Join in Our Fight Against HIV/AIDS!

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

Together We Remain Strong!

Study Shows Mounting AIDS Toll in Swaziland

Swaziland's Central Statistical Office reported recently that the kingdom's death rate doubled in a 10-year period - from 7.6 deaths per 1,000 people in 1997 to 18.03 per 1,000 in 2007.

In addition, life expectancy plummeted from 60 years to 43. Among infants younger than one year, the death rate climbed from 78 per 1,000 in 1997 to 107 in 2007. Among children younger than five years, the death rate rose from 106 per 1,000 in 1997 to 167 in 2007. "HIV and AIDS has killed many of our people," said the CSO's Nombulelo Dlamini, adding that without the rollout of AIDS drugs, "deaths in the nation would be reaching alarming proportions."

At almost 40 percent, Swaziland's HIV prevalence is the world's highest, UN figures show.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Porn Stars Protest Tougher Condom Rules

Yesterday in Los Angeles, some porn performers came out to protest the possible strengthening of rules requiring the use of condoms in adult films.

In March, regulators with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health's standards board voted unanimously to create an advisory panel to consider additional regulations for the state's adult-film industry; the protest Tuesday coincided with the panel's first meeting. Cal/OSHA rules stipulating that workers be protected from bloodborne pathogens already require that condoms be used on porn film sets, officials said. Los Angeles County public health officials, however, said the rules need to be enforced. Amy Martin, Cal/OSHA's chief counsel, said the safety body investigates every complaint it receives about the lack of condom use on porn sets and has issued fines and citations in the past.

The additional regulations being considered, she said, would be written specifically for the adult-film industry. The panel made no decision but agreed to meet again later this year in San Francisco.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Santa Clara County HIV/AIDS Efforts Criticized

The HIV-related deaths of 12 Santa Clara County residents in the current fiscal year has advocates and public health officials reassessing the county's efforts to fight the epidemic.

The county is "not doing a good job in testing, and we're certainly not doing enough in the prevention or outreach education work that other communities have done," said Fred Ferrer, CEO of the Health Trust, a provider of nonmedical services to those with HIV/AIDS.

The county's list of HIV outreach efforts includes health fairs, community events, and needle-exchange programs. It also partners with faith-based groups. In the past year, the state reduced funding for HIV prevention and care in Santa Clara County by $1.2 million.

"If we don't take a serious look at how we do AIDS education in the schools, how we're doing it in the bars, in the clubs, how it has really become normative, then we're going to just pay for it later," Ferrer said.

"You have to go to high-risk communities. We have so many different communities that it takes an effort to reach those," said county Public Health Officer Marty Fenstersheib. "The dollars are so limited, you have to target them."

Populations targeted in the county's outreach efforts include African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos.

In 2008, almost 2,700 people in Santa Clara County were HIV positive, a figure that does not include those who are unaware of their status. Both Health Trust and county officials bemoan the fact they do not have more funds to send speakers to schools and community organizations to talk about HIV prevention.

"If we can prevent anyone from getting infected with HIV and contain it, we can stop the spread. We can eradicate this virus," said AIDS activist Robert Smart.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Women Risk HIV in Forced Marriages

The challenge of containing the HIV epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is complicated by cultural mores that often consider rape inevitable in this poor and war-torn country.

"This is a terrible problem in the Congo," said Derick Manegabe, technical director for Fondation Femme Plus (FFP), a national organization for HIV- and AIDS-affected girls and women. "Women are raped by their husbands, and many people don't believe that's a crime. They're raped by armed groups and are afraid to tell because they will be stigmatized," said Manegabe, whose organization provides counseling and education on a broad range of health issues.

The nature of rape in the Congo has shifted dramatically in recent years. Between 2004 and 2008, the proportion of rapes attributed to civilians rose from 1 percent to 34 percent, according to estimates by Oxfam. Rape often is the functional equivalent of a marriage proposal, some observers say.

UN data indicate there are 1.5 million HIV-positive residents in the Congo, nearly 5 percent of the population. In Goma province, still shattered by the effects of the Rwandan genocide, 2,693 people are receiving antiretroviral treatment, while another 29,645 are on the waiting list.

Overwhelmingly, the route of HIV transmission in the Congo is heterosexual contact, and women comprise about 60 percent of those infected. Two percent of pregnant women have access to services to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, and 8 percent are offered HIV testing and counseling.

More than 40,000 infants are born with HIV infection in the Congo each year. FFP has received funding that will vastly increase the number of women receiving antiretroviral therapy next year, Manegabe said.

Congo stepped out in the early 1980s with HIV awareness programs, but that effort was derailed quickly by consecutive civil wars. In recent weeks, President Joseph Kabila has promised to resume the outreach with public-private programs to train health care workers and improve the capacity of the nation's laboratories.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Prepare for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy's Release

The Friends of AIDS Foundation anticipates President Barack Obama will soon release a comprehensive, five-year plan of action to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.

Announcement of the Strategy will be historic. After nearly 30 years battling HIV/AIDS, the federal government will set a new, coordinated plan of action designed to achieve greater progress against the epidemic. President Obama made creation and implementation of the Strategy his flagship HIV/AIDS initiative; his Administration has been working on the Strategy since assuming power in 2009.

To help prepare community members for the announcement, the Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy has developed a document, which offers core concepts for communications about the Strategy and ideas on how to leverage its release to garner local and national attention to urgent issues in our communities. The document can be viewed at: http://www.friendsofaids.org/files/Preparing-for-Announcement-FINAL.pdf

Call-In Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)

AIDS advocates are encouraged to listen in on the proceedings of the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) meeting being conducted via telephone conference call.

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 4 p.m. to approximately 5 p.m. EST.

CONFERENCE CALL: Domestic: 888-455-2653. International: 1-210-839-8485. Access code: 158777.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

ACTON ALERT - Demand President Obama Address The ADAP Crisis!

National Call-in Day
Monday, June 28th


Demand that President Obama Address the ADAP Crisis!

AIDS Drug Assistance Programs are critical in providing medications to people living with HIV/AIDS who have no other access. Unfortunately, many state ADAPs have been forced to cut services by reducing eligibility criteria, changing formularies, and closing enrollment. Over 1,596 individuals in ten states are on waiting lists to receive their life-saving and life-sustaining medications through this program. Without immediate additional funding the situation is going to get much worse. With National HIV Testing Day just behind us, we need to remind the Administration that getting people tested is not enough. Treatment must also be available. We need your help to ensure that the Obama Administration takes action to help those in need!

We know you've called and emailed, but we need your help AGAIN!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. Please call President Obama on Monday, June 28th. Please see contact information below.

Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and leave the following message:

My name is ___________ and I am calling today because President Obama must address the current crisis in AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. This past weekend was National HIV Testing Day. We know that knowledge of ADAP waiting lists and other access restrictions can keep people from being tested. For many people living with HIV/AIDS these programs are the only consistent access they have to life-saving medications. However, over 1,596 HIV-positive individuals are on waiting lists to access the programs. Relief must be provided so that ADAP clients can receive their medications and additional states don't find themselves in a similar situation.

2. Pass this information on to everyone you know.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Utah County to Offer Free HIV Testing

From June 28 through July 1, the Utah County Health Department will perform free HIV testing at the Utah County Health and Justice Building, 151 S. University Ave., Ste. 1709, in Provo. On June 30 only, walk-in clients will be tested from 1 to 6:30 p.m.; appointments are required for the other dates; telephone Sarah at 801-851-7075. Tests for other STDs can be requested at the same time; regular fees apply.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Cook County Offers Free HIV Tests at Several Sites

In recognition of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, free HIV tests are being offered at several Cook County locations. Testing will be performed on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oak Forest Hospital in Oak Forest; on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ABLA Homes in Chicago; and on June 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Malcolm X College in Chicago.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Forum Breaks Silence on AIDS: Pastors Talk About Virus Education and Address Their Own Perceptions

A recent summit of community organizations and some 20 congregations drafted a manifesto for addressing HIV/AIDS in the Syracuse community.

The goal of the meeting, sponsored by the Syracuse Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, was to attack the "stigma and shame" that accompany HIV, said the Rev. Chauncey Brown, leader of the commission.

The summit was responding, in part, to a spike in HIV cases among black and Latino youth in Onondaga County. Among the suggestions were HIV/AIDS education in Syracuse public schools and a push for HIV testing for those entering or leaving the prison system.

Local black clergy are beginning to look at HIV/AIDS as a health issue rather than a moral issue, Brown said. He called upon local service agencies to understand the perspective of clergy as well. "For so long, nobody has been sensitive on either side," he said.

One summit participant represented both constituencies. H. Bernard Alex directs FACES, an HIV/AIDS outreach and education program, and serves as pastor of Victory Temple Fellowship Church.

"My greatest desire is for people to be inspired to share information - accurate information," Alex said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Project Targets HIV Education in South Africa

A global organization that reaches out to children in areas most affected by HIV is staging its most comprehensive project to date at the World Cup in South Africa.

Forty staff members as well as local volunteers from Grassroots Soccer (GRS) are at the World Cup, educating children about HIV while providing a place to watch and play soccer. South African schools are closed during the World Cup's six-week run.

"Our goal is to educate as many kids as possible and to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in South Africa using soccer as the entry point," said GRS co-founder Ethan Zohn. "It's still a little bit taboo in South Africa, a little stigmatized. By combining something really cool, like soccer and the World Cup, with HIV/AIDS, we're able to break down those barriers."

FIFA, soccer's international governing body, has made GRS an integral partner in its plans to build public health and education facilities with soccer fields throughout South Africa. GRS is hosting the first of FIFA's 20 planned projects, a Cape Town facility that opened in December.

"One of the most important elements for where the centers are built is a reliable partner on the ground," said Federico Addiechi, head of FIFA's social responsibility programs. "We realized [GRS] was one of the best models to address HIV/AIDS prevention through football."

Zohn, who played professional soccer in the United States and Zimbabwe, takes the long view of GRS's involvement in the region. "The tough part is what's going to happen after the World Cup when everyone leaves," he said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


Together We Remain Strong!

AIDS Awareness Campaign Targets Hispanics in Mississippi

To reach Hispanics with an HIV prevention message, Mississippi activists are turning to texting and other forms of electronic media during an upcoming 12-week campaign.

At the heart of the "Espera y Piensa" ("Stop and Think") project by the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA) are 500 text messages sent out weekly directing Hispanics to online information and testing resources.

"Cell phones are the main form of communication for immigrants here. We'll be encouraging them, if they think they have an STD, to go to the health department and contact us so we can secure services," said MIRA Executive Director Bill Chandler.

Hispanics constitute about 15 percent of the US population but an estimated 17 percent of new HIV infections each year, according to CDC. The MIRA campaign targets adults ages 18 to 35.

"There's never really been an effort to make [HIV] a part of a discussion that immigrants are having," Chandler said.

The MIRA website and its Facebook page will feature resources such as bilingual podcasts and videos. The effort also will include four radio ads.

The reliance on electronic media generated some reservations from at least one community leader.

"You're sending them to a website, for God's sake," said the Rev. Ken Ramon-Landry, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hattiesburg. "They don't have computers."

An area publisher who said he will run ads about the campaign in his newspaper noted that Hispanics tend to avoid medical services.

"For any kind of illness, they prefer to just deal with that or maybe get homemade solutions," said Luis Espinoza, publisher of La Noticia, a Spanish-language newspaper based in the Jackson area. "It's not because the Latinos don't care about this problem. They lack the information," he said.

The program is funded by a $9,000 grant from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. For more information, visit www.yourmira.org.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Proposed Budget Defunds HIV Meds For Inmates (and more)

On May 14, 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger released his 2010/2011 budget revision, commonly referred to as the "May Revise". The May Revise is an updated budget proposal based on California's most recent revenue estimates and policy proposals. The 2010/2011 budget revision attempts to address California's ongoing economic difficulties, including a projected budget gap of $19.9 billion. The Governor is seeking to fill the gap through a combination of expenditure cuts ($12.4 billion), federal funds ($3.4 billion), alter‐native funding ($1.3 billion) and fund shifts and loans ($2.1 billion).

The Governor is seeking to fill the gap through a combination of expenditure cuts ($12.4 billion), federal funds ($3.4 billion), alternative funding ($1.3 billion) and fund shifts and loans ($2.1 billion). It is a sad statement on California's future that the Governor has chosen to force a disproportionate share of the budget burden on to Californians who are most in need by making severe cuts to health and social service programs.

The following summary highlights proposed cuts to health and social services most commonly used by Californians living with HIV/AIDS.

-California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)-

There are no additional program changes proposed to ADAP in the May Revise.The budget includes the Governor's January proposal to eliminate all ADAP support from county jails. ADAP currently provides medications to incarcerated individuals in 44 facilities residing in 36 counties. LA County expects to lose approximately $3 million in ADAP funding from this proposal.There is a proposed $32.7 million reduction to ADAP. This reduction will be met through the elimination of sup‐port to the jails, additional technical adjustments to the program and additional savings based on service utilization trends.

Medi-Cal

As a result of the passage of the federal health care reform law, the May Revision does not include several of the eligibility and enrollment cuts that the Governor included in his January proposal. This is due to the fact that the health care reform law requires the Medi‐Cal and Healthy Families programs to maintain their eligibility standards at the same level that they were as of July 1, 2008. In order to be in compliance with federal law, Medi-Cal will also be required to restore coverage for certain optometry services. There are, however, other proposed cuts that will make it difficult for many to access life‐sustaining medical services:

Physician/clinic/hospital visit reductions:
Require Medi-Cal beneficiaries to pay $5.00 co-payments for medical services, including physician and clinic visits.Require Medi-Cal beneficiaries to pay $50.00 co-payments for emergency room visits.Require Medi-Cal beneficiaries to pay $100 per day hospital co-payment ($200.00 maximum).Limit number of physician/clinic visits to 10 per year.Establish annual benefit caps on the following services: Hearing aids: $1,510Durable medical equipment: $1,604Incontinence supplies $1,659Woundcare supplies $391

Pharmacy reductions:
Begin charging $5.00 co-payments per drug ($3.00 for "lower cost drugs).Eliminate coverage for certain over-the-counter drugs including cough/cold medicines, acetaminophen, and certain nutritional supplements.Limit prescriptions to six per month. ("Life-saving" medications such as medications used to directly treat HIV/AIDS are excluded from the six-drug limit.)

Elimination of Medicare Part D premium payment support:
No longer pay Medicare Part B premiums for beneficiaries with monthly Share-of-Cost under $500. The Medicare Part B premium amount in 2010 is $94.60 month. Additional proposed cuts to Medi-Cal that have been carried over from the Governor's January proposal:Eliminate full Medi-Cal coverage for immigrants who have lawfully resided in the US less than five years. California has provided full Medi-Cal coverage to individuals in this group since 1996, when the Federal government changed policy and eliminated reimbursement for legal immigrants who have been in the US for five years or less.Eliminate Medi-Cal coverage for Adult Day Health Care services.

Additional Medi-Cal program and budget changes:
Enroll seniors and people living with disabilities in managed care.Reduce reimbursement rates for radio logy services to 80% of the rate reimbursable under Medicare.Maintain hospital reimbursement rates at the current level.Eliminate Medi-Cal reimbursements for certain substance abuse programs.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Eliminate domestic and related services for IHSS recipients who have "less severe" impairments:

Eliminates certain domestic services and increases cost sharing for people who are considered moderately disabled. To qualify for IHSS, that would mean would be required to have a "Functional Index" score below 4.0. Reduce compensation for IHSS workers:The Governor proposes an additional reduction to the state's hourly wage contribution for IHSS workers. The proposal would reduce the state contribution to the minimum wage $8.60 per hour rate. Counties have the option to make up the difference of the lost funding from the State, but this is unlikely considering the current budget shortfalls that counties are facing.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The May Revision maintains the reductions proposed in the January budgetEffective October 2010, reduce the monthly SSI grant for an individual from $845 to $830.

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) and the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)

Effective October 1, 2010, eliminates CAPI and CFAP.CAPI and CFAP provide SSI/Food Stamp "lookalike" benefits for senior and disabled legal immigrants who are not eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to their immigration status.

CalWORKs

The Governor's proposal calls for the complete elimination of CalWORKs by October 1, 2010. If CalWORKs is not eliminated by then, the Governor proposes additional reductions to the pro‐gram. CalWORKs provides support to 1.4 million Californians, including 1.1 million children.

Next Steps

Over the next few weeks, the Governor and Legislature will be making many critical decisions regarding the funding of health and human service programs. The State Senate and Assembly must consider the Governor's budget revision proposal and pass a unified budget package that they then submit to the Governor. The final package requires a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and the Senate. The Governor can sign the bill, veto it, or sign it and "blue-pencil" (delete) certain budgetary items, as he did last year.

As consumers and advocates, it is critical that you continue to monitor the budget process in order to understand the impact of the budget cuts on health care and disability services for people with HIV.

Contact (email, call, fax and/or write) your State (Assembly and Senate) representatives to remind them of the value of these services to people with HIV/AIDS (find your representatives at: legislature.ca.gov) and urge them to take whatever measures necessary to restore these services.Let the Governor know how dissatisfied you are with his proposed funding cuts for California's human and social services safety net (contact the Governor at: State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814; TEL: 916.445.2841; FAX: 916.558.3160)

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong

AIDS Service Group in South Jersey to Close

A 22-year-old AIDS service organization in Bellmawr is closing its doors, the victim of cuts in government and private-sector support.

In recent months, the AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey (ACSNJ) was less and less able to carry out its mission of managing cases and providing day-to-day services such as transportation, officials said.

"You just reach the point where you're not making ends meet," ACSNJ attorney Paul Mainardi said. The action had been discussed for several months before a unanimous board vote May 25, Mainardi said. The organization will cease operations this summer.

ACSNJ has 27 employees, 400 volunteers, and an annual budget of $2.1 million. Other community organizations are prepared to help absorb its 1,700 clients, but they likely will not have ACSNJ's focus on community services.

Other alternatives are Garden State Infectious Disease Associates in Voorhees and the Camden Area Health Education Center. In 2007, New Jersey had 1,164 cases of AIDS, the ninth-highest caseload nationally, according to CDC.

Among those witnessing the closing of ACSNJ is one of its founders. In 1988, Ruth Levy of Moorestown donated property to start a thrift store and $500 toward a food bank, her way of coping with her son's diagnosis of AIDS.

"My son, his last words to me were, 'Mom, make sure people are fed,'" Levy said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

Examination of Inequalities in HIV/AIDS Mortality in the United States from a Fundamental Cause Perspective

In the current study, the researchers assessed changes in socioeconomic status (SES) and black and white inequalities in HIV/AIDS mortality prior to and after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Taking a fundamental cause perspective, they used negative binomial regression to analyze trends in county-level gender-, race-, and age-specific HIV/AIDS mortality rates of persons ages 15 to 64. The study period was 1987 to 2005.

"Although HIV/AIDS mortality rates decreased once HAART became available, the declines were not uniformly distributed among population groups," the authors wrote. Associations between SES and HIV/AIDS mortality, as well as between race and HIV/AIDS mortality, were present in the pre-HAART period. In the peri- and post-HAART periods, however, these associations were significantly greater. During the post-HAART period, higher SES and white race were associated with the greatest declines in mortality.

"Our findings support the fundamental cause hypothesis, as the introduction of a life-extending treatment exacerbated inequalities in HIV/AIDS mortality by SES and by race," the authors concluded. "In addition to a strong focus on factors that improve overall population health, more effective public health interventions and policies would facilitate an equitable distribution of health-enhancing innovations."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!

UN Labor Meeting Urges End to Mandatory HIV Tests

On Thursday, the International Labor Organization urged countries to end mandatory HIV screening for prospective employees, among other non-binding measures overwhelmingly approved at the annual ministerial meeting in Geneva. The ILO recommends HIV prevention in the workplace and access to voluntary screening for employees.

HIV testing is mandatory for job seekers in many countries, including for military and health care positions, said Sophia Kisting, head of ILO's HIV/AIDS program. "That is spread fairly globally," she said of the practice. "Sometimes the workers don't even know they're being tested" for HIV during pre-employment exams, said Anna Torriente, an ILO legal consultant.

Often, testing is compulsory for employees in the transport, airline, and maritime industries, said Kisting. "In the maritime sector it is very much the practice to not let workers who are HIV-positive onto the boats," she said. "The explanation is that it is very hard work, it's long absences from home. If somebody gets sick it will be difficult to give them full treatment they may need. It comes from the past of HIV."

Nonetheless, "Mandatory testing drives HIV underground because it's stigmatizing," Kisting said. Voluntary and confidential HIV screening would boost uptake, she said.

Unionists would have preferred that the recommendations were adopted at an ILO convention, which then would be binding on member states, said Jan Sithole, a labor advocate. However, there was little support from government and employer representatives, he said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


Together We Remain Strong

Eight Nations Picked as Health-Aid Labs

The Obama administration recently selected eight nations to pilot a new approach to global health, while scaling back the growth of US global HIV/AIDS spending. The strategy aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality and neglected tropical and other preventable diseases, while improving nutrition and access to clean water, among other initiatives.

Lessons gleaned from the eight "learning labs" will inform efforts for the 80 countries that receive US global health aid, officials said. "We want to make sure we know and have the facts behind what works, what doesn't work, and why," a senior official said.

However, deficit concerns and competing priorities in Congress are clouding the prospects of President Barack Obama's requested 9 percent increase for global health funding in fiscal 2011. If approved, global health spending would grow to $9.6 billion, of which $7 billion would go to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). A $200 million strategic-reserve fund would support the eight countries.

Some health groups and experts are critical of the slowdown in PEPFAR spending. The administration's strategy "is setting back and derailing a very effective HIV/AIDS response," said Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance.

An administration official familiar with the plan said the countries chosen were Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Mali, Malawi, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The nations were selected because of their health infrastructure strength, international partners working locally, and other factors.

Technical assistance and other resources will be used to simplify and integrate disparate US aid programs in the countries and help their governments build stronger and sustainable health systems, said officials. Projects could target the expansion of community health workers and improvment of supply chains to keep clinics stocked with medicines and vaccines.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong

Recent Studies From University of Illinois Add New Data to HIV/AIDS

"Health workers can contribute to HIV prevention by minimizing HIV transmission in health facilities and increasing client teaching. We offered a peer-group intervention for Malawian rural health workers to build their universal precautions and teaching skills," scientists writing in the journal AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV report.

"A quasi-experimental design using independent sample surveys and observations compared health workers in an intervention and delayed intervention control district at baseline and at 15 and 30 months post-intervention. Controlling for demographic factors, the intervention district had more reported HIV teaching at 15 and 30 months and also had higher universal precautions knowledge and fewer needle stick injuries at 30 months. Observations at 15 and 30 months post-intervention showed higher levels of teaching in the intervention district. Observed glove wearing and hand washing were also higher at 30 months," wrote D.L. Jere and colleagues, University of Illinois.

The researchers concluded: "This intervention should be made available for health workers in Malawi and provides a potential model for other high-HIV prevalence countries."

Jere and colleagues published their study in AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV (Improving universal precautions and client teaching for rural health workers: a peer-group intervention. AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio - Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 2010;22(5):649-657).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong

Washington and Benton Counties Discuss Funding for HIV Clinic

At an unprecedented joint meeting on Thursday, representatives of Benton and Washington counties tentatively agreed on how to fund the Washington County HIV Clinic.

Some 37 percent of the clinic's patients reside in Benton County, though in previous years the proportion of residents from each county has been more evenly split. In April, Washington County officials notified Benton County that its residents would be turned away from the clinic unless the county contributed $17,000 in clinic funding. However, Benton County officials said they would not pay the sum unless the clinic obtained nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax status.

During the meeting, Washington County officials promised that they will create a nonprofit organization to act as a fundraiser for the clinic. Benton County has yet to vote on the agreement, but representatives at the meeting tentatively agreed to pay the $17,000 and enter into negotiations to jointly run the clinic.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


Together We Remain Strong!

Why Rectal Douches May Be Acceptable Rectal-Microbicide Delivery Vehicles for Men Who Have Sex with Men

The authors undertook the current study to explore the age of onset of rectal douching among men who have sex with men (MSM) and the reasons for continuing to douche, as well as to consider whether rectal douches containing microbial agents would be acceptable for men at risk of HIV infection.

In stage one of the research, the team used qualitative methods to assess douching behavior in a sample of 20 MSM. The researchers then developed a structured questionnaire that was administered to 105 MSM in stage two.

Despite being advised not to do so, more than half of the participants who completed stage one douched during the trial. Of the 105 HIV-negative MSM in stage two, 51 percent reported rectal douching in the previous six months; 47 percent reported douching before anal intercourse; and 25 percent reporting doing so after anal sex. Most participants reported douching frequently or always. Men reported douching on average about two hours before anal intercourse or one hour after. Average age of beginning to douche was late 20s. Most respondents said they douched because they wanted to be clean, or because their partners encouraged them to do so. In addition, some men thought post-intercourse douching could prevent STDs.

"Rectal douching appears to be a popular behavior among men who have receptive anal intercourse," the authors concluded. "It is necessary to identify harmless douches. If [HIV] or [STD] preventive douches can be developed, rectal douching before or following sexual intercourse could become an important additional prevention tool. To reshape an existing behavior to which some men strongly adhere, like douching, by suggesting use of one type douche over another may be more successful than trying to convince MSM to engage in behaviors they never practiced before or those they resist (e.g., condom use)."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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South Africa Protesters March for US AIDS Funding

On Thursday, thousands of South Africans marched outside the US consulate in Johannesburg to protest the Obama administration's scaling back of funding increases to fight AIDS globally.

The activists, wearing green T-shirts that said "HIV-Positive," urged the United States to increase its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to $2.8 billion by 2013. Protesters noted that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief recently received only a modest increase, which has led to treatment shortages at PEPFAR-supported clinics and forced providers to ration medication.

PEPFAR officials said this year's budget increased from $6.8 billion in 2010 to nearly $7 billion for 2011.

"Over the years ahead, [lack of funding] will condemn millions of newly infected patients to death and threaten the health of those already on treatment," protesters said in a statement.

US officials replied in a statement that the nation's contribution to South Africa for HIV/AIDS has increased, and that "the U.S. remains fully committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially in Africa, and remains the largest funder and technical adviser of the global response."

Advocates at the protest also urged the European Union, China, Japan, and Canada to increase AIDS funding, and for African leaders to make good on their pledge to increase health spending to 15 percent of their national budgets.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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Playing Soccer, and Talking HIV

In a country that has the world's highest number of HIV-positive residents, a nascent soccer league in South Africa's Mpumalanga Province is simultaneously honing athletic skills and fighting disease.

The league is home to some 2,500 boys on 160 teams in under-14 and under-17 divisions. The league covers a region on South Africa's eastern border where 65 percent of residents between 18 and 34 are believed to be HIV-positive.

The players receive more than coaching. In weekly sessions, medical workers give instruction on HIV, domestic violence, and similar topics. Plays, songs, dance, and poetry from an improvisational drama troupe address everyday social challenges. A handful of girls have started taking the health classes and inquired about joining a team.

"It's a way to address something that nobody wants to talk about through a game that everybody loves," said Sarah Kate Noftsinger, executive director of the league's umbrella organization, Triad Nkomazi Rush.

An American youth soccer organization, Rush, provides uniforms to teams with perfect attendance, but players have to keep attending classes to keep them.

HIV testing is offered and encouraged. A goal of the program is to have everyone in the league tested every 90 days.

A local seven-member executive committee oversees the league's scheduling, finances, marketing, and medical education. The goal is a self-sustaining infrastructure in this area with 60 to 90 percent unemployment.

"Triad Nkomazi Rush is trying to make people see that a person with HIV is not the enemy," said Paul Makofane, deputy director of sports advancement in the province. "And they are transferring skills, so we won't have to rely on the mother programs from the United States. We can run our own," he said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Global Fund Cites Progress in Treating AIDS, TB, Malaria

Some 5.7 million lives have been saved since 2002 because of the Global Fund's efforts in treating AIDS, TB, and malaria, the organization announced this month.

Sixty percent of the 144 countries receiving assistance from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its inception, the Global Fund has distributed $10 billion to programs that address these diseases.

In just the 12 months since mid-2009, the Global Fund reports significant progress toward several goals: a 22 percent increase in the number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy to 2.8 million, a 30 percent increase in the number of smear-positive TB cases detected and treated to 7 million, and a 39 percent increase in the number of insect nets distributed, to 122 million.

A representative from the Global Fund attributes the organization's success to its hands-off approach to both identifying problem areas and implementing interventions.

"It has to be the country itself that is in the driver's seat and the way we are set up, the countries come up with proposals," said Stefan Embled, Global Fund director for resource globalization. "It is them that are identifying what their needs are at the country level and then there is an independent review to make sure that what is being proposed to achieve their priorities is technically and financially sound," he said.

The Global Fund is in the midst of a "replenishment year" during which the organization is seeking $17 billion to $20 billion to fund programs for the next three years. The gains that have been made are fragile and could be compromised if support wanes, Embled said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Proven Sex-Ed Programs Get a Boost from Obama

With more than $114 million in this year's federal budget, the federal government is favoring sex education programs that are comprehensive and able to prove they can reduce teen pregnancy.

One example of this evidence-based strategy has been developed by educator Michael Carrera. In a series of age-appropriate programs, Carrera's approach offers instruction in sexuality, decision-making, and relationships. The programs are intended to be comprehensive, and include features such as a job bank that teaches students about work and personal finances. The programs also provide activities such as art, music, and athletics that are known to delay initiation of sex.

In an independent analysis of Carrera's program, teenage girls were followed during their four high-school years. Among girls who took Carrera's program, 10 percent became pregnant. Among those who did not participate, the figure was 22 percent.

Carrera's program also offers reproductive health care in a comprehensive package of medical, dental, and mental health services. Girls in Carrera's program are not only less likely to become pregnant, they are more likely to use protection against STDs, said evaluator Susan Philliber.

The cost of Carrera's program is about $2,500 per student. Ron Haskins, a Brookings Institution fellow and former advisor to President George W. Bush, said he admires Carrera's success, but is dubious about the ability of communities to implement the program widely.

"I would think there'll be some communities without adequate resources - it'll be very difficult for them to implement all aspects of the Carrera program," Haskins said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Benton County HIV Patients Could Be Turned Away from Treatment

A disagreement between two county governments over how to fund an HIV clinic is threatening to leave some its patients without a source of care.

A meeting to resolve these differences is scheduled on Thursday for representatives of Washington County, which operates a county HIV clinic, and Benton County. Of the 700 patients served by the Washington County HIV Clinic since the facility opened in 1992, 266 were from Benton County.

Benton County contends a deal struck this year calls for it to pay Washington County $17,000 in the first part of 2010, and another $17,000 when the clinic receives nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax status.

Washington County's attorney said the county has not abandoned the attempt to organize the clinic as a nonprofit, but added that the process is time-intensive and that nonprofit status may not attract the funding Benton County officials believe it will.

"That's never something we'd agree we would do because it's not practical," said George Butler, Washington County's attorney. "Just because it becomes a 501(c)(3) there's not a magic source of funds out there that can keep the clinic running day to day, year to year."

Washington County officials said they will have no choice but to turn away Benton County residents unless the costs of these patients are reimbursed.

It is "a violation of the Arkansas Constitution to spend Washington taxpayer money on Benton County residents," Butler says.

Benton County officials reiterated their desire for the clinic to attain nonprofit status.

"We feel like a 501(c)(3) status is an asset to them, because it allows them to receive donations from other private groups, and they wouldn't solely be dependent on public monies," Benton County Justice of the Peace Tom Allen said.


The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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HIV Decline in Zimbabwe Due to Reductions in Risky Sex? Evidence from a Comprehensive Epidemiological Review

In Zimbabwe, recent data from antenatal surveillance and general population surveys suggest substantial declines in the prevalence of HIV. In the current study, the researchers assessed the contributions of rising mortality, falling HIV incidence, and changes in sexual behavior to that decline. The methodology employed was a comprehensive review and secondary analysis of national and local sources on trends in HIV prevalence and incidence, mortality, and sexual behavior from 1985 to 2007.

National estimates indicate HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe fell from 29.3 percent in 1997 to 15.6 percent in 2007. According to national census and survey estimates, vital registration data from Harare and Bulawayo, and prospective local population survey data from eastern Zimbabwe, substantial rises in mortality occurred in the 1990s before leveling off after 2000.

According to direct estimates of HIV incidence in male factory workers and women attending pre- and post-natal clinics, trends in HIV prevalence among 15- to 24-year-olds, and back-calculation estimates based on the vital registration data from Harare, HIV incidence may have peaked in the early 1990s and fallen later in the decade. Household surveys indicated reductions in the number of casual sex partners from the late 1990s, as well as high condom use in nonregular partnerships between 1998 and 2007.

"These findings provide the first convincing evidence of an HIV decline accelerated by changes in sexual behavior in a southern African country," the authors concluded. "However, in 2007, one in every seven adults in Zimbabwe was still infected with a life-threatening virus, and mortality rates remained at crisis level."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Treatment Saves Lives, Money

Expanding the availability of HIV antiretroviral therapy to 50 percent of eligible British Columbians would avert 1,360 new HIV infections and save about $21 million (US $20.5 million) over the ensuing five years, new Canadian research shows.

HIV treatment reduces the likelihood of spreading the disease among 90 percent of those given therapy, said Dr. Julio Montaner, one of the researchers and director of the British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

Their analysis lends support to the idea that aggressive and early treatment of HIV is de facto prevention, said Montaner. "At the end of the day, this is a key strategy to control the epidemic."

The study was based on the experience of 4,379 people in British Columbia on antiretroviral therapy, a program developed in part at the British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. The researchers defined the baseline as outcomes under their current protocols based on 2006 guidelines from the International AIDS Society-USA. Researchers then compared projected outcomes using 2008 IAS-USA guidelines, which expanded treatment eligibility criteria, with the 2006 protocols.

Organizations around the world, such as the United Nations and the International AIDS Society World Federation, will be adopting the expanded treatment approach on the strength of lower costs and extended life expectancy, Montaner said.

"The study results are critically important because they reinforce the significant individual and society benefits of starting earlier HIV treatment and provide further momentum for treatment as prevention, which - in the absence of a vaccine or cure - remains the best way to contain and halt the spread of HIV," Montaner said.

The full report, "Expanding HAART Treatment to All Currently Eligible Individuals Under the 2008 IAS-USA Guidelines in British Columbia, Canada," was published in PLoS ONE (2010:5(6): e10991. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010991).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Meharry, Ministers Team Up to Fight HIV/AIDS in Nashville

Helping African-American clergy establish and run HIV/AIDS education projects is the major focus of recently announced CDC grants to Metropolitan Interdenominational Church and Meharry Medical College.

Each $2 million grant to the Nashville institutions will run for five years.

Under its grant, Metropolitan Interdenominational will target clergy in a series of HIV prevention summits across the country. Up to 150 clergy are expected at each summit, and it is hoped that as many as 30 from each event will continue on to participate in a five-part curriculum-based education program.

The church also will work with divinity schools to help train clergy. In the past, Metropolitan Interdenominational has worked with the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C., and American Baptist College in Nashville.

The Meharry grant calls for participants of a 22-member advisory committee to travel throughout the South to train community leaders in developing prevention programs, activities and testing opportunities. The program targets 11 states.

Meharry's advisory committee consists of ministers, health care providers, and leaders of historically black colleges. While their grants are separate, Meharry and Metropolitan Interdenominational will coordinate their efforts.

The Rev. Sherman Tribble, pastor of New Visions Baptist Church in Donelson, is a member of Meharry's advisory committee.

"The church needs to be involved on several levels," Tribble said. "One is spreading the news that it is an equal opportunity disease. Anyone who is human has the possibility of getting it."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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No Changes in Restrictions on Gay Blood Donors

A federal policy that bans blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) should remain essentially unchanged, a federal advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration voted Friday in a 9-6 decision.

At the same time, the panel made several recommendations that could clear the way for a relaxing of the lifetime prohibition. The panel's proposals are non-binding and now go to officials within the US Department of Health and Human Services for review.

FDA's current policy states that men who have had sex with another man at any time since 1977 are currently deferred as blood donors. Testimony at the two-day hearing pointed out an inconsistency in the agency's blood donation approach, as heterosexual men or women who have had sex with someone with HIV are deferred from donating blood for one year.

The panel said the current policy was "suboptimal," as it allows "some potentially high-risk donations wile preventing some potentially low-risk donations."

Representatives from the AIDS Institute, the Foundation for AIDS Research, and the blood bank trade organization AABB called for a change in the policy, including limiting the ban against donations from men who have sex with men to one year after the last homosexual experience.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), addressed the panel to urge a lifting of the ban.

"This is a discussion with real social significance for gay men," Kerry said. "Today, this lingering policy carries with it a social stigma for this population that is still engaged in battles for civil rights on a whole array of fronts."

Panel members made a series of recommendations that call for screening of blood donors based on individual behavior rather than characteristics of a larger group. The goal, they said, was to increase blood safety and reduce discriminatory aspects of blood donation policy.

One recommendation called for an analysis of the feasibility of prescreening to identify which demographic groups are at greatest risk of transmitting blood-borne pathogens.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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CDC Releases 2008 HIV Surveillance Report

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its HIV Surveillance Report, 2008 Vol. 20. This report presents data for cases of HIV infection and AIDS reported to CDC through June 2009.

The annual HIV Surveillance Report provides an overview on the current epidemiology of HIV disease in the United States and dependent areas. CDC funds state and territorial health departments to collect surveillance data on persons diagnosed with HIV infection; all personal identifiers are removed from these data before being transmitted to CDC via a secure data network. Data are analyzed by CDC and then displayed by age, race, sex, transmission category, and jurisdiction (where appropriate). Prior to the 2008 reporting year, the report was referred to as the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. The report is published annually in late summer or early fall.

Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports to access CDC’s 2008 HIV Surveillance Report.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Undiagnosed HIV Infection Among New York City Jail Entrants, 2006: Results of a Blinded Serosurvey

Among New York City jail entrants, HIV testing has increased four-fold since 2004, when personnel began offering all inmates rapid testing at intake. To help improve services, the current study determined HIV prevalence among jail entrants, including the proportion undiagnosed.

In 2006, remnant serum from routine syphilis testing was salvaged for blinded HIV screening. Before permanently removing identifiers, the authors determined previously undiagnosed HIV infections by referring to HIV surveillance and electronic clinical data. "Undiagnosed" individuals were those who had not been reported to surveillance and denied HIV infection.

Among those entering jail, 68.9 percent (6,411) were tested, and total HIV prevalence was 5.2 percent (4.7 percent of males and 9.8 percent of females). Adjusting for those not in the serosurvey, total estimated prevalence was 8.7 percent (6.5 percent of males and 14 percent of females).

Of HIV infections identified in the serosurvey, 28.1 percent were undiagnosed at intake, of which only 11.5 percent were diagnosed through routine testing. Of those with undiagnosed infection, only 11.1 percent reported injection drug use or being men who have sex with men.

"About 5-9 percent of New York City jail entrants are HIV-infected," the authors concluded. "Of the infected, 28 percent are undiagnosed; most of whom denied recognized HIV risk factors. To increase inmates' acceptance of routine testing, we are working to eliminate the required separate written consent for HIV testing to allow implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended opt-out testing model."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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New Vaginal Ring Borrows from Birth Control to Fight AIDS

The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) is launching the first clinical trial in Africa of a vaginal ring to help combat HIV infection.

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of the ring will occur at research centers in southern and eastern Africa. The rings contain 25 mg of the new antiretroviral drug dapivirine. Existing vaginal rings, in contrast, contain contraceptive or therapeutic hormones.

Recent World Health Organization data show that HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death globally in women 15 to 44 years old. In Africa, it is the single most important cause of disease for women ages 15-59.

Clinical trials of the IPM ring will include approximately 280 healthy, sexually active HIV-negative women who will be given either the dapivirine ring or a placebo ring, which they will have to replace every month during the three-month study. They also will be given condoms and counseling on how to prevent infection.

The purpose of these studies is to measure the acceptability of the vaginal ring and whether it will be used correctly.

"You have to make sure that a product is acceptable before you test its efficacy, because if people don't like the product, what's the point?" said Pamela Norick, a spokesperson for IPM.

Dapivirine is in the same class of antiretrovirals as those used to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission.

If the new vaginal rings prove safe and acceptable to users, they will be further studied for efficacy. If all goes well, they could be marketed by 2015, according to Zeda Rosenberg, a top official at IPM.

"Vaginal rings have tremendous promise because they could offer discreet, effective and sustained protection against HIV infection," IPM said in a statement.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Eastern Europe, Central Asia Leaders Shunning AIDS Meet

The International AIDS Conference will take place next month in Vienna without representation from most eastern European and central Asian nations.

"These countries are not very good with their programs to fight HIV," said Mats Ahnlund, executive director of the International AIDS Society, which organizes what is considered the world's most significant HIV/AIDS professional meeting. Eastern Europe and central Asia report about 1.5 million people with HIV/AIDS, and an increase in the number of cases there is attributed to the use of injection drugs. Countries in the region that are expected to take part include Georgia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Russia. Headlining the meeting is former President Bill Clinton.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Swiss Acupuncturist Probed Over HIV Infections

At least 15 HIV-positive people are linked to an acupuncturist who may have given them the infection intentionally, according to press reports.

Authorities are conducting an investigation and will decide by next year whether to charge the man with intentionally spreading human disease and causing serious bodily harm, Swiss investigating Magistrate Hermann Fleischhackl said. The infections are believed to have been transmitted between 2001 and 2005. The Swiss tabloid Blick this week reported that one alleged victim filed a criminal complaint five years ago, but authorities had remained silent about the allegations. Another four HIV-positive persons "have no explanation for their infection, or at least aren't linking it to the accused," the magistrate said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Newsom Budget Cuts Trans, AIDS Services

San Francisco officials plugged a $428.7 million deficit in the budget unveiled June 1, in small part by reducing HIV-related housing subsidies and eliminating employment assistance for transgendered residents.

"This came down to a lot of difficult choices in the last few days for closing the deficit," said Human Services Agency Executive Director Trent Rhorer.

The proposed budget asks persons eligible for HIV-related housing subsidies to contribute one-third of their income, compared to the 20 percent now assessed. The increase would bring the cost-sharing into line with similar programs and save the city between $500,000 and $550,000.

"Under the circumstances of a horrible budget, if that's as bad as it gets, that's not too bad," said Dr. Mitchell Katz, public health department director.

One challenge for the housing initiative is a restriction in the ability of the city to pay for subsidies with federal Ryan White program funds. Supervisor Bevan Dufty said he is working to restore the housing subsidy to its original level.

During the three years it has been in existence, San Francisco's Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative has helped about 125 persons find employment, said city officials. The program is budgeted currently at $270,498 annually.

Community organizers and public officials are working to find a way to restore the transgendered employment program, Dufty said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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AIDS Activists Use World Cup to Spread Their Message

Organizations, celebrities, and activists plan to use the World Cup in South Africa to help spread the message of HIV prevention. Activities will include testing at stadium parking lots, giving out condoms, and raising awareness about safe sex.

South Africa has an estimated 5.7 million HIV-infected people, more than any other country. Last year, the government vowed to cut new infections by half and improve access to AIDS drugs.

The South African private organization Right to Care plans to sell red vuvuzelas - plastic horns fans blow at games - with the message "make noise for HIV." The proceeds will be used to fund AIDS treatment for the poor. The group's mobile testing units will be at stadiums and other places fans gather.

Soccer superstar David Beckham will spread the message that more men need to support their partners in getting treatment for HIV/AIDS. Beckham has met with HIV-positive South African pregnant women and new mothers in his role as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Miriam Mhazo, an official with the Independent Society for Family Health, said South Africans are "very celebrity conscious." "You use celebrities to talk about important issues, and people stop and listen," she said.

Another celebrity, U2's Bono, is working with Nike and other major retailers to sell (RED) project T-shirts and shoes, with the proceeds going to AIDS and other global health projects.

The World Cup organization has founded Football for Hope centers to give schoolchildren sex education and AIDS prevention messages. A UN-sponsored song addressing AIDS hunger and poverty, performed by African stars, will be featured at the tournament. And free condoms supplied by the government will be offered at hotels catering to fans.

Malaria also is on the World Cup's health agenda. Halftime videos will promote malaria prevention and seek donations to fight the disease, which kills 1 million people annually.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/.


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Gilead Announces AIDS Drug Price Concessions for Nation’s ADAPs

The Friends of AIDS Foundation applauds Gilead Sciences, maker of several key HIV drugs, for its recent announcement that it will offer significant pricing and access concessions for the nation’s beleaguered AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), the federally funded, state run programs that supply lifesaving HIV drugs to low-income Americans in need.

Gilead’s concessions, most of which will take effect on or before July 1st, will increase patient access to lifesaving HIV medications for patients served by the network of cash-strapped ADAPs across the country. The agreement was reached between Gilead and the ADAP Crisis Task Force (ACTF) of the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). Gilead, which markets the HIV drugs Truvada®, Viread® and Emtriva® joins Abbott, Merck, Tibotec Therapeutics and ViiV Healthcare among the ranks of HIV drug manufacturers that have recently offered significant price cuts, freezes, or price rebate adjustments and other concessions on the pricing of their lifesaving HIV medications to ADAP.

Gilead will also expand the eligibility requirement for its patient assistance program from 300% of Federal Poverty Guidelines to 500% and eliminatie minimum payments for patients through Gilead’s co-payment assistance program. This should allow many cash-strapped states to keep their ADAPs operating and providing treatment access to low income patients in need.

While many states are facing massive budget shortfalls and are seeking to cut a wide spectrum of services, more than twelve have gone as far as instituting patient waiting lists to access ADAP services, including Florida—with the nation’s third highest case HIV/AIDS load—which instituted an ADAP waiting list starting June 1st. There are currently more than 1,100 individuals on ADAP waiting lists across the country.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation will continue to advocate on this issue until BMS and Boehringer Ingelheim, agree to follow Gilead’s lead by matching or offering similar pricing and access concessions to ADAP.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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ACTION ALERT - Help Lift the Ban on Gay Blood Donations!

Urge Your Representative to Co-Sign a Letter to the Department of Health and Human Services to End the Ban on Gay Blood Donations!

Call Today, June 7, 2010!

The Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability (ACBSA) is planning to review the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decades-long ban on blood donation by any man who has had sex with another man since 1977.

FDA’s current blood donor eligibility policies are largely inconsistent, imposing significantly less restrictions on heterosexual men and women who engage in high-risk sexual behavior, yet banning gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) who are HIV-negative, consistently practice safe sex, or are in monogamous, long-term relationships. This policy reinforces inaccurate stereotypes about gay men and HIV, and results in a significant loss of healthy blood donors.

The advent of new HIV testing technologies, which can detect HIV directly and have a window period of only 9-11 days after infection, has provided scientific and technological reasons to reconsider the policy. In the face of chronic blood shortages in the nation’s blood supply, the unnecessary exclusion of large numbers of HIV-negative blood donors may harm patients in need of blood transfusions.

The ban on all gay, bisexual and other MSM from donating blood is discriminatory and contributes unecessarily to ongoing stigma and homophobia.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Your Representative needs to hear from you today. Deadline for sign-ons is Tuesday, June 8 at noon EST. Help end this discriminatory ban!

1. Call toll-free to urge your Representative to sign-on: 1.800.828.0498. When you reach the Capitol Switchboard, ask to be connected to your House Representative. If you have trouble getting through with the toll-free number, you can use the regular switchboard number: 1.202.224.3121

Call your rep and say:

“My name is _____ and I’m a constituent from (city/state). I’m calling to ask you to co-sign the letter to HHS urging the FDA to lift the ban on gay blood donations. The current ban is discriminatory and medically and scientifically unnecessary. Sign the letter today to help increase our nation's blood supply.”


2. Please forward this information to everyone you know.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.



TAKE ACTION TODAY - TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!