                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                        June 3, 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
     
     
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"2,275 People, 540 Miles, 7 Days, a Single Cause"
"State Won't Pay Price for All New AIDS Drugs" 
"Blood Inquiry Names 17 as Possibly in Report" 
"Hope, and Pragmatism, for U.N. Cities Conference" 
"A Straight and Narrow Path"
"Thailand Tops List of HIV-Pregnancies in Asia"
"Karachi Launches Program to Raise Awareness About AIDS" 
"Decision Protects AIDS Patient Privacy"
"Nova Scotia Pulls Out"
"Reality Check"
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"2,275 People, 540 Miles, 7 Days, a Single Cause"
Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (06/03/96) P. B1;  Reed, 
Mack
     The California AIDS Ride 3, a 540-mile, week-long trip from
San Francisco to Los Angeles, got underway Sunday.  The 2,275 
riders are expected to raise $6 million for AIDS care and 
outreach in both cities.  Riders participate in honor of loved 
ones who died of AIDS and in an effort to advance AIDS services. 
HIV-positive riders participate to prove that they can lead full 
lives.
     
"State Won't Pay Price for All New AIDS Drugs" 
Chicago Tribune (06/01/96) P. 1-1;  Parsons, Christi
     The Illinois General Assembly has decided not to provide the
additional $3 million needed to make the three new protease 
inhibitors available to patients who receive AIDS medications 
through a state program.  The Illinois Department of Public Health 
says it will pay for one drug, saquinavir, for patients in the 
AIDS Drug Reimbursement Program.  However, to provide the drug, 
which can cost over $500 a month, the state will no longer provide 
82 of the 112 other drugs currently available, including 
antibiotics and drugs for diarrhea and nausea.  State officials 
say the plan is the best they can offer with limited resources.
     
"Blood Inquiry Names 17 as Possibly in Report"
Toronto Globe and Mail (05/31/96) P. A1;  Picard, Andre
     The federal inquiry into Canada's tainted blood scandal has 
identified 14 Red Cross officials and three federal government 
officials who may face charges of blame.  A second list 
identified 47 individuals who will not be found to have 
contributed directly to the tragedy, including former ministers 
of health and federal bureaucrats who received notices of 
"potential misconduct."  The lists could be modified if new 
evidence is found.  The individuals named are among those 
involved in legal action attempting to disallow findings of 
misconduct, arguing that they could be used in civil or criminal 
prosecutions.
     
"Hope, and Pragmatism, for U.N. Cities Conference" 
New York Times (06/03/96) P. A3;  Crossette, Barbara
     The second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements,
to address the problems associated with the growth of cities, 
begins today in Istanbul.  Participants will include city mayors, 
business leaders, scientists, and private organizations.  By 
early in the next century, at least half of the world's 
population will live in cities, mostly in poor countries.  Young, 
unemployed men make up a large part of the urban populace, 
leading to increased crime, violence, and the spread of sexually 
transmitted diseases, including AIDS, according to several UN 
agencies.
     
"A Straight and Narrow Path"
Washington Post (06/03/96) P. B1;  Kurtz, Howard
     Former CNN reporter Edward Alwood has written a book about
the history of the media's portrayal of gays, turning up evidence 
of prejudice across the media spectrum.  "Straight News" is a 
record of television reports, newspaper, and magazine articles 
that portrayed homosexuals as sick and stigmatized.  Coverage 
began to change in the early 1970s, as the gay rights movement 
advanced.  When openly gay reporters began covering gay issues in 
the 1980s, it became a popular subject for journalism seminars. 
AIDS also changed how homosexuality was covered; as journalists 
began dying of the disease, homosexuality became a more 
acceptable subject, Alwood notes.
     
"Thailand Tops List of HIV-Pregnancies in Asia" 
Xinhua News Agency (06/01/96)
     Thailand has seen a larger rise in HIV-infected pregnant
women than any other Asian country, according to an official in 
the Thai Health Ministry.  Wichai Thianthaworn, director of the 
Health and Family Division of the ministry, said an average of 
24.2 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in the country 
transmit the virus to their children.  An official with the 
National Development Board predicted that more than 300,000 Thai 
people would die of AIDS by the turn of the century.
     
"Karachi Launches Program to Raise Awareness About AIDS" 
Xinhua News Agency (06/02/96)
     A program designed to increase AIDS awareness has been
launched in Karachi, starting with a city-wide survey to 
determine what is known about the disease.  After a second survey 
to assess how health care providers have dealt with the disease, 
the Biological Research Council will consult with local and 
foreign researchers on how to reduce the rate of AIDS in 
Pakistan.
     
"Decision Protects AIDS Patient Privacy"
American Medical News (05/20/96) Vol. 39, No. 19, P. 24
     A Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that a doctor can be sued
for disclosing that a patient has HIV, even if no harm is 
intended, sends a warning to health care workers, social workers, 
teachers, and anyone else entrusted with such knowledge.  The case 
involved a woman who told her doctor she had HIV while she was 
being treated for a gall bladder problem.  The case was the first 
of its kind to reach the state Supreme Court, two lower courts 
having ruled that the doctor did not "willfully" disclose the 
information or intend to harm the woman.  The Supreme Court 
decided, however, that no one should disclose HIV-related 
information, whether harm is intended or not.  The patient settled 
with Doris Marselle, the doctor's assistant who disclosed the 
information, and is now planning to sue the doctor.
     
"Nova Scotia Pulls Out"
Maclean's (05/20/96) Vol. 109, No. 21, P. 27
     Nova Scotia will not participate in the court challenge of
the federal inquiry into Canada's tainted-blood tragedy, Health 
Minister Ron Stewart said.  Stewart's announcement followed the 
news that three former Nova Scotia health ministers were 
withdrawing from the case.  The Canadian Red Cross, seven 
provincial governments, four pharmaceutical companies and dozens 
of individuals remain involved in the legal challenge to the 
inquiry's right to make findings of misconduct in the scandal.  
Thousands of Canadians were infected with AIDS or hepatitis 
through contaminated-blood products between 1978 and 1985.
     
"Reality Check"
Village Voice (05/21/96) Vol. 91, No. 21, P. 15;  Galtney, Smith
     The female condom is being distributed in San Francisco
health clinics for gay men to use as an alternative to male 
condoms, but the New York City health department does not plan to 
offer them and says it is not aware of their use for anal sex.  A 
receptive condom for anal sex would provide an option for men who 
dislike using condoms, but it will not be considered by the Food 
and Drug Administration as long as sodomy remains illegal in many 
states.  No one knows if the female condom, marketed under the 
name Reality, is effective against HIV transmission when used 
anally, but it does offer advantages over the male condom. 
Reality is made of polyurethane, which is 40 percent stronger 
than the latex in male condoms, and has been proven to be an 
effective barrier against HIV and hepatitis.  AIDS activists and 
gay groups have tried to increase awareness and availability of 
the female condom for gay men, and some groups have offered 
instructions specifically for anal use.  Reality, however, is 
more expensive than male condoms--one reason why it may not be 
offered in public health clinics.
     
     
