Source: The Tyee
Ann Livingston of VANDU is wearied by death.
By Sarah Ripplinger
Published: December 13, 2007
After spending the past 13 years trying to save Vancouver's poor from the filthy alleys of the Downtown Eastside, Ann Livingston doesn't have a pension plan or any significant savings, but she has decided to quit her job.
Livingston, a star of the widely shown documentary Fix [video available in the library], has spent the last nine years co-ordinating the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), a non-profit operated by addicts. She's done a lot to help drug users get their voices heard. But she says she is tired of Vancouver's hypocrisy. While the host of the 2010 Olympics is termed the world's "most liveable city" by The Economist magazine, its poorest neighbourhood grapples with an epidemic of HIV/AIDS comparable to Botswana's.
After devoting more than a decade of her life helping people in the Downtown Eastside, Livingston says she hasn't noticed improvements in living conditions or a decrease in the demand for aid. In fact, she says, things just seem to be getting worse.
"Yeah, people did change, but then they died," Livingston remembers thinking to herself last spring. "I started to realize, I do leadership development with people who are very likely to die and there's more dead people now that I've worked with than live people." (...)
Click here to read the article.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Woman Misdiagnosed With HIV Gets $2.5 M
Source: The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — A jury awarded $2.5 million in damages to a woman who received HIV treatments for almost nine years before discovering she never actually had the virus that causes AIDS.
In her lawsuit against a doctor who treated her, Audrey Serrano said the powerful combination of drugs she took triggered a string of ailments, including depression, chronic fatigue, loss of weight and appetite and inflammation of the intestine. Serrano, 45, said she cried after hearing the verdict Wednesday in Worcester Superior Court and was gratified that the jury believed her.
"I'm going to finish my school and I am going to continue to help others," Serrano said in a telephone interview from her Fitchburg home. "I am going to find another doctor that will help me."
Serrano's attorney, David Angueira, said Dr. Kwan Lai, who treated his client at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester's HIV clinic, repeatedly failed to order definitive tests even after monitoring of Serrano's treatment did not show the presence of HIV in her blood. (...)
Click here to read the article.
BOSTON (AP) — A jury awarded $2.5 million in damages to a woman who received HIV treatments for almost nine years before discovering she never actually had the virus that causes AIDS.
In her lawsuit against a doctor who treated her, Audrey Serrano said the powerful combination of drugs she took triggered a string of ailments, including depression, chronic fatigue, loss of weight and appetite and inflammation of the intestine. Serrano, 45, said she cried after hearing the verdict Wednesday in Worcester Superior Court and was gratified that the jury believed her.
"I'm going to finish my school and I am going to continue to help others," Serrano said in a telephone interview from her Fitchburg home. "I am going to find another doctor that will help me."
Serrano's attorney, David Angueira, said Dr. Kwan Lai, who treated his client at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester's HIV clinic, repeatedly failed to order definitive tests even after monitoring of Serrano's treatment did not show the presence of HIV in her blood. (...)
Click here to read the article.
Figures on H.I.V. rate expected to rise
Source: The New York Times
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: December 2, 2007
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 — More people in the United States are infected each year with the AIDS virus than previously thought, according to federal health officials, in a finding that could affect the debate over how much money should be spent on prevention efforts. No one is yet sure whether more people have actually been infected in recent years or the figures, still undergoing peer review, are simply a better estimate than the old ones.
For 14 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used informal methods to estimate that about 40,000 people annually in the United States are newly infected with H.I.V. In recent years, federal officials have worked to set up a more accurate assessment technique. The numbers from the new system are now in, although the agency has not released them. The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper, reported on Nov. 14 that the new estimates showed infection rates were 50 percent higher than previously believed, with 58,000 to 63,000 infected in the most recent 12-month period. The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal had similar reports on Saturday.
“We currently have a paper going through a scientific review process,” Tom Skinner, a C.D.C. spokesman, said Saturday, “and until that process is complete, we’re not in a position to say one way or another whether the numbers will actually be up from current estimates.”
A federal official who would not speak for attribution about the new numbers because of the review process said they were indeed higher than the old estimate, but not by as much as The Blade and The Post reported. It has been clear for at least a year that the old estimate would have to be revised upward, said David R. Holtgrave of Johns Hopkins University, a former director of one of the C.D.C.’s principal AIDS prevention programs. From 2001 to 2005, more than 186,000 people in 33 states received diagnoses of H.I.V. or AIDS, according to figures. That amounts to more than 37,000 new cases each year from just two-thirds of the country.
“With just a little simple math, you get more than 40,000 new cases,” Dr. Holtgrave said.
Whether the number of infections is higher than previously believed and whether infection rates are rising are both politically charged issues. President Bush has increased financing for AIDS treatment and prevention programs abroad, but spending for domestic prevention efforts dropped 19 percent in inflation-adjusted terms from 2002 to 2007.
Julie Davids, executive director of the Community H.I.V./AIDS Mobilization Project, a national advocacy group, said it planned to protest Tuesday in front of the C.D.C. headquarters in Atlanta to demand that the agency release the new figures and step up prevention efforts. “We don’t know whether infection rates are rising or they’ve just been higher than we thought,” Ms. Davids said. “But either way, this shows that prevention efforts are insufficient.”
Doctors and states are required to report cases of full-blown AIDS, but only some states report positive results on tests for H.I.V. infection to the agency. It takes years for someone who is infected to develop symptoms; many people have been infected for years before they are tested. Under the C.D.C.’s new surveillance system, 19 states and cities are performing two different blood tests of H.I.V. antibodies — the first indication of an infection. One test is highly sensitive and is able to spot an infection even in its earliest months. The other test is cruder, and patients must nurse an infection for many months before it can be identified with this test. When a blood sample receives a positive result on the first test and a negative result on the second, officials have decided that this person was probably infected recently. By adding up these mixed results and projecting them across the country, the agency is able to come up with an estimate for new infections. The agency sent out a letter to scientists on Nov. 26 describing the new system and urging patience as the numbers are reviewed.
Donald G. McNeil Jr. contributed reporting from New York.
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: December 2, 2007
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 — More people in the United States are infected each year with the AIDS virus than previously thought, according to federal health officials, in a finding that could affect the debate over how much money should be spent on prevention efforts. No one is yet sure whether more people have actually been infected in recent years or the figures, still undergoing peer review, are simply a better estimate than the old ones.
For 14 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used informal methods to estimate that about 40,000 people annually in the United States are newly infected with H.I.V. In recent years, federal officials have worked to set up a more accurate assessment technique. The numbers from the new system are now in, although the agency has not released them. The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper, reported on Nov. 14 that the new estimates showed infection rates were 50 percent higher than previously believed, with 58,000 to 63,000 infected in the most recent 12-month period. The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal had similar reports on Saturday.
“We currently have a paper going through a scientific review process,” Tom Skinner, a C.D.C. spokesman, said Saturday, “and until that process is complete, we’re not in a position to say one way or another whether the numbers will actually be up from current estimates.”
A federal official who would not speak for attribution about the new numbers because of the review process said they were indeed higher than the old estimate, but not by as much as The Blade and The Post reported. It has been clear for at least a year that the old estimate would have to be revised upward, said David R. Holtgrave of Johns Hopkins University, a former director of one of the C.D.C.’s principal AIDS prevention programs. From 2001 to 2005, more than 186,000 people in 33 states received diagnoses of H.I.V. or AIDS, according to figures. That amounts to more than 37,000 new cases each year from just two-thirds of the country.
“With just a little simple math, you get more than 40,000 new cases,” Dr. Holtgrave said.
Whether the number of infections is higher than previously believed and whether infection rates are rising are both politically charged issues. President Bush has increased financing for AIDS treatment and prevention programs abroad, but spending for domestic prevention efforts dropped 19 percent in inflation-adjusted terms from 2002 to 2007.
Julie Davids, executive director of the Community H.I.V./AIDS Mobilization Project, a national advocacy group, said it planned to protest Tuesday in front of the C.D.C. headquarters in Atlanta to demand that the agency release the new figures and step up prevention efforts. “We don’t know whether infection rates are rising or they’ve just been higher than we thought,” Ms. Davids said. “But either way, this shows that prevention efforts are insufficient.”
Doctors and states are required to report cases of full-blown AIDS, but only some states report positive results on tests for H.I.V. infection to the agency. It takes years for someone who is infected to develop symptoms; many people have been infected for years before they are tested. Under the C.D.C.’s new surveillance system, 19 states and cities are performing two different blood tests of H.I.V. antibodies — the first indication of an infection. One test is highly sensitive and is able to spot an infection even in its earliest months. The other test is cruder, and patients must nurse an infection for many months before it can be identified with this test. When a blood sample receives a positive result on the first test and a negative result on the second, officials have decided that this person was probably infected recently. By adding up these mixed results and projecting them across the country, the agency is able to come up with an estimate for new infections. The agency sent out a letter to scientists on Nov. 26 describing the new system and urging patience as the numbers are reviewed.
Donald G. McNeil Jr. contributed reporting from New York.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
New event at PARC: HIV and Nutrition
The PARC library and
BCPWA Treatment Information Program (TIP)
are hosting an event on
Nutrition and HIV
BCPWA Treatment Information Program (TIP)
are hosting an event on
Nutrition and HIV
Videos on nutrition will be presented:
Wednesday, December 12th and Tuesday December 18th, 12:00PM 3:00PM.
There will also be a book display until Thursday, December 20th.
Come and get your copy of the new "Practical guide on
nutrition for people living with HIV"
published by CATIE!
Lawmakers Protest HIV/AIDS Travel Rule
Source: Yahoo News
By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - On World AIDS Day last month the White House said new rules would soon make it easier for people with HIV/AIDS to travel to the United States. Democratic lawmakers and gay rights groups are complaining that the regulations proposed by the Homeland Security Department could actually create more barriers.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said Tuesday that the proposal "offers little of value to HIV-positive applicants."
"It imposes strict requirements that unfairly limit travel to the United States," Kennedy said after chairing a Senate health committee hearing on the Bush administration's international AIDS efforts. "It is mired in the past, a past where people feared HIV as a contagious disease that could not be controlled or effectively managed."
Bebe Anderson, HIV project director at the gay civil rights group Lambda Legal, said the rules were "inappropriate based on medicine and public health concerns."
Gay rights advocates have long opposed a 1993 federal law that strictly restricts travel and immigration to the U.S. by HIV-positive people, arguing it's discriminatory. Foreigners with the virus can obtain visas only after receiving a waiver from the Homeland Security Department in a cumbersome process that requires approval from DHS headquarters.
The White House says it wants to make the process easier for HIV-positive people seeking 30-day stays. As President Bush observed World AIDS Day on Nov. 30, the administration announced the publication of regulations meant to speed up the process. (...)
Click here to read this article
By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - On World AIDS Day last month the White House said new rules would soon make it easier for people with HIV/AIDS to travel to the United States. Democratic lawmakers and gay rights groups are complaining that the regulations proposed by the Homeland Security Department could actually create more barriers.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said Tuesday that the proposal "offers little of value to HIV-positive applicants."
"It imposes strict requirements that unfairly limit travel to the United States," Kennedy said after chairing a Senate health committee hearing on the Bush administration's international AIDS efforts. "It is mired in the past, a past where people feared HIV as a contagious disease that could not be controlled or effectively managed."
Bebe Anderson, HIV project director at the gay civil rights group Lambda Legal, said the rules were "inappropriate based on medicine and public health concerns."
Gay rights advocates have long opposed a 1993 federal law that strictly restricts travel and immigration to the U.S. by HIV-positive people, arguing it's discriminatory. Foreigners with the virus can obtain visas only after receiving a waiver from the Homeland Security Department in a cumbersome process that requires approval from DHS headquarters.
The White House says it wants to make the process easier for HIV-positive people seeking 30-day stays. As President Bush observed World AIDS Day on Nov. 30, the administration announced the publication of regulations meant to speed up the process. (...)
Click here to read this article
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
New issue of JANAC: Vol. 18, no 6, Nov/Dec 2007
Just Say No Lucy Bradley-Springer
pages 1-2
Features
Conception Practices of HIV-Infected Women in the Midwest
Nancy J. Cibulka
pages 3-12
Abstract
Predictors of sexual Behaviors Among Thai Young Adults
Amnuayporn Rasamimari, Barbara Dancy, Marie Talashek et al.
pages 13-21
Abstract
HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention and Control Course (BNS101): The Way Forward
Keitshokile Dintle Mogobe, Naomi Seboni, Marie Scott Brown et al.
pages 22-31
Abstract
Nurses' Health Education Program in India Increases HIV Knowledge and Reduces Fear
Hemlata Pisal, Savita Sutar, Jayagowri Sastry et al.
pages 32-43
Abstract
Comprehensive Clinical Adherence Interventions to Enable Antiretroviral Therapy: A Case Report
Dunja Nicca, Kimberly Moody, Luigia Elzi, Rebecca Spirig
pages 44-53
Abstract
Healthy Lifestyles and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Men Living With HIV Infection
Constance R. Uphold, Wanda Holmes, Kimberly Reid, Kimberly Findley, Jorge P. Parada
pages 54-66
Abstract
Relationships Among Functional Social Support, HIV-Related Stigma, Social Problem Solving, and Depressive Symptoms in People Living With HIV: A Pilot Study
Worawan Prachakul, Joan S. Grant, Norman L. Keltner
pages 67-76
Abstract
Practice Brief
Difficult-to-Manage HIV/AIDS Clients With Psychiatric Illness and Substance Abuse Problems: A Collaborative Practice With Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses
Betty D. Morgan, Anne P. Rossi
pages 77-84
Abstract
Research Brief
Process and Contents of Telephone Consultations Between Registered Nurses and Clients with HIV/AIDS in Japan
Masakazu Nishigaki, Megumi Shimada, Kazuko Ikeda,
pages 85-96
Abstract
Contact the library to request copies of articles.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Unstable housing makes access to B.C. AIDS treatment difficult
Source: CBC News
The B.C. Persons With AIDS Society says thousands of British Columbians with the disease are not receiving the medication and services available to them because they are low-income people with unstable housing.
About 4,000 people in B.C. are on antiretroviral therapy, which is a drug combination that helps control the HIV virus, said Glyn Townson, the group's chair.
"We know that there's at least 2,000 people here who meet the current criteria that should be treated but because of unstable housing [and] because of communication barriers, they're not accessing that treatment," Townson told CBC News.
Townson said he was diagnosed with the disease in 1995 but has been living a relatively full life thanks to the drugs developed to combat AIDS.
He said more treatment centres will help but with thousands homeless in Vancouver, getting those who are high risk tested and stabilized continues to be a huge challenge.
Townson said people should know there are better medications available and that finding out they have HIV-AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was.
The B.C. Persons With AIDS Society says thousands of British Columbians with the disease are not receiving the medication and services available to them because they are low-income people with unstable housing.
About 4,000 people in B.C. are on antiretroviral therapy, which is a drug combination that helps control the HIV virus, said Glyn Townson, the group's chair.
"We know that there's at least 2,000 people here who meet the current criteria that should be treated but because of unstable housing [and] because of communication barriers, they're not accessing that treatment," Townson told CBC News.
Townson said he was diagnosed with the disease in 1995 but has been living a relatively full life thanks to the drugs developed to combat AIDS.
He said more treatment centres will help but with thousands homeless in Vancouver, getting those who are high risk tested and stabilized continues to be a huge challenge.
Townson said people should know there are better medications available and that finding out they have HIV-AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
HIV statistics updated
The library just published a compilation of the latest HIV statistics in British Columbia, Canada and worldwide. Contact the library to request a copy of this document.
The sources used to compile these statistics are:
British Columbia:
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Society, STD/AIDS Control (http://www.bccdc.org)
- HIV/AIDS Update: Year End 2006
- HIV statistics, 2006
Vital Statistics of B.C. http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/stats/annual/2005/index.html
Canada:
HIV and AIDS in Canada: Surveillance Report to 31 December, 2006. Health Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/publication/survreport/index-eng.html
Worldwide:
2007 AIDS Epidemic Update. UNAIDS/World Health Organization
http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf
New HIV test provides results in seconds
Charlie Fidelman , CanWest News Service; Montreal Gazette
Published: Thursday, November 29, 2007
MONTREAL -- A non-invasive test that can detect the virus that causes AIDS within seconds is being unveiled in Montreal Thursday. The 60-second HIV test gets a jump on current, laboratory-run tests that usually take seven to 10 days to process. The Health Canada-approved test can be done in a doctor's office using a droplet of blood from a fingertip.
The INSTI testing kit detects antibodies for the HIV virus using a chemical dye.
"Patients can get immediate, accurate results and avoid the grueling 10-day wait period," Matthew Clayton, executive vice-president of bioLytical Laboratories of British Columbia, said in a telephone interview. Tested on 16,500 people during the past two years, it proved 99.96 per cent accurate, Clayton said. A positive result would require further testing in a laboratory, he added.
It's an excellent screening tool that will help limit HIV spread, said Mark Wainberg, head of the McGill AIDS Centre. A member of bioLytical's scientific advisory board, Wainberg said the test has real benefits. An estimated one in four people don't know they are infected with HIV, and these people are considered the fastest spreaders of the infection, he said.
"There's evidence that those informed (of their HIV status) will modify their behaviour, and that's a big plus - that's what our study aims to do," Wainberg said.
Wainberg, who got a donation of 5,000 kit samples from the manufacturer, is to launch a screening pilot project from mobile clinics using the instant test. The project aims to target a vulnerable population, mostly men who sleep with men, that doesn't want to go to hospitals and clinics, said Michel Morin, assistant executive director of COCQ-Sida, an anti-AIDS coalition.
"We've known about the test for two years and we're very happy that it's available," he said.
But Morin warned against making the test available over-the-counter in pharmacies or using the self-testing kits sold on the Internet. Such use is controversial because it comes without counselling from a health professional, Morin said.
"It's not an easy diagnosis. It's not like a pregnancy test," he said.
Ontario bought the kits at $10 each for testing in its anonymous clinics. Quebec is analyzing who should get priority to the kits, said Helene Gingras, a Quebec health department spokeswoman.
Published: Thursday, November 29, 2007
MONTREAL -- A non-invasive test that can detect the virus that causes AIDS within seconds is being unveiled in Montreal Thursday. The 60-second HIV test gets a jump on current, laboratory-run tests that usually take seven to 10 days to process. The Health Canada-approved test can be done in a doctor's office using a droplet of blood from a fingertip.
The INSTI testing kit detects antibodies for the HIV virus using a chemical dye.
"Patients can get immediate, accurate results and avoid the grueling 10-day wait period," Matthew Clayton, executive vice-president of bioLytical Laboratories of British Columbia, said in a telephone interview. Tested on 16,500 people during the past two years, it proved 99.96 per cent accurate, Clayton said. A positive result would require further testing in a laboratory, he added.
It's an excellent screening tool that will help limit HIV spread, said Mark Wainberg, head of the McGill AIDS Centre. A member of bioLytical's scientific advisory board, Wainberg said the test has real benefits. An estimated one in four people don't know they are infected with HIV, and these people are considered the fastest spreaders of the infection, he said.
"There's evidence that those informed (of their HIV status) will modify their behaviour, and that's a big plus - that's what our study aims to do," Wainberg said.
Wainberg, who got a donation of 5,000 kit samples from the manufacturer, is to launch a screening pilot project from mobile clinics using the instant test. The project aims to target a vulnerable population, mostly men who sleep with men, that doesn't want to go to hospitals and clinics, said Michel Morin, assistant executive director of COCQ-Sida, an anti-AIDS coalition.
"We've known about the test for two years and we're very happy that it's available," he said.
But Morin warned against making the test available over-the-counter in pharmacies or using the self-testing kits sold on the Internet. Such use is controversial because it comes without counselling from a health professional, Morin said.
"It's not an easy diagnosis. It's not like a pregnancy test," he said.
Ontario bought the kits at $10 each for testing in its anonymous clinics. Quebec is analyzing who should get priority to the kits, said Helene Gingras, a Quebec health department spokeswoman.
Canadians have the most compassion for HIV and AIDS affected people
Source: VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980)
When it comes to having compassion for people affected by HIV and AIDS around the world -- Canadians have the most. The World Vision Index of concern survey shows Canada leads the seven nations surveyed for the highest level of empathy for people living with HIV and AIDS. We are followed by France, Germany, United States, Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan.
The survey also shows a lack of knowledge in some countries though. More than 25 years after the HIV virus was first discovered, one-third of those surveyed in the seven countries admit they know little or nothing at all about the global HIV and AIDS issue.
The results are being released today to mark World AIDS Day.
The World Vision’s Global AIDS Attitudes Survey is available here. A print copy is also available in the library collection.
When it comes to having compassion for people affected by HIV and AIDS around the world -- Canadians have the most. The World Vision Index of concern survey shows Canada leads the seven nations surveyed for the highest level of empathy for people living with HIV and AIDS. We are followed by France, Germany, United States, Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan.
The survey also shows a lack of knowledge in some countries though. More than 25 years after the HIV virus was first discovered, one-third of those surveyed in the seven countries admit they know little or nothing at all about the global HIV and AIDS issue.
The results are being released today to mark World AIDS Day.
The World Vision’s Global AIDS Attitudes Survey is available here. A print copy is also available in the library collection.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
25 years after AIDS exploded, cases among gay men on the rise
ource: The Canadian Press
TORONTO - A quarter-century after AIDS burst on the world's radar as it began ravaging gay male populations in North America, public health authorities in a number of developed countries are seeing a disturbing trend.
Rates of HIV infections among men who have sex with men are on the rise, reversing years of declining rates in that community.
As World AIDS Day approaches, several leading public health authorities raised the politically touchy topic in a commentary published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, asking why infection rates among this group of individuals are rising and what can be done to stem the trend.
"The tragedy of the epidemic for an earlier generation of MSM must not be repeated," they argued, using the public health community's shorthand - MSM - for men who have sex with men.
The authors are Dr. Harold Jaffe, director of the department of public health at Oxford University, Dr. Kevin de Cock, head of HIV-AIDS at the World Health Organization and Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, chief consultant to the public health strategic health care group of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The commentary looks only at trends in western countries, where men who have sex with men have always made up the lion's share of people living with HIV-AIDS.
They noted there was a 13-per-cent increase in American MSM living with HIV-AIDS between 2001 and 2005. A 10-fold increase in syphilis cases among MSM in the United States over the same period is further evidence of an increased frequency in unprotected sex, the authors said.
HIV-AIDS rates among men who have sex with men are also in the increase in Canada. (...)
Click here to read the article.
TORONTO - A quarter-century after AIDS burst on the world's radar as it began ravaging gay male populations in North America, public health authorities in a number of developed countries are seeing a disturbing trend.
Rates of HIV infections among men who have sex with men are on the rise, reversing years of declining rates in that community.
As World AIDS Day approaches, several leading public health authorities raised the politically touchy topic in a commentary published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, asking why infection rates among this group of individuals are rising and what can be done to stem the trend.
"The tragedy of the epidemic for an earlier generation of MSM must not be repeated," they argued, using the public health community's shorthand - MSM - for men who have sex with men.
The authors are Dr. Harold Jaffe, director of the department of public health at Oxford University, Dr. Kevin de Cock, head of HIV-AIDS at the World Health Organization and Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, chief consultant to the public health strategic health care group of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The commentary looks only at trends in western countries, where men who have sex with men have always made up the lion's share of people living with HIV-AIDS.
They noted there was a 13-per-cent increase in American MSM living with HIV-AIDS between 2001 and 2005. A 10-fold increase in syphilis cases among MSM in the United States over the same period is further evidence of an increased frequency in unprotected sex, the authors said.
HIV-AIDS rates among men who have sex with men are also in the increase in Canada. (...)
Click here to read the article.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
UNAIDS reduces estimate of global HIV prevalence to 33 million
Source: AIDSMAP
Edwin J. Bernard, Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The global prevalence of HIV has fallen to an estimated 33.2 million, according to new data released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in their annual AIDS epidemic update. The decline largely reflects changes in the way that HIV prevalence is estimated, UNAIDS says.
Their data also suggest that global HIV incidence has fallen to 2.5 million from a peak of 3 million in the late 1990s, and the number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses – estimated at 2.1 million – has also declined as a result of the impact of ARV treatment programmes.
“Unquestionably, we are beginning to see a return on investment,” notes UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot. “New HIV infections and mortality are declining and the prevalence of HIV levelling. But with more than 6,800 new infections and over 5,700 deaths each day due to AIDS we must expand our efforts in order to significantly reduce the impact of AIDS worldwide.”
New methodologies, revised data
UNAIDS says that the latest figures reflect “improved and expanded epidemiological data and analyses that present a better understanding of the global epidemic.”
UNAIDS, WHO and the Reference Group on Estimates, Modelling and Projections comprehensively reviewed their methodologies and monitoring systems to provide epidemic estimates that reflect improvements in country data collection and analysis, as well as a better understanding of the natural history and distribution of HIV infection.
In addition, new assumptions have also been made as a result of a better understanding of the natural history of untreated HIV infection. Notably, the average number of years that people living with HIV are estimated to survive without treatment has been increased from nine to eleven years. This longer average survival period has resulted in lower estimates of new HIV infections and deaths due to AIDS. (...)
Cick here to read the article.
The UNAIDS report, AIDS epidemic update: December 2007, is available here. There's also a print copy in the library.
Edwin J. Bernard, Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The global prevalence of HIV has fallen to an estimated 33.2 million, according to new data released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in their annual AIDS epidemic update. The decline largely reflects changes in the way that HIV prevalence is estimated, UNAIDS says.
Their data also suggest that global HIV incidence has fallen to 2.5 million from a peak of 3 million in the late 1990s, and the number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses – estimated at 2.1 million – has also declined as a result of the impact of ARV treatment programmes.
“Unquestionably, we are beginning to see a return on investment,” notes UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot. “New HIV infections and mortality are declining and the prevalence of HIV levelling. But with more than 6,800 new infections and over 5,700 deaths each day due to AIDS we must expand our efforts in order to significantly reduce the impact of AIDS worldwide.”
New methodologies, revised data
UNAIDS says that the latest figures reflect “improved and expanded epidemiological data and analyses that present a better understanding of the global epidemic.”
UNAIDS, WHO and the Reference Group on Estimates, Modelling and Projections comprehensively reviewed their methodologies and monitoring systems to provide epidemic estimates that reflect improvements in country data collection and analysis, as well as a better understanding of the natural history and distribution of HIV infection.
In addition, new assumptions have also been made as a result of a better understanding of the natural history of untreated HIV infection. Notably, the average number of years that people living with HIV are estimated to survive without treatment has been increased from nine to eleven years. This longer average survival period has resulted in lower estimates of new HIV infections and deaths due to AIDS. (...)
Cick here to read the article.
The UNAIDS report, AIDS epidemic update: December 2007, is available here. There's also a print copy in the library.
Nurse swaps smiley face for penis to fight spread of Syphilis
Source: Bloomberg
By Simeon Bennett and Jason Gale
Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Elaine Jones, a 52-year-old soccer mom, surfs the Web to find guys.
Jones isn't looking for partners. She's using the Internet to deliver safe-sex messages and fight a resurgence of syphilis. Cases are rising among gay and bisexual men as new drugs reduce the threat of AIDS, and doctors warn the syphilis outbreak may spread to the wider community.
The popularity of online dating has opened up a new battleground for health workers, who say giving away condoms and hanging posters in clubs aren't enough to stem the sexually transmitted disease, which has reached decade-high levels in cities from London to Melbourne.
"If you have a whole generation who were raised chatting on the Internet, why not try to work with that?" said Jones, an outreach nurse with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver whose online symbol is a penis wearing a nurse's cap. "The anonymity helps people ask questions they would feel uncomfortable asking in person."
Syphilis, the dementia-causing disease blamed for killing gangster Al Capone, painter Paul Gauguin and composer Franz Schubert, was considered dormant 10 years ago. Infectious cases were diagnosed in 2,766 people in the U.K. last year, up from 137 a decade earlier. In the U.S., cases rose 12 percent to 9,756 in 2006, the sixth straight annual increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Sydney, home to one in five Australians, declared October syphilis month as part of a drive to get men tested and treated.
Click here to read the article.
By Simeon Bennett and Jason Gale
Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Elaine Jones, a 52-year-old soccer mom, surfs the Web to find guys.
Jones isn't looking for partners. She's using the Internet to deliver safe-sex messages and fight a resurgence of syphilis. Cases are rising among gay and bisexual men as new drugs reduce the threat of AIDS, and doctors warn the syphilis outbreak may spread to the wider community.
The popularity of online dating has opened up a new battleground for health workers, who say giving away condoms and hanging posters in clubs aren't enough to stem the sexually transmitted disease, which has reached decade-high levels in cities from London to Melbourne.
"If you have a whole generation who were raised chatting on the Internet, why not try to work with that?" said Jones, an outreach nurse with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver whose online symbol is a penis wearing a nurse's cap. "The anonymity helps people ask questions they would feel uncomfortable asking in person."
Syphilis, the dementia-causing disease blamed for killing gangster Al Capone, painter Paul Gauguin and composer Franz Schubert, was considered dormant 10 years ago. Infectious cases were diagnosed in 2,766 people in the U.K. last year, up from 137 a decade earlier. In the U.S., cases rose 12 percent to 9,756 in 2006, the sixth straight annual increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Sydney, home to one in five Australians, declared October syphilis month as part of a drive to get men tested and treated.
Click here to read the article.
Legal Network president named national recipient of Canadian Institutes of Health Research Award
Source: CNW Group
Thomas Kerr to accept CIHR Knowledge Translation Award tonight
TORONTO, Nov. 20 /CNW/ - The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network today congratulated the president of its board of directors, Thomas Kerr, on being awarded the CIHR Knowledge Translation Award by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The award recognizes an exceptional individual or team involved in a health research project that advances and expands "knowledge translation." Kerr's research evaluating Insite, the supervised injection facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, has contributed significantly to academic, public and government discussions, both nationally and internationally, on the subject of injection drug use and HIV/AIDS.
"Thomas turns groundbreaking research into evidence-based action," said Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Legal Network. "His work, dedication and leadership have benefited more people than he or we will ever know. I hope this award will allow him and his colleagues to continue their life-saving work."
Kerr is currently a research scientist with the Vancouver-based British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Previously, Kerr sat on the Legal Network's board of directors from 2001 to 2003. From 2003 until the end of 2004, he was Director of Health Policy and Research with the Legal Network. Since then, he has co-authored several articles and served on the editorial board of the HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review, the Legal Network's flagship journal.
Kerr will receive his award at a ceremony tonight in Ottawa. Further information is available on the CIHR website at www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Thomas Kerr to accept CIHR Knowledge Translation Award tonight
TORONTO, Nov. 20 /CNW/ - The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network today congratulated the president of its board of directors, Thomas Kerr, on being awarded the CIHR Knowledge Translation Award by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The award recognizes an exceptional individual or team involved in a health research project that advances and expands "knowledge translation." Kerr's research evaluating Insite, the supervised injection facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, has contributed significantly to academic, public and government discussions, both nationally and internationally, on the subject of injection drug use and HIV/AIDS.
"Thomas turns groundbreaking research into evidence-based action," said Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Legal Network. "His work, dedication and leadership have benefited more people than he or we will ever know. I hope this award will allow him and his colleagues to continue their life-saving work."
Kerr is currently a research scientist with the Vancouver-based British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Previously, Kerr sat on the Legal Network's board of directors from 2001 to 2003. From 2003 until the end of 2004, he was Director of Health Policy and Research with the Legal Network. Since then, he has co-authored several articles and served on the editorial board of the HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review, the Legal Network's flagship journal.
Kerr will receive his award at a ceremony tonight in Ottawa. Further information is available on the CIHR website at www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
New issue of the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 18, no 5, September/October 2007
In this issue:
Editorial
Poverty and Human Development: A Global Theme
Lucy Bradley-Springer
pages 1-2
Commentary
Poverty and HIV: Cause, Consequence, and Context
Anne Hughes
pages 3-5
Features
Poverty and Devastation of Intimate Relations: Tanzanian Women’s Experience of Living With HIV/AIDS
Gunnel Balaile, Rose Laisser, Anna-Berit Ransjö-Arvidson, Bengt Höjer
pages 6-16
Abstract
Predictors of Life Satisfaction in HIV-Positive Nepali Women
Lucille Sanzero Eller, Ganga Mahat
pages 17-26
Abstract
Characteristics of Individuals Seeking Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV Infection in South Korea
Su-Rin Shin, Hee Sun Kang, Linda Moneyham
pages 27-33
Abstract
State-Mandated HIV Testing in Connecticut: Personal Perspectives of Women Found to Be Infected During Pregnancy
B. Joyce Simpson, Brian W.C. Forsyth
pages 34-46
Abstract
Art in HIV
Big Fat Lie!
page 47
Commentary
The Political Path to Mandatory Prenatal HIV Testing in Connecticut
B. Joyce Simpson, Brian W.C. Forsyth
pages 48-50
Abstract
Research Briefs
Chilean University Students: Knowledge and Concern About HIV/AIDS
Lilian Ferrer, Rosina Cianelli, Edwin Guzman et al.
pages 51-56
Abstract
Adaptation and Refinement of the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire for Use With Adolescent Girls
Ellen M. Volpe, LaRon E. Nelson, Rachel A. Kraus et al.
pages 57-63
Abstract
Masthead
page 64
Contact the library to request copies of articles.
Editorial
Poverty and Human Development: A Global Theme
Lucy Bradley-Springer
pages 1-2
Commentary
Poverty and HIV: Cause, Consequence, and Context
Anne Hughes
pages 3-5
Features
Poverty and Devastation of Intimate Relations: Tanzanian Women’s Experience of Living With HIV/AIDS
Gunnel Balaile, Rose Laisser, Anna-Berit Ransjö-Arvidson, Bengt Höjer
pages 6-16
Abstract
Predictors of Life Satisfaction in HIV-Positive Nepali Women
Lucille Sanzero Eller, Ganga Mahat
pages 17-26
Abstract
Characteristics of Individuals Seeking Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV Infection in South Korea
Su-Rin Shin, Hee Sun Kang, Linda Moneyham
pages 27-33
Abstract
State-Mandated HIV Testing in Connecticut: Personal Perspectives of Women Found to Be Infected During Pregnancy
B. Joyce Simpson, Brian W.C. Forsyth
pages 34-46
Abstract
Art in HIV
Big Fat Lie!
page 47
Commentary
The Political Path to Mandatory Prenatal HIV Testing in Connecticut
B. Joyce Simpson, Brian W.C. Forsyth
pages 48-50
Abstract
Research Briefs
Chilean University Students: Knowledge and Concern About HIV/AIDS
Lilian Ferrer, Rosina Cianelli, Edwin Guzman et al.
pages 51-56
Abstract
Adaptation and Refinement of the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire for Use With Adolescent Girls
Ellen M. Volpe, LaRon E. Nelson, Rachel A. Kraus et al.
pages 57-63
Abstract
Masthead
page 64
Contact the library to request copies of articles.
New Issue of AIDS Patient care and STDs, Vol. 21, no 10, OCt 2007
In this issue:
Letter to the Editor: Tenofovir Resistance among HIV-Infected Patients Failing a Fixed-Dose Combination of Stavudine, Lamivudine, and Nevirapine in a Resource-Limited SettingSomnuek Sungkanuparph, Weerawat Manosuthi, Sasisopin Kiertiburanakul, Wasun Chantratitra
pp. 711-714.
Letter to the Editor: Observations on Implementing Routine HIV Testing in Jails
Ravi Kavasery, Frederick L. Altice
pp. 715-716.
Letter to the Editor: Response to: “Feasibility and Acceptability of Rapid HIV Testing in Jail”
Curt G. Beckwith
pp. 717-717.
Case Report: Hepatitis C Virus Activation in HIV-Infected Patients Initiating Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
H. Nina Kim, Robert D. Harrington, Margaret C. Shuhart, et al.
pp. 718-723.
Abstract
Prevalence of Oral Manifestations of HIV Infection in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from 1988 to 2004
Sonia Ferreira, Cesar Noce, Arley Silva Júnior et al.
pp. 724-731.
Abstract
Efficacy of Group Psychotherapy to Reduce Depressive Symptoms among HIV-Infected Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Seth Himelhoch, Deborah R. Medoff, Gloria Oyeniyi
pp. 732-739.
Abstract
Experiences of Stigma in Older Adults Living with HIV/AIDS: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Charles A. Emlet
pp. 740-752.
Abstract
HIV-Related Stigma in Health Care Settings: A Survey of Service Providers in China
Li Li, Zunyou Wu, Sheng Wu et al.
pp. 753-762.
Abstract
Stigmatization of Patients with AIDS: Understanding the Interrelationships between Thai Nurses' Attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, Drug Use, and Commercial Sex
Kit Yee Chan, Daniel D. Reidpath
pp. 763-775.
Abstract
Contact the library to request copies of articles
Letter to the Editor: Tenofovir Resistance among HIV-Infected Patients Failing a Fixed-Dose Combination of Stavudine, Lamivudine, and Nevirapine in a Resource-Limited SettingSomnuek Sungkanuparph, Weerawat Manosuthi, Sasisopin Kiertiburanakul, Wasun Chantratitra
pp. 711-714.
Letter to the Editor: Observations on Implementing Routine HIV Testing in Jails
Ravi Kavasery, Frederick L. Altice
pp. 715-716.
Letter to the Editor: Response to: “Feasibility and Acceptability of Rapid HIV Testing in Jail”
Curt G. Beckwith
pp. 717-717.
Case Report: Hepatitis C Virus Activation in HIV-Infected Patients Initiating Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
H. Nina Kim, Robert D. Harrington, Margaret C. Shuhart, et al.
pp. 718-723.
Abstract
Prevalence of Oral Manifestations of HIV Infection in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from 1988 to 2004
Sonia Ferreira, Cesar Noce, Arley Silva Júnior et al.
pp. 724-731.
Abstract
Efficacy of Group Psychotherapy to Reduce Depressive Symptoms among HIV-Infected Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Seth Himelhoch, Deborah R. Medoff, Gloria Oyeniyi
pp. 732-739.
Abstract
Experiences of Stigma in Older Adults Living with HIV/AIDS: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Charles A. Emlet
pp. 740-752.
Abstract
HIV-Related Stigma in Health Care Settings: A Survey of Service Providers in China
Li Li, Zunyou Wu, Sheng Wu et al.
pp. 753-762.
Abstract
Stigmatization of Patients with AIDS: Understanding the Interrelationships between Thai Nurses' Attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, Drug Use, and Commercial Sex
Kit Yee Chan, Daniel D. Reidpath
pp. 763-775.
Abstract
Contact the library to request copies of articles
A few resources on Crystal Meth
New in the collection:
Lee, Steven. Overcoming Crystal meth addiction : An essential guide to getting clean
New York, NY, Marlowe and Company, 2006
B 1260 LEE 2006
In Overcoming Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction, one of the few books to address the topic for a general audience, Dr. Steven Lee, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in crystal meth addiction, offers a complete guide to the drug, its effects, and how to overcome it. Based on extensive scientific and social research and drawing from his professional experience, he covers everything from the definition and history of crystal meth to the physical and psychological effects; from dealing with the addictive personality to helping a friend or family member cope with it. He focuses on understanding rather than outright condemnation of the drug, and empathetically covers all of the crucial questions: What is crystal meth? How is it made? How does it affect the body? How do you know if you’re addicted to it? How do you stop using it? What if you don't want to stop? If you are going to use CM anyway, how can you minimize the damage? What if you quit but slipped and used again?
Other resources on Crystal Meth available in the library:
Osborne, Duncan. Suicide Tuesday. Gay men and the crystal meth scare
New York, Carroll & Graf, 2005
B 1260 OSB 2005 (Borrow this book!)
Abstract: Crystal methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth,” has rocked national news headlines as the often deadly party drug of choice for gay and bisexual men. The recent media blitz around the so-called “AIDS supervirus” was only one of virtually thousands of earlier stories that laid the blame for an outbreak of new HIV transmission among gay men on impaired judgment brought about by crystal meth use. The low-priced stimulant—which can be snorted, smoked, ingested, or injected—increases its user’s heart rate, blood pressure, and stamina, while decreasing the need for food and sleep. Health experts estimate that 22 percent of all gay men have tried crystal meth at least once. Heterosexuals, including teenage girls, have also joined the millions of crystal meth users and addicts.
In Suicide Tuesday, Duncan Osborne, the leading journalist on the topic of gay men and crystal meth, offers a critical, clear-eyed look on the history of crystal meth, its effect on gay men, its alleged link to HIV transmission, the gay community’s response to the reported epidemic, as well as the media’s role in fostering public awareness but also sex panic among gay people.
Cimino, K. The politics of crystal meth : Gay men share stories of addiction and recovery
[Boca Raton], [Universal Publishers], [2005]
B 1260 CIM 2005 (Borrow this book!)
"Dr. Ken Cimino reveals the intimate and horrifying nature of meth abuse and presents ten inspiring true life dramas of meth use and recovery in The Politics of Crystal Meth: Gay Men Share Personal Stories of Addiction and Recovery. In part one he illustrates the varied reasons why gay men use methamphetamines, from gay oppression to homophobia to building self esteem to HIV issues. In the second part of the book he shares ten personal and motivating stories of meth use and recovery."
Crystal meth reference guide : "Remember your spirit"
[North Vancouver], Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of
British Columbia, [2006]
B 1260 CRY 2006 (Borrow this book!)
This reference guide explains what meth is, how it is made, its effects on the body, how to spot a meth user or a meth lab, and discusses meth in the aboriginal community (on-reserve and off). It explains how to deal with someone on meth, and discusses how communities can fight meth. A resource guide section lists addiction service organizations Canada-wide, and by province and territory.
Click on the links or Contact the library to borrow one of these books.
Lee, Steven. Overcoming Crystal meth addiction : An essential guide to getting cleanNew York, NY, Marlowe and Company, 2006
B 1260 LEE 2006
In Overcoming Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction, one of the few books to address the topic for a general audience, Dr. Steven Lee, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in crystal meth addiction, offers a complete guide to the drug, its effects, and how to overcome it. Based on extensive scientific and social research and drawing from his professional experience, he covers everything from the definition and history of crystal meth to the physical and psychological effects; from dealing with the addictive personality to helping a friend or family member cope with it. He focuses on understanding rather than outright condemnation of the drug, and empathetically covers all of the crucial questions: What is crystal meth? How is it made? How does it affect the body? How do you know if you’re addicted to it? How do you stop using it? What if you don't want to stop? If you are going to use CM anyway, how can you minimize the damage? What if you quit but slipped and used again?
Other resources on Crystal Meth available in the library:
Osborne, Duncan. Suicide Tuesday. Gay men and the crystal meth scareNew York, Carroll & Graf, 2005
B 1260 OSB 2005 (Borrow this book!)
Abstract: Crystal methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth,” has rocked national news headlines as the often deadly party drug of choice for gay and bisexual men. The recent media blitz around the so-called “AIDS supervirus” was only one of virtually thousands of earlier stories that laid the blame for an outbreak of new HIV transmission among gay men on impaired judgment brought about by crystal meth use. The low-priced stimulant—which can be snorted, smoked, ingested, or injected—increases its user’s heart rate, blood pressure, and stamina, while decreasing the need for food and sleep. Health experts estimate that 22 percent of all gay men have tried crystal meth at least once. Heterosexuals, including teenage girls, have also joined the millions of crystal meth users and addicts.
In Suicide Tuesday, Duncan Osborne, the leading journalist on the topic of gay men and crystal meth, offers a critical, clear-eyed look on the history of crystal meth, its effect on gay men, its alleged link to HIV transmission, the gay community’s response to the reported epidemic, as well as the media’s role in fostering public awareness but also sex panic among gay people.
Cimino, K. The politics of crystal meth : Gay men share stories of addiction and recovery[Boca Raton], [Universal Publishers], [2005]
B 1260 CIM 2005 (Borrow this book!)
"Dr. Ken Cimino reveals the intimate and horrifying nature of meth abuse and presents ten inspiring true life dramas of meth use and recovery in The Politics of Crystal Meth: Gay Men Share Personal Stories of Addiction and Recovery. In part one he illustrates the varied reasons why gay men use methamphetamines, from gay oppression to homophobia to building self esteem to HIV issues. In the second part of the book he shares ten personal and motivating stories of meth use and recovery."
Crystal meth reference guide : "Remember your spirit"
[North Vancouver], Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of
British Columbia, [2006]
B 1260 CRY 2006 (Borrow this book!)
This reference guide explains what meth is, how it is made, its effects on the body, how to spot a meth user or a meth lab, and discusses meth in the aboriginal community (on-reserve and off). It explains how to deal with someone on meth, and discusses how communities can fight meth. A resource guide section lists addiction service organizations Canada-wide, and by province and territory.
Click on the links or Contact the library to borrow one of these books.
B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS: B.C. Centres Receive $1.2 Million to Study Heart Disease and HIV
Source: MarketWire
People with HIV at up to 25 per cent higher risk for cardiovascular disease
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 14, 2007) - Two B.C.-based health research centres are embarking on a $1.2 million national study to examine how to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people living with HIV.
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (CfE) and the Providence Heart and Lung Institute, both housed at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, part of Providence Health Care, will be investigating how the cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor) interacts with essential anti-HIV medications and whether or not it successfully prevents hardening of the arteries. This is the first known study of its kind.
"As a result of the success of HIV treatments in preventing AIDS-related disease and death, HIV-infected persons have longer life expectancies, but they are beginning to see an increase in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes," says Dr. Greg Bondy, the study's principal investigator and a researcher with the CfE. "This is not only an important study for HIV disease - it could also have much broader implications in the general population, particularly for those with metabolic disorders."
While it is not completely understood why people with HIV are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, a number of factors can be pointed to as the most likely causes. Antiretroviral drugs have been found to cause cholesterol levels to rise and researchers believe that HIV disease itself may put individuals at an increased risk. In addition, a high prevalence of smoking among this specific population is of particular concern. (...)
Click here to read the Press release
People with HIV at up to 25 per cent higher risk for cardiovascular disease
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 14, 2007) - Two B.C.-based health research centres are embarking on a $1.2 million national study to examine how to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people living with HIV.
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (CfE) and the Providence Heart and Lung Institute, both housed at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, part of Providence Health Care, will be investigating how the cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor) interacts with essential anti-HIV medications and whether or not it successfully prevents hardening of the arteries. This is the first known study of its kind.
"As a result of the success of HIV treatments in preventing AIDS-related disease and death, HIV-infected persons have longer life expectancies, but they are beginning to see an increase in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes," says Dr. Greg Bondy, the study's principal investigator and a researcher with the CfE. "This is not only an important study for HIV disease - it could also have much broader implications in the general population, particularly for those with metabolic disorders."
While it is not completely understood why people with HIV are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, a number of factors can be pointed to as the most likely causes. Antiretroviral drugs have been found to cause cholesterol levels to rise and researchers believe that HIV disease itself may put individuals at an increased risk. In addition, a high prevalence of smoking among this specific population is of particular concern. (...)
Click here to read the Press release
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
New book in the library: 2nd edition of "The first year HIV"
Grodeck, Brett. The first year HIV : an essential guide for the newly diagnosed. A patient-expert walks you through everything you need to learn and do.New York, Marlowe & Company, 2007
D 100 GRO 2007
The treatment of HIV has come a long way in twenty-five years. Yet hearing the words "You are HIV-positive" can still be a scary, isolating experience. When he was diagnosed in 1987, Brett Grodeck educated himself on every aspect of the management and treatment of this condition and, as a "patient-expert", Grodeck shared everything he learned about living with HIV in the first edition of the book. Now completely revised and updated, The First Year- HIV guides you step-by-step through everything you need to do and learn throughout the crucial first year. In clear, concise, accessible language, Grodeck covers a wide range of practical, medical, and life-style issues, beginning with coming to terms with your diagnosis and then moving on to subjects including:
- Common myths and tales about HIV and AIDS
- Disclisng your news to others: now or later?
- How to navigate the confusing health-care system
- The hard truth about alternative medicine
- When to start HIV medicine
- The preferred HIV pill available today
- Double diagnosis with Hepatitis C, herpes or HPV
- Crystal meth and HIV
- Drugs, alcohol and sex: the dopamine connection
- Sex and intimacy
- Dealing head-on with stigma and discrimination
- Lifestyle strategies for long-term health
Contact the library if to borrow this book.
Monday, November 05, 2007
New issue of AIDS Education and Prevention received, Vol. 19, no 5, October 2007
In this issue:
The Reliability and Validity of Self–Report Measures Used to Evaluate Adolescent HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs in Sub–Saharan Africa
Authors: Kari C. Kugler, Kelli A. Komro, Melissa H. Stigler, Kagoma S. Mnyika, Melkiory Masatu, Anne N. Aastrom and Knut–Inge Klepp
pp. 365-382
Abstract
Education and Nutritional Status of Orphans and Children of Hiv–Infected Parents in Kenya
Authors: Vinod Mishra, Fred Arnold, Fredrick Otieno, Anne Cross and Rathavuth Hong
pp. 383-395
Abstract
HIV/AIDS–Related Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Rural Residents in China: Potential role of Rural–to–Urban Migration
Authors: Xiaoming Li, Liying Zhang, Bonita Stanton, Xiaoyi Fang, Qing Xiong and Danhua Lin
pp. 396-407
Abstract
Communication as a Protective Factor: Evaluation of a Life Skills HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for Mexican Elementary-School Students
Authors: Susan Pick, Martha Givaudan, Jenna Sirkin and Isaac Ortega
pp. 408-421
Abstract
Promoting HIV Risk Awareness and Testing in Latinos Living on the U.S.–Mexico Border: The Tú No Me Conoces Social Marketing Campaign
Authors: Alisa M. Olshefsky, Michelle M. Zive, Rosana Scolari and María Luisa Zuñiga
pp. 422-435
Abstract
Condom Use Among Heterosexual Immigrant Latino Men in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Emily Knipper, Scott D. Rhodes, Kristen Lindstrom, Fred R. Bloom, Jami S. Leichliter and Jaime Montaño
pp. 436-447
Abstract
Condom Use Among Unmarried Students in a Hispanic-Serving University
Authors: Sunny Kim, Mario De La Rosa, Mary Jo Trepka and and Megan Kelley
pp. 448-461
Abstract
Contact the library to request copies of articles
The Reliability and Validity of Self–Report Measures Used to Evaluate Adolescent HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs in Sub–Saharan Africa
Authors: Kari C. Kugler, Kelli A. Komro, Melissa H. Stigler, Kagoma S. Mnyika, Melkiory Masatu, Anne N. Aastrom and Knut–Inge Klepp
pp. 365-382
Abstract
Education and Nutritional Status of Orphans and Children of Hiv–Infected Parents in Kenya
Authors: Vinod Mishra, Fred Arnold, Fredrick Otieno, Anne Cross and Rathavuth Hong
pp. 383-395
Abstract
HIV/AIDS–Related Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Rural Residents in China: Potential role of Rural–to–Urban Migration
Authors: Xiaoming Li, Liying Zhang, Bonita Stanton, Xiaoyi Fang, Qing Xiong and Danhua Lin
pp. 396-407
Abstract
Communication as a Protective Factor: Evaluation of a Life Skills HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for Mexican Elementary-School Students
Authors: Susan Pick, Martha Givaudan, Jenna Sirkin and Isaac Ortega
pp. 408-421
Abstract
Promoting HIV Risk Awareness and Testing in Latinos Living on the U.S.–Mexico Border: The Tú No Me Conoces Social Marketing Campaign
Authors: Alisa M. Olshefsky, Michelle M. Zive, Rosana Scolari and María Luisa Zuñiga
pp. 422-435
Abstract
Condom Use Among Heterosexual Immigrant Latino Men in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Emily Knipper, Scott D. Rhodes, Kristen Lindstrom, Fred R. Bloom, Jami S. Leichliter and Jaime Montaño
pp. 436-447
Abstract
Condom Use Among Unmarried Students in a Hispanic-Serving University
Authors: Sunny Kim, Mario De La Rosa, Mary Jo Trepka and and Megan Kelley
pp. 448-461
Abstract
Contact the library to request copies of articles
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