AIDS/HIV Services Group Preparing for Annual Fundraising Walk

People at the Charlottesville AIDS/HIV Services Group are gearing up for their biggest and most important event of the year. Their annual walk for HIV awareness will get underway in just over a month.

The director of ASG says new HIV infections are most prevalent among heterosexual women and girls. That's why there's a female-focused 1960s theme for this year's AIDS walk.

This is the 16th year of the AIDS walk, which is scheduled for October. It starts at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion and loops around the downtown area.

The Charlottesville Aids Walk is a fundraiser for ASG. As ASG works to expand their programming, they're looking for community support for raising money and awareness.

"AIDS is still a huge problem, particularly among people who can't afford medical care or can't afford housing. So it's so important to raise those extra dollars to pay for those services," Peter DeMartino, the CEO of the AIDS/HIV Services Group, said.

Last year, ASG raised $50,000 at the AIDS walk. The goal this year is to meet or exceed that amount.

The Charlottesville Aids Walk is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, October 5 at the Pavilion in downtown Charlottesville.

Adult Films Pause After Actor's HIV Infection

A pornography actor's confirmed HIV infection prompted adult-industry leaders this week to call for an indefinite moratorium in filming.

The actor's name was not released.

"There is no indication of on-set transmission," said Diane Duke, CEO of adult-film association Free Speech Coalition.

Duke said the adult industry's self-set standards for sexually transmitted infection testing is stringent.

However, Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the reported infection underscores the need for compliance with the county ordinance requiring condom use in adult films.

"How many adult film performers have to become infected with an array of preventable sexually transmitted diseases — including HIV, which is not curable — before the porn industry actually complies with the law requiring condom use?" Weinstein said.

The Canoga Park-based Free Speech Coalition has previously called for temporary moratoriums after actors or actresses were found to have sexually transmitted infections.

Fitchburg Event Aims for Record in Youth HIV Testing

Dr. John Chittick, spokesperson for TeenAIDS-PeerCorps, announced a free HIV testing event, Fitchburg Youth AIDS Awareness Day, for youth 17 and older at Riverfront Park in Fitchburg, Mass., on September 7. The volunteer organization hopes to set a world record for the number of youth tested simultaneously for HIV in a public venue.

The testing event will offer HIV rapid-testing using US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, over-the-counter test kits that can detect the virus from an oral saliva swab in 20 minutes with 99-percent accuracy. Participants must show identification to prove they are 17 or older. TeenAIDS-PeerCorps volunteers will provide counseling before, during, and after the test and recommend follow-up confirmatory testing at a hospital or clinic, so those who receive a positive test result could connect to treatment immediately. Chittick’s organization has been offering the free HIV tests, which ordinarily cost $39 plus tax, since FDA approved the over-the-counter test last fall.

Chittick stated that most youth underestimated their risk of acquiring HIV because they perceived the virus as an adult, gay, African-American, or needle disease. In reality, one of every four new HIV diagnoses occurred among people ages 13 to 24, with a large number of new cases among heterosexual youth, according to Chittick. He noted that youth often avoided testing sites such as hospitals or clinics because they feared such sites would notify their parents.

Chittick’s research indicated that 80–85 percent of youth HIV transmission occurred through heterosexual sex, 10–12 percent through homosexual sex, and the remainder through needle-sharing. He also estimated that youth were exposed more frequently to blood-borne diseases like STDs and hepatitis through needles used for tattooing and body piercing.

Improved Caregiver Training helps HIV-Infected Children

Researchers have concluded that children born with HIV lived longer and richer lives if their caregivers were trained to enhance their development. Formerly, African children with HIV infection died in a few years. Advances with antiretroviral therapy allow them to live longer, but with a poor quality of life. Michael Boivin, professor in the departments of Psychiatry and of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Michigan State University, and colleagues conducted a one-year study with 120 preschool-aged HIV-infected children living in rural Uganda and their caregivers.

Primary caregivers, many of whom were HIV-infected mothers, were exposed randomly either to a childcare training program called Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) or an education program for improving children’s health and nutrition. MISC used daily interactions at home to improve children’s social skills, language, and cognitive ability. After the year, children of MISC-trained caregivers exhibited significantly greater developmental progress than the other children, including better memory and learning skills.

Fewer children of MISC-trained caregivers died of the opportunistic diseases that normally infect persons with a compromised immune system, compared to children in the other group. Boivin suggested that MISC-trained caregivers might have become more aware of the children’s health needs and sought medical help in time to fight off illness. As a side effect, MISC-trained caregivers were significantly less depressed than the other group, after six months of the study. This might have been a result of the social support they received during MISC training.

The National Institutes of Health funded the study.

The full report, “A Year-Long Caregiver Training Program Improves Cognition in Preschool Ugandan Children with Human Immunodeficiency Virus,” was published online in the Journal of Pediatrics (2013; doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.06.055).

Alicia Keys Helps Host HIV/AIDS Event in Harlem

Harlem Hospital and Greater Than AIDS hosted a community forum that featured Grammy-award winning artist Alicia Keys and aimed to address HIV’s impact on Harlem residents. Forum organizers stated that in 2011, Harlem’s HIV incidence was four to five times higher than HIV among the overall US population. The forum aimed to break down barriers of stigma, fear, and ignorance; promote HIV testing; and connect HIV-infected persons to treatment. Supporting organizations included faith and political leaders, social and healthcare advocates, artists, and young people.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 400 attendees, Keys encouraged black and Hispanic community members to discuss HIV/AIDS “honestly and openly,” to dispel fear and stigma, and learn the truth about HIV. Earlier in 2013, Keys partnered with Greater Than AIDS to launch EMPOWERED, an HIV education campaign targeting women. EMPOWERED reached out through public service advertisements, social media, and community programs to encourage HIV knowledge, open communication, use of protection, regular testing, and adherence to HIV treatment. Keys also served as co-founder and global ambassador of Keep a Child Alive, an HIV service organization operating in Africa and India.

Additional speakers included: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), who recently co-sponsored the Communities United with Religious leaders for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS (CURE) Act to fund HIV prevention activities at the community level; Dr. Helene Gayle, president and chief executive officer of CARE USA, who cited societal factors that caused communities of color to experience disproportionate impact from HIV and other diseases, including poverty, lack of insurance and access to healthcare services, and deferring medical care in favor of competing needs; and Russell Simmons, hip-hop artist and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, who emphasized the role of the hip-hop community in promoting love and tolerance for HIV-infected people and those affected by HIV, rather than fear and stigma.

Concern Arises Over Needle-Swap Clinic in Downtown Duluth

Community leaders in Duluth, Minn., expressed concern over a proposed needle exchange program site because of its proximity to a local park, which would counter recent revitalization efforts. Proponents of the program, scheduled to open after Labor Day, believed that being housed in a recovery center would bring addicts closer to treatment. “People come to us to do the right thing,” said Gary Olson, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment. “They want help and they’re being responsible. It’s the ones that don’t come to us that we’re worried about.”

Clinic officials said the program, designed to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and other blood-borne diseases, needed to be on a direct bus route. Charles Hempeck, executive director of the Rural Aids Action Network, which will operate the program, said the needle exchange was well organized and would not bring people who lingered and caused problems. The Minnesota Department of Health provided funding for the program, which also will provide HIV counseling.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness argued that the city was never contacted for feedback and was not part of the location decision. “I would express disappointment that, as far as I’m aware, there wasn’t any conversation with downtown officials,” Ness said. Agreeing with the mayor, Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said, “While I understand the goals of the program, there needs to be some more community collaboration.”

City Councilor Linda Krug said the clinic’s opening would threaten the efforts to restore Old Downtown. She said the area had seen progress since the recent forced closure of Last Place on Earth, a store that sold synthetic drugs. However, the controversy might be brief, according to Olson, because the treatment facility was looking to move within the next year and more than likely would take the needle-exchange program with it.

Zambian Innovation Offers Weapon Against HIV

Zambia’s National Technology Business Centre currently is developing a device that will aid in suppressing the pain following male circumcision, enable the wound to heal faster, and permit individuals to go about their daily routines rather than be confined to their beds while healing.

A Zambian woman invented the appliance in an effort to relieve her family members’ pain after they had been circumcised. After some improvements, the invention now includes a soft belt in a variety of sizes, a shield to halt contact between the wound and clothing, and internal foam that cleans the wound and prevents infection.

The device will be used as part of a campaign to circumcise 2.5 million males by the year 2020 in the battle against HIV.

AIDS Walk OKC Unites Walkers, Runners, and Four Legged Folks to Support Those with HIV/AIDS

The family-friendly 2013 OKC AIDS Walk, themed “Each Step Brings Hope,” is scheduled for September 22 in downtown Oklahoma City (OKC) and will include a one-mile AIDS Walk, a 5K run, and a Pooch Parade Fashion Show.

The event also will feature a sight-and-sound photography project titled “Red State: A Portrait of HIV/AIDS in Oklahoma.” In addition, the nonprofit organization OK Save a Dog Foundation will be available for pet adoptions.

Registration for the fifth annual 5K run will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Bricktown Ballpark, with the event beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Fees are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event.

The run is sanctioned and certified by USA Track & Field.

Since 1998, AIDS Walk of Oklahoma City has given more than $635,000 to local programs focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and direct services to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. For further information on AIDS Walk OKC, visit http://www.aidswalkokc.org, e-mail info@aidswalkokc.org, or call John Greer at (405) 812–1630.

Tuberculosis Confirmed in July at Van Buren Nursing Home

An elderly resident in a Maine nursing home tested positive for TB earlier this summer. Twelve additional staff and residents of Borderview Manor in Van Buren, Maine, have tested positive for exposure but are not contagious, according to health department officials. “This was never a risk to the general public,” said Dr. Stephen Sears, state epidemiologist. “TB is a disease that exists throughout the United States and we continue to see it in Maine.” Maine reported 17 TB cases in 2012. Often, people are exposed at a young age but do not become sick until they are elderly.

Medical professionals from the Maine CDC went to the nursing home in response to the case. “We were onsite to help assess the situation and provide education,” Sears said. “We have been working with them to both get the person treated and to determine if there are any more exposed.”

“We followed our in-house protocols and the Maine CDC recommendations,” said Robert Poiesz, the nursing home’s administrator. “We notified [Maine CDC] of our positive test at the end of July.” The nursing home initially moved the patient out of her room to a private area and treated her with antibiotics to cure the TB. The home then moved her back into her room. According to Poiesz, the people who tested positive for exposure will have follow-up tests to ensure the TB did not become active.

Funded by World Bank, National AIDS Control Support Project Launched

Ghulam Nabi Azad, India’s Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, announced the launch of the National AIDS Control Support Project (NACSP) IV, which will target New Delhi high-risk groups, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, truckers, and other migrant populations. Although earlier NACSP efforts received funding primarily from multilateral and bilateral development agencies, domestic support and the World Bank will provide most of the funds for the current effort. The World Bank will finance $255 million of the project’s total $510 million cost interest free.

“Civil Society organizations, community groups, donor partners, and international organizations” participated in NACSP IV strategic planning, which mapped out five strategies designed to prevent HIV and ensure access to treatment and care for HIV-infected people. NACSP will fund three strategies—prevention, behavior change, and institutional strengthening—and the national budget and other donors will support care, treatment, and support for HIV-infected people and strategic information management and surveillance systems. The project also planned to support communications and advocacy efforts that aimed to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV prevention.

Program planners estimated that NACSP would reach 90 percent of the target populations by 2017 and would prevent approximately 3 million new HIV infections. Azad stated that more than 99.5 percent of India’s population was HIV-free at present.

To Curb Disease, Program to Give Free Drug Needles

Nevada’s legislature repealed a law that made it illegal to possess hypodermic needles or syringes, which will allow nonprofit organizations to launch needle exchange or safe needle disposal harm reduction programs. The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health must prepare operational guidelines, which the state Board of Health must approve, before organizations could implement any needle exchange programs. Proponents asserted that needle exchange programs would greatly reduce hepatitis C and HIV risk for illegal injection drug users. Estimates placed the lifetime cost of care for hepatitis C at $500,000, and the lifetime healthcare cost of HIV at a minimum of $355,000.

Prior to passage of Senate Bill (SB) 410, police could arrest people for needle possession, and many illegal injection drug users hid syringes in pockets or disposed of syringes in unsafe ways. As a result, police and first responders were more likely to stick themselves with addicts’ needles in the course of their work.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) took a neutral position on SB 410 after the bill’s authors removed a clause that would also have allowed for distribution/exchanges of clean crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia. In addition to helping arresting officers and first responders, Officer Chuck Callaway, MPD legislative lobbyist, stated the bill would make parks where addicts gather safer for children and parents.

Opponents feared that removing hypodermic needles from the list of prohibited devices would encourage drug use and allow for needle giveaways to minors. However, Northern Nevada Hopes and other harm reduction programs countered that inducing drug addicts to enter drug rehabilitation programs was a primary goal. Spokesperson Abigail Polus stated that her organization got to know drug users as people and gained their trust, hoping they would enter rehabilitation.

AHF Partners with Florida Department of Health on New Wellness Center

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the United States, is partnering with the Florida Department of Health to provide free testing and treatment for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at the new Broward Wellness Center located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., beginning September 3.

The facility will host a grand opening ceremony on August 26 at 10:00 a.m. when Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and AHF President Michael Weinstein open the center with an official ribbon cutting.

Hours of operation for the center will be Mondays and Fridays, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m., with walk-ins welcome.

Mistake Prompts Connecticut to Test Dozens for HIV, Hepatitis

Up to 74 diabetic inmates at the MacDougall-Walker State Prison in Connecticut may have been exposed to hepatitis C and other infectious diseases when a nurse put a contaminated needle into an insulin vial, according to court records. The nurse stuck an inmate with a needle but realized she hadn’t yet filled it with insulin. She then put the same needle into the vial before injecting insulin into the inmate, who also had hepatitis C; the vial was then used on dozens of other diabetic inmates, the documents detailed.

The inmates were first informed of the contamination in a letter dated May 28 that requested inmates to voluntarily be tested for three infections: hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV, but gave few other details. A local television station was asked by family members of one inmate to investigate further because their relative was “scared and he was upset and he was crying,” according to the inmate’s sister-in-law.

The medical error was detailed in court records because the Department of Corrections requested a judge to force the inmates to take a blood test for HIV. The inmate at the center of the scare has since tested negative for HIV and hepatitis B, which prompted the agency to send an additional letter dated June 20 that stated “the transmission of HIV or Hepatitis B is unlikely. There is still the concern for the transmission of Hepatitis C.”

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center, which manages inmate health care for all Connecticut state prisons, said they are still investigating the incident and that the nurse in question had been put on administrative leave. A letter from UConn stated in part, “all appropriate notifications have been made and protocols followed. This includes a pending…joint investigation, which limits disclosure of additional details. The risk of an infectious disease contracted as a result of this is considered extremely low, and all tests so far have been negative.” The state is continuing to test the inmates.

Study Finds Prenatal Anti-HIV Meds Not Linked to Children's Language Delays

A study by Professor Mabel L. Rise of the University of Kansas and researchers from other universities and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicated that children exposed to HIV in the womb and whose mothers received treatment for HIV during pregnancy did not exhibit language delays by age 2 years compared with other HIV-exposed children whose mothers did not receive treatment during pregnancy.

The researchers studied the language skills of approximately 800 children who were part of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS), a national collaboration between different NIH institutes and universities. PHACS began in 2005 to examine pediatric HIV issues concerning long-term safety of fetal and infant exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the effects of HIV infection in the womb on adolescents.

Pregnant women with HIV received treatment to reduce the opportunity of passing HIV infection to the fetus. Previous studies indicated that ART used to treat the pregnant mother might cause language delays in infants and toddlers even if the child was not infected with HIV. Findings of this study indicated that a specific drug, atazanavir, sometimes used in combination ART treatment should be monitored. Children whose mothers received combination therapy, including the drug atazanavir, were more likely to have language delay at 1 year than other children whose mothers did not receive that drug, but they were on par with their peers by age 2.

The full report, “Evaluation of Risk for Late Language Emergence After In Utero Antiretroviral Drug Exposure in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants,” was published online in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal (2013; doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e31829b80ee).

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!

Zambia Introduces Rationing System for Drugs to Treat HIV

A Zambian government antiretroviral (ARV) drug rationing system has alarmed HIV-infected residents who fear treatment interruptions. Although First Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba Sata acknowledged an ARV shortage in Zambia, Dr. Kamoto Mbewe, spokesperson for the Zambian Ministry of Health, asserted that Matero and Chingwere clinics in Lusaka did have a one-month supply of Atripla, the single-dose ARV, and would receive another shipment “soon.”

Mbewe urged HIV-infected people not to panic, as existing ARV supplies were sufficient to last until expected shipments arrived in August and September. Pending shipments would include 55,260 bottles of Abacavir and 491,000 bottles of Truvada. Since January, the Zambian government has spent more than $16 million on “essential drugs,” including ARVs. Zambian Ministry of Health plans called for all HIV-infected Zambians to transition eventually to the single-dose Atripla regimen.

Lloyd Nkumbula Bwalya, district coordinator for the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS, feared that difficulties imposed by the rationing system—daily queuing for drugs and delays in service—would result in HIV patients missing scheduled ARV doses. Zambia’s Minister of Health affirmed in a mid-year media briefing that maintaining an uninterrupted ARV supply for every HIV-infected Zambian was a priority.

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!

Minnesota Supreme Court: HIV-Positive Man Wrongly Convicted of Passing Disease

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously decided this week that an HIV-positive man found guilty for having sex with a man who later developed the infection was convicted wrongly and sided with an appeals court to overturn the original decision. The defendant was convicted more than two years ago under an obscure law that discussed transfer of sperm, blood, or tissue, but did not refer to sexual intercourse.

AIDS activists and the American Civil Liberties Union had followed the case closely. The man maintained he informed his sexual partner that he was HIV-positive. The original jury believed that assertion and found him not guilty by reason of sexual penetration; the jury did find him guilty of attempted assault under the second part of the law. “If this conviction had been upheld, it would have been saying that sex is a lethal weapon,” said Dr. Michael Horberg, chair of the HIV Medicine Association. “Obviously, the original intent of the law was specifically for organ and tissue donation, including sperm. That is a vastly different situation than what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home.”

The Supreme Court agreed the wording was ambiguous. The 16-page opinion also stated that the term “transfer” in the second section of the law did not include sexual conduct. “While sperm might be characterized as an asset of property in a medical context, such as with respect to fertility, that characterization is not applicable to sperm transmitted to another through sexual conduct,” Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that in spite of his displeasure with the final ruling, he encouraged Minnesota lawmakers to clarify the law. “We need clear tools to prosecute folks who have serious communicable diseases not necessarily limited to HIV and AIDS, but others that can cause serious harm,” he said.

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!

Las Cruces' Red Ribbon Bash is Evening of Fun to Help Those in Need

The 15th annual Las Cruces, N.M., Red Ribbon Bash, with the theme “Top Hats and Stilettos,” will take place on August 24 at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

The event will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:00 p.m. followed by a formal dinner at 7:00 p.m. The program will include live music by the Liars, a well-known local band, and a silent auction.

The Red Ribbon Bash is an annual fundraiser for the Southern New Mexico Aid and Comfort Program, a volunteer organization that helps HIV-infected persons in 13 New Mexico counties. The organization functions in partnership with the Department of Health and the New Mexico Community Foundation and assists with items not covered by any other federal or state organization, such as glasses and dental and prescription co-pays for people with HIV/AIDS.

The New Mexico Department of Health reported 137 new HIV infections for 2012, the second year new infection rates declined. At the end of 2011, New Mexico reported 3,468 residents with HIV/AIDS.

For more information about the Red Ribbon Bash, visit http://www.redribbonbash.org or phone (575) 993–2121.

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!

IUPUI Receives Grant to Study Origins of HIV/AIDS

An international team led by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) professors has received a three-year National Endowment for the Humanities award to study the origins of HIV/AIDS. Rather than identifying the first HIV case, the project, “An International Collaboration on the Political, Social, and Cultural History of the Emergence of HIV/AIDS,” would consider “larger historical, political, economic, social, and cultural relations and processes” that contributed to HIV’s emergence. The team would include three HIV researchers (virologists Preston Marx and François Simon and epidemiologist Ernest Drucker) and six humanities scholars led by Professor William H. Schneider and Professor Didier Gondola, chair of the IUPUI history department.

Drucker stated that the project would place the medical, public health, and biological dimensions of HIV’s origin in historical context. There was wide scientific agreement that immune viruses had been present among African chimp and monkey populations for tens of thousands of years. Fewer than 100 years ago, some of these evolved into viruses that affected humans. DNA sequencing has identified 12 strains, including HIV-1 and HIV-2, which have caused most of the epidemic.

The team would explore the social and cultural consequences of the introduction of western medicine shortly before the appearance of the HIV epidemic. Study topics included changes in great ape and monkey hunting; social transformations during colonialization; and western medical interventions, including immunization campaigns and blood transfusions, which facilitated virus transmission. Gondola, an expert in the history of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, would investigate the relationship of urbanization, migration, and gender on the emergence of AIDS. Project activities would include fieldwork and research into archival records and colonial and medical service records in Europe and Africa.

By applying the “critical humanities approach,” the research team aimed to develop a model that would help medical science and public health researchers understand disease emergence.

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!

First Direct Evidence of HPV-Related Tonsillar Cancer on the Rise in Canada

Oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue, is usually caused by smoking and alcohol use; however, HPV recently has emerged as a major cause of this type of cancer. Dr. Anthony Nichols of Lawson Health Research Institute, Dr. David Palma of Lawson Health Research Institute and Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study to determine the impact of HPV-related tonsillar cancer in Canada.

The researchers searched the London Health Sciences Centre pathology database for information on patients diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in three time periods: 1993 to 1999, 2000 to 2005, and 2006 to 2011. They reviewed patients’ charts for information on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, and analyzed biopsy samples to discover whether the patients had HPV in their DNA.

The researchers analyzed 160 patient records and found 57 percent of cases had HPV in the DNA, particularly in cases involving young nonsmokers. The incidence of the cancer increased significantly throughout the selected time periods. Treatment included radiation and a mixture of chemotherapy and radiation. Survival rates improved and recurrence-free survival increased from 53 to 82 percent. Five-year survival rates increased from 37 to 83 percent.

Nichols commented that the data indicated this disease would result in a major impact on the Canadian health system in the future and suggested a focus on prevention strategies, including vaccinations and developing better treatments with fewer side effects to preserve patient quality of life.

The full report, “The Epidemic of Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer in a Canadian Population,” was published in the journal Current Oncology (2013; 20 (4):212–219).

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!

Illinois HIV Care Connect Reaches Out Via Social Media and Spanish Language Web Site

Illinois HIV Care Connect, a statewide network providing HIV support services, will expand its social media involvement to increase awareness of its offerings. The network, a program of the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), provides free case management services and health services to people with HIV/AIDS. “This effort is all about extending HIV prevention and treatment across Illinois,” said Tom Hughes, IPHA executive director. “By preventing HIV and helping those living with HIV find early and ongoing treatment, we can improve health outcomes and reduce medical costs.”

The network launched an English-language Web site in 2009 and introduced a Spanish-language Web site earlier this year. Now, Illinois HIV Care Connect is adding English-language Twitter feed, Facebook pages, and Google+ pages. Illinois has approximately 36,000 HIV-infected residents. According to CDC, approximately 20 percent of new US infections comprise Hispanics, while the largest number of new infections comprises people between ages 20–34. Because social media is popular with young people, Illinois HIV Care Connect is focused on reaching out to these two target groups. Additionally, the network soon will launch both English and Spanish mobile versions of its Web site.

The Illinois HIV Care Connect Web site receives more than 800 monthly hits, making it a valuable source of information for HIV-infected people and their healthcare providers. The program also manages and provides information about the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Continuation of Health Insurance Coverage program, and other services.

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!

Wines, Food from Different Counties Highlight PWA Fundraiser

A distinctive North Carolina fundraiser will bring the taste of wines and foods from around the world while helping individuals with HIV/AIDS. Positive Wellness Alliance, a nonprofit HIV service organization, has scheduled the fourth annual “Wines of the World” to be held on Saturday, August 24, at the Lexington Municipal Club. Featured wines this year hail from Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Australia, and Spain. Paired foods will represent all meals of the day, including breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

"It's a unique event for this area, providing the opportunity to sample multiple wines and worldly cuisines, and it all goes to benefit a fantastic agency that supports people in our own community," said Julie Meyer, Positive Wellness’s executive director. The organization supports HIV-infected and –affected people. Services include case management, counseling, outreach, and prevention education to clients ranging in age from 3 to 66 who live in four local counties: Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, and Yadkin.

"Two-thirds of our clients have been battling the HIV disease over 20 years. That says medication is working. They're going to doctors and taking better care of themselves. It shows people are living productive lives," Meyer said.

Tickets to the event will cost $100 for two people And will include prizes, a $1,000 raffle, and a silent auction throughout the night, which will include options to win local theater tickets, artwork, goodie baskets, merchant gift certificates, sunglasses, and gifts. Meyer said they were looking for additional sponsors and had two levels available—chardonnay for $1,000 that would include four tickets; and cabernet for $500 with two tickets.

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!

Screening, Preventive Antibiotics Lowered TB, Mortality Risk in Patients with HIV

According to Richard Chaisson, MD, study researcher and director of the Center for Tuberculosis Research at Johns Hopkins University, routine TB testing in HIV-infected individuals and use of preventive isoniazid worked at the community level in stopping TB transmission and reducing mortality.

Chaisson and colleagues conducted a cluster-randomized trial with 12,816 patients ages 16–84 years at 29 HIV clinics in Brazil. The researchers selected the clinics at random times to use an intervention that included training staff to screen HIV-infected patients for TB, administer TB skin tests, and treat latent TB infection. During the study, 475 patients developed TB and 838 patients died. Due to the intervention, more patients received skin tests, 19 per 100 person-years to 59 per 100 person-years. In participants eligible for isoniazid therapy, the rate increased from 36 per 100 person-years to 144 per 100 person-years.

After the intervention, researchers noted a 24-percent decrease in TB or death and a 13-percent decrease in new TB cases. When researchers controlled for characteristics such as age, sex, CD4 count, and use of antiretroviral therapy, they found a 31-percent decrease in TB or death and a 27-percent decrease in new TB cases. Analysis of patients who remained in contact with a clinic showed a 55-percent decrease in TB or death and a 58-percent decrease in active TB.

According to researchers, initial TB screening as part of the intervention diagnosed TB in 250 of 725 participants. They were excluded from analyses. Johns Hopkins Epidemiologist Jonathan Golub, PhD, MPH stated that the results emphasized the effectiveness of TB screening in community health programs similar to the program used in the study and that the findings showed that HIV-infected patients benefited if healthcare providers screened them for active and latent TB and treated, and those benefits affected disease and mortality in the HIV population.

The full report, “Effect of Improved Tuberculosis Screening and Isoniazid Preventive Therapy on Incidence of Tuberculosis and Death in Patients with HIV in Clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A Stepped Wedge, Cluster-Randomised Trial,” was published online in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases (2013; doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70187-7).

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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Restrictions on Health Workers with HIV Lifted as 'Outdated' Ban Ends

Beginning in 2014, HIV-infected dentists, doctors, and midwives with undetectable viral loads will be allowed to perform any procedure on patients, according to UK Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies. The policy change stemmed from the success of modern combination drug therapy, which could reduce HIV levels so that the virus was not transmissible. A working group commissioned in 2007 to study UK rules recommended in 2011 that the government update its policy.

In 1993, the United Kingdom banned HIV-infected doctors, nurses, and dentists from performing any treatments inside patients where the fingertips were not visible. The restriction automatically ended the careers of HIV-infected dentists, and altered the medical practice of HIV-infected surgeons and nurses.

The UK’s new policy would require HIV-infected healthcare workers to register and visit their doctors every three months to ensure their viral load remained undetectable and that they were taking appropriate anti-HIV medications. Davies estimated that 110 National Health Service (NHS) workers currently had HIV, but she noted that others might have avoided testing for fear of losing their careers and livelihoods. Allan Reid, a former dentist who left his profession after a 2007 HIV diagnosis, urged the NHS to support retraining for HIV-infected healthcare workers who had lost their jobs under earlier restrictions.

Davies stated that UK residents should update their attitudes about HIV. Whereas HIV was a “death sentence” in the epidemic’s early days, HIV-infected people on drug treatment could anticipate normal life expectancies and good quality of life. National AIDS Trust spokesperson and advisory group member Deborah Jack noted that the new policy offered an opportunity to increase awareness among people who learned about HIV in the 1980s and younger people who knew little about HIV.

Only four other countries in the world still restrict the practice of HIV-infected health professionals.

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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Gillibrand and Rangel Introduce Bill to Fight HIV/AIDS in Minorities

On August 14, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) introduced the Communities United with Religious Leaders for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS (CURE) Act of 2013 to both chambers of the US Congress. Intended to reduce HIV incidence among US minority populations, the bill would fund the National Institutes of Health and US Department of Health and Human Services grants for HIV prevention activities, including research, education, outreach, and testing. Grant recipients would include CDC, the Office of Minority Health (OMH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and community- and faith-based organizations.

Sen. Rangel stated the bill would allow community and religious organizations to partner in finding “on-the-ground” solutions to high HIV incidence in communities of color. The bill would provide funding for health agencies and faith- and community-based organizations to expand HIV prevention education and counseling, especially among runaway and homeless youth. The bill also would supply funding for OMH to collaborate with public and private sector communities to increase awareness of health risks among racial and ethnic minorities. CDC would receive funding for behavioral research and testing to find effective HIV prevention solutions.

African Americans accounted for approximately half of all new US HIV infections; approximately 20 percent of new HIV infections occurred among Hispanics. HIV incidence among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders was twice that of whites, and HIV incidence was 30 percent higher among American Indians/Alaska natives than whites.

CURE Act proponents included a wide range of national organizations, faith-based organizations, and minority advocates, including the National Medical Association, National Conclave on HIV/AIDS Policy for Black Clergy, the Black AIDS Institute, the National Alliance of Hispanic Health, the Asian Pacific Islander American Wellness Center, and the National Caucus of Black State Legislators.

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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Tivicay Approved to Treat HIV-1 Infection

The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new drug called dolutegravir (brand name Tivicay by GlaxoSmithKline) for the treatment of HIV.

Tivicay is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, which blocks an enzyme that the virus needs to reproduce itself.

The drug is in the form of a once-daily pill taken in combination with other antiretrovirals. The drug was approved for use by treatment-naïve adults, adults already using antiretroviral drugs (ART), and youth 12 years and over weighing at least 40 kilograms (88.2 lbs.) who have or have not received ART, but who have never taken an integrase strand transfer inhibitor.

The drug was tested for safety and efficacy on 2,539 participants, and results show that Tivicay, when used with other ARTs, was effective in reducing viral loads.

Side effects included insomnia and headache hypersensitivity reactions, and abnormal liver function in individuals coinfected with hepatitis C and B.

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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Sourasky Announces World's First Kidney Donation, Transplant Between Live HIV Carriers

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center recently reported a successful kidney transplant between two HIV- infected individuals a few months ago. According to the report, this surgery was the first of its kind between two living HIV-infected patients.

The patient had been on dialysis for two years and the living donor was his wife. She has now resumed work and is functioning normally. Both individuals are under close observation to make sure their kidney function and immune systems are working well.

The hospital commented that the procedure is complicated because of the need to change the patients’ drugs to improve the chances of the surgery’s success as well as prevent interactions between anti-rejection drugs and HIV treatment medications.

According to Dr. Roni Baruch, head of Sourasky’s transplant clinic, transplant organs from HIV-infected individuals have not been used before except in South Africa, where organ transplants from brain-dead individuals have been successful. The doctors noted that South Africa’s success rate of transplants in HIV-infected persons is almost equal to that of uninfected individuals.

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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$11.9M Grant Expands Women's HIV Study to Southeast

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a five-year grant of $11.9 million to researchers at Emory University to study the HIV epidemic among women as part of a recent expansion of the Women's Interagency HIV Cohort Study (WIHS). 

The NIH established the WIHS in 1993 at six sites primarily in the Midwest, West Coast, and East Coast to study women who are either HIV-infected or at risk for infection. The award to Emory, creating one of four new clinical research sites for the first time in the South, opens new opportunities to advance women's health research in HIV/AIDS in Atlanta and Georgia. 

The focus of the Emory WIHS research will be HIV/AIDS secondary prevention for women through immunological, clinical/translational, pharmacological, epidemiological and behavioral research and clinical interventions. 

Co-principal investigators of the grant at Emory are Igho Ofotokun, associate professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Emory University School of Medicine, a staff physician at Grady Health System and a clinician scientist with the Emory Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), and Gina M. Wingood, Agnes Moore professor of behavioral sciences and health education at Rollins School of Public Health. Dr. Wingood is co-director of the Prevention Science Core for the Emory CFAR. 

"Due to the size of its HIV epidemic relative to other parts of the South, Atlanta and rural Georgia will serve as an ideal location to engage HIV-infected and at-risk women into the WIHS," says Ofotokun. "Emory is at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research, spearheading cutting-edge work in various aspects of the epidemic. Inclusion of Emory in the WIHS will broaden the WIHS' scientific agenda to include areas in which Emory researchers are recognized leaders nationally and internationally." 

Emory has proven expertise and experience in engaging and working with at-risk and HIV-infected women, and for many years has been a site for other NIH supported networks, including the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), and AIDS Clinical Trials Group Network (ACTG), and it has state-of-the-art clinical/translational, basic and behavioral research capacity in women's health and HIV-infection. 

Clinical care at Emory and affiliated facilities includes nearly 8,000 HIV-infected patients. Through long-standing collaborations among Emory investigators, county health departments, and community-based organizations, the WIHS at Emory will have access to a large pool of potential research participants representative of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among women in underserved communities in Atlanta and rural Georgia. 

More than 56,000 people become infected with HIV each year in the U.S., with 600,000 U.S. deaths from AIDS over the course of the epidemic. The U.S. epidemic has evolved over time to become a more generalized heterosexual epidemic, with rising rates of infection among women, particularly minorities. HIV is now the third leading cause of death for African-American men and women ages 35-44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2007 the CDC reported that 40-50 percent of people with AIDS in the U.S. lived in the South. 

"Understanding the demographics of the HIV epidemic and formulating prevention and treatment goals in specific areas of the country is critical to improving outcomes and controlling this infection," says Wingood. "Our new Emory WIHS site will expand this important NIH-sponsored research and optimize prevention and treatment in our severely impacted area of the country." 

The WIHS is primarily funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the NIH, with co-funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

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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Young Homeless People with Friends at Lower Risk for STDs: Study

A new study found that homeless youth who had friends were at lower risk of getting STDs and less likely to participate in high-risk sexual behavior. Researchers studied 258 homeless youth between ages 15 and 24 in San Francisco and found that those who had same-sex contacts with stable housing in their social networks used condoms more frequently and were less likely to take part in sexual activities with intravenous drug users.

“The presence of same-sex friendships and contacts living in stable homes seems to increase condom use,” said study senior author Dr. Colette Auerswald, associate adjunct professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The study also found that homeless female youth were less likely to have female friends or know people with stable housing, but their risk factors improved when they did, especially if they maintained family ties. “Young homeless men seem to name these social network contacts more frequently than do young homeless women. It will be important in future investigations to ask why this happens,” Auerswald said.

There is a need to increase mainstream contacts and same-gender friendships, according to lead author Dr. Annie Valente, who conducted the research while a medical student at UCSF. “It also emphasizes how same-gender friendships and family ties may be effective tools in our efforts to improve the health of homeless youth,” she said.

The full report ”Gender Differences in Sexual Risk and Sexually Transmitted Infections Correlate with Gender Differences in Social Networks Among San Francisco Homeless Youth,” was published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health (doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.05.016).

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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Network Linking HIV Patients with Permanent Care Coming to Nation's Capital

The Black AIDS Institute (BAI) and pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck have partnered to create the Washington, D.C. Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN), which will address the distinct needs of HIV-infected African Americans in the nation’s capital. Using the educational initiatives of the Community Education Group (CEG), BTAN planned to train advocates to share information about health resources for HIV-infected African Americans in the nation’s capital. Training for advocates was underway, and advocates would begin work in their communities by the end of the year. Thirteen other high-incidence cities already have HIV services networks.

According to Phill Wilson, BAI president and chief executive officer, HIV-infected African Americans were not using fully the treatment services available under the Affordable Care Act. Equating HIV treatment with prevention, Wilson stated that fewer than 25 percent of HIV-infected African Americans had “appropriate HIV care with viral suppression,” which was the key to preventing 96 percent of new HIV cases.

In May 2012, the D.C. Department of Health reported that 4.3 percent of Washington’s African-American population had HIV. Although African Americans comprised only 46 percent of D.C.’s population, they accounted for approximately 75 percent of the city’s HIV cases.

Chirfi Guindo, Merck’s vice president and general manager, described Merck programs that helped offset antiretroviral medication costs. Merck’s initiative provided free HIV medications to approximately 1,000 patients, but many other HIV-infected people lacked information about available HIV facilities and treatment resources.

HIV advocate Alvin Jeffrey Hall, who has been HIV positive since the 1980s, reported that many HIV-infected African Americans in Washington, D.C. did not take advantage of HIV services because of fear and lack of knowledge about treatment resources. Now office manager for Metro TeenAIDS, Hall emphasized that education and regular treatment were of prime importance.

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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Exercise Helps with Better Brain Functioning in HIV-Infected Adults

A study by Dr. David J. Moore and colleagues of the University of California, San Diego, found that regular exercise can help preserve the mental functioning of people with HIV infection. In spite of antiretroviral drug treatment, approximately half of the individuals with HIV have neurocognitive impairment that can be serious enough to affect daily functioning.

The researchers interviewed 335 community-dwelling HIV-positive individuals about the amount of exercise they had during the past 72 hours. Based on their responses, participants were classified into those who engaged in significant exercise, and those who did not. Researchers then tested seven cognitive areas usually affected by HIV: verbal fluency, working memory, speed of information processing, learning, recall, executive function, and motor function. The researchers also considered compounding factors such as demographics, HIV disease characteristics, substance use, past and current depression, mental health status, and physical functioning.

Results showed that HIV-infected individuals who exercised were approximately half as likely to show neurocognitive impairment compared to those who did not. They had better working memory, and could process information faster than the participants who had a sedentary lifestyle. According to Moore, exercise as a modifiable lifestyle behavior may reduce or may prevent neurocognitive impairment in HIV-infected persons. He also noted that physical exercise, along with other modifiable lifestyle factors such as education, social engagement, cognitive stimulation and diet, could be productive interventions to assist HIV-infected persons.

The full report, “Physical Exercise is Associated with Less Neurocognitive Impairment Among HIV-Infected Adults,” was published online in the Journal of NeuroVirology (2013: doi: 10.1007/s13365-013-0184-8).

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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Sexual Health Awareness: Bahamas' Red Cross and World Learning Teaming to Get the Message to Eleuthera

A USAID mechanism, the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Grants Solicitation and Management (CGSM) Program, has funded a partnership of the Bahamas Red Cross and the nonprofit organization World Learning for outreach to Bahamian residents who were most likely to transmit or acquire HIV. Primary target markets included Harbour Island and Eleuthera.

John Ronald Darville, Bahamas Red Cross Project Coordinator with the HIV Prevention Education Unit, conducted a series of stakeholder meetings with government and civic agencies in July to assist with planning for the outreach effort. On August 9th, Darville joined Jolton Johnson, North Eleuthera Administrator; Ruth Jankee, CGSM Project Director; and Caroline Turnquest, Director General, Bahamas Red Cross Society, at a press conference announcing the project launch. Johnson pledged the support of his district and council members.

Planned program elements included an anonymous hotline residents could call to ask trained professionals questions about sexual health. The project also planned the formal launch of a new Web site, http://watusayin.com/, on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2013, to extend the project’s reach through social media.

Individuals desiring more information, could contact John Ronald Darville via telephone (242) 322-9451/52, fax (242) 323-7875, or email jrdarville@bahamasredcross.com.

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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