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

LA Faces Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Among MSM

Following a frightening outbreak of meningitis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City last year, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is now urging MSM to get vaccinated. Four MSM have been infected since the beginning of the year, three have died, and two of them were HIV-positive.

Prevention

It Pays to Pay Addicts to Get Vaccinations

Paying heroin addicts the equivalent of $50 each to have a series of three injections in a month was very effective in getting them fully vaccinated against hepatitis B, a new British study has found.

Treatment

HIV-Positive Women Respond Well to HPV Vaccine, Study Shows

A vaccine can safely help the vast majority of HIV-positive women produce antibodies against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, even if their immune system is weak and even if they've had some prior HPV exposure, a three-nation clinical trial found. HPV causes cervical and other cancers. The commonly used HPV vaccine Gardasil had not been tested in seriously immune-suppressed women with HIV. In addition, vaccines are often less effective in HIV-positive people.

Psychological Factors Turn Young Adults Away from HIV Intervention Counseling

Pressure from counselors and perceived ineffectiveness & irrelevance of intervention keep young adults from returning to follow-up sessions.

Miscellaneous

Black Boys Facing Chronic Adversity Show Signs of Early Genetic Aging

By the time they have reached the fourth grade, African American boys who have run a childhood gantlet of poverty, shifting family structure, harsh parenting and a mother's low mood and educational attainment will have signs of premature genetic aging that can deepen their vulnerability to mental and physical illness, says a new study.

CBO Lowers Costs of Obamacare by Billions

The Congressional Budget Office this week lowered both the short- and long-term costs of Obamacare by billions of dollars.

From Derrick Gordon to Jason Collins: Athletes Show Perfect Timing by Coming Out

UMass' Derrick Gordon may be making history as the first openly gay player in Division I men's basketball, but when it comes to how the people that know him best reacted to the news about his sexuality, his experience is not uncommon.

Hard-Hit Streets Should Be the Focus of the HIV Battle

When it comes to HIV, geography can be destiny, argue authors of a new article in the American Journal of Public Health. The epidemic has become heavily concentrated in poor urban neighborhoods where people are less likely to be tested and treated, creating more risk that the virus will spread. New prevention efforts should focus on neighborhoods.

Nurses Help Addicts Inject Heroin at Controversial Clinic Battling H.I.V.

British Columbia has successfully stemmed an epidemic of AIDS in one of the hardest to reach populations: intravenous drug addicts. Correspondent William Brangham examines the ways that medical professionals are taking on the spread of H.I.V, including a look inside a controversial facility where nurses help drug addicts inject illegal drugs.

Obamacare Helped Nearly 10 Million Get Insurance, Gallup Finds

Obamacare has helped nearly 10 million people to get new health insurance, and more than 4 percent of all Americans have gotten health insurance for the first time, according to a new Gallup poll.

Political Rifts Slow U.S. Effort on Climate Laws

WASHINGTON - The United States needs to enact a major climate change law, such as a tax on carbon pollution, by the end of this decade to stave off the most catastrophic impacts of global warming, according to the authors of a report. released this week by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.