Latest news with #STD
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump cuts will cause a spike in HIV cases in L.A. and across the country, warn Democrats and public health advocates
A growing coalition of HIV prevention organizations, health experts and Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm over sweeping Trump administration cuts to HIV/AIDS prevention and surveillance programs nationally, warning they will reverse years of progress combating the disease and cause spikes in new cases — especially in California and among the LGBTQ+ community. In a letter addressed Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and 22 of her House colleagues demanded the release of HIV funding allocated by Congress but withheld by the Trump administration. They cited estimates from the Foundation for AIDS Research, known as amfAR, that the cuts could lead to 143,000 additional HIV infections nationwide and 127,000 additional deaths from AIDS-related causes within five years. Friedman said the effects would be felt in communities small and large across the country but that California would be hit the hardest. She said L.A. County — which stands to lose nearly $20 million in annual federal HIV prevention funding — is being forced to terminate contracts with 39 providers and could see as many as 650 new cases per year as a result. According to amfAR, that would mark a huge increase, pushing the total number of new infections per year in the county to roughly 2,000. "South L.A. and communities across California are already feeling the devastating impacts of these withheld HIV prevention funds. These cuts aren't just numbers — they're shuttered clinics, canceled programs, and lives lost," Friedman said in a statement to The Times. As one example, she said, the Los Angeles LGBT Center — which is headquartered in her district — would likely have to eliminate a range of services including HIV testing, STD screening, community education and assistance for patients using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medicine taken by pill or shot that can greatly reduce a person's risk of becoming infected from sex or injection drug use. A list reviewed by The Times of L.A. County providers facing funding cuts included large and small organizations and medical institutions in a diverse set of communities, from major hospitals and nonprofits to small clinics. The list was provided by a source on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid about the funding of organizations that have not all publicly announced the cuts. The affected organizations serve a host of communities that already struggle with relatively high rates of HIV infection, including low-income, Spanish speaking, Black and brown and LGBTQ+ communities. According to L.A. County, the Trump administration's budget blueprint eliminates or reduces a number of congressionally authorized public health programs, including funding cuts to the domestic HIV prevention program and the Ryan White program, which supports critical care and treatment services for uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV. The county said the cuts would have "an immediate and long-lasting impact" on community health. Dozens of organizations and hospitals, such as Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, are bracing for the disruption and potential vacuum of preventative services they've been providing to the community since the 1980s, according to Claudia Borzutzky, the hospital's Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. Borzutzky said without the funding, programs that provide screening, education, patient navigation and community outreach — especially for at-risk adolescents and young adults — will evaporate. So, too, will free services that help patients enroll in insurance and access HIV prevention medications. Patients who "face a variety of health barriers" and are often stigmatized will bear the brunt, she said, losing the "role models [and] peer educators that they can relate to and help [them] build confidence to come into a doctor's office and seek testing and treatment." "We are having to sunset these programs really, really quickly, which impacts our patients and staff in really dramatic ways," she said. Answers to queries sent to other southern California health departments suggested they are trying to figure out how to cope with budget shortfalls, too. Health officials from Kern, San Bernardino and Riverside counties all said the situation is uncertain, and that they don't yet know how they will respond. Friedman and her colleagues — including fellow California representatives Nancy Pelosi, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Robert Garcia, Sam Liccardo, Kevin Mullin, Mark Takano, Derek Tran and George Whitesides — said they were concerned not only about funding for programs nationwide being cut, but also about the wholesale dismantling or defunding of important divisions working on HIV prevention within the federal government. They questioned in their letter staffing cuts to the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as "the reported elimination" of the Division of HIV Prevention within that center. In addition to demanding the release of funds already allocated by Congress, the representatives called on Kennedy — and Dr. Debra Houry, deputy director of the CDC — to better communicate the status of ongoing grant funding, and to release "a list of personnel within CDC who can provide timely responses" when those groups to whom Congress had already allocated funding have questions moving forward. "Although Congress has appropriated funding for HIV prevention in Fiscal Year 2025, several grant recipients have failed to receive adequate communication from CDC regarding the status of their awards," Friedman and her colleagues wrote. "This ambiguity has caused health departments across the country to pre-emptively terminate HIV and STD prevention contracts with local organizations due to an anticipated lack of funding." The letter is just the latest challenge to the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to federal agencies and to federal funding allocated by Congress to organizations around the country. Through a series of executive orders and with the help of his billionaire adviser Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" and other agency heads, Trump in the first months of his second term has radically altered the federal government's footprint, laying off thousands of federal workers and attempting to claw back trillions of dollars in federal spending — to be reallocated to projects more aligned with his political agenda, or used to pay for tax cuts that Democrats and independent reviewers have said will disproportionately help wealthy Americans. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office has repeatedly sued the Trump administration over such moves, including cuts and layoffs within Health and Human Services broadly and cuts to grants intended to make states more resistant to infectious disease specifically — calling them unwise, legally unjustifiable and a threat to the health of average Americans. LGBTQ+ organizations also have sued the Trump administration over orders to preclude health and other organizations from spending federal funding on diversity, equity and inclusion programs geared toward LGBTQ+ populations, including programs designed to decrease new HIV infections and increase healthy management of the disease among transgender people and other vulnerable groups. "The orders seek to erase transgender people from public life; dismantle diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives; and strip funding from nonprofits providing life-saving health care, housing, and support services," said Jose Abrigo, the HIV Project Director of Lambda Legal, in a statement. The legal group has filed a number of lawsuits challenging the Trump administration cuts, including one on behalf of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other nonprofits. Trump has defended his cuts to the federal government as necessary to implement his agenda. He and his agency leaders have consistently said that the cuts target waste, fraud and abuse in the government, and that average Americans will be better served following the reshuffling. Kennedy has consistently defended the changes within Health and Human Services, as well. Agency spokespeople have said the substantial cuts would help it focus on Kennedy's priorities of "ending America's epidemic of chronic illness by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins." "We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic," Kennedy has said. "This Department will do more — a lot more — at a lower cost to the taxpayer." Kennedy has repeatedly spread misinformation about HIV and AIDS in the past, including by giving credence to the false claim that HIV does not cause AIDS. As recently as June 2023, Kennedy told a reporter for New York Magazine that there "are much better candidates than H.I.V. for what causes AIDS," and he has previously suggested that environmental toxins and "poppers" — an inhalant drug popular in the gay community — could be causes of AIDS instead. None of that is supported by science or medicine. Studies from around the world have proven the link between HIV and AIDS, and found it — not drug use or sexual behavior — to be the only common factor in AIDS cases. Officials in L.A. County said they remained hopeful that the Trump administration would reverse course after considering the effects of the cuts — and the "detrimental impacts on the health and well-being of residents and workers across" the county if they are allowed to stand. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Trump cuts will cause a spike in HIV cases in L.A. and across the country, warn Democrats and public health advocates
A growing coalition of HIV prevention organizations, health experts and Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm over sweeping Trump administration cuts to HIV/AIDS prevention and surveillance programs nationally, warning they will reverse years of progress combating the disease and cause spikes in new cases — especially in California and among the LGBTQ+ community. In a letter addressed Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and 22 of her House colleagues demanded the release of HIV funding allocated by Congress but withheld by the Trump administration. They cited estimates from the Foundation for AIDS Research, known as amfAR, that the cuts could lead to 143,000 additional HIV infections nationwide and 127,000 additional deaths from AIDS-related causes within five years. Friedman said the effects would be felt in communities small and large across the country but that California would be hit the hardest. She said L.A. County — which stands to lose nearly $20 million in annual federal HIV prevention funding — is being forced to terminate contracts with 39 providers and could see as many as 650 new cases per year as a result. According to amfAR, that would mark a huge increase, pushing the total number of new infections per year in the county to roughly 2,000. 'South L.A. and communities across California are already feeling the devastating impacts of these withheld HIV prevention funds. These cuts aren't just numbers — they're shuttered clinics, canceled programs, and lives lost,' Friedman said in a statement to The Times. As one example, she said, the Los Angeles LGBT Center — which is headquartered in her district — would likely have to eliminate a range of services including HIV testing, STD screening, community education and assistance for patients using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medicine taken by pill or shot that can greatly reduce a person's risk of becoming infected from sex or injection drug use. A list reviewed by The Times of L.A. County providers facing funding cuts included large and small organizations and medical institutions in a diverse set of communities, from major hospitals and nonprofits to small clinics. The list was provided by a source on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid about the funding of organizations that have not all publicly announced the cuts. The affected organizations serve a host of communities that already struggle with relatively high rates of HIV infection, including low-income, Spanish speaking, Black and brown and LGBTQ+ communities. According to L.A. County, the Trump administration's budget blueprint eliminates or reduces a number of Congressionally authorized public health programs, including funding cuts to the domestic HIV prevention program and the Ryan White program, which supports critical care and treatment services for uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV. The county said the cuts would have 'an immediate and long-lasting impact' on community health. Dozens of organizations and hospitals, such as Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, are bracing for the disruption and potential vacuum of preventative services they've been providing to the community since the 1980s, according to Claudia Borzutzky, the hospital's Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. Borzutzky said without the funding, programs that provide screening, education, patient navigation and community outreach — especially for at-risk adolescents and young adults — will evaporate. So, too, will free services that help patients enroll in insurance and access HIV prevention medications. Patients who 'face a variety of health barriers' and are often stigmatized will bear the brunt, she said, losing the 'role models [and] peer educators that they can relate to and help [them] build confidence to come into a doctor's office and seek testing and treatment.' 'We are having to sunset these programs really, really quickly, which impacts our patients and staff in really dramatic ways,' she said. Answers to queries sent to other southern California health departments suggested they are trying to figure out how to cope with budget shortfalls, too. Health officials from Kern, San Bernardino and Riverside counties all said the situation is uncertain, and that they don't yet know how they will respond. Friedman and her colleagues — including fellow California representatives Nancy Pelosi, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Robert Garcia, Sam Liccardo, Kevin Mullin, Mark Takano, Derek Tran and George Whitesides — said they were concerned not only about funding for programs nationwide being cut, but also about the wholesale dismantling or defunding of important divisions working on HIV prevention within the federal government. They questioned in their letter staffing cuts to the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as 'the reported elimination' of the Division of HIV Prevention within that center. In addition to demanding the release of funds already allocated by Congress, the representatives called on Kennedy — and Dr. Debra Houry, deputy director of the CDC — to better communicate the status of ongoing grant funding, and to release 'a list of personnel within CDC who can provide timely responses' when those groups to whom Congress had already allocated funding have questions moving forward. 'Although Congress has appropriated funding for HIV prevention in Fiscal Year 2025, several grant recipients have failed to receive adequate communication from CDC regarding the status of their awards,' Friedman and her colleagues wrote. 'This ambiguity has caused health departments across the country to pre-emptively terminate HIV and STD prevention contracts with local organizations due to an anticipated lack of funding.' The letter is just the latest challenge to the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to federal agencies and to federal funding allocated by Congress to organizations around the country. Through a series of executive orders and with the help of his billionaire adviser Elon Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency' and other agency heads, Trump in the first months of his second term has radically altered the federal government's footprint, laying off thousands of federal workers and attempting to claw back trillions of dollars in federal spending — to be reallocated to projects more aligned with his political agenda, or used to pay for tax cuts that Democrats and independent reviewers have said will disproportionately help wealthy Americans. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office has repeatedly sued the Trump administration over such moves, including cuts and layoffs within Health and Human Services broadly and cuts to grants intended to make states more resistant to infectious disease specifically — calling them unwise, legally unjustifiable and a threat to the health of average Americans. LGBTQ+ organizations also have sued the Trump administration over orders to preclude health and other organizations from spending federal funding on diversity, equity and inclusion programs geared toward LGBTQ+ populations, including programs designed to decrease new HIV infections and increase healthy management of the disease among transgender people and other vulnerable groups. 'The orders seek to erase transgender people from public life; dismantle diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives; and strip funding from nonprofits providing life-saving health care, housing, and support services,' said Jose Abrigo, the HIV Project Director of Lambda Legal, in a statement. The legal group has filed a number of lawsuits challenging the Trump administration cuts, including one on behalf of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other nonprofits. Trump has defended his cuts to the federal government as necessary to implement his agenda. He and his agency leaders have consistently said that the cuts target waste, fraud and abuse in the government, and that average Americans will be better served following the reshuffling. Kennedy has consistently defended the changes within Health and Human Services, as well. Agency spokespeople have said the substantial cuts would help it focus on Kennedy's priorities of 'ending America's epidemic of chronic illness by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins.' 'We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,' Kennedy has said. 'This Department will do more — a lot more — at a lower cost to the taxpayer.' Kennedy has repeatedly spread misinformation about HIV and AIDS in the past, including by giving credence to the false claim that HIV does not cause AIDS. As recently as June 2023, Kennedy told a reporter for New York Magazine that there 'are much better candidates than H.I.V. for what causes AIDS,' and he has previously suggested that environmental toxins and 'poppers' — an inhalant drug popular in the gay community — could be causes of AIDS instead. None of that is supported by science or medicine. Studies from around the world have proven the link between HIV and AIDS, and found it — not drug use or sexual behavior — to be the only common factor in AIDS cases. Officials in L.A. County said they remained hopeful that the Trump administration would reverse course after considering the effects of the cuts — and the 'detrimental impacts on the health and well-being of residents and workers across' the county if they are allowed to stand.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proctology Institute Orange County Launches Virtual Consultations for Discreet, Expert Care at Home
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Proctology Institute Orange County (located in Huntington Beach), a leading provider of specialized anorectal care, is proud to announce the launch of virtual consultations, offering patients immediate access to a board-certified proctologist from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. This new service is designed to provide relief and answers for individuals experiencing discomfort or uncertainty about conditions such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal skin tags, anal warts, rectal bleeding, or anal pain. By leveraging secure, HIPAA-compliant video technology, patients who live far away can now receive expert diagnosis and guidance where an in-person visit may not be available. "We understand that seeking care for sensitive health issues can be daunting," said Dr. Maz Ghodsian, Founder and Medical Director of Proctology Institute Orange County. Dr. Ghodsian is the only practicing Board Certified Proctologist in California who has completed a residency in proctology. "Our virtual consultations are designed to provide compassionate, expert care in a discreet and convenient manner, ensuring patients receive the attention they need without added stress." Key Features of the Virtual Consultation Service: Expert Access: Consult with board-certified proctologist specializing in conditions such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal skin tags, and more. Convenient Scheduling: Appointments available same-day or same-week, including evenings and weekends if necessary. Affordable Care: Virtual consultations are priced at $99.95, with photo consults and image analysis available for $39.95. Insurance: Patients receive detailed insurance documentation (Superbill) to submit for potential reimbursement from their insurance providers. Comprehensive Services: In addition to virtual consultations, Proctology Institute offers in-office treatments, including laser hemorrhoid therapy, sclerosing injections, anal skin tag removal, and comprehensive STD/STI testing. Proctology Institute Orange County is renowned for its patient-centered approach, offering personalized treatment plans and utilizing the latest minimally invasive techniques to ensure optimal outcomes. Proctology Institute's commitment to excellence has earned it a reputation as one of the most trusted proctology practices in Southern California. To schedule a virtual consultation or learn more about the services offered, visit or call (714) 467-2438. About Proctology Institute Orange County: Located in Huntington Beach, Proctology Institute Orange County specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of anorectal conditions, including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal skin tags, perianal dermatology issues, and more. Led by Dr. Maz Ghodsian, Proctology Institute is dedicated to providing compassionate, expert care tailored to each patient's unique needs. Proctology Institute Orange CountyDr. Maz Ghodsian18900 Beach Blvd., #101Huntington Beach, CA 92648(714) View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Proctology Institute Orange County Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The little-known sexually transmitted disease that can cause INFERTILITY - and it's on the rise in Australia
Aussie researchers are testing a new treatment for a little-known and asymptomatic STD that has been linked with unexplained infertility. More than 200 couples will take part in the study by the University of Western Australia, with a focus on the STD bacteria, genital mycoplasmas. The bacteria have been identified as a factor in both unexplained infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The couples, where either the woman or man tested positive for the STD, will receive treatment as part of the study. Both partners will be given antibiotics, with the female partner also given vaginal probiotics developed by Aussie health start-up Amelia Bio. The conception rate of the couples will then be documented in the three months after treatment and compared with that of couples who tested negative for genital mycoplasmas. Matthew Payne, a principal research fellow from the university's obstetrics and gynaecology department, said the treatment was unique because it treated each couple as a single unit. 'We know that many genital bacteria are trafficked back and forth between partners and as such a single partner treatment strategy, as is commonplace in many other clinical scenarios, is unlikely to succeed in the long term,' Mr Payne said. Traditionally, vaginal microbiome treatment has been focused entirely on the woman, often meaning harmful STDs or bacterial infections are passed back and forward between the couple. Amelia Bio director Catherine Slogrove said she was pleased to see the vaginal microbiome become more of a focus in fertility research. 'There's so much we don't have answers for when it comes to the microbiome and infertility,' Ms Slogrove said. 'We know the emotional impact of unexplained infertility for couples who want children is often heart-breaking and severe. 'We are delighted to support clinical research that has the potential to be life-changing for so many couples, and it's incredible that an Australian institution, is leading the charge globally.' Previously, only two clinical trials have explored the treatment of genital mycoplasmas in male partners. Both of them demonstrated improvements in sperm parameters and a notable increase in successful pregnancies following treatment. Genital mycoplasmas are a group of bacteria transmitted through sexual contact that may cause infection but have no symptoms, especially in women. They are increasingly common and more research is needed to understand how they affect fertility.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman accused of attacking Baton Rouge motel manager, making threats to police
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A woman accused of assaulting the manager of a Baton Rouge motel was arrested in Opelousas. An affidavit states Yushika Vallian, 31, confronted the manager on April 22, asking about information related to a shooting at the motel. A man was killed after an exchange of gunfire with officers early Sunday morning at Super 6 Inns and Suites on Gwenadele Avenue. Police documents said Vallian became 'irate' and tried to force her way into the motel by throwing an object and kicking the secured glass front door. Vallian and other unknown subjects are accused of attacking the manager in the incident. Vallian was arrested in Opelousas by deputies and charged with unauthorized entry of a business and simple battery. BRPD said she would be extradited to Baton Rouge, where additional charges would be added. Police said the additional charges are in connection with 'terroristic threats' made to the department via phone, email, and social media. Child found alone at Baton Rouge motel, police searching for parents Trump store is selling 'Trump 2028' hats BRPD searching for man accused in deadly home invasion Louisiana House passes bill that aims to stop reservation reselling without restaurant consent Bill revives effort to criminalize non-consensual STD exposure in Louisiana Alijah Arenas, son of NBA star Gilbert Arenas and USC commit, in coma after crash Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
