UChicagoID × IDWeek 2025
So proud to see our faculty, fellows, and trainees sharing their science, stories, and impact on the national stage @idweek.bsky.social — UChicago is showing up strong! 🔬❤️‍🔥 🦠
#IDWeek2025 #UChicagoID #WeAreID

Love this!!

Habemus Papam: But What’s His Stance on Condoms? As an infectious diseases doctor, I can’t help but wonder what Pope Leo thinks about latex

I wrote about popes, condoms, and the Catholic Church’s long, complicated relationship with sexual health. From abstinence-only messaging during the HIV crisis to quiet progress under Francis. I had fun with this one hope you enjoy reading it.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/habemus-pa...
#HabemusPapam

My favorite partner in crime at #ACTHIV2025 @jncherabiemd.bsky.social

Digging into the reinstated NIH grants. This story is an evolving doozy.

The reinstated grant is an R21 from Seattle Children's Hospital

I was very confused when I read the title:

"An intervention to promote healthy relationships among transgender and gender expansive youth"

1/n

Excellent thread on what indiscriminate cuts to an already meager national STI budget will do. We will be living with these consequences for the rest of our lifetimes. #IDSky

Op-Ed: Tamar Braxton Is Taking PrEP. Her Decision Is Redefining Sexual Health For Black Women | Essence A professor reflects on her decision to take PrEP and encourages other Black women to do the same.

Really pleased to see this open dialogue about PrEP for HIV use by Black women in Essence. Black women make up 50% of new HIV infections in the U.S. yet PrEP awareness and uptake remain very low in this group.
PrEP doesn't only protect gay men, it protects women too!
www.essence.com/lifestyle/ta...

Researchers Challenge NIH’s Politically Driven Grant Cancellations | American Civil Liberties Union Lawsuit demands restoration of funding and a court order barring NIH from terminating any further awards in this manner

Researchers Challenge NIH’s Politically Driven Grant Cancellations @aclum.bsky.social

Complaint: www.aclu.org/documents/ap...

The CDC is being gutted and that has real effects on people in my state. We still see new HIV diagnoses each day, if we can’t test and measure data, then people will develop advanced HIV and die. @wired.com @anuhazramd.bsky.social #HIVSky

Cuts to the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Will Lead to Dramatic Rise in Infections, Deaths, and Costs Without funding, there will be a loss of momentum in reducing HIV cases, and the nation's epidemic will worsen significantly.

When we say people will die, this is what we’re talking about. We aren’t being dramatic, public health is one of the biggest returns on investment in terms of health. And it’s been flat funded for 10 years, and now cut by 25%…

www.amfar.org/news/cuts-to...

Sudden NIH grant terminations lack economic or ethical considerations. Our ATN-173/HPTN-115 protocol (STI prevention for women) has been rigorously preparing ~2 years to launch in April. What was broken in a day will take months to rebuild. We owe it to adolescents and women to not give up.
#IDSky

I concur. People will die. The short sightedness of wrecking HIV research infrastructure in the US and globally cannot be overstated. My friend and colleague @anuhazramd.bsky.social states plainly what many of us know and feel desperately. The public deserves to know as well.

Strong words from my brilliant colleague @anuhazramd.bsky.social concerning the NIH HIV cuts. Read the whole article here #SaveHIVFunding #HIVSky #IDSky @hivma.bsky.social

www.cnn.com/2025/03/25/h...

ACTION ALERT: CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Is Under Attack! We Must Fight Back - AIDS United CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Is Under Attack! We Must Fight Back CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Is Under Attack! We Must Fight Back We have heard very unfortunate news that there is an effort un...

CDC Division of HIV Prevention is under attack! This is an assault on all progress we have made in the field of HIV Prevention. That means more HIV infections, more complications from HIV, and higher healthcare costs. We must act now! #HIVSky #IDSky #SaveHIVFunding

aidsunited.org/action/polic...

Word is out that an announcement about a reorganization of the #CDC will include elimination of the Division of #HIV Prevention and likely other departments. A significant reduction in workforce is also expected. Announcement could be made by Thursday or Friday if not sooner. Details to come.

Always great getting to speak with @medpagetoday.bsky.social about syphilis screening and the amazing work of our friends in Chicago @anuhazramd.bsky.social #STISky #IDSky

So much FOMO 😭

Morning - Rise up & resist! Today, let's focus on what we can control. Remembering that our purpose fuels our resilience & resistance.

They want us to be fearful; worrying about the future. Bc in fear, we're not living in the moment. We're unable to help now when we're spiraling.

#tgif

Fighting erasure: Navigating the new environment of gender-affirming care Joseph Cherabie, MD, MSc, shares their views on the executive order on gender and sex and explores possible approaches for medical providers navigating this new environment.

Appreciative of @hivma.bsky.social and @idsainfo.bsky.social for allowing me to write about the new federal executive orders with respect to sex and gender, and how we may best function as providers while advocating for LGBT+ pts

www.idsociety.org/science-spea...

Africa CDC Call for Applications: The African Epidemic Service Program 2025 (AES) - Empowering Africa's Public Health Workforce - Global South Opportunities In an increasingly interconnected world, the rapid spread of disease can pose significant challenges to public health systems. The African continent, with its

The global South is leading in keeping us all safe.
1.Rwanda &Tanzania contained marburg outbreaks
2.Uganda is fighting Ebola
3. DRC is fighting #mpox
Knowledge can flow from the global South to North. With CDC EIS gutted, consider Africa CDC's AES
www.globalsouthopportunities.com/2025/02/17/a...

In rural West Texas, a measles outbreak grows with no end in sight At least 49 cases have been confirmed. Health officials — who are scrambling to get a handle on the vaccine-preventable outbreak — suspect 200 to 300 people may be infected.

If only we had an effective vaccine that prevents measles, what is now the largest measles outbreak in the State's history in 30 years would be swiftly resolved 🙄.
#VACCINATE
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

This is the new banner on HIV prevention webpages. This data is based off years of the highest quality evidence. To say this “this page does not reflect biological reality” because it includes trans people is propaganda from the people who know nothing about biology nor how to properly define sex.

I present to you all the notice that now is displayed on the CDC HIV prevention page.
Again - In these times, find a healthcare provider you trust, who follows evidence based practice grounded in science. Follow trusted sources of information.

STATEMENT: Ending HIV Requires a Functional US Democracy & Government The rapid dismantling of US democratic norms over the past 3 weeks – including fundamental government protections and structures – threatens the nation’s democracy, diversity, society, and economy.

The HIV epidemic cannot be ended in a state of lawlessness where essential health agencies are gutted and funds are withheld without due cause and without reasonable warning.

Read More: prep4all.org/statement-en...

Everyone I know who works in academia right now is incredibly stressed. Please be kind,show some patience, reach out to your friends and colleagues, and offer support 🧡.
Educate yourself on what is at stake, find a channel for advocacy you can engage in consistently, and add your voice.

University leadership in U.S. seems to be finally speaking up. That's a good thing, I guess, but we remember their silence regarding attacks on trans folk, DEI, human rights etc.
Indirects on grants are important, but I wish it didn't take that to move the people who lead our institutions on issues.

NIH In Your State - United For Medical Research Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America.

See how much NIH funding is in your state www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...

NIH plans to slash support for indirect research costs, sending shockwaves through science The NIH said Friday night that it would slash support for indirect costs on all existing and future grants to 15%

This change will accomplish one thing - kill medical research in US academic institutions.
That's not hyperbole and the best way I can explain this to the lay public.
Slashing indirect costs to 15% is a move to destroy the academic enterprise.
Pass it on.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/07/n...

Have Trump’s anti-DEI orders hit private funders? HHMI halts inclusive science programme The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a huge funder of biomedical research, has cut a $60-million initiative to boost diversity in science education.

"The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a huge funder of biomedical research, has cut a $60-million initiative to boost diversity in science education."
Everyone obeying in advance never believed in diversity and inclusion to begin with, it was all an act.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It’s no longer just cowardice. It feels like intentional complicity.