Expanded access to HIV treatment achieves big falls in mortality rates in Chinaby Michael Carter, 2013-05-23 08:20
Mortality rates fell sharply among people
receiving antiretroviral therapy in China between 2003 and 2009, investigators
report in the online edition of the Journal
of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Overall, people were about 30%
less likely to die in the period 2008-09 compared to 2003-04. However, mortality
rates were still well in excess of those
AZT associated with poorer immunological recovery in people taking first-line HIV treatment in southern Africaby Michael Carter, 2013-05-22 09:20
AZT-based antiretroviral therapy is
associated with lower increases in CD4 cell counts than other HIV treatment
regimens, according to a study published in the online edition of AIDS. Investigators analysed
immunological outcomes in over 72,000 people starting first-line treatment in
southern Africa. People taking AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir and various generic versions) had significantly lower
Majority of Italian HIV specialists would prescribe PrEPby Gus Cairns, 2013-05-21 12:10
Seventy
per cent of Italian HIV specialists who answered an online survey
would prescribe pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to people in their care who ask
for it, at least in some circumstances, a study has found.
The
survey uncovered considerable training needs around PrEP. Most
specialists described their knowledge of PrEP as “not detailed”.
Most said they
Case workers can re-engage a high proportion of HIV-positive people lost to long-term careby Michael Carter, 2013-05-20 12:10
Caseworkers helped 50% of HIV-positive
people in New York City who had dropped out of care re-engage with HIV
medical care, investigators report in the online edition of AIDS. Feeling well was the main reason
why these people had initially disengaged from care.
Named-based HIV surveillance data and
clinical records were used to identify
Higher rates of HIV in US black gay men may be due to smaller choice of partners and more age mixingby Gus Cairns, 2013-05-18 09:20
Limited partner choice, wider age gaps between
partners, and mistaken beliefs about HIV status in regular partners are all
driving the substantially higher rates of HIV in US black gay men relative to
other ethnicities, a recent study suggests.
The study also found that higher rates of HIV in black
gay men were not
Dramatic improvements in HIV testing are possible – local leadership and multiple initiatives requiredby Roger Pebody, 2013-05-16 13:10
In Brighton & Hove the proportion of new HIV diagnoses
which are made outside of sexual health and antenatal clinics has increased
from 25.7% in 2000 to 57.8% in 2012, driven by improvements in HIV testing in
primary care and community settings. Moreover, there has been a dramatic
improvement in the diagnosis of recent