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Michelle Capon

Project Manager, Bayshore Home Health

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How do you reduce the transmission rate when govt's won't pay for a needle exchange program let alone antiretrovirals which are $1700 pmonth

I have a real interest in needle exchange programs and really loved what Elizabeth Pisani discussed in her TED talk Sex, Drugs and HIV - lets get rational. The problem I have is that Governments who don't provide Healthcare for their citizens won't provide condom programs or needle exchange programs let alone supply HIV positive individuals with antiretrovirals that control their tranmission levels. Antiretrovirals cost somewhere in the region of $1,700 - $2,000 per month. How do we reduce the cost of these much needed meds and make them more available. The other question I would love to put out there is that being on these drugs has a certain stigma attached to them as well as actually admitting that you have HIV so how do we address this as well. In theory HIV rates should be diminishing but they are not.

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  • Julie Ann 10+

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    Apr 13 2011: Hi Michelle, do you know what the statistics for Canada are, relating to how much we spend on these programs and whether or not transmission rates have declined as a result? Thanks.
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      Michelle Capon

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      Apr 15 2011: Hi Julie Ann

      There are quite a few agencies that you can approach for the most up to date information on transmission rates, annual spending etc.

      I would recommend the following

      1. CATIE - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
      2. OHTN - Ontario HIV Treatment Network
      3. PWA - Toronto People with AIDS
      4. ACT - AIDS Committee of Toronto.

      Good luck.

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