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

Study Shows Correlation between HIV Infection in US Black Gay/Bi Men and Unemployment, Socioeconomic Status, and Other STIs 

Study from Fenway Health shows Black MSM account for more than 20 percent of new HIV infections in the United States despite being a very small percentage of the overall population. Enhanced understanding of factors associated with undiagnosed infections can help inform programs needed to address this epidemic.

Science

Humanized Mice Protected from HIV by Antibody Treatment 

NIH-funded scientists have shown that boosting the production of certain broadly neutralizing antibodies can protect humanized mice from both intravenous and vaginal infection with HIV. Humanized mice have immune systems genetically modified to resemble those of humans, making it possible for them to become HIV-infected.

New Vaccine Delivery Method 'Boosts Immune Response' 

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a way of delivering vaccines directly to lymph nodes in the body - where large populations of immune cells are present. The investigators say distributing vaccines to such areas could help stimulate the body's immune system to attack tumors and enable better delivery of HIV vaccines.

Treatment

Health People Launches Two Innovative HIV/AIDS Initiatives for High Risk Women  

Expected to serve as model programs for other affected U.S. communities.

Treating Tuberculosis and AIDS together Saves Lives 

Patients who have multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and AIDS are more likely to live if they get simultaneous treatment for both diseases rather than waiting weeks to start the AIDS treatment, a new study has found.

Unusual New HIV Drug Resistance Mechanism Revealed 

For the more than one million people with HIV/AIDS in the United States (and the over 34 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world), antiretroviral drugs such as efavirenz and other so-called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) in combination with other antiretrovirals can be a lifeline, because they slow the progress of viral infection, prolonging life. Unfortunately, studies have shown that these benefits themselves can be short-lived in the clinic: therapy with NNRTIs can lead to single (or "point") mutations in the HIV genetic code -- mutations that make the virus resistant to the drugs.

Miscellaneous

Fair Pricing Coalition Highlights Major Barriers to Life-Saving Treatment in Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace Plans    

New report offers short- and long-term solutions to minimize out-of-pocket expenses and maximize access to treatment for all Qualified Health Plan beneficiaries living with HIV and/or hepatitis C.

Infection with HIV 4 Times More Likely in Mental Health Patients 

People receiving mental health care are up to four times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health from researchers at Penn Medicine and other institutions who tested over 1,000 patients in care in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Of that group, several new HIV cases were detected, suggesting that not all patients are getting tested in mental health care settings, despite recommendations to do so from the CDC and the Institute of Medicine.

My, How Time Flies!  

This week, as I sifted through my email inbox, I clicked on an alert from Hydeia Broadbent. For those unfamiliar with this young lady, Hydeia is a petite dynamo who has been working hard--for practically all her life--to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Obamacare Insurers in Louisiana to Cut off Thousands from HIV/AIDS Assistance 

Low-income HIV patients in Louisiana are finding themselves left in the dark after all three insurance companies that handle coverage under the Affordable Care Act across the state said they'd start rejecting certain federal assistance.

On Health Act, Democrats Run in Fix-It Mode 

WASHINGTON - The ad supporting Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, Democrat of Arizona, opens with a montage of American Main Streets, followed by the green fields and dirt roads of the West - the "small towns and wide-open spaces," the narrator explains, where Ms. Kirkpatrick "listens and learns."

The Ties That Bind Us 

Seven powerful women share their personal stories fighting HIV/AIDS.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-healthcare-watch-20140216,0,2892819.story 

Some people may elect to forgo coverage if they believe the cost is too high. But health experts say they may not be aware of all the risks and benefits involved.

Ziggy Marley on Black HIV/AIDS Awareness: It's a Human Thing 

In 1990, I was asked to contribute a track to a children's album to help fund research by the Pediatric AIDS Foundation (now called the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation). Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Elton John were some of the other artists who joined me on "For Our Children." No one can inject the essence of rock and roll into "Itsy Bitsy Spider" like Little Richard can.