Wednesday November 18, 2009
The American Medical Association (AMA) has reversed course regarding medical marijuana now urging the FDA to review marijuana's classification as a top tier controlled substance. While the AMA emphasizes that they are not endorsing state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product. They are urging the review to pave the way for more comprehensive studies of smoked marijuana of which on a few small trials now exist. The AMA's House of Delegates met in Houston and has adopted a policy that would call for more studies of the efficacy and use of smoked marijuana. The AMA is not the only physicians group calling for more research. In 2008, the American College of Physicians issued a position statement supporting research into the therapeutic role of the drug.
More Medical Marijuana Information
Friday November 13, 2009
In a shoe box filled with vitamins and prescription medications, the alledged Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Malik Hasan had a bottle of the HIV medication Combivir. The box of drugs, found in the laundry room of his Casa del Norte apartment near Fort Hood, gives authorities a peak into the life of the man believed to be responsible for the shooting tragedy at Fort Hood. The prescription was dated 2001 and was the only HIV medication in the box. Does this mean Major Hasan had HIV? There is no way to tell from just a that prescription. Combivir, a combination of the drugs Epivir (lamivudine) and Retrovir (AZT), is not prescribed as a sole drug in an HIV regimen however, Combivir was often given to healthcare workers who had been exposed to HIV through an accidental needle stick or exposure to infected bodily fluids. It's one of many possible explanations for the bottle of Combivir.
More Information About Combivir
Tuesday November 10, 2009
In a study of women's health around the world, HIV/AIDS has been found to be the leading cause of death and disease in women 15 to 44 years of age. Data shows that 1 in 5 deaths among women is due to HIV related to unsafe sex practices. Unsafe sex is the leading HIV risk factor in developing countries. In addition there is a lack of access to contraception, condoms, and safer sex education. "Women who do not know how to protect themselves from such infections, or who are unable to do so, face increased risks of death or illness," The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a 91-page report. WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan called the data evidence of a preventable tradgedy. As Chan said "We will not see a significant improvement in the health of women until they are no longer recognized as second-class citizens in many parts of the world," Chan told journalists in Geneva."
Related Information
Saturday November 7, 2009
In 2008, the United States Navy diagnosed 36 new cases of HIV after testing over 100,000 sailors. The number of new cases was double the infection rate in 1999. Navy officials are not sure why there was such a rise in the infection rate but do confirm that most of the new HIV infections were a result of unsafe sex practices not IV drug use. Unsafe sex is not unique to the Navy. Across all branches of the military, condom use runs about 50% according to the Pentagon. However, the Navy figures are more concerning. Among unmarried naval officers, condom use declined from 40% in 2002 to 30% in 2005, suggesting that the fear of HIV infection is not what it was ten years ago. And it doesn't seem like women sailors are any more fearful. Their condom use has declined at a rate similar to male sailors. Currently, the Navy estimates it has 560 of its sailors in HIV care with an annual cost between $7 million and $20 million.
More Safer Sex Information
