bu. Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 A baby girl in the US born with HIV and believed cured after very early treatment has now been found to still harbour the virus. Tests last week on the four-year-old child from Mississippi indicate she is no longer in remission, say doctors. She had appeared free of HIV as recently as March, without receiving treatment for nearly two years. The news represents a setback for hopes that very early treatment of drugs may reverse permanent infection. Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told US media the new results were "obviously disappointing" and had possible implications on an upcoming federal HIV study. "We're going to take a good hard look at the study and see if it needs any modifications," he said. There was huge hope that the "Mississippi baby" would live a life free of the HIV. Antiretroviral drugs can keep the virus in check in the bloodstream, but HIV has hiding places - known as reservoirs - in the gut and brain. If treatment stops, then the virus emerges from its reservoirs and begins its assault afresh. Doctors had hoped that starting drug treatment within hours of birth would prevent the reservoirs forming. This seems not to have been the case. This case was never going to lead to an HIV-cure for infected adults, who begin treatment months or years after infection. The Mississippi baby has become a reminder of how difficult HIV is to defeat and how distant a cure really is. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28257768 Such a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock & Roll Hall of Game Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 The cure will be made in her lifetime for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 If the mother is HIV positive and is taking perinatal treatment before the child is born, there's still a slim chance that the child will be born HIV positive, though most are born HIV negative. This is why the health department encourages all pregnant women to get tested for STIs in their first and last trimester. I believe once the child is born, they will still test positive even if she was adherent to her medications, since they have their mother's immune system, but then the infant is to be on antivirals for months as they develop their own immune system. After a few months to at least a year after birth, a test determining whether they are indeed positive or negative will be accurate. Viruses are very difficult to find and kill, which is why everyone should learn about their own anatomy, prevention, and treatment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeaznboi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 They should make truvada available to anyone who wants it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 They should make truvada available to anyone who wants it. I agree. Not everyone wants to use condoms or knows how to use condoms, so for those HIV negative individuals at high risk for contracting HIV, Truvada is now being used as a prevention method. I know of a few people on it and they are also offering it at my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquaria Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What is truvada? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What is truvada? It's one of the many medications for treating HIV. Research/studies have shown that those who are HIV negative, are at risk for HIV and take Truvada consistently will most likely not contract the virus. So let's say an HIV negative person and an HIV positive person are in a relationship (in the HIV field they are known as serodiscordant couples) and are having condomless sex, there will not be any transmission, especially if the HIV positive person is on their medication and their viral load is undetectable. It's part of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep), the opposite of Pep (post-exposure prophylaxis - an aggressive medication routine that starts at least 72 hours after possible exposure to HIV...you take the medicine for 30 days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquaria Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 So taking it if you are HIV negative is essentially like a vaccine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 So taking it if you are HIV negative is essentially like a vaccine? Almost, it's more of a contraceptive barrier. Even though they have done trials for years and taking Truvada has proven to prevent infection, you have to take Truvada consistently in order for it to work. It's not a one time dose. HIV medicines have to be taken every day to be effective. If you skip a day or two of Prep and you have condomless sex, you're potentially welcoming transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeaznboi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Taking it when you're positive lowers your viral load and also helps prevent transmission to a negative partner as well. Shit is expensive though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EphraimAdamz Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I agree. Not everyone wants to use condoms or knows how to use condoms, so for those HIV negative individuals at high risk for contracting HIV, Truvada is now being used as a prevention method. I know of a few people on it and they are also offering it at my job. How damn hard is it to educate yourself on using a condom? Penis - Erection - Condom Seriously. How many times are grown men gonna use excuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSimba Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 That's too bad. I guess it's back to the drawing board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyna ♔ Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 So sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn1814 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Almost, it's more of a contraceptive barrier. Even though they have done trials for years and taking Truvada has proven to prevent infection, you have to take Truvada consistently in order for it to work. It's not a one time dose. HIV medicines have to be taken every day to be effective. If you skip a day or two of Prep and you have condomless sex, you're potentially welcoming transmission. I heard some porn stars that do raw use this drug.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 How damn hard is it to educate yourself on using a condom? Penis - Erection - Condom Seriously. How many times are grown men gonna use excuses. Who exactly is teaching males how to use protection? And telling them about oral sex condoms? A lot of parents aren't talking to their children about sex. "I know my babies aren't having sex" or "I'm not comfortable talking to my children about those things". The kids are getting shitty sexual education in schools. Many guys aren't even wearing the correct size, they all want to get Trojan Magnums for ego's sake. And who is teaching females that there are dental dams and female condoms? Only the clinics and nonprofit organizations, like the ones I work at. Most kids don't even know that most health centers have condoms for free. If two adults are consenting to sex but they aren't negotiating condom use, you can't expect everyone to be protecting themselves. That's what's really going on. Trust me, the stories I've heard over the years in this field will blow your mind. But due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot discuss them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetDAYZ Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I'm not buying the whole thing of males not knowing how to use a condom either. I'm with Eff..its not rocket science. I never had anyone to "teach" me...its something that's common sense. You're putting a rubber on your dick .. how difficult is that? I mean..really. I will Never buy into that excuse ...I don't care what no one says. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn1814 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I'm not buying the whole thing of males not knowing how to use a condom either. I'm with Eff..its not rocket science. I never had anyone to "teach" me...its something that's common sense. You're putting a rubber on your dick .. how difficult is that? I mean..really. I will Never buy into that excuse ...I don't care what no one says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn1814 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Who exactly is teaching males how to use protection? And telling them about oral sex condoms? A lot of parents aren't talking to their children about sex. "I know my babies aren't having sex" or "I'm not comfortable talking to my children about those things". The kids are getting shitty sexual education in schools. Many guys aren't even wearing the correct size, they all want to get Trojan Magnums for ego's sake. And who is teaching females that there are dental dams and female condoms? Only the clinics and nonprofit organizations, like the ones I work at. Most kids don't even know that most health centers have condoms for free. If two adults are consenting to sex but they aren't negotiating condom use, you can't expect everyone to be protecting themselves. That's what's really going on. Trust me, the stories I've heard over the years in this field will blow your mind. But due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot discuss them. YOu can on here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishi Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I am giving you all pieces of what I've been told in my experience of being in the social services and public health field. Men who wear condoms properly are privileged, because there are plenty of people out there that use them incorrectly (no space in the tip, put it on backwards, wrong size, wearing the same one for too long, etc). There are also people unaware of the risks they take. They dont know how to communicate and negotiate condom use. Plain and simple, lots of people are just FUCKING! Many without a clue or common sense. So to say that its rocket science is absolutely wrong. It SHOULD be that easy. I WISH it was enough to tell my friends and clients "Get tested, educate yourself, empower yourself, use a condom, talk to your partners, value yourself" and part of my job is to give condoms for free, but its not enough and folks are STILL engaging in risky behaviors. Some understand the information, some dont. Thats life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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