aidsmap news: Huge fall in new HIV infections after roll-out of PrEP in Scotland, 25 January 2021

News from aidsmap

Huge fall in new HIV infections after roll-out of PrEP in Scotland

New HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men fell by 20% after the implementation of a publicly funded PrEP programme in Scotland, while HIV incidence in a large cohort of men attending sexual health clinics fell by 43%, Professor Claudia Estcourt of Glasgow Caledonian University and colleagues report in AIDS.

Living with HIV associated with a fivefold increase in the risk of insomnia

People living with HIV are over five times more likely to report insomnia than matched HIV-negative controls, according to research from England and Ireland published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Sleeplessness in people with HIV was associated with poorer quality of life and in most cases was undiagnosed and untreated.

Bacterial STI rates rose in the year before starting PrEP, but not during PrEP, Australian study finds

A study of gay and bisexual male participants in the first large implementation study of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Australia has found that although rates of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were high, they did not increase in the two years after starting PrEP. In contrast, they increased significantly in the year before men started PrEP.

CD4 count below 350 increases the risk of severe COVID-19

People with HIV with CD4 counts below 350 were almost three times more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms than people with higher CD4 counts, confirming warnings by the British HIV Association and the European AIDS Clinical Society that immunosuppressed people with HIV are likely to be at higher risk of serious illness.

Molecular HIV surveillance: friend or foe?

As part of routine HIV care in many high-income countries, genetic resistance testing is done prior to starting treatment to ensure that a person’s virus is not resistant to a chosen antiretroviral medication. However, in addition to identifying potential drug resistant mutations, phylogenetic analysis of an individual’s virus is also carried out – when compared to other viruses, this provides information about how different viruses are related.

What's needed to eliminate hepatitis C in people with HIV in Scotland?

To eliminate hepatitis C in people with HIV in Scotland, healthcare providers will need to reach people not on HIV treatment and step up testing for hepatitis C in people who inject drugs, an analysis of Scottish surveillance data published in HIV Medicine shows.

Anthony Fauci: “I don’t do this because I’m a hero. I do it because it’s necessary.”

“The enormity of the problem is how I keep going,” Dr Anthony Fauci told a meeting of global health journalists earlier this month. “I haven’t had a single day off since 20th January last year, but the necessity of dealing with the COVID epidemic is an anaesthetic against fatigue.”

Data from routine clinical care shows people with HIV have an increased risk of dementia and that it's diagnosed at a younger age

The risk of dementia in older age is increased by 58% for people living with HIV compared to their HIV-negative peers, according to US research published in the online edition of AIDS. The average age at dementia diagnosis was much younger for people with HIV: 67 years compared to 78 years for people without HIV.

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Editors' picks from other sources

RIP Joseph Sonnabend, MD | POZ

Pioneering AIDS researcher and clinician Joseph Sonnabend, 88, died on 24 January 2021 at the Wellington Hospital in London, after suffering a heart attack on 3 January 2021.

FDA approves first long-acting injectable to treat HIV infection | STAT

In a move that could transform HIV treatment, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a monthly injectable medication, a regimen designed to rival pills that must be taken daily.

We found a COVID-19 vaccine in months. What about one for HIV? | HuffPost

“At the moment, I don’t think funding is necessarily the biggest bottleneck to an HIV vaccine breakthrough, although more funding never hurts,” said Professor John Moore. “At the end of the day, it’s the fundamental differences in the biology of HIV and SARS-CoV-2 that make developing a vaccine so difficult — not for a lack of trying,” Moore said. He dismissed conspiracy theories as “absurd”.

Statement on risk of COVID-19 for people living with HIV (PLWH) and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine advice for adults living with HIV | EACS

In general, PLWH and more pronounced immunodeficiency (defined as CD4 count < 350/µL), detectable viraemia and those with additional co-morbidities, may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19; therefore, prioritised COVID-19 vaccination is recommended. In addition, prioritised vaccination is recommended for all PLWH with risk factors for a worsened COVID-19 outcome similar to the general population (age, co-morbidities, social and economic deprivation, etc.).

ViiV Healthcare receives EU Marketing Authorisation for the first-ever dispersible-tablet formulation of dolutegravir, Tivicay, a treatment for children living with HIV in Europe | ViiV Healthcare press release

The authorisation is an important step in fulfilling ViiV Healthcare’s commitment to bring optimised paediatric formulations of dolutegravir to children.

African countries differ widely in prenatal HIV testing: why it matters | The Conversation

Local and national governments in west and central African countries must prioritise investment in providing access to HIV testing for all pregnant women.

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