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Ask the Expert Hot Topics
January 20, 2003

Check out these hot topics at The Body's Ask the Expert forums:
Forum on Starting Treatment Is it better to start treatment with a protease inhibitor or an NNRTI? I have Kaposi's sarcoma. Should I start HIV treatment even if my CD4 and viral load levels are pretty good? General Treatment Questions After three years of successful treatment, my last lab showed a viral load jump from undetectable to 449. Even if this is just what they call a "blip," should I do something about it? If I have to change treatments, which regimen would you recommend? Once-a-day Trizivir: A good idea, or likely to increase the risk of side effects? In the last six months, my CD4 count has fallen from approximately 450 to 250 and my viral load has bumped up from about 100,000 to 160,000. Should I start treatment, or can I wait a little longer? I've been on meds for 28 weeks, and my viral load has dropped from over a million to between 50 and 100. I'm thrilled, but should I be worried that I'm not quite undetectable? If I vomit after I swallow my meds, should I retake the dose? What's a "virtual phenotype" test, and what do the results of the test mean? Forum on HIV Transmission and Safe Sex Am I at higher risk of contracting HIV if I have sex with someone who's positive just after I've given birth? When will the new 20-minute HIV test, OraQuick, be available at clinics? Forum on Opportunistic Infections and Other Complications If someone's been "cured" of their hepatitis C infection, does that mean there's absolutely no chance they can infect someone else? I'm in the middle of my three-shot schedule for hepatitis B vaccination, but just found out I'm pregnant. Should I get my final shot, or start over after my baby is born? What is parvovirus B19, and how can it be treated?		Forum on AIDS-Related Cancers What kind of healthcare professional do I go to for an anal pap smear? What kinds of chemotherapy do doctors use to treat Kaposi's sarcoma? Which is better at spotting enlarged lymph nodes: CT scans or MRIs? Living/Working With HIV Is it normal for people with HIV to feel run-down? Is it possible to be HIV positive and to never have taken HIV medications, yet have an undetectable viral load and normal CD4 count? My company is switching to a health plan that includes long-term disability, but to get it I'd need to disclose my HIV status and have that information stored in a medical information bank. What should I do? My friend was just diagnosed with HIV. Any tips on the right way for me to help? I've had HIV for almost six years, and lately I've stopped caring whether I take my meds. Is this just a normal phase that everybody on meds goes through? Do you think people who've been infected with HIV after they've turned 50 can still have a normal lifespan? My doctor spends no time examining me -- he only focuses on my lab numbers. What can I do to make him pay attention to me? Since my HIV diagnosis, I've become a totally different person: I'm tired and depressed all the time, and my life is a mess. What's going on? What can I do to make it better? Off the Beaten Trail Does toe-sucking count as oral sex? Can I get HIV from it? Why is it taking so long to develop an HIV vaccine? Could it be that drug companies don't want their HIV drugs to become obsolete? Can the anemia treatment Procrit (epoetin alfa) make my penis larger, too?
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