HIV status does not affect immune responses to Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, two studies show

Two studies of immune responses to the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine show that the vaccine produced similar immune responses in people with or without HIV. People with HIV did not experience more side effects from the vaccine.

Fewer COVID-19 infections in people with HIV in San Francisco, but weaker antibody responses after infection

People with HIV in San Francisco were less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 last year than people without HIV, but if they did, they had weaker antibody responses to the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers at San Francisco General Hospital say that people with HIV should be followed up after vaccination to check antibody and T-cell responses.

Black Africans in UK have limited knowledge of PrEP despite ongoing risk

Data from HIV Prevention England and the Terrence Higgins Trust show much lower levels of knowledge about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in people of Black African origin living in England than there is among gay and bisexual men, despite continuing high levels of risk behaviour and a much higher prevalence of HIV than people from other ethnic minorities.

Same-day ART initiation linked to increased risk of negative outcomes

Same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy after diagnosis has some negative effects, including more patients lost to follow-up, according to a study conducted in Eswatini.

Use of beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure in people with HIV associated with poorer cardiovascular outcomes

Beta-blockers for first-line treatment of high blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of heart disease among people with HIV, according to research published in Hypertension. One in eight participants in the study were prescribed beta-blockers – although they are not recommended for first-line therapy – and this was found to increase the risk of an adverse cardiovascular outcome by up to 90% when compared to ACE inhibitors/ARBs.

Hepatitis C testing in gay and bisexual men with HIV below target, US study finds

Testing for hepatitis C among gay and bisexual men with HIV who are at higher risk of acquiring hepatitis C is falling short of recommendations, a study of a large US cohort of people in regular HIV care shows.

How will HIV services be provided when the pandemic is over?

The large shift from face-to-face to telephone appointments in HIV services over the last year has identified some advantages, possibilities and challenges, explored in numerous presentations at the joint British HIV Association and British Association of Sexual Health and HIV conference.

Improving on a good start: Scotland examines its first four years of PrEP

Scotland was the first country in the UK and one of the first in the world to provide PrEP via sexual health clinics as a standard provision of its national health service. In January this year, it became only the second place in the world, after New South Wales in Australia, to be able to show that the introduction of PrEP had led to a significant fall in HIV infections, not only in gay and bisexual men taking PrEP, but also in men who did not, proving that PrEP could have real population-level effectiveness in preventing HIV.

Southern African HIV testing programmes have hit the 90% UNAIDS target for knowledge of status but testing rates are lower in key groups

A study across sub-Saharan Africa has shown a huge improvement in knowledge of HIV status. Eighty four per cent of those living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa were aware of their HIV status in 2020, compared to only 5.7% in 2000. Over half of the population had been tested for HIV at some point by 2020, compared to only 3.6% in 2000. In 2020, the average time until diagnosis was seven years shorter than in 2000, with a much higher likelihood of being tested within one year of infection.

Type of heart attack differs in people living with HIV: link with drug use and sepsis in younger people

Sepsis and use of stimulant drugs are important causes of heart attack among people living with HIV according to US research published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Heart attacks with such causes, rather than attacks caused by hardening of the arteries, predominated among younger people living with HIV who experienced a heart attack.

UK makes massive global health cuts | The Lancet (free registration required)

The global health community has reacted with shock to huge cuts to UK funding, including for women's and girls' health, HIV/AIDS, polio, and UNICEF.

The future of antibody-based HIV prevention | IAVI

Trials of an injectable antiretroviral and infusions of a single HIV antibody for HIV prevention have recently come to fruition. Results from these studies, and how the field acts on them, may have important implications for future HIV prevention efforts. This special report identifies the main issues the field is contemplating in the aftermath of these trials.

Ugandan sex crimes law targets LGBT+, HIV-positive people, say critics | Reuters

A new Ugandan law that seeks to better protect victims of sexual violence has been criticised by rights campaigners who say it discriminates against vulnerable groups including LGBT+ people, sex workers and those living with HIV.

A new testament to the fury and beauty of activism during the AIDS crisis | New York Times

Sarah Schulman’s Let the Record Show is a history of ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, based on 17 years of interviews with nearly 200 members of the organisation.