HPTN 096: Building Equity Through Advocacy – An Integrated, Status-Neutral Approach for Ending the Epidemic Among Black Gay Men in the South

November 15, 10:00 to 11:30 AM ET

The Choice Agenda and partners hosted a fascinating discussion about a novel, much-needed HIV prevention research study – HPTN 096 on November 15. Currently in the field, the study addresses social, structural, institutional, and behavioral barriers to HIV prevention and care. Visit the study website here.

Speakers (list in formation):

Prof. LaRon E. Nelson. Yale School of Nursing; HPTN 096 Protocol Co-Chair
Christopher Hucks-Ortiz, HPTN Black Caucus Chair
Dr. Cedric Pulliam, HPTN 096 Community Strategy Group
Abraham Johnson, HPTN 096 Research Advisor

Moderators:
Riko Boone, Treatment Action Group
John Meade, AVAC

Co-sponsored by PrEP in Black America and Federal AIDS Policy Partnership Research Working Group

Recording / Slides / Resources

Results from STI Landscaping Analyses in East and Southern Africa—Parts 1 and 2

Hear results from STI landscaping projects conducted in seven different countries from East and Southern Africa that explored needs for STI vaccines and diagnostics.

Part 1 Recording / Part 2 Recording

Latu Human Rights Foundation Slides / ACTS 101 Uganda Slides / Journalists Association Against AIDS (JournAIDS) Slides/ Lesotho Network of AIDS Service Organizations (LENASO) Slides / HIV Survivors and Partners Network (HIVSPN) Slides / Pangaea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust (PZAT) Slides / Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS) Slides

Boo, Syphilis is Really Back!

Syphilis rates have increased drastically in recent years. Learn how others are addressing these rising rates and the techniques clinicians are using to detect, treat, and prevent infections.

Co-hosted with NACCHO and NNPTC.

Webinar Recording / Kimberly A Stanford Slides / Anne Rompalo Slides / Irene Stafford Slides

DoxyPEP Implementation – All Systems Go?

On October 5, The Choice Agenda (TCA) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) hosted a discussion on the roll out of Doxycycline as STI PEP for helping gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women reduce bacterial STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.

Speakers:

Dr. Taimur Khan, Fenway Health
Cait Shea, NCSD
Kendrick Clack, NP, Crofoot MD Clinic/Research Center
Lee Vaughn-Ogin, Bigger Blacker Book

Recording / Slides / Resources

How do People Who Use/Inject Drugs Intersect with PrEP Research and Service Delivery?

On Wednesday, September 6, The Choice Agenda (TCA), the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and our wonderful expert speakers discussed the health and wellness priorities of people who use/inject drugs, and how these communities (“key populations”) intersect across PrEP research, development, and implementation activities. They highlighted critical gaps in the PrEP agenda, underscore opportunities for improvement, and share strategies for better inclusion, representation and meaningful engagement.

Speakers: John Kimani, Kenya Network of People Who Use Drugs (KeNPUD) Dr. Sunil Solomon, Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Tetiana Kaleeva

** With special thanks to WHO, this webinar will offer simultaneous Ukrainian translation.**

Recording / Slides / Resources

Tales from Two Cities: HIV and STI research highlights from Brisbane and Chicago

August 3, 2023 at 9am ET

TCA’s invited experts will share their highlights and reflections on the HIV and STI-related science presented at two major global health conferences. These conferences include IAS 2023, taking place in Brisbane, Australia July 23 – 26 and the 2023 STI and HIV World Congress happening in Chicago (United States) from July 24 – July 27.

Speakers include:
Dr. Aniruddha Hazra – University of Chicago
Nyaradzo M Mgodi – University of Zimbabwe
Roger Pebody – NAM, Aidsmap.com
Charlie Peterson – University of Illinois – Chicago

Recording / Slides / Resources

Advancing HIV Cure to Africa: What is needed?

The HIV epidemic continues to have a tremendous impact on global health. While we have made enormous progress in making antiretroviral therapy available to many people living with HIV, we are still not capable of eliminating infection. Consequently, people with HIV must commit to expensive, lifelong therapies; continuous monitoring; and they face drug toxicities and chronic immune activation. There is thus an urgent need to develop safe, affordable, and globally accessible curative strategies. While HIV cure research slowly becomes more mainstream in high income countries, Africa runs the risk of being left behind.

During two exciting 60-minutes panel-discussions panelists discussed how researchers, communities and other stakeholders from high income countries could work equitably with low- and middle-income countries in the interests of an HIV cure for all. This webinar was one session of the NL4Cure Spring symposium in Rotterdam on May 25 and 26.

Panel discussion 1 – Scientific priorities for HIV cure in Africa

Watch the recording

Facilitated by Cynthia Lungu, Erasmus University Medical Center.
Panelists included Professor Thumbi Ndung’u, Africa Health Research Institute Programme, Krista Dong, MD, of FRESH- Females Rising through Education, Professor Zaza Ndhlovu, Africa Health Research Institute, Catherine Slack, MA Clin Psych, PhD, HIV AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group

Panel discussion 2 – Advocacy and community involvement priorities for HIV cure in Africa

Watch the recording

Facilitated by Jessica Salzwedel, AVAC.
Panelists included Philister Adhiambo, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Charles Brown, Preventive Care International, Mandisa Dukashe, Wits RHI, Elina Mwasinga, National Association for Young People Living with HIV

Aidsfonds: Soa Aids Nederland is a Dutch non-profit organization that also works internationally. Working with communities as equals is at the heart of all our work. We conduct research and ensure that HIV, AIDS and STIs remain high on the agenda worldwide. Together we are working to find a cure for HIV.

NL4Cure: Aidsfonds has initiated a unique partnership to bring together the best HIV researchers, people living with HIV, data experts, HIV clinicians and nurses. Through NL4Cure, we generate new insights that bring us one step closer to finding a cure.

ClusterF*#k: Molecular HIV Surveillance, Criminalization, and The Real Risks to PLHIV

Tuesday, July 18 at 11:00 AM–12:30PM ET

Advocates Brian Minalga (Deputy Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination), Amir Sadeghi (Policy and Advocacy Manager at the The Center for HIV Law and Policy), and Andy Spieldenner (Executive Director of MPact Global Action) will explore the intersection of surveillance, bodily autonomy and criminalization.

This webinar is co-sponsored by The Center for HIV Law and Policy, MPact Global Action, and the Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination.

Recording / Slides / Resources

PrEP That Booty: The latest on rectal microbicide research for the back door

Thursday, June 29 at 9:00 AM–10:30AM ET

Most of what we hear about regarding the HIV prevention pipeline is about long-acting, longer-acting, and even longer-acting products that deliver drug throughout the body and require a trained clinician to deliver. However, these attributes are not desirable to many folks, and communities want a range of choices. Researchers and advocates for years have been working on HIV prevention products specifically for the back door (rectum) to provide protection during anal intercourse. These products are user-controlled, non-systemic (the drug stays in the booty and only the booty), and are short-acting, so you don’t have to commit to having a prevention drug in your body for a year or longer. Join us for a dynamic discussion regarding the latest research on Booty PrEP – aka rectal microbicides – with our multi-talented panel.

Speakers include: Jonathan Baker, PA, Laser Surgery Care, Dr. Craig Hendrix, Johns Hopkins, Juan Michael Porter II, The Body, and Dr. Sharon Riddler, University of Pittsburgh

Recording / Slides / Resources

The Road to and Beyond High-Level Meetings on UHC and PPR

Thursday, June 22 at 9:00 AM ET

This webinar highlighted key opportunities for community and civil society to engage ahead of and beyond the upcoming high-level meetings on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR). Learning from the high-level meetings on HIV, and reflecting on the recent multi-stakeholders meetings on UHC, TB, and PPR, the webinar highlighted: key moments for civil society and communities to engage, unpack the political declarations’ languages and, holding governments accountable to their commitments.

Watch the recording.