I saw the following article online today:

Potential new vaccine blocks every strain of HIV

http://www.sciencealert.com/potential-new-vaccine-blocks-every-strain-of-hiv

A new drug candidate is so potent against all strains of HIV, researchers think it could work as a new kind of vaccine.

Developed by researchers from more than a dozen research institutions and led by a team at the Scripps Research Institute in the US, the drug is effective against doses of HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) that have been extracted from humans or rhesus macaques – including what researchers consider to be the ‘hardest-to-stop’ variants. It worked against doses of HIV that are way higher than what would be transmitted between humans, and works for at least eight months after injection.

This is great news for everyone around the world.  As someone who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and now works in the sex industry HIV/AIDS has been an ever present fear (for good reason), so news that there may be a way to block HIV entirely with a vaccination is fantastic.

The reality of that solution is still a way off though and of course that only covers one of a range of STi’s that are out there.  Safe(r) sex is of course the very best thing that we can do to protect ourselves, but the thing that often isn’t mentioned is testing.  Many people carry STI’s without knowing it and while it may be uncomfortable to get tested and wait for results, at the end of the day if everyone was tested regularly during their lives, then the risk of STI’s would be cut almost to zero.  If there is a problem, then you can do something about it.  This is why I am tested regularly and why I recommend that everyone (whether you book a date with me or not) should get tested too.

Knowledge is power.

John.