10

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 10, 1995

THE KEY TOIVERYTHING)

Lesbian Love Rem

The Name of Love A beautiful collection of love poems for men. Key to Everything A celebration of lesbian love poems.

GAY LOVE SIGNS

THE NEW ASTROLOGY GUIDE FOR MEN WHO LOVE MER

MICHAEL

Gay Love Signs The new astrology guide for men who love men.

PERMA ERMANENT DAPTHERS

Permanent Partners The highly acclaimed guide to building rewarding, lasting same-sex relationships.

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First Comes Love, Then Comes Money A guide to tax planning, investments, insurance and wills for unmarried couples.

Lesbian Love Signs An Astrologed Golde Ar Wonen Loring Vonia

Lesbian Love Signs An astrological guide for women loving women.

TELL ME THE TRUTH

ABOUT LOVE

TEN FO

W. H. AUDEN

Tell Me the Truth About Love Ten poems by renowned poet W. H. Auden.

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In Memoriam Of Our Founder, Cecil Ray deLoach (1952-1991)

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HEALTH WATCH

Knowledge is power: take the HIV antibody test

by John Carey, M.D. Knowledge is power. Take control of your life!

Many people who are at risk for HIV have elected not to be tested. The reasons range from "I don't want to know, there is nothing that they can do anyways," to concerns about health and life insurance.

Well, I don't buy it. You are much better off knowing what is going on in your life so that you can set priorities, make plans, and take care of business, than you are sitting with your head in the sand.

Not that the decision to be tested is one that should be undertaken without thought and preparation. You should get your life, health, and disability insurance in place before you test. You should prepare yourself for the psychological consequences of being tested and for the news, either good or bad. Go to one of the alternative test sites to be tested. It is free and anonymous. The people working at these test sites are knowledgeable and can answer your questions. Prepare yourself for the wait: the time between getting your blood drawn and getting the test results will be the two most anxious weeks in your life.

If you test negative, good for you, but remember if you have been exposed recently you may need to be retested to know if you are in the clear. Now is also a good time to examine why you have engaged in risky behavior. Is it because you were lonely? In love? Having sex under the influence? Groups like Men in Touch can help you look at some of these issues. You are in possession of information that can transform and enhance your life.

If you test positive, good for you. After crying over the deeds of the past, it is time to get organized for the rest of your life. Get a doctor, find out about your immune system, and get involved in your case. Nobody cares about your health and well being as much as you do. Make the system be responsive to your needs. Whatever you may think about drugs against HIV infection, the drugs that treat and prevent opportunistic infections are lifesavers.

Pnuemocytsis carinii pneumonia, or PCP, remains one of the most frequent opportunistic infections for people with HIV. It is also the area where doctors have made the greatest strides in preventive therapy. Bactrim or Septra are the two most common brand names for the combination of drugs trimethoprim and sulfamethoxizole (TMP/ sulfa). These drugs are the first choice for the prevention of PCP. There are four compelling reasons for taking TMP/sulfa: it is cheap, it can be taken by mouth, multiple studies have shown that it is the most effec-

tive form of prophylaxis for PCP, and it appears to have some ability to prevent toxoplasmosis as well.

There are however about 10 to 25 percent of people who are unable to take TMP/sulfa for PCP prophylaxis. The most common side effects that people have are skin rashes, fever, and severe allergic reactions characterized by swelling of the face and throat, or hives. Additionally, some individuals may not be able to take TMP/sulfa because of damage it may do to the liver or the bone

marrow.

The reason that some people are unable to take TMP/sulfa isnot clear. It may have to do with intracellular levels of antioxidants, such as glutathione. It has been recognized that some people who had bad reactions to TMP/sulfa who were given high doses for treatment of PCP could tolerate lower doses used for prophylaxis. Some doctors have given people who had side effects to TMP/ sulfa gradually increasing doses of the drugs and some of their patients have tolerated the medication. This has led to the design of a large simple trial testing the idea that gradually increasing the dose of TMP/sulfa will decrease the incidence of side effects.

This study, called ACTG 268, will enroll 370 people across the country. People are able to enroll in this study if they are HIV positive and have CD4 cell (T cell) counts that are less than 250. People cannot be enrolled in this trial if they have had bad reactions to TMP/sulfa in the past. People who have side effects from TMP/sulfa in the past can potentially enter protocol 277, which is described below. People cannot enter the study if they have received TMP/sulfa for prevention of PCP in the past. They can have received dapsone or pentamidine aerosols.

After people agree to participate in the study and they are found eligible they will receive either the standard dose of TMP/ sulfa or a low does that gradually increases to the standard dose over two weeks. All patients are then followed for three months to look for side effects.

For people who are truly allergic to TMP/ sulfa there is a trial, 277, looking at two of the other drugs which may be used for prevention of PCP: dapsone and atovoquone. Both of these drugs have been used to treat PCP and the current trial is asking which is better at preventing recurrent infection. For more information call Margaret at 216-368-2437.

Remember, knowledge is power.

John Carey has cared for people with AIDS since 1983. He is medical director of the Special Immunology Unit at University Hospitals of Cleveland, an outpatient unit for people with HIV/AIDS.

Individual, Couple

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Nicholas Palumbo, ACSW, LISW

Clinical Social Worker

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Westwood Associates 20800 Center Ridge Rd. #113 Rocky River, Ohio 44116