A new gel developed to help fight HIV infection is even more effective at reducing the risk of herpes transmission, according to a study published online late last year. The gel’s active ingredient is tenofovir, a well-known drug used to treat AIDS. But what is really surprising is that the gel reduced the risk of herpes infection by 51 percent.

The clinical trials were especially well received because this gel is the first weapon women have that they can use all on their own. The gel is applied to the vulva and vagina a few hours before and after sex. Not only can women now access a form of protection that defends against both HIV and herpes, but it also doesn’t require a partner’s cooperation. This means if a male partner doesn’t know he is infected or outright lies to his female partner, she can still feel protected to some degree.

This is especially important given the rates of genital herpes infection among teens and young adults in the U.S. While a herpes infection is not life-threatening, it is also not curable. While the gel is still being researched and is years away from being approved for sale in the U.S., a simple gel that helps prevent the transmission of herpes would certainly be an easy way for teens to protect themselves from the virus.

—Olivier Vanasse, 17, Staff Writer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has contracted with Terminus Media to release a new HIV prevention campaign. We aren’t talking about your standard public service announcement or a few posters, but a digital motion comic that can be watched on an iPad or Xbox 360. The comic will start out as a 66-page hard-copy comic and then be translated into three motion comics, each about seven minutes long. Motion comics feature traditional comic book images with music, sound effects and voice-overs.

This concept is interesting and the idea of a motion comic itself is incredibly cool. Just thinking about it sends me straight back to Saturday morning Spider-Man cartoons as a kid. This is a great way to adapt old-fashioned comics to the modern age. But, even better than the idea of a motion comic itself, is the fact that the CDC is creating an educational tool. Check the trailer for Spider-Woman: Agent Of S.W.O.R.D. to see what motion comics are like.

Think about it: It’s easy to tune out your health teacher as he drones on and on about the dangers of STDs in third period health class. However, you naturally pay a bit more attention to a video—especially when it’s a seven-minute motion comic and not a fifty-minute documentary. And sure, maybe the CDC’s motion comic isn’t as much a must-see as this week’s episode of Modern Family, but you have to give the CDC some props for formatting their campaign in a way that will be interesting to as many teens as possible.

If the CDC were releasing a report on new HIV statistics, would I read it? Probably not. But I can spare seven minutes to check out a video (or even three), if only to see how the CDC’s plan pans out.

—Taylor McCabe, 18, Contributor

Coinciding almost perfectly with this year’s HIV Testing Day on June 27 is an interesting breakthrough in HIV research. Researchers recently found that treating HIV early—before the virus has damaged the immune system and while a person’s immune system is still healthy—can keep someone who is HIV positive healthier and help prevent transmitting the virus to an uninfected partner.

But to benefit from early treatment, you have to know if you have the virus. It is estimated that one in five people living with HIV are unaware that they are infected, which means that they can’t begin the treatment they need to stay healthy. So if you are sexually active, remember that it is crucial to get tested. And HIV Testing Day is a perfect day to do so.

Find a health center that does HIV testing near you.

—Taylor McCabe, 18, Contributor

In 2007, HIV-positive Timothy Ray Brown had a relapse of leukemia, which put his life at risk. In an effort to combat the leukemia, his doctor suggested a radical treatment: performing a bone marrow transplant. Doctors chose bone marrow from a donor who had a rare genetic mutation that makes him HIV resistant. Though doctors were unsure what effect the bone marrow transplant would have, Brown was amazingly cured, not only of his leukemia, but also of his HIV. Though this is an enormous step forward in HIV research, it is not a cure.

Brown’s doctors have released statements, saying that it is not possible to replicate Brown’s treatment on a mass scale. Bone marrow transplants are extremely expensive to perform and highly dangerous. And in order to recreate the treatment, matching donors would need to be found for each person needing treatment—and potential donors consist of a very small percentage of the population.

Brown’s cure does not mean that a cure for HIV has been discovered, but it means that science is closer to putting an end to the virus. And that is excellent news.

—Taylor McCabe, 18, Contributor

For those of you who didn’t know, Sunday, May 15th was the 26th Annual AIDS Walk New York in Central Park to raise funds for GMHC and other organizations that do HIV prevention and provide services for people affected by HIV/AIDS.

The AIDS walk is open to everyone, but the vast majority of walkers came in groups representing companies, schools and organizations from Target to the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. It was amazing to see all the different groups and their respective t-shirts; there couldn’t have been a more vibrant or positive group of people.

Although I am not an active member, I walked with Keep a Child Alive (KCA), which raises money to provide care for children who are affected by HIV in Africa. I was stunned to learn that KCA alone raised $66,500 for AIDS Walk New York, and a total of $6.2 million was raised by the 45,000 walkers who turned out for the walk. Even though the weather was cloudy and rainy, clearly no one was afraid of getting a little wet during the 10-kilometer walk.

It was great to talk to all the great people on the walk while volunteers, who lined the road, handed out food, water and even the occasional free condom (these came from a very colorful group dressed up in drag).

You can always raise money and donate to AIDS Walk New York online to support HIV prevention and those affected by HIV/AIDS. But if you and your friends live close to New York City, I highly suggest that you think about fundraising and participating in AIDS Walk New York next year. It was an unforgettable and enlightening experience.

—Sam Dercon, 17, Staff Writer