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11:14
Ex Vivo Infection of Human Lymphoid Tissue and Female Genital Mucosa with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Histoculture
Published on: October 12, 2018
[Key aspects regarding HIV and travel]
Céline Gardiol1, Matthias Cavassini
1Service des maladies infectieuses, Département de médecine interne, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne. celine.gardiol@chuv.ch
Revue Medicale Suisse
|June 12, 2013
Summary
Traveling abroad increases STI risks, especially for HIV patients. Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) boosts immunity, making travel safer for people with HIV (PWHIV) by improving health and reducing infection risks.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Travel Medicine
Context:
- Travelers face increased risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly in certain global regions.
- Pre-travel consultations are crucial for educating travelers about the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and necessary prevention strategies.
- Patients living with HIV (PLWHIV) require specialized pre-travel medical advice.
Purpose:
- To outline essential pre-travel considerations for patients living with HIV (PLWHIV).
- To emphasize the role of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in enhancing immune status for international travel.
- To detail the objectives of pre-travel consultations for PLWHIV, including immune status assessment, immunization updates, and malaria prophylaxis, considering drug interactions.
Summary:
- Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) significantly improves immune function in patients living with HIV (PLWHIV), enabling safer international travel.
- Pre-travel consultations for PLWHIV must assess immune status (CD4 count, viral load), update vaccinations, and plan malaria prophylaxis, carefully managing potential drug interactions with cART.
- Vaccine efficacy and duration of protection can be diminished in PLWHIV, especially with lower CD4 counts and detectable viral loads, underscoring the importance of cART.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical role of cART in mitigating travel-related health risks for PLWHIV.
- Provides a framework for healthcare providers to optimize pre-travel planning for patients living with HIV.
- Aims to improve health outcomes and reduce complications for PLWHIV undertaking international travel.
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