All articles tagged with #hiv
Researchers from the University of Nairobi's Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, outlining evidence gaps and potential paths to safely simplify HIV treatment for ageing populations, determine next steps when resistance to HIV medicines arises, and strengthen protections for mothers and children.
A California woman who donated raw breast milk via informal social media groups tested HIV-positive; investigators identified five potentially exposed infants, with one milk sample testing positive and the risk to others unclear; no infections were confirmed, and officials urge using accredited milk banks that pasteurize donations to avoid such exposure.
A large international trial found that taking HIV medication once a week is as effective as daily dosing, offering greater flexibility and potentially reducing stigma and the mental burden of constant pill-taking. The regimen combines Islatravir and Lenacapavir and was tested in 607 adults across 106 sites in 12 countries, with results presented at the International AIDS Conference in Rio. Participants will be followed for 96 weeks to assess long-term safety and effectiveness; an injection option is also available six times per year. While this advance could improve adherence and quality of life, stigma around HIV remains a challenge, according to researchers and patients in London.
In an infant rhesus macaque SHIV model, early post-exposure treatment with a combination of two broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies (bNAbs), antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the CCR5-blocking antibody leronlimab markedly reduced reservoir seeding. While bNAbs alone or CCR5 blockade alone did not prevent reservoir establishment, the triple therapy started about 72 hours after exposure led to no detectable replicating or latent virus, and no rebound was observed a year after treatment interruption, suggesting a synergistic effect that could inform strategies to prevent HIV infection in newborns and improve cure approaches.
A 42-year-old Florida pastor, Timothy Chaneyfield, was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old boy and an adult man without disclosing his HIV-positive status; investigators fear additional victims may exist. Chaneyfield also served as a hospice chaplain and had worked as a substitute teacher. He faces charges including lewd battery of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, and having sex as an HIV-infected person without informing the partner.
Brazilian HIV advocates say their Unified Health System fully funds HIV prevention and treatment, enabling milestones like eliminating mother‑to‑child transmission, and they've long warned that donor funding would shrink. As USAID‑style aid tightens, they urge other countries to pursue health sovereignty, even proposing measures like a financial transaction tax, while cautioning that funding conditions, limited access to new drugs, NIH budget cuts, and money diverted to narcotics policing threaten programs and strain frontline workers.
A Phase 2a study of VH-499 in 23 adults with HIV-1 showed dose-dependent viral load reductions by day 11 and good tolerability, with all treated participants experiencing declines unlike the placebo group. The drug may offer an alternative with fewer drug interactions compared with lenacapavir, but larger Phase 3 trials are needed to confirm safety and efficacy and to compare it directly with existing therapies.
Phase 2a results for VH-499 (VH4011499), a HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, show dose-dependent viral-load reductions in 23 ART-naive adults by day 11 with good tolerability and no significant CYP3A4 interference; all participants started standard ART on day 11. While encouraging, phase 3 trials are needed to establish efficacy and safety against existing therapies. The study was funded by ViiV Healthcare and published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Experts debunk common HIV myths, clarifying that the virus spreads through specific body fluids (blood, semen, genital and rectal secretions) via unprotected sex, needle sharing, unsterilized medical procedures, or from mother to child, and not through casual touch, food, or mosquitoes. Early testing and antiretroviral therapy can reduce the viral load to undetectable levels (U=U), making transmission unlikely. Routine testing during pregnancy and for people at risk improves outcomes and helps prevent new infections, while reducing stigma encourages treatment and safer communities.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 45, a bipartisan reform that eliminates the felony enhancement tied to an HIV diagnosis in sex-work cases, reclassifies most prostitution offenses, and aims to reduce stigma and public-health barriers by ensuring an HIV diagnosis alone is not a felony trigger. The measure passed both chambers without dissent, and supporters including LGBTQ lawmakers and public-health officials framed it as modernizing outdated laws in line with advances in HIV treatment.
A Philadelphia dental office owned by Dr. Kirti Chopra reopened two months after a regulator-identified infection-control probe led to a May license suspension and a public health alert urging patients to get HIV and hepatitis testing. Chopra will operate under a four-year probation, a $14,000 fine, and stricter infection-control protocols, staff training, and surprise inspections. Officials say there have been no confirmed transmissions of HIV or hepatitis linked to the practice, and Chopra says safeguards are now in place as she resumes care.
An amfAR-backed report says US funding cuts to PEPFAR disrupted HIV prevention and treatment worldwide, causing 1,700 clinic closures and 16,000 job losses, with 77,000 fewer children treated in 2025; UNAIDS warns that permanent reductions could lead to millions more HIV infections and AIDS deaths by 2029, while the US State Department disputes the findings.
The Office of Management and Budget will not renew $46 million in direct federal funding for 96 community-based HIV prevention groups, redirecting support to state and local health departments. A supplemental notice may provide limited funding through May with applications due July 21. Advocates warn the move could disrupt HIV testing, linkage to care, and outbreak response and could complicate access to the 340B drug discount program, while lawmakers push to restore direct funding in upcoming budget debates.
A Georgia teen learned she might have HIV from a patient portal, but subsequent tests at different clinics showed the result was a false positive; the scare led to a suicide attempt and family outrage over delayed follow-up and communication, with authorities emphasizing the need for prompt, confidential notification and proper care.
In DeKalb County, Georgia, a teen’s HIV-positive result from Pickens Urgent Care was later determined to be a false positive, and the clinic never notified the family, who learned of the result from the teen’s MyChart portal. The ordeal led to a near suicide attempt and months of distress before multiple other facilities’ tests all came back negative. The CDC recommends direct, confidential communication of positive HIV results and immediate linkage to follow-up care, counseling and support. Investigations also found inconsistent follow-up scheduling at the clinic, and there is no state-level regulatory body specifically overseeing urgent-care centers in Georgia; the clinic finally reached out after Channel 2 Action News inquiries. The mother hopes the case prompts stronger safeguards to prevent similar harm to other teens.