NEWFSIiUES N RE
Women ocus of this year's World AIDS Da The theme of this year's World AIDS Day, held Dec. 1, was Women and AIDS, and the CMA's director of health services thinks Canada's physicians should give more thought to the growing impact the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is hiving on females. "An anonymous survey was completed recently in Ontario and the number of women and hildren infected with the virus was considerably higher than had been thought", says Dr. David Walters. "I think the study shows that there is reason to be concemed about the spread of the infection to the heterosexual
population."
The World Health Oranizaion, which estimates tht 500 000 cases of AIDS occurred in women and cildrenuri the disease's first decade, says the impact of the AIDS pandemic on ally". It estimaes tha 3 women is million or mofr women and Children will die of AIDS in the 1990s. "When it comes to counselling about HIV was Walters, "physcians have to pay a great dal more attention not ony to men at risk, but also to female patients. This is not oly a men's disease - it is a major threat to women and their babies ."
Letters o G flo dnt Dr. Lionel Lavoie, the CMA president, recently asked physicians to send him copies of letters they sent to the federal government concernimg the new goods and services tax, and they responded. The tax is to take effect Jan. 1, 1991, and the CMA says it will have a serious impact on physicians' practicerelated costs. During a 2-week period at the end of October,
the association's Department of Communications and Government Relations reeived 184 copies of the GST-related letters frm Canadian doctors. "The president has been requesting the letters when he delivers a speech and the message has been getting sent out by the divisions", explaed Lucian Blair, associate director of the department.
Alberta physicians sceptica about value o midwifery Midwives must demonstrate that they will be an asset to the health care system before they are licensed to practise in Alberta, the past president of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) says. In his report to delegates attending the association's recent annual meeting in Edmonton, Dr. Ronald Gregg said the AMA is adamant that if licensed midwifery is introduced, it ".must be confined to recognized hospitals because there is no evidence except anecdotes to support [home births]". The AMA is also sceptical about the cost bene1212
CAN MED ASSOC J 1990; 143 ( 11)
fits of introducing midwifery. Alberta midwives have been chWng $600 to $1000 for a delivebr the AMA says, while physicians were bei paid $460 for providing a antnatal care, handling the delivery and proving 06 weeks of postartum care. However, at least one Albera pysician thinks the AMA ud m agrater effot to find omon ground with midwives. "'It miht solve some of the ises if we met them directly", saidDr. William Devine of Edmonton. Gregg said no meetings have been held between Alberta physicians and midwives.
Women ocus of this year's World AIDS Da The theme of this year's World AIDS Day, held Dec. 1, was Women and AIDS, and the CMA's director of health services thinks Canada's physicians should give more thought to the growing impact the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is hiving on females. "An anonymous survey was completed recently in Ontario and the number of women and hildren infected with the virus was considerably higher than had been thought", says Dr. David Walters. "I think the study shows that there is reason to be concemed about the spread of the infection to the heterosexual
population."
The World Health Oranizaion, which estimates tht 500 000 cases of AIDS occurred in women and cildrenuri the disease's first decade, says the impact of the AIDS pandemic on ally". It estimaes tha 3 women is million or mofr women and Children will die of AIDS in the 1990s. "When it comes to counselling about HIV was Walters, "physcians have to pay a great dal more attention not ony to men at risk, but also to female patients. This is not oly a men's disease - it is a major threat to women and their babies ."
Letters o G flo dnt Dr. Lionel Lavoie, the CMA president, recently asked physicians to send him copies of letters they sent to the federal government concernimg the new goods and services tax, and they responded. The tax is to take effect Jan. 1, 1991, and the CMA says it will have a serious impact on physicians' practicerelated costs. During a 2-week period at the end of October,
the association's Department of Communications and Government Relations reeived 184 copies of the GST-related letters frm Canadian doctors. "The president has been requesting the letters when he delivers a speech and the message has been getting sent out by the divisions", explaed Lucian Blair, associate director of the department.
Alberta physicians sceptica about value o midwifery Midwives must demonstrate that they will be an asset to the health care system before they are licensed to practise in Alberta, the past president of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) says. In his report to delegates attending the association's recent annual meeting in Edmonton, Dr. Ronald Gregg said the AMA is adamant that if licensed midwifery is introduced, it ".must be confined to recognized hospitals because there is no evidence except anecdotes to support [home births]". The AMA is also sceptical about the cost bene1212
CAN MED ASSOC J 1990; 143 ( 11)
fits of introducing midwifery. Alberta midwives have been chWng $600 to $1000 for a delivebr the AMA says, while physicians were bei paid $460 for providing a antnatal care, handling the delivery and proving 06 weeks of postartum care. However, at least one Albera pysician thinks the AMA ud m agrater effot to find omon ground with midwives. "'It miht solve some of the ises if we met them directly", saidDr. William Devine of Edmonton. Gregg said no meetings have been held between Alberta physicians and midwives.
