Obsessed/interested in HIV and AIDS

[pumpkinbump]

Anyone else? My interest started when I was a child in the 80s. Remember the terrifying tombstone ad? I'm sure I remember a leaflet coming through the door too but not sure. I remember watching a film at my nan's house about the start of the epidemic with Matthew Modine. I found it mysterious, terrifying, fascinating. I was only a young child, around 5 or 6. I remember learning Freddie Mercury had it, and when Queen came on yhe radio, I would cover my ears as I thought I would catch it. I also remember when a boy grabbed me and kissed me on the lips at school, I came home crying to my mother thinking that I had caught it. As an adult, I'm still fascinated. I've watched every documentary, read lots, including HIV forums. The obsession dies down for a while until it starts again for a few weeks. I remember them saying they would have a cure for it in 2 years at the beginning but still we don't have one. I think it's why I find it so fascinating. Anyone else like this or am I just nuts?

HIVpos - I hope this does happen but I can't help being dubious. There are people who won't get tested aren't there? People who don't care, people who would deliberately infect others (although probably quite rare), people who believe it would never happen to them. Unless they enforced testing, I am not sure how this will be achieved.

@glitterbubbles

I'm a doctor but even at school I was also fascinated by it. Have you read And the Band Plays On? If not would highly recommend!

@glitterbubbles I haven't but will order it. I have seen the movie, although movies can be quite different from books.

I grew up in Africa in the 80s so I've known about HIV and AIDS all my life, even in my catholic primary school they told us loads about transmission and prevention. I remember seeing a group of street artists performing when I was about 10 and they sang "AIDS, don't be silly put that condom on your willy" which was actually a really ally good motto. I always remember in the early days people said truckers were responsible for spreading it geographically. When I went to uni condoms were everywhere and were free at student events. It was actually really good.

Also we all knew people who had it, someone close to me died of it. Very sadly he only waight 35kg when he died.

Not at all OP - just worth getting the facts straight and understanding why resistance can develop.

Re the search for a cure, this is difficult because of the way the virus attacks the body and also due to mutations. Makes it a very different prospect to something like coronavirus. However we do have TasP (treatment as prevention so we can't pass it on), PrEP (like the contraceptive pill but more effective, which stops it being contracted) and PEP (like the MAP though has to be taken for a month).

We also now have dual therapy as well as triple therapy which means less drugs so less potential toxicity. We're also starting to see injectibles being approved with might mean we eventually need a jab every 6 months instead of daily pills. Currently they can be administered every 2 months.

@Triffid1I don't know if you've seen this which will hopefully help protect women in Africa who need a more discreet option in HIV prevention. www.avert.org/news/‘significant-step’-hiv-prevention-vaginal-ring-gets-green-light-european-medicines-agency

Me too, I find the subject very interesting. I read Virus Hunt by Dorothy Crawford recently, it's a very interesting account of how the virus was discovered.

That tombstone ad and the associated leaflets is one of, if not the most successful public health ads in the world.

It is a fascinating disease in many ways. And yes, in the UK HIV is very much a chronic condition which can be well managed.

White middle class people are also the biggest growth group for syphilis and Chlamydia.

That does sound good washingmachine. Definitely a good catchy song. I don't remember being taught anything about it at school. My family weren't the type to talk about it to me, not because it was hush hush, but because it was more a case of seeing it on TV and just saying it was awful, the type of thing that happened to other people, that sort of thing. I am sorry that you lost someone close to you, that must have been very difficult to go through.

What do you do OP?

You should channel your interest.
I'm sure all researchers into HIV/AIDS share your fascination. You should do something with your interest. Imagine having a job you loved (you might already have that) in something that fascinated you.

@pumpkinbump I am also interested and loved the book “And The Band Played On” (as well as It’s a Sin, Pride and Rent) - what other books/films/TV would you recommend?

HIVpos - I think this is why I read about it so much. To get the facts. I used to know a lot about it back 10 years ago, and now not so much because things have changed so much in that short space of time. There was a man who had aggressive cancer treatment wasn't there, who was cured of the virus although they are not really sure how. So a cure is a very real possibility in the future, maybe not too far off.

And the chances of passing hiv to your unborn child are virtually 0 if you take your medication properly, and you are very likely to live to see them graduate and marry, have grandkids. You couldn't say that 30 years ago.

@Kendodd

What do you do OP?

You should channel your interest.
I'm sure all researchers into HIV/AIDS share your fascination. You should do something with your interest. Imagine having a job you loved (you might already have that) in something that fascinated you.

I would love to, but I feel that ship has sailed, I'm 39, single parent to a toddler. I work in statistics (not the brainy kind).

I remember the tombstone ad, it was terrifying! Thankfully, treatments let people live normal lives and prevents it being transmitted. A GP at our practice was diagnosed HIV positive, I saw his tweet on World AIDS day. Back in the 1980s, it would have been a massive scandal and he would have been forced out his job. I'm pleased things have moved on.
However, for people in developing nations being infected it isn't such a good outlook. Sadly, there are a lot of health inequalities across nations.

Have you heard of the Berlin Patient OP?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Patient

I'm the same as you, OP. I find the subject very interesting.

@pumpkinbump

HIVpos - I think this is why I read about it so much. To get the facts. I used to know a lot about it back 10 years ago, and now not so much because things have changed so much in that short space of time. There was a man who had aggressive cancer treatment wasn't there, who was cured of the virus although they are not really sure how. So a cure is a very real possibility in the future, maybe not too far off.

Oh goodness there have been a couple of people cured with another possible but this was due to having treatment for cancer that was very expensive, painful and dangerous. There were many others who had the same treatment and didn't survive. They did know how - it was predominantly through wiping our their entire immune system which would include the WBCs where the dormant HIV virus might be lurking (this is the main issue faced in finding a cure). You can read more about it here: www.aidsmap.com/news/jul-2020/has-someone-been-cured-hiv-cheap-simple-drug-regimen

In the case of Timothy Ray Brown (the Berlin Patient) he remained HIV free for many years, however unfortunately his cancer came back and he died last year www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54355673

This is definitely not a cure for anyone living with HIV to think of taking for many reasons.

When reading anything it's always worth getting all the facts. This website has excellent up to date and readable information with monthly bulletins i-base.info .

[quote HelloViroids]@pumpkinbump I am also interested and loved the book “And The Band Played On” (as well as It’s a Sin, Pride and Rent) - what other books/films/TV would you recommend?[/quote]
You've probably seen all or most,
Philladelphia
Go Toward the Light - old film, very good but very sad
Angels in America

Many documentaries on YouTube, The Gift I wouldn't recommend, it's people chasing it. The Original of Aids. Lots of them about AZT too. That drug sounds horrific.

[quote Kendodd]Have you heard of the Berlin Patient OP?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Patient[/quote]
Ah yes, that's the one I meant.

I didn't know that he had died. Very sad. The chemo he had wss very unpleasant which almost killed him.

One memory I have when I was a primary school child in the mid-80s: a local newspaper printed a story about a Gay men's group using a local swimming pool every week. It was the same pool my school used for swimming lessons. My mother, along with other parents, was absolutely terrified and I was not allowed to attend lessons. This went on for months. I can't recall what happened in the end but eventually lessons resumed.

There is no excuse for bigotry but my mum said at the time there was so much misinformation and she genuinely thought the virus could be transmitted in a pool, shared cutlery etc. And she was a nurse..

I remember back in 80s my dad’s cousin was the first person to die with HIV/ AIDS in the village and people where scared and then within a year so many people died. I lost my sister with her husband to this disease few years back and now her daughter who was 8 years when her mum died still alive now 20 years old and lives with HIV and takes her medication every day. She was very depressed when she discovered that she has to take the medication the rest of her life.

This is obviously a problem with YouTube documentaries, I saw one today which stated they didn't know how. I agree, very important to get facts. Thank you for putting things right.

Eastie77 - Gosh. Yes that must have been scary. I can understand as they didn't know much at all then about the virus did they.

I'm interested in it, not obsessed. Think I'm just of the generation where it was a huge thing, I remember documentaries with thousands of pictures pinned on walls. Philadelphia was one of the first films I saw at the cinema (there was an offer, where it was really cheap for kids one summer, we saw all kinds of things like the pelican brief )

It's amazing that it has become just another condition (in the developed world).

Mumof3girlsandaboy, that's so very sad. Do you mind me asking why medication didn't prevent this in your sister and her husband if this was only a few years back?
It must have been so difficult for your neice to lose her parents at such a young age. I am glad she is doing well now. It must be a nuisance taking a pill everyday, but must be lightened slightly by the fact that there are a whole host of conditions that require daily medication, so this hopefully makes the virus less scary on that basis.