HIV/AIDS

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Gay men in L.A. battle drug-resistant staph infections (Jan., 2003): Health officials in Los Angeles County say a drug-resistant strain of staph infections has broken out among gay men in that area. Officials say the strain also appears capable of attacking normal skin in healthy people. It's spread through skin contact, and has been resistant to common antibiotics. Symptoms include large, painful skin infections, boils, deep abscesses and inflammation.

Garlic supplements can impede HIV medication: According to a press release from the National Institutes of Health, "researchers have found garlic supplements can cause a potentially harmful side effect when combined with a type of medication used to treat HIV/AIDS." Investigators say that garlic supplements sharply reduced blood levels of the anti-HIV drug saquinavir. Study results can be found at (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/CID/journal/home.html).

Drugs for HIV-positive women: The United Nations' AIDS program, UNAIDS, recommends that drugs used to prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their babies should be given to all HIV-positive women about to give birth. Previously, such drugs were used only in pilot studies and research programs, but research shows that the drugs are safe for both mothers and infants.

Drugs for HIV/AIDS: Experimental research is indicating that taking short breaks from anti-HIV drugs might prove to be beneficial to the body's immune system. Researchers reportedly looking into this method of therapy include people from the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Research Institute for Genetic and Human Therapy, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Extra care with drinking water: The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water recommends that anyone with a weakened immune system take extra care with drinking water. A parasite living in lakes and rivers called Cryptosporidium can find its way into tap and bottled water. For the ill, this parasite can pose serious problems. Boil water rapidly for a minute and store it in clean containers; get a water filter with a pore size of "absolute one micron" (change the filter regularly); make sure any bottled water has been distilled, treated by reverse osmosis, or properly filtered.

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Teenage pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases and AIDS: It's more critical than ever that teen-agers are given the information they need to make educated and responsible decisions. Abstinence is the best way to protect against HIV/AIDS, STDs and pregnancy. However, if an adolescent is sexually active, Safer Child feels it's critical that parents and pediatricians also encourage the understanding and proper use of contraceptive devices.

Does there seem to be a conflict between teaching abstinence and teaching about HIV/AIDS? One way to resolve the conflict is to say, "You aren't old enough to engage in sexual intimacy now. But when the time does come, these are the ways to keep yourself safe and healthy..."

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