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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - October 2015
George W. Bush, Bono Appear In 'Countdown To Zero'; Debuts On World AIDS Day
October 31, 2015 - A special report on the continued search for an AIDS cure will debut December 1, World AIDS Day, exclusively on HBO. It will also be available on HBO NOW and HBO GO.
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6th Annual International Conference on Stigma: Looking Inward, Moving Forward
November 20, 2015 - Howard University Blackburn Center - 2400 6th Street NW, Washington, DC - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The 6th Annual International Conference on Stigma will take place at Howard University on Friday November 20, 2015 from 8:00 Am to 5:00 PM. The theme of this year’s conference
is “Looking Inward, Moving Forward.” As in the past this conference will bring together researchers, activists, members of the academic community , affected individuals, and the larger community,
to explore the topic of HIV -related Stigma, and what can be done to reduce stigma. An evening dinner and musical event will follow the conference.
UNAIDS Board adopts bold and ambitious strategy to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030
GENEVA, 30 October 2015 - At its 37th meeting, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board adopted a new strategy to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.
The UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy is one of the first in the United Nations system to be aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals, which set the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years,
including ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Alicia Keys on Fighting HIV/AIDS with Love: We Must 'Talk to Our Kids About Having Compassion'
October 30, 2015 -Alicia Keys was a young girl when she was first affected by HIV/AIDS.
"My mother's friend passed from AIDS," the singer, 34, tells PEOPLE. "I think I was 8 or 9 years old. I was old enough to know that he wasn't there anymore and to ask for him. My mother, of course, couldn't really explain to me what it meant."
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Intense Menopausal Symptoms Reported in Women With HIV
October 30, 2015 - During the transition to menopause, women with HIV experienced intense symptoms that severely affected their quality of life, new data suggest.
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China response to HIV/AIDS epidemic questioned
October 30, 2015 - According to the latest figures released by UNAIDS in its ‘2015 China AIDS Response Progress Report’, 296,000 people had HIV in China at the end of 2014 and 205,000 of those had AIDS. There’s also an estimated 280,000 people who do not know their status.
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Exhibit re-creates Ryan White bedroom 25 years after teen's death from AIDS
October 29, 2015 - A couple dozen curious kids crowded into Ryan White's bedroom at The Children's Museum in Indianapolis on Monday for a lesson on bullying.
White, who died 25 years ago of complications from AIDS, has been memorialized in this permanent exhibit, which includes his bed, backpack, stuffed animals and G.I. Joes.
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HIV/AIDS deaths are down in South Africa - But most are still unacknowledged
October 29, 2015 - After peaking in 2007, AIDS mortality in South Africa has decreased with the widespread introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy, according to updated estimates published in AIDS, official journal of the International AIDS Society. AIDS is published by Wolters Kluwer.
But HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death in South Africa, according to the new research by Debbie Bradshaw, MSc, DPhil, of the South African Medical Research Council and colleagues. They emphasize that continued reluctance to acknowledge AIDS as a cause of death is hindering efforts to monitor the impact of HIV control efforts in South Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infects around 3.7 billion of the world’s population under 50-years-old.
October 29, 2015 - HSV-1 is contagious through oral-to-oral contact and causes cold sores. HSV-2 is the sexually transmitted herpes virus that causes genital herpes. However, in developed countries, HSV-1 is now “an increasing cause of infection” due to “improved hygiene.” This means young adults are at risk “of catching it via oral sex when they become sexually active.”
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HIV & Hepatitis in the Americas 2016
April 28 - 30, 2016 - Hotel Royal Pedregal - Mexico City, Mexico
This meeting promises a programme with regional relevance, via plenary sessions, interactive case study panels, debates, roundtable sessions, and informal discussion. Networking issues for the region will be a very important part.
The meeting will be conducted in English and Spanish with simultaneous interpretation between these languages.
HIV Glasgow 2016
October 23 - 26, 2016 - SECC - Glasgow, UK
We are delighted that HIV Glasgow 2016 will take place from 23-26 October 2016 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, UK.
Trudeau government promises to end ban on gay men donating blood
October 29, 2015 - Canadian Blood Services says that there is always a need for donors, though gay and bisexual men need not apply. It's a controversial ban that LGBTQ groups and the incoming Liberal Party government say is discriminatory. That’s about to change; Steve Silva explains.
Multiple sclerosis patient walks after taking HIV drugs
28 October 2015 - Sussex - A woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) says her symptoms improved so dramatically she was able to walk again after being prescribed HIV drugs.
Shana Pezaro, 36, from Hove, East Sussex, was given antiretroviral drugs after fearing she may have contracted HIV.
Within days, Miss Pezaro noticed an easing of her MS symptoms.
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TB 'joins HIV as most deadly infection'
28 October 2015 - Tuberculosis now ranks alongside HIV as the world's most deadly infectious disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
Each accounted for between 1.1 million and 1.2 million deaths in 2014.
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Why South Africa's gold miners are suing their bosses
28 October 2015 - Tens of thousands of gold miners are suffering with diseases like silicosis, tuberculosis and HIV. In the mines, Apartheid lives on.
You may not have heard about it yet, but right now 59 South African gold miners are making history.
The miners and their families are currently suing the miners’ former employers - 32 mining companies including Anglo American and Gold Fields - for how their work has shattered their health.
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Sexual behavior, risk perception, and HIV transmission can respond to HIV antiviral drugs and vaccines through multiple pathways
28 October 2015 - There has been growing use of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for HIV and significant progress in developing prophylactic HIV vaccines. The simplest theories of
counterproductive behavioral responses to such interventions tend to focus on single feedback mechanisms: for instance, HAART optimism makes infection less scary and thus promotes risky sexual behavior. Here, we develop an agent based,
age-structured model of HIV transmission, risk perception, and partner selection in a core group to explore behavioral responses to interventions.
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Pharmaceutical Companies & Access to HIV/AIDS Medication
Monday, 30 November 2015 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Part of the Positively Red Week 2015 series. How does the behaviour of pharmaceutical companies impede access to HIV/AIDS medication?.
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FREE, DAYLONG SUMMIT FOR LONG TERM SURVIVORS OF HIV/AIDS TO BE HELD IN RANCHO MIRAGE, CA NOVEMBER 3, 2015
PALM SPRINGS, CA/CHICAGO, IL: October 28, 2015 - November 3, 2015 - 9AM - 5PM - Ranco Mirage
The Reunion Project, a daylong summit, was created for long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS to share their stories of loss and survival. The summit will be held in Palm Springs Tuesday, November 3, 9 am – 5 pm, at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences in the Eisenhower campus in Rancho Mirage, CA.
The event also aims to honor the past, identify and develop successful strategies for living, and help people support each other as they age. As the population of people living with HIV/AIDS continues to age (it's estimated that 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS are now over the age of 50), advocacy and training needs to occur to ensure that policy makers and providers are able to effectively address issues such as mental health, housing, and economic and financial hardship in this unique group.
Risk of heart attack rises with length of HIV infection, regardless of age
27 October 2015- Stopping smoking, improving diet and exercising especially important for people living with HIV long-term
Ten years after becoming infected with HIV, a person living with HIV has approximately twice the risk of heart attack compared to someone who has just acquired HIV, regardless of the age at which they seroconvert, and after taking into account the effects of ageing, an analysis of 18,468 people living with HIV has shown.
The findings were presented at the 15th European AIDS Conference in Barcelona last week.
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HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Russia ‘Out of Control,’ Health Minister Says
Staunton, October 27 - The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Russian Federation is growing “out of control,” according to Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova, as a result of which the number of HIV/AIDS cases in that country, already growing at about 10,000 new cases annually, is likely to increase by 250 percent over the next five years.
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London clinic survey shows impact of chemsex on condom and PEP use
27 October 2015 - Findings show strong need for pre-exposure prophylaxis and hepatitis C prevention
A survey of gay men in London using drugs during sex – chemsex – has shown high levels of unprotected sex and hepatitis C among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative men, high levels of post-exposure prophylaxis use and a high frequency of injecting drug use. The research was presented to the 15th European AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain.
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When HIV Meds Are Locked Up: The Challenge of Adherence in Jails and Prisons
October 27, 2015 - Kerry Thomas already knew that he was HIV-positive when he entered the Idaho State Correctional Center (ISCC) in Boise. So did prison officials, both from his health records from a previous prison term and from the publicity of his HIV criminalization case. When he arrived, however, prison medical staff said that they did not have his antiretroviral medications and were unsure when they would be able to provide them.
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Daily drug shown effective in preventing HIV infection
October 27, 2015 - Additional preexposure prophylaxis options now under development
After a decade of controversy and halting progress, preexposure prophylaxis may finally be about to take its place in the vanguard of AIDS prevention.
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Prominent AIDS Researcher Receives Winslow Medal; Sees End of Pandemic as “Almost Inevitable”
October 27, 2015 - The pandemic has touched every corner of the world, affected young and old, rich and poor and men and women of all backgrounds.
It has been one of the worst scourges in human history, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., a leading HIV/AIDS researcher and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at
the National Institutes of Health, said Friday (October 23) upon receiving the Centennial C.-E. A. Winslow Medal Award from the Yale School of Public Health.
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Danny Pintauro to be honored at 2016 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards
PALM SPRINGS, CA, October 27, 2015 - Those who remember him as the fresh-faced Johnathan Bower who grew up in front of America on the hit 1980s TV sitcom “Who's the Boss?” might have been a bit surprised to hear what he had to say recently on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” The former child star revealed that he has been living with HIV for the last 12 years.
How an HIV Diagnosis Can (Sometimes) Lead to a Longer Life
October 27, 2015 - You are probably thinking that it’s ludicrous to assert that a potentially deadly virus such as HIV can actually improve the quality of your health and lead to a longer life. But
believe it or not, Dr. Roy "Trip" Gulick, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, stated just that
at a Plenary Session at the 2015 International AIDS Society Conference held in Vancouver, Canada on July 21.
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Gilead Sales Surge on Hepatitis Drugs
October 27, 2015 - Its two hepatitis C drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni, generated $4.8 billion in sales in the third quarter
Gilead Sciences Inc. said its two hepatitis C drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni, generated $4.8 billion in sales in the third quarter, topping Wall Street estimates for global sales of $4.47 billion.
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Harm reduction conference calls for political leadership to reform drugs policy
27 October 2015 - The biggest challenges to harm reduction are drugs policy and drugs laws, the Malaysian harm reduction leader Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman told the 24th International Harm Reduction Conference in Kuala Lumpur last week.
Numerous speakers said that punitive and prohibitionist drugs policies have restricted access to harm reduction services, contributed to the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, led to unnecessary drug overdoses, encouraged discrimination against people who use drugs, diminished respect for human rights, encouraged
the use of compulsory treatment and resulted in the mass incarceration of people who use drugs.
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VIDEO: ‘Extraordinarily high’ cost of HIV medications responsible for treatment delays
OCTOBER 26, 2015 - SAN DIEGOThe “extraordinarily high” costs of medications for infections like HIV and hepatitis C virus, and the related issues that arise, result in numerous barriers to care, according to Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, FIDSA, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and immediate past chair of the HIV Medicine Association.
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HIV care could save lives and billions of dollars, computer model predicts
26-Oct-2015 - A computer model developed by Johns Hopkins health care delivery specialists predicts that strengthening a handful of efforts
to keep people with HIV in lifetime care, along with more rigorous testing, would potentially avert a projected 752,000 new HIV infections and 276,000 AIDS deaths in the United States alone over the next 20 years.
ViiV Healthcare awards 23 small grants to help alleviate the stigma of HIV and AIDS in the MSM and transgender community globally
London, UK, 26 October 2015 - ViiV Healthcare today awarded its first round of small grants to support men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender community-led interventions to
reduce stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and/or HIV status. 23 non-governmental and community-based organisations
will receive up to £25,000 per year over a two year period through the Positive Action for MSM and Transgender programme.
PrEPARING ASIA: Discussing PrEP with an Expert: Dr Chris Beyrer
Published on Oct 25, 2015 - In many cities throughout Asia evidence shows less than half of the Gay / MSM population are not consistently using condoms.
In order to have an impact and stop the spread of HIV a new approach is needed. We talk to Dr Chris Beyrer, President of the International AIDS Society, about gay men, other MSM and the exciting developments of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for Asia.
With PrEP from San Francisco
OCTOBER. 24, 2015 - HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis reduces HIV transmission risk by up to 96%
Scientific evidence has confirmed the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in preventing HIV transmission when used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In 2015, new research found that offering oral ARVs containing tenofovir to men who
have sex with men (MSM) could reduce the risk of HIV infection by 86%. Also in 2015, a demonstration project in East Africa found that serodiscordant couples who were offered a choice of PrEP, treatment, or both, were able to reduce their risk of HIV transmission by 96%.
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HIVanonymous #4
October 2015 - CONTRIBUTE. LISTEN. SHARE.
HIVANONYMOUS allows individuals to tell their story and allows others to hear the experiences of those living with HIV in their own words.
For many, living with HIV means hiding from discrimination. Hear the experiences of those living with HIV in their own words, then show your support to let people living with HIV/AIDS know that being anonymous doesn’t have to mean being alone.
Introducing the Ontario HIV Epidemiology and Surveillance Initiative
October 2015 - The Ontario HIV Epidemiology and Surveillance Initiative (OHESI) is a new collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Ontario, the OHTN and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
OHESI will monitor the epidemiology of HIV in Ontario
New report: Identifying the research priorities of people living with HIV
October 2015 - In November 2014, the OHTN partnered with the Positive Living Development Institute to gather input from people living with HIV across Ontario. The meeting was shaped and led by people living with HIV, and focused
on identifying the research priorities most critical to people with HIV.
The Deadly Legacy of HIV Truthers
OCT. 24, 2015 - The story of the HIV denialist movement demonstrates that scientific agreement is not necessarily enough. Thousands of people died because the conspiracy theory was able to outrun the facts, thriving in the
climate of fear and suspicion around a grisly disease that had struck a vulnerable population.
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Dr. Beny Primm, Pioneer in AIDS Prevention, Dies at 87
OCT. 24, 2015 - Beny J. Primm, a doctor who started some of New York City’s first methadone clinics to treat heroin addicts in the 1960s and who, during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, became a nationally prominent advocate for changing public health policy toward intravenous drug users, died on Oct. 16 in New Rochelle, N.Y. He was 87.
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Man Rows 5,000 Miles Across Atlantic Ocean To Raise Awareness For HIV, AIDS Research
October 23, 2015 - ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., (CBS) - A man’s 5,000 mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean is almost complete, and what a story he has to tell.
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When will Europe get PrEP?
23 October 2015 - Pressure is mounting at community level for access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Europe and is likely to continue to increase in the absence of decisions by funding authorities and regulators, leading to more informal use, speakers at a session at the 15th European AIDS Conference said on Thursday.
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Can dolutegravir dual therapy or monotherapy produce and maintain HIV suppression?
23 October 2015 - The potent integrase inhibitor dolutegravir taken with a single well-tolerated NRTI was able to fully suppress viral load in people initiating antiretroviral treatment for the first time, while dolutegravir alone was able to keep HIV suppressed in most treatment-experienced people who started with undetectable viral load, according to a set of studies presented yesterday at the 15th European AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain.
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The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) Named Presenting Sponsor of AIDSWatch 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 22, 2015) - Elizabeth Taylor's Legacy Honored Through HIV/AIDS Advocacy Event
AIDSWatch organizers are thrilled to announce The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) as Presenting Sponsor for AIDSWatch 2016. AIDSWatch, the largest constituent-based HIV advocacy event in the U.S., will bring hundreds of HIV advocates to Washington, D.C. from across the country to educate Congress about the policies and resources needed to end the HIV epidemic. In tribute to Elizabeth Taylor’s legacy as an activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS, ETAF is named presenting sponsor and is contributing $100,000 to the event, which is organized by the Treatment Access Expansion Project (TAEP), AIDS United and the US People Living with HIV Caucus. AIDSWatch 2016 will take place February 29 - March 1, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
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Sheryl Lee Ralph Celebrates 25 Years of HIV/AIDS Awareness & Education
October 22, 2015 - Join the Divinely Inspired Victoriously Aware DIVA, actor/activist Sheryl Lee Ralph on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 7:30PM as she brings her renowned “DIVAS Simply Singing!” benefit concert to the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. “DIVAS Simply Singing!” The show will be honoring Jordin Sparks, Dr. Rachel Ross, Sade Oyinade, Cathy Elliott, and Hydeia Broadbent as well as performances by some of the most talented DIVAS in entertainment, Loretta Devine (The Carmichael Show), Jenifer Lewis (Blackish), Erica Campbell, A’ngela Winbush, Melissa Morgan, rapper YoYo, Alyson Williams, the Supreme’s Mary Wilson and more
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The $750 Per Pill AIDS Drug Now Has $1 Competition
Oct. 22, 2015 - It's part of a a new program called Imprimis Cares that will make over 7,800 FDA-approved generic drugs available at an affordable price.
A pharmaceutical company announced Thursday that it plans to introduce a significantly lower-cost version of Daraprim, the drug that made headlines last month after jumping from $13.50 per pill to $750.
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HIV/AIDS fundraiser brings 'sexy' back to fight stigma in Richmond
October 22, 2015 - These days, drugs are suppressing the HIV virus well, however some people's pre-conceived notions of the disease also need a dose of medicine
For a decade or so, the fight against HIV/AIDS used to be a “sexy” cause-celebre; something everyone seemed to support vociferously, said Brian Wardley, a founding member of the Richmond AIDS Society.
“Now there’s a misconception that there is a cure to the disease. There isn’t, but there are good drugs that help people lead normal lives,” said Wardley, days ahead of the 13th annual Heart and Soul dinner and dance gala fundraiser this Saturday at the Radisson Vancouver Airport Hotel.
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Gilead's new HIV drug shows lower side-effects over longer term
October 22, 2015 - Drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc said data from a late-stage study showed that its experimental drug, Genvoya, showed reduced side-effects compared with an older version of the drug in treating HIV-infected patients over a longer term.
The company said Genvoya was as good as Stribild, which is the older version, after 96 weeks of treatment and had lesser side-effects on patients' kidneys and bones.
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New depression diagnosis and treatment
JERUSALEM (October 22, 2015) - Major depression, which afflicts one in six people at some point in their life, is the leading global cause of disability - surpassing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and HIV/AIDS combined.
INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY TO ORGANIZE GLOBAL TB CONFERENCE ON THE EVE OF AIDS 2016
22 October 2015 - Barcelona, Spain - Two-day meeting will bring greater attention to the science of TB and its implementation
The International AIDS Society (IAS) announced that it will host “TB2016”, a two-day conference dedicated to highlighting new TB science and its importance for the future of global health. The conference will take place
16-17 July, 2016 in Durban, South Africa, immediately preceding the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016). The meeting is a unique partnership between HIV and TB scientists and advocates, convened to draw attention around the need for greater urgency and innovation to combat both epidemics.
Fighting HIV/AIDS on College and University Campuses: Generation to Generation
October 22, 2015 - The need for heightened HIV/AIDS awareness is especially important on college and university campuses. Many college-aged LGBTQ students did not live through the start of the AIDS epidemic, and may not fully understand
the pain so many LGBTQ people experienced during that time. There is a dichotomy of assumptions when it comes to HIV/AIDS in college and university communities that must be addressed. The first assumption, common among LGBTQ communities, is that HIV/AIDS was a major issue in the
past that is no longer present. The second assumption, often found in non-LGBTQ communities, is that all LGBTQ people probably have HIV/AIDS and should be treated differently because of risk of transmission to non-LGBTQ populations.
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Modest bone loss seen in young men taking Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis
22 October 2015 - Young men participating in a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration project experienced modest but significant bone loss after starting Truvada, according to findings presented yesterday to a joint session of the 15th European AIDS Conference and the 17th International Workshop on Co-morbidities and Adverse Drug Reactions in HIV.
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Can Europe reach the 90-90-90 target for HIV treatment by 2020?
22 October 2015 - Eastern Europe unlikely to reach 90-90-90 target by 2020
The European region needs to step up prevention and treatment activities if it is to reach the UNAIDS target of 90% diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed on treatment and 90% of those on treatment with fully suppressed viral load by 2020, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on HIV and AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia told the opening session of the 15th European AIDS Conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
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One third of people with HIV in US study are not virally suppressed on antiretroviral therapy
21 October 2015 - A third of people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) do not have sustained viral suppression and many are not receiving regimens recommended by the latest U.S. treatment guidelines, according to data from the Medical Monitoring Project presented at IDWeek 2015 this month in San Diego. However, this study included many people with long-term HIV infection who may not have been able to use preferred first-line regimens.
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How do we treat the world? Experts discuss moving to universal HIV treatment
21 October 2015 - What practical steps does the global healthcare community need to take in order to expand HIV treatment so that it can reach everyone who is diagnosed? And how do we expand testing so that as many HIV-positive people as possible are diagnosed, on treatment, and virally suppressed?
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Healthy 'aging with HIV' strategies focus of federal grant to Pitt Public Health
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 21, 2015 - As the U.S. reaches an important milestone this year in the fight against HIV with more than half the people living with the virus older than age 50, the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health is launching a study to determine ways to promote health among aging gay and bisexual men, who make up about two-thirds of the people aging with HIV.
A Quiet Activist: HIV-Positive Former Lawmaker Making Change for People with HIV
October 21st, 2015 - As the U.S. reaches an important milestone this year in the fight against HIV with more than half the people living with the virus older than age 50, the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health is launching a study to determine ways to promote health among aging gay and bisexual men, who make up about two-thirds of the people aging with HIV.
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Refugee women living in Ontario have higher HIV rates
October 21, 2015 - A study that was originally conducted to evaluate serious pregnancy and delivery complications has discovered that refugee women in Ontario have significantly higher rates of HIV than other immigrants or women born in Canada.
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Opinion: Has Supreme Court criminalized HIV?
October 21, 2015 - People living with the virus can be charged with sexual assault even when there is no risk of transmission
The music industry has the unique abilities to unite people and to inspire profound social change. That’s why I’m so honored to participate in Billboard’s first philanthropy issue.
Through the years, I’ve done my best to use the incredible platform that I’ve been blessed with to make a difference, particularly in the fight against AIDS.
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Nearly HALF of Brits don't 'believe' they'll catch AIDs/HIV despite not using a condom
October 21, 2015 - SCARY new figures have shown nearly half of young Brits don't believe they could catch HIV/AIDs, even if they have sex without a condom.
It would appear our nation's young are burying their head in the ground when it comes to the stark reality of catching sexually transmitted infections.
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Native Americans Facing HIV Find Power in Two-Spirit Identity
October 20, 2015 - During the 2015 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), I sat down with Pruden, who talked about the importance of Two-Spirit identity and history, the HIV epidemic in Native American communities and the vital role of allies.
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HIV cure research: NIH scientists create 2-headed protein to deplete HIV reservoir
20-Oct-2015 - Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have created a protein that awakens resting immune cells infected with HIV and facilitates their destruction in laboratory studies. The protein potentially could contribute to a cure for HIV infection by helping deplete the reservoir of long-lived, latently HIV-infected cells that can start making the virus when a person stops taking anti-HIV drugs. Further studies in animals and people are needed to determine the viability of this approach.
Ending HIV & AIDS: Let's Finish What We Started
Published on Oct 20, 2015 - GLAAD, the world's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, releases a new public service announcement (PSA) to inspire, inform, and reignite the passion and action needed to beat the HIV and AIDS epidemic once and for all. The PSA, produced by the award-winning Martian Entertainment, is created by GLAAD and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation as part of an ongoing partnership to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in a new era of prevention and treatment.
Harm-reduction drug programs may get OK under new Liberal government
October 20, 2015 - VANCOUVER - People living with the virus can be charged with sexual assault even when there is no risk of transmission
Health and legal experts are cautiously optimistic that a newly elected Liberal government will clear roadblocks to harm-reduction programs, such as supervised injection sites and prescription heroin, which clashed with Conservative ideals and were stymied by Stephen Harper’s government.
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Stars join GLAAD, E. Taylor AIDS Foundation in call for reinvigorated AIDS fight
2015-10-20 -NEW YORK, NY - GLAAD today announced the release of a public service announcement ( PSA ) to inspire, inform, and reignite the passion and action needed to beat the HIV and AIDS epidemic once and for all. The PSA, produced by the award-winning Martian Entertainment, was created by GLAAD and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation as part of an ongoing partnership that launched earlier this year with a resource guide for journalists covering HIV and AIDS in a new era of prevention and treatment.
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Stop the TPP from Putting HIV Treatment Out of Reach!
October 20, 2015 - The TPP will make it easier for pharmaceutical companies to demand longer patent extensions. By extending their patents, corporations can keep cheaper generic drugs from coming onto the market. Currently, competition between generic and "name-brand" drugs can bring the price of a drug down by anywhere from 30% to 80% of their original cost. About 90% of the drugs taken to treat HIV globally are affordable, generic medicines.
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VIDEO: Carlos Malvestutto, MD, explores potential benefits of statins in HIV patient population
October 20, 2015 - Carlos Malvestutto, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases at The Ohio State University and medical director of the Family AIDS Clinic and Education Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, outlines the reasons behind CV disease prevalence in patients with HIV.
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PrEP You Don't Swallow: The Future of Anal HIV Prevention
October 19, 2015 - In their study among Peruvian men and transgender women, funded by Merck and the National Institutes of Health, Brown and colleagues make the case for developing a douche that would use rectal microbicides to protect against HIV.
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Stop Shaming HIV Treatment Fatigue and Detectability
October 19, 2015 - The World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommendations are clear: Those who are newly diagnosed with HIV should begin antiretroviral treatment (ART) as soon as possible and adhere to it strictly for better long-term health outcomes. For ideal patients in ideal circumstances, beginning and sticking to lifetime treatment will go smoothly.
We know, however, that readiness, willingness and ability to commit to treatment varies. While medical providers and everyone working along the care continuum should heed the WHO recommendation in order to reduce rates of transmission through viral suppression in individuals and ultimately in whole communities, they should also provide judgment-free and culturally competent care to those
patients whose health care journeys don't fit neatly within the guidelines.
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New Coating for HIV Drug Holds Promise for Patients
October 19, 2015 — Managing HIV could get a lot easier with a new delivery system for anti-AIDS drugs.
Instead of daily pills, the treatment could lead to drugs that can be administered just once or twice per year.
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Experimental Treatment Regimen Effective Against HIV
19 October 2015 - Protease inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs that are commonly used to treat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center designed a new delivery system for these drugs that, when coupled with
a drug developed at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, rid immune cells of HIV and kept the virus in check for long periods. The results appear in the journal Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine.
Studies continue to support tenofovir alafenamide combination pill as it nears US approval
19 October 2015 - A single-tablet regimen containing a new formulation of tenofovir maintained viral suppression for people switching from other combinations and was associated with improved kidney function and bone health, according to studies presented at IDWeek 2015 last week in San Diego.
Other research showed that the new formulation works better than the old one for black people and for older people, and that it can be safely used with sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (Harvoni) for hepatitis C treatment.
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Opioid substitution therapy, especially in combination with needle exchange, reduces transmission of hepatitis C
19 October 2015 - A pooled analysis of 25 studies has shown for the first time good evidence that methadone and other forms of opioid substitution therapy substantially reduce new hepatitis C infections. Previously, this had been clearly demonstrated for HIV, but not hepatitis C.
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Plans for next phase on wiping out AIDS already in the works
18 October 2015 - KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has already begun mapping out strategies and plans on the next phase of wiping out HIV AIDS in the country by 2030.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said that the national strategic fifteen year plan on ending AIDS in the country is set to be completed by the end of the year.
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How AIDS changed American art: Tacoma Art Museum show charts responses to the HIV crisis
October 18, 2015 - VANCOUVER — For many people, AIDS feels like history — but the spread of HIV in this country isn’t even remotely under control.
As Tacoma Art Museum chief curator Rock Hushka writes in the catalog for TAM’s new show “Art AIDS America,” more than a million Americans are living with HIV, and 50,000 new cases appear each year.
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Taking Control of HIV
October 16, 2015 - Curing HIV will almost certainly require harnessing the ability of the immune system to kill infected cells, or at least control their ability to produce the virus. One important tool in the immune arsenal is CD8+ T cells, sometimes also called killer T cells. Scientists have long suspected they play an important role in bringing virus levels under control soon after infection.
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Anal, Colorectal, Liver Cancer Risks Rise as Patients with HIV Live Longer
October 15, 2015 - HealthDay News - Antiretroviral therapy has extended the lives of people with HIV, but living longer may increase these patients' risk for certain cancers, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Border researchers patent new low-cost printer that tracks HIV patients' health
15-Oct-2015 - The portable device prints out cells instead of ink to monitor CD4 cell health.
University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) researchers have patented a low-cost device that can easily monitor the health of HIV patients living in low-resource settings.
IDRI, Sanofi Pasteur team with philanthropy to develop new model for vaccine development
15-Oct-2015 - In an effort to accelerate timelines and decrease development costs of life-saving vaccines, the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) and
Sanofi Pasteur today announce the establishment of the Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation (GHVCI), to be headquartered at IDRI in Seattle. This project is funded in part by a grant from the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation. The GHVCI represents an alliance among the three organizations, focused on accelerating the development of vaccines and associated technologies to fight a wide range of
global infectious diseases, and ensuring that these critical vaccines are accessible globally, especially to people in need within developing countries.
Team describes rapid, sensitive test for HIV mutations
15-Oct-2015 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Tests that can distinguish whether HIV-positive people are infected with a drug-resistant strain or
a non-resistant strain allow patients to get the most effective treatment as quickly as possible. In the November edition of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics , a team of Brown University researchers describes a new method that works faster and more sensitively in lab testing than the current standard technologies.
Elite controllers: A potential model for a functional HIV cure?
October 2015 - In 2014, about 36 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, and an estimated 2 million people were newly infected, according to WHO. Despite decades of intensive research, an HIV cure or vaccine remains elusive.
However, there is hope found in a tiny subset of patients who are able to control virus replication without medication. Dubbed long-term nonprogressors, they typically maintain CD4 T-cell counts of 500 copies/mL. Elite controllers are an even smaller subgroup, comprising less than 1% of all patients with HIV. They maintain HIV levels — typically less than 50 copies/mL — that are nearly undetectable by the commercial assays currently in use.
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Elton John Op-Ed on Tirelessly Fighting AIDS Through His Foundation: 'We Have So Much Work Left to Do' (Exclusive)
October 15, 2015 - The music industry has the unique abilities to unite people and to inspire profound social change. That’s why I’m so honored to participate in Billboard’s first philanthropy issue.
Through the years, I’ve done my best to use the incredible platform that I’ve been blessed with to make a difference, particularly in the fight against AIDS.
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Zimbabwe says gay rights activists welcome to AIDS conference, but no demos
October 14, 2015 - Harare- The new vaccine has been 15 years in the making.
Zimbabwe's health minister David Parirenyatwa on Wednesday said homosexuals were welcome to a regional HIV/AIDS conference to be held in the country whose veteran president shows little tolerance towards gay rights advocates.
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Abacavir/lamivudine could be driving liver damage in ART-treated patients with HIV/HCV co-infection
14 October 2015 - Progression of liver fibrosis among ART-treated patients with HIV/HCV co-infection is associated with the type of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) “backbone”, Canadian research published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests. The study was designed to see if fibrosis progression was associated with protease inhibitor (PI) or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) treatment. However, the findings showed that progression of liver disease was actually associated with the NRTIs abacavir/lamividune (Kivexa; ABC/3TC).
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At least 25,000 people in the US may now be using PrEP
14 October 2015 - As many as 30,000 people in the US may now be taking pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV, the fourth IAPAC Controlling the HIV Epidemic with Antiretrovirals summit in Paris heard last week.
Meanwhile, as the summit also heard, European and other countries face frustrating delays in securing access.
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Blood T cells are resistant to HIV's primary death pathway
14-Oct-2015 - While 98 percent of CD4 T cells are in the lymphoid tissues, almost all prior studies on HIV have been conducted using blood cells. The scientists say the latest findings, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe , should spark greater use of lymphoid tissue T cells to study the pathogenic effects of HIV. Blood cells, which are easier to obtain, do not recapitulate all of the key biology of lymphoid tissue cells.
In Vietnam, discrimination still stalks people with HIV
October 14, 2015 - HO CHI MINH CITY- The new vaccine has been 15 years in the making.
Discrimination against people living with HIV remains a serious problem in Vietnam, undermining the country’s commitments to prevent new infections and support infected people.
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Conversation-provoking HIV/AIDS campaigns may be counter-productive
October 13, 2015 - HO CHI MINH CITY- Mass media campaigns aimed to make adolescents in South Africa talk about issues related to HIV/AIDS may be counter-productive.
Research by Elizabeth Lubinga (PhD candidate Tilburg University/ University of Groningen, the Netherlands) shows that billboard campaigns that present deliberately puzzling messages about (un)safe sex, intended to spark conversations between people, lead to a lower rather than a higher understanding of the message which could possibly be dangerous.
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Conversation-provoking HIV/AIDS campaigns may be counter-productive
October 13, 2015 - HO CHI MINH CITY- Mass media campaigns aimed to make adolescents in South Africa talk about issues related to HIV/AIDS may be counter-productive.
Research by Elizabeth Lubinga (PhD candidate Tilburg University/ University of Groningen, the Netherlands) shows that billboard campaigns that present deliberately puzzling messages about (un)safe sex, intended to spark conversations between people, lead to a lower rather than a higher understanding of the message which could possibly be dangerous.
Read more...
New study has important implications for the design of a protective HIV vaccine
October 13, 2015 - A PhD student from the University of the Witwatersrand today, 12 October 2015, published a study in the prestigious journal, Nature Medicine , describing how the changing viral
swarm in an HIV infected person can drive the generation of antibodies able to neutralize HIV strains from across the world. The study has important implications for the design of a protective HIV vaccine.
This Doctor Invented The HIV Blood Test. Now He Has A Vaccine That May Beat The Virus
10/13/2015 - The new vaccine has been 15 years in the making.
The new vaccine has been 15 years in the making.
In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS, then went on to pioneer the blood test that detects the virus.
Now, 31 years later, his team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute of Human Virology is beginning human trials this month on a potentially revolutionary HIV vaccine.
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Interferon-free treatment works well for people who inject drugs, but barriers to access remain
13 October 2015 - Major depressive disorder has been identified as a possible independent risk factor for HF among older veterans with HIV.
Risk for CVD is higher for adults with HIV, who have nearly double the risk for depression compared with adults of the same age, sex and race/ethnicity without HIV, according to background information in the study.
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HIV screening interval influences CD4+ count at initial diagnosis
October 12, 2015 - SAN DIEGO - Infrequent HIV screening was associated with lower initial counts of CD4+ T cells among diagnosed patients in a recent study.
“Lower CD4 counts at time of HIV diagnosis have been attributed to infrequent testing and delays in care,” Catherine Berjohn, MD, MPH, of the infectious diseases division at Naval Medical Center San Diego, said during a presentation. “We know that lower CD4 counts increase the risk of transmission, likely because of the association with higher viral loads, but also because of an increased risk of opportunistic infections and mortality.”
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Depression may increase HF risk among HIV-positive veterans
October 12, 2015 - SAN DIEGO - Treatment-experienced HIV patients who switched to a tenofovir alafenamide-based regimen maintained virologic suppression and saw significant improvements in renal and bone safety, researchers reported.
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HIV Therapy May Also Lower Risk for Hepatitis B, Study Says
Oct. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) - But researchers add that it's critical to expand vaccination base
Not only does effective HIV therapy thwart the AIDS-causing virus, it may also reduce the risk for hepatitis B infection, a new study says.
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Bradford McIntyre:
Showing up for Life
October 12, 2015 - For all intents and purposes, Bradford McIntyre’s story could be a movie. Thirty-one years ago, during the height of the AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) crisis,
he was diagnosed with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). A year later, the doctors told him he had 6 months to live. This is a story of being given a death sentence, of enduring pain and self-imposed isolation but it is also a story of personal growth and making a difference.
Long-term Testosterone Replacement Ups Risk of Cardiovascular Events, Death in HIV+ Men
October 11, 2015 - SAN DIEGO, CA - Long-term testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) and death among HIV-positive men, authors of a retrospective chart review reported at IDWeek 2015.“
There was a six-fold increase in the odds of having a new CVE in HIV-positive men when taking TRT for greater than 6 months,” reported lead study author Rahwa Ghebremichael, MPH, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, and coauthors.
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Those getting HIV today are 'reckless'
Oct 11, 2015 - Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga has described people getting infected with HIV today as being "reckless".
He is the executive director of National Guidance and Empowerment Network for People Living with HIV/Aids, Uganda (NGEN+).
The renowned HIV/AIDS activist said it is unfortunate that many people continue to live irresponsible lives despite the various sensitisation programmes by government over the epidemic.
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Scientist who discovered HIV says achieving remission in patients may be ‘feasible’
October 10, 2015 - More than 30 years after she identified one of the most pernicious viruses to infect humankind, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering HIV, is retiring. Barré-Sinoussi says even though a cure may never be found, she's confident that at some point, patients may no longer need indefinite treatment. NewsHour's Megan Thompson reports.
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The vast majority of gay men didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex
October 10, 2015 - A new survey conduced by FS Magazine has found that the overwhelming majority of gay and bisexual men didn’t use a condom the last time they had anal sex.
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HIV Infection Rates Rising in US Latino MSM
October 09, 2015 - New diagnoses of HIV infection rose sharply from 2008 to 2013 among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), despite an overall decline in infection among Latinos
during the same period, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Researchers urge medical marijuana over opioids to treat neuropathic pain
Oct 09, 2015 - VANCOUVER - Canadian doctors should use medical marijuana instead of frequently abused opioids to treat patients with neuropathic pain and a
host of other conditions cannabis has been proven to combat, Vancouver-based HIV/AIDS researchers argue in a newly published editorial.
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No transmission of integrase inhibitor-resistant HIV seen in California patients
09 October 2015 - Not one case of transmission of HIV that is resistant to any of the integrase inhibitor (INI) drugs has been seen in newly-diagnosed patients in a database of resistance tests in California,
the ICAAC 2015 conference heard last month.
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Conservative Government Missing on Endorsement of Global and Domestic Strategy to End AIDS
Vancouver, BC [October 9, 2015] - In response to a letter from the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) Dr. Julio Montaner, all federal political parties - except the Conservative government - pledged their support
of a global target to end AIDS by 2030. On September 22, Dr. Julio Montaner wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper , which was also sent to all leaders of the Canadian federal parties, calling on the federal government to formally endorse the United Nations HIV/AIDS strategy.
The UN 90-90-90 Target is based on the made in BC concept of Treatment as Prevention ® (TasP ® ) pioneered by the BC-CfE under Dr. Montaner's leadership.
Science won't stop until it beats AIDS, says HIV pioneer
Oct 9, 2015 - More than 30 years after she identified one of the most pernicious viruses to infect humankind, Francoise Barre Sinoussi, who shared a Nobel prize for discovering HIV, is hanging up her lab coat and retiring.
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Switch to TAF-based HIV regimens safe, effective
October 9, 2015 - SAN DIEGO - Treatment-experienced HIV patients who switched to a tenofovir alafenamide-based regimen maintained virologic suppression and saw significant improvements in renal and bone safety, researchers reported.
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Lifelong pledge to end HIV/AIDS
October 09, 2015 - PRESIDENT Ratu Epeli Nailatikau says breaking cultural barriers and beliefs so people can be aware and educated on the issue of HIV/AIDS has been the highlight of his work as Ambassador for HIV/AIDS in Fiji.
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Affordable Care Act helps Virginia improve HIV outcomes
8-Oct-2015 - SAN DIEGO - While providing care for more for at-risk patients, study shows
Low-income HIV patients enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care plans achieved better outcomes and the resulting cost savings allowed the state of Virginia to support care for more patients, according to a groundbreaking study from the University of Virginia being presented at IDWeek 2015™.
Grandmothers on the march for HIV/Aids awareness
8 October 2015 - About 400 grandmothers from across Africa have met in Uganda to share their experiences of dealing with HIV/Aids.
Watch Video...
AIDS pioneer finally brings AIDS vaccine to clinic
8 October 2015 - Human trials of more than 100 different AIDS vaccines have taken place since researchers proved in 1984 that HIV caused the disease. Robert Gallo, whose U.S. National Cancer Institute laboratory published the four landmark
papers in Science that convinced the world of the link between this recently discovered retrovirus and the growing epidemic, has closely monitored—and often sharply critiqued—the AIDS vaccine search since it began. But Gallo, who now runs the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore, Maryland, has always been a spectator—until today.
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Why We Are Losing the Battle Against HIV
10/08/2015 - It's been almost forty years since the first case of HIV/AIDS was discovered, and yet teenagers and millennials in the US have never known a world without AIDS. They live during a time where it is a treatable disease, people are living longer and suffer fewer complications. As a result,
there's a lack of urgency and more complacency than ever before. The decrease in comprehensive sex education programs in schools have contributed to an increasing number of youth living with HIV in the US, many of whom do not know that they are infected.
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Low-Income HIV Patients May Be Doing Better on Obamacare
Oct. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Virginia data show rates of viral suppression rose on federally funded insurance
Low-income HIV patients who enrolled in Obamacare may be faring better than they did on traditional state assistance, a new study suggests.
At least that's the case in Virginia, where the study was done. Researchers found that people infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) who switched from the state's drug-assistance program to an Obamacare insurance plan had greater odds of gaining better control of the disease.
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B.C. HIV/AIDS doctor gains political support
October 8, 2015 - A Vancouver-based HIV/AIDS pioneer could soon see Canada back his internationally recognized HIV treatment – but only with the ouster of the Conservative government, which for nearly a decade has rebuffed his calls.
Last week, Julio Montaner, director of B.C.’s Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, wrote a letter to the leaders of Canada’s federal parties urging them to endorse an ambitious global target to help end the AIDS epidemic. Meeting the “90-90-90” target by 2020 “will lead to a 90 per cent reduction in the global burden of HIV/AIDS by 2030,” he wrote.
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HIV vaccine to be tested on people
October 8, 2015 - Years of research on a promising HIV/AIDS vaccine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is moving into the critical human testing stage.
Scientists with the school's Institute of Human Virology, headed by Dr. Robert Gallo, who helped discover the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, and developed the HIV blood test, announced the next big step in the research Thursday.
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HIV positive in Russia: A life in misery
October 7, 2015 - Government restrictions mean AIDS patients in Russia face problems, both medical and social. Jobs are lost and quality of life is restricted. We follow the case of "Jan" - who is living with the disease.
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Election 2015: Funding the federal HIV/AIDS strategy — Canada’s major federal parties respond
October 7, 2015 - This is the fourth in a series of blog posts being published daily by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network ahead of Election Day on October 19, 2015.
Recently, we sent a questionnaire to the five major federal parties, asking their position on key questions related to HIV and human rights. Four out of five parties responded. Their responses are shared here, along with our comments
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Never-Before-Seen Photos of Elizabeth Taylor Will Be on View in London
October 7, 2015 - Elizabeth Taylor is remembered for many things: her timeless films, her many marriages, her many jewels, and, of course, those violet eyes. One of her most enduring legacies,
however, was her commitment to HIV/AIDS activism. In the mid-80s, when few dared to even mention the epidemic in public, Taylor was among the first celebrities to draw attention to the disease. She went on to co-fund amfAR in 1985 and
then The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which have raised millions of dollars for the cause.
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Those still contracting HIV are reckless – Rubaramira
Oct 07, 2015 - Ruranga said it is so unfortunate that many people continue to live irresponsible lives despite of the various sensitization programmes by government about the epidemic.
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Higher Non-AIDS Cancer Rate in Men With HIV: 30-Year MACS Study
October 6, 2015 - Washington, DC - 6th International Workshop on HIV and Aging
HIV-positive men had a higher incidence of both virus-related and virus-unrelated non-AIDS cancers than HIV-negative men in a 30-year Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) analysis [1]. Since 2005, however, higher non-AIDS cancer incidence in HIV-positive
men solely reflected a higher rate of virus-related cancers.
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US HIV physicians routinely offering early ART but only a third have prescribed PrEP
06 October 2015 - Most doctors at the frontline of the HIV epidemic in the United States recommend early antiretroviral therapy (ART) and many also believe they have a role in providing
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to the uninfected partners of their patients living with HIV, according to research published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Overall, 87% of doctors recommended ART
from the point of diagnosis and most thought PrEP appropriate in some circumstances.
However, only a third had actually prescribed PrEP.
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Study Estimates HIV-Infected Individuals Have Increased Cumulative Incidence of Lifetime Cancer Risk
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - A large study with follow-up over 14 years offers a unique way of looking at the risk of cancer among HIV-positive individuals by accounting for the
competing risk of death in the era of highly effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), as reported today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"This analysis provides easily interpretable information for HIV patients and their providers about their long-term cancer risk, and helps us identify where public health and clinical efforts should be focused to achieve the biggest impacts," said co-author Richard D. Moore , MD, MHS, of
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and overall principal investigator of the North American Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD).
WHO and UNAIDS launch new standards to improve adolescent care
GENEVA, 6 October 2015 - New Global Standards for quality health-care services for adolescents developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS aim to help countries improve the quality of adolescent health care.
Canadian Leaders Must Work to Eradicate HIV and Hepatitis C
5 October 2015 - When it comes to the HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) response, Canada is a laggard both at home and abroad. Major developments in HIV and HCV treatment mean that the lives of thousands of Canadians could be greatly improved
and even saved. But those living with HIV and HCV are not being identified or reached effectively to receive treatment, and this treatment is not always available or accessible. Without an up-to-date, coordinated national strategy to deliver prevention, testing and
treatment, people living with HIV and HCV will continue to suffer needlessly.
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No HIV-positive Canadian will ever feel alone again
Published on Oct 5, 2015 - A Daily Xtra Social Sponsorship Video. Exclusive footage from the launch of the Canadian Positive People Network, an independent network for and by Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and HIV co-infections in Canada.
Women with HIV at greater risk for cancer
October 5th 2015 - SFU study suggests that having HIV can be a risk factor for women to develop certain cancers
A new study published by SFU researchers suggests that women who are living with HIV may be more likely to develop cancer.
Published in HIV Medicine, the study shows that compared to the general population, women who have contracted HIV are more at risk to develop certain cancers. This is despite the introduction of modern highly-active antiretroviral therapy that reduces the risk of many AIDS-related cancers.
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Women found under-represented in HIV clinical trials
5 October 2015 - A group of American and European researchers have conducted an extensive review of hundreds of published HIV clinical trials to assess the participation rate of women. They found that women
are generally under-represented in such trials. They also underscore possible remedies.
Recent infection and ART treatment interruptions are key periods for HIV transmission
10/05/2015 - Implications for treatment as prevention strategies
A large proportion of HIV transmissions occur during recent infection or antiretroviral treatment interruptions, Swiss investigators report in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Overall, 44% of transmissions were associated with recent infection and 14% could be attributed to treatment interruptions.
The authors believe these findings represent a major challenge for treatment as prevention (TasP) strategies.
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San Francisco Is Changing Face of AIDS Treatment
OCT. 5, 2015 - “I love the San Francisco model,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “If it keeps doing what it is doing, I have a strong feeling that they will be successful at ending the epidemic
as we know it. Not every last case — we’ll never get there — but the overall epidemic. And then there’s no excuse for everyone not doing it.”
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Danny Pintauro Partners with HIV Equal Social Media Campaign in Hopes of 'Breaking Down Barriers' for the Gay Community
5 October 2015 - On Friday, Pintauro told Bure and co-host Raven-Symoné that he was launching his Beacon of Light Tour – a campaign of awareness the former Who's the Boss star, 39, exclusively first discussed with PEOPLE – after revealing to Oprah Winfrey on
the Sept. 26 episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? that he has been HIV-positive for 12 years since contracting the disease while abusing crystal meth to heighten sexual experiences.
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Late initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy in Canada: a call for a national public health strategy to improve engagement in HIV care
5 October 2015 - Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly decreases morbidity, mortality and HIV transmission. We aimed to characterize the timing of ART initiation based on CD4 cell count from 2000 to 2012 and identify factors associated with late initiation of treatment.
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Governor signs bill mandating sex ed in schools across California
October 5, 2015 - The new law combines the previously required curriculum on HIV/AIDS prevention and sex education into one required set of knowledge and skills kids should be taught before the end of eighth grade, and one they should be taught before the end of high school.
Districts can start offering the curriculum in seventh grade.
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37 Million People Worldwide Need HIV Treatment
10/04/2015 - That's almost as many as have died since the epidemic began.
"Everybody living with HIV has the right to life-saving treatment. The new guidelines are a very important step towards ensuring that all people living with HIV have immediate access to anti-retroviral treatment," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS.
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Protect yourself from HIV/AIDS
October 04, 2015 - In South Carolina, almost 15,000 of your neighbors — including about 200 children and teens — are living with HIV infection or AIDS.
Throughout the United States, more than 1 million residents are living with HIV or AIDS, and nearly one-fifth do not know they have it.
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How a Simple New Policy Could Change the Lives of Millions Facing HIV
October 4, 2015 - The World Health Organization has officially announced that it is changing its recommendations on how world governments should approach the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, something that has been called a game-changer for the millions of people living with or who could acquire HIV.
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Proud to Vote: LGBTQ Issues in the Federal Election
Oct 4, 2015 - Canada needs an adequately funded federal strategy on HIV and AIDS, which disproportionately affects LGBTI communities. Canada is falling down in its
response to HIV at both global and domestic levels, and we are currently lacking a coordinated, national strategy and corresponding funding - and the political will - to end HIV here at home.
Will your party commit to collaborating with leading HIV organizations in Canada to envision a new, fully funded strategy to end HIV and AIDS in this country and globally?
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Grandmothers: Africa’s unsung heroes
Oct 4, 2015 - Speaking at a one-day agenda on sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocacy organized by the International Women Communication Centre in Ilorin on Wednesday, Dr. Oyeniyi also said that the study
has also revealed that about 78 million people had been infected with the HIV virus since the outbreak of the epidemic, saying that no fewer than 39 million had died of the disease worldwide.
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One in 20 people live with HIV/AIDS-KWASACA
Oct 4, 2015 - Speaking at a one-day agenda on sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocacy organized by the International Women Communication Centre in Ilorin on Wednesday, Dr. Oyeniyi also said that the study has
also revealed that about 78 million people had been infected with the HIV virus since the outbreak of the epidemic, saying that no fewer than 39 million had died of the disease worldwide.
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Panel on Effort to End Aids Epidemic by 2030 Focuses on Youth Engagement
Oct 4, 2015 - “We should be able to enter this new era, the era of the SDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals, with hope,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “We will not win against this epidemic unless we put
adolescents at the centre of our fight. Adolescent girls have up to eight times higher risk of HIV infection than boys. Today in Africa, the first cause of death among adolescence is AIDS.”
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Condom-vending machines lie unused as HIV cases increase
Oct 4, 2015 - GUWAHATI: Lying unused and unstocked, the state's condom-vending machines have found no takers. Even as the state records more and more cases of HIV/AIDS, the ambitious condom-vending machine project has well and truly flopped.
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China makes HIV/AIDS prevention first lesson in Beijing colleges
3 Oct, 2015 - BEIJING: Chinese capital Beijing has incorporated HIV and AIDS prevention as the first lesson given to university students in a bid to raise awareness among them as surveys pointed to its spread in colleges and universities.
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Videos reveal how HIV spreads in real time
October 2, 2015 - How retroviruses like HIV spread in their hosts had been unknown — until a Yale team devised a way to watch it actually happen in a living organism. The elaborate and sometimes surprising steps
the virus takes to reach and spread in the lymph nodes of a mouse have been captured on videos and described in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Science.
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Faces of HIV exhibit tells stories of Floridians with virus
October 2, 2015 - They are young, old, black, white, men and women. Their faces express sadness, peace, annoyance and calm.
All 10 Floridians have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Their portraits, video interviews and diaries, traveling around the state in a trailer, show how HIV strikes an assortment of incomes, sexualities and life stories.
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Made-in-Canada HIV/AIDS treatment embraced by everyone but Canada
October 2, 2015 - A made-in-Canada approach to tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been endorsed by the United Nations for use around the world but has yet to gain the support of the Canadian government.
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Award-winning playwright and author Larry Kramer will give a talk and sign copies of his new book, The American People, October 28, 2015
October 2, 2015 - Award-winning playwright and author Larry Kramer will speak at Vassar College on Wednesday, October 28, 5:30pm, in the Martel Theater of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film.
“An Evening with Larry Kramer” will feature a talk by the author, a period of questions-and answers with the audience, and a book signing. This event is free and open to the public.
Kramer wrote the Academy Award-nominated screenplay adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's Women in Love and rose to further prominence with his bestselling novel, Faggots. His groundbreaking play about the AIDS crisis, The Normal Heart, won the 2011 Tony Award
for best revival of a play. Additionally, the HBO adaptation of the play won the Emmy Award for outstanding television movie in 2014. Among his numerous honors, Kramer was
named a Master American Dramatist by the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater.
ACOXXX:
Our Words, Our Stories Our Lives Promo
October 1, 2015 - ACOXXX: Our Words, Our Stories, Our Lives.
COXXX is an interactive, multi-platform initiative that includes a beautiful coffee table book and a series of video interviews. It's a unique opportunity to connect more intimately
with incredible people in Ottawa living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS escalates amongst Sri Lankan youth
01 October 2015 - The Sri Lankan health ministry on Thursday warned that the number of HIV/AIDS cases was escalating among the youth in the island nation.
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New York Officials Speculate on Rapid Spread of Syphilis
October 1, 2015 - K. Daniel Reed, intervention specialist with ACR Health in Syracuse – which is offering free testing – says most cases are among men having sex with other men. But he says the STD is now infecting populations that don't suspect they're at risk, such as white males.
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How America woke up to AIDS: Rock Hudson's death, 30 years later
October 1, 2015 - "Doctors involved in AIDS research called the Hudson announcement the single most important event in the history of the epidemic, and few knowledgeable people argued."
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