•  HIV IN THE NEWS

Medicare Part D Often Fails HIV Patients and Providers, Survey Says
Medicare Part D was intended to improve treatment access for Medicare recipients, but it may be doing the opposite for HIV-infected patients, according to preliminary results from an informal survey of U.S. HIV health care providers conducted by the American Academy of HIV Medicine and the HIV Medicine Association. Bureaucratic hurdles, high co-pays and plans that won't cover necessary medications prevent many HIV-infected patients from getting their antiretrovirals and other drugs, the survey found. Of the 561 HIV health care providers who answered the survey, 83% said their HIV-infected patients had trouble getting their prescriptions filled since joining a Medicare drug plan. Seventy-nine percent also said they were spending more time now than before making sure Medicare patients obtained their medications. Click Here

To read the full preliminary report on the survey findings, click here.


Abstinence-Only Education Does Not Impact Sexual Behavior, U.S. Government-Backed Study Finds
Abstinence-only education appears to have no considerable impact on a teenager's sex life, according to newly released results from a study authorized by the U.S. Congress back in 1997, when Republicans were still in control of the legislature. The study followed 2,000 students as they progressed from elementary or middle school to high school; half of the students received abstinence-only education. At the end of the study, an equal percentage of students in both groups (49%) were still practicing abstinence. Among students who were sexually active, condom usage rates were the same whether they received abstinence education or not. The same went for unprotected sex: Half of the sexually active students reported having had sex without a condom at least once, regardless of the type of sex education they received. Click Here


U.S. ADAP Waiting Lists Continue to Grow (PDF)
Nearly 600 HIV-infected patients in Alaska, Montana, Puerto Rico and South Carolina are waiting to receive antiretrovirals through their state's or territory's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) reports. According to NASTAD's latest "ADAP Watch" report, the number of patients on waiting lists is likely to keep growing. (It is already up by 269 patients since last September.) The current level of federal funding, NASTAD says, falls $232 million short of what is needed to provide treatment to poor, uninsured and underinsured HIV-infected patients in the United States. Click Here


Researchers Report Major Advances in Use of Mice for HIV Studies
U.S. HIV researchers recently announced two milestones involving mice that some scientists hope will greatly enhance HIV research efforts. In a report published online on March 26 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers describe what they say is the first successful intrarectal infection of mice with HIV. The mice, which were born without an immune system, were transplanted with human fetal liver and thymus tissue and immune cells to effectively mimic human immune response, the researchers report. They hope that HIV-infected mice like the ones created in this study will greatly ease efforts to test new HIV prevention methods, such as microbicides and vaccines. Click Here

To read the abstract of this report, click here.


Names-Based Reporting Will Be Instituted for All U.S. States by End of 2007
Despite years of resistance from some AIDS advocates, names-based HIV reporting will be implemented throughout the United States by the end of 2007. The transition from code-based reporting began in earnest in recent years, when the Ryan White CARE Act tied funding for HIV services to the institution of names-based reporting. The last three states to use code-based reporting -- Hawaii, Vermont and Maryland -- are now slated to switch to the new system by the end of the year. Click Here

Although all U.S. states will soon officially use names-based reporting, most states still permit individuals to test anonymously. Click here to browse kaisernetwork.org's state-by-state listing of HIV testing policies.

•  HIV TREATMENT & COMPLICATIONS

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Can Reduce High Triglycerides, Study Finds
A growing number of studies appear to show that fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, can be safely used to treat hypertriglyceridemia in HIV-infected patients on HAART. A recent French study, which was published in the March 1 issue of JAIDS, found that hypertriglyceridemic patients on HAART who began taking two 1,000-mg capsules of fish oil three times a day reduced their median triglyceride levels by 25.5%. Click Here


Ziagen Pills Packaged as Combivir
Counterfeit Combivir (zidovudine/lamivudine) bottles containing only Ziagen (abacavir) pills have been found in one California pharmacy, GlaxoSmithKline announced on March 29. Although only two mislabeled bottles have been discovered, GlaxoSmithKline issued a "Dear Pharmacy Professional" letter urging all readers to immediately examine their Combivir bottles and to report any unusual findings. Ziagen tablets are yellow and labeled "GX 623." Combivir tablets are white and labeled "GX FC3." Click Here


Studies Raise Possible Long-Term Concern for Infants With Prenatal Zidovudine Exposure
New study findings have some researchers concerned that the use of zidovudine (AZT, Retrovir) during pregnancy may result in genetic changes to the child that could increase its long-term cancer risk. The findings are by no means conclusive, and researchers are not recommending that HIV-infected pregnant women avoid using zidovudine. However, they are recommending further investigation into the potential long-term effects of perinatal exposure to zidovudine. Click Here

The April/May 2007 edition of Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, which contains the research mentioned above, is devoted to an examination of the use of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors during pregnancy.

•  HIV TRANSMISSION

Lancet Publishes Study Supporting Exclusive Breastfeeding by HIV-Infected Mothers in Developing World
The Lancet has published results from a provocative new study that appears to back the use of exclusive breastfeeding for newborns of HIV-infected mothers. The non-randomized cohort study, which was presented at the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2007), compared feeding methods for infants born to HIV-infected women in South Africa. Infants who were given replacement feeding as well as breast milk were twice as likely to die within three months of birth as infants who were exclusively breastfed. The study’s authors conclude that international guidelines, which currently advocate bottle-feeding the children of HIV-infected women whenever it is safe and practical, should be revised. Click Here

The Body PRO spoke with Trudy Larson, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, about this study at CROI 2007. You can listen to our interview with Dr. Larson here, or click here to read the interview transcript.


New York City Debates Promotion of Male Circumcision to Prevent HIV
New York City officials are in apparent disagreement over the extent to which the city should advocate male circumcision as an HIV prevention method. In response to recent reports that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene planned to launch a campaign promoting male circumcision, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed support for seeking new methods to combat the spread of HIV, but said he is not convinced that government should be involved in promoting or providing male circumcisions. Click Here

For additional background on, and reactions to, this story, click here.

•  COINFECTIONS & STDs

HCV Infection Rate Rises Among British MSM
Hepatitis C (HCV) incidence is on the rise among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United Kingdom, according to research presented at the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. With evidence mounting that HCV can be transmitted sexually, the researchers recommend that HCV testing become a routine part of sexually transmitted disease screening for MSM. Click Here


Sexual Health Web Site Offers Resources for Providers Treating MSM
STDCheckup.org, a Web site funded by the STD Control Branch of the California Department of Health Services, offers clinicians information on diagnosing and managing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in men who have sex with men (MSM). The "Resources for Clinicians" section of the site includes information on routine and periodic sexual history taking, laboratory screening for STDs, risk-reduction counseling, guidance for creating a safe clinical environment for MSM patients, and a downloadable toolkit in PDF format. Click Here

The Body PRO offers information on STDs other than HIV. Click here for our list of articles and resources.

•  HIV OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Despite Progress, Millions in Developing Countries Still Don't Receive Antiretrovirals, Report Finds
Although two million HIV-infected people in developing countries are now receiving the antiretrovirals they need, another five million people in need of HAART still have no access to treatment, according to a new report by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. The report also warned that perinatal HIV transmission rates remain high in many developing countries, and that only 15% of children in need of antiretrovirals can get them. Click Here

Click here to read a PDF of the full report, which outlines the progress that has been made and the challenges that lie ahead as the United Nations and other groups strive to provide universal access to HIV prevention and care by 2010.


Antiretroviral Therapy Geared Toward Children Urgently Needed, U.S. Pediatrics Group Says
There is an immediate need for antiretroviral therapy that has been developed specifically for children, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement. The statement, published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics, calls for broader development of smaller pills and combination therapies for HIV-infected children, as well as enhanced medical training to provide care to HIV-infected children in developing countries. Click Here


HIV/AIDS Rate Up 300% in Arab States, Official Says
HIV is a global pandemic and "The Arab region is not an exception," proclaimed Sayed Aqa, a United Nations official, at a meeting on religion and the HIV pandemic recently held by the United Nations Development Programme. Aqa pointed out that the rate of HIV/AIDS cases in Arab countries has increased 300% in the last three years. Another United Nations representative blamed the staggering increase on "ignorance, lack of awareness, denial and misinterpretation of facts." Click Here