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. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.
Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (02/00) Vol.
11, No. 1, P. 57; Patten, San; Vollman, Ardene; Thurston,
Wilfreda
Health professionals working to stem the transmission of HIV
among injection drug users can use Prochaska's Transtheoretical
Model (TTM) of Behavior Change, which was initially developed for
smoking cessation. HIV infection can be prevented through
behavioral changes made from the TTM. In order to change, a drug
user and a health practitioner must address the challenges of
changing as well as the risk factors that must be eliminated.
The components of the TTM are stages of change, processes of
change, self-efficacy, and motivation/decision making. Nurses,
doctors, educators and counselors who work with injection drug
users may find their own form of TTM, to be used as a framework
for training or as a starting point for helping drug addicts
quit. Studies still must address the use of TTM and the barriers
that must be overcome for it to be successful. The series of
stages that form TTM also require further research regarding
injection drug users, but the theory has proven itself among
other at-risk groups.
Boston Globe Online (02/10/00) P. D9
Boston Biomedica's new diagnostic test system for blood banks has
received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration. The
company's stock soared 130 percent on the news. The Accurun 106
HIV Antigen Positive Control test screens blood for HIV, and
Boston Biomedica plans to market the test along with 30 other
systems sold to blood banks.
Miami Herald (02/10/00); Rafinski, Karen
A test that detects cervical cancer, the ThinPrep Pap test, helps
to eliminate unclear results that might require a follow-up test.
Annual Pap smears, which started about 60 years ago, have helped
to reduce cervical cancer deaths by about 70 percent; however,
they also have a high rate of inaccuracy. Research shows that
the ThinPrep, which was introduced in 1996, identifies 65 percent
more problematic cells and cuts the number of unclear results by
almost 30 percent. But the ThinPrep is limited by insurers, many
of whom do not cover the new test. Patients often end up paying
for the test themselves, even though they also pay a monthly
insurance premium. The Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale
offers the new test to all patients and works to afford the
ThinPrep by grouping lab work with facilities in other states.
"Hormones, Exercise Help HIV+ Gain Weight"
Fox News Online (02/09/00)
Researchers from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and
Science in Los Angeles tested four interventions to help HIV
patients gain weight. All 61 of the men studied had lost 5
percent or more of their body weight in the last six months. The
researchers found that treatment with testosterone and exercise
training helped male HIV patients with low testosterone levels to
gain weight, muscle mass, and muscle strength. They note that
the groups assigned to receive either the hormone or exercise
gained an average of five to six pounds, while the group
receiving testosterone and exercise did not experience greater
weight gains than those receiving only one of the therapies.
IPS Wire (02/09/00)
Participants at an African conference on AIDS this week have
highlighted the need for private sector involvement in the battle
against the disease. However, the meeting, organized by African
Amicale and the United Nations Development Program, did not
attract any representatives from Western pharmaceutical firms,
which have been criticized for the high prices of their AIDS
drugs. At the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
that the silence surrounding AIDS is ending, but that more needs
to be done. Cynthia Eyakuze di-Domemico of African Action on
AIDS emphasized the need for work at the community level and
noted the large number of children who had been orphaned by the
disease. The meeting also featured U.S. Ambassador Richard
Holbrooke; actor Danny Glover, who is a U.N. goodwill ambassador;
and John Dempsey of MAC Cosmetics, which pledged $500,000 to help
fight AIDS.
"AIDS War Gets $14 Million"
Africa News Online (02/09/00)
The British government has donated $14 million to fight AIDS in
Africa, to be spread over five years. The money, donated through
UNAIDS, is part of an effort to accelerate the pace of global
AIDS vaccine research.
"AIDS Bill $20m and Climbing"
South China Morning Post Online (02/10/00); Lee, Ella
In Hong Kong, experts report that the total cost of combination
drug therapy for AIDS was more than HK$20 million last year and
will only continue to rise. Dr. Patrick Li Chung-ki of Queen
Elizabeth Hospital expects the cost to increase 50 percent a
year, and he believes the government should form a long-term plan
for the cost. He notes that AIDS patients often cannot work and
cannot afford treatment, a problem seen worldwide. Hong Kong has
recorded more than 1,300 cases of HIV and over 400 cases of AIDS.
Australian Broadcasting Corp. News (02/08/00)
Researchers from the Brisbane Sexual Health Clinic in Australia
are testing a new drug that may prevent the transmission of
genital herpes. Dr. Margaret Mobbs noted that the incidence of
genital herpes is higher than once thought, now affecting one in
five Australians. No drug has yet proven to prevent
transmission, although outbreaks can be treated.
PANA Wire Service (02/07/00)
The National AIDS Control Program of Ghana expects the cost of
AIDS care in the country to rise tremendously, costing 37.4
billion cedis by 2014. A new report predicts that AIDS will
continue to affect all sectors of life, from health to education
and economy. According to the study, AIDS will account for 35
percent of deaths in Ghana by 2014, as over 200 people a day are
infected with HIV.
Newsweek (01/17/00) Vol. 135, No. 3, P. 42; Masland, Tom; Nordland,
Rod
In Kenya, 350,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS. By
year-end 2000, the global AIDS epidemic will have left 10.4
million children under the age of 15 without parents. According
to the Ugandan Women's Effort to Save Orphans, one of every four
families cares for an AIDS orphan in Uganda. The loss of parents
to AIDS makes children grow up fast, with the eldest frequently
dropping out of school to care for the others. Ethembeni House
in downtown Johannesburg has 38 orphans who are age five or
younger, and all have HIV. Almost all the children in such
houses have been orphaned by AIDS, not famine or neglect. Many
orphans become prostitutes, and some become child brides.
Orphans are more likely to drop out of school, because required
school fees are unaffordable when medical needs come first. AIDS
orphans, compared to children with parents, are also more likely
to be malnourished and to lack healthcare.