Short Bites: HIV in the Southeast United States
Southern states today account for an estimated 44 percent of all people with an HIV diagnosis in the U.S.,[1] despite having only about one-third (37%) of the overall U.S. population. Diagnosis rates for people in the South are higher than for Americans overall. Eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses are in the South, as are the 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with the highest rates.[1] The South faces internal disparities based on geography.
Dolutegravir in Early Pregnancy: Updates on Possible Risk of Neural Tube Defects
Integrase inhibitors have become primary treatment for most people with HIV; however, the impact of newer integrase inhibitors on pregnancy outcomes has not been well described. 
Researchers for the observational Tsepamo study have been examining birth outcomes in Botswanan women treated with various ARV regimens during pregnancy since 2014, and have acquired information on 88,755 births, nearly 22,000 of them to women with HIV.
Updates in Antiretroviral Treatment during Pregnancy: Dolutegravir in Late Pregnancy
Although DTG currently is not a desirable medication for women to take pre-conception (see Dolutegravir in Early Pregnancy: Updates on Possible Risk of Neural Tube Defects), findings from the DolPHIN study suggest that it may be a very useful agent for women who start ART during late pregnancy. The DolPHIN study team randomized 60 pregnant women who were initiating ART in their 3rd trimester to one of t
Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) and Darunavir/Cobicistat in Pregnant Women
Two pharmacokinetic studies from AIDS 2018 help elucidate the disposition of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) and cobicistat-boosted darunavir during pregnancy.
TargetHIV: New Name, New Look
It's easier than ever to stay on target. The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) technical assistance (TA) and training website has undergone a major update to make it easier for users to access tools and materials for the RWHAP. The website, formerly called TARGET Center, is now named TargetHIV. Beyond the name change, there have been multiple revisions and updates, including a new look, easier navigation, and decluttering of the content.
U=U in PARTNER2 Study of MSM
PARTNER1, whose results were reported last year,(1) was one of the studies that supported current efforts to promote the growing scientific consensus supporting "Treatment as Prevention" (TasP) or Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
Dolutegravir + 3TC in Initial Therapy
As we have commented in the past, initial ARV regimens consisting of 2 drugs tend to perform poorly in comparison with currently recommended 3-drug regimens. Yet, given toxicity concerns about some ARVs (particularly about tenofovir DF and abacavir) and cost concerns about 3-drug regimens, the search for a potent and tolerable 2-drug regimen has continued. At the recent International AIDS Conference in late July, data were presented
Darunavir/Cobicistat/FTC/TAF Coformulation Approved; More Data from EMERALD Switch Study
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given approval to a coformulation of darunavir 800 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) 10 mg, to be marketed under the brand name Symtuza. DRV/COBI/FTC/TAF constitutes a complete regimen for patients with susceptible HIV, and is the first protease inhibitor-containing single-tablet regimen (STR).
Practicing Cultural Humility to Transform Health Care
Moving beyond culture competency to cultural humility acknowledges patients’ authority over their own lived experience
Health care delivery often involves a one-size-fits-all approach. As clinicians, we treat a patient with a particular diagnosis similar to the last patient we saw with the same diagnosis because it’s efficient—we think. But shifting that mindset is one of the best opportunities we have to help people truly thrive. An individual’s lived experience is rich, diverse, and complicated.
Possible Safety Issue with Dolutegravir during Pregnancy: Reports of Neural Tube Defects
On May 18, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization announced that cases of neural tube defects have been reported in babies of women with HIV who were on treatment with dolutegravir at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. The information comes from an unplanned interim analysis of an observational study (the Tsepamo Study) of ART (dolutegravir/TDF/FTC or efavirenz/TDF/FTC) in pregnant women in Botswana.