From the CDC…
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means taking medicine to prevent HIV after a possible exposure. PEP should be used only in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours after a recent possible exposure to HIV.
Learn more about PEP and how to prvent HIV.
From POZ.com…
Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (Apretude) offered greater protection than daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills for Black gay and bisexual cisgender men and transgender women, but Black people still had higher HIV incidence rates compared with their white peers regardless of which type of PrEP they used, researchers reported at the 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
Adherence was higher with the every-other-month injections than with daily pills in both groups, suggesting long-acting PrEP could help close the racial gap in HIV rates. “[Apretude] is a powerful HIV prevention tool to increase access to PrEP and address continued racial disparities in HIV incidence in the United States,” Hyman Scott, MD, MPH, of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and colleagues concluded.
Although African Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population, they account for more than 40% of all new HIV diagnoses, so effective and acceptable prevention interventions are urgently needed. While white gay and bi men have readily adopted oral PrEP using tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (Truvada and TDF/FTC generic equivalents) or tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (Descovy), uptake has been lower among Black men.
From thebody.com…
Three recent studies — HPTN 052, PARTNER and Opposites Attract — followed male couples and heterosexual couples in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other HIV-negative. During these studies, not one HIV-positive person who was taking antiretroviral medicines and was virally suppressed passed HIV to their negative partner. In the PARTNER and Opposites Attract studies, male couples had anal sex without condoms more than 34,000 times and heterosexual couples had vaginal or anal sex without condoms more than 36,000 times without a virally suppressed partner ever passing HIV to the negative partner. This is strong evidence that people do not sexually transmit HIV if they have an undetectable viral load.
To find testing and other HIV services near you, you can go to https://locator.hiv.gov/map/. If you want to recieve a free HIV in-home test kit through the mail, go to our website www.getmyHIVtest.com.
From Infectious Disease Special Addition online…
“HIV continues to disproportionately affect gay and bisexual men, even though new HIV infections declined among this population during the last decade,” said Stephen M. Perez, PhD, a nurse epidemiologist in the CDC‘s Division of HIV Prevention and lead author of the MMWR article.
“Also, progress in reducing new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men has not been equal—with factors like stigma, racism, discrimination, homophobia and others contributing to an unequal reach of HIV prevention and treatment and continued disparities.”
During 2018-2019, the CDC identified a number of concerning HIV clusters among MSM. By December 2021, 38 clusters that had been initially identified during 2018-2019 grew to include more than 25 people.
“The presence of a cluster suggests that HIV prevention and treatment have failed to reach a particular community, and that HIV is transmitting rapidly within that community,” Dr. Perez told Infectious Disease Special Edition.
According to a 2020 CDC report, out of more than 30,000 new cases of HIV infection in the United States, Black and Latinx populations (mostly gay and bi men) account for two-thirds (20,000) of the newly aquired cases. The reason, health experts explain, is due to institutionalized health disparities. For example, Black and Latinx people face higher levels of discrimination when seeking health care.
To help address the issue, the HIV Prevention and Care Project at the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative at Penn State University created a state-wide program that allows residents of Pennsylvania to obtain a free HIV self-test kit through the mail.
Knowing your HIV status is the first step in preventing the spread of the virus. People who test positive can obtain treatment that keeps the virus in check, and therefore makes it next to impossible to spread to others.
To obtain a free HIV self-test kit, go to www.getmyHIVtest.com. Taking care of your health is part of taking care of your community. Test kits are available to anyone who resides in Pennsylvania.
To find out more about the free HIV test kit program, and find other HIV/STI testing resources (if you live outside PA), you can go to the HIV Prevention and Care Project Website at https://hivpreventionandcareproject.com/resources/.
From HIV.gov…
May 19th is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This observance, led by the San Francisco Community Health Center, raises awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS, risk, and stigma surrounding HIV in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community.
In recent years, annual HIV diagnoses have increased among some in the API community, such as API young adults and men who have sex with men. Knowing your status gives you powerful information so that you can take steps to lower your HIV risk and take charge of your health. Use the HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator to find a clinic near you or select from the self-testing options available.
In addition, the CDC Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign offers resources that promote testing and treatment for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.
From poz.com…
Despite making up just 13% of the population, Black people account for more than 40% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States. But what makes some Black folks more vulnerable to HIV than others?
Social vulnerability may play a role, according to new data published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Social vulnerability” is government jargon for the factors that make it hard for a community to bounce back from a natural disaster or public health threat—for example, low income, limited transportation and overcrowded or inadequate housing.
Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at where the 13,807 Black folks diagnosed with HIV in 2018 lived. Using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, they found that 75% of the Black people who acquired HIV lived in communities with the highest or second highest social vulnerability. Only 8% came from the least vulnerable communities.
When people use a combination of HIV prevention methods, researchers found there was a significant drop in HIV transmission.
Published in the academic journal HIV Medicine, the study found that using several methods such as taking PrEP, early HIV diagnosis from frequent testing, and proper antiretroviral treatment decreased transmission by 80 percent.
The research was evaluated at 56 Dean Street, which is a sexual health clinic and part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London.
“We witnessed an 80% reduction in the number of HIV diagnoses between 2012 and 2017, following the introduction of a number of HIV prevention measures (PrEP introduction, early HIV diagnosis through frequent and facilitated access to HIV testing and timely ART used as treatment-as-prevention) were key to the success of this model,” lead author Nicolo Girometti, told Contagion. Girometti is also a consultant in HIV medicine at 56 Dean Street.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that some racial/ethnic groups are at higher risk for getting HIV than others.
CDC data shows that Black/African American communities account for a higher proportion of new HIV infections as compared to other races and ethnicities. In 2018, Black/African Americans accounted for 13% of the US population but 42% of new HIV diagnoses.
Similarly, in the same 2018 report, the CDC notes adult and adolescent Hispanics/Latinos made up 27% of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the United States.
Why? Because these communities are impacted by demographic factors such as discrimination, stigma, and institutionalized health disparities—all of which affect their risk for HIV.
So what can we do?
People who know they’re infected can get into treatment and become HIV undetectable—which means the level of virus in the body is so low that it can’t be passed on to a sex partner. And people who know they’re not infected can take steps to prevent future infection by practicing safer sex (like using condoms) and taking the HIV prevention medication known as PrEP.
The first step, then, to preventing HIV is to get tested.
The good news is that anyone who resides in Pennsylvania can now get a free HIV self-test kit delivered in the mail.
In early 2021, the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative (at Penn State University) and the HIV Prevention and Care Project (at the University of Pittsburgh) began a joint program called getmyHIVtest.com.
“We created getmyHIVtest.com to make test kits available to anyone in the state who might be at risk for HIV,” explains Raymond Yeo, one of the project’s coordinators at the University of Pittsburgh. “Knowing your HIV status is key in the preventing HIV in our communities—especially those most at risk for new infections.”
The website, www.getmyHIVtest.com, provides easy-to-follow instructions and online form where PA residents can order their free kit, which typically arrives—in an unmarked package—within five to ten business days. Recipients of the kit are asked to provide basic demographic information and to take a follow up survey as a means to improve the program in the months ahead.
“This is a big development in the fight against HIV in Pennsylvania and we need all the input we can get,” added Yeo. “It’s unrealistic to think we can test everyone in the state so it’s important that we find ways to get our test kits into the hands of the people who need them the most.”
Questions and comments about the getmyHIVtest.com program can be sent to info@getmyHIVtest.com. To order your HIV self-test kit, go to www.getmyHIVtest.com.
From mensvariety.com…
Truvada was the original PrEP drug. All of the trials and data about PrEP that you can find right now are about Truvada. It’s the tried and true option. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration approved a second drug in 2019 from Gilead Sciences. As clinic trials showed, this second drug, called Descovy, is less toxic to the kidneys and bones than Truvada. That’s not to say that Truvada is toxic, but that the drug can possibly cause kidney problems or bone mineral density problems later on. As such, PrEP users have celebrated the arrival of Descovy. On top of that, it is MORE effective in preventing HIV. But, of course, it’s more expensive too.
Are you considering getting PrEP but need to know more basic info before you take the plunge? Are you concerned about your safe sex measures and want to know your options in protecting yourself from STIs like HIV? We decided it would be a good idea to write up a “basics” post and general guide for anyone wanting to know more about the HIV-preventive drug. If that sounds interesting to you, keep reading…
From medicalXpresss.com…
Conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN), DESIRE focused on potential delivery methods for rectal microbicides—topical products being developed and tested to reduce a person’s risk of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections from anal sex. MTN researchers are particularly interested in on-demand options—used around the time of sex—and behaviorally congruent options that deliver anti-HIV drugs via products people may already be using as part of their sex routine.
“DESIRE stands out as a unique study because we took a step back and said, ‘Let’s figure out the modality without automatically pairing it with a drug’,” explained José A. Bauermeister, Ph.D., M.P.H., study protocol chair and Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. “It gave us the ability to manipulate the delivery method without having to worry about how reactions to a particular drug might confound the results. We also had people trying out these methods in their own lives, and only then asked them to weigh the attributes of each.” As such, he said, participants weren’t making choices based on theoretical concepts, but instead using real experiences to guide their preferences.
From HIV.gov…
This year’s National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) observance comes amidst a national dialogue on systemic racism and calls for a greater focus on equity in all our work. We should use this opportunity to examine and address historic inequities experienced by Black Americans. For the HIV community, this means working to understand and address the circumstances that put people at risk for HIV or that create barriers to HIV care and treatment.
Black Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV compared to other racial/ethnic groups. According to CDC data,
Fewer Black Americans in HIV care are virally suppressed: In 2018, 60% of Blacks, 64% of Latinos, and 71% of whites with diagnosed HIV were virally suppressed.
The recently released HIV National Strategic Plan (HIV Plan) makes clear the disproportionate impact of HIV among Black Americans, and includes Black women, transgender women, people who inject drugs, and Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men among its designated priority populations. The HIV Plan notes that focusing efforts on priority populations will reduce HIV-related disparities, which is essential to the nation’s effort to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.
From insider.com…
HIV does not reproduce outside a human host and cannot be transmitted through saliva, tears, or sweat. It is a common misconception that sharing dishes, shaking hands, or hugging can transmit HIV, says Anne M. Neilan, MD, MPH, Infectious Disease Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Generally, it’s unlikely that you will contract HIV from oral sex. However, there are some circumstances in which this could happen, though uncommon. This article will discuss the likelihood of getting HIV through oral sex and how to avoid contracting or transmitting it.
“The likelihood of acquiring HIV from oral sex is far lower than vaginal or anal sex,” says Neilan. The risk is so low that scientists have not established a conclusive statistic, but a 1999 study estimates a 0.04% risk among male sexual partners.
Saliva contains secretory leukocyte protease inhibitors that inactivate the virus. Because of this HIV inhibitor, the virus reproduces less than it would in the blood cells.
Although the risk is low, unprotected oral sex still carries the risk of transmitting HIV, as well as sexually transmitted infections (STI). “Protection against HIV does not mean protection against all sexually transmitted infections,” says Neilan.
A person without HIV may contract the virus by giving or receiving any type of oral sex to or from a partner with HIV. Some risk factors increase the likelihood of contracting HIV through oral sex, which include:
The risk of HIV from oral sex may be minimal, but it’s still important to know how to avoid contracting and transmitting the virus.
Using dental dams, male and female condoms during oral sex reduces the likelihood of contracting HIV, but you must use them correctly, says Neilan. Refraining from oral sex when risk factors are present, and avoiding seminal or vaginal fluids in the mouth also lessen the risk, but does not completely eliminate it.
STIs like gonorrhea or syphilis can cause sores on the mucous membrane, increasing the chances of getting or transmitting HIV, so get tested regularly and seek treatment if needed.
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
In 2018, 37,968 people received an HIV diagnosis in the United States (US) and dependent areas. From 2014 to 2018, HIV diagnoses decreased 7% among adults and adolescents. However, annual diagnoses have increased among some groups.
Gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV, with Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino gay and bi men having the highest rates of new infections.
The number of new HIV diagnoses was highest among people aged 25 to 34.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2018 (updated). HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31.
From Poz.com…
“Embrace your body and your sexuality. Taking precautions against HIV doesn’t mean you should be ashamed of your sexuality or not enjoy sex—you can love your body and stay safe.”
That’s the opening message of “My Body,” a new HIV awareness and education campaign by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national LGBT advocacy group. Recognizing that nearly a quarter of young queer adults lack proper evidence-based sex education about HIV, the campaign is geared to empowering Black and Latino LGBT people between ages 16 and 35.
You can learn more about the boxes in the video and request one at HRC.im/MyBody.
From Poz.com…
Spearheaded by the Hispanic Health Network, this year’s rally includes two panel discussions. “HIV Stigma and COVID-19” takes place at 1 p.m. ET Monday, November 9. According to the rally’s website, “panelists will share and discuss information about the importance of U=U in the times of COVID-19, how U=U is used to combat stigma and barriers to reach an undetectable viral load. They will also discuss how COVID-19 has impacted Latinx Gay/Bi Men’s Communities and HIV-related stigma connected to U=U. During this panel, speakers will explore the role of religion to interrupt stigma.”
U=U stands for Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, which refers to the fact that people living with HIV who maintain a suppressed viral load cannot transmit HIV via sex, even when condoms are not used.
The second virtual panel, “Strengthening of the Latinx Gay/Bi Men’s Communities,” is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, Tuesday, November 10. “The panelists will discuss racism colorism, machismo and heteronormativity in Hispanic/Latinx communities,” according to the website. “Panelists will also touch upon how to address these issues through diversity acceptance. Panelists will talk about the impact of Black Lives Matter on the Hispanic/Latinx communities and the importance of developing leadership to strengthen communities for a healthier future.”
You can register for both events and read speaker bios on the Rally 2020 site.
From Everyday Health…
If you’re in a new relationship with someone who has HIV or you’ve recently found out that your longtime partner is HIV positive, you may be experiencing a whirlwind of emotions — possibly fear, sadness, or even anger, depending on the context. You may be concerned that you’ll get HIV from your partner or wonder how being with an HIV-positive person will affect your relationship or daily life.
As you begin to emotionally adjust to your situation, it’s important to get the facts about being with a partner who has HIV. Certain fears about having an HIV-positive partner may be outdated, but there may also be precautions you weren’t aware of that you could take to avoid HIV
Here are some questions you may have if your partner has HIV, and answers from leading experts on the virus.
From Queerty.com…
So it’s no surprise that James, like thousands of others, has turned to OraQuick’s in-home HIV test as a key part of their sexual health toolkit. James Falciano is a champion of their queer community, something that is reflected in their art, activism, and everyday life.
It’s the simplest way to get accurate, fast results without waiting in line at the clinic or doctor’s office – if you can even get one these days. In as little as 20 minutes, in the privacy of your own home, you obtain your results, along with access to 24/7 support.
It’s the way to take control of your own sexual health and to own your own sex life.
James and two other fabulous queer artists, Preston Nelson and Kitsch Harris, are partnering with OraQuick to encourage HIV self-testing.
From the Advocate.com
Of all those who became HIV-positive, over a third (36 percent) were persistent meth users. Men aged 36-45 reported the most meth use, and those living in Western states had the highest incidence of the drug.
Persistent meth use is the biggest factor for seroconversion, researchers stated, followed by Black ethnicity and a syphilis diagnosis.
Researchers detailed the correlation between meth and HIV.
“Methamphetamine exacerbates HIV risk via increasing sexual libido while simultaneously reducing inhibitions,” the authors stated, according to AIDSMap. “Our findings highlight the need to address methamphetamine use and its associated risks among sexual and gender minorities, the likes of which may also serve to help end the HIV epidemic.”
From Pride.com (By Zachary Zane)…
Oh, sex ed. A decade later, and the only thing I remember “learning” from it is “wear a condom.” I honestly don’t think I could tell you another single bit of information they “taught” me except for that men have a vas deferens, which is somewhere in the penis. (Testicles, maybe?)
Imagine how nice it would have been if they actually taught us something useful! Imagine if instead of scaring us and making us fear our own sexuality, sex ed courses taught us how to embrace and explore our sexuality safely! Can you imagine??
So here are 14 things I wish sex ed courses taught me! (And all queer men and queer folks, for that matter. Screw it—everyone can benefit from this!)
m4mhealthysex.org 