Why male couples should think about HIV in their relationships
The Conversation, 30 November 2016
MSM are experiencing an increase in HIV infections. Public health campaigns focused mainly on the risks of casual sex. However, recent studies show that about one third of new infections in fact come from main partners.


Inside The Dark, Dangerous World of Chemsex
Buzzfeed, 3 December 2016
Editor Patrick Strudwick investigates the hidden world of chemsex, through unprecedented first person testimony.


HIV Patients Furious Over "Horror" AIDS Campaign
NL Times, 6 December 2016
HIV patients in the Netherlands are furious about the phrases used by the Dutch AIDS Fund's radio commercial campaign.


RCGP response to NICE guidelines on HIV testing
Medical News Today
Royal College of GPs Clinic Lead talks about new guidelines on HIV testing implementation.


The Success Of HIV Treatment Is Increasing The Risk Of Drug-Resistance
The Huffington Post, 6 December 2016
While more people with HIV are getting on antiretroviral therapy, scientists are now warning of the rise of drug-resistant HIV strains, especially in African countries.


"Callous, Cold And Deliberately Duplicitous": Calling Out Racism In Canadian Newspaper Coverage Of HIV Non-Disclosure Cases 1989-2015
Positive Lite, 30 November 2016
A report issued by Canadian university researchers calls for fairness and accuracy in the newsroom and an end to coverage that stigmatises people with HIV.
Full report:
“Callous, Cold And Deliberately Duplicitous”
Racialisation, immigration and the representation of HIV criminalisation in Canadian mainstream newspapers.


CDC releases new data on HIV diagnosis and prevalence in the United States
Aidsmap, 30 November 2016
The CDC has released its latest report on recently diagnosed HIV infections in the United States, which covers data to the end of 2015.


Specific HIV Curative Approach May Pose Danger to Patients' Brains
Gen News, 6 December 2016
The "shock and kill” strategy - based on latency-reversing agents that wake up dormant viruses in the body - can have potentially serious side effects.


 

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Hepatitis


First WHO prequalified hepatitis C rapid test opens the door to expanded treatment
Who, December 2016
After releasing updated guidance on care and treatment of viral hepatitis, WHO has now prequalified its first hepatitis C rapid diagnostic test, a tool that will aid diagnosis of HCV in low- and middle-income countries and improve access to treatment.


Almost half of MSM with HIV/HCV co-infection have HCV in their rectal fluid
Aidsmap, 8 December 2016
Researchers have found that semen and rectal fluid, rather than blood from the rectum, are the fluids that mediate most HCV infections. They therefore call for public health campaigns to educate MSM about these routes of HepC transmission.


Hepatitis C virus infection is rising among gay and bisexual men in San Diego
Aidsmap, 5 December 2016
AASLD Liver Meeting 2016: The prevalence of hepatitis C infection among HIV-positive MSM in San Diego has increased over the past 15 years, especially among men who do not inject drugs but use methamphetamine.


 

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STIs

Re-emergence of syphilis traced to pandemic strain cluster
Medical News Today, 7 December 2016
An international research team has now shown that all syphilis strains from modern patient samples share a common ancestor from the 1700s.

 

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Sexual Health

Minister to ‘accelerate’ proposals for changes to sex education
Schools Week, 6 December 2016
UK Ministers have suggested that sex and relationships education could be made statutory in schools through upcoming legislation due early next year.