Category Archives: News

The following is an excerpt from NIH.gov. To read the full article, click here. 

Daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) that suppresses HIV to levels undetectable by standard blood tests is lifesaving for individuals living with HIV and prevents sexual transmission of the virus to others. The public health community must use targeted interventions, however, to do a better job of reaching populations with low levels of viral suppression, according to experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

If HIV treatment as prevention is to help us reach the goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States, it is critical to understand, address and bridge gaps in achieving viral suppression, NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and colleagues write in an editorial commenting on an NIH-funded study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. (Full Article)

This article originally appeared on NIH.gov. To access the original article, click here. 

Long-lasting control of HIV infection without antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a feasible goal that deserves vigorous pursuit, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., will assert during a lecture on Wednesday, July 25 at the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) (link is external) in Amsterdam. Dr. Fauci directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. His lecture is titled, “Durable Control of HIV Infection in the Absence of Antiretroviral Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges.”

An HIV cure in the classic sense requires the elimination of all virus-carrying cells, known collectively as the HIV reservoir. These cells, which have DNA encoding HIV proteins, have entered a resting state such that they do not produce any parts of the virus. HIV reservoir cells can survive for years, even for life, while remaining invisible to the immune system. Although research toward a classic cure is under way, Dr. Fauci notes that additional scientific breakthroughs will be needed to achieve that goal.

An alternative goal to a classic cure is sustained, ART-free remission, according to Dr. Fauci. This objective would not involve eradicating the HIV reservoir. Rather, it would allow a person living with HIV to keep latent virus suppressed without daily medication. Today, people living with HIV typically must take ART—a daily regimen usually of three or more antiretroviral drugs—to stay healthy and prevent transmitting the virus to others.

Scientists are taking two broad approaches toward ART-free remission, Dr. Fauci will explain. One approach consists of intermittent or continual non-ART interventions, while the other involves stimulating the immune system to independently exert long-lasting control over HIV.

Promising intermittent or continual interventions for long-lasting, ART-free remission include broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies (bNAbs) (link is external), according to Dr. Fauci. These powerful antibodies can stop nearly all strains of HIV from infecting cells in the laboratory. Studies are underway in animals and people to determine whether periodic infusions or injections of bNAbs can prevent HIV acquisition as well as suppress the virus in people living with HIV. Dr. Fauci will describe how scientists are developing bNAbs with improved attributes, including greater potency and longer duration in the body, and are testing treatment with combinations of two or three bNAbs in a manner akin to combination antiretroviral therapy. He will express cautious optimism that combination bNAb therapy will succeed.

Scientists also are testing whether delivering either bNAbs against the virus or antibodies against parts of the immune system can produce ART-free remission by inducing long-lasting, immune-mediated control of the virus without further intervention, Dr. Fauci will explain. A study led by scientists at NIAID and Rockefeller University showed that giving infusions of two different bNAbs to monkeys infected with a simian form of HIV enabled the immune systems of some of the animals to control the virus long after the antibodies were gone.

Another study led by scientists at Emory University in collaboration with Dr. Fauci’s lab involved antibodies that bind to a host immune cellular receptor called alpha-4 beta-7. Dr. Fauci will describe how giving short-term ART and infusions of the anti-alpha-4 beta-7 antibody to monkeys infected with a simian form of HIV led to prolonged control of the virus and replenishment of immune cells after all treatment stopped. He will note that an NIH study that tried to replicate this outcome did not achieve consistent results.

Finally, Dr. Fauci will report preliminary results of a small, early-phase clinical trial in which people living with HIV that was well controlled with ART received infusions of vedolizumab, an anti-alpha-4-beta-7 antibody that is FDA-approved for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These volunteers received both ART and vedolizumab at the beginning of the study, paused ART while continuing to receive the antibody, and finally stopped all treatment. He will describe how the regimen was safe and well tolerated but did not generate lasting control of the virus. He also will posit potential explanations for the differences between the alpha-4 beta-7 studies in monkeys and people.

Dr. Fauci’s lecture will be live-streamed on the AIDS 2018 website (link is external).

Dr. Fauci also has lectured on several other important topics at AIDS 2018 and related pre-conference meetings. On July 22, he delivered a lecture titled, “U=U: Science and Policy,” in which he traced the science behind the “Undetectable = Untransmittable” message from early observational studies to more recent, large clinical trials.

On July 22, he also presented a talk titled, “Ending the HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Individual and Global Considerations,” in which he argued that ending the pandemic involves a dual pathway. HIV treatment and prevention must be optimized for people living with or at risk for HIV. At the same time, these advances must be implemented globally and complemented by the development of a preventive HIV vaccine that is at least 50 percent effective.

Finally, on July 23, Dr. Fauci gave a lecture titled, “30 Years of Progress in the Field of HIV/AIDS: Science and Policy” that summarized the history of scientific advances in understanding, treating and preventing HIV infection since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981.

This article originally appeared on HIV.gov. To see the full article, click here. 

The opioid crisis in the United States is devastating the lives of millions of Americans. Perhaps overshadowed by the alarming rise in overdoses and deaths is the accompanying numbers of injection-related infectious diseases. Opioid overdose deaths increased fivefold from 1999 to 2016, and new hepatitis C infections more than tripled from 2010 to 2016.

Some communities that have been hardest hit by the opioid crisis have also seen associated increases in hepatitis B and C and other infections, such as endocarditis, septic arthritis and abscesses, driven by increases in the numbers of people who inject opioids.

Earlier this year, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health’s Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy and the Office on Women’s Health sponsored a workshop at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to explore the infectious disease consequences of the opioid crisis and consider opportunities to better integrate effective responses. A detailed summary  of the proceedings is newly available.

One of HHS’s top priorities is the implementation of a comprehensive national opioid strategy. The HHS five-point opioid strategy emphasizes the need to empower local communities to assess and respond to local needs, including both drivers and consequences of the opioid crisis.

The National Academies’ workshop highlighted the importance of addressing infectious diseases as part of an improved, comprehensive opioid response.

The opioid crisis is part of a set of interconnected health problems, often called syndemics, because they have common root causes and interact synergistically, with one problem making the others worse. Because syndemics are interconnected, coordinated efforts are required across multiple programs and partners to successfully overcome the set of problems and their consequences.

The federal government can’t fight this battle alone. We recognize that some of the best and most effective solutions will come from healthcare providers, community leaders and law enforcement who are dealing with the opioids and infectious diseases crisis on the ground.

Indeed, workshop participants who joined from across the country included experts in infectious diseases, addiction medicine, correctional health, harm reduction and law enforcement. They discussed patient-centered strategies that may be effective in reducing the infectious disease consequences of injection drug use, strategies that could be implemented using existing resources as well as those that require additional funding, and strategies that can work within and across the public health, healthcare and criminal justice systems. Many of the workshop strategies described could also help achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, which are also overseen by OASH.

The workshop proceedings and proposed strategies can provide a springboard for intensified and informed discussions about effective approaches to support the integration of infectious disease prevention and treatment into our comprehensive opioid strategy at the federal, state and local levels.

We look forward to reviewing the published proceedings and identifying action steps we may consider as we continue our efforts together to combat the opioid crisis and the rise in related infectious diseases.

Press Release:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summary on the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This report provides the most recent surveillance data on health behaviors and experiences among high school students across the country. This year, CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention used 2017 YRBS data to focus on four priority areas: sexual behavior, high-risk substance use, violence victimization, and mental health and suicide-related behaviors that contribute to substantial morbidity for adolescents, including the risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

While the 2017 YRBS results present a promising picture for some behaviors and experiences among high school students, other areas reveal concerning trends that continue to put young people at risk for HIV and STDs. For example:

• The percentage of youth who have ever had sex decreased (48% in 2007 to 40% in 2017), as did the percentage of youth who reported having four or more sexual partners (15% in 2007 to 10% in 2017), reducing the risk for HIV and STDs.
• Condom use among sexually active high school students decreased (62% in 2007 to 54% in 2017) putting more youth at risk for HIV and STDs.
• Injection drug use and use of select illicit drugs declined (23% in 2007 to 14% in 2017); however, 14% of high school students (nearly 1 in 7) reported non-prescription use of opioids, which has been directly linked to increased risk for injection drug use and HIV.
• Students who reported they were physically forced to have sex has not improved (8% in 2007 to 7% in 2017), with females reporting the highest rates (11% in 2007 and 2017) putting them at increased risk for HIV and STDs.
• The percentage of youth who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased (29% in 2007 to 32% in 2017), which may compound the risk for HIV and STDs.

While most high school students are making better decisions about their health, several subgroups of vulnerable youth are faced with unequal risk for HIV and STDs by experiencing unacceptable levels of violence, drug use, and mental health issues. The 2017 YRBS data highlight substantial health disparities among students based on sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual identity/same-sex sexual contact. These disparities are especially large among sexual minority youth.

Despite some improvements in many of the 2017 YRBS indicators, they are not enough to fully protect students from risks.Schools are central in improving health outcomes for students, but they cannot do it alone. Families and communities play a key role in making sure youth remain healthy now and into adulthood. Schools and families can have an impact on student health by supporting their connectedness with others, especially with their parents, peers, and other important adults. Adolescents are more likely to thrive if they know they matter and have adults, teachers, and friends who care about their safety and academic success.

For more information about the 2017 YRBS results, a new supplemental report on ten year trends, and additional YRBS tools and resources, please visit the YRBS website.

 

This post originally appeared on HIV.gov. To see the full article, click here. 

CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB in the Center for Global Health stands at the forefront of the global response to HIV and TB, the world’s two deadliest infectious diseases. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Hank Tomlinson will now serve as the Director of this Division, and lead CDC’s efforts to address these two epidemics around the globe. Under Dr. Tomlinson’s leadership, the Division will continue to advance HIV epidemic control as a major contributor to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Dr. Tomlinson brings a rare combination of experience at the intersection of science and programs. As a result, he is well suited to lead CDC to deliver the most effective HIV and TB prevention and treatment programs serving millions of people around the world.

Dr. Tomlinson began his tenure at CDC in 2008 in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, where he focused on strengthening the capacity of the HIV workforce to implement science- and evidence-based interventions for HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Later, Dr. Tomlinson served as a senior scientist and the acting Associate Chief for Science for the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention’s Capacity Building Branch. At CDC, Dr. Tomlinson has led or co-led efforts to estimate the cost-effectiveness of behavioral interventions, and to prioritize interventions for continued CDC support and scale up as part of CDC’s domestic pivot to high impact HIV prevention. He also promoted the adoption and implementation of programs that utilize individual-level HIV surveillance data to identify persons living with HIV who are out of care and link them to or re-engage them in care.

Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Tomlinson directed a CDC-funded HIV prevention and health promotion program for LGBT youth at the American Psychological Association. He has also worked as a clinical psychologist, and he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in health, behavioral science, and quantitative methods. Dr. Tomlinson earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Emory University and his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Duke University. He completed his residency in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore VA Hospital. His published work addresses the epidemiology of HIV among men who have sex with men; the development, evaluation, and dissemination of interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior for acquisition and transmission of HIV; and the diffusion of innovations.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Tomlinson to his new role as the Director of CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB. Click here to see Dr. Tomlinson’s recent World TB Day video statement highlighting CDC’s unique role in the fight against infectious diseases worldwide.

The following is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared on The New York Times. To see the full article, click here. 

In an effort to shrink the global AIDS epidemic, the world’s largest gay dating app is changing its software this week to urge millions of users to get frequent H.I.V. tests.

Grindr, which claims to have 3.3 million daily users from every country in the world, will send men who opt into the service a reminder every three to six months, and simultaneously point them to the nearest testing site. It will also let clinics, gay community centers and other testing sites advertise for free.

The company is making the move to “reduce H.I.V. transmission and support our whole community — regardless of H.I.V. status — in living long and fulfilling lives,” said Jack Harrison-Quintana, Grindr’s director for equality.

H.I.V. experts greeted the announcement enthusiastically.

“Wow — that’s great!” said Dr. Jeffrey D. Klausner, a former chief of sexually transmitted disease prevention in San Francisco who has used Grindr to promote testing. “For a company of this magnitude to do this is groundbreaking.”

Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health and an expert in gay male behavior, called the decision “excellent.”

“This will ‘demedicalize’ testing and destigmatize it,” Dr. Halkitis said. “The more you make it normal, the more people are going to access it.”

Dr. Jonathan Mermin, chief of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said….

(Full article)

This article originally appeared on CDC’s website. You can find the full original article here. 

March 6, 2018 – A new CDC analysis suggests only a small percentage of Americans who could benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been prescribed it.

A new CDC analysis suggests that only a small percentage of Americans who could benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill for HIV prevention, have been prescribed it. In the first detailed analysis by race and by risk group, CDC researchers also found that while two-thirds of people who could potentially benefit from PrEP are African-American or Latino, they account for the smallest percentage of prescriptions to date.

The findings were presented today at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston by Dawn K. Smith, MD, MPH, MS, epidemiologist and medical officer in CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. Dr. Smith presented the new CDC estimates of PrEP needs and an examination of available data on PrEP prescriptions from a national database of prescriptions filled by commercial pharmacies in the United States.

Results indicate that, in 2015, approximately 500,000 African-Americans and nearly 300,000 Latinos across the nation could have potentially benefited from PrEP based on CDC clinical guidelines. However, only 7,000 prescriptions were filled at retail pharmacies or mail order services for African-Americans and only 7,600 for Latinos during a similar time period (September 2015 — August 2016). While racial and ethnic data were not available for one-third of the prescription data, the analysis found a substantial unmet prevention need.

The gap between how many people could potentially benefit from PrEP and how many received it was smaller among whites, yet still considerable. Of approximately 300,000 whites who could potentially have benefited from PrEP, only 42,000 prescriptions were filled at retail pharmacies or mail order services.

“One of our most powerful tools for HIV prevention remains largely on pharmacy shelves,” said Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “PrEP can be a potent prescription that strengthens prevention options for people who are at high risk for HIV infection.”

Study underscores need to get PrEP to more who could potentially benefit

The Food and Drug Administration approved PrEP for HIV prevention in 2012. When taken daily as directed, PrEP can reduce the risk of sexually acquiring HIV by more than 90 percent and the risk of HIV infection among people who inject drugs by more than 70 percent.

To help direct provider and public education efforts, CDC researchers developed a new method for estimating where PrEP need is greatest. The analysis combines data on risk behavior with the latest information on HIV diagnoses nationally and in states.

“We know that in addition to risk behavior, the prevalence of HIV in communities plays an important role in a person’s likelihood of infection,” explained Smith. “We now have a powerful picture of where PrEP’s potential impact could be greatest.”

The new national estimate is that about 1.1 million Americans overall are at substantial risk for HIV and should be offered PrEP. However, only 90,000 PrEP prescriptions were filled in commercial pharmacies in the year examined.

Actual PrEP use is somewhat higher than these estimates, because some Americans obtain PrEP through demonstration projects or non-commercial pharmacies, including military health plans, or managed care consortia that operate their own prescription drug programs. Previous studies suggest that commercial pharmacies account for roughly 85 percent to 90 percent of all PrEP prescriptions.

CDC working to expand PrEP awareness and access

CDC is presenting the new data on PrEP need and uptake as part of ongoing efforts to maximize PrEP and all available prevention strategies.

“Closing gaps is an important step for PrEP,” said Eugene McCray, MD, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “CDC is committed to equipping providers and all people living with and at risk for HIV with the information and support needed to maximize the impact of PrEP and all proven strategies.”

CDC is leading efforts to build awareness about PrEP and help ensure that it is available to everyone who could potentially benefit from it. For example:

• In January, CDC renewed its HIV prevention and surveillance funding program for state and local health departments. In addition to prioritizing efforts to reach all people who are living with HIV with effective prevention and treatment options, the new program also prioritizes efforts to expand access to PrEP for HIV-negative individuals at substantial high risk, including people of color. CDC has also provided targeted funding to help health departments and community-based organizations expand PrEP access for all people at risk, including people of color.
• To inform and educate health care providers about PrEP, CDC recently issued updated clinical guidelines and has developed step-by-step checklists and interview guides for clinical use. CDC is also supporting a telephone hotline that provides free expert clinical advice on PrEP and sponsoring online clinical training (CME).
• CDC is supporting implementation research to further examine the practical requirements, costs, and impact of PrEP.
• Scientists at CDC are conducting studies to evaluate the next generation of PrEP options, including long-acting PrEP that could be taken less frequently.
• While PrEP can fill a critical gap in America’s prevention efforts, all available HIV prevention strategies must be used to have the greatest impact on the epidemic. These include treatment to suppress the virus among people living with HIV; correct and consistent use of condoms; reducing risk behaviors; and ensuring people who inject drugs have access to comprehensive prevention services that support drug treatment, HIV testing and linkage to care, and sterile syringes and injection equipment.

This article originally appeared on NIAID; you can see the original article here.

A woman’s risk of acquiring HIV through sex with a male partner living with HIV increases during pregnancy and is highest during the postpartum period, new research funded in part by NIAID suggests. Researchers observed this trend of increased risk of HIV transmission per sex act even after taking into account behavioral factors, such as use of condoms or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The findings suggest that biological changes during and after pregnancy may increase a woman’s HIV risk.

Renee Heffron, PhD, MPH, of the University of Washington will present the results at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston on March 5.

A new HIV infection during pregnancy or postpartum not only has negative consequences for the woman’s health, but also carries the risk of perinatal HIV transmission to her fetus or to her newborn through breastfeeding. Understanding the factors that affect HIV acquisition risk during and after pregnancy is critical to ensure that women receive the best HIV prevention tools at all stages of their lives.

Numerous behavioral, cultural and societal factors around the world potentially could increase a woman’s risk of acquiring HIV during pregnancy. For example, pregnant women may face heightened challenges when negotiating condom use with their partners. In some cultures, male partners of pregnant and postpartum women have more sexual contacts outside of the relationship, adding to the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Intimate partner violence and relationship power imbalances also may contribute to an increased risk of HIV transmission.

Some, but not all, previous studies assessing HIV incidence during pregnancy have suggested that pregnant women may have a higher risk of HIV infection compared to non-pregnant women. To provide detailed information about the chance of an HIV transmission occurring each time a mixed-status couple has sex, NIAID-supported researchers at the University of Washington compared the probabilities of male-to-female HIV transmission per sex act among non-pregnant, pregnant and postpartum women.

The current study involved 2,751 couples enrolled in either of two HIV prevention clinical trials conducted in eastern and southern Africa—the Partners PrEP Study and the Partners in Prevention HSV/HIV Transmission Study. Women underwent HIV and pregnancy testing either monthly or quarterly, depending on which trial they were enrolled in. Each month, couples reported how frequently they had sex and whether they used condoms.

Overall, 686 pregnancies and 82 HIV transmissions occurred within the study population. When determining HIV transmission probabilities per sex act, the researchers took into account differences between couples in condom use, PrEP use, age and the male partner’s HIV viral load (amount of HIV in the blood). Considering the case of a 25-year-old woman not using condoms with a partner with an HIV viral load of 10,000 copies/ml, they calculated a probability of 1.05 HIV transmissions per 1,000 sex acts when the woman was not pregnant, and 2.19 transmissions per 1,000 sex acts during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. The probability of HIV transmission in late pregnancy (14 weeks to delivery) rose slightly to 2.97 per 1,000 sex acts, and increased further to 4.18 HIV transmissions per 1,000 sex acts for the first six postpartum months.

The findings underscore the importance of expanding HIV prevention and testing services for pregnant and postpartum women living in areas with high HIV prevalence to prevent sexual transmission of the virus and identify acute HIV infections. They support current World Health Organization recommendations to include HIV testing as a routine component of antenatal, childbirth and postpartum care and to offer HIV testing services to couples and partners.

In addition, the results suggest that the physiological changes that a woman’s body undergoes during and after pregnancy contribute to an increased risk of HIV acquisition. While additional research is needed to understand this biologic susceptibility, this observation stresses the importance of testing new HIV prevention strategies in pregnant women to ensure that they are safe and effective during pregnancy. To learn more about HIV prevention research, see NIAID’s HIV Prevention website.

This work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington Institute of Translational Health Sciences and NIAID.

References: KA Thomson et al. Female HIV acquisition per sex act is elevated in late pregnancy and postpartum. Oral presentation at the 2018 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, Massachusetts.

KA Thomson et al. Increased risk of female HIV-1 acquisition throughout pregnancy and postpartum: a prospective per-coital act analysis among women with HIV-1 infected partners. Journal of Infectious Diseases DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy113 (2018).

LM Mofenson. Risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum: a call for action. Journal of Infectious Diseases DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy118 (2018).

This article originally appeared on UCLA Newsroom and is written by Enrique Rivero. For the full article, click here.

The virus that causes AIDS is known to hide in certain rare cells. When people with HIV stop taking their medications, the virus can re-emerge and multiply, or “rebound,” from those hiding places. To better combat HIV, scientists have been working to understand how and why the virus re-emerges.

“It’s the resurrection of virus that you couldn’t see in the body before,” said Jerome Zack, professor of medicine and chair of the UCLA department of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Zack, who is director of the UCLA Center for AIDS Research, and colleagues recently received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases called “Defining Factors Controlling HIV Rebound.” The five-year, $7.7 million program will involve three projects.

The projects will investigate factors that accelerate and prevent the re-emergence of HIV, and whether that rebound can be controlled by strengthening the immune system either genetically or by vaccine. The three studies will use mice to track the virus’s development and effects….

(Full Article)

A group risk-reduction intervention that uses role-playing, videos, games, and skill-building exercises to promote knowledge about HIV/AIDS, positive coping, and problem-solving skills for high-risk teens in the juvenile justice system, showed great potential for reducing sexual risk-taking. The findings were published in Health Psychology and funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Annually, over 1 million youth are involved in the American juvenile justice system. They experience more mental illness, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections than their non-adjudicated peers. However, few evidence-based interventions exist to address these problems.

Led by Geri Donenberg, Ph.D.(link is external), University of Illinois, Chicago, a randomized trial called PHAT Life(link is external): Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens, was conducted with 310 urban youth, ages 13 to 17, on probation in Chicago’s Cook County, which has the second-largest county justice system in the United States.

The participant pool was 66 percent male and 90 percent African-American. Youth were assigned to either PHAT Life or an equally intensive health information program. Both programs consisted of eight sessions, each lasting 90 to 120 minutes, over the course of a two-week period, and were delivered at four detention-alternative after-school programs run by the Cook County Department of Juvenile Probation and Court Services.

The study measured the degree of condom use (“always” versus “less than always”) and number of sexual partners in the six months before and after the PHAT Life intervention. The teens completed a two-hour baseline assessment no more than one week before receiving the interventions and then again six months after baseline.

Among participants who reported the highest-risk sexual behavior…

To read the full article on NIH.gov, click here.