Health Alert: If you’re sexually active, get a full screening for sexually transmitted infections
The CDC is reporting the number of new sexually transmitted infections continues to go up, with the highest number of STIs in the U.S. ever. The newly released CDC 2020 STD Surveillance Report found that at the end of 2020: Reported cases of gonorrhea and primary & secondary (P&S) syphilis were up 10% and 7%, respectively, compared to 2019. Syphilis among newborns (i.e., […]
Dr. Anthony Silvestre led the way on Pitt Men’s Study and AIDS Task Force
From the University Times… Anthony “Tony” Silvestre, whose work with the LGBT community was far ahead of its time and made the pioneering Pitt Men’s Study possible, died Sept. 1, 2022 at 75. […] His international advocacy and public health work began at Penn State (1971-76), continued with several Philadelphia organizations (1976-83) and brought him […]
Successes and challenges for people diagnosed with HIV
From POZ online… […] The proportion of older people living with HIV has been increasing, and 55% of people included in this survey were over age 50. People ages 40 to 49 accounted for 19% of respondents, those ages 30 to 39 for 18% and those ages 18 to 29 for 8%. This report confirms that […]
HIV testing and diagnoses drop during COVID-19 pandemic
HPCP gets a fair amount of comments on our social media platforms about why are there more ads for HIV testing in Pennsylvania. We’ve also been hearing a lot about unscientific, unfounded connections between COVID vaccines and HIV. The *real* connection to the need for more testing and COVID is that people stopped getting tested […]
Combination Anti-HIV Antibody Infusions Suppress Virus for Sustained Period
From HIV.gov… Individuals with HIV who began taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the early stages of infection achieved a lengthy period of HIV suppression without ART after receiving two broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies (bNAbs), according to a small study published today in the journal Nature . The findings suggest that combination bNAb therapy might offer a […]
COVID 19 Impact: Cases of Gonorrhea, syphilis, and Congenital Syphilis Surpass 2019 Levels
From medical.net… Reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States decreased during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but most resurged by the end of that year. Ultimately, reported cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis surpassed 2019 levels, while chlamydia declined, according to new data published today by […]
Researchers document third known case of HIV remission
From HIV.gov… A woman with HIV who received a cord blood stem cell transplant to treat acute myeloid leukemia has had no detectable levels of HIV for 14 months despite cessation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to a presentation at today’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). This is the third known case of […]
Two People With HIV Suppressed Virus After Stopping Treatment
From US News and World Report… In one patient, viral suppression lasted nearly three and a half years, with occasional rebounds in virus counts. The other patient had nearly complete HIV suppression for close to four years, but then had a big surge when he was infected with a different HIV strain, a situation called […]
What to know about HIV and transgender men
From Medical News Today online… Most scientific studies relating to HIV and transgender people focus on transgender women — research about HIV and transgender men is limited. According to research from 2018, this is because HIV prevalence is thought to be higher among transgender women: approximately 25–31%, compared with 0–3% among transgender men. Other research, from the University […]
Study: Combining PrEP with U=U yields incredible results
From HIVplusmag.com… When people use a combination of HIV prevention methods, researchers found there was a significant drop in HIV transmission. Published in the academic journal HIV Medicine, the study found that using several methods such as taking PrEP, early HIV diagnosis from frequent testing, and proper antiretroviral treatment decreased transmission by 80 percent. The research […]