Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 09:34:05 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary May 2, 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 ************************************************************ "Billions Suffering Needlessly, Study Says" "Many Dentists Fearful of Patients with HIV" "Teens Hear 'Too Little, Too Late' about Sex--Study" "Singaporeans Flock to First Condom Boutique" "Across the USA: Arizona/Texas/Washington" "AIDS Warning is a Duty, Judge Says" "The Reliable Source" "Two Boys, Two Moms, and AIDS" "Troubling Insights into AIDS Wasting" "Psychological States in HIV Disease and the Nursing Response" ************************************************************ "Billions Suffering Needlessly, Study Says" New York Times (05/02/95) P. C5; Leary, Warren E. In its first annual survey of global health, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that despite a few notable health gains, billions of people suffer unnecessarily from disease and preventable illness because of poverty and a lack of access to health services. About 40 percent of the world's population experienced varying degrees of sickness at any one time, the organization said. According to the WHO, significant health challenges for the world include AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. In 1994, more than 13 million adults became infected with HIV. By the year 2000, the worldwide total of HIV infections could reach 30 million to 40 million, with 10 million people having developed AIDS, the report said. In more promising news, however, the WHO survey noted that global life expectancy has increased to 65 years from 61 years in the last quarter of a century. Infant mortality has decreased 25 percent in the last 15 years, and polio has been eliminated in the Western Hemisphere in the last three years. Related Stories: Washington Post (05/02) P. A3; USA Today (05/02) P. 1D "Many Dentists Fearful of Patients with HIV" Washington Post (Health) (05/02/95) P. 4; Verdon, Lexie Although the number of dentists willing to treat HIV-infected patients has increased significantly during the past decade, many are still uncomfortable with the disease, a national survey has found. The survey, published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, examined practicing dentists' attitudes toward HIV. Sixty-seven percent said they would treat HIV-infected patients, even if they could legitimately refer the patient somewhere else. In 1986, a similar survey found only about 20 percent of dentists willing to treat HIV patients. In the current survey, however, the dentists reported increased job dissatisfaction related to the AIDS epidemic. Overall, 32 percent of those polled said they would not chose dentistry again because of fear of HIV exposure, and 75 percent said they were scared to display a willingness to treat infected patients for fear of losing other patients. "Teens Hear 'Too Little, Too Late' about Sex--Study" Reuters (05/01/95) Globally, teenagers say they are not told enough at the right time about the facts of life, which puts them at risk for AIDS and unplanned pregnancies, a family planning charity reported on Monday. Young people were not getting reliable information; available services were neither confidential not welcoming; and policies were bureaucratic, the charity Marie Stopes International said. The World Bank-commissioned report found that adolescents in very different countries experienced "remarkably similar" problems. Teenagers in Nicaragua and Kenya were the focus of the study. The researchers found that these teens relied on friends for sex information, which resulted in them acting on misleading or dangerous hearsay. In Kenya, for example, teenagers are the fastest-growing age group to be affected by HIV. The young people "commonly practice unprotected sex and are at high risk for medical reasons," the charity said. Marie Stopes International spokeswoman Franca Tarza called the study a cry for help to governments around the world. "Singaporeans Flock to First Condom Boutique" Reuters (05/02/95) Singapore's first condom store appears to be a success, its owner said today. "There are a lot of people here," said Condomania owner John Shimeall. The 300-square-foot store sells a variety of novelty and regular condoms in many shapes, sizes, and colors. "Basically, it's to promote AIDS awareness," said Shimeall, 35, who has also opened four Condomania stores in Japan since 1992. "Across the USA: Arizona/Texas/Washington" USA Today (05/02/95) P. 11A In Tucson, Ariz., a ceremony was held in memory of approximately 500 city residents who have died of AIDS since 1985. Tribute was also paid to the 1,600 residents who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. Meanwhile, in Texas, Gov. Bush approved a law to permit the marketing of HIV home-testing kits, which are awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval. In other AIDS-related news, the Tacoma, Wash., man who was found guilty of soliciting sex from teenage male prostitutes has been hospitalized. Steven Farmer, 38, was granted clemency by Gov. Lowery. "AIDS Warning is a Duty, Judge Says" Toronto Globe and Mail (04/28/95) P. A5; Downey, Donn A judge has ruled that the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), York-Finch Hospital, and the Toronto Hospital had a duty to warn two potential blood recipients of the possible risk of HIV infection. There is a precedent in common law for treating a warning as part of a contractual obligation, wrote Madam Justice Kathryn Feldman of the Ontario Court's General Division, in allowing lawyers to amend a claim against the CRC and the two hospitals. The lawyers are acting on behalf of two patients--who have since died from AIDS--who received transfusions at the hospitals during the 1980's. The revised claim will include a paragraph which states that "but for the failure to warn the plaintiffs or prescribing physicians, the plaintiffs would not have been infected with HIV." Judge Feldman added that the Krever inquiry, which is trying to determine how more than 1,000 Canadian hemophiliac and transfusion patients became infected with HIV, may help determine "the extent of any duty to warn." "The Reliable Source" Washington Post (05/02/95) P. C3; Romano, Lois On Wednesday, Andrew Sullivan--editor of New Republic magazine--will host a fundraising party at his home to benefit AIDS research at Boston's Mapplethorpe Library. "Two Boys, Two Moms, and AIDS" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (04/28/95) P. 3E; Barnes, Harper "The Cure" is a movie about two 11-year-old buddies, Dexter--a bookish boy who is dying of AIDS--and Erik, his next-door neighbor. Despite the opposition of Erik's mother, the two boys become friends, searching for a cure for the disease. Among other things, they boil leaves from the nearby woods to test their healing powers, and conduct a test of the efficacy of large doses of Butterfingers candy against HIV. Writer Robert Kuhn and director Peter Horton nicely portray what it is like to be a boy in a small town. Aside from some small problems, the relationship between the boys is compelling and believable throughout the movie. "Troubling Insights into AIDS Wasting" Science News (04/22/95) Vol. 47, No. 16, P. 254; Raloff, Janet The preliminary findings of a new study by Edward T. Mannix of Indiana University School of Medicine reveal that after contracting AIDS, people with serious emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not have the body weight to compensate for the energy demands of their overactive metabolism. In his study of five AIDS patients, Mannix found that this disease-linked, overactive metabolism feeds on the protein of the heart, lungs, and other vital organs; moreover, he discovered that three of these patients had an unusually high ratio of fat to lean--which suggests that the body weight was being maintained by fat. "Psychological States in HIV Disease and the Nursing Response" Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (03/95-04/95) Vol. 6, No. 2, P. 25; Grimes, Richard M.; Grimes, Deanna E. Grimes et al. review the four major psychological states of HIV infection, as identified by Nichols in 1985, and adapt them for use by nurses. The crisis state coincides with an individual's discovery that he or she is infected with HIV, and is characterized by affective numbing and acute denial alternating with severe anxiety. It is important that healthcare providers recognize this state because the patient may not be able to comprehend instructions or gather enough energy to follow directions. According to Nichols, the transitional state is the time when alternating feelings of anger, guilt, self-pity, and anxiety overcome denial, and cause disruption and confusion to the patient. Nurses who recognize this state can assist their patients by helping them plan for the future while actively listening and probing for suicidal tendencies. The acceptance state is marked by a "take charge" attitude toward AIDS. The provider should recognize the patient's desire to fight the disease and should engage the patient in a discussion of the potential benefits and hazards of any alternative therapies being considered. Finally, the preparatory state is characterized by concerns about becoming dependent on others and preparing for death. The nurse must recognize this state and initiate discussion of death and death-related issues because dealing openly with the subject is beneficial for both parties.