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India, South Africa Reach Out To Truck Drivers In Fight Against HIV/AIDS
PTI/The Hindu examines a recently launched national HIV prevention program that will target an estimated 5 million truck drivers in India, a group health experts consider to be at high-risk for HIV.
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Opinion Pieces Examine Recent Public Opinion Polls On Abortion
Two newspapers recently published opinion pieces on abortion-related public opinion polls. Summaries appear below.~ Steven Kull, Baltimore Sun: Although "many Americans feel morally conflicted about" abortion, it is a "common error to believe that the American electorate is deeply divided about how the government should deal with" the procedure, Kull -- director of WorldPublicOpinion.org and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland -- writes in a Sun opinion piece. He adds that "there is substantial consensus that the government should not criminalize abortion." According to Kull, a new CNN poll found that 68% of respondents believe Roe v. Wade should not be overturned, and a recent WorldPublicOpinion.org poll found that when asked, "Do you think the government should be involved in trying to discourage abortion or do you think the government should leave these matters to the individual," 69% said that the matter should be left to the individual. Kull adds that "of the 29% who said that the government should be involved in trying to discourage abortions, a remarkably low 8% favored using criminal enforcement methods." According to Kull, other polls have found if "given a middle option -- somewhere between strict prohibition and government permission -- a significant number will choose it." Kull writes that "once the moral question is differentiated from the question of how the government should act, it does appear that there is substantial consensus that abortion should not be criminalized." He concludes, "Once the option of criminal enforcement is taken off the table, constructive options are more likely to emerge and can be an effective focus for the energies freed up from the incessant debates about abortion" (Kull, Baltimore Sun, 5/22).~ Cheryl Wetzstein, Washington Times: "It"s rather ironic that as the most pro-choice government in U.S. history settles into its seats," a Gallup poll "finds that most Americans are pro-life," columnist Wetzstein writes in a Times opinion piece. She adds, "Some observers have tried to pooh-pooh this result, but it doesn"t surprise me for two reasons." Wetzstein writes that her "experience with youth, both personally and professionally, is that they often recoil at abortion," adding, "So I find a pro-life trend in youth to be quite plausible." She continues, "Second, I think some aging baby boomers are changing their views," adding, "People generally become more conservative and self-reflective with age. Legacies matter. Hindsight is 20/20. Regrets appear." Wetzstein concludes, "My suspicion is that in more than a few cases, baby boomers who were willing to have abortions are not at ease with the idea of losing their grandchildren," adding, "It may be that in the autumn of life, being "pro-life" has a whole new meaning" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 5/26).
News of the day
Alzheimer's Disease Is The Focus Of TBSI Annual Neuroscience Symposium
Brazos Valley residents, neuroscience researchers, and interested clinicians will each have opportunities to hear from internationally recognized researchers on the topic of aging and Alzheimer"s Disease during the Texas Brain and Spine Institute"s Third Annual Neuroscience Symposium on September 3 and 4. This year"s symposium will consist of an evening of public presentations aimed at helping local residents, Alzheimer"s patients, and their family members better understand early signs of the disease and ways to reduce your risk. The Friday afternoon session will feature a clinical presentation for health providers and researchers.
Oncology

Higher Adherence To CPAP Therapy In Men Who Work With Their Female Partners

Men who work with their female partners while receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are more likely to adhere to their treatment, according to a research abstract presented on Monday at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Results indicate that patients who work with their partners have the highest level of adherence for CPAP therapy. Encouragement, the use of negative tactics (such as evoking fear or blame) and reminding did not produce an increase in treatment adherence. The study obtained demographic and relationship quality information from 23 married/cohabitating male OSA patients before CPAP initiation, and included adherence data from 14 men. Partner involvement with CPAP was assessed at day 10 and three months post CPAP initiation using 25-item measure of tactics to encourage healthful behavior. Tactics used included positive (encouraging) negative (blaming) bilateral (working together) and unilateral (reminding). According to the principal investigator, Kelly Glazer Baron, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., the study showed that patients who believed that their relationships were more supportive were more likely to work together with their partner while using CPAP. "We know that in many health conditions, having a supportive partner can improve adherence and emotional well being when dealing with a chronic illness," said Baron. "This is the first study in CPAP treatment to show that working together with the partner in an active and supportive manner was associated with better adherence." CPAP is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. By working to normalize breathing, CPAP helps protect patients from the severe health risks that are related to OSA, which include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. More information about OSA is available from the AASM at http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=7 Abstract Title: Partner Involvement in CPAP: Does Pressure help? Presentation Date: Monday, June 8 Category: Sleep Disorders - Breathing Abstract ID: 0576 Kelly Wagner American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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