Fled Africa Horror only to Die from Medicine
A US District Court judge has awarded $4.5 million to the family of a woman who died after doctors at a federally funded clinic failed to notice she was having a bad reaction to an AIDS drug. see more  

Child Marriages Common in Nations Getting US Aid
New legislation being introduced in Congress seeks to discourage child marriage in countries receiving US aid. see more

Magic Says Blacks Should Team Up to Conquer AIDS
As part of his "I Stand with Magic" campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in the black community, NBA great Magic Johnson urged young audiences in Newark and Paterson on Tuesday to do more to fight the epidemic that has gripped their communities. see more

Council Kills Crack Pipe Program
The Ottawa City Council was expected to review a controversial crack pipe distribution program. Instead, it voted to end the outreach entirely. see more

South Florida Seniors Advised to Take HIV Tests
On National HIV Testing Day, south Florida health officials were encouraging sexually active people age 50 and older to be tested. see more

REAL Men: A Group-Randomized Trial of an HIV Prevention Intervention for Adolescent Boys
A study testing the efficacy of an intervention among adolescent boys. see more

Religious Groups Work to Translate Sex Education Message
Last week, more than 500 US black and Latino church members convened at Howard University's School of Divinity in Washington for the National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality. see more.

Churches Look at Drugs, HIV/AIDS
Six District-area churches have opened "conversation centers" where persons with substance abuse problems or HIV/AIDS and their families can seek counseling, testing, referrals or education materials. see more

Using Hepatitis A and B Vaccination as a Paradigm for Effective HIV Vaccine Delivery
"An understanding of vaccine acceptance and uptake is imperative for successful vaccination of populations that will be primary targets for vaccination after a vaccine against HIV is developed and ready for dissemination." see more

Sexual Diseases Spike
State officials are worried about Department of Health data showing a 14.1 percent increase in STDs in central Florida from 1995 to 2005. see more

Mainstream Portrayals of Sex Seduce Teens
A sample of at-risk teenage girls in Florida reported that movies, TV shows, and song lyrics helped shape their impression that casual sex is commonplace and ordinary. see more

HIV Infection Raises Lung Cancer Risk
Persons with HIV infection are at higher risk for developing lung cancer, independent of cigarette smoking, a new study found. see more

FDA Data Presents Controversial Views of Gardasil
A conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has recently published new government data of adverse events (AEs) related to Gardasil, Merck & Co.'s vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV). see more

California Parents Overwhelmingly Favor Sex Ed in Schools
A statewide survey found that 89 percent of California parents - regardless of politics, religion, location, or educational level - want comprehensive sex education taught in schools. see more

Puerto Rico's AIDS Care in Disarray over Funds
Across Puerto Rico, hundreds of HIV/AIDS patients are not regularly receiving medicine or care, say patients, doctors, and advocates. see more

Hepatitis C Prevalence in the Drug User Populations
"Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly prevalent in illicit drug user populations, with three in four new HCV infections related to this risk behavior and a growing HCV disease burden in Canada." see more

Change in Care Scares AIDS Patients
Last month, Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration announced it had terminated its AIDS care contracts with the nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation in favor of a small, for-profit company. see more

Syphilis Rise Worries Health Workers
With syphilis rates rising, officials of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (MHD) have redoubled efforts to contact partners of those who test positive for the STD. see more

New Sex-Related Infection Passes Gonorrhea
Mycoplasma genitalium, an STD first identified in the 1980s, has now surpassed gonorrhea in prevalence among US young people. see more

Bill Would Force Rape Suspects to Take HIV Test
A bill that would require rape suspects to undergo HIV testing passed the Republican-led state Senate on Tuesday by a 44-14 vote. see more

Targeting HIV Better than Broad Screening: Study
A program targeting people at high risk for HIV offers counseling that would be more effective than routine testing of those ages 13 to 64 regardless of risk. see more

Pigs with Cell Phones, but No Condoms
A new Trojan condom campaign will debut tonight on ABC, NBC and nine cable channels. see more

Long Term Heroin And Cocaine Users Switch to Non-Injection Drugs
A study of New York City heroin and cocaine users who have switched from injection to non-injection drug administration and their association with long-term non-injection. see more

Vaccine 90 Percent Effective Against Cervical Cancer
A human papillomavirus vaccine candidate was 90.4 percent protective against pre-cancerous lesions, a cervical cancer precursor, caused by HPV types 16 and 18. see more

New Law Makes the HIV Testing Process Easier
It is hoped the legislation will make HIV testing more common and increase early detection. see more

Rapid HIV Testing Proves Worthwhile at Gay Pride Events
Targeting minority males for rapid HIV testing during gay pride events can help identify people who do not know they are infected and link them to care and prevention services. see more

New Sex Education Campaign Aimed at Parents
The campaign urges parents to talk to their children about waiting until marriage to have sex. see more

One in Three US Men Had at Least 15 Sexual Partners
A new CDC survey finds that one in three men reported having at least 15 sexual partners, while just one in 11 women reported similar behavior. see more

County Plans to Fight STDs
Los Angeles County today is rolling out a bilingual awareness campaign to help curb recent rising rates of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. see more

State HIV Campaign Targets Hispanics
A statewide campaign is using Spanish radio to encourage Hispanics in Northern Virginia to get tested and know their HIV status. see more

Tip of the Iceberg: Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, the Internet, and HIV Risk
Examining the Internet use for meeting sexual partners and HIV risk behaviors associated with such use among men who have sex with men (MSM) ages 16-24 years. see more

Music 4 Life Will Include HIV Testing
Virginia Beach residents can receive free, confidential rapid HIV tests on Wednesday, National HIV Testing Day, as well as a good dose of family-friendly entertainment this Friday. see more

HIV Cases in Cleveland Are Going Up
New HIV cases in Cleveland have increased for the fourth straight year. Public health officials believe the spike is being driven by high-risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults. see more

Condoms Now OKs on Campus
Last week, William Jewell College's administrative council voted to lift a long-standing policy banning on-campus distribution of contraceptives. Beginning with the fall semester, condoms will be available for a nominal fee in the college health center. see more

Virulent TB Strain Linked to 7 Cases in South of Market
A man now in the intensive care unit at San Francisco General Hospital has the same "very virulent strain" of TB that has stricken seven men since December 2005, according to Dr. Masae Kawamura, director of TB control with the city's Department of Public Health. see more

Methamphetazmine Use in Rural Midwesterners
"Methamphetamine use is affecting multiple segments of rural life," the authors wrote, yet little is known about rural methamphetamine use disorders. At five Midwestern substance use disorder centers, the researchers compared rural and urban meth use in adult study participants. see more

New Plan Would Mandate HIV Tests in New Jersey
On Thursday, state Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) introduced legislation that would make New Jersey the first state to mandate HIV testing for both pregnant women and newborns. see more

Foreign-Born Are Hardest-Hit as Cases of TB Soar
King County health officials say they have documented a two-fold increase in tuberculosis cases this year compared with the same period last year, a spike found primarily among foreign-born residents. see more

Behavioral Intervention Reduces Risk of HIV Spread
HIV-positive people can considerably reduce their risk of transmitting the virus to others by participating in a cognitive-behavioral therapy program, according to Dr. Stephen F. Morin of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues from the Healthy Living Project. see more

Muslim Malaysia Cannot Promote Condoms Openly
A top Malaysian health official said Monday the government understands that condoms prevent HIV transmission, but the issue is delicate. The health ministry cannot openly promote condoms to control HIV's spread for fear of antagonizing Islamic groups that would accuse it of encouraging promiscuity. see more

University Professor to Study Meds Compliance in HIV Patients
A national study to assess AIDS drug adherence will seek to determine the characteristics of patients who adhere to therapy well or poorly. Poorly adherent patients may need to start treatment later to avoid drug resistance. see more

Drug Combination Found Effective Against Hepatitis C
At the Digestive Disease Weekly conference in Washington on Monday, researchers reported on a drug combination that completely kills hepatitis C virus (HCV), and keeps it from returning, in some of the patients studied. see more

Sex Education Reform Stalls
Two sex education-related bills died with the end of Florida's legislative session. The first measure would have required the state Department of Education to offer family planning and sex education services within four years. see more

Georgia to Add HIV Tests to Its Prenatal Exams
On Thursday, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into a law a measure that will require health care providers to include HIV testing as part of standard prenatal exams. A pregnant woman's refusal to take the test would be noted in her medical record. see more

HIV Infections in Asia Could More than Double in 5 Years
Today at the Southeast Asia Sub-Regional Workshop in Manila, UNAIDS' independent Commission on AIDS in Asia warned the number of HIV infections in the region could increase more than two-fold to 20 million over the next five years.  see more

Church Sex Education Program Preaches More than Abstinence
The sex education program, Our Whole Lives, a joint effort of the Unitarian-Universalist Church and the United Church of Christ, not only stresses the value of abstinence but also includes extensive discussions of birth control, safe sex, and sexual orientation. see more

Inmates Like Fast, Bloodless Test for HIV Offered at Jails
Inmates who tested had been released before learning their serostatus. But about two months ago, the jail began using OraSure rapid-result oral HIV tests; now, inmates can get their results within an hour. see more

Local Churches Join the Fight Against AIDS in the Black Community
Today, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, health departments, social services agencies, and some churches in Broward County are offering HIV testing and education. see more

Lawmaker Aims at Setting Standards for Sex-Ed Classes
Rep. Shay Schual-Berke is sponsoring a bill that would require public schools in Washington to include both abstinence and contraception in sex education curricula. see more

New Vaccine for Cervical Cancer Could Prove Useful in Men
Each year, anal cancer affects about 35 of 100,000 gay men who practice receptive anal intercourse, and the rate is perhaps double for those with HIV-weakened immune systems. see more

Virginia Responsds to Third Year Resurgence in Syphilis Cases
Prompted by more than a two-fold increase in syphilis cases over the last three years, Virginia health officials on Monday kicked off an education campaign to increase awareness about the infection. see more

AIDS Virus Hides Quickly Inside Babies' Blood
Drug-resistant HIV strains that pass from mother to infant can go undetected in the baby's immune system cells and remain there for years. see more

Hepatitis C Rises Among Young People
Confirmed and suspected hepatitis C cases among Massachusetts residents ages 15-24 climbed from 254 in 2001 to at least 784 in 2005, the state Department of Public Health reports. see more

More Gay Men Using Meth, Study Finds
Preliminary data from the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center (LAGLC) cast new light on the use of crystal methamphetamine by area gay men. The agency's survey of 6,360 gay men presenting for STD or HIV testing last year found: see more

Urine-Based Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis to Young Men without symptoms 
In the current study, researchers sought to determine the acceptability of urine-based chlamydia testing among asymptomatic men, as well as health care providers' attitudes toward this testing.  see more

Board of Education Approves New Sex-Ed Curriculum
The Montgomery County Board of Education yesterday unanimously approved a new sex education curriculum that for the first time addresses sexual orientation and homosexuality.    see more

Condom Effectiveness for Prevention of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection
Using a medical record database from a public STD clinic, the authors estimated condoms effectiveness     see more

Approximately 8,000 AIDS and HIV -Infected patients Displaced
According to the estimates by the Alliance for Children, Youth and Families (AACYF), about 8,000 people with HIV/AIDS who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina are now trying to find care. see more

Metabolic Syndrome May Be an HIV Risk
Many HIV patients have the same two characteristics of metabolic syndrome and could be at risk for zinc deficiency, according to researchers in two new reports.     see more

Rising Rates of Syphilis Cause Alarm
Though syphilis was nearly eradicated less than a decade ago, cases in Ottawa have spiked 3,500 percent, from one case in 2000 to 36 cases so far this year. Another 10 cases are still under investigation.     see more

Factors Predicting the Acceptance of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Antibody Testing Among Adolescents and Young Adults
The authors conducted a study to identify factors associated with acceptance of HSV-2 antibody testing in individuals with no history of genital herpes.    see more

Risky Sexual Behaviors, Alcohol Use, and Drug Use: A Comparison of Eastern and Western European Adolescents
A school-based questionnaire was administered to 7,291 middle and late adolescents in Hungary, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.       see more

HPV Prevalent in Sexually Active Teenage Girls
A new study finds human papillomavirus to be "extremely common" in sexually active female adolescents in the United States.    see more

Condom Distribution to Prisoners Advocated
Since studies show bans on sex among inmates in US jails are unenforceable, Washington State House representatives have filed legislation calling for a five-year STD prevention plan targeting prisons.        see more

Students Get the Rap on AIDS
On Saturday, Dec. 6, Miami's Victory Day Youth March for Life brought together music stars - including Julio Iglesias Jr.,Fat Joe, Lil John & the East Side Boyz and Trick Daddy -community leaders, schoolchildren and college students.      see more

AIDS Battlegrounds; Outreach Program Goes Mobile
Chicago's South Side Help Center sends outreach workers to some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods to bring condoms and messages about HIV/AIDS prevention to residents, some who are gang members involved in the drug trade.    see more

Georgia Leads Nation as Syphilis Increases
Georgia's rate of syphilis cases led the nation last year as the disease re-emerged among gay and bisexual men, CDC announced yesterday.        see more

Assembly Pushes for State Oversight of Prison Health Care
Corrections Commissioner Glenn Goord reports about 9,250 inmates have hepatitis C, 5,500 are HIV-positive, and more than 1,000 have AIDS.    see more

Game Shows Life Hazards of SEX
"The school board approved a program by SOS two years ago for use in the classrooms in high and middle schools," SOS Executive Director Amy Brennan said recently.     see more

UN Peacekeepers in Congo Sexually Exploited Girls as Young as 13, Report Says
UN peacekeepers in Congo regularly offered women and girls, some as young as 13, food or small amounts of money in exchange for sex, a report released Friday by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services found.   see more

Risky-Sex Study OKs Antibiotic Use
The prophylactic use of antibiotics can be a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of syphilis, a Tulane researcher said recently.  see more

Jail Offers FREE HIV Testing
Inmates at Henderson County Jail are now being offered HIV testing thanks to the efforts of the local group Matthew 25 AIDS Service.         see more

Controversial Program to Return to Casper School Curriculum
During the week of Jan. 10, middle and high school students in Casper are set to participate in the "WAIT (Why Am I Tempted)" abstinence-only sex-education program, even though the program was criticized for inaccuracies in a recent Congressional report.    see more

As Syphilis Cases Rise, So Do AIDS Fears
Yesterday, federal health officials reported an increase in the number of Americans infected with syphilis for the second year in a row, reversing a decade-long decline in its incidence.    see more

Vancouver's Safe Site Popular with Junkies
The roughly 5,000 heroin addicts in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighborhood prefer the city's first legal supervised safe injection site to drug use on the street, but some fear one such site is not enough.   see more

Virginia Considers Requiring Girls to Get HPV Vaccine
On Tuesday, Virginia's House Committee on Health is scheduled to hear a bill that would require girls to undergo human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination before entering middle school.       see more

AIDS Group to Sue Pfizer over Viagra Ads
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) on Monday filed a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. for allegedly promoting recreational use of its erectile dysfunction (ED) drug Viagra.     see more

Bill Seeks Proof of HPV Shot or Opt-Out
In Colorado, state Sen. Suzanne Williams (D-Arapahoe County) and House Minority Leader Mike May (R-Douglas County) are sponsoring a bill that would require girls age 12 and older to have human papillomavirus (HPV) immunizations before entering school.  &nbs