A new report by the U.N. AIDS agency says the sudden withdrawal of U.S. funding has caused a “systemic shock” to the global effort against AIDS and HIV.

The rates of new HIV infections in Houston and Harris County are higher than the national average. National HIV Testing Day is Friday, June 27th and it's a great reminder to get tested and know your status. Most doctors don't automatically test patients for HIV so ask for a test at your next exam. You can also connect with community organizations like Legacy Community Health and the Montrose Center where you can access free and/or low-cost testing and treatment options. Walgreens is also offering free testing at a dozen sites in the Houston area on National HIV Testing Day -- Friday, June 27th. Watch the full interview with Houston Life to find out more about the latest statistics, how to protect yourself, and how we can all work together to end the HIV epidemic.

As Houston battles a surge in HIV and STI rates, the federal funding that supports free testing and prevention services is now on the chopping block, leaving local advocates warning of devastating consequences for the most vulnerable.

The United Nations agency that fights HIV says it plans to slash its workforce by more than half as a result of sweeping funding cuts from longtime donors in the United States, Asia and Europe.

Harris County Public Health released its 2015–2022 report on HIV and STI cases per ZIP code across the county.

A generation has passed since the peak in AIDS-related deaths.

A new study found people with HIV can safely receive donated kidneys from deceased donors with the virus.

World AIDS Day is a great opportunity to remind people that HIV is still here.

KPRC 2 joins the world on Dec. 1 in remembrance of the millions of lives lost to AIDS and people who are still living with AIDS or HIV.

Elton John has urged British lawmakers to do more to fight HIV and AIDS.

Jeffrey Campbell, CEO of Allies in Hope, joins KPRC 2+ Now to talk about National HIV Testing day and free testing sites across Houston

These are resources if you have HIV/AIDS in the Houston area.

Amber David, senior public health investigator for the Houston health department joins us to discuss the impact that HIV has on our black community.

KPRC 2 joins the world on Dec. 1 in remembrance of the millions of lives lost to AIDS and people who are still living with AIDS or HIV.

HIV continues to be a global public health crisis, with an estimated 38 million people living with the virus, as we near World AIDS Day, on December first, it’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV.

A student at a military college who sued top Pentagon officials after he was deemed unfit for service because he tested positive for HIV has settled his lawsuit and plans to pursue his dream of becoming an Army officer.

The CDC estimates one million people in the country would benefit from HIV prevention medications known as PrEP.

Hard-won progress against HIV has stalled, putting millions of lives at risk.

French researcher Luc Montagnier, who won a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering the HIV virus and more recently spread false claims about the coronavirus, has died at age 89.

Right now, there are more than 1.1 million people in the United States living with HIV. Research shows the deep south has the highest rates of HIV diagnosis.

Johnson & Johnson says its potential HIV vaccine did not provide protection against the virus in a study of young women in sub-Saharan Africa.

The year 2020 saw welcome growth in racial diversity of LBGTQ characters in films released by major studios, according to a new study by the advocacy group GLAAD.

Legitimate questions about the virus created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories. COVID CLAIM: Boyle says the coronavirus is a genetically engineered bioweapon that escaped from a high-level lab in Wuhan, China. COVID CLAIM: Nikulin argues the U.S. created the virus and used it to attack China. He first voiced the belief in a Jan. 20, 2020, story by Zvezda, a state media outlet tied to the Russian military. EVIDENCE: There is no evidence that the U.S. created the virus or used it as a weapon to attack Iran.

Results so far suggest that the drug, cabotegravir, was 89% more effective at preventing HIV infection than Truvada pills, although both reduce that risk. The results mirror those announced earlier this year from a similar study testing the shots versus the daily pills in gay men. It promises HIV prevention help to young women, “those who need it the most,” he said. There were more side effects, mostly nausea, with the daily pills. “People need choices for HIV prevention,” and this gives a new option, Warren said in a statement.

He and the Berlin patient, Timothy Ray Brown, had donors with a gene that confers natural immunity to HIV infection. After nearly a year, the patient went back to the standard three drugs for two more years, then stopped all HIV medicines in March 2019. In particular, doctors will want to see proof from blood tests that the patient truly had stopped his HIV medicines. Diaz said all HIV patients in Brazil get their medicines from a government health program and that he verified the man had stopped. It tested shots of ViiVs experimental drug cabotegravir against daily pills of Truvada, the Gilead Sciences drug already approved for preventing HIV infection.

Four years ago, the United Nations set goals for limiting HIV infections and improving treatment by the end of 2020, and all will be missed because the coronavirus pandemic is hurting access to care, the report concludes. Here are highlights from the report:INFECTIONSAbout 1.7 million new HIV infections occurred in 2019 down 23% since 2010 but far short of the 75% reduction goal. Were still seeing 150,000 kids being newly infected with HIV each year.In sub-Saharan Africa, girls and young women make up 10% of the population but account for 25% of new HIV infections. It breaks my heart that 4,500 girls, young women, were being infected every week in Africa every week! Were very, very worried, profoundly worried, about COVID-19 harming patients and efforts to curb the HIV, she said.