AIDS – No Longer A Fatal Condition

AIDS.

Whenever we used to think of AIDS, we’d think of things like death sentence.  An extremely tough medical condition.  Extremely easy to pass along.  Bad blood. Tainted blood.

A new movie that just came out this weekend called ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ (featuring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto & Jennifer Garner) showcases the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s, specifically the year 1985 in Dallas, Texas.  It chronicles the life of one man after he is diagnosed with AIDS and given only 30 days to live.  To be able to compare life in the 1980s to now, this movie does an incredible job taking us into what it was like at the time to have AIDS. Today, there is no more ‘false hope’ of AIDS as an incurable condition.  As new  medications and breakthrough treatments have come along over the past 30+ years, we are finding AIDS is becoming more and more of a possibility for a cure.

Dr. Louis Sloan, an infectious disease doctor, tells The Columbian he credits the middle 1990s discovery of protease inhibitors, a class of antiviral drugs, for a sharp reduction in the death rate from AIDS. Outcomes continue to improve with the refinement of the drugs and customization and monitoring of combinations for individual patients.

Don’t Forget – Sunday, December 1st is World AIDS Day!

If you wish to share your story about tainted or bad blood, the AIDS outbreak or your life with this disease, please let us know.  Comment below if you have seen ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and let us know what you think!

Photo Credit – IMBD.com