Thursday, October 09, 2008

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In this issue:
• Peer Support
• Do you know someone living with HIV or AIDS?
• Circumcision Not Effective in Preventing HIV Among MSM, Study Finds
• Nobel Winner Pessimistic on AIDS Vaccine
• Study traces AIDS virus origin to 100 years ago
• Newspapers Examine Efforts, Reaction to Easing Ban on HIV-Positive Visitors to U.S.
• Syphilis Spikes Upward in San Francisco
• HIV Edmonton Employment Opportunities
• Individual Walkers
• Sponsorship Appreciation
• Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Top Teams and Donors

Peer Support

We are a group of individuals living with HIV and we are here to talk and listen.Meet twice weekly to organize activities to help support HIV Edmonton and each other

Want to get involved?  We are offering a free Peer Support training seminar in December 2008. Call 488-5742 and talk to Jill for more information.

Do you know someone living with HIV or AIDS?

We are doing a project to help provide support, outreach and education services to immigrants and newcomers who are affected by HIV or AIDS.If you or someone you know has an hour of time to contribute to this project, please call Lynn at HIV Edmonton for more information.

Participants will be compensated for their time and all information is confidential.  Contact person: Lynn (780) 488-5742 ext. 241 or lynn.s@hivedmonton.com

Circumcision Not Effective in Preventing HIV Among MSM, Study Finds

(Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, October 8, 2008)

Despite research showing circumcision can reduce a man's risk of HIV during heterosexual intercourse, a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the procedure offers little protection against the virus for men who have sex with men, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the study, there was minimal difference in HIV infections between those MSM who were circumcised and those who were not (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/7).

For the study, researchers at CDC, led by Gregorio Millett, reviewed 15 previous studies on circumcision that included 53,567 MSM from Australia, Great Britain, Canada, India, the Netherlands, Peru, Taiwan and the U.S. Circumcised MSM were 14% less likely to be HIV-positive than those who were not, a rate that was not statistically significant, according to the researchers. Millett said, "You can't necessarily say with confidence that we're seeing a true effect there," adding, "Overall, we're not finding a protective effect associated with circumcision" for MSM (Dunham, Reuters, 10/7).

>> Click Here

Nobel Winner Pessimistic on AIDS Vaccine

(The Body, October 7, 2008)

Twenty-five years ago, when Pasteur Institute researchers first described the virus that causes AIDS, they believed a global epidemic could be averted.

"We were very naïve," said Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who, with Luc Montagnier, is receiving the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering HIV. "We naively thought that the discovery of the virus would allow us to quickly learn more about it, to develop diagnostic tests which has been done and to develop treatments, which has also been done to a large extent and, most of all, develop a vaccine that would prevent the global epidemic," Barre-Sinoussi said. "On that point, I must say that until now it has been a succession of failures, failures linked to the complexity of the interaction of this virus with human beings."

>> Click Here

Study traces AIDS virus origin to 100 years ago

(Chicago - Reuters, October 1, 2008)

The deadly AIDS virus first began spreading among humans at the turn of the 20th century in sub-Saharan Africa, just as modern cities were emerging in the region, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.  The finding pushes back the origin of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by several decades, they reported in the journal Nature.

Researchers think the growth of cities -- and high-risk behavior associated with urban life -- may have helped the virus to flourish. There is no cure for AIDS, which is most commonly transmitted through sexual contact. Prior estimates put the origin of HIV at 1930. But Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona in Tucson now believes HIV began infecting humans between 1884 and 1924.

>> Click Here

Newspapers Examine Efforts, Reaction to Easing Ban on HIV-Positive Visitors to U.S.

(Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, October 2, 2008)

Some HIV/AIDS advocates are "being cautious with their optimism" regarding new immigration rules for HIV-positive visitors as well as HHS efforts to remove HIV from the list of diseases barring entry into the U.S., the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/2).

A law that made foreigners living with HIV/AIDS inadmissible in the U.S. was repealed in July when President Bush signed the United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. HHS determines which diseases are inadmissible and first placed HIV on the list in 1987. This decision was later codified by U.S. immigration law. With the statutory immigration ban now lifted, HHS is in the process of removing HIV from the inadmissibility list.

>> Click Here

Syphilis Spikes Upward in San Francisco

(The Body, October 6, 2008)

From January to August of this year, syphilis cases in San Francisco were up 54 percent over the same period in 2007, from 305 to 409. City health officials estimate the year-end tally for early syphilis cases will be 493 -- the highest number since 2005, when the agency recorded 551 cases.

"I am very concerned about this recent increase because it comes after three years of consistent and steady declines," said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, director of STD control for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

>> Click Here

HIV Edmonton Employment Opportunities

Community Education Facilitator

This is a full-time position at HIV Edmonton. If you have a passion for community-based adult learning; a strong  knowledge of HIV / AIDS to help people living with, affected by and at risk of the disease; and want to work in an intentionally diverse, creative and human relationship-centered environment – you may be interested in this opportunity.

Support and Outreach Worker

If you want to work directly with people living with HIV/AIDS and support them to live the "quality life" of their own definition, you may be interested in this opportunity. This is a temporary position. This is a six-week contract with the possibility of extension. This position is currently part-time (20 hours per week) with the possibility of extending to full-time. 

Please click on the link below for more information. 

>> Click Here

Individual Walkers

Sponsorship Appreciation

Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Top Teams and Donors

Canadian AIDS Society Election 2008

To find out more about the issues that are important to Canadians and People Living with HIV/AIDS in Canada visit the Canadian AIDS Society Election 2008 website at http://www.cdnaids.ca/election2008.

Vote for Action on AIDS!

To find out information on where the federal parties stand on issues related to HIV and AIDS visit the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network election website at http://www.aidslaw.ca/EN/election2008/index.htm.

Talking to your Doctor

Come to a free workshop on talking to your doctor. Learn helpful hints to make your doctor’s visit easier and better. Get a chance to talk to nurse Sharyn Hewitt about how to get the most out of your trip to the doctor. 

Date: Oct. 28, 2008  Time: 10:00am

RSVP to Jill at 780-488-5742

Exposure: Edmonton's Queer Arts & Culture Festival

Exposure 2007 was a smashing success and planning is underway for the 2008 festival now!  It will be held from November 14 - 22 this year.  For more information visit http://www.exposurefestival.ca/

HIV Resources from CATIE

CATIE is the new "Knowledge Broker" for HIV Information in Canada.  If you are looking for resources related to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, support and care visit the website below and place an order! http://orders.catie.ca/index.php?language=en

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HIV Edmonton
300-11456 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T5K 0M1

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