NAPWA

In times of significant change there are often many hard questions to answer. In the case of HIV, the footprints to public health understanding begin in epidemiologyThe branch of medical science that deals with the study of incidence and distribution and control of a disease in a population.. read more »

We devote a fair amount of space in Positive Living to reporting the results of clinical trials, but do you understand why medical research is done this way? This Backgrounder looks at the science behind clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. trials. read more »

The internet is a great source of information about HIV/AIDS and a great way to connect with others, but not all the information and people on the net can be trusted. What are some useful HIV/AIDS sites? read more »

Non-nucleosides are a powerful option for treating HIV, but cross-resistanceHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant.. can mean you only get one bite of the cherry. This is the final instalment in a three-part series looking at key drug classesA group of anti-HIV drugs with the same target of action. Anti-HIV drug classes include nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitorsA type of anti-HIV drug that works by preventing the production of an enzyme, protease, that HIV needs to replicate. and non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, as well as several others. Combining drugs from three or more classes is the basis of Highly Active AntiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. Therapy (HAARTHighly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy ??? aggressive treatment of HIV infection using several different drugs together.).. read more »

In the last issue, we took a look at the nucleoside analogue 'backbone' of anti-HIV treatment, but a strong backbone is only part of the story -- it needs something to hold up. This Backgrounder looks at the protease inhibitorA type of anti-HIV drug that works by preventing the production of an enzyme, protease, that HIV needs to replicate. class of drugs. read more »

Nucleoside analoguesA type of anti-HIV drug that works by inhibiting a stage of the HIV life cycle called reverse transcription. Non-nucleosides work in a similar way, but are chemically different. are the backbone of successful anti-HIV treatments. This article examines some of the issues involved in selecting the best nucleoside backbone. read more »

The process by which HIV causes AIDS is still not completely understood, however our knowledge has come a long way since the early days. This Backgrounder examines the various stages of HIV infection. read more »

If we take the time to understand how HIV is – and isn’t – transmitted, we are that much better armed to protect our partners. This issue's Backgrounder explains the ins and outs of HIV transmission. read more »

Does HIV cause AIDS? This Backgrounder explains the relationship between the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. and the disease, and the scientific basis that our knowledge is based upon. read more »

For the last two years, Backgrounder has covered topics as varied as the story of the smallpox vaccine and the laboratory dogs who gave their lives to further our understanding of human anatomy, all as a way of helping our readers understand the basic science behind HIV/AIDS. read more »

This issue's Backgrounder shows how different drug classesA group of anti-HIV drugs with the same target of action. Anti-HIV drug classes include nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitorsA type of anti-HIV drug that works by preventing the production of an enzyme, protease, that HIV needs to replicate. and non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, as well as several others. Combining drugs from three or more classes is the basis of Highly Active AntiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. Therapy (HAARTHighly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy ??? aggressive treatment of HIV infection using several different drugs together.). target different stages in the HIV life cycle. read more »

There’s so much information out there about HIV/AIDS, espcially on the internet. How do you tell the good from the bad? read more »

When Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, claimed in early October that HIV was “created by a scientist for biological warfare,” she weighed into a debate that has been raging since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. read more »

Pancreatitis is in the news. With opposition leader Mark Latham struck down by this painful condition, we look at the role of the pancreas and at HIV-related pancreatitis. read more »

In this conclusion to our three part series on blood tests, we look at a couple of tests which, which still fairly exotic, we think you’ll soon be hearing more and more about. read more »

Last issue we looked at the two key immunological blood tests — CD4 count and viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma.. But there’s more to your three-monthly blood tests than that. Biochemistry tests can spot illness, identify drug side effects and help you manage your health. read more »

Having regular blood tests is a fact of life for most people with HIV. That three-monthly or six-monthly bloodletting is the single most important part of monitoring the health of your immune system, but what do all those numbers mean? read more »

Many of the long-term side effects of HIV treatment are now being attributed to mitochondrial toxicity. But what’s a mitochondria when it’s at home? This month’s Backgrounder investigates the prehistoric creepy-crawlies inside our cells. read more »

By enabling people to access HIV drugs before they are approved, the Special Assistance Scheme ensures that people with few treatment options aren't disadvantaged by the often drawn-out drug approval process. But how does the scheme work, and how do you access it? read more »

We’ve all heard about resistance and “drug resistant” virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell., but just how does HIV become resistant to treatment? Why is it that missing doses of antiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. drugs can make HIV resistant to those drugs? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? This month’s Backgrounder explores the science behind resistance. read more »