HIV Testing Blog

A recent article in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report includes some recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use of post-exposure prophylaxis in people exposed to HIV in a nonoccupational setting.

Similar to the guidelines following occupational exposures, the CDC recommends prophylaxis beginning within 72 hours after the initial exposure with any body fluids from an HIV infected person. If 72 hours has passed after the exposure, the CDC recommends not starting prophylaxis. If the HIV status of the contact person is unknown, but the exposure has an elevated risk the CDC suggests the decision of whether to begin prophylaxis be made on a patient-to-patient basis.

Unfortunately many people are unaware that they are infected with HIV, and because of the 72 hour window period for prophylaxis these people are out of luck when they discover they were exposed. People who benefit the most from prophylaxis are those who know they have been exposed, including sexual assault victims and intravenous drug users.

Some clinicians have fears that people will use post exposure prophylaxis as a “safety net” for unprotected sex, but that is not at all it’s intended purpose.

*For the complete article please refer to http://hivtestingblog.com/original-articles/

Merck announced on Thursday that the FDA has approved expanded use of its HIV drug, Isentress, Reuters. Isentress has been FDA-approved since 2007, but was limited “to use in patients who had drug-resistant strains or were failing on other therapies, also in combination with other HIV drugs. Now it can be used in all adult patients,” the AP/CNBC.com reports. According to AP/CNBC.com, “Isentress is an integrase inhibitor, meaning it works by blocking the enzyme integrase, one of three types of enzymes the AIDS virus uses to reproduce and infect cells”

For the full article, please refer to http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157219.php

1) Take Responsibility For Your Health and Your Life.
2) Get A Support Network To Be With You In Good and Bad Times.
3) Find A Health Provider With Whom You Can Build A Relationship.

4) Take HIV Medications When You Need Them.
5) Maintain Good Nutrition.
6) Get Up and Do Some Exercise.
7) Learn About Benefits and Services You Might Be Eligible For.

There are many benefits and services available to people living with HIV disease but you have to know about them and their requirements in order to get them. Benefits you might be eligible for include:

8 ) Get A Life Outside HIV.
9) Stop Stressing…So Much.
10) Ask For Help When You Need It .

Dutch-sponsored researcher Christian Althaus has used mathematical models to demonstrate that cells infected with HIV could die even sooner than was thought until now. If infected cells have a shorter lifespan then this increases the chances of the virus escaping the attention of the immune system.

Althaus used mathematical models and computer simulations to describe the dynamics of viral populations and immune responses. For example, he studied how chronic viral infections such as HIV are kept under control. The human immune system attempts to prevent the replication of viruses in various ways. The so-called cytotoxic T cells are capable of recognising and killing cells that have been infected with the virus. Althaus found that if cells are recognised and eliminated directly after infection before they start producing virus then the viral replication is considerably reduced.

Hiding from the immune response

Each time the virus infects a new cell it can change itself by mutating so that the newly infected cells are no longer recognised and destroyed. This process of ‘immune escape’ can reflect how strongly the immune system suppresses the virus. This is what led Althaus to study the speed at which these new and unrecognisable viral variants are generated and selected. He also found that HIV-infected cells might survive for a shorter period than expected until now, which means it is even more difficult for the immune system to recognise and destroy these cells.

This type of research is essential for an improved knowledge of viral infections. The models Althaus has developed provide a better understanding of why the immune system can sometimes effectively control viral infections and sometimes not. This opens up possibilities for further research into the immune system of people infected with HIV.

Christian Althaus has carried out this work as a member of Rob de Boer’s research group. De Boer received a Vici grant from the NWO’s Innovational Research Incentives Scheme in 2004. He aims to use this grant to set up a novel, quantitative approach to immunology.

For the complete article, please refer to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163326.htm.

BOSTON — In an effort to reduce AIDS rates in Massachusetts, state public health officials recommended that everyone 13 and older get HIV-tested as part of their routine medical care.

The goal is to make HIV screening as common as cholesterol tests and blood pressure monitoring. That way, HIV infections could be treated immediately, before they progress to full-blown AIDS.

Currently, about a third of people in Massachusetts with HIV develop AIDS within two months of diagnosis. Lauren Smith, medical director at the state Department of Public Health, says that number is too high.

“That tells us that, in fact, they were infected with HIV probably for many years — possibly a decade,” says Smith, “and suggests that we lost many opportunities to intervene and provide them very effective care that can ensure that they live longer and healthier.”

Smith also says the state’s health care system could save money if HIV is detected and treated earlier. HIV testing remains voluntary in the state and is free at many doctors’ offices and health clinics.

“It would be rolled into routine clinical care,” says Smith. “That’s why we screen for cholesterol, that’s why we take people’s blood pressure — it’s because we can do something very effective about it. Similarly, we need to screen everyone for HIV because we have effective treatments that can make a big difference in this condition.”

For the complete article, please refer to http://www.wbur.org/2009/06/25/hiv-testing.