News from the BHIVA & BASHH conference
Risk of dying from COVID-19 doubled for people with HIV in England
People with HIV in England had double the risk of dying compared to the rest of the population during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic up to 16 June 2020, Dr Sara Croxford of Public Health England reported at the joint British HIV Association (BHIVA) and British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) conference.
England's big PrEP implementation trial releases its enrolment data: young people under-represented
The first data from the large implementation study of HIV PrEP in England, the IMPACT trial, were presented at the conference. Although there were a number of subtle differences in the recruitment figures for different risk groups and people of different ethnicities and nationalities, the clearest evidence of inequality of access to the trial was that younger people aged 16-25 were under-represented relative to their risk of HIV, compared with older people.
What happened to people’s sex lives during lockdown in Britain?
A large general population survey shows that the first wave of COVID-19 had a considerable impact on the amount of sex some people had, with young people and those who were not living with a steady partner the most affected. Overall, nine in ten people did not have intimate physical contact with someone from outside their household, the conference heard.
Testing homeless people during COVID-19 identifies several new HIV cases, especially in Black people
An innovative peer-centred outreach project, testing homeless and unstably housed people in London during the height of the COVID pandemic for HIV and viral hepatitis, has revealed a significant proportion with HIV who were either undiagnosed, or diagnosed but not in care.
Other aidsmap news
Bisexual men feel more HIV stigma, are lonelier and more socially isolated than gay men
Bisexual men living with HIV in Australia reported greater levels of self-stigma, worse self-image and poorer emotional wellbeing compared to gay men. They also reported less social support and fewer connections to the LGBTQ community and to other people living with HIV. These men expressed feelings of social isolation and highlighted fears of rejection associated with their HIV diagnoses.
A history of abuse has a lasting impact on HIV care engagement and health outcomes
A Canadian study that followed people living with HIV for nine years found strong relationships between a history of abuse and long-term HIV care engagement and health outcomes. Participants with a history of violence or abuse, in particular childhood abuse, were more likely to discontinue care, have a detectable viral load, and be diagnosed with AIDS.
Injectable HIV therapy would have to cost less than $131 a year to be cost-effective in Africa
A cost-effectiveness analysis has found that injectable, long-lasting antiretroviral therapy would need to cost no more than $131 a year in order to be cost-effective if used for patients who are not fully virally suppressed in lower-income settings in regions like sub-Saharan Africa.
Pancreatic and colorectal cancer risk raised in people with hepatitis C and HIV
Pancreatic cancer occurred more often in people with hepatitis C or HIV in Canada’s British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort, and colorectal cancer was more likely to occur in people diagnosed with hepatitis B or C, or HIV, cohort investigators report in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology.
HIV disclosure improves parent-child relationships
HIV-positive mothers who share their status with their HIV-negative children report greater communication and improved relationships, report Dr Nada Goodrum of Medical University of South Carolina and colleagues in Child Development. The US study shows that mothers who had disclosed saw greater decreases in parenting stress compared with those who did not. The study suggests that HIV disclosure enhances open communication and closer bonds within parent-child relationships.
Development of children of HIV-positive mothers continues to be impaired, says Zimbabwe study
Maternal HIV status is associated with the risks of having undernourished children, according to research conducted in Zimbabwe and published in AIDS. The prevalence of stunted growth, being underweight and wasting were compared between the children of HIV-positive and HIV-negative mothers in three surveys between 2005 and 2015.
Podcast series: Tell Me About It
All six episodes of our podcast 'Tell Me About It' are available to download from Apple and Spotify.
The series features honest, funny and open conversations about what it really means to live with HIV today, and how much that’s changed.
The guests include: actor Jonathan Blake, one of the first people to be diagnosed with HIV; Dr Naomi Sutton, consultant physician in sexual health and star of E4's The Sex Clinic; Simon Blake, CEO of Mental Health First Aid and Deputy Chair of Stonewall; Dr Halima Begum, Director of the Runnymede Trust; and Susan Cole and Matthew Hodson from NAM aidsmap.
If you've listened to the podcasts, we'd love to know what you think about them in our short survey.
Editors' picks from other sources
HIV drugs run short in Kenya as people say lives at risk | Washington Post
Kenyans living with HIV say their lives are in danger due to a shortage of antiretroviral drugs donated by the United States amid a dispute between the US aid agency and the Kenyan government.
The king of AIDS treatments is turning to COVID-19 | The Atlantic
There are few drugs proven to help people infected with the coronavirus, and it’s giving activist John James déjà vu.
‘Dramatic improvements’ as point-of-care HIV testing for infants rolls out in Africa | Avert
Data from six countries’ public health programmes suggests the introduction of new testing technologies have significantly increased same-day diagnosis for babies born with HIV and sped up treatment.
Lost in transition: Bulgaria’s HIV fight | Politico
Bulgaria is struggling to support HIV prevention services after the flow of cash from the Global Fund ended.
HIV genetic data is tracked and shared. It’s creepy and dangerous | My Fabulous Disease
If you are a person living with HIV in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and your local health department probably already have your HIV genetic profile. They have been examining it and comparing it to a genetic analysis of other people. People in your community. People you might know.
Having a baby when you're living with HIV
In our video series, Family Matters, three women who are living with HIV talk about having children. They share their experiences and talk about delivery options, support and care, feeding your baby, and the importance of taking HIV treatment during pregnancy.
Family Matters is a project we are working on with the 4M Network of Mentor Mothers.
You can watch all three videos on aidsmap.