One in Ten Men Has Multiple Sex Partners About 10 percent of men may have been involved with multiple sexual partners at some point during the last year, according to a new study, a finding that may play a role in the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
HIV Spreading In African Armed Forces HIV is spreading among members of the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC’s) armed forces at an “extremely worrying” rate, said Mozambique Deputy Defense Minister Agostinho Mondlane.
Developing a Molecular Condom A molecular condom, developed by Kavita Madanlal Gupta, an Indian Ph.D. student, and Patrick Kiser, an assistant professor of bioengineering, both at the University of Utah, has sparked the interest of four Indian countries that are interested in commercializing the contraceptive.
Scout’s Dishonor An HIV-positive former Boy Scout troop leader in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, was sentenced Monday to 16 to 40 years in prison for having unprotected sex with a 14-year-old boy.
October 30, 2007
Scientists Unravel Haitian AIDS Origins HIV may have come to the U.S. from Haiti, according to a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A Nigerian AIDS Walk With Style Style Born, one of Nigeria’s leading fashion magazines, has organized AIDS walks in Abuja and Lagos for hundreds of people living with HIV, in the hopes of eliminating stigma and uniting communities and their leaders.
High Stress Burns Out African HIV Nurses Stress and burnout are leading causes of the shortage of nurses equipped to provide HIV care in South Africa, according to a study published in Nursing & Health Sciences.
Abbott Laboratories Faces Lawsuit Over AIDS Drug On Monday, October 29, four pharmacy chains and one wholesaler filed a lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories over the price of its antiretroviral drug Norvir.
October 29, 2007
Senator Clinton’s Global AIDS Pledge Last Friday, Senator Hillary Clinton signed a “Presidential Pledge for Leadership on Global AIDS and Poverty” at the request of AIDS activist groups in Iowa and New Hampshire.
What Constitutes “Universal Care” in Zimbabwe? Officials in Zimbabwe say the country is poised to meet the United Nations’ goal of achieving universal access to HIV medication, treatment and care by 2010.
U.S. Babies Born With HIV Declines The number of U.S. children born with HIV/AIDS has dropped since the mid-1990s, according to a report by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
How Stigma Bars HIV-Positive People From Clean Water Some HIV -positive people in Uganda are rejecting HIV/AIDS services—such as a safe water system provided as part of a Basic Care Package for positive people—because they fear consequent stigma and discrimination if they’re seen accepting them.
October 26, 2007
South African Vaccine Volunteers Receive HIV Warning
Hundreds of AIDS vaccine volunteers in South Africa are being warned that an experimental vaccine they received may make them more likely to contract HIV, as opposed to helping to prevent infection.
Russia vs. HIV A lack of response from the Russian government, as well as limited public awareness about HIV/AIDS, is causing the country to lose the battle against the disease, according to Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Chasing Bugs in Downtown Miami
“The Bug Chasers,” a new play currently being performed at the Carnival Fine Arts Center in downtown Miami, examines the phenomenon of HIV-negative men attempting to contract HIV by having unprotected sex with other men living with the virus.
Fighting Congenital Infections in Brazil The Brazilian Ministry of Health launched a program on Wednesday to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis during pregnancy, spending 38.8 million reais ($21.34 million U.S. dollars) on antiretroviral medications, lactation inhibitors, testing equipment and baby formula.
October 25, 2007
HIV-Positive People Access Treatment Later Many patients with HIV are accessing treatment once their health has declined and the disease has progressed, according to a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Condom Awareness High in India About 95 percent of Indian males believe that condoms can be effective against the spread of diseases, and 70 percent of Indian women know where to get condoms, according to a new UN report.
Southeast Asian Drug Busts Fueling New Infections Police in Southeast Asia are cracking down on intravenous drug users—typically at needle-exchange centers—an effort that, ironically, forces injection drug users to share needles, contributing to the spread of HIV.
Levi’s Campaign Rallies South African Youth America-based jeans giant Levi Strauss is launching its third-annual Red for Life campaign to create awareness about HIV/AIDS among young people in South Africa.
October 24, 2007
Food Shortages Tied to Unprotected Sex Women in Botswana and Swaziland who suffer from food insufficiency—not having enough to eat—may be more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior, according to new research.
Medical Interns Have High Needlestick Risk Medical interns have one of the highest risks among all health-care workers for accidental HIV infection through needlestick injuries, according to a recent study.
The West Must Share More of Its HIV Resources Western governments and agencies must share their resources with local scientists conducting HIV research in such developing countries as Uganda say researchers from Imperial College London.
U.N. Says Catholic Condom Stance Fuels HIV According to the United Nations, the Roman Catholic Church’s anti-condom stance is fueling HIV infection rates throughout Latin America, where 1.1 billion people are Catholic and 1.7 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
October 23, 2007
Ugandan Youth Need More Sex Ed Though Uganda has been heralded for its strong focus on raising awareness about HIV and AIDS, a recent study found that one in five young people in the country believe that AIDS can be cured.
HIV Cases Drop by 22% in Malaysia New HIV infections in Malaysia dropped by 22 percent last year due in large part to a decline in intravenous drug use and needle sharing, according to local media and government data.
High Risk, Low Testing
A new study published on Monday reveals that only one fifth of Americans at highest risk for HIV infection—including men who have sex with men and injection drug users—are getting tested for HIV.
Medium Viral Loads are Most Infectious People with a moderate viral load are the most likely to transmit HIV to others, say researchers in a study published on Monday.
October 22, 2007
Record Number of HIV Cases in South Korea Since its initial tally in 1985, the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in South Korea has passed 5,000 for the first time, according to a government health report.
San Francisco Leaders Debate Safe Injection Center About 150 members of the AIDS community gathered last week in San Francisco to discuss whether or not the city should open a safe injection center for intravenous drug users.
NY Advocates Get Testy The New York State AIDS Advisory Council passed a resolution earlier this month recommending that the current written consent law for HIV testing be eliminated, drawing criticism from AIDS advocates and politicians who feel that the current consent law—passed originally in the 1980s—guarantees informed and consensual testing.
Is PEPFAR Promoting Homophobia in Uganda? According to Human Rights Watch, funds from the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) are being used to fund Ugandan organizations spreading messages of homophobia.
October 19, 2007
A Critic of Contraception in Charge of Family Planning? President Bush has appointed Susan Orr—a staunch critic of contraception—to head a federal program responsible for providing birth control and family planning services to low-income populations, drawing criticism from family planning advocates nationwide.
Pondering PrEP in a Mock Debate At a conference earlier this month in San Diego, researchers staged a mock debate to discuss pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a potential new form of HIV prevention that would use existing HIV antiretroviral medications before sexual intercourse to prevent transmission.
Schwarzenegger Terminates HIV Prison Bill Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would allow health care agencies to distribute condoms and other forms of protection in California prisons (Earthtimes.org/AIDS Healthcare.
A Case Against Abstinence-Only Education A decision by the House of Representatives to increase federal funding for abstinence-only sex education could “leave millions of young Americans vulnerable to sickness and suffering of the most preventable kind,” according to New York Times op-ed contributor Amanda Robb.
October 18, 2007
HIV Spikes Among Bulgarian Youth Over the past several years, 25 percent of new HIV cases in Bulgaria have occurred in people under the age of 25—attributable mainly to high-risk activities such as intravenous drug use, says Tonka Vurleva, of the country’s national campaign against AIDS.
Is Home Testing the Answer for Uganda and Zambia? The residents of Uganda and Zambia are about five times more likely to get tested for HIV if they have the option of doing so at home, researchers report.
HIV’s Evolving Door Researchers at the University of Florida have tracked how HIV evolves in the body from the moment of first infection.
October 17, 2007
MRSA Staph Deaths Rival Those From AIDS The number of American deaths from a virulent, drug-resistant strain of staph, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus), now challenges the nation’s AIDS death toll.
Microbicide-Coated Condoms Due The developer of the VivaGel microbicide will join with the maker of Durex condoms to produce a gel-coated Durex line expected to hit stores next year.
Racism Fueling HIV in New Zealand? A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Maori party alleges that the government is neglecting the HIV/AIDS crisis among the country’s indigenous Maori population.
16,000 Eyes on AIDS
A photo petition started in 2003, which shows the eyes of people who are “watching” to ensure that world leaders keep their promises to fight AIDS, has reached 8,000 pair of eyes.
October 16, 2007
India’s Testing Kits Called Into Question The World Bank is planning to investigate India’s HIV testing operations after one doctor discovered that the testing kits currently being used might be defective.
Low CD4 Counts Fetch a High Price in Africa Many South Africans living with HIV are intentionally not taking their medication in order to qualify for a government disability grant of 870 rand a month, which is the equivalent of around $124 U.S.
Schwarzenegger Signs HIV Screening Bill California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill that will make HIV screening a routine part of medical examinations.
Boston Researchers Find Treatment Interruptions in Africa More than a third of HIV-positive African patients receiving antiretroviral medications stop their treatment within two years of starting it, according to a new study from researchers at Boston University.
October 15, 2007
Cast Your Vote for a POZ Hero Today is National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Celebrate by clicking on CNN.com before 12 pm ET today and casting your vote for Jesus Aguais in CNN’s online Heroes competition.
With Condoms, Size Does Matter Providing men with a larger number of condom-size choices will boost the chances of their using them, suggested experts and condom makers at an international condom meeting in South Korea.
Risky Sex Among Older African-American Men Older African-American men living with HIV often have sex without condoms, according to research published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
October 12, 2007
Isentress Gets FDA Approval The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Merck’s Isentress, the first of a new class of HIV drugs known as integrase inhibitors.
U.S. Latino Infections Vary by Birthplace How U.S. Latinos become infected with HIV differs greatly depending on where they were born, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports (per Reuters, 10/11).
Kenya Breaks Out Meds—Will Drug Resistance Follow? The Kenyan government has provided more than 160,000 citizens with antiretroviral medications—but now, experts say, it must create an aggressive treatment literacy campaign to prevent a surge of drug resistance (AIDSMap.com/PLUS News, 10/10).
A Deadly Learning Curve for Mozambique A generation of Mozambique’s children has been left without schoolteachers, as 1,000 of the nation’s educators—nearly 100 from each of its 11 provinces—die from AIDS-related illness each year (Reuters Africa, 10/12).
Improper English? The BBC’s Racy HIV Video Parent and media groups call the BBC’s new online HIV awareness video, which puts toy action figures in a variety of sexual poses, pornographic and degrading to women (metro.co.uk, 10/9).
October 11, 2007
The High Costs of Conflict in Africa The amount of international aid granted to Africa in the 15 years prior to 2005 equaled the cost of conflict on the continent, according to a report conducted by three nongovernmental agencies.
$2.4 Million for NYC Housing The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2.4 million to two firms in New York City to provide housing for people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV Campaign Finds Common Ground Rap star Common announced this week the launch of the Common Ground Foundation, Inc., a youth-oriented campaign aimed at empowering urban and disadvantaged youth through education programs.
Not Abstinence-Only, but Abstinence-Plus? Abstinence-plus education—interventions that promote sexual abstinence as the best method of preventing the spread of HIV, but also encourage safe-sex practices including condom use—can reduce a person’s risk of contracting HIV, say researchers at the University of Oxford.
October 10, 2007
Women Aren’t Talking Treatment With Their Docs According to data obtained from the Women Living Positive Survey, 55 percent of women living with HIV have not discussed with their health care provider the ways that living with the virus affects them differently than men, including their treatment options and personal needs, especially around pregnancy.
Routine Testing? Not in Most States Despite last year’s recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to routinely test for HIV, new research suggests that most states currently have laws in place preventing doctors from doing so.
Gates Foundation Welcomes Innovative Research At a meeting in South Africa on Tuesday, October 9, officials at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced plans to commit $100 million over the next five years to fund innovative research initiatives designed to tackle health challenges in poor countries.
HIV-Positive Youth Get Behind the Camera Photographs of a yellow fire hydrant, a Miami sunset and a bird drinking from a fountain are three of the 30-plus pictures exhibited at Miami’s Dolphin Mall as part of a showcase from the University of Miami’s KOOL Kids program, a support group for youth born with HIV.
October 09, 2007
Congolese TV Series to Examine AIDS Stigma A Congolese filmmaker is directing a television series about HIV/AIDS to be broadcast in the country’s most widely spoken language, Lingala.
African-American Ministers Tackle AIDS
Dozens of African-American ministers gathered with medical professionals and lawmakers in New York today to discuss the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the black community.
STI Rates High Among HIV-Positive Women and Girls Many HIV-positive women and girls are being diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections after their HIV diagnosis, according to a study published in the October issue of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
More Prevention Needed for Cambodian MSM Casual sex among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Cambodia might be fueling a rise in HIV rates in the country, say experts.
October 08, 2007
L.A. Food Pantry Loses Crucial Grant The only food pantry for HIV-positive people in Los Angeles’ South Bay region lost a $10,000 corporate funding grant earlier this month.
Time for HIV 101 on College Campuses This year’s crop of incoming college students may have heard plenty about HIV throughout their lives—but they still might not make prevention a personal priority, NPR reports.
Elton John, Billie Jean King Come Out Swinging Billie Jean King is set to team with Sir Elton John to host the 15th annual Advanta World Team Tennis Smash, a charity tennis tournament to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and ActionAIDS, a Philadelphia-based AIDS service organization.
Ethiopian Infections Soar by the Month A new report conducted by Ethiopia’s Federal HIV/AIDS Control Office (FAPCO) reveals that new HIV infections there have increased 26 percent compared to data collected at the beginning of this year.
October 05, 2007
For Nigerian AIDS Awareness, Coke Is It Coca-Cola Nigeria, in collaboration with Equatorial Africa Unlimited, has proposed an additional $150,000 in funding to extend its nationwide awareness campaign, which launched in 2006 at four universities.
Will Lifesaving AIDS Funds Land in India?
Activists, health advocates and people living with HIV/AIDS have written a memorandum urging Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to join UNITAID, an international drug-purchasing initiative, to remedy likely AIDS funding shortages.
Baltimore Tackles Its High Infection Rate The Baltimore metropolitan area has the second-highest rate of AIDS cases in the United States, after Miami, city health officials report.
Uganda’s President Calls Having HIV “Treason” Members of the International Community of Women Living With HIV/AIDS (ICW) are outraged at recent comments by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, who reportedly said "to die of AIDS is an act of treason."
October 04, 2007
HIV and ‘Waist’ Management While wasting, or severe weight loss, was once a prime concern for people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the early years of the epidemic, new data indicates that obesity is a rising issue for people living with the virus.
Better Care for Kenya’s Positive Moms A study conducted by the University of Nairobi reveals that Kenya’s HIV-positive mothers are not receiving adequate post-birth health care.
STI Rates High in HIV-Positive Gay Men Gay men living with HIV in Western Europe are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a new study published in the October edition of the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
A Social Marketing Campaign That Works A survey examining the effects of a recent AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) social-marketing campaign entitled “Stay Negative” found that viewers had a high level of recalling the campaign’s important messages, and that it translated well across ethnic, age and socioeconomic groups.
October 03, 2007
Better Meds Pummel HIV Mortality Rate A U.S. study, published in the October edition of AIDS, revealed that mortality rates for people living with HIV have plummeted since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996.
A Not So Bush-League Book Tour First daughter Jenna Bush has begun a three-month, 25-city tour to promote her new book, Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope, which chronicles the life of a Latin American single teen mother living with HIV.
Malaysia Set to Meet UN Goal, Says Prime Minister Malaysia is set to achieve the United Nations “millennium goal” of halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and reducing infant and mother mortality by the end of the decade, according to the deputy prime minister.
October 02, 2007
Mandela Rocks Out for AIDS Former South African President Nelson Mandela has announced that the fifth in a series of international concerts aimed at raising AIDS awareness will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on World AIDS Day, December 1.
Discussing Caribbean AIDS Issues The United States’ Caribbean envoys will be meeting this week in Kingston, Jamaica, for the sixth annual Chiefs of Mission Conference on HIV/AIDS, which is being held by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the CDC’s Caribbean Regional Programme.
HIV Drops, AIDS Cases Rise in Maryland Prisons Maryland is the state with the highest number of confirmed AIDS cases in prisons in the nation, according to a new study by the U.S. Justice Department.
Snd HIV/AIDS Info 2 Me Pls A nonprofit organization in Cape Town, South Africa, called Cell-Life plans to start using cell phones to allow people to access cheap, reliable information about HIV/AIDS.
October 01, 2007
The House Passes Prison Testing Bill A bill requiring an HIV test for prisoners entering and leaving prison passed the House of Representatives on Friday.
Leading American HIV Doc Honored for Public Service Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has received the Mary Woodard Lasker public service award for his continued dedication to AIDS research.
BBC Educates Youth About AIDS In preparation for World AIDS Day, December 1, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched a two-month awareness campaign to educate viewers about HIV/AIDS.
Fighting Stigma and Raising Awareness in Swaziland
An HIV-positive man from California who has been living with the virus for 25 years plans to travel to the Southern African country of Swaziland to raise awareness about the virus and to inspire those living with HIV.
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