The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first rapid over the counter HIV test for sale directly to consumers. The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test can detect antibodies to HIV with an oral swab, providing a confidential testing option with results in around 20-40 minutes.
A new study reveals that for black clergy members, traditional barriers to talking about HIV prevention are giving way to faith-friendly messages about getting tested for HIV and staying on treatment. The study, recently published in the prestigious journal Public Library of Science, shows that black community religious leaders now see battling AIDS as a social justice issue compatible with their religious teachings. The study results come at a time of immense hope for turning the tide against the HIV epidemic. As a result, more and more black clergy are joining the fight to help put an end to AIDS.
A landmark study has revealed there are at least 10 different types of breast cancer, not four as previously thought – a finding that is expected to have far-reaching implications for treatment of the disease.
The research also sheds light on high profile cases in which anti-gay public figures are caught engaging in same-sex sexual acts. This dynamic of inner conflict may be reflected in such examples as Ted Haggard, the evangelical preacher who opposed gay marriage but was exposed in a gay sex scandal, or Republican Glenn Murphy, another gay marriage opponent. Murphy was later accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old man.
Scientists have found that those who developed a protective antibody after taking an experimental HIV vaccine were less likely to become infected with the virus. The researchers also discovered another antibody that may have blocked the effectiveness of the vaccine. The discoveries provide important new clues on how an effective HIV vaccine could work.
Is Uncle Sam getting a bigger chunk of your income and wealth?
The new health care law’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program is providing insurance to 50,000 people with pre-existing conditions. According to a new report, PCIP is helping to fill a void in the insurance market for people with pre-existing conditions who are denied health coverage.
Evidence suggests that many in the LGBT community are disproportionately uninsured. This makes the new coverage options under the Affordable Care Act that much more important. The Affordable Care Act is making new coverage options available to Americans, including those without access to coverage through a domestic partner or employer and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The study found that the rate of HIV infection is five times higher for black women than previous CDC estimates. The rate is comparable to HIV infection rates of several countries in sub-Saharan Africa such as the Congo and Kenya, underscoring the seriousness of the study results. The study also found that those HIV infected Black women are twice as likely to die of AIDS than HIV infected white women.
Gay and bisexual men (MSM) are at higher risk for conditions associated with HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 than heterosexual men. These include a higher incidence of HPV genital warts, anal intra-epithelial neoplasia (a cancer precursor) and anal cancers. Recent data on the HPV vaccines have demonstrated efficacy in preventing genital warts (Gardasil only) and precursors of anal cancer.
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