Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Protocol For HIV Prevention Drug Reduces The Number Of Pills Required
Health officials and AIDS advocates in San Francisco have endorsed a new regimen for PrEP medication: to be taken only immediately before and after sex, thus reducing cost and potential side effects. The standard regimen is one pill a day for an open-ended period.
Even When HIV Prevention Drug Is Covered, Other Costs Block Treatment
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that people who are at high risk of contracting HIV take PrEP, a preventive treatment. The decision means most health plans will be required to cover the drugs without charging patients. But the recommendation doesn’t apply to the other clinical and lab services people need.
Is It A Feminist Right To Want More Sex? One Company Thinks A Pill Is The Answer
The savvy “Right to Desire” campaign relies on feminist messages and social media to raise patient awareness about low libido. Addyi, the only drug currently approved to treat it, has shown limited effectiveness.
As Syphilis Invades Rural America, A Fraying Health Safety Net Is Failing To Stop It
Syphilis is spreading from big cities into rural counties across the Midwest and West. One Missouri clinic has seen more than six times as many cases in the first few months of 2019 compared with the same period last year. Communities grappling with budget cuts and crumbling public health infrastructure also lack experience in fighting the disease.
Trump Plan To Beat HIV Hits Rough Road In Rural America
Health officials and doctors treating patients with HIV welcome the funding push, but warn that the strategies that work in progressive cities don’t necessarily translate to rural areas.
The High Cost Of Sex: Insurers Often Don’t Pay For Drugs To Treat Problems
Medicare and many private insurers view prescribing drugs to improve sexual function as a lifestyle issue that’s not medically necessary to pay for.
Trump Pledges To End HIV Transmission By 2030. Doable, But Daunting.
The president’s promise to eliminate HIV transmission within 10 years is a goal long sought by advocates, but it won’t be an easy undertaking.
An Underused Strategy For Surge In STDs: Treat Patients’ Partners Without A Doctor Visit
For over a decade, federal health officials have recommended the practice, known as expedited partner therapy. It is allowed in most states, but many doctors don’t do it — either because of legal or ethical concerns, or because they are unaware of it.
Primary Care Doctors ‘Not Doing Enough’ To Curb STDs
As rates of sexually transmitted diseases surge, public health officials want physicians to step up screening and treatment of patients.
Discreetly Tracking Down Sex Partners To Stop A Surge In STDs
In response to a spike in syphilis and gonorrhea cases, one Oregon county is sending medical sleuths to break the bad news in person. Some people have no idea they’ve been exposed to an infection.
The ‘Perfect Storm’: Redirecting Family Planning Funds Could Undercut STD Fight
Some public health officials fear that the Trump administration’s proposals to change how Title X funding is handled may impede the effort to cut the record number of sexually transmitted diseases.
California’s Deadly STD Epidemic Sets Record
Rates of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia in California have shot up 45 percent over five years, resulting in 30 syphilis-related stillbirths in 2017 alone, new state data show.
PrEP Campaign Aims To Block HIV Infection And Save Lives In D.C.
Washington, D.C., is trying to stop new cases of HIV in the district by making sure residents who might be at risk are taking PrEP, medicine that cuts the risk of contracting the virus by 92 percent.
Use Of HIV-Prevention Drug Grows, But Lags Among Non-Whites
The pill, known as PrEP, can reduce the risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS by 90 percent. Its use has expanded sharply in recent years — but primarily among a white demographic.
Years Before Heading Offshore, Herpes Researcher Experimented On People In U.S.
Southern Illinois University’s William Halford conducted unregulated human herpes experiments in hotels near university campus, emails show.
Desperate Quest For Herpes Cure Launched ‘Rogue’ Trial
Patients flocked to researcher who ignored usual patient protections, as university claimed ignorance.
St. Kitts Launches Probe Of Herpes Vaccine Tests On U.S. Patients
After a Kaiser Health News report on an offshore herpes vaccine trial that skirted FDA regulations, St. Kitts and Nevis officials claim they had no knowledge of the testing. An investigation is underway.
Offshore Human Testing Of Herpes Vaccine Stokes Debate Over U.S. Safety Rules
Prominent businessmen and an American university supported offshore testing of an experimental vaccine.
In Texas, Abstinence-Only Programs May Contribute To Teen Pregnancies
Across the U.S., the number of teenagers having babies has hit a record low — it’s down to about 1 out of every 45 young women. That trend hasn’t extended to certain parts of Texas, however, where the teen birth rate is still nearly twice the national average.
Spreading The Word About HIV Prevention For African-American Women
African-American women are more likely to be infected with HIV than other women. So the District of Columbia is launching an effort to inform them about PrEP, medication that can reduce their risk.
