New HIV Infections Down

Finally some good news about HIV.

A joint report released by the United Nations and the World Health Organization Tuesday shows a 17 percent drop in new HIV infections just in the past eight years and a 10 percent drop in AIDS-related deaths in the past five years, reports CNN.com.

More people are living with HIV than ever before, thanks to drug cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s and other life-saving treatments.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a region hit particularly hard by HIV/AIDS, new infections dropped 15 percent, meaning about 400,000 fewer people contracted the virus, according to the report. The region still accounts for 67 percent of worldwide infections, however. In 2008, 14.1 million children were estimated to have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

The report also notes that in East Asia, new infections dropped by almost 25 percent; South and Southeast Asia saw a 10 percent drop; Eastern Europe, which had seen a significant increase in intravenous drug-related HIV infections finally saw a leveling off.

The report warns, however, that HIV rates among gay men and intravenous drug users remains high.

"In all settings and for diverse types of epidemics, it is clear that programs to prevent new infections among these key populations must constitute an important part of national AIDS responses," the report says.

While the news is certainly welcome, a recent article in New York Times Magazine reveals that the first generation of people living with HIV are aging faster and earlier than average, showing cognitive disorders at a younger age than normal (early senility, for example, is becoming an "increasingly common problem.")

The article says it's unclear whether it's the virus or the drugs used to keep it in check that is to blame. Either way, the article suggests that the drugs are not necessarily the panacea many believe them to be. Clearly, the best treatment, aside from prevention, would be a cure at this point.

Photo courtesy of SibleyHunter via Flickr.