UW Department of Global Health researchers presented new HIV prevention findings at the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P 2018) conference in Madrid. HIVR4P is the only global scientific conference focused exclusively on the challenging and fast-growing field of biomedical HIV prevention research. The conference supports global cross-fertilization among research on HIV vaccines, microbicides, PrEP, treatment as prevention, and other biomedical prevention approaches.
Jared Baeten, Kenneth Mugwanya, and Julia Dettinger's research was highlighted at a global press conference during HIVR4P. Dettinger presented findings from PrIYA, the first program to provide PrEP to pregnant and postpartum women through medical center hospitals. In a recent study, data was collected from all women attending postnatal care at PrIYA facilities in locations in Africa. The analysis found no differences between infants born to mothers who used or did not use PrEP in terms of preterm birth, small for gestational age, birth defects, and six-week infant weight and length. The findings point toward the view that as PrEP is scaled up, at risk pregnant women should be able to access PrEP.
The conference took place over four days, with sessions by global leaders in HIV prevention research and policy; new research studies presented in oral abstract and poster sessions; and meet-the-expert symposia and roundtables. Webcasts of of the following DGH researcher presentations are available here:
- Oral Abstract Session 12: Contraception and HIV Risk: Still Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Successful Use of Safer Conception Strategies Resulting in High Pregnancy Rates and no HIV Transmissions Among Kenyan HIV-discordant Couples - Renee Heffron
- Symposium 07: Optimizing PrEP Delivery for PrEP Users - Integrating PrEP and Reproductive Health Services and Preparing for MPT Delivery - Renee Heffron
- Oral Abstract Session 19: Stay With Me: Retention on PrEP - PrEP Uptake and Retention Among Men and Women Receiving PrEP Integrated in Public Health HIV Care Clinic Settings - Kenneth Mugwanya
- Oral Abstract Session 23: Great Expectations: The Impact of PrEP - HIV Incidence in Persons Using Truvada (FTC/TDF) for HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Worldwide Experience From 46 Studies - Jared Baeten
- Symposium 08: Translating Vaccine Concepts to the Clinic: What We Need to Know - Protective Gene Expression Signature of the RhCMV/SIV Vaccine: Lessons for Human Studies: - Michael Gale
- Symposium 10: Mucosal Environment: Barriers and Facilitators of Transmission - High Prevalence of Bacterial STIs in HIV-positive Persons: Transmission Implications & Potential Intervention - Connie Celum
- Satellite Session: Planning for Success: Next Steps for Dapivirine Ring - Planning for Introduction: Demonstrating for Impact: How can we most effectively answer the remaining questions? Jared Baeten