HIV Forever

[bear60]

This article reports on a seldom talked about group of people: those who have had HIV since birth. I found it very compelling. One thing stood out for me: the fact that some of these individuals stop taking their meds during their teenage years and as a result... die.

http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20100913_Young_adults_who_have_lived_their_whole_lives_with_HIV.html

[GSOgymrat]

One thing stood out for me: the fact that some of these individuals stop taking their meds during their teenage years and as a result... die.

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes also have treatment compliance issues. It is difficult enough to be a teenager without having a potentially life threatening medical condition.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/9/1536.full

[Inchlingblue]

Jake Glaser has had HIV since birth. He's doing well and he's a cutie. Apparently his dad has the delta 32 mutation and he inherited half of it so, while he's not immune, he is able to fight it better and is not on meds.

LINKS:

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20196368,00.html

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/jake-glaser/

[Jayad]

I talk to a girl on one of the HIV social web sites.  She is 19 and her father gave her and her mother HIV.  Its amazing what she has had to go through in her life.  We complain of the few years we have had HIV shorter or longer for some people, and she was born with it and didn't make the mistakes we did to get HIV.  She is a trooper though, very nice well adjusted person.  I couldn't imagine having to deal with HIV in high school at that age.

[tednlou2]

In the article, it says kidney failure was a common AIDS illness when his mom died in 1999.  Is this due to the virus itself or the toxic meds from the past?  I wonder whether it would be easier or harder to be born with HIV?  If it was all you knew, then would the mental anguish be the same as learning you're poz at age 30?  Would it be like being blind from birth rather than loosing your sight after 30 years of sight?  On the other hand, being poz from birth would add that many more years of meds which could cause issues--plus all the issues with going to school with kids who make fun and dealing with boyfriends and girlfriends and losing your virginity. 

 

[Inchlingblue]

In the article, it says kidney failure was a common AIDS illness when his mom died in 1999.  Is this due to the virus itself or the toxic meds from the past?  

Untreated HIV wreaks havoc everywhere, including the kidneys. It's possible she took some early meds that could have made it worse but HIV can destroy the kidneys without help from some of the meds.