Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Like I said

The Magic of Antiretrovirals, eh? It seems that there's a drug coming up at some point that would offer a single one-a-day tablet to control infection. It's an interesting possibility that antiretroviral medication could become like having a yakult drink with your porridge in the mornings. I wonder at what the cost is of that combination drug in terms of how it relates to the three drugs or what psychological effect it will have on high-risk groups like gay men if it becomes generally known that Antiretrovirals are now Multivitamins. Will more men who do not know their status be prepared to take risks, not realising that you still have to face the lack of energy and the higher incidence of illness and fatigue that HIV carries with it, not to mention the social stigma associated with the virus, too.

Still, it's always a hard balance to work out, telling negative people that the virus is shitty and horrible (but not so shitty and horrible they're too scared to test), while telling positive people that it isn't that bad in the end and being happy will make a big difference. It's a strange game to play out in your own mind as someone newly diagnosed, too, the thought of how everything's ok, then the horror at the thought of exposing anyone to risk, then wondering why you have that fear, thinking it's awful, thinking it's not actually bad and starting the cycle all over again.

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