New HIV treatment guidlines: NAPWA

I started noticing some big billboard posters here and there last couple of months. Turns out NAPWA (National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS) has started a new campaign to publicise the latest developments in HIV treatment. This is the site where you can go to "Start the conversation".

http://hiv.napwa.org.au/

There's an interactive graphic there, looks very similar to the billboard.

Everyone's situation is different, and mine has been far from normal. But they're urging HIV positive people to see their doctor to discuss these new advances in treatments with the outlook to deciding when to start medication. 

The campaign was launched in May:

Ita Buttrose launched NAPWA's new campaign, 'Start the Conversation Today' on Friday 4 May. The campaign urges people living with HIV to get up to date with important new information about the benefits of HIV treatment for themselves and their partners. Many people with HIV are likely to be unaware of these advances.

Campaign advertisements are running across national print media and billboard posters appearing at key sites in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

The campaign theme is to encourage people with HIV to talk to their doctor about important new developments in HIV treatment and prevention.

NAPWA’s campaign is the first of its kind in Australia to use mainstream media and public advertising sites to promote HIV treatment awareness. NAPWA has taken this step because of the significant implications that recent scientific advances have for the health of people with HIV.

Reacting to these advances, new US HIV treatment guidelines were released last month and now recommend treatment for ALL people with HIV, whether they are newly infected or have more advanced HIV infection. This reflects the growing opinion of clinical experts that delaying treatment can have negative health outcomes for a person living with HIV, and that current HIV treatments are more effective and better tolerated. Also, being on treatment has the important secondary benefit of reducing the risk of transmitting HIV to others, when used alongside proven methods like correct and consistent condom use.

Australia’s leading HIV scientist, Professor David Cooper, director of the Kirby Institute at UNSW, Sydney, has welcomed the NAPWA campaign.

“It is very important that people with HIV are well informed about the benefits of being on HIV treatment - both the individual benefit for the patient and the secondary benefit that treatment has in helping reduce transmission of HIV to others.

“Even today, with the well tolerated and potent HIV treatments available, we still see people presenting at hospitals with very damaged immune systems and serious HIV related health issues, despite the strong evidence that early treatment is beneficial. Clearly, there are a lot of people out there who aren’t up to date with the latest scientific thinking about the advantages of starting HIV treatment earlier rather than later.”
Robert Mitchell, NAPWA President emphasised NAPWA‘s commitment to support every HIV positive person’s right to manage their own health decisions, in consultation with their doctor.
 More here.....

Readers here will know the trouble I've had with meds. I still remain reluctant to start medication unless I have to. But I'm not a normal case am I, and people do need to be informed to make informed choices about their treatment options. 

I'm seeing my GP on Monday about the Centrelink medical form for him to fill in, so I may mention it to him then. Personally it does seem very strange to me that in a country like Australia people are turning up to hospital completely fucked as the HIV has progressed so far. I mean, at what point in being sicker and sicker do they finally think "Gee, I better go to hospital". Or even to a local doctor FFS? Is it the butch man thing, that it's a sign of weakness to need a doctor? I dunno I've never been like that.