Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 09:45:11 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary May 15, 1995 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 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "Study: Third World Men Must Learn Birth Control" "Australian Study Finds HIV Survives in Anaesthetic" "D.C.'s Diagnosis Not Good" "Number of AIDS Cases on Rise in District" "Tan Said She Was Sure Lover Had AIDS, Women Testifies" "Wave of Rape Adds New Horror to Rwanda's Trail of Savagery" "Virus Refocuses World Attention on Zaire" "Testing for HIV Infection at Home" "A Tragedy of Errors" "Supporting HIV-Positive Individuals" ************************************************************ "Study: Third World Men Must Learn Birth Control" Washington Times (05/15/95) P. A4 Birth control programs in third world countries should teach both men and women about the risks of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new report. Most of the world's population growth reduction efforts have focused on women, who in many cultures do not have the power to say when and whether a child should be conceived. However, the new report--being distributed by Population Action International--emphasizes that men should be included in such programs. The study also notes that sterilization and oral contraceptives offer no protection against STDs. Globally, women make up one-third of people infected with HIV. STDs are far more prevalent in developing countries, particularly among African women, the report says. "Australian Study Finds HIV Survives in Anaesthetic" Reuters (05/15/95) According to an Australian medical study, HIV can live for up to four hours in anesthetic, which raises possibility that the virus can be transmitted through multi-dose anesthetic vials. Using a multi-dose vial, a doctor can administer several doses of anesthetic to different patients. The findings, published in The Medical Journal of Australia, could explain how four Australian women became infected with HIV by a doctor in Sydney on the same day in 1989. An investigation into the incident concluded that the use of multi-dose vials was the most likely means of transmission, although the physician denied using them. "D.C.'s Diagnosis Not Good" Washington Times (05/15/95) P. C4; Archibald, George The District of Columbia faces a public-health crisis driven by increasing drug and alcohol addiction, a significant increase in the incidence of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancies, a Washington Times analysis of government records has found. For example, the number of AIDS patients under the age of 19 more than doubled in 1994. Officials say that total represents just a fraction of the young people who are likely to be infected with HIV. Because of the health crisis, the city's Medicaid budget has grown to approximately $834 million. As a first step towards solving the problem, Mayor Marion Barry's administration is reportedly preparing to shift all of the city's 125,000 Medicaid recipients into "managed care" health programs. About one-third on the city's Medicaid recipients are already enrolled in managed care under a program that began in April 1994. "Number of AIDS Cases on Rise in District" Washington Times (05/15/95) P. C4; Archibald, George The most recent report on AIDS in the District of Columbia reinforces the conclusion of a blue-ribbon health care reform panel that the disease, while infecting a relatively small portion of the city, is growing. Almost one-half of Washington, D.C.'s 3,070 AIDS patients were diagnosed in 1993-1994, according to the D.C. Agency on HIV/AIDS. The National Institute of Health Statistics said the District has a higher rate of AIDS death per capita in 1993--87.5 deaths per 100,000 residents--than any other state or city in the United States. A total of 4,024 city residents have died from AIDS since the disease was first recorded. Blacks account for three-quarters of AIDS cases and 65 percent of the AIDS deaths in the District. Whites make up 22 percent of the cases and 32 percent of the deaths, while Hispanics account for 3 percent of the cases and 2 percent of the deaths. The mayor's blue-ribbon panel also cautioned that the incidence of AIDS "in the public schools alone should make it a No. 1 priority on the city's agenda." "Tan Said She Was Sure Lover Had AIDS, Women Testifies" Toronto Globe and Mail (05/12/95) P. A4; Feschuk, Scott On Thursday, a former employee of Conrad Boland--who was allegedly injected with HIV by his long-time lover Marilyn Tan--testified that Tan said she was certain that Boland had AIDS four months before he tested HIV-positive. "She said, 'I'm sure Con has AIDS. He has all the symptoms," said Marlene Loria. According to Loria, Tan felt used by Boland and felt that she deserved half of his photography business. Tan also resented the fact that Boland went to lunch with other women, said Loria. Rachel Deitch, Tan's former best friend, testified that she betrayed Tan and told Boland of the injections in December 1992 in part because Tan had lied to her. On Wednesday, Deitch said she told Boland of Tan's plot because she was afraid that Tan's sister would kill her because she knew of the scheme. "Wave of Rape Adds New Horror to Rwanda's Trail of Savagery" New York Times (05/15/95) P. A1; Lorch, Donatella In Rwanda, thousands of women and girls have been raped by Hutu militiamen and soldiers. The resulting pregnancies have been primarily unwanted, and the women have been ostracized by their families. Many of the women say their greatest fear is becoming infected with HIV. Currently, there is no official program to help these women and their children. The cash-strapped Rwandan government, however, has begun by conducting surveys to help doctors and civil administrators deal with the problem. "Virus Refocuses World Attention on Zaire" Reuters (05/14/95); Chiahemen, John The outbreak of the Ebola virus in Zaire has refocused attention on the country and its 40 million people. The virus, for which there is no known cure, has killed at least 64 people. "Health facilities are in a deplorable state. We have been heading for disaster for a long time," said Lambaert Mende, spokesman for Zaire's chief opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. The virus is stretching the country's medical services--already hard pressed to deal with the AIDS epidemic, which has hit Zaire harder than most countries. "Testing for HIV Infection at Home" New England Journal of Medicine (05/11/95) Vol. 332, No. 19, P. 1296; Bayer, Ronald; Stryker, Jeff; Smith, Mark D. A proposed home-access HIV test has caused sharp controversy. Opponents claim the service provides inadequate counseling and referral services, while others argue that more people would be tested. With home-access testing, the customer calls a telephone number to learn the results of a blood sample previously mailed to be tested. HIV-negative people would listen to a recording which offers the option of speaking to a counselor. HIV-positive results would be reported by a counselor, who would provide referrals for follow-up services. It is possible that a person receiving such results would hang up without listening to the recorded counseling message. How different, ask the authors, is this situation from public testing centers where as many as one-third of those tested do not return for their results and post-test counseling? The anonymity of telephone counseling could make it easier for callers to open up. Another concern is that anonymous testing may not be compatible with policies and state statutes that require the reporting of HIV-infected persons. Still, the health departments of three states with large AIDS case loads--New York, New Jersey, and California--have all endorsed the home test, despite potential legal conflicts. In terms of licensing the home-access HIV tests, there is little evidence of potential serious risk. The potential individual and public benefits, however, are great, the authors conclude. "A Tragedy of Errors" Advocate (05/16/95) No. 681, P. 36; Downton, Joseph In December 1989, after taking an HIV antibody test at the New Haven [Conn.] Health Department, Charlene Riling was informed that she was in the early stages of AIDS. On faith, Riling accepted the wisdom of doctors at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, who treated her with no less than 40 different highly potent drugs. By 1991, the former computer-software specialist had difficulty remembering familiar names, faces, dates, and events. Her physicians attributed these and other mental lapses to the beginning of AIDS-related dementia. As a final attempt to alleviate her symptoms, Riling visited controversial AIDS specialist Gary Blick. Blick conducted a series of new tests designed to measure the concentration of HIV in Riling's system. What Blick discovered, however, was that Riling was not even infected with the virus. Riling promptly filed a lawsuit against the New Haven Health Department, the health department counselor who incorrectly informed her of her HIV status, the physician who incorrectly diagnosed Riling's HIV symptoms and allegedly prescribed excessive doses of medications, and the neurologist who diagnosed her supposed AIDS dementia. After more than two years, the suit is unresolved. Issues raised by Riling's case include the false-positive HIV diagnosis, and whether her physicians overprescribed medications with toxic effects for HIV-related illnesses that did not even exist. "Supporting HIV-Positive Individuals" Business Ethics (05/95-06/95) Vol. 9, No. 3, P. 11; Scott, Mary When Olympic medalist Greg Louganis revealed on ABC's "20/20" that he has AIDS, he announced that his sole sponsor--Speedo Authentic Fitness Corp.--had agreed to extend his contract through 1996. Speedo President Linda Wachner "wanted to make sure I was being taken care of properly," said Louganis. Most HIV-infected individuals, however, are not so fortunate. For example, Nestle Chocolate and Confection Company dropped basketball star Magic Johnson as a spokesperson after he disclosed that he had HIV. Bias lawsuits are appearing throughout the United States. Recently, a 25-year-old former account specialist for the public relations firm Valentine-Radford Communications filed a lawsuit seeking $2 million in damages. He claims he was fired two weeks after he told his supervisor that he was HIV-positive. Bill Henning, co-author of "Cracking the Corporate Closet," says that only a small number of American companies have established policies on how HIV-infected employees should be treated. Henning said that hi-tech and entertainment firms in large cities are the most likely to have set policies, while rural industrial manufacturers are the least likely.