Category: News

Article as MSNBC web published 07/06/2014 by Kelsey Louie May 14 should have been PrEP’s big coming out moment. That’s when the federal government issued new guidelines urging doctors to adopt the use of PrEP – a powerful tool that when used daily is over 90% effective in preventing new HIV infections. But for most gay Americans, the news hardly registered. As a longtime HIV/AIDS advocate, I was puzzled. After all, these guidelines represent a huge victory for HIV prevention advocates who have championed PrEP’s wider use since its initial FDA approval in 2012. The U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for …

As taken from MSNBC on-line news… Just hours before more than 1 million people gathered in the streets of New York City to celebrate gay rights in the 45th annual pride parade 2014 , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released a plan to end the AIDS epidemic and reduce HIV infections in the state. Laid out in three parts, the Democrat’s plan, “Bending the Curve” focuses on improving testing of the disease, treating those who are infected, and preventing the spread of the infection: 1. Identifying persons with HIV who remain undiagnosed and linking them to health care. 2. Linking and retaining persons …

Article as it appeared in March 2014 AIDSMEDS… Two years into the second major study examining the chances of transmitting HIV with an undetectable viral load, there have been no transmissions between either gay or heterosexual serodiscordant partners, aidsmap reports. The previous major study investigating this matter, HPTN 052, which looked primarily at heterosexual couples of mixed HIV status, found that antiretroviral (ARV) treatment reduced the likelihood of transmission by 96 percent. Results from the new PARTNER study were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston. The study included 1,110 heterosexual and gay serodiscordant couples, …

Federal Website (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s “Prevention Through Health Care” focus area develops, implements, and evaluates policies and practices that leverage the health care system to help prevent HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB infections.    Click here to view the website.

Non-Government Resource (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) Through a combination of a new recommendation in support of HCV testing and changes to the health insurance landscape under the Affordable Care Act, there will be greater access to insurance coverage and to reimbursable HCV screening across various healthcare payers. This paper offers guidance on each major payer’s role.  Click here to read the guide.

Federal Update (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), “the evidence is adequate to conclude that screening for Hepatitis C Virus, consistent with the grade B recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, is reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of an illness or disability and is appropriate for individuals entitled to benefits under Part A or enrolled under Part B,” as described here.   

CDC Fact Sheet (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) HIV coinfection more than triples the risk for liver disease, liver failure, and liver-related death from HCV. Click here to read the fact sheet.

CDC Fact Sheet (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) The risk of getting HIV varies widely depending on the type of exposure. Some exposures, such as exposure to HIV during a blood transfusion, carry a much higher risk of transmission than other exposures, such as oral sex. For some exposures, risk of transmission, while biologically plausible, is so low that it is not possible to provide a precise number.  Click here to read the fact sheet.

Archived Webinar (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) On March 10, 2014, the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) led the “Ongoing Care and Treatment: Women with HIV/AIDS” webinar. During the webinar, speakers representing OWH and federal and national partners talked about the work they are doing to address HIV/AIDS and the importance of HIV/AIDS care and treatment for women and girls. Click here to watch the webinar.

Toolkit (Information supplied by Regional Resource Network Program/US Dept of Health and Human Services) The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the National Coalition of STD Directors are launching “Addressing Stigma: A Blueprint for HIV/STD Prevention and Care Outcomes for Black and Latino Gay Men.” The blueprint contains 17 recommendations for reducing public health stigma that prevents Black and Latino gay men and other men who have sex with men from receiving optimal health care.  Click here for more information.