As we kick off 2025, we are pleased to reflect on some of the outstanding accomplishments of our CHIPTS investigators in 2024, which will undoubtedly inspire our work in the year ahead! These achievements align with our key themes of addressing HIV and support our mission to strengthen collaborations, advance innovative research, and reach diverse populations.

Below highlights a few of our team’s accomplishments this year (not listed in any particular order).

Awarded Grants:

• Dr. Erik Storholm received an R34 grant from NIMH/NIAID for “Implementing an Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment with Community-led PrEP Navigation for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals Affected by Violence and HIV.”
• Dr. Erik Storholm received a California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) grant with Co-I Dr. Kimberly Ling Murtaugh for “Trans Wealth: An Economic Justice Intervention for Trans and Nonbinary Persons with HIV,” building on their work with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Trans Wellness Center.
• Dr. Wei-ti Chen received a CHRP grant for “Project CARE: Californians Access to Resources for Housing and Economic Security to Promote HIV Care,” continuing her partnership with APAIT/Special Service Group.
• Dr. Dvora Davey received an NIAAA R34 supplement for “A Community-based Adaptation of a Peer-led Intervention to Address Alcohol Use and HIV Risk in Pregnant Women in South Africa” with Drs. Amanda Miller and Tom Belin as co-investigators.
• Dr. Amanda Miller received an NIAAA K01 supplement for “Utilizing Implementation Research Methodologies to Adapt an Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use and Improve HIV Care Outcomes among Men Living with HIV who have Serodiscordant Pregnant Partners.”
• Dr. Amanda Miller received an R01 grant for “Reducing hazardous alcohol use and optimizing treatment as prevention among men living with HIV in risk environments.”
• Dr. Laura Bogart received an R01 grant from NIMH for “Evaluation of PrEP Implementation Strategies for the General Population in Botswana,” with Drs. Mosepele Mosepele and Lisa Hirschhorn.
• Dr. Norweeta Milburn (Co-I) and Dr. Dawn Bounds (PI) received a NIDA R01 grant entitled, “Teaching Youth & Families Self-Regulation Skills to Disrupt the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Preventing Substance Use in Adversity-Impacted Youth.”
• Dr. Laura Bogart received an NIA R56 grant for “Social Connectedness, loneliness, and health among aging Black sexual minority men,” with MPI, Dr. Harold Green.
• Dr. Laura Bogart received an R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute for “A Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial of Game Changers for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Uganda,”  with Drs. Glenn Wagner and Rhoda Wanyenza.
• Dr. Gabriel Edwards received a UCLA-CDU CFAR administrative supplement with Dr. Nina Harawa for “HIV testing to PrEP Linkage in the Community – An Implementation Science Case Study in Los Angeles.”
• Dr. Pamina Gorbach received an NIDA R01 grant for “Race & Place: The Impacts of Racial Inequality on Substance Use and HIV Outcomes in Los Angeles,” with MPI Terrel Winder and Marjan Javanbakht focusing on racial inequality and health outcomes.
• Dr. Pamina Gorbach received an NIDA R01 grant for “Unraveling the intersection of substance use, inflammation, and HIV via hair levels,” with Dr. Monica Gandhi.
• Dr. Cathy Reback received an NIDA R01 grant for “Comparative- and Cost-effectiveness Research Determining the Optimal Intervention for Advancing Transgender Women Living with HIV to Full Viral Suppression,” with Drs. Raphael Landovitz and Michael Li.
• Dr. Nina Harawa received an NIDA R61/R33 grant for “California Hub for HIV/STI/SUD Prevention Research with Reentry Populations.”
• Dr. Kara Chew received an NIAID U01 grant for “A Phase 1/2a, randomized study of a Tfh-targeting genetic vaccine adjuvant designed to induce broad, durable immune responses.”
• Drs. Ian Holloway, Ayako Miyashita Ochoa, and Nina Harawa successfully renewed the Southern CA HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center, focusing on HIV-syndemic policy research in California.
• Drs. Sung-Jae Lee and Chunqing Lin (MPI) were funded a Fogarty Training Project entitled “Cutting-edge, Customized, and Comprehensive (CCC) HIV capacity building for Vietnam and Thailand” (D43TW012489) to enhance Hanoi Medical University and Chiang Mai University’s capacity in HIV for them to become the leader in HIV/AIDS control in Southeast Asia.

Published Papers:

• See a list of our 2024 publications. 

Additional Accomplishments:

• Dr. Sung-Jae Lee was appointed to co-lead the Health Equity and Translational Social Science (HETSS) Research Theme for the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM).
• Natalie Sanchez was invited by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) for a three-year term.
• Dr. Tom Coates was awarded the 2023-2024 Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award.
• Dr. Steve Shoptaw was awarded the Public Impact Research Award.
• Dr. Amanda Miller was selected as a finalist for the Enoch Gordis Postdoctoral Research Award.
• Drs. Sung-Jae Lee and Chunqing Lin hosted delegates from Chiang Mai University (Deans and Assistant Deans) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DGSOM to establish and strengthen the partnership between UCLA and CMU, in February 2024.

Additionally, we invite you to check out our photo gallery from the Year End Social that was held to recognize the accomplishments and efforts of our CHIPTS investigators throughout 2024.

This content originally appeared on NIH OAR. View the full article here.

View the recording on YouTube.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) symposium “Emerging Topics in HIV and Aging Research: Early Career Investigator Spotlight,” was held on October 24, 2024 during the International Workshop on Aging & HIV in Washington, D.C. Organized by the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), the event highlighted the critical intersection of HIV and aging research, emphasizing the need for innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to improve health outcomes and quality of life for people living with HIV. Sustaining these efforts depends on ongoing mentoring and career development to support the next generation of investigators.

NIH representatives David Chang, Ph.D., OAR Senior Science Advisor, and Vasudev Rao, M.B.B.S. NIMH Program Director, underscored the importance of supporting early career investigators (ECIs) in this field. Dr. Chang highlighted the low percentage of NIH R01 awards to early-stage investigators (ESIs)¹ in HIV research, stressing the need for increased support and mentorship. Dr. Rao discussed NIMH Division of AIDS Research (DAR) initiatives for basic science and target discovery research approaches, with a focus on social and mental health challenges, epigenetics, comorbid conditions, implementation science, and integrated care models for lifetime and long-term survivors with HIV.

The symposium featured presentations from four ECIs:

• Moka Yoo-Jeong, Ph.D., NP-C, RN, OCN, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University, explored the impact of loneliness on older people with HIV, distinguishing between emotional and social loneliness and their effects on mental health.
• Kalen J. Petersen, Ph.D., Post-doctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, investigated the relationship between brain aging and cognitive function, as well as epigenetic changes—i.e., changes in gene function without changing the DNA sequence—in virally suppressed individuals with HIV, revealing accelerated epigenetic aging linked to cognitive impairment.
• Jun Yeong Byun, Ph.D., M.S.N., Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, examined the mental health and quality of life in older adults with both HIV and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), highlighting the importance of resilience and social support.
• Abigail Baim-Lance, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Veterans Health Administration) presented innovative care models integrating geriatric, nursing, and community health worker support to improve outcomes for older adults with HIV.

The symposium highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing the multifaceted needs of people aging with HIV.  Presenters shared insights on the challenges faced by older people, including loneliness, accelerated biological aging, and mental health issues linked to comorbidities, such as COPD. Discussions emphasized bridging the gap between research and practical healthcare solutions, with a particular focus on community-based support and the potential of biological models in predicting health outcomes.

The symposium also stressed the need for continued mentorship, expanded NIH resources for ECIs, and platforms to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among investigators of all career stages in HIV and aging research. The event demonstrated NIH’s commitment to supporting ECIs and fostering innovation, which will be crucial for addressing the complex health needs of people aging with HIV.

Learn more about NIH research priorities related to HIV and aging, links to clinical materials, funding information, and additional resources on the OAR HIV and Aging page.

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This content originally appeared on NIH.Gov. View the full article here.

Summary: The White House Office of National AIDS Policy has published the 2024 National HIV/AIDS Strategy Progress Report, providing highlights of recent federal efforts to implement the Strategy, the latest data on the Strategy’s indicators of progress, and reflections on areas that require further attention and effort in order to achieve national HIV goals.

Today, the White House released the 2024 National HIV/AIDS Strategy Progress Report (PDF, 479KB).

Through the collaborative efforts of many federal agencies as well as the steadfast work of partners at the community, state, and tribal levels, the United States continues to make important though incremental progress in ending HIV transmission and improving health outcomes and quality of life for people with HIV.

Released days after we observed the third anniversary of the current Strategy on World AIDS Day, this report provides an update to the nation on our progress and encourages our shared work to sustain and accelerate that progress to achieve our goals. The report provides the latest data on the NHAS indicators of progress as well as high-level updates on more than 50 key actions taken by federal partners to move the nation closer to reaching the Strategy’s four goals. It also highlights contributions toward that progress as a result of implementing the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative, deploying resources from the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund, and enhancing efforts focused on improving quality of life among people with HIV. Finally, the progress report also highlights areas that require our further attention and effort to achieve the Strategy’s goals.

I am grateful for the efforts of federal staff across multiple departments and agencies whose dedication has contributed to the progress we have achieved. Of course, our national accomplishments could not have been realized without the essential contributions of people with and experiencing risk for HIV, community members, health care providers, researchers, public health professionals, advocates, policy makers, businesses, funders, and others. The innovation and commitment of these nonfederal partners continue to be vital in propelling our local, state, tribal, and national responses to HIV.

It is my hope that this report not only illuminates the encouraging trajectory of our collective efforts but also inspires continued efforts to accelerate our progress toward our national HIV goals. Together, let’s celebrate the unwavering determination and vital contributions of those who have driven this progress and renew our commitment to achieving our goal of ending the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere.

Access the 2024 National HIV/AIDS Strategy Progress Report (PDF, 479KB) on HIV.gov. Share the 2024 National HIV/AIDS Strategy Progress Report At-a-Glance (PDF, 195 KB).

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In observance of World AIDS Day 2024, Center Director Dr. Steve Shoptaw shares a heartfelt message and a poignant poem to honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS. Dr. Shoptaw also highlights the continued fight for justice and improved health outcomes for those impacted by the HIV epidemic. Read more below.

It’s World AIDS Day and as in the past, I stop to put pen to paper. My mind reels when I remember that before antiretroviral therapies, there was a 72% overall mortality rate for people living with AIDS in Los Angeles County (Los Angeles Times, August 10, 1992). The overall mortality rate for people with COVID-19 never exceeded 2% – even in the early days. This duality is my reality as I listen to people argue, with passion, against treatments for and vaccines against infectious diseases.

My sister-in-law died of COVID-19. My professor died of AIDS. In the passion of the arguments against medications and vaccines that treat and prevent, the flesh and blood persons who have died gets lost. Their names forgotten.

A family member forwarded a poem to me with just one word: “WOW.” I read it all in one mental breath. It was a balm to my spirit and to my brain, renewing my resolve to continue to act. It is a privilege to share this poem with you.

As we observe World AIDS Day on December 1st, we encourage you to reflect on this invoking poem, “We Speak Your Name” by The Black AIDS Institute, written by Clarence R. Williams.

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We Speak Your Name
Clarence R. Williams and The Black AIDS Institute

We Speak Your Name

For Those who suffered in the quiet darkness Covered in Shame Not knowing what had possessed their Black Bodies A Cancer? Pneumonia? A Virus? No Name No Treatment No Chance

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who refused the first Drug of Choice AZT Opting for a Homeopathic way And lived in Faith

We Speak Your Name

For The Women at The Well Who held the hands Gave the hugs Served the healing soup And heard the last words

We Speak Your Name

For those Who penetrated the Clubs Bathhouses, Parks, Bars, Balls and Crackhouses

Sharing condoms, prevention information Clean needles and Options

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who Would Not Stand Down Joining allies to disrupt, protest Insisting on resources

for an Invisible Community

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who Made A Way Out Of No Way Rising Up Organizations to Educate, inform Lobby

and Save Black Lives

We Speak Your Name

For Those Public Figures Who lent their Celebrity Railing against the Status Quo Advocating and demanding more from our Government

We Speak Your Name

For The Mothers In the Name of Love Who buried the rejected and abandoned Sons Of some other Mother

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who served the Usher board Choir, Deaconhood Tithing beyond 10% But could Not be Eulogized in their home Church

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who left wounded from Prophetic spaces To build Liberation Ministries of inclusiveness Driven by God’s Love and Affirmation

We Speak Your Name

For the Church Sisters Who proclaimed “There is A Balm in Gilead” Demanding there be a Health Ministry An AIDS Ministry in the church To Dispense strong medicine

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who refused to be Tested Battered by Stigma Living Freely… Reckless… Cloaked in Fear and Denial

We Speak Your Name

For Those Consumed of their Youth Getting tested and Never returning For Treatment

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who Danced about it Sang about it Painted it…Photographed it Filmed it and wrote about HIV-AIDS Without Apology

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who graduated from AZT To 30 pills…to 14 pills…to 4…to 2…to 1 And now an occasional injection Partnering with Prep and Pep And live to talk about it

We Speak Your Name

For Those Who continue to Fight Shining a Light on reality That Black Bodies represent The largest account of new infections In this current Season

We Speak Your Name

For Those With War torn Clothes Tattered with badges of Trauma And unexpressed Grief Walking Boldly towards a new Dawn of Hope Hoping for a Cure A vaccination A World without HIV-AIDS

We Speak Your Name

Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, cousins, Teachers, preachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, Clerks, salesmen, janitors, flight attendants, union leaders, Military officers, counselors, scientists, accountants, Mechanics, designers, engineers, rappers, Actors, singers, publicists, stylists, news anchors … The Countless, Faceless Black Bodies who lost their fight.

We Speak Your Name

We Speak Your Name

We Speak Your Name

(c) BAI Exclusive, Written by Clarence R Williams

CHIPTS continues to use our website and social media accounts to disseminate the latest developments in HIV research, enriching learning opportunities, Center news, and more. As we near the end of the year, CHIPTS has taken the opportunity to reflect on the content we shared that sparked the most engagement from our community. We invite you to check out some of our most popular content from 2024 as we prepare to continue our collective work to end the HIV epidemic in 2025. From all of us at CHIPTS, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and a joyous new year!

WEBSITE

In 2024, the CHIPTS website featured nearly 40 blog posts on the latest Center news as well as local, state, and national news from our research and public health partners. Our most popular blog topics included:

• CHIPTS at AIDS 2024 (Read here)
• Spotlight on CHIPTS Policy Impact Core (Read here)
• CHIPTS Director Steve Shoptaw Awarded the UCLA Public Impact Research Award (Read here)
• Statewide Skill-Building Symposium: Addressing Mental Health among Older Adults with HIV Recap (Read here)
• 2024 National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Read here)

The resource library housed on the CHIPTS website includes a wide range of downloadable materials to support HIV researchers and community partners, from assessment tools to research project reports to policy briefs. Check out our most popular downloads of 2024 below:

• 2025 CHIPTS Mentored Pilot Grant – Call for Applications (Download here)
• Adaptation of the Mobile PrEP Implementation Strategy for Equitable Scale-Out (AMP-IT-OUT) (Download here)
• Uplifting the Voices of Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women – Slides (Download here)
• A Two Decade Journey with People who Inject Drugs: Lessons from Back to the Future – Slides (Download here)
• 2024 National EHE Meeting Summary Report (PDF) (Download here)

SOCIAL MEDIA

CHIPTS continues to have an active presence across our social media platforms. In 2024, we shared relevant content with local, national, and global partners. Here is some of our most popular content posted on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in 2024:

Twitter:  

• Today is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to reaffirm our commitment to ending the disproportionate impact of HIV on #gay and #bisexual men in the USA. In honor of #NGMHAAD, we are excited to share relevant research from our faculty. Read: https://chipts.ucla.edu/news/2024-national-gay-mens-hiv-aids-awareness-day/ (View here)
• Join in-person at the UCLA NRB Auditorium on September 5th at 11:30 AM PT! CHIPTS’ very own Drs. Raphael Landovitz, Dilara Üsküp, and Ron Brooks are among the featured presenters for this exciting learning opportunity. Register here: https://cognitoforms.com/UCLA2/CTSITranslationalScienceSeminarFall2024UCLA (View here)
• Check out the #LAI PrEP community workshop that featured a panel presentation from staff at the Division of HIV and STD Programs on current and future plans to expand #PrEP use in Los Angeles County. Watch here: https://youtu.be/apMaWe2qqOE (View here)
• Check out the recently published UCLA Rapid, Rigorous, Relevant Implementation Science Hub webpage on our @CHIPTS website. Learn more about our UCLA 3R IS Hub activities, events, and #impsci resources: https://chipts.ucla.edu/training/ucla-implementation-science-hub/#1698954723018-8bf35e45-9d26 (View here)
• Join us for the FINAL #LAI PrEP community workshop part of the Equitable Injectable #PrEP in LA County Initiative entitled “Expanding PrEP use in Los Angeles County: 2024 and Beyond,” on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 10:00 AM PT via Zoom. Register here: https://uclahs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a6vqIyThRb6RvehS34bSow#/registration (View here)

 

Facebook:

• CHIPTS very own Dr. Gabriel Edwards shared results from his mentored pilot grant, a #qualitative implementation study that looked at the role of a smartphone app as a component of a three part intervention that also included peer mentors and contingency management. (View here)
• Check out this #UCLACTSI and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA seminar on November 6, 2024, at 12:00 PM PT. Our very own Center Director, Dr. Steve Shoptaw will present on “Leveraging Research to Shift Practice, Practitioners, and Community.” Register here: https://uclahs.fyi/ctsi-seminar (View here)
• Check out our latest global health lecture featuring Dr. Dvora Davey that focused on research to address equitable delivery of #HIV and #STI interventions, in pregnant and lactating people, in South Africa. Watch here: https://youtu.be/yiD9Hz8aKw0 (View here)
• Our updated “Recordings” page is now available on our website, watch our most exciting and impactful lectures, workshops, trainings, and discussions relevant to #HIV. Visit the page here for our complete playlists with a brief description: https://chipts.ucla.edu/recordings/ (View here)
• Join us for an upcoming #impsci Beachside Chat on September 11, 2024, at 9AM PT! Hosted by Dr. Alison Hamilton, this Chat will feature an engaging discussion with expert panelists on exemplars of equity-grounded implementation science. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/56hwkju6 (View here)

YouTube:

• Expanding PrEP use in Los Angeles County: 2024 and Beyond (Watch here)
• In Case You Missed It: Key highlights from the 25th International AIDS Conference (Watch here)
• Saturation in Qualitative Methods: Considerations for Implementation Research (Watch here)
• Beachside Chat: Qualitative Research in Implementation Science: Reflections on the Last 5 Years (Watch here)
• Prioritizing Global Health Equity in Research: Lessons from South Africa (Watch here)

We look forward to bringing more relevant, engaging content to the CHIPTS community in 2025.

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This content originally appeared on CDC Newsroom. View the full article here.

The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains high in the United States, with more than 2.4 million reported in 2023. However, the latest data from CDC show signs the epidemic could be slowing. In 2023:

• Gonorrhea cases dropped for a second year—declining 7% from 2022 and falling below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels (2019).
• Overall, syphilis cases increased by 1% after years of double-digit increases.
  • Primary and secondary syphilis cases, the most infectious stages of syphilis, fell 10%—the first substantial decline in more than two decades. These cases also dropped 13% among gay and bisexual men for the first time since CDC began reporting national trends among this population in the mid-2000s.
  • Increases in newborn syphilis (known as congenital syphilis) cases appear to be slowing in some areas—with a 3% increase over 2022 nationally, compared to 30% annual increases in prior years.

“I see a glimmer of hope amidst millions of STIs,” says Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “After nearly two decades of STI increases, the tide is turning. We must make the most of this moment—let’s further this momentum with creative innovation and further investment in STI prevention.”

Inequities Persist

While the STI epidemic touches nearly every community, some geographic areas and populations are affected more severely, including American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino people, as well as gay and bisexual men. These health equity differences are due in part to deeply entrenched factors that create obstacles to quality health services, such as poverty, lack of health insurance, less access to health care, and stigma. Several federal efforts are underway to address these disparities. Action at the community level is also key to meaningful progress.

The new data follow important developments and innovations in STI prevention, such as CDC’s guidelines for doxy PEP to prevent bacterial STIs; newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized self-tests (or at-home tests) for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia; and a nationally coordinated response to the U.S. syphilis epidemic spearheaded by the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Task Force.

However, more efforts are needed to turn around the STI epidemic in this country, including:

• Prioritizing the STI epidemic at federal, state, and local levels.
• Developing new prevention, testing, and treatment solutions for more populations – including expanding the reach of doxy PEP among groups for whom it is recommended, and conducting more research to determine if it can benefit other groups.
• Investing in robust public health systems and trained workforces with capacity to provide STI services.
• Delivering STI testing and treatment in additional outreach settings, like emergency departments.
• Making STI services more accessible in local communities

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This content originally appeared on HIV.Gov. View the full article here.

Summary: During the August 2024 meeting, Advisory Council members discussed the intersection between the global and domestic HIV responses, undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U), expanding PrEP access, and other key issues.

The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) convened virtually August 28-29, 2024, for the 82nd full council meeting. During the meeting, PACHA discussed the intersection between the domestic and global HIV responses, the effectiveness of the U=U strategy and need for increased awareness, and how an Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk adjustment model can be leveraged to expand PrEP access. PACHA also engaged with community members during a PACHA-to-the-People session. Meeting highlights are provided below. Read the full Meeting Summary (PDF, 527KB).

Focus on the U.S. Roles in the Global HIV Response

The theme of the first day was “U.S. Government HIV Response: Understanding the Intersection Between the U.S. Government, PACHA, and Global Initiatives.” ADM Rachel Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health, welcomed PACHA members, emphasizing that bidirectional learning and collaboration from the United States’ domestic and global HIV programs is crucial to learning effective and innovative strategies. PACHA Global Subcommittee Co-Chairs Dr. Jennifer Kates, Senior Vice President and Director of Global Health & HIV Policy, KFF, and Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, then provided an overview of PACHA’s purview regarding the global HIV response as well as key themes related to both the global and domestic HIV response. Loyce Pace, HHS Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, reinforced the importance of sharing real-world experiences to continue to reduce the gap between domestic and global responses to a worldwide epidemic. Watch the video of this opening session.

Members then participated in four sessions, each followed by a question-and-answer period.

• Session 1: History of the U.S. Global HIV Response—Mark Dybul, MD, Chief Strategy Officer of the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact at Georgetown University, discussed the history of the U.S. global HIV response, including the founding of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) during a time when the HIV epidemic was decimating Africa with few systems that could provide antiretroviral therapy. He stressed the importance of strong bipartisan support in ensuring PEPFAR’s success, as well as the fact that PEPFAR is a data-driven, results-driven response guided by country plans with sustainability built in from the beginning. View this discussion.
• Session 2: A Deep Dive into PEPFAR—The second session focused on the specifics of PEPFAR. Dr. Rebecca Bunnell, Principal Deputy U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for PEPFAR, and Dr. George Mgomella, Associate Director of Programmes in CDC’s Division of Global Health and Tuberculosis, Tanzania, described PEPFAR’s current status and parallels between the work the United States is engaged in globally and domestically and discussed how Tanzania has successfully used high-quality data to decrease new HIV transmissions and AIDS deaths. View this discussion.
• Session 3: PEPFAR Implementing Agencies & Other U.S. Global HIV Engagement—Leadership from PEPFAR implementing agencies across the federal government provided information about the program’s interagency process and the role their agencies or departments play, given their unique areas of expertise. View this session.
• Session 4: Planning for the Future—The fourth session was led by Michael Ruffner, Deputy Coordinator for Financial and Programmatic Sustainability in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, who discussed the common challenges of a constrained fiscal environment and health inequities but also the role of the HIV response in creating the global health infrastructure. Focusing on sustainability will help us meet global HIV goals and be prepared to respond to future infections and other health threats. View this session.

U=U: The Science, the Impact, and Prioritizing People Living with HIV

The second day featured a welcome message from Francisco Ruiz, Director of the White House’s Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), who summarized numerous meetings and other activities he has participated in to gather community input to inform ONAP’s three priorities: accentuating science, accelerating programs, and advancing equity. This was followed by a discussion of U=U (undetectable=untransmittable), a community-led movement and prevention strategy that emphasizes the lifesaving message that people living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load on treatment cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners. PACHA members Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign, and Deondre Moore, Ambassador, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, led a panel of experts discussing evidence showing the effectiveness and resonance of U=U; the impact it has had on the HIV community, both nationally and globally; equity gaps in its implementation; and the need for increased awareness in the United States. View this discussion.

ACA Risk Adjustment Model and Potential for PrEP Expansion

The day also included a panel discussion of the ACA risk adjustment model facilitated by PACHA Ending the HIV Epidemic Subcommittee Co-chair Guillermo Chacón. Presenters shared that the ACA risk adjustment model aims to balance the cost of healthcare across insurance plans by transferring funds from plans with low-cost, healthy enrollees to those with perceived higher-risk, high-cost individuals. The risk adjustment formula could potentially be leveraged to expand PrEP access and advance health equity by incentivizing insurers to cover individuals who might benefit from PrEP. View this discussion.

Public Comment Period and PACHA-to-the-People

During the public comment period individuals addressed the health and well-being of older adults living with HIV. The PACHA-to-the-People community engagement session, participants discussed topics including the Juntos y Juntas program in Texas, how providers are responding to the needs of people with HIV who are aging, the need for more HIV services capacity in border communities, and how HIV and non-HIV care providers can partner to deliver more comprehensive services. View the public comment period and PACHA-to-the-People.

Proposed Recommendations, Discussion, and Vote

The meeting concluded with PACHA members discussing three proposed recommendations: a recommendation that PACHA send a request (PDF, 165KB) to the HHS Secretary to support three policies to advance the health and well-being of people aging with HIV, which passed unanimously, and recommendations regarding support for U=U and adding stigma as the 5^th pillar of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, which were referred back to committee for further development.

Next PACHA Meeting

The next PACHA meeting will take place December 11-12, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama. Details will be posted on HIV.gov’s About PACHA page as information becomes available.

 

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On October 15, CHIPTS joined partners across the country in observing National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, a day that highlights the importance of helping address the disproportionate impact of HIV, promoting HIV testing, and stopping HIV stigma in Hispanic/Latinx communities. In honor of #NLAAD we are excited to share recent research focused on this important population from our CHIPTS faculty.

According to the CDC HIV Surveillance report, Hispanic/Latino persons accounted for about 33% of all HIV incidences in 2022, at a rate that was 5 times higher than among non-Hispanic White persons (7%). There is a disproportionate impact among Hispanic/Latino persons with the rate of males (36.5%) being 8 times the rate of females (4.6%). The overwhelming majority of HIV transmissions among Hispanic/Latino men is through male-to-male sexual contact (79%), while as for women the majority of transmission is through heterosexual contact (80%).

With the tremendous impact surveillance efforts have in identifying incidence rates. It’s important to capture the social and structural drivers of inequities in Latinx communities and find ways to address these inequities by aiming to improve HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Improvements must be tailored to the community, considering accessibility and cultural competence.

Several CHIPTS faculty members have conducted research on the impact of HIV, the HIV care continuum, and HIV syndemics as they affect Latinx communities. Recent publications reflecting this work include:

Del Pino, H. E., Rojas, E., Dācus, J. D., Durán, P., Martínez, A. J., Hernández, J. A., Ayala, G., Zea, M. C., Schrode, K., & Harawa, N. T. (2023). Would the Siblings of Latinx Men Who Have Sex With Men Encourage Their Brothers to Use PrEP? Findings From a Feasibility and Acceptability Study. AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education, 35(5), 390–405. https://doi.org/10.1521/aeap.2023.35.5.390

• The paper explored whether siblings can be engaged in PrEP promotion. The study used the Information-Motivation-Behavior model to develop and conduct surveys and dyadic interviews with Latino men who have sex with men (LMSM) and their siblings (n = 31) and three sibling-only focus groups (n = 20).

Storholm, E. D., Ogunbajo, A., Nacht, C. L., Opalo, C., Horvath, K. J., Lyman, P., Flynn, R., Reback, C. J., Blumenthal, J., Moore, D. J., Bolan, R., & Morris, S. (2024). Facilitators of PrEP Persistence among Black and Latinx Transgender Women in a PrEP Demonstration Project in Southern California. Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.), 50(1), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2022.2105794

• In this qualitative study, unique data was presented on the facilitators of PrEP persistence from Black and Latinx transgender women who initiated PrEP and exhibited varying levels of persistence during a demonstration project in Southern California. PrEP persistence was assessed by collecting quantitative intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) levels on dried blood spot (DBS) samples collected at weeks 12 and 48.

Brooks, R. A., Nieto, O., Rosenberg-Carlson, E., Morales, K., Üsküp, D. K., Santillan, M., & Inzunza, Z. (2024). Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing PrEP and Other Sexual Health Services Among Immigrant Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles County. Archives of sexual behavior, 53(9), 3673–3685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02928-z

• Qualitative research centered on exploring barriers that ILMSM experience in accessing PrEP and other sexual services is extremely limited, despite a high prevalence of HIV in this population. In this study, a purposive sample of ILMSM (n = 25) was recruited to participate in a semi-structured in-depth interview to identify the distinct barriers and facilitators ILMSM experience in accessing sexual health services given their complex intersectional identities of being an immigrant, Latino, and a sexual minority man.

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This content originally appeared on HIV.Gov. View the full article here.

Summary: The HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy has issued a Request for Information to gather recommendations that will inform the development of the 2026-2030 National Strategic Plans for STIs, Viral Hepatitis, and Vaccines as well as the 2026-2030 National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Share your feedback online by December 6, 2024.

The HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) is in the process of developing the 2026–2030 national strategic plans for sexually transmitted infections, vaccines, and viral hepatitis. Our office is also collaborating with White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) to develop the 2026–2030 National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

For the plans to be most relevant and effective, OIDP and ONAP are inviting input from a wide variety of individuals and organizations with an interest in addressing these critical public health issues. As was the case with the current versions of the three national strategic plans and with the current and all the prior editions of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, gathering input from community members, public health partners, and others is a key first step in the development process.

You can submit your ideas via the online form until December 6, 2024, at 5:00 PM (ET). More details about the opportunity to provide input on any or all of these plans can be found in the Federal Register Notice that formally requests public input.

You can review the NHAS and current National Strategic Plans at these links:

• National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States (2022–2025) (PDF, 1.76MB)
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) National Strategic Plan: 2021-2025 (PDF, 2.49MB)
• Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States: A Roadmap to Elimination (2021-2025) (PDF, 1.68MB)
• Vaccines National Strategic Plan 2021-2025 (PDF, 692KB)

In addition to this Request for Information, OIDP will be hosting three virtual listening sessions in the coming weeks as another means of gathering input. Follow HIV.gov for additional information once the details are finalized.

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September 27, 2024 – Today, CHIPTS joins partners across the country in observing National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day when we reaffirm our commitment to ending the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men in the United States. In honor of #NGMHAAD, we are excited to share recent research on this important topic from our CHIPTS faculty. Learn more below.

In 2022, the estimated number of new HIV infections showed a 10% overall decrease among gay and bisexual men compared to 2018, this percentage is significantly lower when observing age-specific data. There is a 31% reduction of new HIV infections among young gay and bisexual men aged 13-24. A similar reduction is captured among Black/African American gay and bisexual men (16% decrease) and White gay and bisexual men (20% decrease). In contrast, the number of new HIV infections among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men remained stable, underscoring the need for better insights and enhanced support for this community.

It is crucial to address inequities as we work to lower infection rates and improve access to treatment. There is a pressing need for more tailored access to HIV testing and prevention services, including ART, PrEP, and PEP. We must also focus on eliminating HIV stigma and other barriers to providing compassionate, culturally competent care.

Several CHIPTS faculty members have conducted research on the impact of HIV, the HIV care continuum, and HIV syndemics as they relate to gay men. Recent publications reflecting this work include:

 

Qian, Y., Detels, R., Comulada, W. S., Hidalgo, M. A., Lee, S. J., Biello, K. B., Yonko, E. A., Friedman, M. R., Palella, F. J., Plankey, M. W., & Mimiaga, M. J. (2024). Longitudinal Analysis of Overlapping Psychosocial Factors Predicting Incident Hospitalization Among Mixed HIV Serostatus Men who have Sex with Men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. AIDS and behavior, 28(9), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-024-04356-5

• Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for certain types of chronic diseases and mental health problems. Despite having extended survival in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era, MSM living with HIV contend with aging-related diseases and complications with treatment. Consequent hospitalizations incur high costs, fear, low quality of life, and frailty.

Moran, A., Javanbakht, M., Mimiaga, M., Shoptaw, S., & Gorbach, P. M. (2024). Association of Partnership-Level Methamphetamine Use on Inconsistent PrEP Care Engagement Among GBMSM in Los Angeles County. AIDS and behavior, 28(5), 1522–1530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04178-x

• There are limited quantitative studies describing the association between meth use in the context of male-male sexual partnerships and PrEP care engagement. We assessed the longitudinal relationship between individual and partnership level meth use with inconsistent PrEP engagement among young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in Los Angeles.

Javanbakht, M., Miller, A. P., Moran, A., Ragsdale, A., Bolan, R., Shoptaw, S., & Gorbach, P. M. (2023). Changes in Substance Use and Sexual Behaviors After a Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnosis Among a Cohort of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Los Angeles, CA. Sexually transmitted diseases, 50(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001733

• Despite declines in substance use and sexual behaviors after a sexually transmitted infection, reinfections were high suggesting that men who have sex with men with sexually transmitted infections occupy sexual networks with high transmission probabilities and prevention efforts should consider sexual network characteristics.

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