AIDS Daily Summary July 26, 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 "The Woman Who Would Not Be 'Czar'" Washington Post (Health) (07/26/94) P. 7; Colburn, Don National AIDS Policy Coordinator Kristine M. Gebbie, who will relinquish the position next week following a 13-month tenure marked by criticism, says one of her biggest problems was the persistence of the media and others in calling her the "AIDS czar." Gebbie's role was, in fact, nothing close to czar-like. She and her critics agree that the Office of National AIDS Policy, which was created to fulfill a campaign promise by President Clinton, had little direct authority and its exact policy role was never made clear. In addition, confusion and conflict arose from the fact that the office was part of the White House, but its staff and budget were under the Department of Health and Human Services. Gebbie says she will give her as-yet undecided successor some valuable advice: to immediately establish more clarity with the president, administration officials, and key advocacy groups. "Consultation" Washington Post (Health) (07/26/94) P. 12; Siwek, Jay The National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) offers a fax-on-demand service that provides timely information about health and treatment services, insurance and benefits, legal issues, and other HIV-related issues. The group's documents, which include listings of additional resources, are updated each month to reflect the most current data. Callers can use a fax phone any time of the day, any day of the week, to call 202-789-2222 to request a menu of available topics. This menu can be used to request documents via an automated voice system, and the documents are then faxed to the user. Additional sources for HIV information include the National AIDS Clearinghouse at 1-800-458-5231; the American Foundation for AIDS Research at 1-800-392-6327; the AIDS Treatment Data network at 1-800-858-2111; and Project Inform at 1-800-822-7422. "NEA Budget Sliced Over Bloodletting" Washington Post (07/26/94) P. E1; Trescott, Jacqueline The Senate voted yesterday against a bill proposed by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) that would have barred the National Endowment for the Arts from funding any kind of mutilation or bloodletting. The legislation was sparked by the March performance of HIV-positive artist Ron Athey, whose show involves carving symbols into the back of another performer, blotting the design with paper towels, and then dangling the blood-soaked paper towels over the audience. The performance was funded in part by the NEA. Although the Senate defeated Helms' amendment, it did uphold deep funding cuts that Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) hit the agency with as a reprimand for funding the controversial performance. "Zimbabwe to Punish People Infecting Others With AIDS" Reuters (07/25/94) The Zimbabwean government is drafting legislation to punish AIDS patients who knowingly infect others. According to Health Minister Timothy Stamps, the law would target rapists, as well as prisoners who force other inmates to have sex. The country has 800,000 documented AIDS cases in a population of 10 million. "Area AIDS Group's Party Something to Bark About" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (07/25/94) P. 2B; Linsalata, Phil Sunday was a "Picnic in the Park," an afternoon of music, magicians, clowns, and other amusement that benefited the St. Louis Effort for AIDS. Admission to the event was free, but sales from food and amusement provided the primary source of revenue. PAWS, or Pets Are Wonderful Support, was one of several AIDS organizations that set up booths or tables in the crowd. The group's volunteers help AIDS patients keep their pets by walking and feeding them, taking them to the vet, and eventually placing them with new owners. "Obituaries: James F. O'Neil, Social Worker and AIDS Activist" Chicago Tribune (07/25/94) P. 1-10; Mills, Steve Chicago AIDS activist James F. O'Neil, 38, died of complications related to the disease on July 22. O'Neil founded the Jonah Project, a program to fill Christmas stockings for AIDS patients at Cook County Hospital. He was also active with the speakers bureau of the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center, and the AIDS Pastoral Care Network. The activist was also featured last year on a special edition of the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour program examining the relationship between AIDS and religion. He is survived by his parents, two brothers, and five sisters. "Rubbered Out" Adweek--Eastern Edition (07/18/94) Vol. 35, No. 29, P. 22; ; Schone, Mark The AIDS epidemic warrants the need for safe sex, but condom manufacturers--who are presented with a prime opportunity to enhance product awareness--have taken a low-key approach to advertising, spending only $2 million each year as an industry. Condom makers have, it seems, economic and cultural reasons for not purchasing ads, since the product was taboo for most of its existence and was dragged out of obscurity only by AIDS. Yet, some AIDS authorities are concerned that too close of an association with the disease might actually discourage potential users. An ad that specifically targets gay partners is not likely to endear condoms to at-risk, urban males. Furthermore, there really isn't much interest coming from television executives. All four broadcast networks prohibit discussion of contraception, and all but Fox limit condom ads to local stations. "Substance Use and HIV-Related Sexual Behaviors Among US High School Students: Are They Related?" American Journal of Public Health (07/94) Vol. 84, No. 7, P. 1116; Lowry, Richard; Holtzman, Deborah; Truman, Benedict I. et al. Lowry et al. set out to determine whether use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or hard drugs is linked to the likelihood of sexual behaviors that increase risk for HIV among adolescents. They used the 1990 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey to gather self-reported data from 11,631 high school students across the United States. Lowry and his colleagues found that those youngsters who reported no substance abuse were least likely to have had four or more sexual partners, least likely not to have used a condom, and least likely to have had sex at all. These risky behaviors were, on the other hand, most common among students who had used marijuana, cocaine, or other illicit drugs. The researchers conclude that HIV programs for adolescents must take into account the fact that substance abuse, through its association with unsafe sexual behaviors, may be an important factor in calculating risk of HIV infection and AIDS. "PML Treatment Update, Peptide T Possibility" AIDS Treatment News (06/17/94) No. 201, P. 3; James, John S. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a relatively uncommon brain infection diagnosed in only about one percent of AIDS patients, usually in the late stages of disease. Many cases, however, are misdiagnosed--usually as toxoplasmosis or lymphoma. Because there is neither a cure, nor any FDA-approved treatments for PML, patients who are diagnosed are often informed by physicians that they will die shortly. Actually, there are a number of experimental treatments, and some individuals with PML have stabilized or improved, and lived fairly healthy lives for years. These treatments remain unproved, however, as controlled trials have not been conducted. The best source of information on PML is a privately published book, "Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): Case Studies and Potential Treatments" by Peter and Lisa Brosnan. The book includes a brief description of the infection, discussion of treatments that have been tried, and ones that have potential.