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• FROM
THE EDITOR
I'd like to remind those of you looking for HIV support and services
that we provide two excellent ways in which to do it:
• Use
our search engine (U.S. only). The Body's "ASO Finder"
is a handy search engine with details on many U.S. service organizations.
Search for organizations by name or by ZIP code.
• Browse
our comprehensive directory (U.S. and international). The Body's
thorough listing of AIDS hotlines and organizations is divided internationally
by region and within the U.S. by state.
Both of these tools have been designed to make your search for HIV-related
services as stress-free as possible. If you have any feedback regarding
them — or
if you are a member of an AIDS organization and would like to be
added to our lists —
please feel free to write
and let me know!
- Bonnie
Goldman, Editorial Director, The Body
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• HIV
TREATMENT & SIDE EFFECTS
When Starting HAART, Know What You're Getting Into
The best way to start HIV treatment is with a clear set of goals
in mind and a solid understanding of any obstacles you may face.
Read HIV educator Frank Pizzoli's review of six key factors to keep
in mind as you consider starting treatment, and then browse through
The Body's
easy-to-read guide to HIV medications for additional useful
information on when to start and what to take.
For
a Short Time, HAART Can Make Some Feel Sicker
Ironically, people who start HIV treatment sometimes seem to
grow sicker for a brief period of time. This isn't caused
by medication side effects, but rather by a short-term illness that
doctors call "immune restoration syndrome."
Is
Atazanavir All Its Cracked Up to Be?
The new protease inhibitor atazanavir (Reyataz) is billed as
one of the most patient-friendly protease inhibitors around: two pills taken once
a day, with no ill effects on cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
Does it live up to the hype? PWA Coalition Colorado investigates.
Treatment Forum Reviews the Basics on T-20
Why is T-20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon) so expensive? Can it be taken
by itself, or does it always have to be part of a combination? What
about side effects? Read this helpful report from George Burgess
about the ins and outs of T-20.
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• LIFE
WITH HIV
Job
Training Can Provide HIVers With Valuable Skills, Support
Unemployed and HIV positive? Job training programs specifically
for HIV-positive people with few skills can help provide the skills
and support necessary to gain steady employment. Read the story of
one woman who found self-confidence and a sense of achievement through
enrolling in Multi-Tasking Systems, a New York job training and placement
program for HIV-positive people.
Do Trans People Create Their Own Barriers to Health?
Fear of stigma and self-hatred can add to health risks for transsexuals
and their partners. Healthcare providers often don't think to ask
if you have a penis or a vagina, or if you are injecting hormones.
They also may not know to inform you about how to protect your sensitive
pre-op or post-op genitalia from the health risks of sex. |
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• HIV
PREVENTION & INFECTION TRENDS
Condom
Producer Stops Using Nonoxynol-9
Durex has stopped producing condoms containing the spermicide
nonoxynol-9, which in recent studies has shown that it may increase
the risk of HIV transmission.
To learn more about the studies that have shown how nonoxynol-9
increases a person's HIV risk, visit The
Body's library of articles.
Mother-Child
HIV Transmission Rare in U.S., but Not Gone
A new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report
has found that, although mother-to-child transmission of HIV has
grown rare in the U.S., it still happens —
especially when HIV-positive mothers don't receive the medical care
they need, or haven't even been tested for HIV in the first place.
Teens
Less Likely to Have Risky Sex if Family Is Close-Knit
Teenagers who felt more connected with their families were significantly
less likely to report having sex, having had sex without a condom
or having been involved in a pregnancy than their peers who felt
less connected with their families. The study was conducted with
students at inner-city alternative high schools in Houston, Texas.
Condom
Availability in Schools Reduces Unsafe Sex
It turns out that condom availability in schools increases condom
use without increasing the number of kids who are having sex, this
study of Massachusetts public high schools says. In schools where
condoms were distributed, 76 percent of sexually active students
used them when they last had sex; in schools that didn't distribute
condoms, however, only 56 percent used protection when they last
had sex.
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• HIV
POLICY & FUNDING
Bush's
Abstinence-Only Stance Earns Reprove From Healthcare Group
In his State of the Union address, U.S. President George W.
Bush reiterated his commitment to double federal funding for abstinence
programs in order to fight the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Michael Weinstein of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest
nongovernmental provider of healthcare services for Americans with
HIV, noted in response: "There is simply no scientific basis
for abstinence-only programs as a substitute for quality sex education
in preventing HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases."
Cable Positive Issues Call for Grant Applications
Cable Positive, the cable and telecommunications industry's
national non-profit AIDS action organization, is now taking applications
for grants for AIDS organizations and local cable systems to work
together in joint community outreach efforts, or to produce and
distribute new, locally focused HIV/AIDS-related programs and public
service announcements.
How
You Can Help Further the Cause for More ADAP Funding
Wondering what you can do to help save ADAP? Consider joining
the Save ADAP Committee, part of the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition
(ATAC), a national group of AIDS treatment and policy advocates.
Even if you don't want to join the committee, you can visit
ATAC's Web site to learn what steps you can take to ensure people
in the U.S. no longer die while their names sit on HIV treatment
waiting lists.
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• WEB
HIGHLIGHTS
Gay
Men Still Rely on Disclosure to Avoid HIV
According to a fascinating 2002 survey of 16,871
gay men living in the United Kingdom, the second most-common strategy
used by HIV-negative gay men to avoid HIV infection (condom use is
#1) is simply having faith that their HIV-positive partners will
invariably disclose their status before sex. Many other findings
from this survey will shock and dismay you.
Article from aidsmap.com, January 20, 2004
Anal
Cancer Bad News for HIV-Positive Gay Men Even in HAART Era, but
Incidence Is Rare
Although anal cancer doesn’t respond to HAART,
is difficult to treat and occurs more frequently in gay men than
others, it is thankfully rare, according to a large new study. In
related news, the study found that screening for anal cancer appears
to be of no value.
Article from aidsmap.com, January 19, 2004
Critics
Decry Escalating HIV/AIDS Drug Prices
Drug companies assure critics that high prices are
necessary to offset research and development costs, but with more
U.S. patients finding their treatment options restricted by ADAP
cuts, the critics counter that drug manufacturers are putting their
profit margins above patients' health.
Article from The Washington Blade, January 16, 2004
Emerging
New Strategies for the Management of Treatment-Experienced and Salvage
Therapy Patients
A detailed review of recent research on treatment
strategies for people who have failed multiple HAART regimens.
Article from HIVandHepatitis.com, January 12, 2004
2004:
What’s In, What’s Out?
POZ magazine looks back over the changes in
HIV treatment that the last year has brought, and at what new changes
2004 may bring.
Article from POZ, January 2004
New
Guidelines for Management of Dyslipidemia From IDSA and the ACTG
A summary of the updated guidelines, including recommendations
for the screening and treatment of high lipid levels in people with
HIV, which can lead to cardiovascular problems.
Article from The Hopkins HIV Report, January 2004
Provision
of Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Limited Settings
The World Health Organization and the United Kingdom's
Department for International Development have released this paper,
which provides healthcare professionals in developing nations with
guidance on how best to treat their HIV-positive patients.
Report from the World Health Organization, November 2003
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