|
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - February 2016
SFU study explores stigma faced by HIV-positive women
February 29, 2016 - A Q&A with SFU assistant professor Angela Kaida
Women living with HIV have high rates of sexual inactivity and dissatisfaction, and a lower quality of life. This is according to Angela Kaida, the Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Reproductive Health, and one of the women who is part of a research group studying stigma surrounding HIV.
Read more...
HIV patients on ART still feel infectious despite low viral loads
February 29, 2016 - BOSTON - Just 10% of HIV patients reported feeling noninfectious about 1 year into ART despite a high rate of viral suppression, according to study data presented at CROI 2016.
Read more...
Doctors celebrate as Health Canada approves Truvada as HIV-prevention therapy
February 29, 2016 - “We should do everything in our power to enable the prevention of HIV, and that’s just the humane thing to do. It’s also the effective thing to do,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert who
runs one of Canada’s biggest HIV prevention clinics out of Toronto General Hospital, told Global News.
Read more...
Stigma can kill: Making a difference for tomorrow
February 29, 2016 - Stigma killed my partner John. He died in 1994, less than a year before he could have gotten effective antiretroviral therapy that might have stopped HIV from taking his life. There’s no way to know for sure, but I believe that stigma is the main reason he’s not alive today.
Read more...
Liver disease progression high among HCV, HIV/HCV coinfected drug users
February 29, 2016 - A high rate of clinical liver disease progression was found in both patients infected with hepatitis C virus and coinfected with HIV and HCV that differed based on patient gender, according to recent research.
Read more...
Truvada approved for HIV prevention in Canada
29 February 2016 - In an exciting development, on February 26 th 2016 Health Canada approved the use of Truvada taken every day for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV.
Half of the World Has Herpes
February 29, 2016 - In fact, just over a half of the world has herpes.
Read more...
Olympian Greg Louganis: "I never thought I'd see 30"
February 29, 2016 - In the 1988 Seoul summer Olympics, American diver Greg Louganis won gold medals on the springboard and platform, replicating his double gold win four years earlier in Los Angeles. He was a man at the peak of his
discipline and poised to take the sporting world, and the sponsorship economy, by storm. And then he faded from sight.
Read more...
VIDEO: Accidental HIV contagion transmitted via unknown route
February 28, 2016 - Boston - John M. Coffin, PhD, professor of genetics and molecular microbiology at Tufts University, discusses a case study presented at CROI 2016 in which a research student working with lentiviral vectors in a laboratory became infected with HIV.
Watch Video...
Life expectancy in HIV positive people in the US still lags 13 years behind HIV negative people
28 February 2016 - Smoking is biggest ascertainable risk factor
A study presented at the CROI 2016 conference comparing life expectancies of HIV-positive and HIV-negative people within the Kaiser Permanente health insurance system has found that although life expectancy in HIV-positive people has improved, life expectancy at age 20 remains 13 years behind that of matched HIV-negative people.
This 13-year gap did not improve between 2008 and 2011, the last year of follow up in this cohort study.
Read more...
Giant Condom Shows 'The Need For Protection When You're Having Fun'
27/02/2016 - An 18-metre condom has been erected in Sydney's Hyde Park ahead of next weekend's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Organisers said the visually arresting giant rubber installation was intended to promote condom use to prevent HIV transmission.
Read more...
In Monkeys, Therapy Flushes HIV-Like Virus From Its Hiding Places
Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) - One of the key roadblocks to a cure for HIV infection and AIDS is the fact that the virus can "hide out" in a dormant state in immune system cells, evading treatment.
However, research in monkeys suggests that a new approach might push these hidden cells out of hiding, to where they can be destroyed by conventional antiretroviral drug therapy [ART].
Read more...
AHF-Supported HIV Documentary ‘Wilhemina’s War’
LOS ANGELES (February 26, 2016) - AHF Grant Fund recipient, June Cross, directed film that sheds light on HIV stigma and lack of health care in rural communities in the American South.
‘Wilhemina’s War’ PBS Broadcast Feb. 29, 10:00pm ET & Deep South Tour
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in partnership with the BronzeLens Film Festival, Spelman College Women's Center and the Black Women's Health Imperative proudly present a screening tour of the groundbreaking HIV/AIDS documentary ‘ Wilhemina's War' across the U.S. Deep South, where HIV infection rates continue to spiral out of control.
Zero Discrimination Message from UNAIDS Executive Director
Published on Feb 25, 2016 - “On Zero Discrimination Day, stand out and stand together for the right to live free from stigma and discrimination,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “By celebrating diversity, we can transform the future.”
Zero Discrimination Day to be celebrated around the world
GENEVA, 26 February 2015 - For this year's Zero Discrimination Day people have been invited to Open Up, Reach Out , using social media channels to tell the world what zero discrimination
means to them. People have shared songs, poems, thoughts and activities inspired by the butterfly, the transformative symbol of the campaign.
People are also calling on their governments to make greater efforts to realize and protect human rights and eliminate discrimination.
PrEP Patient’s Drug-resistant HIV Infection; Bone Loss, Fractures in Others, Suggest Caution
LOS ANGELES (February 25, 2016) - No mention of condom use—as FDA guidelines for PrEP indicate—in the report on PrEP incident presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston.
On the heels of the CDC’s recent recommendation that 1.2 million high-risk Americans go on PrEP, AHF expresses concern about a more drug resistant strain of HIV entering the community-at-large.
An article in POZ Magazine today reported that for the first time, an individual on the HIV-prevention protocol pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP for over two years not only became infected with HIV, but became infected with a drug resistant strain of the virus.
Dr. Robert Grant weighs in after the first case of failed PrEP: What does it mean?
February 25, 2016 - At CROI today, researchers and providers heard a detailed case study of a man who was infected with drug-resistant HIV while taking PrEP. No study to date has definitively documented a “breakthrough” HIV infection during
PrEP with adherence to Truvada, so the report has garnered a lot of attention and concern from community members.
Read more...
PrEP Fails in Gay Man Adhering to Daily Truvada, He Contracts Drug-Resistant HIV
February 25, 2016 - Researchers have for the first time documented a case of an individual contracting HIV, a multi-drug resistant strain, while apparently adhering well to the daily regimen of Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
The scientists concluded that it is indeed possible for individuals who are adherent to PrEP to contract HIV when they are exposed to a virus that is resistant to both drugs included in Truvada.
Read more...
Botswana close to reaching the 90-90-90 testing and treatment targets
25 February 2016 - Botswana is already close to reaching the 90-90-90 target for testing, treatment and viral suppression, and is ahead of the United States and most European countries in its efforts to improve treatment coverage, Tendani Gaolathe of
the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership reported at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston on Wednesday.
Read more...
AHF: CDC Releases Plan to Prevent 185,000 HIV Infections by 2020, Fails to Mention Condoms
LOS ANGELES (February 24, 2016) - CDC cites PrEP as a “key prevention strategy” in their plan to reduce HIV prevalence, but overlooks the critical role condoms play in preventing both HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases.
“Condoms not only protect individuals against HIV, but also a host of other STDs such as HPV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein . “An HIV prevention plan that does not place condom use at its forefront is both irresponsible and potentially disastrous.”
Bone density recovers quickly after stopping PrEP
24 February 2016 - Bone mineral density recovers within six months of stopping pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) containing tenofovir, Bob Grant of the University of California, San Francisco reported on behalf of the iPrEx study on Tuesday at the
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston.
Read more...
Maraviroc-containing regimens safe, tolerable when taken for HIV prevention
24-Feb-2016 - Maraviroc, an oral drug used to treat HIV infection, is safe and well-tolerated when taken daily as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to
prevent HIV infection by HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) at increased risk for acquiring HIV. These findings from the Phase 2 HPTN 069/ACTG 5305 trial were presented today
at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.
Modern HIV prevention: What’s next for women?
2/24/2016 - Today, some of the world’s leading scientists and researchers were gathered in Boston at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
“What’s next for women?” was the question on the minds of many, after results were released from two trials that looked at one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools of our time: the long-acting dapivirine
vaginal ring, a female-controlled HIV prevention method that could potentially protect women for up to a month at a time. ASPIRE (MTN 020) and The Ring Study (IPM 027) looked at the safety and effectiveness of these women-controlled devices; their results were among the most anticipated data to be released at the conference.
Read more...
Major disparities persist in lifetime risk of HIV diagnosis in the US
24 February 2016 - The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with HIV in the US has decreased overall during the past decade, falling to 1 in 99,
according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) this week in Boston.
The risk varies widely among population sub-groups, however, and half of black gay and bisexual men are likely to become infected if current trends persist.
Read more...
HIV Edmonton hopes edgy awareness campaign will get people talking about rising rates
February 23, 2016 - EDMONTON - “We don’t know who is spreading HIV in Edmonton. And neither do they.” This is the slogan of an edgy new campaign aimed at getting Edmontonians talking about the rising rates of HIV.
Read more...
Tenofovir treatment raises the risk of broken bones
23 February 2016 - Single dose of zoledronic acid protects against bone loss in people taking tenofovir
Treatment containing tenofovir is associated with a higher risk of bone fractures in people living with HIV, but a single infusion of zoledronic acid, a drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis, can protect against bone loss,
two studies presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston show.
Read more...
Half of black gay men and a quarter of Latino gay men projected to be diagnosed within their lifetime
February 23, 2016 - If current HIV diagnoses rates persist, about 1 in 2 black men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1 in 4 Latino MSM in the United States will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime,
according to a new analysis by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, presented today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston , provides the first-ever comprehensive
national estimates of the lifetime risk of an HIV diagnosis for several key populations at risk and in every state.
PrEP and the Older Adult with HIV
23 February 2016 - To reduce HIV infections in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pursuing High-Impact Prevention (HIP) approaches. These methods
include combined biological and behavioral interventions that are evidence-based, cost-effective, and often tailored for specific populations and geographic contexts.
Read more...
Early antiretroviral therapy has no impact on marker of early cardiovascular disease
23 February 2016 - Starting treatment at a CD4 cell count above 500 does not lead to improvement in an important early warning sign of cardiovascular disease, and investigators are still unsure whether people who start treatment at high CD4 counts
will have the same increased risk of cardiovascular disease as that reported in people with HIV over the past 15 years.
Read more...
Long-acting injectable cabotegravir + rilpivirine works well as HIV maintenance therapy
23 February 2016 - A combination of two long-acting injectable antiretrovirals, cabotegravir and rilpivirine, given once every 4 or 8 weeks, maintained viral suppression as well as a standard oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen and appeared safe and well-tolerated, according to results from the
LATTE 2 trial presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) taking place this week in Boston, USA.
Read more...
Option B+ to prevent maternal transmission of HIV shows rise in women initiating therapy
February 23, 2016 - The first findings from a study in the Kingdom of Swaziland on a new approach to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV were presented at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston.
Study: 1 in 6 gay or bisexual men will contract HIV in their lifetime
Feb 23, 2016 - Likelihood of HIV diagnosis rises to 1 in 4 among Latino MSM and 1 in 2 among black MSM
The study, which was presented today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, is being touted as providing the first-ever comprehensive national estimates of the lifetime risk of HIV, broken down by several key at-risk populations and by state.
Read more...
Women and African Americans with HIV have a higher risk of stroke
23 February 2016 - The risk of stroke among people living with HIV is highest among people with unsuppressed viral load, and among women and African Americans, according to findings presented on Tuesday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston.
Read more...
Israeli Health Ministry Approves Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV
Feb 23, 2016 - In unprecedented move, Knesset panel agrees to ministerial plan for instituting PrEP protocol, based on drugs already administered to carriers of the virus that are also effective in preventing infection.
Read more...
Understanding HIV Genome Methylation Could Aid Drug Design
February 23, 2016 - Better therapies for treating individuals infected with HIV have been slow to make it out of the laboratory and deep into clinical trials. Now, a team of researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine believe they
have uncovered an essential piece of data that has been overlooked for decades.
Read more...
NGO urges more at-risk Hongkongers to get tested as HIV infections hit record high
February 23, 2016 - There were 725 new HIV infections last year, the highest since records began in 1984. The CHP said that 434 of these cases acquired the infection through homosexual or bisexual contact, 135 through heterosexual contact,
14 through drug injection and two by perinatal transmission. The transmission method of the remaining cases could not be determined.
Read more...
More investment needed in developing female-controlled HIV prevention options
GENEVA, 23 February 2016 - Results from two recent studies of a monthly vaginal ring show modest protection from HIV infection for women
Results from two large-scale studies of a vaginal ring that releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine to prevent HIV among women have shown protection of around 30% against HIV. The
results are encouraging and show the urgent need to expand investment in research and development for female-controlled methods of HIV prevention.
Vaginal rings containing antiretroviral moderately effective in preventing HIV – but not in the youngest women
22 February 2016 - Results pose dilemma for product development
The annual Conference on The results of two studies announced today at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) in Boston, USA, show that vaginal rings impregnated with an anti-HIV drug are effective at cutting the HIV infection rate in women.
However, the overall effectiveness seen was only moderate, preventing less than a third of infections – and the primary reason for this was that the rings had no effect at all in the youngest trial participants, aged 18-21 – who also had the highest rates of HIV infection. The rings were more effective
in older women with almost two-thirds of infections prevented in women over 25 in ASPIRE.
Read more...
Experts Set to Release Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Drug Research Results
February 22, 2016 - WASHINGTON - The University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the University of California - San Francisco project director, Dr. Nyaradzo Mgodi, was on Monday expected to release findings of two studies
conducted in Zimbabwe and other African countries to establish the safety and effectiveness of an antiretroviral drug, Daprivine, for HIV prevention using a virginal ring.
Read more...
After Charlie Sheen revealed he had HIV, Americans turned to Google in record numbers
February 22, 2016 - When Charlie Sheen went on national television last fall and told the world he had HIV, he said he hoped his predicament would prompt others to protect themselves against the virus that causes AIDS.
They certainly did. A research letter published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says Google searches about HIV hit an all-time high after the former “Two and a Half Men” star made his announcement on Nov. 17.
Read more...
Are We Creating Drug-Resistant HIV?
February 22, 2016 - There’s growing evidence that HIV is mutating to become resistant to antiviral drugs—but scientists shouldn’t panic just yet.
A recent prominently featured report is a case in point. Last month in Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers described features of HIV isolates collected from almost 2,000 patients scattered across 36 countries. Importantly,
each of the patients in the study had already failed the standard treatment cocktail. To explain the lack of drug effectiveness, the scientists probed each HIV isolate to see whether genetic resistance mutations in the RNA of HIV itself could explain the situation.
Read more...
One drug used to prevent HIV transmission during pregnancy shows evidence of developmental effects
February 22, 2016 - The antiretroviral (ARV) drug atazanavir--sometimes included in treatments to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission during pregnancy--may
have small but significant effects on infant development, reports a study in the journal AIDS , official journal of the International AIDS Society. AIDS is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Newly Discovered HIV Genome Modification May Put a Twist on Vaccine and Drug Design
February 22, 2016 - Crucial HIV RNA modification called m6A influences viral replication, but wasn’t previously taken into consideration when developing anti-HIV therapies
Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that HIV infection of human immune cells triggers a massive increase in methylation, a chemical modification, to
both human and viral RNA, aiding replication of the virus. The study, published February 22, 2016 in Nature Microbiology, identifies a new mechanism for controlling HIV replication and its interaction with the host immune system.
Prison Health Now
February 2016 - In Canada, prisoners face far greater risk of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection because those who inject drugs are denied
access to sterile needles and syringes — tools that are widely available outside prison so people are not forced to share equipment. Most federal prisoners in Canada will return home to their
communities, bringing with them the illnesses they contract in prison. This, in turn, can affect us all.
Read more...
HIV Infections Among Foreigners in China on the Rise
February 22, 2016 - 1,800 expats diagnosed with HIV/AIDS this year
More than 1,800 foreigners living in China were diagnosed with HIV in 2015, compared a total of 1,500 in 2012 through 2014. According to Wu Zunyou, head of the National Center for AIDS and
Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, the increase can be attributed to “increased international exchanges”.
Read more...
Newly discovered HIV genome modification may put a twist on vaccine and drug design
February 22, 2016 - Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that HIV infection of human immune cells triggers a massive
increase in methylation, a chemical modification, to both human and viral RNA, aiding replication of the virus. The study,
published February 22, 2016 in Nature Microbiology, identifies a new mechanism for controlling HIV replication and its interaction with the host immune system.
Read more...
HIV cluster in Cambodia linked to unsafe medical injection practices
February 22, 2016 - Researchers who studied a large cluster of new HIV infections in Cambodia attributed to unsafe injection practices have recommended that national prevention strategies be expanded to monitor the risk for HIV transmission via unsafe injections.
Read more...
Florida leads U.S. in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health
February 22, 2016 - TALLAHASSEE - Florida leads the nation in new HIV infections, but it’s not being treated as a crisis by Gov. Rick Scott or the state’s top health officer, Dr. John Armstrong.
Read more...
AIDS treatment to be free of cost: Nasim
February 21, 2016 - The government has taken initiatives to provide treatments and medicines free of cost to HIV positive patients at different hospitals, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday.
Read more...
Angry debate over HIV prevention is only getting fiercer [VIDEO]
February 20, 2016 - A new ad is causing a huge uproar in the AIDS community.
The debate over pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) drugs for those at a high risk of contracting HIV has never been more divisive in the AIDS community.
Read more...
Fashion and theatrical show raises awareness for people living with HIV/AIDS
February 20, 2016 - Event features models, dancers, musicians and more, acting out a day-in-the-life of two people living with HIV
Dean Thullner was a young man when he was diagnosed with HIV.
Watch Video...
30 Gay Men Face Decade in Prison for Having Sex While HIV-Positive
Feb 19, 2016 - Under the Czech Republic’s criminal code, HIV-positive people can be charged with ‘spreading a contagious disease’ for having unprotected sex.
Most major health organizations recognize condoms as a highly effective form of barrier protection against sexually transmitted infections. But even when used consistently and correctly, condoms fail from time to time.
Even though condoms are not 100 percent effective at preventing transmission of sexually transmitted infections, officials in the Czech Republic are using evidence of STIs to build criminal cases against HIV-positive men.
Read more...
MRI technique being researched to detect HIV virus
Feb 19, 2016 - A University of Hawai‘i researcher received nearly half a million dollars to study the effects of a “dye used to detect inflammation that is believed to signal decline in memory and thinking,” according to a UH news report.
Read more...
Sex, syringes and the HIV epidemic Russia can no longer ignore
Feb 19, 2016 - With Russia’s HIV infection rate continuing to spiral, activists say the state can no longer drag its heels over improved treatment and prevention measures
HIV is spreading with increasing speed, with about 95,000 new cases in 2015 compared with 90,000 in 2014, most of them from drug use and heterosexual sex.
Read more...
I launched a social enterprise after becoming a mother, widow and HIV positive
February 19, 2016 - Watching her daughter grow up without a father inspired Lizzie Jordan to start a business helping children and schools deal with difficult conversations
Read more...
Journalists have crucial role as focus of AIDS funding shifts
February 18, 2016 - The fight against HIV/AIDS is a decades-long global battle which claimed the lives of 34 million people by the end of 2015. Yet the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 54 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS are aware of their infection.
Read more...
The Female Health Company Featured in Documentary Television Series "Big Questions"
February 18, 2016 - Episode "Empowering Kenya" to Air February 19, 2016 on PBS
The episode "Empowering Kenya" focuses on the critical roles the Company and its FC2 Female Condoms play in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, the leading cause of death globally for women ages 15 to 44, and other sexually transmitted infections. "Empowering Kenya" will be
featured on WTTW/PBS in Chicago at 10:30 PM CT on February 19, 2016, check your local listings for dates and times in your area. The episode will also be available to view online after the broadcast.
Read more...
Coming soon: news from CROI 2016
18 February 2016 - The annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) is being held in Boston, USA from 22-25 February.
Read more...
Should I Tell My Parents I'm HIV-Positive?
February 18, 2016 - If you’ve recently found out that you're HIV-positive, you may be wondering when and how to break the news to your family and friends. Maybe you’re wondering if you even
should tell them in the first place.
Read more...
Johnson & Johnson Issues Call for Innovative Ideas to Reduce HIV Infections in Sub-Saharan Africa
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (February 17, 2016) - DREAMS Partners Announce $85 Million Innovation Challenge Focused on Solutions for Adolescent Girls and Young Women
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today issued a call for innovative ideas as part of the DREAMS Innovation Challenge, which is supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, one
of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and ViiV Healthcare. Proposals are currently being accepted for breakthrough innovations to reduce HIV infections in adolescent girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The submission deadline to be considered for an award is March 28, 2016.
Progress toward an HIV cure highlighted in special issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
New Rochelle, NY, February 17, 2016 - Advances in search of an AIDS vaccine
A cure for HIV/AIDS is the ultimate goal of rapidly advancing research involving diverse and innovative approaches. A comprehensive collection of articles
describing the broad scope and current status of this global effort is published in a special issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , a peer-reviewed journal from
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.,publishers. The second annual Special Issue on HIV Cure Research is available free on the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses website.
New research could help improve HIV/AIDS therapies
17-Feb-2016 - Surprising results solve a decades-old puzzle and open the door to exploring new therapies to combat HIV-1, retrovirus-based cancers.
Hideki Aihara, Zhiqi Yin, and Ke Shi of the University of Minnesota, along with colleagues from Cornell University and St. Louis University have made a major stride in exploring
new therapies to combat HIV/AIDS and retrovirus-based cancers.
New test detects chlamydia in 30 minutes
16-Feb-2016 - University of Bath spin-out biotechnology company Atlas Genetics has won approval from the EU to sell a device that detects the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.
Older People With HIV Have Longer, But Still Limited Lifespan
January 17, 2016 - Antiretrovirals have greatly expanded the life expectancy of people with HIV age 50 and older, but this group still has a higher risk of death
than the general population, even when well treated and otherwise healthy.
Read more...
Blood Donor Ban Is Eliminated
February 16, 2016 - The FDA has finalized a recommendation to lift its lifetime ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood, a policy that dated back more than 30 years to the HIV/AIDS epidemic’s early days.
Read more...
Amid the good news a ticking time bomb for Aids in Thailand
February 16, 2016 - Long a poster child for the global fight against HIV/Aids, Thailand has since the early ’90s championed successful condom-promoting campaigns that slashed transmission rates of HIV.
"We must face hard truths - if the current rate of new HIV infections continues, merely sustaining the major efforts we already have in place will not be enough to stop deaths from Aids increasing within five years in many countries," said
Professor Peter Piot, co-chair of the Lancet Commission.
Read more...
SD’S NEW HIV INFECTION RATE TOO HIGH, SAYS PM
February 16, 2016 - MBABANE - Government has admitted that the country is not doing well in the area of new HIV infections.
This was said by Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, who said the new infection rates were too high and the country was far from hitting zero new HIV infections, which is the country’s goal for 2022.
Read more...
Czech Republic: Prague Public Health Authority initiates criminal prosecutions of 30 gay men living with HIV following an STI diagnosis
February 16, 2016 - Late last month, Prague’s Public Health Authority initiated criminal investigations against 30 gay men living with HIV that
had been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) during the previous year.
The Public Health Authority appear to believe that since these men acquired an STI this is proof that they must have practiced condomless sex and have therefore violated Sections 152 and 153 of the Czech Criminal Code, which a 2005 Supreme Court ruling confirmed
could be used to prosecute any act of condomless sex (including oral sex) by a person living with HIV as “spread of infectious diseases”.
Read more...
AccolAIDS 2016
February 2016 - Call for AccolAIDS 2016 Nominations: Nominate Your Hero in the BC HIV/AIDS Movement!
Closing Date for Nominations: 5PM, Friday, 26 February
Positive Living BC & BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) present: A biennial awards gala honouring heroes in the BC HIV/AIDS movement.
The AccolAIDS Awards Gala is approaching! We invite you to nominate your hero in the BC HIV/AIDS movement for an AccolAIDS Award – deadline to nominate is 5pm on February 26 th
Annie Lennox to be honoured by Perth based Royal Scottish Geographical Society
February 16, 2016 - Singer Annie Lennox is to receive the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Livingstone Medal in recognition of her work to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Read more...
Testing insufficient to prevent HIV spread in adult film industry
February 16, 2016 - Testing alone is insufficient to prevent HIV transmission among adult film actors, according to researchers who studied a recent case of a male performer who infected a co-worker and found the industry’s prevention approach lacking.
Read more...
On HIV/AIDS, poet challenges you to not look away
February 15, 2016 - Today is the 258th day that Michael Broder has published a poem on HIV.
The online collection, titled HIV Here & Now, is a yearlong project by Broder to publish one poem a day leading up to June 5, 2016. That day will mark the 35th anniversary of the day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its first paper on five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in young gay men in Los Angeles, marking the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
Read more...
Researchers find tough new obstacle to HIV cure strategies
February 15, 2016 - (Medical Xpress) - It's a good news/bad news scenario: Researchers have made a new discovery about HIV that will redirect curative strategies toward latent reservoirs of HIV—that's the good news. The bad news is that they discovered
that clonally expanded, HIV-infected cells can can persist and produce new virus over many years in a patient on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Thus, any cure for HIV infection will have to attack these cells in order to permanently clear the virus.
Read more...
HIV-infected vaginal cells do not transmit HIV if plasma viral load is undetectable, researchers find
15 February 2016 - Two other studies find changes in vaginal fluids and sperm that could aid vaccine and drug research
A group of researchers have cleared up an important question about HIV transmission, in experiments on mice. Although HIV-infected CD4 cells persist in the vagina even on antiretroviral therapy (ART) that fully suppresses free HIV in the blood and body fluids, these cells are not anything like numerous enough to pose any transmission threat.
Read more...
Fast tract cities HIV campaign launched in Hoima
February 15, 2016 -The Boda-boda riders in Hoima town have joined an HIV/AIDS campaign dubbed Fast track cities aimed at ending the epidemic by 2020.
The campaign was launched by the woman councilor Hoima municipality, Cissy Rwabugoma who called on residents to go for HIV counselling and testing to know their status.
Read more...
The UpBeat: Ottawa-based charity honoured for its work to Help Lesotho
February 14, 2016 -Most Canadians are unfamiliar with the country of Lesotho, let alone an organization with the sole mission of helping it.
Read more...
Rescuing Teens from HIV/AIDS
February 14, 2016 - If you are creative, motivated and looking for an experience with real responsibility, our internship might be for you. We are a modest and prestigious non-profit dedicated to helping teens prevent HIV/AIDS. TeenAIDS-PeerCorps (TA-PC) was designed by Dr. John Chittick, a Harvard expert in the field of adolescent education and psychology. You will join a small number of college interns working directly with him assisting in running these ongoing projects:
Read more...
Plans to increase access to ARV therapy underway
February 14, 2016 -GOVERNMENT has embarked on a strong plan to scale up access to Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) therapy for both children and adults to enhance prevention and reduce new infections.
Read more...
Person Living With HIV/AIDS May Begin To Pay For Retroviral
February 14, 2016 -THERE are high indications that the privilege being enjoyed by Person Living With HIV/AIDS, especially in the areas of free drugs, would soon be cut short following the withdrawal of foreign donors from the HIV/AIDS programmes.
Read more...
Can The Law Exterminate HIV/AIDS Pandemic From Africa?
February 14, 2016 -“HIV/AIDS has no cure.” is a global truism. Much as the statement says nothing new and interesting, it has been the springboard of a global challenge.
The Liberal government should implement prison-based needle and syringe programs to address rates of HIV and hepatitis C estimated to be 10 to 30 times higher than in the general population, proponents say.
Read more...
Premarital HIV testing:
Are we aware of the consequences?
February 13, 2016 - Jakarta - A new local regulation enforcing mandatory premarital HIV testing has just been endorsed by the Bogor city mayor, Bima Arya Sugiarto. It requires couples who wish to marry to conduct HIV tests
to be able to gain their marriage certificates. This regulation comes in the wake of increasing cases of HIV and AIDS in Bogor.
Read more...
Parody Featuring Cinderella Getting STD Test, Other Disney Princesses At Gynecologist's Has Moms Talking
February 13, 2016
The Cherokee Nation leads the fight against hepatitis C
Published on Feb 12, 2016 - The Cherokee Nation, one of the largest Native American tribes, has become the first community in the U.S. to set a goal
of eliminating hepatitis C from its population. Tribe officials plan to screen 300,000 members, whose prevalence of infection for the virus is five times the national rate, and treat them with drugs that have proven 90 percent effective. NewsHour’s Stephen Fee reports.
How the Cherokee Nation plans to reverse the ‘silent epidemic’ of hepatitis C
February 12, 2016 - The Liberal government should implement prison-based needle and syringe programs to address rates of HIV and hepatitis C estimated to be 10 to 30 times higher than in the general population, proponents say.
Read more...
The Female Health Company Supports UNAIDS’ Call for Increased Investments in Condoms
February 12, 2016 - CHICAGO -(BUSINESS WIRE) - The Female Health Company (FHC) could not agree more with the urgent message issued today by UNAIDS calling for increased investments by donors and governments for the promotion
and distribution of male and female condoms in order to ensure everyone has access to condoms to protect themselves and their partners from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancies.
UNAIDS calls for 20 billion condoms by 2020
GENEVA, 12 February 2016 - Every day, more than one million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and every year there are estimated to be around 80 million unintended pregnancies. Condoms are proven to be 98% effective in preventing STIs and HIV.
In addition, male and female condoms prevent unintended pregnancies when used correctly and consistently.
RED: A celebration of colour, couture, community, and caring
February 2016 - The theme for this year's RED is "A Positive Day!"
Saturday February 20 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver BC
RED takes guests on a 90-minute theatrical journey through the lives of people living with HIV in a celebration of colour, couture, community and caring. Funds raised at RED will go to specific programs at Positive Living BC that help support
different populations within our membership, including men, indigenous peoples, and women. I hope to see you there at the Commodore Ballroom on February 20th!
Canada should implement prison-based needle and syringe programs: researchers
February 12, 2016 - OTTAWA - The Liberal government should implement prison-based needle and syringe programs to address rates of HIV and hepatitis C estimated to be 10 to 30 times higher than in the general population, proponents say.
Read more...
Vaginal Ring Trial Results a Big Draw at HIV Meeting
February 12, 2016 - BOSTON - Two phase 3 sister studies assessing the efficacy and safety of the dapivirine vaginal ring for the prevention of HIV-1 will likely be among the most-watched clinical trial results presented here at the Conference
on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2016.
Read more...
Resistance to AIDS Meds in Africa Threatens 35 Years of Progress
February 12, 2016 - It’s horribly ironic that the very drug that had the potential to slow, or even stop, the AIDS epidemic that has been ravaging the region is being improperly used, resulting in new HIV strains that
are now resistant to it. The drug is tenofovir — the miracle drug that has been so effective (especially when combined with emtricitabine to make the combination drug Truvada) that it has not only restored the immune function of HIV-infected people, but also prevented the transmission of the virus from HIV+ men to uninfected women … when used correctly.
Read more...
Academy Awards Night Gala ‘A Gathering of Royals’ to Raise Money to Support Bay Area HIV/AIDS Organizations
February 12, 2016 - When the Academy of Friends was founded in 1980, it was a small, private Academy Awards night party shared by 25 friends over a little food, champagne and Hollywood glamour. This annual gathering soon formalized itself into a gala party with the expressed mission of raising
revenue and awareness of the scourge of HIV and AIDS affecting the greater San Francisco community. During the ensuing 36 years, Academy of Friends has become acclaimed nationwide for producing one of the biggest and best formal attire Academy Awards parties outside of Los Angeles, all done with the express purpose of celebrating life and empowering hope.
Read more...
VCH declares syphilis outbreak; BC rates highest in 30 years
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) - Syphilis rates in this province are at their highest in three decades, and that’s prompted Vancouver Coastal Health to declare an outbreak.
“In 2015, nearly 500 cases of infectious syphilis were reported in Vancouver Coastal Health, more than double the yearly cases reported a decade ago,” says Dr. Réka Gustafson with VCH.
Read more...
AHF Mexico: A community call to Pope Francis for people living with HIV
February 11, 2016 - Mexico City, Mexico - AHF Mexico in collaboration with other civil society associations, people living with HIV, and lay health professionals, are petitioning Pope Francis in his visit to Mexico, to publicly support HIV prevention actions
and focus attention on people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. The Pope is set to visit Mexico February 12th through February 18 th .
A Window to Prevent HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Colombia
February 11, 2016 - New York University - NYU study finds high rate of injection-related risk behaviors among young heroin injectors in two cities with emerging drug injecting populations
In the early 1990s, drug production in Colombia diversified to include heroin as well as cocaine, and since then the country's role in the heroin trade has substantially increased. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
Colombia produced approximately 70 to 100 metric tons of heroin between 1998 and 2004. Studies have found an increase in local heroin use since the mid-1990s. This is a strong cause for concern, given the potential for HIV to spread through networks of injection drug users and disseminate to the general public.
Reflections on HIV/AIDS Epidemic on 2016 Valentine’s Day
11 February 2016 - The media should join in promoting messages that give direction to young and old on best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without exposing themselves to risky behaviours that could predispose them to HIV virus and other related diseases.
Read more...
U.S. Support of Estonian HIV/AIDS Program
February 11, 2016 - The United States of America has long been an advocate for countries to tackle the tough issue of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
GMHC Hails Governor Andrew Cuomo's Proposal to Increase Access to HIV Treatment For Teens
February 11, 2016 - New York, New York - GMHC released the following statement regarding Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to increase access to HIV treatment for teens.
18 LGBT Allies Who Advocated for HIV/AIDS Awareness
February 11, 2016 - A big part in the early fight against AIDS was eliminating the stigma associated with it. The people in the best positions to do so were often celebrities who were allies to the
LGBT community. They used their fame to bring attention to the epidemic and used their resources to raise money for research and to provide care for those in need. Thankfully this is an aspect of fame that knows no age or generation, as AIDS
continues to be a harsh reality today. Here are 18 celebrity allies who have advocated for HIV/AIDS awareness over the past 30 years.
Read more...
Robert De Niro, Diane Kruger, and More Honor Harvey Weinstein at amfAR’s New York Gala
February 11, 2016 - Last night, a glittering mélange of celebrities, models, and patrons gathered at Cipriani Wall Street to honor Harvey Weinstein, longtime supporter of amfAR, at the HIV/AIDS research foundation’s New York gala.
Read more...
Olympic champion Greg Louganis to give inaugural Ryan White and William Yarber Lecture at IU
Feb. 11, 2016 - BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Louganis, a four-time Olympic champion, will present “Overcoming Adversity From an HIV-Positive Legend” at 7 p.m. March 1 at
the Whittenberger Auditorium on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. The event is free and open to the public.
HIV/AIDS a problem in rural Virginia
February 11, 2016 - Although HIV diagnosis rates have remained stable for the past few years in Virginia, concern grows that rural counties are seeing a disproportionate number of new cases.
Several factors are cited as possible causes, including lack of available education and testing and increased intravenous drug use in rural populations.
Read more...
Key Ugandan HIV Control Body Under Pressure to Close, Activists Object
February 11, 2016 - Kampala - Two parliamentary committees want to cut costs by closing down the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC), set up 24 years ago to oversee and coordinate HIV prevention and control - despite activists' fears that this could damage the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Uganda was seen as a role model in tackling the HIV epidemic in the 1990s, and activists say the effectiveness of the UAC led several other countries to take it as a model for their their AIDS response and management.
Read more...
Local groups bring low-cost PrEP clinic to Orlando
February 11, 2016 - Uninsured and underinsured Central Floridians at high risk of HIV will soon have access to a low-cost PrEP clinic, where they can get prescriptions for a preventive daily medication that lowers their chances of getting infected.
Read more...
Does tenofovir (TDF) cause liver injury?
February 10, 2015 - Researchers with a large database called DAD have been collecting health-related information on HIV-positive people from clinics in Australia, Europe and the U.S. From time to time this data is
analysed as researchers seek any links between the use of anti-HIV drugs and possible side effects.
For International Condom Day, Feb.13th, AHF Says, ‘Wrap Your App!”
Los Angeles (February 10, 2016) - HIV/STD prevention, safer sex and condom usage will be the focus of 31 events held in 13 states across the US, with focus on youth and mobile dating apps.
‘Wrap Your App’ campaign features smartphone-themed graphic promoting safety.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization operating in 35 countries, again celebrates International Condom Day (ICD)—a February 13th holiday observed in conjunction with Valentine's Day—by promoting
prevention of STDs, HIV and unwanted pregnancies through free condom distribution and safer sex awareness events and activities. AHF will activate over 160 events worldwide , including 31 in the US. This year's International Condom Day theme
in the U.S. is “Wrap Your App!” The campaign promoting safety and HIV, STD and pregnancy prevention is a nod to tech savvy individuals built around a smartphone-themed graphic showing a menu of apps.
Nearly half of women with HIV in Canada not dating: SFU study
FEB. 10, 2016 - A study led by a Simon Fraser University research group has revealed high rates of sexual inactivity among women living with HIV in Canada.
Despite the fact that successful treatment can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission, nearly half of women living with HIV in Canada say they are not in a relationship.
That’s one of the findings of a study led by a Simon Fraser University research group that has revealed high rates of sexual inactivity and dissatisfaction among women living with HIV in Canada.
Read more...
Momentum mounts for medical marijuana
February 10, 2016 - More Canadians are using medical marijuana for a wider array of health ailments, but the research hasn’t kept pace.
Read more...
Cuomo’s Proposal Seeks Confidentiality for Minors With H.I.V.
FEB. 10, 2016 - Among the recent patients at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx was a 17-year-old with H.I.V. who put off his treatment until he turned 18, because he was worried his parents would kick
him out and not pay for his medications if they found out about his status. At SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, doctors wanted to prescribe Truvada, the preventive H.I.V. pill, to a 16-year-old girl who was dating a man who was H.I.V. positive. But
she did not receive it because she could not qualify for state assistance to pay for it.
Read more...
Ok Ladies Now Lets Get in Formation: On Beyoncé, Being Black, and HIV
9 February 2016 - According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heterosexual black women account for 64 percent of the new infections amongst women. That means HIV is still a cause for concern in our community. HIV-positive women still
need access to treatment and strong support systems. HIV- negative women still need information and support in preventing HIV.
Read more...
A 20-year retrospective cohort study of TB infection among the Hill-tribe HIV/AIDS populations, Thailand
9 February 2016 - A retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the situation, trend, and factors associated with TB infection, and factors related to the life status among the HIV/AIDS Hill-tribe in Northern Thailand.
Hill-tribe people have been migrating to and formed settlements along the Thai border areas for many decades. There are now having 1.6 million people of 6 different groups–Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Hmong, Yao and Keren–each with a specific culture, language and lifestyle. The
Hill-tribe becomes a new vulnerable of HIV and TB infections in Thailand.
Read more...
Native grass could be key to super-thin condoms
9-Feb-2016 - Fibers from the Australian native spinifex grass are being used to improve latex that could be used to make condoms as thin as a human hair without any loss in strength
Working in partnership with Aboriginal traditional owners of the Camooweal region in north-west Queensland, the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu People, researchers from The University of Queensland have developed a method
of extracting nanocellulose -- which can be used as an additive in latex production -- from the grass.
Life and love after HIV
February 09, 2016 - For more than 17.5 million women around the world living with HIV, including 16,600 in Canada, Valentine's Day is not always about hearts and flowers.
Instead, for some, it's yet another reminder that romantic relationships and healthy sexuality after HIV are huge challenges, despite the fact that people today who have HIV are not infectious while on medication, and have a normal life expectancy.
Bono, HIV/AIDS and public opinion: Correcting the record
February 9, 2016 - Bono was at the exclusive world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month and pressed the need to continue making progress against AIDS.
Read more...
Neurosyphilis present in 90% of HIV-positive patients with early syphilis in Warsaw
09 February 2016 - The overwhelming majority of early syphilis cases in patients with HIV in Warsaw had neurological involvement, Polish investigators report in HIV Medicine. There was a significant relationship between HIV viral load and the risk of neurosyphilis.
Read more...
58,000 Nigerian babies born HIV positive each year
February 9, 2016 - UN official announces that 58,000 babies are born with HIV every year.
Michel Sidibe said Nigeria is close to losing control over the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Read more...
Johns Hopkins is First and Only Center in the United States Approved for HIV-Positive to HIV-Positive Organ Transplants
February 8, 2016 - Johns Hopkins recently received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing to be the first hospital in the U.S. to perform HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ transplants. The institution will be the first in the
nation to do an HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplant and the first in the world to execute an HIV-positive to HIV-positive liver transplant.
Researchers find that antiretroviral therapy reduces HIV in the female reproductive tract
8-Feb-2016 - Chapel Hill, NC - Findings have significant implications for future HIV prevention, vaccine and cure studies
For the first time, investigators in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have determined how antiretroviral therapy (ART) affects the way HIV disseminates and establishes infection in the female reproductive tract. These observations have significant
implications for future HIV prevention, vaccine and cure studies. A recent HIV prevention clinical trial demonstrated 93 percent protection against secondary heterosexual transmission when infected partners received early ART. Vaginal transmission accounts for the majority of new HIV infections worldwide. Globally, 35 million
people are living with HIV and 2.1 million are newly infected each year. These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on Monday, Feb. 8.
Over 40% living with HIV in India are women
February 8, 2016 - New Delhi- In what could pose a significant challenge for India to meet its ambitious target of ending AIDS by 2030, women continue to account for more than 40% of people living with HIV infection in the country.
The share of women is crucial because of risk of transmission from pregnant women, uneducated and unaware women as well as among vulnerable groups including sex workers.
Read more...
African Americans have highest HIV incidence, lowest rate of consistent cas
08 February 2016 - African Americans in the US have the highest rate of new HIV infections, but black people living with HIV are less likely than white or Latino Americans to receive consistent, ongoing medical care, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) report published in the February 5 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in advance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. These findings, the CDC said, "demonstrate yet another persistent disparity that prolongs the epidemic among African Americans."
Read more...
Women under-represented in HIV clinical trials
08 February 2016 - Less than a quarter of people taking part in clinical trials for antiretroviral medications are women, potentially limiting the generalisability of findings, according to a systematic review published in the February 1 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Read more...
CDC recognizes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2016
February 7, 2016 - National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is recognized annually on Feb. 7 to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and reduce the disproportionate impact of the infection on blacks in the United States.
Read more...
What is stopping you from joining the fight against HIV/AIDS
February 7, 2016 - Here lately I’m beginning to feel like no one really cares about ending HIV/AIDS in this country in general, but most importantly, in particular the Black and Brown
Read more...
Faces of HIV: Sounding Off for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [Photos]
February 5, 2016 - In honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, people living with the disease and their advocates drop knowledge on what we need to know about the epidemic.
A research study has concluded that prison-based needle and syringe programs (PNSPs), which provide sterile injection equipment to prisoners who inject drugs
and help prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), are indisputably feasible in Canada and should be implemented in Canadian prisons without delay.
Read more...
How to adopt prison-based needle and syringe programs
February 5, 2016 - A research study has concluded that prison-based needle and syringe programs (PNSPs), which provide sterile injection equipment to prisoners who inject drugs
and help prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), are indisputably feasible in Canada and should be implemented in Canadian prisons without delay.
Read more...
HIV/AIDS patients eligible for transplants: MHW
February 5, 2016 - HIV/AIDS patients with controlled conditions will be able to apply for organ transplants beginning on Mar. 1, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) announced Thursday.
Read more...
“We are not a threat to you”: A video diary of people living with HIV
February 5, 2016 - This is the story of nine people living with and affected by the virus
Positive Living BC seeking nominations for AccolAIDS Awards
February 5th, 2016 - Who is your British Columbian hero in the B.C. HIV/AIDS movement?
Positive Living BC is accepting nominations for outstanding individuals, groups, or organizations which have shown unparalleled devotion, effort, and humanity in addressing HIV/AIDS issues.
Nomination forms for the 2016 AccolAIDS Awards are available online. The deadline for nominations is February 26 at 5 p.m.
Philippines at risk of ‘full-blown’ HIV epidemic
February 5, 2016 - For decades, the Philippines had dodged the global AIDS crisis. Things have changed, however. There is now a full-blown AIDS crisis in the country, as seen in the growing statistics.
Read more...
Bladder cancer occurring earlier in people with HIV, and cases more difficult to treat, French study finds
05 February 2016 - The frequency of bladder cancer is elevated in patients with HIV, investigators from Paris report in PLoS ONE. Although the malignancy was rare, it often presented in an aggressive form and was associated with poor outcomes. Bladder cancer among patients
with HIV mainly involved male patients and occurred at a younger age (mid-50s) than would be expected in the general population. A systematic literature review identified a small number of additional cases of the malignancy in patients with HIV, and again the cancer mainly affected men in their 50s and was often aggressive.
Read more...
CDC: Gay Men 2% of Population But 67% of All New HIV Cases
February 4, 2016 - (CNSNews.com) - Although homosexuals, or men who have sex with men (MSM), make up about 2% of the U.S. population, they account for 67% of “all new HIV diagnoses,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Read more...
Despite highest HIV incidence, blacks show low linkage to care
February 4, 2016 - New data suggest that 74.9% of blacks with diagnosed HIV infection were linked to care in 2010, according to an MMWR report.
Read more...
Black History Month: African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness
February 4, 2016 - NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - February is Black History Month. And this Sunday is National African American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
Read more...
Aids in Zimbabwe: Making decent burials affordable
4 February 2016 - Despite Aids-related deaths having fallen by more than two thirds in Zimbabwe since 2001, as a result of education campaigns and the increased availability of free antiretroviral drugs, more than 60,000 people a year still die because of the virus, according to the country's National Aids Council.
Read more...
TPP signing undercuts U.S. commitment to LGBTQ equality, HIV/AIDS fight
February 4, 2016 - Washington - "Though the Administration and Ambassador Froman, in particular, have tried to spin this trade deal as 'progressive' we fail to see how throwing LGBTQ people
and those living with HIV/AIDS under the bus can possibly meet that standard. There is nothing progressive about giving countries like Brunei and Malaysia, where LGBTQ people are beaten, jailed, and in some cases killed, preferential access to our economy. Of course, it's also hard to find anything progressive in extending patents for
life-saving drugs — unless you're referring to the rising costs of HIV/AIDS therapy.
Read more...
"Who are YOU wearing to the Steve Chase?"
PALM SPRINGS, CA, February 4, 2016 - 2016 gala brings fashion, philanthropy, and fundraising into the SPOTLIGHT
The late Joan Rivers, doyenne of TV's "Fashion Police" and host of the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, famously inquired of the wardrobe of just about anyone on a red carpet just about anywhere: "Who are you wearing?"
That's always a good question at "The Steve Chase" where the creative-black-tie dress code can often get ... well, creative and then some.
The Science, and Ethics, of Stopping ART in Assessing Possible HIV Cures
February 03, 2016 - A variety of different approaches to HIV eradication have been discussed in these updates. But this update is a bit different, describing a critical issue: How might we better assess the likelihood of HIV resurgence after stopping ART and, if possible, the probable time frame for such a recurrence, in a given patient?
Read more...
Running the HIV Marathon – Acknowledging Side Effects
Feb 3, 2016 - In this blog I would like to begin to explore the issue of side effects from Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART). Admitting that they even exist can be difficult when we are told repeatedly that our drugs are "well-tolerated." However, I have found that acknowledging side effects is essential to reaching out, getting help and continuing to run the HIV marathon.
Read more...
Obesity and weight gain in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy: What's the harm?
New Rochelle, NY, February 3, 2016 - The percentage of HIV-infected adults who were obese-body mass index 30 kg/m2-when they began antiretroviral therapy (ART) doubled over a 12-year period. After 3 years of ART, 18% of adults who were overweight at initiation of therapy had become obese, and 22% of those with a normal BMI at initiation had become
overweight, raising their risk of additional health complications, according to a new study published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Even moderate alcohol intake may harm people with HIV
February 3, 2016 - Moderate alcohol consumption is more harmful to people with HIV than uninfected individuals, raising the risk of both mortality and other negative health effects, say Yale researchers. Their study is the first to demonstrate the increased harm among patients who have suppressed HIV with modern antiretroviral treatment (ART).
Read more...
In Dem primary, HIV criminalization remains an orphan issue
February 3, 2016 - DES MOINES, Iowa - As the Democratic primary heats up, Hillary Clinton and Bernard Sanders are seeking to gain traction by expressing support for LGBT rights — and to some extent by vowing to combat HIV/AIDS. But one related issue that remains untouched by either candidate is HIV criminalization laws.
Read more...
Prison needle programs touted to reduce HIV and Hep C
Feb 03 2016 - Researchers hope new government's "evidence-based" outlook will open door for safe injection programs in Canadian jails.
After years pushing for safe drug-injection programs in Canadian jails, health advocates say mounting evidence and a new government in Ottawa present a chance to finally make it happen.
In a report published Wednesday, researchers in Toronto provide a framework for the introduction of what they call “prison-based needle and syringe programs” in Canada — programs that the authors argue are sorely needed in provincial and federal
jails to address levels of HIV and hepatitis C infections that are “astronomically” high compared with those in the general population.
Zimbos spend $7 million on condoms
February 3, 2016 - ZIMBABWEANS have continued to dominate the continent on condom use, with a staggering 115 million condoms distributed countrywide last year.
Stakeholders in the health sector said the sharp increase in the uptake of condoms could have contributed to the steady decline in the HIV prevalence rate, which has dropped by 30% since 2009.
Read more...
Researchers uncover new piece of the HIV puzzle
3-Feb-2016 - A research project headed by Henrik Kloeverpris, a postdoc at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen, shows that the so-called ILCs (innate lymphoid cells) - a component of
the immune system crucial to maintaining immune system balance - are destroyed in patients infected with HIV. This study highlights the importance of early treatment during an acute HIV infection. If treatment is initiated during the later chronic infection stage - as in current standard
procedure - the ILCs are eradicated. The findings were published in the scientific journal Immunity, and the research was carried out at Kwa Zulu-Natal Research Institute for TB & HIV (K-RITH) in Durban, South Africa, where Henrik Kloeverpris is working currently.
Study shows direct link between state spending habits and AIDS deaths
3-Feb-2016 - New Haven, Conn. - Despite considerable advances in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS over the past 30 years, HIV infection
rates have remained stagnant in the United States for the past decade. A study by researchers at the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI) examines links between spending on social services and public health and AIDS deaths
in the United States. The study was published online in the journal AIDS.
Broad range of risk factors associated with mild cognitive impairment in HIV-positive men on ART
03 February 2016 - A broad range of factors are associated with cognitive impairment in middle-aged HIV-positive men, according to Dutch research published in the online edition of AIDS. The observational, cross-sectional, case-controlled study involved antiretroviral-treated participants with sustained viral suppression. Reduced cognitive function was associated with cannabis use, depression, metabolic factors and previous HIV-related immune suppression.
Read more...
HIV/AIDS Among Black Gay Men at an Exceptional High
February 2, 2016 - With the growing popularity of Truvada, and the national rate of new HIV cases decreasing each year, it is easy to think the AIDS epidemic is over. But not for everyone. The sobering fact is 32% of Black gay men are HIV+, according to a recent amFar report.
Read more...
Lawsuit against Gilead alleges tenofovir patent manipulation
February 2, 2016 - The lawsuit suggests that Gilead purposefully delayed clinical trials of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) until the expiration of Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, TDF) to maximize patent protection on TDF, obtained illegal protection on other prodrug formulations of TDF, and entered into licensing agreements with Japan Tobacco and Emory University that violate antitrust law.
Read more...
Adenosine deaminase may help the immune system fight HIV on its own
2-Feb-2016 - New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that adenosine deaminase enhances anti-HIV-1 specific immune responses by reducing the action of cells that impede HIV-specific defenses
New research findings published in the February 2016 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, suggest that a new therapeutic strategy for HIV may already be available by repurposing an existing prescription drug. The drug, an enzyme called
adenosine deaminase, or ADA, ultimately may be able to activate the immune system against HIV and to help the immune system "remember" the virus to prevent or quickly eliminate future infection.
Human gene editing: 'There is tremendous promise for this powerful technology'
February 2, 2016 - Human gene editing allows scientists to delete, repair or replace bits of cell DNA in a biological form of cut and paste. Harvard Medical School Professor George Daley says this could one day help treat acute conditions.
The most specific application has to do with a very fascinating observation made a number of years ago, that certain individuals that carry a particular gene variant in a receptor for the virus, that is sort of the docking site on the cell for the virus, these patients are resistant to HIV.
Now, they seem to be healthy in virtually every other manner and the strategy for using gene editing would be to clip this receptor, to delete this receptor protein in the healthy cells and make them resistant to infection by the virus.
Read more...
Help end HIV by 2020: Queensland yet to commit to antiretroviral PrEP trials
February 2, 2016 - Queensland needs to join trials to help stop new HIV transmissions in the next four years, the state's AIDS Council has urged, with New South Wales and Victoria both embarking on PrEP
Read more...
Taipei has highest acute hepatitis infection rate in nation: gov't
February 2, 2016 - TAIPEI, Taiwan - In Taipei City, the incidence rate of amoebiasis, shigellosis and acute hepatitis was higher than the national average for two straight years despite the city's comparatively good sanitary conditions, government data show.
Read more...
Experts cite multiple contacts for hepatitis C virus exposure in Ghana
1-Feb-2016 - New research findings published in the February 2016 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, suggest that a new therapeutic strategy for HIV may already be available by repurposing an existing prescription drug. The drug, an enzyme called
adenosine deaminase, or ADA, ultimately may be able to activate the immune system against HIV and to help the immune system "remember" the virus to prevent or quickly eliminate future infection.
Lawsuit against Gilead alleges tenofovir patent manipulation
February 2, 2016 - The lawsuit suggests that Gilead purposefully delayed clinical trials of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) until the expiration of Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, TDF) to maximize patent protection on TDF, obtained illegal protection on other prodrug
formulations of TDF, and entered into licensing agreements with Japan Tobacco and Emory University that violate antitrust law.
Read more...
Egyptian actress Yousra aims to raise Mideast AIDS awareness
Feb 01 2016 - CAIRO - Egyptian film star Yousra has taken up a role with the United Nations to help combat HIV and AIDS in the Middle East, where prevalence is low but growing rapidly.
In an interview Monday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where she was named a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador for the cause, she said that stigmas and taboos associated with the virus must be combated and societies taught to be more sympathetic to those infected.
Read more...
First Lady calls for renewed efforts in fight against HIV
February 01, 2016 - First Lady Jeannette Kagame has called on nations to improve their systems involved with dealing with HIV/AIDS in response
to widespread cases of the virus resistance in low and middle-income countries.
Read more...
Criminal laws on HIV transmission make little difference to sexual behaviour – or may make condomless sex more likely
01 February 2016 - A study comparing the sexual behaviour of American gay men living in states with or without laws that criminalise HIV transmission has found very little variation by state, suggesting that legislation has minimal
impact on public health. Or the law may be counter-productive – men who believed they lived in a state which criminalised HIV transmission were slightly more likely to have sex without a condom, the researchers report in AIDS & Behavior.
Read more...
| 
