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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - May 2014
UN backlash as Uganda's 'anti-gay' minister heads for human rights top job
31 May 2014 - Questions are being asked about the suitability of appointing Sam Kutesa to lead 'world parliament' after his attack on homosexuality in his home country
The United Nations is facing a chorus of criticism over the inauguration as president of its general assembly of Uganda's foreign minister, just four months after that country enforced a brutal and widely denounced anti-gay law.
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As Many As 400 Get Infected With HIV Everyday In Uganda
May 31, 2014 - Kampala - The Uganda Aids Commission has called for collaborative efforts to curb the increasing HIV prevalence in the country.
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Top 25 Cities with HIV/AIDS
May 31, 2014 - HIV RATES Per 100,000/Cumulative number of cases
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Second analysis concludes that treatment doesn't eliminate the long-term risk of HIV transmission
31 May 2014 - A mathematical model that estimates the risk of HIV transmission from someone taking antiretroviral therapy reports that, on the basis of the few transmissions from heterosexual partners on treatment that have been reported, it is impossible to
dismiss the risk of infection as zero.
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HIV has Become Stronger
May 31, 2014 - The research results, published Friday in the journal AIDS, demonstrate that these aggressive variants of HIV are adapted to the most common genetic profiles of the population, which limits the
response of the immune system and therefore favors rapid progression of HIV infection to AIDS. These data explain the evolution of the HIV in Europe, affecting 35.3 million people worldwide according to the World Health Organization even though between
2001 and 2012 transfers were reduced by 33 %, according UNAIDS. "We observed that HIV is getting slowly stronger. It is necessary to insist on the prevention of HIV infection, and facilitate early detection and rapid access to treatment, " the study authors have indicated.
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Discriminating against Brendan Bain
May 31, 2014 - The dismissal of Prof Brendan Bain as director of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Network has continued to trigger debate, with each faction pushing their position.
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Michel Sidibé, leading HIV advocate, receives honorary doctorate of science from UBC
May 30, 2014 - Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and pioneer
in HIV prevention and treatment throughout the world, recently received an honorary doctorate of science from UBC.
Breaking News: Governor Terry Branstad signs historic HIV bill into law
May 30, 2014 - DES MOINES - Today, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed a historic HIV bill that will impact Iowans living with HIV and AIDS, making Iowa the first state in the nation to reform HIV criminalization statute. There are currently 34 other states in the U.S. with HIV specific criminal laws
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Nashville ranks 22nd for highest number of HIV, AIDS cases
May 30, 2014 - NASHVILLE, Tenn - Nashville has been added to a list of the top 25 cities in the United States with the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases.
Editorial: AIDS ward closing merits celebration
May 30, 2014 - However, Ottawa has yet to learn from Vancouver's experience
Repurposing the dedicated AIDS ward at St. Paul's Hospital is as much a milestone on the eternal road to greater tolerance and understanding as it is the marker for a triumph of modern medicine in the face of a viral scourge that once engendered a sense of hopelessness.
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The Normal Heart
05/30/2014 - We now have Bob Rafsky, Peter Staley, and TAG's story on film thanks to David France's excellent documentary How to Survive A Plague. We have Ron Woodruff and Dallas Buyers Club. We have United in Anger, The Hours,
Angels in America, Parting Glances, Longtime Companion, and Philadelphia. There are smaller films like We Were Here, Deep South, and Sex Positive. The indie film Kids has an excellent HIV backstory, and television brought us In the Gloaming, An Early Frost, and now The Normal Heart.
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1982 - 1992 News Clips On HIV/AIDS (The First Ten Years)
Published on May 29, 2014
Michel Sidibè, Executive Director, UNAIDS speaking in Vancouver
Published on May 29, 2014 - Ending AIDS: How can we leverage solidarity, science and momentum to reach the next milestone in global health?
Top HIV/AIDS researcher Dr. Julio Montaner slams Ottawa for ignoring B.C.'s successful treatment
05/29/14 - The director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS helped shape the pioneering treatments that have cut AIDS cases so sharply that the ward is no longer necessary. But he remains
frustrated that B.C.'s proven strategy, dubbed treatment as prevention, isn't being adopted elsewhere in Canada.
He blames Ottawa for failing to lead the fight against what he considers a national epidemic.
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ObamaCare insurers accused of overcharging for HIV/AIDS drugs
05/29/14 - They say the way drug pricing is structured, people with HIV and AIDS would have to pay more than $1,000 a month for their treatments. Some plans are also requiring prior authorization or
approval by the plan for HIV drugs, the groups allege.
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HIV/AIDS cases on the rise in Yei River
May 29th, 2014 - Mr. Issa said they have recorded over 2,000 HIV positive cases in Yei in the last two months.
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SF group designates day for long-term AIDS survivors
05.29.14 - A San Francisco-based group has designated a special day to recognize long-term AIDS survivors that it hopes will become a yearly event.
The inaugural National HIV/AIDS Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day will take place June 5. Its theme is "We're Still Here" in recognition of those, both HIV-positive and HIV-negative, who survived through the trauma of the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s.
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Complainants say health insurers used high drug co-pays to discourage people with HIV/AIDS from enrolling
05.29.14 - A complaint being filed with the federal government says some Florida health insurance companies are discriminating against people with HIV/AIDS.
A Vancouver hospital ward once so stigmatized it was only referred to by code name has been transformed from an AIDS-dedicated centre now the illness has been "virtually controlled" in the province.
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New campaign aims to improve healthcare access for HIV patients
May 29, 2014 - T3ayosh wants to prevent the discrimination it says HIV patients face in the healthcare industry
Sara sat in labour at a Cairo hospital demanding a basic right: giving birth. Doctors turned her away because she was an HIV positive. "I know my rights," she told the doctors, "I am not leaving."
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New "90-90-90" targets for controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexico City, 28 May 2014 (PAHO/WHO-UNAIDS) - Countries pledge to increase to 90% the proportion of people who know they have HIV, the proportion on antiretroviral treatment, and the proportion with suppressed viral load
In a new move to jointly address the HIV epidemic and improve the lives of people living with the virus, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and partner organizations have established new targets for expanding diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment (ART) and reducing patients' viral loads by the year 2020.
Got HIV? You Need to Take Vitamin D
May 28, 2014 - Sure, meds are crucial. But this one little nutrient can literally save your life.
As more and more studies show that vitamin D is perhaps the most important nutrient in your diet (it is linked with bone health, cancer prevention, and lowered risks of heart disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis), it's also
becoming clearer that most Americans are not getting enough of this key nutrient.
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HIV drug resistance test earns top honors at Deans' Challenge
May 28, 2014 - HIV is now considered a chronic but manageable infection with the proper medication, but 10% of patients every year develop resistance to the drugs they are prescribed.
Stigma, discrimination driving HIV epidemic in Caribbean - PANCAP
May 28, 2014 - The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) has affirmed that Professor Brendan Bain's testimony in the Orozco vs AG Belize (2012) case is not consistent with its goals to reduce stigma and eliminate discrimination
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Syphilis outbreak ramps up in Alaska
May 28, 2014 - New data released Monday underscores concerns of public health officials about a growing syphilis outbreak in Alaska that is linked to an uptick in HIV cases.
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Vancouver closes the doors of its last AIDS Ward-opening new opportunities
28 May 2014 - They called it Ward 10C. Never "the AIDS ward." But it was understood that this was the place where patients went if they had HIV. Stigma and despair overshadowed the limited medical
interventions that could be provided. Opened in 1997, the ward saw an average of one AIDS-related death every day during its darkest days.
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Illinois governor's office warns ACA health insurance plans against HIV/AIDS discrimination
May 28, 2014 - CHICAGO - Announcement sets stage for better HIV medication coverage in 2015
In a statement issued on May 23 , Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) Director Andrew Boron informs insurers that the department will not permit health
insurance plans that discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS to be sold on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace in 2015.
Vancouver hospital AIDS ward transformed by treatment advances
May 28, 2014 - Vancouver - A Vancouver hospital ward once so stigmatized it was only referred to by code name has been transformed from an AIDS-dedicated centre now the illness has been "virtually controlled" in the province.
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Forefront Special Presentation: UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé
Vancouver, B.C. (May 27, 2014) - A Special Presentation by the Executive Director of UNAIDS
Tuesday May 27th from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Junior Ballroom at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre,
1088 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is pleased to host United Nations Under-Secretary-General Michel Sidibé on Tuesday May 27th for a Special Presentation as part of the Forefront Lecture Series.
The International AIDS Society announces the appointment of new Executive Director
Tuesday, 27 May, 2014 -(Geneva, Switzerland) - The International AIDS Society (IAS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Owen Ryan as its new Executive Director
and head of the IAS secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Model shows potential for substantial long-term HIV risk for serodifferent couples, even with new prevention tools
27 May 2014 - Model may contain pessimistic assumptions about efficacy of PrEP, antiretroviral treatment and condoms
A mathematical model derived from current knowledge about the efficacy of various different prevention strategies has found that, based on these data, the risk of HIV transmission from a person living with HIV to an HIV-negative partner in a serodifferent couple could still be substantial over a ten-year period.
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Closing of Vancouver hospital's AIDS ward is symbolic of progress
May. 27 2014 - Vancouver - For more than a decade, Ward 10C was ground zero in Canada's struggle against the AIDS epidemic.
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Mindfulness-based therapy found helpful for stress and the immune system
27 May 2014 - Since 1996, the widespread availability of potent combination anti-HIV therapy (commonly called ART or HAART) in high-income countries such as
Canada, Australia, the U.S. and in Western Europe has had an enormous impact on the health of many HIV-positive people. Deaths from AIDS-related illness are now uncommon among people who begin ART
early in the course of HIV disease and who are engaged in their care and treatment. Furthermore, the most recent calculations by researchers suggest that the life expectancy of some ART users
is very likely to exceed 80 years. This increase in life expectancy is the subject of a future CATIE News bulletin.
Vancouver's St Paul's Hospital repurposes its dedicated AIDS ward
May 27, 2014 - Ward 10C still an option for HIV-positive people, says Positive Living chair
St Paul's Hospital's Ward 10C, opened in 1997 at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Vancouver, will no longer serve as a dedicated AIDS ward. It is instead being repurposed to serve people
living with the virus and related illnesses, the BC government announced May 27.
Ending AIDS: how can we leverage solidarity, science and momentum to reach the next milestone in global health?
Vancouver, May 27, 2014 - Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS did a special lecture in Vancouver on Ending AIDS: how can we leverage solidarity, science and momentum to reach the next milestone in global health?
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi: A life dedicated to beating Aids
27 May 2014 - In the early, frantic confusion of the Aids crisis, as doctors and patients scrabbled for answers, desperate to grasp what was smothering the immune systems of the young and fit, there was, in 1983,
a turning point, a pivot on which the rest of the pandemic would hinge: the discovery of HIV.
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Leading the way in the fight against AIDS (Press Conference)
May 27, 2014 - VANCOUVER - An AIDS-free B.C. is in sight, as Premier Christy Clark along with UN undersecretary and executive director for UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, and Dr. Julio Montaner, director for the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and Health Minister Terry Lake announced that ward 10C at St. Paul's Hospital will no longer be used as a dedicated AIDS ward.
Leading the way in the fight against AIDS
Vancouver, May 27, 2014 - An AIDS-free B.C. is in sight, as Premier Christy Clark along with UN undersecretary and executive director for UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, and Dr. Julio Montaner, director for the
BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and Health Minister Terry Lake announced that ward 10C at St. Paul's Hospital will no longer be used as a dedicated AIDS ward.
At the Repurposing of AIDS Ward Event Vancouver Artist Living with HIV Presents Painting on his Struggle, Survival, and Success
Vancouver, B.C. (May 27, 2014) - Vancouver artist living with HIV, Tiko Kerr, presented a painting today to Dr. Julio Montaner, the Director of BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, at the St. Paul’s Hospital announcement that Vancouver is the first city in the world to repurpose its AIDS ward.
The St. Paul’s Hospital inpatient AIDS Ward, known as 10-C, was opened in February 1997 during the peak of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the city, when approximately one person was dying of AIDS every day. Because of BC innovations like triple drug therapy and Treatment as Prevention®, individuals with HIV are being diagnosed and treated earlier, and has resulted in a significant decrease of AIDS related morbidity and mortality in Vancouver. Patients living with HIV will continue to receive world-leading treatment and care as the focus of the ward will expand to incorporate treatment of other chronic health issues, such as viral hepatitis and addiction.
Tiko Kerr Presents Painting at the Repurposing of AIDS Ward Event in Vancouver
Published on May 27, 2014 - At the Repurposing of AIDS Ward Event Vancouver Artist Living with HIV Presents Painting on his Struggle, Survival, and Success.
British Columbia Student's New Method for Diagnosing HIV in Newborns wins Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada
May 26, 2014 - OTTAWA - 2014 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) Highlights Newest Crop of Young Scientists
A novel method of HIV detection for newborns under the age of 18 months and for adults before three months post-transmission earned a grade 10, British Columbia student top national honours May 23, 2014 in the 2014 "Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada" (SBCC).
Remembering Melbourne's HIV/AIDS History
May 26, 2014 - In July close to 18,000 delegates will meet in Melbourne for the 20th International AIDS conference. To coincide with the conference, the George Paton Gallery will be presenting
Transmissions: Archiving HIV/AIDS-Melbourne 1979-2014, curated by Michael Graf and Russell Walsh. The central theme of the exhibition is the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Melbourne from 1979 to the present day.
Kenya: Can the HIV epidemic be curbed?
26 May 2014 - Homa Bay hospital in the late 1990s was a scene of despondency, its wards crowded with people ravaged by AIDS. "There was virtually no space in the medical wards, even beside or under
the beds," remembers Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), then head of mission. "Each space was occupied by a skinny and obviously terminally ill AIDS patient or their caretaker. Overwhelmed and demoralized staffs were encouraging families to take their loved ones home to die."
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Justin Bieber donates $545,000 to charity
25 May, 2014 - Justin Bieber donated $545,000 to AIDS/HIV at the amfAR's 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala on Thursday night.
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Elton John: A call to action on AIDS
May 25, 2014 - CNN - "The Normal Heart," written by my friend, the brilliant playwright Larry Kramer, and based on his story during the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, tells a tale that many of us lived through, and many others did not survive. It's as relevant today as an HBO
movie as when it premiered on the stage in New York City in 1985.
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Now, take daily pills to prevent HIV
May 25, 2014 - Mumbai: A single daily pill may help prevent HIV. And in America, gay men who have lost countless loved ones to AIDS can't stop fighting about it.
Much of the debate has played out on the Internet and social media as tempers flare over promiscuity, erratic condom use and the potential to either eliminate or worsen the stubborn HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has killed 36 million people worldwide in the past three decades.
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HIV cases up by 28 percent
May 25, 2014 - CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: The National Youth Commission (NYC) says Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is rising 'fast and furious' among youngsters in the country.
"We are very alarmed by the steady increase in HIV infection among young people. In the March 2014 AIDS Registry, 28 per cent of new cases are from the 15 to 24 age group.
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65% of HIV-positive people use condoms consistently - study
May 25, 2014 - Kampala - A study conducted by North West University in South Africa in the Population Research and Training Unit shows that 65 per cent of people living with HIV/Aids in Uganda use condoms consistently.
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For 30 years, Julie Lewis has defied her death sentence
May 25 2014 - Thirty years ago, Julie Lewis was diagnosed with HIV and given just a few years to live. Today, she's the proud mother of three children - one of them pop/rap star Ryan Lewis - and she's starting a foundation to combat the disease in the developing world.
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Film of Larry Kramer's Landmark AIDS Drama The Normal Heart Premieres on HBO
25 May 2014 - Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, the gripping drama that documents the dawn of the AIDS crisis in New York City, premieres on HBO May 25 at 9 PM. Julia Roberts, Matt Bomer, Mark Ruffalo and Jim Parsons star.
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From 1980s Waynesboro Childhood With HIV to Educator
May 25, 2014 - Shawn Decker got HIV from a blood transfusion while growing up in Waynesboro in the 1980s. It was a traumatic time. Today, Decker and his wife are HIV educators.
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HIV in the 80s: A boy's story
May 25, 2014 - Looming over everything in the second half of the 1980s was a giant shadow cast by AIDS and HIV, dominating media, popular culture and the medical community. People
across the country were touched by it - by the fear and the panic, or by the horrified sympathy for the sick and dying, or by the consuming drive to find an effective way to slow or stop the disease. Its reach would not bypass the Valley.
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The invisible generation - why are the deaths of adolescents living with HIV being forgotten?
24/05/2014 - New coalition calls for urgent response to expand treatment and care for adolescents living with HIV
The World Health Organization released a report last week that reveals HIV is the second leading cause of death amongst adolescents aged 10-19 globally, and the number one cause in Africa.[1] Adolescents are increasingly dying at a time when HIV-related deaths are decreasing for all other age groups.
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Consensus reached on new HIV treatment and prevention targets in eastern and southern Africa
23 May 2014 - Participants attending a two-day consultative workshop held on 19 and 20 May in Johannesburg, South Africa, agreed to set new targets for 2020 and 2030 to scale up access to HIV treatment and
prevention programmes in eastern and southern Africa. This consultation followed a call from the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board in December 2013 for UNAIDS to support countries to develop new targets for the HIV response beyond 2015.
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HIV vaccine trial appears to have led to higher HIV rates
5/23/2014 - To date, none of the trials have shown that any of the vaccines can produce significant immunity in a number of people against infection with HIV.
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God Loves Uganda shows how American evangelicals exported homophobia to Africa
May 23 2014 - For documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, Uganda is a country afflicted. But HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, and other physical ailments are not what concern Williams the most; for him, the true epidemic
threatening this land and its people is far more insidious-a plague of the spirit. "I love Uganda," intones a weary, accented voice at the opening of God Loves Uganda, which was broadcast earlier this week on PBS and is now available on iTunes and Netflix.
"It's a very loving country, a caring country. But, something frightening is happening that has the potential to destroy Uganda . and it is coming from the outside." As images of white hands being fervently laid on dark-skinned children flash across
the screen, the outside threat becomes clear: ultra-conservative American evangelicalism.
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A vivid 1983 reminder of initial AIDS scare
May 23, 2014 - Geoffrey Cowley, national writer for msnbc, looks back at the Today Show's 1983 interview with playwright and activist Larry Kramer during the initial AIDS epidemic.
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Let's Kick ASS PSA featuring National HIV/AIDS Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day June 5
May 23, 2014 from Let's Kick (ASS) - We're so excited! Let's Kick ASS is proud to premiere our new PSA.
Real Talk: Undetectable-The New Negative?
May 23, 2014 - More than 100 participants packed an auditorium on May 20 for San Francisco AIDS Foundation's latest Real Talk forum on HIV prevention strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral treatment as prevention.
Drug-resistant HIV pandemic is a 'real possibility', expert claims
May 23, 2014 - A new HIV pandemic is "a real possibility", one of the world's leading authorities on infectious disease has said, warning that a rise of drug resistant strains of the virus could "reverse progress made
since the 1980s" in combating the disease.
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Study says fans headed to Brazil risk getting infectious diseases
May 23, 2014 - The good news is that the infection risks are largely preventable if fans get vaccinated where appropriate and take other simple precautions, he said. That might even include packing condoms for potential encounters in a country of "beautiful people" and relatively widespread HIV.
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Many HIV Patients Not Meeting LDL Cholesterol Goals
May 23, 2014 - While the majority of HIV patients with dyslipidemia or hypertension are treated, a significant percentage still do not have adequate control, according to a study published online April 11 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
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The invisible generation - why are the deaths of adolescents living with HIV being forgotten?
May 23, 2014 - New coalition calls for urgent response to expand treatment and care for adolescents living with HIV
The World Health Organization released a report last week that reveals HIV is the second leading cause of death amongst adolescents aged 10-19 globally, and the number one cause in Africa. [1] Adolescents are increasingly dying at a time when HIV-related deaths are decreasing for all other age groups.
amfAR's CINEMA AGAINST AIDS GALA RAISES A RECORD-BREAKING $35 MILLION FOR RESEARCH TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS AND TO HELP FIND A CURE
ANTIBES, FRANCE - May 23, 2014 - EVENT SPONSORED BY WORLDVIEW ENTERTAINMENT, BOLD FILMS, BVLGARI, MERCEDES-BENZ and THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The 21st annual Cinema Against AIDS raised a record $35 million last night, helping amfAR in its continued fight against HIV/AIDS. The star-studded black-tie event was held at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and was
presented by Worldview Entertainment, Bold Films, and BVLGARI.
After anti-gay law, new bill threatens fight against HIV in Uganda
After anti-gay law, new bill threatens fight against HIV in Uganda
23 May 2014 - Three months after it was signed by President Yoweri Museveni, the real implications of Uganda's controversial anti-gay law are starting to be truly felt by the international aid community.
Donors have cut or redirected aid, some implementers and health workers have been subject to raids and harassment, and a growing number of members within the country's LGBT community are finding it more difficult to get treatment against HIV and AIDS.
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The Normal Heart's Matt Bomer Won't Let You Look Away
May 23, 2014 - He's one of cable TV's biggest stars, but when heartthrob Matt Bomer traded in his White Collar to star in The Normal Heart, he gave an HIV-positive performance unparalleled in cinema history.
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Criminalizing HIV: A Step Backwards In The Fight Against HIV/AIDS
May 23, 2014 - The universal goal of combating HIV/AIDS from the center stage of the global community remains far from reaching as 2015 millennium development goal six draws closer. While some countries have shown progressive
results in the fight against the spread of HIV, many more have demonstrate low commitment in addressing the HIV epidemic; a situation which continues to thwart the effort of achieving the global target.
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Men living with HIV have a lower risk of prostate cancer
22 May 2014 - Incidence of prostate cancer is significantly lower among men living with HIV, investigators from California report in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
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The Normal Heart does far more than preach to converted
May 22, 2014 - Ryan Murphy's film The Normal Heart, which has its exclusive Canadian screening at the Inside Out Festival on May 23 prior to its premiere on HBO Canada on May 25, is an important work for several reasons.
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The Caribbean and Africa: working together to end the AIDS epidemic
21 May 2014 - High-level officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union (AU), along with selected ministers of health from both regions, met in Geneva, Switzerland, this week
to explore the role of shared responsibility and the global solidarity agenda in ending the AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean. The dialogue, held on 20 May and convened by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, examined the first steps in developing a Caribbean road map towards such shared responsibility.
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Tenofovir HIV PrEP causes no long-term harm to kidneys
Modest declines in kidney function reversed when PrEP discontinued
21 May 2014 - HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir is associated with mild disturbances in kidney function that resolve when treatment is stopped, investigators report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study, in Thailand, involved people who inject drugs who took PrEP for up to five years. Daily tenofovir therapy was associated with small decreases in key measures of kidney function - creatinine clearance and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) - but these reversed after stopping PrEP.
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Social stigma puts Vietnam's gay men at higher risk of HIV/AIDS
May 21, 2014 - Vietnam: Despite the government's pro-gay stance, society's marginalizing and prejudice against men who have sex with men put them at a greater risk of contracting HIV, says UNAIDS.
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Alberta-Reducing deaths by strengthening the HIV Treatment Cascade
May 21, 2014 - In Canada and other high-income countries, deaths from AIDS-related illnesses have decreased dramatically since the arrival of potent combination
anti-HIV therapy (commonly called ART or HAART) in the mid-to-late 1990s. The benefits of ART are so tremendous that researchers in high-income countries expect that young adults who become infected today and who are diagnosed and begin treatment shortly thereafter and are engaged in their care and who do not have serious co-existing health issues are likely to live into their 70s.
Defuse Hepatitis C, the Viral Time Bomb: Test and Treat Hepatitis C
May 21, 2014 - Position Paper for the 67th World Health assembly, May 19-24, 2014
The World Health Organization (WHO) has referred to hepatitis C as a "viral time bomb."
Globally, an estimated 185 million people have been infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Since 2010, more than a million of them have died from HCV-related liver disease, although hepatitis C is treatable and curable. Since 2010, nine to twelve million people have become infected with hepatitis C, although it is preventable.
CDC Launches New Campaign - Start Talking. Stop HIV.
- For Gay and Bisexual Men
May 21, 2014 - Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launches the latest communication campaign under its Act Against AIDS initiative - Start Talking. Stop HIV. This
new national HIV prevention campaign is the result of input from more than 500 gay and bisexual men from various racial and ethnic groups, ages, and geographic areas across the United States. The campaign was created by and
for gay and bisexual men to promote open communication about a range of HIV prevention strategies for sexual partners.
Larry Kramer: The Fighting Heart
May 21, 2014 - Video From The New York Times
A Lion Still Roars, With Gratitude
MAY 21, 2014 - Larry Kramer Lives to See His 'Normal Heart' Filmed for TV
Most revolutionaries don't live to see as much dizzying change as Larry Kramer has.
In the 1980s, he was the most strident, scolding voice in New York City (in the world, really) on
behalf of gay men infected with H.I.V.: men whose parents shunned them, whose doctors feared them, whose dignity disappeared as their corpses were stuffed into trash bags. Now, 33 years after Mr. Kramer helped found the advocacy group Gay Men's Health Crisis, AIDS has just fallen out of the top 10 causes of death in New York for the first time since 1983.
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Is HIV Transmission Risk Really Near Zero If HIV+ Heterosexual Partners Are on ART?
MAY 21, 2014 - Serodiscordant heterosexual couples in which the positive partner has been on combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than 6 months may have an HIV transmission risk as high as 13 per 100,000 sex acts -- but the risk could also be zero -- according to an estimate based on a systematic review described in the April 9 online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Stop "Silent epidemic": Research-based pharmaceutical industry report supports comprehensive approach to viral hepatitis
Geneva, 20 May 2014 - The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has published today a new report and
recommendations on Hepatitis encouraging a comprehensive approach to fighting this silent epidemic. Titled "Towards a Sustainable, Intersectoral Approach to Viral Hepatitis", the report is meant to inform the upcoming discussion at the 67th World Health Assembly.
Bisexual male teens exhibit riskiest sexual behavior
May 20, 2014 - Sexual health disparities emerge early in life and vary by sexual orientation and behaviors. Male teens who identify themselves as bisexual exhibit the riskiest sexual behaviors of all sexual orientations, according to study findings in the American Journal of Public Health.
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HIV must be revealed to partners
05/20/2014 - A group of infectious-disease experts maintains non-disclosure of HIV infection to a sexual partner should never be grounds for criminal prosecution. A provocative position, and contrary to Canadian law.
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Media Outlets Should Cover This Historic HIV/AIDS Development
May 19, 2014 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) ringing endorsement last week of Truvada, the "miracle drug" that blocks HIV infection, presents news outlets with a prime
opportunity to cover an historic development in the three-decade struggle against HIV/AIDS. So far, however, media organizations have largely ignored the story.
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Activist Dr. Perry Halkitis Reignites the Fight Against AIDS
NEW YORK, NY-(Marketwired - May 19, 2014) - Dr. Perry Halkitis, an internationally recognized expert in HIV/AIDS research, is shining a new light on the fight against AIDS. His research and public health initiatives continue to show that AIDS is much more than a biomedical condition. Social and psychological factors are influencing
the epidemic more than ever.
2014 Avant-Garde Awards focus on strengthening the immune system
May 19, 2014 - NIH's HIV/AIDS research awards offer hope in battling HIV infection and improving long-term outcomes in HIV-infected drug users
The three scientists, Drs. Stephen Waggoner, Heinrich Gottlinger, and Melanie Ott, will each receive $500,000 per year for five years to support their research. NIDA's annual Avant-Garde award competition, now in its seventh year,
is intended to stimulate high-impact research that may lead to groundbreaking opportunities for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in drug users.
Suits Dinner
- May 26, 2014
- Adesso Bistro
SUITS - POZ GAY WORKING MEN'S DINNER GROUP
Come join the Suits men West of Denman for dinner at Adesso Bistro, 1906 Haro Street, with your host Glen.
Could Coral Provide the Next HIV Prevention Tool?
May 19, 2014 - Scientists say two new proteins discovered in a soft coral from the oceans of Northern Australia could become a new prevention technology.
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The Viral Hepatitis Testing Act: Sounding the alarm on a 'silent epidemic'
May 19, 2014 - Congress has an opportunity this year to make a real impact against hepatitis, a disease that the Department of Health and Human Services has called a "silent epidemic."
More than 5 million Americans, or about 2 percent of the population, are chronically infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or both. Even worse, it is estimated that between 65 and 75 percent of those living with viral hepatitis are unaware of their infection.
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Number of HIV-positive patients increasing in Iran, Middle East
Tehran, May 19, IRNA - A senior Iranian official said here on Monday that the number of HIV-positive patients is on the rise in Iran and the region.
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Striking miners default on ARV treatment
May 19, 2014 - Mineworkers in the platinum belt are defaulting on anti-retroviral treatment due to acts of violence and intimidation, North West premier Thandi Modise said on Monday.
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New trial to begin on Interferon usage for HIV treatment
May 18, 2014 - Undetectable. If you have HIV, that's as good as it gets. It means the amount of human immunodeficiency virus in your body is so low that it can't be detected by a standard blood test. It's been suppressed by antiretroviral drugs, but it's still there, in trace amounts, hiding in blood and tissue.
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In US, gay men clash over HIV inhibitor viewed as 'party drug'
May 18, 2014 - Washington - A single daily pill may help prevent HIV. And in the United States, gay men who have lost countless loved ones to AIDS can't stop fighting about it.
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amfAR Statement on Ugandan HIV Prevention and Control Act
May 19, 2014 - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, unequivocally supports Ambassador Deborah Birx, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, and her statement of May 14 on the recent passage of the HIV Prevention and Control Act by the Ugandan Parliament.
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FDA Recommends Taking HIV Prevention Pill to Uninfected Public
By Susanne Posel
May 18, 2014 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Truvada a decade ago for the treatment of HIV. Now the Institutes of Health Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH-AID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending that this PrEP pill be taken as a preventative measure.
Young Political Activist Comes Out Publicly About HIV Status
May 18, 2014 - He's a fresh new face on the Florida political scene - with a brave story to tell.
Meet Aaron Darr, 23, a self described "warrior for the middle class" who calls Largo, Fla. home. He is also gay and HIV positive and very open about both.
Read more...
In The Know - CANFAR
Saturday, May 24 - Doors open at 8pm
Fairmont Palliser - Alberta Ballroom
133 9 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, Alberta
Every three hours there are three new HIV infections in Canada. In Alberta, there are approximately 5900 known HIV diagnoses.
On May 24, 2014 CANFAR and HIV Community Link (HCL) will host the 2nd annual In the Know event, at the Fairmont Palliser.
Together, We Can Achieve a World Without AIDS
May 18, 2014 - Science is closing in on an AIDS vaccine. Researchers daily learn more about how HIV changes in the body and varies by geography; what the potential targets are on this highly elusive and mutating virus; how antibodies and our
own T-cells could help prevent and even clear HIV infection; and how different vectors might be used to make a future vaccine more effective and longer-lasting. Studies are being prepared to build on the landmark RV144 vaccine trial; other exciting breakthroughs are advancing
development of second-generation vaccines with even higher, longer-lasting and broader efficacy, and many new candidates are entering early development.
On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day UNAIDS calls for scaled-up action to find a vaccine for HIV
GENEVA, 18 May 2014 - On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day UNAIDS is urging for global efforts to be stepped up to
find an effective HIV vaccine and accelerate progress towards ending the AIDS epidemic.
Keeping the light on HIV
May 18, 2014 - MORE than five months ago, Grey Hu, a person living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), told his story.
He shared his story to open the eyes of those who are afflicted with HIV-AIDS and most especially to those who don't have it.
Read more...
International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
GENEVA, 17 May 2014 - Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé
It is outrageous that in 2014, when we have everything we need to defeat AIDS, we are still fighting prejudice, stigma, active discrimination and homophobic laws in 78 countries around the world.
Scientists Find a Way to Attack HIV's Sugar Stash
May 17, 2014 - The HIV virus hides its sugar stash to stay one step ahead of our antibodies.
Tens of thousands of people are preparing to take part in the 2014 AIDS Walk on Sunday.
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Annual AIDS Walk Seeks To Raise Awareness About Prevention And Treatment Of HIV, AIDS
May 17, 2014 - NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) - Tens of thousands of people are preparing to take part in the 2014 AIDS Walk on Sunday.
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HBO's 'Normal Heart' is an extraordinary TV movie
May 17, 2014 - The power of this HBO movie starring Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts and Jim Parsons is such that you can forget about turning off the TV after the final credits roll and going to bed as you might
with most made-for-TV movies. This one, adapted by Larry Kramer from his Tony Award-winning 1985 play, will keep you up for hours in an emotional churn thinking about life, love, loss, death and politics.
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US backs expanded AIDS therapy for prevention
May 17, 2014 - U.S. health authorities are recommending the daily use of anti-retroviral medication to prevent HIV infection for high-risk groups.
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CANADA MUST ACT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL HATE LAWS TARGETING LGBTQ PEOPLE
TORONTO, May 16, 2014 - Marking International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, dozens of organizations release 10-point plan for federal government
As activists around the world prepare to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) tomorrow, May 17, more than 85 civil society organizations Can ada-wide are calling on
the Government of Canada to take critical steps to defend the rights of lesbi an, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people around the world. A signed letter to the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign A
ffairs, details a 10-point plan of action for things Canada can do to uphold LGBTQ rights and concretely purs ue its "Dignity Agenda," a key tenet of Canada's foreign policy out lined by the minister.
A Scientist's Take on the Future of an HIV Vaccine
By Chelsea Bailey | May 16, 2014 - In honor of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (May 18), the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) caught up
with viral immunologist Lindsay Wieczorek, Ph.D. Dr. Wieczorek is devoted to studying the immune response to HIV and developing an effective HIV vaccine. Read below to learn what she has to say about the possibility of a future without HIV/AIDS.
Read more...
Breakthrough in HIV/AIDS research gives hope for improved drug therapy
PITTSBURGH, May 16, 2014 - The first direct proof of a long-suspected cause of multiple HIV-related health complications was recently obtained
by a team led by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research (CVR). The finding supports complementary therapies to antiretroviral drugs to significantly slow HIV progression.
Will This Pill Kill 'Safe Sex'?
May 16, 2014 - I'm ambivalent about one side effect of the CDC touting an HIV-prevention drug. Will today's young gay men never know the painful lessons learned during the AIDS crisis?
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World AIDS Vaccine Day - May 18, 2012
Public Health Agency of Canada Statement
Over the past three decades, it is estimated that HIV has infected more than 60 million people worldwide and claimed nearly 30 million lives. Through scientific advances and
improved access to treatment, collectively, we have decreased the incidence of HIV; nonetheless, more remains to be done.
UNAIDS message on Int'l day against Homophobia & Transphobia
Published on May 15, 2014 - UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé says we must respect everyone's freedom to express who they love and who they are.
Different approaches needed to control cardiovascular disease risks for those with HIV
May 15, 2014 - (SACRAMENTO) - Even if treated, hypertension and high cholesterol are common for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to a new study from researchers at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt hospitals in New York and the University of California, Davis.
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Alzheimer's, a Neglected Epidemic
May 15, 2014 - The opening shots of "The Normal Heart," HBO's adaptation of Larry Kramer's 1985 play about the early days of the AIDS crisis in New York, reveal a crew of sinewy and amorous young men disembarking from a ferry on Fire Island on a beautiful
July day in 1981. The tableau is meant to suggest the final hour of unburdened desire, the moment before so much youth and beauty would be sacrificed to the cruelest attacks of physiology and cultural indifference.
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AIDS Groups Back Anti-H.I.V. Pill Amid Concerns Doctors and Patients Will Resist
May 15, 2014 - Despite new federal guidelines urging gay men and others to take a daily pill to prevent AIDS, the idea may prove a tough sell to many doctors and patients.
Read more...
Uganda Passes Another Repressive Law - This Time Criminalising HIV Transmission
KAMPALA, May 15 2014 (IPS) - Ugandan AIDS bodies and campaigners have warned that the "ugly clauses" of an HIV bill passed by Parliament late Tuesday, which includes the criminalisation of the "wilful and intentional" transmission
of the disease, will see many in this East African country "shun the healthcare system".
Read more...
Unique workshops - Older voices! Applications for Positive Seniors' University are now being accepted
14 May 2014 - Positive Living BC is proudly launching its third in a series of HIV+ Universities. The Positive Seniors' University ( for HIV-positive individuals over the age of 55 ) is happening September 29-October 1, 2014 at Loon Lake Camp in Maple Ridge.
Homophobia and HIV research: Under siege
14 May 2014 - A wave of anti-gay laws and homophobia in Africa is hampering efforts to study and curb the spread of HIV.
On the morning of Saturday 12 April, ten police officers raided Maaygo, a men's health and HIV/AIDS advocacy organization in a residential area of Kisumu in western Kenya. Staff watched helplessly as the officers confiscated information leaflets and even the model penis used in condom demonstrations. The police arrested the organization's director and finance officer, as well as one of its members, for "illegally practising sexual orientation information".
Read more...
Hitting a Moving Target:
Scripps Research Institute Scientists Show AIDS Vaccine Could Work Against Changeable Site on HIV
LA JOLLA, CA-May 14, 2014 - A vaccine or other therapy directed at a single site on a surface protein of HIV could in principle neutralize nearly all strains of the virus-thanks to the diversity of targets the site presents to the human immune system.
Pediatric AIDS Treatment Targets Must be Prioritized
May 14, 2014 | Washington, D.C. - Open Letter to Ambassador Deborah Birx, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator from Charles Lyons, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation President and CEO
Dear Ambassador Birx:
Congratulations on your recent confirmation as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. I look forward to continuing our work with you to ensure that children and their families have access to critical HIV prevention, care and treatment services through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Advocating Pill, U.S. Signals Shift to Prevent AIDS
May 14, 2014 - Federal health officials recommended Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of Americans at risk for AIDS take a daily pill that has been shown to prevent infection with the virus that causes it.
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Uganda Takes A Giant Leap Backwards In The Global Struggle Against HIV & AIDS
14/05/2014 - The International Community of Women Living with HIV condemns the passage of the HIV Prevention and AIDS Control Bill 2010 by the Uganda 9th Parliament. The Bill endangers the lives of Ugandan women living with HIV and undermines Uganda's already backsliding response to HIV.
New guidelines recommend daily HIV prevention pill for those at substantial risk
May 14, 2014 - Could have significant impact on the U.S. epidemic if targeted and used as directed
Health care providers should consider advising the use of anti-HIV drugs by uninfected patients who are at substantial risk of infection, according to new clinical guidelines.
Daily dosing key to the efficacy of tenofovir-based HIV PrEP
14 May 2014 - Good adherence is key to the efficacy of tenofovir-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), according to research published in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Plasma-concentrations of tenofovir that were consistent with daily dosing reduced the risk of infection with HIV by between 88 and 91%. There was also evidence that people who established good pill-taking habits at the start of the study tended to maintain high levels of adherence in the longer term.
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Uganda: Deeply Flawed HIV Bill Approved
May 14, 2014 - (Kampala) - President Should Reject Discriminatory Measure
The HIV Prevention and Control Act passed by the Ugandan parliament on May 13, 2014, is discriminatory and will impede the fight against AIDS, Human Rights Watch, HEALTH Global Advocacy Project, andUganda Network on Law, Ethics & HIV/AIDS said today.
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Help Condom Couture Designer Adriana Bertini Attend The International AIDS Conference 2014
May 14, 2014 - This Is A Special Support Message For 'Dress Up Against AIDS'
Adriana Bertini, an ARTvist from Brazil who has given her heart and soul into a project that she came up with to fight against AIDS and a Friend of DAA, is calling out to us.
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No significant risk of resistance if HIV infection occurs during use of Truvada PrEP
13 May 2014 - Treatment with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) does not involve a significant risk of HIV drug resistance should seroconversion occur, results from the iPrEx study published in the online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases demonstrate.
Read more...
British Columbia researchers propose ways of improving care for HIV-positive women
13 May 2014 - Researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver have developed a tool to assess the quality of care received by patients. This tool,
called the Programmatic Compliance Score (PCS), compares certain aspects of care that patients receive against recommendations within leading HIV treatment guidelines.
Thousands of people around the world to come together to keep the light on HIV on Sunday 18 May
May 13, 2014 - This Sunday 18 May 2014, people around the world will host local community events to mark the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. This annual mobilization campaign has been
taking place every year since 1983, led by coalition of community organisations globally, and coordinated by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+). The theme of this year's event will be 'Let's keep the light on HIV'.
B.C. is first Canadian region to encourage routine HIV testing for adults
May 12, 2014 - Victoria - Once labelled absurd, the idea of mass testing of adults for HIV and AIDS is now part of the routine in British Columbia, proving the province is showing the world how to control and defeat the cruel disease, says the doctor leading the program.
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Russia's ban on methadone for drug users in Crimea will worsen the HIV/AIDS epidemic and risk public health
May 12, 2014 - Ten years ago 170,000 people in the Russian Federation had HIV.1 The estimated number is now 1.2 million.2 More than 2% of men aged 30-35 are infected, says Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of the Russian Federal AIDS Centre. Russia now accounts for over 55% of all new HIV infections
reported in the European region.
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Accelerating the HIV response in Indonesia
12 May 2014 - Home to the world's fourth largest population and with a vast geographical spread, Indonesia is a country of critical focus for the AIDS response.
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amfAR Announces New Round of Cure-Focused Research Grants
NEW YORK, May 12, 2014 - Four teams of leading scientists receive amfAR funding in collaborative effort to pursue HIV/AIDS eradication
The principal barrier to curing HIV is the reservoirs of infected cells that cannot be cleared by the immune system. Adding to the multiple ways HIV shields itself from attack is the
recent discovery of an "invisibility cloak." But what if we could uncloak the
virus so that it can be seen and targeted by the immune system? That's
the task that researchers Jane Rasaiyaah and Leo James have set for
themselves in a research project being supported in a new round of
cure-focused research funding from amfAR.
Culture Shock: No 'Mississippi Baby' in Canada
May 11, 2014 - There is no "Canada baby" to put against the U.S. "Mississippi baby."
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A Simple Theory, and a Proposal, on H.I.V. in Africa
May 10, 2014 - The Norwegian team believes that African women are more vulnerable to H.I.V. because of a chronic, undiagnosed parasitic disease: genital schistosomiasis (pronounced shis-to-so-MY-a-sis), often nicknamed "schisto."
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Walgreens Puts Corporate Power Behind Fight Against HIV/AIDS
May 10, 2014 - One of the key points laid out in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy is that both the public and private sectors must do their part to reduce the number of HIV/AIDS infections. Since the start of the epidemic, Walgreens
has been a beacon of corporate leadership, saving lives and bettering communities in the process.
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'Cured,' by Nathalia Holt
May 10, 2014 - For H.I.V. to destroy an immune system, it must infect a type of disease-fighting T cell - "commanders," Holt calls them. The attack begins, she explains, when the virus latches onto the cell with the help of a docking station
called the CCR5 receptor. Then the invader injects its contents inside the cell and turns it into a viral copying machine. The receptors, a kind of molecular appendix, apparently serve no useful function. But through the peregrinations of evolution, H.I.V. has developed the ability to exploit this Achilles' heel.
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Having HIV and a healthy baby
May 9, 2014 - Montreal - Thanks to medical advances, community support, HIV-positive mothers have every reason to be hopeful
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HIV-positive teen asks Michael Gove for compulsory sexual health lessons in state schools
May 9, 2014 - An HIV-positive teenager has written an open letter to Michael Gove asking him to make lessons about the virus a compulsory part of sexual education in schools, amid fears of growing ignorance about it among young people.
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HIV drugs help woman fulfil dream of becoming a mother
May 9, 2014 - Medication allows woman to fulfil her dream of becoming a mother after it clears the virus, which can lead to Aids, from her bloodstream
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HIV-positive advocate hailed as hero at funeral
May 9, 2014 - MOURNERS piled in to Woodbrook Pentecostal Church on Gallus Street yesterday to pay their final respects to well-known HIV/AIDS advocate Lorna Henry and her daughter, eight-year-old Ja Phia Henry.
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Vancouver high school student develops early-stage HIV test
May 9, 2014 - A Grade 10 student from Vancouver who has developed an early-stage HIV test is headed to Ottawa to compete against other young scientists in an international competition.
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Alarm as Uganda moves to criminalize HIV transmission
Kampala, 9 May 2014 (IRIN) - Activists in Uganda, where HIV prevalence is on the rise, have warned that new legislation criminalizing deliberate transmission of the virus will further undermine efforts
to stem the AIDS epidemic and erode the rights of those living with HIV.
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UNAIDS and UNWTO ST-EP Foundation release a unique new book on HIV for children
GENEVA/ROME, 8 May 2014 - The book, The Bravest Boy I Know, is about two friends, Kendi and Kayla. Kendi is living with HIV. The story is set in Africa and beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Sujean Rim. It is a heart-warming
tale of how the two friends deal with HIV in a positive way. The book conveys the important message that by taking medicine children living with HIV can live active and healthy lives while also explaining that the medicines can make children feel unwell and tired.
UNAIDS and UNWTO ST-EP Foundation release a unique new book on HIV for children
GGENEVA/ROME, 8 May 2014 - The book, The Bravest Boy I Know, is about two friends, Kendi and Kayla. Kendi is living with HIV. The story is set in Africa and
beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Sujean Rim. It is a heart-warming tale of how the two friends deal with HIV in a positive way. The book conveys the important message that by taking
medicine children living with HIV can live active and healthy lives while also explaining that the medicines can make children feel unwell and tired.
One step forward, two steps back
April 8, 2014 - David Patient and Neil Orr -
On the 1st April, 2014, The South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey, 2012 was released. Not only has the incidence of HIV increased in SA since the last
survey; the rate at which prevalence is increasing is also going up. So clearly, when it comes to our prevention programs, they are simply not working.at least that is what the evidence suggests.
High Prevalence of Anal HPV in Men Who Have Sex With Men
May 8, 2014 - For men who have sex with men, the prevalence of anal human papillomavirus infection is high, according to a study published online March 23 in HIV Medicine.
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Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Prevention of HIV
Tuesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
This session of Grand Rounds will explore the opportunities for using PrEP as another tool to prevent the transmission of HIV and discuss
the challenges to effective implementation that must be addressed to make PrEP a success.
Remembering When the Band Played On and the Tragedy of Patient Zero
BY Mark S. King | May 08 2014 - Once a groundbreaking book, then a star-laden movie, has lost its sheen in recent years. Here's why.
I was sitting at my desk in 1987, killing time at a temp job while I decided what to do with my life, and in my hands was a non-fiction hardback that had just been published. The book chronicled the end of the world.
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HIV Tied to Almost Tripled Fracture Risk in Nationwide Denmark Study
08 May 2014 - People with HIV infection had almost tripled chances of any fracture-and 9 times higher odds of hip or spine fractures-than people without HIV in a study of the population across Denmark.
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Ghana's middle class records highest HIV infection rate
May 8, 2014 - The middle class in Ghana is said to be having the highest rate of HIV infections, a recent UNAIDS report has revealed.
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Crimea facing 'human tragedy' on AIDS: UN envoy
May 8, 2014 - The UN AIDS envoy for eastern Europe on Thursday said Crimea faced a "human tragedy" and risks to public health after a programme for intravenous drug users was scrapped following Russia's takeover.
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OHTN Researcher: Rupert Kaul
Published on May 7, 2014 - Professor at the Departments of Medicine and Immunology at the University of Toronto,
discusses some of his personal and training background, areas of interest and on-going research studies with the OHTN's Francisco Ibañez-Carrasco.
Success of Insite hailed on international Harm Reduction Day
May 7, 2014 - Today is International Harm Reduction Day and advocates in B.C. are celebrating.
Vancouver is home to Insite, the first legal supervised injection site in North America. There is also a second safe injection site in Vancouver, at the Dr. Peter Centre in the west end.
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Be blunt in language about sex and HIV risk, activists warn
May 7, 2014 - Lack of anonymous testing irritates AIDS Committee head
Health activists in Newfoundland and Labrador say the numbers of gay men being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS continues to rise in the province, and something needs to be done to break the stigma surrounding the illness.
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UCLA Dentistry receives $2.36 million to provide dental care to patients with HIV/AIDS
Brianna Aldrich | May 07, 2014 - Accessing affordable medical and dental care is a major challenge for people living with HIV and AIDS, many of whom are disabled and can not afford dental exams and treatment. For this underserved,
vulnerable population, maintaining oral health is important not only for functional and aesthetic reasons, but also as part of overall HIV disease management.
New technique tracks proteins in single HIV particle
May 6, 2014 - An interdisciplinary team of scientists from KU Leuven in Belgium has developed a new technique to examine how proteins interact with each other at the level of a single HIV viral particle. The technique allows scientists to study the life-threatening virus in detail and makes screening potential anti-HIV drugs quicker and more efficient. The technique can also be used to study other diseases.
Surgeon General Urges Physicians to Test Baby Boomers
for Hepatitis C
May 6, 2014 - As we begin the observance of Hepatitis Awareness Month, Acting Surgeon General Dr. Boris D. Lushniak has released a
timely Surgeon General's Perspective [PDF 936KB] in the May issue of Public Health Reports. In publication since 1878, the peer-reviewed Public Health Reports is the official journal of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Canada's Vicious HIV Laws
May 5, 2014 - How the Supreme Court redefined safe sex.
In Canada, it is illegal for HIV-positive people to have sex without disclosing their status, in some cases even if they use a condom and even if no one gets infected.
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HIV resurfaces in Canadian child after break in drug treatment
May 5, 2014 - A Canadian child who doctors previously believed had been rid of HIV has had the virus resurface after going off medication for a short period of time -- an outcome which some researchers are calling a "cautionary tale" for those trying to rid the disease among its youngest victims.
Read more & Watch Video...
Poster International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2014
May 2014 - The poster for the 2014 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial on 18 May 2014 is now available.
The theme 'Let's keep the light on HIV' aims to be positive and forward-looking, whilst also recognizing that this remains a memorial event for many.
Vancouver Pride Legacy Awards honour community leaders
May 5, 2014 - Second annual ceremony celebrates eight areas of contribution
Unity, diversity and humility were the pervading themes of the Vancouver Pride Society's (VPS) Legacy Awards on May 4.
Zambia to host the 8th international HIV/AIDS Scientific conference
May 5, 2014 - ZAMBIA is this week expected to host the eighth international HIV/AIDS Scientific conference dubbed the INTEREST workshop.
According to a statement made available by the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) head of communications Cheri Reid, the meeting will focus on, among other issues, HIV treatment, pathogens and prevention research in resource poor settings.
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The War on AIDS Is Not Over
May 5, 2014 - Sometimes, it feels as if the AIDS epidemic must somehow be over. The cause is not as trendy as it once was. There doesn't seem to be the same scale of rallies and demonstrations.
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Talk to focus on gay men's sexual health
May 5, 2014 - A gay men's health activist and video/performance artist is coming home to St. John's for some frank talk about sex.
Mikiki, a street outreach worker and drag queen now based in Toronto, will host a Memorial University-sponsored talk on gay men's sexual health tonight.
Read more...
No-one with an undetectable viral load, gay or heterosexual, transmits HIV in first two years of PARTNER study
04 March 2014 - Viral load suppression means risk of HIV transmission is 'at most' 4% during anal sex, but final results not due till 2017
The second large study to look at whether people with HIV become non-infectious if they are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) has found no cases where someone with a viral load under 200 copies/ml transmitted HIV, either by anal or vaginal sex.
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Ghana commended for success in HIV control effort
4 May 2014 - The Country Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), Dr. Girmay Haile, has commended Ghana for the successes it has chalked up so far in its HIV and AIDS control campaigns.
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Hiding HIV status not a crime, experts argue
05/03/2014 - "We have seen that the criminal law is being used in an overly broad fashion against people living with HIV in Canada, in part because the science is not well
understood or communicated," co-author Dr. Mona Loutfy, a clinician-scientist at Women's College Hospital in Toronto, said in a release.
"It was time for experts to let the justice system know, clearly and concisely, what science tells us about HIV and its transmission.
Read more...
HIV resurfaces in Canadian child after break in drug treatment
May 3, 2014 - A Canadian child who doctors previously believed had been rid of HIV has had the virus resurface after going off medication for a short period of
time -- an outcome which some researchers are calling a "cautionary tale" for those trying to rid the disease among its youngest victims.
CANADIAN SCIENTISTS AGREE THAT HIV IS DIFFICULT TO TRANSMIT SEXUALLY
Saint John's, May 2, 2014 - Courts must heed evidence to prevent miscarriage of justice that undermines public health response to epidemic
The Statement affirms the scientific evidence that HIV is difficult to transmit sexually, and details how per-act possibility of HIV transmission varies from low-to-impossible, taking into
account the impact of factors such as the type of sexual acts, condom use, antiretroviral therapy and viral load. Specifically, in response to recent criminal cases of HIV non-disclosure in Canada, the Statement affirms that sex with a condom or with effective antiretroviral therapy poses a negligible possibility of transmission.
Important expert consensus statement on HIV and the criminal law
May 2, 2014 - Today, more than 70 scientific experts Canada-wide released an important consensus statement outlining the low-to-zero possibility of a person living
with HIV transmitting the virus in various situations.
Scientists say law goes too far in prosecuting HIV non-disclosure
May 2, 2014 - A group of Canadian scientific experts says the Canadian justice system is unfairly prosecuting people who don't disclose their HIV status based on an outdated understanding of the science behind the virus.
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Alicia Keys At The 2014 ESSENCE Festival To Headline A Special ESSENCE Empowerment Experience Panel With Greater Than AIDS
May 1, 2014 - Through Love of Self, Family and Community, Empowering Black Women
Friday, July 4th at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
Fifteen time Grammy Award-winning artist and HIV advocate Alicia Keys will join with Greater Than AIDS and ESSENCE to headline a special ESSENCE
Empowerment Experience panel on Friday, July 4 th (specific time to be announced) in New Orleans on "Through Love of Self, Family and Community, Empowering Black Women to End AIDS.".
DUAL DIAGNOSIS: HIV AND CANCER
Speakers: Dr. Natasha Press, Dawn Clouthier
When: Tuesday, May 13, 6-8 pm
Where: Chateau Granville (Granville & Helmcken)
RSVP by May 9 to hivandcancer.eventbrite.ca or jenm@positivelivignbc.org or 604-893-2239
This event is Free and open to all. Dinner provided.
Join us for a Positive Living BC forum exploring both medical and lived experience perspectives on HIV and cancer: Dual Diagnosis: HIV and Cancer.
Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents
May 1, 2014 - Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Treatment-Naive Patients
Without treatment, most HIV-infected individuals will eventually develop progressive immunosuppression, as evident by CD4 T lymphocyte (CD4) cell depletion, leading to AIDS-defining illnesses and premature death. The primary goal of ART is to prevent HIV-associated morbidity and mortality. This goal
is best accomplished by using effective ART to maximally inhibit HIV replication so that plasma HIV RNA (viral load) remains below levels detectable by commercially available assays. Durable viral suppression improves immune function and overall quality of life, lowers the risk of both AIDS-defining and non-AIDS-defining
complications, and prolongs life.
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