HIV Not the Death Sentence it Once Was

Actor Charlie Sheen’s announcement that he is HIV positive brings attention to an illness that experts say is not as deadly as it once was.

Doctors say HIV is a disease you can live with.

In fact, Charlie Sheen has lived with HIV for four years before his announcement.

Someone can cope, and even thrive, with the virus.
 
“There’s a life-changing diagnosis. There are life-long implications”, says psychologist Brian Moe.
 
HIV will stay with you for life. But now, the disease won’t necessarily end your life.

Dr. Abiola Fashanu is an infectious disease specialist.

She says, “In terms of living with it, treating the virus, making sure the viral level is very low in the patient, that they are at less risk of infection, we’re able to do that with the medications that we have on the market.”
 
In the mid-1990s treatment for HIV improved dramatically, meaning a disease that was once thought to be a death sentence can now be treated and managed for years, if not decades.
 
In fact, Dr. Fashanu says, “The life expectancy for our patients is near-normal to other people.”
 
Helping patients deal with the psychological effects of HIV is just as important as preserving physical health.
 
“Unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation in the community about what it means to be HIV/AIDS positive,” says Moe.
 
He says people fear contracting HIV from others with the disease. That fear can isolate patients, often in their greatest time of need, adding, “That very much impacts the development of depression and anxiety.”
 
The hope is that Sheen’s announcement spreads awareness about these misconceptions.
 
Moe says, “I very strongly encourage the community members to seek out the true information about that issue.”
 
Dr. Fashanu adds, “We do interact with them in a normal way. Maybe it’s because we do have more knowledge of the disease, but definitely the public should be able to interact with them in a normal way.”
 
The truth, experts say, is that HIV can be managed, and patients can live, actually live, and…”You know,” Dr. Fashanu says, “have fun.”
 
Doctors say there are a few people living with HIV in the Fargo area.

They recommend that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of their routine medical care.