News
HIV-Related Cancers
Posted on June 18, 2018
Providers caring for persons living with HIV (PLWH) should be aware of the HIV-associated cancers and potential interactions during treatment. Two recent New England Journal of Medicine articles, HIV-Associated Cancers and Related Diseases [N Engl J Med 378;11, March 15, 2018] and a correspondence article of the same title HIV-Associated Cancers and Related Diseases (Correspondence) [N Engl J Med 378;22 May 31, 2018], provide a good review/overview/etiology of cancers to be aware of. The correspondence article specifically addresses drug interactions to be aware of when caring for PLWH during cancer treatment.
Webinar Recording: HIV Testing Technologies – Choosing an HIV Test
Posted on February 20, 2018
APLA-Shared ActionHD produced the webinar “HIV Testing Technologies: Choosing an HIV Test,” presented by Dr. Bernard M. Branson, a leading expert in HIV testing. The webinar described general principles of HIV tests, provided an overview of how tests operate, addressed any limitations and misconceptions of HIV tests currently available, and discussed how the various tests differ. There was also a discussion on practical considerations for health departments to consider when deciding which HIV-test to use.
New FREE Continuing Education from MMWR and Medscape: HIV Testing and Diagnosis Delays
Posted on January 30, 2018
CDC’s MMWR and Medscape are proud to introduce a new FREE continuing education (CE) activity that describes diagnosis delays among persons infected with HIV: Vital Signs: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing and Diagnosis Delays — United States.
This activity is intended for infectious disease clinicians, family medicine specialists, internists, nurses, pharmacists, public health officials, and other clinicians caring for patients with or at risk for HIV infection.
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe diagnosis delay among persons infected with HIV, based on an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National HIV Surveillance System, and missed opportunities for HIV testing, based on CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance.
- Identify the proportions of persons in various high-risk populations who tested for HIV in the past 12 months.
- Determine the clinical and public health implications of these findings regarding HIV testing, missed opportunities for testing, and diagnosis delay among persons infected with HIV.
To access this FREE MMWR / Medscape CE activity visit the CDC website. If you are not a registered user on Medscape, please register for free or login without a password and get unlimited access to all continuing education activities and other Medscape features.
FDA Approves First Two-Drug Regimen For Certain Patients With HIV
Posted on November 27, 2017
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Juluca, the first complete treatment regimen containing only two drugs to treat certain adults with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) instead of three or more drugs included in standard HIV treatment. Juluca is a fixed-dose tablet containing two previously approved drugs (dolutegravir and rilpivirine) to treat adults with HIV-1 infections whose virus is currently suppressed on a stable regimen for at least six months, with no history of treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to the individual components of Juluca.
ART and PrEP can fight AIDS globally
Posted on March 23, 2016
Anthony Fauci summarizes recent research on the timing of ART and the efficacy of PrEP for prevention in this New England Journal of Medicine article. He calls for the resources and political will to increase HIV testing and treatment globally.
Updating the HIV – Testing Guideline – A Modest Change with Major Consequences
Posted on January 12, 2016
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently released a draft statement assigning a grade A recommendation to screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the general population 15 to 65 years of age.
The proposed guidelines cite an updated systematic evidence review of the benefits and potential harms of HIV screening. Since the previous evidence review was published in 2005, new studies have shown that antiretroviral therapy can reduce transmission by HIV – infected persons and that earlier initiation of such therapy can reduce morbidity and mortality and improve quality of life.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine