CONNECTIONS
A Bimonthly e-Newsletter
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Director's Update

July - August 2014

Young people in the United States are at risk for HIV infection. Of the 47,500 Americans newly infected with HIV in 2010, 26% were among youth aged 13-24 years. Young men who have sex with men (YMSM), especially black YMSM, are at highest risk. We’ve known this, and it was confirmed again on June 13 with the release of CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results. What the data continue to show are that each new generation must be taught about behaviors, including sexual behaviors and other factors that put them at risk of HIV and STDs. We must continue to generate effective HIV prevention messages and services in tandem with our efforts to identify, understand, and address disparities. I encourage you to take a look at the overall survey results and the HIV and Young Men Who Have Sex with Men fact sheet updated with the latest numbers from the 2013 report. The future of our nation depends on prevention efforts that help all young Americans stay safe and healthy – this will require action from CDC, parents, schools, health care providers, and communities. I invite you to join us in this effort.

PrEP Guidelines

On May 14, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States – 2014: A Clinical Practice Guideline was released by CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service, along with a provider supplement. The Guideline encourages health care providers to consider PrEP for patients at substantial risk for HIV. PrEP has been shown to reduce HIV acquisition through evidence from clinical trials of PrEP use in high-risk populations. If targeted to populations in need and used as directed, PrEP has the potential to alter the course of the U.S. HIV epidemic. The new guidelines were developed by CDC in collaboration with other federal health agencies, public health experts, and community partners. They also underscore the importance of counseling that covers adherence and HIV risk reduction and recommend regular monitoring of HIV status, side effects, toxicities, and risk behaviors. To view more information on PrEP, including the guidelines and other materials, visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/research/prep/index.html. I also invite you to view the Public Health Grand Rounds on PrEP for Prevention of HIV if you haven’t already!

The 25th Anniversary of the Discovery of Hepatitis C Virus

Twenty-five years ago, on April 21, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was recognized as a distinct virus by the journal Science. Since that time, many advances have been made in the testing and treatment of HCV. However, with around 3 million adults infected with HCV—most of whom are baby boomers—CDC continues to call attention to the virus and the need for prevention, testing, and linkage to care. To acknowledge the importance of the discovery of HCV, CDC’s June 17th’s Public Health Grand Rounds focused on The 25th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Hepatitis C Virus: Looking Back to Look Forward. If you missed the live webcast, I encourage you to watch it to learn more and share the knowledge with others!