Positive Living Society of British Columbia (Formally BCPWA)

02 THINK + Opinion & Editorial. Year-End Reflections and New year's Resolutions. 03 REALITY BITES News from home & around the world. AIDS Experts Reveal Plan to Treat BC's Vulnerable. Measuring Viral Load in Plasma and Semen. First Shipment of Affordable AIDS Drugs Finally Sent to Africa. HIV-Positive Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Sex Assaults. HIV Drug Resistance Spreaking in China, Researcher Says. Novel Procedure Appears to Have Eliminated HIV. South Africa's New Health Minister Acknowledges Link Between HIV and AIDS. 05 INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE Reports from conference presenters and delegates on issues affecting men who have sex with men, women, and First Nations. Homophobia and HIV: Conference Presentations Make a Strong Link Between HIV Transmission and Homophobia. 06 Gender Equity in HIV: Are We There Yet? AIDS Conference presentations show that women's issues are slowly coming to the forefront. More trials are exploring gender differences. Exploring meds and pregnancy. 07 Way Ti'kw Xast - An Honoured Welcome. PWA Volunteer and Member of the Okanagan First Nation delivers workshops on traditional healing at International AIDS Conference. 09 REDEFINING HIV A Radical Shift. Researchers and clinicians are now treating HIV as a chronic inflammatory disease. Surprising results from the SMART study. Interpreting the findings. Inflammation measured by biomarkers. HIV infection linked to cardiovascular disease. 12 FIGHTING WORDS The big opt-out campaign aims to help British Columbians protect their personal health information, privacy, and confidentiality. No more public consultation. You can do two key things to help. 14 ANOTHER FEDERAL BILL OF GOODS Bill C-51 raises concerns about the proposed reclassification and regulation of natural health products. 15 PREVENTION Get Off Your Couch. Physical activity can have many benefits if you're HIV-positive. Offsetting the side effects of HIV meds. Tailor your exercise regimen to your abilities. 17 NUTRITION Find out what

02 THINK + Opinion & Editorial. Unacceptable. 40 percent of people dying of AIDS have never received treatment. 03 REALITY BITES News from home & around the world. The Dangers of eHealth. Study Reaffirms that HIV Replication is Harmful. Over Two Million Children Worldwide with HIV/AIDS. Renewed Calls for In-Prison Needle Exchange Program. Street Kids Using Crystal Meth at "Alarming" Rate. New HIV/AIDS Vaccine Phase 1 Trial Begins. Tenofovir May Suppresses HIV in Semen, Say Study. Menopause and CAM Study. 05 FIGHTING WORDS Not All Fun and Games. The Poverty Olympics Drew Attention to the BC Government's Failure to Focus on Important Social Issues. 06 ACCOLAIDS Awards gala honours outstanding achievements in the BC AIDS movement. 08 THE POSITIVE GATHERING Sharing and Learning. A report on the third Positive Gathering, which took place at the end of March. The theme was living positively in an HIV-negative world. 09 UNTESTED, UNDIAGNOSED, UNTREATED If prospects are so much better, why is HIV diagnosis in BC getting worse? Different population groups require targeted strategies. Women. Prisoners. Rural Communities. Men who have sex with men. Youth. 14 THE BURMA STORIES Part three in a series of personal accounts of PWAs in Southeast Asia. A former doctor in Burma recorded the experiences of PWAs in Burma and illegal migrant workers in Thailand. Here's another one of their stories. 15 PREVENTION Kiss and Tell. The legalities of disclosure in intimate relationships. What the future holds. Avoiding prosecution. 17 TREATMENT INFORMATION There are dangerous strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to antibiotics. New Viral Load Test in BC. Yeast of Burden: Candidiasis is one of the most common opportunistic infections among PWAs. 20 NEW GENERATION OF AIDS DRUGS Keeping One Step Ahead. An overview of current AIDS drugs and new drugs on the horizon for treatment-experienced patients. Enfuvirtide was first on the market. Maraviroc is unique in targeting human proteins. Raltegravir is the first integrase inhibitor. Reformulating existing drugs. The new generation of protease inhibitors. Rilpivirine is a promising new nuke. 24 SIDE EFFECTS The Bare Bones. Osteoporosis and osteopenia continue to be a problem

02 THINK + Opinion & Editorial. High Time for a Favourable Court Ruling. Medical Marijuana. 03 REALITY BITES News from home & around the world. Statement from Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS. The Face of AIDS in America. Aboriginal IDUs More Vulnerable. Movement on Microbicides. Vaccine Research to Fight Growing AIDS Epidemic in China. Health Canada Issues Statement to Clarify Organ Organ Donation Policy. 2008 Currenty Antiretroviral Drugs in BC. 05 FIGHTING WORDS (Almost) Every Vote Counts. Bill C-31 threatens the integrity of our federal electoral process by revoking voting rights for thousands of Canadians. 07 THE BURMA STORIES The second installment in a series of personal stories from PWAs in Southeast Asia. 08 MAKING IT WORK Nose Back to the Grindstone. Juggling life, health, and work is more common for PWAs as HIV evolves into an episodic disability. 11 WORKPLACE DISCLOSURE Working It Out. Privacy rights and responsibilities related to HIV disclosure in the workplace. 13 HITTING THE BOOKS Survival tips for PWAs considering post-secondary education as new or returning students. Do your homework. Dollars and sense. In the ivory tower. After school 15 PREVENTION Getting The Message. The benefits and limitations of partner notification as an HIV prevention strategy. 17 CONFERENCE REPORTS The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS holds its bi-annual antiretroviral update. Standards of Care: Medical history and examinations. Blood laboratory tests. Genotyping and virtual phenotyping. HIV/Hepatitis C co-infection. 19 The Ontario HIV Treatment Network research conference addresses HIV vulnerability. 20 WORRY WARTS Clarifying the confusion and controversy surrounding human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV and cervical cancer. What is HPV? What is a Pap test? HPV in gay men. Vaccine controversies. 12 tips about HPV. 23 COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES On a Postive Note. Preliminary results from the Living Well Lab on the effectiveness of CAM. Expose Yourself: Illuminating news about the health benefits of sun exposure and vitamin D. 26 SPIRITUALITY Constructing Meaning. Reflections on life, identity and spirituality. Looking inward: spiritual self-examination. Integrating disparate parts: validation and self-acceptance. 28 VACCINES Shot In the Dark. Merck STEPs back after its V520 AIDS vaccine trial is abruptly halted. 30 OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS All the Sor(e)did Details on Mouth and Stomach Ulcers. The burning truth about mouth and stomach ulcers. 32 NUTRITION HAART to Heart. Nutrition tips to keep cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. Fats: don't judge a book by its cover. 34 LET

02 THINK + Opinion & Editorial. OUR 50TH ISSUE 03 REALITY BITES News from home & around the world. New BCPWA Board. BCPWA Back to Regular Hours. Warning for HIV/HBV Coinfected patients. Pharmas support generic drugs for Africa. Trial to Compare Viramune vs. Reyataz. Injection Drug Use in India Could Fuel Spread of HIV. Victoria Wants Safe Injection Sites. New Infection Symptoms affect Speed to AIDS. Enzyme Found that Deteriates HIV. 05 THE TANZANIA DIARIES Part 3 in Jane Talbot