The expansion of access to antiretroviral therapy for
millions of persons living with HIV in low-income countries has been lauded by many. However, the investment in such programs has at the same time been criticized by others, who claim diversion of resources from HIV prevention efforts and from other important health threats in these same countries. Yet, the time is right to recommit to the goal
Article in the Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11 October 2011.
Background
The aim of Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative, was to reduce HIV transmission in the general population through large-scale prevention interventions focused on high-risk groups. It was launched in 2003 in six states with a total population of 300 million and a high HIV burden. We assessed the population-level effect of the first phase of Avahan (2003—08).
Sex work remains an important contributor to HIV transmission within early, advanced and regressing epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa, but its social and behavioral underpinnings remain poorly understood, limiting the impact of HIV prevention initiatives. This article systematically reviews the socio-demographics of female sex workers (FSW) in this region, their occupational contexts and key behavioral risk factors for HIV. In total 128
relevant articles were reviewed following a search of Medline, Web of Science and Anthropological Index.
The CAPRISA 004 trial assessed effectiveness and safety of a 1% vaginal gel formulation of tenofovir, a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor, for the prevention of HIV acquisition in women. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing tenofovir gel with placebo gel in sexually active, HIVuninfected18 to 40 year-old women in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa HIV serostatus, safety,sexual behavior and gel and condom use were assessed at monthly follow-up visits for 30 months.
VIENNA, Austria (WOMENSENEWS)–The preventive benefits of an HIV vaginal gel dominated the headlines of the International AIDS Conference in Vienna last week, but failed to allay the concerns that Mabel Bianco has about the public-health response to the epidemic.
An abstract by Ngugi E N, Morris C, Moses S, Gikuni A, Schwartz U from the 15th International Conference on AIDS Bangkok, Thailand. abstract no. TuPeE5393.
An article by Cornish F, Ghosh R in Social Science and Medicine Jan;64(2):496-507.
An article by Pillai S, Seshu M and Shivdas M in Gender & Development,16:2,313 — 326.
