The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases, and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information.
New York Times (12/06/99) P. A14; Swarns, Rachel L.
Traditional healers in Mozambique are helping in the battle
against AIDS. After years of being abused and derided by the
government, the healers are finally being supported as they pass
on the message of safe sex. The healers and the government work
together by treating more patients as they attend workshops on
AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. The program trains
healers to counsel patients about the use of condoms, while also
treating their spirits. The government's new attitude comes at a
time of great need, as AIDS claims the lives of whole villages.
The government hopes to expand the program next year by linking
teams of trained healers directly to hospitals.
Washington Times (12/06/99) P. A4
A new report from the Stanley Foundation Research Programs and
the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill claims that the
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) uses only one-third of
its budget for severe mental illness research, spending more to
study AIDS than schizophrenia. In response to the findings, NIMH
director Dr. Steve Hyman stated that much of the spending in
question is directed by Congress or pertains to basic research.
According to the report, NIMH spends $60.2 million on AIDS
research, compared to $57.1 million on schizophrenia research,
even though many more Americans have schizophrenia than HIV. The
study also concluded that the agency was funding basic research
that has little concern with severe mental illness.
"New York Group Takes Battle Against AIDS to the Streets"
Boston Globe Online (12/06/99); Carroll, Melanie
In New York City, the Positive Health Project aims to educate
about AIDS and stop the spread of HIV. Founded in 1993, the
highly visible organization exchanges about 13,000 syringes every
month. The largest HIV prevention center on Manhattan's West
Side, the program also provides support groups for methadone
users and the transgendered, street outreach efforts, and HIV
counseling and testing. Jason Ferrell, executive director of the
Positive Health Project, emphasizes harm reduction, but he
acknowledges that stopping using drugs can be extremely hard.
"The goal is not to get people off drugs but to stop infectious
disease," Ferrell explains. The group's annual budget of
$800,000 comes from the city, the federal government, and the
state of New York.
New York Times (12/06/99) P. A31
A State Senate committee in New Jersey will deliberate today on a
bill that would require three extra doses of hepatitis B vaccine
for schoolchildren. The bill would affect children entering
kindergarten, first grade, and sixth grade. However, the
coalition Alliance for Informed Choice for Vaccination asserts
that parents should be able to choose which vaccines their
children get. The group claims that the rising number of
vaccines could be too much for children's immune systems.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Online (12/02/99)
In Pierce County, Washington, county officials are refusing to
follow a new state rule that erases names from their lists of
HIV-infected individuals. A new system adopted in July would
change the names of people diagnosed with HIV to unique
identifiers and then forwarded to the state; all records of the
names are supposed to be deleted from local files within 90 days.
However, Pierce County has still not complied. Tacoma-Pierce
County Health Department director Federico Cruz-Uribe explained
that county health workers make repeated visits to all infected
individuals, to monitor their treatment and remind them to take
precautions to keep from exposing others to HIV. Without a list
of every infected person, Cruz-Uribe said that such vigilance
could not be sustained.
Reuters Health Information Services (12/03/99)
A survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America shows that 102 new therapies for HIV are
now being developed. This includes 11 preventive vaccines and a
new class of antiretrovirals. Companies are also researching the
use of dual protease-inhibitor combinations and possible gender
differences in people's response to protease inhibitors.
Reuters (12/04/99)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke talked
with Namibian President Sam Nujoma on Saturday about the AIDS
epidemic and the cease-fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two officials reportedly discussed HIV's impact on Africa,
and Holbrooke noted that the epidemic is endangering the
development of many nations on the continent. Most of the
world's AIDS cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa, and about 10
percent of Namibia's residents are infected with HIV.
Infectious Diseases in Children (11/99) Vol. 12, No. 11, P. 62
A recent study in Health Psychology reveals that sexually active
young adults use condoms chiefly for pregnancy prevention, not
for disease protection. About 50 percent of 902 condom users
said condoms were used for both pregnancy and disease worries,
while 11 percent said they used condoms to prevent sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) and 41 percent said they were trying
to prevent pregnancy. The researchers also determined that
condom users include subgroups formed by their motives for using
the prophylactics. Those who sought to prevent pregnancy were
most likely in a monogamous relationship, while those who used
condoms to prevent STDs were more likely to engage in dangerous
sexual activities. The young adults who used condoms for both
reasons were the least likely to be in a monogamous sexual
relationship and also more likely to engage in risky sex.