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Protease Inhibitors (PIs) were trumpeted
as the treatment of choice in advance of sufficient evidence
of scientific data coming in to confirm that patients could
actually tolerate and live with the profound side effects
which are linked to their use which include lipodistrophy
and lipoatrophy, both of which cause noticeable and socially
inhibiting physical changes, most notably wasting in the face
and torso. The data published here confirm that PIs were used
inappropriately at the time following pressure applied on
the drugs companies by patients. Read
the data here. An article
from POZ Magazine also confirms this and further examines
the roles played by the drugs companies in inappropriately
marketing their products.
Cocktails for one - AIDS Treatment as
a Social Sacrament for Gay men who lost religion and discovered
medicine. Ian Young deconstructs
the 'Cocktail Generation'.
There is an epidemic of Hepatitis C running
concurrently with HIV infection which is leading many patients
to begin treatment with interferon. This treatment has extremely
serious side effects when used in combination with HAART and
we are therefore reproducing data suggesting alternatives
to this drug which you may wish to discuss with your doctor
when considering treatment.
Treatment with HAART is postulated on CD4
counts as well as viral load and we reproduce
data questioning whether CD4 surrogate markers are accurate
for this purpose following new technology which challenges
this. Also available to read is Matt
Irwin's questioning of the role of CD4 cells as surrogate
markers. Aslo looking at Lab results which can seem as mystical
as tea leaves. Which numbers count the most? Two
new studies might help you add things up.
Your CD4s were way low, so you've started HIV
meds, and everything is coming up roses (viral load's down,
CD4s are up). But you feel sicker than you did before meds.
Immune System recovery appears as disease. Ivan
Oransky, MD examines why.
Is the 'AIDS test' useless? - Pathologists
explain why they think so.
No AIDS cure in near future - David
Ho makes this claim in recent interview. Read
it here.
Recommended
standards for NHS HIV services download
the pdf here 
Endorsed by the Department of Health,
the British HIV Association and the National Association of
NHS Providers of AIDS Care and Treatment
A cornerstone of the National Strategy
for Sexual Health and HIV, the new Recommended standards
for NHS HIV services cover 12 aspects of service provision
for people with HIV and offer guidance on managed service
networks. Each standard offers an evidence-based rationale,
key interventions, implications for service planning, guidance
on practice, and suggested audit indicators. Reading lists
for supporting evidence, policy documents and professional
guidelines are appended. The recommended standards will serve
as a tool for planning and auditing service development, a
framework for commissioning and a resource for partnership
between service users and providers. The House of Commons
Health Select Committee has recommended their use by strategic
health authorities in the performance management of trusts.
Networking for quality
in HIV treatment and care (report, December 2002)
download
the file here
A report of findings
from a project to map and facilitate the development of service
networks in four parts of England. The report presents a series
of recommendations arising from the project and a short list
of learning points about facilitating factors and barriers
to networking. With introductory sections describing the genesis
of the project and the fast-changing policy context, the body
of the report discusses the findings from interviews and workshops
with service providers, users and commissioners in the South
East (Surrey, Sussex and Kent), West and North Yorkshire,
the West Midlands and the South West. The learning from this
project has fed into our more recent work on
standards and networks for NHS HIV services.
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