Educational Effectiveness of an HIV Pretest Video for Adolescents

The authors compared the effectiveness of a youth-friendly HIV video with in-person counseling in conveying disease-related knowledge and obtaining consent for HIV testing among adolescents seeking care at an urban emergency department (ED).

The two-armed, randomized controlled trial was conducted on a convenience sample of 200 stable, sexually active 15- to 21-year-olds. Participants in both the in-person counseling group and the video intervention group completed preintervention and postintervention HIV knowledge measures. The primary outcome measure was HIV knowledge, while the secondary outcome was consent for HIV testing. Characteristics associated with voluntary HIV testing were identified.

No difference in preintervention HIV knowledge scores was found between the groups. Mean postintervention knowledge scores differed significantly between the video (78.5 percent correct) and the counselor (66.3 percent) (P<.01) groups. In all, 51 percent of the video-watching group vs. 22 percent in the control group accepted HIV testing (P<.01). Watching the video (odds ratio: 3.6 [95 percent confident interval: 1.8-7.2]), being female (OR: 2.1 [95 percent CI: 1.0-4.2]), engaging in oral sex (OR: 2.8[95 percent CI: 1.4-5.9]) and being age 18 or older (OR: 3.8 [95 percent CI: 1.8-7.8]) were all positively associated with testing.

“A youth-friendly HIV educational video improved adolescents’ HIV knowledge and increased their participation in HIV testing more than in-person counseling. Video-based HIV counseling can perform as well or better than in-person counseling for adolescents in the ED,” the authors concluded.

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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Money Needed for Antiretroviral Therapy Funding

The UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), to be held June 8-10 in New York, will shape the future direction of the global HIV/AIDS response, say campaigners - all the more reason for member-nations to recommit to ART targets and funding.

“We are at a pivotal moment in terms of deciding what the commitment will be going forward,” said Anton Kerr, policy chief at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. “HIV has been slipping off the political agenda and you’ve also had the financial crisis, so it’s crucial that UNGASS secures that high-level political will what will unlock money and commitment in the years to come.”

A new study by the US National Institutes of Health shows effective ART reduced the risk of transmitting HIV to an uninfected heterosexual partner by 96 percent, confirming earlier research. Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders’ reports that competition from generic drugmakers has lowered the price of the most commonly used ART by 99 percent — from $10,000 per patient per year to $67. Another key advancement is the introduction of simpler diagnostic tests that can be used in rural areas by minimally trained workers, DWB said.

“With the right policies in place, we could triple the number of people on treatment without tripling the costs. But if key donor governments don’t support a treatment target, they are sending a clear message that they do not intend to ever come to grips with this pandemic,” said Tido von Schoen-Angerer, executive director of DWB’s Access Campaign.

“Money that is invested now will save money in the longer term,” said Mara Kardas-Nelson, an access and innovation officer with DWB.

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 Group Wants Lawmakers to Add Money to State Budget

ov. John Kasich’s proposed two-year budget calls for $5.5 million a year for the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The House version of the budget boosted that figure by $300,000 annually. But some advocates say lawmakers need to provide much more funding to clear the backlog of low-income patients waiting to get into ADAP, as well as to serve the projected number of people who will need its services.

Due to budget cuts and increased demand, Ohio health officials modified ADAP last year by reducing eligibility, lowering the number of drugs covered, and instituting a waiting list for enrollment. At a recent Senate Finance Committee meeting, state Health Department Director Ted Wymyslo said ADAP needs another $22.2 million in funding over the next two years to roll back those restrictions and anticipate future needs.

“When a patient misses treatments or receives inadequate mediation, there are serious medical consequences,” Ohio AIDS Coalition Director Kevin Sullivan told senators. “But there are also consequences for prevention, since there is now overwhelming research supporting the hypothesis that when people with HIV/AIDS are getting good, sustained treatment, their likelihood of transmitting the virus to others drops significantly.”

Kasich’s spokesperson, Rob Nichols, said that while the governor supports ADAP, financial realities must take precedence. “Naturally, we’d want to see this program funded as robustly as possible, but when you’re $8 billion in the hole you have to have priorities, you have to make decisions,” said Nichols.

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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States Cut Back Efforts to Provide Drugs for HIV, AIDS

Funding for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs has not kept pace with demand, as states deal with the same economic downturn that has thrown many HIV-positive individuals off insurance rolls. As of May 19, 8,310 people in 13 states were on ADAP waiting lists, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

The real need, however, is presumably even greater. “States that have changed their eligibility programs or don’t have a waiting list, or some states have disenrolled their patients - that’s kind of a silent crisis, I think,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, an LGBT advocacy group. The budget for Georgia ADAP was recently cut by $100,000, even though its waiting list of 1,520 people is second only to Florida’s, where 3,938 patients need assistance.

In July, Illinois will cut the maximum income level for ADAP clients from $54,450 annually to $32,670. Florida officials have held public hearings as they consider reducing their ceiling to $21,780. Utah and Alabama have reopened their waiting lists.

Nationally, ADAPs help about 174,000 low-income HIV/AIDS patients access treatment. Though mostly federally funded, ADAP is not an entitlement program, so potential applicants can be turned away at the state level due to lack of funding. This year’s $885 million ADAP budget is $25 million more than last year’s, said Brandon Macsata, CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association.

Advocacy groups consider flagging ADAP funding by states to be short-sighted. Treatment enables patients to manage their disease and be economically productive, and it reduces the state’s long-term medical costs and the risk of onward transmission, they say.

Most frozen-out patients find treatment through charity programs, but these often have bureaucratic barriers and may be dependent upon donations. In just four months, Virginia’s three-person ADAP office has “transitioned” 203 former clients to such charity programs, officials 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-Related Mortality Dropped 64% Since 2002 in China

The AIDS-related mortality rate in China has dropped 64 percent since the government began distributing free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in 2002, according to a study published in the journal Lancet and reported by The New York Times.

About 63 percent of people who need ARVs are receiving them—up from virtually zero in 2002—and about 50 percent of the Chinese population has been tested for HIV. In comparison, the United States estimates that 80 percent of its 1.1 million residents who have the virus have been tested. The study also found widespread discrimination against HIV-positive people in China, which impedes their ability to get medical treatment at hospitals. Advocates are applauding the data because the Chinese government a decade ago largely ignored the epidemic.

To read the Times article, click here.

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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PEPFAR Gives New Guidelines for MSM HIV Prevention

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), a worldwide advocacy network for men who have sex with men (MSM), is encouraged by new HIV prevention guidelines from The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for use in countries receiving assistance from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), according to an MSMGF statement. However, MSMGF asserts the guidelines lack specific recommendations.

The guidelines define six core elements for any effective HIV prevention program aimed at MSM. These include: community-based outreach; distribution of condoms and condom-compatible lubricants; HIV counseling and testing; active linkage to health care and antiretroviral treatment; targeted information, education and communication; and prevention, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

To read the MSMGF statement, visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-forum-on-msm--hiv-encouraged-by-new-pepfar-guidance-on-hiv-prevention-for-men-who-have-sex-with-men-122262008.html.

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 Care Expands Day Program to Assist Patients

The new adult day health outreach offered by AIDS Care in Rochester is one of 15 such programs licensed by the state, but the first one operating outside of metropolitan New York City.

The program accepts up to 60 AIDS Care clients per day. Individuals must commit to attending three days a week, with a minimum of three hours per session; they must receive at least three hours of health care over a weeklong period. Enrollees must be Medicaid-eligible or pay privately.

“Our patients have been asking for something like this,” said Michael Beatty, AIDS Care’s vice president for programs and services. “We saw the need among our longtime patients to create a program not only to meet social needs but the additional benefit of improving health.”

An estimated 2,500 people in the Finger Lakes region are living with HIV/AIDS, according to agency estimates. An adult day health program helps keep these patients “as well as possible, engaged in their own care, and prevents a lot of potentially unnecessary hospitalizations,” said Lynn Varricchio, a program manager at Finger Lakes Health System Agency, which reviewed AIDS Care’s application and recommended the program. Beatty said plans are underway to expand enrollment.

To learn more about AIDS Care or the new program, telephone 585-545-7200 and ask for the on-call case manager.

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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With Yams, Mosquito Nets: Nigeria Adapts 'Sesame Street'

“Sesame Street,” the legendary children’s educational TV series, is making its debut in Nigeria. “Sesame Square” will air twice weekly on the country’s national public broadcasting outlet, the Nigerian Television Authority.

While “Sesame Square” continues in the tradition of its American model by teaching pre-schoolers about letters and numbers, it has a decidedly African slant. HIV/AIDS and malaria education are prominent features in the series. “Statistics show that at the end of the day, malaria and HIV kill more people in this part of the world than anything else,” said Yemisi Ilo, “Sesame Square’s” executive producer.

One of the show’s stars is Kami, a golden, furry five-year-old female. Kami is HIV-positive, lost her mother to AIDS, and always wears the symbolic red ribbon. Kami is resilient, jovial, and affectionate - traits that aim to upend stereotypes about people living with HIV/AIDS.

Zobi, a fuzzy blue male muppet, owns a yellow taxi and is obsessed with yams, a staple food in Nigeria. In one episode, Zobi becomes entangled in a mosquito net, insisting he is protecting himself against malaria. Kami instructs him that he is not supposed to “wear” the net, but rather sleep under it.

“Sesame Square” is funded by the US Agency for International Development and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program. It is the latest of some 20 international “Sesame Street” versions broadcast in 140 countries. Since around 150 million Nigerians do not have access to television or lack electricity to power their sets, “Sesame Square” will distribute literacy kits to approximately 80,000 children.

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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Durham School Board Bans Edgy AIDS Committee Campaign

School officials in southeast Ontario’s Durham Region have banned two designs promoting a local AIDS awareness campaign. Created by teens to educate peers about safer sex, the “cat and rooster” campaign was launched last fall by the AIDS Committee of Durham Region.

The Durham District School Board prohibited two campaign designs from its schools: one with the words “Cover your” with an image of a rooster, and another advising teens to “Protect Your” above a cat’s image. The campaign includes a series of posters, T-shirts, and informational pamphlets explaining how HIV is transmitted and how to use a condom. It lists contact information for testing services and online resources oriented to youths. The T-shirts and posters feature HIV/AIDS statistics and the committee’s website address.

The Central East Ontario region has one of the highest new HIV infection rates among youths, said Adrian Betts, the committee’s executive director.

When the cat and rooster appeared at a youth sexuality forum at J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate in Ajax, the principal complained to the school board. The board then informed AIDS Committee the designs were not welcome in schools, said Lindsay Chartier, a committee youth outreach worker. The designs were not cleared by the board, violated the dress code, and caused disruption, said Andrea Pidwerbecki, a board spokesperson.

“Speaking to youth in clinical language doesn’t get through to them, but something that’s humorous and fun does,” Chartier said. “The response to this has been huge.”

The committee struggles to keep the T-shirts in stock, and some students upload the graphics as their Facebook profile picture. The campaign has not drawn complaints from social service and public health agencies enlisted to display materials. The committee, which directly pled its case to no avail, has launched an online petition ahead of an appeal to trustees.

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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Health: Global Fund Faces Billion-Dollar Gap

At a May 19 press conference in Paris, the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria warned that current pledges do not cover the minimum funding needed in 2011-13. Michel Kazatchkine said donor nations and private sources so far have promised $11.7 billion for the three-year period, while the fund needs at least $13 billion. Maximum needs could top $20 billion, he noted.

“We need more if we are going to have a world in 2015 where nearly no one dies of malaria, no more children are born infected with HIV and at least 70 percent to 80 percent of patients who need treatment for AIDS get it,” said Kazatchkine. A funding shortfall will especially hamper efforts to provide universal coverage of insecticide-treated anti-malaria nets and treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, he said.

The call comes ahead of a May 26-27 meeting of the G-20 nations in Deauville, France. Kazatchkine urged emerging nations to do their part. “The world is changing, the G-8 has become the G-20. It is clear that emerging nations - Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and Mexico - should become actors in this collective, international effort,” he said.

From its founding in 2002 through last year, the Global Fund has helped save 6.5 million lives, according to a new report. By the end of 2010, fund-supported programs were providing HIV treatment to some 3 million people, of whom 1 million were pregnant women with the virus; last year’s figures represent a 20 percent increase over 2009. In addition, fund-sponsored TB detection and treatment efforts in 2010 increased by 29 percent, with an even larger increase, 50 percent, for multidrug- resistant TB.

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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US Objects to New Law on Clinics in Indiana

An Indiana law that steers money away from health care providers whose services include abortion may violate federal statutes. The new law exempts hospitals, but affects Planned Parenthood of Indiana. Of the 85,000 patients PPI served last year, 9,300 were in the federal- and state-funded Medicaid program. Most received contraceptives, but PPI also provided 26,500 Pap smears and 33,000 STD tests last year.

Federal officials have 90 days to review the law, which took effect on May 10. Administration officials have signaled they will not approve certain changes affecting Medicaid. If a state’s program is out of compliance, federal officials can take corrective action including “the total or partial withholding” of federal Medicaid funds. Administration officials say the law impermissibly restricts the recipients’ choice of health care providers.

“Federal law prohibits federal Medicaid dollars from being spent on abortion services,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services noted in a statement on the law. “Medicaid does not allow states to stop beneficiaries from getting care they need, like cancer screenings and preventive care, because their provider offers certain other services. We are reviewing this particular situation and situations in other states.”

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is expected to sign a similar bill. Other states that have considered restricting payments to Planned Parenthood include North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.

The Indiana law prohibits state agencies from awarding grants to or contracting with “any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates” a facility that does so. Of Indiana Medicaid funds, about 66 percent are federal dollars, jumping to 90 percent for family planning.

“Medicaid clients who went to Planned Parenthood will have to go to someone else,” said Marcus J. Barlow, a spokesperson for Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. “This is not a change in services. It’s a change in providers.”

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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'Don't Say Gay' Bill Clears State Senate

The Senate voted 20-10 on Friday in favor of a bill that prohibits discussion of homosexuality in elementary and middle school classes. Its opponents, who have dubbed the measure the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, say it confuses state law, which already bans all sex education until high school.

“We have been steadfast in our desire to say that we should not have age-inappropriate material in K through eight,” said Sen. Andy Berke (D-Chattanooga). “What we’re doing here is passing something just to pass it.” In the state House, companion legislation did not advance out of committee; supporters have no plans to bring it up again until next year.

But Sen. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville), who has pushed the measure for several years, believes it is needed to ensure that homosexuality is not discussed until high school. The bill attracted nationwide attention and drew student protestors to the Capitol, including 13 youths who were on hand Friday.

The vote to approve SB 49 came after it was amended to ban discussion of gays and lesbians only in prepared materials and instruction - meaning teachers would be able to respond to questions about homosexuality without facing punishment.

“Teachers could respond to that, but they couldn’t be offering materials,” Campfield said. “They couldn’t say, ‘Today, we’re going to teach about homosexuality, lesbianism.’ That can’t be part of the course work.”

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 Funds Frozen for China in Grant Dispute

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is reconsidering its support for China. A quiet decision in November to withhold payments for a major AIDS grant there has been followed in recent weeks with the freezing of funds for other grants.

Sources say the Global Fund is concerned over China’s management of the grants and its hostility to civil society groups, which the fund considers to be a cornerstone of disease-fighting efforts.

Officials from the Global Fund and China met for two days to discuss the concerns. Fund spokesperson Jon Liden said Friday China agreed to a number of stipulations on how money would be used and monitored. “We came to a point where we needed to make clear signals to China,” he said. “We seem to share an understanding of the way forward.” Sources familiar with the negotiations said China has pledged to repay any funds that have been misspent, though it is not clear whether it has agreed to include nongovernmental organizations in fund-sponsored initiatives.

The meetings took place amid growing questions of whether China should receive Global Fund support at all. China spent approximately $46 billion hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and last year’s Shanghai Expo, in addition to financing a $586 billion economic stimulus package.

Since 2003, China has received $539 million from the fund, according to the Global Fund’s website; another $295 million is in the pipeline.

China, the fourth-largest recipient of Global Fund aid after Ethiopia, India, and Tanzania, qualifies for grants as a middle-income country, much like India, Thailand, and the Philippines. These nations are expected to contribute a certain percentage to the cost of fund-financed health programs. China has given the fund just $16 million. The United States, by comparison, has contributed $5.5 billion.

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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Second Drug Wins Approval for Treatment of Hepatitis C

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Incivek (telaprevir), the second new hepatitis C treatment OK’d this month. Incivek is taken with traditional HCV drugs and is approved for treatment-naïve patients and those whose infection has not responded adequately to previous therapies, FDA said.

In clinical trials, 79 percent of patients taking Incivek-based combination therapy achieved a sustained virologic response. This SVR rate is between 20 percent and 45 percent higher than that achieved by patients taking traditional interferon and ribavirin therapy alone, FDA said.

About half of patients taking Incivek-based combination therapy were able to finish treatment in 24 weeks rather than the typical 48 weeks. Of treatment-naïve patients, 60 percent achieved an early response, received only 24 weeks of therapy, and had an overall SVR of 90 percent.

Incivek is taken three times a day (six pills total), and an entire course of treatment is $49,200 wholesale. Merck’s HCV drug approved earlier this month, Victrelis (boceprevir), costs $26,400-$48,400 depending on the duration of treatment. Both of the new HCV protease inhibitors are taken with standard treatment, which costs about $15,000-$30,000, depending on treatment duration.

The most commonly reported side effects in patients taking Incivek-based combination therapy were rash, anemia, nausea, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, itching, and anal or rectal irritation or pain, FDA said. The rash can be severe enough to stop Incivek or all the drugs.

The new HCV drugs “represent a new direction in the treatment of hepatitis C and a significant improvement over the current standard of care,” said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the commissioner of FDA.

Efforts to diagnose HCV are expected to get a boost, since many of the 3.2 million Americans with the virus are unaware of their infection. Vertex’s public awareness campaign may initially focus on New York City.

For more information, visit: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm256299.htm.

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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School Bullying Against LGBT Ups HIV Risk

The bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths at school is strongly linked to later health risks, including STDs and HIV, according to a new study.

The authors examined the association of LGBT school-based victimization and young adult psychosocial health and risk behavior. Data were based on a survey of 245 LGBT individuals ages 21-25, conducted by the Family Acceptance Project.

In the 10-item retrospective survey, respondents were asked to assess school bullying during ages 13-19. Multiple regression was used to test the association of bullying and young adult depression, suicidal ideation, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social integration, controlled for background characteristics. Logistic regression was used to examine suicide attempts, clinical depression, heavy drinking and substance use, STD diagnoses, and self-reported HIV risk.

While there was no strong association with substance use or abuse, LGBT school victimization was strongly associated with later adult mental health problems and risk for STDs and HIV, reported lead author Stephen T. Russell, distinguished professor at the University of Arizona, and colleagues. Bullied LGBT youth later had lower self-esteem and life satisfaction and were more likely to have social adjustment problems, compared with less victimized peers.

“We now have evidence of the lasting personal and social cost of failing to make our schools safe for all students,” said Russell. “Prior studies have shown that school victimization of LGBT adolescents affects their health and mental health. In our study, we see the effects of school victimization up to a decade later or more. It is clear that there are public health costs to LGBT-based bullying over the long term.”

“The Family Acceptance Project’s growing body of research is building a solid foundation to develop preventive interventions to deal with the harmful effects of anti-LGBT environments on young people in their families, schools, and communities,” said Ann P. Haas, director of prevention projects for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The full study, “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescent School Victimization: Implications for Young Adult Health and Adjustment,” was published in Journal of School Health (2011;81(5):223-230).

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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China AIDS Sufferers Face Discrimination for Treatment - Study

A new report by the UN’s International Labor Organization finds that HIV/AIDS patients in China continue to be denied medical treatment in mainstream hospitals. ILO and China’s National Center for STD and AIDS Prevention Control said interviews with 103 people and 23 health care workers found widespread discrimination against HIV-positive patients.

At the press conference unveiling the report, one man recalled how he was denied treatment for back problems in hospitals in Tianjin and Beijing due to his HIV status. He was told that if he were treated, it would place other patients at risk. “I’ve visited many other hospitals and encountered similar denials and excuses such as a lack of equipment,” said the man, who added that he was forced to leave his job at a steel company after his boss learned he had HIV.

Another man, who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, said workers at one hospital insisted on discharging him quickly after finding out he had the virus. “I talked to them later ... and their worry is that in rural hospitals, when an HIV-positive person receives procedures, very few people would visit the hospital,” he said. “They are worried about the impact on economic gains.”

People with HIV/AIDS are less likely to seek treatment as a result of persistent discrimination by health care workers, experts say. UN estimates show China had some 740,000 people living with the disease in 2009.

A key reason for HIV/AIDS discrimination by health care workers is China’s policy of treating those infected with the virus only in designated hospitals, said Zhang Ke, deputy director of the infectious-disease department at You An Hospital in Beijing. “We should eliminate these designated hospitals,” Zhang 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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ARIZONA; UTAH; NEW MEXICO: "Rise in HIV Cases 'Alarming,' IHS Says

The Navajo Area Indian Health Service (NAIHS) is calling for increased HIV/AIDS awareness in the region, following a dramatic rise in new cases over the past decade.

“In 2000, approximately 15 cases were diagnosed per year at Navajo area facilities,” said Dr. Jonathan Iralu, an NAIHS infectious-disease consultant. “In 2009, there were 40 new cases and in 2010, there were 35 new HIV cases. These figures are very alarming.”

Melvin Harrison, executive director of the nonprofit Navajo AIDS Network, said the groups most at risk are men who have sex with men and people with substance abuse problems. “People lose inhibitions when they are drinking and drugging and don’t take any precautions,” he said. “People have to realize that HIV does exist on the Navajo Nation.”

IHS spokesperson Jenny Notah said HIV testing is now offered to all IHS patients ages 13-64 who seek health care services. “Patients admitted to the hospital are routinely offered a voluntary HIV test upon admission,” said Notah. “Patients presenting to the obstetrics clinic for prenatal care are given the same opportunity for testing.”

Furthermore, funding from the Minority AIDS Initiative has allowed IHS to significantly expand HIV care. “HIV primary care is available at all IHS service units on the Navajo Nation and specialty care is available at [Gallup Indian Medical Center]. An HIV nurse specialist was hired at GIMC to improve HIV care and coordinate care of people who are HIV-positive,” said Notah.

“It is hoped that these improvements in outreach and care will result in increased awareness of HIV on and near the Navajo Nation, and improved quality of life for HIV patients as well as a reduction in the spread of HIV,” Iralu 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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J&J Wins OK for First New AIDS Drug in 3 Years

On Friday, Johnson & Johnson’s new HIV drug Edurant (rilpivirine) gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Taken once a day, Edurant is approved for use in combination with other antiretroviral drugs for treatment-naïve HIV patients, FDA said. The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, made by J&J’s Tibotec Pharmaceuticals unit in Ireland, is the first new HIV treatment licensed in three years.

In trials, Edurant was as effective as Sustiva (efavirenz) in lowering viral load when given in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. J&J will sell Edurant as a stand-alone pill for use in combination therapies, and it also has a planned combination pill with Gilead Science’s Truvada, which may be approved by FDA in August, Gilead COO John Milligan told investors this month.

"Patients may respond differently to various HIV drugs or experience varied side effects,” said Dr. Edward Cox, director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “FDA’s approval of Edurant provides additional treatment options for patients who are starting HIV therapy.”

In a study released in July 2010, 9 percent of patients taking Edurant developed resistance, compared with 5 percent for efavirenz. “In the grand scheme of things, 9 percent is still pretty low,” said Courtney Stanton, an analyst with Decision Resources Inc.

The most commonly reported side effects in those taking Edurant included depression, insomnia, headache, and rash. Fewer discontinued Edurant than efavirenz due to side effects, FDA said.

For more information, visit: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm256087.htm.

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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30 Years of AIDS

June 5, 2011 marks 30 years since the CDC’s MMWR reported the first cases of AIDS in the U.S. Join us in observing this day.

* On June 1, Jeff Crowley, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, will participate in a live video chat at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). You can watch the chat at: http://www.AIDS.gov/. Participants will be able to submit questions online before and during the chat at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/open-questions-30-years-hivaids.

* On June 15, AIDS.gov will host a webinar/conference call on “The State and Future of HIV/AIDS” at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). Speakers will include senior Federal HIV/AIDS leaders, and participants will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Dayton, Columbus AIDS Groups Merge

The Dayton-based AIDS Resource Center Ohio and the Columbus AIDS Task Force (CATF) are combining to create a new organization whose service area will cover 70 percent of the state. Under the merger, effective July 1, the group will retain the name ARC Ohio.

Bill Hardy, ARC Ohio’s director for more than 18 years, will serve as CEO; he said the merger represents a “strategic business decision.” CATF CEO Peggy Anderson will oversee program operations.

By combining the two largest AIDS service organizations in the state, officials can offer high-quality, cost-effective HIV treatment, testing, prevention, and advocacy services. Offices in Dayton, Columbus, Lima, Mansfield, Toledo, Athens, Chillicothe, and Newark will serve more than 2,500 Ohioans by providing care, financial assistance, and supportive programs.

Another advantage, said Hardy, is that ARC Ohio will be more effective in terms of fundraising and lobbying. “That is especially important in this economic time of great upheaval for the nonprofit community and especially for AIDS organizations like ours,” he said.

The partner organizations have similar histories and serve contiguous areas, Hardy noted. The merger results from a yearlong assessment funded by the Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo Community foundations.

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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African Gays Under Attack as HIV/AIDS Epidemic Turns 30

Though Uganda’s Parliament on Friday shelved a bill calling for the death penalty for homosexuals in certain cases, the situation for gays and lesbians there and in other areas of Africa remains precarious.

In January, well-known Ugandan gay activist and school teacher in Uganda David Kato was brutally murdered. Last year in Malawi, a gay couple was sentenced to 14 years hard labor after announcing their intention to marry. They were later released but ordered to have no further contact. Such incidents only help to prolong the continent’s HIV/AIDS epidemic, say experts.

“Whether you’re gay or straight, the odds of you going to get testing for HIV or seek care for HIV are very low because to do so might imply that you are a gay person,” noted Regan Hoffman, editor in chief of POZ magazine. “And if that can land you in jail for life, or you could be beaten and killed, why in God’s name would you go and seek your HIV status or seek care?”

David Kuria of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, who is featured in POZ, said gay men often must “either marry a woman or risk being killed.” “In Kenya, it seems that men who lead double lives do so because they do not have a choice,” he said.

According to Hoffman, Uganda’s HIV/AIDS efforts have suffered due in part to public officials’ homophobia. “Uganda was a role model for HIV prevention and care because they were aggressively treating it and treating people benevolently who had the disease,” she said. “I’m not sure exactly sure what happened in terms of Uganda’s reversal of rates. I know it had to do in some part with a change in public attitude and also governmental attitude about being open about sexuality and therefore sexually treated diseases.”

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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African Ministers Hail HIV Therapy Progress

On Friday at a conference in Rome, health ministers from 18 African nations with some of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates praised a landmark study that demonstrates the benefits of early treatment.

The study’s results, released the day before, found that patients who began HIV treatment before their health declined had a 96 percent lower risk of transmitting the virus to a partner. The trial involved 1,763 serodiscordant heterosexual couples in nine countries.

Conference attendees said a key benefit of early treatment is lower mother-to-child HIV transmission rates. “A generation of children without this illness is being born” thanks to treatment, said Marco Impagliazzo, head of the Roman Catholic charity Sant’Egidio, which hosted the conference. Sant’Egidio operates HIV testing and treatment programs in 10 African countries.

While contraception as an HIV prevention tool was not officially addressed at the conference, Malawian Health Minister Mary Shaba said the Catholic Church has “relaxed” its position on condoms.

“The best form of prevention is to offer treatment to many,” said Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who heads Italy’s conference of bishops. “There also needs to be a major education effort to change mentalities and cultures and to reaffirm the dignity of human beings. A particular sign of hope and of victory over evil are the 14,000 healthy children born from HIV-positive women.”

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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STD Rates Soar Among Older Adults

Reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia among people ages 55 and older increased 43 percent from 2005 to 2009, CDC data show. Factors that may be driving the STD increase among older Americans include people living longer, healthier lives, and the introduction of sex-enhancing medicines such as Viagra. In addition, many seniors were never the target of safe-sex campaigns in the past, so their condom use is lower, say experts.

Though older Americans represent a small proportion of new STD diagnoses overall, they “face unique prevention challenges, including discomfort in discussing sexual behaviors with physicians and partners, and discomfort discussing condom use,” said Rachel Powell, a CDC spokesperson.

Dr. Connie Micklavzina, a gynecologist at Orlando’s Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, said she has begun asking her older patients if they would like to be screened for STDs. “Often I see a huge look of relief on their faces, because they are too embarrassed to ask. The responsibility of bringing this up should be on the practitioner, not the patient, to make the conversation easier,” she said.

In February, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it is considering providing coverage for STD screenings as well as related behavioral counseling for seniors. Medicare already pays for HIV tests.

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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Baton Rouge's AIDS Rate 2nd in US

Baton Rouge again ranks second in the nation in its AIDS case rate, though its 2009 rate of 30.6 per 100,000 residents was lower than the 2008 rate of 40.

The recently released 2009 CDC figures show Miami tops the ranking for the second straight year, with 37.2 AIDS cases per 100,000 people. New Orleans ranks ninth at 23 cases per 100,000, which represents an improvement over 2008 when it ranked third. The calculations are based on Metropolitan Statistical Areas as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Though Baton Rouge remains number two, state Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) HIV/AIDS Program Administrative Director DeAnn Gruber said the area’s nearly 10-point drop is encouraging. “It’s nice to see the decrease for Baton Rouge, but the ranking remains the same and that’s because the whole country is seeing a decrease,” she said.

Gruber said the data point to a need of a stronger link between testing positive for HIV and getting into care. “If you get tested and you get HIV, you have to take the medicine,” she said.

Karen Jones, a prevention counselor at HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two Inc.), said too many of her clients are uninformed about the disease. Stigma is another problem. “People in Baton Rouge stereotype people with HIV and AIDS. It’s not right,” she said. Her message to everyone is the same: “People need to go and get tested, know your status and take the medicine. You will live longer.”

HAART Executive Director Timothy Young said, “The thing that is alarming is we still are having problems reaching the most at-risk population - young black men.” DHH data show African Americans accounted for 75 percent of new HIV cases and 76 percent of new AIDS diagnoses in the state in 2009.

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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Impact of Prison Status on HIV-Related Risk Behaviors

US incarceration rates have increased 239 percent during the past two decades; currently, 2 million people are held in US jails or prisons. The authors noted that while earlier research has found an association between previously imprisoned homeless individuals and increased health risks, limited data are available “on the relationship between incarceration, substance abuse, and resource access among homeless persons with and without histories of incarceration.”

The team sought to examine differences in drug and alcohol use and sexual risk behavior, mental and physical health, and access to public assistance in three mutually exclusive groups: homeless persons recently discharged from prison (less than one year ago); homeless persons discharged from prison at least one year ago; and never-incarcerated homeless persons. Data for this project came from a larger prospective study evaluating the effectiveness of three different interventions on completion of hepatitis A and B vaccination series among sheltered homeless adults in the Skid Row section of Los Angeles.

Among the 664 homeless individuals, 38 percent reported prison time, and 16 percent were recently discharged from prison. Almost half of those discharged at least one year ago reported daily use of drugs and alcohol in the preceding six months, compared to one in five persons recently released.

“Individuals with a dual history of incarceration and homelessness are at greater risk of engaging in behaviors, e.g. substance abuse, that increase their chance for HIV infection,” the authors wrote. “These individuals also have sporadic and inconsistent access to substance abuse treatment and public assistance. Both drug and alcohol treatment and increased stability via financial support can reduce risk for HIV infection and, thereby, improve health outcomes in this population, one of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized.

“Therefore, research and policy should direct attention to further integration of resources during and after incarceration,” the authors concluded. “Social services, public assistance, and substance abuse treatment should be available to these individuals over longer term and accessible regardless of parole or probation status.”

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 Study Backs Aggressive Treatment

The Canadian researcher behind British Columbia’s “test-and-treat” HIV policy has seen this approach further vindicated by a new US study. In that randomized controlled trial, initiating antiretroviral therapy before HIV patients’ health deteriorated reduced their risk of HIV transmission to heterosexual partners by 96 percent.

The US trial confirmed earlier observational studies dating back to 2006 by Dr. Julio Montaner, chair of AIDS research at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine, whose research has influenced British Columbia’s HIV treatment policies. Other Canadian provinces should now focus on getting people with HIV diagnosed and treated at earlier stages, Montaner said.

“They should rally behind this strategy, which British Columbia has demonstrated is life-saving, highly effective at preventing transmission and highly cost-effective,” Montaner said. “The evidence today is absolutely definitive and overwhelming. Not implementing these kinds of programs would be negligent.”

In British Columbia, an intensive campaign to increase HIV treatment rates led to a 52 percent reduction in new HIV cases between 1996 and 2009. However, some observers still wanted data from a randomized controlled trial.

“Programs that do not recommend liberal testing and liberal use of antiretroviral therapy will see their number of HIV-infected people getting sick increase and the number of people infected with HIV grow,” Montaner said. “At the end of the day that’s bad for the people, bad for the community and is bad for the public purse.”

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 Program Loses Needed Funding Bump in Compromise

The compromise budget announced Monday night by House and Senate leaders denies a requested funding increase for the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the Texas HIV Medication Program (THMP).

Citing hikes in the cost of HIV medicines, the longer lifespans of HIV patients and more people in need of assistance, the Department of State Health Services had asked for a $19 million boost in THMP funding. Christina Mann, a DSHS spokesperson, said, “We’ll have to make changes to the HIV medication program,” possibly by toughening eligibility requirements or closing enrollment entirely.

Supporters of the compromise noted that THMP, unlike many other programs, did not see a funding cut. And they said the budget authorizes state officials to shift $19 million from Medicaid to THMP.

But Randall Ellis, a spokesperson for Legacy Community Health Services, which assists Houston-area HIV/AIDS patients, said the transfer provision simply means money can be moved “from one program that is dramatically underfunded to another program that is dramatically underfunded.”

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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Utah Closes Free HIV Medication Program to New Patients

The Utah Department of Health recently closed the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program to new enrollees. “There’s so many more people that want to access the program,” said Mike Lowe, ADAP’s administrator.

“We receive the same amount of money each year. In the past, we just cut back on services,” Lowe said. “Now we’re at the point where we can’t really cut back on any more services.” The decision does not affect ADAP’s 475 current clients.

An average of four to five low-income HIV patients typically seek ADAP’s assistance each month, but that number has risen to 18 in recent months, said Lowe. He attributed much of the jump to people losing their jobs - and health insurance - in the poor economy.

The health department is creating a waiting list while it awaits word on a request for an additional $750,000 for ADAP from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Patients who cannot afford their HIV medicines, which can cost $1,500 a month, are being directed to pharmaceutical company assistance programs.

The health department closed ADAP to new patients in the fall of 2009 for one year. The department also changed ADAP’s eligibility requirements, making the program’s help available only to those earning no more than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. This cut 89 patients from the rolls. The program reopened to new clients last August, following a HRSA infusion of $750,000. Utah receives $2.7 million in federal funds for ADAP; the state contributes none of its own dollars for the cost of the medications.

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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Merck's Hepatitis C Drug Wins FDA Approval

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Merck’s new hepatitis C virus drug Victrelis (boceprevir), which shortens the treatment time for some patients. Two-thirds of HCV patients in clinical trials achieved a sustained viral response on Victrelis used in combination with standard therapy, compared with up to 40 percent for those using traditional treatment alone.

“This new medication provides an effective treatment for a serious disease, and offers a greater chance of cure for some patients’ hepatitis C infection compared to currently available therapy,” said Dr. Edward Cox, director of FDA’s antimicrobial products office.

While Victrelis is the first HCV protease inhibitor, FDA is expected to approve a second this month: Vertex Pharmaceutical’s telaprevir. Like Victrelis, telaprevir offers some patients the promise of quicker successful treatment. These dramatic HCV treatment developments, likened to the advent of highly effective antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS, have been closely watched by doctors and patients.

“Regardless of the ultimate success of this drug, it’s a harbinger of a great new era in treating patients with hepatitis C,” said Dr. Scott L. Friedman, chief of liver diseases at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Many HCV patients, including some who have previously failed on standard therapy, have delayed treatment while waiting for the new drugs to gain approval, said Dr. Ira M. Jacobson, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

Victrelis is taken three times a day (12 capsules total a day). Traditional therapy also would be necessary, consisting of ribavirin taken two times a day (five or six pills daily) plus weekly pegylated interferon shots. In Merck’s trial, 44 percent of treatment-naïve patients on Victrelis-based combination therapy achieved a sustained viral response within 28 weeks. Standard therapy alone requires 48 weeks of treatment.

For further treatment information, visit: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm255390.htm.

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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Teen Pregnancy: STDs a Concern with Sexually Active Teens

A 2010 Minnesota Student Survey given anonymously found in excess of half of Mower County high school seniors acknowledged having had sex, with 47 percent having done so at least twice.

“We know kids are being sexually active,” said Minnesota Department of Public Health Director Margene Gunderson. “We know that they are contracting [STDs]... . “We know it’s happening, but what we are suspecting is that nobody’s talking about it.”

Minnesota Department of Public Health findings, which indicate that documented cases of chlamydia doubled between 1996 and 2010, support Gunderson’s contention. MDPH noted Minnesota’s 16,912 recorded chlamydia cases in 2009 were surpassed by its 17,760 cases in 2010. Further, a full 70 percent of Minnesota’s STD patients are ages 15 to 24, MDPH said.

Mower County reported 98 chlamydia infections and 10 cases of gonorrhea in 2009, but the situation may be more dire. “Many people don’t know that they have chlamydia or gonorrhea,” said public health nurse Janne Barnett. “And I don’t think people realize the really long-term health factors,” which can include infertility. Diagnosing and treating chlamydia cost Minnesota approximately $2.76 million in 2010, reported the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership.

Barnett hopes a summer 2010 meeting on state chlamydia statistics can be replicated locally on teen pregnancy, and she points to STD rates as a basis for expanding sex education from abstinence-only. Carol Holtz, chair of Austin Medical Center’s Department of Family and Internal Medicine, agreed that families need “comprehensive sexual education.”

Maryanne Law, director of the Parenting Resource Center, noted the “biological fact” that the impulse-control and decision-making area of the brain is not fully formed until age 26, “so dealing with their sexuality becomes a major challenge” for youths.

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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Use of HIV Primary Care by HIV-Positive Haitian Immigrants in Miami, Florida

In the current study, the authors used data from a survey of HIV-positive Haitians recruited from an HIV primary care clinic in Miami to examine barriers to and facilitators of this population’s regular use of HIV care.

The Andersen Model of Health Services Utilization for Vulnerable Populations guided the selection of measures. Regular use of HIV primary care was the dependent variable, operationalized as completion of four or more HIV primary care visits in the preceding 12 months. Ninety-six participants were surveyed; approximately three-fourths did not graduate from high school and had an annual income of up to $5,000. Among participants, 79 percent completed four or more visits in the past year.

Univariate as well as multivariate analyses found that participants without formal education or those with high psychological distress were significantly less likely to have used HIV primary care regularly than those who attended school or were less distressed, respectively.

“The findings emphasize the need for health care practitioners to pay close attention to the education level and the mental health status of their Haitian HIV patients,” the authors concluded. “The data also suggest that once these individuals are linked to care and offered assistance with their daily challenges, they are very likely to stay connected to care and to take their antiretroviral medicines.”

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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Social Services Utilization and Need Among a Community Sample of Persons Living with HIV in the Rural South

The authors introduced the current study by noting that HIV prevalence has grown faster in the US South than in other regions, and Southern people living with HIV (PLWHIV) “are often rural, impoverished or otherwise under-resourced.” Research on HIV patients in urban settings and on those receiving medical care suggests that both quality of life and some medical outcomes can be improved through the use of social services. Little is known, however, about the patterns of social service utilization and need among HIV patients in the rural South.

In 2007, the AIDS Alabama needs assessment survey sampled a diverse community cohort of 476 adults with HIV who were representative of the state’s HIV-positive population: 66 percent male, 76 percent black, and 26 percent with less than a high school education. The authors developed service utilization/need (SUN) scores for each of 14 social services; regression models were used to determine demographic predictors of the persons most likely to need each service. They then conducted an exploratory factor analysis to determine whether certain services clustered together for the sample.

The services most commonly used, or needed, by respondents were case management, help accessing medical care, and financial assistance. Black respondents were more likely to have higher SUN scores for alcohol treatment and for assistance related to employment, housing, food, financial, and pharmacy needs. Those respondents who reported no spousal or partner relationships had higher SUN scores for substance use treatment.

Females were more likely to have higher SUN scores for childcare assistance, while black respondents and the unemployed were more likely to have SUN scores in the highest quartile of the overall score distribution.

“Factor analysis yielded three main factors: basic needs, substance use treatment, and legal/medical needs. These data provide important information about rural Southern PLWHIV and their needs for ancillary services,” the authors concluded. “They also suggest clusters of service needs that often occur among PLWHIV, which may help case managers and other service providers work proactively to identify important gaps in care.”

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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Feature Film Explores Realities of Safer Sex

Moving beyond simply advocating safer sex, the movie “Sex and Chocolate” explores the intersection of relationships, youth sexual networks, peer and societal pressures, gender equality, and self-preservation. Namibia’s Legal Assistance Center (LAC) and the youth group Ombetja Yehinga Organization (OYO) produced the film.

“We talk a lot about HIV/AIDS, but we find it difficult to talk about the dynamics in relationships,” said film and OYO director Philippe Talavera.

The film follows Lucy, a University of Namibia sophomore, who loves David but learns he is engaging in unprotected sex with other women, including an HIV-positive beauty queen. Lucy covets the monogamous relationship of David’s friend Peter and his girlfriend, which balances the depiction of Namibian masculinity.

Lucy agonizes over choosing between love and her health, which, according to producer Dianne Hubbard, is not uncommon in women who feel powerless to demand condom use within their relationships.

According to the 2010 Sentinel Survey, similar risky behaviors have driven Namibia’s HIV statistics up again following years of downturn. The survey reports Namibia’s HIV prevalence rate rose from 17.8 percent in 2008 to 18.8 percent at present. Also, last year 1,493 pregnant students dropped out of high school.

El-Juanita Philander, who plays Lucy, notes that although the movie mirrors real-life situations, it also educates viewers about options. “It is important that young people make the right decision. There are always two choices in life,” said Philander.

The movie takes that concept further by offering alternate endings. One shows Lucy severing the relationship and avoiding harm. In the other, presented in sobering black and white, Lucy remains with David, becomes depressed, flunks her finals and develops anxiety about her health.

A follow-up feature, “Teddy Bear Love,” addresses high school relationships and will debut in June.

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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Legal Barriers to Wide HIV Testing Now Mostly Gone

HIV testing laws in most states are now compatible with CDC recommendations to streamline diagnosis of the virus, according to a new report. Five states still have testing laws incompatible with at least one aspect of CDC’s 2006 HIV testing recommendations, down from 16 states in 2009. The data are based on the January 2011 update to the Compendium of State HIV Testing Laws.

In 2006, CDC recommended HIV screening in health care settings for all patients ages 13-64 unless they specifically decline the test. The agency advised that general consent to medical care include the offer of HIV testing - whereas some states required separate, written consent solely for HIV testing - as well as streamlined pre- and post-test counseling.

Since then, 24 states have changed their laws to embrace CDC’s recommendations, according to Sarah Neff, MPH, and Ronald Goldschmidt, MD, of the University of California-San Francisco. As of the January update to the compendium, 46 states and jurisdictions (including District of Columbia) had laws that were compatible with CDC’s HIV testing guidance.

The five states whose HIV testing laws remain incompatible are Maine, New York, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, reported Neff and Goldschmidt. Maine requires opt-in testing, in which patients must expressly request an HIV test. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island have counseling requirements that are at odds with CDC recommendations.

Maine and Nebraska both mandate separate HIV testing consent and they, together with New York and Pennsylvania, also require written rather than oral consent. New York does allow oral consent for rapid HIV testing.

The full report, “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2006 Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Recommendations and State Testing Laws,” was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2011;305(17):1767-1768).

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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Delivering a Message: Stop AIDS Program Enlists Businesses to Educate About Prevention

Duval County’s HIV transmission rates have remained stubbornly high, despite health officials’ myriad public education attempts. The Florida Department of Health-sponsored Stop AIDS pilot project is tapping the business community to promote HIV/AIDS information and resources.

In the eight months since Stop AIDS’ debut, 53 businesses have joined on, said Tabitha Robinson, minority AIDS coordinator for the state health department’s northeast region. Participating merchants comprise beauty shops, seafood eateries, convenience stores, nightclubs, hotels, and mortuaries. “Because of the stigma and how nobody wants to talk about [HIV], I was kind of surprised by the number of businesses that wanted to help us,” she said. “I really didn’t get any no’s - few to none.”

Robinson, who recalls the days of going door-to-door to spread the word on HIV/AIDS in the county’s most-affected neighborhoods, noted the information and resources are tailored to each merchant. “Stop AIDS: It’s everyone’s business” is printed on diner paper cups and napkins, barber smocks, and restaurant, retail and bar receipts; some businesses are distributing discreetly packaged free condoms.

JR Grill customer Kevin Davis thinks it is about time HIV prevention messages are being shared via the business community. “One person can hurt a hundred unbeknownst to them ... You see it in health departments, but it needs to be in places like this,” 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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Baltimore Launches Effort to Improve Worst Health Problems

HIV infection is among the top 10 health issues plaguing Baltimoreans, prompting city officials to release a strategy to combat them with measurable results by 2015.

Specifically, Healthy Baltimore 2015 aims to decrease new HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infections in youths by 25 percent. It also aims to lower the teen birth and infant mortality rates by 20 and 10 percent, respectively.

According to Dr. Oxiris Barbot, city health commissioner, the success of the plan is dependent upon wide-scale participation. The plan’s reach will extend to every Baltimore neighborhood, hospitals, local associations, private industry, and faith-based groups.

“Where we live, work and play has as much to do with keeping us healthy as making us sick,” said Barbot. “Healthy Baltimore is not about what the city Health Department is doing, it’s more about what community groups and institutions can do along with the city.” Park Heights, for example, has convened a task force of residents and other concerned parties to deal with its disproportionately high HIV rate and other issues.

No new funding is allocated to the program, though Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has indicated all Baltimore agencies will single out resources and prioritize projects based on need, Barbot said. Those projects will work in tandem with current public and private programs to lower the city’s disease, infection, and addiction rates.

Baltimore’s Health Department also will coordinate the creation of a new office of policy and planning, and select a director who will manage its efforts and document their progress.

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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