Scientists Debunk Myth That ‘Patient Zero’ Brought AIDS to America
From PBS.org… For more than 30 years, Gaétan Dugas was blamed for bringing the AIDS epidemic to the United States. A French-Canadian who died in 1984, Dugas was thought to have carried the disease to America and transmitted it to scores of sexual partners while working as a flight attendant. But this week, scientists finally […]
Health Alert: Rates of new HIV infection still on the rise among specific groups
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… In 2018, 37,968 people received an HIV diagnosis in the United States (US) and dependent areas. From 2014 to 2018, HIV diagnoses decreased 7% among adults and adolescents. However, annual diagnoses have increased among some groups. Gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV, […]
New cause of inflammation in people with HIV identified
From MedicalXpress.com… While current antiretroviral treatments for HIV are highly effective, data has shown that people living with HIV appear to experience accelerated aging and have shorter lifespans—by up to five to 10 years—compared to people without HIV. These outcomes have been associated with chronic inflammation, which could lead to the earlier onset of age-associated […]
Survey of Gay and Bi PrEP Users Finds 1 in 10 Share Their Medication
From Poz.com… In a 2018 survey of men who have sex with men taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in three U.S. cities, about 10% reported sharing their medication with others. This finding raises concerns that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) may be accessing PrEP without receiving the medical monitoring that […]
Large NIH Clinical Trial Illuminates Long-Term Health Effects of HIV
From HIV.gov… Initial data from a large NIH-supported clinical trial offer a detailed look at the health status of people aging with HIV around the world. With 7,770 participants enrolled in 12 countries across five continents, the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE ) is evaluating the ability of a statin medication, pitavastatin, to […]
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. […]
FDA Approves New HIV Treatment for Patients With Limited Treatment Options
From the FDA… [On July 2, 2020], the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rukobia (fostemsavir), a new type of antiretroviral medication for adults living with HIV who have tried multiple HIV medications and whose HIV infection cannot be successfully treated with other therapies because of resistance, intolerance or safety considerations. “This approval marks a […]
Raltegravir-Based ART Regimens Appear Superior to Efavirenz for Use Among HIV-Positive Pregnant Patients
From AJMC.com… Among the principal reasons for recommending initiating antiretroviral treatment (ART) among pregnant patients who are HIV positive is to prevent transmission of the virus to their unborn children. This number was estimated at 1.3 million pregnant pregnant women, as of 2018. However, optimal treatment regimens remain unclear. An international team of investigators published their study results earlier […]
Poll: U.S. Adults Lack STI Awareness
From US News and World Report… Despite cases of several sexually transmitted infections reaching a record level in the U.S., a large majority of people aren’t aware of how common they are among the nation’s adults, according to newly released survey results. The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 36% of those […]
Youth with HIV less likely than adults to achieve viral suppression
From the National Institutes of Health … Despite similar rates of enrollment into medical care, youth with HIV have much lower rates of viral suppression — reducing HIV to undetectable levels — compared to adults, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health. Among more than 1,000 youth, most of whom were […]