HIV Management
Progress against H.I.V. marks one of the greatest accomplishments of biomedical research in history - Jon Cohen

image by: HWN
HWN Suggests
We Should Treat Everyone Like We Treat HIV-Positive Patients
Don’t look to Canada, France, or Singapore for a world-class health care system. You can get the best health care in the world right here in the United States, for free. But there’s a catch: You have to be HIV-positive.
Through a combination of federal and state funding, plus some very clever implementation strategies, Americans infected with HIV are eligible for incredibly comprehensive care, even if they are uninsured or underinsured. It’s amazing the program doesn’t get the attention it deserves. In fact, it should be a model for how we treat all patients.
Articles of Interest
The Febrile HIV Patient
Absolute lymphocyte count < 1,200 is suggestive of CD4 < 200 cells/uL; although this is flawed as certain infections can cause a transient decrease in lymphocyte count.
Clinical Management of HIV
Implementing routine HIV and STI screening in healthcare settings. Providing rapid access to treatment. Improving access to antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP). Increasing HIV awareness through community outreach, engagement, and messaging.
Despite setbacks, HIV can be beaten
But doing so will take patience and money.
Expert Panel Recommends New Options for H.I.V. Prevention
An influential expert panel has given its highest recommendation to an expanded menu of H.I.V. prevention strategies for adults and adolescents, a move that will require private insurers to cover the drugs without a co-pay or deductible under the Affordable Care Act.
Fifty years of HIV: how close are we to a cure?
Antiretroviral therapy has saved millions of lives by stopping the virus from replicating and allowing the CD4 T cells to recover, keeping the immune system intact. But it cannot eradicate the virus from the body. That’s because when HIV enters its host cell, it sometimes does something highly unusual: it integrates its DNA into that of the cell. At that point, it turns latent, seeding itself in hiding places throughout the body, where it remains inactive and undetectable, immune to antiretrovirals, but creating a reservoir from which it can rebound into full-blown infection without warning.
HIV Is Treatable, but Homelessness Can Make It Fatal
Most HIV medications involve taking daily pills that are prone to being stolen and can be hard to integrate into unstable living conditions.
HIV treatment has come a long way – but there's still work to do
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest achievements in sexual health has been the advances in HIV care. The year 1981 heralded the start of one of the greatest public health challenges in history: a virus with no cure and seemingly no rhyme or reason as to whether those infected would survive to their next birthday.
Patient Cured of HIV After Stem Cell Transplant, Researchers Say
He is at least the third person cured in this way, which would likely be too risky for patients who don’t also have cancer
Preliminary study hints that genetically modified T cells might fight HIV
The same kind of DNA tinkering that produced the first FDA-approved gene therapy for cancer has shown hints of suppressing and even eradicating HIV infection in lab animals, scientists have reported.
Slowly, HIV is being beaten
But the rich world must not turn its back on the problem.
Starting HIV Treatment in ERs May Be Key to Ending HIV Spread Worldwide
The research team noted the challenges in implementing HIV care services in the ED, including the high volume of patients, and provider hesitation to start patients on ART due to possible comorbidities and liabilities. Still, the researchers believe these initiatives are needed to curb the HIV epidemic. “Our research shows there are many patients with HIV in the emergency department who are untreated, undertreated and undiagnosed,” Hansoti says.
The Evolution Of HIV Treatment
A lot has changed since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981. Globally, AIDS-related deaths have dropped by more than 55% since 2004, the deadliest year on record. But, the road to effective treatment for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was long.
The four-decade quest for an HIV vaccine yields new hope
While the reality is far more nuanced than recent hype suggests, a breakthrough strategy is finally offering fresh tools for battling this devastating virus.
The Man Who Smelled Like Rancid Creamed Corn to Usher In a New Scientific Era
Over the past decade, a group of HIV activists has helped pioneer gene therapy.
The Story Behind the First AIDS Drug
Today, if someone is diagnosed with HIV, he or she can choose among 41 drugs that can treat the disease. And there’s a good chance that with the right combination, given at the right time, the drugs can keep HIV levels so low that the person never gets sick.
Treating H.I.V. Patients Before They Get Sick
A major international clinical trial has provided the strongest evidence yet that people infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, should get treated as soon as possible, even if they are feeling well, to ward off serious illness and fatal complications in future years.
Resources
Greater Than HIV
A leading public information response focused on HIV in the U.S. from KFF.
Stop the Virus
There are many factors that may play a role in long-term treatment success for people living with HIV (PLWH), including achieving a sustained undetectable viral load and supporting adherence to medication and monitoring. Addressing factors such as systemic stigma and discrimination can also impact patients' experiences in care.
AIDSMap
Treatment is recommended for all people living with HIV. It involves taking a combination of antiretroviral drugs. This stops the virus from replicating and allows the immune system to strengthen and fight infections.

