Welcome to HIV Weekly, an email bulletin that will provide people with, or affected by, HIV with a concise, plain English digest of a selection of the very latest HIV news.

This new digest puts the latest HIV news stories into their context to equip you with the knowledge to understand what the latest research might mean for your HIV treatment and care.

Information on the latest NAM treatment information resources and those produced by other key organisations such as the UK Coalition and THT are also included.

HIV Weekly is edited by Michael Carter, NAM's patient information and news editor.

There are four main sections of news this week

• Illness and death in people with HIV: studies have found that effective anti-HIV treatment has dramatically reduced the amount of illness and death in HIV-positive people. Another study has found that starting anti-HIV treatment with a low CD4 cell count increases the risk of developing tuberculosis.

• Anti-HIV treatment: a case of severe liver toxicity has been reported in a woman taking the experimental anti-HIV drug maraviroc. The woman had risk factors for liver problems, and studies into the drug are continuing with tighter monitoring.

• HIV and hepatitis: simple blood tests can accurately show the extent of liver damage experienced by a person with HIV and hepatitis C meaning that they don’t need to have a painful liver biopsy.

• Sexual health: a study suggests that a microbicide gel can prevent infection with both HIV and herpes. Men who have CMV reproducing in their genitals have higher HIV viral loads in their semen and are likely to be more infectious.

Illness and death in people with HIV

Anti-HIV treatment

Sexual health