Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary Date: Wed Feb 5 07:31:01 PST 1997 (164 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD AIDS Daily Summary February 5, 1997 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "Text of President Clinton's State of the Union Message to Congress" "Reefer Madness--Redefined" "In the Loop: Probabilities and Possibilities" "Catholic Church Resists San Francisco's Gay Agenda" "Marijuana Law Loses Support in Arizona" "Personal Health" "Reliable Source: Now You Know" "HIV Prevention and Women" "Report Charges 'Cover-up' by Canada's Blood Overseers" "February 14th National Condom Day" ****************************************************** "Text of President Clinton's State of the Union Message to Congress" New York Times (02/05/97) P. A20 Among the proposals President Clinton presented in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night were those to advance medical science and the search for an AIDS vaccine. The president pointed out that federal funding for AIDS research has increased to $1.5 billion during his administration and said the National Institutes of Health will become a leader in the effort to produce an AIDS vaccine. "Reefer Madness--Redefined" Washington Post (02/05/97) P. A27; Brookhiser Richard Brookhiser, senior contributing editor at National Review, advocates the medical use of marijuana in a Washington Post commentary and admits to using it himself to deal with the nausea caused by his chemotherapy. He points out that the drug is also beneficial to AIDS patients battling wasting syndrome because it stimulates the appetite; he feels that it is helpful for other illnesses as well. Brookhiser notes that studies of the medical benefit of the drug are rare because the government has not approved them. Moreover, he contends that opposition to laws that allow the medical use of marijuana is unfair, because it makes it difficult for average citizens to acquire the drug but does not affect access for influential lawmakers. "In the Loop: Probabilities and Possibilities" Washington Post (02/05/97) P. A25; Kamen, Al Among possible changes cited in the Clinton administration's second term, it has been suggested that David Satcher, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may become assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. "Catholic Church Resists San Francisco's Gay Agenda" Wall Street Journal (02/05/97) P. A19; Davis, Mark W. Archbishop William J. Levada, leader of San Francisco's 200,000 Roman Catholics, is fighting a new policy that requires companies that receive city contracts to extend the same benefits to employees' domestic partners as they do to their spouses. Levada contends that religious groups should be exempted because the policy violates the church's moral code. One such group is Catholic Charities, a nonprofit organization that receives $5.6 million in city contracts and serves 70,000 people, including AIDS patients. "We are the largest provider of HIV housing and services on the West Coast," said organization spokesman Bob Nelson. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has said that if the organization does not comply with the new law, it should "relinquish its funding so that other nonprofits can do their work." "Marijuana Law Loses Support in Arizona" USA Today (02/05/97) P. 3D; Manning, Anita Most Arizona voters think a new law allowing the medical use of marijuana and other controlled drugs should be changed or reversed, according to a survey of 404 voters. The survey, sponsored by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, showed that 85 percent of the respondents said the law should at least be changed, and 71 percent said it should be repealed. Marijuana and other drugs should be tested and approved like other prescription drugs, 87 percent of respondents said. Also, 34 percent were against doctors prescribing marijuana at all, but 49 percent thought it should be allowed for terminally ill patients or those experiencing severe pain. "Personal Health" New York Times (02/05/97) P. C8; Brody, Jane E. Advancements in bone marrow transplants have improved many patients' survival times, even in older and less healthy individuals. The number of bone marrow transplants conducted in the United States each year has increased from a few hundred in 1980 to about 4,500 now. However, more bone marrow donors are needed to increase the number of transplants, since only about 30 percent of transplant candidates have a family member who can donate. To determine just how well bone marrow recipients fare, researchers studied 798 bone marrow recipients who survived a transplant for five or more years. Of that total, 21 died of recurring cancer, 11 died of chronic graft-versus host disease, eight died of a second cancer, and five died of AIDS which they contracted from transfusions that were performed before donor blood could be tested for HIV. The remaining 743 long-term survivors were generally in good health, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Reliable Source: Now You Know" Washington Post (02/05/97) P. C3; Gerhart, Ann; Groer, Annie Elizabeth Taylor will undergo surgery on Feb. 17 to have a benign brain tumor removed. The actress decided to put off the operation until after her Feb. 16 birthday celebration/AIDS benefit in Hollywood. "HIV Prevention and Women" AIDS Information Exchange (01/97) Vol. 13, No. 2, P. 1 Women represent a rapidly growing segment of the HIV-positive population, accounting for more than 78,000 of the 540,806 HIV cases reported in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of June 1996. Furthermore, according to estimates by the World Health Organization, the number of women with HIV worldwide will equal the number of infected men by 2000. Women accounted for 19 percent of all new adult and adolescent AIDS cases in 1995, up from 7 percent in 1985. Moreover, of the U.S. women diagnosed with AIDS in 1995, nearly 76 percent were African American or Hispanic; AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women aged 15 to 44. Effective HIV prevention strategies for women must focus on interventions that will result in changed behavior. Empowerment can help women protect themselves from HIV and sexually transmitted diseases by giving them the tools to negotiate safer sex. Still, a variety of factors, including substance abuse, domestic violence, financial dependence, access to health care, sexual abuse, and race may affect a woman's ability to adopt safer behaviors. "Report Charges 'Cover-up' by Canada's Blood Overseers" Lancet (02/01/97) Vol. 349, No. 9048, P. 336; Kondro, Wayne Transcripts and audiotapes of meetings of the Canadian Blood Committee held during Canada's tainted blood scandal were destroyed to protect governments and the Red Cross from public scrutiny and responsibility, according to Information Commissioner John Grace. In a report released on Jan. 22, Grace claimed that the material was destroyed two weeks after a reporter requested the documents. Grace contends that Jo Hauser, former Committee executive director, proposed the destruction of the records, which occurred at the "direction" of Committee board members. The Committee was responsible for Canada's blood system and Red Cross funding during the 1980s, when some 1,200 Canadians were infected with HIV through tainted blood and blood products. "February 14th National Condom Day" American Health (01/97-02/97) Vol. 16, No. 1, P. 16 Valentine's Day, February 14th, is also National Condom Day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National STD Hotline, run by the American Social Health Association, can be reached by calling 1-800-227-8922. It offers information on using condoms to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.