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peeling the labels off bottled prescription drugs

2011-05-24T07:55:00.001-07:00

A Fairview man was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for a different sort of drug-dealing crime: He was caught with three other men in a basement apartment peeling the labels off bottled prescription drugs — mostly used for treating HIV — that would be later sold on the black market in the Dominican Republic, said federal authorities and the complaint.
In March 2010, local police found Edison C. Rosario, 25, along with the three other people, in a basement Fairview apartment using lighter fluid to peel off the medical prescription labels, authorities said.
Authorities found more than 6,000 bottles of prescription medication, including HIV drugs such as Atripla, Combivir, Isentress, Kaletra, Prezista, Reyataz, and Truvada at the scene.
In all, the medication had a wholesale value of $2 million, said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.
Rosario was sentenced today before Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark, after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiring to engage in the unlicensed wholesale distribution of pharmaceuticals.
Two other men, Rudy Manuel Gonzalez, 38, of Cliffside Park, and Jose Batista, 24, of New York, have also pleaded guilty, authorities said.
According to the complaint, the windows of the basement apartment in the Bergen County borough were all covered with either plastic bags or taped-down window shades.
It had no bed, couches or televisions and was mostly furnished with folding tables and chairs, the complaint said.
Prosecutors said today that the increasingly popular crime of repackaging and reselling prescription drugs has prompted two major concerns.
The first is that the re-sale of the drugs on the street or to pharmacies may be dangerous because the drugs could become contaminated during the smuggling process or while being treated with items like lighter fluid.
The second concern, prosecutors said, was that the prescription drugs were often purchased illegally from impoverished people coming out of pharmacies who needed the medicines, but chose to take cash from dealers instead.

Denver woman arrested for spreading HIV/AIDS

2011-02-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

A female sex worker has been arrested in Denver for continuining to work as a prostitute even after knowing that she is HIV positive. Frances Woodke, 45, was charged on Tuesday Feb 2 2011 with two misdemeanors, prostitution and solicitation for prostitution, and a felony count of prostitution with full knowledge of being HIV positive.
Woodke was arrested on Jan 26 2010 when she offered sex for twenty three dollars to an undercover officer and was placed in Denver County Jail. According to the Denver District Attorney's Office, Woodke has been arrested before for attempted prostitution with knowledge of her positive HIV status. She spent time in prison in 2000 and 2008 for the crimes.
The Denver's district office is making plans to try and identify people that were exposed to the HIV virus by Woodke.

Promising HIV prevention

2010-11-28T18:39:00.000-08:00

Treatment can't solve the problem, but adding a couple of new tools to the fully scaled-up implementation of available HIV prevention options could cut the global HIV infection rate in half.

The recent announcement that a pill currently used to treat HIV infection can also help prevent it was an important milestone in the effort to keep people from getting the virus.

The breakthrough utilizes a strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis. At-risk people take a drug in advance of exposure to the pathogen that makes it less likely they will become infected.

We must all build on HIV/Aids success

2010-11-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

On World Aids Day we pay tribute to the millions who are infected and affected by HIV/Aids worldwide. We continue to spread the word that in spite of much success, too many lives are still being devastated by this deadly disease. Our task looms large, but our message is simple: we have a shared responsibility as governments and individuals to build on the success achieved by making smart investments and decisions that will ultimately save more lives.

Photos tell of life with HIV

2010-11-14T17:47:00.001-08:00

Of the eight men and women whose photographs have gone up on the walls of the Overture Center’s Playhouse Gallery this week, five are using pseudonyms such as “Anonymous,” “Your Neighbor,” and “Could Be You.”
The fact that some of the photographers featured in “Living with HIV/AIDS: Perspectives Through the Lens” didn’t want their identities revealed is itself a statement about the stigma that still surrounds this disease, said Heidi Nass, a patient advocate for the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Care Program at UW-Health and one of the show’s photographers. All of the photographers are HIV positive.

Why The HIV/AIDS Community Should Care About the New Medicare Panel

2010-11-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Over the years, HIV/AIDS activists and their allies have been pioneers in creating new frontiers in the medical establishment. Through their efforts, the FDA drug approval procedures were reformed so promising new therapies could reach desperate patients quicker. The heroic efforts of the HIV/AIDS community has made health care better for millions of Americans.

I celebrated the passage of the new health reform law. It has given Americans living with HIV/AIDS much reason to hope. But even in victory, there are important details that must be worked out. We should not be afraid of making changes that will protect patient rights and total care. One such change that is needed relates to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

ARV: Cheap solution to prevent babies contracting HIV

2010-10-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

A healthy baby is the joy of every mother. Experts in helping HIV positive mothers achieve their desire of a healthy, HIV free baby say the use of antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy and breastfeeding period is the magic, reports Sade Oguntola.

Prevention of HIV transmission to the unborn child starts in the womb

FDA Warns Of Heart Problems When Combining HIV Drugs

2010-10-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Food & Drug Administration is warning about dangerous heart problems that can occur when two HIV drugs are used together.

The drugs are Roche Holding's Invirase and Abbott Labs' Norvir.

The FDA is adding a warning label to the drugs because combining them could cause an abnormal heart rhythm.

In some cases, the condition could lead to a deadly irregular heartbeat.

SEXUAL HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS CONFERENCES IN TOWN THIS WEEK

2010-10-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Over a thousand delegates from Australia and the Asia Pacific region will gather in Sydney from today for this year’s Australasian Sexual Health Conference, followed by the Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference which runs from October 20 to 22.

The conferences are on at the Darling Harbour Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be attended by frontline medical and allied health professionals, researchers, policy makers, scientists and members of communities here and abroad directly affected by sexual health and HIV issues.

Inovio begins testing new HIV vaccine

2010-09-22T17:18:00.001-07:00

Inovio Pharmaceuticals has announced that it began the testing of a new vaccine for use against HIV on September 20.

Pennavax-B is a DNA vaccine that uses a proprietary electroporation technique developed by Inovio. Electroporation uses millisecond long electrical pulses to help the DNA vaccine to permeate cell membranes, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. This technique allows for a significantly greater uptake of the biological material that was injected into local tissue.

Reprieve likely for HIV/AIDS funding

2010-09-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

Utah’s Ryan White program may no longer be at risk of falling casualty to Republican angst over health care reform.

Legislative leaders held off on reauthorizing the grant program while they pondered why the state should subsidize health care for low-income HIV/AIDS patients, reasoning such patients will eventually be covered under the federal health overhaul.

But Utah doesn’t subsidize the program — not with hard cash.

And knowing that, Senate President Michael Waddoups now says he sees no reason to discontinue it.

FDA won't disqualify HIV doctor from drug studies

2010-09-09T18:53:00.001-07:00

Federal regulators decided not to disqualify a prominent North Side HIV doctor whose clinic submitted fictitious data in a drug trial.

Instead, the Food and Drug Administration agreed to allow Dr. Daniel Berger to continue working on drug trials as long as an outside medical monitor periodically reviews his work for three years.

"I feel as if I've been vindicated," Berger said. "A big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I'm able to do my life's work."

New HIV Treatment Targets Infected Cells

2010-09-03T17:24:00.001-07:00

A new HIV treatment created by a team of Israeli researchers only kills the infected cells. It uses small pieces of proteins called peptides that enter the cell and increase the number of times the virus replicates, leading to the infected cell to self-destruct and leaves healthy cells unharmed. Abraham Loyter, one of the researchers, pointed out that "The usual medications kill the virus that has entered the body during infection and the (peptide) treatment allows cells infected with the genetic load of the virus to be killed." when he said This method has only been done in human cells infected with HIV, so more studies will need to be done in humans and animals to see if it is safe and effective. The study has been published in the British Journal “AIDS Research and Therapy.”

New HIV Treatment Targets Infected Cells

2010-09-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Cancer drugs might help fight HIV infections

2010-08-25T19:47:00.001-07:00

Drugs used to treat cancer may actually help to fight off HIV infections.

Researchers at the University of minnesota Have found a way to treat the virus using cancer drugs already on the market.

In the lab, Decitabine and Gemcitabine appear to force the virus to mutate and kill itself. The drugs have already been approved by the FDA, so they could more quickly be developed into anti-HIV drugs.

HIV in Blood Different Than in Semen, Scientists Say

2010-08-19T17:36:00.001-07:00

HIV-1 in semen is different than HIV-1 in blood, possibly due to changes it undergoes in the genital tract, scientists have found.

In their study, the researchers sought to better understand the process by which HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- is transmitted. They compared the gene encoding the major surface protein of HIV-1 in semen and blood.

Studies Find High Risk Of Heart Problems In HIV-Positive Adults

2010-08-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

Researchers presented several studies at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria that evaluated heart function and heart disease in HIV-positive adults. Two studies found that even young, healthy people with HIV may show signs of heart problems; two additional studies showed that kidney disease and heart disease in people with HIV may be linked.

HIV: Housewives, professionals at high risk now

2010-08-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

After years of providing treatment, care and support for HIV/AIDS among high risk groups like truckers, commercial sex workers, injectable drug users and transgenders, the government is suddenly faced with a new challenge -- the increasing incidence of HIV among youth, possibly due to unsafe casual sex. Concerned by the trend, the Tamil Nadu State Aids Control Society (TNSACS) is organising a youth carnival to create awareness and promote safe sex.

D.C. Health Dept. Pushes Female Condoms In HIV Outreach Initiative

2010-07-29T04:38:00.001-07:00

The Washington, D.C., health department has launched a campaign to promote use of the female condom as a way to help curb the spread of HIVin the city, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. A 2009 study found that about 3% of the city's population over age 12 is HIV-positive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an epidemic is "severe" when more than 1% of residents are living with the virus.

Five community groups are promoting female condoms through outreach initiatives, which are funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the MAC AIDS Fund. The groups plan to distribute 500,000 female condoms during instructional sessions held at beauty salons, barber shops, churches and restaurants. CVS also is selling female condoms at all D.C. drugstores.

Living with HIV as Potential Vaccine Looms

2010-07-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

While doing some research on the potential HIV vaccine, I interviewed a very interesting woman named Joy LaFontaine who is HIV positive. She says she prays every night for a vaccine. “I don’t want to live with this illness anymore….but I won’t let HIV consume me.” She provided some insight into the world of living with HIV.

LaFontaine has been HIV positive for 14 years. She has to take a pill every day to help her survive. She’s been on medication for seven years. Sometimes the side effects of the meds include nightmares or feeling "drunk" after eating certain foods.

Discovery May Pave Way to AIDS Vaccine

2010-07-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists now have "proof" that the search for an AIDS vaccine can succeed.

In the blood of an HIV infected person, the researchers discovered two powerful antibodies that neutralize 91% of HIV strains.

"The discoveries we have made may overcome the limitations that have long stymied antibody-based HIV vaccine design," Peter D. Kwong, PhD, chief of structural biology at the NIH Vaccine Research Center, says in a news release.

Sensitive test spots newest HIV infections

2010-06-26T05:38:00.001-07:00

By testing for HIV's genetic material in addition to antibodies against the virus in more than 3,000 people, Dr. Sheldon R. Morris of the University of California, San Diego and his colleagues identified 15 HIV-infected patients who the standard test would have missed.

In the first few days after becoming infected with HIV a person has extremely high amounts of the virus in the blood, meaning he or she can transmit the virus to others much more readily, Morris and his team note in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Fanning HIV fear fosters discrimination

2010-06-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

The recent arrest of a man with HIV for allegedly infecting at least one woman has revealed the extent to which this virus still engenders exceptional fear in the community. It has also unmasked the eagerness of some media to fan this fear.

More than 25 years ago Australians were warned by their government about the risks of unprotected sex and the importance of using condoms: a cool-headed response in the context of much media hysteria.

Pregnancy increases the risk of HIV transmission--for both men and women

2010-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

It is well known that pregnant women are more likely than others to contract HIV during intercourse with an HIV-positive partner. Surprising new results, however, show that men are twice as likely to contract the virus when they have intercourse with a pregnant HIV-positive woman. The increased risk remains even after researchers accounted for behavioral and other factors that increase HIV risk, researchers reported Monday at a Pittsburgh conference on the use of microbicides to block HIV transmission.

HIV Vaccine Research a Field Apart From Classic Vaccinology

2010-05-07T07:20:00.001-07:00

HIV vaccine research is diverging from classic vaccinology and its focus on the adaptive immune response, to a field of its own. There has been a shift from protecting against infection to changing the nature of the infection, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in Bethesda, Maryland, said in his keynote address here at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases 13th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research.

HIV treatment should start earlier: Experts

2010-04-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Patients should start taking drugs for the AIDS virus earlier to have the best chance of survival, researchers said Thursday.

An analysis of more than 45,000 people with HIV in Europe and North America found they were 28 percent more likely to develop full-blown AIDS or die if they deferred treatment until the point currently recommended in many countries.

HIV/AIDS: What you need to know

2010-04-15T14:24:00.001-07:00

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is no stranger to gay communities, and it is no stranger to Oklahomans: as of December 2007, there were approximately 4,521 Oklahomans living with HIV/AIDS, with more than 80% of them representing men. With tremendous advances in the our understanding of this disease process and with new treatments being developed at a rapid pace, HIV, if caught early, treated properly and monitored closely, can be considered more of a manageable chronic disease than the death sentence it once was. That is not to downplay the significance of HIV/AIDS—it is still a life-altering disease with a great social stigma and requires constant attention to medication regimens, doctor’s visits and overall fitness on the part of the affected individual to maintain optimal health.

Hope for shot? Structure of HIV protein unveiled

2010-04-03T19:38:00.001-07:00

In a breakthrough which may pave the way for a vaccine against AIDS, scientists have provided what they claim is the first-ever glimpse of the structure of a key protein, gp120, found on surface of a subgroup of HIV-1.

In addition, the scientists from California Institute of Technology demonstrated that a particular antibody to gp120 makes contact not only with the protein, but with CD4 receptor that gp120 uses to gain entrance into the body's T cells.

Washington gay men's HIV rate high

2010-03-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

The HIV rate for gay men in Washington was nearly five times higher than the overall rate for adults and teenagers in the city, a study indicated.

More than 14 percent of the 500 gay men interviewed for the study were HIV positive as opposed to more than 3 percent of adults and teenagers, said the D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration.

Insurance company knowingly engaged in rescission efforts against HIV patients, court finds

2010-03-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

In upholding a South Carolina county court’s ruling from 2004 that insurancecompany Fortis (now known as Assurant Health) wrongly terminated an HIV patient’s healthinsurance, the state’s Supreme Court uncovered an “unprecedented” number of HIV-targeted rescissions. While the state’s ruling occurred last September, records from that case that recently were made public showed that Fortis used a computer program and algorithm to pinpoint insurance customers who recently had contracted HIV, with intentions to launch insurance fraud investigations those customers in order to ultimately get their policies canceled, according to a report from Reuters.

HIV/AIDS Registers a Rise Among Girls and Women

2010-03-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Women are encouraged to get tested for HIV/AIDS regularly —every six months — and participate in NationalWomen and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).

NWGHAAD is celebrated with an aim to raise awareness of the rising effect of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

Launched by the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), on March 10 of every year, organizations across the country extends support discuss and educatewomen and girls about prevention, the need for regular testing, and the way to lead a normal, healthy life instead of being infected in recognition of NWGHAAD.

CDC's new tool in HIV prevention: social media and Jamie Foxx

2010-03-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jumping on the social media bandwagon and enlisting some help from celebrities Jamie Foxx and Ludacris to promote an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign targeting African Americans.

Called, "i know," the campaign uses a website, Twitter, Facebook, texting and a PSA from celebs (check out Jamie Foxx below) in an effort to increase dialogue and reduce the stigma of the disease among young African Americans -- a very vulnerable population. While blacks make up 14 percent of the population of 13- to 29-year-olds, they account for half of all new HIV infections of this group, according to the CDC.

Battle against AIDS sees success

2010-02-20T17:30:00.001-08:00

There’s a saying in sports: The game’s not over until the final buzzer sounds. We ought to have a similar attitude in the fight against HIV andAIDS.

Those of us in the trenches have had some success. You might even say we’re winning the game.

Just last week, for instance, Gov. David Paterson, in a speech to the Annual New York Statewide Meeting of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA), reported that the number of AIDSdiagnoses in New York State dropped from 14,000 in 1993 to 6,000 last year.

HIV spread among men traced

2010-02-13T05:56:00.001-08:00

Scientists have made a key discovery in pinpointing how HIV is transmitted in men who have sex with men.

The researchers hope that by better understanding how HIV spreads during human sex, that they'll be better able to stop the epidemic.

"By knowing the origin of the transmitted virus, scientists may be able to develop new vaccines, vaginal microbicides and drugs to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted HIV," study author Dr. Davey Smith, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego, said in a release.

Semen is made up of sperm, white blood cells and the fluid around these cells, known as seminal plasma.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010 is February 7

2010-01-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Savannah is one of more than 800 cities across the country that will sponsor programs from February 8 - 10 to call attention to the problem of HIV/AIDS and seek solutions to stop the epidemic.

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), an HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative designed to encourage African Americans across the country to get educated, get tested, get involved, and get treated.

While African Americans represent approximately 13% of the U.S. Population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the group accounts for 49% of the nation’s AIDS cases. In Savannah’s Coastal Health District, 72% of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are African American.

First HIV-Positive People to Enter U.S. Since Ban Lifted

2010-01-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

A Dutch citizen will be among the first HIV-positive people to enter the United States since the Obama administration recently lifted the ban.

The Consulate General of the Netherlands in Manhattan and advocacy groups said the man, Clemens Ruland, was expected to arrive with his partner from Amsterdam at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday.

Bay Windows - New England's largest GLBT newspaper

2009-11-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

"'We are finding that too many young people are not listening to what we are saying,' Sir Elton John told BBC Radio1’s Newsbeat Nov. 16. 'I’m afraid people do get a little complacent about the disease by going out and having unsafe sex.'"

Bill Clinton: Health care reform vital to HIV/AIDS patients -- chicagotribune.com

2009-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

"Former President Bill Clinton said homeless HIV/AIDS patients are in dire need of health care reform in a speech at a benefit Wednesday for the Chicago House & Social Service Agency, a nonprofit providing housing and support for people with HIV and AIDS."

HIV infection axed as bar to entry for immigrants by President Obama

2009-11-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

"President Obama has kept his promise to lift the HIV-positive ban on admission to the United States. The rules lifting the ban are set to take effect Jan 1. That's 60 days after the new regulation was published Monday in the Federal Register."

CDC promotes HIV awareness - News

2009-10-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

"Changing health behaviors may require more than scary statistics to motivate people to act.

In an effort to stave off the spread of HIV and AIDS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is teaming up with local media to get its message across. As part of Act Against AIDS, a five-year communication campaign to reduce HIV incidence in the United States, the CDC is hosting round-table discussions across the country."

Research Shows Treating HIV-AIDS With Interleukin-2 Is Ineffective

2009-10-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

"An international research team has demonstrated that treating HIV-AIDS with interleukin-2 (IL-2) is ineffective. As a result, the researchers recommend that clinical trials on this compound be stopped. Their finding was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in an article co-authored by 14 researchers, including Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC)."

Wider Use Of Pfizer’s HIV Drug Recommended | Latest Newspaper Headlines | Current Events

2009-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

"Despite concern from several panel members, a U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel is recommending wider use of Pfizer Inc.'s HIV drug Selzentry in certain patients who have the disease.

Pfizer is seeking U. S. approval for marketing Selzentry to be taken with other anti-retroviral drugs for HIV patients with a specific type of HIV-1, one of the two strains of human immunodeficiency virus responsible for causing AIDS, and who have not tried any medications, so far."

Number of HIV-Positive People Getting Lifesaving Drugs Rises - washingtonpost.com

2009-10-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

"In a significant advancement, about 42 percent of people in the developing world who are infected with the AIDS virus and should be taking antiretroviral drugs are now receiving them, according to a new report."

Combo vaccine reduces risk of HIV infection, researchers say - CNN.com

2009-09-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Combo vaccine reduces risk of HIV infection, researchers say - CNN.com: "A vaccine to prevent HIV infection, the virus that leads to AIDS, has shown modest results for the first time, researchers have found, raising hopes that a disease that kills millions every year may someday be beaten."

THISDAY ONLINE / Nigeria news / African views on global news

2009-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Male circumcision is a cost-effective means to prevent the spread of HIV, a new UN-backed report said.The report found that one HIV infection could be averted for every five to 15 procedures performed on heterosexual men.
Using a 10-year time horizon, the study put the cost of averting one HIV infection in high HIV prevalence areas between 150 dollars and 900 dollars."

Herpes testing may reveal higher risk of HIV

2009-08-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

"Scientists have long known that someone with a herpes infection was at increased risk of getting HIV. While it had been thought that the two to three-fold increase in risk was due to the presence of sores and lesions on the skin which can increase the chance for HIV to get into the blood stream, scientists discovered last year that even people whose lesions had been treated are still at higher risk."

Governor's budget cuts kill HIV/AIDS prevention funding - Daily Democrat Online

2009-08-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

"An area hit particularly hard by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to close a $26 billion budget deficit was programs to help prevent and treat acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

AIDS is a disease that attacks the infected immune system, as a result of HIV.

'Several of the programs related to HIV/AIDs have been cut,' Joseph Iser Yolo County health officer said. 'We're still looking at the actual costs and what we will loose at the county level.'"

VOA News - Better Treatment Reduces Risk of HIV Infection During Breastfeeding

2009-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

VOA News - Better Treatment Reduces Risk of HIV Infection During Breastfeeding : "In sub-Saharan Africa, women may face stigma and discrimination if they don't breastfeed their babies. That's because many believe those women have HIV/AIDS.

However, new research shows treatment can allow women to breastfeed despite their HIV-positive status. The findings were released this week at a major AIDS conference in Cape Town, South Africa."

U.S. government moves closer to lifting HIV travel ban for immigrants and tourists

2009-07-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

"The U.S. government took a significant step towards ending its 22-year ban on allowing HIV-infected foreigners into the country this week, by issuing a proposal that would remove the AIDS-causing virus from the list of diseases that can bar entry.

Under the new regulations, HIV testing would no longer be a part of the medical exams required for permanent residence and certain travel visas."

HHS takes first step in lifting HIV travel ban - Southern Voice Atlanta

2009-07-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

"The Obama administration has taken the first official step in lifting the regulatory ban preventing HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the United States.

The Department of Health & Human Services last week issued a proposed regulation that would end the ban. The regulation was to be posted in the Federal Registry, triggering a 45-day period in which the department takes public comment. After another period of time, during which HHS will review the comments, a final regulation will be issued."

WHO warns of risks of TB vaccine to HIV-infected infants _English_Xinhua

2009-07-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine is of great risks to HIV-infected infants, Tanzanian local daily the Guardian reported on Thursday."

Commentary: Simple HIV test can save lives - CNN.com

2009-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

"Every 9½ minutes someone's brother, mother, sister, father, or neighbor becomes infected with HIV in the United States. That's 56,000 people every year. But there's something we can all do to help protect ourselves and our partners from this disease -- get tested for HIV."

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

2009-06-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

"The administration continues to enforce the ban on non-Americans living with HIV - against the will of the Congress and the views of president George W. Bush. Here's the latest example:"

Swine flu (H1N1 virus) is a continued threat to travelers with HIV and other diseases

2009-06-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

"As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases of swine flu, caused by the H1N1 virus, have been reported in 74 countries. As a result, the World Health Organization has confirmed 'the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met.'

While WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are continuing to encouraging individual at higher risk of infection to be cautious."

Study: Bans on gay marriage lead to rise in HIV infections

2009-06-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Gay marriage bans can be tied to a rise in HIV infections, according to a new study by economists at Atlanta's Emory University.

“In the first study of the impact of social tolerance levels toward gays in the United States on the HIV transmission rate, the researchers estimated that a constitutional ban on gay marriage raises the rate by four cases per 100,000 people,” the university announced in a press release today."

FDA ignores critical information on home HIV tests

2009-05-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

The FDA is ignoring critical information in deciding whether to approve an over-the-counter, rapid HIV test for home use, according to a recent article in the journal Medical Decision Making (MDM) which is published by SAGE.

As the price of the HIV test rises, some lower-income individuals who are at greater risk for HIV infection will not be able to afford it. The FDA has been criticized because it bases its decisions on small studies performed in non-representative populations.

AIDS Spreads to Infants as Most Mothers Fail to Get Treatments - Bloomberg.com

2009-05-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

"Drugs that prevent HIV in infants don’t get to two-thirds of infected expectant mothers, leading the virus to spread to 370,000 newborns a year, a treatment advocacy group said.

Only 33 percent of pregnant women with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, receive antivirals, a strategy proven 15 years ago to block mother-to-child transmission of the disease, said a report released today from the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition. The group blamed governments and global health groups for poor coordination, funding gaps and valuing “wealthy women over poor,” said Stephen Lewis, founder of AIDS-Free World and co- author of the report’s preface."

Global Challenges | Vietnamese HIV/AIDS Department Announces Funding for Prevention Efforts - Kaisernetwork.org

2009-05-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

"Vietnamese officials announced recently that about 678 billion dong, or about $38.7 million, will be allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the country in 2009, the VNA/VietnamPlus.com reports. The announcement was made during a press briefing earlier this week held by the Department for HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Vietnam Journalists Association to review Vietnam's HIV/AIDS efforts in 2008. Health officials at the briefing said that more than 27,000 people living with HIV/AIDS received treatment through one of the 207 district-level clinics put in place last year and that about 6,000 peer educators and health workers distributed information about the disease to 53.8% of the country's districts."

SF Health News Examiner: Officials fear swine flu combined with HIV

2009-05-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

"As the global threat from the most recent outbreak of H1N1 'swine' flu seems to have peaked, health officials remain concerned that the virus might return this fall in a far more deadly form.

So warned Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the 193-nation World Health Organization, in a recent interview with the Financial Times of London. In the interview, Dr. Chan claims that the H1N1 swine flu virus that caused the Mexico City-centered outbreak could return in the fall in a mutated form that is far more dangerous than the present version."

Tests for New H.I.V. Infection Not Widely Adopted - NYTimes.com

2009-05-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

"In December 2008, after a weekend of sex fueled by methamphetamine, Chris, a San Francisco man in his early 30s, sought out testing for sexually transmitted diseases at Magnet, a clinic serving homosexual men in the city’s Castro neighborhood."

VOA News - Obama Choice of PEPFAR HIV/AIDS Coordinator Draws Praise from Advocacy Groups

2009-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

"President Obama's nomination of Dr. Eric Goosby to serve as Global Coordinator for US AIDS policy has won high marks from AIDS funding advocates for his wide experience at home and overseas. David Bryden of the Center for Global Health Policy notes that time spent in Africa has given Dr. Goosby a strong grasp of the big policy picture needed to guide controversial AIDS prevention issues, lower infection rates, and save millions of lives."

Medical News: HIV No Barrier to Liver Transplant - in Gastroenterology, Liver Transplantation from MedPage Today

2009-04-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

"People with HIV do just as well as others after a liver transplant -- as long as they don't have hepatitis C as well, researchers said in Copenhagen.

In one of the few studies with data on long-term outcomes, those with HIV had one- and five-year survival rates of 86.5% and 74% respectively, according to John O'Grady, M.D., of Kings College Hospital in London.

By comparison, HIV-negative liver transplant patients in the prospective UK Transplant Database had rates of 87.1% and 78%, which were not significantly different, Dr. O'Grady reported at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver."

Why Anti-HIV Antibodies Are Ineffective At Blocking Infection

2009-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

"Some 25 years after the AIDS epidemic spawned a worldwide search for an effective vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), progress in the field seems to have effectively become stalled. The reason? According to new findings from a team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), it's at least partly due to the fact that our body's natural HIV antibodies simply don't have a long enough reach to effectively neutralize the viruses they are meant to target."

HIV may be increasing in virulence | Health | Reuters

2009-04-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

From 1985 to 2007, the CD4+ cell counts seen at diagnosis in HIV-infected patients in the US have fallen, suggesting that the virus may be adapting to the host and becoming more virulent, according to a report in Clinical Infectious Diseases."

HIV/AIDS: South struggles against rising problem -- chicagotribune.com

2009-04-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

"Not enough funding, doctors, education to fight growing problem

Sheila Holt moved to this small town from New Jersey two years ago to take care of her ailing mother. But as a former heroin addict with HIV, she found that rebuilding her life in the South was harder than she had imagined.

She was shocked that the wealth of services, such as housing, transportation and medications, available to her as an HIV patient in Newark were lacking in Henderson. In the North, she said, people talked openly about the disease without fear of reprisal. In the South, she could not sit at the dinner table with her family or talk to her neighbors about the disease without the risk of being shunned."

HIV and AIDS patients find exercise improves their health -- baltimoresun.com

2009-04-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

April is Sexually Transmitted Diseases Awareness Month. In the U.S. alone there are 19 million new cases of STDs each year, according to the American Social Health Association. Half of the new cases are among those between the ages of 15-24.

Never an athlete - simply from lack of interest, not lack of innate ability - Travis Tanner at first did not realize the magnitude of the challenge that lay ahead."

'Pedro' explores the real world of HIV through MTV star - USATODAY.com

2009-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

"Pedro Zamora's 1994 appearance on MTV reality show The Real World was a landmark media event: the first openly HIV-positive gay man on a nationwide TV series.

Fifteen years later, Zamora's reality TV appearance and short life are now the basis for a scripted MTV biopic, Pedro, airing Wednesday (8 ET/PT)."

U of L researcher publishes study indicating drug for HIV prevention - Business First of Louisville:

2009-04-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

"Dr. Kenneth Palmer, a University of Louisville faculty member with the Owensboro Cancer Research Program, has published a new study indicating that a plant related to tobacco could be used as a preventive measure for HIV.

The Owensboro Cancer Research Program is a partnership between the Owensboro Medical Health System and U of L’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center. HIV research is a focus of the program because HIV patients have a higher risk of getting cancer."

Study details strategy for boosting ranks of black HIV/AIDS researchers / UCLA Newsroom

2009-04-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

"African Americans, who make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, are disproportionately affected by AIDS, accounting for nearly 49 percent of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases nationwide. About 500,000 African Americans are now living with HIV/AIDS.

Yet there are very few African American HIV/AIDS researchers, due to historical, social and other factors that prevent them from training in the biomedical, behavioral and social aspects of HIV/AIDS research."

Harvard Aids expert says Pope "correct" on condoms and spread of HIV -Times Online

2009-03-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Harvard Aids expert says Pope 'correct' on condoms and spread of HIV
The head of Harvard's Aids Prevention Centre says condom use does not lower HIV infection rates

The head of a Harvard-based AIDs prevention centre says the Pope is “correct” to claim that condom distribution risks aggravating the transmission of HIV.

Last week Benedict XVI incurred the wrath of AIDs campaigners and criticism from the Governments of France and Germany for saying, en route to Africa, that AIDS could not “be overcome by the distribution of condoms.” In comments condemned as 'scary' and 'alienating' by members of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Benedict XVI lauded monogamy as a way to combat the spread of AIDs. He said that condom distribution risked exaggerating the spread of the virus."

SF Sexual Health Examiner: Circumcision reduces the sexual tranmission of HIV, herpes, and HPV

2009-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

"Circumcision reduces the sexual tranmission of HIV, herpes, and HPV

An article published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine provides more information about the potential role of male circumcision in the global control of sexually transmitted diseases. More than 5,000 uncircumcised men in Uganda were enrolled to study the effectiveness of circumcision in reducing transmission of genital herpes (HSV-2) and the genital wart virus (HPV, or human papilloma virus)."

Florida Veterans Stream for Testing After H.I.V. Warning - NYTimes.com

2009-03-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Florida Veterans Stream for Testing After H.I.V. Warning

MIAMI — Hundreds of veterans, some in fatigues, others in wheelchairs, streamed into the Miami Veterans Hospital on Wednesday to be tested for H.I.V. and hepatitis after officials there announced that improperly cleaned colonoscopy equipment might have exposed them to infection."

Doctors, assistants plead guilty in $10M Medicare scam - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com

2009-03-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

"Doctors, assistants plead guilty in $10M Medicare scam

Two Miami-Dade doctors and their medical assistants have pleaded guilty to plotting to defraud Medicare of $10 million with phony claims for HIV-infusion treatments that patients did not need or receive, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Dr. Roberto Rodriguez, 54; Dr. Carlos Garrido, 69; Gonzalo Nodarse, 38; and Alexis Carrazana, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare-fraud conspiracy."

VOA News - WHO Report: More People Dying of TB Are Infected With HIV

2009-03-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

"WHO Report: More People Dying of TB Are Infected With HIV

South African patients of the Tuberculosis (TB) center in Khayelitsha, on the south-western coast of South Africa, wait to see doctors, 23 Mar 2009
Patients of the Tuberculosis (TB) center in Khayelitsha, on the south-western coast of S. Africa, wait to see doctors, 23 Mar 2009
A new report by the World Health Organization shows a close link between tuberculosis and HIV. The World Health Organization is launching it's Global Tuberculosis Control Report on World TB Day."

Thousands of vets at Miami VA center at risk of HIV infections - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

2009-03-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

"Thousands of vets at Miami VA center at risk of HIV infections

Thousands of veterans who underwent certain routine medical procedures at Miami's VA Medical Center since 2004 are at risk of being infected with hepatitis or HIV, The Miami Herald reports.

John Vara, the center's chief of staff, says the risk of infection is low, but that 'any risk is unacceptable,' the newspaper reports."

Microbicide Promising As HIV Prevention Method For Women, Clinical Trial Suggests

2009-03-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Microbicide Promising As HIV Prevention Method For Women, Clinical Trial Suggests: "A clinical trial involving more than 3,000 women in the U.S. and southern Africa demonstrates for the first time the promise of a vaginal microbicide gel for preventing HIV infection in women. According to findings presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), one 0.5 % dose of a microbicide designed to prevent HIV from attaching to cells in the genital tract, was 30% effective."

HIV awareness fair offers free testing to women, girls - San Jose Mercury News

2009-03-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

HIV awareness fair offers free testing to women, girls - San Jose Mercury News: "San Mateo County will host an HIV awareness health fair today in Redwood City offering local women and girls free private risk-reduction counseling and HIV tests with near-immediate results.

The fair will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Fair Oaks Community Center at 2600 Middlefield Road. The San Mateo County STD/HIV Education and Prevention Program is hosting the fair to mark National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

According to the county, a quarter of all new HIV infections occur in women. More than 80 percent are black women or Hispanic women. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for black women between 25 and 34 years old, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services"

'U of M' scientists discover how to block HIV - Minneapolis-St. Paul- msnbc.com

2009-03-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

"A significant finding at the University of Minnesota research labs in Minneapolis.

On a small scale trial using monkeys, two doctors have found out how to block the transmission of HIV using, what in simplest terms, is a doctored up form of ky-jelly.

'It has the kind of efficacy that would avert millions of cases of HIV if it were used even part of the time by women,' Dr. Ashley Haase, lead researcher of the project said."

HBNS: Perceived Racism Not a Barrier to HIV Testing for N.C. Blacks

2009-02-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

HBNS: Perceived Racism Not a Barrier to HIV Testing for N.C. Blacks: "African-Americans who perceive racism — whether subtle or overt — might be more likely to accept readily available HIV testing, according to a study conducted in a county public health STD clinic in North Carolina. Although one might expect awareness of racism to be a barrier, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“We were investigating the extent to which [study participants] believe that most blacks still experience racism,” said lead study author Chandra Ford, Ph.D. “We wanted to understand whether they thought it was still prevalent, and if so whether this was a barrier to obtaining CDC-recommended HIV testing as has been hypothesized.”

Ford is an assistant professor in the department of community health sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health. The clinic-based, multilevel study included 373 blacks seeking sexually transmitted disease diagnoses or screening. The study appears in the April supplement of the American Journal of Public Health."