CROI 2012: U.S. Black Women Have Higher Rates of HIV Infection and AIDS Death

Urban black women in the U.S. are 5 times more likely to become infected with HIV than previously estimated, and are twice as likely to die of AIDS-related causes, according to 2 posters presented this month at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) in Seattle.

Read more:

Saturday is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

March 10, 2012, marks the 7th annual observation of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD), following on the heels of International Women's Day on March 8.

Nearly 300,000 women are living with HIV in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2009 an estimated 23% of adults and adolescents living with HIV were female. Black and Latina/Hispanic women are disproportionately affected; in 2009 the rate of new HIV infections among black women was 15 times higher than that of white women and more than 3 times that of Latina women.

Like similar awareness days recognized by U.S. public health agencies, NWGHAAD is an opportunity to call attention to the HIV epidemic among women and girls and to disseminate information about relevant resources.

For further information and resources:

• Twitter: @NWGHAAD; hash tag: #NWGHAAD
• AIDSinfo: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/hiv-aids-awareness-days/149/national-women-and-girls-hiv-aids-awareness-day)
• InfoSIDA. Día Nacional de Concientización sobre el VIH/SIDA en las Mujeres y las Niñas (http://infosida.nih.gov/education-materials/hiv-aids-awareness-days/151/día-nacional-de-concientización-sobre-el-vih-sida-en-las-mujeres-y-las-niñas)
• CDC: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2012 (http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WomenGirlsHIVAIDS)
• DHHS Office of Women's Health: Women and Girls are Taking Action in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS (http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwghaad)

3/9/12

Source

AIDSinfo. National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day web site. http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/hiv-aids-awareness-days/149/national-women-and-girls-hiv-aids-awareness-day

CROI 2012: 4-in-1 Elvitegravir Quad Pill Matches Efavirenz and Atazanavir Combos

The Quad single-tablet regimen, an all-in-one pill containing the experimental integrase inhibitor elvitegravir plus 2 other antiretroviral drugs and a novel boosting agent, was as effective as the widely used Atripla combination but with fewer neuropsychiatric side-effects, researchers reported at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) this week in Seattle. In a companion study the Quad also matched boosted atazanavir (Reyataz).

Read more:

CROI 2012: New Integrase Inhibitor Dolutegravir Still Potent and Well-Tolerated at 96 Weeks

The next-generation integrase inhibitor dolutegravir maintains viral suppression and remains safe after 2 years of use, according to a small study presented Wednesday at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) in Seattle.

Read more: