vih

Top Stories : Undetectable Viral Load? Not Necessarily in Semen - by Tim Horn →

Undetectable viral loads in blood is not a guarantee that HIV is also undetectable in semen, according to a new study involving 101 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) conducted in Boston and published online ahead of print by the journal AIDS. Of the 83 men with undetectable virus in blood samples, roughly a quarter of them—21 MSM in total—had semen with detectable HIV. 

Though the study conducted by Joseph Politch, PhD, of Boston University School of Medicine and his colleagues didn’t look at whether those with low-but-detectable levels of HIV in their semen were necessarily more likely to transmit the virus than those with undetectable seminal viral loads, the authors nevertheless caution that a risk of ongoing HIV transmission potentially remains in the absence of barrier protection during sexual activity. “Until more information on transmission risk in MSM is available,” they write, “it would be prudent to advise sexually active HIV-infected MSM to use condoms and other risk-reduction strategies throughout all stages of HIV disease regardless of HIV treatment status.” READ MORE

Poetry Month at TheBody.com: HIV/AIDS-Related Poems From Our Readers - The Body →

Last year’s Poetry Month at TheBody.com was a huge success. Well, it’s that time again! From now through the end of April, we’ll be accepting and posting your poems about living with, or being affected by, HIV. Anything you write is fair game. Pieces can be literal or abstract, serious or funny, short or long (but hopefully not too long), whatever you want. Select poems will be highlighted on our site throughout the month of April!

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POZ: Isn't science cool? →

pozmagazine:

Some smarties have created something called JustMilk, it’s a nipple shield that can be modified to include a microbicide to kill the HIV virus and stop mother-to-child transmission. (Nipple shields are for moms who have trouble breast-feeding.) About 400,000 children contract HIV worldwide each year, and nearly all acquire the virus from their mothers. And the risk of transmission is significantly increased through breast feeding. However, the only way to lower the risk is to formula feed, which is usually unsafe, expensive and impractical, especially in developing countries, where formula-fed babies then face a higher risk of malnutrition, diarrhea and other infections. This shield, would allow women to breast-feed without passing along the virus. Click here for more.

New Yorkers Living Longer Than U.S. Average; Officials Cite Expanded HIV Testing and Treatment as Main Factor - The Body →

While moving to New York City may not automatically increase your life expectancy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New Yorkers, on average, are living longer than ever before, and longer than people anywhere else in the country. A chief reason for this higher life expectancy, officials say, is the city’s efforts to ensure more people get tested and treated for HIV.

According to the report, from 2000 to 2009, the life expectancy for babies born in New York City increased from 77.7 to 80.6 years, whereas the national rate increased from 76.8 to 78.2 years. Additionally, the New York City life expectancy at age 40 increased from 39.5 to 42 years, while the national average increased from 38.9 to 40.1. And at 70, the average life expectancy in New York City went from 15.4 to 16.9 years, while the national average only increased from 14.4 to 15.1.

So why the better numbers in New York City? READ MORE

The services available to me in NYC are amazing.

Christmas Date

Twas the night before Christmas and though it was late, there was silence in the room – not a word from his date. For the news he had given brought out his worst fear, and all he could feel was the chill in the air.

The gifts were wrapped gently beneath the adorned tree, but with the secret in his heart he could never be free. This time he knew he needed to connect, so he must trust this new guy and show him respect.

Feeling vulnerable has never been natural for me, but the cost of these walls was easy to see. The word HIV still heavy on my lips opened a heart that needed to be fixed.

To the shock and surprise of even his date, the words that he heard were “Thank you. I still think you’re great!”

HIV Positive Man Banned From Touching Doorknobs At Work | Addicting Info →

While discrimination against people with HIV is certainly nothing new, the level of harassment suffered by James White of Detroit, Michigan brings back memories of the darkest days of the initial outbreak. Abetted by President Reagan’s now infamous silence and complete inaction, ill-informed rumors about HIV spread as quickly as the disease itself. Millions of lost lives and decades later, we’re still dealing with the fallout from that total failure in leadership. Read More