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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - January 2021
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January 31, 2020
Joseph Sonnabend, Early Force in Fight Against AIDS, Dies at 88
Jan. 30, 2021 - By Katharine Q. Seelye - At the epicenter of the epidemic in New York City, he was a pioneer researcher who, as a clinician, also made house calls.
When he was growing up in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in the 1930s and ’40s, Joseph Sonnabend would watch his mother, a physician, make house calls in the middle of the night and talk with patients on the phone at all hours. He didn’t want to follow that path, but he did study medicine and become a medical researcher, working alongside Nobel laureates in England on virology and immunology.
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Why wasn’t the AIDS crisis taken as seriously as COVID? Because it killed gay people, not old people
JANUARY 29, 2021 - SCOTT BEASLEY - Scott Beasley, an assistant editor at Sky News, writes for PinkNews about the toll the AIDS epidemic took on his family in the 1980s and beyond, and the parallels that can be drawn between HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.
I was seven when I watched my uncle dying in St Lukes-Roosevelt hospital in New York City.
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Tivicay (Dolutegravir) for HIV Treatment: Everything You Need to Know
Jan. 29, 2021 - Michael Broder - Tivicay (and Tivicay PD for children) is a medication in the class of drugs called “integrase strand transfer inhibitors” (INSTIs), which stop HIV from making copies of itself later in its life cycle. Tivicay is used for the treatment of HIV in combination with one or more other drugs. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2013. In 2020, the FDA approved Tivicay PD for use in children at least 4 weeks old and weighing at least 6.6 pounds (3 kg). The generic name for Tivicay is dolutegravir.
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New ethical obligations for researchers in places where existing HIV prevention services are inadequate
29 January 2021 - Roger Pebody - A full package of effective prevention interventions, up to international standards, must be offered to people taking part in HIV prevention trials, say UNAIDS and WHO in new guidance issued this week. This means that if researchers want to run a study in a country in which PrEP is not routinely available, they must find a way to provide it to study participants. If the study demonstrates that a new product is effective, the researchers have new obligations to provide it to study participants at the end of the trial and help make it available to the wider population.
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IAS calls for legislation preventing the return of the global gag rule in the future
Friday, 29 January 2021 (Geneva, Switzerland) - On 28 January 2021, US President Joseph R. Biden signed an executive order repealing the harmful U.S. Mexico City Policy, more commonly known as the global gag rule.
President Biden lifted these restrictions by signing the “Memorandum on Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad.”
UNAIDS calls for the release of five humanitarian workers detained in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
GENEVA, 29 January 2021 - UNAIDS is deeply troubled and concerned about the detention by military police of the Venezuelan citizens and humanitarian workers Johán León Reyes, Yordy Bermúdez, Layners Gutiérrez Díaz, Alejandro Gómez Di Maggio and Luis Ferrebuz, who are members of the nongovernmental organization Azul Positivo. The five have been held since 12 January 2021.
Bay Area AIDS advocate William Hershon dies
January 29, 2021 - By Cynthia Laird - William M. Hershon, a gay man and longtime San Francisco AIDS advocate and attorney, died January 29. He was 67.
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Why Queer Eye Alum Jai Rodriguez Continues to Fight for AIDS Awareness: 'There's Still a Stigma'
January 29, 2021 - By Tomás Mier - For Jai Rodriguez, raising awareness about AIDS is personal.
Chatting with PEOPLE, the original Queer Eye member, 41, spoke about his work with AIDS Walk Los Angeles and the reason why he decided to advocate for more awareness regarding the disease: his aunt, who died of AIDS when he was 16.
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In Memoriam: Dr. Joseph Sonnabend
January 28, 2021 - Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, 1933–2021
enowned AIDS researcher and clinician Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, one of the first U.S. physicians to recognize the burgeoning AIDS epidemic, died on January 24, 2021, in London, after suffering a heart attack. He was eighty-eight years old.
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City of Alexandria Hosts Virtual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Symposium
January 28, 2021 - The City of Alexandria will host a National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Virtual Symposium on February 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will highlight the disproportionate impact of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) in Black communities and broad-ranging challenges this poses for Black Americans.
Drugs used to treat HIV and flu can have detrimental impact on crops
January 28, 2021 - Scientists found that lettuce plants exposed to a higher concentration of four commonly-used drugs could be more than a third smaller in biomass
The increased global use of antiviral and antiretroviral medication could have a detrimental impact on crops and potentially heighten resistance to their effects, new research has suggested.
Statement on Passing of Longtime Activist Carmen Vázquez
January 28, 2021 - The National LGBTQ Task Force is deeply saddened to announce the death of Carmen Vázquez, long-time LGBTQ+ and social justice activist. Carmen died on January 27, 2021 of COVID related complications.
Cabenuva, the First Long-Acting Injectable HIV Regimen, Is Here; Now, Who Will Take It?
Jan. 28, 2021 - Tim Murphy - “The unbelievable science of HIV drug development is still pushing unbelievable new innovations into the market.”
That’s how longtime HIV treatment activist Mark Harrington, executive director and cofounder of Treatment Action Group, greeted the Jan. 21 announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it had approved Cabenuva (cabotegravir/rilpivirine) as the first-ever long-acting injectable HIV regimen.
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Legislation to ensure access for older people living with HIV introduced
January 27, 2021 - SACRAMENTO - Filing his first piece of legislation as a member of the California Senate, Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) introduced SB 258, the HIV & Aging Act, which would update the definition of “greatest social need” in the Welfare and Institutions Code to include older people living with HIV.
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These young people are tackling the ongoing challenge of HIV/AIDS
January 27, 2021 - By Alastair Sharp - Brampton teenager Arihant Boli only joined HIV/AIDS charity LetsStopAIDS last summer, but has already moderated a panel at its own virtual conference and attended others on its behalf.
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HIV treatment in Ethiopia is a ‘socioeconomic challenge’
January, 27, 2021 - LUND UNIVERSITY - Researchers, advocates and policy makers advancing global efforts to end HIV/AIDS will be honoured with awards at HIVR4P // Virtual – the HIV Research for Prevention Conference, to be held 27 & 28 January and 3 & 4 February 2021. Organized by IAS – the International AIDS Society – HIVR4P is the only global scientific conference dedicated exclusively to biomedical HIV prevention research.
Joseph Sonnabend, pioneering AIDS physician, dies at 88
Jan. 27, 2021 - By
Emily Langer - Joseph Sonnabend opened his medical practice in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City in 1977, on the cusp of what would become one of the most consequential battles of modern medicine. At the time, what is now known as AIDS — acquired immunodeficiency syndrome — had not yet been identified, and scientists were years away from isolating HIV as its cause.
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Dr. John G. Bartlett, a pioneer in HIV/AIDS study and co-founder of the country’s second clinic, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, dies
January 27, 2021 - By FREDERICK N. RASMUSSEN - Dr. John G. Bartlett, an internationally recognized pioneer in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients who co-founded the country’s second HIV/AIDS clinic at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, died Jan 19 from pneumonia at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York. The Guilford resident was 83.
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Paris Haute Couture Federation Launches Online Auction To Support AIDs Research
January 27, 2021 - BY ROBERT WILLIAMS - Saint Laurent crystal boots, furniture from Celine and Rick Owens, and behind-the-scenes tours from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior are among the donations being auctioned online for France’s Sidaction AIDs charity in partnership with the FHCM body which organises Paris Fashion Week.
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HIVR4P // Virtual: Official Press Conference
Jan 27, 2021 - The opening press conference of the 4th HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P // Virtual) on 26 January, 2021
Global leaders in HIV prevention research, policy and advocacy to be recognized at HIVR4P // Virtual
Wednesday, 27 January, 2021 (Geneva, Switzerland) - Researchers, advocates and policy makers advancing global efforts to end HIV/AIDS will be honoured with awards at HIVR4P // Virtual – the HIV Research for Prevention Conference, to be held 27 & 28 January and 3 & 4 February 2021. Organized by IAS – the International AIDS Society – HIVR4P is the only global scientific conference dedicated exclusively to biomedical HIV prevention research.
Elevated Dementia Risk Persists Among Older People Living With HIV
Jan. 26, 2021 - Larry Buhl - Long-term development of dementia remains a concern for older people living with HIV, despite the considerable advances of antiretroviral therapy, according to the results of a large U.S. study published in the journal AIDS. The research found that people living with HIV (PLWH) in the prior decade had a 58% higher risk for dementia compared with demographically similar HIV-negative people.
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The Beginning of the End for HIV
HOUSTON (PRWEB) JANUARY 26, 2021 - Free HIV/STD testing from AIDS Foundation Houston offers a real end to the epidemic.
By the time of Ken Horne’s death in 1981, an unknown virus had spread its way through the male gay community and “unprotected sex” had become a risky reality. A myth had emerged that the HIV disease only infected gay men; and the world watched in fear as the 1980s emerged as the biggest public health scare in history.
Friendship in the Time of AIDS
January 26, 2021 -
By Robert Hamilton -
STILL JETLAGGED from a late-night flight, I woke up early, had a cup of tea, and got ready to walk over to Joe’s place. I called first to let him know I was on my way. I hadn’t given any thought to how uncomfortable this might be for Joe or me, or how difficult it might be for him to open his door and allow me in. After several months of not seeing each other, I thought I would just be happy to see him, and he would be just as happy to see me.
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WHO recommends the dapivirine vaginal ring as a new choice for HIV prevention for women at substantial risk of HIV infection
26 January 2021 -
WHO today recommended that the dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) may be offered as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk[1] of HIV infection as part of combination prevention approaches.
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Progress on Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies, Injectable PrEP, and Other New HIV Prevention Strategies Announced at HIV Research for Prevention Conference
26 January 2021 - Important advances in HIV prevention research were announced today at the 4th HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P // Virtual), convened by IAS – the International AIDS Society.
Second early phase study of 90-day vaginal ring containing dapivirine and contraceptive shows promise as dual-purpose product for preventing both HIV and pregnancy
PITTSBURGH, 26 January 2021 - Results indicate need for reformulation but overall are encouraging to researchers
A vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine and the contraceptive hormone levonorgestrel delivered sustained levels of each drug when used continuously for 90 days – levels likely sufficient to serve its dual purpose for protecting against both HIV and unwanted pregnancy, according to findings of a new study.
Medicaid expansion helps uncover undiagnosed HIV infections
JAN 26, 2021 - CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - BY PHIL CICIORA - The Medicaid expansion facilitated by the Affordable Care Act led to increases in the identification of undiagnosed HIV infections and in the use of HIV prevention services such as preexposure prophylaxis drugs, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts who study the intersection of health care and public policy.
IAS welcomes new data on the potential for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to prevent HIV infection
Tuesday, 26 January, 2021 (Geneva, Switzerland) - Results of the Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) studies to be presented at the IAS HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P // Virtual) conference.
IAS – the International AIDS Society – welcomes new results from two proof-of-concept studies (HVTN 704/HPTN 085 and HVTN 703/HPTN 081- the AMP Studies) demonstrating that infusions of the broadly neutralizing monoclonal HIV antibody (bNAb) VRC01 can prevent some HIV infections.
It's a Sin | Official Trailer | HBO Max
Jan 25, 2021 - Buckle up! The latest masterpiece from the creator of Queer As Folk (UK) is as devastating as it is endearing. A heartfelt chronicle of young friends navigating the joys, heartbreak, and outlandish parties that await them amidst an epidemic in 1980s London.
HIVR4P // Virtual press conference Tuesday, 26 January, 15:00 – 16:00 CET
January 25, 2021 - Press conference spotlighting HIV prevention research highlights of the HIVR4P // Virtual conference (January 27-28 & February 3-4)
HIVR4P // Virtual – the 4th HIV Research for Prevention Conference – will convene the world’s leading HIV prevention researchers, implementers and advocates, along with the latest science in 29 research categories, to refocus on the global goal of ending HIV, recalibrate biomedical HIV prevention in the face of a rapidly changing global health paradigm and set the HIV prevention agenda for the decade ahead.
Black HIV Leaders on What They Want From Biden in 2021
January 22, 2021 - By Plus Editors - "Mr. President, let my people be healed and let them be cured.”
After an unprecedented and emotionally exhausting year, Plus asked some of the most respected Black leaders in the HIV community what they want to see happen in 2021.
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Advocates Seek Vaccine Prioritization for People Living with HIV
January 22, 2021 - By Tat Bellamy-Walker - Advocates are concerned that people living with HIV will not be prioritized among the next groups eligible for vaccinations in New York.
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30th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2021): Community Registration Scholarship opportunities
January 22, 2021 - The 30th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2021), will take place virtually from May 5 -7, 2021. The theme of the Conference this year is “Maintaining Our Focus”.
FDA Approves First Extended-Release, Injectable Drug Regimen for Adults Living with HIV
January 21, 2021 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cabenuva (cabotegravir and rilpivirine, injectable formulation) as a complete regimen for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults to replace a current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically suppressed on a stable antiretroviral regimen with no history of treatment failure and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine. This is the first FDA-approved injectable, complete regimen for HIV-infected adults that is administered once a month.
Jill Biden visits Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS clinic
January 21, 2021 - by Chris Johnson - First lady Dr. Jill Biden on Friday visited the D.C-based Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS clinic, marking a distinct change for a new administration within its first 48 hours after inauguration.
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Could the COVID-19 vaccine lead to an HIV vaccine?
January 22, 2021 - By Alex Bollinger - The COVID-19 vaccine was developed with revolutionary technology. And researchers want to use it to stop HIV.
Following the success of two of the COVID-19 vaccines in clinical trials this past year, researchers are working to take a similar approach to HIV.
Last year, the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna developed and tested vaccines for the COVID-19 virus that are part of an entirely new class of vaccines, which could open up new possibilities for fighting infectious diseases. And a small trial on monkeys is already showing promise for an HIV vaccine.
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Huge fall in new HIV infections after roll-out of PrEP in Scotland
21 January 2021 - Roger Pebody - Pending an HIV vaccine, injectable PrEP is the most promising research direction, Anthony Fauci tells aidsmap.com
New HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men fell by 20% after the implementation of a publicly funded PrEP programme in Scotland, while HIV incidence in a large cohort of men attending sexual health clinics fell by 43%, Professor Claudia Estcourt of Glasgow Caledonian University and colleagues report in AIDS.
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FDA Approves 1st Long-Acting HIV Drug Combo, Monthly Shots
January 20 2021 - BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE - U.S. regulators have approved the first long-acting drug combo for HIV, monthly shots that can replace daily pills.
U.S. regulators have approved the first long-acting drug combo for HIV, monthly shots that can replace the daily pills now used to control infection with the AIDS virus.
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It's a Sin: the human story of the 1980s HIV health crisis
January 20 2021 - By Michael Idato - It is difficult – as the world grapples with a viral pandemic in 2021 – not to find present-day parallels in the historical narrative of It's a Sin, the story of a group of young gay men living in London whose community is shattered by the coming of the HIV virus and its deadly cousin, AIDS.
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As People With HIV Age, Non-HIV Conditions Increase
January 20, 2021 - By Heather Boerner - At one Ryan White clinic in Virginia, the likelihood of multiple health conditions increased over time.
People aging with HIV were 10% more likely to have two or more non-HIV chronic health conditions in 2016 than they were in 2006. Additionally, the number of people with four or five chronic conditions increased significantly.
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Scientists Are Working on mRNA Vaccines for HIV, Flu, Cancer and More
January 18, 2021 - Liz Highleyman - The technology used in COVID-19 vaccines may also be used to prevent other viral infections and to treat cancer and multiple sclerosis.
The same messenger RNA (mRNA) technology used in the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccines, which are around 95% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, could potentially be used to prevent or treat a wide variety of other diseases.
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Patients could be saved by organs from donors with HIV
January 17 2021 - Jacqui Thornton - Britain may become the first country to allow transplant patients to receive
HIV-infected organs when they do not have the virus themselves.
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Pioneering gay activist Ken Jones has died aged 70
17 Jan 2021 - Pioneering gay activist Ken Jones passed away this week, his death at the age of 70 attributed to bladder cancer.
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The challenges of addressing addiction, drug use in small-town Nova Scotia
Jan 17, 2021 - Alex Cooke - 96 Nova Scotians died due to drug toxicity in 2020
When people think of addiction and drug use in Canada, their minds might turn to cities like Vancouver, Toronto, or even Halifax.
But small towns in Nova Scotia have their own struggles when it comes to addressing addiction and overdoses.
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The Upside of Being Undetectable During a Pandemic
January 16, 2021 - By Tyler Curry - Living through COVID-19 is a different experience for people living with HIV.
You may not think that there would be perks that can come with being HIV-positive and undetectable during a pandemic, and you would be wrong.
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Priest who championed those with HIV a ‘true hero’, says Michael D Higgins
January 16, 2021 - MICHAEL MCHUGH, PA - A priest who spent much of his life championing the rights of those with HIV in Africa was a “true hero”, the president has said.
Father Michael Kelly, who spent more than 50 years in Zambia as a missionary and educator, died on Friday.
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USC study measures brain volume differences in people with HIV
January 15, 2020 - Brain scans of more than 1200 HIV-infected adults across 5 continents show smaller volumes associated with lower white blood cell counts
Nearly 38 million people around the world are living with HIV, which, with access to treatment, has become a lifelong chronic condition. Understanding how infection changes the brain, especially in the context of aging, is increasingly important for improving both treatment and quality of life.
Model analyzes how viruses escape the immune system
January 14, 2021 |Anne Trafton | MIT News Office - Using this computational system, researchers can identify viral protein sequences that could make better vaccine targets.
One reason it’s so difficult to produce effective vaccines against some viruses, including influenza and HIV, is that these viruses mutate very rapidly. This allows them to evade the antibodies generated by a particular vaccine, through a process known as “viral escape.”
Jenifer Lewis, Dyllón Burnside, Bernard David Jones and Thomas Hobson Cast in Filmed Dramatic Reading of George M. Johnson’s Bestselling Memoir, “All Boys Aren’t Blue" for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
January 14, 2021 --LOS ANGELES --BUSINESS WIRE -- The Special Virtual Event Presented by the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition Powered by AHF and iN-Hale Entertainment Will Air Nationally on February 8th Supporting AHF’s HIV Awareness in Recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, announced today the partnership with iN-Hale Entertainment and All Tea, No Shade Productions in support of the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7, 2021 with the theme of “Stigma Gotta Go.” “Stigma and shame are 2 parallel social ills that continue to fester in communities of color all across this country and play a role in the increasing number of new HIV diagnosis among Black Americans,” stated Imara Canady, Chair, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC). “It is our hope that through sharing this powerful production that we continue the critical work that BLACC has been doing for close to a decade in breaking down the misconceptions, lack of awareness and ignorance around a myriad of issues that feed into stigma, and further divide us as a community. We truly build community by each of us showing up fully as who we are, and each of us respecting the diversity that exists within our community.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), African Americans make up close to 14% of the U.S. population, but close to 50% of new HIV diagnoses.
Anthony Fauci: “I don’t do this because I’m a hero. I do it because it’s necessary.”
14 January 2021 - Gus Cairns - Pending an HIV vaccine, injectable PrEP is the most promising research direction, Anthony Fauci tells aidsmap.com
“The enormity of the problem is how I keep going,” Dr Anthony Fauci told a meeting of global health journalists yesterday. “I haven’t had a single day off since 20th January last year, but the necessity of dealing with the COVID epidemic is an anaesthetic against fatigue.”
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Among People With HIV, Anal Warts Increase Likelihood of Anal Cancer by 13 Times
January 14, 2021 - By Heather Boerner - HPV-related anal or genital warts were linked to progression to cancer in a large, long-term study of people with HIV.
People with HIV were nearly 13 times as likely to develop anal cancer if they had a history of anal or genital warts. These findings were particularly pronounced in people with a history of AIDS, meaning a lowest-ever CD4 count of 200 or less.
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Stats on HIV among men who have sex with men could help resolve China's epidemic
13-JAN-2021 - Cactus Communications - In China's decades-long war against HIV, the time has come to explore infections among young men who have sex with men, new study shows
Since the dawn of the 21st century, there has been a rapid rise in the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in China, and today, the epidemic continues to grow. Several populations are victims of this virus, including injection drug users, sex workers, and men who have sex with men (MSM). In the various decades since HIV has gripped China, these groups and others have variously been at the forefront or background of national efforts to tackle the epidemic.
Ruth Coker Burks on Her Five-Hankie Memoir of Caring for and Loving Gay Men With AIDS in 1980s and ’90s Arkansas
Jan. 13, 2021 - Tim Murphy - As I read All the Young Men, Ruth Coker Burks’ memoir of inadvertently becoming central-west Arkansas’ one-woman AIDS services provider in the dark years of the mid-to-late ’80s and early-to-mid-’90s, I could only think of the PTSD she and her then-young daughter, Allison, who accompanied her on her care visits, would suffer later in life. And indeed, when I spoke on the phone shortly before Christmas with Burks and her cowriter, the talented POZ magazine alum and celeb biographer Kevin Carr O’Leary, I wasn’t surprised to learn that those difficult years have stamped themselves on her forever after—and that working on this book with O’Leary was, in fact, the first time she’d ever processed these events since they occurred more than 25 years ago.
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Leading HIV Scientist Eulogizes a Pioneering Atlanta-Based Research Organization
Jan. 12, 2021 - Terri Wilder, M.S.W. - It is hard to imagine Atlanta without the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA)—but after 32 years, the beloved organization is closing its doors.
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I’m a COVID-19 Long-Hauler, HIV Activist, and Artist. Here’s How I Navigated 2020
Jan. 12, 2021 - At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, both government and medical sources reported that recovery for people with mild symptoms would take around two weeks, and for people presenting with more severe symptoms, three to six weeks. Over the past several months, there has been a growing concern about those of us who are remaining ill past the predicted recovery period, now known as COVID-19 long-haulers.
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Formula predicts ideal dose of stem cells to cure HIV
Jan 12, 2021 - A model calculates ideal conditions that could make stem cell transplantation using gene editing a curative treatment for HIV.
Scientists have determined the optimal conditions following a stem cell transplant that could control HIV without the need of an everyday pill, according to a study published today in eLife.
Finding the right balance of stem cell dose, cell type and timing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) could potentially lead to a spontaneous cure of HIV.
Data from routine clinical care shows people with HIV have an increased risk of dementia and that it's diagnosed at a younger age
12 January 2021 - Michael Carter - The risk of dementia in older age is increased by 58% for people living with HIV compared to their HIV-negative peers, according to US research published in the online edition of AIDS. The average age at dementia diagnosis was much younger for people with HIV: 67 years compared to 78 years for people without HIV.
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People With HIV May Fare Better With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
January 11, 2021 - By Heather Boerner - People with HIV and ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease may need less IBD medication and have fewer hospitalizations.
People living with HIV took fewer medications to control inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and were hospitalized less often for IBD-related illness than their HIV-negative peers, according to what may be the largest study to date of people with HIV and IBD in the era of biologic drugs, the current standard of care for IBD.
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Are people living with HIV more isolated during the pandemic?
January 11, 2021 - A UC Riverside-led study, funded by Merck, is set to find out
The School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has received a grant aimed at halting further isolation of people aging with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-year, $245,000 grant from the multinational pharmaceutical company Merck will enable a study, starting later this month, involving the participation of people living with HIV, or PLWH, in Riverside County, Los Angeles, and the Tampa Bay area in Florida.
Marijuana Use Typically Drops at the Beginning of the Year, Then Climbs in Summer and Fall
Jan 11, 2021 - Seasonal Variation May be Explained by New Year’s Resolutions
Marijuana use increases throughout the calendar year, with use up 13 percent on average at the end of each year (2015-2019) compared to the beginning, according to a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Accountability is crucial, but public shamings only make things worse
Jan 10, 2021 - By Jaime Watt - As the pandemic explodes into the new year, the roller-coaster of emotions we all are experiencing continues.
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This Longterm Survivor Knows What It's Like to Live Through a Pandemic
JANUARY 09 2021 - By Christopher Zyda - In his new memoir, The Storm: One Voice from the AIDS Generation, Christopher Zyda recounts the terrifying early days of AIDS.
In the following excerpt from his new memoir, Christopher Zyda describes a haunted Los Angeles of the mid-1980s and tells a story that feels remarkably familiar 35 years later.
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New York City Likely to Miss Goal in Plan to End AIDS
January 9, 2021 - By Duncan Osborne - With 1,200 new estimated HIV infections in New York City in 2019, the city will likely miss a key goal of the Plan to End AIDS that called on the city to reduce new estimated HIV infections to 660 in 2020 — which would have required a 45 percent drop between 2019 and 2020.
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U.S. District Court blocks Trump Administration’s “Death to Asylum” rule
SAN FRANCISCO - January 8, 2021 - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order today blocking, in its entirety, a Trump administration rule that would have made it virtually impossible for all refugees, including those who are LGBTQ or living with HIV, to secure asylum in the United States. The rule was set to go into effect on January 11, 2021.
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BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) supports the use of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for persons living with HIV (PLWH)
VANCOUVER, BC - January 7, 2021 - The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) Committee for Drug Evaluation and Therapy (CDET) has completed the evaluation of the available data regarding the use of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for persons living with HIV (PLWH).
Based on the committee’s opinion, the BC-CfE supports the use of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to protect PLWH aged 18 years or older against COVID-19 related disease, if they meet current public health criteria for priority groups and if they have no contraindications to the product.
Study Examines Attitudes Toward Long-Acting Injectable HIV Therapy Among Women with a History of Injection
Jan. 7, 2021 - A study led by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researchers examines attitudes toward long-acting injectable (LAI) HIV therapies, among women with a history of injection—including medical purposes and substance use. The findings appear in the journal AIDS Patient Care and STDs.
Mesmerize Partners With AO Media's +Life To Bring Patients Leading HIV/AIDS Education
NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Mesmerize (www.mesmerize.com), a prominent out-of-home media company specializing in patient education at the point of care announced a new strategic partnership with AO Media, a production company dedicated to telling powerful, entertaining and educational stories, and creator of the multimedia brand +Life, devoted to eliminating HIV stigma. Together, they are bringing leading HIV/AIDS information and education to Mesmerize's vast national network of doctors' offices, AIDS service organizations, community-based organizations, and independent pharmacies.
New 'San Francisco Principles' Turn the Spotlight on HIV Long-Term Survivors
Jan. 7, 2021 - Terri Wilder, M.S.W. - It started during the 2020 International AIDS Conference. Normally a massive in-person gathering of tens of thousands, the weeklong meeting instead became virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Why Are Parents Living With HIV Still Being Advised Not to Breastfeed?
Jan. 6, 2021 - Terri Wilder, M.S.W. - In many parts of the world where access to clean water, refrigeration, and medical care are limited, breastfeeding of infants is the standard of care for parents living with HIV. It has been consistently shown to promote the overall survival and well-being of HIV-exposed infants, with an extremely low risk of HIV transmission. Yet, in the United States and Canada, public health guidelines oppose breastfeeding for new parents living with HIV, out of concern for potential parent-to-child transmission.
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Number of LGV cases among gay men in England reach new highs and most cases among men who are HIV-negative
6 January 2021 - Michael Carter - Diagnoses of the sexually transmitted infection lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in England reached record levels in 2019, with almost all cases involving gay and bisexual men. The data is set out in a report published by Public Health England and shows that the number of diagnoses increased steadily from 2017, reaching a peak in the second half of 2019.
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What the HIV safety net can teach us about the fight against COVID-19
Jan. 6, 2021 - Celeste Watkins-Hayes - COVID-19 vaccines are available in Michigan, and the state has announced a plan to prioritize which groups have early access. We need a strategic approach to immunization that ensures the COVID-19 vaccine will be accessible, deemed trustworthy, and utilized by Black and Brown communities, low-income populations and other socially disadvantaged groups.
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Make ‘U=U’ discussions a standard part of HIV care, researchers urge
05 January 2021 - International survey finds a high proportion of people living with HIV know about ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ – and are more likely to be healthy compared to those who are unaware.
An online survey of around 2,390 people living with HIV and on antiretroviral treatment (ART) found that the majority knew they could not transmit HIV to a sexual partner if they achieved and maintained viral suppression – a concept known as ‘Undetectable equals Untransmittable’ or U=U.
This Digital Exhibition Uses Oral Histories to Break the Silence for Women Living With HIV
Jan. 5, 2021 - Terri Wilder, M.S.W. - Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, women have had to fight for recognition as a group of people living with HIV in the U.S. They’ve also had to fight to be remembered—which is why there’s a critical effort underway to document the lived experiences of women in the HIV community through oral histories. Oral histories not only enrich our understanding of the HIV epidemic; they also go a long way to correct assumptions and stereotypes about people living with HIV, as well as the larger HIV community.
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1.8m Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS — NACA
JANUARY 5, 2021 - By Ibrahim Hassan -…Virus killed 44,830 in 2019, with 100,000 new infections
No fewer than 1.8 million persons are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
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Living Your Best Life: Defining Living Versus Living Well with HIV in Canada
January 4, 2021 - A VIRTUAL SERIES
January 29, February 1, February 4 and February 5, 2021 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm Eastern Time | Whova, Zoom
Bringing community, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers together to discuss all aspects of wellness and wellbeing in the context of living with HIV in Canada.
Vivre la meilleure vie possible : Vivre ou bien vivre avec le VIH au Canada
UNE SÉRIE VIRTUELLE
Rassembler les membres de la communauté du VIH, les cliniciens, les chercheurs et les décideurs politiques pour discuter de tous les aspects du bien-être dans le contexte de la vie avec le VIH.
Copenhagen looks to ‘eradicate’ HIV by 2030
January 1st, 2021 - by Christian W - As part of reaching UN-goal, City wants to test people attending sex parties, gay bars and Copenhagen Pride
The COVID-19 virus may have commanded the lion’s share of global attention in 2020, Copenhagen hasn’t forgotten about a very different sort of virus: HIV.
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Texas Biomed wins grant to study effects of marijuana on HIV-related dementia
January 1, 2021 - by Lindsey Carnett - Can medical marijuana help HIV patients suffering from chronic inflammation and related neurological disorders? That’s a question a San Antonio scientist is looking to answer over the next five years.
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HIV criminalisation laws and ending the US HIV epidemic
JANUARY 01, 2021
- The USA has initiated plans to reduce HIV incidence by 90% over the next 10 years through the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative. To succeed, the nation will need to not only overcome the scientific and programmatic barriers to testing, treatment, and prevention, but also to address the legal obstacles, racial discrimination, economic disadvantage, and homophobia that underpin many of the disparities that are prevalent in the HIV epidemic.
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