AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #187, November 19, 1993
John S. James
For those who want an accessible summary of what is known about the medical risks of the original poppers (no studies have yet been done on the chemicals sold today), ACT UP/Golden Gate has published a two-page annotated list of studies which have been published over the last ten years. (An earlier annotated list appeared in AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #160, October 2, 1992). While there is no definitive proof that poppers are harmful, they come up again and again as associated with immune suppression, Kaposi's sarcoma, and increased risk of HIV transmission.
It has been difficult to inform the public about the medical risk, for two reasons. First, poppers fall between the cracks of Federal and State drug-control agencies; nobody has wanted to take responsibility for them. And it is difficult to get the information into the gay press. Many of the papers accepted advertising for poppers; most stopped when contacted by ACT UP, but they did not tell their readers about the risk. The huge profit margin in the business -- pennies worth of chemical put into a small bottle can sell for about $10 -- leaves plenty of money for promotion. Incidentally, ACT UP/Golden Gate is not calling for new laws against poppers; its effort, instead, is to get medical information to the public.
For a copy of the fact sheet, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Committee to Monitor Poppers, ACT UP/Golden Gate, 519 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.
931119
ATN18707
Copyright © 1993 - AIDS Treatment News. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used. Subscription lists are kept confidential. AIDS Treatment News, Subscription and Editorial Office: 1233 Locust St., 5th floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 800/TREAT-1-2 toll-free email: aidsnews@critpath.org http://www.aidsnews.org
Subscription Information: Call 800/TREAT-1-2: Businesses, Institutions, Professionals: $270/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Nonprofit organizations: $135/year. Includes early delivery of an extra copy by email. Individuals: $120/year, or $70 for six months. Special discount for persons with financial difficulties: $54/year, or $30 for six months. If you cannot afford a subscription, please write or call. Outside North, Central, or South America, add air mail postage: $20/year, $10 for six months. Back issues available. Fax subscriptions, bulk rates, and multiple subscriptions are available; contact our office for details. Please send U.S. funds: personal check or bank draft, international postal money order, or travelers checks. VISA, Mastercard, and purchase orders also accepted. ISSN # 1052-4207
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1993. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1993. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .