Avac Event

PrEP Your Booty – The Launch of HPTN 106 “Rev Up”

HPTN 106 (REV UP) is an innovative clinical trial from the HIV Prevention Trials Network that will investigate the safety and acceptability of a tenofovir-based rectal douche for HIV prevention among cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men. This webinar featured researchers leading the study.

Speakers:
Dr. Craig Hendrix, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Mark Marzinke, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Moderator:
Jim Pickett, The Choice Agenda

Co-sponsor:
HIV Prevention Trials Network

Recording  / Webinar Slides / Resources

Avac Event

Let’s Talk LEN: What global advances in HIV prevention mean for Black communities in the US

Groundbreaking results from the PURPOSE 1 trial conducted among cisgender Ugandan and South African women have changed the injectable PrEP global landscape. This webinar explored the implications of these findings for US Black populations.

This webinar was co-hosted by PrEP in Black America, Black Public Health, Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP), AVAC, and APHA.

Recording / Bekker Resource / Campbell Resource

Avac Event

Opportunities to Expand Equitable Access to HIV Prevention Services through Community Pharmacies

RxEACH is a national coalition effort working to expand and sustain access to HIV prevention and linkage to care services in community pharmacies. Community pharmacies are poised to unlock access to HIV prevention services, particularly in areas where it is most needed, and can play a crucial role in achieving equitable PrEP access.

With over half of the 70,000 pharmacies in the U.S. in medically underserved areas and 90% of the U.S. population living within 5 miles of a pharmacy, community pharmacies can serve as vital entry points for essential HIV prevention and linkage to care services – and ensure people can access services in their communities. Broader pharmacy access for prevention services, can empower choice for individuals to choose to receive PrEP and other prevention services in a location that best suits their needs. This webinar discussed the opportunity to expand equitable access to HIV prevention services, including PrEP, and what is needed to grow and sustain community-based HIV prevention service programs in pharmacies.

Moderator:

  • Mike Elizabeth, Equality Federation

Speakers:

  • Natalie Crawford, Emory University
  • Noelle Esquire, Elton John AIDS Foundation
  • Juan Carlos Loubriel, Whitman-Walker Health
  • Tamara McCants, National Pharmaceutical Association
  • Michael Murphy, American Pharmacists Association
  • Sara Zeigler, Courage Forward Strategies

Recording in English / Webinar Slides / Resources

Avac Event

2024 IUSTI World Congress

The International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) and ASHM are pleased to invite you to the 25th IUSTI World Congress, which will this year incorporate the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference.

Taking place 17-20 September 2024 at the International Convention Centre in Gadigal Country, Australia, this conference will provide an opportunity to meet, discuss and learn about the latest research and innovation in sexual and reproductive health. The program will incorporate a range of world leading speakers and presentations, providing an opportunity to expand your professional knowledge through local and international insight.

Click here for registration and more info.

Avac Event

2024 STI Prevention Conference

The STI Prevention Conference is a biennial conference that brings together international leading researchers with government experts, clinical STD care providers, and state and local public health administrators. The 2024 STI Prevention Conference is organized by the American Sexual Health Association, the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Coalition of STD Directors.

Join more than 1,200 conference attendees September 16-19, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, for four days of scientific updates and cutting-edge sessions on science, program, and policy.

Click here for registration and more info.

Avac Event

AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference

More than 15,000 attendees convened in Munich, Germany and virtually from July 22 – 26 for AIDS 2024, the world’s largest conference on HIV/AIDS. The conference occured on the heels of the PURPOSE 1 PrEP trial announcement, one of the most important research results we’ve seen to date in an HIV prevention study. AVAC tracked discussion, debate and decision making on what’s next and how urgently the field moves to make the full range of PrEP products feasible choices for all people who need and want HIV prevention. We’ll also followed the latest scientific advances, efforts in decolonizing global health, successes in community-led initiatives, and much more. 

Read on for resources and ways to navigate AIDS2024.

Daily Dispatches from the Conference

Resources

  • The Research-to-Rollout Literacy Networking Zone, convened by AVAC and CASPR partners, offered in-person and virtual programming including sessions on PrEP, the Dual Prevention Pill, HIV vaccine and cure research and more!

Pre-conferences, Satellites, Sessions and Workshops Featuring AVAC and Partners

Saturday, July 20

  • Pre-conference: Key Populations and HIV Prevention Pre-Conference, 08:00 – 16:00 CEST
    Hosted by the Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) and Global KP HIV Prevention Advisory Group in partnership with AVAC, Fierte Afrique, CoalitionPlus, EpiC Project and Palladium, this day-long session will “demand and deliver: securing rights, funding and prevention” will cover rights, funding and prevention to ensure that key populations are not left behind.
  • Pre-conference: Welcome to the Era of PrEP choice, 08:00 – 16:30 CEST
    Hosted by the Gates Foundation, Unitaid, USAID, WHO and partners, this session covers the PrEP pipeline, learnings from the early delivery of oral PrEP and what’s needs to happen to ensure expeditious access to the range of PrEP options for all.

Sunday, July 21

  • Pre-conference: Mobilize for action on sexually transmitted infections, 08:00 – 16:30 CEST
    Organized by WHO, IAS and International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), this session will share insights into the global impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), featuring new developments in STIs, including the latest WHO guidelines, what we know and don’t know about antimicrobial resistance and the use of DoxyPEP.
  • Pre-conference: Towards a truly global HIV cure, 09:00 – 16:30 CEST
    This pre-conference will reflect on current research directions, scientific and structural challenges associated with conducting HIV cure research and the importance of expanding and coordinating efforts across countries and regions.

Monday, July 22

  • Satellite: New ways for the next wave: Innovative R&D for the future of women’s prevention, 09:30 – 10:30 CEST
    Organized by CASPR (Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research) and MATRIX (Microbicide R&D to Advance HIV Prevention Technologies through Responsive Innovation and Excellence), this session will focus on new efforts to identify and develop promising women’s prevention options, strategically engage all stakeholders, decolonize R&D and involve potential users in all their diversities throughout the process.
  • Satellite: Money, money, money: Building towards a sustainable end state for HIV prevention, 15:00 – 16:30 CEST
    As we look to 2030 and given stagnating or decreasing donor resources, we now face the question of how to ensure lasting impact with sustained access to PrEP. Hosted by AVAC, PATH, USAID, WHO and partners, this dynamic session will highlight critical HIV prevention financing gaps and showcase innovative financing and delivery solutions being rolled out to advance sustainable preventive services. 

Wednesday, July 24

  • Special Session: AIDS 2024 Co-Chairs’ Choice, 10:30 – 12:00 CEST
    Among exciting new developments, Linda Gail-Bekker will present, Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir or Daily Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide for HIV Prevention in Cisgender Women: Interim Analysis Results from the PURPOSE 1 Study.

Thursday, July 25

  • Satellite: HIV prevention in the time of choice, 07:00 – 08:00 CEST
    Organized by the African Women Prevention Accountability Board (AWPCAB) and IPM South Africa, this session will feature an expert panel discussing what is needed to make the current options available for all women and how to balance resources for expanding access to existing methods while simultaneously developing new methods.

Avac Event

PrEP Justice: Updates on the US v. Gilead case and the fight for equitable PrEP access


In a major twist that could potentially result in as much as $1B for equitable PrEP access in the US, the government has just made the decision to appeal last year’s jury verdict in the US v. Gilead case. Following pressure from PrEP4All and HIV/AIDS advocates, the US government originally brought the case in 2019, alleging that Gilead had infringed on PrEP patents held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and owed royalties to the government. While a jury verdict in May of last year went against the government, the judge in the case overturned a key part of that verdict just this March, setting the stage for a government appeal.

The stakes for communities in need of PrEP access could not be higher. Gilead’s patent infringement and price gouging have sabotaged equitable PrEP access in America. Royalties paid to the government could and should form the basis for a National PrEP Program that would help erase those disparities. Join The Choice Agenda and PrEP4All to discuss the origin of US v. Gilead, the reasons for the government appeal, and what the case means for PrEP users in the United States.

Moderator:

  • Michael Chancley, PrEP4All

Speakers:

  • Chris Morten, Columbia Law School
  • Jeremiah Johnson, PrEP4All

Recording / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

Where’s the Equity? Including People with Disabilities in HIV Prevention Programming and Research

As a movement motivated by health and human rights, the HIV field has collectively been tuning in more than ever to the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion when it comes to HIV prevention programming and research. That said, there seems to be less awareness and effort around the inclusion of people with disabilities in our programs and protocols. Recognizing that “people with disabilities” is an immense group of very diverse people, this webinar helped explore the who, what, where and how involved in acknowledging the importance of including people with disabilities, with concrete ideas for where, how, and with whom we can improve our efforts.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Hannah Kuper, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Tafadzwa Maseva, Zimbabwe Network for Disability
  • Brian Minalga, Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination (HANC)
  • Sarah Mwikali, Gifted Community Centre

Moderators:

  • JD Davids, Strategies for High Impact / Long COVID Justice
  • Patriciah Jeckonia, LVCT Health

Recording / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

AIDS 2024: New Ways for the Next Wave: Innovative R&D for the future of women’s prevention

This session will be 9:30AM to 11:00AM Munich time.

Women need a range of HIV prevention options to meet different needs, preferences and life circumstances. Currently available pills, rings and injectables are necessary but insufficient. How might we accelerate the delivery of methods we have while developing additional ones – including systemic and non-systemic methods, short-acting and on-demand products, to complement longer-acting ones? Product developers and advocates are collaborating on new approaches to expedite R&D of additional HIV prevention options. Notably, MATRIX is taking a unique approach, endorsed by the CASPR network of advocates, that aims to improve the odds of success of new products – through development, delivery and use.

This session will focus on new efforts to identify and develop promising options, strategically engage all stakeholders, decolonize R&D and involve potential users in all their diversities throughout the process.

Speakers:

  • Jeanne Marrazzo, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • Sharon Hillier, University of Pittsburgh / Magee-Womens Research Institute
  • Thesla Palanee-Phillips, Wits RHI

Followed by a moderated panel with:

  • Chimwemwe Chamdimba, African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative- AUDA/NEPAD
  • Kelly Chibale, Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre -H3D, University of Cape Town
  • Nyaradzo Mgodi, University of Zimbabwe- Harare Health Research Centre
  • Jerop Ruth Limo, Ambassador for Youth and Adolescents Reproductive Health Program (AYARHEP)

Moderators:

  • Navita Jain, AVAC
  • Kenneth Ngure, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Session Chairs:

  • Sharon Hillier, University of Pittsburgh / Magee-Womens Research Institute
  • Imelda Mahaka, Pangaea Zimbabwe

This satellite session will be co-hosted by CASPR and MATRIX, with support from USAID and PEPFAR.

Avac Event

You Get What You Measure: Why Monitoring for PrEP Choice Helps Tell Our Story

The data we collect on a program determines its path and priorities. This webinar covered the current state of PrEP M&E and efforts to improve and simplify the data we collect, allowing our data to better reflect how people are using PrEP, support PrEP choice amongst the growing array of PrEP methods, and enhance the stories we can tell about PrEP program implementation.

Presenters:

  • Katharine Kripke, Avenir Health, MOSAIC
  • Jessica Williamson, Avenir Health, MOSAIC

Panelists:

  • Omolabake Ekundayo, Ministry of Health Nigeria
  • Dr. Herbert Kadama, Ministry of Health Uganda
  • Ramatsoai Soothoane, Jhpiego, MOSAIC Project Lesotho

Moderator:

  • Adaobi Olisa, FHI360, MOSAIC Project Nigeria

This webinar offered live French and Portuguese translation, courtesy of the South-to-South Learning Network in Africa.

Co-sponsors:

  • BioPIC
  • South-to-South Learning Network
  • The MOSAIC Project

Recording in English / French Audio Recording / Portuguese Audio Recording / Webinar Slides / Strengthening and Harmonising PrEP Indicators