AIDS : HIV or not HIV…

I remember the time (a looooong time ago, when I was a child) when
researchers claimed victory : they have discovered the viruse responsible of
cancer ! The only thing which had to be done for defeating cancer vas to
create a vaccine. After, they discovered there was more than one viruse in
cancerous tumors… and still after that there was cancers without viruse. And
now, there are lots of years than nobody thinks more that the cause of
cancer is only a viruse. So, for HIV, I inform myself, I don’t take a stand,
and I wait and see. As said a french philosopher : it is just need to wait
for hearing just the opposite (difficult to translate exactly, original is
in « old » french).

Another fact which bothers me. Despite the prevalence of vertical
transmission during pregnancy and delivery, nobody advise firmly
HIV-seropositive women against beeing pregnant. So, why such an outcry
against breastfeeding ? If a seropositive women is thought responsible
enough for letting her choose to become pregnant or not,  why is she not
responsible enought for making an informed choice about breastfeeding or not
?  Just my opinion.

Kindly
Francoise Railhet
French Medical Associates Program
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