It's About Steps...

 

HIV has been with us for decades & some wonder why a cure hasn't been discovered.  There are a lot of illnesses with no cures.  Some don't even have treatments.  HIV is a difficult puzzle to solve & there's always the question of funding.  There's also a possibility drug companies don't want to lose money, so there may never be a cure.

When the virus was 1st discovered there was nothing for it, not even a proper name.  Slowly things evolved.  It wasn't until the later 80s they started treating HIV with AZT, but it was harsh & didn't do the job by itself.  They slowly introduced other meds along side it to boost efficacy.  It wasn't until the mid 90s deaths from HIV started leveling off.

I was diagnosed in 2000 & was given 5 years to live.  I was taking a handful of meds every few hours.  They helped with the HIV, but they were hard to handle.  Slowly my meds changed & I was no longer on the handfuls of horse pills.   I was still dealing with quite a few for years.  They took their toll of me; my hair, teeth, digestion, etc...  Then came my regimen of 1 pill a day.  It was so strange after years of mass pills, to only take a single dose.  Even that med was replaced with a better option.

The point is, there were a lot of steps.  Now, we're moving into the age of long acting injectables.  Some are given every couple of months to twice a year.  These injections can make adhering to a regimen possible for a lot of people.  If these long acting injections are given & viral loads maintained, these people can't transmit the virus.  In a decade or generation, if enough people were treated, HIV could become just a memory.

There problem with is what it always is; funding, logistics & willingness.  None of those things will ever be a given.  Stigma & ignorance challenge willingness.  War, disaster & distance are issues for logistics.  The orange stain & those like him will always complicate funding.  We may have the means to end HIV, but due to social, political & economic factors, it may never happen.  That's on us as a people.  If this continues for generations, it's our failure.  We refused to take the necessary steps.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Figured It Out...

 

Since my screening on Wednesday, something's been bothering me.  At 1st I couldn't figure it out.  Sure I was worn out by the process & it's taking a bit to get back.  The procedure went well & it's over.  But since then, there's been a lot of crap screwing up to some degree; cars, doors, computers, kittens...  This stuff is constant agita.  And we have a hell election coming up that could be very well ruin what little life I have.   But I was still wondering what was really bothering me.

I finally figured it out.  During the colonoscopy, then put me under.  I didn't even notice going under, it was easy.  Ever since I woke, part of me has been angry.  That brief bit of time I was under was the most peaceful I'd been in decades.  There wasn't any fighting, stress dreams, fear, anxiety.  I wasn't fighting to stay asleep.  I just wasn't.  Then I woke up & it all came back. 

Maybe it's morbid, but if I hadn't woke up, all that would've stayed gone & I could've just not been.   I don't remember the last time I was that relaxed & peaceful.  It's fairly likely, the answer is never.   Maybe it's just a reaction to the meds, but I've been in borderline panic & anxiety fit ever since.  

I hate waking, it's always so horrible for me.  If there had ever been any kindness in this world, I would've stayed where that was.  Guess I have my answer on that.

Cya... 

When It Rains...

 

A is Articles & Abundance.  Both of which I found this morning.  I found 3 & none of them are too long or jargony.  I'll start with the topic of CRISPR.  Many are aware this is a method to edit cellular DNA.  This has been a topic of many medical research issues.  This piece covers an updated report on its use in fighting  dormant HIV hiding in a body.

This next article is taking the same approach, but with drugs.  The technique goes after proteins in HIV affected cells, called Nef.  This approach has been used mostly in cancer studies.  The method uses PROTACs, a molecule that binds Nef proteins.  This will signal the cell is degraded & needs to be eliminated.   In doing so, removing virus.

The last article is disappointing,  It's about the fight against HIV's failure to make aware & educate people about the topic & options available to the public.  The piece has a video about how many at-risk Americans are unaware of PrEP.  It was bad enough the numbers aware were so low, but also what was being defined as at-risk.  The people shown in the video were all mature, Black women.  Maybe this was a topic piece or for done for some limited exposure.  But I think it missed the mark.  I don't support PrEP, but people should know everything they can about HIV & the available options. 

That's all for now.  Have a look at these.  The video info is in the here & now.  The drug & CRISPR pieces are in development.  Take care.

Cya...

STI's Soar, Condoms Ignored...

 

This article & others have detailed the constant push PrEP & treatment over condom usage.   In the early 2000s, Syphilis was nearly eradicated.  The transmission of it & many other STIs wear declining.  That's no longer the case.  Many are roaring back & some are becoming drug resistant.   Now they're push a post application to prevent these STIs.  It's an antibiotic called doxycycline, also referred to as Doxy-PEP.  

So instead of pushing condoms, they opt for expensive medications before & after.  Who's benefiting here?  That's easy, the drug companies are raking in the cash & many health professionals are getting incentives to promote PrEP & PEP over condoms.  They've turned this into medical fashion & condoms are so passé.  

More cash is spent on meds.  More diseases occur needing more meds.  Therefore more is spent on meds.   Only the pharma companies gain.   Condoms are relatively cheap & work against STIs, not just HIV.  They're also birth control. 

Doxycycline isn't expensive, but it is does need a prescription.  There's a doctor's visit.  Also another drug in your system.  This med is a Tetracycline antibiotic.  It's old school.  How long before it's ineffective against these STIs?  Certain people shouldn't take Tetracycline, younger & pregnant.  It has a host of interactions & reactions for some people.  I tolerated it fine, but some don't. 

Between PrEP, Doxy-PEP, doctor visits & lab work; you could easily spend between $25K - 40K annually depending on your med needs, residence & insurance/assistance.  Whereas condoms sold in quantity are under a buck a piece.  There are places that will provide free condoms.  So if you're a F'Bunny & needed like 3 a day everyday, that'd be like just under 1,100 condoms.  Amazon & other online suppliers sell packs of 1K condoms for $150 - $200.  So a little over that is still just a fraction of PrEP cost without doctors or drug issues.

Choosing PrEP over condoms or choosing treatment as prevention are incredibly stupid options.  They don't work better than condoms & cost a fortune.  But by all mean buy that pharma CEO his next gold toilet & ivory back scratcher. 

Cya...

Another Step...

 

This piece notes, Gilead's Sunlenca (lenacapavir) has been approved in Europe for a twice yearly injection to treat HIV.  This article has some interesting info on the matter.  The Wiki page has a bit more on technical of the drug.  This med is primarily meant for combating the virus in those with multidrug resistant HIV.  It will also be helpful in places/peoples where regular regimen adherence is difficult.  Give this a read.

Cya..

Early But Maybe....

 

This piece focuses on Merck's drug Keytruda.  The medication has been in development since the early 2000s.  It's been used as an IV treatment for against  various cancers.  This article tells the med may aid in treating dormant HIV.  HIV medications can't treat the latent or hidden virus.   This drug may be able to help with that.  As long as dormant HIV stays in the body, the person remains infected.

It's early, but this does sound like it has possibilities for the future treatment of HIV.  Now we wait & see where this goes from here.  Will it work?  Will it be feasible?  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Resistant Infections...

 

I found 2 similar articles this morning.  The 1st piece is over a problem for the US's older population, 65+.  It details the increasing issue of drug resistant bacteria & infections. 

The 2nd piece, goes into how drug resistance in these  bacteria has gotten worse during the COVID pandemic.  COVID is so severe it could leave a person open to other infections.  Both articles shared a point.

Hospitals were a part of the issue.   The 1st piece details how many of these infections are far more prevalent in a medical or care setting.  They can be prevented by constant vigilance & sanitation, but  things do happen.  During COVID, hospitals were overwhelmed & the staff suffered serious burn out.  People were overworked, lacked supported, had to leave the profession, mistakes were made.  

Some of those mistakes may have led to infections.  Any of these infections contracted in a care setting are more virulent, costly & fatal than the same variety caught in the wild.  Read these pieces & be as careful as you can.

Cya...

Biannual Pill...

 

This article is about Gilead's Lenacapavir.   This medication is up for use as a PrEP option & treatment for those facing multidrug resistance.  It is an HIV capsid inhibitor.  Capsid inhibitors affect enzymes & proteins viruses need to replicate.  The novel thing about this drug  is that it's biannual.  A shot  given only twice a year has a  lot  of perks, especially for those who have difficulty with pills.  

This sounds amazing.  It's a new medication with a  newer approach.   That's awesome.  However, this is also a bit worrisome.  What if it fails?   It could mean a several months people weren't protected from HIV or treating their virus.  6 months is long time between intervals.  Maybe I'm overly concerned.  But, this will be the 1st medication of its kind, I think an abundance of concern is warranted.

That's all for now,  take care.

Cya...

Better For Women...

 

Finally some good news for women about HIV meds.  This piece covers research into Cabotegravir from ViiV.  After much medical research excluding women, this was actually aimed at their needs.  

Cabotegravir was developed as a maintenance med for those with well controlled HIV.  However, instead of a daily pill, it's an injection given every 2 months.  This led to it's use as a PrEP drug.

I normally oppose PrEP,  But, this med has shown to be effective.  It also means people have to see medical professional.  

The primary seller here is this research was done in Africa.  This medication means these women can take the drug without anyone else knowing.  They don't have to fear stigma as much.  It helps lessen exposure if their partner isn't cooperative or they're assaulted.

In these instances, this med has proven to be 80% more effective than Truvada.  That's staggering.  Between that & its discreet nature, I can't oppose it.  Especially under these circumstances.   If this article doesn't work for you, this info is easily found on the net.

Cya...

2 Pieces...

 

I found 2 articles this morning.  I'm not going to discuss them much, they both deserve to be read.  They're important topics & maybe if more people visit these sites, they'll put out more.

The 1st article covers the rise in resistance to HIV meds in Germany.   They're seeing a significant uptick in the numbers of HIV samples that are resistant to current meds.   These situations used to be common  in countries where HIV meds were difficult to regularly obtain.  Now this is spreading.  It could be a natural development or due to travel.

The next piece talks about blood donation by men who engage in homosexual sex.  The FDA has been altering it's stance on the matter for a while.  It do so further this year.  Give this a read.

That's it for articles.  I woke to another grey morning.  At least most the rain seems to have passed.  We'll handle trash & some errands later.  Other than that, not much going on here.

Take care.

Cya...

Resistant...

 

Occasionally, there's a report of HIV cases resistant to current treatments.  This article states,

An investigation of the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, discovered that two men are carriers of a mutation of HIV resistant to all antiviral known so far and also to pre-exposure prophylaxis, a combination of drugs called PrEP. 

That means no known med can treat or prevent this strain.   That leaves condoms & abstinence, that's worked so well in the past.   At this point, they know of 2 cases.  That doesn't mean there aren't more.  These men didn't know each other, so there must a connection out there, another carrier or more.

Resistance is a developed mutation.  It usually happens when HIV has been exposed to meds by someone not taking them regularly.   This allows the virus to adapt.  

The piece argues even though this strain is resistant to meds, including PrEP, there is no need to worry.  They claim the low numbers are not a cause for concern.  Oh really?  They don't know how many actual cases there are.  The place they found these cases is a border town.  This strain could be far more wide spread then currently thought. 

Take care, use a condom.

Cya...

More Grey & An Article...

This morning is dismal.   It's still raining & grey.  This crap is the forecast for the month.  There's been about an inch of rain in the last 24 hours.  

There are articles about about a failed vaccine trial.  None were that informative.  This piece, talks about the rising price of HIV regimens.  From 2012 - 2018, the cost  rose on average 6% a year.  

Costs always impact adherence & not just with HIV.   During those 6 years the costs have risen between 35 - 53%.  That's 3 - 6 times faster than inflation. These costs are falling onto the patients.     

The rising cost & shrinking availability for assistance will only be detrimental in the fight against HIV.    Remember, this is just the HIV meds.  Many HIV+ people have health issues other than HIV, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cardio issues, etc...

Sorry, no good news today.  

Cya...

Seriously California WTF...

IMO, good intentions have struck again in California.  According to this piece & others, the state decided to allow pharmacists to provide HIV prevention meds (PrEP) without a prescription.  This starts the January.  Bad points here.

• PrEP is a serious med with potentially life threatening side effects & interactions.
• How much cost assistance will there be with no script?
• This pushes an expensive medication instead of education &  condom usage.
• Every misuse of these meds could lead to HIV resistance.

This is a serious medication, a variation on a typical HIV drug regimen.  It has side effects, interactions & concerns.  Luckily the pharmacist can only give a 60 day supply, before the patient is required to see a physician.  These meds can harm a person.  Oversight & labs are needed on a regular basis.   

The cost of this will be immense.  Again, without a script, who will foot the bill?  Why not aim these monies at education & promoting condom usage.  Condoms aid in preventing much more than just HIV.  

PrEP use has risen dramatically in the last decade, but so has vaping.   They're investigating vaping, why not some caution on this matter?   I know the state had good intentions, but this could go very badly.

Cya...

Feelings...

There've been a lot of articles over chemsex parties & how they're refueling the HIV epidemic.  This isn't just an American phenomenon.   This piece is about the issue throughout Europe. Chemsex isn't really the problem, it's just a symptom.  

Whether a chemsex party or gathering of backwoods types to shoot-up, the reasons are pretty much the same.  These people are looking for escape.   They need contact. They need not to think.  They're drowning in their own misery & trying to escape even for a few moments in a very dangerous way.   Giving these people other options, opportunities, or even just some compassion & acknowledgement might go a long way.  These people feel disconnected, alone & hopeless.  They need an out.

Less judging & more understanding is the path to helping this situation. 

Cya...

PS - Starting to feel better.  Hope it holds.  That crap sucked.

Final Wednesday...

It's the last Wednesday of January 2019.  That went quick.  I'm still twitchy about the review with Social Security tomorrow.   There's nothing I can do about it, but wait.

There's an article about drug using pushing HIV transmissions.   This time it's centered on the Boston area.   This wave of opioid usage isn't going to go away until these people have something better in their lives.  That doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon under this administration.

That's about it for today.  Take care.

Cya...

Hello September, Me & 2 New Meds...

Well it's September & the 1st day of the month is sunny.  My hopes for this month are simple; as little drama as possible, some cheerful moments, shiny mornings & some reasonable means to solve any problems that may occur.  Thanks in advance.  So, goodbye August & hello September.  

This article talks about the FDA approving 2 new HIV meds.  One a medication called Doravirine & a combo pill containing the new med & 2 older meds.  The medications are produced by Merck & not Gilead, yay!  Other options are always valuable when treating HIV.

Finally, it's my birthday.  I'm 52.  I'm OK with the number.   It's weirder to think that my sister is almost 60 & my older 2 are in their 60's.  No one in my family should've ever been that old.  People like us are supposed to die in some Faulkneresque  or Hemingwayish style death suitable for a rock song  or a tear in my beer ballad.  Better to burn out & all that.

This morning brings me sunshine, a new month, news of new medications & a birthday.  I'm fine with all this.  Take care & best wishes for the month.

Cya...

Word Choice & Resistance...

This article is a piece on the issue of drug-resistant HIV.  This may be about places in Africa, but resistance to common HIV drugs has been reported in Canada, Russia & many places of lesser financial means.   Some look at this as  an isolated issue, but it isn't.  At some point HIV, was an isolated issue, just like West Nile, SARS, Ebola, etc...  Nothing viral, stays isolated for long as people travel  & trade globally.

When it comes to being chronically ill, especially with something as stigmatized as HIV, you have to take note of people's word choices.   Like the words of "Opportunity" & "Burden".   People, like big pharma, who make their wealth off the ill, see & describe HIV as an opportunity.  A chance for them to make billions.  People who foot the bill or provide the care are prone to use the word burden.  HIV+ people are a burden on society & its resources.  

I know these things are true, but it gets really hard to hear that you're viewed just as an asset &/or a liability.  Ask any unwanted kid.  I won't tell you how to speak, I think that's wrong.  I'd ask you to be aware of your word choice.  If you're going to be a bitch, at least do it on purpose & with thought.   A little style wouldn't hurt either.

Cya...

2nd Day Of August...

The beginning of the month is always busy for us.  It'll be busier now that my roomie will be seeing her friend in Fort Smith more.  It just means more planning.  

This morning was nice.  It had light.  An outdoor cat put on a show by climbing the crepe myrtle higher than any cat before her.  Amazingly, she got herself down with no drama & a fair amount of grace.  Obviously, she isn't 1 of our cats.   Our cats think being graceful is tripping over your own feet walking across the living room.

There's been some talk about protease inhibitors lately.  It seems they may have been less safe than previosuly thought.  There are a host of complications that may be more common than initially believed.   Some will be upset by that, I'm not.    I was on them & they may have done me harm.  But it was what we had at the time.  If they know now & they're taking action to deal with these products, it would seem that's the best they can do.  We had a choice, take a possibly risky medication & live or refuse the medication & possibly die.  Not great options, but they were the choices we had.

I've got to go shopping, so this is it for now.  Take care.

Cya..

Different Place, Same Story....

This article is about another place in the US, Beaver County, PA where HIV & other STD's rates are rising.  Again we see reference to lack of testing  & unwillingness to be tested, lack of awareness of HIV risks & a surge in drug use.  Pennsylvania is next to Ohio & West Virginia, states already dealing with an opioid & HIV crisis.  They're adjacent to Indiana & Kentucky.   Next to those is Illinois.   

Most of the Great Lake region states are being impacted by these issues.  We've been hearing about this since VP Pence was still a governor, but precious little is being done about it.  The list of states with an epidemic of HIV/STD outbreaks. TB & HEP clusters & mass opioid use is growing.  Too bad the people in power don't seem to be all that concerned with the issue. 

This new group is adjacent to the problematic southern states that have their own issues with HIV & drug use.  Eventually, the eastern half of the country will be in this zone.  What then?

Cya...

Here We Go Again...

This article tells of a new strain of HIV in the Philippines.  This strain is more aggressive & highly drug resistant.  It takes the person from infected to the AIDS stage in a shorter time.   This isn't the strain found in the Western Part of the world.  That is usually the B strain.  It's prominent in the US, but counts for just over 10% globally.   This is another HIV threat that could've been curtailed if this virus had been handled properly & not so highly stigmatized.

Also, on less life threatening note, this is the 1st day of Daylight Saving Time.  I hate the 1st morning after.  This sucks.  My body knows the world is lying to it.  It always takes awhile for me to adjust to the lost hour.   DST either needs to stay or go permanently. 

Cya...