African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic STD's ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 44 – HIV Drug causes Liver Damage
blood to back up into the esophagus. Veins in the throat
can become so enlarged that they rupture, leading to
serious and potentially fatal bleeding.
Although the FDA stated that the benefits for HIV
patients still outweigh the risks, it warned that Videx
patients should be closely monitored for any signs of
portal hypertension. Furthermore, it noted that "the
decision to use this drug ... must be made on an
individual basis between the treating physician and the
patient."
Videx was first approved in 1991, and the delayed
release version was approved in 2000. The drug is a type
of antiretroviral drug known as a nucleoside analogue,
and slows the proliferation of HIV to prolong the onset
of AIDS and extend the life of patients. It has previously
been linked to other forms of liver damage, especially in
combination with other antiretroviral drugs including
hydroxyurea and ribavirin.
According to a spokesperson for manufacturer Bristol-
Myers Squib, worldwide sales of the drug amounted to
$71 million in 2009.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z029225_liver_damage_drugs.ht
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Hormonal Contraception Ups
HIV Risk in Women
October 3, 2011
Hormonal contraception may make it easier for HIV to
spread between heterosexual sex partners, according to a
new study conducted in Africa. Women in the study who
used hormonal contraception had double the risk of
acquiring HIV or transmitting it to their male partners as
those who did not use hormonal contraception.
While hormonal conception includes both oral
contraception and injectable forms of birth control, the
findings were most pronounced for women using
injectables, like Depo-Provera, the study said. "These
findings have important implications for family planning
and HIV-1 prevention programs, especially in settings
with high HIV-1 prevalence", said study researcher
Jared Baeten, of the University of Washington. HIV-1 is
the prevalent subtype of HIV. "Recommendations
regarding contraceptive use, particularly emphasizing
the importance of dual protection with condoms and the
use of non-hormonal and low-dose hormonal methods
for women with or at risk for HIV-1, are urgently needed",
said study researcher Renee Heffron, also of the
University of Washington.
HIV and contraception
More than 140 million women worldwide use hormonal
contraception, such as daily oral pills and long-acting
injectables, the study said. A large proportion of the 16
million women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
also use hormonal contraception. The new study included
3,790 heterosexual couples in which one partner was HIV
positive and the other was not. The couples were from
seven African countries (Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda,
South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe).
Women using hormonal contraceptives were twice as
likely to become infected with HIV. The risk was
increased among those using injectable and oral
contraceptives, although for the increase seen in those
using oral contraceptives was smaller and may have been
due to chance. Additionally, women who were HIVpositive
at the beginning of the study and using injectable
contraception were twice as likely to transmit the virus to
their male partner as women who did not use hormonal
contraception. The results held even after researchers
took into account factors that could affect the HIV
transmission rate, such as the whether the woman was
pregnant, and whether condoms were used. It's possible
hormonal contraception causes biological changes, such
as changes to the cells that line the vagina or cervix, that
influence susceptibility to HIV, the researchers said.
What's to be done
"Active promotion of [injectable contraceptives] in areas
with high HIV incidence could be contributing to the
HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, which would be
tragic," Charles Morrison from Clinical Sciences,
Durham, North Carolina, said in an accompanying
editorial. "Conversely, limiting one of the most highly
used effective methods of contraception in sub-Saharan
Africa would probably contribute to increased maternal
mortality and morbidity and more low birth weight babies
and orphans — an equally tragic result," Morrison said.
Morrison also noted the study was not originally designed
to measure the effect of hormonal contraception on HIV
risk, and that the number of women using these
contraceptives was small. In addition, it was common for
women in the study to switch their contraception method,
from hormonal to non-hormonal contraception, such as
intrauterine devices. It's time to find a definitive answer
to the question of whether hormonal contraception
increases HIV acquisition risk, Morrison said. This can
be done through a trial in which participants are
randomly assigned to receive hormonal contraception or
not.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44765548/ns/healthwomens_health/#.ToqdOHLT4i0
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-45- Traditional African Clinic October 2011