Fortyfour percent of workingclass women want to have fewer children or delay pregnancy because of the economic recession, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, the Washington Posts “Daily Dose” reports. A nationally representative sample of 947 women ages 18 to 34 at risk of getting pregnant and living in households with incomes less than $75,000 was surveyed in July and August. Of women who reported a desire to reduce or delay childbearing because of the economic recession, 31% said they want to get pregnant later, 28% want fewer children than previously planned and 7% no longer want any additional children (Stein, “Daily Dose,” Washington Post, 9/23).

Laura Lindberg, a senior research associate at Guttmacher, said, “The recession has impacted much more than peoples wallets,” adding, “Women, especially those that are facing financial difficulties, want to avoid unintended pregnancy more than ever, and many of them are having difficulties affording their contraception to do this” (Reinberg, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 9/23).

Fiftytwo percent of respondents said they are financially worse off now than in 2008, and nearly three in four said they worry more about money. Fiftyseven percent of women with children reported worrying more about taking care of their children, and 64% agreed with the statement, “With the economy the way it is, I cant afford to have a baby right now.”

The study also found that 29% of women agreed with the statement, “With the economy the way it is, I am more careful than I used to be about using contraception every time I have sex” (”Daily Dose,” Washington Post, 9/23). According to HealthDay/U.S. News, some women are switching from daily, oral contraception to longer lasting methods, such as intrauterine devices and injectable contraceptives. Fortysix percent of the women who said they did not want more children also said they are “thinking more about sterilization,” the study found (HealthDay/ U.S. News & World Report, 9/23).

At the same time, financial strains are making it more difficult for some women to use effective contraception consistently, the “Daily Dose” reports. The study found that nearly one in four women reported having to delay gynecological or birth control visits in the past year to save money. Twentythree percent of the women said that they are having more difficulty paying for birth control than in the past, and 8% said they sometimes do not use any birth control as a way to save money. In addition, 18% of women using the birth control pills reported inconsistent use as a way to save money.

Sharon Camp, president and CEO of Guttmacher, said the economic downturn is “putting many women and their partners between a rock and a hard place,” adding, “They want to avoid an unplanned pregnancy more than ever, but for many of them the ability to afford the birth control they need is getting harder than ever.” Camp said, “These are women who might not have health insurance or may have lost their health insurance, and so might be most stressed” (”Daily Dose,” Washington Post, 9/23).

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the study “confirms what we are hearing at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country.” Richards added that 17.5 million women currently are in need of publicly funded family planning services.

Men appear to have similar concerns about childbearing during the recession, according HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report. In early 2009, doctors reported an increase in the number of vasectomies performed since the start of the economic downturn. Doctors said the rise could come from a decreased desire to have children because of financial concerns, as well as fears of losing a job and health insurance.

According to Lindberg, the attitude and behavioral changes reported in the study could continue long after the recession is officially over. “National economic indicators may take a long time to translate into families homes and bedrooms,” she said (HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 9/23).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

On September 18, six leading sexual health and HIV organisations are launching SHout loud (Sexual Health out loud) shoutloud.org.uk , a website which enables the general public, community groups and campaigners to have their say about sexual health, contraception and HIV services in England.

The new site, launching during sexual health week, is a joint initiative by the African HIV Policy Network (AHPN), Brook, fpa, the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health (MedFASH), NAT (National AIDS Trust) and Terrence Higgins Trust. Visitors type in their postcode to receive local data about sexual health, find out if sexual health is a priority in their area and can use the site to take action by contacting key decisionmakers.

Everyone who is interested in sexual health will be encouraged to get involved from young people, to those living with or affected by HIV to anyone who feels its an issue worth shouting about.

Teenage pregnancy rates are high across particular areas in England, one in 12 young people has chlamydia and more people are living with HIV than ever before. Individuals and community groups will be encouraged to get in touch with their MP, Primary Care Trust (PCT) and local authority to demonstrate that these issues matter to them and to try and ensure that sexual health, HIV and contraception services get the attention and funding they deserve.

Sophie Robinson, SHout loud project officer said “Some people are embarrassed to talk about sexual health, which often means that they dont express their views about local services to help them improve. The SHout loud website gives people the opportunity to show that sexual health issues really matter to them and to campaign for support and investment. If you care about the subject, sign up now and get your voice heard.”

Getting local people engaged in campaigning on local healthcare priorities is essential, especially during a recession when resources are limited.

Individuals and community groups can join the site to get information and ideas on how to get involved. To sign up visit shoutloud.org.uk

Notes

The African HIV Policy Network (AHPN) is an alliance of various African communitybased organisations and their members who collaboratively work for fair policies for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the UK, providing various services such as training, support, research and information. AHPN is the only organisation within the UK whose work is dedicated to policy, advocacy and representation at national level, its main focus being HIV and the Sexual Health of Africans in the UK.

Brook helps young people to make informed, active choices about their personal and sexual relationships so they can enjoy their sexuality without harm. Brook is the UKs leading provider of sexual health services and advice for all young people under 25 and provides free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and outreach and education work, reaching around 210,000 young people every year. Brook has 45 years of experience working with young people and currently has a network of services in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jersey.

fpa is one of the UKs leading sexual health charities. Its mission is to help establish a society in which everyone has positive, informed and nonjudgmental attitudes to sex and relationships; where everyone can make informed choice about sex and reproduction so that they can enjoy sexual health free from prejudice and harm. fpa provides a range of information, education and support services and runs public awareness and high profile media campaigns on all aspects of sexual health. For more information go to fpa.org.uk

The Medical Foundation for AIDS & Sexual Health (MedFASH) is a charity dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the healthcare of people affected by HIV, sexually transmitted infections and related conditions. It develops and disseminates information and practical guidance for health professionals and policymakers, fosters communication and collaboration within and beyond the healthcare sector, and builds links between practice and policy.

NAT (National AIDS Trust) is the UKs leading charity dedicated to transforming societys response to HIV. We provide fresh thinking, expert advice and practical resources. We campaign for change. Shaping attitudes. Challenging injustice. Changing lives. nat.org.uk

Source

Chinese state media on Thursday reported that women in the country have about 13 million abortions annually, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. According to the China Daily newspaper, the actual number likely is much higher because the 13 million includes abortions performed in hospitals but not unreported procedures performed in rural clinics. Most of the abortions were among single young women who experts say know little about contraception. The paper also said that about 10 million pills for medical abortion are sold annually in the country.

China imposed strict population controls in the 1970s that prohibit most couples from having more than one child. For married women, sterilization and the use of intrauterine devices are widely promoted and subsidized. However, Chinese policies typically do not address the needs of unmarried women, even as national attitudes have become more accepting of sex outside of marriage, the AP/Chronicle reports. According to the newspaper, about 62% of the abortions were among unmarried women ages 20 to 29. The Chinese report called the number of abortions “an unfortunate situation” but did not indicate whether the procedures are increasing or decreasing from year to year. National Population and Family Planning Commission official Wu Shangchun is quoted in the report as saying that almost half of the women seeking abortion had used no form of contraception. Wu also said that reducing abortions is a national challenge that requires significant effort. Peking University professor Li Ying said that sex education in China must be improved at the university level and that Chinese parents must do more to teach children about sex (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/30).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Bostonbased Fenway Health and the Multicultural AIDS Coalition “have launched the recruitment phase of a new study aimed at learning more about the sexual health of black gay and bi[sexual] men and finding effective strategies for HIV prevention within the black gay community,” Bay Windows reports. The study, called Project Saving Ourselves (SOS), is seeking to recruit up to 400 participants in Boston, and also is collecting data on black gay and bisexual men in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ben Perkins, Project SOS director at the Fenway Institute of Fenway Healths research division, said, “This is pretty new. In terms of the scale, there hasnt been anything quite like it.” Perkins said there are several questions researchers hope to answer about black gay and bisexual male health and HIV prevention, but the goal is to determine what factors put them at risk for HIV and help promote better health and safe behavior (Jacobs, 7/15).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

With the first innings of the Ashes commencing this week, celebrity TV presenter and former England cricketer and spin ace, Phil Tufnell is calling on British blokes to think about their health as well as the Ashes Test Series this summer. Concerned that many men may not be able to bowl their maiden over, Phil is encouraging blokes who may experience impotence to visit bowlyourmaidenover.com to learn about the condition and why their doctor is best placed to help. Bowl Your Maiden Over is sponsored and brought to you by Lilly UK.

Impotence is common. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree of impotence(1) yet many do not speak to a doctor(2). The latest data suggest that almost one third of men attempt to selftreat impotence by purchasing treatments from uncontrolled sources(2)(*). In the case of medicines, a study showed 65% accessed from these sources are imitations with relatively high health risks(2). Bowl Your Maiden Over encourages men to avoid unnecessary risk and to speak to their GP about impotence and the range of different treatment options available 95% of cases can be treated by a healthcare professional(3).

Commenting on why men fail to take appropriate action on impotence, Phil Tufnell says, “Over five and a half million fellas in the UK may be experiencing some degree of impotence,(1,4) but no one seems to talk about it. But because of all this embarrassment and silence, men dont know what to do about the condition. So Im encouraging blokes to take action. The message is simple lads, if you cant bowl your maiden over, go to bowlyourmaidenover.com and then, if necessary, visit your GP for help.”

Research shows that most men wait for a year or longer before speaking to their GP.(5) Commenting on this, media doctor and GP Rob Hicks says, “Theres really no need for embarrassment when it comes to impotence. This is a common condition that GPs see week in, week out. Given this, its strange that men still duck for cover when the word is mentioned. Theres no need this is not an outofbounds condition. GPs are used to talking about it and want to help.”

Supporting the call for men to take appropriate action on impotence, Rob adds, “I want men to enjoy the cricket this summer but to also think about their health. Im urging men to tackle the issue head on and get information from qualified sources. On top of that, impotence may impact on a couples relationship so it makes sense to speak to your GP and get things back on track(6).”

Concluding, Phil Tufnell says, “Im looking forward to sharing some top cricket stats with blokes this summer but before the Ashes gets underway, I want to knock about some facts on impotence youre not alone if you experience it. In fact, if a large Test ground, such as Lords, was full of men aged 40 and over, at least 10,000 blokes would have experienced impotence(1,7). Trying to get help without speaking to a professional is a risky business, so get down to the GP and make sure your kit is in order.”

As a first step, men can visit a new impotence information website at bowlyourmaidenover.com. It is provided alongside 40over40.com, a website that offers information and advice about impotence and includes a simple action plan to help men prepare for a conversation with their GP. Both websites are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK).

Notes

* Uncontrolled sources of impotence treatments tend to provide services without the patient requiring a medical consultation and/or prescription

Decisions about impotence treatment and mens overall health should be made by patients in consultation with a doctor. Buying treatments from internet sites, or other sources, which do not provide professional, qualified medical advice puts the patient at risk.

What is impotence?

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, occurs when the penis does not get hard (erect) enough to allow a man to have sexual activity. This happens because not enough blood can get into, or stay, in the penis(6).

What causes impotence?

In most cases, the cause of impotence is a physical one. It can be a symptom of other illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure or nerve problems(6,8,9,10). In many cases there will be a combination of both physical and psychological factors.

Why has bowlyourmaidenover.com been developed?

Impotence is commonly experienced by men over the age of 40,(1) many of who may be cricket fans. A cricket analogy is being used in this summers impotence information campaign to help men engage with this health problem and discuss the topic with their GP. The Bowl Your Maiden Over disease awareness campaign is in association with 40over40.com, an erectile dysfunction educational website.

Both activities/resources are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK).

Disease awareness campaigns

Guidance is provided on healthcare communications and disease awareness campaigns in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). More information can be found at mhra.gov.uk/ and abpi.org.uk/links/assoc/PMCPA/pmpca_code2006.pdf

References

1) Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG et al. Impotence and its medical and psychological correlates results of the Massachusetts male aging study. Journal of Urology 1994; 151(1) 54 61

2) Banks I, Kirby M, Marfatia A et al. Assessment, in a general population of men, of mens interaction with the healthcare system to obtain Phospodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors. Poster presented at Joint Congress of the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine, Belgium, 2008

3) WGBH Educational Foundation 2006, Impotence causes and treatments, jcn.co.uk/journal.asp.?MonthNum=10&YearNum=1999 &Type=backissue&ArticleID=186 Last accessed 19.06.09

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browsers URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

4) 14,052,000 men in the UK are aged 40 or over according to data from the Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agencystatistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106. Last accessed 23.06.09. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree of impotence according to Feldman HA et al. (reference 1 within this document). It can therefore be calculated that 5,620,800 men in the UK may be experiencing some form of impotence

5) Haro JM, Beardsworth A, Casariego J et al. Treatmentseeking behavior of erectile dysfunction patients in Europe results of the erectile dysfunction observational study. Journal of Sexual Medicine 2006; 3 530 540

6) Miller TA. Diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction. American Family Physician 2000; 61(1) 95 104, 109 110

7) BBC Sport venue guide, news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/cricket/2001/ashes/venues/lords.stm. Last accessed 12.06.09

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browsers URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

Wagner G, Mulhall J. Pathophysiology and diagnosis of male erectile dysfunction. BJU International 2001; 88 (Suppl 3) 3 10

9) Bloomgarden ZT. American Diabetes Association annual meeting, 1999 nephropathy and neuropathy. Diabetes Care 2000; 23(4) 549 556

10) Dey J, Shepherd MD. Evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2002; 77 276 282

This activity is sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK). Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL.

Prepared June 2009, UKCLS00232

Link to Multimedia News Release

San Francisco, the host city for the American Sociological Associations 104th annual meeting, will be the subject of several regional spotlight sessions in which leading sociologists present research and explore the politics, history, health and culture of the city and state of California.

More than 5,000 sociologists will convene in the city for the associations annual meeting, which highlights “The New Politics of Community,” the meetings theme. In addition to the following selected regional sessions, social scientists will explore issues of community and the social significance of Barack Obama.

WHAT The American Sociological Associations 104th Annual Meeting “The New Politics of Community”

WHEN Friday, Aug. 7, through Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

WHERE Regional spotlight sessions will be held at the Hilton San Francisco (333 OFarrell Street). Other meeting events will take place at the Parc 55 Hotel (55 Cyril Magnin Street).

FEATURED REGIONAL SESSIONS SameSex Marriage in California Monday, Aug. 10, 430 p.m. 610 p.m. Mayor Gavin Newsom and many community organizations have made San Francisco the center of the firestorm around samesex marriage. Panelists will discuss the political strategies and sociological implications that are born and felt immediately in San Francisco surrounding this issue.

Queer Organizing in the New Millennium Sunday, Aug. 9, 230 p.m. 410 p.m. This panel of scholars and activists will explore how GLBT organizing has shaped San Francisco in the new millennium. Panel members will discuss how transgender issues, “dyke marches” and other forms of social protest have changed the sociological landscape.

Migration and Shifting Sexualities among Latinos in California Implications for HIV
Sunday, Aug. 9, 1230 p.m. 210 p.m.
Key scholars will shed light on the implications of Latino migration to California on sexual health and HIV/AIDS, taking into account the crossborder differences in sexual rights, sexual identities and gender relations.

Activist Scholarship and the Antiprison Movement in California
Monday, Aug. 10, 230 p.m. 410 p.m.
Activists and scholars in California have led the nations efforts to address the growth of a prison industry driven by motives of profit rather than motives to reduce crime rates and rehabilitate criminals. The panel will address how scholarship and community alliances can combat mass incarceration and aid in the understanding of this phenomenon.

New Politics of Race, Youth and Community Justice
Saturday, Aug. 8, 830 a.m. 1010 a.m.
This session looks critically at the place of youth in the racial politics of community, and showcases new understandings about the intersection of race, youth and community justice, particularly in relation to criminal social control and San Francisco.

The Politics of Spoken Word
Saturday, Aug. 8, 430 p.m. 610 p.m.
Scholars will examine the merging of art, politics and hip hop culture that is the Spoken Word movement prominent in the Bay area and will discuss how youth organizations have leveraged Spoken Word for their social justice agendas.

The San Francisco General Strike
Monday, Aug. 10, 1030 a.m. 1210 p.m.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1934 San Francisco Longshore and General Strike, one of the most significant events in the history of the U.S. labor movement. Panelists will focus on the legacies of the strike and its implications for the future of labor. Source
Jackie Cooper

The U.S. should conduct research to compare the effectiveness of innovative programs aimed at preventing unintended pregnancy, according to a report issued Tuesday by a congressionally convened Institute of Medicine panel, the New York Times reports (Meier, New York Times, 7/1). The recommendations state that these strategies should include “overthecounter access to oral contraceptives or other hormonal methods, expanding access to longacting methods for young women, [and] providing free contraceptive methods at public clinics, pharmacies or other locations” (List of Priorities, IOM, 6/26).

The report lists 100 health topics that should be prioritized as the Obama administration seeks to increase costeffectiveness in medicine. The federal stimulus package passed earlier this year allotted $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research into different ways of treating certain conditions and addressing various health care issues. According to the Times, the report is a first step in an expansive effort by the administration and health experts to direct medical practice toward scientifically proven treatments, rather than a providers personal opinion or a medical product companys promotional claims.

Harold Sox, cochair of the IOM panel that wrote the report and the editor of the Annals of Internal Medicine, said that based on public comments, the panel decided it was important to include pregnancy prevention and other public health issues in its recommendations (Meier, New York Times, 7/1). The report also recommends that researchers compare different comprehensive care coordination programs, such as the medical home model and chronic disease management, especially in communities known to have health disparities (Simmons, HealthLeaders Media, 6/30).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important causative agent in squamous cell cancers of head and neck (HNSCC) a new metaanalysis presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) confirms; but a separate European survey at the same meeting reveals the public is woefully ignorant about it and possible ways to avoid it. Lack of public awareness about the possible link between HPVrelated head and neck cancer and oral sex with multiple partners presents a case for making vaccinations against HPV more widely available to boys as well as girls before they become sexually active, commented leading expert Professor JeanLouis Lefebvre of Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France.

Researchers led by Farshid Dayyani at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, looked at a total of almost 7000 patients who developed head and neck cancer over the past 20 years to gauge the prevalence of HPV a possible causative agent. They included studies which had tested for the virus in serum or in tumour tissue by PCR and found almost a quarter of patients (24.2%) had HPV positive tumours. Of these the vast majority (86.8%) were positive for HPV 16, the virus also associated with cervical cancer. Overall, the researchers concluded that being HPV positive increased the risk of developing head and neck cancer by 40 per cent. But being HPV16 positive increased the risk more than fourfold (4.47 times higher) compared to HPV16 negative patients.

However, people with HPVassociated head and neck cancer lived longer than people with other forms of the disease, the researchers point out. Their risk of dying was reduced by 60 per cent and by even more in HPV16associated cancers of the mouth and pharynx compared to HPV negative HNSCC suggesting the virus produces a less aggressive type of cancer.

Other researchers at ASCO presented results of a panEuropean survey of public awareness about head and neck cancers and their associated risk factors. Results showed only 15 per cent of people were aware of the risk of acquiring HPVrelated oral cancer by oral sex with multiple partners. A finding described as “potentially worrying” by the survey authors. “Although the risk of HPV infection from oral sex is only an observational finding at this stage of our knowledge, people ought to be made aware of it,” said survey leader Professor Lefebvre.

The survey conducted among more than 7500 members of the public in seven European countries France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and UK revealed an alarming lack of awareness of head and neck cancers in general and how to recognise early symptoms, he said.

Only 23 per cent of survey participants were aware of the term “Head and Neck Cancer”, at all. Despite a link between those recognising the term and personally knowing someone affected, the extent of public awareness at a country by country level bore no relation to the incidence of disease nationally. Awareness was lowest in the UK (11 per cent) where almost 8000 cases are diagnosed per year and highest in Italy (39 per cent) where 12,400 cases were diagnosed. Incidence of head and neck cancer was highest in France (over 20,000 cases per year) where awareness was 20 per cent and in Germany (19,700 cases per year) where awareness was 22 per cent. The lowest incidence of disease was in The Netherlands, with just over 2300 cases per year where awareness was comparatively high at 30 per cent.

More than 60 per cent of participants underestimated the incidence of head and neck cancer by at least a factor of 10. Although the majority knew certain lifestyle factors could affect risk of developing head and neck cancer and correctly identified smoking as a risk factor, only 59 per cent knew alcohol played a major role and only 29 per cent acknowledged the part played by excessive sun exposure.

Commenting on the study Professor Lefebvre said the lack of awareness was worrying because it was likely to delay people affected coming forward for diagnosis and treatment at a stage when the disease was potentially curable. Greater efforts should be made to educate the public about avoiding harmful lifestyle behaviours that increase risk and about how to recognise symptoms requiring a specialist opinion. “Anyone with a sore throat persisting more than two weeks should see their GP and be referred to an ENT specialist for investigation” he advised. “Should more evidence emerge of the link between HPV infection and oral cancer there will be a case for wider vaccination against HPV with young males as well as females offered vaccination,” he added.

Omnibus Internet interviews for the About Face survey were conducted in September 2008 by TNS Healthcare in conjunction with the European Head and Neck Society.

Olwen Glynn Owen

“President Obamas push to reenergize the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States led to concern that he was going to allow U.S. global leadership in fighting the disease to languish,” a Washington Post editorial says, adding, “Those fears ought to be calmed after Mr. Obamas announcement Tuesday of an initiative that will sustain” the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

PEPFAR is a “successful” and “groundbreaking program” that a recent study found prevented about 1.2 million deaths, the editorial says. It adds that about $18.8 billion was spent on the program between 2003 and 2008 and that Congress and former President George W. Bush last year authorized $48 billion for PEPFAR over five years. Obamas plan “boosts” global health spending to $63 billion over six years, the editorial says, adding, “PEPFAR would receive the bulk of the funding ($51 billion). The rest would be aimed at averting unintended pregnancies and eliminating some tropical diseases.”

According to the editorial, “[e]fforts to end deaths from AIDS will continue to fail until ways are found to slow and eventually halt the number of HIV infections. This task will fall to Dr. Eric Goosby,” who earlier this month was named U.S. global AIDS coordinator. “For more than 25 years, Dr. Goosby has fought the epidemic,” the editorial says, concluding, “He has helped develop and implement major treatment programs in South Africa, Rwanda, China and Ukraine. Given this vast experience, Mr. Goosby must make it a priority to find ways to bring down the rates of HIV infection” (Washington Post, 5/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

“President Obamas push to reenergize the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States led to concern that he was going to allow U.S. global leadership in fighting the disease to languish,” a Washington Post editorial says, adding, “Those fears ought to be calmed after Mr. Obamas announcement Tuesday of an initiative that will sustain” the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

PEPFAR is a “successful” and “groundbreaking program” that a recent study found prevented about 1.2 million deaths, the editorial says. It adds that about $18.8 billion was spent on the program between 2003 and 2008 and that Congress and former President George W. Bush last year authorized $48 billion for PEPFAR over five years. Obamas plan “boosts” global health spending to $63 billion over six years, the editorial says, adding, “PEPFAR would receive the bulk of the funding ($51 billion). The rest would be aimed at averting unintended pregnancies and eliminating some tropical diseases.”

According to the editorial, “[e]fforts to end deaths from AIDS will continue to fail until ways are found to slow and eventually halt the number of HIV infections. This task will fall to Dr. Eric Goosby,” who earlier this month was named U.S. global AIDS coordinator. “For more than 25 years, Dr. Goosby has fought the epidemic,” the editorial says, concluding, “He has helped develop and implement major treatment programs in South Africa, Rwanda, China and Ukraine. Given this vast experience, Mr. Goosby must make it a priority to find ways to bring down the rates of HIV infection” (Washington Post, 5/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.