News from #CROI2026. Oral cancer rates are rising among people with HIV as well as the general population. One thing that surprised me is that rates were higher among HIV+ heterosexual men versus gay men -- possibly because HPV is more easily transmitted from women than from men during oral sex.

“We need to start planning now for the great rebuilding,” long-time AIDS activist Peter Staley said at the opening session of #CROI2026. www.poz.com/article/croi...

Here's my picks for the key HIV science stories of 2025. I didn't even touch the year's biggest news in the HIV/AIDS world, which is the dramatic impact on research, prevention & domestic & global services due to the Trump administration’s funding cuts & interference with federal health agencies.

Following a study at #IDWeek2025 showing shingles vaccine reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia & death for general population, another finds the same for people with HIV. Vax is recommended for all HIV+ people regardless of age or CD4 count. www.poz.com/article/shin...

Three reports in @nature.com for #WorldAIDSDay provide more details on an HIV cure after a stem cell transplant & long-term remission with broadly neutralizing antibodies & immunotherapy. But if you follow @pozmagazine.bsky.social, you'd get the news 1-2 years sooner! www.poz.com/article/comb...

"South Africa has become the first African country... to register the revolutionary twice-a-year anti-HIV jab, #lenacapavir" via @news24southafrica.bsky.social

Older people with HIV who take multiple medications, especially anticholinergic drugs & sedatives, were more likely to experience frailty & were at higher risk for falls. www.poz.com/article/olde...

On September 18, the CDC added twice-yearly lenacapavir (Yeztugo) to its recommendations for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Health officials and advocates hope the CDC nod will increase insurers’ coverage of the new prevention tool. www.poz.com/article/cdc-...

Join us on 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research NOW to hear about the incredible successes of the NIH-funded HIV research networks, with leaders Myron Cohen, Larry Corey, Joseph Eron, and Sharon Nachman on YouTube: bit.ly/45Qftts #saveAIDSresearch #HIV

For the Sept. 16 marathon, global HIV experts will unite online to warn about massive federal budget cuts and help the public understand the benefits of HIV research. @avac.org www.poz.com/article/acti...

Nearly 100 advocates held a rally on Capitol Hill on Friday, September 5, to protest pending cuts to HIV prevention, services and research in the United States and worldwide. www.poz.com/article/cuts...

New: @trentstraube.bsky.social’s report on happenings so far at #USCHA #2025USCHA. www.poz.com/article/usch...

HIV funding rally at the Capitol. #CutsKill #SaveHIVfunding #2025USCHA #USCHA @prep4allnow.bsky.social @housingworksnyc.bsky.social @sfaidsfound.bsky.social @pozmagazine.bsky.social

HIV funding rally at the Capitol. #CutsKill #SaveHIVfunding #2025USCHA #USCHA @prep4allnow.bsky.social @housingworksnyc.bsky.social @sfaidsfound.bsky.social

The @pozmagazine.bsky.social team is ready to greet you at #2025USCHA!

News from #IAS2025: HRF-10071, a novel HIV maturation inhibitor, showed good antiviral activity in a small Phase II study. If confirmed in larger trials, it could offer a new option for people with drug-resistant virus & it may have potential for long-acting treatment. www.poz.com/article/hiv-...

Dr. Susan Monarez is out as director of the CDC after friction with Department of Health and Human Services head RFK Jr. At least three high-level agency officials resigned in protest, including Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who previously led the nation’s HIV prevention efforts and mpox response.

"Long-acting #HIV treatment with injectable cabotegravir & rilpivirine (Cabenuva) may be a good choice for people who have been unable to maintain viral suppression on daily oral therapy, according to a pair of studies presented at #IAS2025 in Rwanda" via @pozmagazine.bsky.social

"Ulonivirine, an experimental non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, has the potential to be a component of once-weekly oral #HIV treatment, according to Phase II study results presented at #IAS2025 in #Rwanda." @lizhighleyman.bsky.social @pozmagazine.bsky.social

News from #IAS2025: An investigational once-monthly pill from Merck/MSD holds promise for HIV PrEP. With favorable pharmacokinetics & a good safety profile, MK-8527 could offer a long-acting HIV prevention option for people who don’t want injections. www.poz.com/article/mont...

Today I am 50. I'd be remiss if I didn't share the great news here. And here's why! #HIV www.poz.com/blog/50-nifty

As doxyPEP) becomes more widely used for prevention of STIs, questions remain about its implementation in the real world. At a symposium yesterday at #IAS2025, leading experts discussed outstanding challenges, including rising antibiotic resistance. www.poz.com/article/doxy...

#IAS2025: New WHO guidelines endorse lenacapavir PrEP, Medicines Patent Pool expands license for injectable cabotegravir for treatment & Merck’s once-monthly oral PrEP pill MK-8527 advances to Phase III trials. www.poz.com/blog/momentu...

Experts at the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science Warn Global HIV Gains at Risk Amid Sudden Funding Cuts #IAS2025 #HIV www.poz.com/blog/experts...

Today’s #HIV meds make living well with HIV more possible than ever. Here’s why starting treatment early matters. www.poz.com/article/star...

The National Institutes of Health intends to discontinue its support for federal HIV clinical guidelines by next summer, according to a memo from the NIH Office of AIDS Research. It is not yet clear whether maintenance of the guidelines will be taken over by another government agency.

Wistar Institute Unveils Center for HIV Cure Research - The HIV Cure and Viral Disease Center brings together top scientists to advance #HIV cure research and study other viral diseases. www.poz.com/article/wist...

HIV, Queer Identity and the Politics of Health Care - In today’s political climate, LGBTQ humanity is on the line. www.poz.com/article/hiv-...

The FDA approved twice-yearly lenacapavir (Yeztugo) for PrEP, making it the longest-acting HIV prevention method. Advocates lauded the eagerly awaited approval but expressed concern that the $28,000 annual price tag could limit access as HIV prevention funding is being slashed in the US & worldwide.

Rates of most types of cancer are falling or stable among people living with HIV, according to a large study. Cancers related to immune suppression continue to decline, but HIV-positive people remain at substantially higher risk for anal & liver cancer compared with the population at large.

The U.S. Government Is Starving Its Own Scientists of Knowledge: The National Agricultural Library canceled many journal subscriptions to save costs, leaving USDA staff without access. www.poz.com/article/us-g...

Celebrating HIV long-term survivors at the premiere of “Surviving Voices.” #HLTSAD

HIV vaccine approaches that train the immune system to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies are promising, but it will likely be years before large trials show whether they can prevent HIV. www.poz.com/article/rese...

The FDA has approved Zynyz (retifanlimab) immunotherapy for people with advanced anal cancer based on promising results from a late-stage clinical trial. This makes it the first-ever approved first-line treatment for this population, including people living with HIV. www.poz.com/article/fda-...

I hate to again be @sailorrooscout.bsky.social’s voice of negativity, but this isn’t HUGE. It’s a small step forward in the decades-long quest for an HIV vaccine which has seen failure after failure. 1/

Immunocore’s MC-M113V, a new type of immune-based therapy, could be part of a functional cure strategy for HIV. A similar approach was recently approved for cancer is being tested for hepatitis B. www.poz.com/article/bisp...

New HIV diagnoses rose by about 1,000 cases nationwide in 2023, according to the latest surveillance report from the CDC. These data, however, do not yet reflect the effects of the Trump administration’s recent federal health cuts, and advocates fear numbers will rise further in the future.

In a long-awaited update, the CDC has issued new guidelines for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The new guidance—the first revision since 2016—now recommends Biktarvy or a dolutegravir combination to prevent HIV acquisition after non-occupational exposure such as sex or injection drug use.

This updated CDC HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) guideline was likely in the works long before the new administration, but good to see it wasn't quashed. Many have been waiting for it -- last update was 2016! Preferred regimens now include highly effective & well-tolerated combo pill Biktarvy.

I love writing about GLP-1 agonists -- reminds me of the days covering the first effective HIV drugs or antivirals that cure hepatitis C. Cancer treatment is depressing in comparison...yeah, it gives some people a few more months or years with difficult side effects, but we need to do better.

More #CROI2025 news: Body mass index alone may be a poor measure of heart disease risk in people with HIV, underscoring the importance of screening for excess visceral abdominal fat. Waist circumference is a good indicator. www.poz.com/article/bmi-...

Are you living with #HIV & aged over 50 in the UK or a carer for someone who is? What are your health and care concerns about HIV and ageing? Please help to create a "bank" of research questions to improve the health and care of older adults with HIV app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/socs/have-...

CDC finally updates HIV surveillance. It doesn't look great: ~39,000 diagnoses in 2023 vs ~38,000 in 2022 (higher than the 31,800 estimated new cases because some newly diagnosed people acquired HIV in the past). As expected, it no longer includes data for transgender people.😕

Evidence continues to grow about the benefits of weight-loss drugs like semaglutide beyond diabetes and obesity, including for people with HIV. But their high cost & limited access remains a concern. www.poz.com/article/can-...

HAPPENING NOW: AIDS ACTIVISTS DELIVER MOUNTAIN OF COFFINS IN FUNERAL PROCESSION OUTSIDE US STATE DEPARTMENT PROTESTING MARCO RUBIOS ATTACKS ON PEPFAR IMPACTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WORLDWIDE.

In Response to Proposed #HIV Funding Cuts, Over 600 Advocates Rally for #AIDSWatch 2025 www.poz.com/blog/respons...

In celebration of Oriol Gutierrez’s 100th issue as editor-in-chief of POZ, we’ve curated a special playlist of the songs referenced in the headlines of his editor’s letters over the years. www.poz.com/blog/oriol-g...

While pharmaceutical companies pay for trials of their own drugs, government-funded studies are crucial because they can look at the bigger picture. The ACTG -- which now has its funding suspended by NIH -- been supporting HIV research for nearly 40 years. Here are a few of its notable studies.🧵

The Trump administration has rescinded hundreds of National Institutes of Health research grants, including many that involve HIV & sexually transmitted infections. Scientists & advocates have filed a lawsuit to stop the cuts, but prospects for continued funding remain uncertain.

📅 Mark your calendars! Dr. Colleen Kelley (HIVMA Chair + Emory Infectious Diseases specialist) will testify before Congress on Wednesday, April 9 to advocate for continued funding in HIV care, prevention, and research. Watch live: bit.ly/4ldwVim #SaveHIVFudning #EndHIVEpidemic #TheFightForOurLives