Tag Archives: prevention

Baby Cured of HIV – Here’s the real message..

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Comments Off

caduceus-and-red

Late Sunday night, the world media started to report about a baby, born with HIV had been cured.  Everybody got talking; scientists, people of faith, doctors, the public, HIV experts, me, you!

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a cure, I honestly didn’t think I’d be writing the phrase ‘HIV Cure’ for at least a few more years yet, but as it were, we were given a flurry of media reports about how this case was set to change the HIV treatment paradigm, prevent babies from being infected, and, to quote the principal author of the study, Dr Deborah Persaud, “transform our current treatment practices in newborns worldwide”.

There are reports that parents and guardians are asking if this means that children who are infected at birth can stop their drugs.  People are very over-optimistic, and have been calling their doctors and specialists raising the question of whether they, or their child could also be cured!

More Data Needed

We need to slow down, and get some perspective.  The news was only announced five days ago.

To quote a famous professor of HIV pharmacology: “We need more data.” We need to take stock, get the facts right, and allow for scrutiny of the case by the scientific community.

There are many questions to be asked of the case. For instance, was the baby truly infected in the first place? From reviewing the data presented at the conference, it certainly seems possible. But how established was this infection? Had it established itself in so-called long-lived memory T cells?

Furthermore, when was the actual point of infection? This is not clear. Could it have been just prior to delivery? If so, it is possible that by serendipity the doctors intervened with drugs just as the virus was trying to become established.

A Cure, or PEP?

It’s imperative, then, that we attempt to understand when exactly this baby was infected. Was it just before birth, or several months before birth? The longer the period of time, the more interesting the case becomes.

However, if the intervention simply aborted the establishment of infection then Dr Persaud’s results are less exciting.

If drugs were introduced very shortly after infection, the treatment may have actually acted as PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) – a strategy already used by HIV doctors to try and avoid establishment of infection

Think of a fire which has just caught alight, but has yet really to take hold. Pouring a bucket of water on it at this point may kill the fire dead. Was there actually a flame, or the presence of detectable virus, in this case? Yes, of course. But this bucket of water may not have worked had you allowed the ‘fire’ to become properly established.

The case being described by many as a ‘cure’ may in fact be like this bucket of water – effective, but only because it was delivered so early.

Taking the fire analogy further, after we have put out the flames we may still see the residues it left behind. It might even reignite at a later point in time. The Mississippi baby has been off anti-retroviral drug treatment [ARVs] for less than a year – there are currently no flames, but we are waiting to see if the embers are truly burned out.

Currently, and beyond this headline case, we have no way to completely put out the fire of HIV once it has caught hold. Our current ARV treatments, then, are the firemen who keep the flames of HIV at bay. As long as they are there, you can begin to rebuild the house – a fact born out by the fact that hundreds of thousands of our patients have been on totally suppressive regimens for up to twenty years.

Currently, it is a truth that, if you stop therapy, the virus inevitably rebounds when you –cease medication usually within two weeks. Admittedly, there are a very few rare cases where the virus may simply smoulder away at very low levels for many years (so-called “post treatment controllers”).

All of these considerations and unanswered questions mean that we have a long way to go yet before we fully understand this case. We must fully explore the baby’s immune make-up. What about the characteristics of the mother’s virus, which was curiously low for someone not on treatment? There are so many questions before we should really call this a cure.

Other than the potential of Dr Persaud’s research to stimulate further investigations, then, what is the best thing that can come of all this media frenzy?

The great hope is that this moment represents the greatest mass HIV awareness campaign since the Don’t Die of Ignorance ‘tombstone’ campaign of the 1980s. Rarely does HIV make such headlines, and we have a real chance to educate people whilst their interest is piqued.

We must tell people that the story of HIV is very different now, and we must take this opportunity to communicate new messages through the media whose attention we currently have – messages which can correct people’s out-dated misconceptions.

  • Let’s talk about testing, and the importance of early diagnosis.
  • Let’s talk about effective drugs, which when prescribed early enough can help a patient live a long and full life.
  • Let’s talk about condoms and prevention.
  • Let’s tackle stigma!

Today there is no reason for any baby to be become HIV positive, if the mother is tested and diagnosed early in pregnancy – and if she and the baby have access to effective treatments which can prevent transmission. Sadly, 590,000 babies every year are still born HIV-positive in the developing world: an unnecessary tragedy.

We can do something about that right now, with the tools we have – If we increase testing and make it more regular and consistent. In the UK, 95% of women take the HIV tests during pregnancy. And with effective treatment the chance of the baby being born positive is less than 0.5%. We should be aiming for the same success all over the world

Above and beyond a media storm about a supposed ‘cure’, there are good news stories we can make happen today.

Is the ‘cure’ story exciting? Yes. Is it scientifically plausible? Yes. Will it stimulate more research? Almost certainly. But it is extremely premature to hail it as a cure that will translate into routine clinical care any time soon. We need much more data.

So if you or your child are HIV-positive, then please… don’t stop taking your tablets. And if you have had unprotected sex, take the test. Condoms, education, testing, and access to treatment are our real weapons against HIV, and we need to learn to use these correctly if we want to make a real impact today.

When was your last HIV test?

We offer offer a completely free and confidential rapid HIV test (results within 60 seconds from a simple finger prick test)!  We use the Insti HIV test produced by BioLytical laboratories. The test is 99.96% accurate from 90 days after  contact for detecting HIV 1 and 2 antibodies.  We also have a mobile testing van which is often out in communities providing mobile rapid HIV tests. Appointments are not necessary, call us (0116 2559995) we’re here to help.

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New Law in Los Angeles – Adult Movie Actor’s Required To Wear Condoms

Posted on January 31, 2012 by | 1 Comment


Actors making pornographic movies in Los Angeles will be required to use condoms while filming, under a new law signed by the city mayor.

The new regulation has been welcomed by health officials but pornography industry leaders say it could force them to abandon the city.

LA’s San Fernando Valley is considered the capital of the multibillion-dollar US adult film industry.

Correspondents say it is not yet clear how the new law will be enforced.

The LA-based Aids Healthcare Foundation welcomed the move saying it was crucial in protecting adult film actors from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The foundation, which has campaigned for the measure for six years, said it would now seek similar condom requirement elsewhere in the US.

“The city of Los Angeles has done the right thing. They’ve done the right thing for the performers,” said foundation president Michael Weinstein.

He said his group would also be vigilant in keeping track of where porn producers might move to.

Several of the industry’s biggest adult filmmakers have said they might consider moving just outside city boundaries.

They insist that adult films featuring condoms are not as popular and that some actors prefer not to use them.

The new law was signed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday.

The city council has now asked the police, city attorney’s office and workplace safety officials to figure out how they enforce the rule, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Industry experts estimate as many as 90% of all pornographic films produced in the US are made in Los Angeles.

Last year, pornographic film productions across the US were temporarily shut down after an adult film performer tested positive for HIV – the virus that causes Aids.

Above article via BBC News

Our message is clear!

Condoms provide the best protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.  HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It was identified in the early 1980s and it belongs to a group of viruses called retroviruses.

Normally, the body’s immune system would fight off an infection, but HIV prevents the body’s immune system from working properly. HIV infects key cells in the body’s natural defences called CD4 cells, which co-ordinate the body’s response to infection. Many CD4 cells are destroyed by being infected, and some stop working as they should.

Although HIV can’t be cured, it can be treated. Modern HIV treatment means that many people with HIV are living long, healthy lives and can look forward to a near-normal lifespan.

AIDS
If HIV isn’t treated, the gradual weakening of the immune system leaves the body vulnerable to serious infections and cancers which it would normally be able to fight off. These are called ‘opportunistic infections’ because they take the opportunity of the body’s weakened immunity to take hold.

If someone with HIV develops certain opportunistic infections, they are diagnosed as having AIDS. The term ‘AIDS’ stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. People diagnosed as having AIDS can become unwell with a range of different illnesses, depending on the specific opportunistic infections they develop. This is why AIDS is not considered a disease, but a syndrome – a collection of different symptoms and illnesses, all caused by the same virus, HIV.

Most people who have HIV have not had an AIDS diagnosis. Also, if someone develops an AIDS-defining illness this doesn’t mean that they are on a one-way path to illness and death. Thanks to HIV treatment, many people who were once diagnosed as having AIDS are now living long and healthy lives.

Have you ever had a HIV test?

If you’re interested in having a HIV test, we offer a completely free and confidential rapid HIV test and you’ll get the results within 60 seconds from a simple finger prick test. We use the Insti HIV test produced by BioLytical laboratories. The test is 99.96% accurate from 90 days post contact for detecting HIV 1 and 2 antibodies. We also have a mobile testing van which is often out in communities providing mobile rapid HIV tests. Appointments are not always necessary, if you would like a test, please contact us on 0116 2559995

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Questions on Tactics to Prevent HIV [PrEP]

Posted on October 11, 2011 by | Comments Off

PrEP is short for PreExposure Prophylaxis and may be part of comprehensive HIV prevention services in which HIV negative people who are at high risk, take antiretroviral medication daily to try to lower their chances of becoming infected with HIV if they are exposed to it.

To date, PrEP has been shown to be effective in men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual men and women.

The effectiveness of biomedical approaches to prevent HIV infection was a key theme of the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011), held July 17-20, 2011, in Rome.

Among the major studies presented, Robert Grant from the Gladstone Institute of the University of California at San Francisco described final data from the iPrEx trial, which showed that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) reduced new HIV infections by 42% overall, and by more than 90% among people who demonstrated good adherence.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended testing patients for HIV before they begin taking the drugs and again at two- to three-month intervals. The FDA could also require drug companies to set up a registry of patients taking the drugs and ask that patients provide proof of a negative HIV test before getting their medications refilled.

Deciding who to treat with PrEP could also be a challenge. The CDC reported on 3 August that rates of new HIV infection in the United States are stable overall, but are rising in young men who have sex with men. Yet if these men aren’t using the prevention measures already available, there’s little reason to think doctors will have an easier time convincing them to take a daily pill.

The question of who should get PrEP is more difficult in many developing nations, which cannot even afford to treat everyone currently infected with HIV. PrEP would cost hundreds of dollars per patient per year in developing countries, and many thousands of dollars in rich nations.

Even with regimens costing less than £1 per day, developing nations will be forced to choose between providing more treatment for those who already need it and potentially preventing new infections. Myron Cohen, a doctor and researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, points out that half of young girls in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa become infected with HIV by their mid-twenties. “That’s unacceptable, so I see that as one potential population for PrEP,” says Cohen.

Although the cost-effectiveness of PrEP increases in higher-risk populations, it will be politically dicey for financially strapped countries to justify distributing drugs to those in these groups. “Even if you thought the best use of the pills would be for sex workers, it would be very difficult to take a limited supply of pills and give them to high-risk populations at the expense of people who are dying of infection,” says Cohen.

In the past year, three landmark clinical trials have shown that a daily dose of the antiretroviral medication Truvada can protect individuals from infection with H.I.V.— a significant discovery, given the failure so far of all efforts to develop a vaccine against the virus.

Now researchers in San Francisco and Miami are planning to test this prevention strategy, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, in a pilot study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers will soon recruit up to 500 uninfected men who have sex with men, especially those considered to be at greatest risk of infection, such as younger gay men and, in particular, African-Americans.

The men will be asked to take Truvada daily, and the researchers will monitor their compliance with the regimen, their sexual behavior and their health status. Already, though, the prospect of antiretroviral drugs’ being used for prevention as well as treatment is raising complex questions for researchers and advocates.

Will healthy uninfected people consistently take an expensive and powerful drug that can cause a range of side effects? Is it fair to provide medications to H.I.V.-negative individuals when so many of those already infected do not have access? Will those receiving the drug be more likely to engage in risky sex because they believe they are protected — even if they do not always take it as prescribed?

The issues are more than academic: According to anecdotal reports, some doctors are already prescribing the medications to some H.I.V.-negative patients, said Dr. Kenneth Mayer, a chairman of the Fenway Institute, a research and advocacy center for  gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health in Boston, who has been involved in research into PrEP.

“I think that’s going to increase, but it’s very incremental,” said Dr. Mayer, who believes PrEP is an important new weapon in the H.I.V. prevention arsenal. “People have a lot of questions.”

AIDS advocates have generally expressed optimism that the strategy, if applied carefully, could help reduce the approximately 50,000 new H.I.V. infections that occur annually in the United States. But one major provider of services to people with H.I.V., the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles, has initiated a media and ad campaign raising serious concerns.

The foundation’s president, Michael Weinstein, noted that participants in the first round of PrEP research were counseled extensively that not following the protocol could reduce any protective effect, and yet many still failed to take their pills as prescribed. Adherence to the regimen is likely to be even worse under real-world conditions, he said.

“We deal with tens of thousands of patients here who are positive, and a high percentage of them have adherence issues,” said Mr. Weinstein. “So the idea that young gay men who don’t have this disease are going to take this routinely is highly questionable.”

Mr. Weinstein is particularly concerned that the Food and Drug Administration could soon approve Truvada for use in H.I.V. prevention as well as treatment, which would undoubtedly lead to greater use of the drug. Gilead Sciences, the company that makes the drug, has said it is likely to file such an application with the F.D.A. early next year.

Once the F.D.A. approves a drug for any use, doctors can legally prescribe it “off-label” for other purposes. Drug companies, however, are allowed to promote their products only for indications specifically approved by the agency.

In one of the three earlier clinical trials, among men who have sex with men, PrEP reduced new infections by 44 percent over all. Among men who adhered closely to the prescribed daily regimen, however, protection against infection was greater than 90 percent.

Some researchers worry that sexually active individuals who only sporadically adhere to the PrEP regimen may not realize that they are still at risk for infection; at the same time, feeling “protected,” they may be less vigilant about practicing safe sex and getting regular H.I.V. testing.

And inconsistent use of medications among those who do not realize they are infected could encourage new drug-resistant forms of H.I.V., some experts fear.

Dr. Grant Colfax, director of H.I.V. prevention and research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said he hopes that the new research will yield important information about how best to use the emerging strategy.

“The question is, will people be able to maintain the regimen?” said Dr. Colfax, whose agency is a major partner in the study. “What are the risks and benefits outside of a randomized clinical trial? Will they want to take the pill, will there be changes in their risky behavior, will they come back to get H.I.V. testing on a quarterly basis?”

Dr. Howard Jaffe, chairman and president of the Gilead Foundation, acknowledged that adherence was a problem in earlier studies. But he said that participants in the upcoming research, unlike those in the trials, will all know that they are receiving the actual drug, not a placebo, and that the drug can prevent H.I.V. infection if taken as directed. That critical new information, he said, could help motivate them to stick to the prescribed regimen.

The three recent PrEP trials focused on different populations: heterosexual couples in East Africa in which one person was H.I.V.-positive and the other was not; sexually active young adults in Botswana; and men who have sex with men in the United States and five other countries. (A fourth trial, among African women, was stopped early because PrEP was not found to be working.)

The trial involving the East African couples reported that the infection rate was 73 percent lower in the group taking Truvada; among the group in Botswana, there was a 63-percent drop.

“Now that it’s been proven to be effective, the discussion is a much different discussion than when you’re enrolling people for a placebo-controlled trial,” Dr. Jaffe of the Gilead Foundation said.

Truvada combines two antiretroviral drugs, Viread and Emtriva, both also made by Gilead. Besides the upcoming study in the United States, results from additional research into the use of Truvada as H.I.V. prevention are expected over the next few years.

The drug currently costs thousands of dollars a year. A recent editorial in the medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases raised ethical concerns about the new approach, noting that many people with H.I.V. do not have access to the lifesaving medications.

“How can these drugs be provided as prevention to those high-risk populations, while people with the disease in need of treatment continue to go without?” said the editorial.

In response, proponents of PrEP say that it would be unethical not to explore the new approach, given its potential to reduce infection rates, especially among vulnerable populations whose members have often found it difficult to consistently practice safe sex.

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THT Asks Government to Legalise and Regulate HIV Home Testing Kits

Posted on October 10, 2011 by | Comments Off

Almost two-thirds of people would consider using HIV home testing kits if they were legally available and regulated, according to a survey.

The poll, by Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), comes as the charity urged the Government to legalise and regulate home testing in a bid to cut the number of cases of undiagnosed HIV in the UK.

The sale of HIV home testing kits is currently illegal in the UK. While they can be bought over the internet, THT says they are unregulated, often of poor quality and do not direct users to places where they can get support.

Of 490 people surveyed who have not tested HIV-positive, 63% said they would consider using the kits if they were legalised and 51% thought legalisation would make them test more often.

Among gay men, one of the groups most at risk of HIV in the UK, 60% thought legalisation would make them test themselves more often.

In 2009, 22,200 people were estimated to be living with undiagnosed HIV in the UK.

Lisa Power, policy director for THT, said: “Reducing undiagnosed HIV is a major challenge. A quarter of those with HIV in the UK remain undiagnosed, and so are more likely to pass the virus on. One way to bring this number down is by increasing the opportunities for people to test outside of traditional settings.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “We are considering our current policy on HIV home testing and whether we need to repeal the current regulations.

“Key to any repeal will be the availability of a quality-assured testing kit suitable for home use. We are working with the THT and others in taking forward our review.

“HIV testing is widely available from open-access NHS sexual health clinics. Our advice is clear – if you think you might be at risk from HIV, contact your local sexual health service or your GP for a test.”

Original Article by the Press Association

The Terence Higgins Trust policy document: HIV and Sexual Health: 12 things the Government can do was launched a few days ago, at this year’s Conservative Party Conference. The document, which includes a section on home testing, is available to download from here www.tht.org.uk/12things.

Are you interested in having a HIV test?  We offer a completely free and confidential rapid HIV test and you’ll get the results within 60 seconds from a simple finger prick test. We use the Insti HIV test produced by BioLytical laboratories. The test is 99.96% accurate from 90 days post contact for detecting HIV 1 and 2 antibodies. We also have a mobile testing van which is often out in communities providing mobile rapid HIV tests. Appointments are not always necessary, if you would like a test, please contact us on 0116 2559995

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This 90 Percent Successful Vaccine May Be Our Best Chance to Eradicate HIV/AIDS

Posted on September 29, 2011 by | Comments Off

Dr Esteban

Spanish researchers have completed the first human trial of a new vaccine against HIV. It has been successful in 90% of the HIV-free volunteers during phase I testing. This vaccine brings great hope to eradicate HIV forever.

The team lead by Dr Mariano Esteban, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council‘s Biotechnology National Centre, has been working on this method since 1999. They are using an attenuated virus called the MVA-B, a variation of the Modified Ankara Vaccinia, which was previously used to eradicate smallpox. The Modified Ankara Vaccinia also forms the base of other vaccines. The B refers to the HIV-B, the most common HIV subtype in Europe.

Dr Esteban’s team inserted the HIV genes Gag, Pol, Nef and Env in MVA’s genetic sequence. In 2008, they tried the resulting HIV nuke on mice and monkeys. It was a complete success.

SUCCESSFUL HUMAN TEST

The first human test results were published in Vaccine and Journal of Virology. In the experiment, scientists injected the vaccine in 24 of 30 HIV-free volunteers. Six volunteers were treated with a placebo vaccine—they didn’t experience any effect. But 90% of the treated subjects developed a very strong immunological response against the HIV virus. 85% kept the immunological reaction for at least one year, which is really good news.

According to their results, there were no significant secondary effects in any of the patients, which was one of the major objectives of to be tested in this clinical trial.

Despite the success, Dr Esteban is cautious:

“The treatment has only been tested on 30 volunteers and, while the vaccine provokes a powerful response in most of the cases, it’s still to soon if the resulting defense would be effective against an actual HIV infection”.

The team will now start another phase I trial, injecting the vaccine in HIV-infected people. The objective of this trial is to test the therapeutical effect of the vaccine in these patients.

According to Dr Esteban, “in principle, the immunological profile of MVA-B satisfies the requirements for a promising vaccine against the HIV, like the creation of antibodies and the activation of key cells in the defense against the virus.” Sadly, it is still far away from commercialization: they need to test this on phase II and III trials, injecting vaccinated volunteers with the actual HIV virus on a larger scale.

Hopefully, one day, this vaccine will nail the HIV nemesis down.

Original Article by Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo

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Lords Warn About “Woefully Inadequate Government Policies On HIV/AIDS

Posted on September 1, 2011 by | 1 Comment

A House of Lords Select Committee today published a damning report on HIV in the UK, warning that the current priority given to HIV and Aids treatment by policy makers is ‘woefully inadequate’, and revealing that over 100,000 people in the UK will be living with the disease by next year. The Lords Select Committee on HIV and Aids in the UK also warned that the total cost of treatment would soon top £1 billion per year, and called for all new patients at GPs’ surgeries to be tested for the illness on an opt-out basis.

As the Select Committee published its report, the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) released a new plan to help policy makers deal more effectively with HIV. THT said that the plan, ‘Tackling the Spread of HIV in the UK’, would help to bring down the disease’s transmission, and reduce the financial burden on the NHS by concentrating on four actions: halving undiagnosed and late diagnosed infections within three years; increasing the number of people living with HIV taking effective treatment from half to two-thirds in three years; identifying people who persistently take risks that expose them to HIV, and supporting them to change; and increasing HIV awareness.

The Terrence Higgins Trust said it would continue to campaign within the gay community.

THT’s Executive Director of Health Improvement, Genevieve Edwards, told So So Gay she was sure that it was possible to reduce transmission by improving early diagnosis and awareness. ‘Increasing the number of people on treatment is quite do-able, if you think that a quarter of people with HIV aren’t diagnosed,’ she said. ‘Many of those people have already gone past the point at which they should receive treatment. If we can start people on the right treatment sooner, that would go an awfully long way to achieving the target.’

Edwards welcomed the Lords’ recommendation that new patients at GPs’ clinics should be tested on an opt-out basis, especially in areas where infection is more common. ‘This has been done in ante-natal screening, and that’s been one of the big successes in the UK. Very few babies are born with HIV as a result of that campaign, because women who are diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy can be offered the right sort of treatment. So when you’re in an area of high HIV prevalence, this makes sense.’

The Lords Select Committee launched its report to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the iconic ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ campaign, which was run by the Committee’s Chairman, Lord Fowler – as the then Health Secretary. As the report was published, Fowler pointed out that although HIV was now more survivable than it was in the 1980s, it remained a serious problem and not enough was being done to improve awareness; one recent survey had found that a quarter of young people had received no information about HIV in the classroom.

‘In the last 25 years the development of new drugs has dramatically reduced the death toll,’ he said. ‘But that should not encourage a false sense of security. Serious medical and mental health problems remain for many with HIV. People can now live with HIV, but all of those infected would prefer to be without a disease which can cut short life and cast a shadow over their everyday life.’

Edwards echoed Fowler’s warning about the consequences of infection, but warned against a return to ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ style scare tactics. ‘Our evidence shows that scare tactics – not just for HIV, incidentally, but for all public health areas – don’t work. People tend to look away, or immediately think it’s aimed at someone else. So while that sort of direct campaign in the 1980s was hugely influential, it wouldn’t have the same impact today. We’ve learned that we need to find different ways to get that message across.

‘Of course, we have to be absolutely clear about the reality of living with HIV in the UK. Treatments have come a long way, and they’re enormously better than they were. But it’s not without consequence. I think we’re very clear about that. On the one hand, you don’t want to scaremonger; but you have to balance that against being honest about the realities.’

Fowler agreed, and said that improved treatment alone would not help. ‘Prevention must be the key policy,’ he added. ‘One essential message remains the same as in the 1980s: the more the partners, the greater the risk. Protect yourself. Use a condom.’

Original Article by Andy Wasley at sosogay.org

LASS offer a completely free and confidential rapid HIV test and you’ll get the results within 60 seconds from a simple finger prick test.  We use the Insti HIV test produced by BioLytical laboratories.  The test is 99.96% accurate from 90 days post contact for detecting HIV 1 and 2 antibodies.  Appointments are not always necessary, if you would like a test, please contact us on 0116 2559995

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IAS 2011: iPrEx Shows PrEP is Durable [VIDEO]

Posted on August 1, 2011 by | Comments Off

The effectiveness of biomedical approaches to prevent HIV infection was a key theme of the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011), held July 17-20, 2011, in Rome.

Among the major studies presented, Robert Grant from the Gladstone Institute of the University of California at San Francisco described final data from the iPrEx trial, which showed that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) reduced new HIV infections by 42% overall, and by more than 90% among people who demonstrated good adherence.

via hivandhepatitis.com

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Major Breakthrough – Anti-HIV Pills Costing Only £0.15p

Posted on July 14, 2011 by | 1 Comment


A once-a-day pill that can prevent HIV was hailed by researchers yesterday as two studies showed it could provide up to 73 per cent protection for heterosexuals against the disease that has claimed almost 30 million lives.

The studies involved more than 5,000 couples in three African countries – Kenya, Uganda and Botswana – where one partner was HIV-negative and one HIV-positive. The researchers found that when the uninfected partner took the daily pill their chances of contracting the disease were reduced by between 62 per cent and 73 per cent compared with those who took a placebo.

Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organisation, said: “These studies could have enormous impact in preventing heterosexual transmission.”

The findings are the latest to suggest the Aids pandemic, which has raged for three decades, may be contained by chemoprevention – the development of drugs and vaccines which curb its spread. The drugs, Truvada and Viread, are available in generic versions and cost as little as 15 pence each.

Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids, said: “This is a major scientific breakthrough. These studies could help us to reach the tipping point in the HIV epidemic.”

Until a year ago, the prevention of Aids focused on changing behaviour, such as promoting condom use, reducing the number of sexual partners and abstinence. But in the last 12 months, drug treatment with Truvada has been shown to reduce rates of infection in gay men and use of a vaginal gel has reduced infection in heterosexual women. An Aids vaccine was partially effective in a trial in Thailand and male circumcision was shown years ago to provide up to 60 per cent protection against female-to-male infection.

But budget constraints will limit the use of prevention drugs. Just 6.6 million of the more than 15 million HIV-positive people estimated to need drug treatment are currently getting it, according to UNAIDS. And financing for HIV/Aids fell for the first time for the world’s poorest countries in 2010.

UN member states agreed last month to scale up treatment to reach 15 million people by 2015, but providing drugs to protect those not infected will need a further scale up.

Drug treatment would not be appropriate for everyone at risk because of the side-effects and cost. But scientists say that preventive treatment for some groups, such as sex workers, could be cost-effective.

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: “As we get more scientific data, the ability to contain the epidemic by multiple weapons gets better and better. Major investment now will save even greater expenditure in the future.

“For the first time in the history of HIV/Aids, controlling and ending the pandemic are feasible.”

Original Article by Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor for the Independent

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Drop In Sexually Transmitted Diseases In England

Posted on July 14, 2011 by | 2 Comments

For the first time in over a decade there has been a drop in the number of new sexually transmitted infections in England, figures show.

The Health Protection Agency says although the reduction is small – only 1% down from the 424,782 cases diagnosed in 2009 – it is significant and a step in the right direction.

It says increased screening for diseases like chlamydia has helped.
For the first time rates of this disease show no rise and remain stable.
There were 189,612 newly diagnosed cases of chlamydia last year.

At the same time, 2.2 million chlamydia tests were carried out in England among young people aged 15 to 24, an increase of 196,500 from the previous year.
Diagnoses of genital warts went down by 3% to 75,615 new diagnoses in 2010 and syphilis was down 8% to 2,624.

But other sex diseases continued to rise. Gonorrhoea went up by 3% from 15,978diagnoses in 2009 to 16,531 in 2010 and genital herpes increased by 8% from 27,564 to 29,703.

STI trends
•    Chlamydia stabilised at 189,612 in 2010
•    Genital warts down 3% to 75,615 in 2010
•    Syphilis down 8% to 2,624 in 2010
•    Gonorrhoea up 3% to 16,531 in 2010
•    Genital herpes up 8% to 29,703 in 2010

Young people under the age of 25 remain the group experiencing the highest rates of STIs overall.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of the HPA’s STI section, says the encouraging decreases “do not mean we can rest on our laurels.  It is particularly encouraging to see a decline in some STIs among young people. However, these latest figures show that the impact of STI diagnoses is still unacceptably high in this group. “

“Studies suggest that those who become infected may be more likely to have unsafe sex or lack the skills and confidence to negotiate safer sex.
“Prevention efforts, such as greater STI screening coverage and easier access to sexual health services, should be sustained and continue to focus on groups at highest risk.”

To reduce the risk of STIs, experts advise using a condom when having sex with a new partner and continuing to do so until both parties have been screened.
And sexually active under-25-year-olds should be tested for chlamydia every year, or sooner if they change their partner.

Commenting on the study, Terrence Higgins Trust’s Chief Executive, Sir Nick Partridge, said: “The decreases in STIs that we saw in 2010 are small, but very significant.  We’re finally beginning to see a slowing down in the rates of infections, particularly among young people, showing that the time and money that has been put into sexual health, and in particular chlamydia screening, in recent years is starting to pay off.”

“We are at a vital tipping point but, with the national sexual health strategy of the last ten years now expired, Government leadership and local investment are crucial.  Over four hundred thousand people were treated for an STI in England last year. We need to provide accessible, targeted and community based sexual health services and prevention campaigns if we are to maintain the momentum in bringing these figures down.”

Original Article By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News

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Drugging Our Way Out of the HIV Epidemic

Posted on May 27, 2011 by | Comments Off

When antiretroviral drug cocktails hit the scene in 1996, they were so effective they became known as ‘the Lazarus drug.’ Many AIDS patients recovered seemingly overnight. Over the past 15 years, these drugs have saved the lives of millions of people infected with HIV. Several new studies suggest antiretrovirals could save millions more if we start using them for prevention as well as treatment.

Last July, researchers reported that a vaginal gel laced with an antiretroviral called tenofovir reduced HIV acquisition among South African women by 39% overall and by 54% in women who used the gel faithfully. Then, in November, a separate team of researchers reported that an oral antiretroviral pill taken daily reduced the risk of HIV infection among men who have sex with men by 44%. This year, on May 11, researchers announced the results of another study. They found that HIV-infected individuals — both men and women — who took antiretroviral drugs were a whopping 96% less likely to pass the virus on to their partners than individuals who didn’t take the drugs. The results are preliminary, but Myron Cohen, the HIV researcher who led the study and spoke on Monday at the New York Academy of Sciences, said he is confident that the large effect will hold.

These fantastic results beg the question: Can we drug our way out of the HIV epidemic?

Researchers have long suspected that people who take antiretrovirals are less likely to pass HIV on to their sexual partners. The idea makes a lot of biological sense. Antiretroviral drugs stop HIV from replicating, which means fewer copies of the virus floating around in HIV patients’ blood and, presumably, their genital secretions. But the hypothesis had never been proven in a randomized clinical trial. So in 2005, Cohen began a study to test the hypothesis.

He and his colleagues recruited 1,763 discordant couples—meaning one person was infected with HIV and the other wasn’t—in Botswana, Brazil, India, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, the US, and Zimbabwe. They randomly assigned each couple to one of two groups. In the first group, HIV-infected individuals received antiretrovirals right away. In the second group, the researchers more or less followed the standard treatment guidelines, delaying treatment until the disease progressed.

On April 28, the independent committee charged with overseeing the trial met at the National Institutes of Health for their tenth meeting. At each meeting, the committee members would review the data and decide whether the trial should continue. After this most recent meeting, they told Cohen they had a recommendation, but they couldn’t yet tell him what it was. Cohen, who has never been allowed to see the results, assumed the worst—that the early treatment hadn’t worked. Then he received a phone call. The committee told him they had seen such a dramatic benefit that they wanted to release the results.

On May 11, Cohen held a press conference to announce the results. During the study, 28 individuals had become infected with their partner’s strain of virus. But only one of those infections occurred in the early treatment group. The other 27 infections occurred in couples not taking antiretrovirals.

Ever since the press conference, Cohen has been inundated with media requests. The success is well deserved. HIV prevention researchers have been working long and hard for decades with little to show for it (One notable exception: The 2007/2008 circumcision trials, which found that male circumcision can cut a man’s risk of contracting HIV by 50%).

On Monday, Cohen compared the trial to “pushing a boulder up a hill.” But I think the most daunting challenge lies ahead. How do you take all these positive results – not just from Cohen’s study, but from the others as well – and develop an effective public health strategy?

Cohen found that early treatment can prevent new infections. So putting everyone who has HIV on treatment immediately should dramatically curb the spread of HIV. But antiretrovirals are expensive. Advocate for earlier treatment, and you dramatically increase the number of people who need pills. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 33 million people are infected with HIV. Of those, five million are receiving treatment. Another 10 million aren’t taking antiretrovirals but should be. So to prevent new infections, we need provide treatment to between 10 million and 28 million people. Who will pay for their medicine? Many of the people infected with HIV barely earn enough to feed themselves, let alone purchase expensive drugs.

And what about all the individuals who are infected with HIV but don’t know it? People seem to be most infectious right after they become infected themselves. Studies suggest that anywhere between 8% and 40% of new infections are caused by people who are in this “acute” stage. But people with acute infections often test negative for the virus because they haven’t yet developed antibodies. So how do you find these people?

Here’s another issue. Millions of people infected with HIV depend on antiretrovirals for their survival. So if we want to use antiretrovirals for prevention, we need to find a way to do it without creating more drug resistance. How?

Although answering these questions may prove challenging, I’m [sic] not suggesting we should throw in the towel. Science is giving us the data, now it’s up to us to decide how to use it. Antiretrovirals aren’t the long-awaited magic bullet that will end the HIV epidemic — we can’t drug our way out of this — but they can save lives and prevent new infections. It’s a start.

Via: http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2011/05/18/drugging-our-way-out-of-the-hi-epidemic/
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