Issue No. 8

AIDSinfo.nih.gov is pleased to provide you with a weekly update of highlights about what has happened in the world of HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research. We hope you find this encapsulated view of HIV/AIDS news useful.

Barriers to Women’s Participation in HIV Vaccine Trials

The March 2006 issue of PLoS Medicine features an article about the difficulties women face in participating in preventive HIV vaccine clinical trials, particularly in developing countries. In “Enrolling Women into HIV Preventive Vaccine Trials: An Ethical Imperative but a Logistical Challenge” (click here for the free full-text article), Edward Mills et al. highlight some of the major concerns that prevent women from enrolling in HIV vaccine clinical trials. These include fear of contracting HIV from a vaccine, concerns about the effect of a vaccine upon future pregnancies, and the lack of child care and convenient clinic hours and locations. Furthermore, the authors note that “most often in settings with high HIV prevalence, women suffer from a lack of empowerment in health and the possibility of violence or social discrimination for being involved with people living with HIV/AIDS or participating in a trial of this unmentionable subject.”

You can help in the global effort to develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine. Start by learning more about vaccine clinical trials, then click here to find an HIV vaccine trial near you.

HIV Mortality Rates Way Down Since HAART Era Began

The Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes reports that HIV mortality rates declined dramatically between the pre HAART era (1990—1996) and the late HARRT era (2000—2003). According to the “Comparisons of Causes of Death and Mortality Rates Among HIV-Infected Persons: Analysis of the Pre-, Early, and Late HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) Eras,” the annual mortality rate fell from 10.3 per 100 patients in 1995 to 2 per 100 patients in the late HAART era. Since HIV first appeared in humans, it has blazed quite a trail in history. Take a closer look at the progress we’ve made at the FDA’s online Historical Timeline of HIV/AIDS.