aidsmap news - To breastfeed or not: mothers living with HIV in African countries still unclear on what to do, 15 April 2024

15 April 2024

News from aidsmap

To breastfeed or not: mothers living with HIV in African countries still unclear on what to do

New mothers living with HIV are often unsure about whether or not to breastfeed their children, and for how long, the African Workshop on HIV & Women held in Nairobi, Kenya in February heard. This is because their infant feeding practices are influenced by the people around them, which makes the decision-making process even more difficult.

Growing racial and gender PrEP inequities in England, despite increased access

The proportion of Black African women diagnosed with HIV increased between 2017 and 2021 in England, while the proportion of new diagnoses among White men dropped by 20%. Over this period, the proportion of PrEP users who were women, including Black African women, fell. Thus, when comparing Black African women to White men, and women to men, PrEP inequities have increased substantially, despite wider PrEP accessibility.

Zimbabwe: low-cost, brief psychological intervention helps people with HIV stay virally suppressed

Results from a study published in PLOS Global Public Health show that people with HIV and common mental disorders in Zimbabwe can benefit from a low-cost and brief psychological intervention called the Friendship Bench to improve their mental health outcomes and, consequently, sustain viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy. However, the intervention had no effect on viral suppression in people who were not virally suppressed at the time they joined the study.

Despite advances in HIV care and treatment, a study has found a large proportion of people with HIV still experience symptoms that are underestimated or unacknowledged by their HIV doctors. Dr José Galindo Puerto of the Spanish AIDS Interdisciplinary Society (SEISIDA) and colleagues found discrepancies between the frequency and burdens of HIV and HIV treatment symptoms reported by Spaniards living with HIV and the HIV specialists caring for them. Their results highlight a need for better communication between clinicians and patients.

Editors' picks from other sources

Death penalty for unintentional HIV transmission via same-sex sex struck down by Uganda’s Constitutional Court | HIV Justice Network

Although Uganda’s Constitutional Court declared that the Anti Homosexuality Act of 2023 complies with the country's constitution, the Court did strike down one of the most heinous of the Act’s provisions: the death penalty for someone living with HIV who engaged in same-sex sex and allegedly passed on HIV.

Is it time to stop using the term AIDS? | Medscape (requires free registration)

The acronym is no longer useful and may be harmful, according to a group of specialists who are debating the concept with other experts.

ViiV Healthcare announces US FDA approval of Dovato (dolutegravir/lamivudine) for adolescents living with HIV | ViiV Healthcare

Dovato is now the first and only oral, two-drug, single-tablet regimen available for people aged 12 and older living with HIV, a population in need of additional treatment options.

The life and art of Marlon Riggs | POZ

On 5 April 1994, the filmmaker, educator, poet and activist died of AIDS-related complications.

South Africa: One in four people with HIV not on treatment, according to new estimates | Spotlight

Despite South Africa’s impressive HIV testing figures, a subset of people start taking antiretroviral therapy far later than is ideal for their health, shows new data from the leading mathematical model of HIV in the country.