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.
"Effectiveness of an Intervention Promoting the Female Condom to
Patients at Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics"
American Journal of Public Health (02/00) Vol.
90, No. 2, P. 237; Artz, Lynn; Macaluso, Maurizio; Brill, Ilene;
et al.
New research suggests that a behavioral intervention that
promotes both male and female condoms can help effect increases
in use. The researchers studied more than 1,000 women who were
patients at sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in
Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama. The women, whose median age
was 23, agreed to an initial visit and to six planned monthly
follow-up visits, and were told to keep a sexual activity diary.
More than four-fifths of the women were African American, and
nearly two-thirds had children. At the beginning of the study,
65 percent of the women reported having an STD before, and most
used male condoms infrequently or not at all. The women watched
a 10-minute video on the female condom, were counseled by a nurse
about using the female condom, and were given items to take home,
including brochures and samples. Results after the follow-up
visits show that 1,023 women took place in at least one follow-up
visit. After the intervention and counseling, 782 more than at
the start--or 79 percent of the women--had used the female condom
at least once, usually soon after a session. Most women used it
multiple times, but not exclusively. The researchers noted that
"many clients of public STD clinics will try, and some will
continue, to use female condoms when the product is promoted
positively and when women are trained to use it correctly and to
promote it to their partners."
Washington Post (02/18/00) P. A2; Weiss, Rick; Nelson, Deborah
Genetically engineered viruses used to treat sick children in a
gene therapy experiment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
in Memphis did not contain HIV or hepatitis viruses, as first
thought. Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) show that the worries over contamination stemmed from false
positive results that initially suggested the presence of HIV-1
and HCV in the gene therapy treatment. The incident is still
under study because of the apparent lapse in safety testing and
the withholding of information from the parents of the children.
Study leader Laura Bowman knew last fall of the possible
contamination but did not inform parents or the FDA for months.
Washington Post (02/18/00) P. A17; Mufson, Steven
During the first full day of a five-day conference organized by
the National Summit on Africa, President Clinton called on
Congress to help expand access to U.S. markets for African goods.
Clinton also noted the United States needs to better support
Africa in terms of disease control, debt relief, and conflict
resolution. Africa's problems, including the AIDS epidemic and
poverty, have been key topics of discussion the conference.
Clinton urged African countries to become more open culturally
and to lay aside differences in order to stem the spread of HIV.
He stressed the need for behavioral changes and highlighted the
plight of Africa's children, who are losing their parents and
families to AIDS.
New York Times (02/18/00) P. A23; Altman, Lawrence K.
An investigation was launched Thursday concerning the former
chief of the AIDS Vaccine unit at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Dr. William Heyward. At issue is whether Heyward
violated post-employment restrictions by working for AIDS vaccine
manufacturer VaxGen of Brisbane, California. Heyward retired on
December 31, and on January 3 became the vice president for
international trials at VaxGen. Heyward has denied any
wrongdoing in allocating $8 million for research on AIDSvax
vaccine, and CDC and VaxGen officials note that the grants did
not go to the drug company but went to university researchers and
health workers throughout the United States.
Reuters Health Information Services (02/17/00)
A new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that 70
percent of Americans ages 18 years and older have not heard of
the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV can cause genital warts and
has been linked to genital and anal cancers in men and women.
Kaiser's survey of 1,000 people indicated that only 41 percent
knew HPV can lead to cervical cancer and 42 percent knew it could
cause genital warts. The report also noted that only 5 percent
had discussed HPV with their physician and about 50 percent were
aware the virus has no cure.
Reuters (02/17/00)
A new control program for tuberculosis (TB) patients in India
makes them seven times less likely to die from the disease than
those treated before its implementation. At a news conference on
Thursday, Arata Kochi, director of the Tuberculosis Initiative of
the World Health Organization, detailed the overwhelming success
of the program, which was launched in 1997. The program involves
TB patients taking their drugs daily under medical supervision.
So far, death rates from TB have dropped from 29 percent under
the former system to 4 percent under the new system, while the
cure rate has soared from less than 50 percent to 84 percent.
Reuters (02/18/00)
New research from London's Imperial College of Science and
Technology shows that cases of gonorrhea have increased 35
percent in London over the last three years. The study,
published in a research letter to The Lancet (2000;355),
monitored diagnoses for gonorrhea in 13 clinics. Dr. Catherine
Ison and colleagues noted the rise is a concern for public health
and that better surveillance and treatment are needed, along with
public awareness.
Reuters (02/18/00)
South African telecommunications utility Telkom has ordered 5
million condoms to help protect its workers from HIV. The
purchase may be the country's first mass corporate order for
condoms, which are needed in an area that one of the world's
highest rates of HIV infection.