Dating While HIV-Positive: Should I Date Only Others With HIV?

HIV-positive individuals face two options regarding dating: date another individual who is infected with the virus, or date an individual who is HIV-negative.

A greater understanding of the infection, and the use of condoms, has reduced the likelihood of an HIV-negative individual acquiring the virus, if they are in a romantic relationship with someone who is HIV-positive.

These couples are known as serodiscordant partners.

However, dating while infected with the…

Almost 50 percent of HIV-infected individuals worldwide will not die from the disease itself but, rather, from tuberculosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium that typically affects the lungs and other parts of the body, such as the brain, liver, and spinal cord. Its presence is very high in third world countries in Africa, such as Botswana and Kenya.  At least 50 percent of individuals with HIV also had TB in…

This December 1 marks the 21st World AIDS Day, a time to remember those who have passed from the disease, acknowledge those who are living with HIV and AIDS, and spread awareness of its impact around the globe.

This year’s AIDS day subtheme is “Universal Access and Human Rights,” in which global leaders aim to teach prevention of HIV infection and work towards providing care to those in need.

These are critical issues – in the United States alone, every…

The use of antiretroviral medications has greatly increased the longevity of patients with HIV. However, liver failure, heart disease and neurological changes can often result from its use.

Patients taking protease inhibitors or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are at a higher risk of body fat redistribution and heart disease, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Body fat redistribution was evident in 20 to 35 percent of patients after one to two years on antiretroviral…

HIV-positive individuals face a greater risk of acquiring AIDS defining cancers and non-AIDS defining cancers, according an article published in Oncology Reports.

AIDS defining cancers are cancers that commonly occur in people with advanced HIV infections who have weakened immune systems. A person with HIV who gets an AIDS defining cancer is usually considered to have AIDS.

The most common AIDS defining cancers are Kaposi’s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and cervical cancer. Non-AIDS defining cancers, which are still more prevalent in…