Most San Franciscans With AIDS Are Now 50 or Older

A report recently published in “AIDS Care” found that more than 50 percent of San Franciscans diagnosed with AIDS are 50 years old or older, according to a story in “aidsmap.”

Researchers analyzed the city’s HIV/AIDS case registry for the years between 1990 and 2010 and found that of the 9,796 city residents diagnosed with AIDS 5,112 or 52 percent were 50 years of age or older.

Statistics showed that the city reported 2,047 new AIDS diagnoses in 1990, with a median age of 38 and 48 percent between the ages of 35 and 44. By 2010, the city reported only 331 new cases, with a median age of 50 and only 21 percent between the ages of 35 and 44.

To read the study abstract, visit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23320552.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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HIV Sufferers to Tell Pupils Their Stories

Students in Renfrewshire, Scotland, soon will attend special classes in their schools that will include four videos produced by the Always Hear campaign, launched by Waverly Care and financed by the government. The AIDS charity hopes to give students a better understanding of the reality of living with HIV through the videos, each of which tells the story of an HIV-positive individual.

Waverly Care launched the Always Hear campaign after a survey by the National AIDS Trust demonstrated that 85 percent of parents thought that children should be educated about HIV in secondary schools. Currently, approximately 6,000 HIV-positive individuals live in Scotland, with the number growing.

For further information on the Always Hear campaign, visit http://www.hivalwayshear.org

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Fenway Health Forge New Partnership

On June 27, Fenway Health and the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts announced that both of their boards had approved the formation of a “strategic partnership” of the two organizations. They will join to improve care and bolster the stability of services for people with HIV/AIDS. This is especially important since HIV/AIDS patients are living longer, but federal and state support has diminished. AIDS Action President Rebecca Haag noted that her organization’s infrastructure is at a “breaking point,” because state funding for AIDS services has decreased by 38 percent, while Massachusetts’ number of HIV-infected people has increased by 44 percent.

Fenway Health and AIDS Action will unite to become one corporate structure; however, each will retain its nonprofit status, mission, name, and separate offices. AIDS Action board members will take on an advisory role, while Fenway’s board will handle financial responsibility for the new entity. Haag will continue as chief executive of AIDS Action; Dr. Stephen Boswell, Fenway’s president and chief executive, will lead the newly merged organization. Boswell emphasized the positive effect this will have, as the new organization will streamline services by combining forces, such as sharing administrative functions and information technology services.

AIDS Action has helped HIV patients find transportation, housing, and other community services, and now will be able to use its expertise to connect patients to Fenway’s medical care. Fenway, a well-known community health center, serves a variety of Boston residents. By joining forces, the two organizations will be able to serve thousands of people. AIDS action currently operates with a $13 million budget and serves approximately 6,800 clients; Fenway Health’s annual operating budget is $64 million, and it treats approximately 22,000 patients.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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HIV-Positive Men Show High Rates of Papillomavirus Infection at Oral, Anal, and Penile Sites

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Lluita Contra la SIDA (Fight Against AIDS) Foundation, and the IrsiCaixa Foundation in Spain report high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the oral, anal, and penile cavities of HIV-infected men, particularly in the anal cavities of men who have sex with men (MSM).

For each year from 2005 to 2009, the researchers investigated the presence of HPV among 733 male HIV-infected patients at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, Spain, including 538 MSM. The researchers also studied the rate of new infections and clearance of the virus during the four years of study. In the sample studied, the prevalence rates were 73 percent of cases with anal HPV, 26 percent with penile, and 16 percent in oral sites; new cases during the four years were 36 percent with anal HPV, 17 percent penile, and 11 percent oral.

The results indicate high prevalence and incidence of HPV in the three sites and a low clearance rate. MSM presented higher prevalence (84 percent) and incidence in the anal canal, and lower clearance percentage than heterosexuals, but prevalence in heterosexuals was also high at 42 percent. The researchers commented that the prevalence in MSM was expected, but the prevalence in the heterosexual group was unexpected. In other sites, prevalence, incidence, and clearance were similar and coinfection in all three sites was similar at 7 percent in heterosexuals and 6 percent in MSM. The study found lower prevalence of HPV infection in anal sites of patients treated with antiretrovirals, but this was a weak effect.

The researchers recommended routine oral, penile, and anal examinations for all HIV-positive patients during annual clinic regardless of sexual behavior and practices.

The full report, “Natural History of Human Papillomavirus Infections Involving Anal, Penile, and Oral Sites Among HIV-Positive Men,” was published online in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases (2013; doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31827e87bd).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Ghana Cuts New HIV Infections Among Children by 76% Ahead of South Africa

The number of HIV-infected Ghanaian children accessing HIV treatment doubled from 2009 to 2012, resulting in a 76-percent decline in HIV incidence among children since 2009. Ghana was one of 21 African countries targeted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) “Global Plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive” (Global Plan). 

Other priority countries where HIV incidence declined more than 50 percent among children included Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. South Africa had 24,000 fewer new HIV infections among children in 2012 than in 2009 (a 63-percent decline). Overall, HIV infections among children in the 21 priority nations declined by 38 percent (130,000 fewer new infections) since 2009.

Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS executive director, reported progress had stalled in other African countries with high HIV incidence and that access to HIV treatment was “unacceptably low” in most of the Global Plan priority nations. HIV incidence increased in Angola, and the 2012 rate of incidence in Nigeria was “largely unchanged” from 2009. Of the 21 priority nations, Nigeria had the highest HIV incidence among children, with 60,000 new infections in 2012. Sidibé called for “urgent action” to reach the Global Plan’s 2015 goals.

UNAIDS and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief revealed the Global Plan during the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS. The plan’s 2015 target goals are to cut new infections among children by 90 percent and to reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50 percent.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Having a Job Helps Women with HIV Manage Their Illness

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the University of California at San Francisco reported that having a job helped HIV-infected women maintain a health routine that included taking medications on schedule, keeping medical appointments, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Those who succeeded with self-management tasks such as these had a better chance of living a normal life span.

Allison Webel, lead author and assistant professor of nursing at CWRU’s Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing, stated that positive employment aspects included the routine of a work schedule, additional income and benefits, and emotional support. Webel also noted that employment gave the HIV-infected women a sense of contributing to the world outside their homes.

Study authors surveyed 260 HIV-infected women about social resources to identify factors that helped participants with self-management. Average age of respondents was 46; a large proportion comprised mothers and African Americans. Many of the HIV-infected women had limited financial resources or were homeless and juggled many different responsibilities, which made maintaining a healthy routine more difficult. Although it was not clear why, African-American women were more successful in self-managing health than other ethnic groups.

In the past, many HIV-infected women quit work to focus on their health. However, newer antiretroviral therapies have become more effective in preventing HIV from progressing to AIDS and in delaying HIV-related illnesses, which has enabled HIV-infected women to stay in the workforce. The study authors recommended establishing training programs to help HIV-infected women find and hold jobs. Additional research into microenterprises might also suggest ways to help HIV-infected women generate income for necessities such as food and housing.

The full report, “The Impact of Social Context on Self-Management in Women Living with HIV,” was published online in the journal Social Science & Medicine (2013; doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.03.037).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Appropriations Committee Votes to Restore $3 Million to HOPWA Funding

The House Appropriations Committee voted to restore $3 million to the HOPWA program which had been cut by $32 million from the FY13 allocated number of $332 million.  The amendment was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13), Representative Adam Schiff (CA-28) and Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05).  The offset for this amendment is from the HUD Administrative Support Office.

Prior to introducing the HOPWA Amendment with the $3 million offset, Representatives Lee, Schiff and Quigley had introduced a bill that would fully restore HOPWA funding and take it up to $335 million, the level the President had requested in his FY14 budget.  The $35 million increase to HOPWA was introduced with no offset and was rejected by the Appropriations Committee with a voice vote.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Sir Elton John Urges UK and US to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

In recent communications to both the UK and US governments, Sir Elton John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, has called for a renewal of both governments’ commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

John called on the United Kingdom to double its commitment by providing $1.57 billion throughout the next three years, and urged the US Congress to appropriate $1.65 billion for FY14.

The Global Fund has supported more than 1,000 programs in 151 countries since its establishment in 2002, providing AIDS treatment for 4.2 million individuals, TB treatment for 9.7 million individuals, and 310 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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St. Louis Condom Ban Moves Toward Repeal

On June 25, Shane Cohn, Ward 25 alderman, sponsored a bill repealing a local ordinance that has banned condom sales in St. Louis since 1934. However, local businesses have sold condoms, because the law has not been enforced. Cohn explained to the city's Health and Human Services Committee that high rates of teen pregnancies and STDs necessitate the repeal of the ordinance.

The ordinance’s wording currently states that it is illegal to make "for sale, or give away, within the City, any contraceptive or sex-inciting device or contrivance or any prophylactic rubber goods or prophylactic membranes or to own or be in charge of any vending machine dispensing any such article or to be in charge of any premises where such vending machine is maintained or where any such device is displayed or is dispensed by any means whatsoever." The ordinance exempts licensed doctors and pharmacists.

Ward 13 Alderman Fred Wessels warned that the repeal would not decrease STD rates and described condoms as easily obtainable. Cohn responded that St. Louis needed to “clean up” its ordinances. He noted under the current law, the possibility existed that a grocery store check-out clerk could be fined for selling condoms. Condom sales have been a controversial topic, with religious institutions such as the Catholic Church strongly opposing condoms and supporting birth control prohibition.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Ribbon of Life, Benefiting Nonprofit that Helps Locals with HIV/AIDS, Set for Sunday

Ribbon of Life will present its 27th anniversary show on Sunday, June 30, at Las Vegas’s Smith Center. The show is the main fundraiser for Golden Rainbow, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and other assistance to HIV-infected individuals in Las Vegas.

This year’s show is titled “Tributes” and will include numbers that pay respect to Broadway, film, comedy, hip-hop, and pop music. The Golden Rainbow board of directors decides the theme and chooses which local artists to include. This year, they had to choose 12 performers from the 40 submissions they received.

This year’s chosen performers include headliner and Grammy-winner Jon Secada; Michael Grimm, winner of the fifth season of “America’s Got Talent”; Clint Holmes; Josh Strickland; George Wallace; Las Vegas Tenors; the Phat Pack; Wes Winters; “Jubilee!” members; and others.

Golden Rainbow uses the funds for a permanent housing program for people living with HIV/AIDS, rent, mortgages, reduced co-pays, and much more for 500 people. Last year’s show raised more than $200,000.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Dietary Cholesterol Promotes Progression in Hepatitis C

Results of a study by Lei Yu of the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues indicate that patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should avoid eating foods with cholesterol, which is present in meat and dairy products.

The researchers analyzed data from 608 participants in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis Trial who had advanced fibrosis and compensated cirrhosis. Researchers collected data on cholesterol intake from food frequency questionnaires completed at the trial’s baseline and 1.8 years later. Clinical progression referred to events, symptoms, or conditions, including death, variceal bleeding, encephalopathy, ascites, peritonitis, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score greater than or equal to 7, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Histologic progression of disease referred to an increase in Ishak fibrosis score of two or more points in a second liver biopsy, compared with the first.

After the researchers adjusted for gender, age, race, cirrhosis, body mass index, treatment, alcohol use, smoking status, general health, coffee consumption, and macronutrient intake, each higher quartile of cholesterol intake was correlated with a 46-percent increased risk of clinical or histologic progression. Compared with HCV-infected patients in the lowest quartile of cholesterol intake (32–152 milligrams (mg)/day), patients in the third quartile (224–310 mg/day) and the fourth quartile (greater than 310 mg/day) had significantly increased risk for disease progression.

The researchers concluded that higher amounts of dietary cholesterol are associated with greater risk of disease progression among HCV-infected patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis.

The full report, “Dietary Cholesterol Intake Is Associated with Progression of Liver Disease in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: Analysis of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment Against Cirrhosis Trial,” was published online in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2013; doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2013.05.018).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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New HIV Call Center Will Link Patients to Life-Saving Care

In conjunction with National HIV/AIDS Testing Day on June 27, the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and North Carolina’s Division of Public Health Communicable Disease Branch will launch ONE CALL, a call center to link newly diagnosed HIV patients with care providers. Specially trained nurses will staff the toll-free HIV call center, which also will connect non-specialist healthcare providers to North Carolina HIV care and support centers.

Dr. Cindy Gay, assistant professor of medicine at UNC and head of ONE CALL, stated that the healthcare professional who delivers a positive HIV test result often lacks the training required to counsel newly diagnosed HIV patients or to provide treatment. ONE CALL services aim to address patients’ initial concerns and to supply tailored referrals to HIV care, selected from the only comprehensive, up-to-date directory of North Carolina HIV specialists. ONE CALL nurses can transfer callers directly to the clinic of choice for appointments. The service also serves as a resource for newly diagnosed HIV patients who fear HIV/AIDS stigma and prefer an alternative to face-to-face encounters as they adjust to living with the virus.

At present, the South has the highest HIV incidence of US regions; North Carolina reported 1,563 new HIV cases in 2011. Approximately 24 percent of HIV-infected North Carolinians are not receiving treatment, which can prevent HIV transmission and help infected people achieve a normal life expectancy.

Individuals and providers may reach ONE CALL at 1–866–883–1836, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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HIV Testing, Counseling Free to Public Thursday in Georgia

Four national and local Georgia organizations—Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Cobb Community Service Board, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Northwest Georgia Chapter, and Makeup & Motivation—have joined forces to help provide free HIV testing and counseling in support of National HIV Testing Day.

Testing will be conducted at two locations:

The Cobb & Douglas Public Health Center in Marietta, 1650 County Services Parkway, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.;

The Marietta Flea Market, 550 Franklin Road SE, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

All testing is confidential and staff will provide results in 20 minutes.

For more information, call (770) 514–2815 or (770) 514–2432.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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AllTogether Fest to Raise Awareness of National HIV Testing Day is Friday in Bienville Square

The AllTogether Fest, a free gospel and jazz concert commemorating National HIV Testing Day, will be held on Friday, June 28, at 5:00 p.m. in Bienville Square, Mobile, Ala.

Musical groups will perform, including Shiloh Missionary Baptist Hallelujah Choir, GAP, Henry Clay, Yvonne Mathews, Malinda Leigh Dance Studio, Arnold, United Voices, Cotton Jazz Sax* DJ, Clown Bk, Gentle Spirits, Wings Of Life Choir with Ms. Inez Spencer, Gabriel Ezell, Living Word, and Shaulanda Norwood, plus many more groups.

The Walgreen at the Loop, 2050 Government Street, will offer free, confidential HIV testing on June 27–28 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on June 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Mobile County Health Department and other groups have partnered with a coalition of public and private sector groups known as Greater Than AIDS and with the Walgreens pharmacy chain to provide the free testing.

For more information about the AllTogether Fest, call Event Coordinator Tyrome Tover at the Mobile County Health Department, (251) 690–8170.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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UCSF Launching Mobile HIV Testing Van

In anticipation of National HIV Testing Day on Thursday, UC San Francisco's Allied Health Project is launching the first mobile testing center in The City.

The van will make it even easier for gay men and men who have sex with men to get tested and know their sexual history. Gay men are encouraged to get tested every six months.

The mobile van is an extension of the health project's testing program, which began in 1985 with San Francisco's first large-scale anonymous HIV counseling and testing program.

Allied Health Project offers HIV testing any day of the week and at any time. The program also provides referrals to newly diagnosed clients.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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National HIV Testing Day: Free Testing Offered at Three Marion Locations

The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will commemorate National HIV Testing Day on Thursday, June 27, by offering free HIV tests at three Marion County locations:

Florida Department of Health in Marion County, 1801 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.;

Parkside Garden Apartments Community Center, 621 NW 2nd St., Ocala, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.;

Ramah Missionary Baptist Church, 10545 SE 58th Ave., Belleview, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

The Health Department and Parkside locations will provide the rapid HIV test, giving results in 15 minutes. Ramah Church will offer an oral HIV test that provides results in two weeks.

The Florida Department of Health offers HIV testing on an ongoing basis from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Mon.–Fri., at the Ocala facility.

For more information, call the Health Department at (352) 629–0137, ext. 2061.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Free HIV Testing and Free Emergency Contraception in New York

Family Planning of South Central New York will observe National HIV Testing Day by offering free and confidential rapid HIV testing and counseling on June 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at health centers located at 117 Hawley Street, Binghamton; The Eaton Center, Suite 208, 26 Conkey Avenue, Norwich; 37 Dietz Street, Oneonta; and 37 Pleasant Street, Sidney.

Family Planning CEO Debra Marcus stated as many as one in three individuals infected with HIV are unaware and “learning your HIV status is critical to protecting your own health as well as that of others.”

For further information, call (607) 723–8306.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Berrien Coounty Health Department to Offer Free HIV Testing

To celebrate National HIV Testing Day, the Berrien County, Mich., Health Department will offer free and confidential HIV testing to county residents on June 27 at its offices located at 756 Pipestone in Benton Harbor from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointments will be necessary.

The health department offers all individuals confidential and anonymous HIV and STD testing by appointment at the Benton Harbor and Niles locations; no one is turned away for inability to pay. For more information, visit http://www.bchdmi.org.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Guam's Teens Face Obstacles in Obtaining Condoms, Birth Control

According to government statistics, more than 50 percent of sexually active Guam youth have not used protection, despite the fact that the law requires the Guam Department of Education to teach students about HIV/AIDS and STD prevention. The Department of Public Health and Human Services held a weeklong training workshop June 17–21 for nurses and health educators, where they presented the 2011 Youth Risk Survey results. According to the survey, approximately 68 percent of Guam’s sexually active high school students did not use a condom during their last act of sexual intercourse, which placed them at risk for STDs and early, unplanned pregnancies. The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) encourages teachers to educate students about human sexuality from a public health perspective.

STD/HIV Prevention Program Director Bernie Schuman, however, explained that Guam’s teenagers have faced obstacles, such as the lack of accessibility to transportation and condoms. Guam’s public schools have provided STD prevention information per the law, but have not provided condoms; rather, the Public Health Department has provided them, but required teens under the age of 18 to receive counseling beforehand. Schuman noted that in traveling anywhere in Guam, including to a public health center, teens needed to ask their parents for a ride, but often these teens did not want their parents to know that they were thinking of partaking in sexual activity. Schuman declared, "The ones [teens] that come in are able to get access to prevention counseling with an emphasis on abstinence."

Guam’s stores also have varying policies about condom sales. Some stores have not sold condoms to anyone under the age of 19, and other stores, not to anyone under 18. Certain stores have sold them without any restrictions, while another has sold condoms kept behind the customer service counter, requiring customers to seek a sales clerk’s assistance. One Guam store has made it a policy not to sell condoms.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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When HIV Virus Is Transmitted Despite Treatment

The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents replication of HIV in the blood; however, a recent study indicates that shedding of HIV may continue in semen, so individuals undergoing ART can infect others through unprotected sexual intercourse.

Swiss researcher Sara Gianella Weibel and American colleagues working at the University of California in San Diego studied semen of 114 HIV-infected men receiving ART and who have sex with men. Results show that semen of 11 men contained a large quantity of human immunodeficiency viruses, although their blood viral load was very low. Gianella also found different types of herpes in eight of the 11 participants.

The researchers suggest that although some herpes viruses may remain unnoticed, such as cytomegalovirus, if they infect the male genital tract, they locally activate the immune system. This results in a build-up of immune cells, including those in which HIV replicates in the genital area. Gianella concluded that data suggests attention must be focused on other viruses in the fight to stop HIV transmission.

The full report, “Shedding of HIV and Human Herpes Viruses in the Semen of Effectively Treated HIV-1 Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men,” was published online in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (2013; doi:10.1093/cid/cit252).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Harm Reduction More Effective than War on Drugs

The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS reported a 15-year study demonstrated that a harm reduction initiative reduced drug use and improved public safety in an impoverished area of Vancouver. When the study began in 1996, the community had the “highest rates of HIV infection” outside of sub-Saharan Africa and high mortality from drug overdose.

Vancouver adopted a public health approach that included opening a supervised drug injection site (Insite) in 2003. Dr. Thomas Kerr, co-author of the report and co-director of the Centre’s Urban Health Research Initiative, stated that the percentage of drug users sharing needles had declined from 40 percent in 1996 to 1.7 percent in 2011, which resulted in lower incidence of HIV and hepatitis C due to sharing needles. About one quarter of Vancouver drug users were HIV-infected; approximately 90 percent had hepatitis C. Data also indicated that more drug users were taking advantage of addiction treatment programs; only 12 percent of users were on methadone in 1996 compared to 54.5 percent in 2008. Although the report found less drug use in the community, illegal drugs are still widely available in Vancouver, and mortality among drug users remains eight times higher than the general population.

Opponents include Canada’s Conservative party—currently in power—and several policing associations. Preferring a US-style “war on drugs,” the federal government introduced the “Respect for Communities Act,” which would require supervised injection sites to consult with community, law enforcement, provincial, and municipal authorities before opening. Although the Supreme Court of Canada has ordered that Insite remain open, the legislation might prevent the establishment of similar sites.

The Centre does not support legalization of illicit drugs.

The Full Report, “Drug Situation in Vancouver,” was published online by the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at http://uhri.cfenet.ubc.ca/images/Documents/dsiv2013.pdf.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Pennsylvania National HIV Testing Day Events

Thursday, June 27, is National HIV Testing Day, which encourages people of all ages to "Take the test, take control."

Local Pennsylvania events offering free HIV testing are the following:

Thursday, June 27:

Diverse Banquet Hall -  7202 Kelly Street, Homewood, noon to 4:00 p.m. HIV testing (20-minute results), with food, educational materials, entertainment, and free gifts.

Uncommon Grounds -  380 Franklin Avenue, Aliquippa, noon to 7:00 p.m. HIV testing, music, and food.

Friday, June 28:

Community Health Fair - Corner of Penn Avenue and Whitfield Street outside East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Free testing, including HIV, cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes;

Saturday, June 29:

Central Outreach Health Fair - AUBA Plaza, 2700 Centre Avenue, Hill District, Pittsburgh, noon to 4:00 p.m. Free testing, including HIV, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes;

Zion Baptist Church - 1300 Locust Street, McKeesport, noon to 3:00 p.m. HIV testing and book signing with Lou Anne Coward, author of "Unexpected Events."

To find HIV testing sites by ZIP code, visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org/HARN

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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Rise in Central Ohio's AIDS Count Triggers Federal Aid

Central Ohio will be receiving federal government funding because the number of people with AIDS in the area exceeded 1,000 for five years in a row.

Columbus Public Health is working to link the uninsured and underinsured with medical services using $4 million from the federal government’s Ryan White Part A program. The program allows communities to fit services to their needs and is focused on getting HIV-infected individuals into treatment and adhering to their treatment plan.

Approximately 1,000 residents of Franklin County, Morrow County, and adjacent counties will be served each year, according to Audrey Regan, director of sexual health promotion at Columbus Public Health.

Services provided include outpatient care by area doctors, behavioral-health services, case management, transportation, and short-term housing.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Tuberculosis Threatens Myrtle Beach Homeless Shelter

South Carolina health officials have informed the public that a person who stayed at Myrtle Beach’s Street Reach Ministries homeless shelter between April 26 and May 17 has tested positive for TB. 

Street Reach houses approximately 125 homeless individuals and feeds approximately 200 people per day. Five staff members and numerous volunteers also work at the facility.

Grand Strand Regional Medical Center has confirmed two TB cases in 2013. Also, Greenwood County health officials have stated that an outbreak occurred at a primary school where 74 people tested positive. The state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is uncertain if the Street Reach case is related, so they have taken precautions.

Jim Beasley, DHEC spokesperson, declared, "It's possible people could be exposed and don't know it because with most people the germ lies dormant.”

Health officials have begun testing at the shelter. The state explained that they should have test results during the week of June 24–28.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Teens with HIV Need Transition to Adult Care

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement on how to transition HIV-infected adolescents to adult healthcare. AAP recommends clinics follow four steps to guide HIV-positive teens to successfully maintain healthcare: create a formal, written transition care plan; begin communications about HIV status and transition when the patient is approximately age 12; make the transition when the patient is between 18–25 years; and document and evaluate the transition when it is completed.

The authors, Russell B. Van Dyke, MD, FAAP, and Rana Chakraborty, MD, of AAP’s Committee on Pediatric AIDS, contend that pediatricians and adolescent and family medicine providers have the very important function of arranging a smooth and effective transition at this difficult time of life for both the HIV-infected youth and their families. They advise that the written care plan should include supporting documents to assist the new team, including goals and a timeline. Also an important part of the plan is a system similar to a registry to track the youths’ progress through the transition process, to reduce the possibility of a loss of care due to moving away from the family home.

The plan must include education for all parties involved and empower the HIV-infected youths to assume responsibility for their own healthcare. The authors emphasized the importance of encouraging the adolescent patients’ independence through personally owning and managing their healthcare. They also advised the pediatrician or family providers to be aware of and address behavioral, emotional, and mental health problems.

The plan recommends direct contact between providers and sending a letter of transition, portable medical summary, and electronic health records before the transfer. Also, the pediatrician or family physician should introduce the adolescent patient to the provider personally. A member of the referring physician’s healthcare team should show support by contacting the patient periodically and, if necessary, the youth should seek out a peer support group to help deal with anxiety from the transition. The plan advised the referring physician to exit once adult care was established.

The full report, “Transitioning HIV-Infected Youth into Adult Health Care,” was published online in the journal Pediatrics (2013; doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1073).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Orphanage Closes Its Hospice, Babies No Longer Dying

Due to hygienic deliveries and the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected babies and pregnant HIV-infected women, South Africa’s Cotlands childcare facility has closed its AIDS hospice for children. Cotlands is a nonprofit organization that provides care for babies who are up for adoption. The Cotlands AIDS hospice opened in 1996 to care for HIV-infected infants and children who were abandoned or orphaned; by 2002, the hospice often experienced two AIDS deaths per week. However, AIDS deaths at Cotlands hospice stopped in 2008, thanks to ART for HIV-infected babies and increased HIV testing and treatment of pregnant women.

Almost all South African women who visited prenatal clinics received HIV testing. Those diagnosed with HIV received ART and counseling about nutrition and safe delivery, which cut the national rate of mother-to-child transmission to less than three percent in 2011, according to the African Medical Research Council.

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS reported similar gains in other countries, including Thailand, where mother-to-child transmission dropped to under five percent. Eighty percent of Caribbean HIV-infected mothers now receive ART. The World Health Organization has considered recommending free, life-long ART for HIV-infected women. However, unequal, gender-based access to treatment could result in tension and conflict for women in countries such as Malawi and Uganda, according to focus groups convened by the Global Network of People Living with HIV.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Project Helps 1,400 People Living with AIDS Gain Employment

The five-year US Agency for International Development (USAID) HIV Workplace Project has helped more than 1,400 people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS to find a job or run their own businesses.

On June 21, the program held a closing ceremony touting the impressive progress. However, USAID Viet Nam Director Joakim Parker noted that, in spite of the program’s notable achievements, Viet Nam was still likely to miss the Millennium Development Goal target of reversing the epidemic.

The US $3 million project began in 2008 and expanded HIV prevention workplace-based activities, offering job placement training and support to 118 enterprises in eight cities and provinces, and training more than 100,000 people in HIV prevention. Vietnamese micro-finance providers gave HIV-positive persons more than $100,000 in loans.

The Labour Ministry's Department for Prevention of Social Evils Deputy Director Le Duc Hien declared that international support for HIV/AIDS prevention likely would decrease. Hien explained that the department was working on a national program to support people with HIV/AIDS and was expected to seek government approval in 2013.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

Free Testing in Nashua on June 27 as Part of National HIV Testing Day

Nashua, N.H., Division of Public Health and Community Service’s STD clinic will provide free HIV testing on Thursday, June 27, as part of National HIV Testing Day.

The clinic’s outreach van also will offer free testing at 28 Railroad Square from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. HIV education and counseling will be available at both locations.

The Division of Public Health and Community Services also conducts STD/HIV clinics every Thursday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.

For more information, call (603) 589–4500.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

National HIV Testing Day Set For Thursday in Billings

RiverStone Health, Yellowstone County, Mont.’s public health agency, is partnering with the Yellowstone AIDS Project to provide free HIV testing on June 27 at two Billings locations.

Testing will be available at South Park, located at Sixth Avenue South and South 30th Street, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; and at North Park, located at 1950 Eight Avenue, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Approximately 65 percent of adults ages 18–64 have never been tested for HIV; public health officials recommend testing as a part of routine medical care. Montana currently has more than 540 HIV-infected residents, with 9 of them having been diagnosed since January of this year.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!

AHF: Newest U.S. Wellness Center Opens in Dallas

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest nonprofit AIDS healthcare provider in the United States, opened a wellness center on June 20, in Dallas, Texas. The facility will provide free confidential screenings for STDs, including HIV testing.

According to the 2011 report from the Texas Department of State Health’s HIV and STD Program, Dallas had the second-highest rate of new STD cases after Houston, with 10,989 chlamydia cases, 3,546 new gonorrhea cases, and 1,021 new syphilis cases.

The new facility is located inside AHF’s Dallas Healthcare Center site in the Medical City Hospital complex. Hours of operation are Mondays 3:00–7:00 p.m. and Thursdays 3:00–6:00 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. To contact the center, call (972) 383–1066.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus.

To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!