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Health

3,500 New HIV Infections Every Month In Russia

According to the State Statistics Committee, over 3,500 new cases of HIV are being reported in Russia every month. Russia currently has about 200,000 reported cases of HIV, but health experts believe the actual number could be as high as a million. St. Petersburg has the highest number of reported HIV cases with Moscow following a close second.

OTHER GayInternet News

Alarming Rise Of Syphilis In Montreal

Health officials in Montreal are alarmed by a high rise of syphilis cases. Last year, Montreal public health officials reported 24 cases of the disease, up from only one case in all of Quebec in 1998. Rises in syphilis are usually indicative that safe sex is not being practiced - which may also lead to a comparitive rise in the number of HIV cases in the area.

Alarming Number Of Young Gay Black Men Unaware They Have HIV

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control reveals that up to 93 percent of young black men with HIV are unaware they have the disease. About three quarters of those who were found to have HIV believed there was little to no chance they could have the disease before they were tested.

New HIV Drugs Show Promising Results

Several new HIV drugs are showing promising results in trials according to American and Belgian researchers. Dapivirine and R165335 have both gone through two phases of clinical trials. Scientists are especially hopeful regarding Dapivirine, as the drug is cheap to manufacture and could be used for treating HIV in developing countries. Scientists from the US National Institutes of Health, State University of New Jersey, Tibotec Virco NV and Janssen Pharmaceautica are collaborating on testing of the new drugs

Seattle To Host World's Largest Marijuana Legalization Rally

More than 100,000 people are expected to show their support for ending marijuana prohibition at this year's annual Seattle Hempfest, taking place this weekend at Myrtle Edwards Park in downtown Seattle. The two-day event will feature more than 100 speakers, musical acts and DJs on six stages, as well as the world's largest hemp expo. Last year's event drew over 150,000 attendees, making it the largest marijuana-law reform event ever held.

NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup, who will be speaking at the event, says that this year's Hempfest promises to be the most successful ever. "The Seattle Hempfest is the world's largest annual rally calling for an end to marijuana prohibition," he said. "It is both a wonderful celebration of personal freedom and a powerful statement to end the war on responsible marijuana smokers."

This year's event has added importance because organizers will be collecting signatures to qualify Seattle Initiative 75 for the November ballot. Initiative proponents need to collect an additional 4,000 valid signatures at this year's event to place I-75 on the city ballot. If approved by the voters, I-75 would mandate city police make enforcement of marijuana laws their lowest priority.

Stroup, NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, and NORML Affiliate Coordinator Kris Krane are among dozens of prominent speakers at this year's gathering. Other speakers include:

Sandee Burbank - Executive Director: Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse Nora Callahan - Executive Director: The November Coalition Chris Conrad - Author: Hemp: Lifeline to the Future John Conroy - Attorney; Canada NORML; Free Renee Boje Diane Fornbacher - Executive Director: Tri-State Drug Policy Forum Debby Goldsberry - Founder: Cannabis Action Network Jack Herer - Author: The Emperor Wears No Clothes Dominic Holden - Director: Seattle Hempfest; Sensible Seattle Kyle Kushman - Cultivation Reporter: High Times Magazine Nick Licata - Seattle City Council Member Ann McCormick - Compassionate Moms Joanna McKee - Founder: Green Cross Vivian McPeak - Executive Director: Seattle Hempfest Elvy Musikka - Federal Medical Marijuana Recipient Lee Newbury - NORML of South Puget Sound Bob Newland - Executive Director: South Dakota NORML Mikki Norris - Executive Director: Cannabis Consumers Campaign Ed Rosenthal - Author: "Ask Ed" Jeffery Steinborn - Attorney; NORML Board of Directors Don Wirtshafter - President: The Ohio Hempery Kevin Zeese - Executive Director: Common Sense for Drug Policy

For a complete listing of speakers and performers, please visit: http://www.seattlehempfest.com.

London Researchers Claim Major Breakthrough On Stopping HIV

Researchers from London's King's College and the Pennsylvania School of Medicine say they have found a naturally occuring gene that blocks replication of the HIV virus. The gene, called CEM15 prevents the virus from replicating itself - but can also be blocked by an HIV protein called vif. Researchers hope they will be able to learn how to prevent the vif protein from cancelling out CEM15's effects, thus keeping the HIV virus from reproducing itself.

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