MedNews — AIDS/HIV
New Drug Isentress (Raltegravir) Approved by FDA for HIV Treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved raltegravir tablets for treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-experienced adult patients who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents. More »
HAART Drug Cocktail May Halt HIV-Related Brain Damage
A combination of antiretroviral drugs, known as Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), shows promise in halting brain damange caused by HIV, according to a Swedish research study published in the journal Neurology.
Participants were given the drug combination for a period of 12 months, and Researchers tested the subjects' cerebrospinal fluid for the neurofilament light protein before, during and after treatment. The protein is a biomark for brain injury. More »
Party Drugs Likely Help Spread HIV Infections
A recent survey in the US has revealed that the increasing use of party drugs such as the stimulant "ice" (a methamphetamine) may be the cause behind escalating HIV-infections among gay men. More »
HIV Infection Risk Much Lower for Circumcised Men
Uncircumcised men are more than twice as likely to to contract HIV from an infected female partner, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), because the skin cells in the foreskin are particularly susceptible to the HIV virus.
Circumcision reduced the risk of contracting HIV by about 60 percent, a far greater result than the 30% reduction targeted by an AIDS vaccine. More »
Setback in "Female-Controlled" AIDS Prevention
Researchers have been studying ways in which women can better protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. In a 3-year multi-million dollar study of African women who used a latex diaphragm, it was found that women who used the diaphragm had the same infection rates as women who did not.
The study concludes that a latex diaphragm is not an effective method for women to protect themselves against HIV. More »
