Mellanie that is very distressing news for your client. I have heard that 
there are a lot of false positives with this testing. Could she have the 
test repeated - perhaps using her fresh blood - at a different laboratory? 
Just to be sure...
I see you've already received the infor for the La Trobe website - you have 
to be quick :-)

Nikki I wonder if Lawrence explains why receiving breastmilk is absolutely 
contraindicated if the virus can be killed by pasteurisation, which it 
appears the mother in this circumstance would like to do? JT May says 
"HTLV-1 (all cell-associated) is destroyed within 20 minutes at 56°C (or 10 
minutes at 90°C), or by freezing at -20°C for 12 hours. Cell associated HIV 
provirus DNA is destroyed by bringing milk to the boil. Boiling milk 
destroys the immunoglubulins, lactoferrin, lysozyme and the milk's 
bacteriostaic activity, but not the peptide beta defensin-1."
Does that peptide beta defensin-1 have something to do with maintaining the 
virility of the virus? Just airing my ignorance here!

Also HIV+ isn't a definite contraindication to breastfeeding. The latest 
UNAIDS leaflet only recommends cessation of breastfeeding if replacement 
feeding is "acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe" - which 
isn't the case for the majority of the women affected by HIV. In this 
circumstance exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months does have very 
good outcomes.

And again, that's breastfeeding - breastmilk feeding of an HIV+ mother's 
treated breastmilk is safe.

***************************************
Denise Fisher
Health e-Learning
http://www.health-e-learning.com
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