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Iran's "sex for clothing" hampering efforts to fight HIV/AIDS

The "increasingly common" practice in Tehran, Iran, between commercial sex workers and shopkeepers of trading sex for no-cost or discounted fashion clothing is undermining efforts to fight the spread of HIV in the country, according to health education workers, London's Guardian reports.

7 Jan 2007

First year of cancer treatment costs patients $2.3 billion in lost time

The time that cancer patients nationwide spend when they travel to, wait for and receive inpatient and outpatient treatment costs an estimated $2.3 billion in the first year after diagnosis, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

7 Jan 2007

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan proposes individual policyholder cancellation guidelines

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan on Tuesday announced that it is working with California insurance regulators to develop new guidelines for canceling individual policyholders' coverage, the Los Angeles Times reports.

7 Jan 2007

New Medicare payment method for prescription drugs covered under Part B reducing spending

Medicare's new payment method for reimbursing physicians for prescription drugs under Part B has reduced spending, according to a report to Congress prepared by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, CQ HealthBeat reports.

7 Jan 2007

Less than 1% of eligible Arkansas residents pre-enroll in prescription drug discount program

Less than 1% of an estimated 400,000 Arkansas residents eligible for a state prescription drug discount program participated in the pre-enrollment period, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

7 Jan 2007

Democrats plan to introduce bills addressing stem cell research, Rx benefit

House Democrats plan to introduce bills that would reduce restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and allow HHS to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Wednesday, CQ Today reports.

7 Jan 2007

Libyan leader should pardon medical workers

Geoffrey van Orden, member of the European Parliament and E.P. rapporteur on Bulgaria, on Tuesday at a joint news conference called on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to pardon the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, the Bulgarian News Agency reports.

7 Jan 2007

Vaccine purchase plan for diseases auch as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria needs political will, funding pledges

The advance market commitment plan aimed at funding the development of vaccines for diseases -- including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- that largely affect developing countries is "a new way for partners in the private and public sectors to solve an old problem".

7 Jan 2007

India's National AIDS Control Organization to encourage development of public-private partnerships

India's National AIDS Control Organization plans to encourage the development of public-private partnerships in the fight against HIV/AIDS under the third phase of the country's National AIDS Control Program, which is scheduled to be launched in April, The Hindu reports.

7 Jan 2007

Margaret Chan takes office as WHO Director General

Margaret Chan, a former health director from Hong Kong, on Thursday took office as the World Health Organization's director general, saying she would focus primarily on improving the health of Africans and women worldwide, the New York Times reports.

7 Jan 2007

Physician groups, CDC recommend HPV vaccination for girls ages 11, 12

Changes to the 2007 immunization schedules for children and adolescents in the U.S. -- issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday and approved by CDC and the American Academy of Family Physicians -- include recommending that girls ages 11 and 12 receive Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, Reuters Health reports .

7 Jan 2007

56% of adults support easing federal embryonic stem cell research funding restrictions

About 56% of U.S. adults support easing restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, according to an Associated Press-AOL poll conducted from Dec. 19, 2006, to Dec. 21, 2006, the AP/Washington Post reports (Superville, AP/Washington Post, 1/3).

7 Jan 2007

Portuguese favor lifting abortion ban

About 64% of Portuguese voters said they favor lifting the country's ban on abortion, according to a poll released Thursday by Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha and the pollster Aximage, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/4).

7 Jan 2007

China's Henan province bans abortion drugs

China's Henan province on Monday banned the sale of drugs for medical abortions in coordination with the province's efforts to maintain gender balance among infants, Xinhua/China Daily reports.

7 Jan 2007

Blood levels of vitamin folate in women of childbearing age decreasing

From 1999 through 2004 there was an 8% to 16% decline in the level of the vitamin folate in the blood of U.S. women of childbearing age, according to a study published in the Jan. 5 issue of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Stobbe, AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/4).

7 Jan 2007

100% condom use program in China

Health officials in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur region plan to launch a program this year that aims to promote condom use at every entertainment venue to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among high-risk populations, Xinhua/People's Daily reports.

7 Jan 2007

Lesotho approves policy to care for AIDS orphans

The government of Lesotho has approved a policy to care for orphans and vulnerable children, including those who have lost at least one parent to AIDS-related illnesses, IRIN News reports.

7 Jan 2007

Young people often serve as caregivers for parents with disabilities and chronic illnesses

According to the Journal, the number of young people caring for parents with debilitating conditions -- such as Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, cancer and heart disease -- is "large and expected to grow" as advances in medicine and technology allow people with such conditions to live longer.

7 Jan 2007

Medicare begins to cover ultrasounds to detect aortic aneurysms

Medicare on Jan. 1 began to cover ultrasounds to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms in beneficiaries at high risk for the condition, the Charlotte Observer reports.

7 Jan 2007

HHS and BioCryst advance development of new influenza drug

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the Department has awarded a $102.6 million, four-year contract to BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for advanced development of their influenza antiviral drug, peramivir.

7 Jan 2007