| prevention-news@cdcnpin.org 2004-10-04, 2:18 am |
| CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the follo=
wing information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scie=
ntific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmi=
tted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. The f=
ollowing summaries were prepared without conducting any additional resear=
ch or investigation into the facts and statements made in the articles be=
ing summarized, and therefore readers are expressly cautioned against rel=
ying on the validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summar=
ies. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other gover=
nment agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Repo=
rt (MMWR) articles, fact sheets and announcements. Reproduction of this t=
ext is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/T=
B Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the=20
information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for ful=
l texts of the articles.
HEADLINES
NATIONAL NEWS
NEW MEXICO: =93New Mexico Shifts Focus of Efforts to Prevent HIV/AIDS=94
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UGANDA: =93HIV/AIDS Rate Soars in War-Torn Northern Uganda=94
CHINA: =93Doctor Works to Fight =91Plague of the Century=92 in China=94
MEDICAL NEWS
BRAZIL: =93Prevalence and Risk Behaviors for Chlamydial Infection in a Po=
pulation-Based Study of Female Adolescents in Brazil=94
LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
MARYLAND: =93Maryland General Hospital in Compliance=94
CALIFORNIA: =93Clean-Needle Law Heartens Fresno Officials, Who See High D=
rug Use=94
CALIFORNIA: =93Birth Rate for Teens in Berkeley a State Low=94
LOUISIANA: =93Skits Address Teen Issues=94
NEWS BRIEFS
ESTONIA: =93Estonian Parliament Committee Proposes to Set Up AIDS Commiss=
ion=94
MICHIGAN: =93Funds Help Low-Income, AIDS Victims=94
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NATIONAL NEWS=09
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NEW MEXICO:
=93New Mexico Shifts Focus of Efforts to Prevent HIV/AIDS=94
Santa Fe New Mexican (09.26.04)::Deborah Davis
The state Health Department is shifting its HIV/AIDS prevention effo=
rts to focus intervention and counseling on New Mexicans already living w=
ith the virus, as well as high-risk populations - gay men, IV drug users,=
sex workers and heterosexuals with bisexual partners. =93People living w=
ith HIV is a priority population for the entire nation,=94 said Don Torre=
s, who oversees the Health Department=92s HIV/AIDS programs. =93The [CDC]=
directed us that that is our first priority.=94
But some are concerned that the new prevention strategy overlooks im=
portant populations such as young people. As of July 1, the state cut bac=
k its Speaker=92s Bureau program, which paid HIV patients to speak in sch=
ools about what it is like to live with the disease. Last year, the state=
spent $60,000 on the program; this year, it will spend $10,000.=20
Brother Joe Haras, a teacher at St. Michael=92s High School, has inv=
ited HIV-positive speakers to his classroom for several years. =93They ar=
e probably the most effective deterrent against this dreaded disease that=
I=92ve ever had. They put a face on this disease. To not fund it is open=
ing up the chances of our youth becoming infected with HIV. It=92s a grea=
t disservice.=94
The state Department of education will look for ways to provide the =
speakers for interested schools, said Kris Meurer, the school-health dire=
ctor for the department. =93We don=92t want the program to go away becaus=
e schools that have had the program really see the benefit,=94 Meurer add=
ed.=20
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS=09
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UGANDA:
=93HIV/AIDS Rate Soars in War-Torn Northern Uganda=94
Reuters (09.27.04)::Daniel Wallis
The rate of HIV/AIDS in northern Uganda is nearly double that of the=
rest of the country due to an 18-year war with the insurgent Lord=92s Re=
sistance Army, a new report by the Christian aid agency World Vision said=
Monday. =93National prevalence rates for Uganda are estimated at 6.2 per=
cent and declining, but rates in war-affected areas are almost double tha=
t of the national average, at 11.9 percent,=94 said the report.=20
According to =93Pawns of Politics: Children, Conflict and Peace in N=
orthern Uganda,=94 massive displacement, poverty, the lack of health care=
, and the use of rape as a weapon of war have contributed to the north=92=
s high prevalence rate. In Gulu district, epicenter of the rebellion, HIV=
/AIDS was the cause of 69 percent of fatalities, World Vision said. The c=
ollapse of health-care infrastructures in the region has prevented reside=
nts from accessing information on HIV/AIDS; HIV testing, counseling and t=
reatment are nonexistent.
Children are the main victims of the war, the report said. As many a=
s 25,000 children have been kidnapped by LRA and forced to serve as sex s=
laves, fighters and laborers - making up more than three-quarters of the =
rebel group=92s ranks. Doctors report about half of the girls abducted ar=
e later found to be HIV-positive. =93If these girls make it back from the=
bush, they are sometimes rejected and abandoned by their families,=94 sa=
id World Vision. =93Some resort to survival sex, engaging in high-risk be=
haviors that increase the spread of the disease.=94
The report warned that the Ugandan government, which has won interna=
tional acclaim for reducing its HIV infection rate from around 30 percent=
in the 1990s, could see many of its gains lost if the war is not ended. =
It added that any post-conflict plan must include provisions for counseli=
ng and community reintegration programs for girls forced into sexual bond=
age. =20
CHINA:=20
=93Doctor Works to Fight =91Plague of the Century=92 in China=94
Houston Chronicle (09.26.04)::Eric Berger
In a visit last week to Houston, AIDS drug cocktail innovator Dr. Da=
vid Ho said that countries like China that face a growing AIDS epidemic s=
hould circulate disease information and focus on changing behavior while =
the world searches for an AIDS vaccine. Asked if a vaccine would be requi=
red for eradicating HIV worldwide, Ho singled out Senegal and Thailand as=
examples where, in the short term, =93good old-fashioned public health m=
easures can slow down an epidemic.=94=20
Countries at risk =93have a window of opportunity to make a differen=
ce, but it is closing,=94 said Ho. =93It=92s unacceptable that half of th=
e Chinese population has never heard of AIDS,=94 he said.
A public service announcement featuring National Basketball Associat=
ion superstar Yao Ming and HIV-positive veteran player Magic Johnson will=
be presented in China when NBA games are played there in October, Ho sai=
d. =93They are shaking hands and eating together,=94 Ho said of the PSA. =
=93In the commercial Yao shows Magic how to use chopsticks. It should hel=
p break down some of the stigma around the disease. The overall message i=
s very simple - go out and learn more about HIV and AIDS, and how to prot=
ect yourself.=94
Asked how much he blames drug companies for not making AIDS drugs av=
ailable cheaply worldwide, Ho said, =93Pharmaceutical companies got into =
HIV treatment without hesitation and made huge contributions.=85 There is=
a moral obligation to get these drugs to the developing world, but to do=
that you almost have to give them away at cost.=85 These companies have =
taken a lot of bad public relations.=85 I see many disincentives for phar=
maceutical companies to stay in this arena, and that concerns me.=94=20
In response to treatment-related complacency seen among some gay men=
, Ho said that prevention messages must be continually renewed. =93These =
drugs are not perfect. There are side effects and other costs. There is a=
n accumulation of consequences. All of this comes at a high cost, and peo=
ple need to understand that.=94=20
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MEDICAL NEWS=09
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BRAZIL:
=93Prevalence and Risk Behaviors for Chlamydial Infection in a Population=
-Based Study of Female Adolescents in Brazil=94
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (09.04) Vol. 31; No. 9: P. 542-546::Angelic=
a Espinoza Miranda, MD, PhD; Celia Landmann Szwarcwald, PhD; Renata Lyrio=
Peres; Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH
As adolescents are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (ST=
Is) and unplanned pregnancy, prevention activities are of significant pub=
lic health importance in this population. In the current study, the resea=
rchers sought to identify behavioral, demographic and clinical factors fo=
r STIs, and determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (=
CT) among females ages 15-19 in Vitoria, Brazil.=20
A cross-sectional study among female adolescents served by the Healt=
h Family Program was conducted. Using ligase chain reaction applied to ur=
ine, participants were screened for CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC). De=
mographic, behavioral and clinical factors were assessed via face-to-face=
questionnaire. All participants and their parents signed the informed co=
nsent.
Among the sample of adolescent women (464), overall CT prevalence wa=
s 8.9 percent. Among those sexually active participants, CT and GC preval=
ence were 12.2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. Previously diagnose=
d STI was reported by 12.8 percent of participants. Those who reported re=
gular condom use and having condoms at home were considerably less likely=
to have CT. Having never purchased condoms was significantly associated =
with a positive CT result.=20
Despite readily available STI prevention information, high CT preval=
ence and high behavioral risk were found in this study population. Female=
s who reported positive condom use behaviors were less likely to have CT.=
These results, the researchers concluded, demonstrate the need for ongoi=
ng STI prevention and screening, and continued successful risk reduction =
activities, such as condom use, to further decrease STI rates among adole=
scents.=20
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LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS=09
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MARYLAND:
=93Maryland General Hospital in Compliance=94
Associated Press (09.28.04)=20
The laboratory at Maryland General Hospital - where faulty lab equip=
ment produced about 450 suspect HIV and hepatitis tests from June 2002 th=
rough August 2003 - has taken corrective action and is now in compliance =
with Medicare regulations, according to federal regulators. Earlier this =
year, workers had sent out HIV and hepatitis test results although equipm=
ent indicated the results might have been inaccurate.=20
The lab could have lost its ability to collect Medicare payments if =
it had not corrected the problems that lab workers had tipped off to auth=
orities. The lab also faced a state Medicaid fraud investigation, subpoen=
as from the US Health and Human Services=92 Office of the Inspector Gener=
al, and congressional hearings.=20
In response, the university of Maryland Medical System hospital brou=
ght in an outside consultant to run the lab and hired more lab workers. C=
olene Daniel replaced Timothy D. Miller, who resigned, as hospital CEO. A=
ll who received the suspect test results were offered retesting. The rete=
sts confirmed that the originals were overwhelmingly accurate, the hospit=
al said.
Despite some violations, Maryland General=92s lab is back in complia=
nce with Medicare=92s conditions, said an Aug. 20 letter from the federal=
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, according to the Baltimore Sun. The fed=
eral agency ensures that hospitals and laboratories are properly inspecte=
d and eligible for Medicare and Medicaid payments. The August inspection =
found a dirty kitchen floor and =93very messy, disorganized and dirty=94 =
pharmacy that was cleaned up by the following day.
CALIFORNIA:=20
=93Clean-Needle Law Heartens Fresno Officials, Who See High Drug Use=94
Associated Press (09.25.04)::Juliana Barbassa
A new California law that allows pharmacies to sell up to 10 syringe=
s without a prescription is an overdue measure that will help reduce bloo=
d-borne diseases, said Central Valley health officials and drug treatment=
counselors. While weaning IV drug users from dependency remains difficul=
t, the measure could help prevent HIV and hepatitis C from spreading thro=
ugh shared injections, said Dennis Koch, administrator of Fresno County=92=
s Alcohol and Drug Program.=20
Fresno and the surrounding area have 173 IV drug users per 10,000 pe=
ople, which, at three times the national average of 60 per 10,000 people,=
is the nation=92s highest rate, according to a=20
study in the September edition of the Journal of Urban Health - =93Estima=
ting Numbers of Injecting Drug Users in Metropolitan Areas for Structural=
Analyses of Community Vulnerability and for Assessing Relative Degrees o=
f Service Provision for Injecting Drug Users=94 (2004;81(3):377-400). Bak=
ersfield, San Francisco and the Stockton-Lodi region were other Californi=
a metro areas in the top 10 for IV drug use. Crystal methamphetamine is t=
he most popular drug injected.
Fresno County had 251 new HIV infections in 2003, a 17.3 percent inc=
rease over 2002 - many from shared needles. Of Fresno County=92s IV drug =
users surveyed in a recent pilot study, 75 percent had hepatitis C, compa=
red to 2 percent of the general population. Other states that have taken =
steps such as clean-needle programs have reduced HIV infections by up to =
half, without increasing crime or drug use, studies have shown.
Fresno County spends $20 million a year to support drug-treatment pr=
ograms and has obtained more such funding money in recent years. The coun=
ty had 5,435 treatment clients in 1998. By 2002, 9,036 had received treat=
ment, said Koch.
CALIFORNIA:
=93Birth Rate for Teens in Berkeley a State Low=94
Oakland Tribune (09.23.04)::Kristin Bender
Berkeley was ranked California=92s most teenager-healthy city becaus=
e it has the state=92s lowest teen pregnancy rate and a health center tha=
t readily hands out advice and condoms, according to a recently released =
study. Berkeley scored at the top of 55 California cities with population=
s of 100,000 or more, according to the Los Angeles-based Get Real About T=
een Pregnancy public education program and the Bay Area=92s California Ad=
olescent Health Collaborative.=20
From 1994 to 2001, Berkeley recorded a 45 percent decline in the num=
ber of babies born to teenagers. City officials, school administrators an=
d teens say the Berkeley High School Health Center has been instrumental =
in that drop. The center provides medical services, health education, cou=
nseling and therapy for about 7,000 students annually. Center visitors ha=
ve access to condoms, birth control pills, HIV testing and counseling and=
emergency contraception.=20
=93I think one of the reasons we have a low teen birth rate is teens=
reach out to other teens to help them,=94 said Berkeley High senior Grah=
am Heimler, who works with the campus group Peers Advocating Sexual Healt=
h Now. =93I get questions from friends and strangers about sexual health.=
It=92s so empowering to be able to help them out and know that I=92m hel=
ping to keep my community safe.=94
City Councilmember Kriss Worthington credits Berkeley=92s 1998 refus=
al of federal =93abstinence-only=94 money, which would have prevented cit=
y schools from distributing contraceptives as part of teen pregnancy prog=
rams. =93Abstinence is a piece of our message,=94 said Poki Namkung, Berk=
eley=92s public health officer. =93We would like kids to be abstinent, bu=
t we all know that sexual drive is a reality, and the kids need to have t=
o tools to protect themselves.=94
Jana Kay Slater, a research psychologist and statistician, said the =
cities were judged on 13 variables, including the number of health servic=
es and youth development opportunities, and high scores were given to the=
cities with the most services per teenager.=20
LOUISIANA:
=93Skits Address Teen Issues=94
Times-Picayune (09.26.04)::Johanna Schindler
On Sept. 22 in Gretna, students at Archbishop Blenk High School for =
girls watched =93Teens Not Gone Wild,=94 a program of skits performed by =
five senior nursing students from Louisiana State university Health Scien=
ces Center. The three individual skits addressed violence against women, =
alcohol and its effect on sexual behavior and the spread of STDs, and wei=
ght issues. The program included videos, PowerPoint presentations and pla=
in talk.
The first skit tells the story of a woman who excuses her partner=92=
s violent abuses and is finally murdered by him. In the second, a male se=
duces a female virgin, who contracts herpes. The presentation included gr=
aphic photos of advanced states of STDs as well as symptoms to watch for.=
The final skit demonstrated the need to support those battling obesity o=
r other problems.
While nursing instructor Ann Troy stressed abstinence as the only wa=
y to avoid STDs, those who do engage in sexual activity should use condom=
s to protect themselves, she said. Troy gave her telephone number to the =
600 students and encouraged them to call her, anonymously if necessary, t=
o request additional health information. Troy has led the program for hig=
h school students for a decade at Mount Carmel Academy and more recently =
at Lutheran High School.=20
A banner hung at the student assembly at Archbishop Blenk High Schoo=
l read =93Abuse, Just FACE It.=94 The nursing students explained that FAC=
E stands for =93Feel your feelings; Ask for what you want or need; Check =
it out; and Explore your options with friends.=94
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NEWS BRIEFS =09
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ESTONIA:
=93Estonian Parliament Committee Proposes to Set Up AIDS Commission=94
Baltic News Service (09.27.04)
Responding to concerns that Estonia has underestimated the threat of=
AIDS and lacks a clear strategy for fighting it, an ad hoc committee of =
Parliament has called for the creation of an AIDS commission. This new bo=
dy, comprising representatives of the government and volunteer and youth =
groups, will be charged with coordinating prevention efforts and drafting=
a state prevention strategy in line with existing efforts. In coming yea=
rs, said the committee=92s report, Estonia may face a situation in which =
half of those diagnosed with HIV require treatment; thus, the state shoul=
d develop a projection of the demand for and costs of treatment.
MICHIGAN:
=93Funds Help Low-Income, AIDS Victims=94
Detroit News (09.24.04)::Lynne Meredith Schreiber
The Department of Housing and Urban Development hopes the more than =
$96 million recently earmarked for Michigan will help provide down paymen=
ts for lower-income families and assist people with HIV/AIDS in finding h=
ousing. HUD=92s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grants, which=
are distributed based on the number of AIDS cases reported to CDC, help =
localities develop strategic AIDS housing plans. A stable home environmen=
t is key to helping low-income individuals manage complicated drug regime=
ns and potential treatment side effects, according to HUD.=20
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