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.
Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (12/99) Vol.
10, No. 6, P. 90; Boudin, Kathy; Carrero, Ingrid; Clark, Judith;
et al.
A peer support program for female prisoners with HIV/AIDS
provides a positive role for many women. The AIDS Counseling and
Education Program (ACE) helps with the crisis at Bedford Hills
Correctional Facility, New York State's maximum security prison
for women. The ACE program seeks to educate inmates about
preventing HIV, to provide care and support for scared and
uneducated women, and to use community groups to help the women
re-enter society. The ACE program can be particularly effective
in helping women adhere to antiretroviral regimens for HIV. The
women have peers who need similar support in continuing
treatment, so they can form mutual groups that encourage and
educate each other. Personal statements show that the program
has had a deep impact on many of the women, and while in prison,
the some of the inmates learn how to connect their illness to
dangerous patterns they may see in other women.
Washington Times (11/23/99) P. B8
The U.S. government is urging hospitals to use needles with blunt
tips or other safety features, in order to protect healthcare
workers from accidental infection. Each year, at least 600,000
workers receive needle sticks that put them at risk for HIV or
hepatitis infection. Fifty types of protected needles and
syringes have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
for sale; however, the American Nurses Association reports that
only about 15 percent of hospitals use safer needles, in part
because they cost much more than a standard blood-collection
needle. Some states--including California--have made laws
requiring their use, and many others are now debating the issue.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued
a safety alert calling on all healthcare facilities to use safer
needles, noting that using the safe products could effect up to
an 80 percent reduction in injuries. The safety alert will be
sent to hospitals, nurse and physician organizations, and other
healthcare centers this week.
New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (11/23/99) P. D8
A new Web site provides up-to-date information on approved and
experimental HIV therapies for doctors and patients. Located at
www.amfar.org/td, the site includes a searchable database of
clinical trials of experimental treatments. Also on the Web site
is a tool that helps determine the programs that may be best for
a patient. A print form of the directory is also available,
provided by the American Foundation for AIDS Research, which has
funded nearly 1,800 research teams.
USA Today (11/23/99) P. 13D; Manning, Anita
Recent findings presented at the annual meeting of the Infectious
Diseases Society of America in Philadelphia show that liver
disease is the leading cause of death among HIV patients at a
Boston hospital. The researchers noted that many HIV patients,
particularly those who contract the virus via injection drug use,
are co-infected with hepatitis C, which affects the liver.
Patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are
also at risk because the drugs can be toxic to the liver.
According to researchers led by Barbara McGovern of Tufts
University School of Medicine, one-third of the HIV-infected
patients with underlying liver disease at Lemuel Shattuck
Hospital have had to discontinue HAART.
Miami Herald (11/22/99) P. 15A
In California, many blood banks are losing money and facing cuts
in service in the face of diminished funds. The problems are
attributed, in part, to high operating costs and inadequate
payments from the government and health management groups in
covering the costs of required blood screening and testing.
Reuters (11/22/99); Coonan, Clifford
A report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction indicates that heroin remains the primary problem drug
in the European Union (EU). According to the report, the
majority of drug overdose deaths in the EU are related to heroin,
and between 3 million and 5 million individuals in the region
have experimented with the drug. In addition, the study found
that British and Irish schoolchildren have high rates of drug
use, with 40 percent of 15- to 16-year-olds reporting that they
have used marijuana. The report also noted that the incidence of
HIV infection has stabilized in large part because of efforts to
stop the spread of the virus among intravenous heroin users.
"HIV/AIDS High on Agenda at Women's Conference"
PANA Wire Service (11/22/99)
The sixth African regional conference on women began Monday with
Ethiopian President Negasso Gidada asking participants to respond
quickly to the AIDS pandemic in Africa. "The epidemic has
reached an emergency level in sub-Saharan Africa and requires an
emergency response," Negasso said. Negasso spoke about women and
girls in African being at risk for HIV infection, as the disease
impacts the economies of many African countries. The executive
secretary of the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, K. Amoako,
added that women need to be in positions of power, need
mechanisms in place for advancement, and should be involved in
conflict prevention/resolution. The six-day conference will
review progress made in women's rights since 1994.
"Girls Highlight AIDS Awareness Importance"
PA News (11/23/99); Allison, Rebecca
Ten million Girl guides and girl scouts are taking part in a
campaign to promote HIV awareness and prevention. The program,
part of an ongoing effort to educate young people about
responsible citizenship, will offer special badges for work done
in HIV prevention or care. World Association of Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) Chairman Ginny Radford noted that "the
particularly high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among young women makes
it an issue of even greater concern to those of us working with
this target group." The program is being jointly launched today
by WAGGGS, UNAIDS, and the International Council of AIDS Service
Organizations.
Nation's Health (11/99) Vol. 29, No. 10, P. 7
A $9.4 million grant program sponsored by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention aims to eliminate disparities in
healthcare among minority populations. The program is part of
the CDC initiative known as Racial and Ethnic Approaches to
Community Health, or REACH 2010. Under the program, community
coalitions in 18 states will address infant mortality, breast and
cervical cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
immunization levels, and HIV/AIDS.