Healio, 6 August 2014

Among HIV patients in China, an increasing trend of drug resistance has been associated with long-term ART, according to recent findings.

"[ART] has led to a dramatic decrease in AIDS-related morbidity and mortality through sustained suppression of HIV replication and reconstitution of the immune response," researchers wrote in Clinical Infectious Diseases. "However, the eventual development of HIV drug resistance over time is largely inevitable at the population level, and is one of the strongest predictors of treatment failure."

Read more ...

Windi City Media Groups, 6 August 2014

The first time they met was at the International Conference on AIDS two summers ago in Washington, D.C., and Kathryn Mercado was convinced she would not get along with Kimberly Ramirez, based on what she now admits was "a schoolyard crush in the making."

They met again last September at the United States Conference on AIDS, held in New Orleans, Louisiana—specifically, the National Latino AIDS Action Network ( NLAAN ) reception—and Ramirez was a part of the hosting committee for the event.

Read more ...

CBS DC, 6 August 2014

MIAMI (AP) — Patient advocates say some insurance companies are making HIV and AIDS drugs unaffordable in plans issued through the Affordable Care Act by shifting much of the cost to customers.

While the issue applies broadly to all patients with chronic illnesses that require expensive medication, HIV and AIDS advocates say they were the first to file a formal complaint with the government about pricing.

Under President Barack Obama's health law, insurance companies are forbidden from turning away consumers with pre-existing conditions. But advocacy groups allege insurance companies are discouraging HIV and AIDS patients, who are expensive to cover, by requiring them to pay a percentage of costly medications instead of a flat co-pay, essentially pricing the medications out of reach.

Read more ...

Haran Terbit, 5 Agustus 2014

Papua, HanTer - Pemerintah Provinsi Papua berencana membangun rumah sakit khusus untuk menangani dan merawat warga yang positif terinfeksi HIV/AIDS.

"Selama ini penanganan warga yang positif terinfeksi HIV/AIDS di rumah sakit umum terkesan masih diskriminatif. Harus ada rumah sakit khusus buat mereka (warga yang sudah positif HIV/AIDS, red.)," kata Kepala Dinas Kesehatan Papua, drg. Aloysius Giyai, kemarin.

Menurut dia, selama ini masyarakat yang terdeteksi HIV/AIDS setelah menjalani pemeriksaan di rumah sakit umum, kurang mendapat perhatian.

"Mungkin karena penyakit itu menular," ujarnya.

Berdasarkan alasan itu, katanya, Pemprov Papua akan membangun rumah sakit khusus.

Read more ...

SDGL, 5 August 2014

When AIDS first hit us, it was like a bomb went off in our community, leaving too few survivors. A generation of gay men suffered and died. Some buried partners. We all buried friends - too many friends. In spite of our grief and fear, we fought for compassionate care and medical interventions. We fought for funding and against government silence. We fought to end a plague that decimated our community, and to make the dying stop.

That fight was bold and courageous. More than three decades later, our efforts to end this epidemic must be equally bold. We still mourn our profound losses, but today we have increased knowledge and better tools to fight with. #TestTreatPrevent.

Unfortunately, the stigma and shame remain. But we are dealing with a virus, not a moral condition. We have to fight through that stigma and shame, and talk openly to get to no new cases - through testing, treatment and new prevention tools.

Read more ...