When viral load testing became part of HIV care in BC a number of years ago, many mistakenly thought that an “undetectable” result meant that they no longer had HIV (best case scenario) or at least weren’t infectious anymore. Sadly, what we knew then indicated it wasn’t true. But in the past year, the question of undetectable viral load and infectiousness has come up again, largely sparked by what’s come to be known as the “Swiss Statement.”
Five years ago, PWN presented an International Women’s Day event that didn’t go as planned, yet everyone who attended loved it. Computers weren’t working properly, an internet connection couldn’t be found, a DVD skipped and skipped and skipped… people were talking. Actually, the talking was great. It ranged from microbicides to HIV treatment, and covered co-infection with Hep C, and sexual health for all women. We called the event SpringBoard because we wanted it to be just that: a jumping off point for new ideas and new connections.
I’ve been thinking for a while now on this entry: women and food. Women grow food, buy food, make food, provide food, and clean up when others are done eating. They decide what other people will eat and when. When food is scarce, women tend to go without so others can eat. Some women can’t eat enough to fill their hunger. For others, anything feels like too much. Food can delight us, trouble us, and torment us. So how to write a “simple” entry about HIV and food?
It’s not news that smoking can cause throat, lung and heart disease. But did you know it’s also bad for your… butt? Smoking can increase your risk of developing anal dysplasia, which can lead to cancer. If you have HIV, the odds are increased. In addition, smoking can decrease the effectiveness of HIV meds (HAART). All in all, we know that cigarette smoking is more problematic than we realized. This week in CATIE news, Sean Hosein, Science and Medicine Editor, introduced some interesting facts on anal HPV and women.
