BUSINESS WIRE - 44 Montgomery St, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; Tel: (415) 986-4422; FAX: (415) 788-5335 - Tuesday, 25 November 1997.
Do you really know the facts about HIV/AIDS? Put yourself to the test and find out.
1. HIV causes AIDS.
TRUE: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). By both directly destroying cells and by altering and impairing the immune function, HIV gradually weakens the immune system, making the infected person susceptible to several opportunistic illnesses.
2. The number of deaths caused by AIDS is down.
TRUE: The number of AIDS deaths in the United States has sharply declined this year. However, HIV infections continue to rise -- especially among women of color.
3. HIV infection rates among young people have reached a plateau.
FALSE: One-half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur in people under the age of 25.
4. Someone who tests positive for HIV definitely will contract AIDS and die soon thereafter.
FALSE: Many individuals who test positive for HIV are living long and healthy lives.
5. The new "triple combination" drug therapy including protease inhibitors is a cure for AIDS.
FALSE: At this time there is no cure for AIDS. Many people are not benefiting from the new drug therapy -- according to a recent study, 53 percent of "triple combination" drug therapy patients are not responding well to treatment, although for some, the new drugs have resulted in dramatic improvements in health.
6. The "triple combination" drug therapy is expensive.
TRUE: The new "triple combination" drug therapy is very expensive, costing between $12,000 and $13,000 per year per patient. In addition, if not taken properly, patients may develop a resistance to the drugs.
7. New tests to measure the virus show that the new anti-HIV drugs can take the virus to undetectable levels.
TRUE: But "undetectable" does not mean someone is cured or no longer has the virus in his or her body -- they are still infectious. It simply means that the tests are not sensitive enough to detect very low amounts of virus. (The current tests cannot detect fewer than 500 viral particles in a milliliter of blood. So 499 viral particles would be undetectable, even though it's still a sizable amount of virus.)
8. HIV is easily transmitted.
FALSE: HIV is transmitted through blood products, including semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. It is not transmitted by hugging, sharing water glasses or holding hands.
9. There is one type of HIV virus.
FALSE: HIV-1 is the most common type of HIV in the United States, greater than 99 percent of the cases, whereas HIV-2 is the predominant type in sub-Saharan Africa. The two types are marked by different molecular structures. HIV-2 is not as virulent and people tend to live longer with that infection, yet there are fewer drugs and treatments developed for that strain.
10. All of the anti-HIV drugs work against both types of HIV.
FALSE: The promising new treatment involving non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, for example, is only active against HIV-1 and not against HIV-2.
11. There is an effective vaccine that can help prevent the spread of HIV.
FALSE: An effective vaccine has yet to be developed for HIV. Several vaccines are in clinical studies to determine whether they will prevent HIV transmission.
12. If both individuals are HIV positive they do not need to practice safe sex.
FALSE: There is always the possibility of infection with other types of HIV. In addition, exposure to other sexually transmitted diseases can be particularly harmful for an HIV-positive person's immune system.
13. The California HIV/AIDS Hotline provides assistance and information to people who have questions about HIV/AIDS, including the location of free and anonymous testing sites in their communities.
TRUE: The Hotline is free to callers and can provide them with answers and resources by dialing 800/367-AIDS.
SOURCE: California Department of Health Services
(End of advance for release on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1)
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Copyright © 1997 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.
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Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
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