HIV Ireland
NewsDesk Weekly
26 February 2016
HIV
HPSC - Weekly HIV & STI Report - Weeks 7, 2016
Latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show 15 new cases for week 7-2016, bringing the total to 84 HIV new notifications for 2016 to date.
PrEP Fails in Gay Man Adhering to Daily Truvada, He Contracts Drug-Resistant HIV
Poz, 25 February 2016
For the first time ever, researchers have documented a case of an individual contracting HIV while reportedly adhering well to PrEP regimen. Experts say that this happened because the man contracted a drug-resistant strain of HIV virus.
See also:
Almost-certain case of PrEP failure due to drug resistance reported at CROI conference
Aidsmap, 25 February 2016
Dr Robert Grant weighs in after the first case of failed PrEP: What does it mean?
Beta Blog, 25 February 2016
HIV researcher talks about what this case means for people currently taking PrEP.
See also:
What is a drug “tail,” and what does it have to do with long-acting PrEP?
Beta Blog, 25 February 2016
Drug “tails” means that a drug stays in a person’s system for an extended length of time. This article discusses the potential downsides of drug “tails” in PrEp regimen.
Are We Creating Drug-Resistant HIV?
The Daily Beast, 22 February 2016
There’s growing evidence that HIV is mutating to become resistant to antiviral drugs—but scientists shouldn’t panic just yet.
HIV support services face closure as councils withdraw funding
UK Independent, 25 February 2016
Vital HIV prevention and support services are facing closure after being earmarked for cuts by local authorities across UK, leaving potentially thousands of people with the virus cut adrift at the very time the transmission rate is increasing.
See also:
New campaign calls for end to spending cuts to HIV support services
Public Sector Executive, 25 February 2016
As HIV support services are being cancelled altogether in many UK local authorities, charities are demanding adequate council funding, effective commissioning and increased service access.
Support people with HIV: Stop the cuts
Stop HIV cuts, 2016
Various HIV organisations, service providers and community groups have come together to launch the ‘Support people with HIV: Stop the cuts’ campaign, opposing cuts to HIV services in UK.
Web search study finds a 'Charlie Sheen effect' on HIV prevention
Eureka Alert, 22 February 2016
Researchers are calling Charlie Sheen’s disclosure the "most significant domestic HIV prevention event in the last decade." A study has found that the days after Sheen’s disclosure "corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the United States."
Community PrEP activists applaud PROUD study decision and call for increased activism to push for NHS provision
Prepster, 19 February 2016
Activist from PrEPster.info and I Want PreP Now have applauded the decision to extend provision of PrEP drug Truvada to participants in the England PROUD study until June 2016.
Very high levels of chemsex and ‘slamsex’ seen in HIV-positive men attending English/Welsh HIV clinics
Aidsmap, 25 February 2016
A survey of HIV-positive patients attending 30 HIV clinics in England and Wales, presented at the CROI 2016 conference, has found that nearly a third of gay male patients reported engaging in ‘chemsex’ in the past year and that one in 10 reported ‘slamsex’.
5 Critical Exercise Guidelines For People Living With HIV
The Huffington Post, 23 February 2016
Activist and researcher Allison Webel gives advice to people living with HIV about fitness and exercise in order to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Israel's major step against HIV: Country now allows PrEP as a preventive treatment
International Bustiness Times, 24 February 2016
Israel has joined the list of countries that allow pre-exposure prophylaxis program for groups that are at risk of being infected by HIV. The authorities made the move after prominent Israeli health experts recommended PrEP as an effective strategy for HIV prevention.
Lawsuit: TGH nurses told woman’s family that she is HIV positive
Tampa Tribune, 24 February 2016
A woman is suing Tampa General Hospital, accusing it of violating a state law prohibiting disclosure of HIV results without the consent of the patient.
Why the criminalization of HIV transmission doesn’t work
Gay Star News, 18 February 2016
Matthew Hodson, of gay men’s health charity GMFA, explains why he is shocked that authorities in the Czech Republic are looking to prosecute 30 gay men with HIV.
HIV accused refused bail
The Western Australian, 23 February 2016
A sex worker accused of infecting a client with HIV has been refused bail after a magistrate described the case as "unusual but very serious" and said no conditions could overcome a flight risk.
Man arrested over 'deliberately sabotaging safe-sex practices'
The Guardian, 23 February 2016
A man has been arrested on suspicion of “deliberately sabotaging safe-sex practices” with the intention of putting male partners at risk of HIV and other STIs.
Bacteria in our gut affects HIV—is there a solution?
Beta Blog, 24 February 2016
The composition of the gut bacteria changes with HIV infection. As an altered gut microbiome may contribute to the inflammation experienced by people living with HIV, scientists are now exploring various solutions to this problem.
More investment needed in developing female-controlled HIV prevention options
UNAIDS, 23 February 2016
Results from two recent studies of a monthly vaginal ring show modest protection from HIV infection for women. UNAIDS is urging for better options for HIV prevention.
CDC’s STI Testing Guidelines For People on PrEP Are Too Lax
POZ, 24 February 2016
The CDC sexually transmitted infection testing guidelines for people on Truvada as pre-exposure prophylaxis may lead health care providers to miss a significant proportion of asymptomatic STIs.
Anti-inflammatory drug may prevent rapid aging in people with HIV
Medical Xpress, 22 February 2016
New research from the University of Alberta's School of Dentistry shows that a commonly used cholesterol-lowering drug may prevent rapid aging associated with HIV.
Antidepressant may improve cognitive symptoms in people with HIV
Eureka Alert, 25 February 2016
In a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Johns Hopkins physicians report that the antidepressant paroxetine modestly improves decision-making and reaction time, and suppresses inflammation in people with HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
HIV Infection Drug Atazanavir May Negatively Affect Fetal Development If Taken By Pregnant Women
Medical Daily, 24 February 2016
Even though the use of antiretrovirals "during pregnancy has dramatically decreased the incidence of perinatal HIV transmission", scientists are evaluating the effect of Atazanavir on neurodevelopment in infants aged nine to 15 months compared to all other ARV regimens.
Hepatitis
For Those With HIV, Hep C Drug Trials Don’t Offer Enough Real-World Data
Poz, 22 February 2016
The major clinical trials of hepatitis C virus drugs among people with HIV coinfection had such restrictive eligibility requirements, their findings’ generalizability is questionable. More real-world data “is urgently needed.”
New recommendations in the updated WHO guidelines for the screening, care and treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C infection
WHO, February 2016
Policy Brief: The updated WHO Guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of persons with hepatitis C infection using, where possible, all-oral combinations of newly introduced medicines (direct-acting antivirals - DAAs).
Sexual Health
Obama Kills Funding for Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Teen Vogue, 17 February 2016
In his proposed federal budget for 2017, President Obama has removed all funding for abstinence-only education, eliminating a $10 million-a-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services that funds these programs.
See also:
David Cameron just blocked compulsory sex education - and the women in his Cabinet are furious
The Telegraph, 11 February 2016