Researchers report that racial disparities in HIV control (viral load) exist even when patients have equal access to care, as shown in a study of black and white HIV-infected patients treated in the Veterans Administration (VA) health system. The study, which identified specific factors that contributed to these differences, is published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
The article, "Patient and Facility Correlates of Racial Differences in Viral Control for Black and White Veterans with HIV Infection in the Veterans Administration," was coauthored by Mary Vaughan Sarrazin, PhD, of the Iowa City VA Medical Center and University of Iowa and colleagues from VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Stanford University, ENRM Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Boston University School of Public Health. The researchers determined that more than half of the disparity in viral control between black and white veterans could be attributed to differences in adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
"This is an especially critical issue given the widening disparity in incidence of new HIV infections between African Americans and other racial/ethnic groups," says editor-in-chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.
Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.