Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary Date: Tue Feb 18 07:31:07 PST 1997 (175 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD AIDS Daily Summary February 18, 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 ****************************************************** "Immunology: When HIV Fails to Take Root" "Taylor's 65th Birthday Gala Raises $1 Million for AIDS" "Mandate H.I.V. Tests for Mothers, Not Babies" "Expense Means Many Can't Get Drugs for AIDS" "Across the USA: Colorado" "Scientist: AIDS Crisis Is Far From Being Over" "Turning Around a Terrible Trend" "Two Charged With Leaking Names of AIDS Patients" "Teaching About AIDS" "The Business of Pornography" ****************************************************** "Immunology: When HIV Fails to Take Root" Washington Post (02/17/97) P. A2; Russell, Cristine New research suggests that HIV infection can sometimes be controlled after it has attacked white blood cells called lymphocytes. "People can get infected, but the virus does not appear to spread well," reported University of Texas researcher Miles Cloyd at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Seattle, WA. Further research is needed to confirm that a gene is responsible for the apparent resistance, which would be the third identified type of genetic resistance to HIV. "Taylor's 65th Birthday Gala Raises $1 Million for AIDS" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (02/18/97) P. B10; Chuang, Angie Actress Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her 65th birthday Sunday with a black-tie AIDS benefit in Hollywood which raised $1 million for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. "I'm not here to celebrate my birthday. I'm here to celebrate all the people around the world with AIDS," Taylor said. Celebrities including Michael Jackson, Dennis Hopper, Shirley MacLane, Cher, Roseanne, and Patti LaBelle performed in honor of Taylor. Surprise guest Madonna praised Taylor, saying "the work [for the AIDS foundation] that she has done in the last 12 years has made her a true star." "Mandate H.I.V. Tests for Mothers, Not Babies" Washington Post (02/17/97) P. 24; Kuvin, Sanford F. A new state law in New York that requires HIV testing of newborns is useful, but would be more effective if it required pregnant women to be tested instead, contends Dr. Sanford F. Kuvin, board member of Americans for a Sound AIDS Policy, in a Washington Post letter to the editor. Kuvin notes that if HIV-positive expectant mothers were identified, the majority of infections in newborns could be prevented with drug treatment during pregnancy. In addition, HIV-positive women could be advised not to breastfeed, which accounts for 7 to 15 percent of infant infections. In conclusion, Kuvin asserts that the rights of the newborn, not only the mother, should be considered. "Expense Means Many Can't Get Drugs for AIDS" New York Times (02/16/97) P. 1; Pear, Robert Despite the potential of new AIDS drugs, many patients are unable to get the expensive treatment because of restrictions by health maintenance programs' on pharmacy benefits and by state programs for poor patients. A typical limit on pharmacy benefits for HMO patients is $3,000, while the annual cost of recommended treatment for HIV patients can be as high as $10,000 to $15,000. Reports of the impressive success of protease inhibitors last year resulted in a huge rise in demand for the drugs, beyond the expectations of drug makers, private health plans, and government AIDS drug programs. The federal government has dramatically increased its contribution to state drug programs for the uninsured and will provide 85 percent of the $300 million they spend in the coming year. However, state officials say the demand is still too great, and many are turning away patients or not offering the costly protease inhibitors. "Across the USA: Colorado" USA Today (02/17/97) P. 6A The number of new AIDS cases reported in Colorado in 1996 dropped to 387, the state's lowest annual rate in 10 years. The number peaked in 1993 at 731. "Scientist: AIDS Crisis Is Far From Being Over" Houston Chronicle (02/15/97) P. 15A; King, Warren Despite the promising AIDS news reported over the last year, the end of the disease is not expected soon, said Robert Gallo, co-discoverer of HIV. "Probably some day we will say this was the beginning of the end," he told participants at a Seattle meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Encouraging results of new drug combinations and new discoveries about HIV have generated "lots of good news ... but it's overdone," Gallo said. "Turning Around a Terrible Trend" Miami Herald (02/14/97) P. 1A; Rogers, Peggy; Smith, Stephen For the first time in the 15-year AIDS epidemic, the number of AIDS-related deaths in Florida dropped 25 percent from 4,400 in 1995 to fewer than 3,300 in 1996. Florida has the country's third-largest number of infected people. State officials and medical experts attribute the decrease to advances in drug treatment, although most Florida HIV and AIDS patients are not yet on protease inhibitor therapy. "We've seen these declines with just the other anti-viral drugs," said Annie Neasman, state health chief for Dade and Monroe counties. "Just think what it will be when more people are on the protease inhibitors." "Two Charged With Leaking Names of AIDS Patients" Houston Chronicle (02/15/97) P. 15A Two men were charged for being involved in the disclosure of a list of the names of 4,000 Florida AIDS patients, health officials reported Friday. William B. Calvert III, a former worker with the Pinellas County Health Department who allegedly used the list to screen dates for himself, and his then roommate, Gregory S. Wentz, have been charged with misdemeanor violations. Wentz allegedly copied the list and mailed computer discs containing the information to two local newspapers and to the health department. "Teaching About AIDS" Education Week (02/05/97) Vol. 16, No. 19, P. 18; Portner, Jessica Despite research showing that some AIDS education strategies can effectively change young people's sexual behaviors, few schools teaching about AIDS use these programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 200,000 people under the age of 20 are infected with HIV in the United States, and one-quarter of new infections are expected to occur in youths aged 13 to 20. The CDC reported in 1995 that more than 86 percent of high school students said some AIDS education was taught during their school years, but a poll conducted that same year found that only 5 percent of students said their instruction was comprehensive. Douglas B. Kirby, director of research at ETR Associates, a nonprofit education, training, and research organization, reviewed years of research on effective AIDS education and identified nine classroom strategies that can help reduce risky sexual behaviors among young people. The researcher concluded that courses should be at least 14 hours long, focus on AIDS and unintended pregnancy, and contain accurate, detailed information on the risks of unprotected sex. It is also important, research shows, for teachers to stress that the best way to avoid disease is to abstain from sex. Curricula that included Kirby's nine strategies reportedly helped delay sexual involvement, as well as reduce the frequency of sex and increase contraceptive use among students who were already sexually active. "The Business of Pornography" U.S. News & World Report (02/10/97) Vol. 122, No. 5, P. 42; Schlosser, Eric Pornography, although the subject of increasing government regulation in the past ten years, has grown in popularity with the U.S. public. Adult Video News, a trade publication, reports that the number of hard-core video rentals increased from 75 million in 1985 to 665 million in 1996. The production of porn has increased dramatically as hard-core videos have become more widely available through mainstream channels. The industry constantly demands new talent, and few actresses last more than one or two years. Some women say they are attracted to the industry because they are exhibitionists, but many are drawn by drug addictions and self-loathing. Sexually transmitted diseases are an admitted risk of the trade, although all performers are now required to be tested for HIV each month. Some producers require the use of condoms for especially high-risk activity, but most do not. Moreover, because an HIV epidemic has not spread through the porn community, as could easily happen if a leading actor was infected, some performers doubt the existing knowledge about how HIV is spread.