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HIV rates among drug users rising

This is bad  news Link: BBC NEWS | Health | HIV rates among drug users rising.

American Prospect Examines U.S. HIV/AIDS Strategy

Link: American Prospect Examines U.S. HIV/AIDS Strategy.

The American Prospect on Monday examined how a group of leaders from several U.S. HIV/AIDS organizations have formed a coalition, called the National AIDS Strategy, to mobilize increased support for a domestic HIV/AIDS plan. The coalition was "[s]purred" by the publication of a national HIV/AIDS strategy blueprint, which was written by Chris Collins and released last year by the Open Society Institute, according to the American Prospect. "We don't really have in the United States a comprehensive, cross-agency strategic plan to do better in our own domestic AIDS epidemic," Collins said, adding, "There's been a realization that, 'Wow, we're doing great things overseas, ... but we really haven't attended to the epidemic at home sufficiently.'"

Interesting article

Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS Card Could Help Stop The Spread Of The Disease In The Community, Columnist Says

Link: Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS Card Could Help Stop The Spread Of The Disease In The Community, Columnist Says.

The Black AIDS Institute "may have come up with a strategy that could make a difference" and "help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS" in the black community, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell writes. As part of BAI's "Test 1 Million" initiative, the institute has developed a card that certifies that an individual has been tested for HIV in the last six months.

that's an interesting idea

MedlinePlus: Study Supports Popular HIV Drug Regimen

Link: MedlinePlus: Study Supports Popular HIV Drug Regimen.

WEDNESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- The largest study of its kind supports the use of a popular three-drug regimen for HIV patients and suggests a cocktail of two classes of drugs is a good alternative.

But an older regimen works almost as well, said study lead author Dr. Sharon Riddler, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

"It's not like 10 years ago, where there were huge differences between regimens," Riddler said. "We're looking at relatively small differences, trying to fine-tune what actually works pretty well."

The revolution in AIDS/HIV treatment came more than a decade ago, when combinations of drugs known as "cocktails" entered the market. Patients infected with HIV or who had progressed to AIDS typically had to take numerous pills each day.

Now, pharmaceutical companies have managed to combine multiple drugs into two-pill regimens or even a single pill.

it's great to hear that AIDS/HIV patients have so many options now hopefully the treatments will get better and better and eventually lead to a cure