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3 FEBRUARY 2023 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 5

Media Coverage

  • Anal Cancer Cases Down Among Gay and Bisexual Men With HIV in the Netherlands

    Anal cancer is being diagnosed less often in gay and bisexual men with HIV in the Netherlands since 2013, but rates of diagnosis have hardly changed in other groups of people living with HIV over several decades, and Dutch HIV specialists say that screening and treatment for anal precancers should be offered to all people living with HIV.

    February 2, 2023
    General
    aidsmap

  • Breakthrough in Preventing Hepatitis B Transmission From Mothers to Children

    Hepatitis B transmission from mothers to babies has been eliminated in England, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO elimination target is that less than 2 percent of babies born to mothers with hepatitis B go on to develop the infection. And data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows the figure for England currently stands at 0.1 percent.

    February 2, 2023
    General
    Independent

  • New York City Declares Mpox Outbreak Is Over

    After very low transmission for 2 consecutive months New York City has declared their mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreak is over. The United States’ most populated city was the epicenter of the mpox outbreak, but rapid implementation of various response strategies enabled NYC to stop the spread.

    February 2, 2023
    General
    Contagion Live

  • Clinical Overview: Apretude for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

    On December 21, 2021, the FDA approved cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension (Apretude) for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity.Patients can take oral cabotegravir (Vocabria) prior to beginning Apretude to assess drug tolerance or they can initiate injections immediately with 2 loading injections administered 1 month apart followed by maintenance injections every 2 months thereafter.

    February 2, 2023
    PrEP
    Pharmacy Times

  • How Tennessee Axed Millions in HIV Funds Amid Scrutiny From Far-Right Provocateurs

    Tennessee’s recent decision to reject over $8 million in federal funds to combat HIV was motivated, at least in part, by right-wing provocateurs stoking anti-LGBTQ sentiment, according to four sources within the state Health Department. The move by Republican Gov. Bill Lee will hamstring, if not cripple, efforts to combat one of the country’s most poorly controlled epidemics of the virus, HIV advocates said.

    February 2, 2023
    General
    NBC News

  • African Nations Commit to Ending AIDS in Children by 2030

    Twelve African countries on Wednesday spelled out plans for ending AIDS in children by 2030 through an array of HIV testing, treatment and prevention programs. The 2030 goal, which was announced by UNAIDS last year, was unanimously backed by representatives from the 12 nations gathered in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam.

    February 1, 2023
    General
    VOA

  • Empowering Black Communities to Lead the Way on PrEP

    In Spring 2022, nine Black HIV advocates convened to discuss how we could commemorate the 10th anniversary of the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)―the first medication for people who are seronegative to prevent HIV acquisition. Though doing something meaningful to increase PrEP uptake within Black communities was on the agenda, at that point, creating an in-person summit was the furthest thought from any of our minds.

    February 1, 2023
    PrEP
    TheBody

  • Australia on Track To Eliminate Cervical Cancer by 2035 Amid Rising HPV Vaccination Rates

    Cervical cancer vaccination levels are on the rise and experts are “highly optimistic” the disease can be eliminated in a little more than a decade, despite the pandemic and interference from “highly religious” schools. Australia will become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer if it hits its 2035 target.

    February 1, 2023
    HPV Vaccines
    The Guardian

  • Vaccine Makers Kept $1.4 Billion in Prepayments for Canceled COVID-19 Shots for the World’s Poor

    As global demand for COVID-19 vaccines dries up, the program responsible for vaccinating the world’s poor has been urgently negotiating to try to get out of its deals with pharmaceutical companies for shots it no longer needs. Drug companies have so far declined to refund $1.4 billion in advance payments for now-canceled doses, according to confidential documents obtained by The New York Times.

    February 1, 2023
    General
    New York Times

  • Thailand Hands Out 95 Million Condoms to Beat Syphilis, Teen Pregnancy

    Thailand plans to distribute 95 million free condoms to curb sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to promote safe sex ahead of Valentine’s Day. Starting Feb. 1, universal healthcare cardholders are eligible to receive 10 condoms a week for one year, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said in a statement on Tuesday. The condoms will be available in four sizes and can be grabbed from pharmacies and primary care units of hospitals nationwide, she said.

    January 31, 2023
    General
    Bloomberg

  • Trichomoniasis: You’ve Probably Never Heard of THIS Extremely Common STI; Know All About It

    here are several types of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites. The most widely-known STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes and HPV. You think you've got it all? Think again. Heard of trichomoniasis? If not, you're not at fault.

    January 31, 2023
    General
    Times of India

  • Sunlenca Looks Great for Highly Drug-Resistant HIV. Will It Serve a Broader Purpose?

    Right before Christmas, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the injectable drug Sunlenca (lenacapavir) for use in adults with heavily drug-resistant HIV—those folks (often HIV longtimers) whose HIV has developed mutations against many or all preexisting antiretroviral therapy options, making it very hard for them to get to undetectable status or to have a health-boosting increase in CD4 cells.

    January 31, 2023
    Treatment
    TheBody

  • PEPFAR: Learn How To Combat Pandemics, Not Raid AIDS Resources

    An op-ed by Dr. Deborah L. Birx: The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — one of the most successful development programs in US history — may be poised to become a victim of its own success. PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives over the 20 years since its inception, prevented millions of HIV infections, and helped more than 50 countries make progress against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Moreover, the health networks it built have allowed these countries to respond better to other diseases, including COVID-19 and Ebola.

    January 31, 2023
    General
    The Hill

  • How the Global Pandemic Fund Can Live Up to Its Great Potential

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, world leaders in November launched a new global Pandemic Fund housed at the World Bank to break the historic pattern of “panic and neglect” regarding global disease outbreaks. The fund was crafted with good intentions and has enormous potential. But that’s far from sufficient to guarantee success.

    January 30, 2023
    General
    Washington Post

  • Africa: HIV Vaccine Research Set To Change Focus in Wake of Mosaico Disappointment

    Hopes for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Mosaico vaccine - the only HIV vaccine candidate in late-stage (Phase 3) clinical trials - were dashed with manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals' recent announcement that the vaccine lacked efficacy in preventing HIV infection. In the wake of this announcement, top South African HIV clinicians are now setting their sights on different approaches to finding an HIV vaccine.

    January 30, 2023
    HIV Vaccine
    allAfrica

  • New ‘Superbug’ Strain of Gonorrhea Is Outsmarting Most Antibiotics

    A highly drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea has been detected in the US for the first time, raising concerns among public-health officials about the scarcity of treatments and a future when gonorrhea could become untreatable. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said on Jan. 19 that it had detected two cases of a novel strain of gonorrhea that was more impervious to existing antibiotics than any other strain previously recorded in the US.

    January 29, 2023
    General
    Wall Street Journal

  • PEPFAR Has Made So Much Progress Against AIDS. We Can’t Let Up Now.

    An op-ed by Bill Gates: In January 2000, a grim cover story in Newsweek forecast that as many as 30 million African children could be orphaned by 2010 because of AIDS deaths. Demographers predicted that AIDS would kill half the teenagers in some African countries. That horrific outcome never happened. Millions of Africans finally got access to affordable AIDS drugs, thanks in large part to the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

    January 28, 2023
    General
    Washington Post

  • Feds Seek Input on National PrEP Coverage

    The federal government is seeking public input concerning whether its Medicare department should cover HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and PrEP medication nationwide, including a new injectable drug that has been developed. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering whether it will cover HIV prevention pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs (PrEP) such as Apretude, a prescription injectable given every two months to individuals at risk of contracting HIV.

    January 28, 2023
    PrEP
    Advocate

  • Children Denied Same Access to Treatment for HIV/AIDS as Adults

    The UN’s main AIDS program says thousands of children are dying from HIV/AIDS because, unlike adults, they do not receive treatment for the deadly disease. HIV/AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence. People infected with the disease can live a normal lifespan, provided they receive treatment and care. Unfortunately, there is a glaring disparity between the way children and adults with HIV/AIDS are treated.

    January 28, 2023
    Treatment
    VOA

  • US FDA Proposes To Ease Sexual Abstinence Rule for Blood Donors

    The US health regulator on Friday proposed new blood donation guidelines for men who have sex with men that are based on individual risk rather than across-the-board requirements, a move it said is in line with other countries and will help ensure the US blood supply. The US Food and Drug Administration said the rules aim to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV and are similar to those in the UK and Canada.

    January 27, 2023
    General
    Reuters

  • Studying the HIV Response for Pandemic Preparedness

    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the anticipation of future pandemic risks, has sparked a global conversation about enhancing pandemic preparedness and response (PPR). This discussion has so far failed to acknowledge the essential role that existing, disease-specific programs have played in COVID-19 responses on a regional and national level, as well as the prospective contribution of these programs to future PPR.

    January 27, 2023
    General
    News Medical

  • Passports and Privilege: What Does the Future Hold for Global HIV Conferences?

    Visa issues prevented scores of scientists and activists from attending last year’s International AIDS Conference in Montréal after the Canadian government allegedly failed to fulfill commitments to fast-track applications. Now, the International AIDS Society (IAS) is changing how host cities are selected, but it may take radical transparency to help make more equitable access a reality.

    January 27, 2023
    General
    aidsmap

  • Q&A: Pan-Resistant Gonorrhea ‘May Be Inevitable’ Without Changes

    Massachusetts health officials detected a novel strain of gonorrhea with reduced susceptibility or resistance to five antibiotic classes — the first of its kind in the United States. Two patients infected with the strain were successfully cured with a 500 mg intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone, the CDC-recommended treatment, the state health department said in a press release.

    January 27, 2023
    STI Vaccines
    Healio

  • The Path to Vaccinating the World Against HPV

    We really should be very, very angry that in the twenty-first century we are still talking about women dying of cervical cancer when we have the tools, we have the technology, and we have the know-how [to address this disease]," said Princess Nono Simelela, the assistant director-general for family, women, children, and adolescents at the World Health Organization (WHO), at the Commonwealth Women's Forum 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda, last June.

    January 27, 2023
    HPV Vaccines
    Think Global Health

Published Research

  • High Interest in Long-acting Injectable Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (LAI-PrEP) for HIV Prevention Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM): Result From A Nationwide Survey in Malaysia

    The recent approval of long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as PrEP for HIV prevention could be an attractive alternative for MSM, particularly among those who face barriers to adherence using the oral pill. This study reports on the awareness of long-acting injectable PrEP (LAI-PrEP) and factors associated with interest in LAI-PrEP use among a nationwide sample of MSM in Malaysia. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2021 to explore perspectives on PrEP modalities among Malaysian MSM (N = 870).

    February 3, 2023
    PrEP
    Journal of Community Health

  • Modeling Syphilis and HIV Coinfection: A Case Study in the USA

    Syphilis and HIV infections form a dangerous combination. In this paper, we propose an epidemic model of HIV-syphilis coinfection. The model always has a unique disease-free equilibrium, which is stable when both reproduction numbers of syphilis and HIV are less than 1. If the reproduction number of syphilis (HIV) is greater than 1, there exists a unique boundary equilibrium of syphilis (HIV), which is locally stable if the invasion number of HIV (syphilis) is less than 1.

    February 3, 2023
    General
    Bulletin of Mathematical Biology

  • HIV Treatment, Antiretroviral Adherence and AIDS Mortality in People Who Inject Drugs: A Scoping Review

    People who inject drugs (PWID) are a key population for the prevention and care of HIV infection. This scoping review covers recent (post-2010) systematic reviews on engagement of PWID in sequential stages of HIV care from uptake, to achieving viral suppression, and to avoiding AIDS-related mortality.

    February 1, 2023
    Treatment
    European Journal of Public Health

  • Longitudinal Patterns of Initiation, Persistence, and Cycling on PrEP Among Female Sex Workers and Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa, 2016–2021

    Female sex workers (FSW) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) face a disproportionately high risk of HIV in South Africa. Oral PrEP can avert new infections, but its effectiveness is linked to consistent use. Early discontinuation of PrEP in this population is high, but less is known about longitudinal patterns of PrEP use, including patterns of re-initiation and cycling.

    February 1, 2023
    PrEP
    AIDS

  • HIV Knowledge Among African Americans Living with HIV in the Rural South: Implications for Improving HIV Prevention and Care Outcomes

    This study examines the HIV knowledge of people living with HIV (PLWH) and its implications for improved healthcare outcomes. The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study, and a total of 41 PLWH were recruited from a larger faith-based anti-stigma study. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SAS. In addition, a literature review was conducted using search engines to gauge existing literature from 2013 to 2022 in areas of HIV knowledge and healthcare outcomes among PLWH.

    February 1, 2023
    General
    Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

  • Equitable Access to PrEP Is Essential To Reap Its Benefits

    One of the most emphatic advances in the global fight against HIV in the past 15 years has been the development and deployment of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—the use of antiretroviral drugs by people without HIV to prevent infection. Together with the expansion of treatment as prevention, PrEP has helped to reduce HIV incidence worldwide, and doubtless mitigated the effects of disruption to HIV services during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

    February 1, 2023
    PrEP
    The Lancet HIV

  • Parental Concerns of Their Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents Using HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

    Although parents of sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents are key stakeholders in SGM adolescents using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), there is limited understanding of parental concerns and attitudes about their SGM adolescents taking PrEP. Fifty-four parents in the West South Central region of the US completed an online, mixed-method, cross-sectional questionnaire to explore their concerns and questions about PrEP.

    February 1, 2023
    PrEP
    AIDS Education and Prevention

  • Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Factors Among HIV Positive Women Attending Antiretroviral Therapy Clinics in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia

    Intimate partner violence against women is a behavior within an intimate relationship that causes sexual, physical, or psychological harm to the women. It occurs among all socioeconomic, religious, and cultural groups in all settings, and affects the health of women, families, and the community at large. Determining the magnitude and determinants of intimate partner violence against HIV positive women could help to design preventive and control strategies.

    February 1, 2023
    General
    BMC Women's Health

  • Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Co-Morbidities in HIV

    This perspective paper offers some reflections on an hypothesized changing scenario of HIV comorbidities in the years to come and provides some insights on how to improve screening and management of people with HIV (PWH) in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era.

    February 1, 2023
    General
    Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS

  • Does Self-Perceived HIV Risk Mediate the Potential Association Between HIV-Related Symbolic Stigma and Sexual Behaviour Among Young Adult Women in Cape Town, South Africa?

    Perception of risk is a central construct of models of health behaviour change as it is assumed to be an intermediate step before adoption of the related safer behaviour. In the context of HIV/AIDS, the literature suggests that psychosocial factors such as stigmatising attitudes related to stereotyping people who contract HIV may influence how people perceive their own risk of HIV infection. However, findings on the relationships between HIV-related stigma, HIV risk perception and sexual behaviour have been inconsistent.

    January 28, 2023
    General
    BMC Public Health

  • Discontinuation of Government Subsidized HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Australia: A Whole-of-Population Analysis of Dispensing Records

    HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been government subsidized in Australia since April 2018 and while uptake is high among men who have sex with men, rates of discontinuation are also high. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of discontinuation on overall PrEP usage, the proportion of PrEP users who discontinue and the predictors of discontinuation.

    January 27, 2023
    PrEP
    Journal of the International AIDS Society

  • Black Heterosexual Men’s Resilience in Times of HIV Adversity: Findings From the “weSpeak” Study

    In Canada, heterosexual African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) men tend to suffer a disproportionate burden of HIV. Consequently, studies have examined the underlying contributors to this disparity through the nexus of behavioral and structural factors. While findings from these studies have been helpful, their use of deficit and risk models only furthers our knowledge of why ACB men are more vulnerable to HIV infection. Thus far, there is a dearth of knowledge on how heterosexual ACB men mobilize protective assets to promote their resilience against HIV infection.

    January 27, 2023
    General
    BMC Public Health

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