National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18: Offering hope for an AIDS-free world some day
Posted May 16th, 2011 – Press Releases
Desert AIDS Project was pleased to learn that a recent experimental vaccine, tested on monkeys with a form of the AIDS virus, which helped control their infection for more than a year, might eventually lead to a vaccine for humans.
Simply put, a vaccine “teaches” the immune system to recognize and defend against a virus – such as HIV – or a bacteria or other disease-causing agent. This study suggests the possibility that the immune systems of HIV-infected people may eventually be able to eliminate the virus from their body altogether.
But D.A.P. finds the results reported from a nine-nation, $73 million study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health just days ago to be more immediately significant. It found that HIV medications acted as a preventive measure against spreading the disease from an HIV-infected individual with a moderately healthy immune system to their uninfected partners in 96% of study participants.
Almost 1,800 couples, 97% of whom were heterosexual, participated in the study. By random decision, about half of the HIV-infected partners began medication immediately after diagnosis. Among the other couples, the infected partner waited to start treatment until later in the disease – a common practice in many countries. All study participants were counseled on how to protect against HIV transmission and were given condoms and other prevention services.
Comparing the two rates of infection, patients taking antiretroviral drugs were 96.3% less likely to pass on the virus. Patients on antiretroviral medication are less infectious because the drugs sharply suppress the amount of HIV in the body, meaning people on treatment simply have less of the virus to transmit. Beyond reducing transmission, starting treatment right away appeared better for the health of patients. HIV weakens the immune system, leaving patients susceptible to infections, such as TB.
“Recognizing the tremendous headway the world has collectively made in the treatment and care of those with HIV and AIDS since the epidemic began, the immediate battle has to be against the continued spread of HIV,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “We encourage everyone to be tested for HIV and act on the results, whether negative or positive. If you’re negative, continue to protect yourself and others. If you’re positive, you need to make an even greater effort to protect others while getting yourself into care right away”
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, affects more than 33 million people globally, according to the United Nations agency UNAIDS. To date, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people. Because it is spread by so many methods – during sex, sharing needles, through breast milk, and in blood – there is no single, easy way to prevent infection.
Nationwide, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects women, African-Americans, and Latinos.
- Women overall represent nearly one in four newly reported cases of HIV infections in the U.S.
- Infections are five times as high among Latinas and 21 times as high among African-American women, compared to white women.
- HIV infection among Latino men is three times as high as that of white American men.
- The problem is even worse among African-Americans, where HIV infection is nine times as high the white population overall. African-American men have an infection rate seven times as high as white men.
Nearly one-third of all new HIV infections in the U.S. are among “MSM,” men who have sex with men. Social and economic factors, such as racism, homophobia, poverty, and lack of access to health care, are barriers to receiving HIV prevention services. This is particularly true for MSM of color and can contribute to the high number of AIDS-related deaths:
MSM living with AIDS account for:
- more than one in two among Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Latinos
- nearly one in three African-Americans
- nearly two in three whites
At present, there is no cure for AIDS. While availability of medication therapy has had a dramatic impact in decreasing AIDS-related deaths, these treatment regimens are complex and costly, as well as sometimes causing serious side effects. Some patients develop resistance to the drugs being used to treat them.
“June 5th will mark 30 years since the first cases of what we now call AIDS were publicly reported,” Brinkman continued. “While D.A.P. continues to applaud efforts to find an HIV vaccine through national and global research, we’ll continue locally to provide the best possible care to those who are ill while helping to decrease the likelihood of people in our community becoming infected with HIV.”
Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
