Syndemics and HIV: Unraveling the Complex Web of Health Inequities
Since the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, marginalized populations, and most especially racial and ethnic minority groups, have been
Syndemic Thinking and the Future of Health Care Design
On January 29, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved an “Emergency Humanitarian Waiver” to allow the President’s Emergency Plan
The Syndemic of HIV and Substance Use in Adolescence
Origins of HIV/AIDS Syndemic Theory Syndemics arise when two or more clusters of epidemics occur within a population as a
Fueling the Fire
“It’s the government’s way of controlling people,” remarked one patient with HIV when asked about his interest in restarting antiretroviral
“Community is an Act of Resistance”
Fear, uncertainty, stress, and anger. Disruptions to care and research. Funding terminations. These are just some of the things many
At a Crossroads: Why HIV Specialists Must Embrace Advocacy and Speak Out
Since the earliest days of the HIV epidemic, advances in HIV medicine have profoundly transformed the health care system itself,
Unraveling the Safety Net
Recent upheavals within the federal government and public health infrastructure are already casting a shadow over the lives of our
‘We Need To Keep Fighting’: HIV Activists Organize To Save Lives as Trump Guts Funding
Cedric Sturdevant woke up with “a bit of depression” but made it to church, as he does every Sunday. In
Mental Health, HIV, and Managing Multiple Medications
Introduction As the general population of people with HIV continues to age, so accompanies the risk for polypharmacy (the use
Donald, STOP!
President Donald Trump has a stated mission to “drain the swamp” or, in other words, to rid our society of
Standing Together Against Health Policy Headwinds
In the early months of this year, as the contours of the Trump Administration’s second term began to assert themselves
Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use in HIV Care
In my work as a therapist, I witness daily how my patients’ HIV diagnosis and trauma can intersect and compound
In the News
American Academy of HIV Medicine Statement on the Cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services
On Tuesday, April 1, the Trump Administration began sweeping cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
In the News
Yeztugo® (Lenacapavir) Is Now the First and Only FDA-Approved HIV Prevention Option Offering Six Months of Protection
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) announced [on June 18, 2025] that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved
In the News
Two HIV Vaccine Trials Show Proof of Concept for Pathway to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
A decades-long scientific challenge in HIV vaccine development has been finding a way to train the immune system to produce
The Interconnectedness of Disease
The spring issue of HIV Specialist is focused on the topic of syndemics and specific syndemic connections with HIV. “Syndemic”
At the Forefront
Student Perspectives: Identifying Barriers and Support Needed for Entering the HIV Care Workforce
As part of our ongoing effort to support the next generation of HIV care professionals, the American Academy of HIV
Clinical Research Update
Clinical Research Update – Summer 2025
Featured Literature Preexposure Prophylaxis for HIV: Updated Recommendations from the 2024 International Antiviral Society-USA Panel. Available at: https://www.iasusa.org/2025/06/27/updated-recommendations-from-the-2024-international-antiviral-society-usa-panel/. Interim Guideline
In the News
American Academy of HIV Medicine Statement on Recent White House Executive Orders
On Monday, January 20, 2025, the Trump White House issued numerous executive orders, and several affect those in the LGBTQIA
In the News
The American Academy of HIV Medicine Announces Second Year for Fellowship to Improve HIV Prevention and PrEP Access
On February 3, the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) announced the second year of the Dr. Dawn K. Smith
In the News
As Prevention Strategy for Sexually Transmitted Infections Rolls Out, Experts Highlight both Promise and Knowledge Gaps
As health care services begin offering doxycycline to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), real-world evidence demonstrates that the postexposure
In the News
First Clinical Data for Gilead’s Investigational Once-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention Presented at CROI 2025 and Published in The Lancet
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today [March 11] presented the first data from its ongoing Phase 1 study investigating two
At the Forefront
Advancing HIV Awareness and Access
Authors Angela C. Riley, PharmD, MPH, AAHIVE Director of Community and Provider Engagement American Academy of HIV Medicine Bernard A.
Clinical Research Update
Clinical Research Update – Spring 2025
Featured Literature Chappell CA, Kiser JJ, Brooks KM, et al. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy in pregnant people with hepatitis
A Day in the Life of an HIV Specialist in the Agentic AI Era
The future HIV clinic is not fully automated. It is not fully virtual. And it is not fully digital. It is digitally augmented.
Integrating AI Tools in HIV Prevention and Treatment for Rural and Underserved Communities
Geographical disparities in HIV-related health care access and treatment adherence exist in the United States, with nearly 50 percent of new HIV infections and lower rates of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) utilization in the South.
Teaching in the Age of Generative AI: Opportunity, Risk, and a Path Forward for Health Professions Education
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of how our students learn, study, and communicate. The question is no longer whether students will use it. The question is whether we, as educators, will guide its use in a way that strengthens clinical reasoning, protects patient safety, and preserves academic integrity.
Red and Blue States Alike Want To Limit AI in Insurance. Trump Wants To Limit the States.
It’s the rare policy question that unites Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Democratic-led Maryland government against President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California: How should health insurers use AI?
The Next Chapter of HIV Care
From chatbots answering patient questions to the rollout of AI tools used to support patient management, the artificial intelligence (AI) era is upon us now and it’s imperative to fully understand the promise – and pitfalls – of this new technology to help guide patient care and counseling.
In the News
Fellowship to Expand HIV Prevention and PrEP Access Now In Its Third Year
The American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) announces the third year of the Dr. Dawn K. Smith HIV Prevention Clinical Fellowship, which is funded by a grant through ViiV Healthcare.
In the News
NIH-Supported Trial Reduces HIV Incidence By 70 Percent In Rural Populations
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reduced new HIV cases by 70 percent in rural Kenya and Uganda by pairing digital tools with tailored HIV services delivered by community health workers and clinicians.
In the News
ViiV Healthcare Reports Long-Acing Injectable Cabenuva Effectively Maintains Viral Suppression in Adolescents Living with HIV, with >97 Percent Preferring Injections Over Daily Oral Treatment
ViiV Healthcare announced week 96 and end-of-study results from the phase I/II IMPAACT 2017 (MOCHA) study, the first trial to evaluate a complete injectable long-acting treatment regimen in adolescents living with HIV.
In the News
New Data Show Over 91 Percent Viral Suppression Rate Among Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Patients
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released new data, marking a record-breaking 91.4 percent of patients receiving HIV medical care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program were virally suppressed, significantly exceeding the national viral suppression rate.
In the News
U.S. HIV Response is Under Significant Strain
On April 14, the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIMV), along with other members of the Emergency HIV Clinical Response Task Force (the Task Force), released updated data quantifying the scope and nature of HIV service disruptions resulting from harmful policy and funding decisions. The findings from the survey lay bare the dangerous barriers to care facing patients and underscore significant strain in the HIV response in the United States.
At the Forefront
Maintenance of Viral Suppression with Long-Acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine During Pregnancy: A Case Report
Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LA-ART) using cabotegravir and rilpivirine is an emerging strategy to address adherence challenges among people with HIV.
Clinical Research Update
Clinical Research Update – Winter 2025
Featured Literature Koethe JR, Lake JE, Kantor A, et al. A 48-week, Randomized Controlled Trial of Doravirine for Individuals with
When ART Tips the Scale
For decades, HIV has been linked in the public perception with weight loss and wasting. The image of a “slimming
Un-PrEPared
Abstract Despite being a population with a high incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), adolescents and young adults have had
The Next Generation
Despite exciting advances in HIV prevention and treatment in recent years, overall new HIV infections have been increasing.1,2 Adolescents and
Raising the Bar: HIV Risk and Prevention for Adolescents and Young Adults
I provide HIV care in Fresno, Calif., the third-highest incidence city for HIV in the state. In my clinic, I
The Power of a Single-Session: A Scalable Approach to Mental Health and HIV Care
Accessing mental health support shouldn’t take months, but across many clinics in the U.S., average wait times still hover between
Care That Centers the AYA Experience
We tend to talk about HIV in big, tidy clinical categories: prevention, testing, care, treatment. Those frameworks matter but coldly flatten the people inside them. Living with HIV is not a single experience, and a clinical approach that assumes it is will always miss something important.
In the News
One dose of antibiotic treats early syphilis as well as three doses
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that a single injection of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin
In the News
AAHIVM Credentialing Program Changes
The Academy is committed to developing a workforce of HIV providers ready to care for the next generation of those with and at risk of HIV. To further uphold this mission and better support our credentialing applicants, we’re making some changes to our credentialing program.
In the News
State Medicaid Officials Project Flat Enrollment Post Unwinding but Increased Spending and Budget Pressures, as States Prepare for Impact of Federal Medicaid Policy Changes
As states completed the “unwinding” of pandemic-era continuous coverage, Medicaid enrollment fell 7.6 percent in FY 2025 and is expected to
In the News
Treating opioid addiction in jails improves treatment engagement, reduces overdose deaths and reincarceration
A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that individuals who received medication for opioid use disorder
From Experience to Impact: The Leaders Behind the CAG
When Brooke Davidoff looks back on memories of her wedding, she’s not reminded of the wedding-day stress or the pressure
At the Forefront
The HIV Clinical Leadership Fellowship Program
The HIV Clinical Leadership Fellowship Program offers a unique HIV fellowship for physicians committed to improving primary care for people with HIV in underserved communities.
Continuing Education
Addressing Vasomotor Symptoms (Hot Flashes) in Menopause and Perimenopause
Increasing numbers of women with HIV (WWH) are experiencing menopause, a pivotal phase of reproductive health that can impact physical