George Micheal

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  • dd68dd68 Posts: 17,833
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    It's Michael, I hope he recovers fully
  • waz101waz101 Posts: 1,253
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    BellaFiga wrote: »
    I have a question for those on here with better knowledge than I...back in the day, people seemed to get full blown AIDS and die quite quickly. I'm thinking Freddie Mercury, Kenny Everett - in Fred's case I think it was only about four or five years between diagnosis and his death.

    If someone is not taking prophylactic medication (as we surmise in this case, because of the not having been tested), how can they go on and not develop full blown AIDS? (I've always hated that expression - it reminds me of big roses covered in blackfly).

    The only thing not covered in Clarkie66's reply is Long Term Non-Progressor's which account for about 5% of HIV+ people, they have HIV but do not become ill from it, even without treatment, Magic Johnson would probably be about the most famous of those.
    Really complex area of HIV study though http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818590/
    The Assumption of most doctors is that they will eventually become ill, but it will just take much longer?
  • BellaFigaBellaFiga Posts: 1,982
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    Thanks for that.

    Someone said that in London 1 in 3 gay men might have HIV. That seems an incredibly high number. Presumably a fair number of them don't know they have it if they are asymptomatic or are doing the head in the sand thing. And yet people don't seem to be dying of it so much - at least it's not really reported any more. Is it possible that there are strains of HIV that aren't so rapacious?
  • BellaFigaBellaFiga Posts: 1,982
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  • louloubelle1978louloubelle1978 Posts: 703
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    Absolutely adore George Michael - always have done since I was a small child since his Wham! days.

    Really hopes he gets better soon:(
  • waz101waz101 Posts: 1,253
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    BellaFiga wrote: »
    Thanks for that.

    Someone said that in London 1 in 3 gay men might have HIV. That seems an incredibly high number. Presumably a fair number of them don't know they have it if they are asymptomatic or are doing the head in the sand thing. And yet people don't seem to be dying of it so much - at least it's not really reported any more. Is it possible that there are strains of HIV that aren't so rapacious?

    The 1 in 3 thing is a guesstimate from my HIV consultant and I think he meant only people active on the Gay scene, it's probably nearer 1 in 7 if you counted every single gay man in Greater London.

    Around 20% of them are unaware that they are infected, some will be Long Term Non-Progressors and others will begin to get ill, seek medical attention and be diagnosed at a relatively late stage.

    The main cause of death in the 1980's and 1990's was Pneumocystis jirovecii
    pneumonia (formerly known as PCP pneumonia) which was later discovered (mid to late 1990's) to be treatable with very high doses (8000mg a day) of an old antibiotic developed in the 1960's called Septrin (Bactrim in the US).

    With the advent of HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) to support the immune system after successful treatment for pneumonia most people go on to live full and normal lives even after a late diagnosis.

    Although there are 2 strains of HIV it seems that HIV1 is the predominant strain in the world with HIV2 being largely confined to West Africa. Subtypes are another thing altogether and devilishly complicated http://www.avert.org/hiv-types.htm But basically HIV1 subtype D is the worst. All respond to currently available drugs though.

    The most common drug used to treat HIV is a combination pill named Atripla which contains a Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor and a Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, 1 pill a day. Which costs the NHS around £700 a month.
  • BellaFigaBellaFiga Posts: 1,982
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    That's really interesting, Waz, thanks.
  • sparkle22sparkle22 Posts: 1,135
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    I reckon he has HIV I really don't understand why he wouldn't get tested considering his lifestyle over the years what would he have to lose I understand him not wanting the label but isn't it better that than not being here I may be wrong but I just don't think he'll live to be an old man I do love his voice and music though.
  • whatever54whatever54 Posts: 6,456
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    sparkle22 wrote: »
    I reckon he has HIV I really don't understand why he wouldn't get tested considering his lifestyle over the years what would he have to lose I understand him not wanting the label but isn't it better that than not being here I may be wrong but I just don't think he'll live to be an old man I do love his voice and music though.

    I was a bit confused with all this 'he refuses to get tested'. Is that not based on comments in an interview back in 2007? If so a lot can change in 7 years so who knows.

    It is such a shame for him to just have disappeared like he seems to have. I wasn't a big fan in the early days but when he released Fastlove it all changed , what a cracking song and turned me into quite a big fan. When you go through his songs he really is an icon in terms of British music, well I think so but may be biased:blush:
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