http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Early HIV treatment can save lives as well as have profound prevention benefits. But those infected with the virus first must be identified before they can be helped. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-current-hiv-screening-guidelines.html HIV & AIDS Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:12:01 EST news282388314 The results of two important studies have been published in the March issue of AIDS, the official journal of the International AIDS Society. One study notes that screening for HIV should be performed more frequently—up to every three months for the highest-risk patients, while low-risk groups to be tested every three years. A second study demonstrates a link between heavy drinking and risky behaviors for men who have sex with men (MSM). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-aids-journal-publishes-important.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:31:17 EST news281619065 (HealthDay)—Individuals who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) exhibit liver fibrosis similar to that of individuals without HIV who are nearly 10 years older, according to research published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-hiv-hcv-coinfection-hcv-related-liver-fibrosis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:50:01 EST news281200438 One in four people with HIV/AIDS is over 50, yet older adults are more often diagnosed at a late stage than younger people. Despite this, nearly half of older adults visiting a public health clinic where HIV/AIDS is prevalent were not screened for the disease in the past 12 months, finds a study in The Gerontologist. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-at-risk-older-adults-arent-routine.html HIV & AIDS Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:47:33 EST news278671639 Epidemiologists have determined that levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) found among injection drug users (IDUs) were higher in individuals who are male or African American even after differences in other factors were considered. The study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute and performed with collaborators from the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center and the University of California - San Francisco, was the first to simultaneously examine the association of demographic, viral and human genetic factors on HCV RNA levels. Results of the study published in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), also showed higher levels of HCV among IDUs who were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-hepatitis-virus-higher-african-americans-males.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:50:29 EST news261150619 Disclosure of HIV positive serostatus to sexual partners is considered an important public health goal to prevent new infections. Disclosure can motivate sex partners to make informed choices and change behavior through negotiation of safer sex practices. It might also prompt partner testing and counseling. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-alcohol-role-disclosing-hiv-status.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:38:51 EST news258637125 A new report from researchers at the Drexel University School of Public Health identifies patterns in the misuse of illicit drugs among young adults who also misuse prescription drugs. The report, "Misuse of Prescription and Illicit Drugs among High-Risk Adults" in Los Angeles and New York, was recently published in the first issue of the Journal of Public Health Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-link-prescription-illicit-drug-misuse.html Health Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:27:50 EST news249560863 The dire physical and mental health effects of injecting methamphetamine are well known, but there's been little research about suicidal behavior and injecting meth. In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of British Columbia found that drug users who inject methamphetamine had an 80% greater risk of attempting suicide than drug users who inject other substances. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-drugs-meth-suicide.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:41:04 EST news243794456 A new study by researchers at Drexel University's School of Public Health suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs. The study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, explores factors surrounding young injection drug users' initiation into the misuse of opioid drugs. Common factors identified in this group included a family history of drug misuse and receiving prescriptions for opioid drugs in the past. The results support a need for efforts to prevent misuse of prescription drugs, particularly during adolescence. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-drexel-misuse-pain-medication-pathway.html Medications Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:33:59 EST news230553223 Illicit drug overdose deaths in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside dropped by 35 per cent after the establishment of Insite, North America's first supervised injection facility, according a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-overdose-deaths-percent-vancouver-site.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:30:17 EST news222348610