Two articles published by American researchers in the January issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) showed that HIV-infected adults and children are living longer than they did in the mid-1990s.

One study monitored mortality rates and causes of death in HIV-infected children from 1993 to 2006, a period of time when highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) was introduced.

The other study estimated life expectancy and average years of life lost in adults following HIV diagnosis.

Researchers found that pediatric death rates significantly decreased between 1994 and…

A study published Wednesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that HIV-positive individuals experienced reduced rates of suicide after the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

The suicide rate among HIV-positive individuals nonetheless remains higher than the general population even after the introduction of HAART.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV-infected patients in some countries are eight times more likely to commit suicide. Typically, individuals are most at risk when they become aware of their status and when particularly ill.

A team of researchers in Switzerland…

A recent study shows that pregnant women who are HIV positive may increase their immune response and decrease the amount of HIV in their bodies if given highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during pregnancy.

HAART is typically composed of three to four different antiretroviral drugs and can help slow down replication of the virus and control HIV levels in the blood. For this reason antiretroviral therapy has proven successful in slowing the progression of HIV to AIDS and decreasing the likelihood of transmission of the virus to the fetus during…

A new study finds that hepatitis C infection, liver cirrhosis, and high viral load are risk factors for thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive individuals, even if they are receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).

Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which the number of platelets in a person’s blood drops to abnormally low levels. Platelets are cells that are involved in blood clotting, and low platelet levels can lead to excessive bruising or bleeding. When left untreated, HIV infections can cause thrombocytopenia. Before modern HAART treatment regimens were developed, the condition was often…