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Let’s get one thing straight right away – at the present time, there are no cures for HIV or AIDS. But if you log on to the Internet and key in ‘HIV cures’ or ‘AIDS cures’, you are guaranteed at least ten million hits! Each site may put a different spin on the treatment of HIV and some may even guarantee a cure. So what is the truth about these sites and do they have any scientific basis? According to the World Health Organization, there are 40 million people around the world living with HIV, and 5 million people get infected every year. Scientists all over the world are racing to discover a cure to the HIV virus or even a vaccine that can prevent the transmission of the virus. The difficulty in treating AIDS Highly efficient anti-retroviral therapies like HAART can kill large quantities of the HIV virus. But it’s not possible for HAART to reach and kill the tiny pool of HIV virus which hides inside the human DNA itself. This tiny group of HIV virus is known as the latent HIV virus and the minute a patient stops HAART therapy, these hidden viruses burst out of the human DNA to cause re-infection. Another common occurrence in HIV patients is resistance to almost all the present anti-retrovirals which are commonly used. It’s the main aim of scientists to find some way to coax theses hidden viruses out so that they can be attacked by the anti-retrovirals. Recent research has granted interesting avenues of possibility like: -
Researchers gave patients a high dose of an antiepileptic drug called as valproic acid (used to control seizures). In 3 out of 4 patients, there was a substantial reduction of the hidden viruses, although a cure did not happen.
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Roche Pharmaceuticals has produced a new group of drugs called fusion inhibitors, which prevent the HIV virus from infecting new cells. Health frauds! Although the FDA is continuously approving new anti-viral drugs that can control the spread of the virus, there are an equal number of bogus claims circulating on the Internet. A few samples: -
Immunostim used as an IV treatment for cancer and AIDS.
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A claim by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh that he can cure AIDS in 3 days using secret medicinal herb ingredients.
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Tetrasil which uses a multitude of tetra silver tetroxide molecular crystals injected into the bloodstream of the human HIV patient.
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A recent claim by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, that some types of Yogasanas can cure HIV. Desperate patients are wiling to try any miracle cure to treat HIV and that desperation can blind them to the truth. Don’t be fooled by seductive advertising – there is no cure for HIV at present. But that does not mean you have to lose hope. Use the antivirals, trust in God and medical research – a treatment is not far off. Do you think medical science will soon come up with a cure for HIV-AIDS or do you think the disease will remain incurable? Has anyone you know fallen for the HIV cure or other related hoaxes on the Internet? |
