Much has changed in the world since Stacey S. Latimer first appeared on the cover of POZ in 2007. For some context: The iPhone debuted that year, MySpace was more popular than fledgling Facebook and a junior senator from Illinois named Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president. Modern HIV treatment was also emerging: The first one-pill-once-a-day HIV treatment, Atripla, was approved the previous year, while pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV wouldn’t be available for another five years, and the fact that Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) wouldn’t be scientifically proved for almost a decade.

Now Is the Time

Both long-term survivors and those newly diagnosed with HIV have plenty of treatment options to choose from to keep the virus suppressed. In addition to keeping you healthy, having an undetectable viral load prevents you from transmitting the virus via sex. Also, for most folks, current HIV medications cause virtually no side effects. Medications now range from once-daily all-in-one pills to long-acting injectables.

Conversation Builds Health Care Relationships

Los Angeles, CA

San Francisco, CA

The annual Cielo Gala raises funds for the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA). Founded in 1990, LCOA spearheads health advocacy for Latinos, promotes HIV education, develops prevention programs for high-risk communities and helps community organizations scale up their capacity to fight HIV and AIDS. This year’s gala was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City and honored various individuals for their activism, health care advocacy and promotion of Latino visibility and representation. The gala also served to underscore LCOA’s commitment to reach Zero Homophobia and Zero Transphobia in the Latino community by highlighting its national ZERO Campaign.

Cielo Gala 2024 and AIDS/LIFECYCLE 2024

One of the first organizations in California in the 1980s serving people living with HIV and AIDS wasn’t founded as an AIDS agency at all. In 1974, psychologist Charles Garfield, PhD, founded the Shanti Project in San Francisco as a volunteer-driven resource for people facing terminal illness. Garfield had developed the Shanti model, which taught volunteers “compassionate presence” and “active listening” so that they could provide nonjudgmental support for cancer patients.

Human Connection

Philadelphia, NY

It’s been nearly 40 years since Hassan James Gibbs, 67, learned he was living with HIV. It’s a moment he still vividly recalls. “It was March of 1985,” says Gibbs, a Philadelphia native. “I was selling some blood. I’d gotten out of the service honorably, but I was broke. The blood bank sent a letter a few days later—I thought it was a check—-but it was a letter saying my blood was unacceptable, that I was HIV positive and that I needed to see a physician as soon as possible.”

A Sense of Purpose

A unique HIV cure case will be among the scientific highlights of AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, which will take place in Munich, Germany and virtually from 22 to 26 July. For the first time, scientists will share information about the “next Berlin Patient”, who appears to be...

First-of-its-kind HIV Cure Case Among Scientific Highlights at AIDS 2024

Moms Who Think

It's often said that growing up in the 1950s was a simpler time. Indeed it was for the most part, […]

9 Childhood Diseases Boomers Remember That Are No Longer an Issue

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is a common infection among women, but many don't know much about it. Testing for BV can seem confusing, but understanding the basics helps. BV testing involves checking for an imbalance in the vaginal bacteria. This imbalance can cause symptoms like unusual discharge, odor, and discomfort. Knowing the facts about BV testing can make the process less intimidating. Doctors use different methods to diagnose BV, including physical exams, pH tests, and lab tests. Early detection is key to effective treatment and preventing complications. Let's dive into 15 essential facts about BV testing that every woman should know.

15 Facts About Bacterial Vaginosis Testing

Globally, 70% of people are projected to live in cities by 2050. Consequently, urban settings will play a vital role in addressing the HIV epidemic as well as broader health issues. A new report assesses the urban HIV epidemic and offers actionable recommendations to improve HIV responses. Released to coincide...

Here’s How Cities and Urban Settings Can Better Respond to HIV

Upworthy

In the United States, close to 10% of the population has depression, but sometimes it can take a long time for someone to even understand that they have it.One difficulty in diagnosis is trying to distinguish between feeling down and experiencing clinical depression. This TED-Ed video from December 2015 can help make the distinction. With simple animation, the video explains how clinical depression lasts longer than two weeks with a range of symptoms that can include changes in appetite, poor concentration, restlessness, sleep disorders (either too much or too little), and suicidal ideation. The video briefly discusses the neuroscience behind the illness, outlines treatments, and offers advice on how you can help a friend or loved one who may have depression.

What’s the difference between depression and just being sad?

Ontario, CA

César Serrano went from having trouble breathing to learning that he only had three months to live. The asthma medication his doctor prescribed wasn’t helping, so he ordered a CT scan and biopsy, which led to his stage-four lung cancer diagnosis. "Honestly, no one's prepared for something like...

He thought he only had months to live, but a new cancer test changed that

Indiana State

Eighteen people living with HIV in Indiana were arrested between 2001 and 2019 for donating plasma, though, thanks to effective screening methods, none of them posed a risk of transmitting the virus, found a new report by the Williams Institute. The Williams Institute is a research center focusing on law...

People With HIV Have Been Arrested in Indiana for Donating Plasma

Miami, FL

Lamar McMullen of Miami is positively evangelical about long-acting injectables for HIV treatment. Currently, only one such medication is approved for injection every other month; others in the pipeline are intended to last even longer. Since giving up his once-a-day pill for a long-acting injectable, McMullen has been pleased with the results.

Getting Comfortable With Long-Acting Injectables

Over the past two years, a simple but baffling request has preceded most of my encounters with medical professionals: “Rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10.”. I trained as a physician and have asked patients the very same question thousands of times, so I think hard about how to quantify the sum of the sore hips, the prickly thighs, and the numbing, itchy pain near my left shoulder blade. I pause and then, mostly arbitrarily, choose a number. “Three or four?” I venture, knowing the real answer is long, complicated, and not measurable in this one-dimensional way.

Pain Doesn’t Belong on a Scale of Zero to 10

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) was safe and well tolerated as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during pregnancy in the follow-up phase of a global study among cisgender women. The analysis of outcomes from more than 300 pregnancies and infants will be presented at the 2024 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.

Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir for HIV Prevention is Safe in Pregnancy

The immune system senses and responds to changes in physiologic health, and a new tool called the immune health metric (IHM) can measure and even predict some of these changes, an NIAID study has found. If doctors could use the IHM to detect health problems long before symptoms appear, they could potentially act early to prevent disease, the investigators suggest. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Medicine.

A New Way to Measure and Predict Human Immune Health

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that damages the nerves of the central nervous system. This damage disrupts nerve impulses and can lead to ataxia — a condition that affects coordination, balance, and speech. This article outlines the symptoms of ataxia. It also considers the prevalence of this condition...

What to know about ataxia in multiple sclerosis

South Carolina State

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Los Angeles County, CA

Herbie J Pilato

In 1981, pop-music sensation Andy Gibb was at the top of the charts. The younger brother of Barry, Robin, and Maurice, a.k.a. The Bee Gees, commenced a tumultuous romance with actress Victoria Principle, who played Pam Ewing on Dallas, TV's then-Number 1 prime-time series. But after the relationship ended, Andy's life, already challenged by substance abuse, did as well. This is their tragic story.

The Tragic Death of Pop Star Andy Gibb & His Traumatic Romance with 'Dallas' Star Victoria Principle

Updated COVID vaccines by Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are expected to be rolled out in the US this coming September. The CDC recommends that “everyone aged 6 months and older should receive the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against potentially serious health consequences from COVID-19 this fall and winter.” This advice also applies to anyone who may have never received a COVID vaccine before.

Updated COVID vaccines to be rolled out in the US in September

Austin, TX

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) opened a new HIV clinic in Austin, Texas, that provides comprehensive care, including HIV testing, treatment, medical services, a pharmacy and services related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reports Fox 7. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson joined other local and state officials at the Friday ribbon cutting....

HIV Health Care Center Opens in Austin, Texas [VIDEO]

NewsBreak

Everyday – September 2024

5 – The Well Project launches a mobile app that includes treatment information and highlights the firsthand experiences of women living with the virus. (2012) 15...

Everyday – September 2024

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