tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84316242011-12-14T00:26:04.546-06:00News and information for the Texas HIV/AIDS community from Texas AIDS Network.Carolynnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1167777435994594862007-01-02T13:31:00.000-06:002007-01-02T16:37:21.483-06:00

Happy new year! Putting things together for the new year, getting organized, setting up calendars--it's like the first day of school with pencils all sharpened and a brand new notebook to fill. What a bummer it is then to find out that one of my proudest accomplishments for the last few weeks, the 2007 Bill Track List, may not have been publicly accessible as intended. As it turns out, Google

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1166726051353851542006-12-21T12:20:00.000-06:002006-12-21T12:34:11.486-06:00

Male circumcision has been discovered to prevent as much as 50 percent of infection for men. It is even protective for women, reducing their rates of infection substantially.The discussion in Africa now is whether to promote male circumcision and even whether to make it mandatory. Tanzania, for example, is considering whether to implement "mass circumcision" for its male citizens.This raises

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1166725154770519362006-12-21T12:07:00.000-06:002006-12-21T12:19:18.016-06:00

After some months of fiddling with a new version of Blogger, the Blogger folks say that it's out of beta and ready to use. They also say that it's time to shift all blogs to the new Blogger. Hmph!It's not happening here. Not that I don't want to shift to the new Blogger. After having panned it as inadequate for our needs, I am now eager to make the shift. For one thing, the new Blogger works

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1166724138263629372006-12-21T11:58:00.000-06:002006-12-21T12:02:18.353-06:00

Oh, dear! Yesterday's post regarding "AIDS in the Media" was an unfinished draft of an article that I am working on. I accidentally published it instead of saving it to drafts, and Feedburner/FeedBlits did their thing, sending it out to all our subscribers. Alas and alackaday! I hope you were not unduly confused by the thing just fizzling out before it reached any real conclusion. I've "

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1166559260662815002006-12-19T14:14:00.000-06:002006-12-19T14:14:20.890-06:00

I gave a policy briefing at the 15th Texas HIV/STD Conference along with Randall Ellis, Government Relations Director for Legacy Community Health Services. Called "Sex, Drugs, & Money," the briefing included discussion of the cultural context for HIV/AIDS policy in Texas, resources for local advocates, and an outline of issues that we will (or may) see in the 80th Texas Legislature. While only

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1165938106645691012006-12-12T09:36:00.000-06:002006-12-12T09:41:47.030-06:00

The feds have not yet approved Texas' waiver application to extend STAR+PLUS coverage to the rest of the state, so plans to roll the program out in Travis, Bexar, Nueces service areas by January 1, 2007, have been put on hold. The Harris County STAR+PLUS program will continue uninterrupted, and eligible clients in other parts of the state will continue to be served by Medicaid.More information

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1164737117179667012006-11-28T11:24:00.000-06:002006-11-28T12:05:18.800-06:00

On August 31, Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez presented the Texas Department of State Health Services Legislative Appropriations Request to the Legislative Budget Board. He used a PowerPoint presentation that included 44 slides. Slides 27 and 28 are reproduced below.Regarding Slide 27 (above), his Notes page said:DSHS also administers programs to prevent the spread of HIV. Treatment has improved

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1164734639042027432006-11-28T11:23:00.000-06:002006-11-28T12:17:57.480-06:00

As it turns out, most US adults do--and they support the inclusion of comprehensive sex ed in public school curriculum. Isn't it interesting, then, that Rep. Warren Chisum hasn't gotten the message? If he had, he certainly wouldn't have filed HB 311, Relating to parental approval of a student's participation in human sexuality instruction in public schools.Chisum's bill reverses the current

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1164051697062643152006-11-20T13:26:00.001-06:002006-11-20T13:41:37.130-06:00

The Network will be (as much as time and staff resources permit) posting its tracking list for the 80th Texas Legislature on line. The bill track--so far--has three levels of tracking.HIV/STD: Bills on this list specifically address HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. The Network may take a position for or against these bills, may actively support or oppose them through testimony or

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1164050797821395432006-11-20T13:26:00.000-06:002006-11-20T13:26:38.090-06:00

The 8th Texas Legislature won't begin until January 9, but legislators are already pre-filing bills. Doing so gives their legislation an official number and a stronger possibility (they hope) of getting their bill passed during the actual session. Once committees are formed in the new session, bills with be formally "read" in the House and Senate and referred to committee where they will be

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1163197525768902772006-11-10T16:00:00.000-06:002006-11-10T18:52:12.556-06:00

At some point, I suppose that my struggles with the legislative contact lists could get boring if all you're interested in is getting your hands on the lists and then using them. It's that latter part that is, of course, my goal in all of this activity. Once the contact lists are completed, you will be able to use them to find contact information for your elected representatives and then start

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1163116793613599682006-11-09T17:59:00.000-06:002006-11-09T17:59:58.683-06:00

Continuing with the activity of compiling contact information for the 80th Texas Legislature and Texas' delegation to the 110th Congress, I created a second spreadsheet. This one is called "Texas State Government: 2007-2008." The spreadsheet includes separate sheets for the Texas House, Senate, and State Board of Education. There is also a sheet for State Leadership, a catchall for the Governor

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1162989132882297382006-11-08T06:08:00.000-06:002006-11-08T07:08:07.553-06:00

Results are in (mostly) for the 2006 mid-term election. Unlike some other states, Texas did not vote for much of a change. Most incumbents won re-election; the Republican Party retains control of most branches of state government and continues to dominate the Texas congressional delegation.Detailed election results for state- and federal-level races are available from the Secretary of State.In

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1162316496862779222006-10-31T11:40:00.000-06:002006-10-31T11:41:40.723-06:00

Dr. Gary F. Clark has written a comment on yesterday's blog article on "Accountability and World AIDS Day 2006." His comment is so important that I am responding in a new article so that I can address his points more fully. Dr. Clark says:I agree that the issue of accountability applies to both sides of this issue. However, rather than being divisive and aggressive, perhaps an olive branch would

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1162242195217978852006-10-30T13:54:00.000-06:002006-10-30T15:03:21.766-06:00

According to Gretta Curtis of Christian Today, the theme for World AIDS Day (December 1) 2006 is accountability:The theme of accountability, with the slogan 'Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise', was chosen in consultation with civil society campaign groups to stress the critical need to meet current commitments to increase the global response to AIDS and bring universal access to treatment, care and

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1162237993937051082006-10-30T13:43:00.000-06:002006-10-30T13:53:17.146-06:00

The current issue of WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation (Volume 27, Number 3, 2006) is a special issue called : HIV/AIDS and Employment: The Continuing Challenge. According to Medical News Today:Persons living with HIV/AIDS, often diagnosed in the first few decades of their lives, may now face decades more of life while managing the illness. Increasingly, the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1160682206114360742006-10-12T14:30:00.000-05:002006-10-12T14:43:26.223-05:00

The Parazapper is a fraudulent device that has been marketed as a cure for athelete's foot, diarrhea, HIV, and just about any other illness that can attributed to bacteria, fungus, or critters invading the body. It has been around, either on the market or touted as a do-it-yourself cure, for years. In essence, a parazapper is a metal rod connected by wires to a battery. You use it to zap

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1160681238331692332006-10-12T14:20:00.000-05:002006-10-12T14:29:20.790-05:00

The fourth annual observance of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) will take place on Sunday, October 15, 2006. Sponsored by the Latino Commission on AIDS, NLAAD is designed to develop awareness, promote prevention and build leadership around HIV/AIDS issues in Latino communities nationwide.The following is a list of NLAAD-related events taking place around Texas, provided by (but not

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1160529586764038422006-10-10T20:00:00.000-05:002006-10-18T09:23:41.306-05:00

Welcome to the Fourth International Carnival of Pozitivities. The first Carnival was hosted by Ron Hudson at 2sides2ron in July. In August, Brad at AIDS Combat Zone hosted the second Carnival. Last month's host, Richard Kearns, published the third Carnival at AIDS-write.org. This October edition of ICP is hosted here at Texas AIDS Blog by . . . well . . . me.We are fortunate to have an

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1159298122174908902006-09-26T14:08:00.000-05:002006-09-26T14:15:26.763-05:00

Diedtra Henderson writes for the Boston Globe about a new coalition that has formed to lobby for a bigger appropriation for the FDA. Yea, verily. As federal agencies go, the FDA is one of the most important for the health and safety of the American people, yet it is chronically underfunded. A little e coli in the vegetable supply goes a long way toward reminding folks that the "F" in FDA

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1159296424506622372006-09-26T13:46:00.000-05:002006-09-26T13:47:05.290-05:00

The Washington Post writer Michael A. Fleischer reports that the First Lady is now being touted as the public face of AIDS for this administration:"She's been the face of, as far as the public face of, the U.S. government commitment on AIDS, on human rights, on democracy," McBride [Mrs. Bush's chief of staff] said. "So I think he's seen what all of you have seen -- she's been a voice for the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158345409283099002006-09-15T13:36:00.000-05:002006-09-15T13:39:27.796-05:00

I went back to an old favorite news source today: newsmap. In the Health section, I found a link to a news article from the Phillipines about the HPV vaccine: "How many women will have to die?" I'm interested in the subject (we are expecting to see legislation on this matter in the next session of the Texas Legislature), but it may not be immediately obvious why the vaccine might matter in the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158268730836896882006-09-14T15:58:00.000-05:002006-09-14T17:23:13.116-05:00

The Statewide Health Coordinating Council is in the process of finalizing its report on healthcare workforce issues in Texas through its 2007-2008 State Health Plan Update. If you're interested, the stats and graphs showing number, distribution, education, and even age (they are so getting older) are included in Chapter 2: Status of the Health Workforce in TX. SHCC's recommendations to the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158179168307819082006-09-13T15:25:00.000-05:002006-09-13T15:26:08.996-05:00

A friend sent me a video of a condom ad from East Africa. I tracked it down to at least one web site. Go see it. It's fun.The caption at the end is "Maisha iko sawa na Trust." There may be some double meanings here as well. My first reading was that it meant "Life is the same as Trust," i.e., life = Trust. A second reading made me think that the phrase was somewhat more idiomatic and might mean "

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158176218156308392006-09-13T14:36:00.000-05:002006-09-13T15:33:21.043-05:00

The latest issue of the Texas HIV/STD eUpdate from the DSHS HIV/STD Program carries the story (emphasis added):InfoLine Callers Now Forwarded to CDC-INFOThe Texas HIV/STD InfoLine you know so well (800-299-2437) is undergoing some changes.Until recently, callers who wanted to speak to an information specialist would get a DSHS employee. Callers who request to speak with an information specialist

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158174868958034072006-09-13T14:14:00.000-05:002006-09-13T14:14:29.493-05:00

Well, not exactly at DSHS. On their new website.I was looking to see what educational resources related to condoms were still available on the HIV/STD program's new website--and couldn't find it! Naturally, I couldn't stop myself from being just a tad . . . well . . . paranoid about the possibility of the change from one web address to another being used as an opportunity to scrub some things

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158077178530645202006-09-12T11:05:00.000-05:002006-09-12T11:06:18.673-05:00

Spent some time yesterday dinking around with the new version of Blogger, called, cleverly enough, Blogger Beta. I'm with Peggy Lee on this: is that all there is? I was, as you can guess, underwhelmed.I'm normally a BIG fan of just about anything Google does (well, except for that China thing), but they've missed the boat on this one. It really is a "beta," and not much of one at that.Why am I

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1158076016326347872006-09-12T10:05:00.000-05:002006-09-12T10:46:56.933-05:00

Todays' CDC Prevention News included a clip from the Fort Wayne (IN) Journal-Gazette regarding the possibility of a recommendation for routine HIV testing in the U.S. The story was a nicely done "local take" on a national issue. I'm guessing that the CDC included this item in its news roundup because overall reporting on the issue is comparatively slim, and this story helps keep the issue

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1157663029153117482006-09-07T16:03:00.000-05:002006-09-07T16:03:49.460-05:00

The HIV Bureau (yeah, that's not it's name anymore, w/e) has a new website with a new look. Three years after the Department of State Health Services arose from the ashes (thanks, Arlene) of the old Texas Department of Health, the HIV Bureau is now being added to the Department's website as a full-fledged section rather than as a link to a legacy site. (That probably doesn't matter to the rest of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1157645793329138252006-09-07T10:56:00.000-05:002006-09-07T11:16:34.590-05:00

So says Patrick Moore in his op ed for Long Island Newsday, and I couldn't agree more. He makes his comparison thusly:But, in large parts of this country, America is Africa. With skyrocketing infection rates, poverty, lack of health insurance and a paucity of doctors, people with AIDS in the American rural South face prospects almost as grim as people living with AIDS in Africa.The Kaiser Daily

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1157551989653145442006-09-06T09:12:00.000-05:002006-09-06T09:13:10.046-05:00

CDC Prevention News cites the following research study:"Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States" Journal of Adolescent Health Vol. 39; No. 2: P. 156-163 (08..06):: María C. Rangel, MD, PhD; Loretta Gavin, MPH, PhD: Christie Reed, MD, MPH, FAAP; Mary G. Fowler, MD; Lisa M. Lee, PhDThe study's conclusion:National case surveillance data for people ages 13

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1157550132910929202006-09-06T08:32:00.000-05:002006-09-06T08:42:14.830-05:00

CDC's Prevention News includes the following story from the Washington Blade:UNITED STATES: "Congress Poised to Renew Ryan White Act" Washington Blade (09.01.06):: Joshua LynsenA revised formula for the Ryan White CARE Act is expected to be unveiled in the House in the next week, one year after the act that provides more than $2 billion in federal funding for people living with HIV/AIDS

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1157559714155962292006-09-05T11:21:00.000-05:002006-09-06T11:55:55.266-05:00

I'm looking back over the month of August (yes, I didn't post much; no, I'm probably not going to back post; yes, it was an awful month) and checking up on user stats.It was nice to see Texas folks drop by the site. They came from Austin, McKinney, DeSoto, Dallas, Plano, San Antonio, Duncanville, Houston, and Tyler last month. It's interesting to see how the ClustrMap is developing. I haven't

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1155580893797844862006-08-14T13:41:00.000-05:002006-08-14T13:41:34.586-05:00

And so are we all. Sick of it. Bored with it. Depressed by it. Don't want to talk about it, think about it, see it.And yet it doesn't seem to go away. Jose Antonio Vargas writes for the Washington Post about DC Young Gay Positives, a social and support organization for HIV-positive young gay men in Washington, DC. The story profiles Josh, a recently diagnosed young man who is having trouble

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1155577855305167112006-08-14T12:18:00.000-05:002006-08-14T12:50:55.850-05:00

It is possible that some of the coverage of the International AIDS Conference will take a neutral point of view. It is even possible that some of it, although probably a smaller percentage, will describe the research being presented at the conference in clear and scientifically accurate terms. It is, however, absolutely certain that much of the coverage of the conference will present garbled

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1154368196138430762006-07-31T12:49:00.000-05:002006-07-31T12:50:06.500-05:00

I've been reading with interest the news coverage (and sometimes lack of it) of Human Rights Watch's statement about the effects of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe on HIV prevention and care. Appropriately enough, the coverage focuses, as it was intended to, on the specific issues of discrimination against and persecution of persons with HIV and AIDS in that African nation, noting that these

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1154363433676969992006-07-31T11:07:00.000-05:002006-07-31T11:30:34.186-05:00

The New York Times looks at consumers' pain with the doughnut hole, the gap in coverage for the Medicare prescription drug plan. It turns out that consumers are not the only ones confused about this gap. Count me as confused, and, I'd say, count a fair number of the people who are trying to help consumers enroll as misinformed.Other beneficiaries have underestimated the size of the coverage gap

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1154109780190306452006-07-28T13:02:00.000-05:002006-07-28T13:30:36.066-05:00

Eric Krock, Executive Director of AIDSvideos.org, has sent us a notice that this organization has beenbusy creating a free basic HIV/AIDS video curriculum in English. On the web site, you can already see:- Introduction to HIV and AIDS: What You Need to Know (17 min.)- Top Ten Myths About HIV/AIDS (9 min.)- Crystal Methamphetamine and HIV: The Connection (7 min.) Krock says that the curriculum

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1154371670061275172006-07-27T13:38:00.000-05:002006-07-31T13:47:53.903-05:00

Another dink-around, and I found an interesting new resource from the Brazos Valley area. It's called "Consumer Connection," and it is an online discussion board for "those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS." The forum is managed by Christopher Hamilton, MPH, a planner with the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. BVCOG is the administrative agency for Ryan White planning and services

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153843054060396602006-07-25T10:55:00.000-05:002006-07-25T10:57:34.506-05:00

The International AIDS Conference will be held in Toronto (Canada, not Texas*) next month. The Kasiser Family Foundation will be the official web casters. Some parts of the conference will be available on the web in real time for free. Others will be available later, along with transscripts. Texas AIDS Network will (attempt to) carry headlines provided by KFF on our website for easy updates.*Yep,

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153236475176984272006-07-18T10:21:00.000-05:002006-07-18T10:27:55.680-05:00

I am puzzled by this and trying to track down more information. Apparently the feds are changing their payment system for Medicare, getting ready to adopt a new software system (from [what a shock] a no-bid contract with 3M). There's a lot of squealing going on. I was around during the transition to DRG's (diagnosis related groups) and their threat to the Free World, and this is all sounding

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153229743788271902006-07-17T08:30:00.000-05:002006-07-18T08:35:44.220-05:00

It's almost a sign of the times, some would say. The temperatures are soaring. Hurricane season is upon up. And Texas is cutting funds to social services. Why should we be surprised?This time the cuts are in Denton County, according to Ava Thomas Benson, reporting for the Denton Record-Chronicle and republished in the Dallas Morning News. Among the agencies facing cuts is AIDS Services of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153865760984218912006-07-14T16:09:00.000-05:002006-07-25T17:16:01.346-05:00

Medscape (reg. req.) has a new CME module posted about the new vaccine for human papilloma virus: "Facing the Future: The Impact of HPV Vaccination on Adolescent Health." The module includes slides and talk transcripts of discussions of clinical data and social/economic implementation issues. So far, I've only reviewed the third one: "Acceptance and Implementation of HPV Vaccines," by Amy

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153858041985578422006-07-13T14:58:00.000-05:002006-07-25T15:07:22.660-05:00

The new issue of In Touch, the Health and Human Services Commission's electronic newsletter, carries a story about Medicaid buy-in for Texas. The program will begin September 1. It will allow disabled persons who are well enough, thanks to treatment, return to work without losing access to the tretment that they need to stay well.Beginning Sept. 1, certain Texans with disabilities will be able

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153230919017093442006-07-12T11:49:00.000-05:002006-07-18T08:55:19.923-05:00

Ack! That sounds like the title of a movie. It's not--just the contents of a feature article from USA Today: "A Legacy of Tainted Blood," by Steve Sternberg. The young man profiled provides through his life story a (partial) history of HIV in among hemophiliacs and a sense of his current struggles to live a normal life. Ironically, HIV is a greater threat to that normal life than

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1153839583505188602006-07-11T09:59:00.000-05:002006-07-25T10:00:44.656-05:00

The Department of State Health Services' Exceptional Item Request is available for download by opening the agenda for the DSHS Advisory Council's July 7 meeting and clicking on the appropriate links. (Regrettably, Adobe Acrobat does not allow one to copy a link by right-clicking, so I can't provide the direct link for you here.) Background on HIV/AIDS-related EIRs is here, here, here, and here.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152535410599177122006-07-10T07:43:00.000-05:002006-07-10T07:43:31.090-05:00

We tried, but we couldn't--be two places at once. The Department of State Health Services hearing on its legislative appropriations request overlapped with the Texas HIV Medication Program (THMP) Medication Advisory Commitee (MAC) meeting held last Friday. I decided that our efforts were better directed toward the LAR, so I ended up missing the MAC meeting even though I arrived prior to its

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152534084672668952006-07-10T06:51:00.000-05:002006-07-10T07:22:38.766-05:00

When we testified at the Department of State Health Services Stakeholder hearing in April, we had a lot of points to make in a very short period of time.One of the points was that the Department should make a request for increased funds for HIV. The reason for making so simple a point is that, without a request, the legislature will pay less attention to HIV. The community can request additional

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152531730611232472006-07-10T06:23:00.000-05:002006-07-10T06:42:11.060-05:00

Continued from previous two posts . . .The Department's fourth ranked Exceptional Item Request is for HIV/STD Prevention, Surveillance, and Screening Activities. The amount requested is $4,300,000 for each year of the biennium ($8.6 million total).From the Department's budget justification:At the end of 2004, there were an estimated 52,600 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the State of Texas. More

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152396245745086772006-07-08T16:47:00.000-05:002006-07-08T17:04:06.516-05:00

I've had a wee break and am now in catch-up mode. There will be some "back posting," so you may want to scroll through earlier "dates" in July. (This is to avoid piling all the posts into one date's heading.)In catching up, I'm looking at usage statistics for the month of June. It is, among other things, gratifying to see that the Zoom Cloud actually turns out to be useful. Five percent of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152400629065871492006-07-07T16:16:00.000-05:002006-07-08T18:17:14.906-05:00

Continued from previous post . . .The Department's third ranked Exceptional Item Request is for HIV Medications. The request is for $3,986,216 in FY08 and $8,852,458 in FY09 ($12,838,872 total for the biennium). The requested amount would serve an additional 962 persons in FY08 and 1982 in FY09.From the LAR draft:At the end of 2004, there were an estimated 51,600 persons living with HIV/AIDS in

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152398689060393002006-07-07T16:04:00.000-05:002006-07-08T17:44:49.840-05:00

The Department of State Health Services Council met today to hear DSHS staff present the Department's Legislative Appropriation Request (LAR) for the 2008-2009 biennium. We should be able to download the draft LAR document itself, but the DSHS site is poorly organized. My notes will have to do for now.The first thing of importance in this appropriations cycle is that the state's leadership has

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1152545095093276212006-07-05T10:21:00.000-05:002006-07-10T10:24:57.880-05:00

Vilma Luna, a Democrat from Corpus Christi, has announced her resignation from the Texas House, effective July 31. As Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee she has been attentive to health and human service issues and supportive of HIV/AIDS funding. Her loss as a positive supporter on HIV/AIDS funding and as a key legislator in appropriations will be keenly felt.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1151075415186677162006-06-23T10:06:00.000-05:002006-06-23T10:10:19.680-05:00

Department of State Health ServicesJuly 7, 2006 - 12:00 PMBldg 636, Rm 1102,4110 GuadalupeAustinTexas HIV Medication Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee will meet to discuss and possibly act on:Call to Order Approval of Minutes (November 18, 2005 and February 17, 2006) Utilization Report Update on Medicare Part D Department of State Health ServicesAdvisory Committee Orientation Gilead/BMS

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150991544943244372006-06-22T10:42:00.000-05:002006-06-22T10:52:25.320-05:00

This story from CDC Prevention News seems to cover most of the bases on the new vaccine against HPV:"Cervical Cancer Vaccine: For Women Already Exposed to HPV, Shots May Not Be as Helpful" Los Angeles Times (06.19.06):: Shari RoanOn June 8, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Merck & Co.'s vaccine Gardasil, which protects against the two HPV strains responsible for 70 percent of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150990580333634382006-06-22T10:28:00.000-05:002006-06-22T11:11:37.946-05:00

Linda Johnson writes for the Associated Press and CBS reports: Condoms work. Who knew?Actually the report is about new research that specifically targets the issue of preventing the transmission of HPV. Even better:"This is about as ideal a study as you can get," said Dr. Tom Fitch, a San Antonio pediatrician and board chairman at the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which stresses abstinence

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150990095513324702006-06-22T10:25:00.000-05:002006-06-22T10:28:16.086-05:00

Not that I know diddly about the America's Cup races, but at least Team Shosholoza will be carrying our colors--a giant red ribbon on their spinnaker. I guess that gives me a horse, I mean boat, in this race.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150848859021888042006-06-20T16:27:00.000-05:002006-06-20T19:14:19.366-05:00

Again, nothing much for changes, but I've added a link to the "AIDS Clock" in the sidebar, updated the reading list, and at least tried to do something about that raggedy tag cloud.The AIDS Clock link takes you to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities page. The "clock" is a number that gets updated every six-and-a-half seconds as yet another person becomes infected with HIV. The

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150743787756569222006-06-19T13:23:00.000-05:002006-06-19T14:03:08.140-05:00

Looking on my hard drive for something else, I found this picture.While it's comforting to know that my memory isn't completely gone, the next question is: Is Shalala's memory gone? Or is she simply correcting the record now that she's no longer bound to take the hit for the President? Did Congress set the HHS Secretary up to be the fall guy on needle exchange after cutting some deal with

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150740930510039152006-06-19T13:14:00.000-05:002006-06-19T13:20:07.376-05:00

Is Hollywood burned out? Or, is the media fickle?I had a chance to visit with family this past weekend. Lots of girl talk, lots of old lady talk. One of the family members is the publisher of a daily newpaper in a small town in Texas. I didn't want to be a pest about HIV and Texas AIDS Network, but I was delighted when there was even a brief opportunity to talk about this work that I do. I took

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150313545899908792006-06-14T14:31:00.000-05:002006-06-14T14:32:26.346-05:00

The PBS Frontline documentary, The Age of AIDS, can be viewed online in segments. A transcript is also available: Part One, Part Two.Biggest surprise:DONNA SHALALA: Forty percent of new AIDS infections came from IV drug use. I believed that we had an opportunity here for at least a narrow part of the campaign to eliminate new AIDS infections, to make a real contribution.NARRATOR: But the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150138182781271692006-06-12T13:04:00.000-05:002006-06-12T13:49:43.410-05:00

For several years, we had one of those static cling sticker things on the bathroom mirror at the office. It read: 'Who's at risk for AIDS?" You were supposed to look in the mirror and see the answer.One of the 25th anniversary news articles (USA Today: "Profile: Generation AIDS") included this point [emphasis added]:The lingering impression that AIDS is a gay disease helped promote its

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150132730448245992006-06-12T12:18:00.000-05:002006-06-12T12:59:00.326-05:00

Reading through the many stories about HIV/AIDS that surround the 25th anniversary of the first documentation of the disease, Dr. Abigail Zuger's "AIDS, at 25, offers no easy answers" (in the New York Times) is strikingly different from the usual run of news stories. Writing, of course, from the physician's perspective, she tells of the difference between then ("AIDS will kill you") and now:By

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1150132697356504632006-06-12T12:13:00.000-05:002006-06-12T12:18:19.176-05:00

Or Bloogered, as some have been calling it. Whatever term we might apply, Blogger has been intermittently down (more down than up) for much of the past week. As much as I love Google (they let me do so many things for free whereas some other major content providers keep asking for money we don't have), this kind of thing does make me look forward to the day when we can migrate the blog to Texas

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1149728207345848812006-06-08T08:49:00.000-05:002006-06-08T08:53:34.786-05:00

That would be one of my favorite sayings. I can say it in polite company--and it's fun to see the light dawn. And, lo, stuff has been occurring.I managed to get an issue of Texas AIDS eNews out before hitting the road on Saturday, thinking that I would get to Houston for a couple of meetings in the early part of this week. One meeting was cancelled because of Houston's toxic effect on my

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1149018885882077322006-05-30T14:48:00.000-05:002006-05-30T14:54:46.343-05:00

PBS' Frontline will be presenting a four-hour documentary on the history of AIDS. The show will be broadcast over two nights, beginning tonight, on many PBS stations. Check your local listings for times. (In Austin, it's 8:00-10:00 on KLRU.)The documentary is being issued near the 25th anniversary of the first official diagnosis of an AIDS case in the US. It is being offered free to cable

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148664339222724562006-05-26T12:01:00.000-05:002006-05-26T12:25:39.890-05:00

Today's Kaiser HIV/AIDS Report includes the following, which I will quote in its entirety because of the sheer quantity of news:House Appropriations Committee Approves Funding for Millennium Challenge Corporation, President's International AIDS Program, Global FundThe House Appropriations Committee on Thursday by voice vote approved the $21.3 billion fiscal year 2007 Foreign Operations

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148578671710760422006-05-25T12:37:00.000-05:002006-05-25T12:37:52.723-05:00

The Kaiser Family Foundation is something of a one-stop shop these days for information about health care policy and trends in the US and, to some extent, around the world. Recently, presumably because I subscribe to a couple of their e-newsletters, I received a questionnaire in which I was asked to evaluate some of their online resources. It was pretty standard: have you seen this? was it useful

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148575388396971732006-05-25T11:27:00.000-05:002006-05-25T11:43:09.243-05:00

I'm making another attempt at creating a tag cloud for Texas AIDS Blog. We still need some way for people to use key words (other than the search boxes provided by Google (above left) and Technorati (right sidebar) to dig into the content here. The need is even greater now that I realize my tendency to "get creative" on article titles rather than give you the dry details of "this is what it's

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148410684564382622006-05-23T13:57:00.000-05:002006-05-23T13:58:06.330-05:00

That's the title of an article that Sandra Boodman writes for the Washington Post (sub. req.) about the practice of prescribing drugs for uses for which they have not been approved. As she points out:Off-label use is standard in the treatment of cancer and AIDS.The FDA approves medications in specific doses for specific indications. Prescription for any other purpose is considered "off label" (

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148406893541650812006-05-23T12:47:00.000-05:002006-05-23T14:20:08.376-05:00

The latest issue of the Texas HIV/STD e-Update includes the following news:The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has issued a position paper supporting the use of Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) as a valuable strategy for reducing STD morbidity in Texas.EPT is the practice of treating the sex partners of persons with an STD without an intervening medical evaluation or professional

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148071230659092602006-05-19T15:19:00.000-05:002006-05-19T15:46:50.266-05:00

The Senate health committee has approved legislation to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act until 2011. The bill, which passed by a vote of 19-1, was introduced by the chairman and ranking Democrat of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senators Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA).Senators Clinton voted against this bill because early estimations

JakesMindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453361977435702717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1148070450085074382006-05-19T15:18:00.000-05:002006-05-19T15:29:25.310-05:00

Texas AIDS Blog is now a team effort. Jake, a community activist from Houston, is joining us to provide news and information from the Houston perspective. Jake has been working with HIV/AIDS issues for the past 10 years and has recently been active in discussions about reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. I look forward to working with Jake. I'm sure you'll enjoy his posts, too.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147967176910359112006-05-18T10:46:00.000-05:002006-05-18T11:12:36.880-05:00

This is just not my week. The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report was issued just a few minutes ago, and it shows a Senate bill number for the Ryan White CARE Act to be S. 2823. The bill is now available for online tracking through the Library of Congress.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147964571586217862006-05-18T10:02:00.000-05:002006-05-18T10:02:51.956-05:00

I attended a hearing of the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee for Texas Medicaid and CHIP yesterday. Long day, crammed hearing room, lotsa big words. At issue were the drugs that would be included on the preferred drug list for Medicaid and CHIP.My two cents were directed toward the situation with statins. Protease inhibitors and statins don't get along well. So far, the only two statins

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147961933987300072006-05-18T08:57:00.000-05:002006-05-18T09:18:54.673-05:00

A Senate Committee is working on a draft of the Ryan White CARE Act in closed sessions. Information about the expected funding distribution formula has been trickling out from various sources, and NAPWA has managed to get its hands on the draft that the Senate Committee is working from. The bill still hasn't been filed in the Senate, so it has no number. (To read it, you need to have a copy of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147415336242019192006-05-12T08:29:00.000-05:002006-05-12T08:47:53.123-05:00

"Women of Color Advocacy Initiative," June 6, DallasContact: For additional information contact Shawna Johnson, by phone: 202-483-6622 ext. 363 or e-mail: sjohnson AT nmac DOT org.To download a registration form access the website at NMAC [shortened link].Notes: The Women of Color Advocacy Institute is being offered free-of-charge, during the 2006 HIV Prevention Leadership Summit (HPLS).

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147383329770980992006-05-12T08:28:00.000-05:002006-05-12T08:47:15.080-05:00

Just in time for the May 15 registration deadline for Medicare Part D, CMS has announced the increases in costs for 2007.Deductible: up from $250 to $265Initial coverage limit: up from $2250 to $2400Out-of-pocket threshhold: up from $3600 to $3850Point at which "catastrophic" coverage begins: up from $$5100 to $5451.25There are some quite modest increases--or none--for dual eligibles and partial

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147380677506372732006-05-11T15:50:00.000-05:002006-05-11T15:57:33.586-05:00

HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau has posted this graph to show where we are on funding for the Ryan White CARE Act. Since 2001, only the funding for Title II has shown any increases, although even that was decreased in the last appropriations cycle. Everything else is either flat or decreasing in funding.Title I funds the major epicenters of the epidemic. In Texas, that includes Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147374529448560782006-05-11T14:08:00.000-05:002006-05-11T14:08:50.046-05:00

In reviewing the stats on Texas AIDS Blog readership, as rudimentary as they are, I've discovered a new search tool for blogs. It's called Sphere, and you use it to see whether a particular web page has been discussed in various blogs.Sphere is a bit clunky to use for MSIE, but it might be handier in those other browsers . . . uh . . . Foxfire, Safari (?). As clunky as it is, I have been

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147371122757981792006-05-11T12:46:00.000-05:002006-05-11T13:14:19.396-05:00

USA Today has posted an editorial about the Jacob Zuma rape trial in South Africa. There are many lessons to be drawn from that trial, but USA Today's editorial ends with this:In the quarter-century of the AIDS plague, the best prevention and treatment methods have become well-known. They include leadership and education.Look at that closely.We are approaching the 25th anniversary of the HIV

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147302828129208402006-05-10T18:06:00.000-05:002006-05-10T18:13:48.570-05:00

I spent a fair chunk of the day writing letters to the editor. One went to the Dallas Morning News to respond to an op-ed related to the Vatican's new review of condoms for HIV prevention. The other went to the Austin American-Statesman to respond to an article about the CDC's new proposal on routine HIV testing.Several points arise:LTE's are an effective way to get your ideas out to the public

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147113203331431312006-05-08T13:30:00.000-05:002006-05-08T13:33:39.070-05:00

HHS has revised treatment guidelines for HIV. The changes include a recommendation for resistance testing for the newly-diagnosed and against treatment interruptions.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147112949886370492006-05-08T12:46:00.000-05:002006-05-08T13:29:12.453-05:00

We wrote about Senator Tom Coburn's version of the Ryan White CARE Act and its somewhat obscure provision for routine testing for anyone who accesses the health care system recently with more than a touch of skepticism. In tracking down references for another article, I found this:Risk-Based Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing Fails to Detect the Majority of HIV-Infected Persons in

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147110376472676672006-05-08T12:41:00.000-05:002006-05-08T12:46:27.823-05:00

"A Systematic Review of HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services: Client and Provider Attitudes, Preferences, Practices, and Experiences" Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Vol. 33; No. 5: P. 320-328 (05..06):: Warren F. Passin, MPH, MSW; Angela S. Kim, MPH; Angela B. Hutchinson, PhD, MPH; Nicole Crepaz, PhD; Jeffrey H. Herbst, PhD; Cynthia M. Lyles, PhD; the HIV/AIDS Prevention Research

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147110059610756192006-05-08T12:29:00.000-05:002006-05-08T12:41:06.830-05:00

Nasty Texas weather has us offline, so I am catching up with last week’s rather full inbox while I wait for the green light on the modem. One tidbit, which I probably would have skipped for lack of time, was a news item distributed by the CDC: "Burr and Other Senators Take Issue with Formula for AIDS Care Money" Winston-Salem Journal (05.04.06):: Mary M. ShaffreyThe news report shows the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1147022400426818652006-05-07T12:14:00.000-05:002006-05-07T12:21:25.333-05:00

There's an interesting discussion going on about the "Condom Wars" over at Talk Left. In the comments, which are unusually raunchy for that site (due to the subject matter, no doubt), "edger" posts a link that leads to this link: http://www.medisafe.co.nz/toons.html, which leads to a list of links for condom cartoons.It's a bit of a relief to be reminded that condoms can be a source of humor

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146763324467714422006-05-04T14:03:00.000-05:002006-05-04T14:10:04.613-05:00

Two reports recently issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have made telling points about access to medications. One refers to Medicare Part D, and the other to AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs).GAO-06-654: MEDICARE: Communications to Beneficiaries on the Prescription Drug Benefit Could Be Improved. May 3, 2006. GAO investigators developed 5 questions, asked each of them 100

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146768706260048672006-05-04T12:30:00.000-05:002006-05-04T14:04:11.546-05:00

I should have reported on Senator Coburn's version of the Ryan White CARE Act before now. Mea culpa. However, there's been some question in my mind whether this will be the ultimate version of the legislation, so I just let Coburn do his thing (like I can "let" him)--until now. A GAO report on ADAP prices (more on which later) is associated with testimony from the GAO on that subject. The

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146682604323657502006-05-03T13:45:00.000-05:002006-05-03T13:56:44.820-05:00

Well, forevermore! What could he be thinking?In March, Texas AIDS Network joined with the Hepatitis C Appropriations Partnership and the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council by signing on to a letter requesting that the President declare May to National Hepatitis C Awareness Month. Now we get a message saying that the President (or his minions--whatever) have rejected the request.Huh?We have

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146681020932731892006-05-03T13:30:00.000-05:002006-05-03T13:30:21.803-05:00

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal discusses the high number of Americans who have developed resistance to most existing therapies and who are waiting for new medications to become available for salvage therapy. The number (estimated at 40,000) shocked me, although it probably should not have. People who have been in treatment for a dozen or more years have not only benefited from the

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146680237327608712006-05-03T12:57:00.000-05:002006-05-03T13:32:40.263-05:00

One of our talking points regarding the barriers to care for people living with HIV/AIDS has to do with women and the choices that they must make between their own care and that of their children. There's the fairly common set of choices based on economics--does she pay for her meds or pay for her children's needs, whatever they are? Then there's the set of choices based on the resources of

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146678958975243212006-05-03T12:49:00.000-05:002006-05-03T12:55:59.906-05:00

Amy Alexander talks about HIV and the Black community in Washington, DC, on NPR. She says:"The denial, shame and stigma that continue to surround blacks and HIV must be vanquished"before the black community is vanquished. While the rates of infection in Texas are lower than in DC, the same issues exist. It's worth a listen.

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146314594073144452006-04-29T07:30:00.000-05:002006-04-29T07:43:14.153-05:00

Monday marks the beginning of a month long fundraiser at Katz's Deli here in Austin. If you are in Austin at any point during the month of May (any time 24/7) and you dine at Katz's Deli, 5 percent of your bill will be donated to Texas AIDS Network.To make sure that your ticket is assigned to the Network, you have to give your server a coupon. Here's the coupon:Print this post, cut out our logo,

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146313794041858152006-04-29T07:23:00.000-05:002006-04-29T07:29:54.353-05:00

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) held its hearing for Stakeholder input on its 2008-2009 Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) on Friday. Texas AIDS Network presented testimony that made the following recommendations:Include a request for increased funding for HIV in its LAR for 2008-2009;Make that request a high priority; andMake a request that goes beyond current services to

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146311794571179702006-04-29T06:50:00.000-05:002006-04-29T06:56:34.923-05:00

The first issue of Texas AIDS eNews has been published, although not without some drama. Events overtook the newsletter, so that revisions to the copy were necessary. Then the first attempt at emailing it out revealed issues with the template (as in, the graphics wandered all over the page). I finally just gave up and created an HTML version to post on our website. Read it there (so I can

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146073645749606642006-04-26T12:08:00.000-05:002006-04-26T12:47:26.340-05:00

One of the talking points that Texas AIDS Network has recommended for this Friday's hearing on the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) is this:DSHS LAR must include a request for increased funding for HIV medications. This is necessary to avert shortfalls in the next biennium. Without the funds, the program will be forced to end new

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1146025394750900392006-04-26T10:58:00.000-05:002006-04-26T12:08:22.433-05:00

In preparing for Friday's hearing on the Department of State Health Services Legislative Appropriations Request for the coming biennium, I stumbled across another set of hearings being held on the Health and Human Services Commission's FY 2007-2011 Coordinated Strategic Plan.The plan itself is a lengthy read, which I cannot claim to have completed. I did, however, race to the pages that dealt

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1145999972430600012006-04-25T16:14:00.000-05:002006-04-25T16:20:26.476-05:00

Well, now. This is good news. From CDC prevention news:VATICAN CITY: "Pope Orders Condoms Study in AIDS Fight" The Guardian (London) (04.24.06):: Barbara McMahonPope Benedict has asked senior theologians and scientists to prepare a document that examines the use of condoms as a means of preventing HIV transmission, according to the head of the Vatican's health care ministry. "Soon, the Vatican

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431624.post-1145996262708642892006-04-25T15:00:00.000-05:002006-04-25T15:17:43.316-05:00

Texas AIDS Network is about to launch an electronic newsletter, Texas AIDS eNews. The newsletter will be published via email for Network members and donors. Folks who are neither but who are still interested in receiving the eNews can subscribe by filling out a form on Texas AIDS Net.I have dithered about whether to sign up subscribers from Texas AIDS Blog and have opted for user privacy. I

Carolynnoreply@blogger.com0