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POZ: Stemming Stigma

In the United States, about 1.1 million people are HIV positive, and nearly 50,000 people contract the virus each year—with African Americans and Latinos disproportionately affected. Men who have sex with men—especially those of color—have among the highest infection rates across the globe. Millions of lives have been saved since the introduction of effective antiretroviral treatment in 1996—but there are still many negative beliefs, biases, stigmas and fears surrounding people who are positive. Many experts believe that stigma is a major driver in perpertuating the epidemic.

"Stemming Stigma" is my latest article and one of two cover stories for the July/August 2014 issue of POZ. 

New HIV cases among men who have sex with men are increasing as they flatten or even fall among other groups. Advocates blame HIV stigma among MSM, which they claim has created a "viral divide."This divide is probably the most evident on social networking apps and hookup sites. Phrases such as “DDF UB2” (short for “drug and disease free, you be too”) and questions such as “Are you clean?” have become commonplace. Many HIV-positive gay men note anecdotally that when they challenge HIV-negative men about such language (“Does having HIV make me ‘unclean’?”) the responses are often filled with contempt.

Additional surveys have shown stigma remains a significant barrier to care and treatment. A 2009 Lambda Legal study shows that 63 percent of HIV-positive LGBT people experienced discrimination from health care professionals. Other times, the stigma keeps people from even seeking medical care.

"Let’s say you’re a black gay man living in a community of lower socioeconomic status," says Terrance Moore, director of health policy at the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). "You could be very concerned that someone is going to see you walk into an HIV testing facility, so you may not access that test." Similarly, you might not want to be seen taking meds, so you skip doses—which can increase your viral load and the risk of transmitting HIV.

Read the full report HERE.

Many thanks to the editors of POZ, The Sero Project, NASTAD, Maria Mejia, Duane Cramer, The Stigma Project, Jack Mackenroth and HIV Equal, Mark King, Kevin Maloney and many others. 

"Breakthrough" in Vaccine Research

PHOTO: GETTY

BARCELONA: After more than 30 years into the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a vaccine remains elusive—and much needed. Globally, about 35 million people are living with HIV, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS or UNAIDS. In the United States, about 1.1 million people are HIV positive, and nearly 50,000 people contract the virus each year—with African Americans and Latinos disproportionately affected. Men who have sex with men—especially those of color—have among the highest infection rates across the globe.

A possible "breakthrough" in the decades-long quest for a vaccine that could prevent people from acquiring HIV created the most buzz at the 13th AIDS Vaccine Conference in Barcelona. More on the nuances of the "science" behind the vaccine strategy in my report for POZ, "Possible 'Breakthrough' in Vaccine Research." It's the second article in my international media fellowship to AIDS Vaccine 2013 Barcelona.

AIDS Vaccine 2013 was the first public presentation of the research by Oregon Health and Science University's Louis J. Picker, MD, originally published in the journal Nature. Picker's study demonstrated that vaccinated monkeys can clear simian immunodeficiency virus—SIV, the monkey equivalent of HIV—from their bodies. Picker's research team used an aggressive strain of the simian virus, called SIVmac239 and described as "up to 100 times more deadly than HIV." The vaccine was effective in nine of the 16 monkeys in the study.

Picker's research team fused SIV genes to the cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is from the herpes virus family. The immune system responded to the infection by doing what it normally does—releasing new white blood cells called CD8 "hunter-killer cells" that kill cells infected with SIV. These CD8s are normally primed to target the virus, but in this case, according to The New York Times, they operated in "an atypical state of mid-activation" and persisted in tissue while "eliminating their targets quietly without triggering inflammation or even a mild fever."

This new vaccine strategy could be a "breakthrough" because HIV is "particularly Machiavellian," said Picker. The virus constantly mutates and hides from the body's immune system—which is why vaccine research has so far proved largely ineffective.

Read the full report HERE.

AIDS Vaccine 2013 Barcelona has been described as the "world's leading scientific meeting on HIV vaccine research" and was attended by more than 1,000 leading researchers, funders and policy makers.

AIDS Vaccine 2013 Barcelona and the international media fellowship were sponsored the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise—the international consortium that has pooled resources to "speed the development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine." The Enterprise includes the USA, Thailand and South African governments, the European Union, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention, GlaxoSmithKline, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Merck, Novartis, USAID, Sanofi Pasteur, the largest company in the world devoted to vaccine development.

I'm also reporting for Der Spiegel and EBONY.

LISTEN LIVE: Philadelphia's WURD Radio 430P/ET

I'll be appearing this afternoon on Philadelphia's WURD 900AM at 430ET on The Nick Taliafero Show. We'll discuss the exciting breakthrough in HIV/AIDS vaccine research at AIDS Vaccine 2013 Barcelona—how it would work, how long it would take to develop and how much it would cost.

Read my reports from Barcelona: "A "Breakthrough" in AIDS Vaccine Research?" for EBONY—that focuses on the HIV epidemic across the Black Diaspora and how a vaccine would affect/impact Blacks—and  "Possible 'Breakthrough' in Vaccine Research" for POZ Magazine—that focuses on the "science" and the possible vaccine's implications for people who are already HIV positive.

Listen to HERE. The call in number is 866-361-0900.