Letters to the Editor	Letters Archive

HIV meds are a 'chain'

As a poz guy I could not agree more with your December, 2003 editorial "Facts, Not Fear" [available at www.guidemag. com].

The meds are working well for me. I do live otherwise healthy because of them. Physiologically they do not affect me, and the docs say I fall into about 30 percent of the folks who take this particular set of meds for HIV and do well. They call me a poster boy.

But the meds are a chain in a sense. Think of it: I must take them daily for the rest of my life. Unless something else changes, that is. Therefore, I must have them refilled every month. Every month. Every month. Every month.

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Right now they are affordable for me. But, could that change? Could they stop working? Would I have to try other combinations? If I did how would that new combination affect me physically?

It looks very good right now, and the virus is held in check­ it is just about undetectable.

But unlike someone who is disease free, I must always plan ahead what I will do, where I will travel. If I travel, I must bring all my meds along. I have to have my prescription paper work with me, too. One cannot just get up and leave and go, like I used to be able to.

To be HIV-negative, or without other limiting diseases, is to be free. If you are free now, stay that way. Stay free. Enjoy your freedom. It is the greatest thing you sacrifice if HIV infects you.

Your editorial is right on. Thank you.

Timbo
via the Internet

Where's the online Guide?

What happened to the November online edition [at www.guidemag. com]? Here it is November 23rd and the November edition has not been issued to the Internet.

frustrated in CyberSpace

We regret the frustration. A production snafu followed by a server crash delayed our web publishing. The November issue is up, and the December is ready to roll­ but we want to give online readers a bit of time to digest November before posting December's contents.

Sex-offense recidivism rates

The rate of re-offending for persons convicted of sex crimes is actually lower than for other criminals. The rate of re-offending is lower for child molestation than for rape. One half of all child molestations are committed by other juveniles. Females commit twenty percent. The majority of child sex abusers were not themselves abused as children. Treatment for sex offenders works. Treating sex offenders in the community is less expensive than in prison. The overall rate of sex crimes has declined recently.

Links: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/GoodMorningAmerica/sexoffender_myths.html and http://www.mhamic.org/myths/mythsintro.htm.

a reader
via the Internet