News from aidsmap
Nearly 13% of participants in an African cohort maintain HIV control off treatment
Of over 4000 South African and Zambian participants with HIV who provided samples, nearly a quarter were off treatment and 13% of the latter were found to control the virus. Women were twice as likely to be controllers, while other demographic characteristics did not influence viral control.
Offering PrEP to all pregnant women just as effective as focusing on those at higher risk of HIV
A study comparing two models for delivering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among pregnant women seeking routine antenatal services at public clinics in Kenya found similar PrEP uptake in the targeted (risk-guided) and universal arms. Additionally, both arms had high PrEP continuation rates, and HIV incidence was also similar.
Uganda: majority of hospital admissions for AIDS or TB are in people already on HIV treatment
A study in Uganda has found that admission to hospital due to advanced HIV is predominantly attributable to treatment failure and lack of TB preventative treatment, not late HIV diagnosis.
Is on-demand PrEP too demanding? Australian men’s experiences
While on-demand PrEP offers a welcome alternative to daily PrEP for Australian gay and bisexual men, some found that it led to a lack of sexual spontaneity and increased anxiety, according to a qualitative study.
“Zero chance” of meeting goal of ending HIV transmission among UK gay and bisexual men by 2030
Using a computer model, researchers at University College London have found that there is no realistic chance in the UK of reaching the 'Ending AIDS' goal for 2030 that was first set by the United Nations and has since been endorsed by the UK government.
New weight-loss drugs appear safe and effective for people living with HIV
Weight-loss medications, including the popular glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), look like a promising option for people with HIV, although data are limited and more studies are needed.
UK vaccine body recommends meningitis B vaccine for gonorrhoea prevention
The UK’s Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that people in the United Kingdom at increased risk of contracting gonorrhoea should be offered the 4CMenB vaccine (Bexsero) to reduce their risk.
France on its way to drastically reduce new HIV infections
Drastic decreases in the time it takes people to move through the HIV cascade of care in France are reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Median time from diagnosis to viral control has been reduced from around eight months to two months, thus shortening the period during which people can pass the virus to others.
More evidence that integrase inhibitors don’t raise heart disease risk
Integrase inhibitors do not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events such as a heart attack or stroke compared to other types of antiretroviral drug over four years of follow-up, a large multinational study reports in The Lancet HIV.
Suicide rate has fallen in Catalans with HIV – but is still higher than in the general population
A study presented at the recent 19th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2023) in Warsaw found that the suicide rate in people living with HIV in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands fell between 1998 and 2020.
Care for diabetes or high blood pressure can be delivered alongside HIV care in African clinics
Integrating care of diabetes and high blood pressure for people without HIV into existing HIV clinic systems in primary care in Uganda and Tanzania had no negative effect on the outcomes of people with HIV, an African research group reports in The Lancet.
PrEP and STIs
Diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been increasing since the 1990s, especially gonorrhoea and syphilis among gay and bisexual men. It's unclear if pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) directly contributes to increases in STIs or if it’s just being used by people who are likely to get STIs.
Find out more about PrEP and STIs in our recently updated research briefing.
Editors' picks from other sources
Inside the world's largest AIDS charity's troubled move into homeless housing | Los Angeles Times
A Los Angeles Times investigation has found that many of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's more than 1300 residents live in squalid conditions, with dozens under the threat of eviction.
Slash the price by three-quarters – South African government on anti-HIV jab | Bhekisisa
The health department says ViiV Healthcare’s non-profit price for their anti-HIV jab, CAB-LA, is four times what it can pay. In 2022, there were just over 164,200 new HIV infections in South Africa. Can we afford to go without the shot?
Dying for change: Ireland’s stalled plan to open a safe injecting facility for drug users | Euronews
With the third-highest overdose death rate in Europe, Ireland is trying to change its approach to drugs. But the country's first medically supervised injection facility remains unopened over a decade since it was first proposed.
'Too big to fail': How USAID's $9.5B supply chain vision unravelled | Devex
Ten years ago, USAID unveiled the largest contract in its history, aimed at transforming health supply chains in lower-income countries. It has not gone according to plan.
Ending TB is within reach – so why are millions still dying? | The New York Times
Tuberculosis has passed COVID as the top infectious disease killer, despite new medicines and better diagnostic tools.
Health & Power
On Monday evening, we broadcast the November episode of Health & Power, our series for people of colour focusing on health inequalities. NAM aidsmap's Susan Cole and Dr Vanessa Apea's guests were Rebecca Mbewe, Research Assistant with the SHARE collaborative at Queen Mary University of London; and Esther Armah, CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice.
Support us this World AIDS Day
It's been 35 years since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, and there have been so many advancements in the prevention and treatment of HIV in that time. But, while many countries have made great strides towards meeting UNAIDS targets for diagnosis and treatment, HIV remains a significant global public health issue.
At aidsmap, we believe everyone has the right to quality information regardless of their background or location. This World AIDS Day – 1 December – please consider a donation to support our work and help achieve our vision of a world where HIV is no longer a threat to health and happiness.