Need a good book about HIV/AIDS

[Patiod]

Not too simplistic, with a scientific/medical focus versus social/political history. I just got assigned to an HIV project at work today - I've done every other topic in health care EXCEPT HIV.

When I started interviewing oncologists about breast cancer, I found that a weekend spent reading "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book" got me up to speed, so I could ask questions about new drug developments without sounding like an idiot. Hoping there's a similar book about HIV/AIDS current treatments and new developments, because doctors tell you more when they think you understand what you're asking about.

The client asked me about my experience in the topic, and I was honest with him that it was the one topic I had no experience talking to doctors about, but I told him I get up to speed quickly.

Please help a fellow DUer NOT look like a doofus.

Thanks!
:hi:

[meegbear]

1. It's a bit dated now, but ...

"And The Band Played On" has a good history of the early days.

[LostinVA]

2. That's excellent for the and advent and history of AIDS in the US

[Patiod]

3. Thanks! Read a lot about the early days already

Plus my cousin was there on the front lines of the GMHC, so I get the social history from him (I often wonder how he survived that era)

What I need for work is stuff like the difference between a transcriptase and protease, the HIV life cycle, how and when resistances develop, what the hell an NNRIT is, etc.

This is all a new language for me, and I'm sure someone has a good book out there on it.

[JackBeck]

5. When dealing with medications it's important to

understand the HIV Lifecycle, since the different classes of meds block certain parts of the viral reproduction.

NNRTI (Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor)

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that helps HIV change from RNA to DNA. These class of drugs stop this from happening.

[JackBeck]

4. I'm a HIV Health Literacy Educator.

If you go to our website ( www.acria.org ) , and click on Treatment Education, you can find some information to get you started. We offer all of our publications in .pdf form.

Hope this helps.

[Patiod]

6. Yay! Thanks, Jack!

Have been on NIH and several other good sources on the web, but it's hard to read on the computer screen the volume of information I need to digest.

PDF is much better - print out, and read on the train. I'll hop over there right now.

Any books you might recommend that could give me a foundation, then I can use acria.org and NIH as updates/supplements?

(hey, and thanks for the good work doing HIV Education!)

[JackBeck]

7. I'm checking with a co-worker who's been an HIV/AIDS activist since the

"early days".

Give me a few minutes...

[crizzo5137]

8. The Gravest Show on Earth

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395745373/sr=8-1/qid=1141761102/ref=sr_1_1/104-4019530-0973542?%5Fencoding=UTF8



Its a good read...Kind of takes off where and the band played on ends..