Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 01/04/94 Date: Tue, 04 Jan 1994 09:15:46 CST (211 lines) Approved: mmurrain@hamp.hampshire.edu Archive-number: 12390 From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" Note: Copyright 1994, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed. Copyright 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD AIDS Daily Summary January 04, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "New, More Explicit AIDS Prevention Ads Unveiled" Reuters (01/04/94) (Frank, Jacqueline) Washington--On Tuesday, the federal government unveiled a series of explicit radio and television advertisements that deviate from the subtle AIDS prevention spots of the past. The message, while mentioning abstinence, is clearly focused on the use of condoms in preventing transmission of the AIDS virus. "It is very much tied to the message that you don't need to be sexually active--and that is obviously very good protection--but if you choose to be sexually active you have got to make wise choices and that includes use of a condom every time you have sex," said Kristine Gebbie, the White House AIDS czar. Gebbie predicted that the ads would be attacked by those who feel abstinence should be the focus of the campaign, but she notes that the target audience of the ads are those in the 18- to 25-year-old age category--the group at the highest risk for HIV infection. "...It is unrealistic to assume that all 18- to 25-year-olds in this country are going to be sexually abstinent," Gebbie reasoned. "We owe it to them to give them an explicit message of what they can do to protect themselves against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases." The ads do not offer explicit instructions on how to use a condom, but provide a toll-free number to call for more information. The ads feature celebrities that are popular among young adults, including comedian Martin Lawrence and the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "AIDS Takes a Toll in Md. Prisons" Washington Post (01/04/94) P. D4 For at least the third consecutive year, AIDS was the leading cause of death among inmates in Maryland state prisons, according to a state corrections officer. In 1993, AIDS accounted for 20 of 47--or 42 percent--of the prisoner deaths in state correctional facilities, reports Newton Kendig, medical director for the state Division of Correction. Last year, more than 700 inmates tested HIV-positive. "It's a terminal disease, so you can't say that because inmates are dying ... they're not getting care or that we can stop it," says Kendig. "A significant percentage of inmates participate in high-risk behavior before they enter prisons. That's just the reality. We are going to have deaths." "Scientists Search for the Origins of the AIDS Virus" Philadelphia Inquirer (01/04/94) P. A4 (Garrett, Laurie) Nearly 13 years since the onslaught of the deadly epidemic, scientists today are still baffled about where the AIDS virus first surfaced. Knowing the origins of the virus, they say, is key to understanding how rapidly it is evolving and predicting the emergence of other diseases. For example, if HIV is less than 50 years old, the hundreds of different varieties now infecting people worldwide probably evolved from a common ancestor some time after the second world war. This means that new strains can be expected to continue evolving at an alarmingly rapid rate for decades, possibly producing even more lethal strains. If, however, the virus has been around for hundreds or thousands of years, it is possible that the HIV types are balanced and would not offer scientists any surprising evolutionary discoveries. Computer work analyzing genetic sequences of HIV types is currently being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and a number of other institutions across the country and abroad. >From these studies, a consensus has emerged that there are six clear subtypes of HIV-1 virus: types A through F, as well as type O, which has been detected only in a handful of cases in Cameroon and Guinea in Africa. Scientists are, however, still divided on how old HIV actually is. "Va. Hospital Turns to Robots to Handle Risky Blood Work" Philadelphia Inquirer (01/04/94) P. B5 (Brown, Heidi Nolte) The University of Virginia hospital has developed robots to conduct blood analyses--an advancement that has proven to be time- and money-saving, as well as effective in reducing the risk of AIDS. The blood analyzers use their mechanical arms to perform the analyses for intensive care units, handling the specimens without anxieties over whether the blood contains the AIDS virus or other blood-borne infections, such as hepatitis B. Health care workers handle body fluids as little as possible, thus lowering the health risk of workplace infections. "You don't have hands-on anymore," says medical technologist Tammy Booth, who monitors the blood tests at "Satellite Central," the pet name for the clinical laboratory. "You don't have to worry about getting contaminated by the specimen." Not only are they safer, but the robots can do in two or three minutes what normally takes 20 minutes. Although they run about $70,000, the blood analyzers have already paid for themselves, according to John Savory, a pathologist who heads the clinical chemistry and toxicology lab at the hospital. He estimates that today it costs only $10 to perform a test that previously ran about $16. "Getting the AIDS Message Across Doesn't Have to Abet the Degradation of Society" Philadelphia Inquirer (01/04/94) P. A6 (Raspberry, William) A lawsuit over the right to display risque condom ads on subways and trolley cars of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yielded a ruling that the transit systems are public forums and that the MBTA must, under the First Amendment, display the ads unaltered. William Raspberry, a veteran journalist with the Washington Post, says in an editorial that these particular ads needlessly overstep the boundaries of good taste. He stresses that nobody is against efforts to curb the AIDS epidemic, but that the lawsuit was simply a case of clashing virtues. The conflict was between a particular good and a general good, says Raspberry. AIDS is deadly and incurable, and halting its spread is an unquestionable virtue. However, he asks, at a time when the public is constantly bombarded with the "indecent sexual images" that children watch on cable television, is it so unreasonable to find a way to fight AIDS without further expanding the prevalence of such images? Raspberry is not trivializing AIDS, but he says that using the risque ads for health purposes will only lead to their increased use to sell everything from "cosmetics to cars." AIDS, says Raspberry, is not the only deadly threat to society. "In a New Generation of Gays, Fatalism and Ignorance Supplant Facts, Fear" Baltimore Sun (01/03/93) P. 1A (Selby, Holly) Health workers report that disdain, fatalism, and ignorance are causing the newest generation of gay men to ignore AIDS-prevention lessons and place themselves at an increasingly high risk for AIDS infection. Recent studies dictate that the number of HIV infections among gay San Franciscans has fluctuated. After dropping from 18 new infections per 100 men in 1982 to less than one new infection per 100 men in 1985, that rate has now climbed back up to four new infections per 100 men. According to Ron Stall, a behavioral epidemiologist at the University of California at San Francisco, this means that prevention efforts targeting a community are not permanent. "You can't do a large campaign, get an unprecedented decline in risky behaviors, declare victory, and leave the field," he says. Some doctors say the trend reflects what they have said for years: that AIDS prevention campaigns have not really modified the sexual behavior of young people, straight and homosexual. "Young people generally think they are bulletproof, regardless of sexual orientation," says Dr. Alfred Saah, an epidemiologist at the School of Hygiene and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Clinic workers and AIDS activists agree that youthful feelings of invincibility contribute to high-risk behavior, but say that there are also deep, complex, emotional reasons why young men place themselves at risk. "Stepping Out Against AIDS" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (01/02/93) P. E3 (Stein, Jennifer) This month, David Galligan will direct his 10th STAGE event, a musical tribute to American composers and lyricists that benefits the Necessities of Life Program of AIDS Project Los Angeles. The revue draws on local and nationally renowned talent, with this year's cast including Lucie Arnaz, Dorian Harewood, and Linda Purl. Over the past decade, the revue by Southland Artists has raised $500,000, and this year alone is expected to gross $250,000. STAGE benefit 1994 is different from past ones, however, because AIDS is not the same. "Nobody knew much about it," says Galligan. "It didn't sound terrifying, it wasn't anything that clutched your heart. We had no idea what this devastating disease would become." Ron Abel, the show's musical director, describes a familial bond between people based in theater. "In the theater community, we've lost so many people," he says. "That makes it so much more personal. To have lost all those people, you feel it a lot more." Naomi Caryl, who has been co-chair of the event for seven years, says the experience has taught her the importance of these kinds of events and the importance of committing to them. "It may be helping someone you know really well," she says. The STAGE benefit will be held Jan. 7-9 at the Embassy Theatre in Los Angeles. "Country Music Launches AIDS PSA Campaign in Rural Areas" Broadcasting & Cable (01/03/94) Vol. 124, No. 1, P. 55 (Cooper, Jim) AIDS is increasing twice as fast in rural communities than in urban areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In an effort to curb the spread of the disease in rural areas, a coalition of the country music industry and Nashville advertising professionals has launched "Country AIDS Awareness." The $200,000 public service campaign features print, radio, and television public service announcements delivered by 46 country music stars. "AIDS is affecting rural areas all over the country," notes MCA recording artist Mark Chestnut, who initiated the campaign. "And these are places that country music can speak to directly." According to Ellie Noel, spokesperson for the campaign, the original goal was to make condom use cool among country music listeners, but the project evolved to reach out to families. "The spots are geared to appeal to young people," says Noel. "We didn't want them to be bored to death by some talking head." She added that the expense of the project was completely underwritten by companies such as Kodak and Opryland Studios. The PSAs are scheduled to begin broadcasting the first week in January, and will run for one year. Country AIDS Awareness, expected to have a potential audience of 50 million, will be officially kicked off by White House AIDS policy coordinator Kristine Gebbie at a news conference on Jan. 13.