AIDS Daily Summary February 13, 1995 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 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "Former N.H.L. Player Reveals He Has AIDS" "Paul Monette, Writer of Gay Anguish, Dies" "AIDS Camp Gets a Boost from '60 Minutes' Piece" "Clinton Moves to Save Research Projects" "EEOC Files Lawsuit in AIDS Firing" "Thailand to Start Testing Anti-AIDS Vaccine" "Philippines Shows 25 Percent Rise in HIV Virus Cases" "FDA Complaints Reinforce Perception that Condoms Break, Can Irritate" "Pediatricians Issue Guidelines Related to HIV Infection Risk" "Melissa's Donates to AIDS Healthcare Foundation" ************************************************************ "Former N.H.L. Player Reveals He Has AIDS" New York Times (02/13/95) P. C10 Former hockey player Bill Goldsworthy has revealed that he has AIDS. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the man who once played for the Minnesota North Stars and the New York Rangers was diagnosed in November while hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia. "There was a period of three to five years after my divorce when I was really into the bottle and I wasn't careful about my sexual relationships. And there were a few times when I was a scout for San Jose, after I started to drink again, that I wasn't as careful about sex as I should have been," said Goldsworthy, who has been divorced for almost 15 years. Related Story: Washington Post (02/13) P. C10 "Paul Monette, Writer of Gay Anguish, Dies" Washington Post (02/13/95) P. B5 Paul Monette, whose memoir "Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story" traced his difficult path from stigma to celebration as a gay man, died of AIDS on Feb. 10 at age 49. The 1992 memoir, which won him a National Book Award, was about Monette's suppression of his homosexuality, his struggle for identity in the 1950s and 1960s, and survival in a homophobic society. In the late 1980s, after his companion Roger Horwitz died of AIDS-related complications, Monette wrote "Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir," which examined Horwitz's struggle and death. In accepting the National Book Award, Monette said, "Writing literally kept me alive" after being diagnosed with HIV. His most recent work, a collection of 10 essays titled "Last Watch of the Night," was published last June. Related Story: New York Times (02/13) P. B7 "AIDS Camp Gets a Boost from '60 Minutes' Piece" USA Today (02/13/95) P. 3D; Johnson, Peter Since Feb. 5, when "60 Minutes" aired a story about a 10-day summer camp in New York for people with AIDS, 400 volunteers have offered to staff the camp. Others have donated $45,000 in cash or services. The Birch Camp, which has been running for six years, is now considering expanding to help more people. Television viewers "understood what it's like to be affected by AIDS, even though they're not infected," said Birch's director, Phyllis Susser. "Clinton Moves to Save Research Projects" Baltimore Sun (02/11/95) P. 7A; Lewthwaite, Gilbert A. In reaction to a report that the Pentagon's funding for two medical research programs on AIDS and breast cancer was in danger of being stripped from this year's defense spending, President Clinton ordered White House Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta to express his concern for the programs to Defense Secretary William J. Perry. Noting that 46,000 women die of breast cancer each year and that 40,000 Americans die from AIDS, Panetta said, "The president believes that we cannot afford to allow these tragic losses to continue. And that is why breast cancer and AIDS research is a high priority for this administration." On Friday, the Washington Post reported that $30 million earmarked for AIDS research and $150 million for breast cancer research this year might not be spent because the Pentagon did not consider them essential parts of the military's medical program. However, when testifying before the Senate Budget Committee on Friday, the Pentagon's chief financial officer said that AIDS research involved "particular military issues," including development of battlefield tests for soldier-to-soldier blood transfusions. "EEOC Files Lawsuit in AIDS Firing" Houston Chronicle (02/10/95) P. 25A; Tedford, Deborah On Thursday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued a Houston machine shop that allegedly held a company-wide vote to determine whether an employee who had AIDS could continue to work at the facility. According to the suit, "John Doe" was fired July 18, 1994, after fellow employees rejected the notion that he should continue his job as a precision grinder. The EEOC claims that Gulf Grinding Co., which is doing business as Gulf Precision Industries Inc., violated Doe's right to privacy and his right to reasonable accommodation in the workplace under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. R.M. Stribling, facility manager, acknowledged that he had asked the other employees to if they wanted Doe to continue, but denied allegations that he violated the man's confidentiality. "He told me he had cancer, and it wasn't until two months later he told me had AIDS. I have affidavits from a half a dozen employees saying he told them he had AIDS," said Stribling. "Thailand to Start Testing Anti-AIDS Vaccine" Reuters (02/10/95) Arthit Urairat, Health Minister of Thailand, said on Friday that tests of Genentech Inc.'s GP-120 AIDS vaccine would begin on Feb. 21. Thirty heroin addicts will be injected with the drug four times annually. "The test is to show whether it can create immunity in the human body so as to guard against AIDS," said Arthit. He did not say whether the tests would continue past the first year, but the United Nations AIDS program indicated that Thailand and Brazil were interested in conducting trials. "Philippines Shows 25 Percent Rise in HIV Virus Cases" Reuters (02/10/95) There was a 25 percent increase in the number of HIV-infected people in the Philippines in 1994, the health ministry said on Friday. The number of HIV-positive people rose to 587 by the end of the year, which is 118 more than the total of 469 recorded between 1984 and the end of 1993. Almost half of the new cases occurred in the capital, Manila, and about 60 percent of the new cases were heterosexually transmitted. The ministry has been at odds with the country's Roman Catholic Church over the government's advocacy of using condoms to fight AIDS. It said it will continue to ensure that "condoms are affordable and always available" as a means of fighting AIDS. While health experts acknowledge that the number of HIV-infected people is probably much higher than official figures estimate, they also note that the stigma AIDS carries in the predominantly Catholic country prevents more people from reporting to health authorities. "FDA Complaints Reinforce Perception that Condoms Break, Can Irritate" AIDS Alert (02/95) Vol. 10, No. 2, P. 17 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives dozens of complaints each year about adverse reactions to condoms. In at least three of the 213 filed with the FDA since 1976, the problem was that the condom broke and one of the partners became infected with HIV. The majority of the complaints concerned LifeStyles brand condoms made by Ansell Medical. Some retailers have stopped selling LifeStyles condoms--the second leading brand in the retail market--because of excessive breakage complaints. Ansell spokesperson Carol Carrozza says that complaints are stacked against LifeStyles condoms because they are mainly sold to health facilities, which tend to report most of the complaints the FDA receives. New studies have found that "high modulus" condoms--a snugger, yet stiffer class of condoms that includes LifeStyles--are more prone to breakage. Primarily in response to the threat of AIDS, condom makers have been thickening their ultra-thin condoms. The new polyurethane condom, Avanti, is being marketed as super-thin, but twice as strong as latex condoms. Although Avanti is made of stronger material than latex, it is about one-third as elastic. The strongest predictor of breakage, say experts, is elasticity, not strength. "Pediatricians Issue Guidelines Related to HIV Infection Risk" Nation's Health (01/95) Vol. 25, No. 1, P. 10 The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new recommendations in an effort to reduce the risk of HIV infection associated with illicit drug use. In response to the spread of HIV to young people, the academy called for prevention and treatment programs aimed at preventing illicit drug use, improving knowledge about decontamination of drug paraphernalia, and providing access to sterile injection equipment as part of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of illicit drug use. The academy notes that while controversy about needle exchange programs persist, many cases of HIV infection in children and adolescents could be prevented by such programs. "Melissa's Donates to AIDS Healthcare Foundation" Food Distribution Magazine (01/95) Vol. 36, No. 1, P. 11 In honor of AIDS Awareness Month, Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc. has raised $654.80 in donations for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) of Los Angeles. From the sale of 3,897 cases of Melissa's Shallots and 2,651 cases of Baby Red Potatoes, Melissa's donated 10 cents per case to the AHF. The AHF, California's largest community-based HIV healthcare provider, provides medical care to people living with HIV.