News

2009:   Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul

2009

July

Jul 28: Christopher Bates, Director of HHS' Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, Receives Mustard Seed Award for Public-Private Partnership with African-born Americans
Christopher Bates was recognized for his HIV/AIDS work with African-born Americans to develop a healthy and sustainable community at the first Mustard Seed Award Banquet, hosted by the Continental African Community, USA, Inc.

Jul 28: Longitudinal Association of Alcohol Use with HIV Disease Progression and Psychological Health of Women with HIV
The association of alcohol consumption and depression, and their effects on HIV disease progression among women with HIV, were the subjects of the current study.

Jul 27: Correlates of Heterosexual Anal Intercourse Among At-Risk Adolescents and Young Adults
In the current study, the researchers sought to identify factors associated with anal sex among adolescents and young adults.

Jul 24: House Bill Lifts Ban On Needle Exchanges
The House approved a bill that would lift the 21-year ban on using federal money for needle exchange programs, a move that could give the District and other cities more flexibility in their efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among intravenous drug users.

Jul 23: HUD To Distribute $310M In Housing Assistance Grants For People Living With HIV/AIDS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wednesday announced that it will provide several housing assistance grants to help low-income families living with HIV/AIDS.

Jul 22: Longer, Stronger HIV Drug Regimen For Breastfeeding Women Cuts Mother-To-Child Transmission Rate, Study Finds
HIV infection rates among babies are significantly cut when mothers are given prolonged ARV treatment during breastfeeding according to findings released at the International AIDS Society conference in Cape Town, South Africa.

Jul 17: Study: Possible Progress on HIV Eradication
The results of the present study may contribute to the future design of class I HDACIs for treating HIV-1.

Jul 17: Justice Department Releases New Fact Sheet on the Rights of Persons with HIV or AIDS to Obtain Occupational Training and State Licensing
The Justice Department today released a new technical assistance fact sheet on legal requirements relating to admitting individuals with HIV or AIDS to occupational training schools and granting state licensure in occupations such as barbering, massage therapy and home health care assistance.

Jul 16: New rule will let VHA providers obtain verbal rather than written consent for HIV testing, effective 8/17
This document adopts, without change, the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2008, updating informed consent requirements related to testing for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for Veterans receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Jul 10: FDA Approves Expanded Use Of HIV Drug
Merck on Thursday said U.S. regulators had widened the approved use of its Isentress HIV treatment to include patients who have not yet been treated for infections with the virus that causes AIDS.

Jul 7: TB Vaccine Too Dangerous for Babies with AIDS Virus, Study Says
The World Health Organization is recommending that the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine against tuberculosis be delayed until infants can be tested for HIV.

June

Jun 30: U.S. May Lift Ban on HIV Visitors
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to issue a proposal this week to remove HIV from the list of "communicable diseases of public health significance" that preclude entry by foreign nationals.

Jun 26: Commentary: Simple HIV test can save lives -- by Dr. Kevin Fenton
Every nine and a half minutes someone's brother, mother, sister, father, or neighbor becomes infected with HIV in the United States. That's 56,000 people every year. But there's something we can all do to help protect ourselves and our partners from this disease -- get tested for HIV.

June 24: New Global AIDS Chief Goes to Work Immediately
Dr. Eric Goosby wasted no time starting his new job as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator. He flew from the Bay Area to Geneva hours after his confirmation by the Senate and was sworn in when he landed.

June 23: Dr. Eric Goosby Assumes the Role of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator
In this role, Ambassador Goosby will lead all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts. Ambassador Goosby will oversee implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as well as U.S. Government engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

June 23: Statement of Anthony S. Fauci on National HIV Testing Day
Statement on National HIV Testing Day, June 27, 2009.

June 10: Black Women In Washington, D.C., Have Higher Rate of AIDS Than Other Women, Study Finds
In the District, study found wide gaps between black and white women in the incidence of illnesses such as cancer and HIV and AIDS.

June 9: NIAID Leaders Outline Research Agenda for Universal, Voluntary HIV Testing and Treatment
In the June 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, top HIV/AIDS research leaders at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, set forth a research agenda to answer questions that may help shape the future of HIV prevention.

June 8: Starting Antiretroviral Therapy Earlier Yields Better Clinical Outcomes: Interim Review Leads to Early End of Clinical Trial in Haiti
A clinical trial has demonstrated that HIV-infected adults in a resource-limited setting are more likely to survive if they start antiretroviral therapy (ART) before their immune systems are severely compromised.

June 4: CDC Warning: Oral Sex Can Transmit HIV, Other STDs
In a fact sheet released June 4, CDC reiterated the risk of contracting HIV and other STDs through oral sex.

June 3: Views: A New Era of Responsibility on HIV/AIDS Issues
Article by Jeff Crowley, MPH, the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy and Senior Advisor on Disability Policy discusses how his office is coordinating the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections and provide care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

June 3: AIDS Virus Raises Heart Disease Risk in HIV-Infected People
Infection with the AIDS virus increases the risk of cardiovascular disease as much as well- known culprits such as diabetes or smoking, researchers said.

May

May 29: FDA Grants Tentative Approval
FDA granted tentative approval for generic lamivudine/zidovudine tablets 150 mg/300 mg indicated for treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in patients with or without Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

May 26: CDC: Guidance for H1N1 Virus in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women
Pregnancy raises risk for complications related to seasonal as well as pandemic influenza infections such as those caused by the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.

May 18: HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Statement
NIAID'S Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Issues Statement for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day May 18, 2009.

May 14: HHS to Award $1.79 Billion to Help People Living with HIV/AIDS
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the release of $1.79 billion to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications. The grants are funded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which helps more than 529,000 individuals every year obtain the care and services they need to live longer, healthier lives.

April

Apr 26: HHS Declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu
The Department of Health and Human Services today issued a nationwide public health emergency declaration in response to recent human infections with a newly discovered swine influenza A (swine flu) virus.

Apr 7: Obama Administration Announces New Campaign to Refocus National Attention on the HIV Crisis in the United States
Every 9 and a half minutes another person in America becomes infected with HIV. Officials from the White House, Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today a new five-year national communication campaign, Act Against AIDS, which highlights this alarming statistic and aims to combat complacency about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States.

March

Mar 16: New Study: HIV/AIDS Rate in Washington, D.C. Hits 3%
A report showing that 3 percent of residents are infected with HIV or AIDS is a wake-up call for the District, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said today.

Mar 4: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Statement
NIAID'S Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Issues Statement for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10, 2009

February

Feb 26: President's Budget Blueprint Increases Funding to Fight HIV/AIDS
President Obama unveiled a Budget Blueprint that funds critical public health priorities and will help scientists, researchers and communities fight HIV and AIDS. The President's Budget Blueprint is now available.

Feb 20: Important notice for people with impaired immune function about peanut products recalled for Salmonella
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been receiving reports of illnesses caused by a type of Salmonella called Salmonella Typhimurium, which have been traced to certain peanut products.

Feb 18: HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report
From the CDC, new report on Cases of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2007

Feb 12: Updated HIV/AIDS Fact Sheets On Medicaid, Medicare, and Ryan White
New factsheets from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Feb 10: New Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Reports, 2007
New Reports issued by the CDC.

Feb 1: New CDC MMWR
Features information on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, February 7, 2009.

January

Jan 24: President Obama rescinds "Mexico City Policy"
Statement released after rescinding of policy.

Jan 23: Impact of Mental Health on Anti-HIV Treatment Adherence
Extensive research has demonstrated that the primary barriers to [antiretroviral therapy (ART)] adherence include mental illness, especially depression and substance abuse, as well as histories of traumatic experiences such as childhood sexual and physical abuse.

Jan 23: Nevirapine Prophylaxis in Newborns May Increase Drug-Resistant HIV
The antiretroviral drug nevirapine may help prevent babies of HIV-positive mothers from getting the virus through breast-feeding, but it also greatly increases the odds of developing drug-resistant HIV if they are infected during the first year of life, a new study finds.

Jan 14: The HIV/AIDS Programs: Find HIV/AIDS Care
New information from the Health Resources and Services Administration on finding HIV/AIDS care, Ryan White Care, as well as resources to learn more about health care.

Jan 13: Annual CDC Report Finds High Burden of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Especially among Women and Racial Minorities
Reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the United States exceeded 1.4 million in 2007, according to an annual report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2007, shows persistent racial disparities across these and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and a particularly heavy burden of disease among women.