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Herpes Cases Decline Since Time Cover Story
Herpes cases have declined by 19 percent since a Time cover story declared herpes the "new Scarlet letter" according to a AP article. The AP article also says herpes remains a big problem despite the recent decline.
But herpes is still uncomfortably common. Despite the decline, blood tests of more than 11,000 people found 11 percent of men and 23 percent of women carry the genital herpes, or type 2, virus. Among people in their 20s, the infection rate was almost 11 percent.
Ironically, the rates have dropped back to about where they were when Time ran its cover story, said study co-author Dr. Stuart Berman of the CDC.
"If it was a scarlet letter then, I don't know what you call it now and there’s more HIV around," Berman said. Herpes greatly increases the chances of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
"It's still an epidemic," said Dr. Tom Cherpes of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who was not involved with the study. "The fact that there’s a trend downward should not be construed by anybody that herpes is under control."
What's really need to greatly reduce herpes is a cure -- a preventive vaccine. Currently, people with herpes have to use antivirals and daily suppressive therapy to supress the virus and shorten or prevent outbreaks. You can read a faq from the CDC that explains more.
Posted on August 31, 2006
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Study Finds Circumcision Cuts AIDS Risk
WebMD reports that findings from a new study indicate that circumcision could cut HIV risk in men by as much as 60%.
New studies suggest that male circumcision -- the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis -- could avert hundreds of thousands of new HIV infections and save millions of dollars.
The research, presented at the International AIDS Conference here, builds on last year's finding that circumcised heterosexual men are at least 60% less likely to contract HIV than their uncircumcised counterparts.
Kevin De Cock, MD, director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS program, says that if the findings hold up, the global agency will issue guidelines backing the procedure for HIV prevention.
Circumcision is by no means an excuse for circumcised men to practice unsafe sex but it does sound like circumcision could provide a valuable reduction in disease risk. Some of the health experts believe the findings are very significant. Kevin De Cock, MD told WebMD that "male circumcision could avert as many as two million new infections over 10 years in sub-Saharan Africa alone."
Posted on August 18, 2006
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Clinton and Gates Vow to Wipe Out AIDS
The National Post reports that Bill Clinton and Bill Gates are vowing to wipe out the deadly AIDS virus that is a worldwide problem. The AIDS virus has been especially devastating to African countries and other third world and developing nations.
Despite infection rates that are ravaging Africa and other parts of the developing world, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates insisted Monday a "happy ending" is in the offing and AIDS will be vanquished.
The former U.S. president and the Microsoft chairman conceded at the International AIDS Conference Monday the turning point in the pandemic has not yet been reached and may not come until scientists develop a vaccine or some other form of preventive tool. Clinton, whose charitable foundation is largely focused on the HIV/AIDS cause, said visiting endemic regions gives him optimism for a AIDS-free future.
On a recent trip to Liberia, a country nearly destroyed by civil war, the college students he met were as bright and ambitious as any he has encountered.
"The source of optimism is the human material," he said. "There is no shortage of intelligence, effort, dreams and drive anywhere in the world."
The message at the International AIDS Conference was that we have not yet turned the corner in the fight against in AIDS but that we will eventually prevail. It would be terrific to see AIDS banished from the world just like smallpox appears to be. The National Post said that on the first day of the conference Bill and Melinda Gates blasted the Bush administratio's policy of tying funds for preventing HIV to the "teaching of abstinence, a strong stand against prostitution and opposition to needle exchange for drug addicts."
Posted on August 15, 2006
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