AIDS in the US

It is in my professional opinion as someone working with disease control efforts, that more research into HIV as a retro virus MUST BE DONE! There are various medical, scientific, social, political and economic inconsistencies surrounding this issue.

For example, why have we not seen HIV (if it is a virus) isolated and photographed by the electron microscope so that more scientific examination can be employed to discover a weakness in the virus?

Also, more Africans, both of American and continental African along with latinos must join together to explore the social, political and economic concerns associated with AIDS. For example, the structure of financial distribution to certain programs. Furthermore, establishing "true" funding to offset the diseases AIDS victims are actually dying from, (e.g. TB, hepatitis, syphilis, malnutrition and other opportunistic diseases.)

Finally, a stronger more concentrated effort must be employed to strengthen communities, families and other social institutions which continue to erode American and Global lifestyles from the inside out!

I really don't understand how HIV can be so widespread and growing. Is it not the duty of an infected individual to inform all partners past, present, and future that they are infected?
Obviously, not all of those infected are aware, but I believe openness and honesty with your partners is the only way to isolate and curb the problem.

It is good that you have directed this discussion back home; it is far too easy to point fingers at those suffering from this disease outside of the US. Maybe that is part of the problem. Who knows? Maybe by this report some of the stigmas that tend to be placed on countries victimized by this disease will displaced and some of the ignorance and arrogance that exists from the pointing of fingers will begin to breakdown.

Let's focus on helping these other countries out; as they play a significant role in the cure of this disease. But more importantly, let's place most of our sights and resources on our homeland cases and those living here. The US should be primary for our funding dollars and not secondary to these other nations.

My father who is 77 years old has recently been diagnosed with AIDS. From what we understand, and we're still in the beginning stages of discovering this illness as it affects him, there is a distinct possibility he's been infected for a good ten years without realizing it.

In other words, there are apparently strains of AIDS that are not immediately detected by the blood tests that exist. This has been confirmed by the fact that my father participated in a survey looking at the rate of HIV/AIDS among older men in the United States. During the survey he was tested yearly, but it's only just shown up a little over a month ago.

If strains of this virus can "hide" as it has in my father, how do you accurately notifiy all those you've had intimate contact with? Fortunately, my father has never been a promiscuous man, nor has he ever used drugs, so alerting his partners has been relatively easy. Unfortunately, there are those out there who are not so careful in their recreational affairs.

The difficulty we're running into as a family is the high cost of medication and treatment. At 77, my father is retired, and paying nearly $300.00 for one round of medication just to help sustain his health is a hefty chunk of his monthly income. My father is lucky that he has, at least, a caring family willing to help out where they can financially. Even with that, we are looking for other ways of getting financial help to pay for treatment.

But what about those who can't afford it at all? Health care is a major issue in this society right now. I can't help but wonder how many are out there who can't afford the medication, and because of this, keep the illness to themselves?

On a personal front, I hope and pray to whatever powers exist in the universe that my family and I will be able to continue the necessary treatments to keep my father, at least, comfortable. But we still need to find ways to address the burden that, undoubtably, exists within the African-American community.

Living with AIDS in Aurora, Colorado.

To Living with AIDS in Aurora, Colorado:
Yes, your 77-year old father is lucky to have health insurance, but what concerns me is the "hidden" idea of the virus you wrote about in your blog. Has the AIDS virus mutated so much that the testing identifying the disease has become outdated?

Dear Dr. Sanjay Gupta,

This has a lot to do with economic standards and accessibility to the health care system as well as lack of creating awareness and health promotion. Generic HIV meds are available at a no and low cost to those who can't afford it: it is all about keeping the virus blood count low.

The same thing with osteoporosis: it is predominantly a white women's disease, and not so prominent in African American women. But after having suffered hip, spine and wrist fracture, African American women are more likely to die from it due to lack of accessible healthcare. A bone density scan is a costly thing.

I forgot to add that there is a method in which you can screen for HIV and get results in 20 minutes. Usually these screenings come with health counseling and guidance.

that is not true, blacks does not have the highest cases of aids in american, white people will never amit that they have the hight cases of aids they will blame it on thecolor black, they always did, that chart does not mean it is true. white people have done some things and blame it on the color blackthis is what you are doing now, i believe it may be equal, but you are only talking about the blacks. God don't care anything about color, why should we.

1) HIV is a conageous disease, and it is a fact that one has to take positive action to contract the disease, namely have unprotected sex! Given the disparity in incidence between African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans we have a controlled study – in these two populations only 4 factors differ:
a) availability of condoms
b) eduction about the disease
c) social behaviour
d) genetic susceptibility
I respectfully suggest that a) and b) differ only marginally, if at all.

2) Since 1895, HIV dogma has been that HIV is NEVER transmitted by mosquitoes or by saliva. I believe these findings were caste in to stone very early in the epidemic, and the findings were convenient truths welcomed by both the CDC and by NIH, NIAID because they avoided panic that might otherwise have ensued at the time. I am not suggesting that insects and deep kissing are major modes of HIV transmission, but the epidemiology apparent in some southern cities suggests a re-evaluation might be worthwhile. HIV exists only to be transmitted, and evolution rewards successful transmission. HIV is still a new human pathogen, and there is more than sufficient genetic variation in the HIV gp120 (envelope) that – even if the virus was never transmitted in 1985 by insects or by deep kissing – variants may now exist that are. I venture to suggest that any investigator daft enough to write an RO1 grant application rquesting funds for such a study would be unlikely to receive such an award. The study needs to be repeated.

3) At the other end of the scale, HIV is significantly less pathogenic in 2008 than it was in 1982, and this is also due to genetic variation. Dispassionately expressed, HIV that kills quickly doesn't get spread for very long, whereas virus that causes minimal disease gets spread for a much longer period – and hence to many more unfortunate recipients. This is a natural process of evolution, and it will continue until the virus looses almost all it's pathogenic effects. This is NOT due to continuing development new and more and more expensive anti-virals. It is almost all due to a natural process that eventually leads us to have multiple DNA sequences that are now termed endogenous viruses, and are derived from an infinite variety of what were once in history infectious viruses. These endogenous viruses may actually play a current role and prevent re-infection. The speed at which HIV pathogenicity is being lost (1982 HIV survival after infection was about 6 months; now survival is measured in years even in cases where no anti-virals are available) suggests it is quite possible that HIV will be re-classified as a minimally pathogenic virus in another 50 years.

Domestic cats are susceptible to infection with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). FIV and HIV are both lentiviruses and share a very similar genetic organization and virus structure. FIV is sometimes used as an animal model system for HIV, nevertheless the two viruses are immunologically distinct, there are only minimal DNA sequence similarities among the two members of the same virus family. FIV is a much older virus and has probably been in the cat population for several hundred years. HIV and FIV, however, each infect CD4 positive lymphocytes by two virus receptors, they use the same CXCR4 receptor for cell entry, and the virus co-receptors are closely related. The point is that for about 5 years a vaccine has been available at one's feline Veterinarian's surgery for FIV, and it is manufactured by a major pharmaceutical company associated with American Home Products. This vaccine took about 5 years to develope and it is basically a relatively simple attenuated and inactivated product. It actually contains a mixture of two cat cell lines that each produce one FIV virus strain (one derived from California and the other from Japan); the vaccine took maybe 7 years to develop.

The efficacy of the vaccine is somewhat unclear – even to those of us intimately involved in this area of research. The vaccine does NO HARM, and it apperently does some good, an informed guess is that it may protect about 30% of vaccinated cats from infection.

A good scientific case case can be made on an epidemiologic basis for a vaccine that protects only 30% of immunized subjects, and if you are the lucky one in three you sure arn't complaining!

Obviously, it is not to the advantage of the manufacturer to advertise that the vaccine doesn't work all the time. At the other end of the spectrum, here we have an FIV vaccine that was cheap and quick to develop, and has no adverse effects and works some of the time. It is not a secret! Why has NIAID, NIH never even attempted to do the same for HIV? This is not sexy and cutting edge genetic engineering, it is old fashioned biology that has worked essentially since Jenner immunized his milk-maids with cow-pox before Queen Victoria.

FIV is a valid model for HIV and human AIDS, and it is relevant and valid to ask why cats have an AIDS vaccine and humans don't!. I stress, however that:
a) HIV does NOT infect cats and FIV does NOT infect humans.
b) there is no medical or scientific reason for the FIV vaccine to have any direct protective effect for HIV. This discussion is simply to illustrate what has been done for FIV could be done very rapidly and cheaply for HIV.

The question is why hasn't it been tried?

Why was this treatment not pursued more vigorously?

United States Patent 5,676,977
Antelman October 14, 1997

Method of curing AIDS with tetrasilver tetroxide molecular crystal devices

Abstract
The diamagnetic semiconducting molecular crystal tetrasilver tetroxide (Ag.sub.4 O.sub.4) is utilized for destroying the AIDS virus, destroying AIDS synergistic pathogens and immunity suppressing moieties (ISM) in humans. A single intravenous injection of the devices is all that is required for efficacy at levels of about 40 PPM of human blood. The device molecular crystal contains two mono and two trivalent silver ions capable of "firing" electrons capable of electrocuting the AIDS virus, pathogens and ISM. When administered into the bloodstream, the device electrons will be triggered by pathogens, a proliferating virus and ISM, and when fired will simultaneously trigger a redox chelation mechanism resulting in divalent silver moieties which chelate and bind active sites of the entities destroying them. The devices are completely non-toxic. However, they put stress on the liver causing hepatomegaly, but there is no loss of liver function.

I think there is a general malaise in society because HIV/AIDS has become "manageable" with medications. In the 90s when it was considered deadly and even the slightest bruise on someone's face was thought to be because of AIDS, people were more careful. But that "war" is over now because we have examples of people like Magic Johnson, a very public figure, who live quite well with the disease. Even some people who don't have the money like Magic but manage to get the necessary cocktail to manage their illness can live a pretty good life without death looming at the door within days or months.

Nothing will stop people from having unprotective sex. Nothing. How are we going to protect people from themselves? I don't know.

I have been living with HIV for 15 years now. I was infected by my first sexual partner, my first husband, who has since died. I was 17 years old. I am glad to see interest in my disease, as eventually this interest will generate a cure, but I am saddened to still see so many labels attached. I AM the largest group affect by HIV today. I am a woman, age 15 – 35, heterosexual, non-drug user. I am also white and middle-classed. Does that make any difference? No. I am HIV + and I will eventually die of AIDS unless a cure is created. If I were black I would still be HIV + and still someday die from AIDS without a cure. If I Lived in Africa I would still be HIV +.... (you see where I am going with this) I wish everyone would stop labeling and pointing fingers and debating who is the most hurt by this because we are all hurt the same and are all going to die... who cares what color we are?

How should we address this problem at home? By not stereotyping the "ethnicity" of the disease. It is not solely an African-American problem. People with AIDS in the U.S. come from all walks of life. They are all colors. All ages. And transmission occurs in many different ways....from people they trust to organ donors they will never know.

I just want to make a report that when I came to USA in 1998, I wrote to BET about my concern on how they were exposing young people to sexual acts through songs, and my prediction then was ten years from then (1998) there will be a lot of HIV people, especially among the young people in USA. I wrote this to BET since I came from Africa to pursue my education here in USA, I was shocked the way MTV,BET exposed women and sexual acts through songs. Now it is a reality there is a lot of HIV among African Americans, as a result the are blaming it on people from Africa which is not true. We know that in Africa we are hit by this epidemic but please as Africans our failures has been on luck of civic education, we treated it as a taboo, and cultural values in marriages and finally carelessness. We don't put the blame on anyone although we really know and believe that this epidemic was first discovered in the west.
If America is not going to change on how it expose sexual acts and Adds on songs and any visual aspects, this problem is going to be worse than people it is now. Most kids and adults are grueled to the TV 90% of their time and if all what they see is portraying sex as a way of living programs like, College Hill, I love New work, Flavor flav, Boardwin, I love money, BET uncut, Paradise, Hip-Hop songs acts, and many unspeakably programs what do you expect America ? This is not about Blacks or white, AIDS has no color it is color blind and gender blind too, you will be shocked in the next Ten years if the TV and all kinds of media is not going to change its objective.
Don't even start to politicize this epidemic by blaming your president why he is focusing Africa the truth is because people in USA never thought that HIV would be something big or existing, most Americans thought it is for Africans only, no, don't forget there is high rate on Asians too. Your government was only trying to help so that when they provide help to the poor countries who have no access to drugs like you have here, this problem might be a little bit being prevented to spread not treated. But now that it is getting worse here focus on both here and beyond don't waste time on blaming your president or blaming Africans or blaming on foreigners, we all are sources and victims of this disease if we don't follow or do what we are supposed to do. America stand up for what is right, teach these kids what is right, don't give them so much rights, otherwise we will all be answerable on this. America you stand a better chance to stop this since there are a lot of resources on how to warn people especially the new generation which is is considered to be the leaders of tomorrow. In Africa we losing our new generation because the life expectancy right now is 45 years and a lot of young people between 19yrs and 40 are the ones who are dying. Please change America if not keep this comment and answer me 10 years from today?

Let's make this a people epidemic, which it is, and we would find some solution quiker than making is a Gay thing or a Black thing.

I totally agree with Kristin! Why are they making it seem like it's only a Black American disease. I am offended and disheartened.
I saw the reports this morning on CNN. They did show a pie graph with the percentage of HIV/AIDS cases from White Black and Latino. I still find it hard to believe that "Black Americans" make up such a high percentage of cases in the U.S. alone. Even the radio shows give different statistics. A local radio show in Virginia said, "One in every two Black Americans has HIV/AIDS". That seems a bit extreme. That would mean, (in my home there are four adults),out of the four of us two are infected. I find that hard to accept and believe. Is education of the disease the answer? Of course not. HIV/AIDS made its "major" debut in the U.S. during the 80's, and people are still having loose sexual encounters. People are still sharing needles for drug use and they really dont care. Majority of the world lives for the moment.....and deals with the consequences later. That's Black Americans, Latino, White, Asian....everyone. This is not a ethnic disease, it's a disease of people. No matter what race you are or what gender.

Why are there NO mentions on CNN or in this post of the work by Dr. Sudhir Paul and Dr. Miguel Escobar? They are to the point of Human trials with a way to destroy the HIV virus and may have found the way to stop HIV/AIDS in its tracks... There findings have been reported widely on other sites and news channels but I have not heard or read a word about them from CNN? Have I just missed it? This should be a lead story...with updates frequently it IS news. The lack of reporting will lessen the amount of funds that could otherwise be raised to pay for the human trials. Their discovery has already been proven in the lab and in animal trials! I urge anyone that is interested in this topic to google the doctors names educate yourself and help anyway you can...even if it is just getting the word out.

CBS released this video about a discovery in Houston, Texas by researchers revealing the 'Achilles heal' (weak spot) of HIV:

I have been continually hearing about HIV being a black problem in America. Half of all people infected with HIV are black. My problem is what about the other half? Everyone keeps labeling this disease. It has no preference over who it infects. I am a white, 32 year old, working, single mother of 1 teenage boy,and I am from a small town in Canada. I don't do drugs, I don't sleep around, and Ive never had a blood transfusion. And look at me now. I have been HIV positive for 8 years. I have met many people over the past 8 years in Canada who are positive and have barely met any black people. So whats up with that? I guess HIV lives out side of the black community too. I mean no disrespect for my blog, I just wish people would stop giving HIV a label. Everyone is at risk. And everyone should be educated regardless of age, race, or gender.

I also want to add that I think would would stand half a chance at combating this disease if they had mandatory testing for EVERYONE. How many people are out there walking around with HIV and don't even know it. And early detection is the key to beating this disease. I found out I was positive by mistake. I applied for life insurance and I was denied. I had no idea why. I must say I was STUNNED when I found out I was positive. I was in a monogamous relationship for 2 years. I had had an AIDS t est done 2 years prior and it was negative. But, at least I know now and I do what I can to keep it to myself.

HI DOC,
I am a regular viewer of CNN, I Was watching d programme on AIDS
today i cant but feel pity for tthose living with the virus.i know of a particular herbalist from the south eastern part of nigeria who cures HIV TOTALLY with the use of herbs.i know medically there hasnt been any proven cure for that. but i can assure u that this man in question treats it, and the medical/laboratories from anywhere in the world can prove his cures.
pls kindly treat this case as a matter of urgency.
HOPE TO HEAR FROM U.
BELLA

the incidence of HIV in the CDC study shows that HIV infection in all racial groups (black, hispanic, white) has not been increasing since 2000. The point to take home is that african americans as a group account for 7 times the number of new infections per year compared to other groups. African americans represent just 13% of the US population. This represents a very disproportionate trend.
All americans should wake up and realize what your risk factors are and how you should go about protecting yourself from getting infected. More needs to be done especially for the african american community to educate, prevent and treat. HIV/AIDS knows no racial barrier.

I would like to know how the man who is 77 years old could have AIDS without the HIV virus being detected. Is it true that there are strains that current blood tests can't detect? How many cases are there like that one?

I'm reading posts on here that reflect the ignorance associated with HIV/AIDS. Just because someone has been diagnosed with HIV, doesn't mean they have AIDS. In order to reach that level of infection, they have to have a CD4 count below 200, which is the cutoff point, where the human immune system can still fight infections. Below that level, opportunistic pathogens have no problem entering the body.
The stigma of Black America acknowledging HIV, safe sex, educated understanding is almost as sad as the pandemic reaching five generations of Africans in some of their poorest countries.

I don't think that anyone is saying this is ONLY a black disease or, by any means, blaming it on black people. I think what is being said is that of the people with the disease in America, 50% black Americans. This is overwhelming compared to the percentage of black Americans (13&). This means that the other 50% of people infected with HIV are divided among the other 75% of the population. This is a big difference. Rather than pointing fingers, I believe they are trying to figure out why this is such an epidemic in the black community and focus on how to stop it. Perhaps, as mentioned before, black Americans are more genetically suseptible to the disease. This has nothing to do with blame, it's just genetics.
Yes, there are many people living with HIV and it is pointless to point fingers as to who or where the epidemic was started. It is pertinent that the cause of the spread is figured out and that is the only way to stop it. The more we are focused on being angry that blame is placed, the less will be accomplished.

This company has a natural Herbal drink that has been able to help AIDS patients lower the viral load and increase their T Cell count.

There is a guy named Duane Standford that you may call that was dying from AIDS 8 weeks ago in a hospital in Lancaster, CA. He recieved 10 bottles of this Immune Booster drink from a friend of his and now he can pass an AIDS test.. Your office should do a follow up on his blood work and test resutls..run your own test to see what his "New Undetectable Viral load is and his T Cell count that is over 600... If you have a terminal AIDS patient in Los Angeles area I will donate 10 bottles for that person to drink one a day..Then you run your test on there blood...It's that simple...If this company had the funding we could help alot of people live that are scheduled to die...

http://www.herbalhope.net

I have another solution to the AIDS Problem

I was taught a Biological way to defeat the AIDS Virus...B.A.C.E. Biological Activated Cytokin Extract...You expose the HIV1 and HIV2 strain of the AIDS virus to the immune system of a GOAT.

After six weeks there will be the presents of a Poly Clonial Anti Body inside the blood of the goat. SO we must ..Extract 200 cc of Blood from the goat in a 50 cc Blue top tube, Centrifuge the blood. 8000 rpm's for 15 minutes,

Discard the red blood cells..Keep the white blood cells..Inside that serum ( looks like egg yoke) is a mixture of all kinds of things including Cytokins and Poly Clonial Antibodies..Humans make Moni Clonial Anti bodies...The AIDs virus is a multi receptor virus..The Moni Clonial anti body that the human creates will never be able to match up with all the receptors of the AIDS virus. If one of these receptors are free and clear to touch the outer cell membrane of a T Cell it is going to fuse into that cell and kill it...So we need to stop that AIDS virus from getting in and this is how you do that....

I can show in a Dish that if I place this serum with the Poly Clonial Anti Bodies in it are placed in a dish with Human T Cells

then I add AIDS virus..You will observe the Poly Clonial Anti bodies from the serum start to block the AIDS virus from fusing into the T Cells..In fact NONE of the T Cells will be infected with the AIDS virus..You will see the Poly Clonial Anti bodies from the Goat Serum match up and kill all the AIDS virus in the dish...They kill them simply by blocking them from fusing into the Tcell..If that AIDS virus does not get into that Tcell in 24 hours it will die natural in the blood stream of a human...

There you have it..You just proved my point and showed the world how to block the AIDS virus from entering a human T Cell...This should make world news...A Scientist knows if you can do it in a dish then maybe you can do it in a human.....All you have to do is purify the serum..Isolate the Cytokins and Poly Clonial Antibodies.....

The Cytokins are necessary because our CD 8 and CD 3 cells will be able to respond to the stronger immune system from the goats bone marrow..The Cytokins are signal from a superior immune system..The Goats...So when these Cytokins are introduce into the human blood stream they immediately go to the Cells and tell them how to recognize the mutations of the AIDS virus...Remember these Cytokins where created from the introduction of the AIDS virus into a superior immune system...These Cytokins in a human plus the Poly Clonial Anti bodies can deal with all the aids float free in the blood AND they can go thru and cell membrane and attach aids in the every organ in the body...this is another tremendous discovery about this research...This means that I can get into that organ thru the Organ membrane that blocks all man made medicine...( Its like every organ has a fishing net around it..The smallest size of Man Made medicine for this example would be the size of a 50 cent piece. The ploy Clonial Anti Bodies and the Cytokins CD 8 are the size of a DIME..the nets will allow the DIME size to pass in freely..so this allows this treatment not only to address the AIDS virus in the blood but also in the organs were we know AIDS is hiding and growing..The Brain, Lymphoid, Stomach, all the organs...so 5 cc injected in each arm for three to 4 days and the Human will be fine....

This was taught to me by the late Micro Biologist Dr. Gary Randolph Davis, US NAVY CAPTAIN. He was a dear friend of mines and I promised him I would get his research to the world..The example that I talked about in this article was done before and the University of Alabama, with Dr. Pauline Jolly and Dr. Walter Sapp from the University of Tuskegee. It was also recently gone at the Nuggic Medical center in Accra Ghana..Both were done under the supervision of Dr. Gary Randolph Davis..check it out....His down fall was that he never published his work....To the scientist out there that really wants to stop AIDS send me an email and I will help you...

sherman@centerforaidsprevention.org

I've been living with it 5 years. No anti-retrovirals for me. I keep the immune system strong by eating right, working out, and exercise.

The pills may inhibit certain processes of the virus, but they are also very toxic. I believe having antibodies to hiv (being hiv+) is a good thing in that my body has developed its own way of fighting off the virus. I'd rather my body try to build its own immunity, which its been doing for five years.

I'm not putting people down who take the pills. Doctors get paid to prescribe it, and its a scary thing and taking pills offers solace that one is doing 'something'... But all i know is that i'm in the best shape of my life, could climb a mountain if wanted, and the people i've met on the pills look like their dying.

i couldn't care less what my t-cells or viral load count is, and have never had it checked. The way i see it, if i have a billion traces of the virus, yet i still manage to be healthy, that is a good thing.

fear, stigma, politics, and greed are the main constituents of hiv/aids.
I disclose my condition to partners and i practice safe sex, however, i don't believe hiv leads to aids in a person who has access to basic nutrition.
trex3@ca.rr.com