HIV Ireland
NewsDesk Weekly
29 April 2016
HIV
HPSC - Weekly HIV & STI Report - Weeks 14 and 15, 2016
Latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show a total of 14 new cases for weeks 14 and 15 - 2016, bringing the total to 155 HIV new notifications for 2016 to date.
Press Release – 29th April 2016 – National charity calls for urgent Government action on spiralling HIV figures
HIV Ireland, 29 April 2016
Niall Mulligan, Executive Director of HIV Ireland, calls for the Government to address the HIV crisis in Ireland. Figures in 2016 have seen a 40% increase in HIV diagnosis, with an average of 10 people per week.
"We try to do everything to make it less formal" - Taking the stigma out of HIV testing
NewsTalk Podcast, 29 April 2016
Newstalk reporter Richard Chambers has visited HIV Ireland testing clinic and put himself through the testing process. (Link to full Podcast of the interviews to staff and clients.)
HIV Testing and Counselling in Europe
UNSW, April 2016
The Centre for Social Research in Health has reviewed testing and counselling guidelines across European countries. The current global, national and European guidelines are not homogeneous and can vary on issues such as informed consent, delivering test results, counselling and referrals.
You can read the report here:
HIV Testing Services: Analysis of guidelines and perceptions of practice across the WHO European Region - Summary Report
Newly diagnosed HIV+ men are embracing treatment more than ever before
Star Observer, 20 April 2016
According to the results of a long-running Australian study, gay and bisexual men who are newly diagnosed with HIV change their behaviour to reduce the chance of onward transmission. The Seroconversion Study Report found that HIV-positive men are now more likely to disclose their status, reduce the number of sexual partners they come into contact with, and use condoms during sex.
First data on uptake of HIV self-testing in the UK
Aidsmap, 27 April 2016
Results of a study conducted on self-testing among gay men. The study includes users various demographic and issues such as linkage to care and counselling.
Opt-out HIV testing in a hospital emergency department may cost less than managing two patients with undiagnosed HIV
Aidsmap, 26 April 2016
A new study claims that Opt-out HIV testing in A&E departments in areas of high HIV prevalence may save NHS money by avoiding more expensive interventions at a later stage.
Meet the Man Who Got HIV While on Daily PrEP
Poz, 3 March 2016
Interview with the man who became infected by a rare drug-resistant HIV strain while on PrEP.
6 Questions People Ask Us Most When They Find Out They Have HIV
HIV Plus Mag, 25 April 2016
Various questions asked by newly diagnosed people.
Considerable overlap between HIV and shigellosis epidemics in the UK
Aidsmap, 26 April 2016
According to data presented at the recent BHIVA Conference, approximately a third of cases of non-travel-related Shigella epidemics in the UK involve MSM living with HIV. The investigators believe these findings confirm previous research showing that HIV-positive MSM are a new high-risk group for Shigella, with the infection being transmitted sexually.
Online privacy concerns limit the reach of sexual health messages on social media
Aidsmap, 25 April 2016
An evaluation of the intervention programme ‘It Starts with Me’ by HIV Prevention highlights the privacy issues in regard of sharing personal information on social media.
PrEP: HIV drug trials expanding to 2,000 men in Queensland after 'brave' government decision
ABC News, 27 April 2016
PrEP will be made available to more than 2,000 MSM under a $6 million Queensland Government program.
See also:
MSM communities call for national PrEP strategies to prevent new HIV infections
Swipe Right to Connect Young People to HIV Testing
New York Times, 27 April 2016
A recent initiative by Los Angeles health activists will target teenagers by placing educational posters about HIV in classrooms and providing students with a free phone app for locating the nearest HIV testing clinics.
Children and adolescents forgotten by HIV policymakers
New Internationalist, 28 April 2016
Dr Annette Sohn, director of TREAT Asia and vice-president of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research talks about the interventions needed to stop the high global death rates in young people with HIV.
Dementia in HIV -- HAND or Alzheimer's?
MedPage Today, 28 April 2016
Ageing can be associated with an increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, but people living with HIV have an increased prevalence of cognitive problems directly linked to their medical condition.
Decrease in serum zinc levels may cause inflammation among HIV positive individuals
News Medical, 25 April 2016
Scientists have found that the increase of a biomarker of inflammation associated with HIV disease progression is linked to zinc deficiency. Researchers therefore reckon that zinc supplementation might reduce inflammation in people living with HIV.
Locked Up & Lost: HIV Behind Bars
HIV Plus Mag, 27 April 2016
Overview of HIV prevention and treatment in US prisons.
Online HIV prevention resources face resistance from black female college students
Eureka Alert, 25 April 2016
A study has found that black female college students are unlikely to use and share online resources related to HIV prevention, due to stigma and concerns that their social network would learn they were accessing HIV-related materials.
28 Percent Of Transgender People Have HIV, CDC Blames ‘Stigma’
The Daily Caller, 26 April 2016
The CDC warns that “Individual behaviors alone do not account for the disparate HIV diagnoses among transgender people. Many cultural, socioeconomic, and health-related factors contribute to these diagnoses and prevention challenges in transgender communities.”
EJAF Spotlight on HIV Criminalization
Poz, 18 April 2016
The Elton John AIDS Foundation details its funding initiatives for HIV prevention, treatment, equality and human rights, and against HIV criminalisation and discrimination.
Vaccine News: First 24 Hours of HIV Infection Critical
HIV Plus Mag, 27 April 2016
New study on monkeys shows HIV is at its weakest right after transmission.
Drugs
HIV Prevention Drug Truvada Is Too Pricey For Those Who Need It Most
Vocativ, 25 April 2016
Study finds HIV drugs like Truvada are still prohibitively expensive for the injection drug users who are at the highest risk.
LGBT