Join AVAC, COMPASS and other partners to update CCMs on the PEPFAR freeze.
Avac Event
Updates to the PEPFAR Stop-Work Order and the Role of CCM
Avac Event
Introducing the Dual Prevention Pill: Lessons Learned and What’s Next for Regulatory, Research, and Rollout
This webinar has been cancelled because funding was pulled by the new US administration. Follow critical developments in US policies and their impact on global health via our new newsletter. Learn more here.
Join the IMPT and guest speakers from AVAC and Population Council for a discussion on the dual prevention pill (DPP)—a single pill that combines oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and oral contraception (OC) to prevent HIV and pregnancy. If approved, the DPP will be the first multi-purpose prevention technology (MPT) to be marketed since condoms.
The discussion will include real-time learnings to inform the broader MPT field on the DPP’s regulatory approval process, acceptability study results in South Africa and Zimbabwe, implementation updates, and lessons learned.
There will be a Q&A session following the presentations.
Avac Event
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2025
The 32nd annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) that took place from March 9–12 in San Francisco, CA convened researchers, advocates and others under drastically altered circumstances, as the new US Administration’s assault on global health and research devastates the HIV response. Foreign aid programs are frozen, US agencies championing science and global health are being dismantled, and US leadership around the world is receding at a critical moment.
Read our summaries:
View our Community Breakfast Clubs
The CROI Community Liaisons, AVAC and the European AIDS Treatment Group organized a series of daily Community Breakfast Clubs which were open to all. These live webinars featured researchers and advocates exploring some of the most consequential science and discussions from CROI.
Topics included:
- Breaking New Ground: The latest advances in HIV cure
- The End of AIDS — Near and Far? (40 Years of HIV)
- Still Here! Living with HIV Long-Term
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African Workshop on HIV & Women 2025
The inaugural edition of the African Workshop on HIV & Women will take place in hybrid format on 27 – 28 February 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The time zone that will be used for this meeting is East Africa Time (EAT). If you need to convert the times to your timezone, this website might be of interest to you: www.WorldTimeBuddy.com.
This exciting new initiative is a regional workshop paired to the annual “International Workshop on HIV & Women”. It is an outstanding opportunity for both local and international healthcare providers, researchers, government, industry, and community representatives to discuss and further increase their knowledge on the issues related to HIV and women living in Africa.
The primary purpose of this workshop is to support changes that will provide a better quality of life for women living with HIV and reduce HIV transmissions in the region.
The format of the workshop enables attendees to learn from renowned HIV experts, discuss challenges, gaps, and opportunities for further learning and research. The debates and roundtables are an especially important vehicle to discuss issues and challenge dogma.
The workshop also provides a forum for early-career investigators to present their research and to personally meet with experts they view as mentors and inspiration for their work.
The meeting organizers hope this workshop will catalyze forming a community, where attendees continue to participate yearly and form valuable relationships and partnerships that lead to collaborative projects and positive changes.
Avac Event
I Am More Than HIV Prevention – Results from the HPTN 091 Study with Transgender Women
HPTN 091, the I Am study, evaluated the impact of a multicomponent HIV prevention strategy to increase the uptake and adherence of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among transgender women. The strategy included HIV prevention services, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and peer health navigation.
This webinar featured Dr. Tonia Poteat, study co-investigator, who will review the study findings and discuss implications.
Speakers:
- Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., Duke University School of Nursing, Division of Healthcare in Adult Populations
This webinar featured Portuguese and Spanish translation thanks to HPTN.
Video Recording and English Audio / Spanish Audio / Portuguese Audio / Slides / Resources
Avac Event
Let’s Unpack Analytical Treatment Interruption
Join AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel on Instagram Live as she breaks down one strategy being explored in HIV cure research.
Avac Event
Understanding Anal Pleasure and Health for Clinicians, Behavioral Health Specialists, Peers & HIV Workers
Forty years into the epidemic, people are still seeking accurate, reliable information about anal play that isn’t just about HIV and STI prevention. They want to understand how to engage in ways that maximize pleasure and reduce harms beyond infectious disease. Often, they end up encountering harmful myths rather than facts, and then learn by ‘trial and error’.
This 90-minute webinar is appropriate for HIV and STI clinicians, behavioral health workers, social workers, case managers, peers and anyone else with a responsibility for delivering or referring to HIV services like treatment, PrEP, testing and support services.
Participants learned the rationale for why addressing anal pleasure and health is essential in HIV service settings as well as ways to respond to frequently asked questions, including via a new client- and worker-facing website.
Recording I Slides I Resources
Speakers included:
- Bryan Kutner, PhD, MPH, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Samuel Anyula Gorigo, Hoymas (Health Options for Young Men on HIV/AIDS and STIs) Kenya
Avac Event
Join the Fight Against HIV: Discover the latest breakthroughs
Are you passionate about medical breakthroughs and advocacy? Don’t miss out on this pivotal community event where leading scientists and dedicated advocates gather to discuss with you the latest strides in HIV cure research.
Meet Two People Cured of HIV: Hear their stories, learn about their journeys, and discover the breakthroughs in medical science that made their cures possible. This is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the advancements in HIV and the hope it brings to many.
Explore Cutting-Edge Research: Get insights into the latest advancements towards finding a cure for HIV. Hear directly from the experts who are at the forefront of this critical work.
Engage in Thought-Provoking Discussions: Participate in conversations that matter. Share your thoughts a cure for HIV and learn from others who are just as committed to this cause.
Network with Like-Minded Individuals: Connect with those who share your dedication to making a difference. Build relationships that could shape the future of HIV advocacy and research.
Be Inspired to Take Action: Leave feeling motivated and equipped with new knowledge to contribute to the fight for a cure for HIV in meaningful ways.
Eventbrite Registration / Zoom Registration
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True Choice in HIV Prevention Involves More than Product Options: Novel strategies in service delivery
The Choice Agenda and presenters from Brazil, Kenya, and South Africa discussed novel strategies for the delivery of HIV prevention interventions. All HIV prevention products have their “Achilles Heels.” Differentiated service delivery supports reaching a wide range of potential users and can overcome challenges with product attributes. Offering different strategies can also make the interface with health care easier and more community friendly.
Speakers:
- Ines Dourado, Universidade Federal da Bahia
- Catherine Verde Hashim, AVAC
- Catherine Martin, Wits RHI
- Katrina Ortblad, Fred Hutch
- Adriano Queiroz, City of São Paulo Municipal Health Secretariat
- Daniel Were, Jhpiego
Thanks to WHO for providing live simultaneous Ukrainian translation and to PAHO for providing live simultaneous translation in Portuguese and Spanish.
Video Recording and English Audio / Ukrainian Audio / Portuguese Audio / Spanish Audio / Slides / Resources
Avac Event
Update on Injectable Lenacapavir for PrEP
AVAC hosted a webinar focused on updates for the PURPOSE trials for injectable lenacapavir for PrEP. Gilead provided an overview of the PURPOSE 1 and 2 trial results and insight into the status of PURPOSE 3, 4, and 5. This was be an opportunity for civil society to hear from Gilead directly.
