UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
|
| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
AIDS Daily Summary
January 28, 1994
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement
by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction
of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD
"Condom Controversy: How Safe Are They? Critics Are Now Asking"
Washington Times (01/28/94) P. A15 (Price, Joyce)
If current government policy is any indication, condoms have come
a long way in the last five years. As early as February 1989, a
task force comprised of such federal heavyweights as the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug
Administration, and the National Institutes of Health issued
warnings that, even with a condom, sex with an HIV-infected
partner is so hazardous that "alternative methods of expressing
intimacy" should be considered. Today, however, as reflected by
a series of bold, new public service announcements, health
officials tout condoms as "highly effective" in preventing the
transmission of HIV when used "consistently and correctly."
Critics of the campaign contend that it not only defies family
values, but ignores scientific research documenting condom
failure rates. "Condoms don't prevent HIV transmission.... They
just reduce the risk," explains W. Shepherd Smith Jr., president
of Americans for a Sound AIDS/HIV Policy, a group that tracks
much of the condom research. "It's wrong for the government to
overpromote something that's not nearly as safe as they claim
when we're talking about a fatal disease." Even groups that
support the condom ad campaign acknowledge that it has omitted
crucial information necessary for people to protect themselves
from HIV infection. "What's the deal with dancing condom without
water-based lubricant--essential information--a million-dollar
campaign that doesn't have essential information?" asks Wayne
Turner of ACT-UP D.C. The group says the ads should clarify that
condoms must be used with only water-based lubricants because
oil-based lubricants cause latex condoms to deteriorate.
"Saying No to Abstinence-Only Program"
Washington Times (01/28/94) P. A15 (Price, Joyce)
Although federal health officials concur that abstinence is the
only 100 percent effective method of avoiding sexual transmission
of HIV, funding for abstinence education programs continues to be
cut, and abstinence-only programs are being phased out. Many
reductions this year are being executed through the U.S. Public
Service's Title XX program, enacted as an alternative to Title
X--federal funding for contraception and abortion-related
services. "The bottom line is that abstinence programs work so
well; nevertheless, Title XX is being cut out and defunded," said
Kathleen Sullivan, director of Project Reality, an Illinois
organization that offers abstinence curricula for middle and high
schools. Government sources denied this, citing that $7 million
was appropriated for Title XX in fiscal 1994 and that the same
amount will be sought next year. Funding, however, fell from
$7.8 million in 1992 to the current $7 million in 1994. In
contrast, funding for Title X for 1994 climbed to nearly $181
million. Government officials say that funding cutbacks and
"terrible accountability" were the key reasons why some Title XX
programs were not renewed. "Most of the programs that show any
kind of major effect were more comprehensive programs," said one
government official.
"Girl Scout Group to be Taught About H.I.V."
New York Times (01/28/94) P. A17
The Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Council, comprised of 40,000
Scouts, will teach girls aged 5 to 17 how to protect themselves
from HIV infection. "We will talk about condom use in the
context of prevention, but that's not to say we'll recommend
having sex as long as you use a condom," notes Beth Weiss, a
scout leader. "There are lots of good reasons for adolescents to
put off having sex, besides the risk of getting AIDS." The girls
will also learn facts and myths concerning people who are
HIV-positive or have AIDS, as well as how to help them. The
project is possible through a $50,000 grant to the council from
Levi Strauss & Company. The two-year grant will be used to train
staff members and volunteers on how to educate the girls. "We've
decided to do this because of the statistics related to women in
Georgia," says council leader Judi Borgo, noting that women were
one of the fastest-growing segments of the HIV population.
"Johnson's Lawyer Threatens to Sue"
New York Times (01/28/94) P. B13
The attorney of former U.S. basketball star Magic Johnson has
threatened to sue an Indonesian sports promoter for canceling
Johnson's visit to the country. The organizer, Point Promotion,
on Tuesday called off exhibition games in which the retired Los
Angeles Laker was to play, after the director of immigration
announced that Johnson would be barred entry to Indonesia because
of his HIV infection. Johnson and his team had been scheduled to
play two games there on Feb. 26 and 27, and the promoter--who
paid nearly $100,000 as a down payment on the team's $379,000
fee--still hopes to have them play.
"Fears Mount of AIDS Toll Among Addicts"
Boston Globe (01/27/94) P. 21 (Murphy, Sean P.)
Public health officials in Massachusetts say that HIV is
spreading faster among intravenous drug users and their sex
partners than any other high-risk category in the state. An
estimated 25 to 40 percent of the 40,000 to 60,000 IV-drug users
in Massachusetts may be infected, speculate drug treatment
providers. State epidemiologists have documented an increase in
actual AIDS cases among this group from 259 in 1989 to 572 in
1992. In response to this alarming data, a modest boost in state
funding for treatment of injection drug addicts was proposed last
week. The $2 million increase proposed by the Weld
administration is the first in five years to propose additional
spending for substance abuse treatment. Drug treatment providers
say that while a new budget is an important turning point, much
more money is needed. "There's still much more work to be done
to reach out to injection drug users," agrees Dennis McCarthy,
director of the state substance abuse office.
"Relocated UCSF Research Center Hosts Studies on Everything From
the Effects of Cocaine on Babies to AIDS Treatments"
Business Wire (01/26/94)
San Francisco--The General Clinical Research Center of the San
Francisco General Hospital, scheduled to officially reopen today
in a new location, is a unique research facility where scientists
from various disciplines can test new treatments and conduct
carefully controlled studies on patients who can be monitored
round-the-clock. Several investigators are using the center for
clinical trials on experimental AIDS therapies, including tests
of a drug known as GLQ223 and treatments for Kaposi's sarcoma,
CMV retinitis, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and lung complications in
AIDS patients. One study underway by Dr. Morris Schambelan and
colleagues is investigating wasting syndrome, or weight loss
among AIDS patients, which is often fatal. Schambelan and
collaborators have been testing bioengineered human growth
hormones as a strategy for helping AIDS patients re-gain weight
and prevent wasting syndrome. A study of 12 patients, published
last October, concluded that the hormone may be superior to other
weight-gain techniques. The General Clinical Research Center now
acts as the primary testing center for a national trial of 180
AIDS patients, half of whom will receive the growth hormone and
half of whom will receive placebos.
"SSA Updates Guide to Social Security Benefits"
Washington Blade (01/14/94) Vol. 25, No. 2, P. 25
The U.S. Social Security Administration's free booklet on
benefits for HIV patients has been updated to include new rules.
The new guidelines, which were published in July 1993 in the
Federal Register, details what the administration defines as
disabling conditions, and makes it easier for HIV-infected
individuals to obtain immediate payments. Among other
guidelines, the brochure identifies eligibility requirements,
explains how to fill out an application, and guides readers
through the process to receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
"Concern About Diseases Fuels Moves to Conserve Blood"
Modern Healthcare (01/10/94) Vol. 24, No. 2, P. 44 (Pallarito,
Karen)
The AIDS epidemic has sparked a renewed effort to conserve blood,
experts report. According to Dr. Shelley M. Brown, director of
blood bank and transfusion services at Lenox Hill Hospital in New
York, "It has become more and more popular; just like any
movement, it just takes time for the public to be educated about
the options." Limiting blood transfusions, stockpiling blood for
elective surgery, or reusing a patient's own blood are all
practices that can reduce the risk of exposure to HIV and other
bloodborne diseases, and also alleviate the demand on what is
often an insufficient supply of donated blood in the United
States. Accordingly, many patients now give blood before
surgery, and most hospitals have guidelines for evaluating the
appropriateness of a transfusion, Brown observes. Despite Food
and Drug Administration regulations requiring all blood used in
this country to be screened for the AIDS virus, it is estimated
that one out of every 225,000 units of blood could be
contaminated but go undetected. This is because the test used to
screen for HIV measures the presence of HIV antibodies. If a
blood donor's infection occurred very recently, a lag time of
three weeks to six months could prevent detection of enough
antibodies to test positive. To relieve anxieties about tainted
blood, a handful of companies are developing blood replacements,
but such products will not be on the market for years.
"Home Care for AIDS Patients in Belgium"
Lancet (01/15/94) Vol. 343, No. 8890, P. 166 (Owen, Ann)
A hospital in Belgium has launched a palliative home care program
for AIDS patients. The program will be conducted by the Saint
Pierre Hospital, jointly owned by the Free University of Brussels
and the local government, which reportedly treats about 50
percent of the country's AIDS patients who are under medical
care. Under the home care program, the hospital will be
reimbursed for sending any of its AIDS team on home visits to
AIDS patients. The patient, however, does not have to pay for
home care. Visiting health professionals will be trained to
perform medical tasks, such as setting up IVs. They will also
learn to recognize when a patient needs to be transferred to an
inpatient unit. Volunteers will help provide transportation to
the hospital when necessary. The program also accepts infected
drug addicts, but arrangements to undergo rehabilitation are made
through a separate service. So far, 72,000 people in Belgium
have been confirmed as HIV-positive, and another 15,000 to 20,000
are thought to be infected. If the hospital administration has
accurately predicted the number of future patients, the project,
which is not designed to make money, will support itself. Other
hospitals may be eligible for similar programs with the national
health service if they have the required minimum of AIDS patients
in their clinics.
"Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia in Children With Perinatally
Acquired HIV Infection"
Journal of the American Medical Association (01/12/94) Vol. 271,
No. 2, P. 102 (Simonds, R. J.)
Dr. R.J. Simonds of the Centers for Disease Control responded to
critics challenging his study on pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
in children with perinatally acquired HIV. Epps et al.
questioned Simonds' calculation that median survival age for such
children was 19 months--a period they observed to be far greater
that what has been noted in other studies. They pointed out that
Simonds' data did not indicate a significant difference in
survival for infants compared to older children. Simonds
responded that the relationship between age and survival has yet
to be clarified. Also, using either 6-month or 12-month cutoffs,
Simonds said he failed to detect any significant difference in
survival among younger and older children. Dr. Wendy Chavkin of
Beth Israel Medical Center in New York wondered if Simonds had
considered the consequences of recommending that potentially
HIV-infected infants be identified after birth. Women fearing
discriminatory consequences would avoid health care. In
addition, she says, this practice would jeopardize the ability to
conduct surveillance activities. Simonds said Chavkin
misinterpreted the conclusions. To effectively prevent PCP,
children born to HIV-infected mothers need to be identified as
early as possible so that prophylaxis can begin before the period
of highest risk for PCP. Thus, he counters, HIV testing and
counseling should be encouraged for all pregnant women at high
risk for HIV.