Check out this interesting mini-bio of  Octavio Vallejo, the latest in IRMA’s “Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate” series on the IRMA website here.  Octavio is one of five new bios posted this week. Octavio VallejoLos Angeles, California, USA Octavio Vallejo has been working in the HIV prevention field for more than 22 years. As an HIV+ Read More >>

Find out a little about Hailey Gilmore in her interesting mini-bio, the latest in IRMA’s “Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate” series on the IRMA website here.  Hailey is one of five new bios we are featuring.  Hailey GilmoreSan Francisco, California, USA Hailey Gilmore studied international development in college and was always interested in sexual health promotion Read More >>

Check out this interesting mini-bio of Rig Rush, the latest in IRMA’s “Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate” series on the IRMA website here.  Rig is one of the six new bios just posted the other day, including individuals from Thailand, Kenya and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of Read More >>

via PRNewswire In public comments submitted this week, a group of 14 leading HIV/AIDS and health organizations stated their support for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of emtricitabine/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF/FTC or Truvada®) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection in adult men and women. Their comments, submitted in advance of a May 10 Read More >>

by IRMA member Morenike Ukpong Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military. Rosie the Riveter is commonly used Read More >>

via The New York Times, Denis Grady An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration is expected to vote Thursday on whether a drug already used to treat H.I.V. infection should also be approved to prevent it. Such a recommendation, if made, would mark the first time that government advisers have advocated giving antiviral medicine to Read More >>

via Voice of America, by Joe DeCapua In 2009, researchers completed a study that showed a microbicide gel could protect women from HIV infection. The gel, known as CAPRISA 004, was nearly 40 percent effective in reducing the risk of infection during sex. The encouraging findings have led to follow-up studies. But just because a microbicide can Read More >>

via HuffPost, by Charles Stephens We finally are starting to scratch the surface of the depth of the HIV crisis among young black men who have sex with men (MSM). Late last summer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the most recent HIV incidence numbers, indicating that young, black MSM were the only population Read More >>

via Advocate.com, by By Gurmit Singh & Christopher S. Walsh Why are we so fixated on finding a medical solution when, as social networks revolutionize sex in our community, gay men are successfully using new technology to combat HIV? More and more gay men are hooking up online. The explosion of “Gaydar culture” through Xtube, Manhunt, Adam4Adam, Read More >>

via Pharmalot, by Ed Silverman Late last year, Gilead Sciences took a widely anticipated and controversial step by seeking FDA approval to market its Truvada HIV pill to prevent infection, which is also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. The move was both welcomed and criticized by AIDS activists, reflecting a spectrum of views on making a Read More >>