Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 09:28:26 -0400 (EDT) From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 01/12/94 AIDS Daily Summary January 12, 1994 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 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "Studies Support Needle Exchanges" Washington Post (01/12/94) P. A3 Two new studies add to the growing pile of evidence suggesting that drug users will readily accept needle exchange programs which, in an effort to curb the spread of AIDS, trade used syringes for clean ones. The studies are especially significant because they were conducted in American cities, whereas other studies took place abroad, says Don C. Des Jarlais, research director of the Chemical Dependency Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center and lead author of the New York study. His research team surveyed 141 intravenous drug users at the facility from 1984 to 1992. Over this time frame, use of dirty needles dropped from 51 percent of injections to 7 percent--a decline the researchers attributed to needle-exchange programs and an increase in sniffing heroin instead of injecting it. The other study, which was conducted in San Francisco, evaluated a needle-exchange program that was initiated in 1988. By spring 1992, 45 percent of IV-drug users who were polled said that they "usually" obtained syringes through the exchange program and 61 percent reported using the service within the last year, according to researchers. "Syringe exchange was readily adopted by intravenous drug users and appears to have quickly replaced the black market as a primary source of injection equipment," said the team, led by John K. Walters of the University of California at San Francisco. Nearly 40 such programs operate throughout the country. Intravenous drug users account for about one-third of all American AIDS cases. Related Story: Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (01/12) P. B1 "Condom Giveaway" Associated Press (01/12/94) New York--Under a new regulation approved by the Board of Education yesterday, parents will now have the authority to prevent their children from receiving free condoms in New York City high schools. Last month, a state appeals court ruled that the city's condom distribution policy was a violation of parents' rights to control their children's behavior. Rather than appeal the decision, the Board of Education opted to vote to allow parents to notify the school if their children are not permitted to receive condoms. In 1991, New York City public schools became the first in the United States to pass out condoms--a program which has since been copied by many other cities. City Councilman Tom Duane, who is HIV-positive, warned that children would die if the original policy of condoms-on-demand is modified. "Cuba Dropping Quarantine for HIV" Washington Times (01/12/94) P. A10 Cuba's controversial practice of quarantining all persons infected with the AIDS virus has been abandoned, announced Dr. Manuel Santin, director of epidemiology at the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. "Accumulated experience permits us to begin a system of broad-based, out-patient care of all HIV-positive persons who show a responsible attitude toward their family and society and who voluntarily request it," he said. This shift represents a reversal of the former policy, which dictated that all AIDS patients be sent to a sanitarium, where they received medical treatment. Such patients were allowed visitors and continued to draw paychecks from their employers. Nevertheless, what is known as a "benign system of quarantining" has been condemned by some foreign health authorities as a violation of human rights. Cuban public health officials, however, counter that the free policy has increased the survival rate among patients and prevented rapid spread of the disease. Santin cited that in 1993, only 102 new HIV cases were diagnosed among 2 million people who were tested, and only 988 persons have been found to be HIV-positive since the quarantine policy began. Cuba has a population of 11.2 million. "AIDS-Prevention Ads Off to Slow Start" Baltimore Sun (01/12/94) P. 1B (Selby, Holly) Despite major publicity and endorsement surrounding the government's candid new AIDS-prevention advertisements, the campaign has yet to reach many viewers in Maryland, or create a sense of urgency among television stations. Although health officials announced that all four major networks would run the ads promoting condom use to prevent AIDS infection, so far only ABC has fulfilled that pledge. Two factors help account for the campaign's sluggish debut: the chancy nature of all public service advertising, and the controversial, condom-based message of the project. Emily Barr, assistant-general manager at WMAR-TV, sums up the first factor. "There are many more PSAs (public service announcements) than spots to put them in," she observes. The second influencing factor is the traditional reluctance of networks and affiliates to air advertisements mentioning condoms, even those produced and paid for by manufacturers. "There are certain cultural taboos and that is one of them," says Eric Haley, an advertising instructor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who researches PSAs. "The networks try to appeal to the widest possible number of people and try not to offend anyone, because when they offend people they lose ads and revenue." "Jonathan Demme, For the Defense" Washington Post (01/12/94) P. D3 Jonathan Demme, director of a new film about AIDS, has been blasted by critics who say "Philadelphia" is not a realistic portrayal of homosexuality and AIDS. At the Washington, D.C., premiere of the movie, Demme defended the flick against criticism that it downplays the homosexual relationship between the main character and his lover. "I don't think all movies need a hot bed scene," he said. "The secret bottom line is, there may be people that will see the movie who don't know anyone with AIDS and have an aversion to AIDS and will meet a fictional person with AIDS and be less likely to be scornful ... and be able to view people with AIDS with more respect and compassion." He added that he hopes that audiences, who will be able to see "Philadelphia" beginning Friday, will "come out feeling like they've been through an emotional wringer." "Pa. Adds Five Medications to Give Patients With HIV" Philadelphia Inquirer (01/12/94) P. B2 In Pennsylvania, the number of medications provided at no charge to moderate-income HIV patients is being expanded, announced state officials. The addition of five new drugs will raise the total number of free medications available under the state's Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program to 19, said Public Welfare Secretary Karen F. Snider. The five drugs include Biaxin, Marinol, Mepron, Mycobutin, and Sporanox, which are used for the treatment of a variety of AIDS-related conditions such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and wasting syndrome. The state program will also broaden to cover syringes and other disposable medical supplies needed by HIV patients. "Linking Physical and Emotional Health: AIDS" Washington Post (Health) (01/11/94) P. 9 (Weiss, Rick) Feelings of bereavement in men infected with the AIDS virus often accelerate their progression to full-blown AIDS, reports Margaret E. Kemeny, a psychologist at the University of California at Los Angeles. Kemeny's studies found that the loss of a lover, but not a friend, often contributed to a declining immune system, as demonstrating by falling T-cell levels and other indicators. Some researchers have shown that cognitive or coping therapy, in which patients confront the realities of their disease through candid discussions, appears to help boost immune system function in HIV-infected individuals. "Funds to Benefit AIDS Counseling" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (01/11/94) P. 3B (Holleman, Joe) A committee designated to allocate more than $1.2 million in federal funds to help AIDS patients in the St. Louis, Mo., area has publicly announced its plans for the money. The 36-member committee intends to give the largest amount of money--about $500,000--to agencies providing counseling, group therapy, and case management for AIDS and HIV patients. The committee also earmarked $220,000 for home health care and food delivery services for such patients. The funds may only be used as a last resort, according to officials. People whose insurance covers the services cannot draw from the funds, and there are also income guidelines to qualify for aid. The money has been secured to help residents of the metropolitan area, which includes St. Clair and Madison counties in Illinois. St. Louis Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. appointed the committee, about one-third of which is made up of infected persons or people who have otherwise been affected by AIDS. The city became eligible for federal support when the number of AIDS cases there exceeded 2,000. St. Louis was awarded the $1.2 million last week. "Shaman Reports Results From Pilot Clinical Trial of Herpes Drug" Business Wire (01/10/94) South San Francisco, Calif.--A pilot study of Virend, a topical antiviral compound for the treatment of herpes infections, has shown the product to be safe and effective, reports Shaman Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Virend. The study enrolled 10 AIDS patients, all of whom had herpes lesions that were resistant to treatment with aciclovir. Results indicated that 65 percent of the lesions were found to be "improved" following two weeks of treatment with Virend. "To draw more meaningful conclusions, we will look to our recently initiated Phase II study of Virend as a treatment for secondary herpes lesions in AIDS patients," remarked Shaman President and CEO Lisa Conte, calling the results of the pilot study "encouraging." "That study will be the first to evaluate Virend in patients who are not aciclovir-resistant, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled format."