South Africa Recalls Millions Of Condoms
Health authorities in South Africa have recalled more than a million condoms that were handed out in the lead up to the African National Congress centenary celebrations. The action was taken after South Africa's HIV group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) issued a warning, having received complaints from the public, that large numbers of faulty condoms appeared to be in circulation in the Bloemfontein area. 8, 700 boxes of condoms, with the South African Bureau of Standards stamp, were delivered to guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and bars before the ANC celebrations.
In HIV-Positive Patients, Standard Treatments For Head And Neck Cancer Are Less Effective
Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is less effective for patients with HIV when compared to the recurrence and overall survival rates in patients who do not have HIV, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM. Treating head and neck cancer in HIV-positive patients is a challenge for oncologists. Because of the advancements in treating HIV, these patients are living much longer and therefore have a much higher chance of developing an HIV-related cancer.
Antiretrovirals Raise Birth Defect Risk
HIV-positive mothers can protected their babies from becoming infected with the virus if they take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy. However, even though these drugs prevent transmitting the disease to the child, they could potentially cause birth defects like cleft lip and palate. A new study, published in the January edition of Cleft Palate- "Craniofacial Journal, has investigated the association between antiretroviral prophylaxis and cleft lip and palate. To establish a potential link between drugs and birth defects using "reporting odds ratios", the researchers examined 5 years of data from the U.