God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

09/26/2013 • 4:08 pm Comments Off on ARV pill prevents HIV – so a study tells…

ARV pill prevents HIV – so a study tells…

In Uganda, a trial concluded that taking anti-retroviral treatment as a prevention measure on a daily base means to get almost total protection of HIV. This was reported by the online journal Plos these days.750 Ugandans, being themselves negative but with a positive life partner, were observed for one year while taking Truvada as a prevention tool and nobody of them was infected after one year. In the control group of 404 individuals, 14 persons became infected in the same time-frame.
“This is very exciting and compelling and confirms other studies in which people who took their tablets got almost total protection”, so Wits Reproductive Health and Research Institute Prof Francoise Venter. The question remains whether it is enough to treat only the infected partner or both to achieve such a result on the long run.

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Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

09/02/2013 • 4:42 pm Comments Off on And another thought of being undetectable & on treatment

And another thought of being undetectable & on treatment

Chronic Disease

Chronic Disease (Photo:tamahaji)

Dave R. from TheBody.com is reflecting on the question of undetectable and what it would mean for those being infected. There are recommendations but there is no certainty. There might be certainty after further studies and in the moment it looks good for those who say that being undetectable, on treatment and no STI’s are not infectious anymore. Have you ever thought what this would mean for those being HIV positive? It would mean that HIV treated proper would be equal like having cancer, being a diabetic and having any other chronic disease.  If, after indisputable proof, it would be widely reported that people on successful treatment are not in danger of passing on the virus, then there is no reason for every sexually active person on the planet not to get tested and if necessary treated because treatment will make you a safe person to have sex with. It would be a great argument for getting tested and on treatment. And it would diminish the stigma attached still to this condition. Undetectable = not infectious: this would change perception and consequences of HIV and AIDS. To read the interesting reflection of Dave R. click here.

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Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , ,

08/28/2013 • 5:11 pm 1

Treatment, Viral Load and (un-)protected sex

Since the early days of treatment there are questions about treatment being a cornerstone of prevention. What does it really mean to be “undetectable” – how much does this translate into being not infectious? Is there a difference between heterosexual and homosexual encounters in this context? Or more precise: Is there a difference when it comes to anal sex versus vaginal intercourse? Is the amount of virus particles in the blood and semen or vaginal fluid the same?  What is the risk by not using a condom, if somebody is on treatment and the viral load is undetectable? What does it mean to have one permanent partner versus several partners? There are so many questions and one hears so many different answers and it seems the debate is ongoing. The Body.com has tried to bring together all the information about these questions and it makes an interesting reading. To read their findings please click here.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

08/15/2013 • 7:44 am Comments Off on Using the term “HIV negative” as a substitution for “not being tested”

Using the term “HIV negative” as a substitution for “not being tested”

An attempt at a discrimination graphic.

An attempt at a discrimination graphic. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently came across an opinion piece from Preston Mitchum, a policy analyst for LGBT issues. He reflects on the question how people use the wording” HIV negative” almost as a hideout for not getting tested. But telling his own story about dating a person being HIV positive and rejecting him, he touches on the whole question of maturity and discrimination. We as church always emphasis not being judgmental and not discriminating against somebody being positive. I remember a talk in a Secondary School for girls here in Cape Town where I discussed with the students the question of stigma and discrimination in the context of HIV and AIDS. And being assured from all present that discrimination would never be an option for themselves, especially being students in a Catholic school,  I dared to ask who of them would have the courage to take a boyfriend who is HIV positive. There was silence and from more than 200 girls only one hand was raised.

I am convinced that we start tackling stigma and discrimination when starting to deal with our own fears, when we confront ourselves with all our hidden anxieties and when we are able to be honest about it looking into a mirror. The honest testimony of Preston might be helpful to reflect on our own standing when it comes to stigma and discrimination in our own midst.

Using ‘HIV-Negative’ as a Substitution for ‘Haven’t Been Tested’

by Preston Mitchum

A policy analyst for LGBT issues confronts his fears about HIV testing.

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Filed under: Catholic Church, General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

08/11/2013 • 9:15 am Comments Off on Mortality of people with HIV compared to non-infected peers

Mortality of people with HIV compared to non-infected peers

The eternal question of people being infected or just getting their positive test result is: How long do I have to live? Does it make sense to continue living as if there is a future ahead? HIV-positive people taking antiretroviral therapy who have an undetectable viral load and a CD4 cell count above 500 cells/mm3 have a mortality risk comparable to that seen in the general population, investigators report in the online edition of AIDS. Researchers looked at mortality rates among participants enrolled in two large, randomized controlled trials – the SMART and ESPRIT studies. “We identified no evidence for a raised risk of death compared with the general population in HIV-infected people on ART with an undetectable viral load, who maintained or had recovery of CD+ T-counts to at least 500 cells/mm3,” write the authors. There have been significant improvements in HIV treatment and care in recent years. Anti-retroviral therapy has become more powerful, less toxic and easier to take. Data from cohort studies suggests that people doing well on treatment – often defined as the maintenance of an undetectable viral load and a CD4 cell count above 500 cells/mm3 – have a life expectancy similar to that of age- and sex-matched HIV-negative individuals.
The whole article which was published via NAM’s aidsmap you can read here.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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