|
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - June 2023
A UCLA-led team has received a $925,000 CDC grant to track mpox outbreaks across the US
June 30, 2023 - By Enrique Rivero - A UCLA-led team has received $925,000 as part of a new grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct four surveillance projects tracking outbreaks of mpox--formerly known as monkeypox—across the U.S.
The effort is led by Dr. David Talan, a professor of emergency medicine and infectious diseases in the UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
IAVI launches multisite study with adolescent girls and young women to evaluate vaccine and antibody candidates for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa
June 30, 2023 - IAVI - First participants for the Multisite Adolescent Girls and Young Women study screened at the Centre for Family Health Research in Zambia.
IAVI has announced the enrolment of the first 29 participants for the Multisite Adolescent Girls and Young Women (MAGY) study at the Centre for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ). Over the next three years, the MAGY study will collect and analyze a wide range of data from African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) volunteers to inform the development of HIV prevention products.
Expert Addresses Latest Medical News Trends: Concerns About Malaria Cases in the U.S.
30-Jun-2023 - This week, Carol Nwelue, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research.
After Nearly 40 Years of Living With HIV, I Never Thought I’d Be So Close to Homelessness
June 30, 2023 - Sherri Lewis - It’s pouring rain in Los Angeles. I feel frightened. It’s only rain, I think to myself even though a cold chill of terror and loneliness runs through me. The idea of being on wet streets alone without protection, broke and with nowhere to go, is horrifying. I have walked all over Los Angeles in soaked sneakers that are so worn down that they have no tread left.
Read more...
Earlier antiretroviral treatment has led to a major decline in TB among people with HIV in Switzerland
30 June 2023 - Keith Alcorn - Rising CD4 counts and suppressed viral load on antiretroviral treatment have had a far greater impact on reducing new cases of tuberculosis (TB) in people with HIV in Switzerland than testing and preventive treatment for latent TB, researchers from the Swiss HIV Cohort report in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Read more...
HIV partner notification program found effective in prisons
June 30, 2023 - A program that notifies the partners of incarcerated men who test positive for HIV was found effective in jails and prisons in Jakarta, Indonesia. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing and School of Public Health with collaborators in Indonesia, is the first to test this type of model in a prison setting.
Participation in the program, called Impart, led to a sixfold increase in notification of inmates’ drug and sex partners. Half of those notified also received HIV testing, and one-third of those tested were diagnosed as HIV-positive for the first time.
Nearly Half of Tuberculosis Cases in Prisons Worldwide Go Undetected
June 29, 2023 - BY JILLIAN MCKOY - In the first global assessment of tuberculosis among incarcerated people, a new study found consistently high TB case rates and low case detection in prisons, suggesting the need for health organizations to increase efforts to reduce the spread of TB among this high-risk population.
In 2019, incarcerated people across the globe developed tuberculosis (TB) at nearly 10 times the rate of people in the general population, according to a new study led by the School of Public Health.
De Paris Receives Grant to Study HIV Vaccination in Infant Disease Models
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - June 29, 2023 - The 7.5-million grant from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will help researchers pinpoint specific factors that lead to a better immune response through HIV vaccination.
Kristina de Paris, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and colleagues were awarded a grant for their project entitled “Determinants of HIV broadly-neutralizing antibody precursor induction in infants.”
Live from PACHA: Reflections on Ending the HIV Epidemic in Arizona & Maricopa County
Jun 29, 2023 - HIV.gov - PACHA member John Sapero talks with federal HIV leaders during the 77th Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
Sue Johanson, beloved Canadian sex educator, dead at 93
Jun 29, 2023 - Jenna Benchetrit, Natalie Stechyson - Broadcaster was known for Sunday Night Sex Show and Talk Sex With Sue Johanson
Sue Johanson, the beloved Canadian broadcaster who in her golden years enraptured a generation with straightforward sex advice, has died at age 93, a representative confirmed to CBC News on Thursday.
Read more...
NYC researchers' community-led response to the mpox outbreak used principles learned from Global South colleagues
June 28, 2023 - Global health practice is rooted in a colonial understanding and use of knowledge; organizations in the Global North produce knowledge for use in the Global South, whereas knowledge produced in the Global South is often overlooked in the Global North. Over the past decade, however, some of the authors of this piece have participated in a successful effort by key population civil society organizations to root global HIV program and policy guidance in the experiences of experts who practice in the Global South. We reflect on the influence of principles elaborated in this work implicitly shaped our community-led response to the global mpox epidemic as experienced in New York City.
Wellcome and the Gates Foundation to Fund Late-Stage Development of a Tuberculosis Vaccine Candidate That Could Be the First in 100 Years If Proven Effective
LONDON and SEATTLE (June 28, 2023) - TB is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, killing about 4,300 people per day, mostly those living in poverty
Wellcome and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced funding to advance a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, M72/AS01E (M72), through a Phase III clinical trial. If proven effective, M72 could potentially become the first new vaccine to help prevent pulmonary TB, a form of active TB, in more than 100 years.
Understanding the Barriers to HIV Care
June 28, 2023 - Ending the HIV epidemic depends on first identifying unmet needs, disparities in care
Engaging and retaining people living with HIV in care is crucial for improving health outcomes and reducing HIV transmission. But a clear picture of the HIV care continuum is still missing.
A recently published Kaiser Family Foundation study sought to fill this research knowledge gap by asking: What do we know about people with HIV who are not engaged in regular HIV care, and what healthcare access barriers do they face?
Experts Warn of Spikes in HIV Cases and Healthcare Costs if Braidwood v. Becerra Decision Upheld
June 28, 2023 - HIV Medicine Association and National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors Warn of Tens of Thousands of New HIV Cases and Billions in Health Care Costs if Decision in Braidwood v. Becerra is Allowed to Stand
The organizations, which represent thousands of healthcare providers, public officials, and policy experts with expertise in the treatment and prevention of HIV and the demographics and dynamics of the epidemic, filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) today filed a friend-of-the-court brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, urging reversal of the federal district court order in Braidwood v. Becerra. That ruling blocked a requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that insurers cover designated preventive care services, including HIV PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), without cost sharing. HIV PrEP is an extraordinary medical breakthrough that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by close to one hundred percent.
Live from PACHA: Discussing the Indigenous National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Indigi-HAS)
Jun 28, 2023 - HIV.gov - HIV.gov Director Miguel Gomez is joined by Rick Haverkate of the Indian Health Service during the 77th Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
New York State Department of Health Launches HIV Self-Test Giveaway Campaign
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 27, 2023) - To Receive a Free HIV Self-Test, Individuals Should Complete an Eligibility Survey
National HIV Testing Day is June 27
The New York State Department of Health is highlighting the importance of HIV self-testing as a tool to empower individuals to embrace sexual health and mitigate the transmission of HIV. To make HIV testing easier, the Department is launching its eighth HIV Self-Test giveaway campaign, which runs statewide from June 26 to August 6.
UTHealth Houston expert warns of five infectious diseases to keep an eye on during summer travel
27 Jun 2023 - With summer travel season officially underway, UTHealth Houston infectious diseases expert Luis Ostrosky, MD, professor of medicine and epidemiology and chief of infectious diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, warns of FIVE diseases currently on the radar.
Award-Winning SDSU Researcher Sheds Light on HIV and Aging in Films
June 27, 2023 - By Peggy Pico - Megan Ebor's work reveals realities of HIV surge and prevention strategies for older adults, African Americans, and women.
San Diego State University researcher Megan Ebor’s award-winning documentary Even Me and her feature film TRY brings to life her research to address prevention, treatments, and the realities of living with HIV and AIDS in disproportionately affected communities, including older adults.
Older adults are among the largest groups in newly acquired HIV infections in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those aged 55 and older account for 26% of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV. Women account for about 18%, and African Americans disproportionately account for about 42% of new HIV diagnoses.
Provincial HIV Testing Day Proclaimed In Saskatchewan
June 27, 2023 - Saskatchewan has proclaimed June 27 as the Provincial Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Day, which coincides with the annual National HIV Testing Day in Canada and the United States.
"We are proud to align with the national HIV Testing Day, as this day raises awareness around the importance of getting tested, and reducing the stigma associated with HIV," Health Minister Paul Merriman said. "We hope this will encourage our residents to feel more comfortable getting tested, whether it's in a clinical setting or from a self-testing kit."
Cerebral abnormalities in HIV-infected individuals with neurocognitive impairment revealed by fMRI
June 26, 2023 - lthough the combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) has considerably lowered the risk of HIV associated dementia (HAD), the incidence of neurocognitive impairments (NCI) has not decreased likely due to the insidious and slow progressive nature of HIV infection. Recent studies showed that the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is a prominent technique in helping the non-invasive analysis of neucognitive impairment. Our study is to explore the neuroimaging characteristics among people living with HIV (PLWH) with or without NCI in terms of cerebral regional and neural network by rs-fMRI, based on the hypothesis that HIV patients with and without NCI have independent brain imaging characteristics.
Read more...
Guelph CHC expanding HIV and gender-affirming care with recent funding
June 26, 2023 - By Ken Hashizume - Those living with HIV and AIDS in the Guelph area will now have greater access to services and care.
The Guelph Community Health Centre announced during its annual general meeting last Thursday that it received base funding from the province to the tune of $1 million.
Read more...
Community Builders Awards: Global health advocate Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik is a pioneer in HIV care
June 26, 2023 - Riley Barsanti - Local doctor recognized with our Community Builders Award in the Health Care category
Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik is a family physician and regional HIV specialist.
Her career began in the ‘90s, at a time when fear surrounding HIV/AIDS was rampant and dangerous rumours created misunderstanding of its transmission.
Read more...
Social support may help young adults living with HIV maintain viral suppression
June 26, 2023 - Katherine Tassiopoulos, senior research scientist in Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, was the lead author on a recent study examining if social support helps young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV maintain viral suppression. The study, published in Clinical Epidemiology, was conducted through the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) network, based at the School.
Read more...
Rock Hudson: The public and private lives of a gay Hollywood idol
June 25, 2023 - BY TRACY SMITH - A Hollywood producer once called him "Prince Charming" – a fitting nickname for a man whose life seemed, for most of it, like a storybook. Rock Hudson started steaming up the screen in the 1950s, and continued for nearly four decades, in more than 60 films. But today he's perhaps overlooked, said documentary director Stephen Kijak.
Read more...
Pop-up testing event in ByWard Market aims to reduce stigma and check more people for HIV
Jun 23, 2023 - Elizabeth Payne - Test kits will be handed out Tuesday, June 27. People can either take the kits home with them or get assistance to do them on-site.
An estimated one in ten Ottawa residents with HIV are not aware they are infected — something health officials are working to change.
Read more...
Guelph CHC gets $1 million to expand HIV and gender-affirming care
June 23, 2023 - GuelphToday Staff - The funding will allow them to expand their services for people living with, at risk of and impacted by HIV/AIDS, including transgender, non-binary and two-spirit community members
Guelph Community Health Centre has received $1 million in base funding from the federal government to expand their HIV and gender-affirming care services.
The funding is for the 2023-2024 period, and will allow them to expand their services for people living with, at risk of and impacted by HIV/AIDS, including transgender, non-binary and two-spirit community members.
Listen to this article...
Mpox Vaccine Trial for Adolescents, Children Begins at UM School of Medicine
June 22, 2023 - Open Label Study Aims to Ensure Safety, Immune Response in This Age Group
A 2022 outbreak of mpox (formerly monkeypox) sickened more than 30,000 people and caused 38 deaths in the United States. It highlighted the lack of an approved vaccine for those under 18 years old. To address this pressing need, faculty-scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) recently launched a phase 2 safety trial to test a vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17.
HIV research output in African Countries between 1986–2020
June 22, 2023 - Africa's share of global HIV research output has increased from 5.1% to 31.3% over the last 35 years, but is still low compared to its relative burden of infections
Wistar Honors Pediatric HIV Researcher in 27th Annual Jonathan Lax Memorial
PHILADELPHIA—(June 22, 2023) - The Wistar Institute hosts its 27th Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture Thursday, June 29th at 5:30 pm EST. For the first time since 2019, the signature event will be hosted in-person at Wistar; it is also being streamed to ensure attendees have access to the memorial lecture. This year, guest speaker Deborah Persaud, M.D., professor of Pediatrics and interim director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will speak about her research on mother-to-child HIV transmission, pediatric HIV pathogenesis and pediatric cure therapeutics.
SF Pride Parade grand marshal helps UCSF improve HIV treatments
SAN FRANCISCO - June 22, 2023 - BY SHAWN CHITNIS - Paul Aguilar is the Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal for 2023 San Francisco Pride and he's been living with HIV since the late 1980s. Now, after decades spent supporting the LGBT community, he is participating in a UCSF study on monthly injections instead of daily pills to treat HIV.
Read more...
PARLIAMENT HOUSE EVENT TO HONOUR HIV LONG TERM SURVIVORS
June 21, 2023 - Positive Lives Tasmania (PLT) - Positive Lives Tasmania (PLT) wishes to alert you to the HIV Long Term Survivor Awareness event on 22 of June at 1 pm. This will be the first time such an event is held in Tasmania.
PLT is a peer-driven community organisation and peak body of all people living with HIV in Tasmania. We provide support and advocacy to those with HIV.
SA strengthens efforts to end AIDS among children by 2030
June 21, 2023 - South Africa is sharpening up its HIV prevention efforts by focusing on pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents as part of the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children by 2030.
This is according to the Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile at the 11th South African AIDS Conference in Durban.
UVA Health Effort Aims to Improve HIV Care Across America
June 21, 2023 - A UVA Health doctor is launching an ambitious effort to assess and improve HIV care for people with low incomes across the nation, a campaign that could also help prevent transmission.
Kathleen McManus, MD, MS, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and her collaborators plan to identify specific policies and programs that can increase the numbers of patients who keep the HIV virus in their blood at undetectable levels. This desirable state, known as being “undetectable” or having “sustained viral suppression,” is associated with better health outcomes for individuals and reduced risk of HIV transmission to other people.
University of Lethbridge researchers make strides to help in the fight against Mpox
June 20, 2023 - Mpox (monkeypox) made headlines last year due to a global outbreak, with the World Health Organization reporting 87,000 cases and 112 deaths in 110 countries.
Now University of Lethbridge researchers have identified important DNA sequences in its genome that could lead the way for novel treatments. The current options for treatment are limited and include the smallpox vaccine, which provides partial (approximately 85 per cent effectiveness) protection against Mpox, and an antiviral drug used to treat smallpox.
Read more...
11th SA AIDS Conference I HIV numbers on the rise after COVID-19 pandemic: Minoshni Pillay updates
Jun 20, 2023 - SABC News - HIV scientists have raised alarm bells about the increase in HIV infections in South Africa, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from women and young girls, young people and adolescents are among the most vulnerable groups, that need targeted interventions to prevent the spread of HIV.
Penn State researchers develop digital test to directly measure HIV viral load
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - June 20, 2023 - By Ashley WennersHerron - A milliliter of blood contains about 15 individual drops. For a person with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), each drop of blood could contain anywhere from fewer than 20 copies of the virus to more than 500,000 copies. Called the viral load, this is what is measured to allow clinicians to understand how patients are responding to anti-viral medications and monitor potential progression.
The ACT UP MONTRÉAL photo exhibition captures a critical moment in queer history
June 20, 2023 - Savannah Stewart - From 1990 to 1993, with HIV raging through the community and governments holding steadfast in their inaction, Montreal activists held mass demonstrations, raising awareness and fighting for the virus they faced to be recognized as the fatal threat that it was.
“People were very sick, and it was maybe the last time we were going to see them. At the time, in the early ’90s, there was no medication. When you were seropositive, your life was really shortened,” says René LeBoeuf. “You had no time to waste. It was important for them to do something, at least for the people who came after them. It was very important and very motivating.”
Stephen Dewhurst appointed vice president for research
June 20, 2023 - Stephen Dewhurst has been named vice president for research at the University of Rochester. An accomplished virologist and HIV researcher, and respected scientific and academic leader who has been serving in the interim role since 2021, Dewhurst has been appointed to this key leadership role by University President Sarah Mangelsdorf, and following Board of Trustees approval. Dewhurst’s appointment is effective immediately and follows a national search. He will also continue to serve as vice dean for research at the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD), a position he has held since 2013.
11th SA AIDS Conference I High prevalence of HIV in young women: Jenny McLaughlin
June 20, 2023 - SABC News - The South African National Aids Council Civil Society Forum is set to launch a sexual and reproductive health rights campaign called the Love Picketing Campaign. SANAC Civil Society Forum coordinating committee member - Mabalane Mfundisi - says the Love Picketing Campaign seeks to promote access to quality healthcare services, and awareness about STIs, voluntary male medical circumcision, and contraception Over the next four days scientists, NGO's and policymakers will be meeting at the Aids conference to re-ignite a multi-stakeholder approach to fighting HIV in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SA AIDS conference | Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Jun 20,2023 - eNCA - The country has to accelerate its efforts if it is to meet the targets of the Global Aids Strategy. That’s the word from the health minister, Joe Phaahla, at the opening of the 11th SA AIDS conference. eNCA's senior reporter Dasen Thathiah was there.
11th SA Aids Conference:
20 June 2023
June 20, 2023 - SABC News -
Hundreds gather to march ahead of 11th SA Aids Conference
20 June 2023 - Nonkululeko Hlophe - Hundreds of people have gathered in Durban for the march to Gugu Dlamini Park ahead of the opening of the South Africa Aids Conference later on Tuesday. The South African National Aids Council Civil Society Forum is to launch a sexual and reproductive health rights campaign – called the Love Picketing Campaign.
Over the next four days scientists, NGO’s and policy makers will be meeting at the 11th SA Aids Conference to re-ignite a multi-stakeholder approach to fighting HIV in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read more...
A protein helps HIV remain silent
06/20/2023 - BRUNO GEOFFROY - Researchers in Montreal and Brussels have identified a molecule that allows HIV to evade the immune system and that may prove to be a good therapeutic target.
Throughout the course of antiretroviral therapy, HIV hides quietly in reservoirs inside CD4+ T lymphocytes, white blood cells that play a role in activating the immune system against infection.
The existence of these viral sanctuaries explains why antiretroviral therapy has to be maintained throughout a patient’s lifetime in order to keep the virus from replicating.
About 48,000 people die of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique in 2022
MAPUTO, June 20 (Xinhua) - About 48,000 people died of HIV/AIDS-related complications last year in Mozambique, down from 50,000 deaths recorded in 2021, according to authorities.
The announcement was made by Francisco Mbofana, executive secretary of Mozambique's National AIDS Council, at a press conference in the capital of Maputo during its annual meeting.
Read more...
Cancer Immunotherapy Is Safe and Effective for People With HIV
June 20, 2023 - By Liz Highleyman - HIV-positive people who use checkpoint inhibitors have side effects, response rates and survival comparable to those of HIV-negative people.
People living with HIV can safely use immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat advanced cancer, and the treatment is as effective as it is for HIV-negative people, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. HIV-positive people can also benefit from CAR-T therapy and stem cell transplants, which have led to a handful of HIV cures.
Read more...
Scientists use Argonne supercomputer to detail HIV protein mechanism crucial for drug development
June 19, 2023 - BY JARED SAGOFF - Researchers determined a set of six ?“reaction coordinates” that may help HIV drugs better target the virus
Discovery could help in HIV-related drug development.
Every disease has a protein basis.
For some diseases, like HIV, changes in protein structure are critical for how the virus infects a person’s cells.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have used the Theta supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to find the essential factors that control a certain structural change of HIV protease, a key viral protein. The structural change is called a flap opening, and it occurs when the virus is binding to another molecule, like an antiviral drug. Understanding this structure change is critical for drug development.
HIV Prepping for Pregnancy
BC-CfE Webinar Learnunbg series
Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (PST).
This webinar will be presented by: Melanie Murray, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) Clinical Associate Professor | Division of Infectious Diseases | Faculty of Medicine Michael Smith Health Professional Investigator The University of British Columbia | BC Women's Hospital | St. Paul's Hospital
Meningococcal Disease Is Rising Among People Living With HIV
June 19, 2023 - By Liz Highleyman - The transmissible infection, responsible for meningitis outbreaks among gay men, can be prevented with a vaccine.
More than two dozen cases of meningococcal disease were reported among people living with HIV in 2022, nearly doubling the highest numbers from the previous five years, according to an analysis in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Not only is the number of cases on the rise, but HIV-positive people make up a growing proportion of these cases.
Read more...
Adolescent Triple Threat Campaign Launched
June 19, 2023 - By Liz Highleyman - Lack of sexual reproductive health education among adolescents is a key driver of the “triple threat”, which includes new HIV infections, early pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Read more...
Because Hamiltonians Fight HIV: Sherene Brown Cora ’97
June 16, 2023 - by Jorge L. Hernandez '72 - Public health work has taken Sherene Brown Cora ’97 across the globe to Africa. In August she moved from a job in Rwanda with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the HIV field to pursue a similar post in Lesotho.
Read more...
U=U National Task Force Launches to Promote HIV Prevention
June 16, 2023 - By Trent Straube - The LGBTQ group Human Rights Campaign Foundation joins HIV organizations to get the word out that Undetectable Equals Untransmittable.
This Pride season, a national LGBTQ advocacy group is promoting more than queer equality. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation joined the U=U National Task Force as an inaugural member and will help promote modern HIV prevention, notably the fact that people with HIV who take medication and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV sexually, often referred to as Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, or U=U.
Read more...
New Research Shows HIV Can Lie Dormant in the Brain
June 16, 2023 - Yuyang Tang, PhD, and Guochun Jiang, PhD, in the UNC School of Medicine extracted living brain tissue to conclude that specialized immune cells in the brain can harbor latent but replication-competent HIV.
As a part of its life cycle, the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) inserts a copy of its DNA into human immune cells. Some of these newly infected immune cells can then transition into a dormant, latent state for a long period of time, which is referred to as HIV latency.
CDC reports rise in meningococcal disease among people with HIV
June 15, 2023 - The CDC has recommended two doses of meningococcal vaccine for people with HIV since 2016.
Despite the recommendation, cases of meningococcal disease spiked in 2022.
Prompted by a large spike in cases last year, the CDC has reminded health care providers to ensure that all patients with HIV are fully vaccinated against meningococcal disease.
Read more...
Patients with HIV in US saw rise of rare, deadly bacterial illness last year: CDC
JUNE 15, 2023 - by Jessie DiMartino - Patients with HIV in the United States saw an increase in rare, deadly meningococcal infections last year, new preliminary data shows.
Nearly 10% of all meningococcal disease cases in 2022 were among people with HIV, according to a report published Thursday afternoon by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Watch Video...
HIV and Weight Stigma
June 14, 2022 - HIV-associated wasting has declined with access to antiretrovirals (ARVs). However, weight gain and metabolic syndrome continue to increase across people with HIV.1 Access to more effective and tolerable ARVs has increased virologic suppression and immunologic recovery, leading to increased life span.1 The benefit of ARVs on morbidity and mortality outweighs the risk for potential side effects from ARVs. However, as people with HIV age and life span increases, the effect of weight gain and other metabolic abnormalities must be considered.
NIH grant boosts international TB research consortium
June 14, 2023 - by Paul Govern - The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year, $19.5 million grant to Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for support of Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis International, or RePORT International.
The grant follows the recently announced five-year, $5 million grant to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in support of RePORT Brazil, one of the international consortium’s six regional TB research programs.
People who preserve ‘immune resilience’ live longer, resist infections
JUNE 13, 2023 - Multinational study identifies immune resilience as a factor that influences life span, HIV/AIDS, flu, sepsis mortality, recurrent skin cancer and COVID-19 mortality
Researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, working with collaborators in five countries, today revealed that the capacity to resist or recover from infections and other sources of inflammatory stress — called “immune resilience” — differs widely among individuals. The researchers developed a unique set of metrics to quantify the level of immune resilience.
Read more...
NIH-funded Emory Clinical Trials Unit welcomes new principal investigators to help advance HIV/AIDS research
June 13, 2023 - In 2020, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) selected the Emory Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) as one of 37 CTUs responsible for implementing the scientific agenda of the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical research network.
For the first three years of the project, principal investigators Jeffrey Lennox, MD, professor of medicine in infectious diseases and associate dean for clinical research at Emory School of Medicine, and Carlos del Rio, MD, professor of medicine in infectious diseases and interim dean of Emory School of Medicine, have overseen clinical trials conducted at five research sites across three continents.
Action Wellness Executive Director Kevin Burns Retires After 34 Years of Service
June 13 - PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health Care Leader Evelyn Torres Appointed New Executive Director of Action Wellness
Kevin Burns, Executive Director of Action Wellness, is retiring June 30, 2023, after 34 years. He will be succeeded by Evelyn Torres, Advisor to the Director of the Division of HIV Health at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
Walgreens and KFF’s Greater Than HIV Team Up with Community Partners to Provide Free, Confidential HIV Testing and Counseling on National HIV Testing Day (June 27)
June 13, 2023 -- DEERFIELD, Ill. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Largest HIV testing event in the United States increases access and supports a more coordinated, re-energized response to HIV
Walgreens is teaming up with Greater Than HIV, a public information initiative of KFF, along with health departments and community organizations, to provide free HIV testing and counseling as part of the largest National HIV Testing Day event in the nation. Hundreds of local health departments and community organizations will be at more than 400 Walgreens stores offering free, confidential and fast HIV test results.
Penile HIV Infection is Effectively Prevented by Antiretroviral Treatment
June 12, 2023 - Of the 38 million people worldwide living with HIV, approximately 700,000 are newly infected men, primarily via sexual transmission. Sexually transmitted HIV infections in exclusively heterosexual men are acquired through the penis. In addition, semen which is produced in the male genital tract (MGT) has been recognized as the primary vector for vaginal and rectal HIV transmission. Notably, the risk of sexual HIV transmission increases with the presence of a concurrent sexually transmitted infection.
Stigma Hindering HIV Treatment Advances In Malaysia: Expert
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 - Infectious disease expert Prof Dr Christopher Lee says accessibility and affordability of HIV treatments have improved, yet societal discrimination poses barriers to care.The advancement of HIV treatment is being stifled by persistent stigma and discrimination against key populations and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country, said infectious disease expert Prof Dr Christopher Lee.
Despite effective therapies becoming more readily available, societal attitudes are deterring patients from seeking the care they need, thereby impeding the nation’s efforts to combat and eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Column: Two gay men walk into a Red Cross blood donation center ...
JUNE 11, 2023 - BY ROBIN ABCARIAN - The American Red Cross had a blood drive at Malibu City Hall the other day. In a first-floor community room, donors lay on gurneys, plastic tubes snaking from their arms, tended by nurses. Afterward, they snacked on mini-Oreos and sipped from tiny juice boxes.
Read more...
2023 Emerging Leader Award Kevin O’Neil Saunders, PhD’10
June 10, 20232 - Kevin O’Neil Saunders, PhD’10, is an associate professor in surgery, molecular genetics and microbiology, and in immunology. He is the faculty chairperson for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and associate director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI).
More than 10,000 people in Ghana die of HIV-related conditions – Commission
Jun 10, 2023 - HIV is a major public health issue in Ghana and the leading cause of death. Every year the country records about 17,000 new infections of HIV and more than 10,000 people dying of HIV-related causes.
Read more...
Powderly receives 2023 faculty achievement award
June 9, 2023 - Physician-scientist recognized for contributions to infectious diseases research, public health
Physician-scientist William G. Powderly, MD, has been chosen to receive the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award at Washington University in St. Louis.
African-led PrEPVacc HIV prevention study completes its enrolment
9-JUN-2023 - Investigators have announced the completion of participant enrolments into the PrEPVacc trial at all four sites in East and Southern Africa. Led by African researchers, PrEPVacc is the first HIV vaccine efficacy trial to be conducted in East African countries and it is the only HIV vaccine efficacy trial being conducted in the world at present.
PrEPVacc is testing two different ways to prevent HIV, at the same time, which includes HIV vaccine regimens against a placebo (saline), and a new form of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against the existing standard for PrEP.
American Gene Technologies® Launches New Spinoff Company “Addimmune™” to Focus Exclusively on Development of HIV Cure
(Rockville, Maryland – June 9, 2023) - Addimmune will build upon the success of American Gene Technologies Phase 1 HIV clinical trial, accelerating the clinical development with dedicated investment and singular focus on HIV.
American Gene Technologies (AGT™), a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland, is launching a new company — Addimmune — to continue to develop gene and cell therapy technologies to cure HIV. Addimmune will focus solely on advancing an HIV cure, building upon more than a decade of work by AGT that led to a successful Phase 1 HIV gene and cell therapy clinical trial.
Addimmune aims to create tremendous benefits for HIV patients, payers, and the public. Its gene therapy technology has the power to transform millions of lives. The new company’s name represents a fusion of two fundamental concepts: using gene and cell therapy to add new capacity to the human T cell to create an improved immune system to fight HIV.
David Furnish on wiping out HIV/Aids, the ‘weaponisation’ of LGBTQ+ rights … and the day Putin called
9 Jun 2023 - Daniel Boffey - Elton John’s husband and chair of his Aids foundation calls for a redoubling of efforts amid rising illiberalism around the globe
It could be said to be a love that dare not speak its name. Certainly Russia’s president makes little of it when warning of the degrading dangers of western acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights. “I’m told unreliably, or reliably, who knows, that Putin is a fan,” says Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, of the unlikely Rocketman devotee in the Kremlin.
Read more...
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed | Official Trailer | HBO
Jun 8, 2023 - HBO - A new @HBO original documentary from Stephen Kijak examines the life and legacy of one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars. #RockHudson: All That Heaven Allowed premieres June 28 on @streamonmax.
Cassidy Leads Bipartisan Call to Reauthorize PEPFAR, Address Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission
WASHINGTON – June 8, 2023 - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) led 19 bipartisan colleagues in urging U.S. Department of State to reauthorize the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and address mother-to-child HIV transmission in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Health Diplomacy Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong. The senators outlined the impact that PEPFAR has had over the last 20 years and the importance of maintaining the program for maternal and child health in Africa. PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives and been responsible for 5 million childhood HIV infections being averted.
HIV alarm in Uganda as anti-gay law forces LGBT 'lockdown'
KAMPALA, June 8 (Reuters) -
The HIV/AIDS treatment centre in Kampala is almost empty, days after Uganda enacted one of the most draconian anti-gay laws on Earth.
Read more...
Olympic diver Greg Louganis auctioning medals to raise money for HIV/AIDS
JUN 8, 2023 - Nicole Comstock reports from Mission Viejo, where Olympic diver and LGBTQ+ activist Greg Louganis is set to auction off his three medals — two gold and one silver — in order to raise money for HIV/AIDS research.
Watch Video...
People with HIV, especially women, may have a higher prevalence of dementia as they age
8 June 2023 - Andy Carstens - The likelihood of developing dementia increases with age in the general US population, as well as in people living with HIV in the US. However, a new study suggests that people with HIV aged over 75 may experience a higher prevalence of dementia compared to the general population—with the largest gap seen in women.
Read more...
Aegis Life Awarded Grant to Develop DNA-encoded Antibodies Against Infectious Diseases
June 7, 2023 - SAN DIEGO, Calif. & EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports the development of genetic therapies for infectious diseases.
Aegis Life and Entos Pharmaceuticals will work collaboratively to utilize the Fusogenix PLV gene therapy delivery platform to develop novel DNA-encoded therapeutics.
Aegis Life, Inc. (Aegis), and its parent company Entos Pharmaceuticals (Entos), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing genetic medicines with its Fusogenix PLV delivery platform, today announced entering into a grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As part of the agreement, the Foundation will provide funding support to develop the Fusogenix PLV platform for the delivery of DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV, influenzas, and malaria. Aegis is licensed to use Entos’ technology to develop therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases.
Who Needs a World AIDS Museum, Anyway?
June 7, 2023 - By Mark S. King - You’re never too old to learn how terribly ignorant you are.
When I first heard about plans for a World AIDS Museum in Fort Lauderdale, FL, some years ago, I might have rolled my eyes a little bit. Who’s going to that? I wondered. Those of us who were there aren’t likely to check it out, at least no more than once. We lived it.
Encouraging First-in-Human Results for a Promising HIV Vaccine
June 6th, 2023 - by Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. - In recent years, we’ve witnessed some truly inspiring progress in vaccine development. That includes the mRNA vaccines that were so critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first approved vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a “universal flu vaccine” candidate that could one day help to thwart future outbreaks of more novel influenza viruses.
Donatella Versace Announces $300,000 Fundraising Match for Elton John AIDS Foundation's Rocket Fund
NEW YORK, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Match supports new initiative to tackle growing rates of HIV and create a more equitable future for everyone, everywhere.
Versace Chief Creative Officer, Donatella Versace is pleased to announce a $300,000 matching gift for donations to the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Rocket Fund during June Pride month. As a longtime supporter of the Foundation, and Co-Chair of The Rocket Fund, Donatella is honored to be part of this transformative $125 million campaign, to reinforce their commitment to ending AIDS and their dedication to supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
United States HIV Rapid Test Kits Market Insights 2022-2023 & 2028: Awareness about the HIV Status of the Population Provides Opportunities for Future/Emerging Players
Dublin, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "US HIV Rapid Test Kits Market - Focused Insights 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
Decade-long research project that explores aging in South Africa receives NIH/NIA funding for new waves & national expansion, with special focus on cognitive health
JUNE 6, 2023 - Researchers from The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS), the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Cape Town have been awarded 27 million dollars from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to further the collaborative program project Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study in South Africa (HAALSI). This is the largest grant to be administered through the HCPDS.
Read more...
Brazil hosts the announcement of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics
BRASILIA/GENEVA, 6 June 2023 - UNAIDS launching group to generate evidence on the inequalities driving pandemics and advocate for the adoption of multisectoral approaches to strengthen the response to AIDS and other pandemics
Brazil is hosting the announcement of the new Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics chaired by The First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, the Director of the University College London Institute for Health Equity, Sir Michael Marmot and the Nobel prize winning economist, Joseph E. Stiglitz. Brazil’s Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, is a founding member.
People with HIV have greater risk of ill health than others after hepatitis C cure
6 June 2023 - Keith Alcorn - People with HIV who were cured of hepatitis C remained at higher risk of a number of serious health outcomes including liver disease and heart disease than people without HIV in the five years after being cured, even after controlling for liver disease stage, the AIDS Clinical Trials Group reports in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
Read more...
Gonorrhoea and syphilis at record levels in 2022
6 June 2023 - UK Health Security Agency - Last year, gonorrhoea diagnoses were highest on record and syphilis diagnoses were highest since 1948.
New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published today shows record levels of gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses in 2022.
SIR ELTON JOHN JOINS FORCES WITH DONATELLA VERSACE AND OTHER NOTABLE PHILANTHROPISTS TO ANNOUNCE $125 MILLION ROCKET FUND TO END AIDS FOR ALL
5 June 2023 - Sir Elton John, global superstar and Founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, has announced the launch of The Rocket Fund, a $125 million, three-year initiative to accelerate the Foundation’s life-saving work to tackle the growing rates of HIV infections in vulnerable communities.
“For years, HIV/AIDS has caused enormous pain across the world, but I pray that soon this epidemic will be a thing of the past” said Sir Elton John. “More than 30 years after I launched the Elton John AIDS Foundation, my passion for reaching everyone, everywhere with education and compassionate care is still as strong as ever. The Rocket Fund will turbo-charge our mission and reach those most at risk from this terrible disease. Now is the time. This epidemic has gone on too long. We must all act together to see AIDS defeated in our lifetimes.”
Understanding HIV risk in older adults
5th June 2023 - Laneshia Conner, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky, discusses gaps in HIV and AIDS prevention and why greater awareness and support for HIV risk in older adults is needed
When AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) appeared in the 1980s, blood transfusions were the route of transmission and heavily impacted older adults (those aged 50 and above).
HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day #HLTSAD
June 5, 2023 - 2023 THEME
Mobilize to Thrive: Prioritizing Quality of Life.
June 5 is HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD). First observed in 2014, it’s a day to honor long-term survivors of HIV and raise awareness about their needs, issues, and journeys.
The selection of June 5 for this annual observance coincides with the anniversary of the first official reporting of what became known as the AIDS epidemic on June 5, 1981. When the CDC first reported on five cases of a mysterious disease affecting young gay men. June 5, 1981 is considered the start of the AIDS pandemic.
UK cohort of elite controllers finds 32 people with undetectable viral loads who have never taken treatment
5 June 2023 - Gus Cairns - Since 2017, UK researchers have identified a group of 32 ‘elite controllers’ – rare individuals who are living with HIV and are able to maintain undetectable viral load without taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) – and they expect to find more controllers over time. They have also been able to reassure another ten individuals who had ambiguous HIV test results that they don’t have HIV after all.
Read more...
In Their Own Words: An Early Epidemic History
Jun 4, 2023 - POZ Magazine - A June 1, 2023 conversation with Richard Berkowitz, Helen Scheitinger and Sean Strub about the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic and the creation of the Denver Principles.
A Reagan official went rogue on AIDS by teaching Americans the truth
June 4, 2023 - By Alexandra M. Lord - Thirty-five years ago, Americans opened their mailboxes during the HIV-AIDS epidemic to discover a sealed package from the U.S. government. The mass mailing came whether they wanted it or not, and it came with a warning: “some of the issues involved in this brochure may not be things you are used to discussing openly.”
Read more...
‘Incredibly moving’: Stratford play ‘Casey and Diana’ captures Princess Diana’s iconic visit to Toronto’s Casey house
June 3, 2023 - By Karen Fricker Theatre Critic - ‘Casey and Diana’
By Nick Green, directed by Andrew Kushnir. Until June 17 at Stratford’s Studio Theatre, 34 George St. E., Stratford. Stratfest.com and 800-567-1600.
On Oct. 25, 1991, Princess Diana visited the pioneering HIV/AIDS hospice Casey House in Toronto, and shook the hand of a man living with HIV. After the media left she reportedly spent time with all dozen or so Casey House residents and its staff, and her lack of fear in touching an HIV/AIDS patient without gloves was enormously influential in challenging stigma about the disease.
Read more...
Can a brush of the gums indicate if you have HIV? An oral self-test aims to do just that
June 3, 2023 - By Olivia Bowden - Easier-to-access testing another step toward ending HIV in Canada, say experts
A quick brush of the gums and you'll know your HIV status. No blood required.
That's the kind of painless, fast and accurate HIV testing researchers at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto are hoping will become the norm for Canadians as the researchers test OraQuick, a rapid oral self-test that will deliver results in 20 minutes.
Read more...
Does Cannabis Protect or Harm the Brains of People With HIV?
June 2, 2023 - By Trent Straube - An $11.6 million grant will help researchers map the effects of cannabis—marijuana and other products—on the brains of people with HIV.
How does cannabis affect the brains of people living with HIV? A federal grant of $11.6 million over five years will help researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine find out.
It’s possible that cannabis—including marijuana and other products made from the plant—may help protect the brain against the damage of HIV. But it’s also possible that cannabis may exacerbate HIV’s negative effects.
Read more...
Database Errors Fuel False Claims about HIV Cases in Military
June 2, 2023 - by FactCheck.org - The rate of new HIV infections in the military has been relatively unchanged since 2017. But social media posts falsely claim that the military has recorded a “500% increase in HIV since the COVID vaccine rollout.” A Defense Department spokesperson said errors in a military database sparked the inaccurate claim.
Read more...
HIV/AIDS doctor who co-founded Fenway Institute honored in Boston's 'Portraits of Pride'
Boston - June 1, 2023 - BY BRANDON TRUITT - "I set that up in early 1980 and within a year the AIDS epidemic hit," said Dr. Mayer. "And the rest is history."
Read more...
A little-known respiratory virus, HMPV, surged this spring. What you need to know
(SACRAMENTO) - June 1, 2023 - By Lisa Howard - Young children, those who have weakened immune systems and older adults most at risk of serious illness from human metapneumovirus
If you came down with a respiratory infection in the spring and it wasn’t influenza (flu), COVID-19 or RSV, it may have been a virus you’ve never heard of.
That’s because cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, surged across the U.S. in March.
UNAIDS celebrates Pride Month and calls for decriminalization of same-sex relationships
GENEVA, 1 June 2023 - As the world comes together to celebrate Pride Month, UNAIDS stands in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities around the globe. Pride Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, diversity, and achievements of LGBTQI individuals, while also reflecting on the challenges they continue to face. This momentous occasion serves as a reminder of our collective commitment to human rights, equality, and the urgent need to decriminalize same-sex relationships.
| 
