But Wait...
August 08, 2002

Even in light of above mentioned anti-condom crowd and all of the previously mentioned no-sex-please we're British-or-we'll never end this blasted AIDS epidemic, a word of hope:

admission AIDS Institute Scientists Show Antiretroviral Drugs Can Eradicate AIDS Epidemic

admission AIDS Institute researchers have predicted that widespread use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can eventually stop the HIV epidemic in its tracks � even in African nations where a high percentage of people are infected. The Lancet Infectious Diseases reports the findings in its August edition.

"Our findings sharply contrast the gloomy predictions that came out of the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona last month," said Sally Blower, admission professor of biomathematics and a member of the admission AIDS Institute. "Those statistics calculated that AIDS would claim 65 million lives by 2020."

"Our study found that expansion of drug treatment programs can eliminate HIV on a community level � even without eradicating HIV in individuals," she said. "It's the first scientific rationale to show that treating more people in developing countries would produce dramatic impact and save substantial numbers of lives."

But they caution:

Our model suggests that it is possible to eradicate HIV in San Francisco," Blower said. "But given the high volume of unprotected sex and drug-resistant HIV strains, it's the worst of all possible worlds and doesn't look good."

They recommend a four point plan:

Blower and her colleagues offer four recommendations to eradicate the HIV epidemic worldwide:

1. Treat more HIV-infected people to reduce the epidemic's severity.

2. Develop more effective drugs to reduce viral load. Even a slight drop in viral load would provide great benefit.

3. Prevent drug resistance from developing in order to prevent the transmission of drug-resistant viral strains.

4. Reduce the rate of risky sexual behavior in order to heighten the overall effect of treatment on the HIV epidemic.

Safer Sex education, condoms, ARV drugs -- they will stop this thing. They will give us a good legacy to pass on to the generations who come after us. Of course it continues to take work, effort and energy, but then what of value doesn't?

With thanks to Into The Breach

Posted by Jody at August 8, 2002 03:04 PM

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