Avac Event

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

Register here.

Avac Event

PrEP (In)equity: Documenting, measuring, and flipping the script towards justice

Tuesday, May 9 at 9:00 AM–10:30AM ET

Disparities in PrEP awareness, access, and uptake are stark in the United States, and play out along lines of race, gender, age, and geography. While we see increases in PrEP uptake overall, these metrics tend to mask the fact that the people who most need PrEP are not to be found in those numbers. As we see new modes of PrEP delivery become available, we are concerned these “shiny new things” will be yet another way to measure disparities and not actually help those who most need it. We must focus on these inequities with laser-like intensity, allocate resources using an equity model, and strive harder for PrEP justice.

Speakers include: Leisha-McKinley Beach, National HIV/AIDS Consultant, Michael Chancley, PrEP4All, and Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Emory

Register here.

Avac Event

PrEP In Black America: New Orleans

PrEP is a tool to effectively prevent HIV, but despite FDA approval in 2012, only 9 percent of Black people who could benefit from PrEP have received it. To address dismal PrEP utilization rates in the Black community, Black HIV prevention advocates convened in Atlanta, GA for the first PrEP In Black America Summit. With community input from the summit, we published “For Us, By Us: PrEP In Black America: A Master Plan For HIV Prevention In Black America” which outlined key recommendations for stakeholders to implement to increase racial equity in PrEP uptake.

Join Black HIV prevention advocates from across the U.S. for the second interactive PrEP In Black America Summit in New Orleans, LA on May 19, as we develop and build on existing strategies to increase PrEP access and awareness in the Black community.

Thanks to sponsorship from Red Hot Organization, registration for the summit is FREE, including a lunch. Due to a limit of 200 attendees, please register once you have confirmed that you will be able to attend in person on May 19, 2023. We will also have a live, interactive virtual option to attend. For more information, visit prep4all.org/prepinblackamerica.

More information including registration here.

Avac Event

DRM Learning Collaborative

Thursday, April 6, 15.00hours to 16.30hours (EAT)/8:00-9:30am (EST)

Welcome to this year’s first meeting of the Domestic Resource Mobilization learning collaborative. The Learning Collaborative is a virtual space that brings together global health advocates, civil society organizations and other key stakeholders from Africa to engage in peer-to-peer learning and partner in advocacy for a sustainably funded health R&D and infrastructure in Africa.

The upcoming learning collaborative meeting take place on Thursday April 6th, from 15.00hours to 16.30hours (EAT)/8:00-9:30am (EST). The focus will be on the need to invest in local vaccine manufacturing in Africa. We will discuss the landscape including challenges and opportunities, and identify priority advocacy towards expanding local manufacture of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

Register here.

Mpox – Sexual Networks, HIV and Activism

Wednesday, March 29 at 9:30–11:00am ET

MPX NYC: A community-led study on queer sex in New York City
Dr. Keletso Makofane, Harvard University, FXB Health & Human Rights Fellow

Mpox and HIV
Dr. Chloe Orkin, Professor of HIV Medicine, Queen Mary University of London

Recording / Slides / Resources

The Research Says Yes, YES, YES – Just Like That

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

During this webinar, advocates explored the need for pleasure in HIV prevention research and rollout.

Featuring Anne Philpott, Joao Alves, and Christine Curley

Recording / Slides / Resources

More than Vessels: Pregnant people deserve inclusion in HIV prevention clinical and implementation research

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

During this webinar, panelists explored the need for Pregnant and Lactating Populations (PLP) to be included HIV prevention clinical and implementation research

Speakers included Dr. Elaine Abrams, Raniyah Copeland, Dr. Lisa Noguchi and Dr. Lynda Stranix-Chibanda. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Dvora Joseph Davey.

Recording / Slides / Resources

Trans Inclusion: Charting HIV Research into the Future: A Manifesto and Scorecard for Advocates and Researchers

Thursday, January 26, 2023


During this webinar, panelists unpacked the No Data No More manifesto and discussed preliminary findings from the TG scorecard, which looked at transgender representation in clinical trials over time. Speaker details, recording, and resources below.

Featured Leigh Ann van der Merwe — Founder and Director: Social, Health & Empowerment Feminist Collective of Transgender Women of Africa; Brian Minalga — AVAC consultant, Trans Inclusion Initiative; and Cindra Feuer — AVAC Senior Program Manager: Partnerships & Capacity Strengthening


Recording / Slides / Resources

Centering Communities, GPP & More

Putting people and Good Participatory Practice at the center of our work

Been There, Did That – Research Reflections from CROI 2023

Thursday, March 23 at 10:00–11:30am ET

Speakers included community leaders and researchers reflecting on the most interesting, consequential science presented at CROI 2023.

Co-moderated by Devan Nambiar, Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance and CROI 2023 Community Educator Scholar

Featured researcher:
Dr. Monica Gandhi, UCSF

Featured community speakers:
CROI 2023 Community Educator Scholars

Recording / Dr. Monica Ghandi’s Slides / Community Educator Slides