Descriptors: Complications; Treatment; Marijuana; Therapeutic Use; Drug Therapy; Cannabinoids; Cannabis.
“Treatment of AIDS remains extremely problematic, particularly in the Third World, due to the incredible expense of retroviral and newer protease-inhibitor drugs.” Cannabis has long been known to help with appetite and is an anti-anorexic antiemetic drug. With the overwhelming expense of current drugs to treat HIV positive individuals, researchers are looking at the pros and cons of using cannabis. This special issue of the Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics provides 11 well-written articles that discuss research in the use of cannabis in treating AIDS patients. They include: “Therapeutic Cannabis (Marijuana) as an Antiemetic and Appetite Stimulant in Persons with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS),” “Medical Marijuana and the AIDS Crisis,” “Marijuana Use in HIV-Positive and AIDS Patients,” “Differential Effects of Medical Marijuana Based on Strain and Route of Administration,” “Marijuana and Cannabinoids: Effects on Infections, Immunity, and AIDS,” “Effects of Smoked Marijuana on the Lung and Its Immune Defenses,” “Cannabis and Cannabis Extracts,” “Harm Reduction Associated with Inhalation and Oral Administration of Cannabis and THC,” “Cannabis ‘Vaporization’,” “Analgesic and Reinforcing Properties of Delta9-THC-Hemisuccinate in Adjuvant-Arthritic Rats,” and “Prospects for New Cannabis-Based Prescription Medicines.”
A recommended book for all medical libraries.
1151. Patient Abuse: South Africa’s Struggle for AIDS Treatment, by California Newsreel, directed by Jack Lewis. 2001. California Newsreel, 327 Holly Court, Williston, VT 05495. VHS 59 minutes. Call for pricing: 877-811-7495.
Descriptors: Africa; Patient Abuse; Treatment.
This review was written by Stephen Brantley, Assistant Reference Librarian, University of Illinois at Chicago Daley Library.
Patient Abuse presents the struggle of the HIV/AIDS infected poor of South Africa against the greed and power of the multinational pharmaceutical companies. In a country where HIV/AIDS is a greater epidemic than anywhere else in the world, the South African Government has not made significant progress toward implementing antiretroviral therapies for the hardest hit population. In response to this situation, the activist group, TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) organizes protests, political rallies, and lecture tours to educate the population about the government’s crimes of negligence. Zackie Achmat, one of TAC’s most articulate and outspoken leaders who is also HIV positive, has chosen not to take antiretroviral therapies until the poor of the nation are provided treatment through institutionalized healthcare initiatives.
Against a backdrop of grass roots organizing, the spirit of protest and the strength of unity and song, Patient Abuse chronicles events of the 2000 and 2001 from the front line of TAC’s struggle for affordable and equal access to AIDS therapies. The title, Patient Abuse, in addition to its obvious meaning, represents the patience exhibited by the victims of AIDS suffering without treatment, and the patience of TAC’s persistent program of pressure. In a clever play on the title, Patient Abuse reports on the lawsuit pharmaceutical companies brought to the South African government for patent infringement. The South African Government had begun seeking generic drug substitutes before the expiration of patents. With the pressure from TAC, the suit was thrown out of court.
All this having been said, Patient Abuse is a rambling, disorganized documentary that packs too much information into a difficult to follow narrative. The problem with reviewing a program like Patient Abuse is that, if the objective criteria which make a visual program (or any journalistic narrative) successful are not executed well, the message being sent, however important, suffers. Patient Abuse has as its subtitle, South Africa’s Struggle for AIDS Treatment, but this might be a somewhat grandiose claim. Certainly what the director is presenting to the viewer is of global importance and is a tragic story of human suffering; but the format in which it is presented lacks clarity, or coherence. Patient Abuse is a documentary about TAC and its various campaigns for the distribution of AIDS drugs in South Africa. It effectively conveys the tragedy of the HIV epidemic in that country. The opening sequence, entitled the prologue to the video; a series of news headlines clipped directly from papers with a scrolling banner of supplemental text below it, is meant to give us historical information and background. But so much information is being presented that the viewer unfamiliar with South African political figures is left swimming in names and numbers that have little connection to each other or what they are about to see.
What follows is a poorly narrated montage of clips from TAC protests, South African talk shows, memorial services, and orations by TAC leadership that does not present the pertinent issues in a clear manner. Interspersed in these clips are snippets of a memorial service in which ordinary South Africans light candles for their deceased relatives, friends, and partners whom have died from AIDS and the lack of government response. Patient Abuse is effective in the presentation of several facts, and there are several poignant moments when we are shown the sheer number and frequency of deaths from HIV/AIDS, but the collection of clips does not come together as a well-made documentary. There is no doubt that TAC is fighting a worthy and important battle, but based on this video, just how well they are fighting it is left up to question.
1152. AIDS Education and Prevention: An Interdisciplinary Journal, v. 14, no.5, October 2002; v.14, supplement, October 2002; v. 14, no. 6, December 2002, edited by Francisco S. Sy. Guildford Publications, Inc., 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012. ISSN 0899-9546. $195.00 per year institutions; $60.00 per year individuals.
Descriptors: Education; Prevention.
“This journal serves as a form devoted to the publication of original contributions that highlight existing and theoretical models of AIDS education and prevention, including their development, implementation, and evaluation.” This is a highly recommended journal. Articles in issue no. 5 of volume 14 include: “Validating the Effects of Social Desirability on Self-Reported Condom Use Behavior among Commercial Sex Workers,” “Differences between Chat Room and E-Mail Sampling Approaches in Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men,” “Risk Behaviors by Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews among HIV-Seropositive and HIV-Seronegative Injection Drug Users,” “Diffusion of HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Positive Attitudes, and Behaviors Through Training of Health Professionals in China,” “Teaching and Learning by Example: Empowerment Principles Applied to Development, Delivery, and Evaluation of Community-Based Training for HIV Service Providers and Supervisors,” “Structure of HIV Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors among American Indian Young Adults,” “Surveillance of HIV/AIDS-Related Attitudes and Perceptions among the General Public in Hong Kong from 1994 to 2000,” and “Evaluating Outcomes of HIV Prevention Programs: Lessons Learned from Houston, Texas.”
Volume 14, Supplement covers “HIV/AIDS in Correctional Setting,” edited by Ronald L. Braithwaite, Theodre Hammett, and Kimberly R. Jacob Arriola. Articles in this supplement include: “Prisoner Risk Taking in the Russian Federation,” “Impulsivity and HIV Risk Among Adjudicated Alcohol- and Other Drug-Abusing Adolescent Offenders,” “Developing an AIDS Prevention Intervention for Incarcerated Male Adolescents in Brazil,” “The Importance of Routine HIV Testing in the Incarcerated Population: The Rhode Island Experience,” “Intraprison HIV Transmission: An Assessment of Whether It Occurs, How It Occurs, and Who Is at Risk,” “HIV Surveillance Methods for the Incarcerated Population,” “Community-Based Organizations and HIV Prevention for Incarcerated Populations: Three HIV Prevention Program Models,” “Acceptability of Condom Availability in a U. S. Jail,” “Research Capacity Building and Collaboration Between South African and American Partners: The Adaptation of an Intervention Model for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Corrections Research,” “HIV/AIDS in Correctional Settings: A Salient Priority for the CDC and HRSA,” and “Building an HIV Continuum for Inmates: New York State’s Criminal Justice Initiative.”
Issue no. 6 includes: “Evaluation of an HIV/AIDS Prevention Intervention Targeting Latino Gay Men and Men Who Have Sex with Men in Puerto Rico,” “Ethnic and Gay Community Attachments and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Urban Latino Young Men Who Have Sex with Men,” “Unprotected Sex and Associated Risk Factors among Young Asian and Pacific Islander men Who Have Sex with Men,” “Being High and Taking Sexual Risks: Findings from a Multisite Survey of Urban Young Men Who Have Sex with Men,” “Social Influence, AIDS/STD Knowledge, and Condom Use among Male Clients of Female Sex Workers in Bali,” “Increasing Condom Use by Undermining Perceived Invulnerability to HIV,” and “Action Control and Situational Risks in the Prevention of HIV and STIs: Individual, Dyadic, and Social Influences on Consistent Condom Use in a University Population.”
1153. Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education for Adolescents and Children, v. 5, nos. ½, 2002, edited by Julio Morales, Marcia Bok. Haworth Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-9981. ISSN 1069-837X. $60.00 per year individual, $95.00 per year institution, $200.00 per year library.
Descriptors: Prevention; Education; Adolescents; Children.
“The mission of this journal is to address AIDS as a public health issue, to bring public and professional attention to AIDS and children within the context of social justice and the need for social change, as well as to address issues of education and child welfare.” This journal has met that mission and is highly recommended. Articles in this issue include: “HIV Medication Adherence in Adolescents: A Qualitative Study,” “An HIV/AIDS Education Program for Children in Grades K-5,” “A review of Attitudes, Social Policy and Educational Materials on Adolescent Sexuality and HIV Prevention,” “HIV/AIDS Prevention Education: Culturally Sensitive and Responsive Strategies for Asian Pacific Islander American Adolescents and Young Adults,” “The Assessment of HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, and HIV Risk Behaviors Among High-Risk Adolescents in Hong Kong: Implications for HIV Prevention,” “Being Prepared: Attitudes and Practices Related to Condom Carrying Among Minority Adolescents,” and “A Comparison of the Risk Characteristics of Ever-Pregnant and Never-Pregnant Sexually Active Adolescents.”
1154. Positive/Negative: Women of Color and HIV/AIDS, A collection of Plays, edited by Imani Harrington, Chyrell D. Bellamy. 2002. Aunt Lute Books, PO Box 410687, San Francisco, CA 94141. 341p. ISBN 1-879960-65-6. $18.95.
Descriptors: Patients; Drama; Minority Authors; Women Ethnic Groups.
This book is dedicated to all the women who have died without a face or voice. Evelyn C. White states: “Those who are guided to this book will find in it affirmation, provocation, enlightenment, laughter and much love. Embrace its offerings as if your life depended on it, because it does. More than a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, people of color remain enslaved by prejudice, poverty, ignorance and fear. And yet and still, we know from our history that this too shall pass. Trouble don’t last always.”
This collection of plays provides us with the various ways the pandemic of AIDS has impacted the lives of everyone. The book, as a whole, “aims to raise awareness and give voice to those whose lives and work have remained hidden, silenced, and censored, while they fought for their lives and for the lives of others in the face of the pandemic.” The women of color who have written these plays have provided the readers and actors an avenue for understanding the social thought and political imagination of our society. These women have been silent too long and need to be heard. They have expressed the social and psychological realities that have long gone unexpressed or unheeded. It is hoped that this anthology will encourage other silent women to come forth and express themselves artistically so that AIDS is not kept quiet behind closed doors.
There are three categories of plays. The first, Love/Relationships, has 9 plays: “Prologue: Loves That Kill,” by Sandra Rodriguez; “Mariluz’s Thanksgiving,” by Migdalia Cruz; “Della’s Race,” by Carmen Rivera; “now and then,” by Michael John Garcés; “Ilka: The Dream,” by Cándido Tirado; “Epilogue: Elba’s Birthday,” by Louis Delagado; “Love & Danger,” by Imani Harrington; “Allah Appears as an Eyelash in Brooklyn,” by Dorinda Welle; and “I’se Married,” by Sweet Potato Pie. The second section covers Sex/Sexuality: “So…,” by Migdalia Cruz; “One Less Queen,” by Mario Golden; “The Watermelon Factory,” by Alfonso Ramirez; “Dolly: Old Lady, Love, and Life,” by Q. V. Atkins; and “Like Mama Lide Daughter,” by Kulwa Apara. The final section involves Danger/Death: “Numb,” by Zelma Brown; “Black Power Barbie,” by Shay Youngblood; “Elegy,” by Joanne Bealy; “Ashes to Ashes,” by Marijo; “Nothing Forever,” by Chiori Miyagawa; and “I Got You Under My Skin,” by V. Thandi Sule’.
These are powerful plays that look at grief, anger, homophobia, racism, sexism, poverty and access to health care. Theater is an excellent place to help people, young and old, learn and experience the cruel and unbelievable aspects of living with HIV and AIDS, especially as seen by women of color. We can only hope that there will be more books like this, soon. Highly recommended.
1155. Micronutrients and HIV Infection, edited by Henrik Friis. 2002. CRC Press, 2000 NW Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 253p., bibliog., index. (CRC Series in Modern Nutrition). ISBN 0-8493-0085-1. $109.95.
Descriptors: Malnutrition; Trace Elements in Nutrition.
It has been reported that some 22 million people have died of AIDS and that there are over 36 million currently living with HIV infection; and, some 5 million people are infected every year. These figures are frightening and even more frightening is that only about one percent of the world’s population is fortunate to have access to all of the drugs that have been developed for those who are HIV positive. Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in the developing countries. Evidence now suggests “that improved micronutrient intake may reduce HIV transmission and progression, as well as the morbidity from common and opportunistic infections.”
This book is intended to provide current knowledge about the role of micronutrients in HIV management as well as other infections so that there can be better case management and public health interventions. After an introduction to micronutrients and infections, Henrik Friis provides 10 chapters that cover a variety of topics: “Nutritionally Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes,” “Oxidative Stress and Infections,” “Vitamin A, Carotenoids, and HIV Infection,” “B Vitamins and HIV Infection,” “Iron and HIV Infection,” “Zinc and HIV Infection,” “Selenium and HIV Infection,” “Micronutrients in the Case Management of HIV Infection” and “Micronutrient Interventions and the HIV Pandemic.”
This is an excellent book with extensive references. It is highly recommended for all medical libraries and for those special libraries serving researchers in the drug industries.
1156. Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services: Research, Practice and Policy, volume 1, no. 1, 2002, edited by Nathan L. Linsk, Dorie J. Gilbert. Haworth Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580. $45.00 individual, $95.00 institution, $200.00 library.
Descriptors: Social Aspects; Research; Policy.
This journal has been adopted by the National Social Work AIDS Network (NSWAN). It “provides a forum in which social workers and other professionals in the field of HIV/AIDS work can find the latest research and techniques in order to provide effective social, educational, and clinical services to all individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.” Based on the articles in this first issue, this journal has met its goal and is highly recommended. Articles in this issue include: “Uncertainty and Quality of Life: Psychosocial Realities of Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy,” “The Role of Community in Meeting the Needs of African-American HIV-Affected Families,” “More than Shelter: Benefits and Concerns for People in HIV/AIDS Housing,” “Coming Out in a Hostile Social Environment: Challenges for HIV Prevention Among Young Gay Men,” “HIV Prevention for Active Injection Drug Users: A Brief History of Syringe Exchange Programs,” and “Twists and Turns: Case Study of an HIV Caregiving Journey.”
1157. Criminal Law, Public Health and HIV Transmission: A Policy Options Paper, by Richard Elliott for UNAIDS. 2002. Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, 417 Saint-Pierre St., Ste 408., Montreal, QC H2Y 2M4 Canada. 48p., bibliog. Contact Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network for copies or UNAIDS. info@aidslaw.ca or unaids@unaids.org.
Descriptors: Legal Aspects; Public Health; Transmission.
This report provides “policy considerations that should be taken into account in determining criminal law policy in relation to HIV/AIDS.” It provides some guiding principles, policy considerations, policy options, and recommendations. A very extensive bibliography of additional materials is included.
1158. Occupational Exposure to HIV and Forced HIV Testing: Questions and Answers, by Theodore de Bruyn. 2002. Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, 417 Saint-Pierre St., Ste. 408, Montreal, QC H2Y 2M4 Canada. 20p., bibliog. Contact Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network for copies. info@aidslaw.ca.
Descriptors: Legal Aspects; Occupational Exposure; Testing.
“When a Health-care worker, firefighter, or police officer has been exposed to a person’s body fluids while helping that person, it may be necessary to ask the source person to agree to be tested for HIV and to release the results of the test to the exposed worker.” This small report raises questions concerning this policy and provides answers. It covers: “Forced HIV Testing and the Rights of Canadians,” “Occupational Exposure to Body Fluids and Risk of HIV Infection,” “What to Do after an Exposure,” “HIV Tests: How Can They Help the Exposed Worker,” and “What Should be Done for Workers.” A very good summary that would be useful to health care workers, firefighters, and police officers.
1159. Canadian HIV/AIDS Policy and Law Review, volume 7, no. 1, July 2002, edited by Theodore de Bruyn. Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, 417 Saint-Pierre St., Ste 408, Montreal, QC H2Y 2M4 Canada. ISSN 1195-5252. Contact Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network for copies. arenaud@aidslaw.ca.
Descriptors: Legal Aspects.
This publication is “a summary of developments in HIV/AIDS policy and law in Canada and abroad. Its aim is to educate people about and inform them of policy and legal developments and to promote the exchange of information, ideas, and experiences.” Feature articles in this issue include: “HIV Vaccines: Current Challenges and Future Directions,” “Drug Policy in Canada—The Way Forward,” “HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination—The Epidemic Continues,” “HIV/AIDS in Prisons: More New Developments,” and “HIV Vaccines in Canada: Legal and Ethical Issues.” There are also reports on Canadian and international news covering immigration, marijuana, legal aid, military testing, Ukrainian law concerning the criminalization of sex workers, and female injection drug users. Reports for the courts are also included.
1160. Cellular Aspects of HIV Infection, edited by Andrea Cossarizza, David Kaplan. 2002. Wiley, 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158. 458p., illus., bibliog., index. (Cytometric Cellular Analysis). ISBN 0-471-38666-9. $139.00.
Descriptors: Cytopathology; Molecular Aspects; Flow Cytometry.
HIV has devastated the world, leaving no region unaffected. Before the current therapies, individuals suffered and died. Now there are therapies that keep the infection dormant, but these therapies come with side effects and resistance occurs in many of the individuals. Investigators have researched the virus at the cellular level using flow cytometry. “Flow cytometry is a powerful technique for the analysis of multiple parameters of single cells. It is capable of assessing six to ten parameters on 10,000 cells in less than a minute. Moreover, cells with specified characteristics can be sorted live and cultured for additional investigation.” Millions of analyses have allowed researchers to follow the course of the infection, “to observe the complex response of the immune system to the virus, and to help in deciding how to treat infected patients, and to understand the patients’ cellular response to the therapy.”
The aim of this book is to provide other researchers with these descriptions and analyses, focusing on flow cytometric techniques. Each of the chapters in the five parts—molecules, cells, pathophysiological processes, technologies, and organisms—provides and exhaustive review. The book is intended for experts in the field of HIV studies, including immunologists, virologists, and clinicians. It is a must have book for any health science library.
1161. AIDS: Society, Ethics and Law, edited by Udo Schüklenk. 2001. Ashgate Publising, 131 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401-5600. 556p. bibliog., index. (The International Library of Medicine, Ethics and Law). ISBN 0-7546-2103-0. $185.00.
Descriptors: Legal Aspects; Ethics.
“This volume contains a selection of the best English-language essays on the social, ethical and legal implications of a variety of issues pertaining to AIDS.” The essays were chosen on the basis of theoretical depth and coherence; impact on the subsequent public and academic debate; and social and ethical relevance of the problems addressed.
The reprints are reproduced as they were published and grouped into the following categories: “The Physician-Patient Relationship,” “AIDS and the Law,” “HIV Testing,” “Clinical Research,” “Access to (Experimental) Drugs,” and “Dying with Dignity.” Within these categories can be found essays on confidentiality, privacy, infected health care workers, pregnant women, community consultation, and developing countries. A wide variety of publications have offered their articles, including JAMA, Milbank Quarterly, Hastings Center Report, American Psychologist, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, American Psychologist, and Journal of Legal Medicine.
This is a good sampling of articles out the thousands that have been published. Most libraries will have the journals and will have databases that can access these journals through the databases. However, for someone who wants a quick look at some key articles on AIDS as it impacts society, ethics, and the law, this would be a good book to consult. It is recommended for academic, research, and health science libraries.