Free Republic

More than one-quarter of HIV-negative millennials report that they avoid hugging, talking, or being friends with someone who is HIV-positive, according to a new study from the Prevention Access Campaign and the phamaceutical company Merck. The study uncovered widespread ignorance and stigma from young people when it comes to HIV. Thirty percent of HIV-negative millennials (people between the ages of 23 and 36) said they would prefer not to interact socially with someone with HIV. One in three Black and Latinx millennials reported avoiding even shaking hands or sharing drinks or utensils with someone with HIV. In reality, the disease...

Close to one-third of a $1.5 million federal grant meant to fund HIV prevention efforts in DeKalb County could go unspent by an end-of-the-year deadline, state records show. Budget documents from the Georgia Department of Public Health, which won the money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund projects in DeKalb, show a projected balance of almost $462,000 when the grant expires at the end of December. Unless federal officials extend the funding deadline, both the county and the state could lose that money. “The DeKalb County Board of Health is actively working with our state and...

With donated drugs and services provided by major pharmacy chains, 200,000 uninsured Americans will gain access to H.I.V.-preventive medicines at no cost, the Trump administration announced on Tuesday. The announcement, by Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, essentially explained how the government plans to distribute the drugs for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, that were promised in May by the drugmaker Gilead Sciences. PrEP describes a strategy of preventing infection with H.I.V. by taking a single pill a day, either Truvada or Descovy. Both are made by Gilead. The strategy is 99 percent effective at preventing infection,...

The world's first sperm bank has launched for HIV-positive people in an effort to reduce the disease stigma. Sperm Positive has begun with three male donors from across New Zealand who are living with HIV but cannot pass the virus on.

Scientists using advanced DNA sequencing technology have documented a previously unidentified strain of HIV under the group that is responsible for the vast majority of human infections. The previous strain in that group was documented in 2000. The latest strain was found in just three people, but the findings by Abbott Laboratories —a maker of HIV tests—are expected to strike up a broader conversation about how to classify new viral strains that could surface. The company described its findings on Wednesday in an academic journal. Strains from Group M are the most common in humans and are responsible for the...

The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), administered by the Centres for Disease Control, Department of Defence, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are set to identify and provide treatment to at least 60,000 people living with HIV in Lagos State. The US Consul-General to Nigeria, Claire Pierangle, who made this known during a courtesy call on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu Thursday, said the US government has increased budget for HIV control activities in Nigeria, with an additional focus for Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) surge activities in Lagos State. She said Lagos remains significant...

Health officials initially said a single pediatrician who was accused of reusing syringes was to blame, according to The [NY] Times. Ghanghro was ultimately arrested and charged with negligence, manslaughter and causing unintentional harm. He has yet to be convicted and has maintained his innocence, saying he never reuses syringes. Health officials say that Ghanghro is not likely to be the sole cause of the outbreak, noting that visiting health workers saw many other doctors reuse syringes, barbers use the same razors to shave customers, and roadside dentists use unsterilized tools.

Overall, privately insured people with HIV have inadequate adherence to their daily antiretroviral (ARV) regimen during their first year on treatment and proceed to adhere more poorly as years pass, the National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project reports.

Two of the Clinton Foundation’s shady international partners have been arrested for fraud. And experts and law enforcement officials in the United States say this spells potential big trouble for Bill & Hillary Clinton and their own shady ‘charity’ known as the Clinton Foundation. Authorities in India have arrested businessmen brothers Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh in an alleged fraud case — one of many linked to this duo. The Singh brothers are former promoters of Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy Laboratories and are no newcomers to sweeping allegations of fraud. It is believed untold millions of dollars in kickbacks were...

....Elton John has come to the defense of his friend Ellen DeGeneres after the talk show host was swarmed with left-wing criticism.... The “Rocket Man” singer piggybacked off DeGeneres’ message of tolerance and even offered praise for Mr. Bush and President Donald Trump for humanitarian efforts addressing HIV/AIDS globally.

As poor as CNN’s ratings are in the United States, a rational person would conclude that, at some point, the executives who run the place would figure out what they’re doing wrong and fix it so that they could attract more viewers. But CNN isn’t run by rational people. In fact, we believe everyone who works there is certifiably out of their minds. They’d have to be in order to come up with some of the dumbest, tone-deaf, inappropriate, uninteresting, and pointless BS they put on the air. Like holding a “town hall” meeting with a gay man, hosted by...

BOONSBORO, Md. (AP) — Authorities say an HIV-positive man has been charged with raping a boy on the Appalachian Trail in western Maryland. The Herald-Mail reports that 43-year-old Jason Henry Cochrane of Millersville is charged with sex abuse of a minor, second-degree rape and other counts in Washington County. A judge earlier this week ordered Cochrane held without bond while he awaits trial. Maryland Natural Resources Police said in court documents that officers were called Saturday morning to the Pine Knob Shelter on the Appalachian Trail near the border with Frederick County.

MANILA—HIV is spreading faster in the Philippines than anywhere in the world. The estimated number of new infections in this Southeast Asian nation has more than doubled from 2013 through 2018, reaching epidemic proportions among young men, according to the United Nations’ AIDS agency. The surge in the virus that causes AIDS stands out against the decline in estimated world-wide infections. Determining the cause can be difficult and inevitably involves some guesswork among epidemiologists seeking answers. But health advocates think a major driver has been dating apps, which have encouraged promiscuity in a country where traditional social norms have kept...

Has anyone seen the new commercial for the HIV drug Truvada? The commercial states they are doing it for prep. However it later goes on to say it helps lower the risk of contracting HIV in high risk people. So basically it is a drug for people who cannot control their sex drive and have dozens of sex partners per year.

A surge in "chemsex" parties, where people spend days getting high on drugs and having sex with scores of partners, is re-fueling epidemics of HIV among gay men in European towns and cities, doctors say. Despite much higher risks of contracting the virus that causes AIDS, as well as other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), users search online "hook-up" apps like Grindr for tags such as "high and horny" or "party and play" to find others wanting drug-heightened and often anonymous and unprotected sex. The result, AIDS experts say, is that in cities across Europe, HIV is spreading rapidly among men...

Americus Police Department says they’ve interviewed Brandi Yakeima Lasiter, the woman who made the viral video stating that she may have given HIV to multiple partners. In a news release, APD says detectives interviewed Lasiter on August 6. Lasiter now says that she does not have the HIV virus and that she made the video because she was angry at the people she named. She provided documentation of a blood test from September 2018 that showed she was not HIV positive. Lasiter has voluntarily submitted to a blood test to verify her status of not being infected with HIV. The...

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — A woman who allegedly urinated on potatoes at a Pittsburgh-area Walmart store turned herself in and will face charges, police said Tuesday. Grace Brown will be charged with criminal mischief, open lewdness, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, West Mifflin police said.

Most Americans have never been tested for HIV, and less than 30% of those that are most at risk for contracting the virus have been tested in the past year, according to a report from the CDC released Thursday. Released Thursday on National HIV Testing Day, the report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, analyzed data from 2016-2017 as said in a statement from the CDC. An estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, according to the CDC. Of those living with the virus, 1 in 7 do not know they had HIV. Those...

Central Texas has one of the highest rates of HIV infections. This week, federal officials visited the state to talk about a strategy for combatting HIV. HIV is disproportionately affecting states in the south Health officials are targeting 7 states HIV eradication is part of Trump's larger plan It's part of the Trump administration's larger plan to significantly reduce the number of new infections of the virus over the next 10 years. Texas is expected to play a critical role. “This is the most exciting time to be able to end the epidemic. We have all the tools we need...

SEATTLE, June 26, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — A public library in Washington state was the platform for a drag show and "pride celebration designed by teens for teens" that featured a man dressed in drag who roared incoherently while on all fours. One parent called it “demonic.” “This is what demonic possession looks like. (Watch to the end.) I know a lot of y’all don’t believe in the spiritual realm, but thanks for bearing with me anyway. In my opinion, this is it. On all fours. Growling. At the teen pride event at the public library,” wrote one parent about the...