NAPWA

Developing resistanceHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant.. to HIV is by no means a certainty but it is certainly something you want to avoid. Neil McKellar-Stewart explains what it is, how it comes about and what you can do about it. read more »

The Seroconversion StudyA clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. trialA clinical trial is a research study to answer specific questions about vaccines or new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people. Trials are in four phases: Phase I tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase II expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase III expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IV takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. is a research study to answer specific questions about vaccines or new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people. Trials are in four phases: Phase IA clinical trial designed to establish whether an experimental drug is safe for humans to take. Phase I studies determine the metabolism and pharmacologic actions of drugs in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and look for early evidence of effectiveness; these studies may include either people with HIV, HIV-negative volunteers, or both tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase IIA smaller clinical trial designed to establish whether a drug is effective. Phase II studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug for a particular indication or indications in patients with the disease or condition under study and to determine the common short-term side effects and risks. If there is evidence that the drug is effective, a Phase III study is undertaken, with a larger number of participaants, to confirm this. expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase IIIA large clinical trial designed to establish whether a drug is effective and safe enough for widespread use. Phase III studies include expanded controlled and uncontrolled trials after preliminary evidence suggesting effectiveness of the drug has been obtained, and are intended to gather additional information to evaluate the overall benefit-risk relationship of the drug and provide and adequate basis for physician labeling. expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IVPost-marketing studies to delineate additional information including the drug's risks, benefits, and optimal use. takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. collects both quantitative and qualitative data from mainly homosexual men who have recently been diagnosed with HIV. Men are referred to the online questionaire through clinics and HIV organisations providing services to men who are newly diagnosed. Men completing the online questionaire volunteer for the more extended depth interview. read more »

John Trigg attended the ICAAPInternational Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. IX Conference as NAPWA Delegate. Here he reports on his experience of the Conference. read more »

Some people with HIV with significant immune impairment, or people who have taken a wide range of antiviralA medication or substance which is active against one or more virusesA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell.. May include anti-HIV drugs, but these are more accurately termed antiretroviralsA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV.. drugs over a period of many years may experience problems with their antiviral treatments because they are resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. to some classes of drugs. read more »

At the turn of the century, combinations of three or more HIV antiviralA medication or substance which is active against one or more virusesA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell.. May include anti-HIV drugs, but these are more accurately termed antiretroviralsA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV.. drugs were shown to be highly effective in treating HIV disease. At the time it was hoped that after long periods on these drugs it may be possible to ‘eradicate’ HIV from the body. In 2008 it is now known this is not possible with the current treatments. read more »

Adherence (also referred to as compliance) means the extent to which you take the right dose of the drugs at the right time. Taking the right dose at the right time is important. Skipping doses can mean that the drug becomes ineffective against the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. and allows resistanceHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant.. to develop, see Resistance. read more »

There are lots of possible combinations of HIV drugs. It’s not possible to describe them all in this booklet. Further, people will respond differently to the same combinations, for a variety of reasons. Just because something worked for a friend doesn’t mean it will work for you, and vice versa. There are many factors affecting individual responses to HIV and therapy. read more »

There is no set rule on when to start HIV treatments - if you feel generally lacking in energy, are suffering fevers, rashes or swollen glands you can consider HIV treatment at any CD4 count. However, you do not need to make any decisions straight away. read more »

Every time HIV reproduces itself there’s a high chance that it may ‘mutate’ slightly. A ‘mutation’ is a small alteration in the genetic makeup. These alterations may make the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. more resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. to an individual drug or potentially a class of drug.The more the virus is reproducing (i.e. the higher the viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma.) the more chances there are of mutations occurring. read more »

Combination therapyHighly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy ??? aggressive treatment of HIV infection using several different drugs together.

Combination therapy means taking a combination of antiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. drugs. Often, they’re just referred to as antiviralsA medication or substance which is active against one or more viruses. May include anti-HIV drugs, but these are more accurately termed antiretroviralsA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV... There are currently six types or classes of these drugs, each of which work in different ways against HIV. It is now known that the most effective way to treat HIV is by combining different classes of drugs that attack the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. in different ways. read more »