[Last month], the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $32 million in grant awards to assist more than 1,300 extremely low-income persons and families living with HIV/AIDS annually. The grant awards will provide these households with a stable living environment, which is essential to accessing healthcare and HIV related services. In addition to housing assistance these grant programs will provide access to the needed supportive services in assisting beneficiaries with a … [Read more...]
HIV Testing Sites and Care Services Locator
June 21, 2013 by
A Tool for Clinicians As an HIV physician who sees patients at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, I want to share a valuable resource for you and your patients with you. The HIV Testing Sites and Care Services Locator is a unique, online, location-based search tool that you can use with your patients and clients to help them access testing services, as well as resources for housing, mental health, substance abuse and more. The tool takes advantage of open data from HHS agencies such … [Read more...]
PrEP can reduce HIV risk among people who inject drugs
June 14, 2013 by
DAILY HIV MEDICATIONS NOW PROVEN TO PREVENT HIV AMONG ALL GROUPS AT HIGH RISK A daily dose of a medication used to treat HIV infection reduced the risk of HIV acquisition among people who inject drugs by 49 percent. Those who took the medication most consistently had even higher levels of protection, according to a new study announced today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Thailand Ministry of … [Read more...]
New Pew Report: Smartphone Ownership in 2013
June 11, 2013 by
The Pew Internet and American Life Project released new data last week showing that 56% of all American adults use smartphones. At AIDS.gov, we have seen growth in mobile access to our website. Since January, 2013, nearly 37% of visits to AIDS.gov have been from a mobile device. This has already surpassed the total mobile visits from 2012. The HIV community should take note of the growth in smartphone usage. Here are a few things from the report that may be of interest. What Pew found: … [Read more...]
Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is June 8
June 7, 2013 by
CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY HIV IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION Across the globe, countries are making historic gains towards ending the AIDS epidemic and ushering in an AIDS-free generation. They are doing so by using science, innovation, and evidence-based strategies to help save lives. According to the UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report 2012 [PDF 1.13MB], the Caribbean region has the sharpest declines in the number of new HIV infections worldwide since 2001, with a drop of more than 42%. … [Read more...]
NIH Scientists Discover How HIV Kills Immune Cells
June 6, 2013 by
NIH Scientists Discover How HIV Kills Immune Cells Findings Have Implications for HIV Treatment WHAT: Untreated HIV infection destroys a person’s immune system by killing infection-fighting cells, but precisely when and how HIV wreaks this destruction has been a mystery until now. New research by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, reveals how HIV triggers a signal telling an infected immune cell to die. … [Read more...]
HHS – INFORMATION IS POWERFUL MEDICINE CAMPAIGN
May 30, 2013 by
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proud to announce the launch of the Information Is Powerful Medicine campaign. The campaign contributes to Department-wide efforts guided by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) to improve health outcomes for all people living with HIV/AIDS. Focusing specifically on Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) given the significant HIV-related health disparities they face, the campaign … [Read more...]
FUTURE OF HEALTH DEPARTMENT HIV AND HEPATITIS PROGRAMS
May 28, 2013 by
For perhaps the first time in history, the end of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis is within our reach. Recent notable achievements provide promise for success, among them the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan (VHAP) and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Collectively, these achievements have catalyzed the beginning of a radical transformation in our healthcare systems for communities impacted by HIV and hepatitis. In particular, the ACA … [Read more...]
ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY, MAY 19
May 18, 2013 by
As we celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month and the many accomplishments of AAPIs, we also want to recognize that these communities still face many barriers to health and health care, including HIV/AIDS. To recognize these challenges, May 19th has been designated as the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The theme for this year’s observance is: “Saving face can’t make you safe. Talk about HIV—for me, for you, for … [Read more...]
