MMWR News Synopsis for November 25, 2015

Lower Levels of Antiretroviral Therapy Enrollment among Men with HIV Compared with Women — 12 Countries, 2002–2013

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

This analysis of 765,087 HIV treatment records from 12 countries is the most comprehensive study of its kind. It finds a significant gender disparity in HIV treatment uptake in developing countries. CDC researchers found that women were significantly more likely than men to receive HIV treatment in all but one of the 12 developing countries included in the analysis. Routine HIV testing and counseling in antenatal care, universal treatment eligibility for pregnant women with HIV, and gender differences in health-seeking behaviors were cited as key factors for this gender disparity. The study authors call for adoption of specific strategies designed to reach more men with HIV testing and linkage to care.

Scale-up of HIV Viral Load Monitoring — Seven Sub-Saharan African Countries

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

A CDC analysis provides the first evidence that nationwide HIV viral load testing can be achieved in resource-limited settings. Viral-load testing maximizes HIV treatment effectiveness and facilitates viral suppression. WHO recommends routine viral-load testing as a key component of the global strategy to end the HIV epidemic. CDC’s analysis provides important insights from the initial experience of seven sub-Saharan African countries implementing nationwide viral-load testing programs.

QuickStats

• Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 4–17 Years with Serious Emotional or Behavioral Difficulties, by Poverty Status and Sex — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2011–2014

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES