Results from a British study of HIV-positive men who have sex with men estimated a life expectancy of 75 years if HIV is diagnosed early, compared with 82 years for individuals without HIV. If HIV is diagnosed late, the researchers estimated life expectancy at 71.5 years.

The study authors noted that the decrease in life expectancy for HIV-positive men is comparable to the effect of cigarette smoking or having a chronic disease like diabetes.

“Men who have sex with men who are recently infected are estimated to have a good…

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has released an updated version of its “Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.”

The guidelines contain updated recommendations in several areas, including diagnosis of HIV in infants, start of antiretroviral therapy, selection of antiretrovirals, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in children and teenagers.

The guidelines now also include a rating system to indicate the strength of each recommendation, and formatting changes have been implemented to improve readability. For example, a section on drug side effects in…

A recent study uses dried blood spots (DBS), blood collected on filter paper, in testing to diagnose HIV infection in infants born to HIV-positive mothers.

This cost-effective method can enhance clinical care for HIV infected adults and children in areas with limited sources. HIV infection can be combated more effectively in infants with early diagnosis and immediate treatment.

Current methods to diagnose and monitor HIV infection in resource limited areas are serological assays, analysis of blood stream, and CD4/CD8 counts. CD4 cells are healthy T4 cells that are the primary…