HIV
Monthly injection to treat HIV ‘as effective as daily pills’ in initial trials
A monthly injection to treat HIV has been found to work just as well as daily pill regimens in two initial trials. The results of two trials by company ViiV Healthcare were presented at an HIV research conference last week and showed the injectable antiretroviral treatment, a combination of drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine, was just …
AskDocQ: Beyond the headlines, the truth about HIV ‘cure’ case
You might have heard about the story that broke last week — a second person “cured” of HIV. Nicknamed the “London patient,” he underwent a cancer treatment which prevented the virus from re-infecting his donor cells, thus effectively clearing his immune system of all trace of HIV. Newspaper front pages loudly proclaimed that he is …
Aussies share red ribbon selfies on National Day of Women Living With HIV
Australians took to social media last weekend to share selfies featuring red ribbons as part of a new campaign for the National Day of Women Living with HIV on March 9. Femfatales, the national network of women living with HIV, the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) and ViiV Healthcare Australia launched the …
Doctors say second HIV patient is in ‘long-term remission’
An HIV-positive patient in London has become the second known adult in the world to be cleared of the virus after receiving a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor, his doctors have announced. The man began antiretroviral therapy for HIV in 2012 and that same year was diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood …
OPINION: The Freddie Mercury Story That Goes Untold In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
By Laurie Marhoefer, University of Washington Millions of people will tune in to the Oscars to see Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, compete for best picture. There are already a lot of people cheering against it. Bohemian Rhapsody has been dogged by accusations of homophobia, and the film’s director, Bryan Singer, …
Donald Trump ‘To Unveil Plan To End HIV Transmissions In US By 2030’
US President Donald Trump will announce a plan to end HIV transmissions in the country by 2030 in his upcoming State of the Union address, according to reports. Four sources told Politico that Trump will outline a ten-year strategy, focusing on communities with higher cases of HIV infections for the first five years and continue …
Deadline Arrives To Opt Out Of My Health Record
Australians have been reminded they have until Thursday (January 31) to opt out of the government’s My Health Record scheme after the deadline was extended over concerns about privacy and security. Medical records will be stored on a national database under the federal government scheme, to be viewed by patients, GPs, specialists, pharmacists and hospital …
Medical Data Breach Leaks HIV Status Of Over 14,000 People Online
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed that the medical records of over 14,000 HIV-positive people from all over the world have been leaked. The sensitive information was leaked by an authorized person authorities have identified as Mikhy K. Farrera Brochez, an American who was deported from Singapore last year. Information included in the leaked …
OPINION: Australia Will Never Be HIV-Free If Access To Prevention Requires A Medicare Card
By Nicholas Medland, UNSW Australia aims to “virtually eliminate” HIV transmission by 2022, according to the health minister’s new national HIV strategy. This ambitious goal has been made possible by biomedical HIV prevention, a new and highly effective way of preventing HIV using medications. But new inequalities are emerging between those who can and can’t …
Researchers Want To Trial HIV Testing Kits In Brisbane Vending Machines
A Queensland research team are set to make HIV testing kits available in two Brisbane vending machines in a pilot program to increase testing rates. Experts estimate a majority of people with HIV (89%) are aware of their status but there are still a proportion of those who don’t know they have HIV. Knowing your …