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

Avac Event

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.

Avac Event

PIBA Presents Reimagining the HIV Prevention Blueprint for Black Communities in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee

PrEP in Black America (PIBA) with regional Partners will host a Virtual Town Hall titled, Reimagining the HIV Prevention Blueprint for Black Communities in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

This is designed to offer a virtual platform for leaders in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas to share the narrative of PrEP within Black communities. The town hall will concentrate on three main objectives: 1. Motivating the Black public health workforce to spearhead the public health response. 2. Educating the broader Black community about the science and efficacy of PrEP. 3. Advocating for a federally funded national PrEP program.

Local Partners Include:

  • Community Health-PIER (MS)
  • FABRIC, Incorporated (MS)
  • Mississippi AIDS Education and Training Center (MS)
  • WeCare TN
  • Ryan White Part A Program Memphis (TN)

PIBA requests that only residents of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas (US) attend this virtual town hall.

Avac Event

From Promise to Progress: Overcoming Barriers to Long-Acting PrEP Uptake among Black Gay Men in the US

GBGMC and partners are hosting a webinar on Monday, October 21, titled: “From Promise to Progress: Overcoming Barriers to Long-Acting PrEP Uptake among Black Gay Men in the US.”

This event will delve into the challenges preventing Black gay men from accessing and adopting long-acting PrEP.

By bringing together insights from product developers like ViiV, the CDC, AVAC, healthcare providers, and advocates, the webinar will explore strategies to address these barriers. Key topics include healthcare access, stigma, and the need for culturally competent care.

Our discussion will focus on identifying actionable steps to ensure equitable access to long-acting PrEP, with the goal of improving health outcomes for Black gay men in the US.

Avac Event

An Update on the STI R&D Pipeline and Investments

AVAC and Impact Global Health, previously Policy Cures Research, co-hosted a webinar on the current STI R&D pipeline. This discussion featured leading experts sharing the latest advancements in STI diagnostics and treatments, discussing their potential impact on public health and where investments stand.

Speakers:

  • Mandisa Mdingi, Foundation for Professional Development, South Africa
  • Cécile Ventola, Senior Technical Officer at Impact Global Health
  • Birgitta Gleeson, FIND, Switzerland

Recording / Alison Footman Slides / Mandisa Mdingi Slides / Cécile Ventola Slides / Birgitta Gleeson Slides

Avac Event

Launch of CIFF/Global Fund Initiative for the PrEP Ring

This webinar helped kick-off the launch of the PrEP Ring Early Market Access Vehicle (EMAV), recently announced by CIFF in partnership with the Global Fund. This initiative will provide up to US$2 million to purchase up to 150,000 dapivirine vaginal rings in countries implementing Global Fund HIV grants.

During the session participants heard from advocates about the importance of choices for HIV prevention, a bit of background on the ring itself and future vaginal ring products as well as an overview of the EMAV, how to benefit from it and resources to support countries in developing their requests for and introduction of the ring.

Recording / Slides / Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Early Market Access Vehicle (EMAV) landing page

Avac Event

HIVR4P 2024

The 5th HIV Research for Prevention (R4P) conference is being held in Lima, Peru from 6 to 10 October. Held every two years, HIVR4P is the only global conference to focused exclusively on biomedical HIV prevention, including AIDS vaccines, microbicides, PrEP, treatment as prevention and other approaches. 

See below for conference highlights, recaps and announcements. 

Conference Highlights and Recaps

Announcements