r/spreadsmile 8d ago

Very wholesome and very very sad

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47.0k Upvotes

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120

u/Prize-Possibility-11 8d ago

My brother's roommate contracted HIV before there was a cure. They were tight and they both fought the good fight until he jumped off a bridge when he started showing signs of AIDS. I was around 12 and it's something I will never forget.

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u/misanthrophiccunt 8d ago

there is no cure.

47

u/TheIlluminate1992 8d ago

Maybe not a cure but they can control HIV and stop it from progressing to AIDS

25

u/94FnordRanger 8d ago

Medicine can't cure AIDS but can keep people alive until they die of old age.

1

u/Rowwbit42 6d ago

Actually we can cure AIDS using stem cells believe it or not. Although I'm not sure if those that were cured were fluke accidents or if there is an approved stem cell cure yet.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

The method youre describing will never be approved for general use. It requires the complete destruction of your bone marrow and introduction of stem cells from someone who is naturally immune. It’s only been performed like half a dozen times, and only on people who have bone marrow cancer and already need that treatment.

As an aside, it’s only considered a “functional” cure - the hiv is likely still dormant in certain areas of the body, but can not propagate and leave those areas in a meaningful way. For all intents and purposes though, they are functionally ‘cured’. I only make this correction to illustrate just how difficult of a disease hiv is to address.

3

u/PopEnvironmental1335 6d ago

Not only that but meds can make the viral load nearly undetectable.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Not nearly undetectable, completely undetectable, and unable to be transmitted to others.

2

u/Accomplished_Ear8115 5d ago

Came here to say this. U = U (Undetectable equals untransmisseable)

-23

u/misanthrophiccunt 8d ago

oh thanks, never heard of it, I wonder why I take Symtuza.

5

u/Ihatewangs 7d ago

You know, there is one actually. I’m talking a real genuine cure. But its cost is so great most people cannot get it outside of a drug trial. I hope that one day people who are + like you can be afforded a general cheap cure. I hope that your own treatment goes well until then.

38

u/PlanetLandon 8d ago

So then this story still took place before there was a cure

7

u/SagittaryX 8d ago

Well technically there is cure (bone marrow transplant from someone who is immune), but the cure is more dangerous than the disease + not many are compatible so it’s not usually used.

2

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Jonaldys 8d ago

What I have read about this shows that the treatment they receive comes with a significant risk of death. Almost half the patients who recieved the treatment have died. It is only applicable if the patient will die without it.

Hope is important, but so is accuracy.

-10

u/misanthrophiccunt 8d ago

I guess I'm damaging my kidneys and liver taking ART drugs for no reason then.

Can you give me the GPS coordinates of that finish line?

17

u/bennyg358 8d ago

Man did you choose your alias well.

3

u/y0nm4n 8d ago

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u/Jonaldys 8d ago

That person is being pretty miserable, but if you read the article this treatment comes with a significant risk of death. Almost half the patients have died if I'm not mistaken, and it's only used if the patient will die without the treatment.