Prophylaxis News and Research

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Researchers highlight the need for wider access to HIV prevention drugs

Despite highly effective anti-HIV pharmaceuticals having been used worldwide for almost a decade, HIV has not been conquered.

11 Jul 2018

Study assesses effectiveness of chlorhexidine in preventing bacteremia after tooth extraction

A large number of bacteria are present in human mouths and may pass into the blood when procedures such as the removal of a tooth are carried out. Chlorhexidine mouthwashes have a powerful antimicrobial effect, but there are opposing positions on its use in these cases.

9 Jul 2018

New simulation approach predicts efficacy of HIV-prophylaxis medications

A new mathematical simulation approach predicts the efficacy of pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications, which help prevent HIV infection. The framework, presented in PLOS Computational Biology by Sulav Duwal and Max von Kleist of Freie Universität Berlin and colleagues, could help streamline development of new PrEP treatments.

18 Jun 2018

Multiple barriers may stop high-risk individuals from accessing HIV drug

Multiple barriers may stop high-risk individuals from accessing an HIV drug that can reduce the subsequent risk of infection, according to a new University of Michigan study.

12 Jun 2018

PrEP uptake on the rise and condom use declines in gay men

Some parts of Australia show an increase in uptake of pills that can prevent contracting HIV but also a sharp drop in condom use among men having sex with men. This was found in a major study and is cause for concern.

7 Jun 2018

Anti-inflammatory strategy could lead to improved survival of children with neuroblastoma

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have discovered that an anti-inflammatory drug candidate inhibiting the prostaglandin E2 producing enzyme mPGES-1 in the tumor stroma reduces tumor growth in experimental neuroblastoma models.

28 May 2018

UAB professor receives award for malaria prevention study in pregnant women in Cameroon

Jodie Dionne-Odom, M.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Division of Infectious Diseases and chief of Women's Health Services at UAB's 1917 Clinic, has been awarded a five-year, $841,000 K23 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

25 May 2018

Prenatal test to determine child's rhesus factor found to be reliable, but benefit is unclear

If the blood of a pregnant woman is rhesus-negative and the blood of the fetus is rhesus-positive, the woman may develop antibodies, which can cause severe harm to subsequent children in particular.

16 May 2018

Study examines social perceptions of HIV-prevention drug among gay and bisexual men

A new study led by a UTSA researcher examines the social perceptions of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication to prevent HIV, among gay and bisexual men in Texas.

9 May 2018

Repurposing existing antiviral drugs for multiple infections

Zika virus. Ebola virus. Influenza. SARS and MERS corona viruses. Existing and emerging viral diseases are an increasing problem, particularly in developing countries. The World Health Organization has called for better control of viral diseases, but developing drugs for this purpose can be challenging.

25 Apr 2018

Increase in prehospital mortality potentially points to greater intensity of violence

A new Johns Hopkins Medicine analysis of national trauma data shows that trauma patients were four times more likely to die from gunshot wounds and nearly nine times more likely to die from stab wounds before getting to a trauma center in 2014, compared with rates in 2007.

16 Apr 2018

PrEP campaign aims to block HIV infection and save lives in D.C.

A big part of Washington, D.C.’s plan to get its HIV rate down is to get more uninfected people on PrEP, a two-medicine combination pill that’s sold under the brand name Truvada.

13 Apr 2018

Grindr may be sharing user HIV status without consent

Gay dating app Grindr has released a new feature recently that allows its users to opt for HIV testing reminders. A new data analysis from SINTEF, a Norwegian research firm, has revealed that Grindr could be sharing this sensitive information regarding the users’ HIV status with two other companies.

2 Apr 2018

Use of HIV-prevention drug grows, but lags among non-whites

Eric Russell, 24, recently joined a health support group for young Latino and black gay men, where he learned about the HIV-prevention pill known as PrEP. He resisted the medication at first, convinced he didn't need it and fearful that taking it would stigmatize him.

15 Mar 2018

Researchers discover link between hypothyroidism and wound healing complications

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered a link between low thyroid hormone levels and wound healing complications.

7 Mar 2018

One-month antibiotic regimen to prevent TB as safe, effective as nine-month therapy for HIV patients

A one-month antibiotic regimen to prevent active tuberculosis (TB) disease was at least as safe and effective as the standard nine-month therapy for people living with HIV, according to the results of a large international clinical trial.

6 Mar 2018

UNC study finds HIV risk patterns among people who inject drugs in Vietnam

People who inject drugs (PWID) in Vietnam are disproportionately affected by HIV. While HIV prevalence among the general population aged 15-49 is 0.4 percent, the prevalence of HIV among people who inject drugs is a staggering 11 percent, according to UNAIDS.

6 Feb 2018