Baton Rouge is Ground Zero

http://theadvocate.com/news/14906637-123/already-leading-nation-in-hiv-and-aids-case-rates-capital-region-has-as-many-as-1000-more-living-wit

In 2014, the Department of Justice (PDF) noted in a best practices report that many state’s disclosure laws “criminalize behaviors that the CDC regards as posing either no or negligible risk for HIV transmission even in the absence of risk reduction measures.”

“While HIV-specific state criminal laws may be viewed as initially well-intentioned and necessary law enforcement tools, the vast majority do not reflect the current state of the science of HIV and, as a result, place unique and additional burdens on individuals living with HIV,” the report concludes.

Women and AIDS in the U.S.

For too long, women's health was neglected in AIDS research, in clinical settings, and in public policies. Now, as a result of an increased focus on women's health and HIV/AIDS, there are hopeful signs of progress. To make further gains, a fast-tracked, comprehensive strategy is needed, mobilizing all sectors of society to prevent HIV infections in women, their partners and children, provide testing and early treatment to all those in need, combat discrimination and stigma, and eliminate violence against women.

AIDS is deadlier in the Southern U.S.

Lead author Susan Reif of the Duke Global Health Institute said a number of factors likely contribute to the differences in outcomes seen among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South, including poverty, lower levels of education and insurance coverage, social stigma associated with the disease, and racism.

NEJM finds Retrovirals more effective in early stages of HIV than previously thought.

Antiretroviral therapy that reduces viral replication could limit the transmission of
human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in serodiscordant couples.

In pregnant women with mildly symptomatic HIV disease and no prior treatment with antiretroviral drugs during the pregnancy, a regimen consisting of zidovudine given ante partum and intra partum to the mother and to the newborn for six weeks reduced the risk of maternal-infant HIV transmission by approximately two thirds.

Other Notes in this article.

The threat of Complacency

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2015/03/15/pokin-around-complacency-obstacle-aids-prevention/24825143/

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that by diagnosing people with HIV and providing these people with the right care and treatment,

we can prevent over 90 percent of new HIV transmissions.

“Positive or negative, an HIV test opens the door to prevention. For someone who is positive, it can be the gateway to care and the signal to take steps to protect partners from infection. For someone who tests negative, it can be a direct link to important prevention services to help them stay HIV-free,” said Dr. Eugene McCray, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

The CDC reports that
9 in 10 new U.S. HIV infections come from people not receiving HIV care

Universal testing would help identify and treat the rising syphilis cases, as well.

Research

“Research without action is like dusty books
on a shelf…and action without research is
simply a tantrum.”
—Shirlene Cooper, NYC AIDS Housing Network
Opening keynote, Housing & HIV/AIDS Research Summit III

Quote of the Day

Meeting the housing needs of people with H.I.V. could avert more than 1,000 new infections and save New York state $485 million in lifetime treatment costs and $1.08 billion in avoidable health spending over the next six years, according to analysis of C.D.C. data by Shubert-Botein Policy Associates.

That’s at least $1.5 billion in savings, gained just by caring for a small segment of our homeless population. Not only could supportive housing help end the AIDS epidemic – something many thought impossible without a vaccine – it could allow for more opportunities for people with serious physical and mental health issues.

“Thirty years ago, New York was the epicenter of the AIDS crisis,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday. “We are in a position to be the first state in the nation committed to ending this epidemic.”