From server@aspensys.com Wed Nov 27 07:10:26 1996 Received: from casti.com (vector.casti.com [199.181.80.100]) by qrd.rdrop.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id HAA01072 for ; Wed, 27 Nov 1996 07:10:25 -0800 Received: from aspen3.aspensys.com by casti.com (8.6.9/NX3.0M) id KAA05250; Wed, 27 Nov 1996 10:05:34 -0500 Received: by aspen3.aspensys.com (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id KAA13180; Wed, 27 Nov 1996 10:10:41 -0500 Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 10:10:41 -0500 Message-Id: <9610278491.AA849115795@smtpinet.aspensys.com> Errors-To: shelly_olim_at_aspenpo@smtpinet.aspensys.com Reply-To: aidsnews@cdcnac.aspensys.com Originator: aidsnews@cdcnac.aspensys.com Sender: aidsnews@cdcnac.aspensys.com Precedence: bulk From: "Flynn Mclean" To: qrd@vector.casti.com Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 11/27/96 X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse AIDS Daily Summary November 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 ****************************************************** "Market Place: Some Analysts See a Silver Lining to Chiron's Cloud" "Japan May Approve the Pill, but Women May Not" "Nationline: AIDS and Abstinence" "Group Wants HIV Ruling Overturned" "Public Forum: Facts of Domestic Partner Benefits" "Thailand Visit Caps Clinton Tour" "Treat Patients on Individual Basis" "Ukraine Mulls HIV-Positive Prisons" "Resistance to HIV-1 Infection Among Persistently Seronegative Prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya" "Study: Depression Affects AIDS Survival" "Correction to November 22, 1996, MMWR and CDC AIDS Daily Summary" ****************************************************** "Market Place: Some Analysts See a Silver Lining to Chiron's Cloud" New York Times (11/27/96) P. D6; Fisher, Lawrence M. Despite Chiron's failed clinical trial of a new herpes vaccine, some analysts say the biotechnology company's shares remain attractive because the company is so diverse. The failure of one product is not as serious a concern at Chiron because it has so many other candidates in development. However, the failed herpes vaccine will delay tests of a vaccine for CMV retinitis, a virus that causes blindness in AIDS patients, because it is based on the same technology. Vaccines for hepatitis C and HIV, which also used the same approach, will be tested as planned. "Japan May Approve the Pill, but Women May Not" New York Times (11/27/96) P. A1; WuDunn, Sheryl Although Japan's legal ban of the birth control pill may be lifted as early as next spring, many Japanese women say they will not use it. Condoms are the most popular form of birth control, followed by withdrawal, and abortions are easily available when these methods fail. The government is concerned that the pill would reduce the birth rate even lower than the current rate of 1.4 children per woman, and that the rate of HIV infection would increase. Studies have shown, however, that HIV incidence does not increase among those who use the pill for contraception. "Nationline: AIDS and Abstinence" USA Today (11/27/96) P. 3A; Bacon, John Federal funds will be denied to Idaho school districts that teach any HIV prevention methods besides sexual abstinence, Idaho Schools Superintendent Anne Fox announced. Fox said the decision is based on public demand, and denied conceding to fundamental religious interests opposed to modern sex education. The policy may be the most restrictive approach to AIDS education in any state, an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "Group Wants HIV Ruling Overturned" Toronto Globe and Mail (11/26/96) P. A3; Downey, Donn Members of the Canadian AIDS Society are seeking to keep undisclosed the names of 13 HIV-positive men, claiming their identification would defeat the purpose of Ontario's Health Protection and Promotion Act and discourage others from seeking voluntary HIV tests. Madam Justice Janet Wilson of the Ontario Court's General Division ruled in 1995 that the names should be revealed in the public interest. Two types of anonymous HIV tests are allowed in Ontario--those provided by clinics and by family doctors who do not have to identify the subject. The 13 men, who gave blood between December 1984 and September 1985, did not consent to HIV tests because they were told at the time that the test did not exist. Wilson ruled that, by revealing the names of the 13 men, the infringement on their rights would be "minimal," and the health of their partners could be protected. "Public Forum: Facts of Domestic Partner Benefits" Boston Globe (11/26/96) P. D4; Sherman, Andrew D. While domestic partners are increasingly included in employee health insurance plans and benefit programs, some businesses fear higher costs due to large numbers of AIDS patients and other factors. However, the rate of HIV infection and AIDS among those enrolling in such plans is small, and the cost is not significant when compared to other, more common illnesses. The average lifetime cost of treating an AIDS patient is about $150,000, compared to $500,000 over a few months to treat a premature baby. Cancer treatment can range from $30,000 to $100,000 over a lifetime. Less than 2 percent of the employees offered domestic partner benefits have enrolled, and only a small minority of this group are same sex male couples. "Thailand Visit Caps Clinton Tour" USA Today (11/27/96) P. 4A; Nichols, Bill President Clinton ended his 10-day tour of Asia in Bangkok on Tuesday, and told his Thai audience that the U.S. commitment to the Asian Pacific is "stronger than ever." He also brought attention to two epidemics in the region: AIDS and drug use. "These forces of destruction defy traditional defenses, just as traditional barriers can no longer keep out ideas, information, and truth," Clinton said. "Treat Patients on Individual Basis" USA Today (11/27/96) P. 13A; Benjamin, Ken In response to an editorial that appeared in USA Today approving of new liver transplant policies, Ken Benjamin, of the May Day Hepatitis Action Committee, objects to the policies on medical and ethical grounds. In a letter to the editor, Benjamin says the policy, established by the United Network for Organ Sharing, is unfair because it does not consider the survival prospects of each individual. He points out that it would be unsound to move a gay man down the transplant list based on the fact that gay men are more likely to have AIDS, and thus not survive the transplant. "Ukraine Mulls HIV-Positive Prisons" United Press International (11/26/96); Coumarianos, Philippe Hoping to stop the spread of HIV in the prison system, Ukraine officials have proposed isolating HIV-infected prisoners in separate facilities. HIV has spread rapidly among inmates over the past two years, due to rape, homosexuality, and intravenous drug use. Officials say about 2,100 prisoners are infected, some 70 percent of whom are male. If approved by the government, HIV-positive prisoners would be moved to two existing jails which would be staffed by doctors and nurses trained in HIV care. "Resistance to HIV-1 Infection Among Persistently Seronegative Prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya" Lancet (11/16/96) Vol. 348, No. 9038, P. 1347; Fowke, Keith R.; Nagelkerke, Nico J.D.; Kimani, Joshua; et al. Canadian and Kenyan researchers studied HIV-1 resistance among prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya, to determine if some individuals in a highly exposed group would be resistant to HIV-1 infection. The authors found that, among 424 prostitutes who tested negative for HIV-1 in 1985, 239 seroconverted by 1994. Forty-three of the women remained HIV-1 negative after three or more years. The researchers conclude that the incidence of HIV-1 seroconversion decreased with increasing duration of exposure, suggesting that there is heterogeneity in HIV-1 susceptibility or acquired protection from HIV-1. They conclude that a small percentage of highly exposed individuals are resistant to HIV-1 and that this resistance may be provided by natural immunity. "Study: Depression Affects AIDS Survival" American Medical News (11/18/96) Vol. 39, No. 43, P. 24 A new study of HIV-positive gay and bisexual men suggests that chronic depression is linked to shorter survival. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco report that, out of 405 men, those who reported being depressed throughout the eight-year study period were two-thirds more likely to die than those who were never significantly depressed. Study author Tracy Mayne explained, "The more frequently a person is depressed, the higher their risk of dying from AIDS. If you treat the depression, the risk goes down." The findings were reported in the Oct. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Correction to November 22, 1996, MMWR and CDC AIDS Daily Summary" (11/27/96) CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and the AIDS Daily Summary dated Friday, November 22, 1996, inadvertently listed an incorrect telephone number for the CDC National AIDS Hotline. Please disregard that number. The correct telephone numbers for the National AIDS Hotline are (800) 342-2437, (800) 344-7432 (Spanish), and (800) 243-7889 (TTY/TDD). The AIDS Daily Summary will not publish on November 28 and 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Publication will resume on Monday, December 2.