Dr. Freeze, you may be a med student and I, a lowly nurse, however you've made a statement that is completely incorrect.
and right now you can live indefinitely with the HIV virus....15 years ago it was a death sentence....seems like that is under control as far as disease goes
Many people are of the misconception that HIV is now an easily managed disease, like diabetes. From a future medical provider who, presumably, has been educated in medically substantiated facts, I would hope for a more accurate statement. Surely you have been educated in the emergence of antiretroviral resistance, and the increased evidence of long-term side effects of the medications.
It has been established that there needs to be approximately 95% adherence to the antiretroviral therapy or patients run a high risk of developing resistance to the meds. In most routine medical therapies (antihypertensives as an example), the practitioner is pleased to have a patient who is 70-80% compliant because that is usually adequate to control the condition and provide a favorable outcome. In antiretroviral therapy, if the regimen isn't strictly followed, the virus can and does mutate, making the drug or entire class of drugs ineffective in treatment.
Consider, also, that many of these patients are young, otherwise previously healthy individuals who are unaccustomed to taking daily vitamins, much less multiple daily dosings of at least three medications! Others may be substance abusers who may not even be aware that they have or haven't taken their meds. The potential of missed doses is great and, for the patient who has missed more than 5 out of 100 scheduled doses, the results can be disastrous. To add to that, those folks that these individuals may go on to infect, will already be resistant, severely restricting their future treatment options as well!
Antiretrovirals have already been proven to cause long-term side effects such as hyperlipidemia and diabetes. This renders the patient with a "double whammy", immune deficiency AND potential heart and other vascular diseases. I've seen more than one patient develop diabetes after being on antiretroviral therapy when there was no prior indication nor strong family history.
Yes, Dr. Freeze, 15 years ago an AIDS diagnosis WAS a death sentence. Hell, that was true even 7-8 years ago. Unfortunately, for many, it is still true today.
