Health Wanted: World AIDS Day
HEALTH WANTED, a weekly radio show and podcast produced in partnership with WABE, brings need-to-know public health headlines and breaks down the science behind trending topics.
The Episode
The topic: Since the start of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, an estimated 88 million people have been infected with HIV, and 42 million people have died due to complications from AIDS worldwide. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Carlos Del Rio, MD, cover the global impact of HIV/AIDS, the progress made in treatment and prevention options, and the next steps to continue the fight against the disease.
The takeaway: Until recently, a diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was often a death sentence. Today, after decades of scientific research, LGBTQ+ community mobilization and leadership, and global cooperation, it can be managed as a treatable chronic condition.
- HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids like blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluids. It targets CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell that is key to immune system function. The virus replicates inside and destroys cells, weakening the immune system. Without treatment, HIV can progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is characterized by low CD4 counts or development of an AIDS-defining illness.
- HIV was initially associated with gay men, which fueled stigma against people with the disease and slowed the government’s response. The LGBTQ+ community played a crucial role in raising awareness, advocating for better treatment and health care, and supporting research for HIV treatment and prevention. Their efforts benefited all people living with HIV, including hemophiliacs, infants, and intravenous drug users.
- Anti-science attitudes have slowed progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In the early years, many people denied the virus's existence, which delayed research and promoted harmful misinformation. Today, AIDS denialism continues, with some public figures spreading false information that undermines efforts to educate people about HIV and prevent its spread.
- Significant progress has been made in the fight against HIV since the introduction of the first treatment in 1987. Today, HIV is often manageable as a chronic condition, with treatments so effective that many people can reach undetectable viral loads, meaning they cannot transmit the virus to others. While a cure is not yet available, current treatment options represent a significant improvement in the lives of those living with HIV.
The Interview
The guest: Carlos del Rio, MD
The key takeaways:
- In 2003, George W. Bush implemented the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a government program that provides funding to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and improve global development, diplomacy, and economies. Many people were skeptical of its potential, but it has been instrumental in global HIV research and has helped reach over 30 million people taking antiretroviral therapies across the world.
- Advancements in HIV/AIDS research have provided many necessary tools, like medications, to combat the epidemic. Improving social determinants of health, such as access to safe housing, health care, nutritious food, and transportation, remains a critical focus. These structural issues contribute to health disparities, and without addressing them, efforts to control HIV are less effective.
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective tool to prevent HIV, but access to the medication is limited and has historically been targeted toward wealthy, gay, white males. Expanding access to PrEP, particularly in underserved communities, is crucial to ensure the prevention of HIV transmission.
- Effective public health interventions align with both community needs and scientific priorities. Collaborating with communities, making health care more affordable, and training all health care providers to be non-judgmental and inclusive is key to reducing HIV/AIDS stigma and improving access to care for vulnerable populations.
The Listener Questions
Are cheap sunglasses bad for your eyes?
If your sunglasses don’t have UV protection, they are bad for your eyes.
When you go out into the sun without sunglasses, your body’s natural reaction is to squint. This shields the surface of your eyes and makes your pupils small to prevent too much light from getting in so that you can see.
When you wear sunglasses, the dark lenses trick your eyes into thinking they are safe in a darker environment. The lids stay open and the pupils stay dilated.
If your sunglasses don’t have UV protection, you are potentially getting a straight shot of UV to the eyeballs which can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, eye sunburns, and even eye cancer.
You should always look for sunglasses that say 100% UV protection to limit exposure to both UVA and UVB rays. If you only have cheap sunglasses, you can layer protection with a hat.
Nicotine is found in tomatoes, so is it not actually bad for you?
It is true that nicotine is found in tomatoes. It’s common in the foods we eat from the nightshade family like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers.
Tobacco is also in this family, but tobacco plants have much more nicotine than other nightshades. Tobacco plants contain about 5% nicotine by weight whereas ripe tomatoes have about 4 to 10 nanograms of nicotine per gram of tomato.
Tomatoes are 0.00000001% percent nicotine by weight, which is significantly less than the 5% that tobacco plants are.
Since people inhale between 1 and 2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette, you’d have to eat between 1 and 2 thousand tomatoes to get the same amount.
Also keep in mind that, when it comes to cigarettes, tobacco is the worst part of the equation as it’s the part that causes cancers and lung disease. And tobacco also comes from nature! Nicotine is harmful because it is addictive and impacts cognitive development in children.
Catch all the listener questions and Laurel’s answers on the full episode of Health Wanted by:
- Streaming at wabe.org or the WABE app
- Subscribing on Apple or Spotify
- Watching on WABE's YouTube channel
