HIV Ireland
NewsDesk Weekly
11 March 2016
HIV
HPSC - Weekly HIV & STI Report - Week 9, 2016
Latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show 10 new cases for week 9-2016, bringing the total to 104 HIV new notifications for 2016 to date.
This new research rewrites the history of HIV in America
VOX, 5 March 2016
Researchers have now debunked the myth of flight attendant Gaëtan Dugas as the "Patient Zero" who spread the HIV virus to the gay community in North America. Scientists have compared the full DNA of the HIV virus from Dugas’ blood with those from other gay men taken in the late ‘70s, and they found that, by the late 1970s, the HIV epidemic in the US "already exhibited extensive genetic diversity”.
See also:
The Man Who Was Wrongly Labelled As HIV’s ‘Patient Zero’
NY Mag, 7 March 2016
Straight Up: Why the Heterosexual Story Matters
The Body, 8 March 2015
HIV infection epidemiology differs from country to country, and the majority of new HIV infections happen from heterosexual contact.
15 Things That Women Need to Know About HIV
HIV Plus Mag, 10 March 2015
The CDC reports that one in four people living with HIV are women. Here are answers to the most frequent questions about HIV among women.
Rapid rise in PrEP awareness in US gay men, but only 5% have used PrEP
Aidsmap, 10 March 2016
US surveys show that a high percentage of gay men is informed about PrEP, but just a small percentage concentrated in a few urban areas actually use it.
See also:
In Their Own Words: Why We Take PrEP
HIV Plus Mag, 3 March 2016
Interview to gay and bi men who explain why they decided to go on PrEP.
Crystal Meth Use is Strongly Linked to Sexual Acquisition of Hepatitis C in HIV-Positive Gay Men
Poz, 6 March 2016
A Canadian study has examined the factors associated with Hepatitis C infection in MSM.
Aging and HIV: Top Questions and Answers
The Body, 8 March 2016
Health experts -- a few of whom are experiencing growing older with HIV firsthand -- respond to a wide range of readers' questions about ageing with HIV.
See also:
First Look at Big 75-and-Older HIV Group--Diagnosed at Age 62.....much higher rates of comorbidities among older HIV+ - 40% with 2 or more, 14% with 4 or more comorbidities
NATAP, 25 February 2016
Switzerland: Two (alleged) HIV transmission convictions this month despite many positive changes in law
HIV Justice, 22 February 2016
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that HIV transmission may no longer be automatically considered a serious assault, in Switzerland there have been two HIV transmission prosecutions using the old article 122.
See also:
Study: Laws Making HIV-Positive People Tell Their Sex Partners Don’t Actually Accomplish Anything
Think Progress, 4 March 2016
One dose does NOT fit all for HIV: Drugs that prevent infection are 'less effective in women - meaning they need higher doses'
Daily Mail, 7 March 2016
Scientists at the University of North Carolina have found that - while men can take PrEP just twice a week - women need a daily dose because the drug accumulates in a different way in the various body tissues.
Updated U.S. Guidelines for Antiretroviral Treatment of Children with HIV
HIV and Hepatitis, 8 March 2016
The guidelines now recommend that all children with HIV start antiretroviral therapy regardless of CD4 T-cell count, viral load, or clinical symptoms.
START study shows that people starting HIV treatment earlier have better quality of life
Aidsmap, 7 March 2016
This large randomised START study shows a modest but statistically significant improvement in the quality of life for people who start HIV treatment. This study also takes in consideration the concerns about the medications’ side effects.
Antioxidants improve lung immune markers in HIV-infected patients who are immune non-responders
Medical Xpress, 8 March 2016
Some people with HIV infection can experience a limited recovery of their T cell counts after they start treatment, even though the virus is well controlled. Scientists have found that some supplements can improve the function of immune cells in some organs.
The Rare Super-Antibodies That Destroy HIV
The Atlantic, 10 March 2016
Scientists are studying the origin of the elite antibodies. These antibodies are sometimes produced by the body in advanced phase of HIV infection, when the virus is already mutating. Researchers are trying to induce them in the early stages of the infection.
Hepatitis
HIV and hepatitis C co-infect over 2 million people worldwide
Medical News Today, 9 March 2016
A study on HIV/HCV coinfection has found that an estimated 2.3 million people living with HIV are co-infected with hepatitis C.
STIs
How to Have Sex in a New Epidemic of STIs
The Body, 2 March 2016
LGBT health expert and HIV activist talks about PrEP and STIs and gives advice on prevention, testing and education.
