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Ask the Expert Hot Topics
December 2, 2002

Check out these hot topics at The Body's Ask the Expert forums:
Forum on Stopping/Switching Treatment I'm coming off a 10-month drug holiday after another failed treatment. I'm already resistant to most nukes, Fortavase and Norvir. Should my doc put me on Epivir (3TC), Kaletra (lopinavir), Sustiva (efavirenz) and Viread (tenofovir), or would doing so eliminate all future options? How can I tell if I'm beginning to become resistant to my meds? Is it possible to get diarrhea after STOPPING meds? In the last year, my viral load has usually stayed well below 1,000, but has rarely been undetectable. Should I switch to a more potent drug regimen, or stick with my current one? Forum on Starting Treatment How do I choose between starting therapy with Trizivir or with Combivir and Sustiva (efavirenz)? My doc prefers the latter. Is Retrovir (AZT) still being used as first-line therapy? I had my spleen removed when I was a kid. What kind of impact does this have on my CD4 levels -- and on determining when the best time is to start treatment? Forum on HAART Side Effects After trying a huge number of drug combinations, I'm finally on one that seems to work. However, the neuropathy in my feet is intolerable. Is there anything that can make it better? I'm on Trizivir, and experience vomiting and diarrhea extremely often. Nothing I take lessens the symptoms, and all the tests my doctor has run have come back normal. What's going on? Can lipodystrophy ever become so bad that it kills someone?		Forum on Prevention, Transmission and Living With HIV If my viral load is "undetectable," does that mean I'm free of HIV? Can I have unprotected sex again? What's the best way to remove a condom after sex? My partner and I want to have a baby (I'm positive; she's not). I heard that the only place in the U.S. now doing a sperm-washing study is Columbia University. Can you tell me about it? Forum on Cancer and HIV What's the deal with the cervical cancer vaccine I've been reading about in the news? Can it help fight anal cancer, too? What kind of followup is necessary for an HIV-positive person after having anal warts removed? If I have an enlarged lymph node that neither grows nor shrinks, should I get a biopsy? Forum on HIV and the Workplace Can Sustiva (efavirenz) cause a false-positive result for THC (a chemical found in marijuana and hashish) on a drug test? What do I need to know when switching from individual to group insurance? Off the Beaten Trail My girlfriend wants to become a sex worker to earn extra money. If she does, should I break up with her because of the greater STD risk? Can I get HIV if my own semen gets into my bloodstream?
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