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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - December 2013
Viral Load Tests 'Could Transform HIV Treatment Failure'
Dec. 31, 2013- [CAPE TOWN] - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for an increased use of viral load monitoring to improve treatment outcomes of HIV patients, in its latest study on testing in Africa.
In Mali, HIV/AIDS remains shrouded in silence
BAMAKO, Mali, 31 December 2013 - In Mali, HIV and AIDS are still shrouded in silence and stigma. The country reduced 15-49 age group prevalence from 1.7 per cent in 2001 to 0.91 per cent in 2012. But UNICEF Mali Chief of HIV/AIDS Dr. Ndèye Ngoné Touré warns of new challenges ahead. "Mali has just come through a period of conflict that has seen large-scale population movements, as well as rapes," she says. "Drastic prevention measures are needed."
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36,000 people with HIV/AIDS receive ARV therapy throughout 2013
December 31, 2013 - As many as 36,483 people living with HIV/AIDS (ODHA) have received antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in 2013, up from 2,381 in 2005, a senior health official has said.
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A Resisted Pill to Prevent H.I.V.
December 30, 2013 - SAN FRANCISCO - Over a cup of tea at a downtown Starbucks, Michael Rubio recalled how four friends became H.I.V. positive through unprotected sex, all within a year.
Haiti AIDS research clinic wins top global health prize
December 29, 2013 - PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) - A world-renowned clinic in Haiti that has become a leader in global health leading the fight against HIV/AIDS has won a top global health prize.
Op-Ed: Drug-free prisons act ignores evidence
By Julio Montaner and M-J Milloy, Ottawa Citizen
December 29, 2013 - We applaud the decision of Stephen Harper's Conservatives to finally address the long-neglected issue of drug use among people living in Canada's federal penitentiaries. However, his new "Drug-Free Prisons Act" ignores decades of scientific evidence and will be insufficient to reduce the deadly consequences of drug use behind bars.
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Most ID physicians support PrEP but with differing views on practice
December 27, 2013 - Seventy-four percent of respondents supported PrEP. However, only 9% of physicians had actually provided PrEP, and 43% said they had not provided it, but would. Fourteen percent of the physicians said they would not provide PrEP. The most common reasons for not providing PrEP included concerns about adherence and the risk for future resistance, concern about cost and reimbursement, concern about giving potentially toxic drugs to healthy people and a belief that there was insufficient evidence about its efficacy.
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Vancouver Pride: 2013 Legacy Awards, Recipient Bradford McIntyre
Dec 23, 2013 - Bradford McIntyre, recipient of the Pink Pride Legacy Award for Sexuality: Sexual Health, reflects on his life as an AIDS activist.
Vancouver Pride: 2013 Legacy Awards, Recipient Joe Average
Dec 23, 2013 - Recipient of the Turquoise Pride Legacy Award for Art, Joe Average, reflects on his legacy as an artist.
Faster HIV Progression With HIV-1 Type C or D Vs A in African Study
23 December 2013 - Africans recently infected with HIV-1 subtype C or D ran a significantly higher risk of progression to low CD4 count, high viral load, or AIDS than people infected with subtype A, according to results of a prospective cohort study involving almost 600 people.
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New AIDS treatment? Experimental drug blocks HIV from killing immune system cells in lab test
December 20, 2013 - NEW YORK, N.Y. - Can an experimental drug developed to treat epilepsy block the AIDS virus? A preliminary lab study suggests it's possible, and researchers are eager to try it in people.
Scientists experimented with the drug after uncovering details of how they believe HIV cripples the immune system to bring on AIDS.
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Positive Action Canada HIV/AIDS Innovation Program 2013: Grant Recipients
December 19, 2013 - The Positive Action Canada HIV/AIDS Innovation Program promotes innovative projects that use multi-dimensional approaches to optimize the health and well-being of people living long-term with HIV/AIDS
and antiretroviral therapy. The Program, an initiative of ViiV Healthcare Canada, has granted $ 1,960,000 to 205 projects over the past 18 years. Eight community-based HIV/AIDS organizations across Canada shared the $125,000 available in 2013.
Life Expectancy Of Canadians Getting Treatment For HIV Approaching That Of General Population
December 19, 2013 - When HIV first came to widespread awareness in the early 1980s, a diagnosis was considered a near-death sentence. People often died within a few years of infection as their compromised immune system failed to fend off opportunistic viral and bacterial infections.
But according to a new study published yesterday in the journal PLoS One, the life expectancy among those in treatment for the disease is now approaching that of the general population.
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Christmas comes early for AIDS Vancouver
December 18, 2013 - Once bare shelves now full
If the staff and volunteers of AIDS Vancouver didn't believe in Christmas miracles before, they do now.
Heidi Morgan, coordinator of the group's grocery program, said the outpouring of donations and goodwill from the community in recent weeks has been incredible.
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Erasing Gay Men From AIDS History
December 17, 2013 - Kenneth Cole's appearance on Chelsea Lately last week was meant to promote the documentary he produced about the history of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (The Battle of AmFAR).
Instead, the shoe designer insulted gay activists everywhere.
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Inmates need needle-exchange programs and better access to HIV treatment: study
December 16, 2013 - VANCOUVER - Needle exchange programs and increased access to HIV treatment are essential to curb infection rates among Canadian prisoners, says the lead author of a new study calling for immediate action.
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Ken Cole Needs a History Lesson - Sean Strub
December 13, 2013 - I've got news for Ken Cole. Twenty-five years ago, it was almost solely members of the gay community who were speaking up about AIDS. In fact, in 1987, the executive directors of almost all the national lesbian and gay organizations protested government inaction in an act of civil disobedience and got arrested in front of the White House.
UNAIDS calls on India and all countries to repeal laws that criminalize adult consensual same sex sexual conduct
GENEVA/NEW DELHI, 12 December 2013 - UNAIDS urges all governments to protect the human rights of gay and other men who have sex with men, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, through repealing criminal laws against adult consensual same sex sexual conduct; implementing laws to protect them from violence and discrimination; promoting campaigns that address
homophobia and transphobia; and ensuring that adequate health services are provided to address their needs.
HIV treatment in South Africa has had "astounding" benefits
12 December 2013 - The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa has achieved "astounding" results, a mathematical model published in the online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases shows. Each person who started HIV therapy between 2004 and 2011 had an individual gain in life expectancy of 11 to 13 years.
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Shunned by the tribe: HIV/AIDS among American Indians and Alaska Natives
December 12, 2013 - When Isadore Boni was diagnosed with HIV, he was a 35-year-old social worker living and working on the San Carlos Apache reservation in Arizona. A full-blooded Apache, Isadore was shunned by his tribe because of his HIV status. He slept on the streets of Phoenix for two years as he struggled to cope with his illness and the stigma associated with being HIV-positive.
HIV/AIDS returning to the spotlight?
December 12, 2013 - After years of being overshadowed by other issues like marriage equality and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," an issue that decades ago was at the center of the gay rights movement is once again moving to the forefront.
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French Language New HIV Researcher Workshop
December 2013 - CAHR is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the first ever French language New HIV Researcher Workshop. This workshop will be held in partnership with Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative Alliance Coordinating Office and the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity.
Atelier en Langue Française à l'intention des Nouveaux Chercheurs
L'ACRV est heureuse d'annoncer que les inscriptions sont maintenant ouvertes pour le tout premier atelier en langue française à l'intention des nouveaux chercheurs du domaine du VIH. Cet atelier se tiendra en partenariat avec le Bureau de coordination de l'Alliance (BCA) de recherche et de développement de l'Initiative canadienne de vaccin contre le VIH (ICVV) et l'Institut des maladies infectieuses et immunitaires des IRSC.
Launch of Renewed 'Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS'
December 12, 2013 - Leading Together renews the call to action made in Leading Together 2005-2010 and leverages past progress with a renewed commitment. It reflects common goals and allows all Canadians to speak with one collective voice-to lead together.
Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS (2013) – More than 30 years after the first AIDS case was diagnosed, HIV is still with us. Despite progress in both prevention and treatment, HIV remains a serious cause of morbidity, mortality and economic and social disruption. Millions of people around the world have now been infected, including tens of thousands in Canada.
HIV causes structural heart disease, study says
12 December 2013 - Researchers from Spain have shown that HIV causes structural heart disease. These findings support the introduction of cardiovascular screening for all HIV patients, particularly those who have a positive viral load.
UN human rights chief dismayed as India re-criminalizes same-sex relationships
12 December 2013 - The United Nations human rights chief today voiced her disappointment at the re-criminalization of consensual same-sex relationships in India, calling it "a significant step backwards" for the country.
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Gay sex: Body blow to fight against HIV/AIDS
Dec 12, 2013 - CHENNAI/MUMBAI/DELHI: - The Supreme Court's decision to reinstate a colonial-era ban on gay sex is not just a blow to homosexual rights, but also to HIV/AIDS medical intervention programmes, say doctors.
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HIV Drug Therapy in the Americas 2014
December 2013 - 7 - 10 May 2014
- Royal Tulip Hotel -,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
We are delighted that the next HIV in the Americas Congress will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil between 7 - 10 May 2014. This meeting will bring together a scientific programme to explore through plenary sessions, discussion and networking issues of particular relevance to the region. Faculty will be drawn both from within the region and from international experts.
New Executive Director appointed at the Global Network of People Living with HIV
December 11, 2013 - Today, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) announces the appointment of Suzette Moses-Burton, who joins the organization as the Executive Director on 6 January 2014.
The POZ 100: Celebrating Unsung Heroes
December 2013 - This year's POZ 100 is made up of 100 HIV-positive unsung heroes from around the country who are committed to ending the epidemic.
AbbVie Demonstrates 96 percent SVR 12 in its Phase III Study of Treatment-Experienced Patients with Genotype 1 Hepatitis C
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 10, 2013 - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) released phase III results for the investigational three direct-acting-antiviral (3D) regimen plus ribavirin in patients with chronic, genotype 1 (GT1) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
HIV now: why human rights matter more than ever
Published 10 December 2013 - We are living in an extraordinary moment in the HIV response. Advances in science, implementation, community engagement and political support have led to unprecedented optimism and measurable declines in new forms of HIV infections in many communities, populations and affected countries.
Senator Coons introduces bill to fight discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS
December 10, 2011 - WASHINGTON - REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act would encourage states to repeal outdated laws
U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation on Tuesday aimed at helping end stigma, discrimination, and stereotypes that negatively impact Americans living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV in the United States: At A Glance
December 2013 - CDC estimates that 1,144,500 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 180,900 (15.8%) who are unaware of their infection.
Ending the AIDS epidemic is a matter of human rights
10 December 2013 - Press Statement - Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
I believe we can end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. This is a goal we should all aspire to--but it can only happen if the human rights of all people vulnerable to and living with HIV are realized.
New report shows gaps in HIV research for women, trans people
Dec.10, 2013 - HALIFAX - It says even though advances have been made in HIV research, the number of women and transgendered people with HIV is on the rise and there are gaps in HIV research.
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CAHR 2014 - Community Scholarship Application Is Open
December 2013 - Information on the CAHR Community Scholarship
Are you a person living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, or do you work or volunteer in the HIV/AIDS community? Attending CAHR 2014 is an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in, and evidence presented from current HIV research, and to share your lived experience.
Atlanta Hosts "A Day with HIV" Art Exhibit
Dec.9, 2013 - The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's Central Library location in downtown Atlanta invites all to the exhibition "A Day With HIV," to raise awareness and educate local communities about HIV, testing and prevention, and to contribute to changing perceptions surrounding HIV.
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Namibia leads in HIV battle
Dec 9, 2013 - Namibia is one of the leading countries in Africa and the world when it comes to fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.
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Meeting Nelson Mandela inspired AIDS activist
By: Julio Montaner - Dec 08 2013 - Henry Luyombya, who has been fighting the stigma around HIV/AIDS, draws inspiration from a meeting with Nelson Mandela in 2003.
Luyombya, 33, has been waging his own campaign against the immunodeficiency disease for most of his life. His efforts earned him a meeting with Mandela in 2003.
Young Boy Born With HIV Who Inspired Mandela
12/08/2013 - Nelson Mandela said Nkosi Johnson was an icon for bravely talking about disease in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela's activism remembered at AIDS and STIs conference
CAPE TOWN, 9 December 2013 (IRIN) - AIDS conference opening ceremonies are usually a buzzing cacophony of noise, protest and activity. But the 17th International Conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Africa, held in Cape Town, South Africa, has kicked off on a more sombre note. The death of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and noted AIDS activist, had speakers at the opening ceremony reflecting on his contribution to the global AIDS response.
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Outrage, scepticism at Uganda U-turn on LGBTI clinics
KAMPALA, 9 December 2013 (IRIN) - Eighteen months after slamming activists who opened a clinic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in Kampala, Uganda's health ministry has decided it was a good idea after all and has begun setting up similar facilities, prompting outrage from the Ministry for Ethics and Integrity and scepticism from some in civil society.
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Growing old with HIV: the long-term care challenge
Dec. 8, 2013 - George is one of the lucky ones. As a 65-year-old man living with HIV, he once thought he would be dead by now. But the news isn't all good.
At a time when his boomer peers are retiring, selling homes and flipping through travel guides, George and his partner, who also has the disease, face an escalating number of health crises more common to people decades older, and with nearly depleted financial resources to deploy. "That hope isn't there for me," says George of his old-age plans.
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Beware of AIDS cure wonder drugs
Dec. 8, 2013 - To date, no vaccine or cure has been found but immense strides have been made in developing effective treatment. Currently, antiretroviral
drugs are the only known and proven treatment for HIV infection.
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Aggressive HIV subtype leads faster to AIDS
December 7, 2013 - A newly discovered subtype of the HIV virus in West Africa causes a quicker progression into AIDS than other varieties of the virus known worldwide, according to Swedish research.
Swedish researchers at Lund University have now found that a recombinant of two subtypes of the HIV-1 virus causes a much quicker progression to AIDS than the most common subtypes.
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Readers share memories of loved ones lost to AIDS
December 7, 2013 - Dozens of readers wrote us to share their memories of the early years of the AIDS epidemic in Vancouver, and to share thoughts about their
loved ones for our AIDS Faces online gallery.
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Nancy Wong helps connects Ethical Bean Coffee to AIDS Vancouver as part of 30 Days Of Kindness
Published on Dec 6, 2013 - Nancy Wong heard the call for help and began a short journey to Ethical Bean which just donated 400lbs of coffee to the AIDS Vancouver Grocery program. Way to go Nancy & Ethical Bean.
IGLHRC Mourns the Death of Nelson Mandela
December 6, 2013 - Statement by Jessica Stern, Executive Director
Nelson Mandela's death yesterday is an enormous loss to all of us, but his life and legacy were incomparable gifts to the world.
HIV virus returns after cure hope rose
December 06, 2013 - 2 Boston patients had transplants of marrow, halted powerful drugs
Boston researchers are reporting the return of the HIV virus in two patients who had become virus-free after undergoing bone marrow transplants, dashing hopes of a possible cure that had generated widespread excitement.
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How Nelson Mandela changed the Aids agenda in South Africa
6 December 2013 - Mandela's intervention at the international conference in Durban in 2000 was a watershed moment that marked the beginning of his total commitment to the fight against HIV/Aids
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Nelson Mandela's address at International AIDS Conferences
Published on Dec 6, 2013 - Nelson Mandela's address at the closing ceremony of the XIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2000) in Durban, South Africa in 2000 and at the closing ceremony of the XV International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2004) in Bangkok, Thailand in 2004.
Julio Montaner says it's "mind-boggling" that feds won't adopt Treatment as Prevention to fight HIV
Dec 6, 2013 - One of Canada's leading authorites on AIDS, Dr. Julio Montaner, says that Canada is basically "looking the other way" when it comes to implementing a federal strategy on HIV.
During a presentation in Vancouver today (December 6), Montaner noted that B.C. has seen dramatically declining trends in new HIV infections under its Treatment as Prevention strategy, compared to increases in new infections in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
amfAR Mourns the Loss
of Former South African President Nelson Mandela
NEW YORK, December 6, 2013 - We must act now for the sake of the world . AIDS is no longer a disease, it is a human rights issue."
Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and longtime HIV/AIDS activist, passed away on Thursday, December 5, 2013. He was 95.
HIV/AIDS infection rate in Prince George drug users among highest in Canada
Dec. 6, 2013 - Prince George has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection among injection drug users in Canada, according to a new national study.
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International AIDS Society (IAS) Statement:
The IAS mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela
December 6, 2013 - The International AIDS Society today pays tribute to the extraordinary life of former ANC leader and South African President Nelson Mandela and the inspiration he provided in focusing global attention on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in his homeland, in sub-Saharan Africa and globally.
Unusual and rare complication described in San Francisco
5 Dec. 2013 - Doctors in this city have reported an unusual and rare finding-an apparently harmless but disfiguring condition called cutis verticis gyrata (CVG) on the heads of four HIV-positive men. In CVG, the
skin on the head becomes raised in parts and depressed in others, forming ridges and furrows. What appears to be unique about the San Francisco report is that CVG has not been previously reported in HIV-positive people.
HIV Activist Shares His Experiences with Facing AIDS Initiative
December 4, 2013 | Guest Blog - Editors Note: Bradford McIntyre, an HIV activist who runs the "Positively Positive: Living with HIV" website in Canada (www.PositivelyPositive.ca) has participated in AIDS.gov's #FacingAIDS initiative for four years. We asked him how he heard about the initiative, how he uses it in his work, and what Facing AIDS means to him.
How did you first hear about Facing AIDS?
Always on the lookout for HIV/AIDS-related materials on the internet, I discovered Facing AIDS in 2009 through the HIV.gov website and began including both HIV.gov and Facing AIDS in the “links and resources” section and throughout my own HIV/AIDS website.
The International AIDS Society's CIPHER Initiative Launches Innovative Online Paediatric HIV Cohort Database and Grants US$500,000 to Start Global Paediatric HIV Cohort Collaboration
4 December 2013 (Geneva, Switzerland) - On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2013, the IAS's Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) is launching an online Paediatric HIV Database and granting US$500,000 for a global paediatric HIV cohort collaboration.
New HIV Infection Rate in 2012 at 2.3 Million, a 33% Drop Since 2001
03 December 2013 - In 2012 an estimated 2.3 million people across the world became infected with HIV. That annual HIV incidence represents a 33% decline since 2001. New HIV infections among children fell
to 260,000 in 2012, a 52% fall since 2001. These updated estimates and many others appear in AIDS by the Numbers, a UNAIDS report issued for World AIDS Day 2013.
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Targeted radioactive bomb might clean out AIDS virus, study finds
Dec. 3, 2013 - A radioactive smart bomb might help mop up the last bits of AIDS virus hiding out in a patient's body, even getting into the brain, researchers reported Tuesday.
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Canada's Offer to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS Falls Short
December 3, 2013 - The Global Fund has set a target of $15 billion in funding. We cannot afford to miss this target.
Given these circumstances, Canada's newly announced contributions are not nearly enough, especially when compared to our international peers. This newest pledge is equal to approximately $6 per Canadian per year, far less than the nearly $8 per UK citizen and $10 per Nordic citizen.
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How AIDS has changed: Chat with leading experts and an HIV-positive Canadian
December 2, 2013 - Imagine that you have AIDS.
Now, what does this mean for the average Canadian? Is there a stigma attached? What treatments are available? How different would your experience be now as opposed to, say, 30 years ago?
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Key Found To Restoring 'Exhausted' HIV-Fighting Immune Cells
12/02/2013 - Protein could prove a promising new drug target
Researchers have identified a protein that causes loss of function in immune cells combatting HIV. The scientists report in a paper appearing online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that the protein, Sprouty-2, is a promising target for future HIV drug development, since disabling it could help restore the cells' ability to combat the virus that causes AIDS.
2013 Love Is In My Blood Winter Dinner
Published on Dec 2, 2013 - On the eve of World AIDS Day, Saturday 30 November, television host Graham Norton hosted The Love is in My Blood Winter Dinner to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation at the Grey Goose Fly Beyond Bar, on Shaftesbury Avenue in London.
Canada increases donations to fight HIV, malaria and tuberculosis
December 2, 2013 - Canada is increasing its contribution to the Global Fund established to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by more than 20 per cent.
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AIDS: So close to a cure
Dec.1, 2013 - Vancouver at centre of research as AIDS turned from deadly epidemic to manageable condition
From a crowded office at Vancouver's St. Paul's hospital, Dr. Julio Montaner likes to track his progress, and the progress of the disease that for 30 years has been the focus of his life.
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Made-in-Canada HIV strategy embraced internationally - but not here
By: Julio Montaner - Dec 01 2013 - A made-in-Canada strategy for fighting HIV/AIDS is being embraced internationally, but Ottawa refuses to adopt it.
As Canadians, we should be proud on World AIDS Day that our country is the birthplace of a pioneering strategy that significantly reduces HIV transmission rates, improves and saves the lives of those infected, and saves public health dollars. At the same time, it's shameful that this scientifically proven program - supported by the government of British Columbia - is being adopted internationally but not in Canada.
WORLD AIDS DAY 2013:
The Shaun Proulx Show
December 1, 2013 - Outspoken media personality Shaun Proulx publicly discloses for the first time on CBC radio that he was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2005 and travels to meet a man who was married with two children in the 1980's when he learned he was HIV-positive.
WORLD AIDS DAY 2013 - Bradford McIntyre
December 1, 2013 - See We Are All Connected!
Whether You are affected by, or infected with HIV, we must cross those boundaries of Fear and Discrimination.
In Loving Memory Of All The People We Have Lost To AIDS
Teen aims to reduce HIV rates among aboriginal youth
Dec.1, 2013 - Aboriginal people in Canada are 31/2 times more likely than non-aboriginals to contract HIV.
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