Gay men in England who have recently become HIV positive describe a complex web of factors which may have contributed to their infection, according to a qualitative study recently published in BMJ Open.“Individuals who experienced multiple stressors, gradually over the life course or more suddenly, were especially vulnerable to HIV and being drawn into sexual risk situations, while the social environment created a context that enabled risk of HIV infection,” the researchers write. Indiv

Photo: © Chris Jepson I was born in Nigeria but I became a Londoner long before I was able to read or write, which according to some of my relatives makes me “a black man living in a white man’s world.” I know that this combined with the facts that I identify myself as a homosexual man who also happens to be HIV-positive hasn’t exactly set the scene for the most scar-free rainbow, but I have never given any of my negative experiences influence over how I viewed the world or what I

The incidence of anal cancer among HIV-positive gay men peaked in 2009 and will decline substantially by 2030, even with current levels of antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage and no cancer-screening programme, Swiss investigators report in AIDS. Further significant reductions would be achieved with 100% treatment coverage and various screening strategies. These would be more effective at preventing cases of anal populationcancer than screening for cervical cancer among women in the gener

To read the full article by Felicity Hannah, visit Independent, here. The long-term outlook of people living with HIV has been improving for years and last month it was revealed that a child in South Africa had been “virtually cured” of the disease. Research published earlier this year revealed that young people receiving the latest HIV drugs now have a “near-normal” life expectancy. Yet despite such profound changes in the health of people with the conditions, one in four say

Medical evidence has shown that people living with HIV and who are on effective treatment cannot pass on the virus. However, a major new survey by Terrence Higgins Trust has shown that only 9% of the British public are aware of this fact, which has been evidenced by scientific research. Meanwhile around one in three (32%) adults would feel uncomfortable giving first aid to someone living with HIV who is on effective treatment, according to the YouGov survey of 2,022 adults. And nearly 40% o

One in five people living with HIV in a European study reported a decline in everyday functioning as a result of cognitive problems such as memory loss, difficulties in solving problems, poor concentration or reduced attention span, researchers from the CIPHER study group report in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. But, researchers say, people who reported these problems were also more likely to have comorbid conditions, to be depressed or anxious, to be unemployed and e

Although advances in medication mean that people with HIV can now live long and healthy lives medically, they still face stigma and discrimination, which can lead to isolation and low self-esteem. Nearly 60 per cent of people with HIV in Scotland have experienced low self-esteem, and a quarter have felt suicidal. [1] Now, Peer Support Scotland, funded by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland, will bring together people living with HIV to share their experiences, knowledge and advice, to support other

To read the complete article by David Hudson visit Gay Star News, here. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has approved the first generic form of PrEP. PrEP is medication that can be taken by someone to prevent them becoming infected with HIV. It’s a daily pill of Truvada, produced by Gilead Sciences. Truvada is a combination of Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate The use of PrEP has been credited with driving down HIV infection rates in countries where it has

People who enter into a contract with their HIV healthcare provider to receive cash incentives in return for high levels of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence are more likely to achieve sustained viral suppression compared to people in a control arm, investigators from the United States report in the online edition of AIDS. The study recruited individuals with ongoing viral replication despite at least six months of ART. Individuals who entered into a commitment contract were appro

HIV-positive people have impaired respiratory health, even when they have viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy (ART), investigators from London report in HIV Medicine. Respiratory health was compared between HIV-positive and HIV-negative outpatients. Individuals with HIV had poorer respiratory health and were more likely to report breathlessness than HIV-negative participants, findings which remained unchanged when analysis focused on ART-treated HIV-positive people with an undetec