Posts
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced a bill to allow research into organ
donation among HIV-infected people, which has been banned since a 1988 law made
it illegal to transplant organs from one HIV-infected person to another. The
1988 law also prohibited research into transplants between HIV-infected
persons. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) will introduce the bill, the HIV Organ
Policy Equity Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to HIV Plus magazine, the
bill would allow researchers to determine the safety of organ transplants from
HIV-infected donors to HIV-infected recipients. Demonstrated safety would clear
the way for the U.S. Health and Human Services Administration to allow the
Organ Procurement and Transportation Network to develop “safe procedures” for
transplants.
The bill’s opponents fear that
organs from HIV-infected people could be transplanted by mistake to
non-HIV-infected patients, as reported in a 2011 New York Times story that
alleged “erroneous transplants” transmitted HIV to as many as five people.
However, Coburn, who is also a physician, stated that with greater scientific
knowledge, HIV-infected people are now living longer, which increases the need
for liver and kidney transplants. The bill’s introduction is the culmination of
two years of advocacy by lawmakers and HIV activists.
South Africa reported successful
transplantations from one HIV-infected person to another in 2010.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
