March 7, 2022
Dear Advocate,
AVAC and our partners have been busy the first couple of months of 2022. Here is a round-up of essential reading and new and updated resources on
AVAC.org and
PrEPWatch.org!
Highlights From CROI
Our coverage of week one at CROI featured updates on data related to the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring, injectable cabotegravir (CAB) as PrEP, vaccine science and cure research. And
our week two summary looked at symposia that explored how to reach key populations, the critical role of choice in effective HIV prevention, and the status of research on preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
HIV Treatment Studies During COVID-19
A February commentary in
JIAS, coauthored by AVACer
Maureen Luba with a host of other experts on the topic, offered recommendations for the ethical continuation of treatment research among people living with HIV in the context of COVID-19:
Mitigation strategies to safely conduct HIV treatment research in the context of COVID-19.
Transgender Voices: Call to action
The Lancet’s February publication included a public letter from leading voices in
the transgender community working in HIV research and public health. Titled,
Research on transgender people must benefit transgender people, it called out exploitation in academic research and “called in” researchers to pursue priorities that offer direct benefit to transgender communities and to rely on resources such as
No Data No More: Manifesto to Align HIV Prevention Research with Trans and Gender Diverse Realities.
Stakeholder Engagement Must Overcome Tokenism and More
The ethics review process is a critical opportunity for stakeholder engagement. AVACer
Jessica Salzwedel,
CASPR partner
Cathy Slack and other co-authors explore three themes that can make or break effective engagement in a new article in the
Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics:
”It’s Almost as if Stakeholder Engagement is the Annoying ‘Have-to-do'…”: Can Ethics Review Help Address the “3 Ts” of Tokenism, Toxicity, and Tailoring in Stakeholder Engagement?
South Africa Is Talking About Injectable CAB As PrEP and Getting Rollout Right
Leading South African publication on public interest health journalism,
Spotlight, reported on the excitement among advocates – and the need to plan now – to add injectable CAB as PrEP to the HIV prevention options currently available. Check out two new stories:
Start planning HIV prevention injection rollout, experts say and
Prioritise HIV prevention injection, activists say.
Many Angles On PrEP And Resources For Advocacy
For context on injectable CAB as PrEP, resources to support the rollout of the ring, and a look at the research and development pipeline of next generation PrEP, check out
PrEP and more PrEP: An update and important resources.
Research Fundamentals
What is an endpoint in clinical research and why does it matter?
POZ magazine’s February issue featured a transcript of AVAC’s
Px Pulse podcast on this question.
Hear the original nine-minute podcast here. And you can find the
Px Pulse archive
here.
We hope these resources offer you the context and tools you need to use your passion and add your voice to the work ahead. Keep watching this space for more, and be sure to
join us on March 16, 2022 9am ET for a special webinar on the Ubuntu trial, hosted by the COVID Advocates Advisory Board (CAAB) and our Coalition to Accelerate and Support Prevention Research (CASPR). Led by the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN), Ubuntu is a new, landmark COVID-19 vaccine trial in sub-Saharan Africa investigating the efficacy of mRNA vaccines in people living with HIV against the omicron variant.
Register here.
Best,
AVAC
