State of Iowa HIV and AIDS Surveillance Report,June 2005

This quarter, we saw 17 HIV diagnoses, half the number of persons diagnosed in the first quarter of the year. For the two quarters, there were 50 diagnoses, keeping pace with last year’s number of diagnoses. Nineteen of the 50 (38%) received concurrent AIDS diagnoses. Of concern this year is the high number of persons reported without a risk. Over 40% of new cases were initially reported without a risk. Most of these cases are being investigated by disease prevention specialists. History shows us that a good proportion of these cases will be assigned to a risk category in the coming months as more is learned about their risks and the risks of their partners. Note that only 17% of cases diagnosed in 2004 remain without a known risk. There were 36 AIDS diagnoses in the first two quarters of 2005, just a bit ahead of what we saw last year. Fifteen of these were persons who had been diagnosed with HIV at least one year (fifteen years for two persons), and the rest received concurrent HIV and AIDS diagnoses.

Does Health Information Matter for Modifying Consumption?, October 2006

A field experiment was conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on fish consumption. A warning given to the treatment group revealed the risks of methylmercury contamination in fish and also gave consumption recommendations. Using difference-indifferences estimation, we show that this warning led to a significant but relatively weak decrease in fish consumption. However, consumption of the most contaminated fish did not decrease despite advice to avoid consumption of these types of fish. Accompanying questionnaires show that consumers imperfectly memorize the fish species quoted in the warning. The results point to the relatively poor efficacy of a complex health message, despite its use by health agencies around the world.

Talking to kids about prescription drug abuse, 2010

As a parent you’re concerned about your children’s health and well-being. You teach them about crossing the street safely and about personal safety. You talk with them about the risks of using tobacco, alcohol and other illegal drugs. But did you know that one of the fastest growing threats to youth today is the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs? Did you know that nearly one in five teens (19 percent or 4.5 million) nationally report intentionally abusing prescription drugs to get high, and one in ten reports abusing cough medicine to get high.