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U.K. City To Participate In Pilot Home-Based HIV Testing Program
The United Kingdom government has selected the city of Sheffield to participate in a three-month pilot program aimed at increasing HIV detection rates by offering home-based test kits, the Sheffield Star reports. The initiative, which will target men who have sex with men, will allow people to obtain the test kits through Web sites or community outreach centers. To take the HIV test, individuals must take a mouth swab and send it to a laboratory for testing. The lab then confidentially notifies the individual of the test results with a call or text message, Steve Slack, director of Sheffield"s Centre for HIV and Sexual Health, said. The city aims to launch the program in June. According to the Star, Sheffield is the only city in the northern part of the country to be included in the pilot program.Nearly one-third of HIV-positive U.K. residents are unaware of their status and therefore not accessing early treatment, the Star reports. Slack said the pilot program will be "an unrivalled way to engage with hard-to-reach communities to encourage more people to come forward for testing." He added that the "great thing" about home-based testing is its "ease" and that it is "completely confidential." Christine Bowman, consultant physician at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said, "HIV testing is not something people should be afraid to come forward for." She added, "Thousands of people in the U.K. are tested each year, but we would like to test more" (Lahive, Sheffield Star, 5/21).

Recent Release: NASTAD, Kaiser Family Foundation Report Provides 'Inventory' Of HIV Prevention Efforts In The U.S.
The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report that "provides the first, comprehensive inventory of HIV prevention efforts at the state and local levels" and is based on a survey of 65 state health departments, including all state and territorial jurisdictions and six U.S. cities. The report "is intended to offer a baseline picture of how HIV prevention is delivered across the country. ... " ("The National HIV Prevention Inventory: The State of HIV Prevention Across the U.S.," July 2009).
News of the day
GERD Patient Satisfaction Hinges On Medication Type And Physician Bedside Manner
Patient satisfaction with their medications and the quality of interactions with their doctor reflect the success of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) therapy, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
Mental Health

What Is Shingles? What Causes Shingles?

severity of shingles. Experts recommend that people over 60 have this vaccine, regardless of whether or not they have had shingles before. The vaccine is preventative, and is not used to treat people who are infected. The following people should not have the shingles vaccine: *Those who have had a life-threatening reaction to gelatin, neomycin (an antibiotic), or any other shingles vaccine component. *People who have a weakened immune system *Patients receiving steroids, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy *Patients with a history of bone marrow or lymphatic cancer *Patients with active, untreated TB (tuberculosis) Doctors say people with a mild cold may take the vaccine, but not those who are moderately or severely ill (they should wait till they are recovered). Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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