From: MPetrelis@aol.com
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 20:21:46 EDT
Subject: SF DPH: We need more AIDS and STD numbers


Minutes of the August 31, 1999 general meeting of the S.F. health commission

[Excerpted out of the official posting from www.dph.sf.ca.us, the health 
department's web site.]

Item 4)  DIRECTOR'S REPORT
(Presented by Dr. Mitchell H. Katz)

POPULATION HEALTH AND PREVENTION

National HIV Prevention Meeting at CDC

The CDC has convened a national HIV Prevention meeting in Atlanta. 
Several members of our staff including Larry Meredith, Ph.D., the head 
of our Prevention Unit are attending the meeting. The meeting is an 
opportunity for HIV Prevention leaders to review the epidemiology of 
HIV/AIDS and use the data to design interventions to decrease the number 
of new AIDS cases.

This morning's newspaper covered the opening presentation at the 
meeting. At the opening the number of AIDS deaths over the past several 
years was discussed. After examining the national data as well as our 
local data, I believe this morning's newspaper coverage exaggerated the 
significance of the plateau in the decrease in the rate of AIDS deaths. 

The national data show that the number of AIDS death in 1996-97 was 
21,222 a 42% decline from the number of deaths in 1995-96 when the 
number of deaths was 36,792. In 1997-98 there were 17,047 deaths, which 
was a 20% decrease from 1996-97. The newspaper coverage suggested that 
these decreases in the percentage decline may reflect that we have 
already seen most of the benefits of protease inhibitors.

I have shown the number of deaths for the similar period in San 
Francisco.

                            1995    1996    1997    1998  Projected  1999

# of AIDS cases     1678    1118    360       304                   230 

As you can see San Francisco also had a much larger decline of deaths 
between 1997 and 1996, and between 1998 and 1997. However, it is 
unmistakable that the number of deaths keep decreasing. It would be 
highly improbable that we could continue to see decreases the size of 
68% in San Francisco as we've seen between 1996 and 1997 each year. We 
know that protease inhibitors are not a cure. They do not work for 
everyone, in some people resistance develops, and some persons have side 
effects that preclude them from taking protease inhibitors. The fact 
that AIDS deaths continued to decrease should give us increased 
motivation to make sure that everyone benefits from antiretroviral drug 
combinations by increasing the number of people who are HIV positive who 
know they are positive (through increased voluntary HIV testing) and 
increase in programs that address access and adherence to treatments 
(for example HIV Action Point Center).

Commissioner Parker asked for clarification on AIDS statistics and the 
food handler training program.

Commissioner Chow asked how the Department is responding to the new 
population of HIV infected individuals. He requested AIDS statistics 
reports. 

Dr. Katz reviewed our present programs but indicated our 
current programs are not decreasing the rates of infection. The 
Department of Public Health is locating new areas to do intervention. 
The message is to get treatment for HIV infections.

Commissioner Hill commented on the alarming yet sad increase in unsafe 
sex among young gay men.

Public Speaker: Michael Petrelis, AIDS Accountability Project, commented 
on the Annual STD Report being late and that he is not seeing an 
increase of STD in the gay community.
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Item 7) PUBLIC COMMENTS

Michael Petrelis, AIDS Accountability Project, stated the Department is 
giving confusing information to the gay community and recommended public 
meetings with the gay community, the dissemination of the annual STD 
Report, and the presentation of scientific facts to the gay community.
