News (Updated
June 20, 2010)
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A
Los Angeles AIDS clinic run by the adult film industry has got into big time
trouble. It is now suspected of releasing health information on its patients to
porn film producers and is to be investigated by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
The AIDS Healthcare
Foundation (AHF) had lodged a formal written complaint alleging sweeping
violations of federal patient confidentiality laws by the Adult Industry
Medical (AIM) HealthCare Foundation,
The complaint says that AIM requires its patients to sign an overly broad,
possibly illegal, consent form for its HIV and STD testing services as well as
the subsequent release of patient information. Apparently the AIM charges
adult film producers an annual fee to access its online database of AIM patient
test results; ironically, at the same time, AIM has been withholding the same
crucial data on HIV and STD infections of clinic patients from state agencies
investigating workplace safety.
That is the clinic charges the actors for the tests, make them cede the right
over the data and make a neat pile by parting with the information to producers,
but would not allow state officials any access to the data collected.
Many believe an epidemic of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) is raging
uncontrolled in
In March, the AHF succeeded in persuading state health officials to form an
advisory panel to consider added protections, including requiring performers to
use condoms. The panel is scheduled to meet for the first time June 29.
In its complaint to health authorities filed earlier this year, AHF officials
held AIM's release of clinic patient data on HIV and STD infections via an
online database violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) and other federal and state laws. In its decision to investigate AHF's
complaint, the Department of Health and Human Services wrote:"Your
allegation could reflect a violation of the general rules for impermissible uses
and disclosures of protected health information at 45 C.F.R., Section 164.502
(a)." HHS' letter also stated "Based on the facts that you
have alleged we have decided to accept your case for investigation."
"AIM's testing clinic has long been the industry's fig leaf attempt at
self-regulation. In fact, AIM is simply a ploy to deflect needed public scrutiny
and responsible government regulation-a ploy that is perpetrated at the expense
of the actors' health and privacy rights. We thank HHS for its decision to open
a formal investigation of AIM regarding breaches of patient confidentiality and
are confident that the HHS' investigation will confirm our allegations,"
said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "If
the adult film industry required actors to use condoms during all filming, an
action that would safeguard the physical health and safety of actors, there
would likely not be such privacy violations of clinic patient data."
Source-Medindia
Jun 15, 2010 By Sapa
More than 5000 people are
expected to march to the
Photograph
by: YVES HERMAN
Credit: REUTERS
"We have been
receiving bouncing cheques from [US President Barack Obama's] administration and
the G8 [group of developed nations]," World Aids Campaign co-ordinator
Linda Mafu said at Cosatu House, in Braamfontein.
Mafu was referring to
Obama's President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, which recently reduced its
support for antiretroviral treatments in sub-Saharan
This meant that many of
those infected by the disease who were receiving treatment funded by the Obama
plan would no longer receive it and would die, she said.
"They started it
[funding] so they must complete it," said Treatment Action Campaign general
secretary Vuyiseka Dubula.
Other donors, such as
Unitaid and the World Bank, have also announced plans to reduce their funding
for ARV drugs in
As a result, the World
Aids Campaign, the largest funding institution in the fight against HIV/Aids,
faced a huge funding shortfall.
Dubula said the
"The recession has
been used as a scapegoat. [The
By
June 20 (Bloomberg) -- New
HIV infections in
There was a 60 percent
decline in infections among people aged 15 to 24, indicating that the
country’s prevention campaigns, promotion of condom use and HIV tests were
helping, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said, citing the study, entitled SA
National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behavior and Communications Survey: A
Turning Tide Among Teenagers?
Last Updated: June 20,
2010