This podcast outlines some of the data presented at the 25th International AIDS Conference from HPTN 084 as it pertains to using injectable cabotegravir for HIV PrEP during pregnancy. Related Content:

• https://www.hptn.org/research/studies/hptn-084

• https://programme.aids2024.org/Programme/Session/349

• CEI toll free line for NYS providers: 866-637-2342

• https://ceitraining.org/

Research suggests that LGBTQ adults have higher rates of substance use and mental health issues, compared to their heterosexual cisgender peers. These health disparities are often related to minority stress—the chronic psychological and emotional strain that people experience due to being part of a marginalized social group. For example, some LGBTQ folks may use alcohol and drugs to cope with internalized homophobia or to self-medicate for anxiety and depression. On the other hand, some people use drugs in the context of social settings and connecting with others in their community. Since not all substance use is unhealthy, how do providers know how to identify when substance use is problematic? And what can physicians do to best support their patients who may be at greater risk for harm or even overdose?

On this episode, Antonio Urbina, MD, Medical Director for CEI’s HIV Primary Care and Prevention Center of Excellence, speaks with Eric Kutscher, MD, MSc. Dr. Eric Kutscher is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine, where he practices as a primary care and addiction medicine physician at Mount Sinai's Internal Medicine Associates and REACH Program. He currently serves as the Medical Director of the Mount Sinai Hospital Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and Primary Care Lead for the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. His clinical work and research focus on harm reduction techniques for patients with substance use disorders, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Drs. Urbina and Kutscher talk about how providers can identify when substance use is a problem and how to help patients manage substance use disorder, including treatment options and harm reduction strategies. Related Content:

• 2021-2022 Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Behavioral Health
• A Provider's Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) Individuals
• CEI toll free line for NYS providers: 866-637-2342
• https://ceitraining.org/

For the first time since 2018 and since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted their biennial STI Prevention Conference in-person in Atlanta, GA from September 16 – 19, 2024. This event brought together international leading researchers with government experts, clinical sexual healthcare providers, and state and local public health administrators for four days of scientific updates and sessions on science, programs, and policies related to STI care. Dr. Marguerite Urban and Dr. Daniela DiMarco from the CEI Sexual Health Center of Excellence attended the conference and are back to bring you insights about their experience at the event. They chat about the different sessions they attended and share personal thoughts and summaries of the cutting-edge research presented at the conference, focusing on syphilis, Doxy-PEP, gonococcal resistance, and the syndemic of substance use and STIs. Were you unable to attend the conference yourself? Were you there and want to hear our CEI experts’ perspectives about some of the sessions? Listen now and let us know what you think by leaving a comment! Related Content:

• CDC STI Prevention Conference 2024 website: https://stipreventionconference.org/
• CEI toll free line for NYS providers: 866-637-2342
• https://ceitraining.org/