The Man Who Had HIV and Now Does Not
Four years ago, Timothy Brown underwent an innovative procedure. Since then, test after test has found absolutely no trace of the virus in his body. The bigger miracle, though, is how his case has experts again believing they just might find a cure for AIDS.
AIDS is a disease of staggering numbers, of tragically recursive devastation. Since the first diagnosis, 30 years ago this June 5, HIV has infected more than 60 million people, around 30 million of whom have died. For another 5 million, anti-retroviral therapy has made their infection a manageable though still chronic condition. Until four years ago, Timothy Brown was one of those people.
Brown is a 45-year-old translator of German who lives in San Francisco. He is of medium height and very skinny, with thinning brown hair. He found out he had HIV in 1995. He had not been tested for the virus in half a decade, but that year a former partner turned up positive. “You’ve probably got only two years to live,” the former partner told him when Brown got his results.
Read the rest here.
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
Meet Brian Kanyemba - a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate
via IRMA
Brian is an IRMA member, an Advocate Fellow with AVAC, and a Research Assistant with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. He has been very involved with IRMA's Project ARM - Africa for Rectal Microbicides, and an integral member of the Project ARM video working group which is producing an African-focused video on anal sex and rectal microbicides.
At the May 23 - 25 Top2Btm symposium in Cape Town, Brian presented an excellent poster called "Developing Rectal Microbicides (RM) in Africa - the advocacy needed to make it happen." Click here to check it out.
Brian feels lucky to have been part of the African arm of the iPrEx study, the results of which have been extremely meaningful to the MSM community. As an advocate Brian works on comprehensive community awareness of HIV prevention tools.One way in which Brian does this is to let people know that rectal microbicides are not just for MSM, but also have the potential to greatly affect the heterosexual community.
Brian also works to increase awareness and reduce stigma. "Sex is a taboo in the African context, now it's the time to call a spade a spade and send the message around," he says. He hopes that progress in sex education curriculums will aid the process, thereby bringing the epidemic out of the shadows.
In his free time, aside from his ceaseless interest in discussions of HIV prevention, Brian can be found dancing, playing pool, and drinking a good beer.
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
Rectal microbicides are important and should be a top priority among new HIV prevention because anal sex occurs between heterosexuals as well as homosexuals, says Brian Kanyemba of Cape Town, South Africa. Awareness of anal sex and continuing discussions on anal sex could bring down homo-negativity and prejudice against MSM.
At the May 23 - 25 Top2Btm symposium in Cape Town, Brian presented an excellent poster called "Developing Rectal Microbicides (RM) in Africa - the advocacy needed to make it happen." Click here to check it out.
Brian feels lucky to have been part of the African arm of the iPrEx study, the results of which have been extremely meaningful to the MSM community. As an advocate Brian works on comprehensive community awareness of HIV prevention tools.One way in which Brian does this is to let people know that rectal microbicides are not just for MSM, but also have the potential to greatly affect the heterosexual community.
Brian also works to increase awareness and reduce stigma. "Sex is a taboo in the African context, now it's the time to call a spade a spade and send the message around," he says. He hopes that progress in sex education curriculums will aid the process, thereby bringing the epidemic out of the shadows.
In his free time, aside from his ceaseless interest in discussions of HIV prevention, Brian can be found dancing, playing pool, and drinking a good beer.
Read about other friendly rectal microbicides advocates.
Newly featured advocates include Margaret Onah, Paul Semugoma, and Ian Lemieux.
Want to join the best e-mail discussion list on new prevention technologies on the planet? Send a note to IRMA here - rectalmicro@gmail.com - and we will get you signed up.Joining the list makes you an automatic IRMA member too!
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
The Vatican and AIDS: Symposium Includes Pro-Condom Advocates (Updated)
May 31, 2011 - UPDATE:
Unfortunately, this weekend's symposium at the Vatican did not fulfill hopes that the Catholic Church might adopt a more comprehensive approach to HIV prevention. In fact, the Church's long-held, misguided beliefs that condoms actually hurt HIV prevention continue to be supported. Dr. Sidibe quoted the Pope's book, but the response was tired and dimissive, rather than cooperative. Citing AIDS statistics from African nations, speakers noted that governments encouraging abstinence rather than handing out condoms had higher success rates in stemming the tide.
The Catholic Church continues its commitment to humanitarian efforts, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Using Church-approved methods, faith-based organizations will continue to provide care to countless victims of the epidemic, but without a commitment from the Vatican to accept and work with scientific and public health advancements, the global fight against AIDS will never be unified. If there is a constant battle behind the scenes between prevention methods with religious approval like abstinence, and methods not approved by the religious leaders like condoms, then mixed messages and funding battles will serve as yet another obstacle to eradication.
May 27, 2011 - Traditional Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial forms of birth control, including the condom. But what if the condom is being used as a way to prevent infection rather than a birth control method?
Last November, Pope Benedict XVI made waves in Catholic and public health communities when he stated that when used "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection,” condoms could actually represent a step in the right moral direction. Since then his comments have been analyzed and re-analyzed, defended and dismissed, by in support of every possible viewpoint on condom use. This leaves many confused over whether condoms are still considered to contradict the teachings of the church, and whether this has opened the door for a less strict policy from the Vatican and other religious leaders in favor of global health.
Pope Benedict XVI, however, also stated a little over a week ago that the fight against AIDS “cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems.” This position is maintained by many leaders across the world in the church and religious organizations, even to the point of completely denying science in favor of supporting the official stance, to the detriment of local and global public health goals in the fight against the epidemic.
Changes in religious leaders’ views on condom use have potentially far-reaching effects: from sex education, to the work of faith-based organizations in AIDS relief (which get billions of dollars in federal aid each year), to a shift in public health practices in hard-hit conservative countries. So while the Vatican’s official stance is still that condoms are immoral, the pope’s comment that they might be a step in a moral direction in some cases unprecedented and has implications that may someday alter what has until now been a battle pitting conservative religious doctrine against progressive attempts to change the way the AIDS epidemic is faced.
Today and tomorrow the Vatican is hosting a symposium on preventing HIV and caring for those affected by the virus. Notably, this symposium includes the executive director of UNAIDS, Dr. Michel Sidibe, and other know advocates for condom distribution as part of a prevention plan. Perhaps this symposium, following on the heels of the new UN strategy for the upcoming years, will represent another step in the right direction of a more united fight against AIDS.
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
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