Blogs2 March 2019

(A report back on Kavita Misra's session - New options and opportunities in PrEP: Impact of PrEP on drug resistance and acute HIV infection, New York City 2015-2017)

Data on PrEP and associated resistance comes from safety and efficacy studies.  Mathematical modelling has suggested that any contribution from PrEP to resistance mutations would be very small and lower than if HIV infections were not averted. Concerns relate to starting PrEP during seroconversion and acquiring HIV and continuing the two drug regimen. 

(A report back on Sanjay Bhagani's session - Dynamics of Acute HCV in Western Europe​)

Sanjay Bhagani talked about the status of acute HCV in Western Europe: compliance with the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) call for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, and the WHO reports on the significant obstacles to that strategy which include underdiagnosis and poor uptake of treatment in those diagnosed.

(A report back on Catherine Todd's session - Randomised Controlled Trial of Intrauterine Device Safety in women living with HIV)

Intrauterine contraceptive devices both Copper containg IUD (C-IUD) & progesterone containing IUD (LNG-IUD) are under utilised in HIV high prevalence settings.  LNG-IUD efficacy has been under contraversy with EFV containing ART regimens. 

(A report back on Jose Blanco's session - Effective Treatment of Lymphogranuloma proctitis with extended azithromycin regimen)

Jose Blanco presented an alternative and effective treatment to LGV proctitis utilising azithromycin 1 gm po weekly x 3 weeks. This was based on their study-analysis of 125 HIV-infected MSM who were randomised to either the standard treatment of doxycycline 100mg BD x 21 days or to the extended azithromycin regimen. Both arms produced equally effective cures in both symptomatic (12 weeks) and microbial (defined as a negative rectal PCR in 4-6 weeks) end points.