CONNECTIONS From the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

Mobile Version - July - August 2015

From the Director Dr. Jonathan Mermin

On July 1, 2015, CDC announced the awarding of $216 million over five years to 90 community-based organizations (CBOs) across the nation, to support them in delivering effective HIV prevention strategies to those who need them most. The funded CBOs are located in the areas that reported the highest number of HIV diagnoses. They have experience and expertise working with the populations most affected by the HIV epidemic, including people of color, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and people who inject drugs. Reflecting CDC's high-impact prevention approach, the funds will be used to expand HIV testing, engage more persons with HIV in on-going care and treatment, provide prevention strategies to persons with HIV and at high risk of acquiring HIV, and support condom distribution and use. A recent CDC analysis found that 90% of new infections could be prevented by having more persons with HIV diagnosed, taking treatment, and having a suppressed viral load. And new findings indicate that 87% of people living with HIV in the United States have been diagnosed; that is, 7 out of 8 know they are infected. These new awards will help to maximize the impact of every federal prevention dollar.

Updated STD Treatment Guidelines Available

The Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP) recently published its updated Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015. The Guidelines are the most widely used and referenced source on STD treatment and management in the United States. They are revised periodically using a scientific, evidence-based process. The 2015 update covers new diagnostic, treatment, and prevention recommendations, including:

  • Alternative treatment regimens for Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • Alternative treatment options for genital warts
  • The role of Mycoplasma genitalium in urethritis/cervicitis and treatment-related implications
  • Recommendations for diagnostic evaluation of urethritis
  • Retesting to detect repeat infections

Physicians and other health-care providers can use these guidelines to assist in the prevention and treatment of STDs. A recorded webinar with an in-depth discussion of the key changes in the Guidelines is available on the DSTDP Webinars page, with continuing education credits available. In addition, an updated Pocket Guide, Wall Chart, and Apple version of the STD Treatment Guide app can be downloaded (an app for Android devices will be available later this summer).

2013 YRBS Combined Datasets Released

CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health has released the 2013 National, State, and District Combined Datasets on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. The combined YRBS datasets

  • include more than 1.3 million records from 820 YRBS high school surveys conducted from 1991-2013.
  • align the standard variables across the years to facilitate trend analyses and combining data.
  • contain selected additional data from optional questions about sexual identity, the sex of sexual contacts, HIV testing, bullying, and related topics.

In addition, the YRBS Web site has been redesigned and reorganized to make it easier to view and access content across multiple devices.