aidsmap news: Stigma has a profound impact on the mental and physical health of Indian women with HIV, 15 May 2024

News from aidsmap

Stigma has a profound impact on the mental and physical health of Indian women with HIV

Women living with HIV in West Bengal (an eastern state of India) face intersectional stigma due to HIV as well as their other marginalised identities such as being a widow or a sex worker. This impacts not only their mental health, but also their physical health and leads to poorer HIV treatment outcomes, according to a qualitative study.

CRISPR gene therapy EBT-101 does not prevent HIV viral rebound

A CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy called EBT-101 was safe and well tolerated but did not prevent viral rebound in three participants who stopped antiretroviral treatment in an early study, according to a presentation last week at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual meeting.

Criminalisation of homosexuality undermines HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa

Gay and bisexual men living in sub-Saharan countries where homosexuality is legal were twice as likely to have ever tested for HIV compared to those where homosexuality is illegal. Targeted HIV policies for this key population were associated with a more than twofold increase in HIV testing, compared to countries with no such policies.

Adequate levels of folate protect against neural tube defects when taking dolutegravir

Low levels of folate (vitamin B9) increased the risk of neural tube defects in the foetuses of mice fed the HIV medication dolutegravir during pregnancy, underlining the importance of folic acid supplements for women of childbearing age and fortification of food with folic acid.

Injectable HIV treatment underway in England and largely effective, but a couple of breakthrough cases raise concern

Injectable HIV antiretroviral therapy is starting to be provided in England with several hundred patients now on the two-monthly injections. The British HIV Association’s Spring Conference in Birmingham heard some of the first data from the rollout in England.

TAF may be effective as once-weekly PrEP

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) could be used as once-weekly oral PrEP, an animal study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

‘I felt like I was dirty’: experiences of gay men diagnosed with mpox in England

A recent study found that men diagnosed with mpox, clinicians and community stakeholders believe that the government's perceived inaction towards the illness was due to its association with stigmatised sexual minorities. This systemic failure was often compared to the initial response to the AIDS crisis.

Hidden hepatitis B infection may compromise dolutegravir / lamivudine treatment

Having a hidden infection with hepatitis B may undermine viral suppression after a switch to dolutegravir / lamivudine (Dovato), a study of people with HIV who simplified treatment in Italian and French clinics has concluded.

A class of HIV drugs might protect against Alzheimer’s

A cohort of people with HIV who took NRTIs (a class of HIV drugs) as part of HIV treatment showed lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease than people without HIV. The team of American researchers behind this study suspect HIV-like sequences in our genome to be associated with the disease and thus these HIV drugs protect against its development.

Drugs that make HIV-infected cells self-destruct induce profound viral load drops in mice after just one or two doses

The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) included the latest information about potential drugs and treatments that might lead to a cure. Two presentations included promising data on TACK (targeted activation of cell kill). This is a property of some drugs in the NNRTI family which induces a chain of events leading to the self-destruction of HIV-infected cells.

Vulnerability to HIV among migrants in Switzerland is multidimensional

Among migrants in Europe, the risk of contracting HIV or developing AIDS is exacerbated by the many social vulnerabilities they face in their daily lives. Furthermore, these vulnerabilities intersect and are embedded in sexism, cisgenderism and racism. This is illustrated by three case-studies from a Swiss sociological and qualitative study.

Caution advised when prescribing long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine to avoid drug resistance

HIV clinicians have issued a note of caution regarding long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine in a recent commentary in AIDS. Researchers in Italy highlight that people with long treatment histories in particular may not be good candidates for the treatment, due to the substantial risk of developing resistance to the drugs should the treatment fail.

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Don't fear the Vampire Facial. Just keep it safe | Medscape (requires free registration)

The physician who created the Vampire Facial cosmetic procedure says rogue clinicians are putting patients at risk. 

Australian visa rules jeopardise HIV management, study finds | Medical Xpress

A Monash University sexual health expert has warned that an unintended consequence of Australia's migration rules could compromise Australia's goal to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

UK: New cabotegravir formulations approved to help prevent HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

The MHRA has authorised cabotegravir as 30mg tablets and as a 600mg long-acting injection administered every two months. Implementation in the NHS will depend on approval by NICE.

Threats, accusations and assault: the dangers of running an LGBTQ+ health clinic in Uganda | The Guardian

Brian Aliganyira sees first-hand the devastating consequences of a draconian anti-gay law, as fear and misinformation prevent people getting help.

“HIV is the main thing I think about”: immigration and anticipating HIV travel stigma | TheBodyPro

When thinking about relocating abroad, there are numerous barriers that people living with HIV face. Prior to even getting to a country, anticipating possible HIV travel stigma may be enough to place a damper on any plans.

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