World AIDS Day observance on December 1

This year’s World AIDS Day observance on December 1 is the 25th commemoration of the opportunity to bring attention to the impact of the HIV epidemic. We at AIDS.gov know some event planners may not focus year round on HIV awareness, yet want to plan an activity for December 1. With this in mind, and building on this year’s theme of “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-Free Generation,” today we offer some questions and resources to help planners to get ready to mark World … [Read more...]

U.S. Conference on AIDS 2013 – Final Day

The 2013 U.S. Conference on AIDS  (USCA) came to a close yesterday with a plenary session on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a much discussed topic throughout the four-day conference. Among the observations shared by a diverse panel were: The healthcare law extends important civil rights protections that can be helpful in addressing the continuing stigma and denials of care in health settings experienced by some people living with HIV (PLWH) across the nation, noted Deborah … [Read more...]

U.S. Conference on AIDS 2013 – Day 3

Some of yesterday’s highlights from the 2013 U.S. Conference on AIDS  (USCA): The Importance of Patient-Provider Conversations Addressing a vital aspect of retention in HIV care during a plenary session, acclaimed photographer Duane Cramer and fashion designer Mondo Guerra from Project Runway—both of whom are living with HIV— highlighted the importance of continued open and meaningful communication among HIV patients and their healthcare providers. Mr. Guerra shared that from the beginning of … [Read more...]

U.S. Conference on AIDS 2013 – DAY 2

The annual U.S. Conference on AIDS  (USCA) continued yesterday, Monday, September 9, 2013, in New Orleans with a rich series of sessions on topics addressing many aspects of the HIV care continuum. The Engagement Challenge: Step-Up and Lead President Obama’s July 2013 Executive Order creating the HIV Care Continuum Initiative called upon federal agencies and other HIV community stakeholders to sharpen their focus on better addressing the drop-offs along the continuum of HIV care as they … [Read more...]

U.S. Conference on AIDS 2013 – Highlights from Day 1

The annual U.S. Conference on AIDS (USCA) opened yesterday, Sunday, September 8, 2013 in New Orleans. Organized by the National Minority AIDS Council  (NMAC), the conference has drawn more than 1,700 stakeholders from all fronts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic—from case managers and physicians, to public health workers and advocates, people living with HIV/AIDS, and policymakers – for four days of information sharing. Among the highlights of the first day of the conference were two plenary … [Read more...]

HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities

Today we are proud to announce the release of the report by the President’s Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities. We have had the honor of serving as co-chairs of the interagency Federal Working Group since March 2012, when President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum to address two overlapping challenges to the health and wellbeing of communities across the United States: the effects of HIV/AIDS, and the … [Read more...]

Engagement in 2013, So Far

We have already passed the Halfway point of 2013, and that’s when we have an extensive evaluation of our new media activities during the first six months of the year. We looked back at our most engaging content and wanted to give our readers a glimpse of what policy and new media updates were most read, watched, shared, and commented so far in 2013. This Storify Exit Disclaimer provides a summary of the content. Storify is a tool that helps organize small pieces of web content into a … [Read more...]

World Hepatitis Day on July 28 – RSS feed now available

As we prepare to observe World Hepatitis Day on July 28, we we’d like to announce a new resource here on the blog: we’ve made available an RSS feed of all the posts about viral hepatitis. You can find it at this address: HERE. “RSS” stands for “Real Simple Syndication.” RSS feeds are a way for websites to distribute their content to people automatically. You can read more about them on this AIDS.gov new media tools page. Using this new RSS feed, you’ll get the latest blog posts from … [Read more...]

Sebelius Approves Plans for Data Collection for HHS HIV Grantees

Secretary Sebelius Approves Plans to Standardize and Streamline Data Collection for HHS HIV Grantees The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently reached a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to standardize and streamline data collection for recipients of federal HIV funds. On June 28, 2013, Secretary of Health and Human Kathleen Sebelius approved plans submitted by nine HHS operating divisions and staff offices to adopt and deploy common core indicators for … [Read more...]

Dr. Carl Dieffenbach: IAS Conference – Day 4

Today was the final day of the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. This week, we’ve asked Dr. Carl Dieffenbach from NIH/NIAID, to share daily dispatches from this important scientific conference via Skype. As Dr. Dieffenbach related, research related to significant HIV treatment advances has been a major scientific highlight of the conference. As he explained, “improvement(s) in the treatment of HIV really has converted HIV from a … [Read more...]

HUD AWARDS $32 MILLION TO 30 LOCAL HIV-AIDS HOUSING

[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

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...]

1 Million Babies born HIV FREE, Pepfar celebrates 10 years!

At the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we measure our progress with metrics that account for every program, dollar, and service received. While these indicators help us become more efficient and effective in the work we do, their significance pales when compared with the most important metric of all — a life saved. To save any life is a remarkable feat, but to spare a child from HIV is truly extraordinary. That’s why Secretary Kerry’s June 18 announcement that a … [Read more...]

Social Networks to promote HIV Testing, is it working?

At AIDS 2012, the world’s largest HIV conference, AIDS.gov released a new media declaration where we encouraged stakeholders in the HIV community to assess how they can use new media to extend the reach of their HIV program messages. For National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), June 27, I have gathered a few examples of organizations that have used online social networking strategies to extend the reach of their HIV testing and prevention programs. Putting People First I spoke with Annajane Yolken … [Read more...]

NIH Scientists Discover How HIV Kills Immune Cells

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...]

Copyright 2022 @ A Celebration of Women™ The World Hub for Women Leaders That Care