AIDS 2006 new studies and developments

As part of its expanded coverage of the XVI International AIDS Conference, held through Aug. 18 in Toronto, the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report will feature studies and initiatives released during the conference. Summaries of select publications and initiatives appear below.

• "THINK HIV: This is Me," MTV, Kaiser Family Foundation: MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation on Friday at the AIDS conference as part of the "thinkHIV" campaign will premiere the 30-minute documentary film in which young people across the U.S. discuss how the HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected their generation. It is the first television program created by MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation that features 100%, user-generated content produced by young people. The film, which is composed of "short vignettes" that were filmed by people affected by HIV/AIDS, is "part memorial, part testimony." The initiative also will have an online counterpart that will feature vlogs and information and resources about HIV (MTV News & Docs/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 8/18).
• "48fest," staying-alive.org: MTV Networks International on Thursday at the AIDS conference screened eight short films about HIV/AIDS produced by teams of young people. The teams were assigned to focus on one of eight topics -- including abstinence, machismo, HIV testing, condom use, violence against women, discrimination and stigma, and vulnerable populations. They had 48 hours to write, shoot and edit their films. "48fest gives young filmmakers the unique opportunity of telling their own stories about HIV and AIDS in their own voice," Georgia Arnold, vice president of public affairs for MTV Networks International, said, adding, "At MTV, we believe one of the strongest ways to deliver HIV and AIDS prevention messages is to empower our viewers to talk about HIV and AIDS, enable them to use their creativity, and give them a platform to share their voice with their peers." The films will be available in September for broadcast across MTV International's network of television stations, mobile TV channels, broadband services and Web sites. They will be compiled into a 30-minute documentary, titled "Staying Alive -- 48fest" (MTV International/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 8/9).
• "Nigeria: Access to Health Care for People Living With AIDS," Physicians for Human Rights: The study, presented Thursday at the conference, finds that although health care providers in Nigeria often provide care to HIV-positive people, some providers discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS and conduct unethical practices, including performing HIV-tests without consent and releasing confidential medical records without permission. The report -- which is based on data from two surveys in Nigeria, one of health care providers and one of HIV-positive people -- finds that 10% of health care providers reported refusing to treat an HIV-positive person and that 66% reported seeing a colleague refuse to treat an HIV-positive person. "The health sector is not immune to the kind of virulent discrimination that has hurt people with HIV/AIDS for many years," Leonard Rubenstein, PHR executive director, said, adding, "It is a very serious impediment to adequate AIDS treatment and affects the willingness of people with HIV to come forward. The situation underscores the need for a plan to build African health systems, so that medical workers have information, gloves and other supplies to protect themselves while caring for patients." The report offers several recommendations to address medical discrimination against HIV-positive people in Nigeria (PHR release, 8/17).