The CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update

RHODE ISLAND: "Money Woes Curtail Free Cancer Tests"

AFRICA: "New Maps Guide African Truckers to AIDS Clinics"

AUSTRALIA: "High Time to Clean Up Prisoner Drug Use: Anex"

NETHERLANDS: "Home 'Cervical Cancer' Test Hope"

ILLINOIS: "'Sexpert' Lauds Benefits of Updated Female Condom"

ARIZONA: "HIV Clinic Augments Cardiology Practice"

UNITED STATES: "Former Surgeon General Koop Honored for AIDS Work"

GEORGIA: "Nearly 360 Students, Staff to Get TB Test Friday in Gwinnett School"

CANADA: "Blood Tests Urged for Tattoo Clients"

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RHODE ISLAND:
"Money Woes Curtail Free Cancer Tests"   back to top
Providence Journal , (03.12.2010)   Felice J. Freyer

A Rhode Island cancer screening program that helps uninsured low-income women access Pap smears, mammograms, office visits and follow-up testing will be suspended from March 15 through June. The CDC-funded Women’s Cancer Screening Program (WCSP) is operated by the state Department of Health and has a $1.5 million annual budget. Though flat-funded, the program has seen its number of clients grow by more than 50 percent this fiscal year, as more women who lost health insurance in the economic downturn sought its free services.

A 16-week testing delay would not usually make much of a difference, but nearly one in five WCSP patients have abnormal results requiring follow-up. Women needing biopsies, which should not be delayed, will have to apply to Medicaid or make arrangements with their physician. Either way, federal rules require that the women receive timely follow-up, said Nikki Hayes, assistant branch chief in CDC’s division of cancer prevention and control.

Most of the 115 contracting service providers - medical practices, hospitals, labs, health and imaging centers - were surprised by the March 1 announcement of WCSP’s suspension.

WCSP ran through 90 percent of its budget halfway through the current fiscal year, or by Dec. 31, said Annemarie Beardsworth, a Department of Health spokesperson. The department had no reason to alert providers earlier because there was nothing WCSP contractors could do to cut costs, she said. In January, the program lowered reimbursements. When WCSP services resume on July 1, patients will be screened every other year instead of annually, in line with recommendations by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Rhode Island will seek an additional $300,000 for WCSP next fiscal year.

AFRICA:
"New Maps Guide African Truckers to AIDS Clinics"   back to top
Agence France Presse , (03.10.2010)   

Approximately 20,000 maps detailing HIV/AIDS clinic locations are being distributed to truck drivers across Africa, thanks to a new initiative.

African trucking routes have long served to spread the virus across borders. The maps - in English for east and southern Africa, and in English and French for west Africa - pinpoint 160 clinics run by more than 40 governments and charities that provide free AIDS services.

“For the first time, truckers can see where they can access health services along major trucking corridors and transport hubs on the subcontinent,” said Paul Matthew, Africa director for North Star Alliance, which sets up clinics on highways and at border posts. NSA is a partnership started by the courier company TNT and the UN World Food Program.

NSA’s foundation initiated the project, working with risk-mapping firm Maplecroft and petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell. “Our research showed categorically that the spread of HIV moved down transportation routes,” said Maplecroft spokesperson Jason McGeown. Shell, which funded the project, said truck drivers’ health directly impacts their business in Africa. Organizers hope to distribute the maps to truckers across the continent.

AUSTRALIA:
"High Time to Clean Up Prisoner Drug Use: Anex"   back to top
Australian Associated Press , (03.16.2010)   Danny Rose

Australia should allow controlled needle and syringe programs (NSPs) in prisons to prevent hepatitis C and HIV transmission among incarcerated needle-sharing injection drug users, a harm-reduction group says. Such an NSP would require prisoners to store a used syringe inside a protective container before swapping it for a clean one in a container, said the Association for Prevention and Harm Reduction Programs Australia (Anex).

Australian researchers have found that almost 40 percent of inmates report injection drug use (IDU) while imprisoned, and about 70 percent of them shared needles. Some prisoners reported a needle being reused by as many as 100 inmates, with needles being re-sharpened by grinding them on cell walls. Two-thirds of corrections officers reported finding contraband needles, which is a potential risk during cell and prisoner searches. About 35 percent of inmates are infected with hepatitis C virus, and 0.5 percent have HIV.

“It is irrefutable that prison authorities owe a duty of care to prisoners, to protect them from foreseeable harm while they are in custody,” said John Ryan, executive director of Anex. Such programs “have been operating for up to 10 years in Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus.”

“The introduction of prison-regulated and controlled NSPs in these countries has not resulted in instances of syringes being used as weapons,” Ryan said. “In fact, international experience shows that prison-regulated and controlled NSPs actually can increase institutional safety.”

NETHERLANDS:
"Home 'Cervical Cancer' Test Hope"   back to top
BBC , (03.12.2010)   

A new study suggests that home-testing kits for human papillomavirus (HPV) could lead to the earlier detection of more cases of cervical cancer.

“While it’s important for women to attend cervical screening appointments, some find it difficult to do so for cultural or other reasons,” said Professor Stephen Duffy of Cancer Research UK.

The subjects of the research were 28,073 Dutch women who had not responded to two invitations to come in for regular cervical screening. Most (27,792) were then invited to collect a specimen sample and mail it in for evaluation; 281 were sent a third reminder to present for screening.

Adjusted rates of compliance were significantly higher among women in the self-sampling group (27.5 percent) versus the control group (16.6 percent). Among self-sampling responders, the 43 percent who had missed the previous round of screening had a higher risk of abnormal changes in the cervix than the 57 percent who had participated in the previous round.

“Offering self-sampling by sending a device for collecting cervicovaginal specimens for high-risk HPV testing to women who did not attend regular screening is a feasible and effective method of increasing coverage in a screening program,” the authors concluded. “The response rate and the yield of high-grade lesions support implementation of this method for such women.”

The report, “HPV Testing on Self-Collected Cervicovaginal Lavage Specimens as Screening Method for Women Who Do Not Attend Cervical Screening: Cohort Study,” was published in the British Medical Journal (2010;340:c1040).

ILLINOIS:
"'Sexpert' Lauds Benefits of Updated Female Condom"   back to top
Chicago Tribune , (03.15.2010)   

Last week, a coalition of organizations including Chicago Women’s AIDS Project (CWAP) and AIDS Foundation of Chicago launched “Put a Ring On It,” a campaign aimed at boosting awareness of the new female condom.

The Food and Drug Administration approved FC2, the second-generation female condom, in March 2009. FC2 uses a softer material than the original female condom, which came out 15 years ago, allowing it to feel more natural and cost less. Zoe Lehman, support services coordinator at CWAP and a self-described “sexpert,” said a main reason the first female condom was not successful was that women did not know how to use it. FC2 has instructions on the package, unlike the old one, which had a large, unwieldy user guide packaged inside.

FC2 can be inserted up to 45 minutes before sex. It has a solid inner ring that sits around the cervix and anchors the condom behind the pubic bone, and an outer ring that “blossoms outside the vagina,” Lehman said.

A key element of the campaign is peer-to-peer training. “One of the most exciting things about this campaign is that we, along with groups such as the Illinois Caucus on Adolescent Health, have spent the last two years training over a thousand people in the Chicago area who will train others on how to use it,” said Lehman.

“We’ve been letting everyone know how easy [the female condom] is to use,” said Lehman. “It’s just as effective as the male condom, really pleasurable and empowers a woman because she doesn’t have to request that the male partner wears the condom.”

FC2 is not yet widely available in drug stores but can be picked up at Chicago Public Health Department clinics across the city. For more information, visit www.ringonit.org.

ARIZONA:
"HIV Clinic Augments Cardiology Practice"   back to top
Arizona Republic (Phoenix) , (03.06.2010)   Angelique Soenarie

Low-income HIV patients in the Southeast Valley can now access primary care services at the Advanced Cardiac Specialists (ACS) clinic at Greenfield and Baseline roads. The practice recently became a care provider through the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, which gives grants to community-based health care organizations.

The new clinic will serve east Mesa, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gold Canyon, and Florence. Mark Kezios, chair of the Ryan White council for Maricopa County, said an additional clinic was needed since the county is geographically one of the largest in the nation.

About 80 patients living in rural areas of Maricopa and Pinal counties drive up to three hours to Phoenix for care, said Kezios - too far for patients requiring frequent treatment.

ACS applied for the grant since several of its staff are HIV treatment experts, Kezios noted. “It’s just wonderful that we have a provider that is experienced in treating HIV. So opening up in the East Valley is making the quality for people’s lives much easier,” he said.

The Ryan White program serves 836 HIV patients in Maricopa County, with the per-patient annual cost averaging $2,343. Sun Life Family Health Center in Casa Grande has also joined the program as a network provider.

UNITED STATES:
"Former Surgeon General Koop Honored for AIDS Work"   back to top
Associated Press , (03.17.2010)   

Dr. C. Everett Koop on Wednesday will receive the 2010 Ryan White Distinguished Leadership Award from Indiana University’s Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention. Jeanne White Ginder, whose son Ryan’s battle with HIV made him a national symbol in the fight against AIDS, will present the award to Koop at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H. While serving as US surgeon general in the 1980s, Koop took important steps to fight the epidemic, including commissioning a special report and mailing a brochure about AIDS to every US household.

GEORGIA:
"Nearly 360 Students, Staff to Get TB Test Friday in Gwinnett School"   back to top
Atlanta Journal-Constitution , (03.16.2010)   D. Aileen Dodd

On Friday at Lilburn Middle School, the Gwinnett County health department will offer TB testing to 313 students and 45 staff members in response to two students testing positive for the disease. This, the second round of testing at the school, is seen as a precaution. Previous testing in February found a student who tested positive and was treated. A second student also tested positive, though non-infectious. “There is no way of telling whether or not they are related,” Suleima Salgado, spokesperson for the East Metro Health District, said of the cases. “Since this is the second case at this school at that grade level, we are erring on the side of caution and we are going to test the remaining sixth-graders who weren’t tested in the first round.” A letter sent Monday from Principal Gene Taylor asked the students’ parents to give their consent for the testing. For more information, visit www.eastmetrohealth.com.

CANADA:
"Blood Tests Urged for Tattoo Clients"   back to top
Niagara This Week (Thorold, Ontario) , (03.12.2010)   Paul Forsyth

Niagara Region Public Health is urging anyone who underwent tattooing or piercing at Needlez Tattoo, located at 16 Thorold Rd. East, Welland, to contact the department. The establishment, which opened in December, was ordered closed on March 5 after inspectors, responding to a complaint, found it to have improperly sterilized equipment. There is currently no evidence of infectious disease transmission as a result, said Dave Carey, a manager of environmental health for NRPH; however, the operator was unable to provide a complete, detailed client list. Anyone who received a tattoo or piercing at Needlez should visit a doctor or clinic to be tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C, said Dr. Robin Williams, NRPH’s chief medical officer of health. The department also advises clients of the shop to exercise caution until they are tested to avoid possible transmission to others. For more information, telephone 888-505-6074, 905-688-8248 ext. 7330, or after hours 905-984-3690.