Donna Sweet, M.D.Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. Dear Doctor,
I have a client that is HIV positive. He has reported that he
smoke marijuana. I would like to know if smoking marijuana
advances the virus. I have heard that smoking crack does, is
this true?
Thanks,
Mental Health Clinician
Donna Sweet, M.D.
Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita
There has never been any indication that smoking marijuana progresses HIV, in fact it has been used to lessen symptoms caused by the disease and side effects of treatment at times without any evidence of increased disease progression. Smoking crack has been shown to increase the likelihood of transmission due to increased mucosal irritation caused from the pipe and other equipment sharing. There is no evidence that the drug itself has been shown to advance the progression of disease.
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