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ad961022.txt
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1996-10-25
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AIDS Daily Summary
Tuesday, October 22, 1996
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 National AIDS
Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this
text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this
information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD
******************************************************
"White House Waffles on HIV Asylum Policy"
"FDA Panel Advises Against Approval of Contraceptive"
"Concerns Grow That Doctor-Assisted Suicide Would Leave the
Powerless Vulnerable"
"USA Snapshots: Why Teens Use Drugs"
"Making AIDS Vaccine"
"Depression in Children with HIV-Infected Mothers May Be
Overlooked"
"Court Rejects Assisted Suicide Case"
"Can HIV-1 Transmission be Prevented During Pregnancy and Labor?"
"New Hemoglobin From Old Blood"
"The Great Fellatio Debate: How Safe is Oral Sex?"
******************************************************
"White House Waffles on HIV Asylum Policy"
Washington Times (10/22/96) P. A1; Larson, Ruth
The White House has been criticized for being unclear on its
policy of granting asylum to people with HIV. A spokesman for
the White House Office of National AIDS Policy said a 1993 law
barring the immigration of people with HIV still stands, but the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has reported that,
at the White House's instruction, HIV was added to the list of
considerations for asylum candidates. However, while the
Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS recommended reversing
the ban on HIV-positive immigrants, INS rejected the proposal,
saying that such a move would be counter to the statute and that
it therefore could not change the class for HIV. The agency,
though, did change the current policy to include HIV status is
the factors to be considered in requests for asylum. Critics
note that the White House's and INS' exchange of blame avoids the
issue `of exposing taxpayers to the enormous costs of treating
additional AIDS patients,' according to Rep. Lamar K. Smith
(R-Texas), head of the House Judiciary subcommittee on
immigration.
"FDA Panel Advises Against Approval of Contraceptive"
Washington Post (10/22/96) P. A6
Approval of a new barrier contraceptive device was not
recommended by a panel of the Food and Drug Administration on
Monday, due to concerns about how well the device prevents
pregnancy. Yama Inc. has sought the approval for a device similar
to a cervical cap, called Lea's Shield. The company had tested the
device on only 55 women, 9 percent of whom became pregnant during
the six-month study period. The FDA panel said the size of the
study was inadequate to accurately determine reliability. Women's
advocates had urged approval of the device, contending that women
are desperate for new contraceptive options. Lisa Cox, of the
National Women's Health Network, said `the appropriate response to
the public health needs of women in the '90s is to expedite barrier
controls.' Yama, however, was urged to study whether the new
contraceptive provided any protection against sexually transmitted
diseases, adding that currently there is no evidence of such an
indication.
"Concerns Grow That Doctor-Assisted Suicide Would Leave the
Powerless Vulnerable"
New York Times (10/20/96) P. 14; Kolata, Gina
As assisted-suicide cases move rapidly through the court
system, concerns are being raised about how society would be
impacted if doctors are allowed to help patients die. Opponents
of assisted-suicide say society's attitudes toward people who are
poor, elderly, or physically and mentally ill would become less
compassionate. Supporters, however, focus on how
assisted-suicide would benefit the terminally ill individual.
Two cases--both involving patients dying of cancer or AIDS who
wanted their doctors to help them commit suicide--reached U.S.
Circuit Courts of Appeals in Oregon and New York earlier this
year. Both courts decided that each state's law banning assisted
suicide was unconstitutional, sending a strong message in favor
of the practice.
"USA Snapshots: Why Teens Use Drugs"
USA Today (10/22/96) P. 1D
One-quarter of 17-year-olds surveyed by the National Center
on Addiction and Substance Abuse say the main reason teens use
drugs is because their friends do, while 49 percent of
12-year-olds said the main reason is "to be cool." Other popular
reasons cited included "to feel good" and stress relief.
Overall, about 4 percent of the 12-year-olds polled said it was
`very likely' they would try drugs, while 20 percent of
17-year-olds said they would.
"Making AIDS Vaccine"
United Press International (10/22/96); Wasowicz, Lidia
Researchers have found an antibody that may help protect
people from contracting HIV through sexual contact. Scientists
at the University of California Los Angeles, report that, in a
study of 252 homosexuals, those with high levels of the antibody
VH3 were more resistant to HIV infection through sexual contact
than those with low levels.
"Depression in Children With HIV-Infected Mothers May Be
Overlooked"
Reuters (10/21/96)
Depression is a serious threat in the HIV-negative children
of HIV-positive mothers, and one that is often overlooked, report
researchers at Yale University medical school. Dr. Brian W.C.
Forsyth and colleagues found that children with HIV-positive
mothers were significantly more withdrawn, had more attention
problems, and were depressed more often than other children.
"Court Rejects Assisted Suicide Case"
United Press International (10/21/96); Kirkland, Michael
California's request to the Supreme Court to speed up a
review of a lower-court ruling that favors assisted suicide was
rejected Monday. The Court may, however, still review the case,
brought by an unidentified man with AIDS. The Court has already
decided to hear similar cases from Washington state and New York.
"Can HIV-1 Transmission be Prevented During Pregnancy and Labor?"
Lancet (10/12/96) Vol. 348, No. 9033, P. 1021; McCarthy, Michael
Caregivers have little control over the majority of the
factors that increase the risk of mother-to-infant HIV
transmission during pregnancy and delivery, according to French
researchers. Laurent Mandelbrot and colleagues analyzed the
pregnancy and delivery history, and the HIV-1 status at 18
months, of more than 1,600 children born to HIV-1 infected
mothers. The study preceded the introduction of zidovudine use
for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, some 19
percent of the infants were found to be seropositive at 18
months. Factors that the researchers identified as increasing
the risk of transmission included: invasive procedures, such as
amniocentesis and amnioscopy; sexually transmitted diseases
during pregnancy; preterm delivery; premature membrane rupture;
hemorrhage during labor; and blood in the amniotic fluid. Except
for the use of invasive procedures, caregivers have little
control over these factors, the researchers said. Moreover,
factors that the caregiver could control--such as protracted
labor and skin abrasions--were found to have little influence on
transmission. The researchers recommend that invasive procedures
be avoided during pregnancy and that vaginal infections be
quickly diagnosed and treated.
"New Hemoglobin From Old Blood"
Business Week (10/14/96) No. 3497, P. 88; Stodghill, Ron, II
A substitute for hemoglobin--the component of red blood
cells that carries oxygen--could help relieve the high demand for
donated blood. Several companies have been developing potential
blood substitutes, and Baxter International received Food and
Drug Administration approval in June to start Phase III trials of
its product, HemAssist, in surgery patients. The product could
be approved for trauma patients within months. To create the
product, Baxter collects millions of hemoglobin molecules from
the red blood cells of outdated donated blood. The cells are
purified to eliminate any disease agents and cross-linked for
stability before they can be used. Analysts estimate that a
viable blood substitute could be worth $2.5 billion a year.
"The Great Fellatio Debate: How Safe is Oral Sex?"
Village Voice (10/15/96) Vol. 41, No. 42, P. 25; Schoofs, Mark
As the level of HIV risk involved in oral sex is debated by
researchers and health experts and contradicting studies are
reported, the public is left in confusion. It is known that oral
sex is less risky than anal or vaginal sex; however, no one can
say what that risk level is. At the International Conference on
AIDS held this summer, researcher Timothy Schacker reported that,
while the risk linked to a single act of fellatio is much lower
than that for anal sex, the higher frequency of oral sex among
gay men could attribute to significant cumulative risk. Although
case reports show that few people have contracted HIV from
fellatio, but a survey of 40 AIDS doctors across the country
indicates that many such cases are not identified. The estimated
HIV risk for fellatio varies widely, in part because of the
degrees of infectiousness among HIV patients and susceptibility
among uninfected persons. Among the 80 percent to 90 percent of
gay men who engage in oral sex, only 3 percent to 6 percent use
condoms. One study of heterosexuals found that about 75 percent
did not use condoms while performing fellatio. Other precautions
that can be taken in addition to condoms include avoiding oral
sex with strangers and not performing fellatio while mouth cuts
or sores are apparent.