#AIDs Research

[ninecolors]

HIV: THE OTHER CLOSET

Imagine an unknown virus is spreading at incredible speed, causing a global pandemic that kills millions everywhere.

And now imagine that nobody cares. Nobody does anything about it. Nobody even talks about what's happening. Even worse, in many places the research into this lethal virus and possible ways to stop it are actively obstructed.

That's how the AIDS pandemic was for several decades.

World AIDS Day, held on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV.

In the 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were discovered, enormous strides have been made in our knowledge of HIV and how to manage it, but there is still a great deal of work yet do be done to end the pandemic that never went away.

Thanks to the efforts of activists, scientists, and educators around the world, today a diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence. Progress continues at an ever-accelerating pace, reaching milestones that were unthinkable only a few years ago:

U = U

With the treatments now available, a person living with HIV can have a totally normal life, including not being contagious. Yes, you read that right. When a person living with HIV receives adequate treatment, the virus is suppressed to the point that is no longer detectable in their blood: they become undetectable.

Undetectable means untransmissible. In other words, that person is not able to pass the virus to others.

PrEP and PEP

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) are two kinds of medication that are highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV. They have been made available recently, and their implementation is still limited, but these drugs are already playing a critical role in reducing transmission rates among at-risk populations.

HIV Vaccine

We have never been closer to an effective and long-lasting vaccine against HIV. Thousands of researchers and volunteers around the globe are working tirelessly to develop one. Currently the Mosaico Study is the most promising candidate.

VIHsibility

The visibility of HIV/AIDS characters in media has come a long way, both in quantity and quality. These representations are important because they have real-world impact in people's perceptions and behaviors. For example, after the success of the British show "It's a Sin", there was a significant increase in HIV testing in the UK.

[acepumpkinpatrick]

Research for Gaza & Sudan

Hello everyone, this is my attempt in helping Raise funds for 3 campaigns that are in dire need and are extremely low on funds.

What I can do:

I am a physics major & have access to neat software such as HyperChem & Gaussian 09 and know how to use both efficiently. I can help build & do the necessary calculations for your modules. I can help you find resources for your research, and I am open to doing math and/or physics homework, as well.

How does this work?

DM me your requirements WITH CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS & a screenshot of your donations and I will start on it as soon as I can.

• For HyperChem & Gaussian 09: you need to donate €25 to each of the two gaza campaigns I have below.

I think this is a more than fair price given that licenses for both softwares range from 50$-2500$ (in the academics alone!)

• For searching resources: you need to donate €10 for the Sudanese campaign below.

• For homework: you need to donate €10 to any of the campaigns below.

NOTE: I am NOT responsible for Your deadlines. If your request needs time to run or I am doing someone else's commission before you, you WILL have to wait.

The campaigns:

Al-Najjar family - vetted here

Abdul Aziz's family - vetted here

ThomaSerena - vetted here & here

Sorry for the tags ♡

@commissions4aid-international @northgazaupdates2 @appsa @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @wingedalpacacupcake @elksewer @a-shade-of-blue @tortiefrancis @mushroomjar @fromjannah @neechees @irhabiya @ibtisams @lacecap @dykesbat @socalgal @ankle-beez @mahoushojoe @transmutationisms @deepspaceboytoy @greelin @huckleberrycomics @zionistsinfilm @beserkerjewel @babacontainsmultitudes @spacebeyonce @mauesartetc @vakarians-babe @ghostofanonpast @c-u-c-koo-4-40k @ot3 @xinakwans @komsomolka @chilewithcarnage @akamanto0 @feluka @goodguydotmp3 @leotanaka @effen-draws @pkmnbutch @bilal-salah0 @ghostingarden

[kazumist]

HANDLE WITH CARE .ᐟ

✩ — in which soshiro hoshina finds himself getting treated by his favorite nurse, you.

✩ — includes: soshiro hoshina x gn!reader. fluff. cw: mentions of blood and injuries, inaccurate use of medical terms ?? sorry i just used google uhm. wc: 990. established (secret !!!) relationship. reblogs and feedback are much appreciated !!

✩ — note: i became obsessed with these two that i might just write a part two of reader treating him after the tachikawa base raid arc actually.

soshiro hoshina does not play favorites.

when it comes to his subordinates, at least.

when it comes to the medical team assigned to the tachikawa base, however, that is when he plays favorites (though you would never see the vice captain of the third division actually admit that; he prefers calling it his “preferences”). whenever he finds himself in the base’s infirmary, he will always look for you. and when he’s lucky, which on most occasions he is, then he’ll have you treat his wounds. it’s just something that hoshina has grown accustomed to whenever he finds himself there. nothing more, nothing less (a lie).

you were a special case for the vice captain. there was just something about the way you handled his wounds compared to others. call it picky, but he just prefers the gentle treatment that you give his wounds. (how come hoshina constantly prefers to be treated by you when others would treat him the same? isn't that part of your job in the first place?)

(the answer is simple—it’s simply an act of soshiro hoshina asking for some quality time, even if he’s all bruised and bloody.)

“i’m almost convinced that you do this on purpose sometimes.”

soshiro simply grins at you. you weren’t entirely wrong—but it’s not like hoshina asks himself to get hurt when he goes out on missions in the first place. he could handle himself pretty well; he has the high position of being the vice captain of the third division, for christ’s sake. but perhaps it is inevitable that even the vice captain would come out of a mission unscathed.

“i like the concern from you.”

you give him a lighthearted eyeroll, to which he only grins even wider. "i'm sure you do," yet that grin slowly dissipated as he winced slightly at the feeling of the alcohol touching the wound near his eyebrow. “sorry, did that hurt too much?” you asked him, worried that it might’ve stung too much for his liking. this type of close proximity was normal for you and him. after all, it’s not like this is the first time your face was this close to his—though those are times when hoshina feels rather affectionate with you rather than in pain due to some wound he got.

“nothing i can’t handle, love.” he says, recovering quite fast from the alcohol sting. he was then met with a gentle tap on the lips—hoshina knows it was a warning from you. “watch your words, vice captain.” you say, applying a small gauze pad to his wound and securing it with paper tape.

“can’t really help it when you look so pretty up close, sweetheart.”

you ignored his remark but soshiro could see the smile that tugged on your lips at the petname. you then moved on to his next wound, which is on his left shoulder. his expression softens as he watches you inspect his wound, a small amount of guilt bubbling up inside of him. “this is gonna need a little stitch,” you sighed, grabbing another cotton ball, pouring the right amount of alcohol on it, and preparing to gently dab it on the wound. “and this might hurt a bit again.” you give him a heads up.

“like i said, it’s nothing that i can’t handle,” he reassured. whether it’s you he’s reassuring or himself to convince himself, neither of you really know. he hissed slightly when the cotton ball came into contact with his skin; it was barely even heard that he hissed in the first place. but you noticed it; you always do. you would notice everything about the man before you and he would do the same.

after cleaning his shoulder wound, you proceeded to prepare to stitch it up. there was no one else in the infirmary at the moment; it was now only you and hoshina there. he silently watched you as you quickly arranged the surgical suture. and even when you started the stitching, the deafening silence was still comfortable. 

soshiro gently raised his right arm since it was uninjured and used his hand to smoothly tuck your other strands of hair behind your ear. you looked at him, raising an eyebrow at his gesture. he smiles at you in return. “your hair might get in the way. we don’t want my stitches to have your hair stuck in them now, don't we?”

you quickly finish up the stitch and put gauze on top as well. “i’m sorry.” soshiro’s apology is as genuine as it always is whenever he gets treated in this same room. “i’m starting to feel quite better now, though. couldn’t do it without my favorite nurse.” he continues, as he grabs ahold of your unoccupied hand.

he hears you chuckle at his words as you interlock your fingers together. “avoid arduous training or activities for a good one week and you’ll be good as new.” you said, sighing as now you’re finally done with treating your boyfriend. “eh? no fair. i have to go help the rookies train the day after tomorrow.”

“i’m sure captain ashiro would let you off the hook in the meantime, soshiro.”

“oh, we’re on a first name basis now?” he asks, and this time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. you bring your other hand up to his cheek, caressing it as your thumb grazes his cheek bone. he leans into your palm as if it were a reflex. “we’ve always been on a first name basis, dummy.” you say.

“maybe all of my pain could go away if you just gave me a little kiss, you know, as your vice captain.”

“now that’s just abuse of authority. do you ask other nurses for a kiss too?” you pouted.

“that’s why your my favorite nurse.” he replies, clearly emphasizing the word “favorite” as he steals a kiss from you.

yeah, vice captain soshiro hoshina definitely does not play favorites.

[skimmeh]

Literally spent way too much time on this- BUT STAREATER SCAR DESIGN UPDATE yyyaayyyy

The old one is still a little useful as his Vindicator design hasn't changed, but he doesn't wear that for much of the series

Close ups and stuff ↓↓↓

[rotzaprachim]

im shaking every single student organizer and screaming that they need to separate a demand to divest from arms funding from the demand for a university to cut off all contact with Israeli and Israeli-American scholars and students, a demand which no university will agree to because implementing it would in many cases be very illegal

[interplanet--janet]

Spiraling just a little bit about the whole pause on all federal aid. Which literally fucks over the country in ways I cannot even begin to fathom

[gayaest]

Rawiya — her name means “storyteller”. She loves nature and mori kei fashion, and enjoys sunsets! 🌾🐛👒🧸

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

Imagine; Scout with prosthetic legs! Bro can zoom around at the speed of sound!

Prosthetic legs go NYOOOOOM but remember to give your poor legs a rest from time to time!!

[reality-detective]

"WHATSHERFACE" (13 FEB 2022) "now EVERYONE has AIDS" 🤔

[republicanidiots]

How the Republicans Will Kill Us Part 1

Initially, the Republicans will cut funding nobody will notice for years. For example, they won't renew grants for medical research. These grants are applied for and usually run a few years before needing to be renewed. So these research opportunities will die and nobody will notice. That's what Reagan did with AIDS funding. For five years he cut medical research -- not just for AIDS but for everything -- to the absolute bone. Investigation stopped. Scientists walked away from their labs. And the Republicans ran around saying they were able to cut "$100M from the federal budget and nothing happened." It was proof of how penny-conscious they were and how the Dems had been lying all long. Five fucking years.

[not-the-coffee-machine4]

Me: *tries to see what the Queen fans on TikTok have to say*

*Jim hate*

*”facts” that may or not be actually true*

*”Freddie Mercury was bisexual-“*

*Using Barbara Valentin as evidence*

*thinking things that happened in the movie actually happened irl*

*general misinformation about everyone and everything*

Me: aaaaand back to Tumblr I go

(open tags at your own risk, there’s a whole essay in there)

[cent-scratchnsniff]

it was just going to be a few warmup doodles but then she infected the rest of the page like the ever eternal and spreading spores. hod!!! hod. hod :)

[stormspecter]

Help me get to my top surgery in February 2025!

Note: I am raising funds for the transportation only. At this time, the surgery is fully covered by insurance.

Hello! I am a multiply disabled trans person in my mid 20s. I need help getting a ride to and from my top surgery, which is scheduled in February 2025. I do not have a car and there is no one in my life who is both willing and able to give me a ride. This is an ongoing problem which delayed my surgery for years, and already forced me to cancel my previous date last year.

This is especially important because at the moment, I may be running out of time to have this covered by Medicaid due to current events in the USA. As I have been waiting for over 10 years now and developed additional health problems because of it, I need this done and cannot wait potentially years longer.

Regarding how I will use the funds, I have concluded that about $300 USD will be more than enough to cover an Uber trip both ways on the day of surgery. (Pre-op and post-op appointments will take place at a clinic closer to where I live, so those should be covered by taxi rides through my insurance.) Any remaining funds will be used for recovery supplies, as I will need to be recovering on quite a slim budget.

Anything at all is deeply appreciated! I know that many people are struggling right now, so thank you so much for reading. Please feel free to ask for any further information or details, I'd be happy to share. I just don’t want to make this too much longer.

$0 / $300

vnmo: hawberry25

cshapp: hawberry25

Ko-fi: Reynia

[nb-goblin]

Hi :) I'm a queer researcher doing some queer research for my dissertation and would be so grateful if some of y'all could help me out by taking part

It's a short questionnaire asking you to rate different aspects of your memories before and after coming out (as trans) as well as questions about gender dysphoria (dw if you don't experience gender dysphoria around being trans, your participation is still useful :)

for more info have a look at the poster below and/or my pinned post :3

thank you so much if you take part!!

[reasonsforhope]

"Five people have gone into remission thanks to advancements in medicine — and a sixth patient may also now be free of HIV.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS prevention in recent years is the widespread use of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). 

This drug therapy, approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2012, has been a key player in preventing HIV transmission through sex or injection drug use. Antiretroviral drugs, such as PrEP, also slow the replication of the virus and prevent it from progressing to AIDS.

Although PrEP has become a more accessible treatment for the virus, scientists have been hurriedly working towards cures for HIV for decades — and we’re finally seeing some results.

In February of this year, scientists in Germany confirmed a fifth-ever patient had been cured of HIV after receiving stem cell transplants that include genetic mutations that carry a resistance to HIV. 

But it looks like a sixth patient may soon be able to join this very exclusive club. 

The man, referred to as the “Geneva patient,” underwent a stem cell transplant after cancer treatment, though these cells did not include the HIV-resistant genetic mutation. 

Still, he went off antiretroviral therapy for HIV in November 2021, and his viral load remains undetectable. 

Instead, doctors are researching whether a drug called ruxolitinib may be partially responsible for his recovery. 

Ruxolitinib decreases inflammation associated with HIV by blocking two proteins, JAK1 and JAK2. This helps kill off “reservoir cells” that lay dormant in the body and have a potential to cause rebounds in patients with HIV.

Experts say the AIDS crisis can end by 2030 across the globe — as long as leaders prioritize this goal. 

A new report from UNAIDS shows a clear, optimistic path to ending the AIDS crisis. (This looks like a 90% reduction in cases by 2030.)

The organization’s report includes data and case studies that show that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice — and that governments that have prioritized a path towards progress are seeing extraordinary results.

By following the data, science, and evidence; tackling inequality; and ensuring sufficient and sustainable funding across communities, the global community could wipe out the AIDS pandemic by the end of the decade.

The report demonstrates that progress has been strongest in the countries and regions that have the most financial investments, like eastern and southern Africa, where new HIV infections have been reduced by 57% since 2010. 

Investments in treatments, education, and access to care have also led to a 58% reduction in new HIV infections among children from 2010 to 2022 — the lowest number since the 1980’s.

Plus, the number of people on antiretroviral treatment around the globe has risen from 7.7 million in 2010 to 29.8 million in 2022.

The moral of the story? This goal can be achieved, if world leaders put their minds — and wallets — to it. 

A region in Australia might be the first place in the world to reach the United Nations targets for ending HIV transmission. 

Researchers believe that the central district of Sydney, Australia is close to becoming the first locality in the world to reach the UN’s target for ending transmission of HIV. 

Specifically, new infections among gay men have fallen by 88% between 2010 and 2022. In fact, there were only 11 new HIV cases recorded in central Sydney last year, and almost all HIV-positive Australians are on antiretroviral drugs. 

... "These numbers show us that virtual elimination of HIV transmissions is possible. Now, we need to look closely at what has worked in Sydney, and adapt it for other cities and regions across Australia.”

Namibia is ahead of schedule in UN targets to end HIV/AIDS. 

Although the virus is still the leading cause of death in Namibia, the country is well on track to hit 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets before its 2030 deadline. 

In Namibia, 92% of people know their HIV status, 99% of people living with HIV are on treatment, and 94% of people living with HIV who are on treatment are virally suppressed.

In addition to these exciting statistics, new infections have plummeted. The estimated rate of new HIV infections in Namibia is five times lower than it was in 2002, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

These encouraging numbers are thanks to the investment and strategic response of PEPFAR, but also to the willingness of local governmental agencies and organizations to adhere to the UN’s Fast-Track approach.

Breakthroughs are being made in HIV vaccine therapies.

Long before we were all asking each other “Pfizer or Moderna?” about our COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have been researching the potential of mRNA vaccines in treating some of the world’s deadliest diseases — like HIV.

And with the success of our mainstream mRNA vaccines, an HIV inoculation remains a goal for researchers across the globe.

Last year, the National Institutes of Health launched a clinical trial of three mRNA vaccines for HIV, and similar studies are being conducted in Rwanda and South Africa, as well. 

CAR T-cell clinical trials are underway to potentially cure HIV.

This spring, UC Davis Health researchers have dosed the second participant in their clinical trial, which poses the use of CAR T-cell therapy as a potential cure for HIV.

The study involves taking a participant’s own white blood cells (called T-cells), and modifying them so they can identify and target HIV cells, ultimately controlling the virus without medication. 

The first participant in the study was dosed with anti-HIV T-cells last August, and the trial is the first of its kind to utilize this technology to potentially treat HIV. 

Of course, the trials have a long way to go, and the lab is still preparing to dose a third participant for the study, but CAR T-cell treatments have been successful for lupus and forms of cancer in the past...

“So far, there have been no adverse events observed that were related to the treatment, and the two participants are doing fine.”

Guidance on how to reduce stigma and discrimination due to HIV/AIDS is reaching people around the globe.

While the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS has significantly decreased — especially towards the LGBTQ+ community — with advancements in treatment and prevention, discrimination is certainly not gone. 

While most people now understand HIV/AIDS better than they did decades ago, those most impacted by the virus (like gay men and low-income women and children) still face ongoing barriers to care and economic security. 

It is vital to maintain awareness and education interventions. 

After all, experts suggest that eliminating discrimination and stigma are key factors in reducing disease.  And not eliminating stigma impedes HIV services, argues UNAIDS, “limiting access to and acceptance of prevention services, engagement in care, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy.” 

Luckily, UNAIDS provides guidance on how to reduce stigma and discrimination in the community, workplace, education, health care, justice, and emergency settings. 

The goal is to, of course, decrease stigma in order to decrease disease, but also to provide folks with the culturally significant support they need to live safe, integrated lives — with or without disease. 

For instance, a 2022 study conducted in Northern Uganda showed that local cultural knowledge passed through Elders was a successful intervention in reducing HIV-related stigma among young people.

“Research in school settings has shown that the use of local cultural stories, songs, myths, riddles, and proverbs increases resilient coping responses among students and strengthens positive and socially accepted morals and values,” the study’s discussion reads. 

So, while an uptick in acceptance gives us hope, it also gives us a directive: Keep telling the accurate, full, and human stories behind HIV/AIDS, and we’ll all be better for it. "

-via GoodGoodGood, August 3, 2023

[girderednerve]

my INTERLIBRARY LOAN on safety orange by anna watkins fisher came in!! yay!!!

here's the summary; if this sounds fun, you can read along via the open-access version: Safety Orange first emerged in the 1950s as a bureaucratic color standard in technical manuals and federal regulations in the United States. Today it is most visible in the contexts of terror, pandemic, and environmental alarm systems; traffic control; work safety; and mass incarceration. In recent decades, the color has become ubiquitous in American public life—a marker of the extreme poles of state oversight and abandonment, of capitalist excess and dereliction. Its unprecedented saturation encodes the tracking of those bodies, neighborhoods, and infrastructures judged as worthy of care—and those deemed dangerous and expendable. 

Here, Anna Watkins Fisher uses Safety Orange as an interpretive key for theorizing the uneven distribution of safety and care in twenty-first-century U.S. public life and for pondering what the color tells us about neoliberalism’s intensifying impact often hiding in plain sight in ordinary and commonplace phenomena.