In this week’s brief tour of recently published research, we get a new glimpse into the huge successes of Vancouver’s years-long effort to reduce harm and increase HIV-related services among injection drug users. We also learn about the relative safety of stem-cell transplantation in people with HIV, the ability of certain biomarkers to predict future serious AIDS- and non-AIDS events, and the factors that increase the likelihood of partner notification among young people living with HIV.
To beat HIV, you have to follow the science!
“Seek-and-Treat” Reduces Mortality Among People With HIV Who Inject Drugs
Mortality among people living with HIV who inject drugs has declined significantly since a “seek-and-treat” program was scaled up in Vancouver, Canada, a prospective cohort study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases showed.
In 2010, Vancouver scaled up its STOP HIV/AIDS Program campaign with a Seek and Treat pilot program that aimed to identify people at high risk for acquiring HIV and pursue a multifaceted approach of outreach, testing, care and treatment.