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Advocates Launch 19th Annual Black Church Week of Prayer To Raise Awareness About HIV/AIDS Among Communities Nationwide

[Mar 03, 2008]

Religious leaders, advocates and political officials nationwide on Sunday launched the 19th annual Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among black communities, the Charlotte Observer reports (Batten, Charlotte Observer, 3/2). The weeklong event is a national program sponsored by the Balm in Gilead, a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the health of blacks by focusing on life-threatening illnesses, the Omaha World-Herald reports (Bradley, Omaha World-Herald, 3/1). According to a release, the event aims to mobilize thousands of churches and millions of church attendees to support HIV/AIDS education, testing and care in the black community.

Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of the Balm in Gilead, said, "By uniting leaders at the national level and providing local churches with theologically appropriate methods and materials for addressing AIDS at the grassroots level, the Balm in Gilead and its programs empower black faith communities to respond effectively to this devastating pandemic."

CDC figures show the number of blacks in the U.S. living with AIDS increased by 33% between 2001 and 2005. They also show that although blacks represent about 12% of the U.S. population, they account for about 50% of new AIDS cases. Black women account for the majority of new AIDS cases among women, and black teenagers ages 13 to 19 account for more than 70% of new AIDS cases reported among the population, according to CDC figures (Balm in Gilead release, 2/25).

The prayer week is an "opportunity for all Christians to examine our thoughts and behaviors," Bari Tiggett, a volunteer at the AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance, said, adding, "The black church has the power and the responsibility to change the course of this epidemic. The goal is to provide prayer, leadership, compassion and information to help families in our congregation and community who are facing this disease" (Charlotte Observer, 3/2).

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New York's HIV/AIDS Names-Based Reporting, Partner Notification Law Has Not Led to Decline in Testing, Study Says

[Mar 03, 2008]

New York's name-based HIV reporting and partner notification law has not led to a decline in HIV testing or the willingness of high-risk groups to be tested, according to a study published online Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, Reuters Health reports. The law, which went into effect in June 2000, requires physicians and laboratories to report the names of people living with HIV/AIDS and people with HIV-related illnesses. The reporting of known partners, as well as screening for intimate partner violence, also is required under the law, Reuters Health reports.

For the study, James Tesoriero of New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute and colleagues examined the effect of the law on HIV testing levels and testing decisions by conducting in-person interviews with 761 high-risk individuals. "A primary concern with named HIV reporting is that it might deter HIV testing behavior," Tesoriero said, adding, "In addition, concern was expressed that the formal integration of HIV partner notification and intimate partner violence screening into New York's law might affect HIV testing behavior."

The study found that the law did not impact levels of HIV testing in the state. Tesoriero said, "High-risk individuals were generally unaware of New York's HIV reporting law, and few cited concerns about named reporting as a reason for avoiding or delaying testing." He said that HIV reporting "has greatly improved the monitoring of New York's HIV/AIDS epidemic," adding that based on the current research, "this benefit has not been offset by decreases in HIV testing, including willingness to test among those at highest risk of acquiring HIV" (Rauscher, Reuters Health, 2/28).

An abstract of the study is available online.

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Drug Access

Home-Based Care Could Significantly Reduce Mortality Among HIV-Positive Adults, Families in Developing Countries, Study Says

[Mar 03, 2008]

The implementation of home-based care could significantly reduce mortality among adults living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, as well as children within their families, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Lancet, BBC News reports (BBC News, 2/29).

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