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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - May 2010
IGLHRC and CEDEP Commend Presidential Pardon in Malawi
May 29, 2010, Cape Town) - "We commend President Mutharika for arriving at a decision that prevents two innocent people from spending years in prison without just cause," said Cary Alan Johnson, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
CATIE News - Diabetes monitoring may be needed for women who use opiates or have hepatitis C
2010 May 28 - Several reports have suggested that some HIV-positive people may be at increased risk for developing diabetes. As part of a project to try to understand this issue,
researchers in the United States reviewed experiments on animals and HIV-negative people and found a link between exposure to opiates, including heroin and related substances, and diabetes.
North American HIV/AIDS Summit emphasizes importance of housing in HIV prevention and care
May 28, 2010 - Toronto, Canada: June 2 to 4, 2010
The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) is hosting the North American HIV/AIDS and Housing Research Summit V from June 2-4, 2010 at Toronto's Courtyard Marriott Hotel. Canada is playing host to this important conference for the first time.
Pellegrini wins top award for infectious disease research
28 May 2010 - Infectious diseases specialist Dr Marc Pellegrini from the Walter and Eliza Hall
Institute will today receive the Frank Fenner Award from the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, recognising Dr Pellegrini's efforts to understand human responses to chronic infections.
ARCA Launches First Therapeutic Trial with GeoVax Vaccine
Atlanta, Georgia (May 27, 2009) - Study to Enroll HIV-Infected Individuals Who Started Drug Treatment During Their First Year of Infection
GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTCBB: GOVX),a biotechnology company that creates, develops and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, announced today The AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA)
has received approval to begin enrollment of the first therapeutic trial ever conducted using a promising HIV vaccine candidate from GeoVax, Inc. Although the GeoVax vaccines are currently being studied for HIV prevention,
this is the first study using the same products for treatment of persons who already have HIV infection. ARCA is the only site for this trial.
Donor retreat widens HIV/AIDS treatment gap in Africa
Johannesburg, 27th May 2010 - Backtracking by international donors in HIV/AIDS funding risks undermining years of positive achievements and will cause
many more unnecessary deaths, warns humanitarian aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a new report.
Microbicides 2010 Wrap Up: CONRAD Executive Director Henry Gabelnick Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
Arlington, VA (May 27, 2010) - CONRAD is pleased to announce that Executive Director Henry Gabelnick, Ph.D, was awarded
the lifetime achievement award at the 6th International Microbicides 2010 conference. This year's conference, Building Bridges to HIV Prevention, was held in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania May 22-25 and before an audience of more than 1,000 HIV advocates and scientists, Dr. Gabelnick was recognized for his unparalleled commitment and dedication to the development of microbicides.
Pharmaceutical Firm, ARTEC, Inc., Reports Moving on in the Development of an Improved Tubercin
and the Testing of HIV/AIDS Human Patients in Africa
May 27 2010 - OKLAHOMA CITY - ARTEC, Inc., (Pink Sheets: ATKJ), has improved Tubercin T-5 an immunostimulant. In the last two years, Artec asserts that TubercinT has
improved significantly and tested in Africa, in the company's opinion, with positive results on human patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Under strict confidential conditions, the results received were
most encouraging. Artec is engaged in full pursuit of obtaining FDA registration of TubercinT in Africa.
Change policy that bans blood donations from men who have sex with men
25-May-2010 - It is time to change the policy that bans blood donations in Canada from all men who have sex with men, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) www.cmaj.ca.
Pioneering community educator wins Omololu Falobi Award at Microbicides 2010 Conference
25 May 2010, Pittsburgh - Charles Shagi brings the voices of community members and participants to the research process
A community educator who developed innovative ways to link women in Tanzanian villages with life-saving HIV prevention information and with HIV prevention research
trials has received the second Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy. The award was presented during the closing ceremony of the Microbicides 2010 Conference in Pittsburgh, USA.
CATIE News - Placebo-controlled study finds low-dose zinc beneficial
2010 May 25 -- The immune system needs small amounts of zinc to function. In particular, laboratory and animal studies have found that zinc can help play a role in the following:
* growth and development of T-cells
* activating the hormone thymulin, needed by the immune system
* maintaining the ability of T-cells and natural killer cells to destroy germs
* activating enzymes that protect cells from harmful substances
Farha Foundation: HEROES NIGHT - 8th Edition - June 3rd, 2010
[MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC] - Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, there have been thousands of people
who have responded with acts of courage, compassion and hope, often at great personal sacrifice. Eight of these heroes from Quebec will be
honoured for their extraordinary dedication and contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Vaginal gel with integrase inhibitor shows promise in monkeys
PITTSBURGH, May 23 - Research on new drugs for preventing HIV presented at International Microbicides Conference, May 22-25
Researchers testing a vaginal microbicide based on a new type of anti-HIV drug found it provided monkeys significant protection against infection with a virus similar to HIV, according to a study reported at the International Microbicides Conference in Pittsburgh today.
Pregnancy Doubles HIV Risk in Men; First Trial of a Microbicide in Pregnant Women:
PITTSBURGH, May 23 - New Research Presented at International Microbicides Conference
Young women of reproductive-age are among those at greatest risk of
acquiring HIV, and several studies have suggested that during pregnancy women are even more susceptible to
infection. Now, a new study finds that pregnancy is a time when men also are at greater risk. In fact, their risk
doubles if their partner is both HIV-infected and pregnant.
UNAIDS expresses serious concern over ruling in Malawi
May 20, 2010 - UNAIDS considers the criminalization of individuals based on their sexual orientation as a setback
for human rights that threatens public health gains in the AIDS response. Criminalizing sexual behaviour drives people who engage in same-sex relations underground
and hampers HIV-related programmes aimed at addressing their needs.
IGLHRC and CEDEP Condemn Unjust 14-Year Sentence for Malawian Couple
(Cape Town, May 20, 2010) - "This harsh sentence compounds the impact of an already unjust conviction,"
said Chivuli Ukwimi, IGLHRC Health and Human Rights Officer. "Its devastating effect on Steven and Tionge is just the beginning. It will endanger lives by driving
at-risk communities underground, beyond the reach of programs to address HIV and AIDS."
CRITICAL OUTCOME TECHNOLOGIES INC. DISCOVERS NOVEL SCAFFOLDS FOR INHIBITING HIV INTEGRASE
London, Ontario (May 20, 2010): - Critical Outcome Technologies Inc. (COTI) (TSX Venture: COT) - today announced
positive results from the first phase of its HIV integrase inhibitor discovery program.
These results provide novel intellectual property to the Company and further validation of the CHEMSAS(R) drug discovery technology.
Scientists see new hope in fight against HIV and TB
WASHINGTON, DC (20 May 2010) - Special issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases examines new scientific advances to
curb HIV, TB epidemics; call for new policy advances to create breakthroughs
As US policymakers consider scaling back on its historic initiative to fight AIDS around the world and downsizing goals to combat
tuberculosis, next-generation treatment and prevention strategies to
significantly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are now imminent. New science can dramatically change the trajectory of both deadly epidemics,
according to a special new issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
UNICEF Announces 3rd Unite with Art Auction
Vancouver, BC - May 19, 2010 - Gala evening of contemporary art and design will raise funds for UNICEF Canada's Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign
In a continued effort to protect children around the world from HIV/AIDS, the Vancouver arts community will come together on Thursday, June 3rd for the 3rd Unite with Art event to raise funds to benefit UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign. The gala event and art auction, to be held at the newly opened Maynards Auction House on Main Street, will feature 90+ works of contemporary art, fashion and design. Proceeds from the live and silent auctions will be donated to UNICEF.
GLOBAL FUND LAUNCHES 'BORN HIV FREE' CAMPAIGN SUPPORTED BY CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY
Paris, 19 May 2010 - Ambitious digital media campaign launched
The Global Fund today launched the BORN HIV FREE campaign to mobilize public support for its work and for a world where no child is
born with HIV by 2015. Originated and supported by Carla Bruni-Sarkozy,
Global Fund Ambassador, this is one of the most ambitious campaigns of its kind. At its core is a series of creative films intended to inspire people to sign
up online in support of The Global Fund's mission.
CATIE News - Toronto study finds high rate of pre-cancerous cells in the anuses of HIV-positive men
19/05/2010 - Studies suggest that rates of anal cancer are increasing in both HIV-negative and HIV-positive people.
Researchers in Toronto have reviewed data on anal cancer and suggested that rates of this cancer among HIV-positive men are similar to rates of cervical
cancer among HIV-negative women before the routine use of Pap tests.
 
British Columbia Centre for Excellence In HIV/AIDS & CANOC: Study Finds Regional Variation in Treatment Outcomes and HIV Risk Factors Among HIV-Positive Canadian Women
Results Will Help Develop Effective Prevention and HIV Management Programs
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - May 19, 2010 - Researchers from British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec revealed findings from a new national
study today that showed HIV risk factors and clinical indicators for Canadian women vary significantly among provinces.
IGLHRC and CEDEP Condemn Malawi Court's Conviction of Imprisoned Couple
(Cape Town, May 18, 2010) - "By ignoring basic standards of evidence, this ruling undermines
Malawi's commitment to the rule of law and jeopardizes the human rights of all Malawians," said Chivuli Ukwimi, Health and Human Rights Officer of IGLHRC.
"In a context of escalating persecution of LGBT Malawians, this decision damages life-saving efforts to address HIV and AIDS."
CATIE News - Vaccines for HPV-results in men
18 May 2010 - There are more than 150 strains (also called genotypes or types) of HPV (human papillomavirus). These viruses
are easily transmitted during penetrative or non-penetrative sex. HPV can infect the mouth and throat as well as the ano-genital region, both inside and outside of these delicate tissues.
The Positive Side
Health and Wellness Magazine for People Living with HIV spring/summer 2010
Ban Ki-moon, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Bill Gates, Kofi Annan and Bono come together to voice support for Global Fund
Geneva, 14 May 2010 - Feature in new film to showcase progress
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Global Fund's Ambassador Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have come together in a new short film with philanthropist Bill Gates, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and rock musician Bono to voice their support for the Global Fund's work. Released today, the film "The Global Fund: Together We Can Do Great Things" showcases the tremendous advances made in the fight against the three diseases since the inception of the Global Fund in 2002 and records their impressions of the journey so far.
CATIE News - Casual sex study calls for interventions
14/05/2010 - Research from high-income countries suggests that there are increasing
numbers of men who have unprotected anal sex with casual male partners. Not surprisingly, rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis and HIV, are on the rise among some gay and bisexual men in these
countries. The reasons for the increase in unprotected sex in this population are complex but may in part be related to perceptions about HIV infection and its treatment.
$2.5 Million for Saskatchewan's HIV Strategy
May 14, 2010, Saskatoon - Thousands in Saskatoon to discuss HIV applaud the provincial government for its commitment to address the epidemic
HIV/AIDS researchers, healthcare professionals, AIDS service organizations and AIDS activists gathered in Saskatchewan for the Canadian HIV/AIDS Research Conference applaud the
Health Minister Don McMorris for his announcement of $2.5 million to develop and implement a multi-year HIV strategy for the province.
STATEMENT OF ANTHONY S. FAUCI, M.D. DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH ON NATIONAL ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY MAY 19, 2010
May 13, 2010 - On the sixth annual National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we join with these communities in support of HIV/AIDS
prevention and treatment. An estimated 15,100 Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2006,1 the most recent year for which data are available.
FUNDING ALLOCATED TO LAUNCH HIV STRATEGY
May 13, 2010 - The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has allocated $2.5 million to immediately begin
work on the Saskatchewan HIV Strategy 2010-2013. Health Minister Don McMorris announced the funding allocation while addressing the annual
Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS research in Saskatoon Thursday evening.
VANCOUVER HIV CASE HIGHLIGHTS AGAIN THE NEED FOR CLEAR GUIDELINES ON CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS
TORONTO, May 11, 2010 - In a ruling released last Friday, May 7th, a trial judge in British Columbia found that a gay man living
with HIV had had unprotected anal sex with his then-partner without disclosing his HIV status on three occasions, but acquitted him on the charge of aggravated sexual
assault. Based on the evidence before her, the judge concluded that the sexual encounters did not represent a "significant risk of serious bodily harm."
This is the legal threshold set out by the Supreme Court of Canada for triggering a duty to disclose known HIV-positive status.
amfAR Consortium To Speed Search for HIV/AIDS Cure
NEW YORK, May 11, 2010 - Four teams of leading researchers receive amfAR funding to establish groundbreaking collaborative effort to pursue HIV eradication
Placing the search for a cure for HIV/AIDS firmly at the center of its research efforts, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, on Tuesday announced the first round of grants to a
consortium of leading researchers to develop strategies for eradicating HIV infection.
CATIE News - Massive study called ART-CC examines causes of death among HAART users
11/05/2010 - The release of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996 dramatically reduced deaths from
AIDS-related infections among people who had access to these medicines and were able to adhere to and tolerate them. The power of HAART is so profound that
researchers increasingly expect growing numbers of HIV-positive people to live near-normal life spans, particularly in high-income countries because of their social-welfare systems.
Long-term studies of chronic disease needed in Africa
11-May-2010 - There is an urgent need for longitudinal cohorts based in sub-Saharan Africa
to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the region, according to a new article published in PLoS Medicine.
Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Margaret I. Johnston, Ph.D., and Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, on National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, May 18, 2010
May 11, 2010 - More people today have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS than
ever before. Yet for every person who begins treatment for HIV infection, two to three others become newly infected. Treatment alone will not curtail
the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To control and ultimately
end this pandemic, we need a powerful array of proven HIV prevention tools that are widely accessible to all who would benefit from them.
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day -
18 May 2010
11-May-2010 - The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise invites you to join us in commemorating HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
- the day in which we salute individuals on the front lines of efforts to develop a preventive vaccine against HIV.
HIV PREVENTION RESEARCH FOCUS OF INTERNATIONAL MICROBICIDES CONFERENCE IN PITTSBURGH MAY 22-25
May 9, 2010- PITTSBURGH - HIV prevention researchers, policy makers and community advocates from more than
35 countries will be in Pittsburgh, May 22-25 to attend the 2010 International Microbicides Conference (M2010).
CATIE News - HIV and hepatitis C in Alberta
07/05/2010 - Researchers with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Alberta Health Services have
been conducting a study among people who inject illicit drugs to gain a better understanding
of the epidemics of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in that population.
IAS CALLS FOR STRONGER SUPPORT AND PROTECTION FOR HIV PROFESSIONALS
7 May 2010 (Geneva, Switzerland) - The International AIDS Society (IAS), the world's leading association of professionals working
in the global response to AIDS, notes with alarm the imprisonment of Maxim Popov, sentenced to 7 years jail, primarily for the promotion of HIV prevention efforts. The IAS calls for the immediate release of Popov and urges
foundations and donors to ensure better protections for HIV professionals working in environments hostile to effective responses to HIV and AIDS.
Prescription drug could boost effects of vaccines for HIV and other diseases
5-May-2010 - A prescription drug already approved to treat genital warts and skin cancer may have a new use in boosting the
effectiveness of future vaccines for bacterial and viral diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV (the AIDS virus). These findings appear in ACS' Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.
TURN TO THE SUN
6th Annual Sunflower Seedling Sale
Growing Hope for Africa
ON Saturday, May 8th, 2010 FROM 10am to 3pm
Turn to the Sun is a Vancouver-based fundraising effort to support community-based HIV/AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
Every spring, several HIV/AIDS nurses working in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, their families, friends, school children and neighbours grow and sell sunflower seedlings.
(PRODUCT)RED LAUNCHES DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTING GLOBAL FUND'S FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
04 May 2010 - NEW YORK - This week marks the launch of THE LAZARUS EFFECT campaign to raise awareness of the transformative effect of life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) on people living with HIV and AIDS in Africa. The campaign includes a series of public service announcements (PSA's), directed by world renowned photographer Brigitte Lacombe, which will air across broadcast and online networks in the coming months and a documentary directed by Lance Bangs and produced by Spike Jonze.
CATIE News - Study finds recovery from hepatitis C does not confer protection from future infection
04/05/2010 - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can infect the liver and damage this organ. If HCV infection becomes chronic, then over the long term the liver is gradually destroyed and there is an increased risk for liver cancer.
GW Researchers Study Effectiveness of HIV/AIDS Educational Outreach to D.C. Youth
May 4, 2010 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services has partnered with the Grassroot Project, an organization of NCAA Division I varsity athletes using the universal language of sports to engage youth in educational outreach about HIV/AIDS. GW researchers are working with the Grassroot Project to develop and implement a sustainable monitoring and evaluation plan.
President Bill Clinton and South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to Join 25,000 Scientists, People Living with HIV, and Other Stakeholders at XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna
3 May 2010 [Vienna, Austria] - Conference Will Explore Latest Developments in HIV Science, Emphasize the Importance of an Evidenced-based Response to HIV and Drug Policy, and Urge World Leaders to Follow Through on Commitment to Universal Access
Organizers of the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) announced today that President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42 nd President of the United States, and South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will be among 19 high-level speakers who will address an estimated 25,000 conference attendees in Vienna this summer. AIDS 2010 will take place from 18 to 23 July under the theme Rights Here, Right Now.
Symposium spotlights new paradigms in genomics, celebrates AIDS-fighting drug at 25 years
3-May-2010 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - In 1985 there was little hope for people with AIDS. Newspapers and television screens were filled with ghastly pictures of emaciated figures dying from a disease that had no cure.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
WEEKEND WORKSHOP for HIV+/HIV- Couples
May 21 - 24 2010 Victoria Day Weekend
Alongside a serene lake, workshop participamts will join other HIV+/HIV- couples, peer leaders and professionals at a weekend
designed to strengthen, affirm and enhance their relationships.
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