Despite Canada Drug Developments, HIV/AIDS is Still a Big Deal

Individuals with HIV/AIDS have healthier and longer lives compared before brought by various Canadian drug advances, but they still possess a chronic disease that's possibly deadly according to Jorie Barna, a care coordinator for the AIDS/HIV Services Group in Charlottesville, Va. "Living with HIV today is very manageable," said Barna, 43, who is responsible for a study composed of 50 patients whom she keeps an eye on. "If somebody were to take care of themselves, eat well, keep their stress levels down, exercise regularly and take their medications, they could live long lives. I think in another decade, living with HIV will be like diabetes. You just have to take care of yourself."

"Despite the medical advances, however, the mental toll that HIV/AIDS takes on people remains strong," Barna said, "particularly in less-urban parts of the country."  Worse is they seem to experience gastric ulcers caused by infections and certain drugs that they have been taking just to alleviate their condition; and, their immediate relief is to buy Nexium. "Stigma is still huge, huge here," she said. "A lot of people still associate HIV and AIDS as being a gay disease, which is not true at all. A lot of my straight men struggle because they don't want to be seen as homosexual."

"The issues that originally put them at risk for HIV infection have not been addressed," she said. "They're still struggling with mental health or substance abuse. They may be taking their medications and their HIV is stable, but they have other problems." "People go on disability because they are too ill to work, but there's less and less out there for them," Barna said. "The government funding is drying up. It's hard to find affordable housing. There's no such thing as public transit here in Charlottesville. It's financially a huge challenge."

"People with HIV/AIDS also come under additional stress from alienation and lack of affection," she said. "It's hard on their families. It's hard on them," Barna said. "A lot of people feel they can't share their status with anyone. I have a lot of people who avoid physical intimacy, period, because they are afraid of disclosure. They are isolated and alone." "They might be physically stable enough, but they are still struggling emotionally, financially and psychologically," she said.  Even with the existence of major Canada pharmacies online and offline they can’t seem to get the best meds to give them relief.