A Kenyan Model Youth Friendly Clinic Achieves Significant Youth HIV Viral Suppression

A clinical trial based in Kisumu Kenya is on the good path to managing adolescent HIV/AIDS after it achieved significant viral suppression among the youths comprising of adolescents and teenagers.

An organization called Family AIDS Care and Services (FACES) sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the adolescent package of care (APOC) on adolescent viral suppression.

The study arrived at the conclusion that setting aside days for adolescent clinics made it easy to achieve viral suppression compared to those who visit regular clinics and recommended the replication of the model for practitioners managing adolescent HIV.

“This study suggests that adolescent clinic days greatly improve adolescent viral load suppression and should be considered for implementation across HIV programs. At clinics offering adolescent-friendly clinic days, adolescents were nearly 2 times more likely to be virally suppressed than at facilities not offering these specialized clinic days,” stated Science Direct.

The APOC recruited 10-19 year-olds and evaluated their viral load in 13 FACES test cites and for a period of 11 months divided into  6 months before January 2015- August 2016 and after November 2015 – March 2017.

After obtaining the patient’s information form the openMRS, adolescent clinic days used their adolescent package of care (APOC) checklist to asses factors associated with viral suppression.

This is a big achievement for Kenya since the HIV progress report of 2016 indicated that youths aged 15-24 accounted for half of the new HIV infections in Kenya. The people between 15- 24 years accounted for 51% of the new infections documented, especially girls.

The statistics revealed that 5000 youths in Kisumu County contracted HIV/AIDS yearly by conclusion in 2016 despite the interventions which were existing. This trend is attributed to stigma in disclosure of one’s status and myths around sex such as one contact is not sufficient to spread the virus.

The HIV prevalence rate in Kisumu County, in general, was at 19% in 2016. New infections reported in 2015 alone were 10,682. Aids deaths in adults 3,406.Children living with HIV 16,859.New infections in children 2,209.Aids deaths in children 1,040.

The initiation age for sex was between 16-17 and most didn’t know of the basic sex safety measures, the ABC. KEMRI/CDC in Kisumu stated most were sexually active and didn’t use condoms, and were not aware of the PrEP therapy.

The HIV progress report of Kenya identified that the youths aged between 15-24 contributed to many new HIV cases in Kenya because most of them were ignorant of safe sex practices.

The youths were advised to practice the ABC model of HIV prevention which is Abstinence, Being faithful and use of condoms.

In alignment with the World Aids Day theme of 2016, Ending AIDS and Stigma among Adolescents and Young People, the stakeholders involved in HIV intervention were requested to meaningfully get involved in managing HIV to realize SDGs of 2030.

The intervening stakeholders were requested to address the root causes of the increased youth and adolescent HIV considering that the age group 15-24 is highly sensitive and easily succumb to stigma.

It was requested that youth-friendly clinics be set up to help in managing adolescent and youth HIV and the success of viral suppression achieved by the FACES APOC study is a fulfillment of what was requested of them in 2016.

 

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Youth Marijuana Consumption Not Linked to Adult Brain Structure

Since the legalization of marijuana, countless studies have been conducted to locate the true potential and risk that come with using cannabis. According to a new study published earlier this month in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence shakes up previous clinical trials that once spread concern about youth cannabis use and brain development.

The team of experts at Arizona State University studied the use of cannabis among 200 boys in Pittsburgh in the late 1980s, then correlated those in take rates to high-resolution MRI brain scans of the same men 20 years later, when they turned 30.

“We found no differences in adult brain structure” within the boys who reported heavy cannabis use during there teen and young adult years, those who reported occasional use and those who reported never using marijuana, wrote the team.

They added, “Even boys with the highest level of cannabis exposure in adolescence showed subcortical brain volumes and cortical brain volumes and thickness in adulthood that were similar to boys with almost no exposure to cannabis throughout adolescence.”

As of now, the science around adolescent marijuana use and the way the brain reacts during development appears to be very politically charged and barley unresolved. The new study conducted by ASU now sheds a unique perspective of reality when it comes to the ever-growing issue. However, many find it unlikely that this data will debunk the myth of concerns.

The research team was directed by Madeline Meier, director of ASU’s Substance use, Health and Behavior Lab. The team announced that their findings were somewhat small and very limited. They acknowledged the difficulties they faced with young men in Pittsburgh who had conduct problems as youth and relies on self-reported cannabis use. Another complex issue within the study was the MRI imaging scans only took place once per subject when they were in their 30s.

“Importantly, several [previous] case-controlled studies have found brain structure differences in adolescent or young adult cannabis users with cumulative levels of cannabis exposure,” Meier and colleagues addressed. “It was unclear from those studies if brain structure differences among [those subjects] persisted into later adulthood. Our study suggests they might not.” The brain structure difference may appear in an early onset cannabis user’s ’20s, however diffuse and clear up by their 30s.

In previous studies, experts have used other measures (gray matter shape and density, white matter integrity) to study structural brain abnormalities between youth cannabis users and non-users. Miere confirmed that her teams MRI data may not be the most accurate when it comes to measuring cannabis-correlated brain dysmorphia.

According to the context of the study, the authors, “found no association between prospectively-assessed adolescent cannabis use and subcortical brain volume and cortical brain volume and thickness in adulthood.”

“Reviews of these studies have revealed that, although a few studies have found evidence of an association between an earlier age-of-onset of cannabis use and adult brain structure, most studies have not,” the team concluded.

The Recover is an unbiased substance abuse and mental health news provider. Helping individuals looking for the right treatment programs in their area. Also providing information on drug rehab centers for addiction recovery.

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Agape Treatment Center Tackles Mental Health Primary Care

Located in the beautiful Fort Lauderdale Florida, surrounded by lush green and unique houses that encourage social interaction, Agape Treatment Center envelopes the perfect setting for recovery, all while creating a comforting environment. Such a natural ambiance integrated with the commercial reality of life will motivate and heal any client looking for treatment.

Agape Treatment Centers fully emerges their clients in mentally stimulating exercises and activities that embrace the true essence of life. They hope that with such design, clients will open up their minds to all the things life has to offer. Their modernized clinical space was created to deliver warmth and character. They offer 20 beds vs. 100+ beds giving clients a more personal boutique-style treatment experience.

Each member of the staff is licensed and highly trained, paired perfectly with clients to uniquely treat their needs.  This ensures the individual will receive a full social experience with someone, sharing interaction, all while forming the ability to connect in a calm and healthy environment. They hope clients will leave Agape Treatment Center feeling love and having a better grasp at structured guidance.

What makes Agape unique is the culture of people who genuinely care about the individual’s well-being in a small productive setting. Most treatments across the country tend to only focus on substance abuse and addiction issues, whereas Agape offers a focus on primary mental health care, and the therapy to revitalize the authentic self of a person.

Providing mental health services in primary healthcare includes diagnosing and treating people with mental disorders. They identify the disorder and its roots with a Cognitive Emotional Memory Assessment tool and utilize the appropriate evidenced-based interventions to treat the disorder. They guarantee that their central healthcare staff can apply the necessary psychosocial and behavioral skills needed to treat their clients.

Agape offers a wide range of modalities & therapeutic programs.  One of the most popular among the clients is experiential therapy, this includes; small team building fun activities such as community interactions, beach mediation, and escape room challenges.  This allows clients to become open and vulnerable to experiencing life’s fun choices sober, which helps change their perspective on what a fun healthy lifestyle looks & feels like.  The clinical programs & strengths that Agape offers through multiple modalities with individualized care are; one on one sessions with their expert therapists, as well as services with EMDR & Certified Trauma specialists which is almost unheard of. It is more typical of treatment centers to offer them only every 1-2 weeks.  Agape Treatment Centers Team is highly committed to helping their clients gain insight about their mental health and learn the skills needed to promote an overall positive outcome.

 

Contact Agape Treatment Center for a no-cost evaluation and start your recovery today!

 

 

The Recover is an unbiased substance abuse and mental health news provider. Helping individuals looking for the right treatment programs in their area. Also providing information on drug rehab centers for addiction recovery.

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A Website Discusses Why Couples Should Research Before Choosing A Drug Rehab Program

As the drug epidemic continues to rise, the never-ending cycle of addiction takes hold of everyone who is suffering. A website has dedicated their time to make sure couples have the information they need when it comes to attending a drug rehab program. Couplesrehabs.org has been delivering useful information for years in the hopes that people across the nation will find peace and comfort in the right rehab program.  A new resource page now gives the couples living in Arlington; Texas, the necessary information at their fingertips.

The process of couple’s drug rehab is always a long and slow journey. However, their staff ensures that they will help guide every person on the right path. Every relationship is different, and when placed in the proper program, couples have a higher chance of succeeding and remaining sober together.  The key to a healthy relationship is communication and honesty, and in most cases, when individuals start to use, they tend to lose all sense of reality, causing the connection to spiral.

To understand the process of drug rehab and the initial steps it takes to recover couples must first come to the reality of what their issues are. The new resource page highlights every step that couples will face when searching for the right Couples drug rehab, Arlington, Texas. Just like a typical drug rehab program, each person will be evaluated separately and then as a couple to find the best possible treatment for their situation. Once the couple has been through the initial intake, they will be guided to the right detox program depending on the severity of the abuse.  Usually, when clients detox, they are not allowed to have any contact until they are finished. However, there are some couples drug rehabs that that would allow individuals to stay together while they undergo withdrawals. Many facilities understand that detox is one of the hardest steps, which is why they have transitioned into letting people be together.

Couples who are looking for the right treatment center tend to pick the easiest and most convenient one without doing any research. Choosing the wrong couples drug rehab program can lead to unsuccessful treatment and relapse. CouplesRehabs.org highlights the options available, which include: Outpatient, Inpatient, 12 steps, and more to show couples that there are countless opportunities to receive help. Understanding the difference is critical when it comes to choosing a program.   Couplesrehabs.org has partnered with several treatment facilities across the country to help couples locate local programs tailored to their personal and relationship requirements.

Their extremely trained staff is accessible 24/7 through a helpline and will explain any questions or concerns couples and loved ones may have.

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New Study Shows: Legalizing Marijuana in Colorado Lead to ‘Significant Decrease’ In Opioid Prescriptions

Its been a few years since the state of Colorado legalized recreational marijuana since then the number of opioid prescriptions for pain decreased dramatically compared two to other states where access to cannabis is still considered illegal.

According to a new study, Researchers at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and the University of New England were interested in analyzing how the connection between legal access to medical cannabis and lower use of opioids, less is known about how more extensive adult-use laws affect the prescribing rates of pharmaceuticals used for pain.

The team chooses to compare, Colorado with Maryland and Utah because they were the first three states to legalize some marijuana jurisdiction fully but in different ways. For example, Maryland even though they have similar demographics when it comes to terms of population size, homeownership, education level, and uninsured rates, whereas Utah was the most geographically same state with comparable Body Mass Index and median household income.

“Colorado had a larger decrease in opioid distribution after 2012 than Utah or Maryland. Therefore, marijuana could be considered as an alternative treatment for chronic pain and reducing the use of opioids,” according to the study’s findings, which were pre-published on bioRxiv earlier this month. “There has been a significant decrease in the prescription opioid distribution after the legalization of marijuana in Colorado.”

The study showed that Maryland had the highest amount of total pharmaceuticals distributed during the period. The weight of all 11 opioids peaked at 12,167 kg MME; however, that amount peaked to twice the weight in Colorado and Utah, which peaked at 5,029 kg MME in 2012 and 3,429 kilograms in 2015, respectively. In conclusion, the two drugs distributed the most each of the three states were oxycodone and methadone.

“Colorado and Maryland experienced an overall decrease in opioid distribution, but Colorado’s decrease was larger,” the study highlighted. “While the nation as a whole was experiencing a decrease in opioid distribution, it was promising that Colorado’s greater decrease considers the potential impact of recreational marijuana.”

Although it is unclear why Colorado experienced such a drop in prescriptions for pain medication, yet many experts find it hard to ignore that Colorado legalized marijuana for adult use in 2012.

“If there is an initial reduction in opioid distributions in states with recreational marijuana laws, it is conceivable that opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths could also fall,” the team concluded. “Therefore, it may be time to reconsider the practice of automatically discharging patients from pain treatment centers for positive marijuana screens, considering this use might reduce their overall opioid use.”

 

 

 

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Overdose Epidemic Efforts in Pennsylvania Showing Progress

Pennsylvania’s cities were once filled with opioids which in the end resulted in high overdose rates. Within the last year, the state has issued an old opioid disaster declaration and related efforts to battle the number of people who are dying from heroin and other opioids. However, the state secretary of health, said those numbers have yet to show up in figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Like many other medical experts, she is almost certain that overdose rates are steadily decreasing across the state. Just a few weeks ago, the new provisional reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that 68,557 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2018,-announcing a 5% decline. Thanks to Pennsylvania’s efforts they see the same results, experts attributed it to things including more access to the reversal drug naloxone, and more overdose survivors and others getting treatment as a result of the state’s efforts.

State leaders have announced that Gov. [Tom] Wolf is committed to addressing the opioid crisis and it is one of the highest priorities of the administration and one of the priorities for the second term

About a year ago Pennsylvania launched an “Opioid Command Center” to coordinate work of 16 state agencies ready to significantly impact the opioid epidemic. The year-old facility is located within Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Susquehanna Township.

According to more than a dozen state officials the state has seen progress in the following areas: treating about 12,000 people who came to 45 state-run treatment centers, saving almost 20,000 lives as the result of Narcan administered by police and first responders, and significantly expanding the availability of “warm handoffs” into treatment to overdose survivors delivered to emergencies rooms.

Regardless of the state’s progress, officials understand there is much more work to do like educating and working with hospitals to provide warm handoffs rather than other conventional methods. Law enforcement continues to monitor and locate the few remaining “pill mills” of doctors prescribing opioids that feed the crisis.

The Wolf administration cited these actions aimed at the opioid crisis: the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program has decreased the prescription of opioids by over 20 percent and has practically eliminated doctor shopping. More than 1,500 prescribers in 2018 received formal training and with the proper funding available to reach added 2,000 additional in 2019.

Also, over 22,000 physicians have undergone training on how to prescribe opioids carefully and judiciously. The 811 drug take-back boxes helped properly dispose of 482,000 pounds of undesired drugs last year.

Officials claim numerous people are getting connected to programs after calling the state’s hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If anyone is struggling with drugs or alcohol The Recover’s, national helpline is available at (888) 510-3898

The Recover is an unbiased substance abuse and mental health news provider. Helping individuals looking for the right treatment programs in their area. Also providing information on drug rehab centers for addiction recovery.

Contact: James William
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Address: Huntington Beach, CA 
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A “Hidden Epidemic” Of Health Concerns Could Arise Due to New Kinds Of Toxic Lab-made Adulterants Cocaine

For the past decade, the country has been at war with drugs and their never-ending consequences. At a press conference on June 17, 1971, President Nixon, with his newly elected Drug authority at his side, declared drug abuse “public enemy number one.” “To fight and defeat this enemy,” he added, “it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.” With that statement, the “war on drugs” began.

As a country, medical experts and state officials have fought tirelessly to battle the opioid overdose crisis that has taken the lives of thousands. However, with so much spotlight on synthetic opioids, multiple other drugs have been ignored creating a hidden epidemic of chronic disease — organ failure, leaky blood vessels, and “flesh-eating” infections — that might threaten cocaine and meth users in coming years. This accusation comes from the discovery of increasing signs of dangerous adulterants in illicit drugs.

Expert is concerned because cocaine use is up 47% since its lowest point in 2011, with 2.2% of people over the age of 12 reporting they have snorted or smoked it in the last year. According to the CDC, US cocaine and methamphetamine overdose deaths have almost rippled in the last five years. They also reported that Methamphetamine overdoses killed 12,987 people last year, and cocaine overdoses killed another 15,699.

However, these numbers have been ignored due to the even larger number of overdose fatalities from opioids. Over 40,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2018, a lower number than the year before, which marked the nation’s first decline in total US overdose deaths in 28 years.

“While the declining trend of overdose deaths is an encouraging sign, by no means have we declared victory against the epidemic of addiction,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar explained in a statement regarding the 5% drop, which still accounted for 67,774 deaths.

She continued, “We also face other emerging threats, like concerning trends in cocaine and methamphetamine overdoses.”

As of recent cocaine mixed with fentanyl, a deadly opioid was thought to be the main reason in the spike of deaths; however, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime argues that the record coca crops in Colombia and more affordable cocaine for a resultant stimulant-drug boom worldwide.

Unfortunately, another emerging contributor is an unknown wave of toxic lab-made adulterants that are being mixed into illicit drugs. According to a study, MJ Technologies presented lab findings to display how toxic cutting agents are being found in bewildering varieties and more significant numbers than seen before in illicit drugs. Their findings included samples of cocaine and heroin tested from three US states — Kentucky, Nevada, and Vermont — in 2016 and 2017, which tested positive for multiple additives connected to erratic heartbeats, reduced immune system response, and organ failures. The team also discovered signs of multiple toxic adulterants in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

MJ Technologies emphasized that Warning signs about these adulterants have been around for a decade. Reports from the US Drug Enforcement Administration and public health researchers show that they have had concerns about cocaine being aced with levamisole, a veterinary drug for parasitic worms linked to severe infections, and phenacetin, a banned painkiller linked to cancer and kidney failure, since 2009.

According to the DEA, since 2012, levamisole has been tested and found in almost 80% of the cocaine samples, it tested, in strengths as high as 10%. Despite the dangerous effect, the current threat may be pushed aside because most US labs do not test for toxic adulterants. Typically, Crime labs are looking for drugs like heroin or cocaine, not cattle dewormers, to enable criminal prosecutions. Public health clinics, coroners and Hospitals don’t, either, rather they test for drugs that are high on the chemical dependencies list, like heroin, cocaine, and meth.

More research is needed, but the reality of dangerous cocaine is on the rise.

The Recover is an unbiased substance abuse and mental health news provider. Helping individuals looking for the right treatment programs in their area. Also providing information on drug rehab centers for addiction recovery.

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