HIV/AIDS News

During the World Health Assembly last week, member states adopted three global health sector strategies designed to end viral hepatitis, HIV and sexually transmitted infection epidemics, according to a press release.

National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is observed annually on May 18 to mark the progress made in developing an effective HIV vaccine, to acknowledge those who have contributed to vaccine research and to educate communities about the importance of this research.

Recent research data in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed that resistance to ART was significantly greater among a cohort of perinatally infected children and adolescents with HIV.

A meta-analysis published in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed that ART initiation decreased the risk for opportunistic infections in children infected with HIV living in lower- or middle-income countries.

Individuals aged 13 to 24 years continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States, accounting for 22% of new diagnoses in 2014, according to the CDC.

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is Sunday, April 10, and health officials and advocates across the United States seek to educate the public about the impact the disease has on children and adolescents.

The FDA has approved Descovy, a fixed-dose combination tablet containing emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, for the treatment of HIV, according to a press release from the drug’s manufacturer.

Adolescent girls who used long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as intrauterine devices or implants, were significantly less likely also to use condoms compared with girls who used birth control pills, according to recent research in JAMA Pediatrics.

HIV remains a major health issue for women and adolescent girls, who account for more than 280,000 infections in the United States, according to the CDC.

The FDA recently updated the label indication for Complera, expanding the patient population to include children aged 12 to 18 years, according to a news release.