De bestrijding van HIV gaat langzaam. Vorig jaar waren er in Nederland 800 nieuwe gevallen van HIV. Dat waren er minder dan het jaar ervoor, maar toch 800 te veel! 

HIV|AIDS on the agenda

HIV and AIDS are currently back in the picture. On 1 December, the national congress STD*HIV*Sex was held at the Berlage fair.

Just around the corner, in Eastern Europe, the increase in the number of infected people is enormous. Correct figures are difficult to obtain because not everyone reports and the registration is dubious. In any case, it is clear that it is precisely there that the most vulnerable groups, such as drug users and sex workers, fall prey to the epidemic.

HIV AIDS scientists

Scientists from all over the world are involved in the development of drugs and vaccines to combat and treat HIV and AIDS. Huge sums of money are being invested in the development of a vaccine that can be used to obtain immunity to HIV. And yet the vaccine isn't there yet.

HIV vaccine development

A major problem encountered by scientists is that the HIV virus can adapt so quickly to vaccinations: A vaccine is being developed that seems to work against HIV, and in no time at all the virus changes itself, so that the vaccine can no longer get a grip on it.

Of course, this is a huge setback: with a lot of effort, something has been found that seems to work, and hopla... even before you want to work on further testing, the virus has undergone a metamorphosis which makes it no longer sensitive to your beautiful new expensive vaccine!

HIV in cows

People have been developing an HIV vaccine for about 20 years. That seems very long, but the development of the polio vaccine took more than 40 years.

It has already been discovered that cows are capable of making antibodies against the HIV virus in a very short space of time. When you try to infect them with HIV, they don't get it. Cows can therefore develop antibodies even faster than the HIV virus can change! That's another thing the scientists can use in their fight against HIV/Aids. And so more and more lines are being combined and explored.

HIV and the pharmaceutical world

The pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson recently launched a large-scale test of a vaccine against HIV.

In southern Africa, 2,600 women will be vaccinated with a newly developed vaccine. There will also be a control group that will not be vaccinated. They will investigate whether fewer HIV infections will occur in the vaccinated group than in the control group. If the results are very good, the control group will also be vaccinated, otherwise it will be an unethical study.

Let's hope Johnson & Johnson does have a working vaccine in their hands. And let's hope that such a vaccine will be affordable for the people who need it most.

HIV | AIDS from fatal to chronic

HIV has changed over the years from a deadly to a chronic disease for those who have access to medication. If you are on time to take the current medication, you have to go on with it for life, but then your life expectancy will be no different from that of people without HIV infection, if at all.

Worldwide, 37 million people are infected with HIV. Approximately 20 million of these can be treated at the moment. It is distressing that not everyone has access to the necessary medication yet. Recent research has shown that when the virus can no longer be detected, it is not contagious for sex partners either.

HIV AIDS STI test

Here in the Netherlands one can have access to the medication. Get tested in time if you've been at risk. Of course it is understandable that you can be afraid of the results, but know that you can be treated here so that the disease doesn't become deadly but chronic. Make a difference for yourself and future bed partners!

Get tested at OneDayClinic in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Den Bosch or Rotterdam.

• You're being tested by a doctor
• You are completely anonymous
• You can come to us directly without waiting times
• You will have the lab results within two working days (at the latest).
• Free medical advice

Click here to make an appointment online.