<< I know that, in general, HIV does not elicit much interest on Lactnet, but
 some of you might find this of interest. >>

magda, thanks for posting the url for your letter. it is superb and clearly
sums up the problems in the current studies/commentaries on the
HIV/breastfeeding issue. i can't recall if i have posted about this before,
but i feel  that perhaps the reason this subject does not elicit much
interest is that, it is a "big bad scary" subject, for which we feel we have
few if any answers; it is not a situation that confronts many of us in the US
especially, as well as other developed countries (the mothers with HIV don't
tend to want to breastfeed anyway); and the problem is so huge that it makes
use feel helpless. feeling helpless usually causes us to avoid the problem.

i do think (and i am passionately interested in the topic myself) that the
issue concerns each of us doing lactation work - it is of crucial importance.
the policies developed by world-wide organizations and the beliefs held by
medical professionals regarding HIV in a far away land have the unfortunate
habit of coming to roost closer to home. and the way these policies play out,
and the effect of these beliefs, has an influence on each of us and our work.

whenever i suggest donor milk to a patient (and even to HCPs) they often
resist because of an exaggerated fear of HIV but with no corresponding fear
of other serious illnesses. we have attached such a moral overlay to HIV that
it is a subject that defies considering because most people put up an
immediate barrier to even thinking about it.

magda, keep posting, keep writing.

carol brussel IBCLC
who knows that africa is just next door to us all

and thanks to andrea for her CYA help in posting the URL for the article i
mentioned.

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