HIV Support Group
HIV (also known as human immunodeficiency virus, and formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus) is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system which can lead the syndrome known as AIDS. Many of the problems faced by people infected with HIV result from failure of the immune system to protect from opportunistic...
Just yesterday I did a search on resent cures for HIV and AIDS.
from what I am reading we are within 2 years of having a vaccine
that will stop HIV from becoming AIDS so you wont have to take
ARV drugs. also they are closing in an a vaccine to stop HIV infection.
The race seems to on to stop the HIV from becoming AIDS,
This seems to be the most likely one to appear 1st.
It would also allow all of us already infected to get off the dam drugs..
Complete prevention of infection may take longer to obtain but at least
it will be a cure. So hang in everyone looks like just a couple more years.
Perhaps the good DR Duke would have something to add to this ?
What do you think DR Duke?
Dave
from what I am reading we are within 2 years of having a vaccine
that will stop HIV from becoming AIDS so you wont have to take
ARV drugs. also they are closing in an a vaccine to stop HIV infection.
The race seems to on to stop the HIV from becoming AIDS,
This seems to be the most likely one to appear 1st.
It would also allow all of us already infected to get off the dam drugs..
Complete prevention of infection may take longer to obtain but at least
it will be a cure. So hang in everyone looks like just a couple more years.
Perhaps the good DR Duke would have something to add to this ?
What do you think DR Duke?
Dave
All that know of my status are my doctors. I don't know whether I ever care to change this. I almost feel I would rather remain single than reveal this to anyone.
Most vaccines are preventative and given BEFORE a person is infected in order to prevent infection. However, for most vaccines we cannot tell whether or not the vaccinated people are truly protected from infection, or prevented from disease caused by the infection. For example with poliovirus we know that vaccinated people do not get paralyzed from poliovirus, but it is possible that they can still be mildly infected by the virus.
Most anti-HIV vaccines have been able to greatly reduce or eliminate disease in monkey trials with Asian macaques. But human trials with those vaccines have not been done because the aim was to make a vaccine that eliminated infection. So there is great hope that vaccines given before infection can prevent disease after infection even if they don't completely prevent the infection.
As for Bob2cope's question about why would a company make a vaccine, the answer is that there is not a vast conspiracy between all medical science and pharmaceutical companies. Just as there is incentive to sell ice cream and pizza and other foods even when McDonald's is already selling burgers, so too is there incentive to invent new cures or protections from diseases even when someone else is already selling a treatment.
So, for my country anyway, a vaccine would save the NHS (National Health Service) an awful lot of money.
Regards to a cure, living with the disease is not my issue, it's the stigma of it. I know HIV positive people can live long, healthy lives, a lot of people don't. That's why I'd want to be cured, so I wouldn't be seen as a death sentence to a potential partner who is uneducated of just doesn't want to take the risk.