Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 11:14:01 -0400 From: "Flynn Mclean" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 09/27/96 AIDS Daily Summary September 27, 1996 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 National AIDS Clearinghouse, or any other organization. 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 ****************************************************** "Mutant Gene Can Slow AIDS Virus" "AIDS Funding Gets a Surprisingly Big Boost From the GOP Congress" "Trenton Outlines Plan to Aid 'Boarder Babies'" "Mandatory AIDS Tests Proposed" "Teen Behavior Termed Risky" "UPI Science News: [Birth Control Pills Without Condoms Put Women at Higher Risk for HIV Infection]" "Unprotected Sex During Pregnancy Increases Perinatal Transmission of HIV-1" "Sri Lanka-Health: Condom Sales Surge" "New York Inmates' HIV Risk Behaviors: the Implications for Prevention Policy and Programs" "AIDS in Position to Ravage India" "Contraceptive Method and Condom Use Among Women at Risk for HIV Infection and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases--Selected U.S. Sites, 1993-1994" ****************************************************** "Mutant Gene Can Slow AIDS Virus" Washington Post (09/27/96) P. A1; Weiss, Rick A new study shows that a harmless defective gene common in white Americans hinders HIV and, in some cases, can protect an individual from infection with the virus. The new information could be used to develop new drugs or vaccines that replicate the gene's effects, researchers say. Stephen J. O' Brien, Michael Dean, and Mary Carrington of the National Cancer Institute report that about one in seven U.S. whites and about one in 59 U.S. blacks inherit the protective gene from one parent. The gene slows disease progression, extending survival an average of three years, the researchers said in today's issue of the journal Science. The 1 percent of U.S. whites who inherit the defective gene from both parents have almost complete protection from the virus, the researchers note. The findings are based on genetic analyses of blood samples from 1,955 HIV-infected people across the country. "AIDS Funding Gets a Surprisingly Big Boost From the GOP Congress" Wall Street Journal (09/27/96) P. A1 The budget for the Ryan White program will increase to $996 million next fiscal year, up $239 million from this year. Much of the new funding will be allocated to state programs that provide AIDS drugs to poor patients. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged Congress to approve the increase, arguing that the drugs would help many patients stay off Medicaid. AIDS activists, meanwhile, debated how $100 million added at the last minute should be spent. Half was slated for AIDS services, but a coalition of activists and drug companies wanted the entire sum to go to states to help pay for the expensive new drugs. To that end, ACT UP on Oct. 11 plans to protest in Washington, D.C., against alleged "price gouging" by the companies making the new AIDS drugs. "Trenton Outlines Plan to Aids 'Boarder Babies'" New York Times (09/27/96) P. B4; Preston, Jennifer A new plan has been formulated in New Jersey to care for newborns who are ready to leave the hospital but stay for weeks or months because their families are unwilling or unable to care for them. On average, 54 infants remain in New Jersey hospitals after they have been medically discharged each month. Most have been exposed to drugs or HIV. The new plan calls for more prenatal care programs, increased drug treatment for pregnant women, and more foster homes and caseworkers assigned to the babies. "Mandatory AIDS Tests Proposed" Toronto Globe and Mail (09/26/96) P. A6; Downey, Donn A lawyer representing a woman who was raped has proposed to Canada's federal Justice Minister Allan Rock that mandatory HIV tests be given to people accused of sex crimes. "At the present time, the Criminal Code is silent on the issue," noted attorney Robert Tighe. Tighe recently asked for a court-ordered HIV test for the rapist in the case, Paul Bernardo. The test was approved for Bernardo, who is also serving a life sentence for the sex slayings of two teen-agers. "Teen Behavior Termed Risky" Washington Times (09/27/96) P. A6 A survey to asses risk behaviors among teenagers found that many were having sex and not using condoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's survey of 10,904 high school students also found that nearly 9 percent of the students had attempted suicide, 25 percent had smoked marijuana, and 50 percent had drunk alcohol in the previous month. "UPI Science News: [Birth Control Pills Without Condoms Put Women at Higher Risk for HIV Infection]" United Press International (09/26/96); Bovsun, Mara Many women who use birth control pills, Norplant, and surgical sterilization wrongly believe that these contraception methods provide some protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, federal researchers reported. A study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than half of the women surveyed who had steady partners and one-third of those who engaged in casual sex had not used condoms the last time they had intercourse. Women who had been surgically sterilized were about four times less likely to use condoms than women who used condoms for contraception. Women using hormonal contraception were twice as likely to not use condoms. "Unprotected Sex During Pregnancy Increases Perinatal Transmission of HIV-1" Reuters (09/26/96) HIV is more likely to be transmitted to babies born to mothers who frequently engage in unprotected sex during pregnancy, researchers claim in the journal AIDS. Dr. Pamela B. Matheson of the New York City Department of Health and colleagues found that, of 175 HIV-positive pregnant women, the rate of perinatal transmission was significantly higher among those who had frequent unprotected sex during pregnancy. The reason for the higher rate of transmission is not known, but it is suggested that increased viral strain diversity or concentration, inflammation of the cervix or vagina, and risk of placental alteration are possible explanations. "Sri Lanka-Health: Condom Sales Surge" IPS Wire (09/25/96) Condom sales have increased in Sri Lanka, due to increased AIDS awareness and availability. A record 8 million condoms were bought last year, a half-million more than the previous year, the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka reports. Studies show that condoms are mainly used for contraception, but they are increasingly bought for the purpose of protecting against sexually transmitted diseases. "New York Inmates' HIV Risk Behaviors: the Implications for Prevention Policy and Programs" American Journal of Public Health (09/96) Vol. 86, No. 9, P. 1211; Mahon, Nancy The number of AIDS cases among inmates in U.S. prisons is seven times higher than the rate in the general population, and more than 22 million people move in and out of prisons and jails each year. Nancy Mahon, of the Center on Crime, Communities, and Culture, part of the Open Societies Institute, recently surveyed 22 former New York state prisoners and 28 current New York City inmates about their behaviors. She reported that various consensual and nonconsensual sexual activities occur between inmates and staff. Moreover, because they do not have official access to condoms, some prisoners use ineffective devices, including rubber gloves and plastic wrap, in an attempt to practice safer sex. Mahon also found that prisoners inject drugs with used syringes and pieces of pens and light bulbs. She concludes that the lack of prevention devices provided in prisons causes the risk of HIV transmission to be greater than that for the general population. Mahon recommends that inmates and correctional facility staff participate in HIV/AIDS education programs and that officials consider providing condoms and clean needles to inmates through anonymous methods. "AIDS in Position to Ravage India" Nature Medicine (09/96) Vol. 2, No. 9, P. 951; Jayaraman, K.S. AIDS is on the rise in India, where the number of HIV-infected adults surpasses that of any other country in the world. By 2005, the number of HIV cases in India is expected to exceed the number of cases in all of Africa. India's 10-year-old campaign against AIDS has not proven effective, as ignorance, apathy, corruption, and lack of commitment still prevail. Moreover, the revelation that a homosexual community does exist in India has destroyed the myth that HIV is spread mostly by heterosexual contact. In addition, the spread of HIV from urban areas to villages is a serious threat that has just recently been recognized. Migrant workers become infected by prostitutes in the cities and carry the virus home to their wives, while truck drivers also contribute to this trend by practicing unsafe sex across the country. Ignorance, illiteracy, and poverty make HIV prevention especially difficult in India's villages. The Indian government forbids the distribution of condoms in prisons, needles to injection-drug users, or free drugs to AIDS patients. The National AIDS Control Organization is plagued by indecision and inaction. An estimated one-third of blood donations made are not tested for HIV. "Contraceptive Method and Condom Use Among Women at Risk for HIV Infection and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases--Selected U.S. Sites, 1993-1994" Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (09/27/96); Stark, M.; Tesselaar, H.; Fleming, D.; et al. Many women at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) use contraceptive methods that offer no protection from the diseases, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. In the CDC study, women at risk for STDs were recruited in eight cities across the country. Of the 555 women who reported having a main partner, 56 percent said that they had not used condoms the last time they had intercourse. Among the 569 women with a casual partner, 29 percent said they had not used condoms the last time they had intercourse. Moreover, of the women who used condoms for contraception, 39 percent said they had not used a condom the last time they had intercourse with their main partners, while 22 percent had forgone condom use during sex with their casual partners. Women with main partners who used hormonal contraception or who were surgically sterilized were about four times less likely to use a condom than women who used condoms for contraception. Among 174 women surveyed, 16 percent thought birth control pills offered at least some protection against STDs.