HIV, Research

CDC Publishes New HIV Surveillance Reports

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From HIV.gov…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published three new HIV surveillance reports:

All data are also available on NCHHSTP AtlasPlus. These data can assist HIV prevention partners in focusing prevention efforts, allocating resources, monitoring trends, and determining gaps and successes in HIV prevention.

H I V Surveillance Report

The new HIV incidence estimates show that national prevention efforts are continuing to move in the right direction overall, although substantial disparities exist. The estimated number of new HIV infections in 2022 (31,800) decreased 12% compared with 2018 (36,200), driven by a 30% decrease among young people aged 13–24 years. Increases in preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions, viral suppression and HIV testing likely contributed to the decline. Data also show significant declines geographically, with estimated new HIV infections decreasing 16% in the South in 2022 compared with 2018. In 2022, HIV incidence in Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) (phase I) jurisdictions decreased 21% among persons aged ≥ 13 years, compared with the 2017 EHE baseline year. There were no increases in HIV incidence for any populations in 2022 compared with 2018.

Read the full article on HIV.gov.

Health Alerts, Mpox

Health Alert: CDC reports a sharp rise in new cases of Mpox

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The CDC reports Mpox cases in the United States are twice as high as they were at this time last year. As of January 1st, In New York City (for example) 1,149 people have tested positive for the virus as reported by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Ninety-four percent of the cases were among men who have sex with men.

M pox vaccine bottle with needle

Locally, in Pittsburgh, 11 new cases have been reported so far this year, up from only 2 in all of 2023. Dr. Ken Ho, an infectious disease doctor and researcher at UPMC, notes that he also sees an uptick in new infections. “One way to effectively fight Mpox is to get fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Ho, who is also an HIV treatment specialist. “While the majority of cases have been in gay and bisexual men, the virus is transmitted by close contact—including sexual contact—and anyone can get it.”

You can go to your doctor’s office to get vaccinated. Other local clinics and drug stores also provide the vaccine. To find local providers, go to https://npin.cdc.gov/web-tools/mpox-vaccine-locator .

To find out more about Mpox, and how to protect yourself, go to the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/index.html.

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Health Alerts are created in partnership with the Pitt Men’s Study, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Events, HIV

Register for DOH 2024 HIV conference in Pittsburgh

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H I V Conference

The PA Department of Health, Division of HIV Health is excited for the 2024 HIV Conference being held in Pittsburgh, PA. Registration for this conference is open to anyone from Pennsylvania who has an interest in learning more about HIV including people who utilize HIV services, HIV Prevention and Care providers, community-based organizations, and government agencies/employees. This conference will focus on both statewide initiatives and spotlight some regionally based providers and programs. For more information about the confrence, contact Kendra Parry at the PA Department of Health: c-kparry@pa.gov. 

Event details: June 26, 2024, Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square, 300 W. Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

7:30am to 8:30am – Registration, Networking, and Breakfast

8:30am to 4:00pm- Conference

An updated conference agenda can be found here> Agenda- 2024 HIV Conference update 5 20 2024. 

Registration:

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Health Alerts, Prevention, STIs

STI Awareness Week is April 14–20

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From Poz online….

STI Awareness Week, observed April 14–20 this year, raises awareness about how sexually transmitted infections (STIs) impact people’s lives. It also highlights the importance of reducing the stigma, fear, and discrimination associated with STIs and ensuring people have the appropriate tools and knowledge regarding the prevention, testing, and treatment of STIs.

G Y T Get yourself tested campaign logo

The latest CDC data show that more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2022. Data about the syphilis epidemic is especially concerning because syphilis cases have reached the highest numbers since the 1950s. According to the CDC, 207,255 total syphilis cases were reported in the United States in 2022, representing an 80% increase since 2018, and more than 3,700 cases of congenital syphilis among newborns were documented by the CDC in 2022. If syphilis is not treated, it can seriously damage the heart and brain and can cause blindness, deafness, and paralysis. While the syphilis epidemic grew worse, reported chlamydia cases were level, and the number of gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in at least a decade. Although gonorrhea declined, this finding may suggest the need for an even closer look at public health efforts and greater prevention strategies, including those that improve access to STI testing and treatment.

Read the full article.

To find local STI testing locations (most are free), you can search by zip code at https://gettested.cdc.gov/. You can also go to our Testing and Prevention page for more resources.

 

Events, Research

Pitt AIDS study hits milestone birthday, turns to questions of aging with HIV

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From WESA…

This month marks 40 years since the Pitt Men’s Study started enrolling volunteers in what has become one of the longest-running U.S. studies of HIV and AIDS.

AIDS is the most severe stage of HIV, which interferes with the immune system’s ability to fight infection and disease. The first cases of AIDS in the U.S. were reported in 1981. The National Institutes of Health says that since then more than 700,000 thousand people have died in the U.S. from AIDS-related causes – including some 27,000 Pennsylvanians. Globally, more than 40 million people have died from the virus.

The community advisory board of the Pitt Men's Study sitting around a table, back in the 1980's
The Community Advisory Board of the Pitt Men’s Study meeting with with Dr. Anthony Silvestre and Dr. Charles Rinaldo, in the late 1980’s, at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Pitt Men’s Study focuses on gay men since this population is at higher risk of contracting HIV. Even though participants’ identities were kept confidential, scientists had to build trust within Pittsburgh’s gay community to find potential research volunteers. One of the more important resources were gay and lesbian bar owners.

Read the full article.

PrEP, Prevention, Research

Factors Associated with PrEP Stigma Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (gbMSM): A Systematic Review

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New research on PubMed…

“Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV acquisition, uptake of PrEP among gbMSM is low, which may in part be due to stigma associated with PrEP use.”

Find out more on PubMed.

two men in bed together

The CDC reports that PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken as prescribed. PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%. To find out more about PrEP, you can also visit our Data to PrEP program page.

If  you’re looking for PrEP providers, visit the CDC’s PrEP online locator at https://preplocator.org/.

 

HIV, HIV Activism, Prevention

National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day / Indian Health Services Launches the U=U Ambassador Program

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From Poz Magazine online (This post is by Rick Haverkate (enrolled with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), HIV Branch Chief for the Indian Health Service; and Tony Enos (Cherokee), U=U Ambassador Program Lead)…

As our Native relatives pause to recognize National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 20 — the first day of Spring — the Indian Health Service, to reduce stigma toward Native people living with HIV, announces a new program called the “U=U Ambassador Program.” The Prevention Access Campaign launched the U=U campaign in early 2016 to advance public awareness and perception of HIV. U=U means that if someone has an undetectable viral load, they cannot sexually transmit HIV to others. U=U is supported by numerous health groups and organizations worldwide, including the IHS. To help increase awareness of this vital “treatment as prevention” campaign and realizing that HIV rates are still climbing in Indian Country, IHS is recruiting American Indian and Alaska Native people with HIV (U=U Ambassadors) to share their stories and the message to people with HIV who take their HIV medicine and have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV.

Isadore Boni, Lisa Lou tiger, and tony Enos--Native American U=U Ambassadors
From the left: Isadore Boni, Lisa Lou tiger, and tony Enos -Native American U=U Ambassadors

Each Ambassador is responsible for three U=U-related social media posts a month while simultaneously working with IHS to advise providers on better ways to integrate U=U into clinical and other practices, create more awareness about U=U, and bring us closer to our global goal of ending the HIV epidemic.

Read the full article on Poz.com.

HIV, HIV Activism, Stigma

Americans Are Becoming More Uncomfortable Interacting With Co-Workers Living With HIV, Report Shows

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From Forbes online…

Every year, GLAAD–the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation–releases a report with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative detailing how Americans’ attitudes and awareness of HIV and HIV stigma have changed.

According to the 2023 report, 86% of Americans believe HIV stigma still exists. However, acceptance appears to be heading in the wrong direction as intolerance towards certain people living with HIV is worsening.

Roughly 41% of Americans said they would feel uncomfortable interacting with a barber or hair stylist living with HIV, up from 37% in 2022. Moreover, a significant portion of individuals said they would feel uncomfortable interacting with a teacher (33%) and co-worker (32%) who are HIV positive, an increase from 29% in 2022.

Read the full article.

Let's stop HIV together

To find out more HIV stigma, visit the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together information page.