May 18, 2008 - HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
Sunday May 18, 2008
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, reminds us that May 18, 2008 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. Twenty-five years ago this month, researchers reported the isolation of the virus that causes AIDS. Since then, over 60 million people have been infected with HIV — an estimated 2.5 million in 2007 alone — numbers that remind us that the development of an HIV vaccine is an urgent humanitarian imperative. This year’s HIV Vaccine Awareness Day provides us with an opportunity to renew and strengthen our commitment here at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine that will slow, and hopefully one day end, the HIV⁄AIDS pandemic. Read more from Dr. Fauci
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The Role of Religion and Spirituality When Living with HIV
Friday May 16, 2008
Receiving a diagnosis of HIV is a very difficult time, and for some people, the emotional aspects of HIV are as difficult as the physical aspects. Why? While the physical problems can be treated with medicine, the emotional impact has no easy solutions. For answers, some turn to their family, others talk to doctors or mental health professional. Sadly, some also turn to drugs or alcohol. But, for many people, support mainly comes from their spirituality and religion. Learn more....Related Information
Maybe Those Labs Aren't Necessary
Sunday May 11, 2008
In a paper published in the April 25, 2008 edition of the Lancet, data revealed that there was only a slight difference between the survival rates of people taking AIDS drugs who were monitored with laboratory tests and those who were not. The research was based on computer modeling, and while the results must be verified, they could influence how HIV patients across Africa and Asia are treated. As drugs to combat AIDS have been distributed in developing countries, some doctors worry that without lab monitoring, patients will either die earlier or develop drug resistance faster. But based on the evidence to date, that has not happened. Read more in this article from AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng.
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Medication Review - NNRTIs
Saturday May 10, 2008
Today's review will take a look at another HIV drug class; the Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors or NNRTIs as they are know. The NNRTIs are another weapon in the fight against HIV. Used in conjunction with HIV drugs from other classes, the NNRTIs have proven to be an effective tool in the battle to stay healthy. But understanding your medications is the key to a successful regimen. Let's review the NNRTIs.
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Medication Review - Protease inhibitors
Wednesday May 7, 2008
It's never a bad idea to review what you know about your HIV medications. We all know that understanding the drugs you are taking is the first step to a successful regimen. This blog entry is the first in a series of entries that will act as a medication review. Today's drug class is the Protease Inhibitors. This simple review will help you take the first step to your successful regimen.
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Abstinence vs. Risk Reduction...Which One Works
Thursday May 1, 2008
Experts agree that HIV prevention is the key to putting an end to the epidemic. But where they disagree is what type of prevention techniques to teach. One school of thought is to teach abstinence only. The other school insists abstinence only doesn't work and risk reduction, primarily condom use should be emphasised. So who is right? What should we teach? Does abstinence only work? Do condoms only make things worse? Let's take a look at the debate.
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New Breath Analyzer Can Help Monitor Adherence To HIV Therapy
Saturday April 26, 2008
We all know the importance of adherence to HIV medications. In fact if you can't take all your medicines all the time, you might as well not take any of them. No researchers at the University of Florida and Xhale Inc. believe they have developed a machine that will help doctors monitor HIV medication adherence. Read more about this novel way to improve medication adherence.
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What Do Your Teens Need To Know About HIV?
Monday April 21, 2008
Teens often feel like nothing can hurt them. To many, their impression of HIV is nothing more than a disease that doesn't affect them. In actuality, HIV can impact the teenage population. There are so many misconceptions surrounding HIV and AIDS; myth and misunderstanding fueled by the media, by fear, and by ignorance. Let's take a look at the truth; five things every teen should know about HIV and AIDS.
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$774 Million Allocated for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
Thursday April 17, 2008
The Health Resources Services Administration's HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA/HAB) has award $1.1 billion to provide primary care for people living with HIV and AIDS. The majority of that money, $774 million has been allocated to AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) across the 50 states, Guam, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. This money will provide HIV medications to those people without other means of paying for their. As we all know, the cost of HIV medications is astronomical. This money makes it possible for all HIV positive patients in the US to get the HIV medicines they need to stay healthy. Read the full report to see exactly where all that money is heading.Related Information
MRSA - What is It and What Can Be Done About It?
Monday April 14, 2008
Most everyone has heard of it. MRSA -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- is the infection that has caught everyone's attention, medical professionals and lay people alike. It has become an issue in hospitals around the country as well as a public health issue. What is MRSA, how does it impact the HIV positive person, and what can be done to decrease your risk?
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