NAPWA salutes FDA Advisory Committee for recommending approval of OTC home HIV test

The National Association of People With AIDS  (NAPWA) salutes the FDA Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee for recommending approval of OraSure's OraQuick In-home HIV Test kit. We urge the FDA to follow the Advisory Committee's recommendation and approve the kit for over-the-counter sale.

With an estimated one-fifth of Americans who live with HIV unaware they are infected, there is an obvious need for more testing and more ways to get tested. There are people who need to get tested who will not do so in a traditional medical setting. We hope many of them take advantage of a home test kit to learn their status, so they can seek treatment for their infections, stay healthy, and take steps not to infect their partners.

We recognize that some who receive a positive result from the home test kit will be traumatized and need immediate emotional support and suicide prevention assistance. Others will need help understanding the HIV health care system and the care options they have. We urge OraSure and the FDA to provide 24-hour toll-free hotlines for people who need help coping with their test results or finding treatment and support resources.

We also call for a major public information campaign when in-home test kits become available in pharmacies without prescription, emphasizing that HIV is treatable but left untreated can kill, that people receiving effective treatment are less likely to transmit HIV to others, and that they may be eligible for ADAP and other Ryan White programs if they do not have meaningful private health insurance.  The campaign should also explain that there is a small risk of false positive and false negative results, that it may take three to six months for a new infection to be detectable, and testing negative does not mean one can stop practicing safe sex.

"We welcome in-home testing," said Stephen Bailous, Executive vice President of NAPWA and Chairman of the Washington, D.C. EMA Ryan White Planning Council. "We know there are risks in allowing people to test themselves for HIV without counseling, but we also know we are still seeing more than 50,000 new HIV infections every year, and a large majority of them come from sexual contact with people who do not know they have the virus. Reducing the number of undetected, untreated HIV infections will bring the number of new infections down. In-home testing is one of many new testing and treatment options that promise to bring the end of AIDS in America.

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!

Researcher Kevin Jones Recruits People for Much-Needed HIV Studies

Kevin Trimell Jones is part of a “small army” of university and hospital professionals in Philadelphia working to help end HIV. Locating and recruiting research participants is part of his job as a research coordinator and ethnographer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Division.

Jones currently is working to find volunteers, especially gay black men in the city, for an upcoming HIV vaccine trial that is taking place at multiple sites across the country, including at Penn Medicine.

“We’ve known since the early days that the rates were disproportionately affecting black people,” Jones said. “We’re still seeing young people becoming infected, particularly young black males, and there’s not enough people that care about this issue.”

“You have to seek people out,” Jones said, noting that individuals do not automatically come to research “for the good it does for society.” “It helps to be an ethnographer, to know how to observe people and environments, to know the right times to talk to people and how to talk to people,” he said.

“The reason we have the HIV meds we have now is because many people rolled up their sleeves and participated in clinical trials,” Jones said. “There were people taking a chance and participating in something that, even though they might not see the benefit of it, future generations would.”

For more information about the HIV vaccine trial at Penn Medicine, telephone 866-HIV-PENN or visit: http:// www.med.upenn.edu/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!

$18 Million in Cuts to Jolt AIDS Care

San Francisco faces the loss of almost $8 million in federal AIDS funding in the fiscal year beginning July 1, and another $10 million the following year. Such deep cuts to Ryan White efforts and CDC prevention programming would threaten care, say city officials and service providers. San Francisco received $41.8 million from the two federal programs through the current fiscal year ending June 30.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that restoring these funds is a matter of life and death,” said Mike Smith, head of the AIDS Emergency Fund and president of the HIV/AIDS Providers Network in San Francisco. He and others are lobbying the city for financial help with the cuts. Three city supervisors from the LGBT community - Scott Wiener, David Campos, and Christina Olague - also have made it a priority.

In January, Mayor Ed Lee authorized a $1.8 million budget supplemental to backfill earlier cuts to Ryan White funding through the current fiscal year. San Francisco itself spends more than $70 million annually for HIV/AIDS services, said Greg Wagner, budget chief for the city health department.

The city has a projected $170 million deficit for the new fiscal year and a $312 million gap the following year. Lee must by law submit a balanced budget, which is due out June 1.

“The mayor is very aware of and concerned about Ryan White Care funding cuts, and he is working to protect these programs and services,” said Christine Falvey, Lee’s spokesperson. The mayor is working to find a solution, she said, but he “is also trying to close a $170 million budget shortfall.”

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!

Botswana Makes New Pitch for Circumcision in AIDS Fight

A government campaign to thwart the spread of HIV by circumcising nearly half a million Botswana males has managed to reach just 7 percent since it began three years ago.

Other southern African countries also have launched national male circumcision campaigns, including Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; all are well below their targets.

There is no tradition of male circumcision in Botswana. Though the procedure is performed with local anesthetic, takes only a few minutes, and has a recovery period of just a few days, fears persist.

“The greatest challenge that we have is the fear of pain amongst men, hence we are having a low turn-out,” said Conrad Ntsuape, the effort’s coordinator. “Most men seem to think the pain from the procedure might take long to heal and force them to stay away from school or work for long, but we are still intensifying our education campaign.”

Alan Whiteside of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa said uptake is lagging in many countries across the region. “The problem is not so much that people don’t want to embrace circumcision, it is because sometimes the programs are implemented without the necessary ground work and community participation,” the health economist said.

In response, Botswana is launching new advertisements promoting “safe male circumcision” as a lifeline and enlisting the support of popular musicians.

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!n>

HHS Accepts Abstinence-Only Curriculum

The Department of Health and Human Services has added an abstinence-only sex education curriculum to the range of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs funded by the Obama administration. The Office of Adolescent Health in April added the Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education (HKAE) program to the list, making it eligible for support under the $75 million Teen Pregnancy Prevention Fund.

“What we’re hoping is that getting one program on the list shows they’re willing to look at the issue of teens and sexual risk avoidance,” said Valerie Huber, president of the National Abstinence Education Association. “I certainly do hope this could be the beginning of a new trend.”

The 2012 federal budget retained $55 million for abstinence-only programs, just a third of the $176 million available the last year President George W. Bush was in office. Several liberal groups signed an April 30 letter asking HHS to explain including HKAE among evidence-based programs.

HKAE met two benchmarks for approval as being evidence-based, said Mark Weber, an HHS spokesperson. It had a robust study design and a statistically significant effect on students’ behavior.

In support of HKAE, HHS cited a 2011 comparative study involving 2,215 middle-school students. Sexual activity among students who did not participate in HKAE rose from 29.2 percent at baseline to 43.2 percent one year after HKAE concluded. It increased less among HKAE participants, from 29.1 percent reporting being sexually active at the beginning to 33.7 percent one year after the program.

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!

US Panel Will Consider Home AIDS Test

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Blood Products Advisory Committee meets today to consider whether to recommend approval of an over-the-counter HIV test. Many public health experts believe at-home HIV testing could help reduce the number of Americans who are infected but unaware. An estimated 50 percent to 70 percent of the more than 50,000 new US HIV cases annually are transmitted by these individuals.

The panel is considering OraSure Technologies Inc.’s OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test, which is already used by clinics worldwide. The test subject’s gums are swabbed with a pad that then is placed in a vial of fluid for 20 minutes. Similar to home pregnancy tests, the appearance of two lines on the device indicates HIV. A follow-up blood test is needed to confirm infection.

In a clinical trial of more than 5,000 people at 20 US sites, the test found 106 previously undiagnosed HIV cases. It was 99 percent accurate, with one false-positive and eight false-negatives. Sixty people could not use the test for reasons that included spilling liquid (five), inability to read instructions (four) or inability to comprehend results (10).

Professionals currently counsel people taking HIV tests about prevention and treatment options, and they provide emotional support. However, none of that is guaranteed with home testing. OraSure says it will provide 24-hour live support via a toll-free call center, which would refer people to counseling.

The committee will consider the issue of counseling and whether consumers can follow test instructions and get accurate results. Its recommendation will be submitted to the agency for a decision; FDA usually follows its advisors’ guidance, though it is not required to.

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!

Seeking Serenity: Church to Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness at Anniversary of Garden of Peace, Remembrance

The Victory Tabernacle Church’s Serenity Garden for people coping with HIV/AIDS will celebrate its fifth anniversary on May 17.

The garden is a collaboration among the church, its “A Family Affair” group for those affected by the disease and the Orangeburg-based Minority AIDS Council. Situated behind the church, the garden’s four acres feature flowers, hanging baskets, a water display, and benches.

During the program Thursday, a reading of names will be held to honor those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. “Since this past year, we’ve had two members of ‘A Family Affair’ pass away,” said group member Pat Kelly. “It’s going to be a time of remembering them, and how much they gave to keeping the group going and being active in the things that we’ve done in the community.”

“Our speakers are going to be the faces of HIV,” Kelly said. “This will give the community an opportunity to see people just like them who are living with this disease. They’re going to talk about how HIV has impacted their lives and how the community can help in ending this epidemic.”

The church is located at 681 Broughton St. in Orangeburg. The event begins at 6:30 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.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!