An Interesting Observation.

[Fellow Traveler]

Aidsmap yesterday reported an interesting story where four of Switzerland's foremost HIV experts proclaimed the following after extensive review of available literature and extensive discussion.

Swiss HIV experts have produced the first-ever consensus statement to say that HIV-positive individuals on effective antiretroviral therapy and without sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are sexually non-infectious. The statement is published in this week’s Bulletin of Swiss Medicine (Bulletin des médecins suisses).

That is really interesting for a lot of reasons not the least of which is greater imperative to get these types of medications to people in Africa, rather than wasting money on Circumcision.

Now, over at circumstitions.com Hugh Young was good enough to provide both the original story and the CDC's Next Day response.

CDC Statement
For Immediate Release
February 1, 2008
Contact: CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention 404-639-8895

An article recently published by Switzerland’s Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS states that HIV-positive individuals on effective antiretroviral therapy are not at risk for transmitting HIV to their sexual partners under certain circumstances. The Commission acknowledges that there are no scientific data that the risk of transmission in these circumstances is zero. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underscores its recommendation that people living with HIV who are sexually active use condoms consistently and correctly with all sex partners.

To which Hugh adds:

[How very different this instant and total denial is from the reaction to the claim that circumcision reduces HIV transmission to very much more than zero!]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[pdx.mothernurture]

Wow.

Jen

[perspective]

I always marvel at those few circ studies on AIDS. Everyday we hear on the news about a new study, and everyone generally brushes them aside because there is that joke that next week a new study that says just the opposite will come out.

Beyond that, the medical world is always quick to tell people not to get too excited because many studies need to be done before any action is taken.

Yet with this, people just seem to have gone crazy.

[Frankly Speaking]

Originally Posted by jwhispers

That is really interesting for a lot of reasons not the least of which is greater imperative to get these types of medications to people in Africa, rather than wasting money on Circumcision.

This scares me more than a little bit. I can imagine a potential sexual partner telling me "I have AIDS but I'm on anti-retroviral treatments so you don't have anything to worry about." I would be doing my cheetah immitation and getting the heck out of there. I can only imagine my anger if she told me after the fact! It's like a man telling a partner "I don't worry about AIDS, I've been circumcised!"

There is a period when a person is infected but doesn't know they are infected and there is a period after the infection is recognized but anti-retroviral treatment has not been started. Condoms are known to be 99%+ effective at preventing transmission and their use should not be minimized for any reason especially in areas with high infection rates. Anti-retrovirals are horrendously expensive and condoms are cheap. Given the cost of anti-retrovirals, they are not likely to go into widespread use in Africa. Even in the US with our higher living standard, they are crushingly expensive and often more than the total annual earnings of those who need them.

.

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by Phoenix Rising

This scares me more than a little bit. I can imagine a potential sexual partner telling me "I have AIDS but I'm on anti-retroviral treatments so you don't have anything to worry about." I would be doing my cheetah immitation and getting the heck out of there. I can only imagine my anger if she told me after the fact! It's like a man telling a partner "I don't worry about AIDS, I've been circumcised!"

There is a period when a person is infected but doesn't know they are infected and there is a period after the infection is recognized but anti-retroviral treatment has not been started. Condoms are known to be 99%+ effective at preventing transmission and their use should not be minimized for any reason especially in areas with high infection rates. Anti-retrovirals are horrendously expensive and condoms are cheap. Given the cost of anti-retrovirals, they are not likely to go into widespread use in Africa. Even in the US with our higher living standard, they are crushingly expensive and often more than the total annual earnings of those who need them.

I agree totally; what I find surprising is that they don't really have the same reaction with regard to circumcision. Just like you don't want people to get the idea that being on drugs is a sure bet you don't want people thinking circumcision is a sure bet. That is kind of what I was saying they should be saying the same thing about circumcision as they are saying about the drugs.