********** HOPE (HIV- Off the Press Express)
Stand up to assaults on our health care system.
In February, the nation – and particularly, the health care community – listened to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., commit to preserving Americans’ access to vaccines and protecting the nation’s scientific and public health infrastructure. We, like so many others, hoped that the legions of career public health professionals who valued evidence and science would be able to educate the Secretary and his team, thus safeguarding our nation’s public health infrastructure and preserving public confidence in the work of these important institutions. Under the Secretary’s leadership, key public health protections have been weakened, and the immunization review process is devoid of experts and evidence. The Secretary’s consistent pattern of circumventing process and ignoring or downplaying scientific evidence is undermining the ability of any member of the Health and Human Services department to operate effectively. His own conflicts of interest and inability to see the conflicts of those in his inner circle further undermine his credibility and that of his entire department.
Today, we are in an environment where HHS and its leaders are fostering confusion, chaos and conspiracies. As a result, we are seeing an alarming decline in confidence among the American public. According to the Pew Trust, confidence in HHS is now below 50% - an astonishing 8-point drop in 8 months and a 20-point drop over the past decade. The pattern of behavior demonstrated by Secretary Kennedy and his recent testimony have led to declining confidence among the American people in HHS’s ability to provide clear, concise and evidence-based direction on important public health issues. The American Academy of Family Physicians has no choice but to call for action. Our call is not driven by politics or partisanship but rather by our deep commitment to the health and wellness of the patients we serve. We urge the President to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the American people by re-evaluating Secretary Kennedy’s ability to serve in his current capacity. Similarly, we call on Congress to strengthen its oversight and protect the health of the American people.
America’s health depends on swift and decisive action.
The American Academy of Family PhysiciansThe AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students.
Today, we are in an environment where HHS and its leaders are fostering confusion, chaos and conspiracies. As a result, we are seeing an alarming decline in confidence among the American public. According to the Pew Trust, confidence in HHS is now below 50% - an astonishing 8-point drop in 8 months and a 20-point drop over the past decade. The pattern of behavior demonstrated by Secretary Kennedy and his recent testimony have led to declining confidence among the American people in HHS’s ability to provide clear, concise and evidence-based direction on important public health issues. The American Academy of Family Physicians has no choice but to call for action. Our call is not driven by politics or partisanship but rather by our deep commitment to the health and wellness of the patients we serve. We urge the President to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the American people by re-evaluating Secretary Kennedy’s ability to serve in his current capacity. Similarly, we call on Congress to strengthen its oversight and protect the health of the American people.
America’s health depends on swift and decisive action.
The American Academy of Family PhysiciansThe AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students.
********** HOPE (HIV- Off the Press Express)A new direction is being studied to control HIV with some hopeful findings-
Merck is a drug company that has led in developing HIV treatments. Scientists at Merck have newly published information about compounds that cause irregularities in the reverse transcriptase enzyme forcing abnormal (premature) synthesis of viral enzymes. These abnormal enzymes lead to abnormal HIV virions that are impotent and may cause a newly identified effect of killing of the HIV-infected cells.
If it this works as expected it will be useful in shutting off the constant HIV production. HIV infected cells become viral factories (using the cell’s own processes to reproduce virus) and spew thousands of new HIV particles into an infected individual’s blood daily when untreated. Most of our treatments are simply “birth control” of the virus, reducing but not destroying the virus that resides inside the human cells. Killing these infected cells would reduce the viral burden in people with HIV.
The new drugs are called Targeted Activators of Cell Kill (TACK) and appear to work at two stages of HIV development. First, similar to Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) medicines that are currently in use, these drugs work at the early point of viral reproduction to competitively bind and therefore stop the enzyme inside CD4 lymphocytes (T4 cells). In addition the TACK compounds are noted to also increase the death of HIV-infected CD4 cells. Currently available drugs that appear to have some TACK properties are efavirenz and rilpivirine (and probably etravirine and doravirine).
It appears these drugs and others may be tweaked to more targeted effects creating premature (not fully developed) HIV protease enzymes. Instead of leading to more HIV, these defective proteases turn on the CD4 cell and cause it’s death, thereby reducing the number of cell factories and cutting down on the number of HIV virions – leading to better disease control.
Studies are underway and the medications may become available by 2026.
SLee MD
Reference
1. News- https://www.aidsmap.com/news/jul-2023/novel-drugs-turn-hiv-against-itself-might-clear-infected-cells-body
2. Original- Balibar CJ et al. Potent targeted activator of cell kill molecules eliminate cells expressing HIV-1. Science Translational Medicine 15: 684, 2023.
********** HOPE (HIV- Off the Press Express)
What's up with Point of Care Rapid Syphilis Testing?
While it is nice to be able to get immediate results, it is a bit tricky regarding timing and accuracy of the tests.
Recently a person in KC who had previously been treated for syphilis had a new exposure and was checked using a rapid RPR. The test was negative although it should show positive in this case. Don't be fooled by inaccurate tests. The results for current effective laboratory testing for syphilis takes about 1-2 days.
SLee MD
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PEP for HIV
If you believe you may have been exposed to HIV, please call right away. The Doc Shop (913-362-0220) offers same (or next) day post-exposure prophylaxis treatment to prevent the infection from taking hold in your body.
Best if started as soon as possible or at the latest within 72 hours.
*Prevention of HIV New! Yeztugo is an injection given once every 6 months to prevent HIV.
***** HIV prevention medications or PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) can be taken BEFORE sexual activity to prevent the disease. These medicines may be available free for at-risk individuals. Please check with the Doc Shop for further information.
Pills are available to take daily (for people having frequent possible exposures) or intermittently for a couple of days (for people who may only have sporadic exposures) .
Don't wait for an exposure to cause you worry! Call to set up a telehealth or in-person visit to get started protecting yourself from this life-long infection.
Call us at 913-362-0220
** Prevention of other Sexually Transmitted InfectionsDoxyPEP (Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis or Prevention) may be used to stop bacterial infections that are spread through sexual contact: Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia
Medications for after-the-fact (oopsie!) prevention of the bacterial-caused sexually transmitted diseases including Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia has been shown to be effective.
A study from August 2022 showed taking this common antibiotic as soon as possible after sexual exposure to bacterial infections (STI's) may be effective in reducing the likelihood of transmission for gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis by half. This study included 554 Men who have sex with men. Infections occurred in 10.3% of doxy recipients and 29% of the placebo (no treatment) group.
Call today to get started on DoxyPEP (keep it in your pocket).
SLee MD Doc Shop 913-362-0220
Condoms are highly recommended to prevent STI transmissions of all sorts.
Click below for additional information -