CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

City Official Protests Blood Bank's Refusal of Gay, HIV-Negative Men

San Jose Mercury News Online (01/07/00)
A San Francisco city official is protesting a regulation that prohibits HIV-negative homosexual men from donating blood. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule bars blood centers from accepting donations from men who have had sex with other men since 1977. On Thursday, Supervisor Mark Leno led a group of HIV-negative gay men to a Blood Centers of the Pacific office in order to protest the refusal of the group's blood donations. The president of the center, Nora Hirschler, said she agreed with Leno, but she added that the facility would be closed if they did not comply with the federal mandate. Hirschler also voiced concerns that the protest could draw attention away from the severe blood shortage in the region.

Africa Seeks AIDS Vaccine

"Africa Seeks AIDS Vaccine" Boston Globe Online (01/07/00) P. A2; Shillinger, Kurt
In Africa, a number of governments are pursuing the development of an effective AIDS vaccine, some collaborating with foreign researchers to test potential vaccines. The vaccine initiative stems from frustration with the high cost for foreign anti-AIDS drugs and imbalances in AIDS research throughout the world. However, experts note that placing high expectations on a vaccine overlooks measures that could be taken now to reduce HIV infections and end HIV stigmas. Many African countries are looking towards a future cure without considering treatments available now, including nevirapine and AZT, whose costs--even when reduced by the manufacturer--are too high for most regional health budgets. Still, UNICEF Director Carol Bellamy notes that "it is true that even a $4 drug treatment will challenge the health budgets of many African countries--but the cost of failing to introduce [nevirapine] will be incalculably higher."

More Than 1 in 8 Americans Do Not Receive HIV Test Results

Reuters Health Information Services (01/06/00)
New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that about 13 percent of U.S. adults who were tested for HIV in 1994 and 1995 never received their test results. According to the report, published in the December 1 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999;22:395-400), the reason for testing predicted the likelihood of receiving test results, and those who did not ask for testing were less likely to obtain their results. The study used data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, which involved more than 19,000 adults in 1994 and nearly 17,000 adults in 1995. Those surveyed were classified according to their reason for being tested, including compulsory, recommended, or self-initiated.

Protease Inhibitor Drugs Underprescribed in Italy

Reuters Health Information Services (01/06/00)
A study conducted by Dr. Rita Murri of the Catholic University Of Rome and colleagues found that over one third of HIV-infected people in Italy who can receive antiretroviral therapy are not treated with protease inhibitors. The study involved 684 HIV-positive individuals who obtained care at one of seven Italian HIV treatment centers. The researchers discovered that protease inhibitors were prescribed to only 61 percent of the patients, even though access to the drugs is free in Italy. The findings were published in the December 15 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999;22:461-466).

The War on Warts Virus Can Be Deadly, Ignorance Is Widespread, Experts Say

Edmonton Sun (01/06/00) P. 34; Decker, Shelly
Sexually transmitted strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) account for 99 percent of cervical cancer cases. The virus can lay dormant for more than a year, and warts are the only symptom. Experts note that ignorance about HPV is widespread, and Dr. Barbara Romanowski of the University of Alberta, adds that the virus is becoming more prevalent. Romanowski recently launched a clinical trial to test a vaccine for two strains of sexually transmitted HPV not associated with cancer.

Chlamydia Infection Linked to Cervical Cancer

Reuters Health Information Services (01/06/00)
Researchers from Finland have found evidence that previous infection with chlamydia is a risk factor for invasive squamous-cell cervical cancer. The study used data from blood samples of 530,000 Nordic women, 182 of whom developed invasive cervical cancer over an average follow-up of five years. Infection with chlamydia works independently of two other risk factors for cervical cancer, smoking and infection with human papillomavirus, the team report in the January 1 issue of the International Journal of Cancer (2000;85:35-39). According to the researchers, the data show that infection with chlamydia could possibly be a cause of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Clinic Gets $800,000 Grant to Treat Patients With HIV

"Clinic Gets $800,000 Grant to Treat Patients With HIV" Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Online (01/07/00); Christopher, Brian
The Comprehensive Care Clinic for HIV in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has been awarded more than $800,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The $812,000 grant will be distributed over a three-year period. The funds will be used to hire a full-time social worker, as well as to pay for drug treatments, blood tests, and other medical needs of the 175 patients the clinic treats.

New Web Site for Teens"

Infectious Diseases in Children (12/99) Vol. 12, No. 12, P. 59; Palmer, Heather
A new Web site, www.Teen-Growth.com, was designed by teenagers and healthcare experts to address issues for young people. The site features a chat room as well advice on subjects ranging from sexually transmitted diseases to acne.