                     AIDS Daily Summary
                       June 14, 1994


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
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Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD

"AIDS Patients Seek Solace in Suicide but Many Find Pain and 
Uncertainty"
New York Times (06/14/94) P. C1;  Kolata, Gina
     Several studies have concurred that AIDS patients commit suicide 
at a rate much higher than that of other terminally ill people, 
and that the  rate of suicide among AIDS patients is 10 to 20 
greater than that of the general public.  According to Dr. Peter 
M. Marzuk, a New York psychiatrist who has studied suicide rates 
among people with AIDS, there are several reasons why this group 
is prone to euthanasia.  The disease is debilitating and, 
eventually, fatal.  The infections that grip AIDS patients and 
the side effects of the medications they take may include 
dementia and depression--either of which can trigger suicidal 
thoughts, Marzuk notes.  But patients and doctors say that while 
suicide is discussed bravely, it is not done quite so easily.  
Timing and method must be considered and, according to Marzuk, 
many people change their minds.
      
"Vancouver AIDS Suicides Botched"
New York Times (06/14/94) P. C12;  Farbsworth, Clyde H.
     After 13 months of interviews with members of Vancouver's AIDS 
community, Canadian researcher Russel D. Ogden documented 34 
cases of assisted suicide--and found that half were badly 
botched.  While the goal was to alleviate the patients' pain, the
bungled acts of euthanasia often took several hours longer to be 
finished, thus increasing the agony.  The extended suffering 
stemmed from the lack of medical knowledge on the part of those 
who assisted in the suicides, as well as from the unavailability 
of appropriate drugs, Ogden concluded.
      
"Southeast Asia Mulls Anti-AIDS Programme"
Reuters (06/14/94)
     A coalition of Southeast Asian countries, fearful that AIDS could
jeopardize their economic wealth, are considering a five-year 
program to combat the epidemic.  The Association of Southeast 
Asian Nations (ASEAN)--which includes Malaysia, Brunei, 
Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines--is holding a
week-long meeting in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to 
discuss proposals.  The United States, Japan, and Australia will 
help finance the final AIDS program.
      
"Two Teams Bring AIDS Awareness to Young People"
Business Wire (06/13/94)
     June 30 marks the first date on the "Winning Against AIDS" tour, 
an HIV prevention and education program that teams young people 
with current and retired professional basketball players, as well
as health educators.  The program, sponsored by the National 
Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and the Johns Hopkins 
School of Hygiene and Public Health, will travel to cities 
throughout the country this summer dispensing information on AIDS
to America's youth.  Because the basketball players are credible 
and influential role models, their part in HIV prevention and 
education is logical, according to Alex English, director of 
player programs for the NBPA and spokesperson for "Winning 
Against AIDS."
      
"Toledo Jury Deliberations Continue"
United Press International (06/13/94)
     A federal jury continued deliberations yesterday into whether a 
Fremont, Ohio, hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities 
Act when the physician in charge denied admittance to AIDS 
patient Fred Charon.  The admitting doctor insists that he based 
his decision to transfer Charon to a bigger facility on sound 
medical judgment, and not prejudice.  Charon died of AIDS-related
complications last year, but the case is being executed by the 
American Civil Liberties Union on his behalf.  In the landmark 
trial, jurors last week found themselves at an impasse but were 
ordered by the judge to continue deliberations.
      
"Clinic Wins Grant to Expand Trials Program"
Washington Blade (06/10/94) Vol. 25, No. 24, P. 31;  van Hertum, 
Aras
     The American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) and the Kresge 
Foundation recently awarded the Whitman-Walker Clinic $56,000 to 
expand its clinical trials program.  The grant will be used to 
buy new medical equipment, install a computer networking system, 
and open a waiting room for patients' children.
      
"AIDSLine: Is International Travel Possible for Me?"
Advocate (05/31/94) No. 657, P. 31;  Cohan, Gary R.
     Properly prepared, most HIV/AIDS patients can travel safely, but 
they should find out crucial information before booking their 
flight.  The first consideration is whether or not the country 
being visited bars the entry of infected people.  HIV/AIDS 
patients should then consult their primary physicians about which
vaccinations they need, and which ones should be avoided.  It is 
always advisable to obtain an "official" list of medications and 
supplies, and to identify a specific doctor, clinic, or other 
emergency facility at each destination of the trip in the event 
that the patient becomes ill.
      
"Reality"
Across the Board (05/94) Vol. 31, No. 5, P. 38
     Awaiting only Food and Drug Administration approval of the London
factory that will mass-produce the female condom, Wisconsin 
Pharmacal Co. Inc. is ready to begin manufacturing the product 
for national distribution.  According to Mary Ann Leeper, 
president of the firm's female health division, female condoms 
eventually will be available in most places where male condoms 
are sold.  They will, however, be marketed in a very different 
manner.  "It's going to be a very straight-ahead approach," she 
says.  "It's going to discuss negotiating its use and the 
expectations."  Leeper estimates that 75,000 condoms have been 
distributed and women that have used tried them indicate their 
appreciation of the greater control the female condom gives them 
when dealing with sex.  "It definitely gives women some control,"
says Leeper.  "If the man won't wear one, the woman can."  The 
condom, to be sold under the brand name Reality, is a large, 
polyurethane version of the male condom designed primarily for 
prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, even though it can 
be used as a contraceptive.  Early research shows that loss of 
sensation--a primary initial concern, was not a cause for concern
at all.  About 80 percent of the men liked the female condom, 
while more than 60 couples said they would use it again.
      
"Preventing HIV: Have We Lost Our Way?"
Lancet (05/28/94) Vol. 343, No. 8909, P. 1306;  Lifson, Alan R.
     With an estimated 13 million HIV-infected people worldwide, 
response to the epidemic is crucial.  Alan R. Lifson of the 
University of Minnesota's School of Public Health suggests that 
priorities and control efforts be reevaluated, with five guiding 
principles in mind.  First, he says, it is time to use the term 
"advanced HIV disease" in place of "AIDS."  This will direct 
attention to the fact that progression towards illness and death 
begins not with the development of AIDS symptoms, but when HIV 
infection first occurs.  Second, says Lifson, the No. 1 priority 
must be prevention of sexually transmitted HIV through better 
strategies for STD treatment and ways of empowering women to have
greater control over barrier methods and risk-reduction 
techniques.  Third, adequate opportunities for drug treatment and
innovative strategies to avoid exposure to contaminated needles 
must be available to avoid HIV among intravenous drug users, says
Lifson.  Fourth, he continues, prevention programs should be 
based on, evaluated, and revised according to studies and 
surveillance data.  Finally, Lifson notes the need for 
comprehensive and aggressive leadership in the second decade of 
the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
      
