CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update

Peer Education Programs in Corrections: Curriculum, Implementation, and Nursing Interventions

"Peer Education Programs in Corrections: Curriculum, Implementation, and Nursing Interventions" Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (12/99) Vol. 10, No. 6, P. 53; Dubik-Unruh, Sara
There is great need for prevention programs for HIV and other infectious diseases in U.S. prisons. The rate of confirmed AIDS in prisons is six times higher than that of the general population. Nurses who help peer educators teach other prisoners about disease are finding that these programs can help prevent the spread of HIV. The program curriculum should use educational videos with accurate portrayals of HIV/AIDS patients, with simple drawings used during the brief lecture time. Peer educators should be chosen carefully, taking into account the prisoner's sentence, the type of offense he or she committee, and race for each class. The peer educators should have a basic understanding of the theory of AIDS and should deal with the issue of its origins, including racial plots. Encouraging questions and discussion of terms and basic vocabulary surrounding HIV and AIDS is also the duty of the counselor. According to author Sara Dubik-Unruh, project coordinator for the University of Wyoming AIDS Education and Training Center, "Inmates who are selected and trained as peer educators can use their skills to create positive behavior changes within the prison setting and within their home communities following release."

Program Focuses on HIV Among the Young

"Program Focuses on HIV Among the Young" Washington Post--Health (11/30/99) P. 6; Squires, Sally
The growing number of young people exposed to HIV has resulted in increased efforts to screen people under age 21 for the virus in six high-risk urban areas. According to Dr. Helene Gayle of the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "about 50 percent [of new HIV cases diagnosed annually in the United States] occur in people less than 25 years of age, and about 25 percent are in people 21 and younger." Many teenagers may not know they are infected because symptoms can take years to develop. Project Access is a testing and counseling program sponsored by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health that operates in New York, Washington, Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. The project helps educate high-risk teens and tests them using saliva samples, with results ready within a week. Dr. Gayle asserted that good prevention messages, testing, and counseling are needed to help slow the HIV epidemic among young people.

World AIDS Day

Washington Post--Health (11/30/99) P. 17; Donovan, Carrie
While AIDS is no longer among the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of new infections among women, minorities, teenagers, and senior citizens continues to increase. The CDC's National HIV and AIDS Hotline can provide information about AIDS and any special programs set for December 1, which is World AIDS Day. The hot line numbers are 1-800-342-2437 (English), 1-800-344-7432 (Spanish), and 1-800-243-7889 (TTY).

Errors Kill 44,000 Patients a Year, Study Says

Wall Street Journal (11/30/99) P. B12; Winslow, Ron
At least 44,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes made while in the hospital, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Poor handwriting and an influx of new medical knowledge are two reasons for such mistakes, which kill more people than automobile accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS, the authors noted. The report concluded that most of the mistakes stem from systemic flaws, and the authors called for the formation of a National Center for Patient Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services.

American Indians Fight AIDS

Detroit Free Press Online (11/30/99); Wendland, Wendy
In Michigan, health officials have formed a coalition to help American Indians fight AIDS in their community. The coalition was established at a recent conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Arizona that united health officials from states with the largest American-Indian populations. Members of the Michigan American Indian AIDS Coalition plan to pass out condoms at powwows and teach AIDS prevention in schools. Although the numbers do not appear large, about 28 American Indians in Michigan have HIV or AIDS. Rick Haverkate, head of health services at the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, points out, though, that the numbers may be skewed by incorrect documentation of race and ethnicity. The group is concerned that American Indians are especially at risk, in part because of the population's high rate of sexually transmitted diseases.

Fewer Doctor Visits Linked to Infections

Washington Post--Health (11/30/99) P. 5; Colburn, Don
New figures show that infectious diseases like HIV and colds are causing fewer people to visit a doctor in the 1990s. The largest number of doctor visits are made for upper respiratory infections, but numbers have stopped rising since the 1980s. Researchers believe that the emergence of HIV, bouts of tuberculosis, and an increase in drug-resistant bacteria may account for the increase seen in the 1980s. Antiviral drugs for AIDS patients have reduced the latest number going for doctor visits. The findings were reported in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Lab Is Sued for Mistaken HIV Diagnosis

Boston Globe Online (11/29/99) P. B7
A Massachusetts man has filed suit against SmithKline Beecham for negligence in a test for HIV. James Gaunt was told he was HIV-positive in late 1996, but almost two months later he learned he was not infected with the virus that causes AIDS. After undergoing treatment and counseling in Worcester for two months, doctors retested the man and found him to be HIV-negative. Gaunt is accusing SmithKline of performing a faulty blood test that caused him fear and emotional injuries.

First Condom Ad Appears on China's National Television

Fox News Online (11/29/99)
China has broadcast its first television advertisement for condoms in order to stop the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The ad was shown on a station that has an audience of hundreds of millions of people. While China has long been trying to curb population growth, public discussion of issues like sex and contraceptives has been minimal. An estimated 400,000 Chinese are infected with HIV, and experts warn that the country's high rate of STDs could help the virus that causes AIDS to spread rapidly.

Kenya Calls AIDS National Disaster, Bars Condoms

Reuters (11/30/99); Russell, Rosalind
Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi has announced the formation of a National AIDS Control Council to fight the disease. Moi also noted that free radio and television air time would be given for AIDS awareness broadcasts and that AIDS education would start in all schools and colleges next year. Despite these moves, however, the government still will not promote condom use to stop the spread of HIV. While Moi received praise for his speech last week, his refusal to move on the condom issue was criticized by the media, donors, and other organizations.

The Walls Fall Down

Supermarket Business (11/15/99) Vol. 54, No. 11, P. 84
Durex's 1999 Global Sex Survey shows that supermarkets selling condoms can expect to see high purchase rates. The survey found that young adults now know more about sex at a younger age and are having sex much earlier than past generations. Because of this and increased media portraying condoms as sexy, young adults look for condoms in packages that are upbeat without being hit by negative advertising. The study also showed that half of the young people surveyed buy condoms to prevent contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, and one third of women listed preventing pregnancy as their greatest concern.