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The
HIV/AIDS eNews is published by the British Columbia Persons With AIDS
Society. This publication is a compilation of various articles
collected from numerous news sources. Opinions and information
expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those
of the Society.
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 SUITS
Join us for the kick-off of our new monthly networking event for professional, gay HIV+ men!
Where: Milestones Yaletown (1109 Hamilton Street)
When: January 26, 2009, 5.30-8pm
RSVP: (required) 604.893.2258
For more information call 604.893.2200 |
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HIV: CHRONIC DISEASE?
Join us for this free community forum exploring HIV as a manageable chronic disease.
Where: Sands Best Western Hotel (1755 Davie)
When: January 19, 2009, 5.30pm
RSVP: (required) 604.893.2274 or zorans@bcpwa.org |
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Volunteer at BCPWA
Volunteer Event Organizer
Do you enjoy talking and meeting new people?
Some Responsibilities:
- Assist with the coordination of the Annual Volunteer Recognition Event in April
- Securing door prizes from local sponsors
- Strong communication skills to call and meet people
- Providing administrative support to the Coordinator
* 6 month Volunteer commitment required (1 position) start December
Please see Marc Seguin-Coordinator Volunteer Services BC Persons With AIDS Society, for more information; marcs@bcpwa.org 604-893-2298 |
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Michael Byers on third day of hunger strike relay
“Fasting for an entire week is a very uncomfortable experience,” Byers said in an e-mail sent to media and supporters January 4. “But it is unconscionable that there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people in this country today. Canada is one of the richest countries on Earth, and yet we are the only developed country without a national affordable housing program. Canadians need to know this—and they need to demand action on the part of their Members of Parliament.”
January 7, 2009
UBC professor and recent federal NDP candidate Michael Byers is now on day three of his weeklong leg of a hunger-strike relay for housing.
On January 5 at 11 a.m., Byers took over from fellow NDP-card-carrying activist Am Johal, who completed the first leg.
“Fasting for an entire week is a very uncomfortable experience,” Byers
said in an e-mail sent to media and supporters January 4. “But it is
unconscionable that there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people
in this country today. Canada is one of the richest countries on Earth,
and yet we are the only developed country without a national affordable
housing program. Canadians need to know this—and they need to demand
action on the part of their Members of Parliament.”
Sarah Evans, manager of HIV/AIDS and harm reduction programs at
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, will take over from Byers on
January 12.
Brent Granby, president of the West End Residents Association, will
follow on January 19, and Dr. Marria Townsend, a physician with Three
Bridges Community Health Clinic, on January 26.
By Matthew Burrows, http://www.straight.com
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Nova Scotia racism undermines HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment
Racism,
religion, stigma and the taboo surrounding sex are among the key
factors that have led to a lack of HIV/AIDS information and essential
services in Nova Scotia’s black communities, says Dalhousie’s chair of
black Canadian studies.
January 8, 2009
Racism,
religion, stigma and the taboo surrounding sex are among the key
factors that have led to a lack of HIV/AIDS information and essential
services in Nova Scotia’s black communities, says Dalhousie’s chair of
black Canadian studies.
“You’ve got agencies that have been
accused of being racist, agencies which are staffed by people who don’t
look like the individuals they’re trying to service, agencies which
have… stereotypical ideas about black people and tend to reflect those
stereotypes in practice,” says David Divine. “That leads to
difficulties.”
Stigma surrounding homosexuality and HIV/AIDS,
as well as societal 'taboo' of sex in general, has resulted in a lack
of vitally needed openness to discuss the disease in black communities,
suggests Divine.
“When you’ve got all these in the melting
pot, in addition to historical dis-servicing of certain people because
of colour, then you have got a toxic mix,” he says.
Divine’s
project, which falls under Nova Scotia’s HIV/AIDS strategy, is designed
to raise awareness of the disease and increase black people’s trust in
HIV/AIDS agencies. But the first task, he says, is to generate
discussion about the disease within black communities in Nova Scotia.
“Issues aren’t being addressed and they need to be,” says Divine. “They’re not discussing and [are] operating in silence.”
People who need to know about HIV/AIDS are not getting access to
information, people who need services aren’t getting them, and people
lack confidence that their personal information will be kept
confidential, Divine says.
Members of some black communities
in Nova Scotia have travelled to Toronto to be treated for HIV, rather
than risk having their identity revealed in Nova Scotia, he says. “And
that is simply not acceptable.”
Divine will meet with
health-care workers, community leaders and residents in one of the
province’s black communities this month to talk about health concerns,
including HIV/AIDS, for the first step of the project.
“It’s
very important to broach the subject in this way because if you had a
specific session on AIDS and HIV and asked people to come to it,
chances are you wouldn’t get very many. That’s the reality here in Nova
Scotia,” says Divine. “That’s because of the toxic mix, particularly
the stigma relating to AIDS and HIV.”
Larry Baxter, chair of
the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS, says the provincial
strategy on HIV/AIDS, announced in 2003, lacked input from black
communities.
“We did recognize that that was a weakness of the strategy and that we needed to do more work,” he says.
Part
of Divine’s mandate involves finishing consultations with black
communities and taking the first steps toward improving access to
information.
Baxter and Divine both stress that stigma and
difficulty in broaching the subject are not unique to Nova Scotia’s
black communities, and exist in all of society.
The strategy,
says Baxter, targets a variety of vulnerable groups, not just black
communities, but also women, aboriginal people, prisoners, intravenous
drug users and young gay males.
HIV/AIDS already exists in
black communities in Nova Scotia, says Baxter, but there isn’t any
public discussion about the disease in some areas.
Denial and a lack of information are the main reasons why these communities remain closed-lipped about the disease, he says.
“In
some cases we lack the epidemiological data to indicate that there is a
trend going on in certain communities, especially small communities,”
he says.
Nationally, just over two per cent of Canadians are
black, yet black people account for more than 20 per cent of HIV
infections.
“We do know from our experience with AIDS over
the last 20 years that when you see a trend happening nationally, it’s
only a matter of time before that trend is an issue we have to deal
with here in Nova Scotia,” says Baxter.
“HIV is an illness that has affected, will affect, and continues to affect African Nova Scotian communities.”
Divine likens the process of triggering discussion about the disease to
treading on eggshells. “Sometimes you go three steps forward and 10
steps back,” he says.
“But at the end of the day, the
critical thing is to make sure individuals who want information about
AIDS/HIV, who need to have information about AIDS/HIV, perhaps need to
access service relating to AIDS/HIV, can do so without stigma, shame or
fear.”
Jess McDiarmid, Dalhousie Gazette, http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com
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Rick Warren's Africa Problem
Team
Obama likes to cite Warren’s work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism
about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the
name of Jesus save lives?
January 8, 2009
Team
Obama likes to cite Warren’s work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism
about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the
name of Jesus save lives?
Once hailed by Time magazine as “America’s Pastor,” California mega-church leader and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack
Obama’s selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has
generated intense scrutiny of the pastor’s beliefs on social issues,
from his vocal support for Prop 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex
marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to
pedophilia, incest and bestiality. Many of Obama’s supporters have
demanded that he withdraw the invitation.
Warren’s defense
against charges of intolerance ultimately depends upon his ace card:
his heavily publicized crusade against AIDS in Africa. Obama senior
advisor David Axelrod cited Warren’s work in Africa as one of “the
things on which [Obama and Warren] agree” on the December 28 episode of
Meet the Press. Warren may be opposed to gay rights and abortion, the
thinking goes, but he tells evangelicals it is their God-given duty to
battle one of the greatest pandemics in history. What could be wrong
with that?
Ssempa’s stunts have included publishing the names
of homosexuals in local newspapers while lobbying for criminal
penalties to imprison them.
But since the Warren inauguration
controversy erupted, the nature of work against AIDS in Africa has gone
unexamined. Warren has not been particularly forthcoming to those who
have attempted to look into it. His website contains scant information
about the results of his program. However, an investigation into
Warren’s involvement in Africa reveals a web of alliances with
right-wing clergymen who have sidelined science-based approaches to
combating AIDS in favor of abstinence-only education. More
disturbingly, Warren’s allies have rolled back key elements of one of
the continent’s most successful initiative, the so-called ABC program
in Uganda. Stephen Lewis, the United Nations’ special envoy for
HIV/AIDS in Africa, told the New York Times their activism is
“resulting in great damage and undoubtedly will cause significant
numbers of infections which should never have occurred.”
Warren’s
man in Uganda is a charismatic pastor named Martin Ssempa. The head of
the Makerere Community Church, a rapidly growing congregation, Ssempe
enjoys close ties to his country’s First Lady, Janet Museveni, and is a
favorite of the Bush White House. In the capitol of Kampala, Ssempa is
known for his boisterous crusading. Ssempa’s stunts have included
burning condoms in the name of Jesus and arranging the publication of
names of homosexuals in cooperative local newspapers while lobbying for
criminal penalties to imprison them.
Dr. Helen Epstein, a public health consultant who authored the book, The Invisible Cure: Why We’re Losing The Fight Against AIDS In Africa,
met Ssempa in 2005. Epstein told me the preacher seemed gripped by
paranoia, warning her of a secret witches coven that met under Lake
Victoria. “Ssempa also spoke to me for a very long time about his fear
of homosexual men and women,” Epstein said. “He seemed very personally
terrified by their presence.”
When Warren unveiled his global
AIDS initiative at a 2005 conference at his Saddleback Church, he cast
Ssempa as his indispensable sidekick, assigning him to lead a breakout
session on abstinence-only education as well as a seminar on AIDS
prevention. Later, Ssempa delivered a keynote address, a speech so
stirring it “had the audience on the edge of its seats,” according to
Warren’s public relations agency. A year later, Ssempa returned to
Saddleback Church to lead another seminar on AIDS. By this time, his
bond with the Warrens had grown almost familial. “You are my brother,
Martin, and I love you,” Rick Warren’s wife, Kay, said to Ssempa from
the stage. Her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke and tears ran
down her cheeks.
Joining Ssempa at Warren’s church were two
key Bush administration officials who controlled the purse strings of
the president’s newly minted $15 billion anti-AIDS initiative in
Africa, PEPFAR. Ugandan first lady Janet Museveni also appeared through
a videotaped address to tout the success of her country’s numerous
church-based abstinence programs.
These Bush officials—Randall
Tobias, the Department of State’s Global AIDS coordinator, and Claude
Allen, the White House’s chief domestic policy advisor—are closely
linked to the Christian right. Tobias, the so-called “global AIDS
czar,” declared in 2004 that condoms “really have not been very
effective," and crusaded against prostitution, until he resigned in
2007 when he was exposed as a regular client of the D.C. Madam’s escort
service. Allen, once an aide to the late Senator Jesse Helms, resigned
in 2006 after he was arrested for felony thefts from retail stores.
During
the early 1990s, when many African leaders denied the AIDS epidemic’s
existence, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni spoke openly about the
importance of safe sex. With the help of local and international
non-governmental organizations, he implemented an ambitious program
emphasizing abstinence, monogamous relationships, and using condoms as
the best ways to prevent the spread of AIDS. He called the program
“ABC.” By 2003, Uganda’s AIDS rate plummeted 10 percent. The
government’s free distribution of the “C” in ABC—condoms—proved central
to the program’s success, according to Avert, an international AIDS charity.
On
New Year’s Eve, 1999, Janet Museveni, who had become born-again,
convened a massive stadium revival in Kampala to dedicate her country
to the “lordship” of Jesus Christ. As midnight approached, the First
Lady summoned a local pastor to the stage to anoint the nation. “We
renounce idolatry, witchcraft, and Satanism in our land!” he
proclaimed.
Two years later, Janet Museveni flew to Washington
at the height of a heated congressional debate over PEPFAR. She carried
in her hand a prepared message to distribute to Republicans. Abstinence
was the golden bullet in her country’s fight against AIDS, she assured
conservative lawmakers, denying the empirically proven success of her
husband’s condom distribution program. Like magic, the
Republican-dominated Congress authorized over $200 million for Uganda,
but only for the exclusive promotion of abstinence education. Ssempa
soon became the “special representative of the First Lady’s Task Force
on AIDS in Uganda,” receiving $40,000 from the PEPFAR pot.
Emboldened
by U.S. support, Ssempa took his anti-condom crusade to Makerere
University in Kampala, where senior residents of a men’s dormitory
promoted safe sex by greeting incoming freshmen with a giant effigy
wearing a condom. According to Helen Epstein, one day after she visited
the school, Ssempa stormed on to campus, tore the condom from the
effigy, grabbed a box of free condoms, and set them ablaze. “I burn
these condoms in the name of Jesus!” Ssempa shouted as he prayed over
the burning box.
“It was a very controversial time,” Epstein
told me. “After the Bush administration authorized PEPFAR, a number of
the local evangelical preachers began to get excited about this and get
involved in AIDS very rapidly. To try to prove his credentials, Ssempa
became increasingly active and vociferous in his antipathy towards
condoms.”
By 2005, billboards promoting condom use disappeared
from the streets of Kampala, replaced by billboards promoting
virginity. “Until recently, all HIV-related billboards were about
condoms. Those of us calling for abstinence and faithfulness need
billboards too,” Ssempa told the BBC at the time. A 2005 report by Human Rights Watch documented that educational material in Uganda’s secondary schools
falsely claiming condoms had microscopic pores that could be penetrated
by the HIV virus and noted the sudden nationwide shortage of condoms
due to new restrictions imposed by on condom imports.
AIDS
activists arrived at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto
in 2006 with disturbing news from Uganda. Due at least in part to the
chronic condom shortage, HIV infections were on the rise again. The
disease rate had spiked to 6.5 percent among rural men, and 8.8 percent among women—a rise of
nearly two points in the case of women. “The ‘C’ part [of ABC] is now
mainly silent,” said Ugandan AIDS activist Beatrice Ware. As a result,
she said, “the success story is unraveling.”
Troubled by what
he was witnessing in Africa, Rep. Tom Lantos led the new
Democratic-controlled Congress to reform PEPFAR during a
reauthorization process in February 2008. Lantos insisted that Congress
lift the abstinence-only earmark imposed by Republicans in 2002, and
begin to fund family planning elements like free condom distribution.
His maneuver infuriated Warren, who immediately boarded a plane for
Washington to join Christian right leaders including born-again former
Watergate felon Chuck Colson for an emergency press conference on the
Capitol lawn. In his speech, Warren claimed that Lantos’ bill would spawn an increase in the sex trafficking of
young women. The bill died and PEPFAR was reauthorized in its flawed
form. (Days later, Lantos died of cancer after serving for 27 years in
Congress.)
With safe sex advocates on the run, Warren and Ssempa trained their sights on another social evil. In August 2007, Ssempa led hundreds of his followers through the streets of Kampala to demand that
the government mete out harsh punishments against gays. “Arrest all homos,” read placards. And: “A man cannot marry a man.” Ssempa continued his crusade online, publishing the names of Ugandan gay rights activists on a website he created, along with
photos and home addresses. “Homosexual promoters,” he called them,
suggesting they intended to seduce Uganda’s children into their
lifestyle. Soon afterwards, two of President Yoweri Museveni’s top
officials demanded the arrest of the gay activists named by Ssempa.
Terrified, the activists immediately into hiding.
Warren, in
his effort to dispel criticism, has denied harboring homophobic
sentiments. “I could give you a hundred gay friends,” he told MSNBC’s Ann Curry on December 18. “I have always treated them with
respect. When they come and want to talk to me, I talk to them.”
But
when Uganda’s Anglican bishops threatened to bolt from the Church of
England because of its tolerant stance towards homosexuals, Warren parachuted into Kampala to confer international legitimacy on their protest. “The
Church of England is wrong and I support the Church of Uganda on the
boycott,” Warren proclaimed in March 2008. Declaring homosexuality an
unnatural way of life, Warren flatly stated, “We shall not tolerate
this aspect [homosexuality in the church] at all.”
Days later,
Warren emerged so enthusiastic after a meeting with First Lady
Museveni, he announced a plan to make Uganda a “Purpose Driven Nation.”
“The future of Christianity is not Europe or North America, but Africa,
Asia, and Latin America,” he told a cheering throng at Makerere
University. Then, Ugandan Archbishop Henry Orombi rose and predicted,
“Someday, we will have a purpose driven continent!”
By Max Blumenthal, http://www.thedailybeast.com
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Knighthood for head of UK HIV charity
Nick Partridge, head of the UK’s largest HIV charity, The Terrence HIggins Trust, has received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.
January 5, 2009
Nick Partridge, head of the UK’s largest HIV charity has received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.
Chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) since 1991, Sir Nick Partridge was previously awarded an OBE in 1999.
The knighthood is for services to health care. As well as heading THT
Sir Nick Partridge was appointed as a Commissioner of the Healthcare
Commission in 2004, and is also chair of INVOLVE, that advises on
public involvement in the NHS.
Sir Nick Partridge first joined THT in 1985 as office manager and was
responsible for the charity’s press relations before becoming its chief
executive in 1991.
A calm but forceful advocate for the rights of the communities and
individuals affected by HIV, Sir Nick oversaw the merging of THT with
numerous other HIV charities from the late 1990s onwards making the
charity a national provider of services for people with HIV.
Commenting on the award, Sir Nick said it was “great recognition of the pioneering work of Terrence Higgins Trust.”
By Michael Carter, www.aidsmap.com
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Those with HIV face other Dangers
According
to Human Rights Watch, "People living with HIV/AIDS and those thought
to be infected have been imprisoned, assaulted and even murdered.”
Kathmandu, Nepal, — Each year on Dec. 1, the world celebrates World
AIDS Day. Yet, many of those infected with the virus face personal
peril from a different front. According to Human Rights Watch, "People
living with HIV/AIDS and those thought to be infected have been
imprisoned, assaulted and even murdered.”
The Human Rights Watch report recounted several cases: "In June 2005,
Octavio Acuña Rubio, an AIDS and human rights activist, was stabbed to
death. In June 2006, Vivian Kavuma was murdered by her lover in Uganda
after disclosing that she was infected with HIV. In November 2005,
Steve Harvey, an outspoken AIDS activist in Jamaica, was murdered. In
April 2006, Isaiah Gakuyo, 15, was killed by his uncle for being
HIV-positive.”
I was brought up in a traditional family in the village of Biratnagar,
located near the Indian border in the southeastern region of Nepal.
Most of the people living there practice their faith traditionally.
Also, marriages and family planning issues are the subject of secrets
and gossip in my village. During my studies, I wrote articles about
women’s rights, family planning, faith and HIV/AIDS issues. I became
confused, as a result of my upbringing. Then, a serious occurrence in
my village changed my thinking.
One of the women in our village named Sudha married a man of bad
character, who was HIV positive. From that day on, her parents did not
allow her to enter their house. I felt very confused by these events.
After that incident, no one would talk to her when she visited the
village. They did not even allow her to join in the celebration of
festivals. Everywhere, she was criticized, because other villagers
assumed that she had abandoned her family.
One day, I gave a book and pictures to some villagers about women’s
rights, HIV/AIDS, health and culture, and I discussed these subjects
extensively with them. They learned about the importance of health,
HIV/AIDS and women and how to deal with related problems that might
occur. I have taught many of the schoolchildren how to work on health
issues. Slowly, some villagers came to their own realizations and began
to allow Sudha to enter village life again. I still get many responses
about this.
On May 28 this year, I met Sudha in Kathmandu. The meeting was possible
because I was coming from the post office and taking the way past her
home. When I saw her, I smiled and, in response, she also smiled a bit.
I felt a stirring sensation and said, "Let's go for a cup of tea."
She couldn't say no to my invitation and so she began to walk with me.
We entered a restaurant close by. My face was flushed and red as I sat
in the chair and said to her, "I want to know something about you and
your disease.”
She answered simply, "My story has been one without any compromise.
Perhaps it's my weakness not to be able to give it a definite
direction." Then she asked, "But why are you so interested in my HIV
status?"
I told her, in one rushed breath, "I want to know about the intimate
kind of relations between you and your husband, how you both love each
other.” It appeared as if I had said it too hurriedly. Sudha's eyes
were suddenly filled with tears. It was unbearable to me, so I said,
"Why the sudden change?"
She asked me, "I want to say one thing to you, will you agree to it?" I
felt quite sad to see her crying. She went on, "I want to give you
something that I have never given anybody in my life up until now. If
you agree to accept it, please come meet me tomorrow."
I showed my willingness, responding, "Yes, of course." After that,
without adding a word, she said goodbye to me and went home. I was left
alone, gazing at the cold tea.
After Sudha's request, I found myself standing amid the crowd at Ratna
Park for some hours the next day. It was getting increasingly crowded
at the place I was standing, nothing unusual for a city. I felt pity at
seeing the lines of beggars on the side of street, wondering how such a
large number of people make their living. Everywhere, Kathmandu is
covered with advertisements, but none of these ads affect the life of
the city. People in multicolored dresses walked by.
Sudha arrived, coming quite close before I saw her. I turned toward her
and asked her why she was late. At that moment, Sudha's face looked
really pitiable and frustrated. I saw that she had some envelopes in
her hand. She said, "Thank you very much. You waited for me for a long
time. I have written this letter to my mother. I would be grateful if
you could do me the favor of handing it to her. I also want to offer
you this handkerchief for doing this for me."
There was a tremor in her voice and her hands were shaking. I took the
envelope from her hand and accepted the handkerchief as well. This is
my memory of Sudha.
I later heard that she was killed in Kathmandu in June, by her husband's family, for being HIV-positive.
Kamala, http://www.webcommentary.com
Biography - Kamala
Kamala is an editor for www.mediaforfreedom.com. She
is a regular contributor to United Press International - Asia News. Her
specialties are in-depth reporting and writing stories on peace and
anti-war issues, women, terrorism, democracy and development. Some of
her publications include: Women's Empowerment in South Asia, Nepal;
Prevention of Trafficking in Women Through Media; Efforts to Prevent
Trafficking in for Media Activism. She has also written two collections
of stories.
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IRIN/PlusNews Profiles PNG Commune for People Living With HIV/AIDS
According
to IRIN/PlusNews, people are able to stay at the commune for as long as
they need, and relatives are encouraged to visit to help fight stigma
related to the virus
January 6, 2009
IRIN/PlusNews on Friday profiled a commune operated by HIV advocate Paul Ari designed
for HIV-positive people who have experienced stigma and discrimination
near Mount Hagen, the capital of Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands
province.
According to IRIN/PlusNews, people are able to stay at the commune for
as long as they need, and relatives are encouraged to visit to help
fight stigma related to the virus. Ari said he "show[s] (family
members) there's no way they can get the virus" by eating and sharing
with the people at the commune, adding that he wants the families to
take "ownership" of the commune's clients before they leave. Ari and
the commune receive "next to no financial support" to operate the
facilities, which include a traditional raffia hut for women and older
married men, a smaller hut for younger men and a "contemplation center"
for meditation, IRIN/PlusNews reports. Funding to care for the 14
people currently staying at the commune is generated through farming
and livestock efforts.
Agnes Mek, head of the Rebiamul HIV clinic, said HIV-positive people
are "drawn" to the commune "because they want spiritual help as well as
psychological help." IRIN/PlusNews also profiled the group True
Warriors, an organization of 300 people living with HIV/AIDS who work
to reduce HIV-associated stigma through public speaking, and HIV/AIDS
advocate Helen Samilo, who was one of the first people in Papua New
Guinea to disclose her HIV-positive status publicly.
According to IRIN/PlusNews, an estimated 2% of Papua New Guinea's six
million residents are living with HIV, and HIV prevalence in the
country is expected to increase to more than 5% by 2012, with more than
two-thirds of the cases in rural areas (IRIN/PlusNews, 1/2).
http://www.kaisernetwork.org
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Iran Postpones Verdict in Case Against Physicians Who Worked To Address HIV/AIDS
January 9, 2009
Iran on Wednesday postponed a verdict in the trial against brothers Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei, two Iranian physicians who implemented the country's first HIV prevention and treatment program, the Albany Times Union reports. The brothers have been held in a prison in the capital of Tehran since June 2008 on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government, as well as other charges that the prosecution did not release. The prosecution rested its case against the physicians following a one-day trial in Tehran's Revolutionary Court on Dec. 31, 2008. According to the Alaeis' attorney, Masoud Shafie, the proceeding deprived them of their due process. Jonathan Hutson, a spokesperson for Physicians for Human Rights, said that the next likely date for a verdict is Saturday, when courts are in session (Grondahl, Albany Times Union, 1/8).
Hasan Hadad, deputy general prosecutor of Tehran, in an August 2008 statement said the brothers attempted to recruit and train people to topple the Iranian government. Hadad said that the brothers were "involved in organizing gatherings on topics such as AIDS that have received attention from domestic and international" non-governmental organizations, adding that they "acted to recruit individuals to travel abroad with the aim of training them on overthrowing the system. They were well aware of their activities and topics of training, such as velvet revolutions" (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 9/24/08).
According to the Times Union, PHR is leading a global campaign calling for immediate release of the brothers. The organization has said that the charges are false, politically motivated and based on their attendance at international HIV/AIDS conferences. Health care professionals also launched a phone-in campaign this week to the Iranian mission at the United Nations, and more than 4,000 people from 85 countries have signed an online petition calling for the Alaeis' release at iranfreethedocs.org. Kamiar Alaei had completed one year of a two-year doctoral program at the University of Albany, and students and faculty have joined efforts to free the brothers, according to the Times Union (Albany Times Union, 1/8).
http://www.kaisernetwork.org
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MSM Involved With HIV/AIDS Organization in Senegal Sentenced to Eight Years in Jail
January 8, 2009
A Senegalese court on Wednesday sentenced nine men who have sex
with men to eight years in jail -- the highest sentence of its kind
ever handed down in the country -- AFP/News24.com reports. The men were arrested in December 2008 and charged with
"indecent conduct and unnatural acts and membership of a criminal
organization." Consensual same-sex relations are illegal in Senegal and
punishable by up to five years in jail. However, the judge increased
the men's sentences to eight years because of their "membership of a
criminal organization." Most of the men belonged to a group aimed at
fighting HIV/AIDS, according to AFP/News24.com (AFP/News24.com, 1/7).
Diadji Diouf, the head of an organization that provides HIV prevention
services to MSM in Senegal, was among the men sentenced, the AP/Guardian reports (AP/Guardian, 1/8). One of the men's attorneys, Issa Diop, said that he plans to appeal the sentence.
Joel Nana of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said the organization is "in shock," noting that it is the first time
he has seen MSM receive a sentence of this degree, AFP/News24.com
reports (AFP/News24.com, 1/7). BBC News reports that Cary Alan Johnson of IGLHRC said he is "deeply disturbed"
by the sentence, adding that although there have been "pretty
consistent human rights violations in Senegal," the "extremity" of the
sentence and the speed of the trial "really shocks us in a country that
has been moving so positively towards rule of law and a progressive
human rights regime" (BBC News, 1/8).
The head of
a gay rights group in Senegal said that the sentence is discriminatory.
"Many gays are already fleeing to neighboring countries because our
living conditions (in Senegal) are getting worse and worse," he said.
Many gay advocates have said that homophobic attitudes have increased
over the past year, according to AFP/News24.com (AFP/News24.com, 1/7).
Stigma and discrimination against MSM supported by the Senegalese
government has hindered efforts by HIV/AIDS advocates and organizations
attempting to reach the population. Senegal's National Council for the
Fight Against AIDS in 2002 began to fund HIV prevention outreach for
MSM, and it formally included the group in the national strategy
against HIV/AIDS a few years ago. However, in March -- when the country
hosted the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade launched a campaign against
attendees of a gay wedding, which included the founder of the first MSM
organization established in the country. According to studies conducted
by researchers at a university in the capital of Dakar in conjunction
with local MSM, about 20% of Senegalese MSM are HIV-positive, compared
with 0.7% of the general population. In addition, about 80% of MSM in
the country have female partners (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/4/08).
http://www.kaisernetwork.org
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Dutch foreign minister calls in Pope's representative for a chat about gay rights
The
Roman Catholic Church's representative at the United Nations,
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, said the Vatican opposed the use of the
phrases "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" in the statement as
they have no definition in international law and are cultural concepts.
January 9, 2009
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Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen |
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs has
summoned the Papal Nuncio to the Netherlands to the ministry and
expressed objections to the approach the Holy See took at the UN over a
statement on the human rights of gays.
Maxime Verhagen, who is
a Christian Democrat, told Monsignor François Bacqué that the Pope's
recent claim that homosexuality is as great a threat to humanity as the
destruction of the rainforest was not constructive.
The
minister also said he was surprised at the negative approach the Holy
See took at the UN initiative, which the Netherlands backed.
66 nations supported the statement on LGBT rights at a session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.
It was read out by Argentina's Ambassador the UN.
It does not create new rights and is not legally binding but instead builds on similar past initiatives.
It
affirms the principle of universality: that all human beings,
irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are
entitled to equal dignity and respect.
The Roman Catholic
Church's representative at the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino
Migliore, said the Vatican opposed the use of the phrases "gender
identity" and "sexual orientation" in the statement as they have no
definition in international law and are cultural concepts.
"The
Holy See appreciates the attempts made to condemn all forms of violence
against homosexual persons as well as urge states to take necessary
measures to put an end to all criminal penalties against them," he
said.
The Chuch claims that the statement: "goes beyond this
goal and instead gives rise to uncertainty in the law and challenges
existing human rights norms."
Despite the fact the statement
is not legally binding, the Vatican claims it "would create serious
uncertainty in the law as well as undermine the ability of states to
enter into and enforce new and existing human-rights conventions and
standards."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk
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Internalised homophobia leads to sexual risk taking by HIV-positive gay men
The
investigators found that not being “out” as gay or bisexual was
associated with non-disclosure of HIV status to non-primary sexual
partners and that lower sexual comfort was associated with less
confidence using condoms and unprotected anal sex with HIV-negative men
or men of an unknown HIV status.
January 1, 2009
Internalised homophobia is associated with
sexual risk behaviour amongst HIV-positive gay and bisexual men, US
research published in the journal AIDS Education and Prevention suggests. The investigators found that not being “out” as gay or
bisexual was associated with non-disclosure of HIV status to
non-primary sexual partners and that lower sexual comfort was
associated with less confidence using condoms and unprotected anal sex
with HIV-negative men or men of an unknown HIV status.
The
concept of internalised homophobia (or internalised homonegativity) was
developed in the 1970s and is described as a revulsion or hostility
towards one’s own homosexuality or things homosexual.
Some research has suggested a link between internalised homophobia and
unprotected sex. Investigators wished to gain a better understanding of
the relationship between internalised homophobia and serodiscordant
unprotected anal sex amongst a population of 675 HIV-positive gay men
recruited through community-based organisations in six US cities.
The men had a median age of 42 years. Most (80%) identified as gay, the
remaining 20% describing themselves as bisexual. Approximately 50% were
African Americans and the median average income was low at a little
under $11,000 per year. A third of the men were diagnosed with HIV
before 1991, another third between 1991 and 1997 and the remaining
third after 1998. Three-quarters of the men were taking antiretroviral
therapy. Median CD4 cell count was 428 cells/mm3 and median viral load was 2,800 copies/ml.
Using self-completed questionnaires, the investigators measured
internalised homophobia; self-assessed sexual orientation; comfort with
one’s sexuality and one’s body; compulsive sexual behaviour; alcohol
use; drug use; mental health; comfort using condoms; and unsafe sex.
Measures of unsafe sex included non-disclosure to non-primary partners
and unprotected anal sex with men of an unknown or different HIV status
in the previous three months.
Overall, internalised homophobia was most common amongst African
American men (p = 0.011) and men who ranked religion as important to
them (p = 0.012).
There was also an association between internalised homophobia and
depression (p = 0.02) and lower levels of education (p = 0.04).
The investigators found two relationships between internalised homophobia and unprotected sex.
Firstly, they found that men who were not “out” as gay as bisexual had
lower levels of HIV disclosure to their secondary sexual partners,
which in turn was associated with unprotected anal sex with men of
unknown HIV status.
Secondly, a relationship was also demonstrated between lack of sexual
comfort - comfort with one’s sexuality and body image – and poor condom
efficacy, which in turn lead to an increased risk of unprotected anal
sex with men of a different or unknown HIV status.
“These data appear to confirm the previously hypothesized role of
internalised homophobia as a precursor of unsafe sexual behavior in men
who have sex with men”, comment the investigators.
Furthermore, the investigators also suggest that internalised
homophobia could also be important to “understanding gay men’s higher
rates of body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, eating-disordered
behaviors, and insecure body image compared to their straight male
counterparts.”
They conclude, “for HIV-seropositive men…these data do implicate
internalised homophobia in risk behavior and suggest that its
modification may be a useful adjunct to sexual risk reduction programs.”
Reference
Ross, M.W. et al. The relationship of internalized homonegativity to unsafe sexual behavior in HIV-seropositive men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention 20: 547-57, 2008.
By Michael Carter, www.aidsmap.com
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Thyroid checks recommended for people with HIV
Doctors
from the UK found that hyperthyroidism was associated with treatment
with a protease inhibitor and that hyperthyroidism (an over-active
thyroid) was associated with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase
(NNRTI) therapy, particularly efavirenz (Sustiva).
January 5, 2009
Patients receiving HIV treatment should have
routine tests to check thyroid function, doctors from the UK recommend
in an article published in the January 1st 2009 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Investigators from London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital found “a
higher than expected incidence of hypothyroidism” (an under-active
thyroid gland) amongst their patients.
They found that this
condition was associated with treatment with a protease inhibitor and
that hyperthyroidism (an over-active thyroid) was associated with
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (NNRTI) therapy, particularly
efavirenz (Sustiva).
The thyroid gland is located in the neck. An under-active thyroid is
associated with symptoms such as weight gain and tiredness whereas an
over-active thyroid can result in hyperactivity and nervousness.
There is little information about the effects of HIV treatment on
thyroid function. Although the majority of patients with HIV develop no
thyroid problems, there is some evidence to suggest that an increasing
number of patients taking anti-HIV drugs are presenting with thyroid
disorders.
Research into thyroid function amongst people taking antiretroviral
therapy is, however, limited. A study at London’s Royal Free Hospital
found a low rate of thyroid problems amongst patients taking anti-HIV
drugs and the investigators concluded that routine thyroid screening
was therefore not justified. But a study conducted by researchers from
the University of Sassari, Italy, found that there was enough evidence
of thyroid dysfunction amongst patients receiving antiretroviral
therapy to justify routine screening.
Investigators from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London
therefore undertook a retrospective study to determine the prevalence
and potential causes of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in
their patient cohort.
A total of 2437 patients were included in the analysis. All received
their HIV care at the clinic between 1995 and mid-2006 and had at least
one test of thyroid function.
The incidence of hyperthyroidism was 3.4 per 10,000 and the incidence of hypothyroidism was 10.7 per 10,000.
A total of 54 (2.4%) patients were identified as having abnormal
thyroid function, 26 with hyperthyroidism and 28 with hypothyroidism.
The prevalence of hyperthyroidism within the entire Chelsea and
Westminster cohort was calculated at a little over 1% with a similar
prevalence of hypothyroidism.
Of the patients tested, thyroid antibodies were detected in 67% of
those with hyperthyroidism and 40% of those with hypothyroidism. The
investigators believe that such prevalences may indicate immune
restoration syndrome after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy.
The investigators then looked to see if they could find an association
between treatment with particular classes of antiretroviral drug and
thyroid problems.
They found a statistically significant relationship between an
under-active thyroid and treatment with a protease inhibitor (p =
0.002) and that therapy with an NNRTI, particularly efavirenz (Susitiva) was associated with hyperthyroidism (p = 0.025).
“As patients with HIV infection are now typically treated with highly
active antiretroviral therapy for decades, the metabolic complications
of treatment require further study”, write the investigators.
They conclude, “we recommend routine screening of thyroid function in
HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.”
Reference
Nelson, M. et al. Thyroid dysfunction and relationship to antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive individuals in the HAART era. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 50: 113-14, 2009.
By Michael Carter, www.aidsmap.com
|
Blood Sugar Control Linked to Memory Decline, Study Says
In
the study, researchers used high-resolution functional magnetic
resonance imaging to map brain regions in 240 elderly subjects. They
found a correlation between elevated blood glucose levels and reduced
cerebral blood volume, or blood flow, in the dentate gyrus, an
indication of reduced metabolic activity and function in that region of
the brain.
December 31, 2008
Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the
dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps
form memories, a new study reports.
High glucose seemed to affect the dentate gyrus, part of the hippocampus (shaded).
Researchers said the effects can be seen even when levels of blood
sugar, or glucose, are only moderately elevated, a finding that may
help explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose
regulation worsens with age.
The study, by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, was published in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.
“If we conclude this is underlying normal age-related cognitive
decline, then it affects all of us,” said lead investigator Dr. Scott
Small, associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical
Center. The ability to regulate glucose starts deteriorating by the
third or fourth decade of life, he added.
Since glucose regulation is improved with physical activity, Dr. Small said, “We have a behavioral recommendation — physical exercise.”
In the study, researchers used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging to map brain regions in 240 elderly subjects. They found a correlation
between elevated blood glucose levels and reduced cerebral blood
volume, or blood flow, in the dentate gyrus, an indication of reduced
metabolic activity and function in that region of the brain.
By manipulating blood sugar levels in mice and monkeys, researchers said, they tried to confirm a
cause-and-effect relationship between the glucose spikes and the
reduced blood volume, Dr. Small said.
Bruce S. McEwen, who heads the neuroendocrinology lab at Rockefeller University in New York and was not involved in the research, said the study’s
findings were “compelling,” with important implications not just for
the elderly but for the growing number of overweight children and teens
at risk of Type 2 diabetes.
“When we think about diabetes,
we think about heart disease and all the consequences for the rest of
the body, but we usually don’t think about the brain,” he said. “This
is something we’ve got to be really worried about. We need to think
about their ultimate risks not only for cardiovascular disease and
metabolic disorders, but also about their cognitive skills, and whether
they will be able to keep up with the demands of education and a
fast-paced complex society. That’s the part that scares the heck out of
me.”
Previous observational studies have shown that physical activity
reduces the risk of cognitive decline, and studies have also found that
diabetes increases the risk of dementia. Earlier studies had also found a link between Type 2 diabetes and dysfunction in the dentate gyrus.
Sheri Colberg-Ochs, an associate professor of exercise science at Old
Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., said her research has found that
regular exercise, even light physical activity, can offset the
potentially negative effects of Type 2 diabetes on cognitive function.
It is not clear what the mechanism is, she said, but may have something
to do with the effect of insulin.
“This new study is interesting in that it allows for a greater
understanding of which region of the hippocampus is likely most
affected by poorly controlled diabetes,” she said.
But the elevations in blood glucose seen in the new study are more
subtle and would not be considered a disease state, Dr. Small
said.“It’s part of the normal process of aging, much like wrinkling of
skin,” he said. “It happens to all of us inexorably, and it worsens
progressively across the life span.”
By Roni Caryn Rabin, http://www.nytimes.com
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Not Enough Antibodies to Protect Against Superinfection
Most
people’s immune response to HIV isn’t strong enough to protect them
from being infected with a second strain of the virus, according to a
study
January 6, 2009
Most people’s immune response to
HIV isn’t strong enough to protect them from being infected with a
second strain of the virus, according to a study published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Virology and reported by ScienceDaily.
Scientists believe that up to 5 percent of people with HIV become
infected with a second strain of the virus at some time point after
their initial infection. This is called superinfection, as opposed to
coinfection, which is when a person becomes infected with two strains
at the same time. What has been poorly understood, however, are the
factors that may put someone at greater risk of superinfection. Some
scientists have suggested that it occurs predominantly in people with a
weak antibody response to the first infectious strain.
To test this theory, Catherine Blish, MD, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center in Seattle and her colleagues examined the immune
responses of six women who became superinfected with a second strain of
HIV between one and five years after their initial infection. These
were compared to a second set of 18 women who had similar risk factors,
but who remained infected with a single strain of HIV.
According to test tube research by Blish’s group, the risk factor may
be a matter of antibody quantity, not quality. The antibodies against
HIV—dubbed broadly “neutralizing antibodies,” or NAbs—found in both
groups of women were considered to be potent enough against a second
HIV infection. This led to the authors to conclude that many people
living with HIV may not produce enough potent antibodies to ward off
superinfection.
Blish and her colleagues warn that scientists working on a preventive
HIV vaccine will have to be able to trigger an immune response that is
more potent and plentiful than occurs naturally when a person is
infected with HIV. They point out that this has been the case with
vaccines for other viruses, such as those for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus.
http://www.aidsmeds.com
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Virus Vaccine Maker Seeks Approval for Males
Drugmaker
Merck & Co. has asked federal regulators to approve use in males
for its vaccine against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical
and other sexually transmitted cancers.
January 7, 2009
Trenton, New Jersey - Drugmaker Merck & Co. has asked federal
regulators to approve use in males for its vaccine against the human
papillomavirus, which causes cervical and other sexually transmitted
cancers.
The application was submitted in late December, Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said this week.
It was long planned as part of Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck’s
strategy to increase the market for Gardasil. It prevents infection
with the sexually transmitted virus and thus cancers of the genital
organs.
Gardasil, launched in 2006 for girls and young women, quickly became
one of Merck’s top-selling vaccines, thanks to aggressive marketing and
attempts to get states to require girls to get the vaccine as a
requirement for school attendance.
However, it is one of the priciest vaccines on the market, typically costing $360 for a three-dose regimen.
Gardasil had 2007 sales of $1.5 billion, but sales began slowing in the
second half of 2008, after a government-funded Harvard study concluded
it was cost-effective for girls but not for women in their 20s.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has two months to decide whether
the application for use in males meets its standards. Reviews can then
take 10 months or more.
The application includes research data from a Merck study including
about 4,000 males, ages 16 to 26; Gardasil prevented 90 percent of
cases of penile cancer and genital warts caused by the four common
virus strains targeted by the vaccine.
The agency approved use of Gardasil in females ages 9 to 26 years old
in June 2006, but last June rejected expanding that to include women
ages 27 to 45. The vaccine has since been approved for use by young
women in dozens of foreign countries.
A rival vaccine called Cervarix, made by Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline, is
approved in many foreign markets, but generally lags behind Gardasil in
sales. It is still awaiting approval in this country.
By The Associated Press, http://www.365gay.com
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Starting HIV Treatment Early Restores Immune Cells to Normal Levels
Starting
antiretroviral (ARV) treatment before CD4 counts drop to 350 or below
results in the restoration of immune cell numbers to near normal levels
in people with HIV, according to a study published online January 5 in
Clinical Infectious Diseases.
January 7, 2009
Starting antiretroviral (ARV) treatment before CD4 counts drop to 350 or below results in the restoration of immune cell numbers
to near normal levels in people with HIV, according to a study published online January 5 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
During the early years of combination ARV treatment, complex dosing and
side effects prompted treatment guidelines experts to hold off on
recommending HIV treatment until CD4 counts fell below 200 to 350. With
the availability of easier and safer medications, along with research
showing that earlier treatment may reduce the risk of non-AIDS related
illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, experts are now eyeing the
possibility of recommending therapy while the CD4 count is above 350.
However, no studies have determined whether starting therapy earlier
will help patients keep their CD4s well within the normal range, thus
further reducing the risk of typical HIV-related problems.
To explore this, Gregory Robbins, MD, MPH, from Harvard Medical School
in Boston, and his colleagues examined data from an AIDS Clinical
Trials Group (ACTG) study. The study, called ACTG 384, enrolled 978
people with HIV who were about to start ARV treatment for the first
time. Researchers were able to examine comprehensive information on a
number of different immune cells for 621 of the study volunteers.
Details included not only absolute CD4 numbers, but also the number and
ratio of CD4 naïve and memory cells, CD8 cells and B cells.
Robbins’s team found that the CD4 count at which people initiated
treatment mattered a great deal. On average, most people saw
substantial increases in their CD4 counts after three years of
treatment. However, among those starting treatment with 350 or fewer
CD4s, few saw their CD4s, CD8s and ratios achieve levels typically seen
in people not infected with HIV. But among those who started treatment
before their CD4s dropped to 350, most achieved and maintained normal
or near normal levels.
Although the study was not designed to determine whether restoring
immune cells to normal levels actually translates into health and
survival benefits, the authors state that the results lend weight to
arguments in favor of starting ARV therapy earlier. They also argue
that looking at detailed analysis of various immune cell counts and
ratios, and not just overall CD4 cell count increases, should become a
standard part of judging ARV therapy success.
http://www.poz.com
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