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.
Science
Discovery of Protein's Ability to Inhibit HIV Release May Lead to Future Antivirus Therapies
A family of proteins that promotes virus entry into cells also has the ability to block the release of HIV and other viruses, University of Missouri researchers have found.
Having HIV Means Heart Health Medications May Be Overlooked
People with HIV treated at a major university are less likely to receive medications to support heart health than those who do not have HIV, aidsmap reports. Researchers at Duke University conducted a retrospective study of 890 people with HIV matched by age, sex and ethnicity with 807 HIV-negative people who were all cared for at Duke between 1996 and 2010. The findings were presented at the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne, Australia.
HIV Antibodies Block Infection by Reservoir-Derived Virus in Laboratory Study
A laboratory study lends further weight to the potential effectiveness of passive immunotherapy to suppress HIV in the absence of drug treatment. Passive immunotherapy for HIV is an experimental strategy that involves periodically administering broadly neutralizing HIV-specific antibodies (bNAbs) to control the virus.
Three Tree Species Found to Host Fungus Deadly to AIDS Patients
Researchers have pinpointed the environmental source of fungal infections that have been sickening HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California for decades. It literally grows on trees.
Treatment
Dosage of HIV Drug May Be Ineffective for Half of African-Americans
Many African-Americans may not be getting effective doses of the HIV drug maraviroc because they are more likely than European-Americans to inherit functional copies of a protein that speeds the removal of the drug from the body.
FDA Approves New Single-Tablet HIV Regimen, Triumeq
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Triumeq, ViiV Healthcare's single-tablet, triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) regimen, as a first-line therapy to treat HIV. The tablet is comprised of the integrase inhibitor Tivicay (dolutegravir) plus Epzicom (abacavir and lamivudine) and is the first single-tablet regimen to receive approval that does not contain Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine). Consequently, Triumeq is an option for those who have impaired kidney function.
Miscellaneous
Affordable Care Act Exemptions Mean Millions Don't Have to Sign Up
Exemptions allow medical bill-sharing groups to help members pay costs - without Affordable Care Act insurance.
AIDS Progress in South Africa Is in Peril
VERENA, South Africa - A fading roadside ad for Selala Funeral Service here captures what was, until recently, the essence of South Africa's AIDS epidemic: "Tombstones Are Available," it reads. "Buy One, Get One Free."
Ban on Gay Blood Donors is a Civil Rights Issue, Activists Say
When Ryan James Yezak's workplace hosted a blood drive a few years back, he told his boss he would be happy to donate.
Then the West Hollywood resident found out that as a gay man, he was banned for life from giving blood under a federal regulation put in place before he was born.
Pa. Camp Helps Youth Affected by HIV/AIDS
OXFORD, Pa. (AP) - It's not that the campers, counselors, and therapists who come together every year in Oxford, Chester County, had forgotten the reality of death that is part of living with HIV/AIDS.
12 Ways to Give HIV Stigma a Well-Deserved Side Eye
Words are powerful little things. If you put them together in the wrong way, they can be extremely hurtful. Negative words, thoughts and attitudes about people living with HIV contribute to HIV stigma. Not only is HIV stigma rude and disturbing, it can have concrete and deeply damaging effects on people's health, well-being and rights, and sets us back in our efforts against the HIV epidemic.
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