TWENTY years after Quebec began offering anonymous HIV/AIDS testing, Manitoba is preparing to offer the service to people in Winnipeg and Brandon.
The provincial government is expected to announce a $2-million program of testing, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. A government spokeswoman said details of the program will be released this afternoon at a news conference at Nine Circles Community Health Centre.
"They're doing the right thing but they're about 20 years behind," said Leon Mar with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Saskatchewan already offer anonymous HIV testing, said the spokesman for the Toronto-based non-profit group that represents 200 organizations in promoting the human rights of people living with or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, in Canada and internationally. read more
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
HIV patient faces time for unprotected sex
An Illinois woman faces 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges she had unprotected sex with her boyfriend despite having the AIDS virus.
Angela Harris, 27, St. Charles, Ill., is to be sentenced next month on two counts of knowingly and recklessly risking infection of another person with the HIV virus.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Harris had been infected with HIV since she was 14.
Harris was arrested last year after her mother tipped off the boyfriend to her condition. The newspaper said the boyfriend tested negative for the virus.
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Angela Harris, 27, St. Charles, Ill., is to be sentenced next month on two counts of knowingly and recklessly risking infection of another person with the HIV virus.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Harris had been infected with HIV since she was 14.
Harris was arrested last year after her mother tipped off the boyfriend to her condition. The newspaper said the boyfriend tested negative for the virus.
read more
Voluntary HIV-screening for all adult male inpatients at hospitals
SINGAPORE: By year's end, all adult male patients admitted to hospitals will be asked if they would like to take a HIV-screening test.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Tuesday he is also changing the Infectious Diseases Act soon so that no one will be able to claim ignorance of one's HIV-positive status as defence against charges of high-risk behaviour.
He said: "All individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour must go for regular HIV-testing. The Infectious Diseases Act makes it an offence for someone who is HIV-positive to have sex without informing his sexual partner of his HIV status. I will soon come to this House to amend the Act to clarify that ignorance of one's HIV status will not be a defence for those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour."read more
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Tuesday he is also changing the Infectious Diseases Act soon so that no one will be able to claim ignorance of one's HIV-positive status as defence against charges of high-risk behaviour.
He said: "All individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour must go for regular HIV-testing. The Infectious Diseases Act makes it an offence for someone who is HIV-positive to have sex without informing his sexual partner of his HIV status. I will soon come to this House to amend the Act to clarify that ignorance of one's HIV status will not be a defence for those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour."read more
Helping Those Living With HIV/AIDS
In an effort to continue the support they provide to those living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Thursday's Child, a non-profit organization based in Patchogue, is holding a private luncheon benefit on October 7, from noon to 4 p.m., at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead.
The organization also is asking all residents to participate in Macy's "Shop For A Cause" on October 13. This event, which costs $5 per person, raises funds and awareness for many charities throughout the country. According to Gregory Noone, program manager for Thursday's Child, the organization is in need of support more than ever, as recent changes made by Congress in 2006 resulted in a loss of more than $1 million in funding this year for charitable organizations in the Nassau/Suffolk region. read more
The organization also is asking all residents to participate in Macy's "Shop For A Cause" on October 13. This event, which costs $5 per person, raises funds and awareness for many charities throughout the country. According to Gregory Noone, program manager for Thursday's Child, the organization is in need of support more than ever, as recent changes made by Congress in 2006 resulted in a loss of more than $1 million in funding this year for charitable organizations in the Nassau/Suffolk region. read more
Global Challenges | Chinese Provincial Governments Hampering National Policies on HIV/AIDS,
Provincial and local governments in China are failing to implement national policies on HIV/AIDS, including the provision of no-cost HIV testing, counseling and antiretroviral drugs to low-income populations, the Washington Post reports.
According to the Post, some provincial and local government officials are reluctant to compensate HIV-positive people who contracted the virus through tainted blood transfusions. In addition, some officials are concerned that media reports surrounding HIV/AIDS could hinder investment in local economies. Experts have said the gap between national policies and local practices is the result of a system that makes community-based reform difficult. The central government has the ability to reduce the spread of HIV, but "control and corruption inherent in a one-party system preven. read more
According to the Post, some provincial and local government officials are reluctant to compensate HIV-positive people who contracted the virus through tainted blood transfusions. In addition, some officials are concerned that media reports surrounding HIV/AIDS could hinder investment in local economies. Experts have said the gap between national policies and local practices is the result of a system that makes community-based reform difficult. The central government has the ability to reduce the spread of HIV, but "control and corruption inherent in a one-party system preven. read more
Studies Highlight Superior Performance of Trofile(TM) Assay
Monogram Biosciences, Inc. today announced multiple presentations demonstrating the strength of its Trofile(TM) Assay at the 47th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC). Among the presentations is one that details the superior ability of Monogram's Trofile assay to identify HIV patients that are most likely to respond to co- receptor inhibitors, a new class of drugs, compared to less sophisticated genotypic approaches. Another presentation reports on technical advances will allow improvements to be made to the assay resulting in a tenfold increase in Trofile's ability to identify patients with virus populations that harbor rare variants that are unlikely to be inhibited by specific drugs in this new class, and consequently are prone to treatment failure.
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HIV-positive rates must drop: Health minister
The high rate of infant and mother mortality is a shame for the state, Dr Surya Kanta Mishra, the state health minister in Siliguri, said today. Dr Mishra was addressing a gathering at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital this afternoon, after inaugurating a refurbished Anti Retroviral Therapy Centre towards the treatment of Aids patients in north Bengal.
Calling upon the medical fraternity to put forward a dedicated service to lower the exorbitant rate of infant and mother mortality, the health minister said the state government is equipping all hospitals up to the level of public health centres with the related infrastructure facilities.
“We are not only focusing on the medical colleges, but at the same time try to facilitate necessary services and facilities up to the lower level health establishments. This is a must to ensure health services to the common people,” Dr Mishra said.
Referring to the general apathy shown towards HIV-infected persons, both by medical professionals and society at large, the minister cautioned that such attitude would only help the deadly disease to spread. He added that no amount of government decree would change the situation, unless the society changed its mind set towards HIV-infected persons. read more
Calling upon the medical fraternity to put forward a dedicated service to lower the exorbitant rate of infant and mother mortality, the health minister said the state government is equipping all hospitals up to the level of public health centres with the related infrastructure facilities.
“We are not only focusing on the medical colleges, but at the same time try to facilitate necessary services and facilities up to the lower level health establishments. This is a must to ensure health services to the common people,” Dr Mishra said.
Referring to the general apathy shown towards HIV-infected persons, both by medical professionals and society at large, the minister cautioned that such attitude would only help the deadly disease to spread. He added that no amount of government decree would change the situation, unless the society changed its mind set towards HIV-infected persons. read more
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