The development of AIDS treatment

The development of new treatments for AIDS represents a triumph of medical research, but this scientific miracle also has produced some unexpected pitfalls.

It's wonderful that so many HIV-positive people are leading healthy lives thanks to complex drug regimens. But because some people perceive that AIDS is no longer a death sentence, they feel less motivated to avoid such risky behaviors as drug use and unprotected sex.

A new study conducted at Johns Hopkins University has given public health experts yet another reason to worry. Researchers told HealthDay News ... that intravenous drug users in Baltimore who think that AIDS is treatable are less likely to use condoms during sex and less likely to seek out sterile needles.

The survey produced some other alarming statistics: Two-thirds of sexually active participants in the Johns Hopkins study say they engage in unprotected sex, and half say they share needles with other users.

-- Times-Picayune, New Orleans