Clinical Management
Clinical Management
HIV/AIDS Newsroom: August 2007
- S. Africa Says Half Million on HIV Drugs, But Official Warns of Resistance Risk (August 31, 2007)
On Thursday, a top health official said an estimated half million South Africans with HIV have received antiretrovirals (ARVs). Approximately 300,000 are obtaining ARVs through public hospitals and clinics, while it is likely another 200,000 are receiving them through the private sector, Thami Mseleku, Director-General of the Health Department, said at a press conference. About 5.4 million South Africans have HIV -- the highest caseload in the world. Each day, an estimated 900 South Africans die of the disease, and 1,000 become newly infected. Treatment Action Campaign, an AIDS activist group, said a lack of monitoring makes it impossible to know how many are on ARV treatment, and it said the new figures should be treated with caution. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Calif. Senate Approves Bill to Allow HIV-Positive Men to Have Sperm Washed for Fertility Treatments (August 30, 2007)
The California Senate recently voted 35-1 to approve a bill (SB 443) that would allow HIV-positive men to have their sperm washed and used for fertility treatments, the MediaNews/Oakland Tribune reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Self-Test Kits Used Improperly Among High-Risk Populations (August 30, 2007)
Some HIV self-test kits are used improperly by high-risk groups, and such groups can interpret test results inaccurately, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Reuters Health reports. The researchers found that 85% of the participants did not perform all of the test steps correctly or were unable to perform the test at all. They also found that as a result, invalid test results occurred in 56% of the cases, according to Reuters Health.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Saudi Arabia to Require Mandatory HIV Testing for Couples Before Marriage (August 30, 2007)
Saudi Arabia, starting next year, plans to require couples wishing to be married to be screened for HIV. Couples will be required to receive tests for both HIV and hepatitis at one of more than 20 centers to be established nationwide, said Khaled al-Zahrani, the Ministry of Health's assistant undersecretary for preventive medicine. About 11,000 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in the country between 1984, when the first case was recorded, and the end of 2005, according to a health ministry official.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - United Kingdom: A Tale of Three Cities: Persisting High HIV Prevalence, Risk Behavior and Undiagnosed Infection in Community Samples of Men Who Have Sex With Men (August 30, 2007)
Julie P. Dodds et al investigated the HIV prevalence and risk behavior in a community sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the English cities of Brighton, Manchester, and London. They found similar high levels of risk activity in all three cities. They noted that,"despite widespread availability of antiretroviral treatment and national policy to promote HIV testing, many HIV infections remain undiagnosed." The study was published in the August 1, 2007 issue of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Wisconsin: Democrats Blast GOP Plan to Cut Funds for Family Planning Clinics (August 30, 2007)
At a news conference on Tuesday, several Assembly Democrats slammed a Republican proposal to eliminate state funding of privately owned family planning clinics. The plan, included in the budget approved by the Republican-controlled Assembly, will limit women's access to birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted disease treatment and testing, the lawmakers said. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - University of Pittsburgh Gets $16 Million to Study HIV (August 28, 2007)
The National Institutes of Health announced Monday it is awarding the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a five-year, $16 million grant to establish the Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions. The center will conduct research to discover what happens when HIV proteins interact with cellular components of host cells. Dr. Angela Gronenborn, chair of the school's department of structural biology, will head the new center. NIH also funds structural biology centers at the University of California-San Francisco and the University of Utah. "Efforts by Dr. Gronenborn and her colleagues to identify and image pivotal virus-host cell interaction could forge new avenues for drug discovery," said Dr. Ravi Basavappa, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences' program director for the new centers.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Botswana Reduces Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Rate to Less Than 4%, Boston Globe Reports (August 27, 2007)
Botswana this year has reduced its rate of mother-to-child (MTC) HIV transmission to less than 4%, the Boston Globe reports. According to some experts, the decrease is the result of policy changes and political support for programs aimed at preventing MTC transmission. About 500,000 infants worldwide contract HIV from their mothers annually, accounting for about 12% of new HIV cases in 2006, according to UNAIDS.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - PLoS Medicine Examines Effectiveness of Performance-Based Funding to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria (August 24, 2007)
Daniel Low-Beer of the Judge Business School at Cambridge University and colleagues examined the effectiveness of performance-based funding to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries. The researchers examined performance-based funding allocated by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which provides money based on demonstrated results and progress toward goals that are set during the initial grant agreement. The study found that 75% of country programs reached their goals and used funding to deliver HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria services. It also found that 21% of the country programs did not reach their goals but demonstrated the potential to increase treatment and prevention efforts and meet future goals.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Asia-Pacific: Instability, Conservative Social Attitudes Hamper Fight Against AIDS, UN Official Says (August 23, 2007)
UNAIDS Director for Asia and the Pacific Prasada Rao warned that regional efforts to control HIV's spread are being hampered by growing political instability, stigma, and conservative social attitudes. Every year in the region, almost a half-million people become infected with HIV and as many as 300,000 die of an AIDS-related illness, Rao told the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. "The harsh reality is that the grim march of the epidemic in our region continues unabated," he said.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Survey: Seniors Have Sex Into 70s, 80s (August 23, 2007)
Many Americans remain sexually active well into old age, according to the results of a new study funded by the federal government. The report is based on two-hour, in-person, in-home interviews conducted with 3,005 men and women around the country. Among the study's findings: Sex with a partner in the previous year was reported by 73 percent of those ages 57-64; 53 percent of those ages 64-75; and 26 percent of those ages 75-85. One out of seven men reported using Viagra or other substances to enhance sex. Only a minority reported more than one partner, and very few had paid for sex. The report was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Asia: AIDS Increasingly Afflicts Young Married Women (August 22, 2007)
Health experts attending the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Colombo, Sri Lanka, are sounding the alarm over the growing threat to women, who now comprise nearly 40 percent of the region's new HIV cases. Dr. Nafis Sadik, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, expressed concern over the disproportionate rate of HIV among young married women. The soaring rate is partly due to the false idea that women should remain ignorant about sex and sexuality until they are married, she said. In Thailand and Cambodia, more than 35 percent of new HIV cases were among married women.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Effectiveness of the WHO/UNICEF Guidelines on Infant Feeding for HIV-Positive Women: Results From a Prospective Cohort Study in South Africa (August 22, 2007)
A prospective cohort study of 635 HIV-positive mother-infant pairs from three South African sites was used to assess mother-to-child HIV transmission. "Within operational settings, the WHO/UNICEF guidelines were not being implemented effectively, leading to inappropriate infant-feeding choices and consequent lower infant HIV-free survival," the authors concluded. "Counseling of mothers should include an assessment of individual and environmental criteria to support appropriate infant-feeding choices." The study was published in the August 20, 2007 issue of AIDS.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Asia-Pacific: Women Share Tales of HIV-Related Dispossession (August 21, 2007)
Many women are subject to widespread HIV-related stigma and discrimination in developing nations -- the subject of a session at the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific being held in Columbo, Sri Lanka. Twenty women gave personal testimony on the topic before a mock court organized by the UN Development Program (UNDP).
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - HIV Denial in the Internet Era (August 21, 2007)
Why does HIV denialism continue to exist, and should HIV scientists do anything to combat it? Two researchers offer their take.
In PLoS Medicine - Washing Penis Soon After Sex Increases Risk of HIV Among Uncircumcised Men, Study Says (August 21, 2007)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - FDA Issues Warning for Hepatitis B Drug Entecavir (August 20, 2007)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday issued a warning that Bristol-Myers Squibb's hepatitis B drug entecavir might increase the likelihood of developing resistance to antiretroviral drugs among people coinfected with HIV, Reuters reports. The agency also added a black box warning to the drug's label. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - NRTIs Exposure Increases Diabetes Risk in HIV-Infected Women Over Time (August 20, 2007)
In AIDS - PEPFAR to Begin Providing Funds for Male Circumcision Programs in Some African Countries (August 20, 2007)
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will begin providing money for male circumcision programs in some African countries in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV, a delegation of U.S. health officials led by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced on Sunday while in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, PEPFAR focus countries have been invited to request program funding to increase access to the procedure. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Report Says Sex Now Primary Cause of China HIV Spread (August 20, 2007)
State-controlled media today reported that unsafe sex has eclipsed injection drug use as the main HIV transmission route in China. The China Daily article cited a Ministry of Health and China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP) study. Of the 70,000 new HIV cases reported in 2005, almost half were contracted though sex, China Daily reported. The figures suggest AIDS is moving from high-risk groups to the general public, the newspaper said. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Trends in Hospitalizations of HIV-Infected Children and Adolescents in the U.S. (August 20, 2007)
Using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, researchers evaluated most frequent diagnoses by year, and trends in hospitalizations for selected diagnoses and procedures by HIV-infected U.S. children and adolescents in the 10 years from 1994 (before highly active antiretroviral therapy) to 2003 (widespread use of HAART). The researchers concluded that, "Dramatic decreases in the number of hospitalizations among HIV-infected children occurred since the advent of [HAART] in the United States. However, this trend is not seen in hospitalizations of adolescents, particularly girls. Hospitalizations for several HIV-related conditions are less frequent in the [HAART] era, but for certain other conditions, the hospitalization burden remains high. The study appeared in the August 2007 issue of Pediatrics.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - HIV Kills Brain Cells, Prevents Stem Cell Division, Study Says (August 17, 2007)
HIV kills brain cells and prevents stem cells from dividing and forming new cells, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Cell Stem Cell, Reuters reports. The damage to cells contributes to HIV-associated dementia, which can cause confusion, sleep disturbance and memory loss. According to study author Stuart Lipton, the "breakthrough" in the research is that scientists were able to determine that HIV prevents stem cell division. Lipton added that the study is the "first time that the virus has ever been shown to affect stem cells." Kaul said the identification of gp120 could lead to treatments for HIV-associated dementia that involve "ramping up brain repair or protecting the repair mechanism.".
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - More Than 300 HIV-Positive People On ADAP Waiting List for HIV Meds (August 17, 2007)
A total of 308 people in Alaska and South Carolina were on waiting lists for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs as of July 19, according to the August 16th "ADAP Watch" from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. Alaska's ADAP waiting list has five people, while South Carolina's list has 303 people, according to the report. In addition, the report found that Alabama, Indiana and Michigan have implemented cost-containment measures -- such as capped enrollments or formulary management -- since April 1, when the ADAP fiscal year began. According to the report, ADAP costs have increased by an average of $110.8 million annually since FY 1997.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Abbott Fund to Provide $12 Million to Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi to Increase Treatment, Care for HIV-Positive Children (August 16, 2007)
The Abbott Fund plans to provide $12 million to Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania to improve treatment and care services for children living with HIV/AIDS and to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in the three countries, Kenya's East African reports. According to the East African, the funds allocated to Tanzania will be disbursed to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for use in its program to prevent mother-to-child transmissions. Kenya's funds will be used by the Catholic Medical Mission Board to expand HIV testing, counseling and treatment and to prevent mother-to-child transmissions. In Malawi, Family Health International will receive the grant, the East African reports. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Authorities in China's Henan Province Ban Group From Hosting HIV Conference (August 16, 2007)
Authorities in China's central Henan province have banned a group of HIV/AIDS advocates from holding a conference to discuss efforts to fight the disease, the China Alliance of People Living with HIV/AIDS said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The conference, which was scheduled for Aug. 19 to Aug. 20, would have brought together 30 Chinese community-based HIV/AIDS groups and experts from Henan. Blood-selling practices during the 1990s in Henan contributed to the spread of HIV, which affected about one million people, according to some advocates. Although China has become increasingly open about addressing HIV/AIDS, it remains "wary" of the involvement of nongovernmental organizations or foreign groups, Reuters reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Stephen Lewis Accuses S. Africa's President of Failing to Stop "AIDS Apocalypse" (August 16, 2007)
In an opinion piece written for South African newspapers, former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis has warned that Thabo Mbeki "will always be known as the president who presided over the AIDS apocalypse." "It is said that 900 men, women, and children die every day in South Africa of AIDS-related illnesses," Lewis wrote. "Other than South Africa, every government in high-prevalence countries is moving heaven and earth to keep its people alive." .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - S. African AIDS Activists to Take Government to Court (August 16, 2007)
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa's leading AIDS lobby, on Wednesday vowed to ask the high court to force the national health department to let health facilities across the nation introduce dual-drug therapy to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. At present, only Western Cape province is allowed to offer the treatment.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - New York Times Editorial Blasts Mbeki for Firing of Deputy Health Minister (August 15, 2007)
When South African President Thabo Mbeki last week dismissed Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, he "fired one of the few effective AIDS fighters in his administration," a New York Times editorial says. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Abbott, FDA Warn About Possible Overdose of Antiretroviral Kaletra in Children (August 15, 2007)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Abbott Laboratories are warning health care providers to be cautious in prescribing Abbott's antiretroviral drug Kaletra to children after the death of an infant who received an accidental overdose of the drug, the AP/Forbes reports. Abbott in an Aug. 6 letter, which was posted on FDA's Web site on Tuesday, said that children should receive no more than a five milliliter dose of Kaletra. The infant who died received a 6.5 milliliter dose (AP/Forbes, 8/14). According to Dow Jones/CNNMoney.com, the infant received an oral solution of Kaletra, which contains 80 milligrams of lopinavir and 20 milligrams of ritonavir per milliliter. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - About 110 People Get Infected With HIV in Russia Daily (August 15, 2007)
Each day in Russia, about 110 people become infected with HIV, according to statistics released today in Moscow. At that rate, Russia's official count of HIV patients will hit 400,000 by year's end. But that figure is likely a mere fraction of the actual case count, said Dmitry Golayev, director of the Russian Healthcare Foundation. He said the official number of cases is believed to lag behind the real count by about 2.5-fold, meaning that in fact 1 million Russians will be HIV-infected by year's end.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Sex Ed for Seniors: You Still Need Those Condoms (August 15, 2007)
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - HIV-Positive Person Dies in Immigration Detention Center; Family to File Wrongful Death Suit (August 13, 2007)
A 23-year-old HIV-positive person, Victor Arrelano, recently died while in custody at an immigration detention center in San Pedro, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. Arrelano's family plans to file a wrongful death suit against the U.S. government that claims Arrelano was denied vital medical treatment while in custody. According to the Times, the case highlights an "inadequate, even dangerous, medical system for the nearly 30,000 undocumented immigrants in custody nationwide.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - HIV Group Calls on Indian Generic Drug Makers to Reduce Cost of Second-Line Antiretrovirals (August 13, 2007)
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation on Thursday called on Indian generic drug manufacturers to reduce the cost of their second-line antiretroviral drugs in the country, the Press Trust of India reports. According to the Press Trust of India, nearly 5,000 to 6,000 HIV-positive people in the country who have developed resistance to first-line antiretrovirals depend on second-line drugs.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Abbott Laboratories Receives Additional FDA Approvals for HIV Viral Load Test and System (August 10, 2007)
On Thursday, Abbott Laboratories announced it received two Food and Drug Administration approvals relating to its HIV-1 viral load test. FDA approved the use of smaller blood plasma sample sizes for the diagnostic. The agency also approved an enhancement to Abbott's m2000 automated instrument, which can process up to 96 specimens per batch and 192 specimens in one lab shift, for use with the test.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Almost One-Fifth of MSM Reported Unprotected Anal Sex With Casual Partners Without Disclosure (August 10, 2007)
In what the researchers say is the largest study conducted of disclosure among men who have sex with men (MSM), it was found that almost one-fifth reported unprotected anal sex with casual partners without disclosure. The paper, which was published in the July issue of AIDS Care highlights "a public health challenge," concluded the authors. "Disclosure needs to be addressed in the context of relationship type, partner status, and broader risk-reduction strategies.".
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Early Treatment for HIV Act Introduced in the House (August 10, 2007)
On Aug. 2, the Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA) was introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill boasts 27 Republican and 27 Democratic legislators as lead sponsors. ETHA would give states the option of amending their Medicaid programs for low-income persons to allow for early treatment of HIV, before they develop AIDS. It follows the pattern of an existing program for breast and cervical cancer as well as a component of the State Children's Health Insurance Program that would create coverage for more children. A Senate version of ETHA was introduced in March by Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.).
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Experts in Senegal Concerned About Effect of Male Circumcision Studies on Sexual Behavior of MSM (August 10, 2007)
HIV/AIDS experts are warning men who have sex with men (MSM) in Senegal that male circumcision alone does not prevent HIV transmission and are urging MSM to use other methods to protect themselves against the virus, IRIN News reports. According to IRIN News, the warning comes after research indicated that circumcision could help prevent HIV transmission; however, the research was conducted among heterosexual men.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Medical Workers in HIV Infection Case in Libya Were Tortured During Incarceration, Gaddafi's Son Says (August 10, 2007)
The six medical workers released recently from Libyan prison after being sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of children with HIV were tortured during their incarceration, Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi -- head of the Gaddafi Development Foundation and son of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi -- said Wednesday on Al-Jazeera television, the Washington Post reports. The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor in May 2004 were sentenced to death by firing squad for allegedly infecting 426 children with HIV through contaminated blood products at Al Fateh Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya. After Libya's Supreme Judicial Council reduced the sentence to life in prison, the six medical workers were released and pardoned by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov after arriving in the country. The medical workers have said that they were tortured by electric shocks, rape, attacks by dogs and other techniques during their incarceration to force them to confess, the Post reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - South Africa Fires Official Praised for Anti-AIDS Work (August 10, 2007)
Activists in South Africa are expressing shock over President Thabo Mbeki's dismissal of a deputy health minister who had accelerated the nation's anti-AIDS efforts. "This is a dreadful error of judgment that will harm public health care and especially the response to the HIV epidemic," said a statement from the Treatment Action Campaign. "It indicates that the president still remains opposed to the science of HIV and to appropriately responding to the epidemic.".
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - China Daily Examines HIV Testing Strategies Among High-Risk Groups (August 9, 2007)
China Daily on Wednesday examined how health authorities in some Chinese provinces are making HIV tests mandatory for various high-risk groups as HIV continues to spread to the general public. Policymakers in the Hunan province in central China recently made HIV tests mandatory for massage parlor workers, and policymakers in China's Henan province gave the same order in 2006, China Daily reports. China's Regulation on AIDS Prevention and Treatment states that mandatory HIV tests should be used only for pregnant women and blood and sperm donors, but many health authorities support mandatory testing rather than voluntary counseling and testing. According to official statistics, there are about 3,000 voluntary testing sites throughout China, but only about 30% of the population is aware of the sites, Xia Guomei, a professor at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said. The Chinese government estimates that there are 650,000 HIV-positive people nationwide, but only 60,000 have received HIV tests.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Many High-Risk Older Black Women Are Uninterested in Receiving HIV Tests (August 9, 2007)
Few women older than age 50, particularly black women, find it necessary to undergo testing for HIV even though many of the women have a moderate- to high-risk of exposure, according to a study published in the Journal of Women's Health, United Press International reports. The study, led by Aletha Akers of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, involved 514 Atlanta, Ga., women ages 50 to 95 during an 11-month period in 2001 and 2002. The women completed a 68-item questionnaire about their attitudes regarding lifetime HIV infection risk and interest in being tested for HIV. Most of the women said they were not currently sexually active (UPI, 8/7). According to the study, more than 60% of the participants had never been tested for HIV. However, more than 50% of the women were considered to have moderate- to high-risk for HIV exposure, the study found. Twenty-two percent said they would be interested in receiving an HIV test. The study also found that women with limited knowledge about HIV and a perceived low risk of exposure were less interested in being tested.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Palestinian Doctor Imprisoned for Allegedly Intentionally Infecting Libyan Children With HIV to File U.N. Human Rights Complaint (August 9, 2007)
Palestinian doctor Ashraf Alhajouj, who was imprisoned for more than eight years in Libya for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, is planning to file a complaint against the country with the United Nations Human Rights Committee, his lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld announced on Tuesday, Reuters reports. Alhajouj and five Bulgarian nurses in May 2004 were sentenced to death by firing squad for allegedly infecting 426 children with HIV through contaminated blood products at Al Fateh Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya. They also were ordered to pay a total of $1 million to the families of the HIV-positive children. The Libyan Supreme Court in December 2005 overturned the medical workers' convictions and ordered a retrial in a lower court. A court in Tripoli, Libya, in December 2006 convicted the health workers and sentenced them to death. The medical workers then filed an appeal of the December 2006 conviction with the Libyan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction last month. After Libya's Supreme Judicial Council reduced the sentence to life in prison, the six medical workers were released and pardoned by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov after arriving in the country.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Despite Vaccination, Influenzavirus Infection Is a Primary Cause of Febrile Respiratory Illness in HIV-Infected Adults (August 8, 2007)
Researchers performed a surveillance study of HIV-infected adult outpatients who presented with fever and respiratory symptoms to examine the role of viral pathogens. From 2003 to 2006, consecutive patients with a temperature of more than 38.0°C and respiratory symptoms were recruited from a tertiary care HIV clinic. Real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays were used to test nasal pharyngeal samples for influenzavirus A and B, respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus. Paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples were tested for respiratory viruses by complement fixation. Fifty patients (90 percent of whom were receiving HAART) participated in the study (median CD4+ T cell count, 325 cells/microliter; median HIV RNA level, <50 copies/milliliter). A causative pathogen was identified in 25 (50 percent). Despite the fact that 76 percent of the patients had received influenza vaccine, viral infections were diagnosed in 21 participants (42 percent) as follows: influenza A, 10 patients; influenza B, 10; and parainfluenza virus type 3 infection, 1. "Although illness was mild, influenza accounted for a large proportion of unscheduled visits to a health care provider for respiratory illness and was associated with unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions that may contribute to antimicrobial resistance," the researchers concluded. "Vaccination alone was insufficient to prevent infection. Thus, specific identification and management of influenza should be performed in HIV-infected outpatients who present with fever and respiratory symptoms.".
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - European Union Suspends HIV Med Viracept Due to Toxic Contamination (August 7, 2007)
The European Commission said it had suspended Roche's license to market its HIV drug Viracept in the European Union. The drug was withdrawn from the market in June after Roche said some batches were contaminated with ethyl mesilate, which can cause tumors. The commission said the latest action is based on the counsel of the European Medicines Agency and member nations. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - FDA Approves First CCR5 Inhibitor Maraviroc (August 7, 2007)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved Pfizer's antiretroviral drug maraviroc, which belongs to a new class of antiretrovirals that could provide an alternative to HIV-positive people who have developed resistance to multiple drugs, the Los Angeles Times reports. FDA gave expedited approval of maraviroc for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. FDA approved maraviroc on the condition that the drug's label include a black-box warning -- the "strongest possible advisory" -- according to the Times. The drug also will have a warning about an increased risk of heart attack. Helmut Albrecht, director of the University of South Carolina's Division of Infectious Diseases who was not involved with any maraviroc trials, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the drug. He added, "It's so completely new that it is sort of difficult to see how well this is going to do over time." The last new class of antiretrovirals was approved by FDA in 2003 (Los Angeles Times, 8/7).
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Rep. Lee Introduces Legislation to Repeal Ban on Immigration of HIV-Positive People to U.S. (August 7, 2007)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) last week introduced a bill (HR 3337) that would repeal Congress' 1993 ban on granting permanent status to HIV-positive immigrants and return such authority to the HHS secretary, the Oakland Tribune reports. The measure would require the HHS secretary to re-review the ban on HIV-positive immigrants. It also would allow a 30-day period for public comment before the secretary reports to Congress on whether to repeal or maintain the ban. Lee has said that she has not gauged support for the measure but that it will be heard first in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Study Examines How HIV Progresses to AIDS (August 7, 2007)
Long-held theories on how HIV progresses to AIDS might be incorrect, according to a study published in the July 31 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, HealthDay News/Washington Post reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Abstinence-Only Programs Do Not Reduce HIV Risk (August 6, 2007)
Data from 13 trials involving almost 16,000 U.S. youth suggest that abstinence-only programs are not an effective way of preventing HIV infection in high-income countries, according to a study by researchers from the University of Oxford. Dr. Kristen Underhill and colleagues found that compared with no program, safer sex programs, and various other prevention programs, abstinence-only programs did not appear to reduce HIV risk. Specifically, abstinence programs did not influence the rate of unprotected vaginal sex, condom use, the number of sexual partners or timing of sexual debut. The study, and an editorial were published in the British Medical Journal. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - California: San Francisco’s HIV Care Examined at Meeting (August 6, 2007)
San Francisco's HIV Health Planning Work Group held a two-hour forum to solicit community input on how to reorganize the city's system of HIV services in the light of government spending cuts and restrictions on July 26. The 14-member working group is composed of local health officials, AIDS agency executives, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Over the next six months, the working group will hold community meetings to develop service priorities for meeting patients' needs. .
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Maraviroc Overview: An Interview With Joel Gallant, M.D., M.P.H. (August 6, 2007)
From The Body PRO - San Francisco Officials, Not-For-Profit Groups Promise to Reform Needle-Exchange Program to Reduce Littering of Used Syringes (August 6, 2007)
San Francisco officials and not-for-profit groups have pledged to reform the city's needle-exchange program in response to public outcry over used syringes littering parks, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. As part of the reform, officials said they plan to install locked, 24-hour biohazard syringe drop boxes and possibly provide retractable syringes. Public health officials also plan to meet with manufacturers of retractable syringes -- in which the needle fully retracts into the syringe's barrel after one injection -- the Chronicle reports. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Saudi Arabian Human Rights Society Publishes Recommendations for Bill of Rights for HIV-Positive People (August 6, 2007)
The Saudi Arabian National Human Rights Society recently published on its Web site recommendations for a patient's bill of rights for HIV-positive people in an effort to encourage the government to establish a set of regulations to handle HIV/AIDS, the Khaleej Times reports. The recommendations consist of 16 articles and call on the government to develop HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns to ensure that people living with the disease are treated fairly. They also urge the government to establish a national AIDS center to collect data on HIV prevalence in the country. The recommendations were developed at a series of workshops and meetings with HIV-positive people living in Saudi Arabia and their doctors.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Australia Pledges $86 Million to Indonesia to Fight HIV/AIDS (August 3, 2007)
The Australian government has pledged 100 million Australian dollars, or about $86 million, to improve HIV/AIDS services in Indonesia as part of a partnership between the two countries, according to a statement released on Friday by the Australian Embassy, the ANTARA/Jakarta Post reports. According to the statement, Australia will work with Indonesian government agencies, including the Papua and West Papua provincial administrations, to oversee and fund HIV/AIDS activities. The government plans to use the funds to support HIV prevention and treatment efforts and reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. The donation also will support a methadone-substitution program that has been implemented in 95 jails in Indonesia. The money will be distributed through the government's foreign aid agency, AusAID, for HIV/AIDS education and condom distribution programs. Efforts will focus primarily on Papua New Guinea, which has experienced significant increases in HIV/AIDS rates during the past 10 years.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Campaign Against Cross-Generational Sex Launched in Uganda to Fight Spread of HIV Among Girls, Women (August 3, 2007)
Population Service International launched a campaign against cross-generational sex in Kampala, Uganda, to fight the spread of HIV among girls and women, Uganda's New Vision reports. According to the New Vision, cross-generational sex occurs when a young girl or woman has a sexual relationship with a man at least 10 years older than she is. The campaign -- which will be implemented in universities and about 50 secondary schools in Uganda -- aims to empower girls and women. It was launched in response to several studies that found HIV prevalence among girls ages 15 to 24 in the country was four times higher than boys in the same age group, the New Vision reports. One study found that 10% of girls have sexual relationships with older men. In another study, 20% of girls surveyed said they had had cross-generational sex and 50% considered it to be normal. .
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Chechen Officials Inaugurate HIV/AIDS Center (August 3, 2007)
Senior Chechen officials on Wednesday at a public ceremony in the capital of Grozny inaugurated a center for people living with HIV/AIDS in the republic, Reuters reports. "Of course, the mentality of the Chechen people does not allow us to speak about problems such as AIDS and drug addiction because Chechens never faced such problems," Kheda Aidamarova, chief doctor of the clinic, said, adding, "The traditions of the Chechens did not allow people to lead a dissipated lifestyle. But today, as a result of the war, there is chaos in society, which has led to problems like AIDS and drugs and people exhibiting low moral standards." Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was the first official to discuss the republic's HIV/AIDS situation publicly, Reuters reports. Official data indicate that Chechnya has recorded 719 HIV cases, but the actual number of cases might be much higher, Reuters reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Chlamydia Common Among Young Women and Men (August 3, 2007)
A recent nationally representative survey of 6,632 people ages 14-39 found a significant number had chlamydia. Based on samples taken between 1999 and 2002, researchers estimated 2.2 percent of Americans within that age group had chlamydia infection and 0.24 percent had gonorrhea. Sexually active adolescents, particularly girls, were well represented in the numbers having either infection, according to Dr. S. Deblina Datta and CDC colleagues. Almost half of those who had gonorrhea also had chlamydia. Young women have an "unacceptably high burden" of chlamydia infection, said researchers. Prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea was roughly the same in men and women but was disproportionately high among non-Hispanic black residents. The report was published in the July 17, 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Early Treatment for HIV Act Tees Up in the House (August 3, 2007)
If this landmark legislation passes, it will set the stage for the largest expansion of HIV care and treatment in U.S. history.
In Housing Works AIDS Issues Update, from Housing Works - South Africa Says HIV Epidemic Easing (August 3, 2007)
A South African government survey of pregnant women in antenatal clinics has found a slight decrease in HIV prevalence among younger patients but an increase among older patients. The government's health minister said she felt the results suggested prevention programs are working, but epidemiologists and AIDS advocates questioned that interpretation. Between 2005 and 2006, HIV prevalence among pregnant women dropped from 15.9 percent to 13.7 percent among those ages 20 and under, and from 39.5 percent to 38.7 percent among those ages 25-29. In pregnant women older than 40, HIV prevalence increased from 19.8 percent to 21.3 percent. Prevalence remained unchanged at 39.1 percent among pregnant women in KwaZulu-Natal, the worst-hit province. About 33,000 pregnant women participated in the survey, which was double the number who participated in 2005. Overall prevalence declined from 30.2 percent in 2005 to 29.1 percent.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Changes in Ryan White Distribution Cause "Hardship," "Anxiety," New York Times Reports (August 2, 2007)
Changes in the distribution of Ryan White Program funds are creating "hardship and deep anxiety" among HIV-positive people nationwide, some advocates said recently, the New York Times reports. Congress in December 2006 reauthorized Ryan White to allow funding in more regions but less funding for support programs -- including meals, housing and legal aid -- according to the Times. In addition, Ryan White funding during the past several years has remained at about $2.1 billion annually, but more HIV-positive people are seeking treatment and living longer. About half of the estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. receive assistance from Ryan White, which covers a portion of the cost of antiretrovirals for almost 25% of U.S. people who take the drugs, according to federal officials.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - High Number of HIV Cases Found Among Female Inmates in Washington, D.C. (August 2, 2007)
A high number of HIV cases has been detected among female inmates in the Washington, D.C., jail, according to data released recently by the district Department of Health as part of a summary of its six-month campaign encouraging district residents to be tested for HIV, the Washington Post reports. District health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates in June 2006 launched the campaign -- titled "Come Together D.C., Get Screened for HIV" -- which emphasized the importance of HIV testing. The campaign aimed to reach 400,000 men, women and children ages 14 to 84 in the district. According to statistics presented at the Mayor's Task Force on HIV/AIDS, which convened for the first time in June 2006, up to 25,000 people, or more than 4% of all residents, in the district might be HIV-positive. According to the Post, the jail was "ahead of city health officials' push to make HIV testing a routine part of most medical screenings." According to the data, 3,216 inmates were tested over a six-month period, 607 of whom were women. The report found that 7.3% of the women tested positive for HIV, compared with 2.7% of the men.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Indian Government Launches Campaign to Curb Mother-to-Child HIV Transmissions (August 2, 2007)
The Indian government has launched a campaign to provide antiretroviral drugs to tens of thousands of pregnant women and infants in an effort to curb mother-to-child HIV transmissions, Indian Health Secretary Naresh Dayal announced Tuesday at a conference in New Delhi, Reuters reports. Dayal said an estimated 70,000 HIV-positive children under age 15 live in India and nearly 21,000 children contract the virus annually. The government has provided antiretrovirals to about 20,000 women and infants since the country's first HIV case was reported in 1986, Reuters reports. Officials say the new campaign aims to increase that number to nearly 76,000 by 2010 by extending health services to women in rural areas to gauge the HIV status of a larger number of pregnant women.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Gates Foundation Gives Institute of Human Virology $15 Million Grant for Research on HIV Vaccine (August 1, 2007)
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland's School of Medicine a five-year, $15 million grant to develop a potential HIV vaccine, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) announced Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. According to the AP/Forbes, the grant is part of the Gates Foundation's Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, an international network of researchers focused on developing a safe and effective vaccine. The grant will support a public-private partnership among the institute, Wyeth and Profectus BioSciences. Profectus was created in 2003 to develop and commercialize technology developed by the institute, the AP/Forbes reports.
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - Hispanic, Black Men More Likely to Contract HIV From Drug Use, Related Risky Behavior (August 1, 2007)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - New Jersey Gives Four Cities Approval for First Needle Exchanges (August 1, 2007)
On Tuesday, New Jersey's health department approved four proposed pilot needle exchange programs (NEPs). Four cities -- Camden, Atlantic City, Newark, and Paterson -- will be able to operate NEPs to stop needle-sharing among injection drug users (IDUs), which can transmit infections including HIV. Under the law Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed late last year, up to six municipalities can run NEPs as an experiment for three years. The NEPs may be operational by Sept. 1 but must be running by Dec. 1.
In CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Perioperative Morbidity and Mortality Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery (August 1, 2007)
HIV-infected women are found to be 60% more likely to experience one or more postpartum morbidities following Cesarean delivery compared to HIV-uninfected women.
In Obstetrics and Gynecology - Rapid and Early Virological Response to Chronic Hepatitis C Treatment With IFN Alpha-2b or PEG-IFN Alpha-2b Plus Ribavirin in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients (August 2007)
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