A study of cryptococcal meningitis incidence in people with HIV in Botswana shows that incidence has halved since 2015 and that the decline is correlated to increased antiretroviral coverage. But the study found that men were more likely to be diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis than women and that illness related to advanced HIV remains a substantial problem despite achieving near-universal treatment coverage.

In a presentation at last month’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024), the case was made that event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) might work just as well for women as men, and should be offered to them as an option.

Adolescent girls who are mothers and living with HIV, experience more interruptions in their antiretroviral (ART) treatment, have poorer adherence, poorer clinical attendance and lower viral suppression rates compared to those who are not mothers, a recent study published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society found.

Un nuevo informe publicado hoy por ONUSIDA y Amigos de la Lucha Mundial contra el Sida, la Tuberculosis y la Malaria muestra cómo los países están aprovechando sus respuestas al VIH tanto para asegurar el impacto en la respuesta al VIH como para mejorar la salud y el bienestar nacional en general. El informe concluye que invertir ahora para acabar con el sida como amenaza para la salud pública de aquí a 2030 no solo permitirá cumplir el compromiso de acabar con la pandemia, sino que también aumentará los beneficios sanitarios más amplios de las inversiones específicas en el VIH.

The proportion of Black African women diagnosed with HIV increased between 2017 and 2021 in England, while the proportion of new diagnoses among White men dropped by 20%. Over this period, the proportion of PrEP users who were women, including Black African women, fell. Thus, when comparing Black African women to White men, and women to men, PrEP inequities have increased substantially, despite wider PrEP accessibility.

Results from a study published in PLOS Global Public Health show that people with HIV and common mental disorders in Zimbabwe can benefit from a low-cost and brief psychological intervention called the Friendship Bench to improve their mental health outcomes and, consequently, sustain viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy.

New mothers living with HIV are often unsure about whether or not to breastfeed their children, and for how long, the African Workshop on HIV & Women held in Nairobi, Kenya in February heard. This is because their infant feeding practices are influenced by the people around them, which makes the decision-making process even more difficult.

Despite advances in HIV care and treatment, a study has found a large proportion of people with HIV still experience symptoms that are underestimated or unacknowledged by their HIV doctors. Dr José Galindo Puerto of the Spanish AIDS Interdisciplinary Society (SEISIDA) and colleagues found discrepancies between the frequency and burdens of HIV and HIV treatment symptoms reported by Spaniards living with HIV and the HIV specialists caring for them. Their results highlight a need for better communication between clinicians and patients.

How young people feel about long-acting injectable treatment remains largely unexplored. The More Options for Children and Adolescents (MOCHA) study provides some insight into the experiences of young people aged 12-18 who have switched to long-acting cabotegravir / rilpivirine based treatment. It is the first to examine use of long-acting injectable antiretrovirals in virally suppressed adolescents.

While there have been reductions in the rates of most major causes of death among people with HIV in North America and Europe since 1996, people who inject drugs – particularly women – remain vulnerable to early death. Background Before 1996 – when combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) became the mainstay of HIV treatment – death from AIDS was a near inevitability, even in high-income countries. Due to ART’s high effectiveness at suppressing HIV, AIDS-related deaths have declined steeply, particularly in Europe and North America. [GLOSSARY]

A recent study identifies the factors which contribute to the effective delivery of youth-friendly services, so as to achieve better outcomes for adolescents. Globally, around five million adolescents (aged 15-24) are living with HIV. There is consensus that youth-friendly approaches to delivering care do support better health outcomes. However, there are gaps in knowledge about how they work in practice. This analysis explored whether specific mechanisms could influence outcomes.

A symposium at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) earlier this month included presentations advocating changes in practice on what might be called opposite ends of the menu of PrEP options now on offer.

Weight gain on antiretroviral treatment is not solely a ‘return to health’ effect, research presented earlier this month at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) suggests.

People with HIV aged 65 and older were more likely to be prescribed opioids and be diagnosed with opioid use disorder than HIV-negative older adults in the US, according to data presented by Dr Stephanie Shiau to the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver recently.

How young people feel about long-acting injectable treatment remains largely unexplored. The More Options for Children and Adolescents (MOCHA) study provides some insight into the experiences of young people aged 12-18 who have switched to long-acting cabotegravir / rilpivirine based treatment. It is the first to examine use of long-acting injectable antiretrovirals in virally suppressed adolescents.

Almost two-thirds of new cases of HIV now occur outside countries with high HIV prevalence in southern and eastern Africa, according to an analysis of UNAIDS country-level data presented earlier this month at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver.

The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024), took place earlier this month with research from around the world. Here is a roundup of research focused on the US.

While 1 in 3 people who inject drugs were aware of PrEP in 2022, only 1 in 100 actually took it. Despite changes in PrEP awareness between 2018 and 2022, increases in uptake for this vulnerable group were small, according to data presented to the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) earlier this month in Denver by Dr Patrick Eustaquio.

Long-acting injectable HIV treatment and PrEP (medication to prevent HIV) continue to be areas of interest and progress in the HIV field. Some of the latest research on injectable treatment and PrEP was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) earlier this month and we have put together some highlights below.

Despite less injecting drug use, increased use of harm reduction services, and significant progress in reducing HIV infections, there has been a resurgence of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in recent years in Baltimore, especially among people under the age of 40. This research, tracking changes over the past three decades, was presented by Eshan Patel to the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver.