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Focuses on the ongoing debate over whether to report the names of all people who is tested as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive to United States health department. Comments from pro-HIV advocates; Implications of the proposed name reporting; Roles of government officials on the name reporting issue. INSET: Partner notification: The other debate.

Reports on the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in New York. How HIV-negative people are getting infected; Consequences due to the reinfection of HIV-positive individuals; Identified major subtypes of HIV; Terminologies and meanings used by researchers; Comments made by Carlos Maldonado of the Latino Commission on AIDS; More information. INSET: The needle nightmare..

Features six New York residents with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and how they would be adversely affected by proposed spending cuts in medical welfare. Marlene and Margaretha Diaz; Kenneth Williams; John DeFazio; Nadine Hunter; Louise and Kristen Rivera; Idell Gillard.

Relates several stories of homosexual couples with one partner having an HIV virus. Abandonment among `sero-discordant' couples; Pressures on the couples' relationships; Safe sex.

Reports that by the year 2001, half of the HIV population in the United States could be Blacks. Information on HIV and Blacks in the United States; Comments from Mario Cooper, an HIV-positive Black; Names of prominent Black health officials who attended a conference where Cooper made the revelation; Number of African-Americans diagnosed with HIV daily.

Focuses on the results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the genetic engineering method used to cure flawed genes. Methodology used in the study; Insights of several gene therapists on the results; Significance of the results; Background information about the human genetic code.

Focuses on an AIDS trial in New York City that tries to eliminate HIV through aggressive treatment. Administration of three powerful drugs that target HIV; Conduct of trial by Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center led by David Ho and Martin Markowitz; Reasons for conducting the trial.

Focuses on the efforts by the New York City government to regulate pornography in the city. Creation of new zoning regulations limiting pornographic businesses; Comment by Andrew Lynn, department of city planning executive director; Features of the zoning regulations; Public reaction to the proposal.

Focuses on how gay couples in the United States weigh the risk of unprotected sex against prevention from mutual HIV reinfection. Difference of attitude towards having sex with a lover from that with a casual partner; Effects of communication between partners about emotional subjects; Campaigns on how to responsibly forgo condoms; Issue on being monogamous. INSET: What's safe? The GMHC line (safe sex for gay men)..

The article reports that a study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that administering AIDS drugs to HIV patients rendered them significantly less infectious. Myron Cohen of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina led the study, which involved 1,763 couples, one each of which had HIV.

The article discusses instances of health-care providers in the U.S. receiving unusually large amounts from the Medicare insurance program. Several cases are described including that of Dr. Christopher Wayne, who in 2008 was the recipient of over $1.2 million in Medicare payments, much of it for an unorthodox regimen of physical therapy he administered. INSET: Secrets of the System.

The article discusses findings gleaned from the publication's analysis of computerized records of Medicare payments in the U.S. By law, physicians receiving Medicare payments cannot be identified by name. Special attention is paid to an unnamed family medicine practitioner in the New York City area who received over $2 million in Medicare payments in 2008, and whose billing records suggest she may have committed fraud.

The article reports that scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have discovered antibodies capable of neutralizing up to 90 percent of known strains of the HIV virus. The antibodies were discovered in the cells of a 60-year old gay man. Gary Nabel, one of the researchers, states that developing a vaccine which would allow other persons to develop the antibodies is a long-term project.

The article discusses the impact of health-care-reform legislation in the U.S. on commissions paid to those who sell health-insurance policies. Under the law no less than 80% of policy premiums must be devoted to medical care. Consequently, Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has switched from commissions to flat rates for its salespeople. Industry lobbyist Janet Trautwein says commissions will eventually vanish.

Discusses the increase in the number of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the United States (US). Comments from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the issue: Who should be the focus of prevention; Decline in the proportion of homosexually active men who test HIV-positive at city STD clinics; Challenge of preventing a national resurgence of HIV among gay men.

Reveals that the HIV epidemic among intravenous drug users in New York City is declining since the early 1990s. Refusal of United States President Bill Clinton to approve funding for needle exchange programs; Studies that show the decline in rate of HIV infections; Reasons for the decline.

Scrutinizes the ethical aspect of a study conducted by the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) on the use of fenfluramine on children. Purpose of the study; Information on fenfluramine procedure; Requirements of the procedure; Possible side effects of the drug.

Reflects on the implication of the continuous rise of mortality of women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in New York. Reason for the continued rise of deaths among HIV-positive women; Life stories of women with HIV; Speculations on the biological reasons of the increasing women's death rate; Social factors affecting substandard health care of HIV-positive women.

Presents information on Dawn Young, HIV-positive individual who has been denied the federal disability program. Reasons for the denial from availing the program; How people with HIV are stranded in medical uncertainty; Provisions of the governor's disability program; Young's inability to find employment; More information.

Reports that New York's Department of Health has failed to spend the federal money earmarked for HIV prevention. Amount of money that went unspent between 1993 and 1995; Problems which the unspent money represents; Comments from Ravinia Hayes-Cozier, director of the city's Bureau of HIV Program Services; Reference to the private management of the Ryan White grant. INSET: How does New York rate?..

States that according to Mario Cooper, an African-American who is HIV-positive, except for slavery, AIDS will kill many black people in a very short time. Statement made by Cooper at Harvard AIDS Institute, where 100 African American leaders had gathered; Facts about the disease; Views of the African American leaders; Number of African Americans diagnosed with HIV daily.

Reports on the increase in the risk behavior of homosexuals. Efforts of the Gay & Lesbian HIV Prevention Activists to regulate use of bathhouses; Statistics on unsafe sex by black and Hispanic gays; Risks of multiple sex partnering; Social responsibility of HIV-positive men.

Focuses on the services for AIDS patients in New York City. Establishment of the New York Division of AIDS Services (DAS); Regulations; DAS restructuring; Task forces; Agency flaws.

The article reports that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has pulled out all x-ray body scanners from U.S. airports because privacy software to automatically detect suspicious items on a person's body could not be developed in time to meet a congressionally mandated deadline.

The article reports on the legislation introduced by two U.S. senators who intend to overturn a 1979 court injunction that prohibits the government from revealing what individual physicians earn from Medicare.

The article discusses the legislative bills introduced by Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden which aim to overturn a 1979 court injunction that prohibits publicly showing the earnings of physicians from Medicare.

This article reports on the lawsuits filed against 114 individuals on charges related to Medicare fraud after a crackdown by the U.S. federal government on healthcare crime on February 17, 2011.

The article reports on a draft document written by Maine actuary Rick Diamond wherein he noted that the health insurance industry will not experience a significant negative effect on profit from the healthcare reform in the U.S.

This article reports on the move of AIDS scientists to question the results of a study that found the first vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Conducted by researchers from the U.S. Army and Thailand, the study concluded that the vaccine is effective in protecting people against HIV. AIDS scientists said a second analysis of the study showed the results may have been a fluke. Jerome Kim, a scientist with the U.S. Army, said they stand with the results.

The article presents information on the physical evidence in the anthrax case in the U.S. which are four hand-addressed envelopes, four letters and a small amount of anthrax itself. Accordingly, the envelopes that were used were the prestamped kind available at post offices nationwide and the letters were photocopies, not originals. Also, no fingerprints or human DNA were found on the envelopes or letters.

Highlights the acknowledgement of former U.S. President Bill Clinton that his refusal to lift the ban on federal funding of needle-exchange programs during his presidency was wrong.

Reports on the re-evaluation of anthrax information by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Reveals that the officials at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Maryland are retrofitting a room with special security and freezers to keep anthrax separate from other work as of March 20, 2002.

Reports on investigations into the source of anthrax sent via mail in the United States. Investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into laboratories capable of producing the bacteria; How investigations into the specific strain of the anthrax bacteria could lead to a source.

Reports on the e-mail sent by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to microbiologists to ask tips for its anthrax terrorism investigation.

Reports on investigations into anthrax mailed in letters in the United States. Efforts to solve the mystery of where the anthrax came from that killed an elderly woman in Connecticut who had no apparent connection to a post office or media business; Investigation methods, including interviews, analysis of immigrant records, and laboratory work; Details on clues found by investigators.

Reports on a sign of cultural differences hampering the investigation into the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Reports on the manhunt launched by the United State Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with the anthrax incidents in several states.

Reports the reaction of the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City to the United States-led retaliation against Afghanistan.

Reports on examination of steel remains of the collapsed World Trade Center in New York City by Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, who also examined the collapsed section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Reports on use of the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, New York for dumping wreckage of the World Trade Center following terrorist attacks on the United States. How the landfill was closed due to fears of toxicity; Hopes to find the 'black boxes' of the commercial jets that struck the towers by sifting through the rubble at Fresh Kills; How people have come to Fresh Kills to search for belongings.

Reports on Sharon Schultz, a Manhattan, New York resident whose husband is missing following terrorist attacks on New York City that destroyed the World Trade Center. Her searches at New York hospitals; Support from her sister, Gail; Background information on Schultz and her Muslim husband Karamo Trerra; Her husband's job in technical support at ASAP NetSource, located in the World Trade Center.

Reports on efforts of forensic dentists to identify the bodies of victims pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York City following terrorist attacks which destroyed buildings. How forensic dentists identify bodies from dental records; Comments from forensic dentist Jeffrey Burkes; Difficulties including extensive incineration or fragmentation of bodies.

Discusses alliances between biotechnology firms and nonprofits in the United States and India, to produce inexpensive AIDS vaccines for developing countries. Efforts to avoid patent infringement in the developed world; Efforts by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) to transfer technology of U.S. firm Therion Biologics Inc. to Indian vaccine maker Serum Institute of India Ltd.; Other potential partnerships.

Reports on the changes in the AIDS prevention strategy of the United States Centers for Disease Control.

Reports the plans of a research group in the United States to delay the treatment of AIDS patients.

Reports on an AIDS treatment study that allows the human immune system to fight off the virus. Study by Bruce Walker at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where recently infected HIV patients were treated with drugs and then stopped using them; Opinion that this study shows an HIV vaccine might be possible; Appearance of the study in the September 2000 edition of 'Nature.'