In the 1980’s diagnosis with HIV was a death sentence. In 1995 in the USA, it was the highest cause of death in the age range 25-44 years. Nowadays HIV is a life sentence, but a relatively painless one. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has ensured that the virus is kept locked away in the host DNA,… Continue reading
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HIV/SIV PEP in Non Human Primates: a Meta-analysis
Animals have long been the most faithful friends of humans but what is more interesting to know is that they have been a model for scientific experimentation which helps humans to make better medication and cure. A recently published meta-analysis report by the team of Irvine C. in the journal “Clinical Infectious Diseases”, the authors… Continue reading
HIV prevention: The Emerging Prevention Regimen from Post-exposure to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis
Like vaccinations for life-threatening diseases such as Hepatitis B and Tetanus, the HIV virus could be tackled more efficiently with the presence of a vaccination for this disease. Researchers have been successful in developing a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV which is now a leading development towards finally creating a vaccine. Pre-exposure prophylaxis is a… Continue reading
Syphilis: Disease of the New World.
Syphilis is forever linked in my mind with Elizabethan times. It may even be responsible for them, as Henry the Eight was allegedly infected. Syphilis may have been responsible for the high incidence of miscarriage seen in his first wife, leading to his divorce, the creation of the Church of England and his infamous marriage… Continue reading
Murder by virus: The deliberate spread of HIV
“We have received feedback from those with close links to HIV/AIDS patients, that some HIV positive persons deliberately spread the disease as a form of revenge on society.” Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and The Arts, and Health, 4th Singapore AIDS conference 2004. You would think that being diagnosed… Continue reading
STD treatment in the pre-antibiotic era
We live in troubled times, medically speaking. The antibiotics that seemed so close to conquering the world of bacterial disease are failing. There is a very real possibility of a gonococcal superbug, resistant to all forms of antibiotic. As early as 2012 Dr. Gail Bolan, director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC… Continue reading
Creepy Crawly Crabs
There was a time, when lice were so much a part of daily life that a good infestation was considered a sign of good health. Bill Bryon in his masterpiece of domestic history “At Home” tells of people forming this idea due to body lice fleeing the heat of a feverish body and poets imagining… Continue reading
HIV PEP – A Ray of Hope
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus known as HIV attacks a person’s immune system making them susceptible to infections like tuberculosis, opportunistic infections and even tumours. These are diseases that would normally not affect people with a strong immune system. Although studies show that there is no cure for HIV, there are drugs available that can slow… Continue reading
Pre-marital STD screening; why it is a good idea for everyone.
You hear the words, “wish I got a prenup!” far more often than the words “we are going to get a prenup”. People are encouraged to look at their financial health before committing to a marriage. You don’t want to hook up only to find you have acquired a string of credit card debt along… Continue reading
Case Study: The Mysterious case of the Norwegian Trawler.
In 1993 a fishing trawler came into port after three months at sea. The skipper presented to a clinic with urethral discharge that lab reports identified as gonorrhoea. The symptoms had not appeared until well into the voyage and it was clear the STD was contracted during the months at sea. The crew was all… Continue reading