A 33-year-old man with HIV presents with a flu-like syndrome and a disseminated vesicular rash after sexual contact with a new partner. Differential diagnosis includes mpox, syphilis, other STIs, HSV and disseminated VZV. Listen as Eileen and her guest, Dr. Shauna Gunaratne work through the mpox diagnosis, and discuss the 2022 mpox outbreak, along with evidence-based recommendations for testing, treatment, and prevention.

References Cited:

• Akter F, Hasan TB, Alam F, et al. Effect of prior immunisation with smallpox vaccine for protection against human Mpox: A systematic review. Rev Med Virol. 2023 Jul;33(4):e2444. Epub 2023 Mar 30. PMID: 36999223.
• CDC. Monkeypox. Tecovirimat (TPOXX) for Treatment of Monkeypox. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/hcp/clinical-care/tecovirimat.html
• Dalton AF, Diallo AO, Chard AN, et al. Estimated Effectiveness of JYNNEOS Vaccine in Preventing Mpox: A Multijurisdictional Case-Control Study - United States, August 19, 2022-March 31, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023 May 19;72(20):553-558. PMID: 37200229.
• Mitjà O, Alemany A, Marks M, et al. Mpox in people with advanced HIV infection: a global case series. Lancet. 2023 Mar 18;401(10380):939-949. Epub 2023 Feb 21. Erratum in: Lancet. 2023 Apr 8;401(10383):1158. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00584-6. PMID: 36828001.
• PALM007 Writing Group; Ali R, Alonga J, Biampata JL, et al. Tecovirimat for Clade I MPXV Infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo. N Engl J Med. 2025 Apr 17;392(15):1484-1496. PMID: 40239067.
• Titanji BK, Eick-Cost A, Partan ES, et al. Effectiveness of Smallpox Vaccination to Prevent Mpox in Military Personnel. N Engl J Med. 2023 Sep 21;389(12):1147-1148. PMID: 37733313.

Related Guidelines and Guidance:

• New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines Program:
  - Prevention and Treatment of Mpox
  - Immunizations for Adults With HIV > Mpox
  - Management of IRIS
  - Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections
  - Guidance: Adopting a Patient-Centered Approach to Sexual Health
  - GOALS Framework for Sexual History Taking in Primary Care

Resources:

• CDC Guidelines for Collecting and Handling Specimens for Mpox Testing
• NYSDOH Guidance on Testing at Commercial and Public Health Laboratories

Chris presents the case of a 42-yr-old gay man at high risk of anal cancer to guest Dr. Bruce Hirsch, and they work through the best course for screening and prevention of a disease with high rates of morbidity and mortality that disproportionately affects people with HIV. Listen as Chris and Bruce talk about who to vaccinate and when, who and when to screen, and what screening entails, while acknowledging the difficulties.

References Cited:

• Palefsky JM, Lee JY, Jay N, et al. Treatment of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions to Prevent Anal Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jun 16;386(24):2273-2282. PMID: 35704479.
• Barnell GM, Merchant M, Lam JO, Silverberg MJ. Early Outcomes of a High-Resolution Anoscopy-Based Anal Cancer Screening Program Among People With HIV Enrolled in an Integrated Health Care System. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Jul 1;81(3):292-299. PMID: 30964759.
• Deshmukh AA, Lin YY, Damgacioglu H, et al. Recent and projected incidence trends and risk of anal cancer among people with HIV in North America. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Sep 1;116(9):1450-1458. PMID: 38713084.

Related NYSDOH AI Guidelines and Guidance:

• Screening for Anal Dysplasia and Cancer in Adults With HIV
• Prevention and Management of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Adults With HIV
• Primary Care for Adults With HIV
• Immunizations for Adults With HIV > Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Guidance: Adopting a Patient-Centered Approach to Sexual Health

The case of a 28-year-old diagnosed with HIV when she became pregnant prompts Eileen and guest Dr. Jean Anderson to explore many of the challenges of HIV care in pregnancy: managing a new diagnosis, disclosure, stigma, partner involvement, antiretroviral therapy, perinatal transmission prevention, breastfeeding, harm reduction, and postpartum care. Their wide-ranging discussion opens with Jean’s perspective on care of women with HIV, which is informed by 40 years of ground-breaking work in the field.

References Cited:

• Connor EM, Sperling RS, Gelber R, et al. Reduction of maternal-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with zidovudine treatment. Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 076 Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1994 Nov 3;331(18):1173-80. PMID: 7935654.
• Sibiude J, Le Chenadec J, Mandelbrot L, et al. Update of Perinatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Transmission in France: Zero Transmission for 5482 Mothers on Continuous Antiretroviral Therapy From Conception and With Undetectable Viral Load at Delivery. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 8;76(3):e590-e598. PMID: 36037040

Related Guidelines and Guidance:

• American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG): Optimizing Postpartum Care. Committee Opinion Number 736. May 2018.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States(June 2025)
• New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines Program:
  - HIV Testing During Pregnancy, at Delivery, and Postpartum
  - NYS Good Practices to Prevent Perinatal HIV Transmission
  - Guidance: Questions, Answers, and Best Practices for Medical Management of Perinatal HIV Exposure in New York State
  - U=U Guidance for Implementation in Clinical Settings
  - PrEP to Prevent HIV and Promote Sexual Health

Resources:

• Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry
• CDC HIV Hotlines and Warmlines > Perinatal HIV Hotline: Provides clinicians with around-the-clock advice on indications and interpretations of HIV testing in pregnancy, and consultation on antiretroviral use during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. 1-888-448-8765 (24 hours, seven days a week)
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale