Ending the HIV Epidemic Newsletter
NASTAD, in collaboration with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), distributes a monthly newsletter to Phase 1 Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) jurisdictions. The newsletter informs recipients of EHE-related policy updates, communications from federal partners, success stories, and other related EHE information. NASTAD maintains an EHE website to house programmatic updates, share strategies and outcomes from Phase 1 jurisdictions, and connect health departments with the community. For questions, comments, or content contributions, please contact Mike Weir.
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
On September 22, lawmakers struck a bipartisan deal to temporarily extend Fiscal Year 2024 funding levels through December 20. The House of Representatives teed up a continuing resolution (CR) that will avert a government shutdown on the October 1 start date of Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025). Notably, the CR extends funding until after the November general elections, buying appropriators more time to reach a deal on the FY2025 spending package while avoiding the larger backdrop of the election. The bipartisan deal materialized after a failed bid from House of Representatives to pass a controversial continuing resolution (CR) (H.R. 9494) on September 18.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the congressional appropriations process and advocate for the highest possible funding for HIV, hepatitis, and drug user health programs.
Senate Passes End TB Now Act (S.288)
On September 19, the Senate passed the End TB Now Act (S.288), a bill that will support ending tuberculosis in the US and marks a comprehensive commitment to make the elimination of tuberculosis (TB) a foreign assistance priority for the United States. Enacting the End TB Now Act will help the US achieve its goal of TB elimination by establishing goals for U.S. efforts to detect, cure, and prevent all forms of tuberculosis, and will direct the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost its bilateral TB programs and meet the objective of the United States and our allies in the global fight against TB.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Support Continuous Eligibility for Adults Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
On August 13, NASTAD joined a coalition of 187 organizations and called on Congress to support 12-month continuous eligibility for adults in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by passing the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act (H.R. 5434 and S. 3138). Complex redetermination requirements, including inefficient paperwork, overly burdensome reporting requirements, or temporary income fluctuation, result in eligibility churn for many beneficiaries, causing millions to lose coverage within a year of enrollment. A nationwide policy of 12-month continuous eligibility for all adults in Medicaid and CHIP will allow for continuous and stable enrollment and for these programs to operate more like private coverage and Medicare.
Administration Activities
HRSA Announces $1.4 billion in RWHAP Funding for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
On August 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced that it awarded more than $1.4 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding for the HRSA AIDS Drug Assistance Program and related awards. This tranche of funding will help to ensure that individuals with HIV who have low incomes receive lifesaving medication, quality HIV health care and essential support services. The funding was announced during the opening plenary session of HRSA’s 2024 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment in Washington, DC.
HRSA HAB Releases RWHAP EHE Initiative Data Report for 2022
On August 14, the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) released the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) Initiative Data Report, 2022, which presents national data on services delivered by 60 RWHAP programs who receive EHE funding to reach people with HIV who are unaware of their status and people with HIV who are not receiving regular care. In 2022, HAB EHE-funded providers served 22,001 clients new to care and 19,204 clients estimated to be re-engaged in care, nearly double the number of new and re-engaged clients served in 2020. From July 2021 through June 2022, RWHAP Part F AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program recipients conducted 483 EHE-funded trainings, a seven-fold increase from July 2019 through June 2020.
HHS Releases 2023 Viral Hepatitis Progress Report
On August 14, the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy released the 2023 Progress Report on the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan 2021-2025. This is the second progress report on the 5-year National Strategic Plan, which aims to eliminate the public health threat of viral hepatitis by 2030. The strategic plan sets five goals and has eight core and eight disparities indicators with annual, 2025, and 2030 quantitative targets to measure progress toward the goals. The 2023 progress report highlights actions taken by federal agencies housed within HHS to prevent new infections, improve hepatitis-related health outcomes, reduce disparities and inequities, improve surveillance and data usage, and integrate work planning across all stakeholders.
HRSA HAB Issues RWHAP Programmatic Guidance for Doxy PEP and STIs
On August 7, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) released a new program letter on the role of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) in addressing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mpox. The letter provides information on the CDC’s new clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) for prevention of bacterial STIs, and calls on programs to use RWHAP funds to purchase doxy PEP for eligible clients and Part B AIDS Drug Assistance Programs to add doxycycline to their formularies to ensure access and coverage. HRSA also calls on programs and jurisdictions to remain aware of mpox vaccination and testing recommendations, particularly for people living with HIV.
US District Court Eliminates Last Categorical Restriction Against PLWH from Joining Armed Services
On August 20, a federal district court struck down the Department of Defense’s (DOD) last categorical disqualification preventing people living with HIV from joining the U.S. Armed Services. The court found that DOD’s policies prohibiting asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads from enlisting were irrational, arbitrary, and capricious, as well as stigmatizing. The ruling came in Wilkins v. Austin, filed by Lambda Legal.
CDC Announces New Director of the Division of STD Prevention
On July 28, Dr. Bradley Stoner began his tenure as the new Director of the CDC Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP). Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Stoner was Professor and Head of the Department of Public Health Sciences and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Queen's University, Canada. As Director of DSTDP, Dr. Stoner will oversee sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance, control, research, guidelines, and the implementation and evaluation of CDC-supported prevention programs.
FDA Approves First Nalmefene-based Opioid Reversal Auto-Injector Product
On August 7, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Purdue Pharma’s Zurnai, the first nalmefene hydrochloride auto-injector to reverse opioid overdose. The approval of the auto-injector formulation follows the FDA’s approval of the first nasal nalmefene spray product in May 2023. Nalmefene-based opioid reversal products are potent, longer-acting opioid antagonists compared to naloxone, which may lead to more precipitated withdrawals and push people away from care. In 2023, the American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology issued a position statement recommending naloxone products over nalmefene sprays as the preferred first-line agent to reverse opioid overdoses.
FDA Issues Marketing Authorization for First At-Home, Over-the-Counter Syphilis Antibody Test
On August 16, the US Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization for the first at-home, over-the-counter test to detect Treponema pallidum (syphilis) antibodies in human blood. The First To Know Syphilis Test, manufactured by NOWDiagnostics, provides an at-home result without a prescription in approximately 15 minutes. Positive test results from this test alone are not sufficient to diagnose syphilis infection and should be followed by additional laboratory testing through a health care provider to confirm a diagnosis of syphilis.
CMS Authorizes Coverage for People Transitioning out of Incarceration
On July 2, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that five states were approved for Section 1115 demonstration projects to expand coverage for adults and youth transitioning out of incarceration. The first-ever Medicaid Reentry Section 1115 Demonstration Opportunity allows a state to cover certain services not otherwise coverable in Medicaid and CHIP up to 90 days before an eligible person’s expected release from incarceration. CMS approved the waivers in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont.
NIH Panel Releases New Recommendations to Prevent Anal Cancer for People with HIV
On July 9, the HHS Panel on the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV has released new recommendations to prevent anal cancer for people with HIV, the first U.S. federal guidelines on the topic. These recommendations include a screening program that uses high resolution anoscopy (HRA) to help detect and treat precancer and prevent anal cancer for people with HIV.
The guidelines recommend that all adults with HIV be assessed at least once per year for anal abnormalities (such as pain, burning, or masses) and undergo digital anorectal examination (DARE).
HUD Awards $26 Million to Address the HIV Epidemic through Housing
On July 9, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $26 million in Housing Interventions (HINT) to End the HIV Epidemic program funding, providing 11 grantees with a one-time award to fund housing assistance and supportive services for eligible individuals and families, coordination and planning activities, grants management and administration. The program is part of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, and at the end of the grant period, each grantee will create a HOPWA Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Grant Model.
FTC Report Reveals Concentrated PBM Market Structure
On July 9, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an interim report detailing the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on the accessibility and affordability of prescription drugs. The report is part of an FTC inquiry launched in 2022 to assess PBM market practices and shows how increasing vertical integration and concentration has enabled the six largest PBMs to manage nearly 95 percent of all prescriptions filled in the United States. As a result, PBMs have an outsized impact on patient access and affordability for prescription drugs.
Resources
HRSA EHE Office Hours Series
NASTAD is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the HRSA EHE Office Hours Series (HRSA-20-078). These sessions will provide an opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenges, and explore promising practices related to EHE innovations, social determinants of health, and engaging state and local health departments. The HRSA EHE Office Hours Series is a three-month learning opportunity for staff in EHE Phase I funded health departments. We look forward to your participation and the valuable contributions to the collective learning experience. Below, you will find pertinent details and a registration link for each meeting.
Session 1: EHE Innovations Microsite Launch
Tuesday, September 17, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
This session showcased NASTAD’s EHE Innovations microsite. Presenters walked participants through navigating the site. Two jurisdictions highlighted on the site shared an innovative EHE activity, and successes and challenges in the implementation journey. The recording of session 1 is available here (passcode: j&44eaqj).
Session 2: Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Wednesday, November 13, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
Jurisdictions will share how they are addressing SDOH through the EHE Initiative to engage and retain in care those newly diagnosed with HIV and those who are not virally suppressed. Jurisdictions will share best practices and lessons learned through the planning and implementation of these strategies. Register here to join the meeting.
Session 3: Engaging State and Local Health Department
Tuesday, November 19, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
A brief didactic will be provided on best practices for EHE jurisdictions to collaborate between state and local health departments. A select jurisdiction will share their experience. Attendees will participate in breakout groups to discuss and identify strategies that may be suitable for their jurisdiction. Register here to join the meeting.
For questions about the program, don't hesitate to email ehescp@NASTAD.org.
CAI's TAP-in participation at the 2024 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
At the recent USCHA, CAI’s TAP-in presented two sessions, "Strengthening Readiness: Applying Tabletop Scenarios for HIV Cluster Preparedness” with a panel from the Kentucky EHE Jurisdiction and “Utilizando la ciencia de la implementación para Iniciación-rápida en San Juan,” detailing our work with the San Juan EHE Jurisdiction on Rapid ART expansion. Our poster presentation, “Tools and Strategies to Expand Housing Services in Resource-Limited Settings,” was also well-received.
CAI TAP-in’s July Community of Practice: Housing and Security Deposits to Address Barriers to HIV Care and Services
During CAI’s TAP-in Community of Practice session in July, “Housing and Security Deposits to Address Barriers to HIV Care and Services,” 30 participants from 17 EHE Jurisdictions discussed HRSA’s recent announcement allowing the use of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds to cover housing security deposits. Broward County and Orlando EHE Jurisdictions presented on their approaches and, after the session, TAP-in shared resources from Broward, Orlando, and Miami to help participants implement housing and security deposit assistance with their EHE funding. If you are interested in these resources, please contact tap-in@caiglobal.org.
To learn more about TAP-in's work, visit our page at TargetHIV. To request TA from TAP-in to support your HRSA EHE program or be added to the listserv to receive more information on future programming, please contact tap-in@caiglobal.org.
“In 2022, 22% of persons who died of drug overdose had a non–substance-related mental health disorder. The most common disorders were depressive (13%) and anxiety (9%). Approximately one quarter of decedents with a non–substance-related mental health disorder had at least one recent potential opportunity for intervention (e.g., current treatment for substance use disorders or recent emergency department visit).”
Fenway Institute Policy Brief: Mpox Update Summer 2024
“On August 14, 2024 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency due to ‘an escalating crisis of mpox concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo,’according to The New York Times…The WHO warned that the virus has the ‘potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the
continent.’”
GU O’Neill Institute Brief: Better Integration Between HIV and Aging Systems is Critical
“While too many people with diagnosed HIV are not in care, those receiving RWHAP services have high viral suppression rates comparable to many other developed nations. The majority of PWH in the United States are over age 50, but we have not done enough to prepare to meet both the clinical and social needs associated with aging HIV to support a high quality of life.”
“Among the vaccines included in the combined 7-vaccine series, coverage among VFC-eligible children born in 2020 was approximately 90% for first doses of vaccines (≥1 dose of varicella vaccine and ≥1 dose of MMR§§§§) and for series administered earlier in life (≥3 doses of poliovirus vaccine and ≥3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine).”
HRSA HAB Webinar: An Innovative Approach for Improving STI Screening and Treatment Among Those with or Vulnerable to HIV Acquisition
Date: Thursday, September 18, 2024, 2:00-3:00 pm ET
“Join us for an exciting webinar featuring a groundbreaking intervention, Addressing STIs: Ask. Test. Treat. Repeat., designed to improve routine screening, testing, and treatment of common STIs. This initiative integrates evidence-based interventions into routine, primary HIV care without adding extensive burden to the clients and clinical team. CE credit is available for individuals who attend the live webinar. Click here to learn more about CE credits offered through the IHIP webinar series.”
“Among adults evaluated for substance use treatment and reporting past–30-day IMF or heroin use or IMF or heroin as their primary lifetime substance use problem, those also reporting xylazine use reported more past nonfatal overdoses, and higher percentages of persons who reported xylazine use reported other recent substance use and polysubstance use than did persons who did not report xylazine use. Provision of nonjudgmental care and services and linkage to and retention in effective substance use treatment might reduce harms, including overdose among persons reporting xylazine use.”
CDC MMWR: Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Population Estimates Along a Cascade of Care —United States, 2022
“The analysis highlights that in a representative community sample, most adults who needed OUD treatment either did not perceive that they needed it or received treatment without medications for OUD. Based on evidence from the analysis, it is recommended that clinicians and other treatment providers should offer and arrange for evidence-based treatment, including medications for OUD.”
CHLPI Brief: Medicare Coverage of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Information for Patients, Providers, and Pharmacists
“The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are considering issuing a final National Coverage Determination (NCD) for PrEP directing Medicare to cover all forms of PrEP (oral and injectable) through Medicare Part B, the portion of Medicare that covers outpatient treatment. If CMS does this, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get PrEP under Medicare Part B with zero cost-sharing.”
KFF Issue Brief: Supreme Court Decision Limiting the Authority of Federal Agencies Could Have Far-Reaching Impacts for Health Policy
“The US Supreme Court has again overturned longstanding precedent, this time getting rid of a 40-year- old standard for decision making that required federal courts to defer to reasonable agency decisions where federal law is silent or unclear. This “Chevron deference” standard is now gone, ushering in a new era where courts will not have to accept agency expertise in their review of challenged regulations.”
Engagement Strategies Summit for Southern EHE Jurisdictions
Southern AIDS Coalition, in collaboration with CAI’s TAP-in, presents a day-long pre-conference Summit to the 2024 Saving Ourselves Symposium for HRSA EHE jurisdiction staff and representatives. Learn to better engage Black LGBTQIA+ communities. Explore strategies for assessing, learning, and planning for meaningful engagement of people living with HIV. Building Bridges for Vibrant Communities being held on August 15th in Atlanta is open to all EHE program leadership, staff, and community representatives. Please email outreach@southernaidscoalition.org with any questions.
To learn more about TAP-in's work, visit our page at TargetHIV. To request TA from TAP-in to support your HRSA EHE program or be added to the listserv to receive more information on future programming, please contact tap-in@caiglobal.org.
NACCHO Launches New Roots of Health Inequity Course
The Health Equity & Social Justice team at NACCHO is proud to launch the revamped version of the Roots of Health Inequity online course. Roots of Health Inequity is a free, online collaborative series for current and future public health professionals interested in tackling the root causes of health inequities in their communities. New for 2024, the course explores topics such as the historical influences of public health, root causes related to race, gender, and class struggles, and building power to advance equity in public health practice. The all-new platform features a learner-centered interface that allows users to tailor their learning experience, listen to stories from the field, and facilitate group conversations about the content, online and in-person.
The Well Project Survey Report on Breast/Chestfeeding
National Breastfeeding Month has just drawn to a close, but The Well Project is still celebrating exciting findings from our 2024 Infant Feeding and HIV Survey: The Well Project Survey Reveals Dramatic Shift in Provider Support of Breast/Chestfeeding After 2023 HIV Guideline Updates.
Findings from The Well Project’s survey show that 82 percent of healthcare providers said they were "mostly/very supportive" of breast/chestfeeding for parents living with HIV after the 2023 guideline updates, compared to just 32 percent retrospectively indicating such support prior to the updates.
Read more about these findings – and download shareable infographics highlighting key results and responses from the survey.
EHE Success Stories and Innovations
As part of our ongoing commitment to foster collaboration and share best practices in public health, NASTAD is excited to announce an opportunity for jurisdictions to showcase their innovative initiatives on our microsite dedicated to public health advancements. NASTAD will be releasing a series of success stories highlighting EHE innovations across both CDC and HRSA funding streams that address the four pillars: diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond.
By sharing your innovations, you not only have the opportunity to showcase your jurisdiction's achievements but also to contribute to a global knowledge-sharing platform that can benefit public health practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and communities worldwide.
Please find the survey link attached HERE. Please reach out if you have any questions or need assistance completing the survey. Please contact EHESCP@nastad.org with any questions.
This series promotes policy-based achievements across the STI sector, with the goal of connecting peers and partners who want to replicate, adapt, or learn from shared successes. Check out the latest publication about syphilis testing in detention centers in Colorado, a partnership between local and state health departments.
NACCHO Recording Now Available: Navigating the Fourth Wave of the Overdose Crisis: Understanding National Overdose Trends and Supporting Local Health Departments and their Harm Reduction Partners Meet New Challenges
Recording is now available for this webinar held in August 2024. In the last year, more data has emerged that the US overdose crisis has moved into its fourth wave. This wave is marked by increased co-involvement of stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine with illicitly manufactured fentanyl. In December 2023, the journal Addiction published a sweeping article Charting the Fourth Wave: Geographic, Temporal, Race/Ethnicity and Demographic Trends in Polysubstance Fentanyl Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2010-2021, detailing the shifting fourth wave of the US overdose crisis. CDC released a preliminary report in a February 2024 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly reporting an increase in overdose deaths from 2020 to 2022 due to illicit fentanyl and stimulant co-involvement. In this webinar, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will discuss what makes this fourth wave unique, including polysubstance use, geographic and demographic shifts in use, and shifting routes of substance use, as well as tools and resources for LHDs and their harm reduction partners to navigate these shifts and provide meaningful harm reduction resources to communities served. We will also spend time talking about changes in naloxone availability, including new over-the-counter options, new higher dose naloxone products, and compassionate overdose response. Joining this webinar will be Tim Santamour from Florida Harm Reduction Collective and other speakers to share resources and information on increasing naloxone access, compassionate overdose response, and current drug checking efforts.
University of Pennsylvania Survey: PrEP Use Across EHE Jurisdictions
The Social Action Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is inviting health departments across the EHE jurisdictions to participate in a research study. The purpose of the study is to explore strategies to improve PrEP use across EHE jurisdictions. Through a survey link, the research team is looking to collect data on structural determinants of PrEP use and policy implementation factors in your EHE state/county. Participants will be invited to a PrEP promotion conference fully sponsored by the team at the University of Pennsylvania and to participate in research publications resulting from the project.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Bita Fayaz Farkhad at bitaf@upenn.edu to learn more and to receive the link to the survey. We hope you will consider participating.
Please contact Natalie Cramer or Kristina Santana with questions.
NASTAD and RAISE Webinar Series
The Research Alliance in Implementation Science to End HIV (RAISE) Hub aims to advance the implementation of EHE initiatives through evidence-based interventions. NASTAD is proud to collaborate with The University of Washington/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research on the RAISE Hub on this initiative which includes a monthly webinar series. To learn more about RAISE and view previous webinars, click here.
CSTE Infectious Disease Peer-to-Peer TA Consultancy Form - HIV
The CSTE Infectious Disease Program is pleased to offer coordination of peer-to-peer technical assistance. CSTE's HIV peer-to-peer technical assistance will be conducted virtually at this time. To give or receive peer-to-peer technical assistance, please complete the CSTE Infectious Disease Peer-to-Peer TA Consultancy Form.
If you have any questions regarding HIV peer-to-peer technical assistance, please reach out to Symone Richardson at srichardson@cste.org. If you have any questions about completing the consultancy form, please reach out to Akila Simmons at asimmons@cste.org.
EHE Community of Practice (CoP) on NASTAD’s Online Technical Assistance Platform (OnTAP)
NASTAD and NACCHO manage a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) to support peer-to-peer learning and mentorship for EHE jurisdictions. The EHE CoP is housed on NASTAD’s online technical assistance platform (OnTAP) for those leading their jurisdictions' EHE efforts at local and state health departments to share resources and news, discuss challenges and successes, access notes from monthly EHE Office Hours calls, and request technical assistance (TA). If you need access to OnTAP, please contact Krupa Mehta.
Ending the HIV Epidemic Jurisdictional Directory
NASTAD maintains an Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Jurisdictional Directory. NASTAD has recently updated the EHE Jurisdictional Directory, which lists local and state points of contact for all EHE Phase 1 jurisdictional activities. This directory is used to communicate with EHE Phase 1 jurisdictions, disseminate resources, and gather information. Health department staff members are encouraged to update their jurisdiction’s information using this brief form.
Jurisdictional Map of Phase 1 EHE Final Plans
NASTAD released a resource that provides access to Phase 1 EHE websites and plans. Please email Krupa Mehta additional Phase 1 EHE plans for inclusion in this resource, as well as any changes to existing plans.
Job Postings
Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and STI – Queens, New York
The NYC Health Department’s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (BHHS) Policy and External Affairs Program seeks a Senior Policy Advisor to lead its health systems policy efforts and support its HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis policy advocacy more broadly. The Senior Policy Advisor will report to the Director of Policy and External Affairs and oversee BHHS’s health systems policy efforts, including monitoring, researching, and responding to Medicaid, Medicare, 340B program, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, New York State of Health Marketplace, New York City HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA), patient assistance programs, and commercial health insurance activity relevant to New Yorkers affected by HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis.
News Bulletin
A New Drug Could Change The HIV Prevention Landscape, But Only With A Fair Price Tag
“In June, Gilead Sciences announced impressive early results from its PURPOSE 1 trial, which showed 100 percent efficacy of lenacapavir in preventing new HIV infections among cisgender women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lenacapavir is being investigated as an injectable antiretroviral medication that can be taken once every six months as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. This is a marked shift from current PrEP options, which are only available as a once-daily pill or a bimonthly injection. Once again, the HIV community finds itself at a scientific breakthrough moment. And once again, it remains an open question as to whether it will also prove to be a breakthrough moment for equitable access.”
CDC Finally Puts $7 Million Toward Pilots for Free, Easy PrEP Access
“For these reasons, advocates from PrEP4All and other groups like PrEP in Black America, the HIV Medicine Association, and AVAC (formerly AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition) were delighted in early August to learn that the CDC has finally decided to put $7 million toward funding for four U.S. jurisdictions that have been hard hit by HIV. This funding will be used by each jurisdiction to design their own pilot programs to offer PrEP totally for free—and presumably with extremely easy access. There is hope that people who have had no other way to access the drug, except perhaps via sometimes hard-to-navigate drugmaker patient assistance (charity) programs, will now be able to do so.”
With mpox cases on the rise, advocates urge vaccinations to avoid potential resurgence
“More than two years since the initial mpox outbreak, cases are trending up again — and the word still hasn't gotten out to everyone at risk. During Pride Month, public health officials came armed with a serious message: Get vaccinated.”
US judge blocks Biden rule adding gender identity protections to healthcare
“A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a new rule against discrimination on the basis of gender identity in healthcare while he hears a lawsuit challenging it by 15 Republican-led states. The rule was finalized in May by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was set to take effect on Friday. It states that a federal prohibition on sex discrimination, part of the Affordable Care Act health insurance law, extends to discrimination against transgender people.