VenturaPositive.org - WELCOME!- Updated 9 August 2007

Join the Ventura County LGBT community for the 9th Annual Diversity and Pride Celebration!

August 25, 2007
11am - 7pm
Mission Park, Ventura

For more information:
www.vcrainbowalliance.org

Anyone wanting to volunteer for the 9th Annual Pride in the Park, please contact me at mike@lgbtventura.org or 805-339-6340 ext 102

Online Coverage of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention

Women's HIV/AIDS Conference Delegates Develop Action Plan To Foster Women's, Girls' Leadership in Fight Against Disease

New Web Site Provides Resources on HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health Among Youth

More MSM Practicing Sero-Sorting To Prevent HIV; MSM in Committed Relationships Less Likely To Practice Risky Behaviors, Studies Say

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Data Show MSM Five Times More Likely To Test HIV-Positive if They Used Crystal Meth

Public Radio Program Features Discussions on Role of Black Churches, Community Groups in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Elevated lung cancer risk remains despite the advent of HAART. Young people are at a particularly elevated risk -- more than 10-fold relative to HIV-negative people. AIDS Clin Care 2007

HIV Can Replicate in Intestinal Lining Even After HAART Reduces Viral Load, Study Says

Medical Marijuana Might Reduce Nerve Pain Among People Living With HIV/AIDS, Study Says

Dietary Supplement Selenium Reduces HIV Viral Load, Increases T Cell Count, Increases CD4+ T Cell Count, Study Says Study Says

Uninsured? No Doctor nearby? Where you gonna go... DrRickB at DailyKos gives some good advice about how and where to find help – with many helpful links. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/12/11/71552/790

HIV-Positive Gay Men Rarely Regret Revealing Their Status to Friends, Family, Study Says

POZ Mentor is an online support program for HIVers at different stages of dealing with the disease

Ventura Positive is a Web Site by and for the HIV/AIDS Community in Ventura County. This site is funded by contributions and is operated solely by volunteers.

Right – Pride 2004 - Standing: Anthony, Brian, Jim, Anthony, Doug - Seated: Sheila, Mike, Danny

Our goal is to provide a one stop location for information about HIV Health Care Services in VC, to connect volunteers with Community Service Organizations, and help those affected by HIV to conveniently communicate with one another.

Whether you are looking for HIV testing, medical care, help with housing or transportation, support from your peers, THIS IS THE PLACE!

Help us out. If you find any typos or confusing items on this site, use the "Contact Us" button to let us know.

Women's HIV/AIDS Conference Delegates Develop Action Plan To Foster Women's, Girls' Leadership in Fight Against Disease

Delegates on Saturday at the close of the first International Women's Summit on Women's Leadership and HIV and AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya, released a 10-point action plan that aims to foster leadership roles of women and girls in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Nation/AllAfrica.com reports (Wafula, Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9).The conference, organized by the World YWCA, was attended by more than 1,500 AIDS advocates, celebrities, community health workers, global leaders and policymakers. The summit aimed to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls and examined issues such as violence against women, poverty and children's rights, and access to resources. The summit is co-convened by the International Community of Women Living With HIV/AIDS and had support from UNAIDS' Global Coalition on Women and AIDS and the United Nations Population Fund (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/6).The plan, called Nairobi 2007 Call to Action, identifies strategies for change that can be implemented by communities, religious groups, families and individuals, the Nation/AllAfrica.com reports. The plan of action includes securing significant involvement of women in decision making processes; promoting equality and the human rights of girls and women; ensuring their sexual, physical and psychological safety and security; promoting their reproductive and sexual rights and health; and increasing their access to education, economic security and other resources, such as the right to own and inherit property (Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9). According to South Africa Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, men also must become involved to effectively combat the disease. "There aren't enough men who are taking enough responsibility to go for tests and live responsibly, and that kind of (behavior) compromises the fight" against HIV/AIDS, Mlambo-Ngcuka said, adding that the "response to HIV will not be won if men do not come on board since they are equally affected or infected." In addition, empowering women is an effective HIV prevention method, Mlambo-Ngcuka said. "Addressing the economic status of women" will provide women with resources and choices so "they can get out [of] abusive relationships" and "acquire the support that they need," she said, adding, "The most important thing is [to] remove women from the bottom of the pyramid" (AFP/China Daily, 7/7).Musimbi Kanyoro, World YWCA general secretary, said the call to action is a "pledge each of us at this summit is making in our hearts and with our hands. Women are committing themselves to do something to win the war on AIDS." She added, "Where one woman acts, more will be inspired and be committed. More will take action until there is no power that can stop us." Conference delegates also pledged to work toward increasing access to services among women living with and affected by HIV, including safe testing, treatment and support services and promoting the rights of young women and children (Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9).

"To successfully defeat AIDS, we must do more to help women to protect themselves," United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Elizabeth Mataka and Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides, write in a Nation opinion piece. According to Mataka and Rosenberg, an HIV vaccine and microbicides are "promising" tools that "women could use to prevent infection." They add, "We must prioritize research on these promising preventive technologies," and at the "same time, we must do more with the tools that already exist," such as female condoms and services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (Mataka/Rosenberg, Nation, 7/7). Kaisernetwork.org webcasts of the conference soon will be available online.

Online Coverage of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention

In partnership with the International AIDS Society, kaisernetwork.org, as the official webcaster of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2007), will provide free online access to the daily developments taking place in Sydney, Australia later this month. All of the coverage will be archived and available for viewing at any time during or after the conference.

"Resources on Youth Reproduce Health and HIV/AIDS," Interagency Youth Working Group: The new Web site provides resources aimed at people working with youth in developing countries on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health issues. The site includes guidance on program areas and best practices; publications; a database of more than 900 recent resources; research tools; training materials; and links to other youth Web sites. More than 15 organizations worked together to create the Web site (IYWG release, 6/29).

National Baptist Convention To Address HIV/AIDS Issues for First TimeAccess this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=45691 Delegates of the National Baptist Convention USA -- the nation's largest black religious organization -- this week for the first time will discuss the issue of HIV/AIDS in the black community, the AP/Springfield News-Leader reports. The group is in St. Louis for a weeklong meeting that will feature a health fair.The 7.5 million-member organization historically has excluded the topic from its health forums, Evelyn Mason, the groups' health organizer, said. According to Mason, the group had thought of HIV/AIDS as "something only bad people get" because of the disease's association with homosexuality and drug use. Blacks are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and account for about 49% of all HIV cases in the U.S., according to CDC. "The numbers dictate we have to pay more attention and take ownership," Mason said, adding, "This disease has taken ownership of us." In addition to workshops and information on hypertension, diabetes, obesity, prostate cancer, prescription drug costs and other health issues of interest to the black community, organizers are incorporating discussions about HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness into the agenda. The group also will hold an educational forum to address about 3,000 black youth on the topic of HIV prevention (Wittenauer, AP/Springfield News-Leader, 6/19). "This wouldn't have happened five years ago. There's a change within church leadership [and] within local churches," Mason said, adding, "We won't be passing out condoms, but we will be telling [participants] there's something called AIDS that they are likely to get if they do certain things" (Associated Press, 6/18).

More MSM Practicing Sero-Sorting To Prevent HIV; MSM in Committed Relationships Less Likely To Practice Risky Behaviors, Studies Say

An increasing number of men who have sex with men in San Francisco are practicing sero-sorting -- in which people who know their HIV status search for partners of the same status -- as a way to protect against HIV, according to a study published Friday in the American Journal of Public Health, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Chronicle, sero-sorting evolved among MSM "without the kind of institutional support given to programs" that promote condom use and a reduction in sexual partners. The study authors, Dennis Osmond and colleagues at the University of California-San Francisco, found that 27% of MSM in San Francisco reported practicing sero-sorting in 2002, up from 19% in 1997. Forty percent of study participants ages 18 to 29 reported sero-sorting in 2002, the study found. The researchers also found that higher-risk sexual behaviors have increased among MSM, with the highest risk concentrated among men ages 30 to 50. Researchers found that the percentage of men reporting unprotected anal intercourse with a partner of different or unknown HIV status increased from 9% in 1997 to nearly 15% in 2002. The study also found that 27% percent of MSM in San Francisco were HIV-positive in 2002, compared with 20% in 1997. According to the Chronicle, the increase in HIV prevalence among MSM is "not surprising" because the study was conducted during a period when new antiretroviral drugs became available, which helped to "dramatically" reduce HIV/AIDS-related deaths. In a second study, Sandra Schwarcz and colleagues at the San Francisco Department of Public Health also found that about 25% of MSM in the city are HIV-positive, the Chronicle reports. Schwarcz also found that MSM in committed relationships are less likely to practice risky sexual behaviors with each other than partners in more casual relationships. Mitch Katz, director of the health department and a study co-author, said the study shows a deviation in behavior from the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when the risk of transmission was highest among MSM in committed relationships. "The higher risks occurred with the more intimate relationships," he said, adding, "People took their highest risk with their closest partner." Both studies were conducted by telephone surveys among thousands of randomly selected men (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/27). The American Journal of Public Health study is available online.

A peptide found in human blood inhibited 60 strains of HIV from infecting cells in laboratory tests, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Cell, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Researchers found the peptide can inhibit HIV strains that have developed resistance to existing medications --a discovery that could lead to the development of new HIV/AIDS drugs -- the Chronicle reports. Frank Kirchhoff of the University of Ulm in Germany and colleagues found the peptide, which they call VIRIP, in the residue left in filters used by kidney dialysis patients to clean their blood. According to Kirchhoff, by altering two amino acids, VIRIP's antiviral potency increased one hundredfold. VIRIP attacks a protein, called GP-41 and found on the surface of HIV, that the virus uses to penetrate the surface of human cells, the Chronicle reports. According to Warner Greene, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology who was not involved with the study, VIRIP stands out because it is collected from human blood. He added that the peptide might work synergistically with the antiretroviral drug Fuzeon, which also is known as enfuvirtide or T-20 and was approved by FDA in March 2003. Greene said that it is possible that VIRIP also has potential as an active ingredient for microbicides, which include gels, foams and creams that could be applied prior to sexual intercourse to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. VIRIP can be manufactured in lab settings and has been licensed by the German biotechnology company Viro Pharmaceuticals, whose scientific director is a co-author of the study. According to the Chronicle, Viro is conducting animal studies to determine if VIRIP is safe to test among humans. Although the results so far "look promising," it will take at least five years of animal and human trials before a drug implementing VIRIP is available, according to Kirchhoff. Reaction According to the Chronicle, VIRIP likely will be more costly to produce and will have to be injected because it is a peptide -- a larger and more complex chemical structure than medications made up of chemical compounds. Although the "big advantage of [VIRIP] is that it is available in huge quantities," a "peptide is obviously not ideal" for treating HIV, Kirchhoff said. He added that he hopes additional research will determine how smaller chemical compounds can be created that would perform just as well and in the same way as VIRIP. "In the long-run, we must go away from peptides," he said (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/20). Roger Pebody, a treatment adviser at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said, "This is early stage research but may be very useful in developing a new class of HIV drugs." He added, "It may take years, but let's hope that this leads to an effective future treatment for HIV" (BBC News, 4/20). The study is available online.

CDC on Thursday recommended that physicians begin using a different class of medications to treat gonorrhea after surveys showed that drug-resistant cases of the sexually transmitted infection are on the rise nationwide, the AP/Forbes reports. Gonorrhea, which is believed to infect more than 700,000 people in the U.S. annually, increases the risk of HIV transmission and can cause infertility in men and women, according to the AP/Forbes (Yee, AP/Forbes, 4/13). According to a study published in the March 15 edition of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, gonorrhea cases increased 42% from 2000 to 2005 in the West but decreased 10% nationwide. Public health officials have found that some gonorrhea strains are resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which are used to treat the STI (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/16). The CDC recommendations urge doctors treating gonorrhea to cease use of fluoroquinolones and begin to use a single class of antibiotics known as cephalosporins, the Los Angeles Times reports (Chong, Los Angeles Times, 4/13). The agency also recommended the use of an injectable drug called ceftriaxone, manufactured by Roche as Rocephin, to treat genital, anal and throat gonorrhea (Dunham, Reuters, 4/12). CDC advised doctors to stop using ciprofloxacin, sold by Bayer as Cipro (Stein, Washington Post, 4/13). Cephalosporins must be given as a shot and are not as readily stocked as a current gonorrhea treatment Cipro, the AP/Forbes reports (AP/Forbes, 4/13). The recommendations follow a survey of 26 areas across the country that found that at least 25% of all gonorrhea infections in Long Beach, Calif.; Orange County, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; San Francisco, Philadelphia and Honolulu were drug-resistant (Los Angeles Times, 4/13). "Although the cephalosporins offer several potential options for treating gonorrhea, the lack of additional classes of antibiotics is a serious concern," John Douglas, director of the CDC's Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention, said, adding, "There are currently no new drugs for gonorrhea in the drug development pipeline." Douglas said that the agency has not seen any "significant resistance to cephalosporins to date" but added that "any emerging resistance would be a significant public health concern" (Reuters, 4/12). * NPR's "Morning Edition" on Friday reported on the recommendations. The segment includes comments from Douglas and Henry Masur, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and chief of the clinical care medicine department at the NIH Clinical Center (Wilson, "Morning Edition," NPR, 4/13). Audio of the segment is available online.

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Data Show MSM Five Times More Likely To Test HIV-Positive if They Used Crystal Meth

Men who have sex with men and used crystal methamphetamine in the last year were five times more likely to test HIV-positive than MSM who did not use the drug, according to preliminary data collected by the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, the Los Angeles Times reports. The center also found that 25% of the 6,360 MSM it tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in 2006 reported using crystal meth at least once, compared with 18% of the 5,300 MSM tested in 2005. Mike Rizzo, the center's manager of crystal meth recovery services, said 43% of people newly infected with HIV report some meth use. "There's no doubt in the minds of most experts that meth contributes not only to the transmission of HIV but other" STIs, Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said. According to Fielding, more people who seek treatment in Los Angeles County-funded programs use meth than any other drug. He said the county has funded three new HIV and meth prevention programs targeting MSM. West Hollywood, Calif., on Wednesday planned to hold a news conference to increase public awareness about meth use among MSM and to release public service announcements that aim to help combat the issue. In addition, West Hollywood officials on Wednesday scheduled a town hall forum to discuss expanded treatment options for MSM who use meth (Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times, 4/11).

Public Radio Program Features Discussions on Role of Black Churches, Community Groups in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

NPR's "News & Notes" recently included two discussions about HIV/AIDS in black communities: "Developing an AIDS Action Plan": The segment includes a discussion with Jesse Milan, chair of the board for the Black AIDS Institute, and Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of Balm in Gilead, about a new national action plan for addressing HIV/AIDS among blacks. The plan -- drafted by the Black AIDS Institute, Balm in Gilead and other groups at a recent summit on HIV/AIDS in black communities -- calls for historical organizations, civic leagues, churches and other institutions in black communities to "start talking about HIV and AIDS," Seele said (Chideya, "News & Notes," NPR, 4/2).

"Homosexuality in the Black Church": The segment includes a discussion with Bishop Harry Jackson -- senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Washington, D.C., and founder of the High Impact Leadership Council -- about the role of religion in shaping blacks' attitudes toward homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. According to "News & Notes," some pastors at black churches "are reluctant to take a stand against AIDS ... because they've already taken a stand against homosexuality" (Cox, "News & Notes," NPR, 4/2).

People living with HIV/AIDS who participate in a psychotherapy program can significantly reduce their risk of transmitting the disease to others, according to a study conducted by the Healthy Living Project and published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Reuters Health reports. For the study, Stephen Morin of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues assigned 936 HIV-positive people at risk of transmitting the virus to others to participate in either "cognitive-behavioral" therapy -- a type of counseling that focuses on the role that thinking plays in feelings and behaviors -- or no intervention. The therapy consisted of 15 90-minute sessions that covered three components, Reuters Health reports. The first module consisted of stress, coping and adjustment behaviors; the second involved teaching safer behaviors; and the third was a program of healthy behaviors. Follow-up assessments were conducted at five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 months to see if the intervention reduced the participants' risk of transmitting HIV, which the researchers defined as the "number of unprotected sexual risk acts with persons of HIV-negative or unknown status." The study found that the risk of transmitting HIV was 36% lower in the intervention group compared with the nonintervention group at the 20-month assessment. According to the researchers, the reduction in transmission risk was not seen at the 25-month interval. However, "even small behavior changes among infected individuals can have a significant effect on the epidemic," which suggests that behavior intervention used in the study "can be effective in reducing the number of new" HIV cases, the researchers said (Reuters Health, 3/21). An abstract of the study is available online.

Mexican Ministry of Defense officials on Tuesday announced that they will re-enlist several HIV-positive soldiers after the country's Supreme Court ruled their expulsions unconstitutional, Reuters reports (Reuters, 3/6). The defense ministry between 2000 and 2005 discharged 164 soldiers who tested positive for HIV. Eleven military personnel filed legal challenges to their expulsions from the armed services. Mexico's Supreme Court last week ruled 8-3 that a law used to discharge HIV-positive soldiers is unconstitutional and ordered the defense ministry to re-enlist four expelled soldiers. Chief Justice Guillermo Ortiz Mayagoitia said a section of the law that provides for the expulsion of HIV-positive military personnel based on "uselessness" violates the "rules of equality" protected by the Mexican Constitution. The armed forces can discharge soldiers who have developed AIDS or who cannot complete their duties because of medical reasons, Mayagoitia's ruling said. A congressional committee has requested that the country's armed forces provide figures on the number of military personnel living with HIV/AIDS and how many have been discharged because of their status (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/1). The defense ministry in a statement said it will re-enlist nearly all of the 11 HIV-positive soldiers who filed claims and pay benefits to the family of one soldier who has died. "We will re-enlist any persons the court determines should be reinstated to active service," the statement said, adding that the ministry also will provide medical treatment for the HIV-positive soldiers if required to do so by the court (Reuters, 3/6). The ministry also said it "will keep watch and demand" that the HIV-positive soldiers "are treated with the respect they deserve within the (army), just like any other member of the armed forces, in compliance with the constitutional guarantees of equality, nondiscrimination and protection of the right to health." In addition, the ministry said "the policies of prevention established ... to avoid situations that put health at risk will be strengthened, and the methods that have been shown to be effective in protecting against sexually transmitted diseases will continue to be put into practice" (EFE News Service, 3/7).

In partnership with the International AIDS Society, kaisernetwork.org was the official webcaster of the XVI International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2006) that took place in Toronto, Canada. Webcasts, transcripts, and podcasts of these and other conference sessions are now available:

>> Interviews with newsmakers and journalists to summarize conference developments

Dealing with stress, taking a realistic view of one's health and having good self esteem might slow the progression of HIV/AIDS, according to a study presented recently at an American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Budapest, Hungary, USA Today reports. Conall O'Cleirigh of Harvard Medical School and Gail Ironson of the University of Miami studied 174 men and women. At the start of the study, participants wrote an essay describing their emotional responses to a traumatic event and most wrote about issues associated with HIV/AIDS. Researchers measured the participants' CD4+ T cell counts and viral loads every six months for four years. Researchers who did not know the participants' CD4 counts and viral loads examined their essays for four qualities: realism, good self esteem, addressing problems directly and emotional expression. Researchers took into account the participants' disease stage, medications, education and other factors that could affect HIV/AIDS progression, according to O'Cleirigh. The researchers found that CD4 cells declined more slowly and viral loads were lower among participants who dealt with stress in emotionally healthy ways at the start of the study, O'Cleirigh said. He added that people who cope better with stress might be more likely to find a doctor and regularly take their medications. They also might "reap benefits to their immune system because they're coping well with stress," O'Cleirigh said. The stress hormone cortisol hinders the immune system, and people who handle stress might have less cortisol, USA Today reports. "We don't know exactly how these emotions work to affect illness," Susan Folkman, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at University of California-San Francisco Medical School, said, adding, "But I don't think we're talking magic. ... It's probably a combination of behaviors that might slow progression and effects on the immune system from the emotions." According to O'Cleirigh, the study's findings suggest that doctors should look at how HIV-positive people are coping with stress, adding that people who are not managing it well should be referred to counseling (Elias, USA Today, 3/13).

HIV Can Replicate in Intestinal Lining Even After HAART Reduces Viral Load, Study Says

HIV can replicate and suppress the immune system in the intestinal lining, even after blood tests show that highly active antiretroviral therapy is reducing viral loads, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Virology, London's Times reports (Lister, Times, 7/29). Moraima Guadalupe of the University of California-Davis Health System's Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and colleagues took blood and intestinal samples of 10 HIV-positive people before and after three years of treatment with HAART (Reuters, 7/29). Three of the people began HAART within four to six weeks of contracting HIV, and seven began treatment at least one year after becoming HIV-positive, BBC News reports (BBC News, 7/29). According to the study, samples from people who started HAART earlier showed less inflammation and greater revival of the mucosal immune system in the gut than the samples of other study participants (CBC News, 7/28). "We found a substantial delay in the time that it takes to restore the gut mucosal immune system in those with chronic infections," Satya Dandekar, chair of the at the UC Davis Health System microbiology and immunology department and senior author of the study, said, adding, "In these patients the gut is acting as a viral reservoir that keeps us from ridding patients of the virus" (Xinhuanet, 7/29). "If we are able to restore the gut's immune response, the patient will be more likely to clear the virus," Thomas Prindiville, a UC Davis professor and a study co-author, said. The study recommends gut biopsies for patients taking HAART and says that earlier onset of HAART and use of anti-inflammatory drugs could help revive immune function in the "gut-associated lymphoid issue," which accounts for about 70% of a person's immune system, the Times reports (Times, 7/29).

Editor's Note: Scroll down and read the item about selenium. In light of this information on replication in the gut – even with HAART – you may want to discuss selenium with your medical advisor. JP

Medical Marijuana Might Reduce Nerve Pain Among People Living With HIV/AIDS, Study Says

Neuropathy, a type of nerve damage, among people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a study published in the Feb. 13 issue of the journal Neurology, the Washington Post reports (Weiss, Washington Post, 2/13). Donald Abrams of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues examined the effects of smoking medicinal marijuana among people living with HIV/AIDS during a two-year period beginning in May 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). Researchers enrolled 50 HIV-positive participants who reported severe foot pain caused either by HIV/AIDS or their medications, according to the Post (Washington Post, 2/13). The participants each spent a week at a secure laboratory at San Francisco General Hospital and were required to stop marijuana use before the start of the study (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers measured baseline pain among the participants by asking them to rank their pain on a scale of one to 100 and by administering two standardized tests involving a small hot iron applied to the skin and hot chili pepper cream (Washington Post, 2/13). Twenty-five participants were randomly chosen to receive active marijuana cigarettes with 3.5% THC, the drug's active ingredient, and 25 received a placebo (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The participants smoked three times daily -- at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. -- for five days (Washington Post, 2/13). The study found that after the first cigarette on the first day, at least 50% of participants who received active marijuana reported a 72% reduction in pain (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers recorded a 15% reduction in pain among those who received the placebo cigarette (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 2/12). Over five days, the median reduction in pain reported by the active marijuana smokers was 34%, compared with 17% in the placebo group, the study found (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers took steps to ensure that the marijuana in the study -- which was grown on the government's official marijuana farm in Mississippi and stored in a locked freezer -- was not used for recreational purposes, according to the Post (Washington Post, 2/13).

The results are "evidence, using the gold standard for clinical research, that cannabis has some medical benefits for a condition that can be severely debilitating," Abrams said (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). He added, "I think that there are people out there who say there is no evidence that marijuana is medicine, that this is all just a smoke screen." David Murray, chief scientist for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the physical pain of people living with HIV/AIDS is an issue of great concern. However, "this particular study is not terribly convincing" because of methodological problems, Murray said (Dunham, Reuters, 2/12). He added, "People who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs. Is this really what a physician who is treating someone with a compromised immune system wants to prescribe?" (Elias, AP/Casper Star-Tribune, 2/13). Barbara Roberts -- former interim associate deputy director in the Office of National Drug Control Policy and now with Americans for Safe Access -- said, "This should be a wake-up call for Congress to hold hearings to investigate the therapeutic use of cannabis and to encourage more research" (Washington Post, 2/13). Igor Grant -- director of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, which funded the study -- said that although the study's finding are "very promising," they are not definitive (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The study is available online.

Dietary Supplement Selenium Reduces HIV Viral Load, Increases CD4+ T Cell Count, Study Says

The dietary supplement selenium can reduce HIV viral loads and increase CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-positive people, according to a study published in the Jan. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Los Angeles Times reports (Chong, Los Angeles Times, 1/23). Selenium is a mineral found in many foods and sold as a supplement for less than $10 per one-month supply. It helps regulate the thyroid and the immune system and creates antioxidants that protect the body from molecules that can damage cells, the Miami Herald reports. Previous studies have found that HIV-positive people with low selenium levels are at an increased risk of a wide range of health conditions (Goldstein, Miami Herald, 1/23). For the study, Barry Hurwitz, a professor of psychology and medicine at the University of Miami, and colleagues randomly assigned 262 HIV-positive adults with normal selenium levels to take either a placebo pill or a 200 microgram capsule of high-selenium yeast for nine months, Reuters Health reports (Gale, Reuters Health, 1/22). Only 174 of the participants completed the nine-month follow-up period (Hurwitz et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 1/22). According to the Times, about two-thirds of the participants were taking antiretroviral drugs and about one-third of the participants were not. The study, which was funded by NIH, found that for the 50 participants who regularly took the selenium pills, HIV viral loads decreased an average of 10,000 viral particles per milliliter of blood, or by 12%, after nine months. The researchers also found an average CD4 increase of 30 cells per microliter of blood among the participants who regularly took selenium. According to Hurwitz, selenium had a positive effect among participants on antiretrovirals regardless of which drugs the participants were taking. Among the 83 participants in the placebo group, viral loads increased by 10,000 to 20,000 viral particles per milliliter of blood and CD4 cells decreased by about 30 cells per microliter in the same time period, the study found. Forty-one participants were classified as "nonresponders" because they did not adhere to their selenium schedule or because of gastrointestinal problems that prevented them from absorbing the mineral, the Times reports. This group had the same results as the placebo group, the study found.

"What [selenium] appears to do is make [HIV] more docile, less virulent and less likely to replicate," Hurwitz said (Los Angeles Times, 1/23). He added that selenium is "a simple, inexpensive and safe adjunct therapy" (Miami Herald, 1/23). Jeffrey Blumberg, a nutrition professor at Tufts University, said that because selenium appears to be beneficial and to have no negative side effects, it can be used in conjunction with traditional therapies. Jeffrey Lennox, principle investigator for Emory University's HIV Clinical Trials Unit, said selenium's effect appears to be smaller than a variation that can be seen in some people living with HIV/AIDS from week to week. The supplement likely does not have wide scale implications in the U.S. because of the availability of therapies that are aimed at reducing viral loads to undetectable levels, according to Lennox. He added, "The conclusions are intriguing, but they don't change current medical practice. In people not receiving optimum therapy, selenium might be a benefit." According to the Times, the researchers are analyzing data on selenium's effects beyond nine months, and Hurwitz said the effects likely are long lasting (Los Angeles Times, 1/23).

HIV-Positive Gay Men Rarely Regret Revealing Their Status to Friends, Family, Study Says

HIV-positive gay men rarely regret revealing their HIV status to their family and friends, according to a study published in the April edition of the journal AIDS Education and Prevention, Reuters Health reports. Julianne Serovich of Ohio State University and colleagues surveyed 76 gay men ages 21 to 61 -- all of whom had contracted the virus through sex and had known of their status for one to 16 years -- who had told at least one relative, friend or acquaintance that they were HIV-positive. The researchers found that 75% of the men said they felt little or no regret at having revealed their status. Researchers also found that 80% of the participants' social networks were aware of their HIV-positive status. Cases of regret over revealing HIV status usually had told members of the immediate family, colleagues or previous or casual sex partners, according to the study. The men were four times as likely to regret revealing their HIV-status to their immediate family, especially their parents, than they were to regret revealing their status to friends. The researchers said this likely was because of the "differential emotional bonds and experiences shared among family versus friends." The study findings could be helpful for HIV-positive people considering disclosing their status, Reuters Health reports. Previous studies indicate that HIV-positive people who disclose their status might experience ostracism, rejection, abandonment and degradation, but disclosure also could result in increased social support, medical attention and access to assistance for HIV-positive people, Reuters Health reports (Huggins, Reuters Health, 5/18).

The National Neurological AIDS Bank (NNAB) was established in 1998 as one of four Banks within the United States devoted to studying the neurological problems of living HIV patients and obtaining the postmortem tissues of HIV patients. The latter functions to support the on-going research efforts of scientists to find an effective cure for AIDS and related diseases. The National Neurological AIDS Bank is recruiting patients who live within the greater Los Angeles area (such as Orange County, Los Angeles county, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino), who have advanced HIV disease, who agree to have regularly scheduled medical and neurological examinations prior to death, and who consent to donate their brains and other post mortem tissues to the NNAB after their death. If a donor meets the criteria and is located close to one of the other three banks, then contact information can be provided by NNAB staff. Other banks are located in San Diego, Texas, and New York.

The National Neurological Research Specimen Bank accepts HIV donors who may not enroll in the National Neurological AIDS Bank because they do not meet NNAB's criteria. Donated tissue will be used to study neurological disorders including neuro-AIDS.

In addition to the HIV affected tissues being studied, researchers also need to study, for comparative purposes, non-HIV affected tissues. We encourage any and all family members, spouses, partners, and friends to enroll as donors. By arranging to donate tissue for research after death, you are giving a priceless gift to humanity.

Human Brain and Spinal Fluid Resource Center phone: (310) 268-3536 email: brainbnk@ucla.edu

The Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents has been revised to include up-to-date treatment information, including new recommendations for resistance testing, treatment interruption, and HBV/HIV co-infection. Tables have been revised to include up-to-date information about drug interactions and about the lopinavir/ritonavir 200/50 mg tablet formulation. Changes to the document are summarized in the "What's New in the Document?" section, and all changes to the document are highlighted in yellow throughout the text.The updated guidelines document is available in the ADULT GUIDELINES

* Refer to books such as: Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook (find through your local library or http://www.amazon.com); The Herb-Drug Interaction Handbook (http://www.herbdrug.org); and Food Medication Interactions (http://www.foodmedinteractions.com)

Just diagnosed? Been around the block with HIV and happen to know a thing or two? Or maybe you just have some questions...

POZ Mentor is an online support program for HIVers at different stages of dealing with the disease. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Want to know more? Here’s how it works: You tell us about your HIV experience and expertise or about what kind of support you need. We match you up with other members for one-on-one mentoring.

POZ Mentor is especially suited for HIV rookies—diagnosed in the past year or so. We also recommend our special rookie guide: Just Found Out? But most HIVers can benefit from being in touch with someone who has been there, whether it’s about activism, treatment decisions or dating—or for general emotional support. HIV doctors are welcome, too. POZ Mentor is completely free, absolutely private and accessible from anywhere in the world.

Sleeping Dogs Lie That Way

Do you know who I am? Ever venture to know?

View yourself in my skin, chasing ducks for some row.

I have feelings and morals that dare be my own.

To be true at my core means a life quite alone.

Stripped of pride almost daily and dared not to dwell.

What’s my worth beside yours? Simply, don’t ask – don’t tell.

Your importance is lessened when outside the norm.

My skins become dense just to keep my blood warm.

“Eye to eye”… sees me seldom, so few shake my hand.

A consensus condemns me as less than a man.

Not basing my future on children and wife,

Hard for most to believe I’ve still purpose in life.

Just imagine your life, if you had to suppress –

All your natural feelings and not show duress.

If all that is you were deemed wrong through all gods.

Just imagine succeeding with triple the odds.

Would you have the courage to be true to self?

Or rebuke your own spirit – never knowing its wealth.

Just imagine the jokes when the spotlight is on you.

Would you laugh as you realize the bulk of this view?

Do you know who I am? I don’t think that you can.

I’m not truly allowed just to be my own man.

Unlike you when in love I can’t walk arm in arm,

Without verbal harassment or bodily harm.

Do you know who I am? Am I too far estranged?

I knew barely myself, before pressures to change.

Most who claim to accept me view themselves quite exalted,

Though when viewed in my likeness – they’re somehow insulted.

Do you know who I am? Try with all of your might.

I’m the lesbian’s brother, but you claim I’ve no right.

If I were a female, I’d hear not a hiss,

You’d encourage my birthright to choose who I kiss.

Do you know who I am? Take a shot – open season.

I am real, not a joke there’s no aesthetic reason.

Many men that I meet shut me out with great haste,

Assuming unfounded their looks meet my taste.

I don’t need your blessing , I’ll thrive and persist.

Even outside your circles and last on your list.

Do you know who I am? No, you probably don’t.

And try as you may… you probably won’t.

May I simply ask sometime? You might stop to think.

How such ignorance pushes me close to the brink.

Those that know who I am, know I seldom feel “GAY”

You just don’t want to know me, sleeping dogs lie that way.

The 2005 AIDS Walk for Life was a great success, generating over $37,000 in pledges to benefit AIDS Project Ventura County and the Ventura County AIDS Partnership. This is a significant increase from last year

About Us FAQ Calendar HIV Testing Health Links Contact Us Privacy Policy Webmail Access	HIV/AIDS Online Resources Database Through the efforts of many V+ volunteers, our Searchable Online Database is now undergoing final testing. Take a look and let us know what you think. We ask for your help in reporting problems or errors to: Webmaster@VenturaPositive.org Resources	Remember, if you are not abstinent, the best way to avoid transmission of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases it to use a condom correctly, every time!
	Join the Ventura County LGBT community for the 9th Annual Diversity and Pride Celebration! August 25, 2007 11am - 7pm Mission Park, Ventura For more information: www.vcrainbowalliance.org Anyone wanting to volunteer for the 9th Annual Pride in the Park, please contact me at mike@lgbtventura.org or 805-339-6340 ext 102 Headlines: `Online Coverage of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention` `Women's HIV/AIDS Conference Delegates Develop Action Plan To Foster Women's, Girls' Leadership in Fight Against Disease` `New Web Site Provides Resources on HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health Among Youth` `National Baptist Convention To Address HIV/AIDS Issues for First Time` `More MSM Practicing Sero-Sorting To Prevent HIV; MSM in Committed Relationships Less Likely To Practice Risky Behaviors, Studies Say` `Peptide Found in Human Blood Inhibits 60 Strains of HIV, Study Says` CDC Recommending New Drugs To Treat Gonorrhea L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Data Show MSM Five Times More Likely To Test HIV-Positive if They Used Crystal Meth Public Radio Program Features Discussions on Role of Black Churches, Community Groups in Fight Against HIV/AIDS High Lung Cancer Rates in AIDS Not Entirely Due to Smoking http://mp.medscape.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/hBMKZ0KqOyQ0D1K0ITIP0Eo Elevated lung cancer risk remains despite the advent of HAART. Young people are at a particularly elevated risk -- more than 10-fold relative to HIV-negative people. AIDS Clin Care 2007 Mexican Defense Ministry To Re-Enlist Several HIV-Positive Soldiers Archived Coverage of the XVI International AIDS Conference Stress, Emotional Factors Can Affect Progression of HIV/AIDS, Study Says HIV Can Replicate in Intestinal Lining Even After HAART Reduces Viral Load, Study Says Medical Marijuana Might Reduce Nerve Pain Among People Living With HIV/AIDS, Study Says Dietary Supplement Selenium Reduces HIV Viral Load, Increases T Cell Count, Increases CD4+ T Cell Count, Study Says Study Says Uninsured? No Doctor nearby? Where you gonna go... DrRickB at DailyKos gives some good advice about how and where to find help – with many helpful links. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/12/11/71552/790 HIV-Positive Gay Men Rarely Regret Revealing Their Status to Friends, Family, Study Says The National Neurological AIDS Bank Seeks Tissue Donations Information Resources on Medication Interactions New Prescription Drug Information Format to Improve Patient Safety POZ Mentor is an online support program for HIVers at different stages of dealing with the disease `Scroll down toNewsfor details` `Medicare PartD Information has been archived here:` `PartD` `I know. Do you?` `Ventura Positive is a Web Site by and for the HIV/AIDS Community in Ventura County. This site is funded by contributions and is operated solely by volunteers.` `Some of the V+ Crew doing Community Outreach` `Left - Pride 2005: Jim, Bryan, Sheila, Anthony, Anthony` `Right – Pride 2004 - Standing: Anthony, Brian, Jim, Anthony, Doug - Seated: Sheila, Mike, Danny` `Our goal is to provide a one stop location for information about HIV Health Care Services in VC, to connect volunteers with Community Service Organizations, and help those affected by HIV to conveniently communicate with one another.` `Whether you are looking for HIV testing, medical care, help with housing or transportation, support from your peers, THIS IS THE PLACE!` `It's free and confidential.` `Help us out. If you find any typos or confusing items on this site, use the "Contact Us" button to let us know.` `News` `Women's HIV/AIDS Conference Delegates Develop Action Plan To Foster Women's, Girls' Leadership in Fight Against Disease` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46064` Delegates on Saturday at the close of the first International Women's Summit on Women's Leadership and HIV and AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya, released a 10-point action plan that aims to foster leadership roles of women and girls in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Nation/AllAfrica.com reports (Wafula, Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9).The conference, organized by the World YWCA, was attended by more than 1,500 AIDS advocates, celebrities, community health workers, global leaders and policymakers. The summit aimed to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls and examined issues such as violence against women, poverty and children's rights, and access to resources. The summit is co-convened by the International Community of Women Living With HIV/AIDS and had support from UNAIDS' Global Coalition on Women and AIDS and the United Nations Population Fund (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/6).The plan, called Nairobi 2007 Call to Action, identifies strategies for change that can be implemented by communities, religious groups, families and individuals, the Nation/AllAfrica.com reports. The plan of action includes securing significant involvement of women in decision making processes; promoting equality and the human rights of girls and women; ensuring their sexual, physical and psychological safety and security; promoting their reproductive and sexual rights and health; and increasing their access to education, economic security and other resources, such as the right to own and inherit property (Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9). According to South Africa Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, men also must become involved to effectively combat the disease. "There aren't enough men who are taking enough responsibility to go for tests and live responsibly, and that kind of (behavior) compromises the fight" against HIV/AIDS, Mlambo-Ngcuka said, adding that the "response to HIV will not be won if men do not come on board since they are equally affected or infected." In addition, empowering women is an effective HIV prevention method, Mlambo-Ngcuka said. "Addressing the economic status of women" will provide women with resources and choices so "they can get out [of] abusive relationships" and "acquire the support that they need," she said, adding, "The most important thing is [to] remove women from the bottom of the pyramid" (AFP/China Daily, 7/7).Musimbi Kanyoro, World YWCA general secretary, said the call to action is a "pledge each of us at this summit is making in our hearts and with our hands. Women are committing themselves to do something to win the war on AIDS." She added, "Where one woman acts, more will be inspired and be committed. More will take action until there is no power that can stop us." Conference delegates also pledged to work toward increasing access to services among women living with and affected by HIV, including safe testing, treatment and support services and promoting the rights of young women and children (Nation/AllAfrica.com, 7/9). `Related Opinion Piece` "To successfully defeat AIDS, we must do more to help women to protect themselves," United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Elizabeth Mataka and Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides, write in a Nation opinion piece. According to Mataka and Rosenberg, an HIV vaccine and microbicides are "promising" tools that "women could use to prevent infection." They add, "We must prioritize research on these promising preventive technologies," and at the "same time, we must do more with the tools that already exist," such as female condoms and services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (Mataka/Rosenberg, Nation, 7/7). Kaisernetwork.org webcasts of the conference soon will be available online. `Online Coverage of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention` `http://www.kaisernetwork.org/ias2007` `In partnership with the International AIDS Society, kaisernetwork.org, as the official webcaster of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2007), will provide free online access to the daily developments taking place in Sydney, Australia later this month. All of the coverage will be archived and available for viewing at any time during or after the conference.` `New Web Site Provides Resources on HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health Among Youth` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=45956` "Resources on Youth Reproduce Health and HIV/AIDS," Interagency Youth Working Group: The new Web site provides resources aimed at people working with youth in developing countries on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health issues. The site includes guidance on program areas and best practices; publications; a database of more than 900 recent resources; research tools; training materials; and links to other youth Web sites. More than 15 organizations worked together to create the Web site (IYWG release, 6/29). `National Baptist Convention To Address HIV/AIDS Issues for First Time`Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=45691 Delegates of the National Baptist Convention USA -- the nation's largest black religious organization -- this week for the first time will discuss the issue of HIV/AIDS in the black community, the AP/Springfield News-Leader reports. The group is in St. Louis for a weeklong meeting that will feature a health fair.The 7.5 million-member organization historically has excluded the topic from its health forums, Evelyn Mason, the groups' health organizer, said. According to Mason, the group had thought of HIV/AIDS as "something only bad people get" because of the disease's association with homosexuality and drug use. Blacks are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and account for about 49% of all HIV cases in the U.S., according to CDC. "The numbers dictate we have to pay more attention and take ownership," Mason said, adding, "This disease has taken ownership of us." In addition to workshops and information on hypertension, diabetes, obesity, prostate cancer, prescription drug costs and other health issues of interest to the black community, organizers are incorporating discussions about HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness into the agenda. The group also will hold an educational forum to address about 3,000 black youth on the topic of HIV prevention (Wittenauer, AP/Springfield News-Leader, 6/19). "This wouldn't have happened five years ago. There's a change within church leadership [and] within local churches," Mason said, adding, "We won't be passing out condoms, but we will be telling [participants] there's something called AIDS that they are likely to get if they do certain things" (Associated Press, 6/18). `More MSM Practicing Sero-Sorting To Prevent HIV; MSM in Committed Relationships Less Likely To Practice Risky Behaviors, Studies Say` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44571` An increasing number of men who have sex with men in San Francisco are practicing sero-sorting -- in which people who know their HIV status search for partners of the same status -- as a way to protect against HIV, according to a study published Friday in the American Journal of Public Health, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Chronicle, sero-sorting evolved among MSM "without the kind of institutional support given to programs" that promote condom use and a reduction in sexual partners. The study authors, Dennis Osmond and colleagues at the University of California-San Francisco, found that 27% of MSM in San Francisco reported practicing sero-sorting in 2002, up from 19% in 1997. Forty percent of study participants ages 18 to 29 reported sero-sorting in 2002, the study found. The researchers also found that higher-risk sexual behaviors have increased among MSM, with the highest risk concentrated among men ages 30 to 50. Researchers found that the percentage of men reporting unprotected anal intercourse with a partner of different or unknown HIV status increased from 9% in 1997 to nearly 15% in 2002. The study also found that 27% percent of MSM in San Francisco were HIV-positive in 2002, compared with 20% in 1997. According to the Chronicle, the increase in HIV prevalence among MSM is "not surprising" because the study was conducted during a period when new antiretroviral drugs became available, which helped to "dramatically" reduce HIV/AIDS-related deaths. In a second study, Sandra Schwarcz and colleagues at the San Francisco Department of Public Health also found that about 25% of MSM in the city are HIV-positive, the Chronicle reports. Schwarcz also found that MSM in committed relationships are less likely to practice risky sexual behaviors with each other than partners in more casual relationships. Mitch Katz, director of the health department and a study co-author, said the study shows a deviation in behavior from the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when the risk of transmission was highest among MSM in committed relationships. "The higher risks occurred with the more intimate relationships," he said, adding, "People took their highest risk with their closest partner." Both studies were conducted by telephone surveys among thousands of randomly selected men (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/27). The American Journal of Public Health study is available online. `Peptide Found in Human Blood Inhibits 60 Strains of HIV, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44372` A peptide found in human blood inhibited 60 strains of HIV from infecting cells in laboratory tests, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Cell, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Researchers found the peptide can inhibit HIV strains that have developed resistance to existing medications --a discovery that could lead to the development of new HIV/AIDS drugs -- the Chronicle reports. Frank Kirchhoff of the University of Ulm in Germany and colleagues found the peptide, which they call VIRIP, in the residue left in filters used by kidney dialysis patients to clean their blood. According to Kirchhoff, by altering two amino acids, VIRIP's antiviral potency increased one hundredfold. VIRIP attacks a protein, called GP-41 and found on the surface of HIV, that the virus uses to penetrate the surface of human cells, the Chronicle reports. According to Warner Greene, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology who was not involved with the study, VIRIP stands out because it is collected from human blood. He added that the peptide might work synergistically with the antiretroviral drug Fuzeon, which also is known as enfuvirtide or T-20 and was approved by FDA in March 2003. Greene said that it is possible that VIRIP also has potential as an active ingredient for microbicides, which include gels, foams and creams that could be applied prior to sexual intercourse to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. VIRIP can be manufactured in lab settings and has been licensed by the German biotechnology company Viro Pharmaceuticals, whose scientific director is a co-author of the study. According to the Chronicle, Viro is conducting animal studies to determine if VIRIP is safe to test among humans. Although the results so far "look promising," it will take at least five years of animal and human trials before a drug implementing VIRIP is available, according to Kirchhoff. Reaction According to the Chronicle, VIRIP likely will be more costly to produce and will have to be injected because it is a peptide -- a larger and more complex chemical structure than medications made up of chemical compounds. Although the "big advantage of [VIRIP] is that it is available in huge quantities," a "peptide is obviously not ideal" for treating HIV, Kirchhoff said. He added that he hopes additional research will determine how smaller chemical compounds can be created that would perform just as well and in the same way as VIRIP. "In the long-run, we must go away from peptides," he said (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/20). Roger Pebody, a treatment adviser at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said, "This is early stage research but may be very useful in developing a new class of HIV drugs." He added, "It may take years, but let's hope that this leads to an effective future treatment for HIV" (BBC News, 4/20). The study is available online. `CDC Recommending New Drugs To Treat Gonorrhea` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44230` CDC on Thursday recommended that physicians begin using a different class of medications to treat gonorrhea after surveys showed that drug-resistant cases of the sexually transmitted infection are on the rise nationwide, the AP/Forbes reports. Gonorrhea, which is believed to infect more than 700,000 people in the U.S. annually, increases the risk of HIV transmission and can cause infertility in men and women, according to the AP/Forbes (Yee, AP/Forbes, 4/13). According to a study published in the March 15 edition of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, gonorrhea cases increased 42% from 2000 to 2005 in the West but decreased 10% nationwide. Public health officials have found that some gonorrhea strains are resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which are used to treat the STI (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/16). The CDC recommendations urge doctors treating gonorrhea to cease use of fluoroquinolones and begin to use a single class of antibiotics known as cephalosporins, the Los Angeles Times reports (Chong, Los Angeles Times, 4/13). The agency also recommended the use of an injectable drug called ceftriaxone, manufactured by Roche as Rocephin, to treat genital, anal and throat gonorrhea (Dunham, Reuters, 4/12). CDC advised doctors to stop using ciprofloxacin, sold by Bayer as Cipro (Stein, Washington Post, 4/13). Cephalosporins must be given as a shot and are not as readily stocked as a current gonorrhea treatment Cipro, the AP/Forbes reports (AP/Forbes, 4/13). The recommendations follow a survey of 26 areas across the country that found that at least 25% of all gonorrhea infections in Long Beach, Calif.; Orange County, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; San Francisco, Philadelphia and Honolulu were drug-resistant (Los Angeles Times, 4/13). "Although the cephalosporins offer several potential options for treating gonorrhea, the lack of additional classes of antibiotics is a serious concern," John Douglas, director of the CDC's Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention, said, adding, "There are currently no new drugs for gonorrhea in the drug development pipeline." Douglas said that the agency has not seen any "significant resistance to cephalosporins to date" but added that "any emerging resistance would be a significant public health concern" (Reuters, 4/12). * NPR's "Morning Edition" on Friday reported on the recommendations. The segment includes comments from Douglas and Henry Masur, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and chief of the clinical care medicine department at the NIH Clinical Center (Wilson, "Morning Edition," NPR, 4/13). Audio of the segment is available online. `L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Data Show MSM Five Times More Likely To Test HIV-Positive if They Used Crystal Meth` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44197` Men who have sex with men and used crystal methamphetamine in the last year were five times more likely to test HIV-positive than MSM who did not use the drug, according to preliminary data collected by the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, the Los Angeles Times reports. The center also found that 25% of the 6,360 MSM it tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in 2006 reported using crystal meth at least once, compared with 18% of the 5,300 MSM tested in 2005. Mike Rizzo, the center's manager of crystal meth recovery services, said 43% of people newly infected with HIV report some meth use. "There's no doubt in the minds of most experts that meth contributes not only to the transmission of HIV but other" STIs, Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said. According to Fielding, more people who seek treatment in Los Angeles County-funded programs use meth than any other drug. He said the county has funded three new HIV and meth prevention programs targeting MSM. West Hollywood, Calif., on Wednesday planned to hold a news conference to increase public awareness about meth use among MSM and to release public service announcements that aim to help combat the issue. In addition, West Hollywood officials on Wednesday scheduled a town hall forum to discuss expanded treatment options for MSM who use meth (Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times, 4/11). `Public Radio Program Features Discussions on Role of Black Churches, Community Groups in Fight Against HIV/AIDS` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44043` NPR's "News & Notes" recently included two discussions about HIV/AIDS in black communities: "Developing an AIDS Action Plan": The segment includes a discussion with Jesse Milan, chair of the board for the Black AIDS Institute, and Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of Balm in Gilead, about a new national action plan for addressing HIV/AIDS among blacks. The plan -- drafted by the Black AIDS Institute, Balm in Gilead and other groups at a recent summit on HIV/AIDS in black communities -- calls for historical organizations, civic leagues, churches and other institutions in black communities to "start talking about HIV and AIDS," Seele said (Chideya, "News & Notes," NPR, 4/2). `Audio of the segment is available online.` "Homosexuality in the Black Church": The segment includes a discussion with Bishop Harry Jackson -- senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Washington, D.C., and founder of the High Impact Leadership Council -- about the role of religion in shaping blacks' attitudes toward homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. According to "News & Notes," some pastors at black churches "are reluctant to take a stand against AIDS ... because they've already taken a stand against homosexuality" (Cox, "News & Notes," NPR, 4/2). `Audio of the segment is available online` `Behavioral Therapy Can Reduce Risk of HIV Transmission, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=43782` People living with HIV/AIDS who participate in a psychotherapy program can significantly reduce their risk of transmitting the disease to others, according to a study conducted by the Healthy Living Project and published in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Reuters Health reports. For the study, Stephen Morin of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues assigned 936 HIV-positive people at risk of transmitting the virus to others to participate in either "cognitive-behavioral" therapy -- a type of counseling that focuses on the role that thinking plays in feelings and behaviors -- or no intervention. The therapy consisted of 15 90-minute sessions that covered three components, Reuters Health reports. The first module consisted of stress, coping and adjustment behaviors; the second involved teaching safer behaviors; and the third was a program of healthy behaviors. Follow-up assessments were conducted at five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 months to see if the intervention reduced the participants' risk of transmitting HIV, which the researchers defined as the "number of unprotected sexual risk acts with persons of HIV-negative or unknown status." The study found that the risk of transmitting HIV was 36% lower in the intervention group compared with the nonintervention group at the 20-month assessment. According to the researchers, the reduction in transmission risk was not seen at the 25-month interval. However, "even small behavior changes among infected individuals can have a significant effect on the epidemic," which suggests that behavior intervention used in the study "can be effective in reducing the number of new" HIV cases, the researchers said (Reuters Health, 3/21). An abstract of the study is available online. `Mexican Defense Ministry To Re-Enlist Several HIV-Positive Soldiers` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=43429` Mexican Ministry of Defense officials on Tuesday announced that they will re-enlist several HIV-positive soldiers after the country's Supreme Court ruled their expulsions unconstitutional, Reuters reports (Reuters, 3/6). The defense ministry between 2000 and 2005 discharged 164 soldiers who tested positive for HIV. Eleven military personnel filed legal challenges to their expulsions from the armed services. Mexico's Supreme Court last week ruled 8-3 that a law used to discharge HIV-positive soldiers is unconstitutional and ordered the defense ministry to re-enlist four expelled soldiers. Chief Justice Guillermo Ortiz Mayagoitia said a section of the law that provides for the expulsion of HIV-positive military personnel based on "uselessness" violates the "rules of equality" protected by the Mexican Constitution. The armed forces can discharge soldiers who have developed AIDS or who cannot complete their duties because of medical reasons, Mayagoitia's ruling said. A congressional committee has requested that the country's armed forces provide figures on the number of military personnel living with HIV/AIDS and how many have been discharged because of their status (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/1). The defense ministry in a statement said it will re-enlist nearly all of the 11 HIV-positive soldiers who filed claims and pay benefits to the family of one soldier who has died. "We will re-enlist any persons the court determines should be reinstated to active service," the statement said, adding that the ministry also will provide medical treatment for the HIV-positive soldiers if required to do so by the court (Reuters, 3/6). The ministry also said it "will keep watch and demand" that the HIV-positive soldiers "are treated with the respect they deserve within the (army), just like any other member of the armed forces, in compliance with the constitutional guarantees of equality, nondiscrimination and protection of the right to health." In addition, the ministry said "the policies of prevention established ... to avoid situations that put health at risk will be strengthened, and the methods that have been shown to be effective in protecting against sexually transmitted diseases will continue to be put into practice" (EFE News Service, 3/7). `Archived Coverage of the XVI International AIDS Conference` `In partnership with the International AIDS Society, kaisernetwork.org was the official webcaster of the XVI International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2006) that took place in Toronto, Canada. Webcasts, transcripts, and podcasts of these and other conference sessions are now available:` `>> Opening Session http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1791` `>> Priorities in Ending the Epidemic, featuring Bill Clinton and Bill Gates http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1793` `>> Media and AIDS: Spreading Information Faster than the Disease http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1835` `>> Plenary: Prevention - Proven Approaches and New Technologies http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1801` `>>A World Without AIDS: The Long Road to Effective HIV Vaccines http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1822` `Kaisernetwork.org’s Extensive Coverage of AIDS 2006 also included:` `>> French,Spanishand English-language audio podcasts of select sessions` `>> Daily narrated video highlights of the conference` `>> Interviews with newsmakers and journalists to summarize conference developments` `>> Summaries of the news coverage in the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report` `Visit http://www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2006, where you can access these materials and our complete Guide to Coverage.` `Stress, Emotional Factors Can Affect Progression of HIV/AIDS, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=43525` Dealing with stress, taking a realistic view of one's health and having good self esteem might slow the progression of HIV/AIDS, according to a study presented recently at an American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Budapest, Hungary, USA Today reports. Conall O'Cleirigh of Harvard Medical School and Gail Ironson of the University of Miami studied 174 men and women. At the start of the study, participants wrote an essay describing their emotional responses to a traumatic event and most wrote about issues associated with HIV/AIDS. Researchers measured the participants' CD4+ T cell counts and viral loads every six months for four years. Researchers who did not know the participants' CD4 counts and viral loads examined their essays for four qualities: realism, good self esteem, addressing problems directly and emotional expression. Researchers took into account the participants' disease stage, medications, education and other factors that could affect HIV/AIDS progression, according to O'Cleirigh. The researchers found that CD4 cells declined more slowly and viral loads were lower among participants who dealt with stress in emotionally healthy ways at the start of the study, O'Cleirigh said. He added that people who cope better with stress might be more likely to find a doctor and regularly take their medications. They also might "reap benefits to their immune system because they're coping well with stress," O'Cleirigh said. The stress hormone cortisol hinders the immune system, and people who handle stress might have less cortisol, USA Today reports. "We don't know exactly how these emotions work to affect illness," Susan Folkman, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at University of California-San Francisco Medical School, said, adding, "But I don't think we're talking magic. ... It's probably a combination of behaviors that might slow progression and effects on the immune system from the emotions." According to O'Cleirigh, the study's findings suggest that doctors should look at how HIV-positive people are coping with stress, adding that people who are not managing it well should be referred to counseling (Elias, USA Today, 3/13). `HIV Can Replicate in Intestinal Lining Even After HAART Reduces Viral Load, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=38845` HIV can replicate and suppress the immune system in the intestinal lining, even after blood tests show that highly active antiretroviral therapy is reducing viral loads, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Virology, London's Times reports (Lister, Times, 7/29). Moraima Guadalupe of the University of California-Davis Health System's Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and colleagues took blood and intestinal samples of 10 HIV-positive people before and after three years of treatment with HAART (Reuters, 7/29). Three of the people began HAART within four to six weeks of contracting HIV, and seven began treatment at least one year after becoming HIV-positive, BBC News reports (BBC News, 7/29). According to the study, samples from people who started HAART earlier showed less inflammation and greater revival of the mucosal immune system in the gut than the samples of other study participants (CBC News, 7/28). "We found a substantial delay in the time that it takes to restore the gut mucosal immune system in those with chronic infections," Satya Dandekar, chair of the at the UC Davis Health System microbiology and immunology department and senior author of the study, said, adding, "In these patients the gut is acting as a viral reservoir that keeps us from ridding patients of the virus" (Xinhuanet, 7/29). "If we are able to restore the gut's immune response, the patient will be more likely to clear the virus," Thomas Prindiville, a UC Davis professor and a study co-author, said. The study recommends gut biopsies for patients taking HAART and says that earlier onset of HAART and use of anti-inflammatory drugs could help revive immune function in the "gut-associated lymphoid issue," which accounts for about 70% of a person's immune system, the Times reports (Times, 7/29). `Editor's Note: Scroll down and read the item about selenium. In light of this information on replication in the gut – even with HAART – you may want to discuss selenium with your medical advisor. JP` `Medical Marijuana Might Reduce Nerve Pain Among People Living With HIV/AIDS, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=42883` Neuropathy, a type of nerve damage, among people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a study published in the Feb. 13 issue of the journal Neurology, the Washington Post reports (Weiss, Washington Post, 2/13). Donald Abrams of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues examined the effects of smoking medicinal marijuana among people living with HIV/AIDS during a two-year period beginning in May 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). Researchers enrolled 50 HIV-positive participants who reported severe foot pain caused either by HIV/AIDS or their medications, according to the Post (Washington Post, 2/13). The participants each spent a week at a secure laboratory at San Francisco General Hospital and were required to stop marijuana use before the start of the study (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers measured baseline pain among the participants by asking them to rank their pain on a scale of one to 100 and by administering two standardized tests involving a small hot iron applied to the skin and hot chili pepper cream (Washington Post, 2/13). Twenty-five participants were randomly chosen to receive active marijuana cigarettes with 3.5% THC, the drug's active ingredient, and 25 received a placebo (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The participants smoked three times daily -- at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. -- for five days (Washington Post, 2/13). The study found that after the first cigarette on the first day, at least 50% of participants who received active marijuana reported a 72% reduction in pain (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers recorded a 15% reduction in pain among those who received the placebo cigarette (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 2/12). Over five days, the median reduction in pain reported by the active marijuana smokers was 34%, compared with 17% in the placebo group, the study found (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The researchers took steps to ensure that the marijuana in the study -- which was grown on the government's official marijuana farm in Mississippi and stored in a locked freezer -- was not used for recreational purposes, according to the Post (Washington Post, 2/13). `Comments, Reaction` The results are "evidence, using the gold standard for clinical research, that cannabis has some medical benefits for a condition that can be severely debilitating," Abrams said (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). He added, "I think that there are people out there who say there is no evidence that marijuana is medicine, that this is all just a smoke screen." David Murray, chief scientist for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the physical pain of people living with HIV/AIDS is an issue of great concern. However, "this particular study is not terribly convincing" because of methodological problems, Murray said (Dunham, Reuters, 2/12). He added, "People who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs. Is this really what a physician who is treating someone with a compromised immune system wants to prescribe?" (Elias, AP/Casper Star-Tribune, 2/13). Barbara Roberts -- former interim associate deputy director in the Office of National Drug Control Policy and now with Americans for Safe Access -- said, "This should be a wake-up call for Congress to hold hearings to investigate the therapeutic use of cannabis and to encourage more research" (Washington Post, 2/13). Igor Grant -- director of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, which funded the study -- said that although the study's finding are "very promising," they are not definitive (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/13). The study is available online. `Dietary Supplement Selenium Reduces HIV Viral Load, Increases CD4+ T Cell Count, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=42407` The dietary supplement selenium can reduce HIV viral loads and increase CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-positive people, according to a study published in the Jan. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Los Angeles Times reports (Chong, Los Angeles Times, 1/23). Selenium is a mineral found in many foods and sold as a supplement for less than $10 per one-month supply. It helps regulate the thyroid and the immune system and creates antioxidants that protect the body from molecules that can damage cells, the Miami Herald reports. Previous studies have found that HIV-positive people with low selenium levels are at an increased risk of a wide range of health conditions (Goldstein, Miami Herald, 1/23). For the study, Barry Hurwitz, a professor of psychology and medicine at the University of Miami, and colleagues randomly assigned 262 HIV-positive adults with normal selenium levels to take either a placebo pill or a 200 microgram capsule of high-selenium yeast for nine months, Reuters Health reports (Gale, Reuters Health, 1/22). Only 174 of the participants completed the nine-month follow-up period (Hurwitz et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 1/22). According to the Times, about two-thirds of the participants were taking antiretroviral drugs and about one-third of the participants were not. The study, which was funded by NIH, found that for the 50 participants who regularly took the selenium pills, HIV viral loads decreased an average of 10,000 viral particles per milliliter of blood, or by 12%, after nine months. The researchers also found an average CD4 increase of 30 cells per microliter of blood among the participants who regularly took selenium. According to Hurwitz, selenium had a positive effect among participants on antiretrovirals regardless of which drugs the participants were taking. Among the 83 participants in the placebo group, viral loads increased by 10,000 to 20,000 viral particles per milliliter of blood and CD4 cells decreased by about 30 cells per microliter in the same time period, the study found. Forty-one participants were classified as "nonresponders" because they did not adhere to their selenium schedule or because of gastrointestinal problems that prevented them from absorbing the mineral, the Times reports. This group had the same results as the placebo group, the study found. `Reaction, Next Steps` "What [selenium] appears to do is make [HIV] more docile, less virulent and less likely to replicate," Hurwitz said (Los Angeles Times, 1/23). He added that selenium is "a simple, inexpensive and safe adjunct therapy" (Miami Herald, 1/23). Jeffrey Blumberg, a nutrition professor at Tufts University, said that because selenium appears to be beneficial and to have no negative side effects, it can be used in conjunction with traditional therapies. Jeffrey Lennox, principle investigator for Emory University's HIV Clinical Trials Unit, said selenium's effect appears to be smaller than a variation that can be seen in some people living with HIV/AIDS from week to week. The supplement likely does not have wide scale implications in the U.S. because of the availability of therapies that are aimed at reducing viral loads to undetectable levels, according to Lennox. He added, "The conclusions are intriguing, but they don't change current medical practice. In people not receiving optimum therapy, selenium might be a benefit." According to the Times, the researchers are analyzing data on selenium's effects beyond nine months, and Hurwitz said the effects likely are long lasting (Los Angeles Times, 1/23). `HIV-Positive Gay Men Rarely Regret Revealing Their Status to Friends, Family, Study Says` `Access this story and related links online:` `http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=37399` HIV-positive gay men rarely regret revealing their HIV status to their family and friends, according to a study published in the April edition of the journal AIDS Education and Prevention, Reuters Health reports. Julianne Serovich of Ohio State University and colleagues surveyed 76 gay men ages 21 to 61 -- all of whom had contracted the virus through sex and had known of their status for one to 16 years -- who had told at least one relative, friend or acquaintance that they were HIV-positive. The researchers found that 75% of the men said they felt little or no regret at having revealed their status. Researchers also found that 80% of the participants' social networks were aware of their HIV-positive status. Cases of regret over revealing HIV status usually had told members of the immediate family, colleagues or previous or casual sex partners, according to the study. The men were four times as likely to regret revealing their HIV-status to their immediate family, especially their parents, than they were to regret revealing their status to friends. The researchers said this likely was because of the "differential emotional bonds and experiences shared among family versus friends." The study findings could be helpful for HIV-positive people considering disclosing their status, Reuters Health reports. Previous studies indicate that HIV-positive people who disclose their status might experience ostracism, rejection, abandonment and degradation, but disclosure also could result in increased social support, medical attention and access to assistance for HIV-positive people, Reuters Health reports (Huggins, Reuters Health, 5/18). `The National Neurological AIDS Bank Seeks Tissue Donations` `http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~nnrsb/NNRSB/hivbank.html` The National Neurological AIDS Bank (NNAB) was established in 1998 as one of four Banks within the United States devoted to studying the neurological problems of living HIV patients and obtaining the postmortem tissues of HIV patients. The latter functions to support the on-going research efforts of scientists to find an effective cure for AIDS and related diseases. The National Neurological AIDS Bank is recruiting patients who live within the greater Los Angeles area (such as Orange County, Los Angeles county, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino), who have advanced HIV disease, who agree to have regularly scheduled medical and neurological examinations prior to death, and who consent to donate their brains and other post mortem tissues to the NNAB after their death. If a donor meets the criteria and is located close to one of the other three banks, then contact information can be provided by NNAB staff. Other banks are located in San Diego, Texas, and New York. `The National Neurological Research Specimen Bank accepts HIV donors who may not enroll in the National Neurological AIDS Bank because they do not meet NNAB's criteria. Donated tissue will be used to study neurological disorders including neuro-AIDS.` `In addition to the HIV affected tissues being studied, researchers also need to study, for comparative purposes, non-HIV affected tissues. We encourage any and all family members, spouses, partners, and friends to enroll as donors. By arranging to donate tissue for research after death, you are giving a priceless gift to humanity.` `Contact Information` `National Neurological AIDS Bank phone: (310) 473-5500` `email: esinger@ucla.edu` `Human Brain and Spinal Fluid Resource Center phone: (310) 268-3536 email: brainbnk@ucla.edu` `Adult Treatment Guidelines Updated` The Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents has been revised to include up-to-date treatment information, including new recommendations for resistance testing, treatment interruption, and HBV/HIV co-infection. Tables have been revised to include up-to-date information about drug interactions and about the lopinavir/ritonavir 200/50 mg tablet formulation. Changes to the document are summarized in the "What's New in the Document?" section, and all changes to the document are highlighted in yellow throughout the text.The updated guidelines document is available in the ADULT GUIDELINES `http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/Guidelines/GuidelineDetail.aspx` `Information Resources on Medication Interactions` `from http://hivresources.com` `* Research drugs metabolized by known P450's at: http://www.Drug-Interactions.com` `* Review the archives of this list at: http://www.hivresources.com/Archive1.html` `* Refer to books such as: Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook (find through your local library or http://www.amazon.com); The Herb-Drug Interaction Handbook (http://www.herbdrug.org); and Food Medication Interactions (http://www.foodmedinteractions.com)` * Visit web sites such as: AIDSMeds (http://www.aidsmeds.com); Food as Medicine (http://www.cmbm.org); Institute for Traditional Medicine (ITM- http://www.itmonline.org); Grapefruit-juice Drug Interactions (http://www.powernetdesign.com/grapefruit); Pharmaceutical Education Associates' (http://www.pharmedassociates.com); Practical Guide to HIV Drug Side Effects (http://www.catie.ca/sideeffects_e.nsf) Club drugs (http://www.clubdrugs.org); Harm Reduction (http://www.harmreduction.org); National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA- http://www.nida.nih.gov); Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (http://www.samhsa.gov); National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (http://www.health.org); and AIDSmap (http://www.aidsmap.com) `* Review the Nutrition & HIV Discussion Area Archives at:` `http://www.hivresources.com/Bboard1.htm` `* Research your own topics at: PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez; Food and Drug Administration (http://www.fda.gov); and Google (http://www.google.com).` `Just diagnosed? Been around the block with HIV and happen to know a thing or two? Or maybe you just have some questions...` `POZ Mentor is an online support program for HIVers at different stages of dealing with the disease. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!` `Want to know more? Here’s how it works: You tell us about your HIV experience and expertise or about what kind of support you need. We match you up with other members for one-on-one mentoring.` `POZ Mentor is especially suited for HIV rookies—diagnosed in the past year or so. We also recommend our special rookie guide: Just Found Out? But most HIVers can benefit from being in touch with someone who has been there, whether it’s about activism, treatment decisions or dating—or for general emotional support. HIV doctors are welcome, too. POZ Mentor is completely free, absolutely private and accessible from anywhere in the world.` `News Archive` `Pride 2005 Photos` Sleeping Dogs Lie That Way `Do you know who I am? Ever venture to know?` `View yourself in my skin, chasing ducks for some row.` `I have feelings and morals that dare be my own.` `To be true at my core means a life quite alone.` `Stripped of pride almost daily and dared not to dwell.` `What’s my worth beside yours? Simply, don’t ask – don’t tell.` `Your importance is lessened when outside the norm.` `My skins become dense just to keep my blood warm.` `“Eye to eye”… sees me seldom, so few shake my hand.` `A consensus condemns me as less than a man.` `Not basing my future on children and wife,` `Hard for most to believe I’ve still purpose in life.` `Just imagine your life, if you had to suppress –` `All your natural feelings and not show duress.` `If all that is you were deemed wrong through all gods.` `Just imagine succeeding with triple the odds.` `Would you have the courage to be true to self?` `Or rebuke your own spirit – never knowing its wealth.` `Just imagine the jokes when the spotlight is on you.` `Would you laugh as you realize the bulk of this view?` `Do you know who I am? I don’t think that you can.` `I’m not truly allowed just to be my own man.` `Unlike you when in love I can’t walk arm in arm,` `Without verbal harassment or bodily harm.` `Do you know who I am? Am I too far estranged?` `I knew barely myself, before pressures to change.` `Most who claim to accept me view themselves quite exalted,` `Though when viewed in my likeness – they’re somehow insulted.` `Do you know who I am? Try with all of your might.` `I’m the lesbian’s brother, but you claim I’ve no right.` `If I were a female, I’d hear not a hiss,` `You’d encourage my birthright to choose who I kiss.` `Do you know who I am? Take a shot – open season.` `I am real, not a joke there’s no aesthetic reason.` `Many men that I meet shut me out with great haste,` `Assuming unfounded their looks meet my taste.` `I don’t need your blessing , I’ll thrive and persist.` `Even outside your circles and last on your list.` `Do you know who I am? No, you probably don’t.` `And try as you may… you probably won’t.` `May I simply ask sometime? You might stop to think.` `How such ignorance pushes me close to the brink.` `Those that know who I am, know I seldom feel “GAY”` `You just don’t want to know me, sleeping dogs lie that way.` `(C) 2003 – Bryan Carman – All Rights Reserved (V+ Poet in Residence)` `VISIT OUR FRIENDS AT KCLU` `LOCAL NEWS, INFORMATION, NPR, AND ALL THAT JAZZ` `10,000 Bees and Dozens of Humans Walk for Life` `The 2005 AIDS Walk for Life was a great success, generating over $37,000 in pledges to benefit AIDS Project Ventura County and the Ventura County AIDS Partnership. This is a significant increase from last year` `Photos`

	Quality Advisory Committee Meeting