HIV: The Elephant in the Room

Human Immunodeficiency Virus, aka HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). HIV/AIDS lives up to its namesake – causing a deficiency (aka lack or absence) of the immune system. This means the body is unable to fight off infections, from strep throat to cancer.

As of 2007, there were 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. In the United States along, it’s estimated that there are 1.2 million adults and children living with HIV/AIDS (World Health Organization, 2008 http://www.who.int). About 80% of people living with HIV/AIDS in the US contracted the virus through high-risk sexual contact (e.g. unprotected sex), around 13% through injection drug use (e.g. needle/paraphernalia sharing), and the remainder through a combination of both or other means (CDC, 2006 http://www.cdc.gov).

I wanted to comment on two recent HIV-related news stories, one I posted last week. The United States House of Representatives voted to lift the ban on using taxpayer dollars to fund needle exchange programs. Needle exchange programs work to prevent the spread of HIV by allowing IV drug users to exchange used needles for clean ones. However, there are many opponents to such programs because they believe that by allowing drug users to exchange their needles that we are encouraging them to continue using drugs. I wonder if these are the same people who believe we shouldn’t hand out condoms in schools because it will promote pre-marital sex. My argument is we (and by “we” I mean people who support comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention) are not promoting copious drug use, we’re promoting SAFE drug use. Similarly, we’re not telling teenagers “Here’s a condom, now go have lots of sex,” we’re teaching them to have SAFE sex. HIV/AIDS is a global problem that requires multi-point and multi-method intervention. Why not “nip it in the bud” at the points of transmission in addition to antiretroviral therapy (medicinal treatment for HIV/AIDS) after diagnosis. Additionally, thousands upon thousands of people around the world are living with HIV but don’t know they have it. Antiretroviral therapy is only good if a person is diagnosed. We need to take measures to prevent transmission of HIV, particularly HIV that is unknown.

In other HIV news, researchers have identified a new strain of HIV that is derived from gorillas. Check out the article here. What are the implications of this? HIV is ever-changing. Microbiologically, we need to be aware of the different variants that may emerge in the next few years. Anthropologically, the face of HIV/AIDS has changed and will continue to change. It is not longer a virus that affects vagrants, druggies, prostitutes, and homosexual men. It affects EVERYONE.