The CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update

UNITED STATES: "Farrah Fawcett’s Anal Cancer: Fighting the Stigma"

INDIA: "India’s Gay Sex Ruling Could Set Precedent: UN"

UNITED STATES: "Associations Between Substance Use, Sexual Risk Taking and HIV Treatment Adherence Among Homeless People Living with HIV"

UTAH: "HIV Rates Increasing in Salt Lake County"

FLORIDA: "Book Gives Those Affected by HIV/AIDS an Emotional Outlet: Publication also Raises Awareness"

OHIO: "Cleveland Sex Education Program Working, Study Finds"

AFRICA: "Economic Crisis a ‘Major Threat’ to AIDS Fight in Africa: UN"

SOUTH AFRICA: "State Short 1 Billion Rand for AIDS Drugs"

NEW YORK: "AIDS Commission Hosts Forum on Epidemic"

ILLINOIS: "Test Positive Aware Network Receives $331K Grant"

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UNITED STATES:
"Farrah Fawcett’s Anal Cancer: Fighting the Stigma"   back to top
ABC News , (06.27.2009)   Dan Childs; Radha Chitale

Because she went public with her battle against anal cancer, doctors are hopeful that Farrah Fawcett’s legacy will be an increased awareness of the illness and an end to the stigma that surrounds it. The actress and 1970s sex symbol died of the disease on June 25.

While the exact cause of anal cancer is unknown, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that most cases appear to be linked to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Estimates of the proportion of anal cancer cases caused by the virus range from 45 to 90 percent. Certain HPV strains also cause most cervical cancer cases.

Although HPV is the most common STD in the United States, Fawcett’s anal cancer diagnosis “does not mean she was promiscuous,” said Dr. Jay Brooks, chair of the department of hematology and oncology at Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. “It simply means that she, at some point in her life, was probably exposed to [HPV].”

According to a 2007 CDC study, one in four females ages 14 to 59 is infected with HPV. The fact only a tiny fraction of them will develop anal cancer suggests that other risk factors - including smoking, genetic predisposition to cancer, or being over 50 - likely play a part.

ACS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Otis Brawley said, “This was not necessarily the result of [an STD], and if it is, so what? We need to not stigmatize this disease and the people who have it.”

“For some people, this stigma is a critical factor in determining how quickly they respond to the symptoms or signs of disease,” said Dr. Richard Wender, former ACS president.

Experts say that Fawcett’s openness about her struggle may encourage others to seek medical attention sooner. Though ACS says 5,290 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year, treatments are very effective and most patients can be cured. ACS estimates that anal cancer will kill 450 women and 260 men in 2009.

INDIA:
"India’s Gay Sex Ruling Could Set Precedent: UN"   back to top
Agence France Presse , (07.02.2009)   

In a ruling issued Thursday, the New Delhi High Court legalized homosexual sex, a landmark move UNAIDS says could both pave the way for better HIV prevention and treatment in India and set an example for the approximately 80 countries that still outlaw gay sex.

“We think this will set an important precedent throughout the world,” said Susan Timberlake of the agency’s human rights and law team.

In nearly all countries that ban homosexual sex, the law and homophobia result “in both the denial of human rights of men who have sex with men, transgender people, and lesbians, but also in the denial of health care services that they desperately need in the world of HIV,” said Timberlake.

Pradeep Kakkattil, head of UNAIDS’ technical support division, said prior to the ruling that some gay patients in India “would not go to the doctor because of fear of potentially being reported to the police.” In addition to threats of imprisonment, gays also faced police blackmail, he said.

“What this judgment could help in is encourage men who have sex with men to come out more and seek those services and it will make it much easier for people working in the field to provide that information,” said Kakkattil, noting it was not “uncommon for police to arrest you because you are providing information on something illegal.”

The ruling is a “historic event because India was the country where the anti-sodomy laws were first statutorized and the same law was then replicated all over the British Commonwealth,” said Anand Grover, the lawyer who argued the case before the court. Gay sex is still illegal in several Commonwealth countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and many Caribbean islands. These countries can now “use this as a precedent,” he added.

UNITED STATES:
"Associations Between Substance Use, Sexual Risk Taking and HIV Treatment Adherence Among Homeless People Living with HIV"   back to top
AIDS Care Vol. 21; No. 6: P. 692-700, (06..2009)   Mark S. Friedman; Michael P. Marshal; Ron Stall; Daniel P. Kidder; Kirk D. Henny; Cari Courtenay-Quirk; Study Group The Project START; Angela Aidala; Scott Royal; David R. Holtgrave

The interconnections between substance use, HIV risk, and lack of adherence to HIV medications are particularly strong among homeless individuals, as has been noted in earlier research.

In the current study, the authors described patterns of alcohol and drug use, associations between substance use and taking part in high-risk sex, and the associations between substance use and adherence to HIV treatment regimens in a sample of 602 HIV-positive individuals who were homeless or housed unstably. The study subjects were participants in a housing-based intervention, the Housing and Health Study.

“Participants experienced high levels of substance use,” the authors wrote, noting significant associations between substance use and treatment adherence, as well as between substance use and high-risk sexual practices within the entire group. In group analyses by sexual orientation/gender, the association between substance use and treatment adherence was found chiefly among heterosexual males; the relationship between several drugs and high-risk sexual practices was strongest among men who have sex with men.

“Health professionals working with HIV-seropositive individuals should routinely ascertain housing status and screen for substance use and risky sex,” the authors concluded.

UTAH:
"HIV Rates Increasing in Salt Lake County"   back to top
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) , (06.29.2009)   Clayton Norlen

Salt Lake Valley Health Department officials are alarmed by the steady increase in HIV rates over the past three years, a trend preliminary 2009 data suggest is continuing. A lack of concern and education, particularly among young people, is driving the rise, experts say.

“Rates grow because there is a lack of conversation around HIV and what the risk factors are,” said Stan Penfold, executive director of the Utah AIDS Foundation. “It is really easy to compartmentalize because of the stigma associated with HIV, but the average age of infection is getting younger and younger.”

“We’ve got a young population that doesn’t understand HIV or how to prevent its spread,” said Penfold.

Recent high school graduate Marin Kohler said many of her friends and peers are uninformed about HIV/AIDS, believing the disease only affects people in Africa. Most of her sex education came from her parents, not from school, she said.

“Misconceptions are there: Some people think that HIV doesn’t exist, or that there is a cure,” said Lynn Beltran, STD and HIV program manager for the county health department. The quality of sex education provided in schools is a major concern, said Beltran.

“This road is going to be long, and we’re never going to be able to let our guard down,” Beltran said.

HIV testing is available at clinics across Utah and ranges in cost from $15 to $20, depending on location. To find a clinic, visit www.hivtest.org.

FLORIDA:
"Book Gives Those Affected by HIV/AIDS an Emotional Outlet: Publication also Raises Awareness"   back to top
South Florida Sun-Sentinel , (06.27.2009)   Erika Pesantes

An anthology published by the Palm Beach County Health Department is helping raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the black community, one of the groups hit hardest by the disease.

Twenty-five contributors created essays, photos, and poems for “Unleashed Voices: Silence is Death,” which was edited by Lorenzo Robertson, PBCHD’s regional minority HIV/AIDS coordinator. The department printed 1,000 copies and is offering them free to the public, including through the county library system.

“It’s extremely important that we keep other generations safe from HIV,” said Robertson, who is also the state health department’s coordinator for sexual health among black men who have sex with men. Diagnosed with HIV in 1997 after being infected through unprotected sex, Robertson said he refuses to remain silent and is channeling his energies into advocacy.

“I did the most gut-wrenching thing and it was to write exactly what I felt,” said contributor Kevin Spencer of Fort Lauderdale, who described his essay as “raw.”

Education is the key to keeping future generations safe from HIV, said Caroline Hill, a contributor and AIDS advocate at United Deliverance Community Resource Center in West Palm Beach. Hill said misinformation about HIV/AIDS is common, including the myth that the government has cured AIDS for wealthy people like NBA great Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

OHIO:
"Cleveland Sex Education Program Working, Study Finds"   back to top
Associated Press , (06.23.2009)   

Students who participated in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s sex education program displayed more knowledge and better attitudes about safer-sex practices than non-participants, according to a new study. Since 2006, the district has offered a graduated K-12 sex education program, initially teaching students about their bodies and inappropriate touching and in later years moving on to relationships and STDs.

The study, conducted by Philliber Research Associates, found that more than 75 percent of parents of K-6 students approved of the program. The AIDS Funding Collaborative paid for the study.

The study vindicates Cleveland’s comprehensive sex education program, said supporters. The Collaborative for Comprehensive School Age Health, a coalition of northeast Ohio groups that advocate for comprehensive, abstinence-inclusive sex education, said the study proves the efficacy of such programs.

Program advocates criticized two measures being considered by the GOP-controlled state Senate. One would require the state Department of Education to apply for federal abstinence-only sex education funds. The Senate also wants to continue requiring legislative approval for any changes to health education, a policy the Democratic-controlled House and Gov. Ted Strickland (D) would like to see changed.

AFRICA:
"Economic Crisis a ‘Major Threat’ to AIDS Fight in Africa: UN"   back to top
Agence France Presse , (07.02.2009)   

Speaking today on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Libya, UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe called the global economic crisis “a major threat that could drive aid mechanisms toward collapse.” He noted that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has a $4 billion deficit, and “if the fund doesn’t remain solvent, sick people will start dying within six months.” Sidibe said 96 percent of Africans receiving treatment for AIDS are dependent upon wealthy nations for that treatment; meanwhile, 6 million Africans with AIDS are waiting for medication. Sidibe views with hope the presidency of new South African leader Jacob Zuma, who has promised to make fighting AIDS a priority. The man he replaced, Thabo Mbeki, was criticized as an AIDS denialist who delayed the roll-out of national efforts to distribute HIV drugs.

SOUTH AFRICA:
"State Short 1 Billion Rand for AIDS Drugs"   back to top
Business Day (South Africa) , (06.23.2009)   Wilson Johwa

The deputy chair of the South African National AIDS Council has warned that the nation could face a 1 billion rand (US $128 million) shortfall for HIV/AIDS drugs this year. “It’s vital that the government is able to fund and sustain the treatment program, so the question is, where will the money come from?” asked Mark Heywood. Lacking adequate resources, Heywood said the nation risks repeating the situation that occurred earlier this year in the Free State, where a funding shortage forced health personnel to stop enrolling new HIV/AIDS patients in treatment programs. Heywood blamed the looming shortfall on a broader budget crisis in health programs relating to overspending in fiscal year 2008-09.

NEW YORK:
"AIDS Commission Hosts Forum on Epidemic"   back to top
Buffalo News , (06.28.2009)   Ja’Nay Carswell

Buffalo’s Black Leadership Commission on AIDS marked last Saturday’s National HIV Testing Day by holding a town hall meeting to discuss the epidemic. “Every segment of our community must get involved,” said Donna Chapman, affiliate services coordinator for BCLA. Abstinence, personal responsibility, and the role of faith-based organizations were among topics discussed by panelists from entities including Group Ministries, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, and the Buffalo Urban League.

ILLINOIS:
"Test Positive Aware Network Receives $331K Grant"   back to top
Windy City Times (Chicago) , (06.24.2009)   

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services has awarded the Test Positive Aware Network a $331,000 grant to expand its existing programs addressing mental health and substance abuse. Launched in March 2008, TPAN’s “POWER” (“Positive Outcomes for Wellness, Education and Recovery”) outreach serves African-American men who have sex with men who are HIV-positive or at risk of seroconversion and are facing addiction issues. TPAN plans to enhance the program to address all HIV-affected persons with substance abuse problems. It will further implement an intervention for persons whose treatment and recovery are complicated due to histories of childhood sexual abuse.