Few Americans with HIV Have Virus Under Control
Posted by Tom Thayer in 
Only 28% of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV have the infection under control, increasing the risk that they will spread the disease to others, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
A big part of the problem is that 1 in 5 U.S. adult infected with HIV do not know it. People can be infected with the AIDS virus for years without developing symptoms. Of those who are aware, only half receive ongoing medical care and treatment, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest report on HIV in America.
“It’s now very clear that we have the tools to stop HIV in an individual and to stop the spread of HIV in a community,” CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a telephone interview. “We also know that taking treatment for HIV can prevent people from progressing to AIDS and from developing many of the serious complications of HIV, which unfortunately does remain an incurable infection,” Frieden said.
On this upcoming Worlds AIDS Day, December 1st, we try to bring these issues to light. Education & testing is the key to combating this disease.
Tom Thayer
source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45478404/ns/health-aids/
Co-Infection Information: HIV Treatment in TB Patients
Tuberculosis (TB) is a common possible co-infection in persons who are HIV positive. It is most rampant in countries that are underdeveloped. When a person has both HIV and TB, their treatment needs become more complex.
Recent studies have shown that starting treatment earlier in these patients can dramatically affect the outcome of such treatment. The study was conducted by Dr. Diane Havlir of the University of Californian San Francisco. After reviewing data from more than 800 individuals who had both HIV and TB, Havlir found that starting treatment in week two (versus week eight) improved the patients prognosis by nearly 40 percent, meaning patients experienced lower death rates or their rate of disease progression was slower.
It goes without saying that all efforts to better understand HIV and effective treatments are important to our community. For more information about this study, visit http://www.thirdage.com/news/hiv-treatment-should-begin-early-in-tb-patients_10-19-2011.
For more information about ARE’s services, or to learn how you can help, contact Janet Tinkham at 540-536-5293. This post has been provided by Victoria Kidd, freelance writer and owner of OMP Consulting Group. (www.ompcg.com)
Activist Spotlight: Mondo Guerra from Project Runway
Mondo Guerra, the delightful and endearing designer made famous by Project Runway, recently helped bring the Living Positive by Design Project to AIDS Walk Philly. This annual event helps raise money for HIV-related services, while educating the public about the disease. The Living Positive by Design Campaign encourages persons who are HIV positive to commit to maintaining a positive attitude as part of their overall disease management routine.
Mondo himself is HIV positive, yet he exemplifies what a commitment to an attitude of positivity—coupled with a healthy lifestyle—can do. He spent many years keeping his infection secret, as he was afraid to disclose his status. Today, he is a vocal ally in the fight against not only HIV itself, but also the stigma associated with the disease.
To learn more about AIDS Walk Philly and Mondo’s participation, visit http://bit.ly/tzpdEB.
For more information about ARE’s services, or to learn how you can help, contact Janet Tinkham at 540-536-5293. This post has been provided by Victoria Kidd, freelance writer and owner of OMP Consulting Group. (www.ompcg.com)
Treatment News: Updated Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines Released by HHS
Building on years of research and drug performance information, The Department of Health and Human Services released updated guidelines for adults and teens that have been diagnosed with HIV.
These guidelines help healthcare professionals and patients understand available treatment regimes, and provide an easy-to-use breakdown of commonly used treatments. These guidelines are updated periodically to ensure that healthcare providers have the most updated information available by categorizing regimes into preferred regimens, alternative regimens, and acceptable regimens.
For more information about these updates, visit http://bit.ly/nIOoxw.
For more information about ARE’s services, or to learn how you can help, contact Janet Tinkham at 540-536-5293. This post has been provided by Victoria Kidd, freelance writer and owner of OMP Consulting Group. (www.ompcg.com)
HIV Infections-New High as AIDS Drugs Save Lives
More people than ever are living with the AIDS virus but this is largely due to better access to drugs that keep HIV patients alive and well for many years, the United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS) said. In its annual report on the pandemic, UNAIDS said the number of people dying of the disease fell to 1.8 million in 2010, down from a peak of 2.2 million in the mid-2000s.
UNAIDS director Michel Sidibe said the past 12 months had been a “game-changing year” in the global AIDS fight. About 2.5 million deaths have been averted in poor and middle-income countries since 1995 due to AIDS drugs being introduced and access to them improving, according to UNAIDS. Much of that success has come in the past two years as the numbers of people getting treatment has increased rapidly.
Since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, more than 60 million people have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. HIV can be controlled for many years with cocktails of drugs, but there is as yet no cure. The UNAIDS report said 34 million people around the world had HIV in 2010, up from 33.3 million in 2009. The numbers are still staggering for the infections globally. Medications have been the key to longer life but the infections are still happening without education & protection.
Tom Thayer
Info: http://news.yahoo.com/life-saving-aids-drugs-push-hiv-numbers-high-091410745.html
World AIDS Day. Program by ARE & Shenandoah University 5:15pm Today
Thursday Dec 1…”Remembrance Ceremony” 5:15-6:15pm @ Shenandoah University Goodson Chapel (Free & open to the public)
SU-Alpha Psi Omega (APO) performers National AIDS Quilt Panel on display Family members reflections Candlelight Vigil/Walk to follow then refreshments at SU Brandt Student Center
ARE Office 540-536-5291
Happy Thanksgiving from the Staff at ARE
On this upcoming day of Thanksgiving…just take a moment to remember those that have nothing around us in every city & town/Its good to feed the world but don’t forget our own too…”Make a difference-do something good”… public service announcement. ..Happy Thanksgiving y’all….
Pope Calls AIDS an “Ethical Issue”
Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI unveiled a comprehensive document on the Roman Catholic Church’s role in Africa. It encompasses the issue of HIV/AIDS, calling it ‘an ethical problem’ that requires ‘a change of behaviour’ such as sexual abstinence, rejection of sexual promiscuity and fidelity within marriage. That echoes a comment of the pontiff’s from 2009, en route to Cameroon on his first Africa trip, when he caused a global outcry when he said using condoms ‘can even exacerbate’ the problem of HIV/AIDS.
Much of West Africa’s HIV-infected population is doing the same. Although sub-Saharan Africa is home to 68% of the world’s HIV-positive population, the UN AIDS organization says improved access to treatment is saving lives. Between 2004 and 2009, AIDS-related deaths decreased by 20% in sub-Saharan Africa. But its still ravaging the country.
The Pope’s stance on condom use hasn’t changed much in the history of the church. What does it take for people to break down the walls that blind them, when so much help could be done if they can get past those small issues and look at the big picture of basic health needs. Do you think his stance is correct?
Tom Thayer
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