                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                        May 12, 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
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Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


"AIDS Researchers Seek Redirection of Efforts Toward Learning 
Basics of the Disease"
New York Times (05/12/94) P. A20;  Kolata, Gina
     Top scientists from around the country are forming a new 
consensus that America's $1.3 billion AIDS research program is on
the wrong track and in need of redirection.  Dr. Bernard Fields, 
chairman of the department of microbiology and molecular genetics
at Harvard Medical School, has drafted a blueprint for change 
that advocates a broadened definition of AIDS research.  The hope
is that a broader look at the disease could bring a new 
understanding to the disease process.  In the first decade, 
writes Fields, government's main approach to research was to 
"isolate the virus, develop a vaccine, and prevent the virus"--a 
straightforward approach that was successful in combating polio. 
Quick testing of potential AIDS drugs and vaccines, however, 
yielded only widespread frustrations and a growing sense that 
AIDS was much more complicated than scientists first suspected.  
Now, Fields says, the focus should be placed on understanding the
basic biology of HIV and AIDS.  How the virus enters the cell, 
for example, is still a mystery.  Many other leading researchers,
including Dr. Harold Varmus, director of the National Institutes 
of Health, and Dr. William Paul, the newly appointed head of the 
Office of AIDS Research, say they endorse Fields' comments.  
Federal AIDS administrators say they expect to make some changes 
according to Fields' suggestions.
      
"10-Year Sentence for Spreading AIDS"
Washington Post (05/12/94) P. B6
     A Petersburg, Va., court yesterday handed down a 10-year prison 
sentence to a man who had unprotected sexual intercourse with 
three teenage girls without informing them of his HIV-positive 
status.  Johnny M. Webb, 28, pleaded no contest to sodomy, 
statutory rape, indecent liberties, and two counts of attempted 
murder.  According to Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney 
Cassandra S. Burns, he is the first person to be prosecuted in 
the state for spreading HIV.  Burns said she recommended no more 
than 10 years of prison time for Webb because he was already 
exhibiting symptoms of AIDS during his February trial.  Two of 
the girls that Webb had sex with have tested positive for HIV.  
Related Story: USA Today (05/12) P. 7A.
      
"Aging--AIDS"
Associated Press (05/12/94);  Martinez, James
     Instances AIDS among people aged 50 and older account for 10 
percent of the national tally of AIDS cases, reports the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.  While the number of new AIDS
cases among younger people has been steadily declining, they are 
on the upswing among older Americans.  According to Dr. William 
Adler of the National Institutes of Health, this trend can be 
partially attributed to the fact that older gays in particular 
have not embraced safe sex and have not modified their behavior 
patterns.  With most AIDS education efforts still targeting young
people, this trend is likely to continue, he says.  Ann Prochilo,
director of educational services for the Health Crisis Network in
Miami, agrees.  "They are a segment of the population that hasn't
identified with the crisis," she says.  "Just like it took time 
for heterosexuals to realize it's not just gays and drug users 
who can get it, it will take time for older people to realize 
they can get it, too."  She notes that only now are support 
groups, education campaigns, and other social services beginning 
to target older people.  The American Association of Retired 
Persons has begun its own campaign, through which it compiles 
AIDS information for its members, and is in the process of making
an educational video.  "There seems to be an otherness factor to 
this disease across the board," says the AARP's Judy Fink.  "We 
need to realize this as an international crisis."
      
"Julio & Marisol: AIDS Drama Unfolds"
United Press International (05/11/94);  Connor, Tracy
     Officials at the New York City Health Department have released 
the much-anticipated sixth and seventh episodes of "Decision," a 
innovative and popular comic strip about AIDS awareness that 
debuted in the city's subways four years ago.  The latest 
installments continue the saga of Julio and Marisol, two 
estranged young lovers who clashed over safe-sex precautions.  In
the couple's first appearance in May 1990, Julio storms out of 
Marisol's apartment after she refuses to have sex without a 
condom.  In subsequent strips, the pair discovers that one friend
has died of AIDS and another friend, Raul, is dying.  In the last
episode, earlier this year, Julio and Marisol reconcile after 
meeting in Raul's hospital room, and a new character, Rosa, 
confesses to Raul that she has HIV.  The newest installments, 
which were released Wednesday, reveal that Rosa is actually an 
ex-girlfriend of Julio's who is ashamed to tell him about her HIV
status.  According to Health Department spokesman Steve Matthews,
it takes three to four months to create and execute new episodes 
for the soap-opera-style strip.  He says the department welcomes 
ideas from the public and will continue to put out the strip as 
long as they see interest.  "The company that handles advertising
for the [subway system] tells us they know the episodes are 
popular because they're stolen in great numbers," says Matthews. 
He adds that the pictorial novellas, originally targeted at 
Latinos, have been translated into English by popular demand.
      
"Chicago Tattoo Artist Calls Proposal to Require License 
"Nonsensical""
Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News (05/09/94);  Krol, Eric
     Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 
that there are no documented cases of AIDS being transmitted 
through tattooing, a Illinois proposal that would require 
tattooists to be licensed and comply with safety standards is 
winding its way through the legislative process.  The bill would 
require tattooists to pay a $200 licensing fee and adhere to 
cleanliness and sterilization guidelines.  Doctors, alarmed by 
the potential spread of AIDS and hepatitis through dirty needles,
feel regulation of the tattoo industry is long overdue. But North
Side tattoo artist "Mad" Jack Kaplan, who has been in the 
business for 15 years, calls the proposal "nonsensical," and says
it is based on ignorance of the trade.  He says that, in his 
parlor, tattoo artists wear latex gloves at all times and conduct
the entire process using sterilized needles kept in plain view.  
Mick Beasley, president of the Alliance of Professional 
Tattoists, claims the state standards for cleanliness and 
sterilization are inadequate.  Her group uses an oven-like 
steam-pressure device known as an autoclave to sterilize 
instruments and kill bacteria.  The state's guidelines, which 
would require only dry heat sterilization, would be ineffective 
against bacteria, she says.
      
"Catholic Charities Announces Three New Contracts"
Business Wire (05/09/94)
     Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco has 
presented two new services in San Mateo County for AIDS patients.
One is a six-bed residential AIDS program; the other is a service
to provide food and emergency funding for people living with 
AIDS.  The contracts were made possible through the federal 
government's Ryan White CARE Act.  "Catholic Charities is 
committed to serving those in need during the HIV/AIDS epidemic,"
says Bob Nelson, director of AIDS services.  "We are proud of our
track record in helping this population and are committed to 
reaching all people in need without discrimination on any basis."
      
"Medical Briefs: Life Quality With AZT Studied"
Advocate (05/03/94) No. 654, P. 33
     Among patients who take AZT, the reduction in the quality of life
caused by severe side effects is equally balanced with the 
improved quality of life associated with delayed disease 
progression, according to a recent study of 1,338 patients 
enrolled in a clinical trial of the drug.  The results of the 
study calculate the average time in which neither a progression 
of disease nor an adverse event occurred was 15.7 months for 
patients receiving a placebo, 15.6 months for patients receiving 
500 mg of AZT, and 14.8 months for patients receiving 1,500 mg of
AZT.  Adverse events were identified either as symptoms or 
abnormal laboratory findings.  After 18 months, the group 
receiving 500 mg of AZT gained an average of half a month without
disease progression in comparison to the placebo group.
      
"With More Businesses Having to Accommodate HIV-Positive 
Employees, Companies Need Guidelines to Address Federal 
Disability Laws and Privacy Rights"
National Law Journal (05/09/94) Vol. 16, No. 36, P. B5;  Klein, 
Jeffrey S.;  Baer, Lawrence J.
     Two-thirds of companies with 2,500 to 5,000 employees and 1 in 12
businesses with 500 or fewer employees say they have had at least
one HIV-infected individual on their payroll.  These statistics 
emphasize the importance of every company having an employment 
policy that includes guidelines for the treatment of HIV-positive
employees.  Such guidelines are necessary to ensure that infected
employees are protected in accordance with applicable laws--such 
as the Americans With Disabilities Act--and that the company's 
liability in relation to HIV-related claims is minimal.  At the 
very least, firms should develop policies to address the 
requirements of the Medical Leave Act, the Occupational Safety 
and Health Acts, and the ADA--which requires employers to 
reasonably accommodate an HIV-infected employee.  The only 
exceptions occur if such an accommodation would result in "undue 
hardship" to the employer or a "direct threat" to the health or 
safety of the employee or others in the workplace.  A number of 
recent cases, however, have made it clear that an irrational fear
of infection, unsupported by scientific fact, will not be 
considered a direct threat under the ADA.
      
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