Category Archives: In the News

Most recent news concerning sexual health

Find out why these gay and bi men have decided to go on PrEP

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From the Advocate online…

Despite recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and studies that indicate that PrEP can reduce HIV transmission by 96 and up to 99 percent, there are still relatively few gay and bisexual men on the drug.

It can be hard to find anyone among your friends to ask about it. And what makes a person decide they want to go on the once-daily pill varies a lot. The Advocate reached out to gay and bi men, as well as serodiscordant couples, who use the drug to hear their reasons. They offered advice for those on the fence about it. Read their stories in their own words.

The treatment cascade in the United States – good in Ryan White programmes, but overall picture for gay men is poor

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From aidsmap.com…

People living with HIV in the United States who receive their care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program have good rates of retention and virological suppression, investigators report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Of the patients seen at least once in 2011, some 82% were retained in care and 73% achieved virological suppression.

These outcomes dwarf those seen for most people living with HIV in the US – previous reports have estimated that as few as 40% were retained in care and 19% had achieved virological suppression.

A second new report focuses on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, demonstrating that outcomes continue to be unacceptably poor in this group. Of those who have ever been diagnosed with HIV, 51% were retained in care and 42% achieved virological suppression.

However, both new studies found that outcomes were poorer in younger people, African American people and some other ethnic groups.

Continue reading on aidsmap.com

HIV pandemic’s roots traced back to 1920s Kinshasa

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Posted on Reuters...

Bustling transport networks, migrant labor and changes to the sex trade in early 20th-century Congo created a “perfect storm” that gave rise to an HIV pandemic that has now infected 75 million people worldwide, researchers said on Thursday. In an analysis of the genetic history of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, the scientists said the global pandemic almost certainly began its global spread in the 1920s in Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Here, a confluence of factors including urban growth, extensive railway links during Belgian colonial rule and changes in sexual behavior combined to see HIV emerge in Congo’s capital and spread across the globe. Oliver Pybus, a professor at Oxford University’s zoology department who co-led the research, said that until now most studies have taken a piecemeal approach to HIV’s genetic history and looked only at certain HIV genomes in particular locations. “For the first time, we have analyzed all the available evidence using the latest phylogeographic techniques, which enable us to statistically estimate where a virus comes from,” he said. “This means we can say with a high degree of certainty where and when the HIV pandemic originated.”

United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS) data show that more than 35 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV, and some 1.5 million people died of AIDS-related illness in 2013. Since the HIV/AIDS pandemic began, it has killed up to 40 million people worldwide. The disease is spread in blood, semen and breast milk. No cure exists, but AIDS can be kept at bay for many years in people with HIV who take cocktails of antiretroviral drugs.Various strains of HIV are known to have been transmitted from primates and apes to humans at least 13 times in history, but only one of those transmissions – of a strain known as HIV-1 Group M – led to the current human pandemic.

Pybus said the key questions centered on how this happened.”Why did most of (the HIV strains) die out, and why did some of them — like HIV-2 — go on to generate local epidemics in Africa, and why did only one go to become a global pandemic?” he said in a telephone interview. “To answer that, we needed to try to reconstruct the spread through space and time of the global pandemic strain.”

Pybus and an international team of researchers analyzed HIV-1 group M sequences from a major HIV sequence database and then combining these analyses with spatial and epidemiological data. Their study will be published in the journal “Science” on Thursday. Philippe Lemey, a professor at Belgium’s University of Leuven who worked on the study, explained that genetic analysis had helped establish the time and place of the pandemic’s origins. The team then compared that with historical data “and it became evident that the early spread of HIV-1 from Kinshasa to other population centers followed predictable patterns.”

A key factor, the analysis suggests, was the DRC’s transport networks, particularly its railways, which made Kinshasa one of the best-connected of all central African cities. “Data from colonial archives tells us that by the end of 1940s over one million people were traveling through Kinshasa on the railways each year,” said Nuno Faria of Oxford University, who also worked on the team. He said the genetic data showed that HIV rapidly spread across the DRC — a country the size of Western Europe — traveling with people along railways and waterways to reach Mbuji-Mayi and Lubumbashi in the extreme south and Kisangani in the far north between the end of the 1930s and early 1950s.

The team’s findings also suggest that along with transport, social changes such as the changing behavior of sex workers and public health initiatives against other diseases that led to the unsafe use of needles may have contributed to turning HIV into a full-blown epidemic. “We think it is likely that the social changes around the independence in 1960 saw the virus break out from small groups of infected people to infect the wider population and eventually the world,” said Faria.

Kaiser Family Foundation releases new alarming report reflecting gay and bisexual men’s attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with HIV/AIDS

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From Gay Men’s Health Crisis…

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a new alarming report reflecting gay and bisexual men’s attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with HIV/AIDS and new HIV therapies in the United States. Their survey on HIV/AIDS in the lives of gay and bisexual men in the United States reports that 56% of gay and bisexual men are not personally concerned about HIV or AIDS affecting them and 30% have never been tested for HIV.

“HIV/AIDS might not be a death sentence anymore, but there are still 50,000 new infections in the United States every year-and gay and bisexual men are still among those most at risk,” said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie. ” The Kaiser Family Foundation study is a needed wake-up call that communicating the correct information about HIV and AIDS to the public has never been more critical. We must do more to educate our gay and bisexual men about how HIV and AIDS can affect them, and how life-saving medications like PrEP and PEP can help them prevent HIV infections and stay healthy.”

Additional Background:
Eight out ten gay and bisexual men surveyed also said that they have heard a little or nothing about PrEP, a life-saving medication that can prevent HIV-infections. Additional findings from the survey can be found here. The Foundation’s survey comes on the heels of a new CDC report showing that 58% of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV are not virally suppressed.

HIV Treatment Works national communication campaign for people living with HIV

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he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) HIV Treatment Works national communication campaign for people living with HIV features the stories of individuals living with HIV talking about how sticking to treatment helps them stay healthy, protect others, do what they love, and live a longer, healthier life. Visit the campaign website for resources and free materials: http://www.cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks. More than 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV.

County health officials get court order to stop HIV-infected man

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From the Seattle Times…

In a very unusual step, King County public-health officials have gone to court to try to stop a man with HIV who has infected eight partners in the past four years from infecting others.

“We’re not trying to criminalize sexual behavior here,” said Dr. Matthew Golden, director of Public Health — Seattle & King County’s HIV/STD Control Program. “We are trying to protect the public’s health. And we’re trying to make sure that everyone gets the care they need, including the person involved in this.”

The order, issued Sept. 4 by King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector, requires the man, identified only as “AO,” to follow a “cease-and-desist” order issued in late July by the public-health department requiring him to attend counseling and all treatment appointments made by public-health officials.

If he defies the court order, the judge could order escalating fines or even jail time.

“AO” tested positive at the Public Health STD Clinic at Harborview Medical Center in June 2008, where he was counseled to disclose his status to sex partners and how he should practice safe sex, according to papers filed in the court case.

Since then, despite having received HIV counseling at least five more times, he is believed to have infected eight adult partners from 2010 through this June. Public-health officials said in the court documents that eight people newly diagnosed with HIV had named AO as a partner with whom they’d had unprotected sex.

The officials in July and August served “AO” with “cease-and-desist” orders, the first specifying he attend counseling and the second adding the requirement he seek HIV treatment.

Continue reading on the Seattle Times online.

Hispanics make up 21 % of new HIV infections despite being 16 % of population

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From the Latin Post…

The Center for Disease Control rolled out a new campaign to target Hispanic and Latino communities in addressing HIV/AIDS, citing a high number of new infections each year. Annually, the CDC reports, 500,000 people become infected each year in the U.S., and the Hispanic and Latino population — which is 16 percent of the nation’s population — constitutes 21 percent of new infections.

Introducing their new campaign, accompanied with two videos highlighting the information, the CDC said, “We all have a role to play. We can stop HIV one conversation at a time. Together, all of our conversations can help protect the health of our community and reduce the spread of HIV. ” The “one conversation at a time” tagline is the being promoted ahead of the National Latinos AIDS Awareness Day, which coincides with the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, on Oct. 15.

The CDC said that 1 in 36 Hispanic/Latino men and 1 in 106 Hispanic/Latina women will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in their lives. “Because there is no single Latino culture, the factors driving the epidemic in this population are as diverse as the communities themselves,” the CDC said.

Despite prevention methods and measures, the Latinos continue to bear a heavier burden than most when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Where Latinos live also affects the numbers of infected men specifically. HIV diagnosis in the Northeast is more than twice that of any other region in the country, mostly from male-to-male sexual contact and intravenous drug use. In the South, those with HIV are more likely to have been affected by male-to-male sexual contact, according to the CDC.

One of the campaign videos by the CDC titled Sin Verguenza, or “Without Shame,” starts off like a soap opera — introducing the main characters, each with a somber face as their names flash across the screen. It is intended to engage the audience as the 8-minute video begins with an introduction to the fictional Salazar family. Once over, one of the characters comes into the camera frame and asks the audience if they can identify which of the family members may have HIV/AIDS.

This is the first installment in the campaign, which promises more episodes. “It may not always be easy to talk about HIV/AIDS, but we must talk openly about it to protect our community. By learning the facts about HIV and talking about ways to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community, we can help increase HIV awareness, decrease stigma and shame that are too often associated with HIV, and play a part in stopping HIV in the Hispanic/Latino community,” the CDC said.

 

Preventing HIV with medicine can carry a stigma

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From GPB News…

In order to slow the spread of HIV, certain people who do not have the virus but are at risk should take medicine to prevent becoming infected. That’s the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, just recently, the World Health Organization. The preventive treatment is known as PrEP, for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Eric McCulley made the decision to start PrEP. He’s 40, gay and HIV-negative. Outside an Atlanta coffee shop, he pulls out a plastic baggy with a few blue pills. “They’re a decent size, actually,” he says. “Some people might call them a horse pill.” The pill is called Truvada, a combination of two drugs used to treat HIV. Despite McCulley’s negative HIV status, he’s taken the pill daily for the past few months.

After hearing about the treatment and doing extensive research on his own, McCulley made an appointment with his primary care doctor earlier this year. “He was very supportive about it. He encouraged me to do it,” he says. “He gave me a lot of stuff to read, gave me a lot of stuff to think about, and told me I was a good candidate for it. So off we went.”

So far, McCulley says, the only change the drug has made in his life is in his attitude. “I have what I was looking for. I have peace of mind. I feel like I’ve taken responsibility for my health,” he says.

But some PrEP users worry that not everybody in the medical community is up to speed. Although Truvada has been on the market for a decade, only recently have prescribing guidelines been available. Dylan West is a 25-year-old Atlanta resident and works in international aid. He is also gay and recently found out firsthand that not every doctor is as familiar with PrEP as McCulley’s is.

Continue reading. 

 

Stigma still a factor in fighting HIV

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From the Huffington Post…

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association reminds us that 12 U.S. states with some of the highest HIV incidence rates in the country still have not repealed their anti-sodomy laws, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Utah, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Idaho. That’s despite a 2003 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court declaring such laws unconstitutional.

Homophobia, racism, sexism, ageism, stigma and violence clearly contribute to the spread of HIV around the globe. Why get tested for HIV if you will be harmed because of your status? Why link to healthcare that may give you inadequate care or cause you harm? Why stay in care in a place that is hostile? How can you possibly remain 90 percent adherent to HIV meds if you have no place to live or store your medications, or a safe and confidential pharmacy to get them from? Why indeed. The HIV epidemic, no matter how close it comes to becoming a medicalized, chronic and manageable illness through the intervention of science will never come to an end unless these parallel social diseases are also defeated.

Read the full article on the Huffington Post.

Rates of HIV infection still going up in U.S. among young gay males

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From philly.com…

A new report offers good and bad news about the AIDS epidemic in the United States: The annual diagnosis rate of HIV, the virus that causes the disease, has dropped by one-third in the general population but has climbed among young gay and bisexual males.

Significantly fewer heterosexuals, drug users and women were diagnosed each year with HIV, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the annual diagnosis rate more than doubled for young gay and bisexual males.

The push for safer sex may be falling on deaf ears in a generation too young to have seen the ravages of AIDS, said report co-author Amy Lansky, deputy director for surveillance, epidemiology and laboratory sciences at the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

“It’s been more than 30 years since the first cases were reported,” she said. “It’s harder to maintain that sense of urgency.”

The report only looked at people diagnosed with HIV, and health officials think many more are infected with the virus but don’t know it. The statistics also don’t say anything about when these people were infected, making it hard to pinpoint trends in efforts to prevent transmission of the virus.

Still, “we’re making significant progress and seeing declines overall,” said Lansky. However, she added, the rising numbers of diagnoses among young men who have sex with other men are “a considerable problem.”

The AIDS epidemic began more than 30 years ago. While the last two decades have brought great advances in drugs that prevent AIDS from developing in HIV-positive people, an estimated 1.1 million people are still living with HIV in the United States, Lansky said. Officials believe about 16 percent of those people — or about 176,000 — don’t know they’re infected, she said.

In the new report, published in the July 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers examined HIV diagnoses in the United States from 2002 to 2011 in people aged 13 and older.

Although almost 500,000 people were diagnosed with HIV during that time, the annual rate of diagnoses fell from 24 out of every 100,000 people to 16 — a decline of 33 percent.

Continue reading.

WHO recommends PrEP for gay and bi men at risk for HIV

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From the Bay Area Reporter online…

Gay and bisexual men who are at risk for HIV infection should consider using antiretroviral drugs for pre-exposure prophylaxis, better known as PrEP, according to new guidelines from the World Health Organization.

The WHO recommendation is similar to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines released in May, which state that health care providers should consider advising people at “substantial risk” to use PrEP to prevent HIV infection.

“With the WHO’s recommendation, two of the world’s most important public health institutions have recommended that gay and bisexual men who could become infected by HIV carefully consider PrEP,” said Project Inform Executive Director Dana Van Gorder. “In Project Inform’s view, this would especially include men and transgender women who ever bottom without condoms.”

Noting that HIV infection rates among gay and bi men remain high almost everywhere and new prevention options are urgently needed, WHO strongly recommended that men who have sex with men consider taking antiretroviral drugs as an additional method of protection along with condoms.

Continue reading here.

Newer, safer antiretrovirals an option for majority of HIV patients

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From aidsmap.com…

The majority of patients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) that includes drugs associated with long-term side-effects may have the option of switching to a novel regimen that uses newer and safer anti-HIV drugs, according to Australian research published in PLOS One. The single-site study showed that up to 89% of patients had the option of changing to a combination that includes three active newer agents with improved safety and side-effect profiles.

The drugs associated with long-term side-effects evaluated in this study comprise the core antiretroviral drugs prescribed to the majority of people taking antiretroviral treatment today. But the authors acknowledge “most of the regimens considered as ‘viable’ in this study have not been rigorously tested in clinical trials and might be regarded as unconventional.” Nevertheless, they stress “the growing interest in testing novel combinations of ART agents, which exclude nucleoside(tide) and older non-nucleoside reverser transcriptase inhibitors (N(t)RTIs and NNRTIs, respectively), as well as ritonavir (booster dose).” Most patients taking HIV therapy have an excellent life expectancy. However, there is concern about the safety and tolerability of many routinely used anti-HIV drugs.

Investigators at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia, called these the “RATE” drugs: ritonavir (Norvir), which is associated with drug interactions, diarrhoea and lipid disturbances; abacavir (Ziagen), which can involve a hypersensitivity reaction, has reduced potency at higher viral loads and may involve a risk of cardiovascular disease; tenofovir (Viread), which can cause bone and kidney problems; and efavirenz (Sustiva), associated with neuropsychiatric side-effects and increased lipids. Moreover, these drugs are usually used in combination, compounding their toxicity profiles.

Continue reading here.

AIDSVu shows the level of infections in your area

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map2

Click on the image to view the interactive map

AIDSVu is an interactive online map illustrating the prevalence of HIV in the United States. The national, state and local map views on AIDSVu allow users to visually explore the HIV epidemic alongside critical resources such as HIV testing center locations, HIV treatment center locations, and NIH-Funded HIV Prevention & Vaccine Trials Sites. The map also lets users filter HIV prevalence data by race/ethnicity, sex and age, and see how HIV prevalence is related to various social determinants of health, such as educational attainment and poverty.

The state- and county-level data on AIDSVu come from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) national HIV surveillance database, which is comprised of HIV surveillance reports from state and local health departments. ZIP code and census tract data come directly from state, county and city health departments, depending on which entity is responsible for HIV surveillance in a particular geographic area. AIDSVu is updated on an ongoing basis with HIV surveillance data released by CDC, as well as with new data and information from other sources as they become available.

HIV drug may boost suicide risk

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From philly.com…

sustiva 3A medication commonly used to treat HIV appears to double the risk that patients will develop suicidal thoughts or take their lives, new research contends. The finding concerns the anti-HIV drug efavirenz, which is marketed as Sustiva. Prior investigations indicated that efavirenz might boost suicide risk because of a negative impact on the central nervous system. The new investigation is the first to pinpoint a link to suicidal thoughts, attempts and completion, the researchers said.

“Efavirenz is a very important and effective antiretroviral medication that is the foundation for much of HIV therapy worldwide,” said study co-author Dr. Joseph Eron, of the University of North Carolina Center for AIDS Research at Chapel Hill. “Our study demonstrated a clear association between efavirenz and suicidality,” he said.

Although that risk seems very small, he said, it appears to be persistent, lasting as long as patients take the drug.sustiva 2 Antiretroviral treatment typically is lifelong, helping people with the AIDS-causing virus live healthier lives. “Clinicians should be aware of this ongoing risk, and talk to their patients to assess suicidality,” Eron added. That means looking for any history of depression or suicidal thoughts or attempts, the study noted.

Continue reading on philly.com.

 

 

 

GLMA concerned about LGBT health implications of Supreme Court ruling

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In response to the US Supreme Court ruling allowing closely held corporations to deny insurance coverage of contraceptives to their employees based on religious beliefs, GLMA executive director Hector Vargas issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed at today’s troubling ruling. This decision opens the door to employers interfering with the healthcare decisions that should be between the employee and their healthcare provider. We are very worried about the potential implications this decision could have on LGBT-related healthcare, such as HIV and transgender-related care.

“Earlier this year, GLMA joined Lambda Legal and Pride at Work in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court because we know all too well how allowing personal beliefs to interfere with healthcare services can result in biased care or departure from scientifically sound standards of care, and can have disastrous effects for LGBT patients.

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes the contraceptive coverage provision at issue in this case, is incredibly beneficial to the health and well-being of the LGBT community, including important non-discrimination provisions covering LGBT people. A decision, like the one today, chipping away at benefits provided by the ACA is extremely concerning.

“The attempts by the majority decision to limit the effect of its ruling are of little comfort to LGBT people and make GLMA’s educational and policy work to expand access to healthcare for LGBT people, including ensuring non-discrimination in healthcare, all the more critical.”

 

 

Men at high risk for HIV may misjudge their vulnerability

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By Andrew M. Seaman
Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many gay, bisexual and queer men who are good candidates for a drug that prevents HIV don’t believe their risk of being infected with the virus is high enough to warrant the drug’s use, suggests a new study. The poor perception of HIV risk suggests people need to be educated about how to lower the chance of being infected, according to the researchers, who do HIV testing and other research in commercial sex venues in New York City.

“Our testers and counselors were always amazed that a lot of these guys underestimated their risk for HIV – anecdotally,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the study’s senior author and medical director of ambulatory HIV services at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Continue reading on the Chicago Tribune Website.

 

Bisexual men facing unique sexual health challenges

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From Gaystarnews.com…

Bisexual men are disproportionately affected by HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, according to a new study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published the research in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. According to study author William Jeffries, bisexual men are facing unique sexual health challenges. Factors that may affect the sexual health include sex without condoms, forced sexual encounters, an increased number of sexual partners and attitudes toward pregnancy.

While the study notes HIV is less common in bisexual men than gay men, bisexuals are less likely to get tested for HIV which can increase the possibility of transmitting the virus to partners. In the US last year, 21% of bisexual men reported STD treatment compared to 12% for gay men and 2.3% of straight men. In the social climate, Jeffries says men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) face ‘several sociocultural obstacles’ including biphobia. Biphobia can manifest in erroneous beliefs that MSMW are gay men who have not disclosed their sexual orientation and, particularly for black men, responsible for HIV transmission to women,’ he said. ‘Experiencing these sentiments can contribute to MSMW’s social isolation and psychological distress, which in turn may promote HIV/STI risk through substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and the avoidance of prevention services.’

Jeffries said even though the percentage of bisexual men is small in his estimate, around 2% of the population, he says more research and outreach is needed to understand their sexual health. ‘Recognition of MSMW’s unique sexual and social experiences can lay the foundation necessary for ensuring that these men have healthy and fulfilling sexual experiences,’ he said. ‘Purposefully designed and tailored efforts for MSMW are indispensable for improving the sexual health of this vulnerable population.’

 

Condoms being used by MSM and youth

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LOS ANGELES–(Business Wire)–A survey by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) studying the effectiveness of its social marketing efforts found that men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) reported using condoms nearly 64% of the time, while the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sponsored 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) showed that despite a decrease in usage from ten years ago, 59% of young people still report using condoms. Despite a recent push by the CDC to encourage high-risk individuals to take a daily AIDS treatment tablet as a form of possible HIV prevention in a procedure known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms remain the most effective barrier protection to prevent transmission of HIV and a number of other sexually transmitted diseases.

The AHF survey, conducted by L.A.-based Sentient Research, surveyed over 600 Los Angeles area gay men and MSM in February and March of this year. Participants were asked questions about AHF’s extensive social marketing and advertising—including their ‘Awareness & Associated Behaviors’ or their recall of, and reactions to artwork for AHF billboards and bus bench ads as well as print and online advertisements. Study participants also were queried on their sexual practices including condom use during the previous six months.

 

“We are heartened to see that despite rumors and hearsay to the contrary, a majority of gay men report using condoms, which remain by far the most effective method of preventing HIV and STD transmission when used—and when used properly,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

 

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com

STD screenings increasingly important for all men

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From Edgeonthenet.com…

June is Men’s Health Month, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America is encouraging men of all ages to take charge of their sexual health by getting regular checkups and, if they are sexually active, regular testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV.

“The truth is that not enough men get the checkups and preventive care they need. It can be easy to take your health for granted, but preventive care is a critical part of staying safe, healthy, and happy for men,” said Dr. Vanessa Cullins, PPFA vice president of external medical affairs.

Men are less likely than women to visit the doctor until they’re experiencing the symptoms of a serious ailment. Twenty-four percent of men don’t have a usual source of health care. Twenty-one percent of men didn’t have a health care visit at all in 2012.

“Protecting themselves against sexually transmitted diseases is one of the most important things men can do to protect their health,” said Cullins. “STDs, if left untreated, can lead to serious health outcomes.”

Rates of STDs among men are on the rise in the U.S. It’s important for men to think about getting tested for STDs as a basic part of staying healthy and taking control of your sex life — and it’s easier than ever before.

Continue reading: www.edgeonthenet.com.

 

The use of PrEP can help reduce anxiety and provide greater ‘peace of mind’

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American gay men who have chosen to take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are aware of their own risk of being exposed to HIV and see PrEP as providing ‘an extra layer of protection’ on top of their efforts to use condoms, some or all of the time. The use of PrEP can help reduce anxiety and provide greater ‘peace of mind’, men reported in in-depth interviews.

The study also sheds light on the motivations of men who stopped taking PrEP or who chose not to take it at all. Most frequently this was because their sexual relationships or behaviour had changed, but concern about potential side-effects also deterred a number of men.

The findings were presented to the 9th International Conference on HIV Treatment and Prevention Adherence in Miami earlier this week. Hailey Gilmore and colleagues interviewed 87 American men who have sex with men who were enrolled in iPrEx OLE – a programme which offered men who had participated in a clinical trial of PrEP the possibility to take, or continue to take, PrEP after the randomised study had ended. Whereas the effectiveness of PrEP had previously been unknown, by this stage men had learnt that it could help prevent HIV infection.

Continue reading on aidsmap.com.