This content originally appeared on NIH.gov. View the article here.
NIH is launching a new, agency-wide initiative to elevate replication and reproducibility studies as foundational to the conduct of gold standard science. Driving and sustaining culture change will take ideas from and commitment across the research enterprise, and we will be engaging the scientific community in implementing our strategic vision, which will focus on:
- Driving Effective NIH Replication and Reproducibility Efforts: NIH has longstanding replication and reproducibility efforts and will continue investing in its flagship policies, resources, and programs. These include sharing and standardizing data to accelerate biomedical research discovery, making NIH research findings freely and quickly available to the public, and supporting independent replication research to generate best practices and lessons learned.
- Incentivizing Replication and Reproducibility Sciences Across the Research Enterprise: NIH will work with the scientific community to identify innovative approaches that reinforce and incentivize replication and reproducibility across the research enterprise, such as supporting competitions to develop novel reward incentives and recognize champions of rigor. Additionally, NIH will engage researchers in selecting research areas ripe for replication and reproducibility studies.
- Institutionalizing Replication and Reproducibility as a Scientific Discipline: NIH will invest in building and sustaining critical infrastructure to drive and embed replication and reproducibility throughout biomedical research. By establishing a central locus for cutting edge science, current methods and approaches, and a forum for robust debate, NIH will develop and foster the culture for driving gold standard science.
NIH will continue to update this site, including ways to engage and how to get involved. Learn more about NIH’s ongoing replication and reproducibility efforts:
This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the article here.
Summary: Rural communities face unique challenges in accessing HIV services, but support is available. This blog post offers practical tips for getting tested, engaging in care, and using telehealth to overcome distance-related barriers. It also highlights how federal programs are helping to expand HIV prevention and treatment services across rural America.
No matter where you live, you deserve access to the HIV care and prevention tools that support long-term health
HIV touches lives everywhere across the United States, even in small towns and rural areas. Getting tested, finding prevention options, or starting treatment can feel tough in rural communities. The good news? Help is out there, and folks in rural communities are finding creative ways to make sure everyone can get the HIV services they need.
Challenges in Rural HIV Prevention and Care
If you live in a rural area, getting HIV care can feel like an uphill battle. This might mean driving long distances, not having many doctors or clinics to choose from, or struggling to get to appointments. You might also worry about what others will think or say. All of this can make it hard to get tested or to access the HIV prevention or treatment services that you need. But remember, you’re not alone. With the right help and some good resources, you can stay on top of your health and get the care you need, no matter where you live.
Tips for Accessing HIV Services in Rural Areas
- Get tested: Knowing your HIV status is the first step to protecting your health. You can search for testing options near you using the HIV.gov HIV Services Locator. You can also request a free HIV self-test from Together TakeMeHome, a program supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that mails self-tests to help make HIV testing more accessible across the United States.
- Explore telehealth options: Telehealth can help bridge the distance between patients and providers. Ask whether your provider or an HIV clinic in your region or state offers virtual appointments for HIV care or PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
- Find a provider who meets your needs: The HIV.gov HIV Services Locator can also help you connect with care providers and support services—even in surrounding counties or nearby cities. You can also check with your local health department to see what HIV services they may offer or see whether they know of any clinics or hospitals from nearby communities that may offer HIV services via a mobile clinic that visits your community periodically.
- Stay engaged in care: Routine visits with your health care provider are important to staying healthy. Consider setting reminders for appointments or enrolling in programs that offer care coordination or navigation services so you have someone you can reach out to with questions between appointments.
Federal Support for HIV Services in Rural Areas
There are federal programs working to make sure that people in rural communities get the HIV services they need:
- The Indian Health Service (IHS) offers HIV care and prevention for Indigenous communities, including those in rural regions, making sure care fits cultural needs.
- The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program helps people living with HIV, including those in rural areas, access medical care, medications, and essential support services by working with clinics, providers, and community programs.
- The Health Center Program supports local health centers all over the country. Many of these centers are located in rural areas. Health centers offer HIV testing, and many also provide prevention and treatment services.
- The CDC supports health departments and community-based organizations that provide HIV testing and prevention services, including in rural and high-need communities.
In addition, seven states with a substantial number of HIV diagnoses in rural areas—Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina—are getting extra support and attention through the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. President Trump launched the EHE in 2019 to substantially reduce new HIV infections in the United States by helping those states, 48 counties, Washington, DC, and San Juan, PR, enhance and expand their HIV testing, treatment, and prevention efforts.
Closing the Distance
Wherever you call home, your health is important. If you live in a rural area and need HIV testing, prevention, or treatment services, there’s help out there—whether it’s through telehealth or special federal programs. Distance doesn’t have to keep you from getting the care you need.
To learn more about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment visit HIV.gov and explore the “HIV Health & Wellness” section for more information and resources.
The 2026 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Conference welcomed over 150 attendees from academic institutions, community-based organizations, health care institutions, and other organizations working to end the HIV epidemic at the California Endowment on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The conference included engaging oral and poster presentations, lively discussions, and networking opportunities to support the next generation of HIV researchers and service providers.
CHIPTS Development Core Director, Jesse Clark, MD, MSc facilitated this year’s conference and provided a warm welcome to participants. CHIPTS Director, Raphael Landovitz, MD, MSc followed with opening remarks setting the tone for an exciting conference. He echoed the conference’s goals with a powerful statement: “Ask bold questions. Show us your unfinished ideas. Let this be a place where curiosity is encouraged and where support is tangible.”
Ashleigh Herrera, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work at California State University Bakersfield offered an engaging and insightful opening plenary on building community, connection, and protection to preserve the HIV continuum of care and research. She emphasized the importance of multilevel social support—strategic guidance from senior mentors and collective care among early-career peers—in navigating challenges and sustaining momentum.
Throughout the day, there were four sets of oral presentations and in-between a fantastic group of poster presentations highlighting innovative research and evaluation projects to support efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Access poster presentations on our webpage.
The first panel was moderated by CHIPTS Development Core Co-Director Marjan Javanbakht, PhD and centered on HIV care and service delivery. The second set of oral presentations moderated by CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Affiliate Michael Li, PhD, MPH focused on intersectionality (e.g., intimate partner violence, substance use, and stigma). CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist Ronald Brooks, PhD moderated the third panel on keeping it local: HIV/STIs in Los Angeles. The fourth panel moderated by CHIPTS Development Core Director, Jesse Clark, MD, MSc was a unique conversation on moving research forward that provided tools, perspectives, and examples to foster innovation and long-term career growth.
To close the conference, CHIPTS Co-Director Steve Shoptaw, PhD congratulated this year’s outstanding presenters and encouraged participants to continue their commitment to new ideas and collaborations as we work together to end the HIV epidemic.
Check out our photo gallery on our Facebook page.
Presentation slides, if available, may be provided upon request by emailing chipts@mednet.ucla.edu
This content originally appeared on grants.nih.gov. View the article here.
Our funding decisions must balance many competing and dynamic factors when determining the most meritorious research ideas to support. These factors center around peer review, health priorities, scientific opportunities, the workforce, availability of funds, and the wider research portfolio. Thoroughly addressing this balance has implications for the pace of scientific advancements and responsiveness to the often-changing nature of biomedical scientific progress.
With our prior approaches as a foundation, implementing this new framework is based on a set of core tenets for ICO funding policies to ensure NIH mission and health priorities are being achieved.
Core Tenets
All ICO funding policies should:
- Align with the NIH’s mission
- Prioritize scientific merit; ICOs should consider peer review information in its entirety
- Integrate a breadth of topics and approaches relevant to the ICO’s priorities
- Consider investigator career stage and promote sustainability of the biomedical research workforce
- Promote broad distribution and geographic balance of funding, considering the total amount and type of NIH funding already available to each investigator
- Align with the availability of ICO funds
More details on the core tenets are shared on NIH’s Funding Decisions webpage. Individual ICO webpages that previously reported similar information will be redirected to this central page.
A new section on the NIH Grants and Funding site is being created to enhance transparency into and accountability for ICO decision-making. Here, ICOs can share their funding policies and financial management plans centrally in a simple, consistent, and streamlined manner.
Peer Review Remains Essential and Vital
Our decision making on applications will still weigh peer review scores and critiques.
Going forward, ICOs will be considering peer review information in its entirety. NIH ICOs will not rely on funding paylines in developing pay plans. Rather, ICOs will consider these scores in context of their and NIH’s priorities, strategic plans, and budgets. ICO Directors will continue to have the delegated authority to decide what is funded by their ICOs.
Moving Away from Paylines
Around half of ICOs previously set paylines (akin to a cutoff) based on peer review scores or percentiles as part of their funding decision process. When doing so, ICOs would still need to deliberately consider the funds they have available, out-year commitments to existing multi-year awards, anticipated funding for new and established programs, and predicted trends in grant applications. Applications that fell within the payline would be funded, though not in all instances, and applications could still be funded if they fell outside the payline in special cases.
The research community occasionally expressed confusion around the payline process and asked for additional clarity as it related to their applications. Now that ICOs will not rely on funding paylines when developing their pay plans, it should be clearer for applicants to know the award decision was not made only based on overall impact score, without necessarily considering the additional valuable information provided by peer review.
These steps will strengthen accountability for the research NIH continues to support, weighing the actual need, opportunity costs, and good stewardship of taxpayer investments. It will also make NIH’s research portfolio more robust, moving us towards supporting a breadth of basic, applied, clinical, and translational research.
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 2025 as we prepare to continue our collective work to end the HIV epidemic in 2026.
WEBSITE
In 2025, the CHIPTS website featured nearly 15 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:
- World AIDS Day 2025 – A Message from Dr. Raphael Landovitz (Read here)
- 2025 CHIPTS Rapid Project Awardees (Read here)
- CDC Recommends New Injectable HIV PrEP (Read here)
- Updates to the NIH Public Access Policy in Effect (Read here)
- In Case You Missed It: Key Highlights from CROI 2025 (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 2025 below:
- CHIPTS 2026 HIV Next Generation Conference – Call for Abstracts (Download here)
- Innovative Interventions for Sustainable HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control in Zambia in a Quest to end the Pandemic in Africa by 2030 – Slides (Download here)
- HIV-Specific Antibody Responses After Early ART Initiation: Obstacles and Opportunities – Slides (Download here)
- 2026 CHIPTS Mentored Pilot Grant – Call for Applications (Download here)
- Developing and testing a multilevel intervention to promote viral suppression in the Dominican Republic – Slides (Download here)
SOCIAL MEDIA
CHIPTS continues to have an active presence across our social media platforms. In 2025, 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 2025:
Twitter:
- CHIPTS very own Combination Prevention Core Affiliate, Dr. Dvora Joseph Davey is presenting both oral and poster abstracts at #CROI2025. Dr. Davey is part of the 4,000 HIV researchers and leaders across the globe sharing their impactful work. (View here)
- #2025HIVNextGen has started! Opening remarks by CHIPTS Director Dr. Steve Shoptaw set the stage for a more meaningful and engaging conference: “Today is to talk about science and solutions that helps our communities, we also have to link and work together.” (View here)
- A comprehensive list of all featured abstracts from the 13th IAS Conference on #HIV Science (#IAS2025) in Kigali, Rwanda is available in the Journal of the International AIDS Society (jiasociety). Access this helpful resource: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17582652/2
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Weeks after #IAS2025, we wanted to share an inspiring reflection that highlights the significance of presenting in a #global stage. Dr. Amanda Miller describes #IAS2025 as a “powerful space focused on the essential role of #mentalhealth in the global #HIV response.” Read more: tinyurl.com/2pu4j36p (View here)
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Exciting news shared by @GileadSciences about the approval of the Yeztugo (#lenacapavir) twice-yearly injection indicated for pre‑exposure prophylaxis to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 in adults and adolescents who are at risk for HIV-1 acquisition. gilead.com/news/news-deta
Facebook:
- Check out our gallery capturing key moments from the 2025 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Conference that took place at the California Endowment on January 31, 2025. (View here)
- Dr. Giang Le from Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam met with CHIPTS colleagues following #CPDD25 to discuss future research collaborations related to #HIV and substance use. (View here)
- Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to address the barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment for women and girls. In honor of #NWGHAAD, CAB Co-Chair Natalie Sanchez shares a reflection and highlights the Confessions: HIV+ Women Podcast. Read more: https://tinyurl.com/4up99jyc (View here)
- The UCLA-CDU CFAR and the UCLA AIDS Institute are accepting applications for their Pilot Projects designed for early-career investigators, Letters of Intent (LOIs) are being evaluated until deadline on Friday, September 12, 2025. Learn more: https://cfar.ucla-cdu.org/pilot-projects/ (View here)
- Accepting abstracts for #HIVNextGen, the submission deadline is on October 27, 2025, by 5PM PT. Abstracts that examine contextual factors influencing #HIV health outcomes are strongly encouraged. Learn more about submission guidelines and requirements: https://chipts.ucla.edu/hiv-next-generation-conference-4/ (View here)
YouTube:
- HIV-Specific Antibody Responses After Early ART Initiation: Obstacles and Opportunities (Watch here)
- Shaping the Future of HIV and HBV Therapeutics: Centering Socio-Behavioral Research (Watch here)
- Roll-out implementation optimization in Practice: Methodological Considerations and Case Examples (Watch here)
- The power and pitfalls of social media strategies: Lessons learned from implementation science efforts to end the HIV epidemic (Watch here)
- An Innovative intervention for Sustainable HIV/AIDS Epidemic control in Zambia (Watch here)
We look forward to bringing more relevant, engaging content to the CHIPTS community in 2026.
A spotlight featuring the three projects of our 2025 CHIPTS Rapid Projects awardees that includes project titles and project abstracts. Dr. Wei-Ti Chen tests a compassion-based intervention to reduce stigma and improve mental health. Dr. Huyen Pham uses evidence synthesis and machine learning to improve care for people with HIV and co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders. Beimnet Taye examines how transportation, crime, and neighborhood factors shape care access in Los Angeles. Together, they drive innovative strategies to strengthen engagement and outcomes for people living with HIV.
Project Title: The impact of a culturally adapted stigma-reduction intervention on mental health and care engagement
Awardee: Wei-Ti Chen, PhD
Project Abstract: This project evaluates the impact of a spiritually grounded, compassion-based intervention on mental health and HIV care engagement among adults living with HIV. The primary aim is to generate evidence to inform innovative, adaptable strategies for reducing stigma and improving outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States. HIV-related stigma—manifested as negative societal attitudes and internalized shame—remains a major barrier to mental health, social support, and treatment adherence, especially within marginalized communities. The intervention integrates mindfulness, nonattachment, and self-compassion, drawing from cognitive-behavioral frameworks and culturally-informed practices. Participants are randomized to an enhanced treatment group or a standard care group. The enhanced group receives four weekly, facilitator-led sessions focused on coping with stigma and building peer support. Outcomes assessed include depressive symptoms, anxiety, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and viral load. Mediators such as internalized stigma, self-compassion, and perceived social support are measured at multiple time points. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) will compare changes over time between groups, controlling for demographics and baseline stigma, and mediation analyses will test whether improvements in these mediators account for better mental health and care engagement.
Project Title: Integrating Predictive Modeling and Evidence Synthesis to Improve Care for Individuals with Co-occurring HIV, SUD, and MHD
Awardee: Huyen Pham, PhD
Project Abstract: People with HIV (PWH) often experience co-occurring mental health disorders (MHD) and substance use disorders (SUD), which negatively impact HIV treatment outcomes. Integrated care models are essential but remain poorly understood. This study has two aims: (1) to conduct a scoping review of integrated care models for individuals with HIV and co-occurring SUD/MHD, and (2) to use machine learning (ML) to predict SUD/MHD comorbidity, treatment utilization, and identify key drivers of treatment utilization among PWH, using 2010–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. The first aim will follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMAScR) framework, drawing from electronic databases and focusing on studies published between 2015 and 2024. Integrated care models will be characterized by setting, provider type, services offered, and evaluation metrics (e.g., accessibility, effectiveness, quality, cost). Additionally, patient characteristics associated with positive outcomes will be identified. For the second aim, the study will analyze data from 409,521 adult respondents from NSDUH data, including 702 individuals who self-reported an HIV diagnosis (representing a weighted estimate of 488,000 annually). Key drivers of SUD/MHD comorbidity and treatment utilization among individuals with HIV and co-occurring SUD and/or MHD will be identified. Findings from this project will improve understanding of integrated care strategies and inform healthcare policy to better address service needs and treatment engagement among individuals with comorbid HIV, SUD, and/or MHD.
Project Title: Transportation Vulnerability & HIV Care Engagement in Los Angeles County
Awardee: Beimnet Taye, MPH
Project Abstract: Although effective treatment and testing options exist for HIV care, people still face issues in fully utilizing these care options. External neighborhood level factors such as crime prevalence, public transportation access, and traffic congestion could all affect a person living with HIV’s ability and willingness to seek HIV care by impacting their ability to commute to and from HIV clinics and pharmacies. In Los Angeles County these factors vary significantly between neighborhoods. Thus, this project provides an opportunity to explore how these factors at the census tract level are associated with individual HIV care engagement and how these factors affecting residential mobility modify the association between individual behaviors such as frequency of substance use and care engagement among a cohort of men who are living with HIV (The mSTUDY). By linking publicly available crime and arrest data from the Los Angeles Sheriff and Police departments, Public transport stops density data, and daily average traffic data to the individual level cohort data by census tract of residence we can leverage hierarchal mixed models to quantify cross level associations and interactions with HIV related appointment adherence and viral suppression (≤ 200 copies/mL) among those living with HIV. Quantifying these relationships will not only identify important residential based issues facing this population in Los Angeles, but can also inform future specifically tailored interventions for this population that can attempt to ameliorate these issues and better HIV care engagement for all.
This content originally appeared on CDC.gov. View the article here.
Dear Colleague,
Today, CDC published new Clinical Recommendations for twice-a-year injectable lenacapavir as an additional option for HIV prevention in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved injectable lenacapavir, a prescribed medication, for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in June 2025. This is a significant step forward in expanding prevention options and reflects decades of research, partnership, and commitment to ending the HIV epidemic.
CDC has reviewed and graded the evidence on lenacapavir as PrEP from two clinical trials, which demonstrated strong efficacy in preventing HIV infection among both females and males and found no serious safety concerns. On the basis of a high certainty of evidence for its efficacy and safety derived from the agency’s analysis, CDC strongly recommends lenacapavir, administered every six months as a subcutaneous injection, for HIV PrEP in all people weighing at least 35 kg who would benefit.
The Clinical Recommendations for lenacapavir are an addition to CDC’s current Clinical Guidance for PrEP which also recommends daily oral pills or injectable cabotegravir, which is administered every two months. All FDA-approved PrEP options are highly effective in preventing HIV when taken as prescribed.
CDC recommends health care providers inform all sexually active adults and adolescents about proven options for PrEP and prescribe PrEP to anyone who requests it. The addition of lenacapavir provides another powerful option in HIV prevention. Because lenacapavir only needs to be administered every six months, it may help some people overcome challenges with adherence or more regular health care visits associated with other existing PrEP options.
This milestone would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our partners — federal, academic, community-based, and clinical — who lead and help generate the evidence-based research and programs.
According to the most recent CDC estimates, more than 31,000 people acquire HIV in the United States each year. The FDA approved the first HIV PrEP in 2012, and PrEP has become a vital part of U.S. HIV prevention efforts. Combined with HIV testing and effective treatment, PrEP has contributed to significant reductions in new HIV infections. Reaching people with more options for PrEP, including lenacapavir, will further strengthen national efforts and accelerate progress toward ending the HIV epidemic.
CDC estimates 2.2 million Americans could benefit from PrEP and is currently working to update estimates of current PrEP coverage in the United States. Thank you for helping us raise the visibility of this new prevention option as we continue to work together to maximize the impact of all available strategies for preventing HIV.
Sincerely,
/Robyn Fanfair/
Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH
Captain, USPHS
Director
Division of HIV Prevention
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This content originally appeared on UNAIDS.org. View the press release here.
GENEVA, 5 September 2025 – UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the US State Department that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will be supporting an initiative by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to provide lenacapavir to up to 2 million people in countries with high burdens of HIV.
Lenacapavir, an American-based innovation, is one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools that has emerged in the HIV response, offering protection against HIV with just twice-yearly injections. The breakthrough medicine will save thousands of lives if made widely available for all people and populations at risk of HIV including young women and adolescent girls as well as sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men in high burden countries and geographies.
“This deal offers hope that many more people around the world who are at risk of HIV will have access to this revolutionary HIV medicine. More global work will be needed to increase scale and rapidly make lenacapavir available, affordable and accessible in all low and middle-income countries. But at this critical moment, the United States’ backing of this breakthrough medicine is an important signal to the world that by investing in the HIV response we can stop new infections,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
An initial roll-out of 2 million is an important start toward a broader ambition and i t is important that lenacapavir be available to all people in need, not only to some. UNAIDS estimates that 20 million people will need to be reached with antiretroviral-based prevention such as lenacapavir as part of efforts to achieve the 2030 global HIV prevention targets. UNAIDS also estimates that for every US$ 1 invested in HIV prevention, US$ 7 will be saved in treatment and care costs later.
The price for lenacapavir in France, Norway, Spain and the United States in late 2024 exceeded US$ 28 000 per person per year. For this initiative, manufacturer Gilead has pledged to supply the medicine at no profit. Research published earlier this year showed that lenacapavir can be made and sold for just US$ 40 per person per year, falling to US$ 25 with sufficient scale.
To successfully expand access to lenacapavir, community engagement will be essential. To advance progress in the roll-out, populations most impacted by HIV must play a central role in its delivery and people most at risk of HIV must have access.
UNAIDS will continue to support countries and partners in driving the response to HIV forward to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to the HIV services they need and that AIDS is ended as a public health threat by 2030.
Yeztugo is Now the First and Only FDA-Approved HIV Prevention Option Offering 6 Months of Protection
This content originally appeared on Gilead.com. View the full article here.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Yeztugo (lenacapavir)—the company’s injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor—as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg, making it the first and only twice-yearly option available in the United States for people who need or want PrEP. Data show that ≥99.9% of participants who received Yeztugo in the Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials remained HIV negative.
“This is a historic day in the decades-long fight against HIV. Yeztugo is one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of our time and offers a very real opportunity to help end the HIV epidemic,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead Sciences. “This is a medicine that only needs to be given twice a year and has shown remarkable outcomes in clinical studies, which means it could transform HIV prevention. Gilead scientists have made it their life’s work to end HIV and now, with the FDA approval of Yeztugo and in collaboration with our many partners, we can help to make that goal a reality.”
The first PrEP medication, which was also developed by Gilead, was approved in the U.S. in 2012. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that, in 2022 (the most recent year with available data), only about 1 in 3 (36%) people in the U.S. who met the CDC’s eligibility criteria for PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP. CDC data show that all populations in the U.S. are not yet using PrEP at rates that could end transmission of the virus at the population level, with particular gaps for women, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino people, and people in the U.S. South. Data also show that barriers including adherence challenges, stigma and low awareness of existing PrEP options—by both healthcare providers and consumers—contribute to this low uptake of PrEP across multiple populations. The potential impact of this limited uptake, adherence and access is underscored by the fact that, in 2023, more than 100 people were diagnosed with HIV every day in the U.S.
“Yeztugo could be the transformative PrEP option we’ve been waiting for—offering the potential to boost PrEP uptake and persistence and adding a powerful new tool in our mission to end the HIV epidemic,” said Carlos del Rio, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research in Atlanta. “A twice-yearly injection could greatly address key barriers like adherence and stigma, which individuals on more frequent PrEP dosing regimens, especially daily oral PrEP, can face. We also know that, in research, many people who need or want PrEP preferred less frequent dosing.”
Access the full article on the Gilead Sciences, Inc website: Yeztugo Lenacapavir Is Now the First and Only FDA Approved HIV Prevention Option Offering 6 Months of Protection
This content originally appeared on NIH Office of Science Policy. View the full article here.
Increasing access to publications resulting from federally funded research offers many benefits to the scientific community and the public. Access can accelerate research, generate higher quality scientific results, encourage greater scientific integrity, and enable future inquiry, discovery, and translation for NIH-supported research. Importantly, these efforts also uphold NIH’s commitment to responsible stewardship of the Nation’s investment in biomedical research by improving transparency and accessibility of taxpayer-funded research.
The NIH Public Access Policy (NOT-OD-25-047) is now in effect as of July 1, 2025.
The Policy will continue to apply to any author accepted manuscript accepted for publication in a journal that is the result of funding by NIH in whole or in part through a grant or cooperative agreement, including training grants, a contract, an other transaction, NIH intramural research, or the official work of an NIH employee. Author accepted manuscripts meeting this qualification and with acceptance dates on or after July 1, 2025, are subject to the Policy.
Read more on the NIH website: https://sharing.nih.gov/public-access-policy/.
On May 19, 2025 – CHIPTS will join partners across the U.S. in observing National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness and promote action against HIV and AIDS within Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. It also emphasizes the importance of education, quality care, and addressing stigma and related health conditions.
NAPIHAAD is an important reminder of the ongoing efforts to promote HIV prevention, testing, and treatment among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people and an opportunity to share important resources that can help combat the HIV epidemic. Please use the resources below to support the ongoing efforts to reduce HIV and AIDS in this community.
- The CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) campaign offers resources about testing and treatment for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. The campaign also provides messaging to use for NAPIHAAD to help spark conversations about HIV and to reduce HIV stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
- Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #APIMay19 and follow @HIV.gov. Visit the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day page and use gov’s basics information to share HIV facts, raise awareness, and find details about HIV testing, stigma, and its effects.
As an AIDS Research Center committed to investigating and addressing HIV and related challenges, CHIPTS is pleased to share recent research by Dr. Wei-Ti Chen, CP Core Affiliate, which specifically explores and addresses these barriers within Asian communities.
Huang, J., Lin, Y., Fu, Y., Xu, Z., Hong, H., Arbing, R., Chen, W. T., Wang, A., & Huang, F. (2024). A longitudinal network analysis of interaction factors among Chinese women at high risk for perinatal depression. Midwifery, 139, 104187.
Chen, W. T., Sun, W., Huang, F., Shiu, C. S., Kim, B., Candelario, J., Toma, L., Wu, G., & Ah-Yune, J. (2024). Lost in Translation: Impact of Language Barriers and Facilitators on the Health Care of Asian Americans Living with HIV. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 11(4), 2064–2072.
Chen, W. T., & Barbour, R. (2023). Male and female Asians living with HIV: a text-mining analysis comparing their concerns. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1114731.
This content originally appeared on NIH.Gov. View the full article here.
Stay Updated on Evolving NIH Grants and Funding Policies
NIH continues to update their grants and funding processes in response to shifting agency priorities and federal guidance. Key updates include changes to application requirements – such as revised review criteria and procedures for fellowships, training, and conference grant submissions. Additionally, updates have been made to application forms (FORMS-I), reporting requirements, and the posting of new funding opportunities.
For the most current information – including details on communications, applications, reviews, awards, and reporting – please visit the NIH Grants and Funding Information Status page. This page is updated regularly, so check back often for the latest developments.
Additional updates:
- NIH also announced a postponement of the May 25, 2025, implementation of the Common Forms for all applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs). NIH will issue future Guide Notices outlining the new effective date and additional implementation details as they are finalized.
- NIH applicants and recipients must continue to use the current NIH Biosketchand Other Support format pages for applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) and RPPRs
This content originally appeared on TargetHIV. View the full article here.
Summary:
The kick-off of a five-part webinar series in a HRSA aging and HIV initiative will be held May 13th.
The series is part of the HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F SPNS Aging with HIV Initiative that supports and evaluates emerging interventions to comprehensively screen and manage comorbidities, geriatric conditions, behavioral health, and psychosocial needs of people with HIV aged 50 years and older.
SPNS Aging with HIV Initiative – Part F
The Emerging Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes for People Aging with HIV (Aging with HIV Initiative) supports and evaluates groundbreaking interventions that seek to improve the well-being of people with HIV ages 50 and older served by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP).
Funded by HRSA’s RWHAP Part F: Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS), the interventions being tested at each Aging with HIV Initiative demonstration site employ the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) implementation science framework to:
- Implement emerging strategies that comprehensively screen and manage comorbidities, geriatric conditions, behavioral health, and psychosocial needs of people 50 years and older with HIV.
- Assess the uptake and integration of emerging strategies.
- Understand implementation processes, including assessing specific implementation strategies.
- Understand and document broader contextual factors affecting implementation.
- Evaluate the impact of the emerging strategies.
- Document and disseminate the emerging strategies.
Learn more: https://targethiv.org/spns/aging
HRSA Aging and HIV Webinar Series
This session, “Enhancing Workforce Capacity for Care in HIV and Aging Populations,” is the first webinar in a five-part series, which will focus on enhancing workforce capacity in HIV and aging care. Experts from University of Chicago and Yale University will discuss effective strategies for training healthcare providers, addressing workforce gaps, and implementing best practices in HIV and aging care.
Learning objectives:
- Understand the essential workforce competencies for providing quality care to aging adults with HIV.
- Learn about successful training initiatives from demonstration sites.
- Explore strategies to bridge workforce gaps and sustain quality care services.
Healthcare professionals, community health workers, social workers, policymakers, educators & researchers in public health, gerontology, and social work, and others interested in aging and HIV care are strongly encouraged to attend the first webinar session.
Register for the May 13 webinar.
This content originally appeared on TargetHIV. View the full article here.
From CROI (Excerpts)
Dear Colleague:
The Abstract eBook, session recordings (webcasts), and additional materials from the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) are now publicly accessible at CROI 2025 Resources – CROIconference.org.
In the coming months, key research highlights from CROI 2025 will be featured through a variety of formats, including webinars, podcasts, CME-accredited in-person and on-demand courses, and journal articles in Topics in Antiviral Medicine™.
Below is an overview of the available CROI 2025 resources. Sign up for upcoming events and explore the content to deepen your understanding of the latest data and its clinical implications. Many of these resources are available at no cost.
Our Voices: Video Testimonials, Podcasts, and YouTube
In addition to showcasing more than 1000 presentations of the latest and most impactful research, CROI 2025 amplified many powerful voices in support of scientific progress. These special features are now available as podcasts and on YouTube. Watch, listen, and help spread the word—whether by sharing individual episodes or the full collection at Our Voices – CROIconference.org.
Going anti–Viral Podcasts
Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections produced by IAS–USA. Several current and upcoming episodes were recorded live from CROI.
CROI Review Articles for CME
Review articles will be published in Topics in Antiviral Medicine™, the journal of the International Antiviral Society–USA, this spring. See the CROI 2025 Review Articles page to access the articles ahead of the issue (as they become available).
CME Courses (On-Demand)
The IAS–USA CME courses from New York and Atlanta feature new data and exclusive highlights of important clinical updates from CROI. These are exciting opportunities to stay at the forefront of the latest information on HIV management. Visit On-Demand HIV Courses (2025) – IAS-USA.org
On Monday, April 21, from 2–3 PM PT, CHIPTS hosted a virtual event entitled “In Case You Missed It: Key Highlights from CROI 2025.” This session aimed to spotlight key abstracts from the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), hand-selected by CHIPTS scientists – Drs. Dubov, Gorbach, Landovitz, and Shoptaw. Our featured CHIPTS scientists for the ICYMI, shared the innovative research they found particularly compelling for the CHIPTS community.
The session moderated by Dr. Cathy Reback, welcomed a broad audience, including students, community members, healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers, creating a space to explore how new scientific findings can inform and strengthen collective efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
See the list of featured abstracts below, along with links to the corresponding slides and posters available on the CROI website.
1. 160 – Missed Opportunities for Syphilis Diagnosis with Targeted Compared to Universal Screening – Slides Video
2. 157 – Optimizing On-Demand Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate/Emtricitabine Dosing in Women for HIV Prevention – Slides Video
3. 192 – ImPrEP CAB Brasil: Enhancing PrEP Coverage with CAB-LA in Young Key Populations – Slides Video
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1. 1178 – National HIV Self-Test Distribution Program: HIV Testing, Diagnosis, and Treatment – Slides Video
2. 187 – How do Repeated Financial Incentives Affect HIV Care-Seeking Behaviors Over Time in Tanzania? – Slides Video
3. 1145 – Unstable Housing, Methamphetamine Use, and HIV Incidence among Racial and Ethnic Minority Men – Poster
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1. 154 – Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Once-Yearly Formulations of Lenacapavir – Slides Video
2. 194 – Adherence to F/TAF in Cisgender Women Prevents HIV With Low Risk of Resistance or Diagnostic Delay – Slides Video
3. 200 – Ensitrelvir to Prevent COVID-19 in Households: SCORPIO-PEP Phase III Placebo-Controlled Trial Results – Slides Video
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1. 750 – High HCV reinfection rates may mask true sustained virologic response in People who inject drugs – Poster
March 10, 2025 – Today, CHIPTS joins partners across the country in observing National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day when we reaffirm our commitment to addressing the barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment for women and girls. In honor of #NWGHAAD, CHIPTS CAB Co-Chair Natalie Sanchez shares a reflection of todays’ awareness day and highlights the Confessions: HIV Positive Women podcast. Learn more below.
UCLA Los Angeles Family AIDS Network is once again partnering with Christie’s Place in San Diego for a new season of Confessions: HIV Positive Women, launching on March 10 in recognition of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD). This day serves as a crucial reminder of the impact of HIV on women and girls, while emphasizing the importance of education, prevention, and access to care.
In the U.S., nearly 23% of people living with HIV are women, with Black and Latina women disproportionately affected due to systemic barriers in healthcare, stigma, and lack of access to early testing and treatment. Young women, in particular, face challenges in receiving timely diagnoses and navigating the complexities of living with HIV. NWGHAAD sheds light on these disparities and encourages conversations that empower women and girls to prioritize their health and well-being.
This season of Confessions: HIV Positive Women will explore the deeply personal journeys of women at different life stages, each navigating the realities of living with HIV. Listeners will meet a young woman who was recently diagnosed at just 21 years old, a lifelong survivor who has lived with HIV since birth, and women who are now facing the unique challenges of aging with the condition. Their stories are a powerful testament to resilience, strength, and the evolving experiences of women living with HIV.
Marilynn Ramos, a participant from Season 1 and now a Peer Educator, reflects on her experience:
“Participating in the Confessions Mujeres VIH+ podcast has been a life-changing experience. I went from being a caterpillar, unsure of where to go or how to move forward, to transforming into a butterfly, free to embrace my story and share it with others. Telling my truth has been an act of liberation, and through it, I have found my voice. This podcast has not only healed me, but it has also given me the chance to offer other women a glimpse of hope they might need to keep going. It has changed my life, and I am honored to be part of something that can help change the lives of others.”
Through open and honest storytelling, Confessions: HIV Positive Women continues to break down stigma, amplify women’s voices, and foster a supportive community for those impacted by HIV. As we recognize NWGHAAD, let us reaffirm our commitment to raising awareness, advocating for equitable healthcare, and ensuring that all women and girls – regardless of their circumstances – have access to the resources and support they need to live full, healthy lives.
Links to Podcast:
The 32nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) is being held on March 9 -12, 2025, in San Francisco, California. Learn more about CROI 2025 and the exciting work of our CHIPTS scientists featured at the conference below.
What is CROI 2025?
CROI 2025 provides a forum for scientists and clinical investigators to present, discuss, and critique their investigations into the epidemiology and biology of human retroviruses and associated diseases. CROI is the preeminent HIV research meeting in the world and includes up to 4,000 HIV research and care leaders internationally. CROI has facilitated the presentation of important discoveries in the field, thereby accelerating progress in HIV and AIDS research.
CHIPTS at CROI 2025
Several CHIPTS scientists will be sharing exciting research findings and project updates at CROI 2025, contributing to the dissemination of crucial information that advances HIV prevention and treatment initiatives globally. We are delighted to highlight workshops, oral abstracts, and poster abstracts featuring the important work of our CHIPTS scientists.
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Raphael Landovitz (Moderator)
Workshop 01 – Scott M. Hammer Workshop for New Investigators and Trainees
Session Start: 8:30 AM (San Francisco Ballroom B)
Monday, March 10, 2025
Poster Session H1 – HIV Resistance to bNAbs, Cabotegravir, GS 1720, and Other Agents
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
725 – Effect of SNG001, Inhaled IFN-β1a, on SARS-CoV-2 Diversity and Evolution
Poster Session K2 – Hypertension
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
820 – No Increased Risk for Hypertension With CAB-LA Compared to TDF/FTC for PrEP: Results From HPTN 084
Poster Session-M1 – PASC: Natural History and Classification Systems
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
921 – Assessing the Burden of Long COVID in Persons With HIV Using the RECOVER Scoring System
Poster Session T1 – Still Here: Syphilis
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1249 – Risk Factors for Incomplete Treatment for Syphilis in Pregnant Oral PrEP Users in South Africa
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Oral Abstract Session 06 – Immunology and Vaccines
Session Start: 10:00 AM (San Francisco Ballroom C)
142 – Profiling Therapeutic Vaccine-Driven HIV-Specific CD8 T Cells With Single-Cell TCR Sequencing Assays
Dvora L. Joseph Davey, Kathryn L. Dovel, and Thomas Coates
Oral Abstract Session 08 – New Frontiers in STI Prevention
Session Start: 10:00 AM (San Francisco Ballroom D)
166 – Impact of Urine TFV Testing on PrEP Adherence in South African Pregnant and Postpartum Women: An RCT
Kathryn L. Dovel
Poster Session Q01 – The HIV Care and Prevention Cascades: Novel Insights
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1086 – High Burden of Untreated HIV in Malawian Fishermen: Prospective Data From a Cluster Randomized Trial
Poster Session T4 – Global STI Epidemiology
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1265 – Diagnostic Screening and Treatment of Curable STIs in Pregnancy and Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Oral Abstract Session 11 – Gaps and Solutions in the HIV Response
Session Start: 10:00 AM (San Francisco Ballroom A)
183 – Preliminary Efficacy for HPTN 094: 26-Week RCT of Integrated Strategies for People Who Inject Drugs
Kathryn L. Dovel and Thomas Coates
Oral Abstract Session 11 – Gaps and Solutions in the HIV Response
Session Start: 10:00 AM (San Francisco Ballroom A)
185 – Low-Cost Counseling Achieves Positive Outcomes for Malawi Men Disengaged From Care: Randomized Trial
Oral Abstract Session 12 – Expanding the Prevention Toolbox
Session Start: 10:00 AM (San Francisco Ballroom D)
192 – ImPrEP CAB Brasil: Enhancing PrEP Coverage With CAB-LA in Young Key Populations
193 – Estimation of Prevention-Effective CAB-LA Concentrations Among MSM/TGW in HPTN 083
197 – Response to HIV Treatment After Long-Acting Cabotegravir Preexposure Prophylaxis in HPTN 083
Poster Session F3 – Pharmacokinetics in the Real World: Long-Acting Drugs, Alternative Matrices, and Adherence
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
653 – TFV-DP Is Associated With Baseline Virologic Suppression in PWH on TAF: Results From ACTG A5359
Poster Session G3 – ART in Vulnerable and Treatment – Experienced Populations
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
692 – A5359: Decreasing Oral Induction Duration in Support of LAI ART Use With Hardly Reached Populations
Poster Session G5 – Antiviral Therapy for SARS-CoV-2
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
713 – SARS-CoV-2 Ensitrelvir Resistance-Associated Mutations in Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial
Dvora L. Joseph Davey and Kathryn L. Dovel
Poster Session O5 – HIV Acquisition and Prevention During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1009 – PrEP Adherence and Acceptability of Urine Tenofovir Testing in Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Steve Shoptaw and Pamina M. Gorbach
Poster Session Q10 – HIV and Substance Use
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1145 – Unstable Housing, Methamphetamine Use, and HIV Incidence Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Men
1146 – Substance Use Is Associated With Higher HIV Viral Load and Reduced Viral Suppression in 6 US Cohorts
Poster Session R3 – Challenging and Innovative HIV Testing
Session Start: 2:30 PM (Poster Hall)
1193 – Use of DNA Profiling to Resolve Discrepant HIV Tests in the Setting of Injectable Cabotegravir PrEP
The 2025 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Conference welcomed over 150 attendees from academic institutions, community-based organizations, health care institutions, and other organizations working to end the HIV epidemic at the California Endowment on Friday, January 31, 2025. The conference included engaging oral and poster presentations, lively discussions, and networking opportunities to support the next generation of HIV researchers and service providers.
CHIPTS Development Core Co-Director Dallas Swendeman, PhD, facilitated this year’s conference and provided a warm welcome to participants. CHIPTS Director Steve Shoptaw, PhD, followed with opening remarks setting the tone for an exciting conference. He echoed the conference’s goals with a powerful statement: “Today is to talk about science and solutions that helps our communities, and to use this conference as a way to link and work together.”
Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor, University of California San Francisco, offered an engaging and insightful opening plenary exploring how water insecurity and extreme weather events such as droughts, precipitation anomalies, and floods may influence HIV treatment. He highlighted how these factors could affect ART adherence, viral load suppression, and the prevalence of opportunistic infections among people living with HIV.
Throughout the day, there were four sets of oral presentations with panel discussions. The first panel was moderated by CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Affiliate Michael Li, PhD, and centered on projects aimed at improving treatment adherence and viral suppression. The second set of oral presentations moderated by CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist Laura Bogart, PhD, focused on linkage and retention among people living with HIV. CHIPTS Methods Core Director Sung-Jae Lee, PhD, moderated the third panel on HIV testing, prevention, and PrEP. The fourth panel moderated by CHIPTS Policy Impact Core Co-Director Ayako Miyashita Ochoa, JD, led a discussion on the impact of local California policies and ballots on communities affected by HIV. The conference further featured a fantastic group of poster presentations highlighting innovative research and evaluation projects to support efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
The projects, The Intersection of Place and Health: Neighborhood and Socio-Economic Determinants of Viral Suppression (oral) and Black Feminist Strategies in HIV and Mental Health Care: A Literature Review (poster) won attendee votes for favorite oral and poster presentations respectively. To close the conference, CHIPTS Development Core Director Norweeta Milburn, PhD, congratulated this year’s outstanding presenters and encouraged participants to continue their commitment to new ideas and collaborations as we work together to end the HIV epidemic.
A complete list of oral presentations with descriptions, PowerPoint slides, and photo highlights from the conference are provided below.
Check out our photo gallery of the conference on our Facebook page: https://tinyurl.com/pvcp7hbz
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Opening Plenary:
Jerry John Ouner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor, University of California San Francisco
Presentation Title: Impact Of Water Insecurity and Extreme Weather Events on HIV Treatment Outcome
Presentation Summary: The presentation will focus on the influence of water insecurity and extreme weather events such as droughts, precipitation anomalies, and flood on HIV treatment. Dr. Ouner will highlight how water insecurity and extreme weather events affect adherence to antiretroviral therapy, viral load suppression and occurrences of opportunistic infection among people living with HIV.
Oral Panel 1 – Adherence and Viral Suppression:
1. Brendon Chau, MS
Presentation Title: Shifting from in-person to expanded telehealth delivery of medical care coordination for people with HIV: Impact on viral suppression
Presentation Summary: We model longitudinal trends in viral suppression before and after the transition to telehealth services during COVID-19 pandemic. The expected probability of viral suppression was not negatively impacted by tele-health adoption.
2. Stephen D. Ramos, PhD
Presentation Summary: We found that internalized heterosexism is indirectly associated with self-reported ART adherence, via adherence self-efficacy. This mediating effect is strongest among participants who showed hazardous alcohol use. This underscores a contextualized understanding of these associations among a sample of young Black sexual minority men with HIV.
3. Roxana Rezai, PhD
Presentation Title: The Intersection of Place and Health: Neighborhood and Socio-Economic Determinants of Viral Suppression
Presentation Summary: Despite the availability of resources such as Ryan White-funded clinics that offer free access to HIV healthcare, significant disparities in viral suppression rates exist. This study examines the association between neighborhood characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and viral suppression among people living with HIV in neighborhoods served by Ryan White-funded clinics in Southern California.
Oral Panel 2 – Linkage and Retention Among People Living with HIV:
1. Hollie David, MPH
Presentation Title: Evaluating Linkages to Care among UCLA Patients with Detectable HIV Viremia
Presentation Summary: This study examines barriers to engagement in the HIV care continuum, focusing on patients at UCLA Health with detectable viral loads. By analyzing patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and care engagement, the study identifies factors like frequent visits and adherence to ART as key to achieving virologic suppression. Results suggest that increased healthcare interactions and timely follow-ups are crucial for improving engagement and retention in care, emphasizing the need for continued outreach and support for individuals living with HIV.
2. Wanjiku Dyer, MD Candidate and Czarina Kate Igama, MSc
Presentation Summary: This presentation compares traditional Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) models with the RiseUP! Enhanced Differentiated Service Delivery (EDSD) model for HIV care and treatment among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Sub-Saharan Africa. We analyze retention rates and medication adherence across various countries, highlighting the effectiveness of the RiseUP! model’s holistic, youth-friendly approach. The study emphasizes the importance of tailored, community-based interventions in improving HIV care outcomes for vulnerable populations.
3. Ariana Waters, BS
Presentation Title: Analyzing Complex Pathways Between Resilience, Health, and Well-Being in Kenyan Youth Aged 15-24 Living with HIV in Informal Settlements
Presentation Summary: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine various pathways of resilience among HIV-positive youth living within informal settlements outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Relationships between variables were modelled and evaluated using linear regression analysis and structural equational modelling. We identified unique pathways linking social support, adverse childhood experiences, and HIV stigma to general health and resilience. These results may provide valuable insights for developing targeted intervention strategies to improve treatment adherence and HIV management in this population.
Oral Panel 3 – Testing, Prevention, and PrEP:
1. Katherine Lewis, MPH
Presentation Title: Violence and Coercion among Sex Workers in India: Gender Differences and PrEP Implications
Presentation Summary: We examined the relationship between violence/coercion and PrEP acceptability among cisgender female sex workers and transgender sex workers in urban West Bengal, India. We found very high rates of violence and coercion among participants, particularly among transgender sex workers. We also found that the relationship between coercion/violence and PrEP willingness was conditional on gender.
2. Dillon Trujillo, MPH
Presentation Title: Identifying Preferences for a Conditional Cash Transfer to Increase PrEP Use among MSM of Color in Los Angeles County
Presentation Summary: This study examines how to optimize a conditional cash transfer (CCT) intervention to increase PrEP use among Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) in Los Angeles County. Findings from a discrete choice experiment reveal preferences for larger cash payments provided more frequently, with some variation in PrEP modality. These results highlight the potential of tailored CCT designs to improve PrEP uptake and advance national efforts to reduce new HIV transmissions among key populations.
3. Brian Valencia, MPH
Presentation Title: Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP): Evaluating the Success of a CDR SNS Strategy in LAC
Presentation Summary: In Los Angeles County (LAC), we implemented a cluster detection and response (CDR) social network strategy (SNS) among HIV molecular clusters with the goal of addressing service gaps and bringing individuals into HIV prevention and care, preventing further HIV transmission. SNSs have strong evidence of effectively reaching populations who may not otherwise test. The Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP) used this strategy to distribute HIV self-test kits among the social, sexual, and behavioral networks of communities who may be at increased risk for HIV.
Oral Panel 4 – Impact of Policy on Research:
1. Nina T. Harawa, PhD, MPH and Charles Vignola, MPA and Michael Li, PhD
Presentation Title: Potential Implications of Key 2024 California Ballot Measures
Presentation Summary: Panel will discuss the potential impact of California ballot propositions that passed and did not pass on the well-being of individuals and communities that are affected by HIV, with a focus on those related to the criminal legal system.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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
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 5th 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.