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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - July 2015
Self-Testing Takes Off in Men When Women Are Given HIV Kits
July 31, 2015 - VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When women are given HIV self-tests to distribute to their sex partners, men are more likely to get tested and find out their HIV status, according to a pilot project conducted in Kenya.
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HIV Control ART Prevents Heterosexual Transmission
July 2015 - Antiretroviral therapy (ART) that consistently suppresses HIV is highly effective at preventing sexual transmission of the virus in heterosexual couples when one person is HIV-infected and the other is not, investigators reported at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment & Prevention in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Viet Nam among top nations for early HIV treatment
July 31, 2015 - HAI PHONG (VNS) - At a conference to review the prevention of contracting HIV/AIDS from 2005 to 2015, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long noted that while there were only 500 patients receiving ARV treatment in 2004, that number increased to more than 96,000 as of the end of this June.
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Waking up HIV
July 30, 2015 - (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Two compounds show great potential to rouse latent virus
The UC Davis team may have succeeded with PEP005, the active ingredient in the FDA-approved anti-cancer drug PICATO, which increased HIV activation in patient blood samples and showed low toxicity.
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FACT SHEET: The National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020
July 30, 2015 - Today, President Obama signed an Executive Order releasing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020, detailing principles and priorities to guide our collective national work to address HIV in the United States over the next five years.
In 2010, the President launched the nation's first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Strategy has changed the way the American people talk about HIV, prioritize and organize HIV prevention and care services locally, and deliver clinical and other related services that support people living with HIV and encourage their engagement in treatment and care.
Happiness is a choice, Especially When You Are Living With HIV
July 29th, 2015 - Achor explained that when people are diagnosed with a chronic illness such as HIV, one of the first things they do is “divorce themselves” from one of the greatest aspects of their happiness and success – social support.
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Canada AM: AIDS epidemic hits Saskatchewan
Published on Jul 29, 2015 - Infectious disease doctor Alex Wong explains how big of a problem this is in Saskatchewan and how it's unique from the rest of Canada.
Olympic diver Greg Louganis on tell-all documentary
July 29, 2015 - In a new HBO documentary, "Back on Board," four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis recounts the years of hostile behavior from his teammates throughout his career, while he kept his sexuality a secret.
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Ottawa blocking supervised injection site that would save lives, Victoria councillor says
July 29, 2015 - A supervised-injection facility similar to Vancouver’s Insite would be a good deal for Victoria taxpayers, a new study by researchers with Simon Fraser University concludes.
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Sarah Leamon: Despite what Stephen Harper says, supervised injection sites make a difference
July 29, 2015 - Throughout the years, the drug policies put forward by Prime Minister Stephen Harper have been consistently harsh and unremitting. With a mission to crack down on crime, Harper has introduced mandatory minimum sentences for many drug offences and has approached the issue with a gusto that was perhaps only rivalled by President Nixon during his now laughable "War on Drugs". When we consider the science, the statistics, and the evidence, Harper’s position on this issue seems even more out-dated and disconnected from reality than ever.
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Dr. Suniti Solomon, Pioneering Indian HIV/AIDS Researcher, Dies at 76
July 29, 2015 - The Chennai native documented the country's first case of HIV infection in 1986
India’s foremost HIV/AIDS researcher Dr. Suniti Solomon, who documented the nation’s first HIV case before setting up the first voluntary testing and counseling center for the disease, died Tuesday at her home in the southern city of Chennai.
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SFU researcher awarded $6.5M to reduce HIV infections among vulnerable populations
July 28, 2015 - SFU researcher Robert Hogg is among the first cohort of Canada’s top researchers to receive a CIHR Foundation grant.
The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded a $6.5-million grant to Simon Fraser University health sciences researcher Robert Hogg. The award is among the CIHR's inaugural Foundation Grants
totaling $409 million. They have been presented to 150 established and new investigators to support a wide spectrum of innovative research programs during the next seven years.
Canada: New study finds majority of women living with HIV who also inject drugs face legal obligation to disclose HIV status to sexual partners
Jul 27, 2015 - A new study presented to the International AIDS Society conference in Vancouver, Canada last week (IAS 2015) found that 44 per cent of participants within a research cohort of people who use injection drugs living with HIV in Vancouver would be legally obligated to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners. Within the study, 65 per cent of male participants compared with only 45 percent of female participants satisfied the Supreme Court of Canada’s legal test for HIV non-disclosure, based on the October 2012 ruling in R v. Mabior.
Under current case law, people living with HIV must disclose their HIV status to a partner before sexual activity unless both a condom is used and a low HIV viral load is present.
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START: Early ART benefits all HIV-positive adults
Jul 27, 2015 - The immediate initiation of ART in asymptomatic HIV-positive adults with a CD4+ count of more than 500 cells/mm3 significantly reduced rates of serious AIDS-related and non-AIDS–related events, according to recent findings from the Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment, or START, trial.
“The results show that early treatment not only reduces opportunistic infections, which offers a bigger benefit in lower-income countries, but it also prevents a significant amount of illness in higher-income countries as well by reducing the risk of serious non-AIDS events that consisted largely of cancer and cardiovascular
disease,” Jens D. Lundgren, MD, chief physician and director of the Copenhagen HIV Program in Denmark and co-chair of the START trial, said in a press release.
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On World Hepatitis Day, Debates Rage About the Cost of the Cure
Jul 27, 2015 - Today, on the fifth annual World Hepatitis Day, patients, physicians and advocacy groups have much to celebrate. The latest hepatitis C medications on the market, including Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi and Harvoni, achieved cure rates greater than 90 percent in clinical trials.
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Pastors in Zambia advised to stop misleading people with HIV/AIDS
July 28, 2015 - A leading Evangelical pastor has challenged Zambian Pastors to desist from misleading people living with HIV/AIDS by advising them to stop taking medication. This is according to Monday’s Post newspaper of Zambia.
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South Africa is rebranding its condom campaign: will it work this time?
July 27, 2015 - The South African National Department of Health has launched a new safe sex campaign. Over the next three years it plans to distribute 3 billion scented male condoms, 54 million female condoms and 60 million sachets of lubricant to 4000 sites countrywide. It will cost taxpayers R3.5 billion.
The logic behind the department’s plan is to promote safe sex and reduce the risk of HIV among the country’s 15 to 24-year-olds. The campaign is also designed to ensure the government meets its target of halving HIV/AIDS, STI and TB infections by 2016. South Africa has one of the highest incidence of HIV in the world.
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Time for action on one of the big four infectious diseases of our time
July 27, 2015 - Tuesday 28th July is World Hepatitis Day. Guest columnist Jack Wallace from ARCSHS at La Trobe University tells us why it’s time for action on viral hepatitis.
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HIV and AIDS: language and the blame game
27 July 2015 - The negative and dehumanizing language used by scientists discussing global HIV policy is sapping the soul of those on the receiving end. The call for an alternative language of nature and nurture must be heard.
Global HIV policy is full of dehumanizing, aggressive, militaristic and combative phrases which are deeply depressive, not soothing for the soul. For instance, we people with HIV are often just called “PLHIV” or “WLHIV ” short for “people/women living with HIV”.
This reduction of an individual to a bunch of letters feels very dehumanizing and I can't think of any other health condition where the individual is so reduced to an acronym.
UNAIDS: Bold human rights targets need better monitoring
July 27, 2015 - Launched human sexuality course at Mohawk
Instead, what were originally pretty good targets got buried in ambiguous text. Instead of sticking to the original clear targets, the UNAIDS report chapter on this human rights indicator lumped in lots of other issues, and muddied the waters.
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New HIV cases soar in Florida
July 27, 2015 - The number of reported HIV cases in Florida has increased 23 percent so far this year, the biggest rise in a continuing upward trend that began in 2012 after several years of decreases.
And the proportion of Floridians infected with the disease is at its highest in seven years.
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An AIDS Crisis in Ukraine
July 26, 2015 - GENEVA - More than 6,500 deaths have been reported in the Donbass region, where Ukrainian forces have battled Russian-supported separatist fighters for control since April 2014. The political violence has led to a humanitarian crisis. More than 8,000 patients being treated for H.I.V. or drug dependence have had life-saving medicines cut off, or will soon be without them, unless action is taken right now to allow a humanitarian convoy through.
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The AIDS Crisis in Thailand
July 26, 2015 - About 3300 new AIDS and HIV patients are identified in Odisha every year.
When many think of places most devastated by the AIDS crisis, usually Sub-Saharan Africa first comes to mind. However, the disease also has spread to parts of South and Southeast Asia, where it is perhaps not as destructive, but still a major public health concern.
Countries such as Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Sri Lanka all have rising rates of HIV/AIDS deaths. Thailand is particularly afflicted by this auto-immune disease. In total, nearly 500,000 people live with HIV/AIDs.
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Odisha adds 3300 HIV/AIDS cases every year; Ganjam at top
July 26, 2015 - About 3300 new AIDS and HIV patients are identified in Odisha every year.
Official sources said the total number of AIDS and HIV patients has crossed 35,000 by now, but unofficial sources claim the number is over 80,000.
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Transgender Women Face Inadequate Health Care, 'Shocking' HIV Rates
July 26, 2015 - Transgender people are not getting adequate health care, and widespread discrimination is largely to blame, according to a recent World Health Organization report. And the story is told most starkly in the high rates of HIV among transgender women worldwide.
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Aging with AIDS: New challenges for patients and the public at large
July 26, 2015 - Tim Lahey, an HIV and infectious disease doctor at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, said many are indeed benefiting from longer life expectancy because of the availability of effective HIV treatments – still, he said, “it’s no walk in the park.”
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Peer-led network intervention substantially lowers HIV infections in people who use drugs in Ukraine
26 July 2015 - A cluster randomised trial in Ukraine has shown that a peer education project reduced new HIV infections in people who inject drugs by 41%. Working with individuals who had an exceptionally high risk of HIV (each year one in three became HIV positive), the intervention is thought to have worked by helping individuals make more use of needle exchange programmes.
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John Lambert: A champion for HIV/AIDS victims and sexual education
July 26, 2015 - Launched human sexuality course at Mohawk
During the 1980s, when shunning HIV/AIDS victims was commonplace, Lambert didn't care how many feathers he ruffled whenever he preached prevention information and compassion.
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NZAF cautious on HIV prevention meds use
July 25, 2015 - An announcement that the taking of HIV treatment medications by people who have not contracted the virus is now a proven way of warding off infection has been greeted with caution by the NZ AIDS Foundation, which is hoping to run a demonstration project in this country towards the end of the year.
The NZAF has long tiptoed around the wider introduction of PrEP in this country, pointing out that men who have sex with men in New Zealand have a stronger adherence to condom use than most other similar nations where HIV is predominantly a gay and bisexual men's epidemic.
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Funding crisis puts India's AIDS programme, and lives, at risk
July 24, 2015 - India's fight against AIDS is being jeopardised by a cut in social spending by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, with health workers being laid off and programmes to prevent the spread of the deadly disease curtailed.
With about 2.1 million people infected with HIV in 2013, India has the most cases in the Asia-Pacific, according to the World Health Organisation, but new infections have fallen more than 20 percent over the past 14 years.
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HIV discoverer: 'To develop a cure is almost impossible'
July 24, 2015 - Vancouver (CNN) - A cure for me is almost an impossible mission because the reservoir of cells is not only in the blood. How to eliminate all the cells which are reservoirs is why I say it's an impossible mission. They are everywhere -- in the gut, in the brain, in all the lymphoid tissue.
Even if you have a very efficient strategy, how you can make sure that there's not one or two cells still there and if one is there the virus will reappear again? That's why I say it's an impossible mission.
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Treatment as Prevention: Vancouver Consensus Calls for Immediate and Universal ART
July 24, 2015 - Leading AIDS scientists and officials have released the Vancouver Consensus at the opening of the International AIDS Society Conference, calling for a worldwide shift to providing immediate antiretroviral treatment (ARV) after diagnosis with HIV/AIDS, rather than waiting
for symptoms to manifest. The Consensus states that such treatment “more than doubles an individual’s prospects of staying healthy and surviving.” The call for immediate and universal ARV treatment builds on the long-awaited results of the START trial, which found that those who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately after diagnosis had a 57% reduction in serious AIDS- and non-AIDS- related illnesses and deaths, compared to those who deferred therapy until their CD4 cell count fell to low levels.
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Thyroid gland dysfunction in HIV-infected patients
July 23, 2015 - This topic review will address the assessment and management of thyroid disorders in patients with HIV/AIDS.
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This Is the Way to Beat AIDS
July 23, 2015 - At this point in history, it is upon political leaders to either join a science-based movement to end AIDS or to be left behind. Despite our progress, every day about 5,600 people contract HIV. In 2014, 1.2 million people died of AIDS and nearly 22 million people living with the disease are currently not accessing treatment. In particular, many children living with HIV are not being reached by lifesaving therapy.
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More provinces, cities provide methadone treatment for HIV/AIDS
July 23, 2015 - HA NOI (VNS) - Forty-six of the 63 provinces and cities in the country have provided treatment for HIV/AIDS with methadone this year.
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HIV/AIDS fight advancing on multiple fronts, according to researchers
July 23, 2015 - Preventive treatment extolled, but getting drugs to those in need still a huge challenge
Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS, told CBC News the stakes are too high for complacency now despite real progress.
"It is critically important that this effort be sustained … we need to be persistent and if we are persistent, we are going to see the end of the pandemic [by 2030]," he said.
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BREAKTHROUGH: Study Shows Zero HIV Transmissions When Undetectable
July 23, 2015 - New research shows probability of transmission is zero while on antiretroviral treatment. .
A groundbreaking study on antiretroviral treatment showed that the drugs can disable HIV and stop sexual transmission. The randomized study of 1,700 couples was conducted by UNC-Chapel Hill and confirmed a 2011 study that stated ART could prevent transmission of HIV if it is taken reliably.
The medications suppress HIV and can render it virtually harmless, unable to transmit to a sexual partner.
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Same-day start to antiretroviral treatment leads to faster HIV suppression in San Francisco
23 July 2015 - A programme at San Francisco General Hospital that offers antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the same day as HIV diagnosis led to a high rate of treatment uptake and more rapid viral load suppression compared to standard practices, according to late-breaking study findings
presented on Wednesday at the Eighth International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada.
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Half of African migrants diagnosed with HIV in France acquired HIV while living there
23 July 2015 - Implications for HIV prevention strategies
Between a third and a half of African people living with HIV in France probably acquired HIV after they left Africa, according a study presented to the Eighth International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) on Wednesday.
Until recently, it had generally been assumed that African people who were diagnosed with HIV while living in European countries had acquired HIV before migration. Most come from countries where the prevalence of HIV is very high.
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Scientists 'Delete' HIV Virus From Human DNA For The First Time
Published on Jul 22, 2014 - Scientists 'delete' HIV virus from human DNA for the first time
Scientists used a DNA-snipping enzyme called Cas9 to cut out the virus
Brazil Redoubles Efforts Against HIV and AIDS; Signs Letter of Intent with BC-CfE at the 2015 IAS Conference
Vancouver, BC [July 22, 2015] - At the 2015 International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and the Government of Brazil signed a Letter of
Intent in which Brazil confirmed its commitment to expanding access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy across the country. Brazil began implementing Treatment as Prevention ® (TasP ® ) in December 2013, a concept pioneered by Director Dr. Julio Montaner at the BC-CfE and introduced at the 2006 IAS Conference.
Number of Canadian babies born with HIV now near zero
Jul. 22, 2015 - VANCOUVER - Canada has virtually eliminated the incidence of mothers passing HIV to their infants at birth, primarily because of high rates of prenatal testing and ready access to drug treatment that subdues the infection, researchers say.
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Saskatchewan’s HIV epidemic
July 22, 2015 - Third World levels of HIV infection rates in one of the world’s wealthiest countries are ‘a national disgrace’
Sometimes when Dr. Alex Wong wants to draw the attention of government policy-makers to the HIV epidemic in his home province of Saskatchewan, he entitles his statistical presentation “Africa on the Prairies.” Here in Vancouver, at the International AIDS Conference on
HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, he took a more scholarly tone: “The Developing World in Our Own Backyard: Concentrated HIV Epidemics in High Income Settings.” He was sharing the stage with an AIDS worker from Ukraine and doctors from the hard-hit American regions of Appalachia and
southeastern U.S., but the point was made. While Ukraine is coping with a tenuous economy and Russian incursion, the fact that regions of two of the world’s wealthiest countries are coping with Third World levels of HIV infection rates reflects, in his view, a sad failure of policy, planning and political will.
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Opioid substitution therapy combined with HIV treatment saves the lives of more drug users than ART alone
July 22, 2015 - Providing opioid substitution therapy (OST) alongside antiretroviral therapy (ART) to people who inject drugs results in a significantly greater reduction in deaths compared to providing either intervention alone, a study of the Canadian province of British Columbia has shown.
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Simple device offers men circumcision with no surgery, anesthetic
July 22, 2015 - Studies show cutting off foreskin reduces HIV infection risk in heterosexual men
About 100,000 African men have undergone voluntary medical circumcisions for HIV/AIDS prevention with a simple device that requires no doctors, stitches, surgery or anesthetic.
The PrePex disposable device uses an elastic ring that compresses the foreskin enough to cut off circulation, killing the foreskin tissue after about a week. At that point, males attend a clinic to have a specially trained nurse snip away the dead tissue. Healing is said to occur about 21 days after removal, and
complications are said to occur in under one per cent of cases.
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No experts, saviours or victims: women living with HIV
July 22, 2015 - In 2014, 36.9 million people were estimated to be living with HIV globally. At the end of 2012 it was estimated that 52% of adults with HIV globally were women and globally, AIDS-related illness is the leading cause of death amongst women of reproductive age.
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Editorial: B.C. exemplary in AIDS fight
July 22, 2015 - British Columbia’s record of combating AIDS has been recognized internationally, and its policies are being adopted by countries around the world, but not by the Canadian government. Ottawa should create and implement national strategies on HIV/AIDS, using B.C.’s policies as a template.
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Cash to stay in school doesn’t reduce HIV incidence in South African study – but school attendance protected young women against HIV
22 July 2015 - A conditional cash transfer to the households of adolescent girls to promote school attendance did not reduce HIV incidence in a randomised study in rural South Africa, Audrey Pettifor of the
University of North Carolina reported on Tuesday at the Eighth International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada.
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The Canadian Declaration by Persons living with HIV (2015)
July 2015 - Statement from the People living with HIV and communities affected by HIV in support of The Vancouver Consensus (2015)
The Vancouver Consensus (2015) is an urgent call to world leaders, donors, governments, clinicians and civil society to ensure that all people living with HIV have access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment upon diagnosis and the strategic use of ARVs for treatment and prevention in order to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets.
The Vancouver Consensus was released at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015).
This Declaration was drafted by people living with HIV and their allies attending the 8TH Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment (IAS 2015).
Sign here...
Women with HIV Demand a Voice
Published on Jul 22, 2015 - Die-In at the International AIDS Society Conference in Vancouver, July 2015
PREVENTING AND TREATING VIRAL HEPATITIS IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IS KEY FOCUS OF IAS 2015
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (22 July 2015) - Studies Confirm Need to Expand Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Hepatitis B and C to Reduce HIV-Related Mortality Worldwide
The latest research points to new directions for reducing the significant impact of viral hepatitis co-infection among individuals living with HIV, according to new data presented this week at the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver.
New drug combination treats hepatitis C patients also infected with HIV
21-Jul-2014 (Philadelphia, PA) - Their approach promises a permanent cure and potential for protection against HIV
The HIV-1 virus has proved to be tenacious, inserting its genome permanently into its victims' DNA, forcing patients to take a lifelong drug regimen to control the virus and prevent a fresh attack. Now, a team of Temple University School of Medicine researchers has designed a way to snip out the integrated HIV-1 genes for good.
HIV treatment has social and socioeconomic benefits, as well as improved health: study
July 21, 2015 - New research shows that HIV treatment for illicit drug users improves their social and socioeconomic wellbeing as well as their health.
While the health benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV are well documented, less is known about possible secondary benefits.
New drug combination treats hepatitis C patients also infected with HIV
21-Jul-2015 - Roughly 20 to 30 percent of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are also infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV). Both blood-borne viruses share the same modes of transmission, but many HCV medications currently have significant limitations due to adverse interactions with HIV treatments.
Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report a new combination that effectively treats HCV in patients co-infected with HIV.
AJ'S CAFE 8TH ANNIVERSARY - A social gathering for POZ Gay Men
Join us in celebrating AJ'S CAFE 8TH ANNIVERSARY on July 24, 2015 at The Junction Pub, 1138 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC.
July 24, 2015 -
3:00 - 6:00PM
The Junction PUB
1138 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC
Online Connec+: An online video support group for PLHIV
July 2015 - Online Connec+ is open to anyone living with HIV in BC. All genders, sexualities and ages are welcome.
Supportive housing key in battling HIV, study says
July 21, 2015 -Vancouver - Setting up Vancouver’s homeless HIV patients with supportive housing could dramatically increase the number who stick with anti-retroviral drugs that can reduce the disease to undetectable levels and prevent transmission to
others, according to a new study presented on Tuesday at an international HIV/AIDS conference.
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Fight between Montreal, feds over supervised injection sites heats up
July 21, 2015 - OTTAWA - A former, long-time mayor of Vancouver says Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre must not back away from his showdown with the feds over that city's bid to open four drug-injection sites by the fall -- a timeline that coincides with the onset of the federal election campaign.
Philip Owen, who became a strong advocate for the Insite program during his nine-year term as Vancouver's mayor, says there is "no doubt the evidence in the world supports what (Coderre) is trying to do" and what Vancouver was successful in doing.
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The secondary benefits of HIV treatment
Published on Jul 21, 2015 - HIV treatment can improve a person's socio-economic wellbeing, according to new research by UBC's Lindsey Richardson presented at IAS 2015.
NEW STUDIES SHOW MOMENTUM IN HIV CURE RESEARCH, DRIVEN BY NEW TOOLS AND APPROACHES
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (21 July 2015) - New research into cure strategies for HIV infection, generally considered unachievable just a few years ago, was discussed in an official press briefing today at the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver.
“Increasingly sophisticated insights into the virus, its progression and the body's response to HIV are helping to narrow and concentrate the focus of the HIV cure research agenda,” said Nobel Laureate and former IAS President Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of the Pasteur Institute. “Today, we now know to focus our efforts on developing better tools to measure HIV infection, boosting immune responses to HIV
and understanding what individual cases of HIV remission can teach us about more broadly applicable strategies for the long-term control of HIV infection.”
Study finds PrEP use feasible among high-risk groups in US community settings
21-JUL-2015 - Most participants in NIH-funded study adhered to HIV prevention strategy
A majority of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) at high risk for HIV infection took anti-HIV medication for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), most of the time, in a multi-site U.S. study examining use of this
HIV prevention strategy outside of a clinical trial. The study, called the PrEP Demo Project, was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
START trial provides definitive evidence of the benefits of early HIV treatment
21 July 2015 - People who start antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately after HIV diagnosis, while their CD4 cell count is still high, rather than waiting until it
falls below 350 cells/mm3 have a significantly lower risk of illness and death, according to long-awaited findings from the START trial. The final study results were presented on Monday at the Eighth International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada, and published simultaneously in the July 20 advance edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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HPTN 052 demonstrates sustained benefit of early antiretroviral therapy
20-Jul-2015 - VANCOUVER, B.C. and DURHAM, N.C. - Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection provides lasting protection against the sexual transmission of the virus from infected men and women to their HIV-uninfected
sexual partners, investigators from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) reported today at the 8th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Vancouver, Canada.
MSF warns successful global HIV response will require bigger emphasis on adherence
Vancouver, 20 July, 2015 - New MSF report surveying lay counsellor policies across eight countries highlights major weaknesses for adherence support
The international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned today that not enough is being done to ensure people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) reach and maintain 'undetectable' levels of virus in
their blood. Reversing the epidemic and achieving the UNAIDS 90/90/90 goals* will require much broader use of strategies to help people stay on track with their treatment, including adherence counselling, alongside routine viral load testing to make sure people's treatment is working.
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National HIV/AIDS Strategy Updated to 2020: Coming July 30
Published on Jul 20, 2015 - Die-In at the International AIDS Society Conference in Vancouver, July 2015
Test and treat studies and African countries showing that 90-90-90 targets are achievable
20 July 2015 - Health services in some African countries including Botswana, Rwanda and Malawi are now providing effective HIV treatment to a greater proportion of their HIV-positive
citizens than the United States and other rich countries. Meanwhile, some of the first data to come from large African studies examining the population impact of treatment as prevention approaches suggest that the objectives of testing and treating 90% of those eligible can be achieved.
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UN-backed initiative announces deal to sharply lower price of HIV early infant diagnosis
20 July 2015 - A dramatic 35 percent reduction in the price for HIV early infant diagnostic technologies today has been announced by the United Nations-backed Diagnostics Access Initiative, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics.
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Rectal gonorrhea, chlamydia do not influence transmission of HIV
July 20, 2015 - Rectally colonized gonorrhea and chlamydia did not appear to impact the HIV viral loads of patients on or off ART, according to data presented at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.
Researchers from the Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, examined 42 HIV-infected men who have sex with men. Half of the cohort received ART, including seven participants who also were infected with rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia. Four rectal swabs were taken from participants via proctoscopy, and analyzed for HIV viral load (VL), the presence of sexually transmitted infection and cytokine expression. Participants with gonorrhea and chlamydia were resampled 2 or more weeks after receiving STI treatment, and comparative data analysis was conducted using independent t tests.
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New ICW and GNP+ study on early infant diagnosis calls for quality information and informed choices for women living with HIV
Vancouver, Canada, 20 July 2015 - The report, titled Early Infant Diagnosis: Understanding the Perceptions, Values and Preferences of Women living with HIV in Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria, explored the values and preferences of women living with HIV
regarding the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of testing babies within the first 4–6 weeks of life in order to understand facilitators of, and barriers to, follow-up testing. The research was commissioned by the WHO to inform the development of new guidelines on EID
and conducted by the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+).
What is HIV Treatment as Prevention?
July 20, 2015 - As the 2015 International Aids Society Conference gets underway in Vancouver, B.C., researcher M-J Milloy outlines how Treatment as Prevention, a made-in-B.C. approach, has the potential to end the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Treatment as Prevention® (TasP®) is the idea – pioneered by Dr. Julio Montaner, the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence – that HIV treatment not only protects the health of individuals who are living with the virus, it also reduces the likelihood that they will pass the virus on to other people.
B.C. researchers on the leading edge of the fight against HIV/AIDS
July 20, 2015 - Last month, UBC received $1 million from a medical marijuana producer to support research on marijuana's potential to treat HIV and reduce pain and nausea caused by HIV drugs. The research is led by assistant professor of medicine M-J Milloy.
Early antiretroviral therapy prevents non-AIDS outcomes in HIV-infected people
July 20, 2015 - NIH-supported findings illustrate manifold benefit of therapy
Starting antiretroviral therapy early not only prevents serious AIDS-related diseases, but also prevents the onset of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other non-AIDS-related diseases in HIV-infected
people, according to a new analysis of data from the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study, the first large-scale randomized clinical trial to establish that earlier antiretroviral treatment benefits all
HIV-infected individuals. Rates of both serious AIDS-related events and serious non-AIDS-related events were significantly reduced with early therapy.
Doctors call for wider use of drug that can prevent HIV infection
July 20, 2015 - But some question whether prescribing it for high-risk sex will increase number of sexually transmitted diseases
International HIV/AIDS experts meeting in Vancouver are calling for wider use of a drug that can prevent HIV infection among those who engage in high-risk sex and are not infected with the virus.
But there are unanswered questions about the one-pill-a-day preventive treatment, including who should pay and whether broad use of it could fuel a surge in already-rampant levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.
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AIDS conference attendees remember 6 who died on MH17
July 20, 2015 - MELBOURNE, Australia - Organizers and attendees at the world's largest AIDS conference said six colleagues who died in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 would want them to continue the fight against this deadly disease.
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The science is in. And Insite works.
July 20, 2015 - Top researchers gather to learn how Vancouver’s safe injection site has made B.C. a medical world-beater—and a political pariah
Over the course of the next several days more than 6,000 world-leading researchers, clinicians and public health officials will gather in Vancouver for a conference of the International AIDS Society (IAS). They will learn all there is to know about this storefront
facility and its role as part of a harm reduction strategy that has made B.C. a world-beater in the fight against the deadly infection—and a pariah in the eyes of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.
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Danish study raises questions about accelerated aging in HIV
20 July 2015 - A team of researchers in Denmark has been pondering the potential effect of HIV on the aging process. They think that if HIV does accelerate the aging process then the risks of developing severe age-related
diseases should increase over time as people with HIV live longer.
World Health Organization urges more HIV testing by non-medical staff, outside of clinical settings, targeted to those who need it the most
20 July 2015 - In addition to recommending that routine HIV testing in medical settings be expanded to reach new groups of patients, the World Health Organization’s new guidance on HIV testing also recommends the delivery of HIV testing by non-medical ‘lay providers’, often in community settings. The guidance urges planners to make careful, strategic choices about which HIV testing interventions will be best able to reach individuals with undiagnosed HIV. New approaches may be needed to reach key populations.
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French teen’s HIV in remission 11 years after her drugs were stopped
July 20, 2015 - Early access to treatments can save lives, says Dr. Julio Montaner
A French teenager’s HIV infection is still in remission more than 11 years after her medications were discontinued, the longest hiatus on record for a young person and the best indication yet that long-term interruption of the infection is possible in children, a researcher revealed Monday.
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STUDY RESULTS HELP GUIDE REAL-WORLD PREP IMPLEMENTATION
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (20 July 2015) - The first results from four studies examining real-world uptake, adherence and other factors related to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
to prevent HIV infection provided key insights that will help shape PrEP implementation planning. The studies were conducted in a range of non-clinical settings among multiple global populations at high risk for HIV, including men
who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in the United States and Brazil, and young heterosexual adults in Botswana – and were highlighted today in an official press briefing at the 8th IAS Conference on
HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) ) in Vancouver.
HIV Control Through Treatment Durably Prevents Heterosexual Transmission of Virus
July 20, 2015 - NIH-Funded Trial Proves Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV-infected People Effective in Protecting Uninfected Partners
Antiretroviral treatment that consistently suppresses HIV is highly effective at preventing sexual transmission of the virus in heterosexual couples where one person is HIV-infected and the other is not, investigators
report today at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment & Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada. The finding comes from the decade-long HPTN 052 clinical trial funded primarily by the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by the NIH-funded HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN).
French teen’s HIV in remission 11 years after her drugs were stopped
July 20, 2015 - Early access to treatments can save lives, says Dr. Julio Montaner
A French teenager’s HIV infection is still in remission more than 11 years after her medications were discontinued, the longest hiatus on record for a young person and the best indication yet that long-term interruption of the infection is possible in children, a researcher revealed Monday.
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FINAL STUDY RESULTS PROVIDE DEFINITIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT EARLIER INITIATION OF HIV TREATMENT
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (20 July 2015) - New Data Support the Broad and Earlier Use of ARVs for Treatment and Prevention
Additional Research Provides New Insights on Non-Daily Use of PrEP
Final results from two landmark studies bolstered the scientific case for initiating HIV treatment soon after diagnosis, and an additional study shed new light on the non-daily use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
among diverse populations at high risk for HIV. The research was presented today in an official press briefing at the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver.
HIV-AIDS experts call for governments worldwide to commit to immediate treatment
Jul 20, 2015 - Early access to treatments can save lives, says Dr. Julio Montaner
The conference will draw a line in the sand between people who are committed to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic — and those who aren't, Montaner said.
"Political leaders of the world, you are either with us or against us. We know the evidence, we know what needs to be done. It is up to you to decide whether you will be counted as doing the right thing."
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Tenofovir prevents acquisition of, but does not treat HSV-2
July 20, 2015 - Very few therapeutic tools, mainly nucleoside analogues, are available for HSV-2 therapy. Interestingly, it has been shown that the use of tenofovir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective method of preventing HIV acquisition, is able to reduce HSV-2 acquisition as well.
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IAS ANNOUNCES 2015 CIPHER AWARD GRANTEES, COMMITS TO LARGEST-EVER GRANT PROGRAMME IN 2016
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (19 July 2015) - $750,000 Awarded to Address Key Paediatric HIV Research Gaps; Record $1.2 Million To Be Awarded Next Year
As part of its continued commitment to support young and emerging investigators and address priority research gaps in paediatric HIV, the International AIDS Society (IAS) today announced its 2015 award winners for the IAS Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) Grant Programme. The awards were presented at the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada.
IAS 2015 TO FEATURE LANDMARK RESEARCH COVERING THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS IN THE GLOBAL RESPONSE TO HIV
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (19 July 2015) - New Studies on the Benefits of Earlier HIV Treatment, Real-World Use of PrEP and Advances in Cure Research Lead the Conference Agenda
More than 6,000 HIV professionals from around the world have gathered in Vancouver for the 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015), the world’s leading scientific meeting on HIV. The IAS 2015 conference programme includes
1,200 scientific abstracts and dozens of satellite sessions addressing every aspect of HIV research and global responses to the epidemic. The four-day conference is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS), in partnership with the University of British Columbia Division of
AIDS, based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care.
B.C. researchers on the leading edge of the fight against HIV/AIDS
July 19, 2015 - Over the past 20 years, B.C. has built a reputation as a powerhouse in HIV/AIDS research. Researchers such as Ticea are helping to keep the province on the cutting edge of the global effort to subdue AIDS.
Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and conference co-chair, says B.C. has developed a strategy that can beat the epidemic if the world’s governments make the financial commitment.
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Musician Ryan Lewis joins HIV-AIDS conference to speak about charity
July 19, 2015 - VANCOUVER - He's there to speak about 30/30, the charity he founded with his mother, Julie Lewis, who has lived with HIV for more than 30 years.
Julie Lewis says she was infected with HIV in 1984 when she got a blood transfusion while giving birth to her eldest child.
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‘Treatment for All’ Must Prioritize Treatment for Children Living with HIV
Vancouver, B.C.—July 19, 2015 - As the HIV/AIDS community gathers for the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference in Vancouver, Canada, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) joins the Vancouver Consensus
in calling for universal treatment for all people living with HIV, regardless of CD4 count. Providing treatment for everyone living with HIV will be a paradigm shift in HIV treatment and prevention efforts, particularly for children living with HIV, and will save millions of lives.
Ottawa shunning B.C. lead on AIDS
July 19, 2015 - B.C.’s successful policies for fighting HIV/AIDs are increasingly being adopted by other countries, but not by the Canadian government, says the director for the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
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Partnership promotes young researchers to find new areas of HIV science
19 July 2015, (Vancouver, Canada) - The International AIDS Society (IAS) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced open application for the fifth round of the $3.6 million
research grant programme Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research (CNIHR). CNIHR is jointly sponsored by the NIH, the NIH-supported Centers for AIDS Research (CFARs) and the IAS. Since 2010, the CNIHR Grant Programme has awarded more than US$16.1 million to fund 44 highly innovative research projects in the HIV field.
Jamaica on track to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV
July 19, 2015 - JAMAICA is poised to become the first English-speaking Caribbean country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
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The ketchup sachet-shaped drug saving babies from HIV
July 19, 2015 - Inside a foil sachet, which looks more at home in a fast-food restaurant, an exact dose of antiretroviral medicine is helping to protect newborn babies against the threat of infection from their HIV-positive mothers.
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Zimbabwe one of few countries to reduce HIV, Aids pandemic
July 18, 2015 - Zimbabwe is among countries that have significantly reduced the HIV and Aids pandemic, according to a latest United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS) report on the global response to the disease, the Newsday reported.
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Guelph becoming hub for transgender health care
July 18, 2015 - GUELPH - Getting access to health care as a transgender person in Ontario is still daunting but a new transgender heath clinic in Guelph that opened quietly in April is quickly becoming a regional hub and breaking barriers to care that exist elsewhere.
HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH) on Dawson Road now offers hormone replacement therapy, referrals for sex reassignment surgery, letters to change a person's driver's licence and health card, and primary care for transgender adults.
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New drug holds out promise of long-term control or even cure of HIV
18 July 2015 - tat inhibitor inactivates 'reservoir' of latently-infected cells
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California have discovered a new type of drug that may permanently inhibit HIV from becoming reactivated in the cells that are chronically infected with it. The new drug, didehyro-cortistatin A (dCA), appears to permanently change
the cellular environment so that even after it is removed, the cells of the latently-infected reservoir cells remain 100 times less likely to ‘wake up’ and start producing new viruses.
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Reaching UNAIDS HIV treatment targets could avert millions of deaths and new infections
18 July 2015 - Achieving UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets for getting more people with HIV diagnosed and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in two of the hardest-hit countries – Nigeria and South Africa – could avert more than 3 million deaths, according to a study published in the July 6 edition of PLOS ONE. The new Fast-Track Cities Initiative aims to help make this goal a reality in the highest-burden cities.
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IAS 2015 Live Streaming
July 18 2015 - You can access our livestream. For anyone who cannot watch the events live, recordings of the event will be available afterwards on the IAS YouTube channel, which can be accessed via the same link.
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Treatment as Prevention: The end of HIV/AIDS?
Published on Jul 17, 2015 - Researcher M-J Milloy explains the science behind the Treatment of Prevention approach, and why it has the potential to eliminate HIV/AIDS.
'Running for a good cause'
July 17, 2015 - In an effort to destigmatize HIV/AIDS and to help fund AIDS service organizations, roughly 40 runners are taking part in the Relay for Hope, a cross-Canada relay run from Newfoundland to British Colombia.
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BC-CfE Study Finds a Majority of HIV-Positive Women Who Use Injection Drugs Face Legal Obligation to Disclose HIV Status to Sexual Partners
Vancouver, BC [July 17, 2015] - A new British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) study finds 44 per cent of participants within a research cohort of people who use injection drugs living with HIV in Vancouver would be legally obligated to disclose their HIV status
to their sexual partners. Within the study, 65 per cent of male participants compared with only 45 percent of female participants satisfied the Supreme Court of Canada's legal test for HIV non-disclosure, based on the October 2012 ruling in R v. Mabior.
Under current case law, people living with HIV must disclose their HIV status to a partner before sexual activity unless both a condom is used and a low HIV viral load is present.
Expanding Access to HAART Saves Millions in Health Care and Productivity Costs
July 17, 2015 - A study published in The Lancet HIV and presented at the 2015 International AIDS Society Conference by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) shows expanding Treatment as Prevention ® (TasP ® ) could
save up to $66.5 million over the next 25 years, compared with a scenario with reduced access to antiretroviral medication. The study finds expanded access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has more than offset the additional costs of treatment, resulting in improved health outcomes and cost-savings.
Argos Therapeutics to Present at 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention
DURHAM, N.C., July 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - The company's director of molecular biology to participate in roundtable discussion at the "Towards an HIV Cure" symposium
Argos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ARGS) ("Argos"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of fully personalized immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious
diseases based on the Arcelis® technology platform, today announced Irina Tcherepanova, Ph.D., the
company's director of molecular biology, will present at the 8th International AIDS Society (IAS)
Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention being held at the Vancouver Convention
Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada July 19-22, 2015
IAS 2015: A Preview of Key Data to Be Presented in Vancouver
July 17, 2015 - The annual conference presented by the International AIDS Society (IAS) is one of the leading scientific conferences in the HIV field. Altogether, the upcoming meeting in Vancouver will feature approximately 1200 accepted abstracts, and we expect as many as 7000 delegates to attend. This should be an exciting event for all participants and an important global convening of the HIV scientific community.
There are 4 major areas of study that will be presented at the meeting which represent areas of outstanding new science: early treatment and treatment as prevention, preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other
biomedical prevention tools, HIV cure, and HIV coinfections, particularly HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection.
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HIV Treatment as Prevention Saves Money Over Long Term
July 17, 2015 - Expanding treatment as prevention is not only cost-effective over the long term, but when productivity gains are considered, it is cost-saving, a new study indicates.
In British Columbia, the only Canadian province that has adopted complete access, expanding antiretroviral therapy could save up to $65.5 million by 2035, said lead author Bohdan Nosyk, PhD, from the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, who is St. Paul's Hospital CANFAR
Chair in HIV/AIDS Research at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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HIV PEP with emtricitabine/tenofovir/rilpivirine has excellent completion and adherence rates
17 July 2015 - Fifty per cent of monkeys entirely protected from infection by combination vaccine
Prompt PEP, after possible sexual or occupational exposure to HIV, can reduce the risk of infection. Guidelines recommend triple-drug therapy, ideally commenced within 72 hours of exposure.
Failure of PEP has been linked to poor treatment adherence or the premature discontinuation of treatment. A recent analysis of 97 PEP studies found that only 57% of patients completed their four-week course of treatment.
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Failure to disclose HIV-positive status is a felony that leads to a much worse crime
July 17, 2015 - Laws that criminalize non-disclosure encourage people not to get tested and misinform the public about how HIV/Aids spreads
A former Missouri college athlete was sentenced to 30.5 years in prison this week for doing something many of us do everyday: have sex.
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Cholesterol Metabolism Linked to HIV Progression
Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) July 17, 2015 - Cholesterol Metabolism in Immune Cells Linked to HIV Progression, May Lead to New Therapy
Enhanced cholesterol metabolism in certain immune cells may help some people infected with HIV naturally control disease progression, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
IAS HIV-AIDS conference in Vancouver comes at critical point
July 17, 2015 - Scientific gathering brings together 6,000 international experts in Vancouver this weekend
Nearly 35 years after HIV-AIDS first emerged on the world stage, more than 6,000 international experts are gathering in Vancouver this weekend to chart a path to eliminate the global pandemic by 2030.
The 8th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention will bring together researchers, clinicians, community leaders and public health experts from around the world. It's the second time that Vancouver has hosted an IAS meeting in the last 20 years.
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On the 3rd Anniversary of PrEP – AHF Asks the CDC: What are you doing to promote adherence and condom use?
LOS ANGELES (July 16, 2015) - On the third anniversary of the FDA approval of the use of the HIV anti-retroviral medication, Truvada (tenofovir DF + emtricitabine), for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) renewed its call for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reevaluate PrEP over concerns about patient adherence, the efficacy and overall wisdom of deploying PrEP
as a wide-scale public health prevention strategy. In July 2014, the CDC recommended that 500,000 high-risk Americans go on PrEP—many in high-risk populations that PrEP studies often showed had the most difficulty adhering to the regimen.
Syphilis case increase concerns P.E.I. health officials
July 16, 2015 - Infectious disease could lead to death if left untreated
P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office is concerned with the increase of cases of syphilis.
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Prioritizing ending AIDS in children at IAS 2015
July 16, 2015 - Experts from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation available for comments and media interviews
Experts from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) will give oral presentations and exhibit a variety of educational posters and abstracts related to ending AIDS in children.
World’s top HIV/AIDS researchers converge on Vancouver
July 16, 2015 - UBC and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) will welcome more than 6,000 of the world's leading HIV/AIDS experts to Vancouver next week. Researchers, clinicians, community leaders and public health experts will examine the latest scientific developments in HIV research at the 8 th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment & Prevention.
IAS 2015 is the world's largest scientific conference on HIV and AIDS. This year's event is organized by the IAS in partnership with the UBC Division of AIDS and runs from July 19-22.
Vancouver a growing hotspot for international health conferences
July 16, 2015 - Tourism Vancouver put together the bid for the 8th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, which takes place in Vancouver this weekend. It brings together researchers, clinicians, community leaders and public health experts from around the world.
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Medal honours giving
July 15, 2015 - A new official honour has been created to recognize Canadian volunteers.
The Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers will be awarded to those who have made a contribution to their community.
Watch 15 Years of the AIDS Response 2000 - 2015
Published on Jul 16, 2015 - How AIDS Changed Everything... A lookback at the key moments in the AIDS response.
How antiretroviral drugs can suppress HIV, one pill at a time
July 15, 2015 - Antiretroviral therapy has so changed the face of HIV that experts, gathering for the International AIDS Society conference in Vancouver next week, say the medications could halt the virus’s deadly run.
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LGBT sex education in schools could lead to lower HIV rates and happier students
July 15, 2015 - The National AIDS Trust has released statistics that highlight the weak sex and relationships education in schools – and why better resources would lead to lower HIV rates and happier LGBT youth.
The results of the largest study of its kind in the UK revealed that bullying can lead to unsatisfactory mental health, which increases HIV risks because of an indifference to sexual health.
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WHO at IAS 2015
July 15, 2015 - 8th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention
19-22 July 2015 | Vancouver, Canada
At the satellite session "Testing, new directions in treatment, and measuring impact: new WHO guidelines" to take place at 12:30 on Sunday, 19 July 2015, WHO will launch new 2015 WHO consolidated guidelines on
HIV testing services, while sharing new directions and evidence that will shape the 2015 update to the WHO consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection; and will present the
recently released 2015 consolidated strategic information guidelines for HIV in the health sector.
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Suits - Poz Gay Working Men's Dinner Group
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HIV uses the immune system’s own tools to suppress it
July 15, 2015 - Scientists make a significant discovery on HIV persistence
Should transmitting HIV ever be criminal? In America a man's been sentenced to 30 years in prison for infecting a partner with HIV.
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World Have Your Say - Criminalising HIV
July 15, 2015 - Should transmitting HIV ever be criminal? In America a man's been sentenced to 30 years in prison for infecting a partner with HIV.
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It's time to override patents on Aids drugs
July 15, 2015 - The key to bringing change with the HIV/Aids epidemic is breaking the pharmaceutical industry's "tight grip" on government policies and drug prices, says the United Nations.
It is crucial to break the pharmaceutical industry's "tight grip" on government policies and drug prices in order to help end the Aids epidemic, according to the United Nations.
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Pushing the Boundaries of the HIV/AIDS Response
July 15, 2015 - This Sunday’s SF AIDS Walk marks 28 years since the organization’s inaugural event in 1987. As a pioneering leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Levi Strauss & Co. has been participating in the walk since the very beginning.
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Safe sex reminder to youth
July 14, 2015 - The Taipei City Government’s Department of Health yesterday urged young people to avoid engaging in unprotected sex after it reported a nearly fourfold increase in the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases over the summer vacation period.
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Sentencing of Missouri College Student in HIV “Exposure” Case Decried As “Barbaric”
July 14, 2015 - HIV Medical Providers, Lawyers, and Community Members Call for Reform of State HIV Law
Members of the medical and legal community joined HIV activists in expressing outrage at the 30½ year sentence imposed on a Black Missouri college student and star wrestler following his conviction under the state law that makes it a felony for people diagnosed with HIV to have sexual contact without documenting they disclosed their HIV status.
UNAIDS announces that the goal of 15 million people on life-saving HIV treatment by 2015 has been met nine months ahead of schedule
ADDIS ABABA/GENEVA, 14 July 2015 - The world has exceeded the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 and is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The AIDS targets of MDG 6—halting and reversing the spread of HIV—have been achieved and exceeded, according to a new report released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). New HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million (7.8 million) AIDS-related deaths since 2000, when the MDGs were set.
Coming soon: news from the International AIDS Society conference
14 July 2015 - The 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) is taking place in Vancouver, Canada, next week.
NAM is delighted to be the official provider of online scientific news reporting for the conference.
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Bisexuals accounted for 40 per cent of new HIV infections in 2012
July 14, 2015 - MINISTER of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson yesterday disclosed that men who have sex with both men and women accounted for almost 40 per cent of new HIV infections in 2012.
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Early Treatment Trial to Headline AIDS Conference
July 14, 2015 - Evidence presented at the 8th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference could lead to a tipping point in how and when to treat HIV, according to conference cochair Julio Montaner, MD, director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada.
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Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life announces the launch of the first ever HIV Anonymous Campaign in anticipation of the annual AIDS Walk taking place this September
Toronto, ON - July 14, 2015 - Members of the Canadian AIDS services community, which includes The Canadian AIDS Society, Positive Living Society of BC, and the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT),
today announced the launch of the first ever HIV Anonymous campaign in anticipation of the annual 2015 Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, a national fundraising and awareness movement that takes place in more than 30 communities across Canada each year. This year, the event will take place from Saturday, September 12th to Sunday, September 20th.
The HIV Anonymous campaign captures the isolation, stigma, and manifold forms of discrimination those living with HIV/AIDS face on a daily basis. This platform gives a voice to Canadians who are living with HIV/AIDS, allowing them to share their stories while retaining their confidentiality. Allies and supporters will also be encouraged to participate
and talk about their experiences. These stories will be available via a sharable audio library on hivanonymous.ca and will be used to educate the public about the realities of living with HIV in 2015.
One step further towards an HIV vaccine: and this one performed as expected
14 July 2015 - Fifty per cent of monkeys entirely protected from infection by combination vaccine
A recent experimental HIV vaccine protected 50% of a group of twelve rhesus monkeys from infection by Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV). Furthermore it did so by providing so-called ‘sterilising immunity’, meaning that it completely prevented infection in these
monkeys rather than offering the more limited goal of ‘functional immunity’, where infection still happens but is harmless.
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People with HIV live almost 20 years longer than in 2001
July 14, 2015 - Better access to antiretroviral drugs has transformed outlook for 15 million people with HIV, says UN, but more funding needed to avoid Aids comeback
People living with the HIV virus today can expect to live nearly two decades longer than those who were diagnosed at the start of this century, thanks to cheaper and more readily available antiretroviral drugs, the UN said in a major report on a disease once seen by many as a death sentence to be endured in secrecy.
The average HIV-positive person is now expected to live for 55 years – 19 years longer than in 2001, according to the report by the UN’s Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAids).
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The AIDS Institute Announces Launch of New Website for HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness
July 13, 2015 - Washington, DC – The AIDS Institute (TAI) is thrilled to announce the launch of a new website for HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness as planning efforts begin for the 8th annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Dayscheduled for September 18, 2015. TAI encourages individuals and organizations within the HIV community to visit the new website for resources to support HIV prevention, testing, education, linkage and treatment activities for adults over 50 living with or at risk of HIV.
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Runners bring HIV/AIDS Hope relay to North Bay
July 13, 2015 - The Canadian AIDS Society and Mylan Pharmaceuticals have sponsored a Relay of Hope across the country.
The relay, designed to raise funds for the Canadian AIDS Society and raise awareness of the issue of HIV/AIDS, made a stop in North Bay Monday.
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Second-line ART patients reach viral re-suppression following intensified adherence support
13 July 2015 - Sixty-seven per cent of all patients who were failing second-line ART achieved viral re-suppression after intensified adherence support was provided, according to a study presented at the 7th South African AIDS Conference by Dr Vivian Cox from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) in Khayelitsha, a large informal settlement situated 40 km outside of Cape Town in South Africa.
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Black market for Truvada PrEP may undermine treatment adherence in marginalised people living with HIV
13 July 2015 - The increasing demand for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is likely to increase the likelihood that some marginalised individuals living with HIV sell some of their prescribed medication to pill brokers and drug dealers, according to a study presented
to the Conference of the Association for the Social Sciences and Humanities in HIV in Stellenbosch, South Africa last week.
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Girl power: rethinking the way we approach HIV/AIDS in girls and young women
July 12, 2015 - With over 1,000 new infections each day, young women and adolescent girls are the biggest risk group for HIV infection in the world.
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Vietnam to dole out $2.75 million for HIV response this year
July 11, 2015 - Vietnam will spend VND60 billion (US$2.75 million) this year on paying for medications for people with HIV in the country following international donors' funding cutback.
Those covered by public health insurance can receive the medical treatments for free, according to a prime minister's decree.
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The History of InSite
July 11, 2015 - In the early 90’s in the midst of an HIV epidemic among injection drug users drug related overdose deaths reached record levels. Kind, loving, intelligent people were needlessly suffering and dying. Something had to be done.
In 1997 the PHS hosted a free conference in Oppenheimer Park called “Out of Harm’s Way”. Speakers from around the world presented alternatives to the status quo surrounding crime, drugs and addiction. These topics were wide ranging and included presentations about supervised injection in Germany,
models of heroin maintenance in Switzerland and the UK, alternative justice approaches and stimulant maintenance. Over 800 people from across the community came inside a tent in the pouring rain, in the winter, listening all day and gathering new ideas. This event served as a watershed to establish a legitimate place for more humane and pragmatic alternatives.
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UCSF Warms Up for AIDS Walk San Francisco 2015
July 10, 2015 - More than 250 members of the UC San Francisco community are geared up to participate in the annual fundraiser AIDS Walk San Francisco, a 10K hike through Golden Gate Park.
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Send us your questions for the scientist who co-discovered HIV
July 10, 2015 - (CNN) - Send in your questions about the future of HIV using the hashtag #CNNHIV on Twitter.
We'll select the best questions to ask Barre-Sinoussi, whose interview can be read once the conference comes to a close.
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PrEP/hiv/aids a global issue
July 10, 2015 - PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis, is controversial for a few reasons. It is effective in preventing HIV but not as effective as condoms even when used properly. Most studies found that
it was not used consistently enough reducing effectiveness to 60%. PReP should never be used to replace condoms. It is designed as an additional protection for people who are negative but have a partner who is positive. It reduces the risk to intravenous drug users. In addition, it is a good additional protection for people who are having sex with multiple partners and are at greater risk.
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Community-based adherence clubs show high retention in HIV care and treatment adherence
10 July 2015 - People with HIV who were receiving their HIV treatment outside of health facilities in community-based ART adherence clubs close to or in a patient’s home demonstrated extremely high rates of retention in care and adherence to treatment, according to a study presented at the 7th South African AIDS Conference last month in Durban, by Suhair Solomon from Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) in Khayelitsha, a large informal settlement of 500 000 people, situated 40km outside of Cape Town in South Africa.
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Op-ed: How the Media Looks at HIV in 2015 (It Mostly Doesn't)
July 10 2015 - Coverage of HIV and AIDS, which contributed to 1.5 million deaths in 2013, is nearly as scant as it was in 1981
Thirty-four years ago this month, The New York Times published the now-notorious headline “Rare Cancer Seen in 44 Homosexuals.”
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New Evidence That Genetic Differences May Help Explain Inconsistent Effectiveness
Of Anti-Hiv Drug
July 9, 2015 - Study reveals likely differences in processing among individuals, areas of the body
Research with human tissue and cells suggests that genetic variations, in addition to failure to comply with treatment regimens, may account for some failures of an anti-HIV drug to treat and prevent HIV infection.
Early HIV treatment improves survival in some patients with newly diagnosed TB
PITTSBURGH, July 9, 2015 - Starting anti-HIV treatment within two weeks of the diagnosis of tuberculosis, or TB, improved survival among patients with both infections who had very low immune-cell counts, according
to an analysis by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Health. Those with strong immune systems, however, might benefit from waiting until after the end of the six-month TB treatment before initiating anti-HIV therapy, they found.
Former B.C. solicitor-general says B.C. should OK pot
July 9, 2015 - Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said with the collaboration of various levels of government, British Columbians “have a long
track record of challenging the status quo ... in ways that have been previously felt to be unthinkable. The case in point is Insite,” Vancouver’s supervised drug injection site.
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USC cancer researchers ID potential treatment for deadly lymphoma
9-JUL-2015 - Sociologist Gabriel Girard reveals the influence of HIV on the urban landscape
Since the treatment has become available, HIV is often described as "undetectable" and the risk of transmission has been drastically reduced. However, the epidemic is still quite present in the lives of many gay
and bisexual men... and in public spaces. This often overlooked dimension of the disease has been brought to light by Gabriel Girard of the University
of Montreal's Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM) - HIV is still alive in the city, especially in the Village, Montreal's gay district.
Prompt ART especially important for people with HIV aged 45 and over
08 July 2015 - Delaying antiretroviral therapy (ART) may have especially serious consequences for middle-aged and elderly HIV-positive people, according to research published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. US investigators found that patients aged between 45 and 65 years
who started treatment at lower CD4 counts – 350 or 200 cells/mm3 – had higher mortality rates compared to patients who started treatment when their count was around 500 cells/mm3.
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Scripps research-designed drug candidate significantly reduces HIV reactivation rate
JUPITER, FL, July 8, 2015 - HIV-infected patients remain on antiretroviral therapy for life because the virus survives over the long-term in infected dormant cells. Interruption of current types of antiretroviral therapy results in a rebound of the virus and clinical progression to AIDS.
But now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown that, unlike other antiretroviral therapies, a natural compound called Cortistatin A reduces residual levels of virus from these infected dormant cells, establishing a near-permanent state of latency and greatly diminishing the virus' capacity for reactivation.
Conflict, lack of food, and homelessness: a potentially deadly concoction for the HIV-positive in Central African Republic
July 8, 2015 - Persistent violence in the Central African Republic has impacted negatively on health services, with vandalism and looting of health
care facilities greatly affecting the ability of those living with HIV to access medication.
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It’s time we change HIV non-disclosure laws
July 8, 2015 - The United States and Canada have the first and second highest number of arrests and prosecutions for HIV non-disclosure. That is when an HIV positive person who knows their
status has sexual relations with an HIV negative person and doesn’t disclose their positive status beforehand. Whereas some countries now have laws that only criminalize cases of intentional transmission, Canada states that it is
a crime not to disclose your status before engaging in a sexual act that poses a “realistic possibility” of HIV transmission. While in Canada what that means for oral or anal sex is undefined, for vaginal sex it means you must
disclose unless you have an undetectable viral load AND use a condom. It is a crime if you don’t disclose and: 1) have a detectable viral load and use a condom; or, 2) if you are undetectable and don’t use a condom. And here
are ten reasons why this law is draconian, contrary to the public interest, and just plain wrong.
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bioLytical to Present Findings of Early HIV Detection
Richmond, BC (PRWEB) July 07, 2015 - INSTI HIV Assay’s Unique Platform Promises Earlier HIV Detection
bioLytical Laboratories Inc. announced today that its abstract highlighting early HIV detection using INSTI HIV-1/HIV-2 Antibody Test was accepted for presentation at the 8th Annual International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Vancouver. The results will be presented Wednesday, July 22nd from 1:00 pm to 2:00pm Pacific Standard Time at the poster discussion on Novel Programmatic Approaches for Diagnostics.
New study finds money spent on community-based HIV prevention programs translates into health-care treatment savings
July 7, 2015 - Every $1 spent on community-based HIV prevention programs in Ontario saves $5 in treatment costs, a new study has found.
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Combination therapy effective for HIV patients with visceral leishmaniasis
July 7, 2015 - Research published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that treating visceral leishmaniasis in HIV patients with a combination therapy of AmBisome and Impavido
may be more effective than monotherapy.
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USC cancer researchers ID potential treatment for deadly lymphoma
7-Jul-2015 - Keck Medicine of USC scientists have identified a potential treatment for a rare but deadly form of lymphoma in HIV patients
New research from the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified a potential treatment for a rare but previously incurable form of lymphoma that is observed primarily in patients with HIV/AIDS infection.
HPV immunization program expanded to vulnerable boys
July 7, 2015 - Beginning this September, boys and young men up to age 26 who are at a higher risk of contracting human papillomavirus virus (HPV) can receive the HPV vaccine at no charge.
B.C.’s publicly funded HPV vaccination program, which is provided to girls, will be extended to at-risk boys and young men – those who have sex with males or who are street-involved. Providing the vaccine for all girls protects heterosexual boys as well, but leaves at-risk boys and young men unprotected. This change will address that gap.
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SF records all-time low in HIV infections, deaths
July 6, 2015 - New HIV infections and deaths of HIV-infected people in The City dropped more than 17 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to the Department of Public Health.
There were 302 new HIV diagnoses last year, and 177 deaths of HIV-infected people, according to the department. That’s down from 371 and 209, respectively, the year before.
Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, those numbers are the lowest ever recorded in San Francisco.
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HIV/AIDS scientist gets $1.5m US to study addiction in Vancouver and five other cities
July 6, 2015 - A Canadian scientist has been awarded a $1.5-million-US research grant for a new five-year project to examine ways of preventing injection drug use and the spread of addiction.
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Latent HIV cells only 'wake up' once a week after antiretroviral therapy, study finds
5 July 2015 - A new study published in PLOS Pathogens provides new insight into how often HIV cells "wake up" among individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy for the virus, bringing researchers one step closer to getting patients off the treatment for good and into remission.
The study was conducted by Prof. Miles Davenport and colleagues from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.
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Scientists Exploit HIV’s Sweet Tooth to Stop the Virus in its Tracks
July 5, 2015 - Scientists at Northwestern University believe they may have found a novel way of fighting back against HIV, and it centers on cutting off the virus’ supply of energy.
Publishing in PLOS Pathogens, the Northwestern team together with a research group from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee detail how they were able to use a newly developed compound to block HIV from recruiting the glucose it needs
to proliferate in the body. To understand this, it’s worth getting to know a bit about how HIV works.
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Blatant discrimination against HIV mom and newborn at government hospital in Raipur
July 5, 2015 - RAIPUR: In a blatant case of discrimination against HIV patients, the staff of Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital here put up a hand written notice of "Universal precautions" on the bedside of a HIV positive women and her newly born child, who incidentally has yet not been confirmed to be suffering from the disease.
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‘Outlier’: Seattle doctor wants STD drugs for partners of gay men
July 5, 2015 - A Seattle doctor is protesting a King County policy that restricts gay men with STDs from getting free antibiotics to treat their partners, a practice that is routine for heterosexual couples. But local health officials say it’s more complicated than that.
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A short history of AIDS
July 5, 2015 - Prof. Peter Piot has been involved with HIV from its first discovery in humans as a researcher, clinician and UNAIDs official; His new book tells the story nearly 35 years since it became a pandemic
Believed to have originated in non-human primates in West-Central Africa and transferred to humans nearly a century ago, AIDS was first observed in humans only in 1981.
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HIV in young people rising in Maryland
July 4, 2015 - The situation in Maryland reflects what is happening around the country, and if the trend is not reversed, it could yield tragic consequences, health officials say. For one thing, the spread will continue. And experts believe many young
people don't even know they are infected, delaying treatment that works best in the disease's early stages.
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Rower docks in Charleston after journey across the Atlantic to raise HIV/AIDS awareness
July 4, 2015 - Mooney made the 5,000 mile trip to honor those who have died from AIDS, including his brother, the release said. He also aimed to encourage others to get tested for HIV.
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#JudgeMaughnDontTakeOurKids
July 4, 2015 - Dear Judge Maughn,
My name is Rachel Moats and recently I came across a story about Donna Branom & Henry Calderon that left me terrified and heartbroken. You see, I myself have a beautiful daughter and I am HIV Positive.
HIV/AIDS: Punitive laws, stigma drive vulnerability to infection- says Ban
July 4, 2015 - United Nations – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the HIV and AIDS epidemic is made worse by punitive laws and stigma which drive vulnerability to infection and block access to life-saving treatment.
In a speech he delivered at the launch of UNAIDS and Lancet Commission Report: “Defeating AIDS -Advancing Global Health’’, in Bridgetown, Barbados on Friday, Ban said homophobia threatened both human rights and public health.
”We cannot tolerate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation nor on the basis of gender identity.
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Condom shortage sparks HIV fear ahead of Nashik Kumbh
July 4, 2015 - NASHIK: The Maharashtra State Aids Control
Society (MSAC) has in the run-up to Kumbh Mela expressed fear of unsafe practice of sex and the possible spread of HIV and AIDS because of shortage of condoms.
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bioLytical Donates HIV Tests to Promote HIV Screening at Essence Fest
RICHMOND, B.C., July 3, 2015 - bioLytical Laboratories Inc., bioLytical Laboratories Inc., exclusive manufacturer of the 60 second INSTI HIV-1/HIV-2 Antibody Test, has teamed up with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and Greater Than AIDS this year to provide free HIV testing in conjunction with the annual ESSENCE Music Festival, taking place July 2 – 5, 2015 in New Orleans. The Company is dedicated to supporting initiatives that raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to encourage individuals to get tested.
Multiple strategies for safer conception need to incorporate couples' preferences
03 July 2015 - Misunderstandings about serodiscordance and limited understanding of female fertility and male insemination are barriers to couples in serodiscordant partnerships in attempting to practice safer conception methods, according to a qualitative study presented by Rebecca Phofa at the 7th South African AIDS Conference in Durban last month.
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Broward County Has the Second-Highest AIDS Rate in Florida
3 July 2015 - Bad news for Broward County: the section of South Florida continues to top a list of the Sunshine State counties when it comes to reporting news cases of HIV and AIDS.
As of the end of April, the state guesses there are 18,317 people in Broward living with HIV/AIDS.
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London ‘chemsex’ parties face gay club scene with HIV fears
Jul 3, 2015 - Drug-fuelled sexual encounters are gaining popularity via social media
Years of efforts to spread safe-sex practices are being lost among a new generation, which grew up after the arrival of Aids, leading doctors to warn that HIV rates and sexually-transmitted diseases cases are rising rapidly.
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AIDS is a 'human rights issue,' Ban declares, launching major new UN report in Barbados
3 July 2015 - Ending the AIDS epidemic – in all places and all communities – is essential to realizing the vision of a life of dignity for all, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
declared today in Barbados at the Caribbean region launch of a major new United Nations report the calls for scaling up an inclusive, rights-based and stigma-free response to wipe out the deadly disease.
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Chinese scientists say 'complex' HIV strain found
July 3, 2015 - Chinese scientists today claimed to have identified the most "complex" HIV strain ever discovered, in the blood of a long-distance truck driver from Myanmar.
Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Zoology sequenced genetic materials extracted from the driver's blood after he entered China from a border checkpoint in Yunnan province.
In the sample, all nine genes of the HIV had been reprogrammed in a more sophisticated way than the most complex HIV found to date.
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WE DEMAND A CURE!
by Larry Kramer - July 3, 2015 - 74 Million and counting…
Today, July 3rd, is the 34th anniversary of that first New York Times article announcing a strange cancer found in 41 homosexuals.
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$333,409 NIH-Funded Study Examines HIV Risk Among Trans-Female Youth 16-24
July 2, 2015 - (CNSNews.com) - “The two HIV risk studies of transgender female youth to date have found that one in five are HIV-infected before the age of 25. In San Francisco, transyouth have the highest
HIV prevalence of any population, the highest proportion of AIDS cases among youth, and the fastest rate of death due to AIDS in the city,” it stated.
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Study shows novel HIV vaccine regimen provides robust protection in non-human primates
2-JUL-2015 - BOSTON - A new study led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shows that an HIV-1 vaccine regimen, involving a viral vector boosted with a purified envelope protein, provided complete protection in half of the vaccinated non-human primates (NHPs) against a series of six repeated challenges with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a virus similar to HIV that infects NHPs. These findings are published online today in Science.
UNAIDS & WHO PRESS RELEASE: Scaling-up HIV testing is critical to end the AIDS epidemic in Asia-Pacific
MANILA, 02 July 2015 - Ten national HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection (STI) programmes, civil society and development partners in the
Western Pacific Region have joined forces to ensure that everyone living with HIV knows their status and is able to access HIV treatment. This push for expanded HIV testing coverage came during a recent
two-day meeting organized by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Manila, the Philippines.
Russia has a serious HIV crisis, and the government is to blame
July 2, 2015 - In May, Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of Russia’s state-run AIDS organization, told AFP that the country’s HIV epidemic has worsened
dramatically in recent years, warning that at least 2 million people will be infected with the virus within the next five years. Pokrovsky added that there are now around 930,000 Russians infected with HIV, citing official statistics, of which 192,000 have already died. The latest tally of HIV-infected Russians — which experts describe as an underestimate — is up nearly twofold from the 500,000 people reported in 2010.
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New AIDS Vaccine Protects Monkeys
Jul 2 2015 - There's progress in the quest for an AIDS vaccine. An experimental vaccine protected half of a batch of monkeys against a virus similar to the AIDS virus, scientists reported Thursday.
The company helping develop the vaccine is already trying it in people, and vaccine experts say it takes a new approach to trying to protect against a virus that's proved almost impossible to stop.
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ViiV Healthcare and Desano Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing agreement will allow competitive supply of dolutegravir in China and several developing countries
London, UK, 2 July 2015 - Agreement reinforces ViiV Healthcare commitment to improving access to HIV treatments
ViiV Healthcare and Desano Pharmaceuticals (Desano) today announced a strategic manufacturing agreement to enable production in China of dolutegravir. The agreement will offer an additional source of the dolutegravir active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and
will allow ViiV Healthcare to offer a competitive supply of the finished product (dolutegravir 50mg, marketed under the name Tivicay®) for China and a number of developing countries, subject to national approvals. This strengthens ViiV Healthcare’s commitment to improve access to its
treatments for people living with HIV, especially in countries hardest hit by the disease.
The battle to beat HIV in South Africa
2 July 2015 - At the beginning of the century, the United Nations set out its Millennium Development Goals.
One of the goals was to combat HIV, Aids and other diseases. HIV is the world's largest epidemic with around 35 million people living with the disease.
Read more & Watch Video...
748 new HIV cases recorded in May
2 July 2015 - MANILA, Philippines - In May, the Department of Health (DOH) registered a record high 748 new cases of HIV/AIDS, bringing the total number this year to 3,157.
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HIV stigma, fear linger in UK as infection rates continue to rise
Jul 2, 2015 - LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - There are about 110,000 people in Britain living with HIV, a number that has almost doubled in the last decade, and one in four have not been diagnosed and
are unaware they have the virus, according to the National Aids Trust.
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People with HIV and HCV co-infection who have fibrosis stages F2 and above should be prioritised for new anti-HCV therapies
02 July 2015 - People with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection who have advanced liver fibrosis should be prioritised for therapy with new anti-HCV drugs, investigators argue in AIDS. Analysis of people in the EuroSIDA
cohort showed that people with co-infection who have moderate (F2/F3) or advanced (F4) liver fibrosis had a significant risk of liver-related death. Early antiretroviral treatment (ART) was advocated for all patients as a way of avoiding liver disease and delaying the need for HCV therapy.
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HIV increases risk for death from common cancers
July 1, 2015- Patients with cancer who are HIV-infected experienced significantly higher cancer mortality rates compared with patients without HIV, according to study results.
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US vaccine researcher sentenced to prison for fraud
01 July 2015 - The case of Dong-Pyou Han illustrates the uneven nature of penalties for scientific misconduct.
Rare is the scientist who goes to prison on research misconduct charges. But on 1 July, Dong-Pyou Han, a former biomedical scientist at
Iowa State University in Ames, was sentenced to 57 months for fabricating and falsifying data in HIV vaccine trials. Han has also been fined US$7.2 million and
will be subject to three years of supervised release after he leaves prison.
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VIDEO: HIV cure is for everyone, not only those in resource-rich settings
July 1, 2015- The research steps toward a cure for HIV may be numerous, but the cost-to-benefit ratio of curing the virus in a large population is “likely to be high, if we can do it,” said Joseph Eron, MD, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
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CDC awards $216 million to community-based organizations to deliver the most effective HIV prevention strategies to those in greatest need
July 1, 2015 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today that it has awarded $216 million over five years to 90 community-based organizations (CBOs) nationwide to deliver effective HIV prevention
strategies to those at greatest risk, including people of color, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals, and people who inject drugs.
Many US AIDS patients still die when 'opportunistic' infections strike
July 1, 2015 - (HealthDay) - Even after the advent of powerful medications for suppressing HIV, a new study finds that more than one-third of
people in San Francisco who were diagnosed with an AIDS-related infection died within five years.
VIDEO: HIV cure is for everyone, not only those in resource-rich settings
July 1, 2015- Timothy Brown – the Berlin patient – has led researchers to the next frontier of HIV research, according to Janice E. Clements, PhD, molecular virologist and professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology, neurology and pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: “And that’s cure.”
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