Saturday, February 26, 2005
The Super Aids
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past month, you know that "Super AIDS" has struck New York and, according to some reports, San Diego.
In case you have been under a rock, read the above sentence.
What is "Super AIDS?" It is a strain of HIV that is Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and quickly progresses to AIDS. The first case was reported in New York earlier this month when a man in his 40s was discovered to have an especially virulent strain of HIV. The real kicker is that he tested negative for HIV several times over the past 4 years - the last of which was less than 20 months before his diagnosis of AIDS.
What does this mean? Either the tests were wrong, or this man has a strain of HIV that progresses from nothing to AIDS in less than 2 years. This is really scary, people. Really scary.
The last I've heard or read, researchers don't know whether this strain of HIV can be transmitted (although two people with the same strain would point in that direction). It seems that, in general, as a strain becomes more virulent, it tends to become less transmissible. They also don't know whether his repeated use of methamphetamines may have played a role in his contraction of HIV or his rapid progression to AIDS, nor whether the strain is especially virulent or perhaps it was the interaction of the man's immune system and this particular HIV strain. What they do know is this particular strain of HIV is resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV - something that does not usually happen unless prior treatment has failed.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the researchers find out about this particular strain of SUPER HIV.
Bottom line, people, is watch what you are doing and with whom you are doing it. If there is any question as to whether you (or the person you are with) are clean, get checked immediately.
Oh, and please don't get trashed and just screw anything that moves. I know it's hard, but self control is one of the hallmarks of society. If you can't control yourself, go live on an island by yourself. The rest of civilization doesn't want you around.
This doesn't just go for sex, either. ¶ 9:26 PM
In case you have been under a rock, read the above sentence.
What is "Super AIDS?" It is a strain of HIV that is Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and quickly progresses to AIDS. The first case was reported in New York earlier this month when a man in his 40s was discovered to have an especially virulent strain of HIV. The real kicker is that he tested negative for HIV several times over the past 4 years - the last of which was less than 20 months before his diagnosis of AIDS.
What does this mean? Either the tests were wrong, or this man has a strain of HIV that progresses from nothing to AIDS in less than 2 years. This is really scary, people. Really scary.
The last I've heard or read, researchers don't know whether this strain of HIV can be transmitted (although two people with the same strain would point in that direction). It seems that, in general, as a strain becomes more virulent, it tends to become less transmissible. They also don't know whether his repeated use of methamphetamines may have played a role in his contraction of HIV or his rapid progression to AIDS, nor whether the strain is especially virulent or perhaps it was the interaction of the man's immune system and this particular HIV strain. What they do know is this particular strain of HIV is resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV - something that does not usually happen unless prior treatment has failed.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the researchers find out about this particular strain of SUPER HIV.
Bottom line, people, is watch what you are doing and with whom you are doing it. If there is any question as to whether you (or the person you are with) are clean, get checked immediately.
Oh, and please don't get trashed and just screw anything that moves. I know it's hard, but self control is one of the hallmarks of society. If you can't control yourself, go live on an island by yourself. The rest of civilization doesn't want you around.
This doesn't just go for sex, either. ¶ 9:26 PM
