Most At Risk Populations' Society in Uganda (MARPS in Uganda)

1. Generate and raise awareness on hand -washing, social distancing and staying-at-home as part of COVID-19 Prevention. Ensure housing, nutrition, access to social services and productivity 2. Generate and raise awareness on hand -washing, social distancing and staying-at-home as part of COVID-19 Prevention Use the days to engage in Health and Wellness Promotion integrating COVID-19 Response: a. Thematic Monday: Occupying oneself at home while self-isolating; games, house chores, reading, writing, studying online or any other activity that will not put one in danger of acquiring germs which make one vulnerable to COVID-19; avoid exposure to threats or contravening COVID-19 country restrictions such as curfew, social distancing rules and conflict with standard laws. b. Thematic Tuesday: Chatting up friends, checking on them and promoting companionship using WhatsApp or video conferencing. Ensure that one engages in activities that promote companionship while making sur...

An ongoing study finds that considerable challenges in such women’s lives may compromise their adherence to antiretrovirals says Benjamin Ryan. Beset with numerous life challenges that may compromise their adherence to antiretrovirals (ARVs), many women living with HIV are at substantial long-term risk of developing a detectable viral load. Publishing their Findings in JAMA Network Open, researchers from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study, analyzed data on 1,989 women with the virus who made at least five study visits between 1994 and 2017. The study sites were in Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Upon entering the study, the women had an average age of 36.9 years, an average CD4 count of 467 and a median viral load of 6,200. A total of 1,305 (65.6%) of the women were African American. At study visits conducted every six months, the women received viral load testing and were ...

This article is provided for you to pick up lessons. It is titled: Is the “PrEP4Love” Campaign Reaching Those Who Need It Most? The Chicago-based HIV-prevention effort garnered about 41 million views in its first four months alone. And that’s not all says Caroline Tien. The social marketing campaign “PrEP4Love” successfully raised awareness of Truvada as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) as an HIV-prevention tactic, according to the results of a recent study conducted by the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination (CCHE), reports the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Specifically, in the campaign’s first four months, the “PrEP4Love” ads garnered nearly 41 million unique views across social media platforms and 25,000 click-throughs. PrEP - which is approved for adults and adolescents- involves taking one pill a day and includes regular screenings for  #HIV  and other sexually transmitted infections. Medical monitoring and adherence support is also part of the...

We bring you selected readings on HIV Prevention from elsewhere as well! According to Benjamin Ryan of POZ Newsletter , a  study projected that PrEP use among adult gay and bi men would result in a considerable reduction in HIV among adolescents. "A new, highly sophisticated mathematical modeling study projects that widespread use of Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among adult men who have sex with men (MSM) would yield a major reduction in the rate of new HIV infections (known as incidence) in the overall MSM population as well as the number of MSM living with the virus (known as prevalence). The study also found that even if the adolescent MSM population did not take PrEP, they would still benefit considerably from adult MSM’s use of the prevention modality, both in terms of reduced HIV incidence and prevalence. Additional widespread coverage of PrEP among adolescent MSM would not, however, provide a con...