Tag Archives: HIV

Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

The World Health Organization is working hard to reduce the number of pregnant mothers around the world who pass HIV on to their unborn children. HIV is not automatically passed from mother to unborn child. This is good news! But there is always a chance that the disease will be transmitted. The main way to prevent transmission is through the use of antiretroviral drugs. What are antiretroviral drugs? These are medications taken to treat infection by retroviruses like HIV… which opens up another question: what are retroviruses? A retrovirus is a virus that inserts itself into a host cell and … Continue reading →

Today is World AIDS Day

December 1st each year is World AIDS Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) started World AIDS Day in 1988 to bring people around the world together to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. But that’s just the beginning. The WHO hopes that World AIDS Day will demonstrate international unity in the face of this disease. It’s a chance for anyone and everyone to spread awareness, encourage HIV and AIDS prevention, raise money for AIDS charities, champion treatment programs, and more — all around the world. Some statistics about HIV and AIDS around the world from a 2008 World Health Organization … Continue reading →

Selfishness and Dishonesty Taken to the Extreme

I was horrified when I read this article about a man who infected the woman he claimed to love, and who he later married, with HIV. According to reports , he did not tell her he had the virus when the couple first ‘began a sexual relationship in 1996.’ Instead he knowingly and willingly passed the disease on to the woman he supposedly loved without telling her. By the time she found out, it was too late. This has to be the height of selfishness on this man’s part. Obviously Judge Thomas Wodak thought so too, He said ‘the fact … Continue reading →

Talk Show Hosts say Magic Johnson “Faked” AIDS

We all know that sometimes talk show hosts can step over the line when on air. Take Don Imus and his comments about the Rutgers’ woman’s basketball team for example. Now two Minneapolis radio talk show hosts are finding themselves in deep water as well for their on-air comments. Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of station KTLK took insensitive to a whole new level this week when they (hopefully) were joking about Magic Johnson and AIDS last Wednesday. They were talking with another caller about health care when the following exchange took place: Perry: What about diseases that are eminently … Continue reading →

Global AIDS Epidemic Has Stabilized

According to the United Nations AIDS agency — UNAIDS — the epidemic has stabilized. Fewer people are dying of AIDS and more patients are on HIV medication. The good news: The global AIDS epidemic peaked in the late 1990s and deaths from AIDS are on the decline. Approximately two million people died from AIDS in 2007, down from 2.2 million in 2005. AIDS work in the past five years has done more than work in the last two decades, according to UNAIDS. The number of people on medication for HIV has increased dramatically in the last six years — only … Continue reading →

Living with a Cat with FIV

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FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus — it is a virus related to feline leukemia (FeLV) and HIV in humans that can impair a cat’s ability to fight off infections. Once, a diagnosis of FIV was considered a death sentence. These days, cats with FIV can live long and happy lives. Many FIV positive cats live a decade or more with the disease! Here are some tips to help you if your share your home with a cat who is FIV positive. Take care that your FIV positive cat does not spread the disease to others. The best way to … Continue reading →

Cocaine: Side Effects and Long-term Effects

This is our second article on cocaine and looks at the common short-term side effects and long-term effects of regular usage. The effect of cocaine on the body is determined by a number of factors including how much is ingested, the purity of the supply, your weight and height, your general health, your mood at the time of ingesting the drug, your past experiences with cocaine and whether or not other drugs such as alcohol, are taken simultaneously. The immediate effects of cocaine ingestion are a feeling of confidence and wellbeing, a sensation of being excited, a propensity to take … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding and HIV

Until recently, it has been thought that an HIV positive mother should not breastfeed her baby. However, recent research is showing that breastfeeding is so incredibly beneficial that even HIV positive moms should breastfeed their children. I do need to point out that the research I’m referring to in this blog, has been done in Africa. While I don’t think that this fact makes the conclusions null and void it is something to keep in mind while reading. When I say that breastfeeding increases chances for survival for babies–that may very well be true in Africa where health care and … Continue reading →

The One Thing That No One Wants to Talk About

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When Isaiah’s birth mother signed relinquishment papers, Nancy and I agreed that we would provide pictures and a written narrative to her for all of the boys every six months through an intermediary, our adoption agency. We had sent the first pictures. The adoption was not yet finalized. When she picked up the pictures, Lola sent us a note that jolted everyone. It said that she had tested positive for the HIV virus. There is always a significant risk when you are dealing with someone who has a lifestyle of very risky sexual habits and drug addiction. Our legal system … Continue reading →

Celebrities Rally For World AIDS Day

Did you know today is World AIDS Day? Since 1988 the first day in December has been set aside to unite efforts worldwide in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Statistics show that around 40 million people are living with HIV throughout the world – and that number increases in every region every day. Even more startling, in the first 10 months of 2006, some 4.3 million people became newly infected with the virus and around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. … Continue reading →