President Obama to Commemorate World AIDS Day 2011 President Barack Obama will commemorate World AIDS Day, which is held annually on December 1, by speaking at an event in Washington, DC, called “The Beginning of the End of AIDS,” according to a White House statement.
Activists to Protest on World AIDS Day at Occupy Wall Street
On December 1, a coalition of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators will mark World AIDS Day with a march through the Financial District in New York City, the Housing Works blog reports.
Act V, a Global Movement to End AIDS, Launches Act V, a new global movement to end AIDS, has launched. The group is advocating for universal access to HIV treatment and prevention by 2020.
November 29, 2011
Advances in CCR5 Gene Therapy Give New Hope for HIV Cure
After an HIV-positive man known as the 'Trenton patient' underwent an experimental gene therapy procedure, his body was able to briefly control the virus after he stopped taking antiretroviral (ARV) medications, The New York Times reports.
Teen HIV Rate Rises Sharply in Nebraska
Since 2008, the Nebraska AIDS Project has seen a 263 percent increase in HIV-positive people ages 13 to 24, KETV.com reports.
More DC DMV Centers Offer HIV Testing Three Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) service centers in Washington, DC, offer free HIV testing and results during the waiting period, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
November 28, 2011
Former Pro Wrestler Convicted in HIV Criminalization Case
Former pro wrestler Andre Davis was found guilty of 14 counts of felony sexual assault after allegedly having unprotected sex with women without telling them he was HIV positive, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
NYC Proposes Expanding HIV/AIDS Data Surveillance The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has proposed new state regulations for collecting and sharing data about HIV-positive individuals and their sexual partners, according to a prevention plan filed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported by Gay City News.
No New Global Fund Grants Until 2014 The Global Fund to Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has announced it will make no new grants or funding until 2014 and it will take some management responsibility away from current executive director Michel Kazatchkine, Reuters reports.
HIV-Positive Soap Opera Character to Go Off Air The actress Kimberly McCullough, who played the HIV-positive character Robin Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital, will be leaving the series, The Wrap News reports.
November 22, 2011
Nearly $1.6M in New HIV Cure Grants From amfAR
The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) has awarded $2.1 million in new research grants and fellowships, according to an amfAR statement.
Most Americans Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Most Americans support legalizing medical marijuana, but a slim majority doesn’t support full pot legalization, according to a new national CBS News poll.
EU Financial Crisis May Increase HIV Risk in Drug Injectors
Despite a decade of gains in fighting the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users in the European Union (EU), there are reasons to worry about an increase in infections, according to the Harm Reduction International blog.
Hypochondriac Commits Suicide Believing She Had HIV Kirsten Thompson, 56, of the United Kingdom, killed herself because she thought she had infected her husband with HIV, according to an article in the Daily Mail.
$100,000 Gates Foundation Grant to Reduce HIV Drug Prices Two scientists at Northwestern University, Linda J. Broadbelt and Keith E.J. Tyo, will receive a $100,000 grant for research that could reduce drug prices for treating HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, according to a Northwestern University statement.
New Five-Year Strategy for Global Forum on MSM & HIV
The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)—a coalition of AIDS organizations, MSM networks and advocates—has announced a five-year strategic plan for dealing with HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to an MSMGF statement.
Ugandan Officials, AIDS Advocates Blame Each Other for High HIV Rate Uganda's health officials and human rights organizations blame each other for the nation's HIV prevalence rates, which have stagnated at or just below 7 percent for the past two years, the Daily Monitor reports.
November 16, 2011
NY Judge Rejects Defamation Suit by AIDS Denialist Richard Jeffreys of the AIDS think tank Treatment Action Group (TAG) was granted a summary judgment in a defamation lawsuit by AIDS denialist Celia Farber, according to the Leonard Link blog.
Volunteer Positive Assembles First Group of Volunteers Volunteer Positive, an international service organization comprised of people living with and affected by HIV, has assembled its first group of volunteers, according to a Volunteer Positive statement.
Inmates Sue Ohio for Revealing They Have HIV At least seven HIV-positive inmates are suing the state of Ohio after their medical records were released to the general prison population, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
BMS to Expand Access to Reyataz in Brazil Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) will expand access to its HIV drug Reyataz (atazanavir) in Brazil, according to a BMS statement.
Convenience Store Chain Pays To Settle Wyoming HIV Case Maverik Inc., a company that operates gas stations in Wyoming, Utah and other Western states, has agreed to pay $115,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it improperly fired an HIV-positive bakery clerk in Wyoming, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Husband and Wife Team Behind HIV Vaginal Gel Win African Science Prize South African epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim and his wife Quarraisha Abdool Karim will receive the inaugural Olusegun Obasanjo Prize from the African Academy of Sciences for proving the effectiveness of a vaginal gel that can cut a woman’s risk of HIV infection by more than 50 percent.
Indonesia Opens First Gay, Transgender Health Clinic Members of Indonesia’s gay and transgender community recently hailed the opening of the first health clinic devoted to them, according to an article by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
November 10, 2011
Rectal Microbicide Gel UC781 Is Safe, Effective in Early Trial A rectal microbicide gel containing HIV drug UC781 has been found to reduce infection when applied topically to rectal tissue that was then exposed to HIV in a lab, according to a study by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles AIDS Institute and published in PLoS ONE.
Walmart May Expand Medical Services and Offer HIV Care Walmart, the United States’ largest retailer, may expand its medical services to include managing and monitoring people with chronic and costly health conditions such as HIV and diabetes, KPBS.org reports.
David Furnish to Deliver Keynote Address at USCA 2011 The 2011 United States Conference on AIDS will feature a keynote address by David Furnish, chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation (and John’s partner in real life), according to a National Minority AIDS Council news release.
U.S. Philanthropic Donations to HIV/AIDS Fall 7% in 2010 Private U.S.-based philanthropic groups donated 7 percent less in 2010 than 2009 to HIV/AIDS causes, according to a report by Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA), a group that tracks charitable donations and grants linked to HIV/AIDS.
November 09, 2011
Appeals Court Rules for HIV-Positive Nursing Home Resident A Pennsylvania appeals court ordered a nursing home that was sued for evicting an HIV-positive patient to pay fines and damages to its former patient and her attorney, The Morning Call reports.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Ohio ADAP Eligibility Cuts A judge has temporarily blocked changes to Ohio rules that would greatly reduce eligibility for the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), The Associated Press (AP) reports.
U.S. Releases Plan for a Global AIDS-Free Generation
Speaking at the National Institutes of Health, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a new U.S. plan for attaining a global AIDS-free generation, according to a State Department statement.
Two DC Shelters for Women Merge N Street Village, one of the largest providers in Washington, DC, of services for homeless women, is merging with Miriam House, The Washington Post reports.
Jeff Crowley, White House ONAP Director, Resigns
Jeff Crowley, the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), will leave his position by the end of this year, The Washington Blade reports.
Drug Companies Seek End of Off-Label Marketing Ban Drug companies are mounting a legal campaign to overturn longstanding U.S. regulations prohibiting them from pitching medicines for uses not listed on the bottle, The Wall Street Journal reports.
November 03, 2011
Rep. Barbara Lee, Sen. Frank Lautenberg Introduce Sex Ed Bill U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have introduced a bill to expand comprehensive sex education in schools, according to a statement by Lee.
Global Fund Uncovers Additional $20M in Mismanaged Funds
As a result of 12 new probes, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has uncovered an additional $20 million of financial mismanagement, The Washington Post reports.
HIV-Positive Armani Exchange Mexico Employee Claims Discrimination Jose Antonio Lopez Perez, an HIV-positive man in Mexico, has filed a complaint against a local Armani Exchange and staffing company, claiming he was fired because of his HIV status, El Universal reports.
November 02, 2011
NAACP Hosts HIV/AIDS Advocacy & Education Summit The National Association of Colored People (NAACP) and Harvard University’s Center for AIDS Research (HU CFAR) are currently hosting a two-day summit spotlighting how HIV/AIDS affects the African-American community, according to an NAACP statement.
HIV-Positive Pilots Can't Fly in Swaziland Swazi HIV groups are condemning new aviation guidelines that prevent people living with HIV from piloting an aircraft, PlusNews reports.
Global Fund Cuts $95M in Grants to China The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will cut $95 million in grant money to China, the world’s second largest economy, The Washington Post reports.
New Recommendations to End Hepatitis, HIV Risk at Nail Salons, Barbershops
There is a potential risk of transmitting hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hep B virus (HBV) at nail salons and barbershops if razors, clippers, nail files and other re-usable instruments are not fully cleaned and disinfected, according to a report by the Virginia Department of Health.
White House Responds to Petition to Legalize Marijuana The White House has responded to a petition to legalize and regulate marijuana, stating there is yet no scientific data to support legalization, according to a White House statement.
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