tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15249278.post2997623613587657420..comments2023-05-15T03:22:18.651-07:00Comments on the4thpip's blog of blogged blog things: When Good News Makes for Tough Choicesthe4thpiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07726898741396010310noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15249278.post-16304676966552958152008-04-15T09:28:00.000-07:002008-04-15T09:28:00.000-07:00I have to say that I share your caution and genera...I have to say that I share your caution and general worry about this news Chris. It seems to me that the announcement was more leaning towards glorifying researchers than unbiased reporting of data. I haven’t really read the article but from what you told me even if the researchers had the most purest of intension, such an announcement is certainly a double edged sword. This is especially true considering that we are currently experiencing a new flare in infections world wide as the newer generations becomes less and less cautious and they are forget the lessons of our past. <BR/><BR/>Like I said, I haven’t read the article so I can’t comment on the research model they used or evaluate the date behind the claim. I can comment that undetectable viral loads have already been linked to reduced transmission rates. The question here is if this project followed individuals who actively used other forms of protection i.e. condoms. I highly doubt they solely followed couples that completely practiced unsafe intercourse without implementing some form of barrier method for protection, that would be completely unethical even for the Swiss… They are all gypsies I say. If they were using condoms during intercourse they can not claim that undetectable viral loads alone can prevent transmission.<BR/><BR/>Anyhoo, one also has to take into account the population size of the individuals and the amount of sexual encounters. These numbers need to be substantially high if one is to claim that the result is significant. Considering HIV transmission from unprotected intercourse is actually very small, Hepatitis C viral transmission is much much higher, you need a larger population size to prove the results. The explanation here can get really confusing and long winded but lets consider this. Lets say they followed 10 couples for 5 years who on average had 48 sexual encounters a year. Now if you also take into account that the risk of transmission in heterosexual is less than one percent per encounter… It’s perfectly reasonable that no transmission would happen in 5 yrs just by factoring int chance by considering the over-all low incident rate. <BR/><BR/>Now if want to really prove that undetectable viral loads prevent infections then you’ll have to have a study with approx 5,000 couples having unprotected sex more than once a week, (if they are gay couples, the risk of transmission per encounter is higher and they also certainly have sex more than once a week) and they get NO transmission in that period of 5 yrs. This would cause the scientific community to have a collective “YAY!!!” and cream their pants. <BR/><BR/> But the majority of the world does not have a scientific background to reasonably see these faults. Even more individuals still pay attention only to the headline “undetectable viral loads prevents transmission” or to the media headline that would probably go something like “HIV drugs can now prevent the spread of AIDS during sex” . I agree that this is a dangerous message indeed Chris. CHILLS. This reconfirms my earlier comment that the Swiss are dirty dirty people and are just a bunch of gypsies.. <BR/><BR/>-Pedro<BR/>PS I just wanted to also say that undetectable viral loads in the blood does not mean undetectable viral loads in other fluids like semen. Many body cavities prevent proper distribution of drugs. The Blood-Testie barrier itself causes low therapeutic levels of drugs in the testies, which would then result in higher levels of virus in semen than blood. Just a random fact for you all<BR/><BR/>PSS<BR/>I really don’t believe the Swiss are dirty or gypsies. Lets be honest they tend to be uber hot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15249278.post-59793920321950956272008-04-15T09:27:00.000-07:002008-04-15T09:27:00.000-07:00I have to say that I share your caution and genera...I have to say that I share your caution and general worry about this news Chris. It seems to me that the announcement was more leaning towards glorifying researchers than unbiased reporting of data. I haven’t really read the article but from what you told me even if the researchers had the most purest of intension, such an announcement is certainly a double edged sword. This is especially true considering that we are currently experiencing a new flare in infections world wide as the newer generations becomes less and less cautious and they are forget the lessons of our past. <BR/><BR/>Like I said, I haven’t read the article so I can’t comment on the research model they used or evaluate the date behind the claim. I can comment that undetectable viral loads have already been linked to reduced transmission rates. The question here is if this project followed individuals who actively used other forms of protection i.e. condoms. I highly doubt they solely followed couples that completely practiced unsafe intercourse without implementing some form of barrier method for protection, that would be completely unethical even for the Swiss… They are all gypsies I say. If they were using condoms during intercourse they can not claim that undetectable viral loads alone can prevent transmission.<BR/><BR/>Anyhoo, one also has to take into account the population size of the individuals and the amount of sexual encounters. These numbers need to be substantially high if one is to claim that the result is significant. Considering HIV transmission from unprotected intercourse is actually very small, Hepatitis C viral transmission is much much higher, you need a larger population size to prove the results. The explanation here can get really confusing and long winded but lets consider this. Lets say they followed 10 couples for 5 years who on average had 48 sexual encounters a year. Now if you also take into account that the risk of transmission in heterosexual is less than one percent per encounter… It’s perfectly reasonable that no transmission would happen in 5 yrs just by factoring int chance by considering the over-all low incident rate. <BR/><BR/>Now if want to really prove that undetectable viral loads prevent infections then you’ll have to have a study with approx 5,000 couples having unprotected sex more than once a week, (if they are gay couples, the risk of transmission per encounter is higher and they also certainly have sex more than once a week) and they get NO transmission in that period of 5 yrs. This would cause the scientific community to have a collective “YAY!!!” and cream their pants. <BR/><BR/> But the majority of the world does not have a scientific background to reasonably see these faults. Even more individuals still pay attention only to the headline “undetectable viral loads prevents transmission” or to the media headline that would probably go something like “HIV drugs can now prevent the spread of AIDS during sex” . I agree that this is a dangerous message indeed Chris. CHILLS. This reconfirms my earlier comment that the Swiss are dirty dirty people and are just a bunch of gypsies.. <BR/><BR/>-Pedro<BR/>PS I just wanted to also say that undetectable viral loads in the blood does not mean undetectable viral loads in other fluids like semen. Many body cavities prevent proper distribution of drugs. The Blood-Testie barrier itself causes low therapeutic levels of drugs in the testies, which would then result in higher levels of virus in semen than blood. Just a random fact for you all<BR/><BR/>PSS<BR/>I really don’t believe the Swiss are dirty or gypsies. Lets be honest they tend to be uber hot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15249278.post-12121913450382907872008-04-01T07:11:00.000-07:002008-04-01T07:11:00.000-07:00Howdy, Chris!Whoa, this is QUITE a change in look ...Howdy, Chris!<BR/><BR/>Whoa, this is QUITE a change in look for your blog - I like it! Hope you can post more often, too!<BR/><BR/>And I get what you're saying - Lots of times, any news concerning improvement on HIV therapy or medication is seen by too many people as "just as good as a cure, so let's get wild".<BR/><BR/>Hugs,<BR/>J.James Figueiredohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281007632591613192noreply@blogger.com