Art From HIV-Positive Artists

April 9, 2008

•  THEBODY.COM PRESENTS: VIDEO CENTRAL

Meet HIVers and Activists Face-to-Face at Video Central
TheBody.com is thrilled to bring you a new way to meet the people who live on the front lines of the HIV pandemic: Video Central. Now, in addition to our large collections of first-person articles and one-on-one podcast interviews, we'll be offering face-to-face video interviews with HIV-positive people, activists, health care professionals and others who are making a difference in the fight against HIV.

For Video Central's maiden voyage, we've partnered with The Positive Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with HIV share their stories. Each month, you'll meet a new group of four HIV-positive people from the United States and listen to them talk about issues ranging from disclosure to treatment adherence. Visit our new Video Central home page to meet this month's featured HIVers!

•  LIVING WITH HIV

Coping With a Friend's Diagnosis -- and a Race-Blind Virus
"I am sick of seeing posters that associate this disease with one race. Are we not all at risk for this disease?" writes an enraged Terri Wilder in her monthly blog at TheBody.com. A friend of Terri's has just been diagnosed with advanced HIV: She's a white, heterosexual woman who never imagined she could be at risk, and who was never urged to get tested -- or told that the lambskin condoms she's always used provided no protection against HIV. "No one ever targets my community (read: white, straight, female)," Terri fumes. "I think we are doing a disservice to everyone by constructing posters that represent/target one race."


Hidden Casualties of the War on HIV: Doctors Who Lost Their Way
During the deadliest years of the HIV epidemic in the United States, Dr. Ramon Torres was one of the HIV community's fiercest warriors. A highly regarded, prominent physician, Dr. Torres has been credited with saving the lives of thousands of HIV-positive people in an era when an HIV diagnosis was equated with a death sentence. But then, combination HIV treatment came -- and as that miracle arrived, Dr. Torres began to lose his way. In this striking, in-depth profile, the magazine New York takes a closer look at the rise and fall of Dr. Torres, and shines a light on an aspect of the changing epidemic that goes largely unnoticed: What happens to an army of doctors who had spent their careers fighting an urgent war against a ruthless enemy, only to find that enemy suddenly tamed. (Article from New York Magazine)


HIVers Fight for Better Care in Mississippi
The United States is often criticized for not doing enough to help HIV-positive people inside its borders. This may be especially true in Mississippi, where HIV stigma is still rampant and health care for people with HIV is often inadequate. But HIVers are organizing to fight back: In fact, 75 people recently gathered at a summit designed to empower people with HIV in Mississippi to get informed and take action.

•  HIV TREATMENT COMPLICATIONS

Could Stem-Cell Treatment Become a Cure for HIV?
While the United States continues to debate the ethics of stem-cell research, scientists are trying to find ways to use stem cells to cure some of humanity's most insidious diseases. Cancer and Alzheimer's disease tend to grab the most headlines in the discussion of stem-cell research, but HIV is on the radar, too. In fact, researchers recently reported on an experiment in which they gave an HIV-positive man a stem-cell transplant from a donor whose stem cells were missing a key receptor that HIV uses to attach to CD4 cells. The treatment appeared to work: Six months after the transplant, the man's viral load was undetectable -- even though he had stopped taking HIV medications when the transplant took place.


Researchers Find Possible Explanation for Greater Heart Attack Risk on Protease Inhibitors
Some protease inhibitors may increase blood levels of a protein that has been tied to heart disease, U.S. researchers have found. The findings could explain why protease inhibitors have been associated with a small increase in heart attack risk for people with HIV -- a risk that's only notable for people who already have other risk factors for a heart attack, such as cigarette smoking and high blood pressure. The study found that some protease inhibitors appeared to increase levels of fibrinogen, a protein that, at above-normal levels, may help cause hardening of the arteries. By comparison, no link was found between NNRTI use and fibrinogen levels. (Study summary from aidsmap.com)


Ziagen Is Still OK for First-Line Treatment, Says U.S. HIV Treatment Guidelines Panel
There's no need to abandon Ziagen (abacavir) just yet, says the panel of experts that issues U.S. HIV treatment guidelines. Two recent studies have raised some questions about the use of Ziagen: One study found that the drug may increase heart attack risk, and the other noted that Ziagen was less effective than Viread (tenofovir) in people who start treatment with a viral load above 100,000. Despite these findings, the expert panel says that Epzicom (abacavir/lamivudine, Kivexa), which contains Ziagen, should remain a recommended drug for first-line treatment. The panel said it would continue to monitor research on Ziagen.

For more information on the study linking Ziagen to heart attack risk, read this summary from HIV i-Base or our interview with researcher Jens Lundgren, M.D. For more on the Ziagen vs. Viread study, read this news release from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.


Hep B Doesn't Impact HIV Treatment, Study Finds
HIV treatment can work just as well in people who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B as it does in people who have HIV alone, according to a large Danish study. However, although HIV meds were still able to do their job lowering viral load and raising CD4 count, the researchers noted that people coinfected with HIV and hep B were at a somewhat higher risk for death than people with HIV alone. The study researchers hope their findings can help address the debate over whether hep B coinfection hurts the effectiveness of HIV medications. (Study abstract from HIV Medicine)

•  HIV IN THE NEWS

New Report on U.S. HIV Infection Rates Triggers Confusion
A storm of controversy -- and a great deal of confusion -- greeted a new official report on the state of the HIV epidemic in the United States. The report, which is issued periodically by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appeared to show a sharp increase in the number of newly diagnosed HIVers. But upon closer examination, the increase was an illusion: Numbers only went up because seven states were added to the report for the first time. In this article, Housing Works explains what's up with the new HIV infection numbers.


U.S. ADAP Waiting Lists Have All but Vanished, Report Finds
Last month, just five people throughout the United States were on a waiting list to receive HIV medications through a U.S. AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). That's a dramatic improvement from a year ago, when 571 people in four states were on ADAP waiting lists. More funding from states and changes to the Ryan White Program have almost eliminated the backlog of applicants waiting for help in obtaining HIV-related medications and insurance. Today, the $1.4 billion program is bigger than it's ever been, providing free medications to 146,000 people with HIV. However, an expert on HIV policy warns there are threats on the horizon due to changes in federal funding and the worsening economy.

To find out if you qualify for ADAP, find the phone number for your state's program and give it a call.

•  HIV AROUND THE WORLD

Stop HIV ... And Save a Tree?
Who'd have thought that you could help save the Amazon rain forest and prevent HIV at the same time? It might sound odd, but that’s exactly what the Brazilian government plans to do: By tapping into the rubber from trees in the Amazon jungle, a new government factory is expected to produce about 100 million condoms annually -- and the income made by the factory will reduce Brazil's need to destroy its rain forest, environmentalists say. They will be the only condoms in the world made of latex from a tropical forest, according to the Brazilian government.


HIV-Positive Canadian Man Gets 18-Year Sentence for Sexual Assault
An HIV-positive Canadian man convicted of aggravated sexual assault was sentenced to 18 years in prison last week. Though he learned he was HIV positive in 1997, Carl Leone had sex with 15 women without revealing his HIV status, and apparently infected five of them. In written statements, the women recounted being pressured or forced into having unprotected sex with Leone: One of the women said he would remove his condom during sex though she asked him not to. Another described blacking out and later discovering that he had anal sex with her while she was unconscious. Leone pleaded guilty to the charges. (Article from The Globe and Mail)


Injection Drug Use in Canadian Prisons a "Recipe for Disaster," Researcher Says
Many injection drug users continue to do drugs while behind bars -- and they often use dirty needles to do so, which puts them at risk for HIV, two Canadian studies recently reported. Dr. Evan Wood, a principal researcher for the two studies, says that needle sharing in Canadian prisons is a "recipe for disaster" that puts both inmates and the larger community at risk. He called for prisons to provide clean needles to drug-using inmates, but officials are resistant to the idea.

April 2, 2008

•  LIVING WITH HIV

The Night I Did Rock Hudson: Long-Time HIV Activist Recounts the One-Night Stand of a Lifetime
"I had just bedded the ultimate male screen icon of a generation," Mark King writes of his fling with Rock Hudson in 1982. "And I hadn't the slightest idea how to feel about it." Just three years later, as he watched the swirl of media coverage around Hudson's AIDS diagnosis and death, King changed his mind about that legendary night. He knew what to feel about it now: anxiety and dread. It was the start of a new chapter in King's life -- and his recollection of it is one of many riveting chapters from his candid memoir A Place Like This. In it, King bears witness to 25 years of cultural history while struggling with meth addiction, his HIV infection and the prospect of his own mortality.


Stigma Still Clings to HIV-Positive Women in United States
It's "the worst part of having HIV," says activist Marvelyn Brown. She's not talking about the meds, the health concerns or the cost of treatment: She's talking about stigma, which is still a huge deal in the United States. A recent survey conducted by amfAR revealed that the American public still has highly negative perceptions of HIV-positive women, and often expressed discomfort at the idea of everyday interaction with a woman who had HIV. In fact, one in five said they wouldn't even feel comfortable having an HIV-positive woman as a friend. Almost as bad as the stigma is the ignorance: There appears to be a pervasive sense among HIV-negative women that, in order to contract HIV, a woman must do something "extraordinary" in terms of risk behavior, says Regan Hofmann, the editor of POZ. (Web highlight from amfAR)

•  HIV TREATMENT

Study Confirms Importance of CD4 Increase, Undetectable Viral Load After Starting HIV Meds
The main goal of starting HIV treatment is to get your viral load undetectable and increase your CD4 count as soon as possible -- and many experts believe that if your first treatment regimen doesn't do this, you should switch to one that will. A new study appears to confirm this approach to HIV treatment: U.S. researchers have found that people who don't achieve an undetectable viral load and a CD4 count increase within six months of taking HIV meds for the first time are at about double the risk of seeing their HIV disease progress over the next few years. The study also noted that non-white people appear more likely than white people to have a less-than-ideal response to first-line HIV treatment. (Web highlight from aidsmap.com)


How Well Will HIV Meds Work for You? It's All in the Genes
A doctor takes a small sample of your blood, scans your DNA, and instantly knows how well you're likely to respond to HIV treatment. Sound like science fiction? For now, it is -- but maybe not for much longer. U.S. researchers have spotted specific patterns in a person's genetic makeup that appear to trigger a better CD4 response when that person starts taking HIV meds. Scientists hope the findings will eventually help doctors make more informed decisions about when a person should start HIV treatment -- and may even lead to new forms of therapy that can strengthen the immune systems of people with HIV. (Web highlight from aidsmap.com)


Once-a-Month HIV Therapy: Could Nanotechnology Be the Next Treatment Frontier?
The phrase "nanotechnology" may conjure images of hordes of microscopic robots destroying humankind from the inside out. But when HIV researchers use the term, they see something completely different. For example, they might picture a solution that combines HIV drugs with tiny crystals so that, when the solution is injected into a person's bloodstream, it slowly breaks down over a period of weeks or even months, ending the need to take daily HIV treatment. It may sound far-fetched, but researchers and drug companies are already exploring this and other nanotechnologies in lab studies and early clinical trials.


Does "Undetectable" Mean Zero Viral Load? Usually Not, Study Finds
We already know that, even though we may have an "undetectable" viral load for years while on HIV meds, HIV is still in our body. A new, long-term study appears to confirm this: It took a series of ultrasensitive viral load tests in 40 people who, for more than seven years after starting HIV treatment, had "undetectable" viral loads according to standard lab tests. Each of the 40 people, it turned out, had at least one ultrasensitive test show that their viral load was 1 or higher. (In total, 77 percent of all viral load tests came back between 1 and 99.) The findings lead researchers to believe that there are areas within the body that today's HIV meds may not be able to reach.

You can read the full study in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

•  SIDE EFFECTS COMPLICATIONS

Black or White, Ziagen Hypersensitivity Test Works Equally Well
The widely used test that gauges a person's risk for Ziagen (abacavir) hypersensitivity reaction works just as well in African Americans as it does in whites, a new study has found. The genetic test has proven reliable at spotting people who are at risk for experiencing a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction if they start taking Ziagen. Earlier research had suggested that this test might not be as accurate in African Americans (who are much less likely than whites to have the gene that puts them at risk for this allergic reaction), but the new study appears to put those fears to rest. (Web highlight from aidsmap.com)


A Guide to the Tuberculosis Drug Pipeline
Tuberculosis (TB) may not be a big concern in the United States, but it's the leading cause of death for people with HIV around the world -- and it's increasingly becoming resistant to the drugs available to treat it. Even when those drugs work, TB treatment can still be difficult to handle, since it involves up to a six-month course of several drugs that may interact with HIV meds and may cause challenging side effects. Lately, however, we've seen some movement on the TB treatment front. This guide from Project Inform outlines new TB drugs in development that may make TB treatment easier and more effective.


Researchers See Possible Link Between Belly Fat and Dementia
It's common knowledge that HIV-positive people appear more likely to have a buildup of fat around their belly. But could there somehow be a link between the belly and the brain? A recent large study of HIV-negative people found a strong connection between excess belly fat and the development of dementia, though the reason for that association is not yet known. Although the study was not done on people living with HIV, researchers hope that further exploration of this possible link may help doctors provide better care for HIV-positive people as they live into old age, where issues such as weight gain and dementia may become more of a concern.

•  HIV TRANSMISSION TESTING

New York City Hospitals Will Offer 150,000 Free HIV Tests
New York City's public hospitals will provide rapid HIV tests to 150,000 people at no charge beginning this spring, city health officials announced. The massive testing program is possible because City Council Speaker Christine Quinn convinced OraSure to donate tens of thousands of its rapid oral HIV tests. In addition, the city has teamed up with religious and community leaders to encourage people at risk, especially young African Americans and Hispanics, to get tested. "We are not going to be judgmental. We just want to save lives," promised Calvin Butts, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.


Edgy New HIV Awareness Campaign Reaches Out to People of Color in New York City
If you're walking the streets of New York City, you may come across a striking billboard: It features two young men of color zeroing in for a kiss under the headline "I Love My Boo," and is accompanied by text about safer sex. This billboard -- and another with a young black woman proclaiming, "We're Not Taking it Lying Down!" -- is part of a new, up-front HIV prevention campaign by Gay Men's Health Crisis. The campaign targets young women and gay men, two groups whose HIV rates in New York City have increased while the city's overall rates have gone down.


Southern California Reaches Out to Mexican Migrants at Risk for HIV
How do you convince a man who is working in the United States illegally to take an HIV test? For starters, how about some cold, hard cash? Handing out $5 gift certificates is one way that HIV prevention workers in San Joaquin, Calif., have tried to reach out to Mexican migrants, a difficult-to-access group of people who, research suggests, increase their risk for HIV simply by crossing the border to look for work in the United States. In addition to programs within the United States, Mexican HIV prevention workers are also attempting to reach out to Mexican migrant workers before they leave home.


Baltimore's Response to HIV Has Been Puny, Editorial Says
It's obvious that HIV is a terrible problem in Baltimore, Md.: The city has the second-highest rate of new HIV infections in the country and 16,000 of its 650,000 residents are HIV positive. But city health officials' response to HIV has been too slow and unambitious, a Baltimore Sun editorial claims. Baltimore's health department is currently doing a comprehensive review of the city's HIV prevention programs, but the newspaper says steps need to be taken now to help stop HIV from spreading, such as providing shelter to homeless people with HIV and making sure public schools teach their students about the virus.

•  HIV THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Study Finds "Mini-Epidemics" of HIV in London
HIV is spreading in bursts among relatively small groups of gay men in London, according to a new study. Data collected from more than 2,000 HIV-positive men in the city -- most of whom were gay -- showed that many became positive in particular geographical areas within a short period of time, creating multiple "mini-epidemics." Many men in the study passed the virus on within a few months of becoming positive, often before they themselves were diagnosed. The researchers argue that focusing HIV prevention campaigns in London's bars and nightclubs could help curb the spread of HIV in the city. (Web highlight from BBC News)

The full study is available in the March 2008 edition of the journal PLoS Medicine.

Art From HIV-Positive Artists

March 26, 2008

•  VACCINES AND CURES

A Cure for HIV: Restoring Hope to a Long-Lost Cause
"We cannot coddle the virus with a lifetime of drugs," writes HIV activist Martin Delaney. "The only way to effectively conquer the epidemic is to cure the disease." It's been many years since the HIV community has talked seriously about the need for a cure, and with the recent stream of more-effective, less-toxic HIV meds, Delaney worries that too many people have become complacent about the current state of HIV treatment. In this in-depth analysis, Delaney explains why it's still so important to push for a cure to HIV -- and what it will take to finally find one.


Now That Another HIV Vaccine Has Bitten the Dust, Where Do We Go From Here?
The long, painful road toward developing an HIV vaccine got even longer and more painful over the past few months. The most important study to date on an experimental HIV vaccine found that the shot had absolutely no effect -- and even may have increased HIV risk for some people. The question is: What's next? The latest failure is just one in a string of defeats on the HIV vaccine front over the past few years. Is there still hope for the future of vaccine development? In this overview, two HIV vaccine advocates discuss the outlook.


AIDS Healthcare Foundation Calls for End to U.S. Funding of HIV Vaccine Research
Not everyone feels it's still worthwhile to continue researching an HIV vaccine. "It is time to stop the waste," write Homayoon Khanlou and Michael Weinstein, top officials of the massive, nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation. In a recent opinion piece, they urge the U.S. government to cut off its funding of efforts to develop an HIV vaccine. "To control AIDS, funding must be invested in strategies that work: effective prevention efforts, routine testing and universal access to treatment," they write, "and not spent on expensive vaccine research that over 20 years has yielded little of promise other than discovering how not to make an AIDS vaccine."


Time to Take a Step Back, Say Experts at HIV Vaccine Summit
Despite the efforts of some to effectively put an end to HIV vaccine development, some experts in the field have another idea: Let's get back to basics. "We need to turn the knob toward [basic scientific] discovery," said Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. At an HIV vaccine summit held this week by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Fauci and other experts urged researchers to take a step back and concentrate on developing a better understanding of how HIV works.

•  HIV TREATMENT

Interleukin-2 No Help in Maintaining CD4 Count During HIV Treatment Break
Despite a series of poor study results, researchers continue to investigate two HIV treatment strategy options: treatment interruptions and interleukin. Treatment interruptions are meant to give HIV-positive people temporary relief from the need to take -- and pay for -- daily HIV medications, while interleukin has been investigated for years as a potential immune-boosting drug. A recent study brought these two strategies together, to see if a drug called interleukin-2 can help HIVers maintain their CD4 counts while they're taking a break from therapy. Unfortunately, as study leader Brian Porter, M.D., explains in this interview, the results weren't very promising.

This interview with Dr. Porter is one of dozens of study summaries that are now available from The Body PRO's coverage of the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, which took place in February. Click here for more summaries, expert interviews and overviews of conference highlights at The Body PRO, TheBody.com's sister site for health care professionals!


Caution Urged When Dosing Reyataz for Young People
New dosing recommendations for children and adolescents under the age of 18 have been added to the labeling for Reyataz (atazanavir). The recommendations urge doctors to adjust the dose of the drug based on a child's body weight, and do not recommend using Reyataz in children under the age of 6. They also remind doctors that Reyataz must be taken with food.

•  MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Register for AIDSWatch 2008
Want to give U.S. political leaders a piece of your mind on HIV-related issues? Come to Washington, D.C., for the 16th annual AIDSWatch, which takes place from April 28 through April 30. Hundreds of HIV advocates from around the United States will travel to the nation's capital to speak to their elected officials, demanding a stronger federal commitment to HIV programs. AIDSWatch is the largest annual grassroots HIV advocacy event in the country; participants include people living with HIV, their loved ones, caregivers and advocates.

•  HIV TRANSMISSION

Some People Transmit Weaker HIV
We already know that some HIV-positive people have genes that weaken the effect of HIV on their immune system, allowing them to maintain a low viral load and high CD4 count without taking meds. New research adds a fascinating twist to this story: It appears that these genetically advantaged HIVers can transmit their weakened HIV even if the person they infect doesn't have the same genetic advantage, according to South African researchers. Studying this slow-replicating virus and its transmission may help researchers to better understand the way HIV works, and perhaps guide the way to new forms of HIV treatment.

You can read the complete article describing this study in the free online journal Public Library of Science Pathogens.


Advocates Explore How Having a Roof Over Your Head Can Prevent HIV
Homelessness and HIV often go together: According to a recent study, more than 60 percent of HIVers in the United States have at one time been either homeless or in an unstable housing situation. But exactly how does homelessness put people at risk for HIV, and what can we do to reduce those risks? Activists and researchers recently explored these questions at a forum in New York City. You can read summaries of key forum presentations or download the full reports.

•  HIV POLICY IN THE U.S.

Under New York Senate Budget, HIVers Could Lose Job Training, Housing Assistance
Fortunes turn quickly in New York. Just last month, HIV advocates were hoping that Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Democratic legislators would spearhead Medicaid reform and increase benefits to people with disabilities. Now Gov. Spitzer is gone thanks to a sex scandal, and programs for people with HIV are on the chopping block. The state Senate's new budget proposal would eliminate $1.4 million in funding for job training programs for people with HIV. It also continues to penalize people who get Social Security disability money for their kids at the same time they're receiving rent assistance from the state's HIV/AIDS Services Administration.


Another Hoped-For Reform in Jeopardy in N.Y.: More Cash for HIV Case Management
Just a few weeks ago, the chair of the New York Assembly's health committee promised HIV advocates that case management programs for HIVers would get a 15 percent budget increase. That extra money would be sweet relief for organizations struggling to operate under a budget that hasn't been increased in a decade. But now advocates are being told that a 3 percent raise is the most the programs can expect. Housing Works, a New York City group that benefits from the case management funding, is pushing for a more substantial funding increase -- and is asking for your help to make it happen.

•  SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (NON-HIV)

Gonorrhea Often Goes Undiagnosed in Throats, Rectums of Gay Men, U.S. Study Finds
Like many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), you can have gonorrhea without knowing it -- and you can get it in more than just your genital area, particularly if you have oral or anal sex. A large, four-year study in eight major U.S. cities found that STD clinics often fail to test gay men for gonorrhea in their throat or their rectum, and many men go undiagnosed as a result. The fault may not lie with STD clinics, however: Testing for non-genital gonorrhea can be more complicated, and sometimes the tests may not even be available.


One in Four Adolescent Girls Has an STD in United States
There are unsettling results from the most comprehensive U.S. study ever on sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates in girls ages 14 to 19. More than a quarter of the girls studied were found to have at least one STD, according to the government-run study -- and the STD rate was dramatically higher (a stunning 48 percent) among African-American girls. The most common STD was human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a primary cause of genital warts and cervical cancer -- and which can now be prevented using a recently approved vaccine.

•  HIV THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

HIV-Positive Religious Leaders Break Silence in Uganda
Coming out as HIV positive is never easy. But David Balubenze, a Christian pastor in Uganda, had an especially difficult question to struggle with: How do I explain this to my congregation? It took Balubenze several years to disclose his HIV status to the Christian church near Kampala, Uganda, where he is pastor. He is now one member of a growing network of African religious leaders who are openly HIV positive and leading their communities to a more open dialogue about HIV. "When we train religious leaders [on HIV], we train a nation," Balubenze said. "Their words are final, and whatever religious leaders tell their congregations is taken as truth." (Web highlight from PlusNews)

Art From HIV-Positive Artists

March 12, 2008

•  LIVING WITH HIV

This Positive Life: An HIV-Positive Long-Term Nonprogressor Tells His Story
Paul has been living with HIV for 27 years without ever needing to take treatment. He never thought much of it until the day a friend said to him, "You haven't been sick. ... Why do you think that you're doing so well?" Paul soon discovered he was one of the lucky few positive folks known as "long-term nonprogressors" -- people who have HIV, but whose CD4 count stays high and viral load stays low for a long time without the help of medications. In this interview with TheBody.com -- the latest in our This Positive Life podcast series (available as both audio and a transcript) -- Paul discusses his life, and explains how he's happily become a guinea pig for HIV researchers hoping to figure out what makes him tick.

•  HIV TREATMENT COMPLICATIONS

Positive Women, African Americans Spend Less Time on HIV Treatment, Study Finds
Do men get better HIV care than women in the United States? Do white people get better HIV care than African Americans? As many advocates have long believed, the answer appears to be yes to both questions. At least, that's the case at a large HIV clinic in Nashville, Tenn. Researchers there have found that, even when their CD4 counts are very low, women and African Americans are less likely to be on HIV meds. In this interview, Diana Lemly, M.D., explains these unsettling study findings.


Warning Issued for People With Liver Problems Taking Prezista
If you currently have liver problems, or if you're coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B or C, be careful about using the HIV medication Prezista (darunavir, TMC114). That's the new warning that has been issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and added to the drug's labeling. The warning notes that a small percentage of people taking Prezista -- about 0.5 percent -- have developed an inflamed liver, which can be a potentially dangerous side effect. Although most people won't have any liver trouble while on Prezista, the warning does urge doctors to avoid giving the drug to people who already have severe liver problems.


Reyataz, Seeking a Place in First-Line Therapy, Stands Up to Kaletra in Large Study
Although Reyataz (atazanavir) is sometimes used by people who are starting HIV treatment for the first time, it's not officially approved in the United States for first-line use. However, a recent, large, first-line treatment study appeared to show that Reyataz compared well with Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), one of the more popular drugs currently approved for use in first-line therapy. In this interview, researcher Donnie McGrath, M.D., explains the study findings.


A Tale of Two Immune Systems: HIV Meds Can't Get to Your Gut
We already know that HIV meds can't eradicate HIV completely. But did you know that meds also have a particularly hard time penetrating certain parts of your body? For instance, a new study has found that so-called "HIV reservoirs" set up shop in places like the gut, where the virus persists even after someone has taken HIV meds for many years. (Web highlight from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Fortunately, researchers are working to figure out how to strike at HIV in hard-to-reach places like the gut. As we reported last month, researchers believe they've spotted a previously undiscovered way to stop HIV from replicating by disrupting the process through which HIV invades the gut in the first place.


Testing, Testing, Hepatitis C
Everyone with HIV needs to be tested for hepatitis C at least once. That's a simple rule of thumb, but understanding the results of hep C tests isn't always so straightforward. Though hepatitis C testing is reliable, interpreting the results can be difficult if your CD4 count is low or there's a chance you were recently infected with hep C. Fortunately, this article can help you understand the results of your hep C test, as well as the liver tests you'll need to take if it turns out you do have hep C.

•  HIV TESTING

Testing HIV Negative When You're HIV Positive: It Happens, But Very Rarely
Can you test HIV negative but still have advanced HIV disease? To say the odds are one in a million might be an understatement: In the entire history of HIV, there have been only 16 published cases in which someone had HIV but repeatedly tested negative. The latest case was reported on March 1: Spanish doctors found that a man had a CD4 count of 4 and a viral load of 122,000 despite repeatedly testing negative for HIV antibodies and having an indeterminate Western blot test result. The researchers think that having an extremely weak immune system may have something to do with the false-negative tests. (Web highlight from aidsmap.com)

•  HIV IN THE U.S. NEWS

NIAID Director Recognizes National HIV Awareness Day for Women and Girls
More than a quarter of new HIV/AIDS cases each year in the United States are women -- and most of those women got HIV from unprotected sex with men. In honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Monday, March 10, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci reminded the country of this fact, as well as the reality that women of color carry the weight of AIDS diagnoses and deaths among females. He called for women to make a habit of knowing their own HIV status, as well as the status of their partners.

For a treasure trove of first-person stories, expert interviews, overviews, tips and news on HIV and women, visit TheBody.com's HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Women.


Pills to "Prevent," "Treat" STDs Make False Claims, FDA Warns
We all dream of a future where one little pill could prevent HIV. Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of that hope by falsely claiming their products can already do just that. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that anybody taking one of several drugs -- Aviralex, Beta-mannan, Genisil, Imulux, Micronutrient, OXi-MED, Qina, SlicPlus and Tetrasil -- should stop taking it immediately, since the drugs have never been proven safe or effective, and some make false or misleading claims. The drugs purport to prevent or treat numerous sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including chlamydia, herpes, HIV and human papillomavirus. (Web highlight from Miami Herald)


U.S.'s "HIV Epicenter," New York City, Gets $102 Million in Ryan White Grants
Often referred to as the "epicenter" of the U.S. HIV epidemic, New York City has seen a small increase in its Ryan White Program funding for 2008, which will be used to fund a host of HIV-related services. The ever-increasing life expectancy of people with HIV creates an even greater need for a wide range of services that are accessible to the estimated 99,000 HIVers in the city. However, the $102-million price tag on this year’s Ryan White grants is only slightly higher than it was in 2007, when the city received about $100 million.

•  HIV THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

International Task Force Calls on Governments to Lift HIV-Related Travel Restrictions
A task force chaired by UNAIDS and the Norwegian government has issued a global call to end all HIV-related travel restrictions. According to the European AIDS Treatment Group, about 74 countries (including the United States) restrict HIV-positive visitors, and 13 ban them outright. UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said, "No other condition [besides HIV] has people afraid of having their baggage searched for medication ... with the result that they are denied entry or worse -- detained and then deported back to their country."

To read the European AIDS Treatment Group's full (albeit difficult-to-navigate) breakdown of every country's legal stance on the travel of HIV-positive people, click here.

You can also click here for more information on the United States' policy regarding HIV-positive visitors.


Advocates Call for "Investing in Women" Worldwide to Address HIV, Education and Jobs
"Investing in women helps us fight all the challenges of our time. ... No measure is more important in advancing education and health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS," said United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week, ahead of International Women’s Day. Advocates worldwide echoed his call: For instance, ActionAid, an international anti-poverty organization, said that the global "development emergency is first and foremost an emergency for women and girls."


Living in Fear of HIV: Seeing South Africa's HIV Crisis Through One Man's Eyes
With each passing year, it's becoming increasingly clear that providing HIV meds and free condoms won't be enough to stop the pandemic in the developing world. In countries like South Africa, HIV pervades every aspect of people's lives -- but despite that, the stigma and fear surrounding the virus is crushing. In a recent interview, South African journalist Jonny Steinberg spoke about a new book he wrote, Sizwe's Test, which follows one man as he struggles to deal with the possibility that he has HIV -- even as he refuses to actually get tested for the virus. (Web highlight from New York Public Radio)

March 5, 2008

•  HIV TREATMENT COMPLICATIONS

The Latest HIV Research Explained -- In Terms We All Can Understand
Sick of reading conference research recaps that are clearly meant for doctors rather than the rest of us? We've got the cure: An easy-to-read summary of the biggest developments from CROI 2008, a major HIV conference that took place in February. At the end of the conference, we spoke with Joel Gallant, M.D., one of the most respected HIV physicians in the United States, and got his down-to-earth take on the most important news for HIV-positive people.

Comfortable with reading more in-depth research summaries? Check out our full coverage of CROI 2008 at The Body PRO for dozens of interviews and analyses on some of the most critical studies presented at the conference.


Major Study Questions Use of Epzicom as First-Line Therapy in People With High Viral Load
New study findings suggest that Epzicom (abacavir/3TC, Kivexa) may not be the best choice for people who start treatment with a viral load above 100,000. A major, ongoing clinical trial has taken the unusual step of "unblinding" the study -- telling everybody exactly what meds they've been given, and giving them a chance to switch -- because people with a high viral load who took Epzicom were less likely to respond well to treatment, and were more likely to experience side effects, than people receiving Truvada (tenofovir/FTC). However, it's worth noting that none of these differences were seen in people who started treatment with a viral load below 100,000, and that this marks the first time a study on Epzicom has found these kinds of results.


Researchers Warn of Drug Interaction Between Kaletra and Crestor
Add Crestor to the long list of cholesterol-lowering drugs that may not be safe to take with Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir). A recent study found that Kaletra may dramatically increase the levels of Crestor (known generically as rosuvastatin) in a person's blood, which could cause more side effects. Kaletra -- just like other protease inhibitors -- is already known to have a potentially dangerous effect on blood levels of some other statins, including Lipitor and Zocor. (Study abstract from JAIDS)


What Is Antiretroviral Therapy All About?
Are you considering starting HIV medications? Ever wish someone would just explain what antiretrovirals are and how they work? This recently updated fact sheet from AIDS InfoNet does just that, offering a simple guide to HIV medications by type, and describing how each family of meds works against the virus. The guide also includes information about when to start treatment and suggestions for how to choose a regimen.


A Guide to Bone Health for People With HIV
Osteopenia? Osteoporosis? What are they and why do HIV-positive people need to know? These questions and others are answered in Project Inform's new guide to bone health and HIV. Although HIVers are at greater risk for thinning or brittle bones than the general population, there are steps you can take to improve your bone health. This guide describes different types of bone problems and their prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

A recent study found that people who are white and those with a low CD4 count when they start treatment may be more likely to lose bone mass while taking HIV medications. Click here to read or listen to an interview with one of the researchers involved in the study.


U.S. Releases Revised HIV Treatment Guidelines for Children
What's the latest wisdom on the best strategies for treating HIV-positive children? The U.S. health department recently revised its HIV treatment guidelines for babies and children. The guidelines are made for HIV health care professionals, but any savvy person can use it as a reference when considering HIV treatment issues for HIV-positive kids.

•  HIV TRANSMISSION TESTING

Rectal Microbicides Need More Funding and Attention, Advocates Say
Why has virtually all of the focus on microbicide development been on the vagina? "Unprotected anal intercourse is a driver in the AIDS epidemic among both men and women around the world," says Jim Pickett, chair of International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA). "Unfortunately, this fact is obscured by debilitating silence and stigma." To change this trend, IRMA released a report last week calling for a five-fold increase in funding for rectal microbicide research. The report lays out IRMA's plan to advance the development of rectal microbicides without slowing down the development of vaginal microbicides. (Web highlight from International Rectal Microbicide Advocates)

Click here to download a PDF of the full report, Less Silence, More Science: Advocacy to Make Rectal Microbicides a Reality.

Want to become an advocate for rectal microbicides? Click here to learn how you can get involved with International Rectal Microbicide Advocates.


N.Y.'s Name-Based HIV Reporting Does Not Deter Testing, Research Shows
For years now, there's been a debate among some HIV advocates as to whether it's a good idea for the U.S. federal government to use a system called "name-based reporting" for HIV. Aimed at making HIV statistics more accurate, the system mandates that states compile a confidential list of the names of people who test positive for HIV. In New York, the law also requires that doctors report the names of the partners of anyone who tests positive. Critics have warned that this sort of reporting system might reduce HIV testing rates by scaring away people concerned about their privacy. But a new study out of New York has found that most people were unaware of the law, even though it's been in place since 2000. Even when they knew about the law, few were concerned enough about it to avoid HIV testing, the study found.

Want to learn more about HIV testing and reporting policy in New York? Check out this list of answers to frequently asked questions compiled by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.


HIV Risk Increases for Mexican Migrants After They Arrive in U.S.
Add HIV to the long list of harsh realities of life for workers who migrate from Mexico to the United States. In search of a better life for themselves and their families, many migrant workers end up in desperate situations -- so desperate that, although in the morning they may line up outside a Home Depot looking for a manual labor job, by the evening they may find themselves hired out for male sex work. In this interview, Melissa Sanchez explains the distressing findings of her recent research on HIV risk factors among Mexicans who migrate to the United States.

•  HIV IN THE U.S. NEWS

California County Opposes Ban on Blood Donations by Men Who Have Sex With Men
The government of Santa Clara County, Calif., is publicly opposing a long-standing U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that prevents all men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood. The vote by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is symbolic, but supervisors say they may ban blood drives on county property. If they do so, they'd be following a new trend: The president of San Jose State University recently halted blood drives on campus, arguing that they violated the school's anti-discrimination rules.

For much more on issues related to blood donation and HIV, browse our collection of overviews and news articles.


HIV, Gay Rights Groups Receive Major Bequest From Microsoft Millionaire
Project Inform and amfAR, two U.S. HIV organizations devoted to research, education and public policy, will share part of a $65 million bequest from one wealthy donor to 11 different gay rights and HIV organizations. Ric Weiland, who committed suicide in 2006 and was the first openly gay employee of Microsoft, left a total of $160 million to a range of charities devoted to environmental protection, education, gay rights and fighting HIV. (Web highlight from Washington Blade)

•  HIV OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Several Australian States May See Dramatic Rise in HIV Among MSM, Report Finds
The Australian state of Victoria may see a 74 percent increase in new cases of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) by the year 2015, according to a new report from the country's National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research. The lead author of the report cited complacency about HIV -- which is widely viewed as a chronic, but manageable disease -- as a cause of the recent increase. In addition, a third of new cases involved transmission by men who were not aware of their HIV-positive status.


Four British Bareback Porn Stars Diagnosed With HIV
Four of eight British men who had unprotected sex for gay pornography DVDs were diagnosed with HIV soon after the movies were shot. The news, along with separate reports about a 16-year-old British boy who had unprotected sex in a gay porn film, has led to fresh outcry over pornography that shows men having anal sex without condoms. "I just don't want another 18-year-old model crying on my shoulder, not sure how to tell his partner or his parents that he is now HIV positive," said adult film director Steven Brewer, the leading opponent of bareback porn in Britain. (Web highlight from BBC Newsnight)


HIV Cases Up 21% in Ireland in the First Half of 2007
The number of new HIV diagnoses in Ireland surged in the first half of 2007, increasing by 21 percent over the year before, Irish health officials recently reported. Immigrants made up a large number of those new diagnoses; of people whose nationality was identified, fewer than half were born in Ireland, and people born in sub-Saharan Africa made up 42 percent of new cases. Heterosexual sex was the leading risk factor identified in the report.


Despite Free Care, Many Canadian HIVers Die Without Getting HIV Meds, Study Finds
HIV treatment is free for all Canadians. So why did a recent study find that about 40 percent of the 1,436 people who died from HIV-related illnesses in British Columbia from 1997 to 2005 never received HIV medications? According to prominent Canadian HIV researcher Julio Montaner, the author of the study, many people with HIV may not seek treatment because they are struggling with more immediate problems, such as mental illness, homelessness, drug addiction and extreme poverty. He also warned that the actual number of HIV-positive people dying without ever receiving treatment could be much higher, since an estimated one out of every four HIV-positive Canadians don't even know their status.

• Profiles in courage from thriving HIV-positive African Americans of all ages and walks of life.
• One-on-one interviews with some of the black community's most powerful voices, such as Barack Obama and singer-actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.
• A brand-new online gallery of art created by African Americans with HIV, including personal biographies.
• Discussions with HIV experts on how HIV and HIV meds impact African Americans.
• Resource listings for African Americans seeking additional support and information.
• Overviews and the latest news on African Americans and HIV.
• In-depth reports about the state of HIV/AIDS in black America, with a focus on policy and activism.

Even more new content and updates will be added over the upcoming weeks!

If you're an African American living with HIV, or you're simply looking to learn more about HIV in the African-American community and find out how you can help, TheBody.com's African-American HIV/AIDS Resource Center is the perfect place to turn to. Visit the resource center now!

About Fortunata Age: 33 Home: Houston, Texas Diagnosed: 1997 Fortunata was diagnosed with HIV in 1997, while she was pregnant with her daughter. At the time, she had just emigrated from Tanzania to the United States. Now 33, Fortunata lives in Houston, Texas, with her 10-year-old, HIV-negative daughter. She works with the Campaign to End AIDS, and often speaks publicly about HIV. In her interview with TheBody.com, she recalls the first time she ever spoke to an audience: "I got this invitation to Kentucky. They had a fundraiser gala for World AIDS Day last year. I remember after I finished, everybody stood up and they remained standing there for a few minutes. They were clapping constantly. I remember looking, and wondering, what is so special about this thing? I was overwhelmed. ... Here I am, telling my business, right in front of the people. I don't know how they're going to react. The outcome was remarkable. ... The pastor from the community said, 'People here, they're very uptight, and very conservative thinking about this disease. They have their way of thinking about the people who have this disease. You put a new face on it, and thank you.'" Read more >> Read other Profiles in Courage >>

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Art From HIV-Positive Artists

February 28, 2008

•  HEALTH ISSUES FOR HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE

Syphilis Throat Symptoms Often Ignored by HIV-Positive Gay Men
Why are syphilis rates increasing in the United States? Is it meth use? Condom fatigue? The rise of the Internet as a gateway for sex? Or could it be that many people don't realize some of the symptoms until long after they've passed syphilis on to others? As Lawrence Siegel, M.D., explains in this interview, men often go many weeks without being diagnosed with syphilis because they're unaware that they can get syphilis not only in their genital region, but in the back of their throat as well. Dr. Siegel also summarizes his recent study in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood, where syphilis is 20 times more common than in the rest of the country, and HIV-positive men who have sex with men make up a huge chunk of the people affected.


AIDS-Defining Cancers Become Less Common Than Other Cancers in HIVers, Study Finds
In a complete turnaround from the early years of the U.S. HIV epidemic, so-called "AIDS-defining cancers" are no longer the most common types of cancer diagnosed in HIV-positive people. Rates of AIDS-defining cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and cervical cancer, have declined dramatically since combination HIV treatment became available in 1996. Meanwhile, a wide range of other, non-AIDS-defining cancers remains more common (and may even have increased) in people with HIV, according to a large U.S. study: Cancers of the lung, liver, anus, head and neck are now up to 39 times more common among HIVers than the general population. (Web highlight from aidsmap.com)


How to Keep Your Body's Clean-Up Crew -- the Liver -- Humming Along
It's not as glamorous as the heart or the brain, but the liver, the second largest organ in the human body, is pretty remarkable. All of your organs depend on it to filter out toxins in the food you eat, the liquids you drink and the air you breathe -- not to mention the medications you take. Unfortunately, your liver is also the prime target of hepatitis viruses, making liver health a major concern for people coinfected with HIV and hepatitis. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to keep your liver healthy. This guide from Project Inform offers advice on how you can protect your liver if you're living with HIV. (Web highlight from Project Inform)