Patient navigators help MSM engage with HIV care in Uganda, but anti-gay bill threatens progress

Men who have sex with men (MSM) recently diagnosed with HIV in Uganda experienced challenges in accessing care but benefitted greatly from the support of patient navigators, according to a recent study. Patient navigators empowered them with resources and information about HIV to overcome their fears, which helped them attend medical appointments and adhere to their treatment.

Most people who died of mpox in the US were Black gay men with advanced HIV

Of the 38 people who have died of mpox (the new name for monkeypox) in the United States, most were Black cisgender men who have sex with men, and among those with a known HIV status, all had AIDS, usually with a CD4 count below 50, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis.

People with HIV have increased risk of suicide and depression in long-term Danish study

A study following people living with HIV in Denmark for up to 20 years shows a three-times greater risk of suicide than in the general population, and a doubling of the risk of depression. However, depression was far more common (around one in 25 people living with HIV) than suicide (one in 140 people with HIV).

Antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy

Taking antiretroviral therapy before conception significantly reduces the risk of developing blood pressure disorders such as pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, a large review of pregnancies in South Africa’s Western Cape province has found.

Proliferation, not replication: HIV is lifelong because infected cells divide, not only because they infect others

A poster and a talk both presented at the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2023) dampened down expectations that a cure for HIV may soon be possible using less risky and expensive methods than the stem-cell transplants that have so far cured five people.

Growing number of people re-engaging with HIV care in South Africa have advanced HIV

While rates of advanced HIV (previously known as AIDS) are declining, the proportion of people coming back to medical care who have advanced HIV is increasing and deaths in this group are increasing. The findings are from the large public sector programme in the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa.

Gene therapy decreases HIV reservoir and moderately suppresses viral load in some

Two clinical trials show that giving a single infusion of genetically modified CD4 cells increased CD4 count, reduced the size of the HIV reservoir, and controlled viral loads over durations lasting weeks to years, CROI 2023 heard.

U=U acknowledged in prosecutors’ guidance in England and Wales

New Crown Prosecution Service guidance on cases of alleged HIV transmission state that an undetectable viral load stops HIV transmission. Cases should no longer be taken to court in England and Wales when a person has an undetectable viral load and is aware that Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

Decolonising global health: lessons from Zimbabwe

The process of shifting control of public health programmes from the global north to local organisations needs to be carefully planned and navigated, say researchers involved in the transition of HIV programmes in Zimbabwe.

Frequent screening will be essential to eliminate cervical cancer in women with HIV

Screening women with HIV for cervical cancer every three years, along with high coverage of HPV vaccination in girls and young women with HIV will be necessary in countries with high rates of HIV to achieve ambitious global targets for the elimination of cervical cancer by 2120, a modelling study has found.

How can HIV cure trials increase racial and gender diversity and equity?

It is crucial to apply principles of racial and gender equity to participation in HIV cure trials, a qualitative study has concluded. Beyond the lack of scientific rigour and potentially variable effectiveness of a future cure among different groups, these exclusions highlight issues such as medical mistrust.

Gossip about HIV status drives stigma and limits uptake of HIV care

A recent study from Botswana argues that gossip is both a driver and a manifestation of stigma: gossip stigmatises people living with HIV, and the fact that people are gossiping about people living with HIV reflects the presence of HIV stigma in that community.

Thigh injections could be an option for long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine

Injections of long-acting cabotegravir (Vocabria) and rilpivirine (Rekambys) in the thigh may be an option for people who cannot have buttocks injections, or want a break from them, according to study results presented at CROI 2023.

Russia: Combining HIV and drug treatment doubles the proportion of opiate users who have an undetectable viral load

In a randomised controlled trial conducted with HIV-positive people who inject drugs in St Petersburg, Russia, three simple strategies resulted in a doubling of participants with undetectable viral loads compared to the usual standard of care. 

Strong support systems tied to PrEP adherence among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa

A qualitative study explored how disclosure of PrEP use was related to adherence among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa. Those who received positive reactions generally had high adherence and disclosed more readily to more people.

Anal cancer in the United States linked to AIDS and inequalities

Anal cancer diagnoses in men in the United States aged 50 and over rose over a decade and states with a higher frequency of AIDS diagnoses tended to have a higher frequency of anal cancer diagnoses too.

Life after an HIV diagnosis in Australia: “who was going to love me now that I’ve got this virus?”

An HIV diagnosis continues to cause distress and a loss of sense of self, particularly among people with limited HIV knowledge and temporary migration status. A qualitative study also showed how initially negative emotions lessened with time, with some experiencing personal and professional growth because of their diagnosis.

Every 1-year increase in partner age linked to a 9% greater likelihood of HIV acquisition among young women in Africa

While male sexual partners in the 35 to 44 age band confer the greatest HIV risk for adolescent girls and young women, men aged 25 to 34 years drive the majority of new HIV acquisitions as most young women have partners in this age band, a study from eight African countries has concluded.

Alarmingly high burden of STIs among people with HIV in rural Uganda

People living with HIV are 51% more likely to be diagnosed with at least one curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) than HIV-negative people, despite near universal HIV treatment coverage, a study in rural Uganda has found. Pregnant women living with HIV had an even higher rate of STIs.

Weight gain on HIV treatment greater in people who start treatment with advanced HIV

People with low CD4 counts and advanced HIV (AIDS) were far more likely to experience substantial weight gain after starting treatment than people who started treatment with CD4 counts above 350, a large French study has found. Those with advanced HIV gained on average just under 10kg, compared to just under 3kg in the latter group.

Rilpivirine resistance may be barrier to long-acting injectable treatment in South Africa

One in eight people (12%) starting antiretroviral treatment in a South African clinic would have been unable to benefit from injectable treatment that includes rilpivirine due to pre-existing resistance to the drug, South African researchers report.

Rapid adherence testing sheds light on viral suppression and resistance

For people taking tenofovir-based HIV treatment, a urine test could be used at the point of care to indicate adherence and predict viral suppression. Research presented at CROI 2023 investigated whether the test is good for TAF (tenofovir alafenamide) as well as TDF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate).

Top stories from CROI 2023

One of the most important HIV conferences of the year, CROI 2023, took place in February in Seattle, US. Here are some highlights from this year's conference:

Top 5 stories on injectable HIV treatment and PrEP from CROI 2023

Top 5 stories on new drugs for HIV prevention and treatment from CROI 2023

Top 5 stories on HIV in Africa from CROI 2023

Top 5 HIV treatment stories from CROI 2023

Top 5 stories on sexual health from CROI 2023

Providing accurate information doesn't always reduce people's anxieties about HIV

Study reveals gatekeeping and stigmatising attitudes towards migrant women among Belgian PrEP professionals

Thai government shuts down key-population led PrEP services

US Black gay and bisexual men want more info in PrEP ads – but keep it simple

Cabotegravir long-acting PrEP out of reach for upper middle-income nations

African migrants living in France less likely to benefit from antiretroviral innovations than people born in France

Decline in brain function is linked to other medical conditions rather than ageing with HIV

Not counted: clinical trials of new HIV treatments are failing women

Anal cancer cases down among gay and bisexual men with HIV in the Netherlands

Major gaps in access to tests for fungal infections in Africa

Patient engagement can improve HIV care in the Caribbean

Passports and privilege: what does the future hold for global HIV conferences?

Hepatitis delta very common in people who inject drugs with HIV and hepatitis B

Sexual and emotional intimacy key to syringe sharing among women who inject drugs in Philadelphia

HIV reservoir cells have surface proteins that aid in evading immune attack

Closure of HIV vaccine study shows how far we have to go

HIV raises the risk of inflammatory bowel disease

People living with HIV may develop more severe mpox

HIV-specific immune response unconnected to inflammation in people taking ART

UK infected blood inquiry releases compensation report | The Lancet (requires free registration)

It was made clear right from the start that people were at the heart of the inquiry – the witness positioned at the centre of the hearing room, the public at the front, and the lawyers and Chair to the side.

US: No-cost preventive services are now in jeopardy. Here’s what you need to know. | Kaiser Health News

A federal judge’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act is by no means the final word. Even parsing its impact is complicated. Here are key issues to watch as the case works its way through the legal system.

Daily statin reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV, large NIH study finds | National Institutes of Health

A clinical trial was stopped early because a daily statin medication was found to reduce the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people living with HIV in REPRIEVE, the first large-scale clinical study to test a primary cardiovascular prevention strategy in this population.

Patient who achieved HIV remission shares his story | City of Hope press release

Video interview and more information about Paul Edmonds, the 'City of Hope' patient, whose case was first reported in 2022.