AIDS Daily Summary September 22, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "Across the USA: Alabama" USA Today (09/22/94) P. 11A AIDS is the third-greatest killer of men in Alabama aged 25 to 44, after accidents and heart disease, says a report from the state Department of Health. The total number of reported AIDS cases rose to 2,851 in September. "Barbara Fassbinder Dies at 40; Nurse With AIDS Traced to Job" New York Times (09/22/94) P. D23; Hilchey, Tim Barbara Fassbinder, one of the first medical professionals to become infected with HIV while working, died on Tuesday at the age of 40 from AIDS-related complications. In 1986, Ms. Fassbinder became infected while helping treat a patient in the emergency room of Memorial Hospital in Prairie du Chien, Wis. She did not know she had been infected until 1987 when she tried to donate blood. During the early 1990s, Ms. Fassbinder traveled extensively, speaking about AIDS and about how to prevent HIV infection. She testified before Congress about AIDS and was recognized for her work in 1992 by the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Fassbinder was a member of the National Health Care Reform Committee, as well as a member of the Iowa State Commission on AIDS. "Town Supports Boy With HIV" Boston Globe (09/21/94) P. 23 A 12-year-old Rhode Island boy, who announced to his classmates that he is HIV-positive, was cheered by about 70 people from his town of Coventry during an informational hearing. The goal of the hearing was to alleviate any fears residents might have about getting the virus from the boy. "Red Cross Urged to Quit Blood Business" Toronto Globe and Mail (09/21/94) P. A4; Picard, Andre When Dr. Raymond Guevin, former head of the Montreal blood centre, testified before the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada on Tuesday, he stated that the Canadian Red Cross Society "lacks the leadership and the credibility to be involved in both the blood system and social programs." He proposed that the administration of the system should go to a new government agency, which he would call Transfusion Canada. Dr. Guevin also claimed that it was outdated to have a volunteer organization running an important component of the modern health-care system. The inquiry is trying to determine how over 1,000 hemophiliacs and blood-transfusion recipients became infected with HIV by blood products from 1980 to 1985. "How to Break the Link Between Drugs and AIDS" Richmond Times-Dispatch (09/21/94) P. A15; Chapman, Stephen An increasing number of drug users are becoming infected with HIV, but only recently have elected officials begun to treat this problem with the necessary attention. Last year, drug addicts and their partners made up 30 percent of all new AIDS cases. The risk of AIDS comes not from drug use, but as a result of a law enforcement policy that protects Americans from drugs, even if it kills them, says Stephen Chapman in this opinion piece for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Studies of needle-exchange programs show that they do not encourage more drug use or drug addiction and that they do reduce syringe-sharing. Across the country, some mayors are trying to slow the spread of AIDS by attempting to bypass federal laws that ban the distribution of drug paraphernalia. These mayors demonstrate a willingness to learn from experience, which many officials have not. "S. African Health Minister Warns of HIV Rise" Reuters (09/21/94) The spread of HIV had almost doubled each year since 1991, said South African Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma on Wednesday. In 1991, 1.3 percent of the South African population was infected with HIV. In 1992, the number rose to 2.42 percent, and in 1993, the figure was 4.25 percent. Zuma said that if this pattern continues, 16 percent of the 40 million South African population could be HIV-infected by 1995. The health department has targeted control of AIDS, added Zuma. "Clearance From the FDA to Market the FACSCount System; the First Dedicated System for Monitoring Patients With HIV Infection." Business Wire (09/20/94) Becton Dickinson and Company has announced that it has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to market in the United States its FACSCount System, which is used for in vitro diagnostic purposes. It is the first clinical system dedicated to obtaining absolute counts of CD4, CD8, and CD3 T lymphocytes, when used in monitoring HIV patients. CD4 T lymphocyte levels are a critical indicator in monitoring the progression of HIV. "Bad Example" Nature (09/08/94) Vol. 371, No. 6493, P. 97; Martin, John F. Dr. Kary Mullis, Nobel prize winner for chemistry in 1993, spoke at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation in Toledo last April. He addressed his theories about why AIDS is not caused by HIV. In a letter to the editors of Nature, John Martin, chairman of the society, relates how he interrupted the lecture after half an hour because "[Mullis'] talk was in style rambling and in content inappropriate for a public leader of science...." Mullis also made accusations of corruption in science and attacked the honesty of several well-known scientists in the AIDS field. Upon questioning, Mullis' explanations lacked substance and coherence, says Martin. "Portrait of a Centerfold" Advocate (09/06/94) No. 663, P. 41; Kort, Michele Rebekka Armstrong, Playboy's September 1986 "Playmate of the Month," has used the time since her calendar days to work with people who are HIV-positive and educate those who are not. She was a volunteer at a "Women for Positive Living" weekend in August after she participated in a similar seminar in February. Armstrong discovered that she is HIV-positive in 1989, but hadn't actually sought companionship with women who have AIDS until now. She has found that this experience strengthened her. "I know this may sound strange, but as terrible as things sometimes get, this is the best time of my life," Armstrong says. "Because of the way I look and my Playboy past, I have an opportunity to educate people about things I didn't know ... I have a real purpose now." Armstrong may have been infected at age 16 after receiving a transfusion after an abortion procedure went awry. The other possibility was when she had drunken unprotected sex with a possibly bisexual male model. Armstrong wants to tell young adults that just because they're young, that doesn't mean that they're immune. "I want young teenagers to know that it could happen to them," she says. "They're not invincible." "California AIDS Legislation--Action Alerts" AIDS Treatment News (09/02/94) No. 206, P. 7 Both the California House and Senate have passed a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment to counter the effects of AIDS, cancer chemotherapy, glaucoma, and other conditions. If passed by Gov. Wilson, marijuana would change from being a Schedule I drug with no medical use to a Schedule II drug, which is thought to have serious potential for abuse, but is justifiable for medical use. Medical use of marijuana, which many claim as their only source of pain relief, is supported by numerous groups throughout the country, but both Presidents Bush and Clinton have done little to respond to their cries. In other legislative action, the LIFE AIDS lobby is requesting support of a California bill that would let local jurisdictions create pilot programs for one-to-one needle exchanges. They also are opposing a bill that would permit non-consensual testing for HIV in some cases when a healthcare worker has had a "significant exposure" to the patient's blood.