Date: Mon, 17 Oct 1994 16:49:21 -0400 (EDT) From: "JOHN FANNING, CDC NAC" AIDS Daily Summary October 17, 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 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "Reference to Gay Clerk Raises a Furor at Trial" "AIDS Claims 3rd Hemophiliac Brother" "Volunteers Pitch In to Help AIDS Patients Keep Their Beloved Pets" "Woman with HIV Is Facing Felony Charges of Sodomy" "Growth Hormone Helps AIDS Patients Gain Weight--Study" "WHO Approves Large-Scale AIDS Vaccine Trials" "National Hospice Organization to Host 16th Annual Symposium and Exposition" "New Recommendations Urge Youths to Get Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B" "Latino Women Encouraged to Question Traditional Roles" "Around the World" ************************************************************ "Reference to Gay Clerk Raises a Furor at Trial" Philadelphia Inquirer (10/15/94) P. A1; Slobodzian, Joseph A. The judge in the AIDS discrimination case of Scott Doe v. Kohn, Nast & Graf threatened to punish the defense lawyer when he raised the issue of homosexuality on Friday. The attorney asked Doe if he had asked an "openly gay" file clerk for advice when Doe's boss told him his contract would not be renewed. The jury was sent from the courtroom and the judge questioned the lawyer about his motives for introducing the issue of sexual orientation--one that the judge had specifically not permitted thus far. The lawyer claimed that it was a "foolish" error and that he had introduced the subject intentionally. "AIDS Claims 3rd Hemophiliac Brother" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (10/16/94) P. A29; Sevareid, Susan Les Gimmer, the third of four hemophiliac brothers to be infected with HIV, died of AIDS on Sept. 23--the eve of his 40th birthday. The brothers are thought to have become infected with HIV from tainted blood products during the early 1980s. Two of the brothers have died since 1990, and the other committed suicide in 1981 because the pain overwhelmed him. Gimmer was a hospital aide who worked with the mentally ill and retarded. "Volunteers Pitch In to Help AIDS Patients Keep Their Beloved Pets" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (10/16/94) P. A19; Ivey, Dave Philadelphia Pets Are Wonderful Support Inc. handles all the chores involved with pet care for AIDS patients. Volunteers walk and groom dogs, change cat litter, and arrange for veterinary care. Their help allows people who are weakened by of the disease to keep their pets. Seventeen major cities have organizations similar to PhillyPaws. "This is something we can do in honor of the friends we lost," says Sue Dakin, a co-founder and client coordinator of PhillyPaws. "Woman with HIV Is Facing Felony Charges of Sodomy" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (10/14/94) P. 1D; VandeWater, Judith An HIV-infected woman accused of performing oral sex on two brothers, ages 11 and 13, will face two felony charges of sodomy. She also may be charged with violating a law that prohibits deliberate attempts to infect someone with HIV. Hospital records confirm that the woman was aware that she was infected when she made sexual contact with the two boys. "We're going to have to prove she knew she could spread the disease this way," says prosecuting attorney G. John Richards. The results of HIV tests on the boys will not affect his decision as to whether the other charge will be sought, says Richards. "Growth Hormone Helps AIDS Patients Gain Weight--Study" Reuters (10/14/94) A study conducted by University of California at San Francisco researchers has shown that injections of human growth hormone can help people with AIDS gain weight. The trial involved 178 participants who were given daily injections of bio-engineered human growth hormone. The individuals gained an average of 6.6 pounds of lean body tissue and lost three pounds of fat. The results contrast the effects of other weight gain therapies, such as appetite stimulants or intravenous feedings, which tend to promote fat gain instead of an increase in lean tissue. The sponsor of the study, Serono Laboratories of Massachusetts, manufactures mammalian cell-derived human growth hormone. The weight loss characteristic of AIDS wasting syndrome is thought to make AIDS patients more vulnerable to opportunistic infections. "WHO Approves Large-Scale AIDS Vaccine Trials" Reuters (10/14/94) The World Health Organization announced Friday that it had approved the first large-scale trials of possible HIV vaccines. The unnamed vaccines will be tested in Brazil, Uganda, and Tanzania. The announcement came after a two-day meeting in Geneva, in which experts agreed that some genetically-engineered vaccines had proven in preliminary trials to be safe and to help create HIV immunity. Trials had been planned in Rwanda, but were canceled because of the country's recent ethnic bloodshed. "National Hospice Organization to Host 16th Annual Symposium and Exposition" PR Newswire (10/14/94) The National Hospice Organization is holding "The 16th Annual Symposium and Exposition Opening Doors: The Next Generation of Hospice Caring" in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 18-22. The conference will address such topics as AIDS care, ethical issues, and health care reform. Tom Grothe, RN, MFCC, will discuss the standard of care most appropriate for an AIDS patient. "New Recommendations Urge Youths to Get Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B" PR Newswire (10/12/94) The American School Health Association on Wednesday announced new recommendations that urge all youths to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. The virus, which is spread through blood and other bodily fluids, is 100 times more contagious than HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 14 Americans a day die from hepatitis B-related illnesses, and that 1.25 million Americans are chronic carriers of the virus. ASHA also recommended that school health professionals initiate hepatitis B awareness programs for students and parents. SmithKline Beecham gave ASHA an educational grant that will soon educate high school students and their parents in a nationwide prevention program. "Latino Women Encouraged to Question Traditional Roles" AIDS Alert (10/94) Vol. 9, No. 10, P. 147 One in five Latino women in the United States has reported a history of sexual abuse or rape. Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco suggest that "sexual silence" and sexual coercion may promote the spread of HIV infection in the Latino community. They found that discussion of sex is discouraged in the Latino community, and that traditional gender roles reinforce the image of submissive women. Barbara Marin, a UCSF psychologist and lead investigator in the study, reported that 40 percent of AIDS cases in U.S. Latino women are linked to unprotected sexual intercourse with men. "Risk-reduction programs should encourage U.S. Latino women to become more comfortable with talking about sex and should challenge traditional gender roles," said Marin. "Around the World" Advocate (10/04/94) No. 665, P. 20 Three Asian countries are taking or are planning AIDS-related measures. First, in Cambodia, the Cambodian Women's Association warned that an ordinance banning prostitution in Phnom Penh could obstruct the fight against AIDS by driving the prostitutes underground. Next, border guards in Iraq have implemented HIV testing for all people entering the country. Finally, the public health ministry of Thailand is contemplating closing all brothels on Buddhist holy days as an AIDS prevention measure.