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.

Prevention

Newer HIV Tests Better Identify Acute Infections 

The more recently developed "fourth-generation" HIV tests are far superior to older antibody assays at detecting the virus during the first few weeks of infection, aidsmap reports. Publishing their findings in PLOS ONE, researchers analyzed the success rates of various types of HIV tests conducted between 2003 and 2008 in high-risk populations in San Francisco. Out of 21,234 HIV tests, there were 761 HIV diagnoses, of which 58 were determined to be acute, or very recent, infections.

Science

LGBT Health Research is Under-Funded, New Study Finds 

The American Journal of Public Health has published a new report showing that only 0.5% of studies funded by the National Institutes of Health concern lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health issues.

Miscellaneous

HIV-Positive Student Filmed Sex Tapes with More Than 30 Unsuspecting Victims 

The former Lindenwood University wrestler may have knowingly infected dozens of other students with the deadly disease.

How the Obama Wars Hurt the Mentally Ill 

ATLANTA - Every day he's without his meds, Scott Patrick's demons return: the urge to get high to forget that he's dying of AIDS; the anxiety, paranoia, and phantom noises spurred on by his bipolar disorder and PTSD.

Juveniles Facing Lifelong Terms Despite Rulings 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In decisions widely hailed as milestones, the United States Supreme Court in 2010 and 2012 acted to curtail the use of mandatory life sentences for juveniles, accepting the argument that children, even those who are convicted of murder, are less culpable than adults and usually deserve a chance at redemption.

Law's Expanded Medicaid Coverage Brings a Surge in Sign-Ups 

WELCH, W. Va. - Sharon Mills, a disabled nurse, long depended on other people's kindness to manage her diabetes. She scrounged free samples from doctor's offices, signed up for drug company discounts and asked for money from her parents and friends. Her church often helped, but last month used its charitable funds to help repair other members' furnaces.

Obama's Homework Assignment 

PRESIDENT OBAMA will deliver his State of the Union address on Jan. 28, but, for my money, his secretary of education, Arne Duncan, already gave it. Just not enough people heard it.

Obama, Melville and the Tea Party 

In 2009, shortly after Barack Obama's successful campaign for the White House, the McNally Jackson bookstore in Manhattan organized a display of about 50 books that Mr. Obama had read as a young man. The titles were eclectic, with a good number by African-American authors, including Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.

Obamacare Sign-ups Soar, but Confirmed Coverage is an Issue 

The number of Americans who selected plans through the Obamacare exchanges surged nearly fivefold in December, administration officials said Monday.

Richard Sherman and the Plight of the Conquering Negro 

Last night in the NFC championship, the San Francisco 49ers trailed the Seattle Seahawks by six, 23-17, with 30 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick had led the 49ers all the way down to the Seahawks' 18-yard line. He took the snap out of the gun, set his feet, and released a flossy little fade to the corner of the end zone, where receiver Michael Crabtree had his hands out. And then Richard Sherman happened.

Richard Sherman's Best Behavior 

There's some weird notion in our society that holds that trash-talking is for the classless and stupid.

Richard Sherman Speaks About Interview, Being Called a 'Thug' 

Richard Sherman addressed the media publicly for the first time and gave his perspective on being called a "thug" in the fallout of his now-renowned postgame interview following the NFC Championship.

Smoking is Worse Than You Imagined 

The latest surgeon general's report on the health effects of smoking - issued at the 50^th anniversary of the pathbreaking 1964 report - offers astonishing new evidence of just how much harm tobacco is causing. Despite the many gains in reducing risks over the past half-century, researchers keep finding new and insidious ways in which smoking is harming the smokers and nonsmokers who breathe in toxic fumes.

States Cutting Weeks of Aid to the Jobless 

RIDGEWOOD, N.C. - After losing her job as a security guard in June, Alnetta McKnight turned to food stamps and unemployment insurance to support herself and her 14-year-old son. But her jobless payments ran out after 20 weeks, and now they are living close to nothing.

Twitter Outrage as Black Gay Male Couple and Straight Black Man Post Pics of Morning Routine with Children 

Black gay fathers attacked by Black social media followers.

Walter Reed Medical Center Seeking HIV-Positive Patient Falsely Diagnosed as Negative in October 

The grave news comes after one of 150 routine blood specimens sent out to a contracted laboratory tested positive for HIV but was labeled with the wrong individual's name, the Bethesda, Md, medical center announced Wednesday.