[afro-nets] Nutrition Support for PLWHA (9)

[Ifedayo Adetifa MD <ifedayo_tiffy@yahoo.com>]

Nutrition Support for PLWHA (9)
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Dear Bradford and All,

I have read avidly all the postings regarding this issue. First
I must say to you Bradford that I admire you and the inspiration
others must derive from you through your example of living posi-
tively with HIV/AIDS.

However, while I do believe in and would like to have something
natural like micro nutrients combat HIV/AIDS I think you should
appreciate that the present course or natural history of HIV
that you have now only occurs in a small fraction of the total
number of PLWHAs. It has been shown that even without complemen-
tary/natural therapies the "long term non-progressors" stay well
and run a much slower course of illness. Another example of
someone like you is Dr. Matemilola (I hope I have that down cor-
rectly). He is the president of the largest alliance of PLWHAs
in Nigeria. With this in mind, it should be emphasized even on
this forum that ARVs should be considered by PLWHAs who are not
in the same category as the few lucky ones like you.

However, I believe that the decision to start must be taken by
the affected person and not the attending physician and not un-
der so much pressure. I work with HIV infected children who are
a special category anyway and I have seen the joy parents have
when their child get well, regain lost milestones and return to
normal activity like going to school.

This is my contribution. I acknowledge that I have not even
treated HIV infected persons for as long as some PLWHAs have had
HIV and empathizing cannot be the same as being the patient. I
have had to take ARVs for 4 weeks for post exposure prophylaxis
and I appreciate that it is really difficult to take ARVs for
life, faithfully and managing adverse effects even with the mo-
tivation of wanting to stay well.


Ifedayo Adetifa MD
mailto:ifedayo_tiffy@yahoo.com