AEGiS-UPI: British man may have cured himself of HIV

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

British man may have cured himself of HIV

United Press International - November 13, 2005

LONDON - A British man who tested positive for HIV may have shaken off the virus with his own immune system.

If proved, the National Health Service has said the case would be "medically remarkable," the Sunday Times of London reported.

The Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS trust, which treated 25-year-old Andrew Stimpson, has said he needs to undergo more tests before it can be established how he apparently conquered HIV.

"These tests were accurate and they were his, but what we don't know at the moment is why that has happened, and we want him to come back in for more tests," said a spokeswoman. "It is potentially a fantastic thing."

After he was diagnosed with HIV in 2002, Stimpson began taking vitamins and other dietary supplements to keep his body healthy in the hopes that this might fend off the development of full-blown AIDS.

In October 2003, after impressing doctors with his good health, Stimpson was offered a new test, which came back negative. Further tests in December 2003 and March last year also proved negative.

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