepatitis C attacks the liver and can be fatal. The state says that in 2007, there were more than 100 acute cases and more than 7,000 chronic cases statewide.
~HCV Advocate - May 2009 |
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| (05/01) Economic Downturn Likely To Threaten HIV Treatment, Prevention Programs, Report Says |
IRIN/PlusNews on Wednesday examined a World Bank report published last week that suggests the current economic downturn could threaten antiretroviral treatment access for about 1.7 million HIV-positive people by the end of 2009. According to the report, developing countries could face drug shortages, treatment interruptions and an increase in HIV prevalence as a result of the global economic situation ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/01/2009 |
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| (05/01) Insurance Company Prudential To Offer Life Insurance to HIV-Positive People in United Kingdom |
The insurance company Prudential will begin to offer life insurance policies to HIV-positive people in the United Kingdom, London's Daily Telegraph reports. According to the Telegraph, PruProtect -- a partnership between Prudential and a South African firm -- initially will offer the insurance to 7% of HIV-positive people and hopes to extend coverage to 20% of HIV-positive people. The policy will offer up to 250,000 British pounds -- or about $368,000 -- for a maximum of 10 years. The policy premiums will be higher than standard premiums for life insurance "to accurately and fairly reflect the risks involved." Premiums will be determined on an individual basis and dependent on medical history, the Telegraph reports ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/01/2009 |
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| (05/01) The Gambia's Army Holds Program To Encourage HIV/AIDS Awareness, Leadership |
The HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Unit of The Gambia's armed forces earlier this week held an educational program for military leaders and personnel in an effort to promote education and leadership regarding the disease, the Daily Observer/AllAfrica.com reports. U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia Barry Wells during the program said that HIV/AIDS continues to harm militaries across Africa, adding that many militias fail to address the disease as a major public health issue. He continued that allowing HIV/AIDS to "eat away at military forces around the world" leaves "borders unprotected, security in jeopardy and the people of our nations vulnerable." He added that military leaders can impart the behavioral changes needed to curb the spread of the disease ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 05/01/2009 |
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April, 2009 |
| (04/30) New York Times Examines Timing of HIV Treatment Initiation |
The New York Times on Thursday examined a New England Journal of Medicine study that found asymptomatic HIV-positive people who delayed antiretroviral treatment until their disease reached a more advanced stage faced higher mortality rates than those who initiated treatment earlier. While the study "is not the final word on the matter," it says that initiating treatment earlier than some current guidelines could reduce the risk of death. Similar findings were published online earlier this month in the journal Lancet, the Times reports ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/30/2009 |
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| (04/30) Using Social Networks Effective Strategy To Reach Populations at Risk of HIV/AIDS, Study Finds |
Using HIV-positive people's social network is "an efficient, high-yield" method of contacting their partners who are at high-risk for the virus and providing them with testing and other HIV-related services, CDC researchers said in a recently published study, Reuters Health reports ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/30/2009 |
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| (04/30) Burundian HIV/AIDS Advocates Express Concern Over New Law Outlawing Homosexuality |
Some HIV/AIDS advocates in Burundi and international human rights groups have expressed concern about a new law that criminalizes homosexuality in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports. Although Burundi's Senate voted against the draft bill in February, the lower parliament house reversed the decision last month, and President Pierre Nkurunziza signed the bill into law on April 22. According to the new statute, people found guilty of engaging in consensual same-sex relations could face two to three years in prison and a fine of about $84 ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/30/2009 |
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| (04/30) Canadian Court To Determine Constitutionality of Law Preventing Supervised Drug-Injection Sites |
The British Columbia Court of Appeals this week is hearing a case to decide whether certain sections of Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that prevent injection drug users from accessing services at the supervised drug-injection facility Insite in Vancouver, British Columbia, are constitutional, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports (Stueck, Globe and Mail, 4/28) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/30/2009 |
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| (04/29) Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Survey About HIV/AIDS in U.S. |
"2009 Survey of Americans on HIV/AIDS," Kaiser Family Foundation: The new survey found that in the U.S., the sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS as a national health issue has decreased significantly and that residents' concerns about the disease as a personal risk also has declined, even among some high-risk groups. According to the survey, the percentage of people in the U.S. who named HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the country decreased from 44% in 1995 to 17% in 2006 and 6% currently. It also found that although blacks and Hispanics have HIV rates seven and three times higher than whites, respectively, and are more likely to see HIV/AIDS as a pressing issue, fewer say that it is a "more urgent" problem now than in 2006. According to the survey, the percentage of people ages 18 to 29 who say that they are personally very concerned about contracting HIV decreased from 30% in 1997 to 17% currently. In addition, it found that 53% of non-elderly adults say that they have been tested for HIV. Half of the U.S. public thinks that the federal government is allocating too little on domestic HIV/AIDS issues, and the survey also found signs that HIV/AIDS might carry less stigma than in the past (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/28).
~Kaiser Network - 04/29/2009 |
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| (04/28) New national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation provides insights into Black America’s attitudes |
Washington, D.C.—Today's report by the Kaiser Family Foundation finding that Americans’ sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS has fallen dramatically provides some insights into the AIDS epidemic in Black America. “This report, on the heels of last month’s report by the D.C. office of AIDS showing a 4% HIV prevalence among Black residents in Washington D.C. provides some context for the AIDS epidemic in Black America”, says Phill Wilson, CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. Last August, the Institute released a report finding that if Black America were a country on to itself, it would have the 16th largest epidemic in the world ...(continued)
~Black AIDS Institute - 04/28/2009 |
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| (04/28) Obama Names Former Clinton Administration Official Goosby to Global AIDS Coordinator Post |
President Obama on Monday named Eric Goosby as the new global AIDS coordinator and administrator of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the New York Times reports (Macfarquhar, New York Times, 4/27). Goosby currently serves as CEO and chief medical officer of Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation and as a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. During the Clinton administration, he served as deputy director of the White House National AIDS Policy Office and director of HHS' Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. According to White House officials, Goosby was a key player in developing and implementing national HIV/AIDS treatment programs in China, Rwanda, South Africa and Ukraine (White House press release, 4/27) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/28/2009 |
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| (04/28) NPR Program Examines Impact of MACS HIV Study Over Past 25 Years |
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Friday examined the impact the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study has had on HIV-positive men who have sex with men over the past 25 years. Roger Detels, the director of MACS in Los Angeles and a professor of epidemiology at UCLA, said the study began in 1981 when very little was known about the virus. At the time, "there was no test for the virus, and there was no recognition that in fact there was a virus origin," he said. According to "All Things Considered," more than 6,000 MSM have participated in MACS, which is funded by NIH ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/28/2009 |
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| (04/28) London's Times Examines Test Aimed at Detecting Potential HIV/AIDS Vaccines |
The London Times on Monday examined a test that aims to identity the "best potential AIDS vaccine from among other less promising products." According to the Times, early results from the test indicate that it can detect whether a vaccine candidate will stimulate an immune system response and if the response will actively fight HIV/AIDS. The test, developed by Imperial College London and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, is known as a viral inhibition assay. The Times reports that the test is being examined in a Phase I HIV/AIDS vaccine trial ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/28/2009 |
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| (04/27) Financial Crisis Placing 1.7M HIV-Positive People Worldwide at Risk of Treatment Interruption, World Bank Report Says |
Antiretroviral treatment for up to 1.7 million HIV-positive people worldwide is "under threat" because of the current economic crisis, according to a report released on Friday by the World Bank, the Financial Times reports. The report examined the effect of the economic crisis on 69 of the most impoverished countries worldwide and found that 15 believed they are "highly exposed" to the risk of antiretroviral treatment interruption because of decreases in domestic and foreign funding (Jack, Financial Times, 4/25). The report also found that eight countries currently face antiretroviral shortages or other treatment disruptions. In addition, about 22 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region likely will face hurdles in providing antiretrovirals this year (Wroughton, Reuters, 4/25) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/27/2009 |
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| (04/27) Canadian Premier Pledges Funding for Pilot Program To Increase HIV Treatment Access, Prevent New Cases |
Canadian Premier Gordon Campbell during the recent 18th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research pledged to commit up to 20 million Canadian dollars -- or about $16.1 million -- annually to a five-year pilot program in Prince George and Vancouver, the Victoria Times Colonist reports. Campbell said the project aims to increase access to antiretroviral treatment, prevent as many as 173 HIV cases and help save a total of 64 million Canadian dollars, or about $51.8 million, in treatment costs ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/27/2009 |
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| (04/24) Washington Post Examines Issues Surrounding Washington, D.C., Clinic's Efforts To Expand Services |
The Washington Post on Friday examined issues surrounding efforts by the Whitman-Walker Clinic to "expand into a full-service health care provider as it struggles with declining revenue." According to the Post, Washington, D.C., Council Member David Catania (I), has said that with these efforts, Whitman-Walker is abandoning its ties to the city's gay community and that the clinic is being mismanaged and could close. The Whitman-Walker Clinic ahead of a meeting on Monday provided Catania with more than 2,000 documents, and Catania has pledged to "explore substantial allegations of mismanagement." In reaction to Catania's allegation, the clinic's board of directors recently ordered an independent audit. According to the audit, Whitman-Walker Clinic is responding to the changes in HIV/AIDS in the city, the Post reports. "We see a whole bunch of people in the District of Columbia -- gay, straight, black, white -- now at risk, and our job is we need to retool how we talk about this," Whitman-Walker CEO Donald Blanchon said (Craig, Washington Post, 4/24) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/24/2009 |
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| (04/24) Illinois Program Aims To Curb Spread of HIV, Raise Awareness About State Services |
The Illinois Public Health Association and the St. Clair County Health Department have launched an outreach program that aims to curb the spread of HIV in southwestern Illinois by raising awareness about state services, the Belleville News-Democrat reports. The initiative, called Illinois HIV Care Connect, is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health through Ryan White Program grants. It provides confidential case management services to all HIV-positive people, in addition to health and support services to people who meet eligibility requirements. HIV-positive people who enroll in the program could quality for services such as outpatient medical care, mental health services, oral health care, nutritional services, and substance abuse treatment and counseling ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/24/2009 |
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| (04/24) Afghan AIDS Control Program Reports 556 HIV Cases Through 2008 |
Afghanistan had recorded 556 HIV cases by the end of 2008, according to a recently released report from the National AIDS Control Program, the Pajhwok Afghan News reports. However, the health ministry on Tuesday said that there likely are 2,000 to 2,500 HIV-positive people in the country. According to the ministry, studies have shown that HIV prevalence among the general population is about 0.5%, while it is about 3% among the country's injection drug users. Ministry officials say that although HIV prevalence is low compared to other countries, 30 years of war, poverty, high levels of poppy cultivation and trafficking, and commercial sex work have created risk factors for the spread of HIV ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/24/2009 |
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| (04/23) Large-Scale HIV/AIDS Program in Pakistan Ending This Month |
A key HIV/AIDS program in Pakistan is ending this month, leading some advocates and officials to question the future of efforts to address the disease in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports. The Pakistan HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project was launched in February 2006 by RTI International, funded by USAID and implemented by Family Health International in conjunction with local nongovernmental organizations. The project was run in seven cities -- Karachi, Lahore, Larkana, Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Turbat ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/23/2009 |
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| (04/22) Senegalese Appeals Court Overturns Convictions of Nine Men Involved With HIV/AIDS Efforts |
The Court of Appeals in Dakar, Senegal, on Monday overturned the convictions of same-sex conduct for nine men and ordered their immediate release, AFP/Google.com reports. According to their lawyers, the men were scheduled to be released by Monday evening (AFP/Google.com, 4/20). The men were arrested in December 2008 and charged with "indecent conduct and unnatural acts and membership of a criminal organization." Consensual same-sex relations are illegal in Senegal and punishable by up to five years in jail. However, the lower court judge increased each man's sentence to eight years because of their "membership of a criminal organization." Most of the men belonged to a group aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/16) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/22/2009 |
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| (04/10) Time.com Examines Efforts To Curb HIV/AIDS in China |
Time.com on Wednesday examined China's efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and address the rising number of related deaths in the country. China announced in February that HIV/AIDS was the country's No. 1 deadly infectious disease in 2008, resulting in almost 7,000 deaths in the first nine months of last year. Time.com reports that the "fact that HIV ... is a significant and increasing cause of death" in the country "shows that government programs are not reaching enough people." Bernhard Schwartlander, coordinator of UNAIDS in China, said that it is "very difficult" to discuss sex in China's schools, workplaces and relationships. He added, "If they don't know about it, how can they protect themselves?" ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/10/2009 |
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| (04/09) Iranian Court Upholds Prison Sentences for Physicians Who Addressed HIV/AIDS |
An Iranian appeals court recently upheld the sentence for Iranian physicians Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei, brothers who implemented Iran's first HIV/AIDS prevention program, Masoud Shafii, an attorney for the Alaeis, said Tuesday, AFP/Qatar Tribune reports. Arash and Kamiar Alaei in January received prison sentences of six and three years, respectively, for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Iranian government ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/09/2009 |
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| (04/08) U.S. Launches Five-Year, $45M Domestic HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign |
White House, HHS and CDC officials on Tuesday announced the launch of a five-year, $45 million campaign to increase HIV/AIDS awareness in the U.S, the Washington Post reports. The campaign, titled Act Against AIDS, aims to address complacency about the disease by informing the public that one person in the U.S. contracts HIV every nine-and-a-half minutes. Kevin Fenton -- director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at CDC -- said the goal "is to put the HIV epidemic back on the front burner, on the radar screen." He explained the first phase of the communication campaign also will focus on reaching black communities, which are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS (Fears, Washington Post, 4/8). According to CDC, blacks represent 12% of the U.S. population but account for nearly half of new HIV cases and more than half of AIDS-related deaths each year (McKay, Wall Street Journal, 4/8). A separate phase of the campaign will target Latinos, who make up 15% of the U.S. population and 17% of new HIV infections. Melody Barnes, director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council, added that HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C., is of concern. A recent report found that 3% of district residents are living with the disease. According to Fenton, an estimated one in five people in the U.S. who have HIV are not aware of their status (Washington Post, 4/8). CDC will provide funding for the campaign out of the agency's existing budget (Wall Street Journal, 4/8) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/08/2009 |
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| (04/08) Overcrowded Resettlement Camps in Namibia Could Lead To Spread of HIV, Officials Say |
Recent flooding of the Zambezi River in Namibia's Caprivi region has displaced 23,000 people and contributed to overcrowding in resettlement camps, which could lead to an increased number of HIV cases among camp populations, Elijah Muyoyeta, Social Marketing Association official for HIV and malaria prevention, said Sunday, Namibia's New Era reports. According to health officials, the Caprivi region recently reported a decline in HIV prevalence from 40% to 30% among pregnant women tested for the virus. However, these gains could be reversed as a result of the overcrowded camps, New Era reports ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/08/2009 |
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| (04/07) Hamilton Spectator Examines Debate Over Criminalizing HIV Transmission |
The Hamilton Spectator on Monday examined debate among some legal experts and HIV/AIDS advocates over criminalizing HIV transmission for those who know they are living with the virus. The Spectator examined the case of Johnson Aziga, an HIV-positive Canadian resident who on Saturday was convicted of murder for not informing sexual partners of his HIV status and knowingly spreading the virus. One of Aziga's sexual partners who became contracted the virus died. According to the Spectator, although some people believe that knowingly spreading HIV should be considered a criminal act, many HIV/AIDS advocates contend that such actions are unreasonable and counterproductive. Edwin Bernard, a freelance writer and editor who specializes in HIV/AIDS-related issues, said Aziga's trial is particularly significant because it is the first case worldwide to consider whether intentional HIV transmission can constitute homicide. Bernard added that Aziga's case "raises all kinds of moral and legal questions about responsibility and blame" ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/07/2009 |
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| (04/06) First Lady Obama To Partner With French First Lady Bruni-Sarkozy on Global HIV/AIDS Efforts |
First lady Michelle Obama and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on Friday in Strasbourg, France, agreed to collaborate on efforts to address HIV/AIDS worldwide, AFP/Google.com reports. Michelle Obama and Bruni-Sarkozy met while President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy attended talks leading up to the NATO 60th anniversary summit. A spokesperson for Bruni-Sarkozy said the first ladies plan to continue discussing joint HIV/AIDS efforts in the coming weeks and finalize a plan by the end of the year, AFP/Google.com reports. Bruni-Sarkozy in December 2008 was named a goodwill ambassador to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and made her first trip in the role to Burkina Faso in February (AFP/Google.com, 4/4).
~Kaiser Network - 04/06/2009 |
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| (04/06) California HIV/AIDS Group Launches Internet-Based Program Aimed at MSM |
The Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert AIDS Project has launched an Internet-based education and prevention program aimed at men who have sex with men, the Desert Sun reports. The program was launched ahead of the area's White Party Easter weekend, according to the Sun. "With the White Party literally in our backyard, we feel a responsibility each year to get out the message about safer sex while not throwing the proverbial wet blanket on the fun people are here for," David Brinkman, AIDS Project executive director, said ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/06/2009 |
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| (04/06) Groups Launch STI Testing Campaign Aimed at Young People |
"GYT: Get Yourself Tested," MTV, Kaiser Family Foundation: MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation -- working with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its national network of health centers and other partners -- last week launched GYT, a campaign that aims to increase testing for sexually transmitted infections among people younger than age 25. GYT is an extension of MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation's "It's Your (Sex) Life" partnership. GYT's launch included on-air, online and real-world promotions that will continue throughout April in recognition of National STD Awareness Month. Several celebrities and other figures are involved in the campaign, appearing in a series of on-air and online promotions (MTV/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/2).
~Kaiser Network - 04/06/2009 |
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| (04/02) America Has Gone Quiet on HIV/AIDS |
Kaiser has had a focus on HIV/AIDS since we remade the Foundation in the early nineties. It cuts across all of our program activities, from policy analysis, to our large scale media campaigns in the U.S. and around the world, to our web initiatives, to our public opinion research program. We have just completed a major survey of the American people on HIV/AIDS and global health. As new health priorities take shape in Washington, one set of findings deserves early attention while we continue to analyze the overall survey for release. We found that the percentage of the American people who say that they have seen, heard or read a lot about HIV/AIDS in the U.S. has fallen from 34% five years ago to just 14% today. The percentage of African Americans reporting this has fallen from 62% to 33% ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/02/2009 |
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| (04/02) Ireland Seeing Increase in HIV Cases in Some Areas, Health Official Says |
Mary Horgan, a consultant physician in infectious diseases with Ireland's Health Service Executive South, said recently that an increase in the number of reported HIV cases in Cork and Kerry is a cause for concern and urged residents to practice safer sex, the Irish Times reports. Horgan said that the number of HIV cases in Cork and Kerry increased by more than 25% to 80 in 2008, marking the greatest increase in recent years. The number of HIV cases in the two areas reached 49 in 2004 and 58 in 2007 ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/02/2009 |
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| (04/01) Protein Grown in Tobacco Plant Could Result in Low-Cost Microbicide, Study Says |
Researchers on Monday announced that tobacco plants in Kentucky have been used in a study to develop a low-cost drug that inhibits HIV, providing hope for the eventual development of a vaginal microbicide, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports (Kenning, Louisville Courier-Journal, 3/31). The study, published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was a collaborative effort between scientists at the Owensboro Cancer Research Program; the National Cancer Institute; Kentucky-based biotech companies Intrucept Biomedicine and Kentucky Bioprocessing; and researchers at Duke University and the University of London (Adkins, Business First of Louisville, 3/30) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/01/2009 |
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| (04/01) Scotland To Launch Inquiry Into Contaminated Blood Products That Spread HIV, Other Diseases |
Officials in Scotland plan to launch a public inquiry into the spread of HIV and hepatitis through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, BBC News reports. The government about one year ago announced that it would hold an independent inquiry following 15 years of efforts by advocates, according to BBC News. The inquiry will examine issues such as how the National Health Service collected, treated and supplied the contaminated products. In addition, Lord George Penrose will examine what patients were told and how they were monitored (BBC News, 3/31) ...(continued)
~Kaiser Network - 04/01/2009 |
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| (04/01) Preventing Hepatitis B at Home and in Personal Care Settings |
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). In the United States, about one in 20 people has been
infected with HBV, one-third of them say they do not know how they became infected ...(continued)
~HBV Advocate - April 2009 |
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