Organ transplantation

As people live longer due to using potent anti-HIV therapy, there appears to be an increase in the percentage dying from non-AIDS defining conditions, including organ failure. Long-term infection with hepatitis B or C can lead to liver failure. Some research suggests that liver disease is accelerated when a person is also fighting HIV. Transplantation is virtually the only option for people with severe liver disease. HIV-related kidney diseases, specifically HIV-associated nephropathy, is of major concern to African Americans and represents the third leading cause of end-stage kidney failure in African American adults. Other causes of organ failure may include side effects of therapies to treat HIV and associated conditions. In cases of organ failure, transplantation is the only viable option. For people with kidney dysfunction, dialysis may provide a short- or even long-term solution. For people with HIV experiencing organ failure, transplantation needs to be an option.