A study found that receiving antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) during pregnancy did not result in significant differences in pregnancy incidence, birth outcomes, and infant growth compared to those who received placebo. The study's findings suggest uncertainty regarding the safety of PrEP therapy prior to pregnancy.
A study found that HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat experienced modest reductions in liver fat after receiving tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone analog. The treatment also led to significant decreases in abdominal fat accumulation.
The guidelines, developed by an expert volunteer panel, integrate cutting-edge biomedical advances with evidence-based behavioral interventions for the care of people living with HIV or at high risk for infection. The recommendations include a call for antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission.
A six-month treatment with tesamorelin lowered liver fat modestly but significantly in HIV patients. The drug's impact on glucose metabolism was temporary, and reduced liver inflammation may result from lower fat levels.
A study funded by the Wellcome Trust found that offering adults in Malawi optional home initiation of HIV care following self-testing increased ART uptake. The results show a significant increase in population-level ART initiations, highlighting the potential of home-based care to improve HIV prevention and treatment.
A cluster randomized trial in Malawi found that adults who received home HIV self-testing were more likely to report positive results and initiate antiretroviral therapy. The study's main finding is that population-level ART initiations increased significantly with the availability of home initiation of care.
The annual HIV diagnosis rate in the US decreased by 33.2% from 2002 to 2011, driven by declines in several key populations, including women and persons aged 35-44 years. Despite increases among young men who have sex with men, overall diagnoses attributed to injection drug use or heterosexual contact decreased.
A phase III clinical trial shows that a combination drug therapy cures chronic hepatitis C in the majority of patients co-infected with both HIV and hepatitis C. The new all-oral regimen sofosbuvir and ribavirin has cure rates of up to 92% for treatment-experienced patients, offering a transformative step in treating this population.
A study published in JAMA found that HIV-infected patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who received a combination of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin achieved high rates of sustained HCV virologic response after therapy cessation. The treatment showed promise for coinfection, which affects up to 7 million worldwide.