The abrupt halt to US funding threatens to undo decades of advances, dramatically increasing infections and deaths, but some see an opportunity for Africa to lead the response This year the world should have been “talking about the virtual elimination of HIV” in the near future. “Within five years,” says Prof Sharon Lewin, a leading researcher in the field. “Now that’s all very uncertain.” Scientific advances had allowed doctors and campaigners to feel optimistic that the end of HIV as a public health threat was just around the corner ..read more

Study suggests infection is sexually transmitted and opens up new way to reduce recurrence by treating male partners Bacterial vaginosis can be passed to women by male sexual partners, researchers have said, challenging the longstanding view that it is not a sexually transmitted infection. Experts say the study offers a new way to reduce the risk of the infection returning in women, with another scientist saying it showed up the UK’s NHS website as “outdated and misleading ..read more

The 47-year-old tech millionaire claims to have the penis of a 22-year-old. How does he know, and what does it have to do with his dream of living for ever? Name: Bryan Johnson. Age: 47 ..read more

Recently, there has been much more discussion of menopause. But one debilitating condition, experienced by 80% of women, remains shrouded in secrecy and misunderstanding When Lorraine Kelly shared her experience of menopause on her daytime TV show in 2017, she was her own last resort. Initially, she set out to interview a famous woman about her story, but everyone she approached refused. “I thought, nobody else will talk about it so I’ll do it. It was a breakthrough moment,” said Kelly ..read more

Genital microbiome or ‘sexome’ leaves specific signature even when barrier protection is used, which could be traced in absence of DNA material Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Bacteria transferred between people during sexual intercourse could be used in forensic testing to help identify sexual assault perpetrators, an Australian study suggests. Genital bacteria, similar to the microorganisms that make up the gut microbiome, vary between individuals. They are transferred to sexual partners during intercourse and leave specific signatures that can subsequently be d ..read more

On the road for weeks at a time, STDs are rife among lorry drivers. Now, volunteers are teaching them about safe sex At a roadside booth, a volunteer pulls a condom over a wooden phallus. “Feel the packet first. If it feels dry, don’t use it, it’s past the expiry date,” he tells his audience of truck drivers as the traffic speeds by behind them. A short distance away, transgender sex workers Ruby and Bhavna are urging truckers clustered around a tea stall to ignore some common myths ..read more

For more than twenty years Dr Melissa Kang helped Australian teenagers navigate puberty with her much-loved column, ‘Dolly Doctor’. Dr Kang speaks to Reged Ahmad about why it’s more important than ever to have that conversation You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport You can subscribe for free to Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast Full Story on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Read more ..read more

US company Viatris has applied for a UK trademark for wafer-like film that dissolves in the mouth It is a little blue pill that has transformed male health and the sex lives of millions. But while Viagra’s success has made the erectile dysfunction drug famous, a less conspicuous form could soon become available ..read more

People with genital or pelvic symptoms may feel a sense of false reassurance with a negative result, sexual health expert warns Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast With rates of some sexually transmitted infections in Australia on the rise, women will soon be able to test themselves for chlamydia and gonorrhoea at home – but sexual health experts have urged caution. Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has approved the rapid home test for sale, and it is expected to be available ..read more

While the NHS has been given an exemption to the NIC increase, health services commissioned outside the health service have not, says Greg Fell Your article outlining the extra strain on council budgets that the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) will cause highlighted the likely impact on adult and children’s social care services (Adult social care in England needs urgent help from ministers, say bosses, theguardian.com, 6 November). There will also be a significant impact on public health services, including sexual health and addiction services, health visitors a ..read more