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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - December 2016
Penn study finds link between HIV treatment and neuronal degeneration
16-Dec-2016- Antiretroviral drugs have been life-changing therapies for HIV patients, but they can have significant side effects.
Mounting evidence has implicated these drugs in contributing to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, or HAND, which can be manifested as forgetfulness, confusion and behavioral and motor changes. Yet an explanation for how the drugs take a toll on the brain has been lacking.
High rates of injury found among some HIV-positive people in B.C.
15 December 2016 - In Canada and other high-income countries, the widespread use of potent combination HIV therapy (ART) has significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths and illness—at least among people who are aware of their infection, in care and taking ART every day exactly as prescribed and directed.
Due to the tremendous life-saving effects of ART, researchers increasingly expect that a young adult who is infected today and who initiates treatment shortly thereafter, and who does not have any pre-existing health issues, and who is engaged in his or her care and treatment over the long-term is likely to have a near-normal life expectancy. As a result,
some HIV researchers in high-income countries are turning their focus to factors that can diminish life expectancy despite use of ART.
Cure For HIV, AIDS Found? ‘Shock And Kill’ Human Trial Yields Positive Results
12/15/16 - The international scientific research community appears to be getting one step closer to finding a cure to the HIV and AIDS epidemic that has cost roughly 35 million lives. A human trial of a treatment designed
to effectively cure an infected body of HIV began in New York City, as well as in Germany and Denmark this week.
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HIV/AIDS Treatment Increases The Risk Of Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease In HIV-Positive Patients
December 15, 2016 - The World AIDS Day was observed last month, and the discussions and studies that followed it revealed that increasing occurrence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among HIV-positive patients is a major concern.
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High prevalence of resistance to zidovudine among people in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing virological failure with tenofovir-containing ART
15 December 2016 - A significant proportion of people with virological failure after treatment with tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) have resistance to thymidine analogues (stavudine and zidovudine), and in many cases other classes of antiretrovirals, investigators report in Lancet Infectious Diseases. The retrospective study involved over 700 people in sub-Saharan Africa who entered care between 2005 and 2011.
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AIDS Activist Peter Staley Is Ready to Get Arrested Fighting Trump: INTERVIEW
Dec 15, 2016 - The World AIDS Day was observed last month, and the discussions and studies that followed it revealed that increasing occurrence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among HIV-positive patients is a major concern.
Read more & Watch Video...
HIV 101: How Do I Tell My Kids I Have HIV?
December 14 2016 - Many parents worry that telling their kids might place a burden on the children. Mental health professionals say the decision about whether to tell your kids depends on many factors, including how perceptive
they are (if there are medicine containers all around, kids will ask about them), how discreet you need to be (asking kids to keep your status a secret is a heavy burden), and how strong you can be for them (some kids will be angry or overly clingy, worried you’ll be dying).
For most people, telling their children is the right thing to do. Before you do, learn everything you can about HIV. Your kids have been perfecting the “why” questions since they were 2 years old; this is a moment when there will be a lot of whys and hows.
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Editorial: Safe injection site worth exploring
December 14, 2016 - Saskatchewan needs to act on the federal government’s easing of restrictions for supervised safe injection sites.
In a province with an HIV infection rate that has led Canada since 2010 and where intravenous drug use is described as an “epidemic” in centres such as Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert, it’s time to heed the sensible call by Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) Chief Felix Thomas to investigate the value of establishing a safe injection site.
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New Short Film Highlights HIV Criminalization
December 14, 2016 - “No one should ever knowingly put another person at risk of harm, but the ability to disclose is not quite as simple as that,” said Sean Strub, President of the Sero Project, an advocacy group fighting for decriminalization of HIV/AIDS.
In a newly released 11-minute film, “HIV Criminalization: Masking Fear and Discrimination,” the group explains the difficulties HIV positive people face with dating and relationships. The film also includes stories from HIV positive people who have endured prison and prosecution.
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amfAR’s Roadmap to a Cure Illustrated in Video Series
December 2016 - amfAR has teamed up with an animation studio to create a series of short educational videos to explain the challenges of curing HIV and outline the four key components of our roadmap to a cure. The videos were screened for the first time at the HIV Cure Summit.
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HIV experts gather to update public on cure research
December 13, 2016 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, recently held a summit in San Francisco on World AIDSDay to update the public on progress made toward a cure for HIV/AIDS.
During the summit, researchers from the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research discussed the challenges of eliminating HIV in a small fraction of cells that remain infected with a latent virus, even with the use of ART. Since the immune system is unable to detect and,
therefore, fight against this latent reservoir, clinical trials are investigating whether toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can be used in a “shock and kill” approach to provoke the virus into replicating and enhance the immune system’s ability to kill the cells producing the virus.
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Living positively with HIV
13 December 2016 - There was a time when being diagnosed with HIV meant the end of your life as you knew it, being sick all the time, repeated hospital admissions and an early death. What we see now is nothing short of amazing.
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‘Righteous Rebels’ Tells AHF Story
12/12/2016 - How a global health organization operates was the topic of discussion Thursday evening at the World AIDS Museum in Wilton Manors.
“What keeps me up at night is the thought of what the consequences would be if we were to fail,” said Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “If we were to fail there would definitely be lives that would be lost,
institutions would not be held accountable and there would be tremendous consequences.”
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HIV Vaccine That Holds A Promise Of Cure To Be Conducted By Canadian Scientists, Is There A Catch?
Dec 11, 2016 - A promising HIV vaccine has recently been found successful as it passes its initial trial stage on 33 HIV positive patients. As it has been considered a success, it is now set to be
tested on 600 more people. However, experts have highly emphasized that they are to conduct these tests on people who do not suffer from the said disease so that they would be able to find out its ability to prevent infection.
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Study examines issues with enrolling teens at risk for HIV in prevention trials
December 11, 2016 - The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDs Interventions awarded an Indiana University researcher $1.1 million to examine the ethical difficulties of involving adolescents
aged 14 to 17 years at high risk for HIV in biomedical prevention trials, according to a press release.
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Little Elves Foundation marks 25 years of giving to Canadians suffering from HIV
December 11, 2016 - The organization is dedicated to providing support and comfort to isolated people living with HIV/Aids, throughout Canada, with an emphasis on the holiday season.
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Social Stigma Prevents Use Of HIV Prevention Medicines In The US And UK, Study Suggests
December 9, 2016 - The results of the survey were published in the Cogent Medicine Journal, Taylor & Francis. The authors commented that the common perception of homosexual men and women in the U.S.
and the U.K. toward HIV prevention medicines such as the Truvada® will definitely change, if the media and healthcare officials change the way the PrEP HIV prevention medicines are represented to the general population. They should be
highlighted as "further level of protection" rather than made specific for high risk individuals.
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ABIVAX reports on ABX464 as HIV functional cure and treatment for inflammatory diseases
8 December 2016 - Preclinical data presented at HIV DART Meeting
ABIVAX (Euronext Paris: FR0012333284 - ABVX), an innovative biotechnology company targeting the immune system to eliminate viral disease, announced today that the Company
presented new preclinical data on ABX464, ABIVAX's first-in-class drug candidate for a functional cure of patients with HIV/AIDS, during this week's HIV DART (Frontiers in Drug Development for Antiretroviral Therapy) scientific conference in Los Cabos, Mexico.
HIV diagnosis followed by initiation of treatment on the same day
8 December 2016 - Clinical trials have found that the initiation of HIV treatment (ART) very early in the course of infection can significantly improve
a person's health and greatly reduce their risk for developing serious infections. Early initiation of ART helps to reduce the amount of HIV in the blood and continued use of ART helps to drive HIV down to undetectable levels.
Europe's Plan to Tackle Undiagnosed HIV
DEC 08, 2016 - While HIV infection rates are relatively low in Europe compared to other parts of the world, a new report shows that one in seven people with HIV living in Europe does not know they are HIV-positive.
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After PinkNews report, Israeli government drops policy to tag and cover in concrete HIV infected bodies
8th December 2016 - The Israeli Ministry of Health is to drop its guidelines ordering the dead bodies of people who had HIV AIDS be tagged, segregated and covered in concrete.
Now the health department has announced it will axe almost every part of the previously reported guidelines.
Bodies will no longer be separated, tagged, covered in concrete or be required to travel in a separate ambulance.
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Promoting HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Understanding in the Workplace
Dec 07, 2016 - In a bid to promote understanding and fight fear with regards to HIV/AIDS in the workplace as well as in society, the HIV/AIDS Centre in partnership with the Employment Assistant Programme (EAP), both at DUT, recently hosted an AIDS Workshop which was held at the University’s Steve Biko Campus Library Complex.
The Workshop was also aimed at challenging myths, fighting prejudice and raising awareness with regards to issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS.
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California Set On "Getting to Zero" When it Comes to HIV
DEC 07, 2016 - In response to the HIV epidemic in California, the state’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Office of AIDS (OA) teamed up with other local health
jurisdictions and the like in 2013 to compose an Integrated HIV Surveillance, Prevention, and Care Plan, one that is based on the framework of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) that had been released only three years
before it. Now, California health officials update their Integrated Plan to reflect their overall goal of “Getting to Zero.”
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President Barack Obama Speaks on World AIDS Day
December 7th 2016 - A Proclamation by the President of the United STates of America:
Thirty-five years ago the first documented cases of AIDS brought about an era of uncertainty, fear, and discrimination. HIV/AIDS has taken tens of millions of lives - and far too many people with HIV have struggled
to get the care, treatment, and compassion they deserve. But in the decades since those first cases, with ingenuity, leadership, research, and historic investments in evidence-based practices, we have begun to move toward an era of
resilience and hope - and we are closer than ever to reaching an AIDS-free generation. On World AIDS Day, we join with the international community to remember those we have lost too soon, reflect on the tremendous progress we
have made in battling this disease, and carry forward our fight against HIV/AIDS.
NACA faults government on HIV, AIDS control
07 December 2016 - The Delta chapter of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has condemned the existing efforts to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The NACA’s Director, Partnership Co-ordination, Dr. Emmanuel Hassan, blamed the state and the Federal Government for the slow pace.
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Canada’s progress towards global HIV testing, care and treatment goals
6 December 2016 - Studies have found that initiating combination anti-HIV therapy (ART) and continuing to take it every day exactly as prescribed and directed can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load)
to such a low level that it cannot be accurately counted with conventional tests. Such a low level is commonly called “undetectable.” Once one's viral load
has reached this point and stays there, an important milestone has been reached: Not only does it mean
that a person's health continues to improve, it also means that the risk of a person sexually transmitting HIV is now negligible. Thus, initiating ART soon after diagnosis carries both personal benefits (the immune system becomes stronger) and societal benefits (the spread of HIV is greatly reduced).
Help HIV Research
December 6, 2016 - Apply below to get your voice heard, get paid and raise money for charity
We are conducting an online survey with 1,500 people living with HIV and their Partners / loved ones that will contribute towards improving support services for the HIV Community in 9 different countries
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Predictors of viral suppression and rebound among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in a large multi-site Canadian cohort
2016 - Abstract
Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Canada. Combination antiretroviral therapy has been shown to dramatically decrease progression to AIDS, premature death and HIV transmission.
However, there are no comprehensive data regarding combination antiretroviral therapy outcomes among this population. We sought to identify socio-demographic and clinical correlates of viral suppression and rebound.
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‘Shock And Kill’ Strategy For Curing HIV May Endanger Patients’ Brains
December 5, 2016 - “The potential for the brain to harbor significant HIV reservoirs that could pose a danger if activated hasn't received much attention in the HIV eradication field,” says
Janice Clements, Ph.D., professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Our study sounds a major cautionary note about the potential for unintended consequences of the shock-and-kill treatment strategy.”
‘A Day With HIV’ Campaign Highlights The Stories Of Those Affected By HIV
December 5, 2016 - “Our hope is that by sharing their stories with one another, we can show that there is life beyond HIV.”
A campaign that highlights stories of individuals affected by HIV is back and shining a powerful and personal light on their lives and experiences.
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Israeli Health Ministry Demands Segregation, Concrete Encasement of Bodies of People With HIV/AIDS
December 5, 2016 - The guidelines require that the bodies of people with HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases should be labelled, put into an ambulance separate from anyone else and covered with concrete on burial.
The measures go on to say that if the bodies are not covered by concrete, then they must be buried in a tomb at least ten meters from all other bodies.
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AIDS Is Going To Get Worse Under The Administration of Donald Trump
Dec 4, 2016 - Donald John Trump is the President-elect of the United States, as well as an American businessman, actor, author, and politician. Many people said that HIV/AIDS will get worse under the administration
of the Donald Trump. Trump’s anti-gay, anti-science cabinet is going to put more people at risk of infection and make the lives of those already infected worse.
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10 per cent patients get HIV/AIDS from blood donors in ‘window period’
Dec 4, 2016 - Hyderabad: The AIDS Society states that only those who are enrolled into their programme are followed up and tracked by them.
There has been a 10 per cent increase in the HIV/AIDS cases due to transfusion of infected blood according to data released by the National Aids Control Organisation. The number of such cases rose from 1,445 in 2015 to 1,560 this year so far.
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Cases of HIV/AIDS in China Increased by 96,000 During First 9 Months of 2016
Dec 04, 2016 - The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that there were approximately 654,000 people currently living in China diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at the end of September.
The count comprises of the 575,000 people reported last year plus 96,000 new cases.
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About 500 Nigerians die of HIV/AIDs daily – NACA
4 December 2016 - At least 500 Nigerians die of HIV/AIDs daily, with an average new infection of 600 people every day, says Sani Aliyu, Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDs, NACA.
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Trial for HIV prevention drug approved
4 December 2016 - More than 10,000 gay men will be offered a drug which prevents transmission of HIV after health officials lost a Court of Appeal battle over funding.
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Living Example: Advocating HIV/AIDS While Positive
December 1, 2016 - To commemorate World AIDS Day today, meet Eddie Wiley, an HIV/AIDS advocate, fighter and survivor.
Two years ago, in the privacy of his own home, then 26-year-old Eddie Wiley and a few close friends decided to take a rapid HIV test to comfort another pal hesitant about being tested. Wiley had already taken a
test three months prior, which was negative, but wanted to support his nervous friend. He was also ready to console any of his buddies if any of their tests revealed a positive result. But in a sad twist, it was only Wiley’s test that was positive.
Read more... EBONY - Life - ebony.com
Trudeau marks World AIDS Day, says fight against HIV can be won
Dec. 1, 2016 - OTTAWA - The government plans on spending $3.5 million more on AIDS research, Health Minister Jane Philpott says.
The federal government has pledged more support for the fight against AIDS, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's confident the battle can be won.
10 AIDS activists arrested in protest over Speaker Ryan
December 1, 2016 - Ten HIV/AIDS protesters were arrested Thursday outside of Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) office on Capitol Hill in protest over his proposed plan to roll back Obamacare and place limits on Medicare and Medicaid.
The act of civil disobedience took place on World AIDS Day to draw attention to the impact Ryan’s proposed cuts would have on HIV/AIDS as well as the potential impact of the confirmation of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as secretary of health and human services.
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VIDEO: The promise of the ring for women's HIV prevention
December 2016 - Earlier this year, a novel monthly vaginal ring developed by the International Partnership for Microbicides became the first long-acting method to show efficacy in two Phase III clinical trials.
Watch this video to learn about the dapivirine ring and IPM's next steps to potentially put the discreet, self-initiated product into the hands of women at high risk for HIV.
IPM's ring study results published in New England Journal of Medicine
SILVER SPRING, Md. (Dec. 1, 2016) - - Phase III study findings add to evidence base on IPM's monthly dapivirine ring
The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) announced today that The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has published results from The Ring Study, a
Phase III clinical trial of IPM's vaginal ring to prevent HIV. The study's key findings, announced earlier this year, show that a vaginal ring that slowly releases the antiretroviral
drug (ARV) dapivirine over the course of one month safely helps reduce the risk of HIV infection in women.
World AIDS Day: Crowds of Supporters Observe Public Dedication of New York City AIDS Memorial
NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2016 - Community leaders, activists, elected officials, and supporters observed World AIDS Day 2016 by attending the
official dedication ceremony for the newly completed New York City AIDS Memorial, centerpiece of the New York City AIDS Memorial Park at St. Vincent's Triangle. The Memorial is located at the intersection of West 12th Street and Greenwich Avenue in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood. The New York City AIDS Memorial Board of Directors hosted the ceremony, alongside representatives from the END AIDS NY 2020 Coalition, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the New York State Department of Health.
Findings show significant progress against HIV epidemic in Africa; 90-90-90 goals in reach
INDIANAPOLIS – 1-Dec-2016 - In Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia, new infections are falling; the percent of the population infected with HIV is stabilizing; and over half of all people living with HIV are virally suppressed
National surveys in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia reveal exceptional progress against HIV, with decreasing rates of new infection, stable numbers of people living with HIV, and more than half of all those living with HIV showing viral suppression through use of antiretroviral medication.
For those on antiretroviral medication, viral suppression is close to 90 percent. Thirty-five years into the global HIV epidemic, these findings are a clear sign of progress and source of hope for the rest of the world.
Study to examine involving teens at high risk for HIV in prevention trials
INDIANAPOLIS – 1-Dec-2016 - New HIV infections among adolescents are projected to rise from 250,000 in 2015 to nearly 400,000 annually by 2030 if progress in reaching adolescents stalls, according to a new report released by UNICEF today.
Theatre Cares Vancouver raises $27,000 for charity
December 1st, 2016 - Theatre Cares Vancouver has raised $27,000 for various charities in the city.
The sum raised from this volunteer-based organization will directly support AIDS Vancouver, Positive Living BC, the Actors’ Fund of Canada, the Performing Arts Lodge, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
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World AIDS Day: A look Back at Our History Fighting HIV/AIDS
December 1, 2016 - Today is World AIDS Day — an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with the disease and commemorate those who have died. At LS&Co., it’s a
chance for all of us to reflect upon the company’s history of progressive leadership in addressing HIV/AIDS, and how we plan to remain on the frontline of this ongoing battle moving forward.
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Western virologist hopes to test vaccine on 600 HIV-negative subjects next fall
DECEMBER 1, 2016 - An HIV vaccine (SAV001) developed at Western University can now move on to Phase II human clinical trials. Plans are underway to test
it in 600 HIV-negative subjects across North America as early as next fall. The Phase II trial, once approved by government regulatory agencies, will determine the vaccine's ability to produce
anti-HIV antibodies in patients who are not infected with the virus.
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WORLD AIDS DAY
December 1, 2016 - See We Are All Connected!
Remembering all the people we have lost to AIDS
New HIV infections among adolescents projected to rise by nearly 60 per cent by 2030 if progress stalls – UNICEF
NEW YORK/JOHANNESBURG, 1 December 2016 - Urgent action needed to improve HIV prevention and treatment for young people
New HIV infections among adolescents are projected to rise from 250,000 in 2015 to nearly 400,000 annually by 2030 if progress in reaching adolescents stalls, according to a new report released by UNICEF today.
Canadian grandmothers hold flash mobs for HIV-AIDS awareness
December 1, 2016 - Hundreds of Canadian grandmothers gathered in malls, grocery stores and on campuses Thursday, to raise awareness on World AIDS Day.
The flash mobs were organized by local chapters of Grandmothers to Grandmothers, groups that raise money to help African grandmothers caring for millions of children orphaned by AIDS.
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Whoopi Goldberg Honored For AIDS Activism On World AIDS Day | The View
December 1, 2016 - The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation honored Whoopi Goldberg by awarding her with the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award for her 30 years of AIDS activism. Elton John, Lionel Richie, and Colin Farrell delivered special messages and four of Elizabeth Taylor's grandchildren joined Whoopi to present her with the award.
Sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases among China's youth
December 1, 2016 - A sharp spike in HIV/AIDS cases among Chinese youth, especially young men aged 15-24, sets off a race to reach out and spread awareness. As Anita Li reports, there's been a nearly
fourfold increase in cases within just the first nine months of 2016.
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An ‘explosion of discovery’ is opening new avenues for treating HIV/AIDS
01 December 2016 - Chicago - Dr Anthony Fauci does not get too excited about the results of animal studies, and he does not make house calls.
But when a drug already taken by thousands of people for intestinal conditions appeared to control the monkey version of HIV, it got the attention of the director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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New York City’s AIDS Memorial unveiled on World AIDS Day
1st December 2016 - New York City’s AIDS Memorial has been unveiled, in a ceremony on World AIDS Day.
he Memorial is located in a new park, officially named the New York City AIDS Memorial Park, in St Vincent’s Triangle, Manhattan.
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Women living with HIV mark World AIDS Day with photos
December 1, 2016 - Coordinator hopes photo project will reduce stigma around disease
Some Vancouver women living with HIV and AIDS are fighting the stigma that comes with the disease with a new photography project.
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Under Donald Trump, the scourge of HIV/Aids is going to get worse
01 December 2016 - Trump’s anti-gay, anti-science cabinet is going to put more people at risk of infection, and make the lives of those already infected worse
It’s not just that Trump literally doesn’t mention HIV/Aids in his healthcare policy, nor that he’s generally anti-science. It’s not even just that every single Trump cabinet pick so far has some kind of anti-LGBT record. I am terrified that two of his most important picks – vice-president elect Mike Pence and Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Price – know exactly how to harm Americans (disproportionately black and/or LGBT Americans) by way of HIV/Aids. If Reagan was remembered for his inaction on the plague, Trump may be remembered for explicitly dismantling the Aids safety net and for enacting policies that will make the virus move more freely between people.
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World AIDS day means a time to never forget
December 1, 2016 - Demonstrators in downtown Vancouver today speaking out against what they say is a 33 percent funding cut for agencies that provide services to HIV and AIDS patients. Activists say while HIV is no longer a death sentence, people who have been diagnosed still need help.
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Living with HIV
December 1, 2016 - To mark World Aids Day, we go behind the scenes of the powerful new documentary ‘Last Men Standing’ and learn why an AIDS diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence anymore.
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