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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - June 2024
Inside Toronto’s Casey House, where the HIV/AIDS battle never ended — it just changed shape
June 30, 2024 - By Victoria Gibson - TORONTO STAR - As revelry and rainbow hues blanket Toronto for Pride weekend, a downtown healthcare facility born out of the grief of the HIV-AIDS crisis is facing new battles — now navigating care for some of the city’s most vulnerable.
At the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the candle in the window of Toronto’s Casey House was lit all too often — a subtle gut punch to passersby who knew its significance, as a memorial to yet another life extinguished by the virus.
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R.I.P. Dean Goishi, HIV and LGBTQ Advocate for Asian and Pacific Islanders
June 28, 2024 - By Trent Straube - POZ - Dean Goishi, a trailblazing Japanese-American voice for HIV, LGBTQ and Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, has died. His passing has been noted in numerous social media posts, but further details have not been reported.
Goishi was a cofounder and retired director of Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT), a California-based grassroots AIDS service organization launched in 1987. Goishi also served on the board of NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council).
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HIV Testing Day Proclaimed in Saskatchewan
June 27, 2024 - Government of Saskatchewan - Know Your HIV Status
Saskatchewan has proclaimed June 27 as Provincial Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing Day, which coincides with the annual National HIV Testing Day in Canada.
HIV Testing Day is an annual event highlighting the importance of regular HIV testing as a critical tool in the fight against the disease. This initiative aims to reduce the stigma around HIV testing and ensure everyone knows their status. HIV Testing Day presents a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of testing for HIV, and other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs).
Midwest Center for AIDS Research to help end regional HIV epidemic
June 27, 2024 - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - St. Louis-based center unites scientists, public health experts, nonprofits to fight virus
Since the peak of the AIDS epidemic, the U.S. has achieved significant advancements in preventing and treating HIV, though progress has been uneven across regions and slower than necessary. In Missouri, where the number of new HIV diagnoses and deaths has not improved since 2017, there is a need to recapture momentum in addressing the disease.
In a bid to jump-start the stalled campaign against HIV in the region, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University plan to establish the Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The center, slated to open in September, will aim to create a platform for researchers and public health workers to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to fight the HIV epidemic together.
Mpox: what to watch out for, treatment and what to worry about
June 27, 2024 - The Conversation - The new strain of the mpox virus is spreading quickly along the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is “the most dangerous yet”, says the World Health Organization. The current outbreak has been driven by sexual transmission but there is evidence this strain can also be passed on through close skin-to-skin contact. Those now being infected include schoolchildren, healthcare workers and entire households.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, an outbreak has killed three people so far. Border authorities are screening travellers into and out of the country.
Virologist Cheryl Walter explains the history of mpox, the symptoms and why we should be worried about virulent virus mutations.
New York State Department of Health Launches Free HIV Self-test Giveaway Campaign and Encourages People to Know Their Status In Recognition of National HIV Testing Day
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 27, 2024) - New York State Department of Health - NY.gov - The Department's Free HIV Self-Test Giveaway Campaign Coincides with National HIV Testing Day and Empowers Individuals to Take Control of Their Sexual Health
The New York State Department of Health recognizes today as National HIV Testing Day and encourages everyone to know their status. This year's theme is, "Level up your self-love: check your status." The theme emphasizes the importance of self-value and individuals honoring their health needs with compassion, respect, and self-love. To coincide with National HIV Testing Day, the New York State Department of Health has launched another free HIV self-test giveaway campaign.
Governments, civil society and United Nations agencies join together to “accelerate and sustain” a resilient response to HIV
GENEVA, 27 June 2024 - UNAIDS - At the 54th meeting of UNAIDS’ Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) which concluded today in Geneva, Switzerland, governments, civil society and United Nations agencies united in a shared commitment to accelerate progress to meet the 2025 AIDS targets and sustain the gains of the global HIV response toward 2030 and beyond.
In her opening remarks to the meeting, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, highlighted the urgency of accelerating progress to meet the 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat. “The world has six years to reduce new HIV infection rates, expand antiretroviral treatment, and reduce AIDS-related deaths, but only 18 months to reach the 2025 targets which will determine whether or not countries will be able to end their pandemics by 2030.”
Global Fund to Provide Emergency HIV and TB Prevention Services Amidst Violence in Haiti
GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE - 26 june 2024 - Global Fund - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has approved over US$1.8 million in emergency funding to urgently provide HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevention services to victims/survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), displaced people and other vulnerable groups. The emergency funds will be added to a three-year, US$85 million grant that started on 1 January 2024.
“The dramatic escalation of GBV in Haiti since the acute crisis erupted on 29 February this year has had immediate and life-threatening health consequences, and increased the risk of HIV transmission,” said Jaime Briz de Felipe, Senior Fund Portfolio Manager at the Global Fund. “GBV is a serious human rights violation and an affront to gender equality.”
Survey finds many have misconceptions about sexually transmitted infection risk
COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 26, 2024 - The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - This comes in the midst of a rising STI epidemic, including an 80% spike in syphilis
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the U.S., including an 80% increase in syphilis over a five-year period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many Americans have misconceptions on how STIs are spread and who should be treated. The national poll of 1,005 people found over a third of Americans (34%) falsely believe STIs can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse. In reality, there are many ways STIs can spread such as by kissing or sharing needles and even during childbirth. The survey also found that one in five Americans (20%) believe they only need to be tested for STIs if they’re experiencing symptoms.
Foods to include when living with HIV
June 26, 2024 - by Ben Koprowski - MedicalNewsToday - Healthcare professionals may recommend certain foods to help boost the immune system in people living with HIV. This may involve a dietary plan high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
HIV is a virus that affects a person’s white blood cells, weakening their immune system. This makes it easier for a person to have some diseases and cancers. Without treatment, the virus can progress to stage 3 HIV. This is also known as AIDS.
However, healthcare teams can use treatments to help manage the condition. People with HIV can live long and healthy lives. As part of a person’s HIV treatments, healthcare professionals recommend dietary plans and good nutrition. Good nutrition and food safety precautions have many benefits for people with HIV.
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Daring to Write Your Truth
June 26, 2024 - By Juan Michael Porter II - TheBody - Every year around World AIDS Day, a 10-week virtual playwriting workshop for people living with HIV presents a final sharing of created works. This program is called Write It Out!-as in, write out your feelings and bring them to life on the page.
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SAA to embark on a Save People with TB and HIV campaign on July 4
25 JUN 2024 - By Francis Ameyibor II Contributor - Modern Ghana - Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA), the official secretariat of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), and partners to launch the “Find all people with TB and HIV, treat all of them, save lives, and stop the spread of both” campaign on July 4th, as part of broader measures to upscale efforts to end AIDS.
“If we are to end AIDS, we have to ensure that along with 100-100-100 (100 percent of people with HIV know their status, 100 percent of people with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 100 percent of them are virally suppressed), we also have to ensure that no one suffers or dies of TB.
Multidrug-resistant fungi found in commercial soil, compost, flower bulbs
Newswise - 25-Jun-2024 - University of Georgia - Named a critical public health threat by WHO, Aspergillus fumigatus is potentially deadly to immunocompromised
That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
A new UGA study found high levels of multidrug-resistant fungi in commercially available compost, soil and flower bulbs.
Aspergillus fumigatus is a widespread fungus that thrives in soil. But it also poses a serious risk to human health if inhaled. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic fungus, facing a near 100% fatality rate if infected with a multidrug-resistant strain.
Patients of Charlottetown foot clinic told to get tested for HIV and hepatitis
Jun 25, 2024 - Shane Ross, Kevin Yarr - CBC News - Chief Public Health Office investigating alleged breach in cleaning protocols
Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office is investigating what it calls a break in infection prevention measures at Johnson Podiatry.
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Young gay Latinos see a rising share of new HIV cases, leading to a call for targeted funding
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - June 24, 2024 - BY VANESSA G. SANCHEZ, PHILLIP REESE/KFF HEALTH NEWS AND DEVNA BOSE/ASSOCIATED PRESS - Four months after seeking asylum in the U.S., Fernando Hermida began coughing and feeling tired. He thought it was a cold. Then sores appeared in his groin and he would soak his bed with sweat. He took a test.
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Giving it a Try: A Guide to Clinical Trials
June 21, 2024 - By Liz Highleyman - Studies of new treatments, prevention tools, comorbidity management and cure strategies are key to better quality of life for people living with or at risk for HIV.
Most of what we know about HIV prevention, treatment and care comes from clinical trials. There are many types of research studies, and they all add to our knowledge in different ways. Joining a trial can be a good way to gain access to cutting-edge therapies and contribute to science, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons.
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Innovative genetic analysis maps HIV transmission in Victoria, with meaningful community engagement
21 JUN 2024 - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - By mapping transmission and identifying groups of people at elevated risk of HIV infection, a study examining HIV cases reported in Victoria between 2000 and 2020 details a new approach that can make public health efforts more timely and more effective.
In a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, researchers used a technique called molecular epidemiology to better understand HIV-1 transmission in Victoria, the most common type of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By linking genetic data from the virus with traditional epidemiological information, the researchers identified transmission groups among people living with HIV-1. The findings could help improve public health strategies to lower the rates of HIV-1 transmission.
Appeals court finds 'Obamacare' pillar unconstitutional in suit over HIV-prevention drug
June 21, 2024 - By Benjamin Ryan - NBC News - If the Supreme Court ultimately takes the case and overturns the pillar, this could have a widespread impact on out-of-pocket health care costs, including costs for the HIV-prevention pill, known as PrEP.
A federal appeals court on Friday found unconstitutional a key component of the Affordable Care Act that grants a health task force the effective authority to require that insurers both cover an array of preventive health interventions and screenings and refrain from imposing out-of-pocket costs for them.
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Drugs for HIV and AIDS trialed as brain tumor treatment for first time
21-JUN-2024 - University of Plymouth - Drugs developed to combat HIV and AIDS are being trialled for the first time in patients with multiple brain tumours.
Scientists at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth are conducting a clinical trial to see whether using anti-retroviral medications, Ritonavir and Lopinavir, could help people with Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2).
New Effort to Include People With HIV or on PrEP in Clinical Trials [VIDEO]
June 21, 2024 - By Trent Straube - Of 46 recent clinical trials that led to the approval of cancer drugs, 30 had language excluding people with HIV.
When clinical trial researchers write their guidelines and decide on eligible participants, most continue to copy and paste outdated boilerplate language from the early days of the AIDS epidemic. As a result, clinical trials exclude people living with HIV as well as those who are HIV negative but take antiretrovirals as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. Similarly, LGBTQ people—also referred to as SGMs for “sexual and gender minorities”—are underrepresented in clinical studies.
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Support for healthy eating improves health outcomes among people with HIV
21 June 2024 - Alain Volny-Anne - aidsmap - A clinical trial has found that medically-tailored meals and groceries, combined with nutritional education, can reduce hospitalisations and improve mental and physical health in people with HIV. However, the intervention did not yield any improvement in terms of unsuppressed viral load, according to the report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
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UNAIDS applauds Namibian High Court's decision to declare unconstitutional the law that had criminalised same-sex relationships
GENEVA, 21 JUNE 2024 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS applauds the judgment by the High Court of Namibia, striking out as unconstitutional the law which had criminalised same-sex relationships. The court found the law incompatible with the constitutional rights of Namibian citizens. This decision, which is in line with a series of judgments by courts in Southern Africa in recent years, marks a significant victory for equality and human rights for all Namibians and will help protect the health of everyone.
Gilead’s Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir Demonstrated 100% Efficacy and Superiority to Daily Truvada® for HIV Prevention
Foster City, Calif. – June 20, 2024 - Gilead - – First Phase 3 HIV Prevention Trial Ever to Show Zero Infections –
– Independent Data Monitoring Committee Recommended That Gilead Stop the Blinded Phase of the PURPOSE 1 Trial at Interim Analysis and Offer Open-Label Lenacapavir to All Participants –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced topline results from an interim analysis of its pivotal, Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial indicating that the company’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir, demonstrated 100% efficacy for the investigational use of HIV prevention in cisgender women.
PURPOSE 1 met its key efficacy endpoints of superiority of twice-yearly lenacapavir to once-daily oral Truvada® (emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg; F/TDF) and background HIV incidence (bHIV). Based on these results, the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) recommended that Gilead stop the blinded phase of the trial and offer open-label lenacapavir to all participants.
People with HIV in Ontario less likely to get a kidney transplant
JUNE 19, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Those eligible for kidney transplants were less likely to receive one if they were living with HIV
HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy; ART) is highly effective and safe. When used as directed, ART suppresses the amount of HIV in the blood to very low levels, commonly called “undetectable.” Researchers are finding that people with this low level of viral suppression do not pass on the virus to their sexual partners. What’s more, studies increasingly project that ART users will live well into their senior years.
After 10 Years, AIDS Quilt Panels Return to Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN - June 19, 2024 - BY PAUL BENSON - The Provincetown Independent - One is on display at the ASGCC’s headquarters; more will be on view for World AIDS Day
The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which now includes 50,000 cloth panels honoring more than 110,000 people who have died of AIDS since 1981, has long been too large to travel the country in its entirety. The last time the whole quilt was unfurled in one place was 1996, when it covered the Washington Mall and more than a million people came to see the handcrafted memorial.
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Fort Worth HIV survivors defy disease that once ensured death by growing old together
FORT WORTH - June 18, 2024 - By Bo Evans - CBS News - HIV and AIDS used to be a death sentence for many in the 80s and 90s. But thanks to decades of research and development, more than half of people living with the virus today are over the age of 50.
One group of survivors gathers weekly at a house in Fort Worth that they fondly refer to as "the clubhouse." They call themselves the Seasoned Survivors.
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Why don’t people disclose STIs to a sexual partner? Stigma has a lot to do with it
June 16, 2024 - The Conversation - Globally, more than 1 million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are contracted every day in people aged 15–49. These include chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, among others.
In Australia, it’s estimated one in six people will receive an STI diagnosis in their lifetime – and the numbers are going up.
Very few common infections are stigmatised in the way STIs are, which makes them a particularly complex public health problem. Stigma perpetuates shame and anxiety among those diagnosed with an STI, which can lead people to delay testing or treatment.
Stigma can also make it difficult for people to tell their sexual partners about an STI diagnosis. A recent study found only around half of people disclosed or believed they should disclose an STI to a partner before having sex.
People with HIV are aging, and the challenges are piling up
DECATUR, Ga. - JUNE 15, 2024 - By Sam Whitehead - NPR - Malcolm Reid recently marked the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis on Facebook. “Diagnosed with HIV 28 years ago, AND TODAY I THRIVE,” he wrote in a post in April, which garnered dozens of responses.
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Improving access to HPV testing
14-Jun-2024 - Newswise - BYLINE: Tessa Roy - Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan - Human Papilloma Virus is the cause of about 37,000 cases of cancers every year.
The virus is largely preventable thanks to vaccines, but many cannot access testing due to geographic, financial, or other reasons.
Now, a new initiative is aiming to raise awareness and improve accessibility to testing. Here, Diane Harper, M.D., M.P.H. M.S., discusses the initiative and the importance of screening for HPV.
Documentary on Toledo nun’s advocacy during HIV/AIDS epidemic to air on WGTE
June 12, 2024 - BG Independent News - WGTE Public Media broadcast “Sister Eileen and Her Boyz,” a 30-minute documentary about the grassroots efforts to support Toledoans during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This documentary, produced and directed by independent producer Holly Hey, will premiere on WGTE HD at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Hey is a professor of film and video production in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Toledo.
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Law Firms Speaking Out For The Thousands of California HIV Patients They Represent After Gilead's $40 Million Settlement Prompts Moral Reckoning for the HIV Community
SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Grant & Eisenhofer- Grant & Eisenhofer, Jenner Law, Burg Simpson, and The Lawrence Law Firm are jointly issuing the following public statement following Gilead’s June 4th press release reported in the San Francisco Chronicle
In a recent press release (reported in The San Francisco Chronicle on June 4th), California pharma giant Gilead touts a $40 million settlement to resolve the lawsuits of approximately 2,625 plaintiffs. At the same time, it brushes off its culpability for delaying potentially life-saving treatments that should have been made available to patients living with HIV/AIDS but for Gilead’s greed. Despite its assertations that the settlement was simply effected to avoid “distraction,” the internal documents unearthed during a parallel litigation (Gilead Tenofovir Cases (Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding (JCCP) No. 5043) in California state court, which have been made public by The New York Times, reveal a disturbing truth: Gilead knowingly prioritized profits over the well-being of millions of individuals living with HIV.
ACTG Announces Launch of Clinical Trial Evaluating Combination of Three Novel Immune-based Therapies for HIV Cure
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACTG - PAUSE Study Is Evaluating two Long-Acting Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
ACTG, a global clinical trials network focused on HIV and other infectious diseases, today announced the opening of the PAUSE study (Pausing Antiretroviral Treatment Under Structured Evaluation, also known as A5416/HVTN 806/HPTN 108), the first ACTG HIV cure clinical trial to take place on the African continent. PAUSE is a phase 1, double-blind, randomized study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the two long-acting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) 3BNC117-LS-J and 10-1074-LS-J, compared to placebo in adults living with HIV who discontinue antiretroviral therapy (ART) during a closely monitored treatment pause (known as an analytic treatment interruption).
HERO IN CRISIS
BY LIAM BLAKEY - ART BY MARCOS CHIN - JUNE 2024 ISSUE - Celebrating Bobbi Campbell, one of the first AIDS activists
In the early hours of Aug. 8, 1983, Newsweek magazine was delivered as usual to newsstands, grocery stores and mailboxes. But the story that graced the cover was different from what readers were used to seeing. Under the headline “Gay America,” Bobbi Campbell, ’74, stood with his arm around his partner, Bobby Hilliard, giving the nation one of its first views of a person with AIDS.
That cover was a critical point in a decade of activism that started for Campbell in the neighborhoods of Seattle and the hallways of the University of Washington. A few years after graduating and leaving the Pacific Northwest, Campbell took what he learned as a nurse and gay-rights activist and brought AIDS into public view as the first person in the nation to go public with his diagnosis.
Design revealed for Aids memorial near Diana ward
June 12, 2024 - By Josh Parry - BBC - Artist Anya Gallaccio has been chosen to design London's first permanent Aids memorial - just meters from the site of the UK's first specialist HIV ward, opened by Diana, Princess of Wales.
The princess was credited with a shift in public attitudes towards the disease after she helped dispel the myth it could be transmitted by touch, by shaking hands with patients on the former Middlesex Hospital ward in Fitzrovia.
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Helping People with HIV Age Well
JUNE 11, 2024 - MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL - “People living with HIV can experience age-related health concerns earlier than the general population, leading them to prematurely experience cognitive and functional decline. We see people experiencing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers much earlier than we might expect, as well as falls and fragility,” says Matthew L. Russell, MD, co-medical of MGH’s Age Positively Program, a partnership between the Geriatric Medicine and Infectious Diseases divisions. The program provides care and resources to enhance the care and well-being of people with HIV as they age.
People living with HIV refused surgery or put last on waiting lists, research shows
Jun 11 2024 - Shauna Bowers - The Irish Times - Just 42 per cent of healthcare workers and 27 per cent of healthcare students surveyed by RCSI said they received education on HIV stigma and discrimination
People living with HIV have been refused surgery, been put last on waiting lists or face reluctance from healthcare staff around taking blood samples, new Irish research suggests.
The report, published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on Tuesday, found more than three quarters of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers including medical students have seen discrimination from their colleagues towards patients with infectious diseases.
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“Without those two, I probably wouldn’t be here” - Magic Johnson named two heroes that turned his spirits around during his HIV diagnosis
JUN 10, 2024 - YAKSHPAT BHARGAVA - BASKETBALL NETWORK - Johnson thought he wouldn’t live when he first learned about his HIV diagnosis.
For die-hard NBA fans, the evening of November 9, 1991, remains an indelible moment of pain and anguish when Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis to the world. In those days, such a disease was tantamount to a death sentence. While the world desperately hoped for the three-time MVP to find a path to full health, Magic’s spirits were lifted by Dr. Anthonu Fauci and Dr. David Ho, who put belief in him by informing him how they could save him.
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Major artists feature in St Andrews public art exhibition responding to HIV and AIDS
10 June 2024-- University of St Andrews News - University of St Andrews - A new exhibition featuring art and literature by people affected by HIV and AIDS will appear across St Andrews this month, curated by a student from the University of St Andrews.
inter/pose is a cultural response to HIV and AIDS, and includes interactive art as well as written and spoken words by people who are living with HIV, who died of AIDS, or who lost loved ones to AIDS. It also includes a new series of photographs of a HIV+ person living in Scotland, taken by the Dundee-based photographer John Post.
Running from June 10 – 23, the exhibition places art in a range of public venues throughout St Andrews. This is designed to make art more accessible, encouraging people who might not normally enter a gallery to engage with art.
The exhibition includes some major international artists and writers—Felix Gonzalez-Torres, CAConrad, Hervé Guibert, Derek Jarman—alongside photographers Mateo Sierra and John Post and performance artist Kelvin Atmadibrata.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Gonorrhoea: Rising Threat to Treatment Efficacy
10 Jun 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a report today highlighting the threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This worrying trend, indicated by surveillance data, underscores the critical need for continued monitoring to inform treatment guidelines and control measures, and for ensuring the prudent use of antimicrobials, against the backdrop of increasing cases of gonorrhoea in Europe.
Data fromthe Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Surveillance in the European Union/European Economic Area for 2022 shows two isolates resistant to ceftriaxone – the recommended antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea. These strains also displayed extensive drug resistance (XDR) and multidrug resistance (MDR), further limiting treatment options.
Ottawa Public Health strained as it tackles infectious diseases, report says
Jun 08, 2024 - CBC News - Public health agency asking province for more funding, other improvements
Ottawa's public health agency is raising the alarm over its capacity to respond to infectious diseases as reported cases rise and become more complex to manage.
In its latest report, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is recommending the city's board of health urge Ontario's Health Ministry to review its funding formula to help the agency better respond to infectious diseases in the city. It also calls on the minister to fast-track the development of a provincial tool to help manage and monitor those diseases.
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Call for contributions: “Joy in focus: Capturing moments of triumph with HIV”
June 7, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - “Joy in focus: Capturing moments of triumph with HIV”
We are on a mission to highlight the incredible, joyous moments that define your life after an HIV diagnosis. We believe that joy is a powerful force, and we want to showcase your stories through the lens of your happiest memories.
We’re assembling a unique photo piece called 'Joy in focus,' and we need your help to make it a testament to the transformative power of joy. Beyond the dark moments of past diagnosis and grappling with HIV, there was a moment when the light broke through and you realized you were going to live life to its fullest. We want to highlight that with a photo—a vibrant, uplifting image that captures the moment joy bulldozed your diagnosis. It could be a marriage proposal, a stunning stage performance, a personal victory, or any other triumphant moment that symbolizes your journey of resilience and hope.
20 Cities With the Highest HIV/AIDS Rates in the US
June 7, 2024 - by TALHA QURESHI - INSIDER MONKEY - In this article, we will look at the 20 Cities With the Highest HIV/AIDS Rates in the US. We have also analyzed the HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States along with the global HIV drug market.
HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States
The government of the United States has set a goal to reduce the number of HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030 as part of its Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US initiative. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were approximately 32,100 estimated new infections in 2021 by transmission category in the US. Of these new infections 70% were reported among gay, bisexual, and male-to-male sexual contact, 22% were reported to be transmitted by heterosexual contact, and around 8% were transmitted among people who inject drugs. As per the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, the government aims to curb the new infection number to 9,000 new infections by 2025, and to 3,000 by 2030.
After 25 years, CBRC isn’t slowing down
June 06, 2024 - Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) - 25 years. That’s how long this organization, the Community-Based Research Centre, has operated as of June 22, 2024.
It’s a huge milestone. Think of your own quarter century celebration. If you were like me, you probably had a slice (or several) of cake while surrounded by your friends and chosen family.
25 years represents an important influx point for many of us. A time to take stock of everything you’ve learned in life thus far, leaning into adulthood, and really focus on building the future you see for yourself. As CBRC turns 25, we’re doing the same: reflecting on our past, our present, and our future. .
Mpox continues to circulate at low numbers among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men
June 6, 2024 - UCLA Health - While mpox cases have sharply declined since the 2022 global outbreak, they continue to occur in the U.S. among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (GBMSM),according to a UCLA-led study from EMERGEncy ID NET, a multisite surveillance network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health sciences prof Roula Hawa runs mindfulness study to reduce HIV risks
June 06, 2024 - By Megan Stacey - Western News - Western University - Project builds connection, resilience for North African and Middle Eastern LGBTQIA+ communities
A Western professor is launching a new mindfulness study as a tool to create connection, heighten resilience and lower high-risk activity within a population facing many new cases of HIV.
It’s a unique approach to health-care intervention, using weekly group programming to teach mindfulness techniques, and at the same time, build a community.
UNAIDS Executive Director and Inequality Council urge G20 to back bold network on medicine production and address the social determinants of pandemics
SALVADOR, BRAZIL, 6 June 2024 - UNAIDS - At the G20 preparatory meeting in Brazil, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Winnie Byanyima, today urged governments to support a new G20 Alliance, proposed by the Brazilian government, to enable life-saving medicines to be produced in every part of the world. Co-Chair of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics Sir Michael Marmot also called on G20 delegates to address the social determinants of pandemics, such as education and human rights, as a concrete part of the G20’s pandemic preparedness efforts.
The medicines initiative aims to create a global alliance of local and regional manufacturers of drugs, vaccines and other health technologies and unite a diversified network of local and regional producers to ensure an adequate supply of medicines and technologies for everyone, everywhere.
Climate disasters in Africa push women to sell sex, risking HIV progress
NAIROBI - Jun 6, 2024 - BY NITA BHALLA - The Japan Times - In Nairobi's informal settlement of Kawangware, Kenyan vegetable seller Beverly confronts a grim reality — her one-room corrugated iron home and everything she owned has been destroyed in the worst floods in years.
Since March, torrential rains linked to climate change have inundated parts of East Africa, destroying homes and livelihoods, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Now, with hunger knocking, the mother-of-two contemplates a dangerous exchange — sex for food.
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Cannabis use common among patients, with most using it to manage a symptom or health condition
June 5, 2024 - UCLA Health - One in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with 35% of those using at levels indicating moderate- to high-risk for cannabis use disorder, new UCLA research finds.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that most patients reported using cannabis for symptom management, despite identifying as recreational users, indicating the need for routine cannabis screening. Currently few healthcare systems offer this screening in primary care settings.
Nanoparticles offer progress towards an HIV vaccine: new study
5 June 2024 - by Priya Joi - Gavi- VaccinesWork - Cutting-edge research produced “rare but powerful” antibodies that could prevent viral infection.
Researchers have created a nanovaccine that can produce the B cells that create antibodies capable of neutralising the HIV virus.
The development of an HIV vaccine has eluded researchers for decades, because the virus is adept at disguising itself to evade our immune system. This means that this advance is an "encouraging, incremental step in developing a preventive HIV vaccine", say the researchers, writing in Nature Immunology.
June 5th HIV Long Term Survivor’s Awareness Day
June 5, 2024 - Project Response, Inc. - HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) is an annual AIDS Awareness Day to celebrate and honor people living longest with HIV/AIDS.
June 5th is an important day in the history of HIV/AIDS. 2019 is the 38th anniversary since AIDS arrived unannounced, unnamed and unwelcome in 1981 in a report by the CDC the MMWR. It described five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia among previously healthy young gay men in Los Angeles. It’s the first official reporting of the AIDS epidemic, according to the CDC and HIV.gov. All five cases were young gay men in Los Angeles and two of them had died.
June 5, 1981 was the beginning of AIDS Awareness before it was identified as AIDS.
June 5, 1981 is cited as beginning of the AIDS pandemic.
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U.S. clinical trials begin for twice-yearly HIV prevention injection
June 4, 2024 - NIAID News - Studies will focus on priority populations underrepresented in HIV clinical research.
Two clinical trials have launched to examine a novel long-acting form of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender women and people who inject drugs. The mid-stage studies will assess the safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics (how a drug moves through the body) of lenacapavir, an antiretroviral drug administered by injection every six months. The studies are sponsored and funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc., and implemented through the HIV Prevention Trails Network (HPTN). The HPTN is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), with scientific collaboration on this study and others from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as well as co-funding from NIDA and other NIH institutes.
For long-term HIV survivors, the road to healing continues
CHICAGO (CBS) - June 4, 2024 - By Marissa Perlman - CBS News - Calling it a “game-changing moment,” health experts hope free medication will help reverse the trend of rising HIV cases in Manitoba.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced Thursday the province would remove barriers to access HIV/AIDS medicine starting Monday.
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French researchers study frailty in older people with HIV
JUNE 4, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - In a French study of older people with HIV, 18% lost some physical ability over one year
Thanks to effective HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, ART), researchers project that many people with HIV will have near-normal life expectancy. As ART users become older, issues related to aging require more attention from healthcare providers and more research.
One age-related concern is frailty. In general, when people age, they are at risk for becoming pre-frail or frail. This makes them more vulnerable to having unfortunate things happen. For instance, an infection or fall that could have minor consequences for a young person could have catastrophic effects on a frail older person. Researchers who study frailty have found that the risk for this condition increases with age and people who are frail can become less functional.
Protect your health this summer: ECDC urges vigilance against rising STI cases
3 Jun 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Due to the concerning rise in sexually transmitted infection (STIs) transmission across Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is urging everyone to keep informed and practice safer sex as they leave for holidays, festivals, and travel this summer season.
The warning comes as data from ECDC, released in March 2024, revealed concerning trends in the transmission of infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, all of which increased in reported cases. This uptick serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing risks posed by unprotected sexual activity and the need for a better understanding of the importance of safer sex.
Zambia is the first country in Africa to roll out long-acting, injectable HIV prevention drug
3 June 2024 - byFiske Nyirongo - Gavi - VaccinesWork - Fiske Nyirongo talks to Tabo Lukato-Hadunka, a Zambian HIV activist, to learn more about this milestone in the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
In February 2024, the Zambia Ministry of Health launched a PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) injectable – also known as long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) – which provides about two months of HIV protection for its users. Zambia is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to offer the injectable - which is not a vaccine, but a medicine that works by blocking an enzyme HIV needs to replicate - outside of a study setting. VaccinesWork caught up with Tabo Lukato-Hadunka, a 28-year-old clinician, psychotherapeutic counsellor, self-described behavioural science enthusiast and HIV activist, who has been closely following the roll-out, to learn more.
New conference dedicated to women living with HIV set for June 8 in Palm Springs
June 3, 2024 - by Ema Sasic - Palm Springs Desert Sun - A new conference dedicated to women living with HIV will make its debut June 8 in Palm Springs, providing a space for women to share their experiences, learn more about their diagnoses and connect to resources.
The "SHE is" Women's Conference, organized by the HIV+ Aging Research Project Palm Springs and The Well Project, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, both in person at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs and virtually on Zoom.
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Launching the Red Ribbon
June 2, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - On June 2, 1991, Visual AIDS collaborated with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to get the red ribbon onstage at the 45th Annual Tony Awards.
In 1991, as the United States was battling the AIDS epidemic, the country was fighting another enemy abroad. Many front-yard trees were decorated with yellow ribbons in recognition of U.S. military members deployed in Iraq during the Gulf War. Struck by the sight of so many ribbons while driving in upstate New York with his partner Harvey Weiss and artist Frank Moore, costume designer Marc Happel wondered whether a ribbon could be used as a symbol to acknowledge the HIV epidemic.
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Tanzania’s 5-million-girls HPV vaccination campaign a “success”
3 June 2024 - byFiske Nyirongo - Gavi - VaccinesWork - The week-long drive to vaccinate 9-to 14-year-old girls against the human papillomavirus promises to put a dent in the country’s cervical cancer burden.
This April, Lisa Peter, an 11-year-old student at Kambange Primary School in Dar Es Salaam, was sprawled on the living room couch after school, scrolling through television channels, when an advert by the Ministry of Health on national television grabbed her attention.
It showed a family doting on a young girl, getting her ready for school. But overlaid on the familiar scene was a message about a huge vaccination campaign against cervical cancer – a disease that kills over 7,000 women each year in Tanzania. The advert cut to smiling girls playing at school. Lisa felt jolted, recognising herself in the advert's message.
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