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7 stories for National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
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Today is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which recognizes the disproportionate and ongoing impact of HIV/AIDS on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
The initiative was launched by the National Association of People with AIDS in 2008 and is observed every year on Sept. 27.
According to the CDC, in 2016, men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 66.8% of newly diagnosed HIV infections while representing only 2% of the United States population. An additional 3% of new HIV infections in 2016 were MSM who inject drugs.
In 2016, patients aged 13 to 29 years comprised 49.4% of all new infections among MSM, whereas 38.2% were aged 30 to 49 years and 12.4% were aged 50 years or older, according to the CDC. Furthermore, between 2008 and 2016, the annual number of newly diagnosed HIV infections increased 3% and 4% among MSM aged 13 to 29 years and 30 to 49 years, respectively. Among those aged 50 years or older, the annual number of new infections was stable.
Preventive services and linking infected patients with care are critical in reducing HIV infections, according to the CDC.
“This year’s theme, The Conversation About HIV Is Changing, reminds us that advances in science have given us powerful tools that can help end new HIV infections in the United States.”
Infectious Disease News has compiled a list of stories on HIV to coincide with National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
In MSM, long-acting injectable PrEP could outperform oral PrEP
Among MSM, the use of long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent HIV infection has the potential to reduce HIV transmission more than oral PrEP. Read More.
MSM offer positive feedback on home-based PrEP care program
Researchers have designed a home-based HIV PrEP program that could reduce the number of routine clinic visits needed for PrEP users each year, alleviating the burden of care. Read More.
Rapid HIV care cuts time to viral suppression in half
With the help of his local health department in New Orleans, Jason Halperin, MD, and colleagues are starting patients on ART within 72 hours of their HIV diagnosis — most of them within 24 hours. A recent study showed that the intervention cut the median time to viral suppression by more than half, and he believes its success can be replicated in other clinics around the country. Read More.
Starting ART at home improves HIV care in Africa
Offering same-day, at-home ART initiation improves testing and treatment outcomes compared with standard-of-care in patients who undergo home-based HIV testing, according to study findings from Lesotho that were presented at CROI and published in JAMA. Read More.
Black MSM in South underrepresented in HIV testing
Black MSM who live in the southern United States are significantly underrepresented in HIV testing. Mariette Marano, MPH, behavioral scientist in the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and colleagues noted that 63% of all U.S. black MSM with diagnosed HIV infection live in the South. They reported that the CDC funded 20 health departments and 24 community-based organizations in 2016 for HIV testing and related services in the South. Read More.
Blacks largest US group with HIV PrEP indications
Blacks are the largest group in the United States with indications for HIV PrEP. The designation applies in terms of the overall U.S. population, as well as among MSM and heterosexually active adults. Read More.
Researchers ID four types of nonbiomedical PrEP failure
HIV PrEP is effective. In high-risk patients, it can reduce the risk for HIV by up to 92%, according to the CDC. But the medication is far less effective when not taken consistently and understanding the barriers to PrEP uptake and adherence has been a major focus of research for years. Read More.
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