Latest HIV research from the 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference

Primary care physicians are frequently unaware of pre-exposure prophylaxis, according to research presented at the CDC's 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference.

Live coverage from Atlanta also featured research on HIV prevention from scientists, public health officials, community workers and clinicians that focused on prevention tools and strategies.

PCPs frequently unaware of PrEP

Primary care clinicians frequently reported low awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis, but once informed they often were interested in prescribing the treatment and pursuing education concerning its appropriate use, according to survey data presented.

Dawn Smith

“Though awareness of PrEP among primary care physicians isn't as high as we would like, it’s growing — which is promising news,” Dawn Smith, MD, MS, MPH, of the division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, CDC, told Infectious Disease News. “But with one-third of providers still unaware, we know that some of their patients who could benefit are still falling through the cracks.” Read more.

Prompt linkage to care reduces HIV progression, time to viral suppression

HIV patients linked to care within 1 month achieved viral suppression quicker than those linked to care within 3 months, according to research data presented.

“One of the goals of the national strategy for the United States is to increase access to care and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV,” Anna Satcher Johnson, MPH, epidemiologist and supervisor at the HIV Incidence and Case Surveillance branch of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, said during a presentation. “A key strategy to achieve this goal is to ensure that people are linked to care as soon as they are diagnosed. Prompt linkage to care allows early initiation of ART, which is associated with reduced morbidity, mortality and transmission of the virus.” Read more.

VIDEO: CDC recommends prevention tools to reduce disparities in HIV

Jonathan Mermin , MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, and Eugene McCray, MD, director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, report national trends in HIV and discuss how physicians can help prevent HIV infection in high-risk patients.

National HIV diagnoses declined 19% since 2000 with a 9% reduction over the past 5 years, McCray said. However, there is “uneven progress” in HIV among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men, as well as people residing in some Southern states. HIV-related deaths were up to three times greater in the South compared with other regions in the U.S., Mermin said. Watch here.

Feelings of vengeance influence sexual behaviors among MSM with HIV

Men who have sex with men reporting feelings of vengeance may be less likely to engage in safe sexual behavior, according to data presented.

Monique Brown

“Vengeance is defined as the extent to which individuals may inflict punishment or retaliate for a perceived wrong,” Monique Brown, PhD, MD, of the University of South Florida, told Infectious Disease News. “In spite of knowing how you were infected or in spite of feeling that it was intentionally done ... we still see this association between vengefulness and these risky sexual behaviors and disclosure outcomes.” Read more.

Sexual disclosure laws require reconsideration for teens with HIV

Troubled adolescents with HIV infection often experience social barriers that prevent or discourage disclosure of their status to sexual partners that can lead to prosecution. Barriers among this at-risk demographic highlight the need for a review of zero-tolerance mandatory disclosure laws, according to a study data presented.

“Skilled counseling in adolescent-friendly settings is immensely helpful in guiding infected adolescents toward maturity, self-disclosure, and a more confident future with HIV,” Bronwen Lichtenstein, PhD, professor in the department of criminal justice at the University of Alabama, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “At its best, disclosure helps to alleviate stress and break the chain of transmission to sexual partners.” Read more.

HIV progress lags for gay, bisexual minorities, Southern states

New cases of HIV infection in the United States dropped 19% from 2005 to 2014 due to continuing declines among several populations, according to data presented. However, the data suggested that gay and bisexual minorities and people residing in the South are disproportionately affected by HIV.

According to the CDC, 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, and 40,000 new infections are diagnosed each year. Read more.