A Fine Line

Thinking about the QOTW for this run, it becomes incredibly difficult to make these decisions...because who is to say what is the proper thing to do? I start to see each question with two very different sides that can be viewed as correct depending on which side that you are on. Perhaps this is why HIV continues to be a controversial issue regardless of how much education that someone has on the subject. This week begins the third simulation, and I have to say that I am looking forward to the experience once again. The first two that we had to do were a great touch to this class, I just wish that there were more than three during the whole semester. I still find it a little "funny" when I tell people that I am taking an HIV studies course and you can immediately tell their discomfort. Sometimes it is even as visible as someone shifting in their seat as they even think about the subject. After my last blog I had the chance to read a few of my classmates' submissions and there were a few that watched an episode of Oprah that had HIV as a topic of conversation. If you have not had the opportunity to hear about some of the discussion, I think it would be in your interest to look up a little of the show if you could. It is a shame that this is sensationalized, but it does expose some very common misconceptions about HIV.

DID YOU KNOW?

I have been discussion the wonderful drugs that can be used to help treat HIV, but one has to remember that these medications do not come without side effects. It appears that side effects can actually affect women more because their systems hold in larger quantities of the medication while only achieving the same benefits as men (Side Effects, 2003). One of the first side effects that someone might experience while taking HIV medication is something called Lipodystrophy. This condition presents itself when the body itself becomes misshapen and this can happen by either fat loss or gain in many different regions of the body (Side Effects, 2003). This becomes incredibly dangerous for those who are susceptible to heart conditions or strokes (Side Effects, 2003). The side effects from HIV medications also present themselves on the exterior of our bodies on the skin as rashes, but this type of side effect can be medically managed by controlling the specific types of doses that one takes and by speaking with one's doctor the right treatment plan can be set forth (Side Effects, 2003). Other conditions that are focused a little more on women are menstrual irregularities and bone problems. There are certain types of medication that will cause Anemia in both men and women, but women need to be especially careful when there is a greater blood loss during the time of menstruation and this could lead to an accelerated Anemia (Side Effects, 2003). Osteoporosis is already a condition in which some women need to watch out for, but being HIV positive will put these women at an even higher risk (Side Effects, 2003). Fortunately this can be combated with regular treatment plans such as "bone density scans, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, exercising, curbing smoking habits, and reduction in alcohol and caffeine intake"(Side Effects, 2003). One last item to be discussed is the effect of HIV medications on child birth. According to The Well Project, studies have shown that the medications for HIV does not cause birth defects thankfully, but there are specific risks that must be watched out for on both the mother and the babies perspectives (Side Effects, 2003). The outlook becomes better and better as time goes on for people who are HIV positive, and with a doctor who will work with you to find out your specific medicine regimen that you can take to stay healthy, longevity and a fuller life becomes more and more possible.

Works Cited:

Side Effects. (2003). Retrieved fromhttp://www.thewellproject.org/en_US/Treatment_and_Trials/Things_to_Consider/Side_Effects.jsp

Just to follow suit

During this last week I really am wishing I had the opportunity to attend the women's panel discussion. What was everyone's thoughts of the evening who went...if anyone reading this did go? Outside of that, the last few QOTW have been quite interesting. The show that sparked Teach's question this week got me thinking about other mainstream programming and how so many of these shows could actually be used for a pretty nice source of propoganda or education for many different health care related causes. It is a shame that you do not see these very popular programs taking advantage of their share of the public spotlight to help dismiss some of the negative stigmas that are attached to diseases like HIV/AIDS. Perhaps I just don't watch enough of them, but I have never heard of any primetime programs addressing the virus in the manner that some of the movies we watched did....not that everyone could handle the extent to which we were exposed, but it would be nice for people to actually catch a glimpse of it.

I guess it is just part of the culture that we live in. I remember when I was searching for the videos that we neeed to watch online, I found a channel that was broadcasting the "Common Threads" movie. I quickly realized that the channel was all centered around the gay lifestyle and their programming reflected many different facets of it such as the reality of HIV in their population and what the community was doing about it. Because HIV affects all people regardless of their background, it would be nice to see if the mainstream culture could take a lesson and begin to become pro-active with dealing with such major issues as HIV. Also as a side issue, I wonder if we will hear anything in the news about South Africa and their AIDS situation as the next World Cup moves closer to the time. I think if we did it would be out of the regular ignorance that we see in our society still today. That's about all for now, hope you found this just a little bit interesting.....

DID YOU KNOW?



In light of our QOTW I have found some information regarding current HIV medications and renal transplants. With the discovery of the highly active antiretroviral therapy that was made to be available to people in 1996, there have been many more opportunities for people who are infected with HIV to actually have surgeries that can benefit them, when in the past it would be viewed as a waste (Tebas, 2009). I wanted to make sure that the whole article was brought through to here in case people couldn't access this information. It specifically talks about renal transplants in these paragraphs:



"A number of studies have demonstrated excellent outcomes in HIV-infected patients who undergo renal transplant. In one of the latest prospective studies performed in the HAART era, patient and allograft outcomes were reported among 18 kidney transplant recipients at a median follow-up of 3.4 years. Patient and allograft survival was 94 and 83 percent; these results are similar to that observed in the general kidney transplant population. One of the findings in the most current studies of renal transplantation in HIV-infected individuals has been the high frequency of rejection that frequently required the use of thymoglobulin. These individuals have had a remarkable and prolonged decrease in CD4 cell counts, which fortunately has not yet been associated with opportunistic infections." (Tebas, 2009)



"Preliminary results from multiple retrospective and some prospective studies show that clinical outcomes do not significantly differ between HIV-infected transplant recipients and HIV-seronegative patients enlisted in the UNOS database in the short term; the one-year survival rates appear comparable between the two groups." (Tebas, 2009)



This article also goes on to speak about other transplants such as heart and liver with some what similar results to the renal transplantation. Even though these surgeries are happening it is not without its problems. Medications that these individuals have to be on after their transplant so their body does reject the organ can have a strong reaction to the antiretrovirals for HIV and because of this it is very important to make sure that the medicine regimen is being monitored as closely as possible (Tebas, 2009).







Works Cited:



Tebas, P. (2009). Solid Organ Transplantation in HIV-infected Individuals. Retrieved from http://www.utdol.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=renltran/20766

A quiet week

I took the opportunity this week to return to the interview that we had to do with three different people a few weeks ago. One of my younger brothers has been vocalizing a worry about HIV since I talked with him. I think it is because he is a little more promiscuous than most people, and I try to curb that behavior with different facts that I have been learning. The slides from our statistic module has helped out, but I think overall the interaction with someone that he trusts is helping out. I can see that it scares him to death just thinking about the possibility of him acquiring HIV, but I have to make sure that he knows it is a very real possibility if he continues with reckless abandon. I've been trying to share some of the films that we watch with my family as well, but it just seems that there is no interest in them watching it. Its hard to see them turn a blind eye to the videos because of their incredible message that they carry with them. I almost feel that this would be most of our countries reaction when asked to watch these movies, and it is a shame because people need to see what can happen and what does happen when this disease enters someone's life.

DID YOU KNOW?

I have been discussion HIV medications over the last couple weeks and what I have come across is recent information about the amount of people who are actually receiving this medication. The UN has published that almost half of all individuals who are afflicted by HIV/AIDS are getting the medications that they need (Emerging, 2009). Other findings from this same study show that last year there was a total of 9 million dollars spent on AIDS relief and about ever 23 cents per dollar went towards the medications, but this is all said to increase by as much as 50 percent because people may start being treated earlier and also it is found that because of drug resistance different methods will be pursued (Emerging, 2009).

Source: Emerging Diseases. (2009). Aids Medication Coverage Increases 10-fold in 5 years. Retrieved from http://www.pediatricsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=44207

DYK pt. 2

As of 2006 in Japan, it is found that they share many of the same rights when it comes to the confidentiality of HIV and living with the disease. In Japan they view HIV and a person's privacy as basic human rights that must be respected in all fashions when it comes to situations such as employment and medical treatment (Noda, 2004). It is noted that as an actual governmental policy that the government is to work with the "Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Justice" to try and eliminate all discrimination against people whom have HIV and to protect their rights (Noda, 2004).

Source: Noda, P. J. (2004) Japan's Response to the Spread of HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.jcie.or.jp/thinknet/pdfs/hiv.pdf

Quite an experience

Sobering, to say the least. Watching the selected movies over the last two weeks or so has been an eye opening experience. I am glad that we all had the opportunity to watch Silverlake because it gives such an incredible view into the lives of people affected by the virus. Which I am sure I have covered in writing the paper, watching Tom waste away to nothing was almost horrifying. I have taken care of patient who are very close to death, to the point where they arrive and they have totally evacuated themselves and they are bleeding from areas that you wouldn't think, but for some reason watching Tom lying there in bed struck a much different cord with me. Perhaps its the buildup that the movie portrays. I can't help but feeling different for the last few weeks. I just can't put my finger on what is different, but I know that I am thinking about HIV quite a few times during the day and the more we become exposed, the more I can't help but work myself into a frenzy....is anyone else experiencing this? Could it be because of the setting that I work in? I couldn't imagine the supreme depression one would feel when they first find out that they have acquired the virus. Learning about the conditions itself almost brings me down because of everything it represents currently and just how we still can't seem to stop it. This leads me into my DYK for the week....

DID YOU KNOW?

Different variants of the HIV virus eventually lead to resistances in known or trusted methods of controlling the virus and its progression. These variants are sometimes due to the HIV reverse transcriptase making errors when it is trying to replcate itself, and it is known that the trascriptase itself is actually prone to these errors (Demeter, 2009). When these errors occur, mutation can become prevalent which leads to the medication becoming resisted (Demeter, 2009). Some of the mutations that HIV undergoes does not copy itself as well as other typical forms but they are said to exist in very small numbers even before the drug therapy is started and this can be a danger because all it sometimes takes for HIV to become resistant to a medicine is one mutation (Demeter, 2009). When you realize the nature of the this disease it starts to become very apparent just why we have not reached an established vaccine or a "cure".

Works Cited:

Demeter, L. M. (2009). Drug resistance testing in the clinical management of HIV infection. Retrieved October 6, 2009 from http://www.utdol.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=hiv_trea/10360&selectedTitle=3~150&source=search_result