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The Search for an HIV Vaccine

The ideal scenario would be the development of an HIV vaccine that would effectively prevent HIV infection. They have flu vaccines; why not an HIV vaccine. Easier said than done. What is the status of an HIV vaccine.

More Vaccine Information

AIDS / HIV Blog with Mark Cichocki, R.N.

Medicare to Cover the Cost of an Annual HIV Test

Thursday December 17, 2009

As part of the Medicare expansion, the cost of an annual HIV test will be covered for all Medicare beneficiaries who request a test. The coverage takes affect immediately. The exact language of the decision actually states an annual HIV test will be covered for the following people; those people at risk for HIV:

  • Men who have had sex with men after 1975
  • Men and women having unprotected sex with multiple [more than one] partners
  • Past or present injection drug users
  • Men and women who exchange sex for money or drugs, or have sex partners who do
  • Individuals whose past or present sex partners were HIV-infected, bisexual or injection drug users
  • Persons being treated for sexually transmitted diseases
  • Persons with a history of blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985
  • Persons who request an HIV test despite reporting no individual risk factors, since this group is likely to include individuals not willing to disclose high-risk behaviors; and
  • Voluntary HIV screening of pregnant Medicare beneficiaries when the diagnosis of pregnancy is known, during the third trimester, and at labor.

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services calls the decision a milestone that helps keep Medicare beneficiaries healthy and will allow Medicare take a more active role in evaluating the evidence for preventive services.

HIV and a Healthy Heart

Thursday December 17, 2009

The announcement linking HIV and heart disease is not the first example of the connection. In 2005, a European study examined the impact of HIV medications on the human body. This study is thought to be the first that suggested HIV had an effect on cardiac health. Specifically, the study showed that people infected with HIV were twice as likely to have a heart attack than people not infected with HIV. This was confirmed in a study whose results were reported in 2007. Again, the study confirmed that HIV positive people were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than HIV negative people. Read about the connection between HIV and coronary heart disease.

Related Information

Has Tiger Put His Wife at Risk?

Sunday December 13, 2009

If you read magazines or newspapers you have heard the story. If you have watched any television over the last couple weeks you have been bombarded by the constant updates. The word is out; Tiger Woods has ventured outside of his marriage a number of times. What's more is that at least one of his mistresses has reported that Tiger alledgedly doesn't use condoms. If this is the case, has Tiger put his wife and to some degree his children at risk for STDs and HIV? If the stories are true than absolutely his wife has been put at risk. Depending on the timing of his trists, he may have even put his children at risk. So what should his wife do now that the word is out? If she would ask me, I would tell her what I tell everyone in her position; get tested. Don't rely on signs and symptoms; many times people show no signs of HIV or STD symptoms. The only way to know for sure is for his wife to be tested for HIV and STDs. This whole situation is tragic to say the least. Let's hope it doesn't get worse because of unprotected sex.

Information on HIV Testing and Condoms

New HIV Treatment Guidelines

Wednesday December 9, 2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released their new HIV treatment guidelines and it calls for earlier treatment. In fact the new guidelines call for HIV treatment for anyone with a CD4 count less than or equal to 350 regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. What is really surprising is half the panel of experts feel the CD4 cutoff should be higher. Read about the new HIV treatment guidelines.

Related Information

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