posted by admin on Jul 11
Now that an estimated 1 in 4 Americans with HIV is infected without knowing it, tests that provide rapid results have been welcomed with open arms. But imagine if you were told you’re HIV positive and later learn that you actually don’t have the virus. In New York City, some people have had that experience: One rapid test that examines oral fluid samples–the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test–has produced a higher than expected number of false positives, leading the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to suspend use of the test in its STD clinics; the OraQuick finger prick test is still in use.
Jennifer Ruth, a spokesperson at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the agency is investigating clusters of false positives associated with the Read the rest of this entry »
posted by admin on Jul 2
JOHANNESBURG, 26 June 2008 (PlusNews) - Providing HIV/AIDS services to people on the run from armed conflict or natural disaster seems, on the face of it, too complicated when trying to meet the pressing immediate demands of an emergency.
By failing to address people affected by HIV in such situations, however, aid organisations could be doing even more damage, warned the 2008 World Disasters Report, launched on 26 June by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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posted by admin on Jul 1
TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) — Drugs that suppress HIV are keeping infected individuals alive and relatively healthy for years, even decades. But studies suggest that a new health risk is emerging for these long-term survivors: increased odds for heart attack and stroke.It’s not clear whether the cause is the virus itself or the drugs used to treat it, said Dr. Steven Grinspoon, professor of medicine at Harvard University.
The exact cause of heightened heart risk among HIV patients “may not be just one or the other,” he said. “Both may act, in different ways. The drugs may be causing metabolic problems such as dyslipidemia in the traditional way, while the virus can cause inflammation, which is a known factor in atherosclerosis.”
Dyslipidemia is an abnormal
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