A cross-section of articles we've read this week about HIV/AIDS, STIs and a wide cross-section of structural and systemic factors impacting HIV/AIDS in Black communities.

MSM

The Alarm Has (Really) Sounded 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm even louder. The national public health institute warns that HIV rates -- which remain at epidemic proportions -- are continuing to rise steadily among men who have sex with men (MSM).

Gay Blood Drive Puts Pressure on U.S. FDA Over Rules 

The first national Gay Blood Drive, held on July 12, aimed to pressure the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into lifting a ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. Ryan James Yezak organized the national blood drive. Yezak is a 26-year-old gay man from Houston who is filming a documentary about discrimination based on sexual orientation. The FDA bans blood and bone marrow donations from any man who has had sex with another man at any time since 1977. According to the FDA, men who have sex with men (MSM) made up 61 percent of new HIV infections in 2010, and although the overall HIV rate was stable from 2008 to 2010, the rate of infection increased 12 percent among MSM while the rate in other populations decreased.

Rectal STIs More Than Double HIV Risk Among Gay Men, Study Suggests 

HIV-negative gay men with rectal STIs (sexually transmitted infections) may be more than twice as likely to contract HIV, according to a study conducted by the New York City Department of Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Prevention

Community Pharmacies are Effective Locations for Rapid HIV Testing 

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that community-based pharmacies can be effective locations for offering rapid HIV testing, diagnosing HIV, and connecting those who test positive with medical care quickly. The study is in the August edition of the journal AIDS Patient Care and STDs.

Experts Say the Approval of Truvada for HIV Prevention Raises New Ethical Issues That Must Be Addressed 

The Food and Drug Administration's approval last year of the drug Truvada for prevention of HIV infection was a milestone in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but experts are cautioning that it is only the beginning of new ethical concerns for health care professionals, policy makers, researchers and those taking Truvada to prevent HIV infection.

Public Health Activists Concerned Over Lack of AIDS Prophylaxis 

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), regarded by scientists as one of the safest and most effective means of preventing HIV infection and the development of AIDS after exposure to HIV, is largely considered an essential public health and emergency medicine protocol in preventing HIV/AIDS.

Science

Trials Challenging HIV Drug Doses Could Usher in Huge Cost Cuts 

When researchers say they are trying to do more with less in the fight against HIV, they mean it. At last month's International AIDS Society (IAS) conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, researchers presented preliminary results from a clinical trial that showed a lower dose of the commonly used antiretroviral drug efavirenz was just as effective as the approved higher dose and seemed to cause fewer side effects in study participants.

Trial Finds More Support for Universal HIV Screening in Emergency Departments 

Screening everyone for HIV in the emergency department may be superior to testing only those with apparent risk, when trying to identify patients with undiagnosed HIV infection, according to a new results by researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC).

Miscellaneous

Gay Couples Rush to Wed as Minnesota, Rhode Island Legalize Same-Sex Marriage 

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Dozens of gay couples began tying the knot early Thursday morning at Minneapolis City Hall as Minnesota - along with Rhode Island - became the latest state to legalize same-sex marriage.

With Open Enrollment on Horizon, Young People Key to Obamacare's Success 

Aside from House Republicans' 40th attempt last week to repeal or revise the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as "Obamacare," and their threat to shut down the government on Oct. 1 if the program is not defunded, the Obama administration's implementation of the health care reform law faces another roadblock -- getting young people to enroll. Open enrollment for health insurance exchanges kicks off Oct. 1 and in order for the program to be a success, young adults need to sign up.