Show HIV and Children A Deadly Combination Jake Nelson Feature Editor Even though the HIV virus has a stronger affect in the immune systems systems systems of children scientists are now becoming aware of the reasoning behind these magnified affects The thought of children being affected by a virus such as HIV churns ones one's stomach However this still is a reality Sixteen percent of children affected by the virus die before they reach the age of four One reason the virus attacks children so powerfully is because childrens children's viral loads remain at high concentration for longer periods of time Even if the viral loads were lower there still is a shortage of HIV anti V drugs Drug makers are beginning to address the shortage and are now investigating the proper doses for children as well as the use of drug cocktails The researchers are also tossing-around tossing the idea of treating infected HIV-infected mothers before ery infected HIV-infected mothers account for about two-thirds two of children affected by the virus Some doctors are willing to use intense drug therapy therapy therapy ther ther- apy with affected newborns how how- 4 ever most shy away due to the serious serious serious seri seri- ous side effects that can occur Out of all these medical barriers the largest is a lack of help Most of the affected children live in developing developing developing devel devel- nations with little or no no access to the treatments needed Many of these children die simply because they couldn't even fight the virus Still with all this time and h history history histo histo- story sto- sto ry spent scientists are able to gain r more understanding about the affects Hopefully in time they will willbe willbe be able to help these poor children survive to live a longer if not more healthy life |