Recently I read an report on the healingpeople.com about the use of the Chinese herbs in the treatment of HIV infection and there was reported that in a clinical study of a combination of herbs held in Thailand the HIV infection rate were greatly reduced among the people with HIV infection who participated the study. What do you think of these reports? Do they offer a new alternative in the treatment of HIV infection?

Well, I hate to sound like a traditional western doctor, but having read all of the material provided (including the information on "acupoint diagnostics"), I don't see much evidence that these treatments will perform as billed. That's not to say that they don't have some effect, it just means that at this point the evidence available does not support the claims made. If you want to try these treatments, you should discuss it with your doctor before doing so. Some of these treatments may have interactions with the medications you're on and may limit their effectiveness or increase their toxicity. Be careful when combining ANY other medications, traditional or non-traditional, with your antiretrovirals. Brian Boyle, M.D., J.D.