HIV & STI National Strategic Plans Call for Enhanced Coordination of Efforts
From HIV.gov… The recently released STI National Strategic Plan (STI Plan) and HIV National Strategic Plan were developed concurrently with the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan and each calls for a more integrated approach to addressing the syndemic of HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and substance use and mental health disorders. Together, these three plans aim to enhance coordination of the activities […]
Injectable Long-Acting PrEP Is Safe, Highly Effective in Cisgender Women
From TheBodyPro.com… Injectable long-acting cabotegravir (CAB LA) has been proven safe and highly effective in preventing HIV infection among cisgender women, according to interim results from a major study announced in late January. The findings complement previously established strong results for cabotegravir-based injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) […]
Mail Order Now an Option for “Ready, Set, PrEP”
From HIV.gov… The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently enhanced mail-order delivery options for participants to receive PrEP HIV prevention medication at no cost to eligible individuals without prescription drug coverage. Ready, Set, PrEP participants can choose to have their PrEP medication sent directly to their home or healthcare providers (in participating states) when they enroll or continue […]
Ending the HIV Epidemic: Culturally Attuned Educational Materials for American Indians/Alaska Natives
From HIV.gov… As one of several Indian Health Service activities supported by the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund (MHAF) in Fiscal Year 2020, the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) is currently leading a project focused on creating culturally attuned HIV education materials—including print, digital, and video formats—for both American Indian and Alaska Native patients and the healthcare […]
Health screening for gay men on PrEP falling behind recommended standards
From aidsmap.com… Levels of sexual health screening among gay men taking PrEP fall well below recommended levels, investigators from the United States report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Rates of testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the rectum and throat – which can be asymptomatic – were especially low, so too testing […]
HIV.gov: Introducing the “AHEAD” dashboard
To support the efforts of local partners in ending the HIV epidemic in their communities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the launch of a new tool, AHEAD: America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard. What is the AHEAD Dashboard? AHEAD is a data visualization tool created to support the efforts of […]
New study supports more frequent HIV screening among high-risk young men who have sex with men
From Medical Express… A new study has found that HIV screening every three months compared to annually will improve clinical outcomes and be cost-effective among high-risk young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the United States. The report, led by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), is being published online in Clinical […]
Sex and COVID-19
It may seem obvious that if a person is infected with COVID-19, they risk infecting others during sex. But people still have a lot of questions. Here’s an excerpt on the topic form the Mayo Clinic Website: The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets […]
LGBT-friendly primary care improves STD screening rates
From medicalxpress.com… Bruce W. Furness, M.D., M.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues developed and evaluated a quality improvement initiative (Transforming Primary Care for LGBT People) to enhance the capacity of 10 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs; 123 clinical sites in nine states) to provide culturally affirming care. […]
Alternative PrEP injection, dosed every other month, beats daily PrEP pill
From thebodypro.com… Taken every 2 months, the long-acting injectable drug cabotegravir (CAB-LA) prevented more HIV infections than daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC), according to newly announced results from a major Phase 3 study. The results were released originally in May due to the overwhelmingly positive data on CAB-LA for PrEP, but researchers […]