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'Complacency,' 'Stigma' Hindering Efforts To Reduce HIV/AIDS In Black Communities, Opinion Piece Says
"Nearly 30 years after the discovery of HIV and AIDS, the epidemic is still ravaging black neighborhoods in Baltimore and across the nation," Kevin Fenton -- director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention -- writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece. Fenton writes that "complacency about HIV and the continued stigma associated with the disease are hindering progress by preventing too many African-Americans from seeking either HIV testing and treatment or support from their friends and family," adding that "this is a challenge that can be overcome."According to Fenton, the Obama administration last month "took an important step in confronting the United States" HIV epidemic" when CDC and White House officials announced a five-year campaign called Act Against AIDS, which is "designed to refocus the nation"s attention on the HIV crisis here at home." Fenton notes that 14 black civic organizations -- including the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Council of Negro Women -- are "joining the CDC to increase knowledge, awareness and action within black communities across the country." He adds that the campaign "will harness the strength and reach of these organizations by enhancing their ability to make HIV prevention a core component of their daily activities." "By raising the visibility of HIV and AIDS, the new campaign also aims to confront and overcome the fear and stigma that help keep HIV alive in black communities," Fenton says. He adds that he has "been encouraged in recent years to see black leaders, including black faith leaders, speak out more openly across the nation about the need to confront HIV and the stigma that persists surrounding this disease." Fenton writes that "[e]nding this epidemic will require not only frank and difficult discussions about HIV but also a shared sense of responsibility and commitment," concluding, "All of us can and must be part of the solution" (Fenton, Baltimore Sun, 5/27).
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Stanford Bioethicist And Colleagues Call For Federal Regulation Of Genetic Ancestry Testing
Imagine donating a sample of your DNA to help researchers study the genetics of diabetes. The disease is common among your friends and family, and you"re proud of your role in finding out why. Now, imagine that some time later, you learn that your DNA has been used for other studies on topics you never expected - schizophrenia, human migration, inbreeding. Although your name isn"t attached to the sample anymore, scientists are using your DNA to draw conclusions about your community and your ancestors. Some of these studies violate your cultural beliefs.
News of the day
FDA Approves NovoLog(R) Labeling Update - Increasing The Time Patients Can Use And Store NovoLog(R) In Their Pumps From Two Days To Six Days
Diabetes patients taking NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) can now use the insulin in their pump for up to six days following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a labeling change, diabetes care company Novo Nordisk announced today.[i] The previous label allowed for NovoLog® to be stored in the pump reservoir for two days. This makes NovoLog® the first and only rapid-acting insulin with this extended in-use time.
Health Insurance

Tales Of Health Insurance Plights Highlight Overhaul Efforts

Analysts say many in America take jobs they otherwise wouldn"t simply for the health insurance coverage, Reuters/Boston Globe reports. "It is a situation most Europeans, Canadians and others who enjoy national health services would find bewildering if not appalling and is one factor fueling the drive to reform the hugely expensive U.S. healthcare system. ̣€¦ U.S. company healthcare plans are usually subsidized by the employer. They are much more affordable and comprehensive than private plans that can exceed a $1,000 a month for a family, a huge burden for most households." This makes even low-wage jobs like serving coffee at Starbucks, where a coverage plan can cost as little as $25 a month, more attractive than others who sometimes have full-time jobs in addition. ""I probably work 60 hours a week because I"m a full-time realtor. ... I get up at around 4 a.m. every week day," said (Lisa) DeWaal, 44, a South African immigrant and widow, who begins her Starbucks shift at 5 o"clock each morning. DeWaal said her plan, which includes her children, cost her $46 a week or close to $180 a month. ""Health insurance is exactly the reason why I have taken the extra job. It"s company health insurance, which is a lot better than a private plan. I would put these extra hours into real estate if I had affordable health insurance," she said. June data from the U.S. Department of Labor showed about 7.1 million Americans were "multiple job holders," well down from 7.7 million in June 2008 as the job market shrank with the economy" (Stoddard, 7/9). Small business owners, too, are feeling the sting of health care costs, The Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star reports: "Small business ownerṣ€¦ are trapped in a triple-layered maze when it comes to affordable, accessible, quality health care. Increasingly, they can"t afford health insurance for themselves or their employees, what they can afford often leaves them unhappy, underinsured, anḍ€¦ in unexpected debt. The sick business of health care is also prompting them to add their voices to the debate over health-care reform, both individually and collectively as members of state and national organizations." "Tammy Finch (owner of a small computer repair business) had been told, and had the paperwork to prove it, that they"d never pay more than $4,000 a year in out-of-pocket expenses. The couple lost the battle. They ended up with a $5,000 hospital bill and a hospital unwilling to make payment arrangements they could afford. ̣€¦ She recently spent a lot of time searching for a new group plan, at a cost of $700 a month, that allows the couple to extend affordable health benefits to their young employees. If either employee had opted not to participate in the plan, which is not unusual for young people, the Finches would not be able to afford it" (Adams, 7/10). Mandating employer coverage and levying only a small fee on employers who don"t offer it in Massachusetts hasn"t led to a dumping of employees from plans, The Boston Globe reports: "Three years after the state passed its requirements, Massachusetts businesses have not canceled insurance plans at all. In fact,150,000 more residents are privately insured through their employers. "Certainly this suggests that you don"t need a strong employer mandate to fight erosion"" of employer-sponsored insurance, said Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economist who is advising both Congress and the Obama administration on healthcare." Democrats believe an employer mandate is critical to reform while opponents believe it will be an unbearable economic burden, especially for small businesses (Wangsness, 7/10). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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