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What We're Reading: Immune System Shown to Cure HIV; Premature Births Increasing; Handling Mental Health Crises
Researchers have found a second reported case of an immune system potentially curing a person of HIV; US premature birth rates are on the rise in minority groups; most Americans say mental health professionals should be first responders to mental health and suicide situations.
Woman’s Immune System Reportedly Cures Her of HIV
According to a study published yesterday in Annals of Internal Medicine, a woman in Argentina may have been cured of HIV by her immune system. Reported by NBC News, the 30-year-old mother, who received her diagnosis in 2013 and is also known as the “Esperanza patient,” would be only the second reported case of a so-called sterilizing cure for the virus via natural immunity. HIV is especially difficult to cure because of viral reservoirs, collections of long-lived immune cells, that can remain dormant for extended periods of time. So far, HIV has been successfully cured therapeutically in 2 people through complex and potentially dangerous stem cell transplants.
Premature Births Rising in Black, Native American Women
A study published yesterday by March of Dimes shows that the overall rate of premature births in the United States decreased for the first time in 6 years, but not in at-risk groups of Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native people. Despite decreasing in the United States from 10.2% in 2019 to 10.1% in 2020, the at-risk groups were conversely shown to now be up to 60% more likely to give birth prematurely compared with White women. Notably, the rate of preterm birth has increased by nearly 8% for Black women since 2014 and by 11% for American Indian/Alaskan Native people.
Poll Says Police Should Not Handle Mental Health Crises
A poll released yesterday by Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that a majority of Americans said mental health professionals, not law enforcement, should be first responders to mental health and suicide situations. Reported by The Hill, 72% of respondents had a favorable view of police, but more than 60% said they would be afraid that law enforcement would hurt a loved one when responding to a mental health crisis. Almost half also said they would be afraid to call 911 for a loved one experiencing a mental health crisis.
Healing Wounds Through Peer Support
September 16th 2024September is National Recovery Month, and we are bringing you another limited-edition month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In this third episode, we speak with Kim MacDonald-Wilson, ScD, CPRP, and Tracy Carney, CPS, CPRP.
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Vaccine Hesitancy: COVID-19 to Influenza
October 22nd 2024Vaccine hesitancy grew more prominently in the wake of COVID-19 and the spread of misinformation. This flu season, seeking out reliable sources of health information will help individuals make the best decisions to protect themselves.
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Combatting the Opioid Epidemic: Insights From the Front Lines
September 2nd 2024September is National Recovery Month, and we are bringing you another limited-edition month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In this first episode, we speak with Michael Lynch, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and an attending emergency physician and medical toxicologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
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Methadone Associated With Lower Risk of Treatment Discontinuation in Opioid Use Disorder
October 17th 2024Amidst ambiguous international guidelines for first-line treatment of opioid use disorder, a new population-based study sheds light on the benefits of methadone vs buprenorphine/naloxone for holding off treatment discontinuation.
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