Choices: Pride Center’s 11-year-old program helps people cope with HIV quoting : South Florida Gay News

As the CHOICES program spreads its wings it helps with more than just the initial coping skills. It's also a great way to meet HIV-plus friends."The CHOICES program runs eight-cycles throughout the year, mostly at night. For more information about The Pride Center and the CHOICES program visit PrideCenterFlorida.org or email CHOICES Coordinator Magno Morales at This email address is being protected from spambots. The Pride Center told SFGN they try to schedule at least one cycle of the teaching sessions during the afternoons for those who work nights. "CHOICES helps clients reduce their stress while living with HIV by teaching them how to implement different coping skills," Pride Center Prevention with Positives Manager Shanna Ratliff told SFGN.




At 24 weeks, 43% of study participants achieved viral suppression below 50 copies/ml, and half under 200 copies/ml. At baseline they had a mean viral load of approximately 100,000 copies/ml and an average CD4 T-cell count of just 150 cells/mm3. Early studies showed that ibalizumab was well tolerated and had antiviral activity against HIV strains that were resistant to other antiretrovirals. They receive another 800mg ibalizumab IV infusion on day 21 and then every other week until week 24. But having to receive IV infusions at a healthcare facility every other week would make ibalizumab difficult to use.

HIV vaccine therapy lets five people control virus without drugs

NIBSC/SPLFIVE people with HIV are currently free of detectable virus – and daily drugs – thanks to a new vaccine-based therapy. Most people with HIV need to take antiretroviral drugs (ART) each day to stop the virus from replicating and causing damage to their immune system. Previous treatments involved either attacking the virus as early as possible or trying to replace the entire immune system to get rid of any dormant virus. "If you have a prepared immune system, once a cell starts showing little parts of the virus, it should be recognised and eliminated," says Mothe. Once these proteins reach the blood, they are recognised as foreign by the immune system, which primes a type of white blood cell called CD8 cytotoxic T-cells.



collected by :Lucy William
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