As methamphetamine (meth) use spreads across the United States, scientists are learning more about the drug’s impact on HIV infection rates and its effects on people living with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Antonio Urbina will highlight these findings at this month's HIV Forum. Dr. Urbina is Medical Director of HIV/AIDS Education and Training at St. Vincent’s Comprehensive HIV Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center of Manhattan. The forum will take place on Tuesday, May 9 from noon to 1:30 pm at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 (146 Wyllys Street). The event is free; lunch will be provided and advance registration is required.
Methamphetamine is a particularly relevant topic for the HIV Forum, as its use fuels the spread of HIV from rural to urban, as well as from homosexual to heterosexual populations. “Heterosexual transmission is the biggest risk,” says Dr. Urbina. “As meth use increases sexual risk taking, we may be seeing increased transmissions from gay to bisexual to straight populations.” Dr. Urbina adds, “basically, meth affects a part of your immune system responsible for fighting HIV. So if you are using meth and are exposed to HIV, you may be more likely to become infected. Also, chronically using meth causes neurological complications that are devastating and irreversible.” Aside from its effects on users’ behavior, methamphetamine can interact negatively with certain antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS, further endangering the health of users who are HIV positive.
Dr. Urbina’s presentation will be of particular interest to health and social service providers, researchers and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about HIV and methamphetamine-related risks, as well as for primary care clinicians who are unaccustomed to working with HIV positive patients. Those who attend the forum will come away with a basic understanding of methamphetamine and the relationship between meth use and HIV.
This is the fourth presentation in the Spring, 2006 series of forums organized by The Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center with support from Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim. The Hartford HIV Forum meets from noon to 1:30 p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month from September through June. The goal of the forums is to give the local community the most up-to-date information on current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research and care. To register for the forum, call the Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. For more information about the series, contact Kim Radda at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 ext. 285.
To register for the forum, call The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. For more information about the series, contact Kim Radda at 860-278-2044 x285.
The Institute for Community Research is an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources. The Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center trains providers with the goal of improving HIV clinical care through a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (Federal Grant No. 1H4A HA 00050-AO).
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