Recreational Use of HIV Drugs Leading to Pre-Treatment Resistance in South Africa

According to the NPR “Shots” blog, two primary HIV drugs are now being used in South Africa as recreational drugs. According to the blog, individuals with HIV who smoke what is called “whoonga,” a mixture of an AIDS medication and a street drug like marijuana or heroin, may develop a mutant strain of the virus that is resistant to the medication.

Another possibility is that individuals may become infected with a strain of HIV that came from someone who used “whoonga.” The blog noted that according to Harvard School of Public Health researcher Dr. David Grelotti, a large study demonstrated that 3 to 5 percent of individuals with HIV were “coming in with pre-treatment resistance to antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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