One of the biggest sexual health problems comes in the form of HIV/Aids. The biggest question that is always asked about this devastating disease is: will there ever be a cure? For the millions whose wellness and wellbeing, or that of a loved one, is affected by this disease, any piece of news that seems to indicate a cure can be tremendously exciting and potentially life changing.
That’s why when a recent report told the story of two HIV positive patients who were treated for cancer in Boston and who were subsequently found to be free of HIV, people everywhere sat up and took notice. But does this mean that a cure for HIV is in the wings? Sadly, no. Although the research on these two men (and a third who sadly died from his condition) is medically significant and could help towards the eventual development of a cure, it does not in itself represent a ready-made cure.
Unfortunately, whenever there is a headline claiming that a ‘cure’ for HIV has been found, it has some unintended side effects. First of all, people who read the article believe that the HIV epidemic is then automatically over, and this does damage to charities who fight for drugs, rights, access and understanding for patients with HIV. It also, potentially, reduces the social impact of the disease, as people are less afraid of catching something that they believe can be cured.
Although HIV drugs have advanced significantly in recent years, sufferers still experience unpleasant side-effects from drugs, near death before diagnosis and drug resistance amongst some people who have the disease.
That is why it is so important to be careful about using words such as ‘cure’ when talking about HIV. In this case, it is simply a case of drugs forcing a virus down to undetectable levels. It still lies dormant in the human body, however, and has the power to rise up and cause severe health problems at any time.
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