Conversations with CEI

Reproductive healthcare is a critical part of healthcare overall. Yet components of this care, including abortion, are becoming more and more inaccessible to certain parts of the population, worsened by the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. The implications of this decision on access to care, marginalization and inequity are already being seen and causing substantial concern within the medical communit...

Hepatitis C is the most commonly reported blood-borne infection in the US, responsible for more deaths than all 60 reportable infectious diseases combined. Once most prevalent among “Baby Boomers” or those born between 1945 and 1965, the current hepatitis C burden disproportionately affects young adults who inject drugs, including women of childbearing age. Because of this epidemiological shift, p...

HIV and Hepatitis B share similar routes of transmission. In United States, a large cohort study of patients with HIV showed that over 10 % of men who had sex with men, over 8% of those who injected drugs and over 5% of heterosexual individuals with risk factors tested positive for HBsAg or detectable HBV DNA. Because of the shared transmission routes, there is an increased risk of HIV and HBV co-...

Despite the existence of medications that can control HIV and even reduce viral transmission, HIV is still a leading cause of death and a health threat to millions worldwide. The goal of this episode is to highlight where we are in the development of an HIV vaccine and cure which will improve the health and well-being of millions of people worldwide. Related Content: AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalitio...

The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the capacity of sexual health clinics across the nation. It also provided insight into the availability and demand for at-home health testing. The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) and LetsGetChecked, a virtual care company and commercial lab, have partnered on the Check Yourself initiative –the first ever STI home testing solution that was dev...

The number of drug overdose deaths in the US more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2019, and opioid overdose was declared a national public health emergency in 2017. Nationally, overdose deaths were the highest on record in 2020 with over 91,000 drug-involved overdose deaths and over 68,000 opioid-involved overdose deaths reported. New York State is no exception to the trend –drug-involved overdos...

Access to PrEP is a pillar of the NYSDOH End the Epidemic initiative, that emphasizes the safety and effectiveness of PrEP as a method to prevent HIV infection. However, structural and individual barriers may result in PrEP being underutilized, particularly by the populations at the highest risk of acquiring HIV. In this episode, Dr. Steven Fine, an infectious disease specialist affiliated with th...

As we enter year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to review the latest updates about HIV and COVID-19. In the first segment we will speak with Dr. Robert Fullilove, EdD, about the social and historical factors which have led to racial health disparities for HIV and COVID-19. In the second segment we will speak with Dr. Keith Sigel, MD, PhD, MPH, who will unpack the latest research and...

In July 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. This is the first new issue since 2015. Listen to this episode for a discussion about how the guidelines are developed and some of the most important changes in the field. Related Content: 2021 CDC STI Treatment Guideli...

Hepatitis C is a major public health issue responsible for more deaths in the US than all 60 reportable infectious diseases combined, including HIV and tuberculosis. It infects about 25,000 people each year, most of whom don’tknow they are infected and are at risk for developing chronic infection. In New York State alone, over 6,000cases of hepatitis C were reported in 2019. On November 17, 2021 t...

According to the updated HCV guidelines, initial treatment of HCV infection includes patients with chronic hepatitis C who have not been previously treated with interferon, peginterferon, ribavirin, or any HCV direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agent, whether investigational, or US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. However, the simplification of the treatment regimen for HCV may expand the n...

It has been 40 years since the first known case of HIV was documented and we have come a long way in the past 40 years. HIV is now a chronic disease, we have highly effective HIV prevention options like PEP and PrEP, and we are now able to offer long-acting injectables for HIV treatment and soon HIV prevention. While we can celebrate these achievements, HIV health disparities persist. We see that...

Join us for the fifth and final episode of Any Positive Change, a Drug User Health Podcast. Dr. Margie Urban from the University of Rochester and the Clinical Education Initiative’s Sexual Health Center of Excellence joins as a guest host for this episode. She met with Dr. Sandy Springer from Yale University for a wide ranging conversation about her experiences as a joint Infectious Diseases and A...

[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI ] Pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PrEP, is a highly effective way to prevent HIV infection. While we are most familiar with the pill that is taken every day, there are new long acting injectables coming down the pipeline, with the potential to improve PrEP adhe...

[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI ] In this episode, Dr. Linda Wang interviews Dr. Margie Urban, an infectious disease physician and Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester and the Medical Director of the New York State Clinical Education Initiative Sexual Health Center of Excellence. List...

[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI ] The medical clinic at New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) provides access to healthcare right in the middle of the drop-in center. Participants who come for sterile injection equipment can also receive treatment for hepatitis C and be prescribed buprenorphine,...

[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI ] Syringe service programs play a critical role in the lives of people who use drugs, providing not only sterile injection equipment and naloxone kits for overdose reversal, but also a safe and welcoming place to take a shower and get a cup of coffee. Some programs, li...