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What's New at The BodyHIV/AIDS News You Can UseMarch 26, 2003 | ||||||||||
Call for Deeper Review of Vaccine FindingsFour major AIDS organizations in the U.S. are calling for a more complete analysis of last month's AIDSVAX trial results. The results showed that AIDSVAX, an HIV vaccine in development, seemed to have some benefit among a small group of non-Hispanic minorities, but was ineffective for everybody else.HIV May Sometimes Boost T-Cell CountsIt's generally accepted that HIV infection, if left untreated, will slowly lower a person's T-cell counts as time goes on. But what if that wasn't always the case? New research on SIV, the monkey equivalent of HIV, suggests that the virus might actually cause an INCREASE in CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts, at least during the early stages of infection.New Tactics for Preventing HIV Among Drug UsersThe Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program (ESAP) is one result of a growing trend throughout the U.S.: the institution of new, more realistic strategies to prevent the spread of HIV among injection drug users. Click here for the details.Do HIV Meds and Allergy Shots Mix?Allergy season has just begun throughout much of the U.S., and you may be wondering if it's safe for people taking HIV medications to get allergy shots. Here is one answer from Dr. Keith Henry, one of The Body's HIV specialists on staff in our "Ask the Experts" forums.Community Support Is Key to Learning About HIV MedsWhy is it so important that people with HIV receive treatment counseling from their community and their peers? "The empathy and depth of experience that people living with HIV/AIDS can share with each other" makes peer education invaluable, says treatment educator Tamil Kendall.Abstinence Education Funding Hits Record LevelsA record $120 million in federal money will be invested in abstinence education this year, including $117 million to maintain ongoing programs and $3.5 million in one-time funds that will go to specific programs. Supporters of comprehensive sex education are dismayed by the new spending.HIV: A Slippery Little DevilHIV evolves more rapidly than previously thought, researchers have found; it's constantly developing new ways to evade the body's natural immune response to invading viruses. The new finding underscores the challenges to developing an effective vaccine, but also raises hopes that a better understanding of how HIV works could help scientists find new ways to fight it.Latin Americans in Desperate Need of HAART AccessAbout one million people in Latin America are infected with HIV, but only 200,000 receive life-extending antiretroviral drugs. The World Health Organization hopes to double that number by 2005.Physicians Support U.S. AIDS Funding BillAs the struggle over global AIDS funding continues in the U.S. government, the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care has decided to enter the fray. They've come out in strong support of a compromise bill now before the U.S. House of Representatives.A Personal Plea for HIV Meds in South Africa"It saddens our heart to hear that you have still not decided to let your people live," laments Samaila Garba, a Nigerian woman with HIV. In this letter to South African President Thabo Mbeki, she pleads for him to provide antiretrovirals to all HIV-positive South Africans.Is the President's AIDS Advisory Council Useless?Some people think that the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS should be disbanded. Want to know why? David Salyer from Atlanta's AIDS Survival News explains.Why Science Doesn't Have All the AnswersThough we'd like to think that medical science will eventually find a way to cure all diseases, science very often can't do it alone. In a fascinating article, Harvard professor Richard Levins discusses the complex relationship between science and society, and how the solutions to some of the world's most vexing health problems can't always be found in a laboratory.Finding Peace and Joy in Helping Others"Like a heavy weight has been lifted.My rolling chair allows me to soar beyond the ceiling into space where there are no limitations, no sadness, no regrets. I am happy." -- from "Exuberance," a poem by Antoinette-Marie Williams
Find Your Nearest AIDS OrganizationNeed to find an AIDS organization in the United States, Canada or anywhere else in the world? Check out The Body's extensive list of resources.Cruise-Ship Virus Especially Risky for HIVersNorovirus -- a group of viruses formerly known as "Norwalk-like viruses," which infected many people on cruise ships late last year -- is especially a concern for people with HIV. Click here for more information on how to protect yourself from Norovirus.Web HighlightsA Selection of the Top HIV/AIDS Stories From Across the Internet:Exposure to Antiretroviral Therapy in Utero or Early Life: The Health of Uninfected Children Born to HIV-Infected Women Catholic Church Firm Over Condoms Women Do Just as Well as Men on HAART, Major Cohort Reports HIV Rising in the East Doctors Urged to Support Disobedience Campaign Alcohol Increases HIV Risk Metabolic and Morphologic Complications in HIV Disease: What's New Coinfection With Hepatitis Viruses and HIV | ||||||||||
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