The Friends of AIDS Foundation Community Journal

AIDS 'Life Skills' Intervention May Reduce HIV Risk

2012-02-10T06:44:00.001-08:00

Dr. Robert Garofalo, of Children’s Memorial Research Center, and colleagues have developed an intervention they hope will help close the gap in HIV prevention programs targeting young transgender women.

“Life Skills” is designed primarily to address stigma, marginalization, and participation in risky sexual behaviors. “This pilot project was unique in targeting the HIV-risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult transgender women, a very at-risk group and one that has been woefully absent from the scientific literature,” said Garofalo.

The Life Skills curriculum includes information on sexual health, basic HIV facts, safer-sex techniques, healthy communication, partner negotiation, and available community-based services. Individual sessions with Chicago-area transgenders ages 16-24 resulted in tailored risk reduction plans.

The study demonstrated that small, group-based HIV prevention programs targeting young transgender women are both feasible and acceptable. Those who participated in the Life Skills pilot decreased their frequency of unprotected sex with casual partners and their number of main partners.

Garofalo said the study’s success has resulted in a five-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. “In conjunction with the Fenway Institute and Harvard University, we at Children’s will now conduct the first-ever efficacy trial of an HIV prevention intervention for young transgender women in the US.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Mother Reaches Out to Others with HIV

2012-02-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

The nonprofit W.O.M.E.N. supports women coping with HIV and other diseases by providing food, clothing, shelter, and additional services. The acronym stands for Women on Maintaining Education and Nutrition; Catherine Wyatt-Morley, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1994, is its founder.

Wyatt-Morley said that at the time of her diagnosis, very little information about the disease addressed her circumstances - namely, a married professional African-American woman with three young children. “I didn’t fit into the criteria of what we Americans thought was HIV,” she said. Lacking support, she went into a spiral: Her church abandoned her, her friends alienated her, and she and her husband split up. “Everything that was precious to me was no longer part of my life except my three children,” she said. “All of my friends, all my hopes, aspirations, everything. Gone.”

This need for support drove Wyatt-Morley to start W.O.M.E.N. She has since traveled extensively: At a meeting in Switzerland, she shared her organization’s story with representatives from 68 nations. “To be able to travel the world and give my opinion and recommendation and suggestions, not only regarding HIV, but women’s health and women’s rights, that’s huge for me,” she said.

Later this year, Wyatt-Morley will open W.O.M.E.N.’s House, a residential facility that will offer a holistic approach to care and services by using a behavioral research model. She hopes the facility, which is outside Davidson County, can house up to 18 women, with twice that number being assisted on a day-to-day basis.

“My life far exceeds the expectations I would have set,” noted Wyatt-Morley.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

HIV-Positive People Should Always Tell Partner, Supreme Court Told

2012-02-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

HIV treatment has not advanced enough that people with HIV/AIDS have no obligation to tell potential sex partners about their infection, the Supreme Court of Canada heard Wednesday.

“We’re not there yet,” Elizabeth Thomson, Crown attorney for Manitoba, told the nine justices. “The threat of HIV is not theoretical.”

The Supreme Court is reviewing disclosure laws following cases in Quebec and Manitoba where two people with HIV were acquitted of criminal charges for not revealing their serostatus. A 1998 Supreme Court case ruled that those who hide their infection do not allow partners informed consent and expose them to “significant risk of serious bodily harm,” even if no transmission occurs. As a result, people with HIV who do not disclose their serostatus can be criminally liable.

Advocates argue that the risk of transmission is significantly lower when a condom is used and the viral load is suppressed through treatment. The Crown in Manitoba, Quebec, and Alberta jointly asked the Supreme Court to make full disclosure mandatory, since HIV is incurable and potentially fatal.

The criminal law is meant to protect the uninfected public at large, even it means singling out people with HIV, said Caroline Fontaine, Quebec’s Crown attorney. “An HIV-infected person’s sex life cannot be like everyone else’s,” she said. Basing the law on “moving targets” such as viral loads would be “dangerous,” she said.

The laws have made people with HIV hesitant to disclose their status due to unfair prosecutions and even dissuade some from testing, Jonathan Shime, of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, told the court. The laws should only apply when transmission or recklessness can be proven, he said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

HIV Advocacy Organizations Launch Online Resource: HIVHealthReform.org

2012-02-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Informing people with HIV and their care providers about the federal Affordable Care Act is the goal of a new website, HIVHealthReform.org.

Funded by a MAC AIDS Fund grant, the site is a collaborative effort by AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), Project Inform, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School/Treatment Access Expansion Project, the HIV Medicine Association, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

“Though there’s been plenty of media focus on the Affordable Care Act, it’s been hard to find the facts about what it will really mean on the ground for those living with HIV,” said John Peller, AFC’s vice president of policy. “People with HIV stand to benefit tremendously from health reform, and they also face unique challenges in the upcoming transition, and this website will help them learn more about it.”

The portal also has state-specific blogs that detail progress on the implementation of HIV-related efforts under the law. In addition, it serves as an advocacy resource for activists seeking to educate key decision-makers on policy implications for people with HIV/AIDS.

For more information, visit; http://www.hivhealthreform.org.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

HIV Message Is Simple: Get Tested; Efforts to Lower the Rate of Virus in Black Community Focus of Tuesday Gathering

2012-02-07T14:04:00.001-08:00

Community organizers in San Diego are hosting an event on Tuesday they hope will galvanize African-American efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS locally and nationally.

“I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS” will be held at 6 p.m. in the Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center in Lincoln Park; the event includes a panel discussion and free HIV testing, entertainment, and refreshments. It is being held on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day as a way to build the response to disproportionately high rates of the disease among African Americans.

Terry Cunningham, chief of San Diego County’s HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch of Public Health Services, said progress on the issue is ongoing: “We’ve gone a long way from people not wanting to talk about AIDS to having very frank discussions. I’m hoping that’s made a difference.”

The nonprofit Faith-Based Working Group of San Diego, organizer of Tuesday’s event, hosts awareness-raising forums year-round, said representative Kimberly Moore, who also is outreach coordinator at a nonprofit that supports women and families affected by HIV/AIDS, Christie’s Place.

Moore said the panelists represent a cross-section of the black community. “We wanted individuals who can give us insights into what we need to do or what’s working in getting the word out,” she noted. “A lot of us have taken to social media and marketing that targets the African-American community.”

For more information on the event, telephone Moore at 619-729-2066.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

UN Calls for Acceleration of HIV Treatment in Asia-Pacific Nations

2012-02-07T14:03:00.001-08:00

Monday’s opening of a three-day UN Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) meeting in Bangkok began with praise for the region’s impressive gains in tackling HIV/AIDS in recent years.

Asia-Pacific has about 15 percent of the world’s total HIV/AIDS caseload, with roughly 6 million people infected. Officials and activists from 34 countries in the region heard that new HIV infections are down 20 percent since 2001. Noeleen Heyzer, executive secretary of UNESCAP, said she expects the region will meet its goal of halting and reversing the virus’ spread by 2015.

“Countries such as Cambodia, India, Myanmar, and Thailand have successfully reduced their HIV infection rates with intensive, wide-reaching preventive programs, particularly among people who buy and sell sex,” said Heyzer. But, “There are still almost two new infections for every person who starts treatment. These new infections remain concentrated among key populations of higher risk: People who buy and sell sex, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and transgender people.”

According to UN officials, 90 percent of Asia-Pacific countries still have HIV treatment barriers. These include laws that criminalize injection drug users and sex workers, making it difficult for such marginalized groups to seek treatment.

Furthermore, in light of declining HIV/AIDS contributions from international donors, Asia-Pacific countries must prioritize paying for much of their own disease-related programming, said Heyzer. She cited China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Samoa, and Thailand for leading the way in supporting HIV/AIDS programs internally.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Rowan County AIDS Task Force Changes Name

2012-02-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

The nonprofit Rowan County AIDS Task Force recently changed its name to the Rowan Care Alliance (RCA), though it still provides HIV/AIDS services, including testing and prevention education. The group decided to remove “AIDS” from its name because stigma continues to affect people with HIV/AIDS.

“HIV stigma is a huge deterrent to testing, education, prevention, and outreach,” said Stacey Cuevas, an RCA board member and a supervisor at HIV Case Management (HCM) at Rowan Regional Medical Center. “Many people, including medical professionals, believe that all people with HIV or AIDS are drug users or lead a risky lifestyle.”

Of the 230 people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Rowan County, 96 are HCM clients who are actively seeking help with doctors’ appointments, transportation, and treatment options, Cuevas said. The majority of HCM clients, 61 percent, contracted the virus heterosexually; 56 percent are male; 44 percent are female; 65 percent are African-American; 26 percent are Caucasian; 7 percent are Latino; and 1 percent each are Asian and Native American.

Many people with HIV avoid seeking help because in Salisbury “everybody knows everybody,” said Lawrence Jones, an HCM client. “They are too embarrassed to come forward; the information is too personal.”

“If one person gets tested for HIV because our new name is welcoming and non-threatening, we have succeeded,” said Dr. Gordon Senter, RCA’s president.

For more information about case management services, telephone Stacey Cuevas at 704-210-5951.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Lexingtonian Turns Her HIV Diagnosis into a Book to Help Others

2012-02-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

Felisa Shelby is the featured speaker at “It’s Up to Me,” an event taking place Monday on the eve of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Shelby is the author of “In the Storm Too Long: Refusing to Lose This Battle,” an autobiographical account of living with HIV for nearly 14 years.

Shelby was diagnosed with HIV two weeks after learning she was pregnant. The response from relatives included public humiliation. “They stood out in the street, in front of people, outside, yelling,” she recalled. “I was so angry. It was awful.”

The rejection eventually sapped Shelby’s will to live: She took her medication only intermittently, if at all, and withdrew socially. Then in 2005, a doctor told her she would die within a year unless she changed. “It took me from then until now to finally get it together,” she noted. “I got so tired of laying around the house and letting the world control my life. I was tired of the world shaming me and embarrassing me, throwing my illness up in my face.”

The thoughts Shelby wrote down as a way to cope eventually became the book. “If someone out there, after reading my story, knows of anyone going through this or a similar illness that could affect a person for the rest of their life, grab them by the hand and let them know they’re not alone,” she implored.

Shelby shares her story whenever she can. “I want people to know you are somebody regardless of what you have been diagnosed with,” she said. “I want them to know how I got from being HIV-positive to where I am today. I am blessed.”

The event is open to persons age 21 and up. For more information, view the flyer at http://www.avolky.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/coalitionFlyer8-5x11.pdf.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Uganda Launches Plan to Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS by 2015

2012-02-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Uganda has launched a new HIV/AIDS prevention strategy for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, a senior ministry of health official said Wednesday. Objectives include adopting of a more cost-effective treatment regimen, improving health infrastructure, and increasing women’s access to family planning.

Uganda’s HIV prevalence among pregnant women is 6.5 percent, which amounts to 90,000 HIV-positive pregnant women annually, said Zainab Akol, program manager at the AIDS Control Program. About 25,000 babies are infected each year. “We in the ACP and our partners are fully determined to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the next five years,” Akol said.

Uganda began offering ARVs to prevent mother-to-child HIV infections in 2000, and it introduced a combination regimen to the program in 2006. However, delivery of the drugs has not been consistent - a problem the new plan aims to address.

Of the nearly 1.2 million people who have HIV in Uganda, more than 200,000 were infected perinatally; the majority are women; and 10 percent are children under age 15, Akol said. As part of its prevention strategy, Uganda’s AIDS information center will implement a circumcision campaign targeting males ages 15-59.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

'Silence Is Death' Highlights Link Between Churches and Rise in Local African-American HIV Rates

2012-02-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

The 2009 documentary “Silence Is Death: Unheard Voices” was commissioned by Palm Beach County in response to a report showing the disproportionate toll HIV/AIDS is having on Florida’s black residents. Made on a $5,000 budget, the film examines homophobia and the role of the black church in the epidemic. It was produced by Lorenzo Robertson, an outreach coordinator with the Florida Department of Health.

Black men who have sex with men are especially at risk, and their life experiences are captured in the documentary. “I was raised in the church where they said if you were gay you were going to hell,” recalled “Abdul,” who feared he would lose his loved ones and sense of community by coming out.

According to Robertson, state officials understand they must engage black churches if they are to successfully tackle HIV/AIDS. But gay black men also must assume responsibility for their health, he said. “You can’t make sure anyone else is protected, but you can protect yourself,” he said.

The film, which premiered in 2010, will be screened Feb. 12 at the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University. Tickets are free but an RSVP is required. For more information, telephone 305-751-7283.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

AIDS Care Recognized for Patient Care

2012-02-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

The nonprofit National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded AIDS Care its highest ranking for a patient-centered medical home.

The designation makes AIDS Care eligible for Medicaid reimbursement incentives of up to $16 per office visit, allowing the agency to expand programs and services, said Jay Rudman, president and CEO. AIDS Care serves approximately 700 patients, but not all are on Medicaid.

AIDS Care is among 39 Rochester-area practices and more than 3,000 nationwide to receive the designation from NCQA, which issues report cards based on outcome and accountability measures.

“The idea is about putting the patient in the center of the process,” said Rudman. Ninety-eight percent of AIDS Care’s clients receive their primary and specialty care at the facility.

The aim is to provide coordinated care attending to the whole person, improving quality and controlling costs by addressing problems before they escalate. NCQA reports that medical homes have helped North Carolina save $1 billion in Medicaid spending; the medical home movement is part of health care reform.

“Nationally, it’s becoming evident that primary care practices that have transformed into medical homes are having an impact on the health and experience of the patients,” said Peggy Reineking, NCQA’s director of recognition operations.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Curtains Up on STDs: Medical Group Gets Info About Sensitive Issues Out Through Theater

2012-02-06T21:43:00.000-08:00

For 25 years, Kaiser Permanente’s theater troupe has raised the curtain on health concerns such as STDs and sexual health for high school audiences. “We’re one of the largest theatrical organizations that do this public-based, public health theater,” said Gerry Farrell, director of Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s Educational Theater. “This is such a better way of presenting information about health, especially for this age group.”

For example, the play “What Goes Around” deals with STDs, including HIV. In the production, actors - who also are health educators - play the roles of boyfriend and girlfriend Eli and Alicia. Eli cheats on Alicia with an old girlfriend, thinking he is protected from disease because the girl is on birth control.

Eli soon discovers his ex has left him a “downtown souvenir” - in this case, chlamydia and human papillomavirus infection. Much of the rest of the play focuses on how Eli plans to explain this to Alicia.

Following a recent performance for continuing students at John Wooden High School in Reseda, the actors led a question-and-answer session. These days, youths’ wired worlds lead to a host of questions, from different types of sexual behavior to alleged household cures for STDs.

“They have some of the same questions I had when I was in high school,” said performer Ray Auxais. “The only difference now is technology. We’re constantly having to evolve the show.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Coming Soon: Over-the-Counter Oral AIDS Test

2012-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

In January, Bethlehem, Pa.-based OraSure Technologies submitted a final module of clinical test results supporting its application to sell the OraQuick rapid HIV test to the public. Food and Drug Administration approval could come this year. The test uses oral fluid or blood; it currently is used widely in clinical settings.

To assess issues regarding at-home rapid HIV testing, Columbia University researchers conducted a study in which they offered the OraQuick test in an office setting to men who have sex with men, then interviewed them about their attitudes toward it. More than 80 percent said they would use the kit to test themselves or their sexual partners, according to Alex Carballo-Diéguez, Timothy Frasca, and colleagues at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

In general, however, there was little agreement about how to raise the subject with a partner or how to handle an unexpected positive result. Some men talked about making the test a condition of forgoing condom use; others said the test might be a signal that a relationship had advanced beyond casual status.

Opponents of at-home testing worry about how users would react if the test is positive. “There’s a lot of potential opposition, and clinics might not be crazy about direct access in a private setting with no personnel with them if they get a positive result,” Carballo-Diéguez said. The study’s participants gave different reactions to this scenario: Some said they would offer sympathy; a minority said they would leave at once.

In a follow-up study to the paper they published this week in the Journal of Sex Research, the authors are distributing rapid test kits for use at home and asking testers to report on their experiences.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Jordan Deports Five HIV-Positive Libyan Patients

2012-02-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

A health ministry official said Tuesday that Jordan has deported five Libyan patients after learning they were HIV-positive.

In the wake of months of fighting that ended the regime of Moamer Kadhafi in October, thousands of Libyans have undergone treatment in hospitals in Jordan and Greece. “The five people have been hospitalized in a private hospital in Amman,” the official said. “On Friday, health authorities found out that they were HIV-positive. They have been deported after a 72-hour quarantine.”

The official said the ministry “will impose more preventive measures to make sure all Libyans coming to Jordan are free of this disease.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Castro to Get AIDS Quilt Display

2012-02-01T22:56:00.001-08:00

Local merchants and AIDS advocates hope to display panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in San Francisco’s historically gay Castro neighborhood during Valentine’s week. The roughly 320 panels envisioned would be one of the largest displays of panels in the city since 1999, when the Names Project Foundation, which maintains the quilt, moved to Atlanta. Display organizers are in talks with the proprietors of the Market and Noe Center about housing the display in the vacant retail complex.

“It was a combination of people wanted to do it, the space is available, and Valentine’s week is a nice time to think about loved ones,” said Mike Smith, executive director of the AIDS Emergency Fund and Names Project co-founder. He has been working with Petyr Kane, owner of the Castro clothing stores Citizen and Body, and officials with Under One Roof, a retail shop that donates profits to local HIV/AIDS groups, on the display.

Details were still being finalized, but plans called for showing the quilt for up to eight days starting Sunday, Feb. 12. The exhibit would be free and open to the public. Though donations for local HIV/AIDS organizations would be suggested, “This isn’t being set up as a fundraiser,” Smith said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Alberta Makes Headway in Curbing Sexually Transmitted Infections

2012-02-01T22:55:00.001-08:00

Alberta is making progress against STDs and is improving surveillance to detect drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea, the province’s chief medical health officer announced recently. The surveillance measure will help ensure “we don’t end up behind the eight ball,” said Andre Corriveau, noting that such strains are “very worrisome for all the public health communities around the world.”

“We’re starting to see a creep in the level of antibiotics you require to treat the infection,” Corriveau said. “We have a couple of imported cases, and we have to make sure it doesn’t spread within the province.”

Gonorrhea reports dipped in 2009 and 2010, though the number of new cases in 2010, 1,188, was double the figure from a decade ago, Corriveau said. While STD rates have generally declined, Alberta’s 13,000 chlamydia cases represented double the 2000 figure, and the rate remains above the Canadian average. HIV infections spiked in 2007, with 6.7 cases per 100,000 population, but in 2010 the rate dropped to 5.2 cases per 100,000. The 30 new AIDS cases in 2010 represented the lowest increase seen in more than 20 years.

Last May, the province announced a five-year, $14 million (US $14.01 million) effort to fight STDs, including $2 million (US $2 million) for an awareness campaign. Last year’s “edgy” advertising had an immediate effect on the number of young adults getting tested, Corriveau said. A new campaign will launch this year with fresh messages, and new ads may be aimed at dating sites linked to STDs.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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HIV-Related Deaths Slow Economy

2012-02-01T22:54:00.001-08:00

South Africa should have a population of 55 million citizens in 2012, but the toll of HIV/AIDS makes the figure closer to 50.6 million people, according to a new study by the South African Institute for Race Relations (SAIRR).

The research organization’s analysis used data from the Actuarial Society of South Africa and the South African Institute for Futures Research. It found almost one-third of all deaths in 2011 were AIDS-related. By 2025, the proportion of AIDS deaths is expected to rise 121 percent from the level in 2000, SAIRR said.

“The decrease of population growth has a negative impact on South Africa, because the group most affected by HIV and AIDS is aged between 15 and 49 years, which is the most productive part of the population,” said SAIRR researcher Thuthukani Ndebele. “If this age group continues to die early, we will see an acute social and economic impact throughout the country.”

SAIRR predicts the total number of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS will reach 6 million in 2015 - double the number recorded in 2000.

In addition to reduced life expectancy and increased mortality, HIV/AIDS causes broader social ills such as orphanhood and child-headed households. UNICEF figures show that in 2009, 2 million South African children had lost one or both parents to the disease.

SAIRR is especially worried about the burden HIV/AIDS will have on the country’s public health system. In 2009, South Africa spent nearly 9 percent of its GDP on health, according to World Bank data. This percentage could increase in the near future. “Health budgets might have to increase even further, if government wants to prevent HIV/AIDS having an even more negative impact on the economy than it already has,” said Ndebele.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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New Chief Unveils Plan to Revive Disease-Fighting Fund

2012-02-01T22:53:00.001-08:00

The new leader of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria said he plans to establish “a disciplined private-sector governance process” for managing grants, improving risk management from country to country, and raising funds.

Noted for transparency, the fund last year disclosed that a small portion of its grants had been misused. A report it commissioned suggested retooling grant management, financial practices, and business relationships with grant recipients. The fund also is working to recover the misspent money.

Its new general manager, Gabriel Jaramillo, is a specialist in corporate turnarounds and served last year on a panel that recommended some of the changes now in process. He takes the helm on Feb. 1 for one year, with a salary of $1. Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine, who endorsed the report’s recommendations, will step down in March.

In light of the euro currency crisis and other economic issues that slowed government donor support, the fund’s $11.7 billion target between 2011 and 2013 was “aggressive,” said one person familiar with its operations. It included a $4 billion pledge from the US government subject to annual Congressional approval; however, Congress has authorized just $2.1 billion for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 combined.

Last November, the fund announced a freezing of new grants until 2014. It has received $2.64 billion from all donors so far for 2011-13 but expects $10 billion.

“This should never have happened,” said Jaramillo, adding that he will strengthen funding forecasts. “Uncertainty is a reality. You have to project the most likely scenario and the most horrible scenario. That’s what we do in business every day.”

In a strong signal of its commitment, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given the fund $650 million since its inception, on Thursday pledged an additional $750 million.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Pediatricians Recommend HPV Vaccine for Boys, Too

2012-02-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

The American Academy of Pediatrics today released a new recommendation calling for pre-teen and adolescent boys to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, part of AAP’s revised standard immunization schedule for youths.

The HPV vaccine already is recommended for girls in the same age range. Giving it to boys will protect them from HPV-linked oral and anal cancers and help prevent further transmission of the STD. AAP’s call follows a similar one made by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in October.

The three-shot HPV series is given over six months, with costs totaling around $360. Female vaccinations are covered by many private insurers due to inclusion on the routine vaccine schedule. Adding boys to the schedule likely will result in coverage as well.

Because HPV is linked to sexual activity, some critics worry that the vaccine against it could promote promiscuity. However, a CDC study on that issue showed no such effect, said Dr. Michael Brady, chair of AAP’s Committee on Infectious Diseases and chair of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

“Given the amount of cancer in both genders, most people recognize the rationale,” said Brady. “Adding males from a cost-perspective was the right thing to do.”

“Boys who grow up to be men who have sex with men are at particular risk for HPV infection,” Brady added. “If you immunize only girls, you wouldn’t improve protection of that population.”

More information about the revised immunization schedule is available at http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/AAP-2012-Childhood-and-Adolescent-Immunization-Schedule.aspx.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Saturday's Health Expo Will Offer More than 40 Free Screenings

2012-01-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

More than 40 health screenings will be offered to the public this Saturday at the Columbus Health Department’s 2012 Health Expo. In addition to the three most popular tests - for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol - attendees can be checked for HIV, sickle cell disease, various cancers, and bone density. Mental health and oral exams will be conducted; vouchers will be offered for breast and Pap tests.

“You can’t fix what you haven’t identified, and screening can help identify something before it becomes a problem,” said Mark Ellis, one of the event’s planners and the health promotions coordinator for the West Central Health District. After undergoing the tests, each individual will meet with a doctor or nurse who will explain the results.

Parking, admission, and testing all are free; however, Jack Lockwood, the event’s public relations director, advised people to come early. During the expo’s 11-year history, more than 12,000 people have undergone more than 44,000 health screenings.

The expo takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, 801 Front Ave.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

South Africa Recalls 'Faulty' ANC Celebration Condoms

2012-01-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

The Free State Health Department is recalling 1.35 million condoms distributed ahead of the recent African National Congress centenary celebrations, but it called the step a “precautionary measure” and urged the public not to panic.

The problems with the condoms came to light after people notified the AIDS service organization Treatment Action Campaign. “The complaints are that the condoms broke during intercourse,” said TAC’s Sello Mokhalipi.

In tests TAC conducted, “When you poured water in them, the water seeped through,” he said. FSHD spokesperson Jabu Mbalula declined to confirm or deny the reports but said the department is investigating. The condoms “are still out there in large numbers, and that is of great concern to us,” Mokhalipi said. South Africa has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV infection.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Interview: UNAIDS Chief Urges Technology Transfer to Africa

2012-01-31T18:48:00.001-08:00

Industrial technology transfers should be used to help Africa fight HIV/AIDS, the head of UNAIDS said Saturday on the sidelines of the 18th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The New Agenda for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and UNAIDS are among agencies partnering for such transfers to enable Africa to produce its own AIDS drugs, Michel Sidibe said.

With an economic growth rate of over 6 percent on the continent, what matters now is “not only a development of infrastructure, but also a better life with good health for the African people,” Sidibe said. AIDS can be one platform for the transfer of drug-making technologies used in emerging markets such as China and Brazil, he said, suggesting that an AU summit address these opportunities. The private sector can be tapped for such social development.

“You cannot put someone under treatment for 30 years while believing that all relevant resources will come from outside,” Sidibe said. “I can say that pharmaceutical companies now are the first to seek a dialogue with the African continent.”

The period since the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS in June last year has provided a window of opportunity to talk about the sustainability of programs, Sidibe said. He also noted progress on the adoption of comprehensive mother-to-child HIV prevention programs in Africa, which most countries have plans to accelerate.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Most with HIV Skip Treatment

2012-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

New estimates from the state Department of Health (DOH) show more than two-thirds of Mississippians who test HIV-positive are not on treatment, placing their health in jeopardy and increasing the risk of infecting others.

Stigma, cost, and lack of access to care are among reasons why some people with HIV avoid treatment, say health officials. Many patients “don’t want others to know they’re HIV-infected,” said Dr. Leandro Mena, associate professor of medicine for the infectious-disease division at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

“Some people in the Delta drive here to Jackson because they don’t want the stigma,” said Valencia Robinson, an AIDS advocate and executive director for Mississippi in Action.

Access to care is a problem. “Where there is not reliable public transportation, patients have to rely on other people to take them to appointments, which means they have to tell them about their HIV infection,” said Mena.

Another issue is HIV’s link to poverty. Some 312 of the 572 HIV patients who see case managers at DOH clinics are living well below the poverty line, said Dr. Nicholas Mosca, DOH’s HIV director. Patients who qualify for Medicaid are covered for up to five medications, but brand-name drugs are limited, he said.

Across the state, more than 9,500 residents are known to have HIV; almost one-quarter of them live in Hinds County. Mississippi has an HIV mortality rate of 5.9 per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 3.7.

DOH officials are hoping to get $6 million in state matching funds to complement $13 million in Ryan White federal funds this legislative session. The money goes toward providing HIV care for low-income residents, said State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Health Department to Offer STD Testing in Republic

2012-01-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

Beginning Feb. 3, STD testing will be offered on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Women, Infants & Children clinic at 937 E. Lindsey St. in Republic.

The tests conducted - for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV - are the same confidential, no-cost services the department already offers at its offices in Springfield.

For more information, telephone 417-732-1439 or 417-864-1672, or visit: http://www.springfieldmo.gov/health/std.html.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

HIV Campaign Launches in Atlanta

2012-01-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

Atlanta will be the first city to debut “Testing Makes Us Stronger,” a new campaign to encourage black gay and bisexual men to be screened for HIV.

The outreach is part of CDC’s “Act Against AIDS” initiative, an effort to refocus the nation’s attention on the importance of HIV testing and prevention.

The Fulton County Department of Health Services will provide free HIV testing to residents Feb. 2-3. Testing will be conducted Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Avenue MARTA station and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lindbergh MARTA station.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!