Why is AIDS no longer a terminal illness in the United States?

Question

I've been reading some medical journals and seen some things on TV and scientists, doctors, and journalists are saying that AIDS, once feared as a terminal illness in the U.S in the 80's is now still serious yet no longer a terminal illness. However I didn't watch the whole thing so I missed out on a lot of info! Are there more powerful drugs to combat the HIV these days. What also got my attention was during a movie (The Night Listener), an aids patient remarked: "Eight years ago I thought I was going to die, and now that's not the case anymore."

I'm glad to hear this news. I hope that other countries can find managable ways to combat HIV/Aids.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Answer 1

HIV not AIDS. (because theres is a difference, a person is not tconsidered to have aids if its CD4 cell count are up 200 and its viral load is undetectable) is not a chronic terminal illness anymore mainly due to the new advances in retro viral drugs readily available in today's market.

Millions of dollars are invested in clinical research for the development of new and effective vaccines, having China already produced it first successful anti HIV vaccine, tested in humans in 2006. The new antiretroviral drugs are usually a combination of 3 or more drugs, which makes treatment easier and allows the patient taking less pills.

Aids was considered a terminal illness in the 80's because it was poorly understood, and there was no treatment available. Then they came up with AZT, (Azatanavir Sulfate) which side effects and interactions damage the liver and eventually killed many people. Some people that refused taking AZT are alive today under HAART regimens and doing well. The HIV virus is extremely complex, and its amazing mutation rate of 30,000 copies per day, makes the virus easily escape the effects of inhibitors by developing new, stronger virions. Today's top antiretroviral drugs are Reyataz, Norvir, Sustiva, and Comvibir among others. These prove effective against the duplication of the virus,, allowing a patient loaded with virions copies become undetectable.

Aids is no longer a terminal illness here simply because of our economy. Countries scuh as Africa cant afford the expensive medication that involves treatment. Let me enlighten your mind a little bit: A bottle of 30 capsules of norvir cost 400 us dollars, and one of reyataz about 1150, and for them to be effective they must be used combined for one boost the effects of the other.

There are programs such as The Ryan White program which provide the necessary funds in the USA needed for infected people to get treated. Immigrants also enjoy these benefits. In Africa and other parts of the world, there are no organizations provided by the goverment to deal with such malady. Thats why people die everyday from AIDS, not because it cant be treated, but because it is expensive to deal with. If you want more, watch discovery health channel, Look what I have learned from TV §

Answer 2

The cocktail drugs have been a life saver. For most Americans, keep in mind we are all rich. Compared to Africa and many other parts of the world. Literally rich, we have food and medication, believe me, lets not take that for granted.
The drugs are out of reach for the people in the places of Africa where its needed the most, the cost is too much. It is a plague over there. Even before the miracle Aids drugs, it never came close to being a plague in the US. The percentage of Americans who have HIV is miniscule compared to South Africa and other places. Whats interesting is that its a big disease for heteros over there and never was here. There are some theories, such as they practice a kind of rough sex, but I don't think that has been proven as fact.

Answer 3

Since the mid 90s when protease inhibitors (a new type of HIV med) came on the market the death rate of individuals with AIDS decreased and people were staying healthy longer. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in Africa where they don't have access to medications and the type of health care we have here in the USA. Yes, it's no longer a "death sentence" and people are staying healthy longer, however, there is still no cure.

Answer 4

In the beginning of the AID$ crisis. There were a bunch of gays showing up at public health clinics in terrible shape.

Many had Kaposi's sarcoma and a host of other things.

It turned out that they had multiple STDs in the past, repeated usage of antibiotics, amyl nitrate usage, cocaine, heroin and other drugs, plus they were hanging out and having crazy unprotected sex with multiple people every night in the bath houses, plus little sleep.

The gay communities in San Fran primarily, but also NYC and other cities, never had such strength and visibility, but did not want to accept that their life style was killing them. So they demanded an answer.

Robert Gallo, a retrovirus researcher, who had previously discovered, then later retracted, a previous non-existant virus, stole some viral material from a lab in France and then claimed it as his research. He said that this retrovirus was the probable cause of AIDS, even though his research only found it in 60% of the gays that had "AIDS".

They threw a very toxic drug out to combat the alleged virus, AZT. AZT was developed for short term chemotherapy but was shelved because it was too toxic. The initial results for AZT showed a 125% higher death rate than no AZT use. Ryan White used AZT. So did Mary Fisher.

Over the years, the amount of AZT in the treatment has been reduced. Surprise, Surprise, ... the death rate from AIDS keeps falling in almost perfect correlation with the reduction in the dosage for AZT.

By the way, Kaposi's sarcoma is no longer considered an AIDS disease by top AIDS researchers. It results from nitrate consumption (amyl nitrate was huge in the gay community in the 70s).



The CDC's OWN data (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats/hivsur92.pdf) show that AIDS deaths CLEARLY began to decline at the end of 1995, *PRIOR* to the release of new "miracle" drugs! "AIDS" cases began to decline before THAT. Both "AIDS" cases and deaths would have started to decline even EARLIER, but the CDC EXPANDED the definition of "AIDS" in '93.

Also, only 19% of so-called "HIV-positive" people were on the new drugs by *MID-1996*
(see: http://www.retroconference.org/2001/abstracts/abstracts/abstracts/494.htm).

Plus, the dosage of the TOXIC AZT has been lowered by at least 50% since its release in 1987. Obviously, something OTHER THAN the new drugs is causing "AIDS" cases & deaths to decline.



For a real analysis of the information outhere, go to Aidsmythexposed.com and virusmyth.com.

Answer 5

Exactly! The life expectancy now, of someone diagnosed with HIV is 33 years from the time they're diagnosed.

Answer 6

simply because the medical community have improved on the life expectancy by creating better meds to control the related medical issues as wells keep T cell count stable.. people are living longer and healthier with the disease.