Lawmakers Seek Release of HIV-Positive Florida Prisoner
Six Florida state representatives and one state senator have sent a letter to the state parole commission asking for a compassionate release of Betsie Gallardo, an HIV-positive prisoner dying of cancer and currently serving a five-year sentence.
Sotomayor Argues for HIV-Positive Louisiana Prisoner
Of the seven opinions written in 2010 to comment on why the Supreme Court did not hear a case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote three of them, including one concerning the rights of an HIV-positive Louisiana prisoner.
December 29, 2010
HIV Tests for U.K. Baby After Breast Milk Mishaps A baby girl in the United Kingdom was tested for HIV twice after hospital staff gave her the wrong breast milk on two separate occasions, the London Evening Standard reports.
WikiLeaks Reveals Hardships for HIV-Positive Cubans WikiLeaks has released diplomatic cables by an unidentified nurse assigned to the U.S. mission in Havana that offer a poor assessment of Cuba’s public health system, the Miami Herald reports.
Annie Lennox Plans 2011 AIDS Trip to Malawi Annie Lennox will be traveling to Malawi in February 2011 to evaluate the country's HIV/AIDS programs, contactmusic.com reports.
Virginia to Move 760 ADAP Clients to Waiting List Nearly 760 people currently in Virginia’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) but who have stable immune systems will transition on to the ADAP waiting list in the next few months, reports The Hampton Roads.
For More Serodiscordant Couples, Love Conquers Fear The number of serodiscordant couples, or “magnet couples”—nicknamed because they’re attracted to each other despite one being HIV positive and the other being negative—is on the rise, reports the Detroit Free Press.
December 22, 2010
Fish Pedicures Pose HIV Risk
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Health warns that fish pedicures, in which tiny fish nibble flakes of skin off the feet, pose a risk of spreading HIV and hepatitis as well as other infectious diseases, according to the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG).
Vatican Clarifies Pope’s Condom Remarks The Vatican clarified Pope Benedict XVI’s recent remarks about condoms by reiterating they could sometimes be used to prevent the spread of disease but not to prevent pregnancy, The New York Times reports.
HOT 97 DJ Suspended After On-Air Haiti HIV Joke DJ Cipha Sounds got suspended indefinitely after making an on-air comment that he is HIV negative because he does not “mess with Haitian girls,” the New York Daily News reports.
Court Settlement Allows HIV-Positive Student to Enroll in Cosmetology School An HIV-positive student in Puerto Rico who was denied admittance into cosmetology school because of her status is now enrolling after a court settlement, according to a news release from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
December 21, 2010
Expanded Testing in U.S. Could Significantly Prevent HIV Expanding HIV testing in the United States could prevent more than 80,000 cases during the next 20 years, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and reported by Reuters.
Gates Foundation Evaluates Its Five-Year Grants Five years after donating $450 million in five-year grants to more than 40 cutting-edge scientific proposals, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is assessing the grantees’ progress and deciding whether to continue or cut funding, The New York Times reports.
Food Crisis Worsens AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa
The rising cost of foods and the changing landscape in agriculture are exacerbating the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, the Inter Press Service (IPS) reports.
Regulating Medical Marijuana in California Despite medical marijuana being legal in California, dispensaries in San Jose have been raided and accused by state narcotics agents of drug trafficking, The Associated Press reports.
December 17, 2010
Philippine Parliament Cuts Funding for Free Condoms The Philippine parliament agreed to cut 200 million pesos (U.S. $4.55 million) from the health ministry’s 2011 budget, The Associated Press (AP) reports. In the past, such funds have provided free condoms and family planning services to poor people.
Involving Men in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Including the male partner in efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission reduced the risk of HIV transmission and infant mortality by more than 40 percent compared with not involving the men, according to a new study.
U.S. and South Africa Sign 5-Year HIV/AIDS Partnership The United States and South Africa have signed a five-year partnership under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that will guide future HIV/AIDS efforts in South Africa, according to a PEPFAR statement. (Watch video.)
Younger Gay Australian Men Taking More Sexual Risks Younger gay men are contracting HIV earlier because they’re taking more sexual risks and are less aware or concerned about the virus since the introduction of antiretroviral treatment, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia and reported by The Age.
Maury Povich Helps Connecticut AIDS Charity for Children
Television talk show host Maury Povich volunteered December 9 for a Connecticut nonprofit group that helps children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, The Daily Stamford reports.
NYC Ads Show Graphic Content to Fight HIV A New York City health department public service announcement (PSA) is drawing heat for using graphic content to warn gay and bisexual men about the health problems related to HIV, including bone loss, dementia and anal cancer, reports The Advocate.
Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Diplomat and AIDS Advocate, Dies Richard Holbrooke, a former U.S. ambassador and one of the most influential American diplomats of the past four decades, has died at age 69 after surgery to repair a torn aorta, reports Bloomberg news.
December 13, 2010
Judge Rules Health Insurance Mandate Unconstitutional A federal judge in Virginia
has ruled a key provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(a.k.a. the health care reform law) unconstitutional, The New York Times reports.
Decreasing MSM HIV Rates by Increasing Human Rights
The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) has launched an initiative to support grassroots human rights activists in Central America, North Africa and Southeast Asia, according to an MSMGF statement.
MSM HIV Circumcision Study Disregards Roles in Anal Sex Cutting to the uncut truth: Circumcision may have only a minimal effect on HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a study involving U.S. and Peruvian men and reported by Reuters.
December 10, 2010
House of Representatives Approves $60M ADAP Increase The House of Representatives has approved an additional $60 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in fiscal year 2011, according to a statement from The AIDS Institute.
Kentucky Ends Its ADAP Waiting List The Kentucky Department of Public Health has ended its waiting list for the state's AIDS Drugs Assistance Program (ADAP) by moving the 306 individuals on the list into the program, kypost.com reports.
Los Angeles HIV Porn Clinic Is Shut Down A nonprofit clinic in Los Angeles that tests adult film performers for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections has been shut down by the county health department for operating without a license, the Los Angeles Times reports.
December 09, 2010
Catholic AIDS Workers Promoted Condoms Before Pope Roman Catholic AIDS workers in South Africa promoted safer sex by handing out condoms long before Pope Benedict XVI gave his blessing on the selective use of condoms to lower HIV rates, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
Online Social Networks Help Prevent HIV in Homeless Youth Sexual health messages through online social networking could reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) among homeless youth, according to a study published in AIDS and Behavior, PsychCentral reports.
HIV-Positive Porn Actor Supports Mandatory Condom Use
Previously known as “Patient Zeta,” the adult film actor who tested HIV positive in October has revealed his identity as Derrick Burts, 24, of Riverside, California.
Stigma Blocks HIV Prevention for MSM, Transgender People A new study shows that human rights violations, discrimination and violence are a major barrier to HIV prevention and treatment for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people.
Billionaire Donates $500K to Save "Dead" Celebrities
Keep a Child Alive has raised $1 million through its 'Digital Life Sacrifice' campaign, so 'dead' celebrities have been revived and released from their online coffins, the International Business Times reports.
Two Chinese Leaders Faulted for ’90s Blood Selling Scandal Two top level Chinese officials have been implicated in a blood selling scandal that may have infected up to 100,000 people in the Henen province with HIV, Agence France Presse (AFP) reports.
Injection Drug Use Criminalization a
HIV transmission could be slowed down worldwide if governments treated injection drug users as medical patients instead of criminals, according to a study by the International Federation of the Red Cross and reported by The Associated Press (AP).
Discrimination Against HIV-Positive Workers in China People living with HIV/AIDS
in China should have a right to employment, and workers should no longer be
forced to undergo mandatory HIV testing, according to a study coauthored by the
International Labor Organization and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, Xinhua News Agency reports.
UNICEF: Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Can Be Stopped A new UNICEF study shows that mother-to-child HIV transmission can be stopped if the international community increased its support of universal access to HIV prevention and treatment, according to a UNICEF statement.
December 03, 2010
Indonesian Schools Don't Discuss Condoms Unwillingness to publicly discuss condoms is impeding Indonesia's efforts to slow the spread of HIV, the Jakarta Globe reports.
Zambia Ahead of Other African Countries in ARV Access Despite its poverty and lack of trained health professionals, Zambia has leapt ahead of its African neighbors in terms of availability of antiretroviral treatment (ARV), PlusNews reports.
Burma Allows AIDS Care Home to Stay Open Authorities
in military-ruled Burma are allowing an AIDS care home to remain open after
earlier saying it had to be shut down, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
December 02, 2010
Activists Arrested at NYC World AIDS Day Bagel Breakfast Nine HIV/AIDS activists wearing bagel costumes were arrested outside New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s annual World AIDS Day Bagel Breakfast at the Brooklyn Public Library. (Watch video.)
FDA Approves Canadian One-Minute HIV Test The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new rapid HIV test developed and produced by Canadian company bioLytical for sale in the United States.
BMS Expands ADAP Waiting List Assistance Bristol-Myers Squibb will collaborate with Internet pharmacy Welvista in providing assistance for people on AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) waiting lists.
December 01, 2010
HIV Testing in the U.S. Reaches Record High in 2009 More than 80 million adults between the ages of 18 and 64 were tested for HIV in 2009, a record high according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statement.
New Kind of AIDS Activists Developing on U.S. Campuses
A new breed of AIDS activists is evolving on college campuses—a small group of public health students, mostly heterosexual, mostly personally untouched by HIV/AIDS and mostly acting out of a sense of solidarity and social justice for those facing the epidemic abroad, The New York Times reports.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a Factor in Undiagnosed HIV
The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy carries with it health hazards for military personnel, the military at large and the general public, according to an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
More News
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The United States and South Africa have signed a five-year partnership under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that will guide future HIV/AIDS efforts in South Africa, according to a PEPFAR statement. (Watch video.)
Nine HIV/AIDS activists wearing bagel costumes were arrested outside New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s annual World AIDS Day Bagel Breakfast at the Brooklyn Public Library. (Watch video.)
